"Haah haah haah!"
Applejack nearly fell out of her chair.
A few patrons glanced across the Canterlot cafe, squinting quizzically at the guffawing mare.
Calming down a bit, the mare wiped a tear out from the corner of her eye and gazed across the table. "Oh Rainbow... eh heh heh heh..." She raised her cider glass. "I swear... sometimes you are a real hoot, sugarcube. I can't believe you actually bucked that stallion sky-high last night just to catch him and show off to the Wonderbolts! Whewww-wee..."
She took a hearty sip, exhaled, and leaned back with a warm breath.
"Whoah nelly... sometimes I wonder what would happen if I was as wild and fancy free as you, darlin'..."
I know I probably don't show it much, but... I've been through quite a few rough patches as of late. I mean, I can manage. I can always manage. You don't have to worry about that. In fact, you don't have to worry about anything. All you have to be is you. Because you're an inspiration to me, Applejack.
I mean it. I really do. When I first met you, I was surprised at how strong and confident and badflank you were... I mean... for an earth pony farmer. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Only, I used to think that committing to a life of apple bucking and cattle rustling was... pretty much suicide. I mean, what's so fun and awesome about doing farm labor every friggin' day of one's life? There's no excitement, no way of showing off, no way of grabbing the spotlight.
But, like, that's when I realized that there was more to life than being the center of attention. Spotlights are nice and all, but who's paying attention in the long run, anyways? Who's the audience? Is there even an audience?
Someday, when we all die, all we're ever really going to be measured by is just how much we've impressed the ponies around us. And—like—I can't even begin to remember the names of the Wonderbolts roster from ten... twenty... or thirty years ago. But, like, who even bothers? We all know they were famous—at least at one time—so unless they, like, flew around the world and rebooted the dying earth or some crap... then what's to immortalize them? Famous, awesome ponies get their chance and then they sorta fade away. And why not? We all live our own lives with our own friends and our own desires. Legacies only spread so far, and sometimes they don't spread at all.
But you? Everypony in town knows and respects you. Every single soul in Ponvyille knows who the one true iron pony is. And if a day should come that you're no longer around, you'll still be with us, because I totally see moms and dads raising their foals to grow up to be just like you. Because they know that your way of living is the awesome way. Because you don't even try. You don't even bother with showboating or theatrics because... that's all just fun and games, right? But you're real. You're so dang real and you don't care about it one bit, because you're too busy being you.
Does that make any sense? I mean... I'm awesome, sure. But I want everypony to know that I'm awesome. I... don't think there was ever a time in my life where I tried being awesome for awesome's sake. Lately, in a way, that's been changing. I've done a lot of crazy cool stuff, only without the luxury of being able to brag about it. And I think the only reason I've ever come close to getting to where I am now is because... because I've had a really cool pony show me just how it can be done.
That pony is you, AJ. You were the iron pony long before I ever cheated and snagged the title from you. That's right. I said it—I wrote it. I cheated. Only because I knew that—in the end—I simply couldn't measure up to you. And for a moment there, that scared me. It freaked me out that somepony could be so awesome and so confident that they didn't even have to get there through trying. They just had to be alive... they just had to be true... they just had to be honest.
I've been living a lie for a very long time. A lie to myself. A lie to my friends. And a lie to you. But I want to change that, here and now. I want to change that by being honest... by being honest with you... my best friend... my anchor...