History Fanfic / ADelicateBalance

* LoveTriangle: Discussed; Rarity talks about how love triangles suck because unless the parties involved are okay with sharing, it guarantees that ''somebody'' is going to end up alone. And that if everyone is already on friendly terms it's even ''worse'' because even the two who ''do'' end up together will still feel bad about excluding the third party.

* TriangRelations: Subverted. Several character think a type 4 is forming with Fluttershy developing feelings for Twilight, but it turns out that [[TheFourLoves Fluttershy's feelings aren't romantic in nature]].

* ButIReadABookAboutIt: Twilight extensively researches the optimal way to ask Applejack out. Most of her sources are either not very applicable to Applejack, or just altogether terrible. HilarityEnsues, and by hilarity, spectacular failure.

* CrushBlush: On multiple occasions.

* NiceHat: Applejack's hat is brought up very frequently, mostly by Pinkie, who thinks it would be adorable if she let Twilight wear it.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: The relationship between Twilight and Applejack has a lot of bumps in the road, but it ends with [[spoiler: a wedding.]]
* EpicFail: See ButIReadABookAboutIt.

* GreenEyedMonster: Fluttershy's conflict in the story so far. She isn't happy that Twilight's infatuation means less time for them to spend together, but she recognizes that this jealousy isn't a healthy attitude, so she pushes herself to support the two of them in spite of her feelings. At one point she hopes, to herself, that Twi and AJ's relationship won't work out--then she immediately hates herself for thinking that.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Pretty much the entire thing is an extended example of this as applied to {{Shipping}}. Specifically concerning the fact that just because one's LoveConfession is accepted doesn't mean things are going to go smoothly.

* RealityEnsues: Pretty much the entire thing is an extended example of this as applied to {{Shipping}}. Specifically concerning the fact that just because one's LoveConfession is accepted doesn't mean things are going to go smoothly.

* BiTheWay: Applejack thinks about meeting a nice stallion and raising a family of her own. She's also willing to consider Twilight's courtship.

* NoodleIncident: Apparently, Rainbow Dash once had a romance-based incident outside of flight school that involved Thunderlane.

* NothingIsScarier: When Rarity visits Twilight after the latter's [[spoiler:unsuccessful approach at Applejack]], she notices that all the charts and graphs that used to cover the insides of library were gone, ''nothing.'' She is rather startled.

* GenreSavvy:[[spoiler: When Rarity hears about the aforementioned {{Gossip Evolution}}, she immediately figures it to be a case of PoorCommunicationKills, thus she manages to tell the others about this and prevent any potential problems that would have come from this situation.]]

* BiTheWay: [[spoiler:Applejack thinks about meeting a nice stallion and raising a family of her own. She also reciprocates (finally!) Twilight's love.]]
* BrickJoke: Kinda, if one is following the story as it updates: Chapter 8 ends with [[spoiler: Twilight and Applejack joking about how Pinkie was watching them through a telescope. Chapter 9 opens with... Pinkie actually watching them through a telescope]]. If you're doing an ArchiveBinge, it turns into more of a SmashCut, though.

* DoubleSubversion: It's common in ''FIM'' fanworks to portray Applejack's hat as some kind of precious heirloom. In this story, [[spoiler:it's not special at all. AJ actually has dozens of identical hats; individual hats tend to survive only a few months of farm life. However, the specific hat AJ was wearing during Twilight's love confession ''is'' special to AJ ''now'', so she gives it to Twilight for safekeeping.]]

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:The relationship between Twilight and Applejack has a lot of bumps in the road, but it ends with AJ proposing to Twilight, and Twilight accepting.]]

* GossipEvolution: One of these is responsible for Rainbow Dash believing that a love triangle is forming between Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy. [[spoiler: Ultimately subverted; as soon as Rarity hears the rumor, she traces it back to its source, realizes how inaccurate it is, and quashes it before it spreads.]]

* HeroicBSOD: After her [[spoiler:attempt to ask Applejack out]] goes very, very badly, Twilight holes herself up in the library, eating badly and reading trashy vampony novels.

* LoveConfession: [[spoiler:Takes Twilight a while to get to it, but she manages.]]

* NiceHat: Applejack's hat is brought up very frequently, mostly by Pinkie, who thinks it would be adorable if she let Twilight wear it. [[spoiler: She does.]]

* OfficialKiss: [[spoiler:When Applejack finally agrees to go out with Twilight, this happens.]]

* RealityEnsues: Pretty much the entire thing is an extended example of this as applied to {{Shipping}}. Specifically concerning the fact that [[spoiler:just because one's LoveConfession is accepted doesn't mean things are going to go smoothly.]]
* RedundantRomanceAttempt: Twilight's attempt to get on Applejack's good side before confessing her feelings only end up making Applejack annoyed at her. [[spoiler: When she finally does get it out, Applejack says she appreciates the honesty more than anything else.]]

* TriangRelations: Subverted. Several character think a type 4 is forming with Fluttershy developing feelings for Twilight, but [[spoiler: it turns out that [[TheFourLoves Fluttershy's feelings aren't romantic in nature]].]]

* FandomNod: Arguably, Pinkie saying that AJ might give Twilight her hat if she and AJ become a couple [[spoiler: and the fact that AJ does give Twilight her special hat soon after Twilight confesses her love]] may be a nod to how some shipping pics tend to have AJ's lover (whoever it may be depending on the pairing) wearing her hat.

* GenreSavvy:[[spoiler: When Rarity hears about the aforementioned {{Gossip Evolution}}, she immediately figures it to be a case of PoorCommunicationKills, thus she manages to tell the others about this and prevent any potential problems that would have come from this situation.]]

* [[spoiler: LoveConfession: Takes Twilight a while to get to it, but she manages.]]

* [[spoiler: OfficialKiss: When Applejack finally agrees to go out with Twilight, this happens.]]

* ProlongedPrologue: For a shipping story, it takes its sweet time in actually getting to the pairing, preferring to spend the first few chapters setting Twilight's state of mind. The initial LoveConfession doesn't even come up until roughly forty thousand words into the story.

* RealityEnsues: Pretty much the entire thing is an extended example of this as applied to {{Shipping}}. Specifically concerning the fact that [[spoiler: just because one's LoveConfession is accepted doesn't mean things are going to go smoothly.]]

* EverythingsBetterWithChocolate: Chocolate is a major plot point. It's in Twilight's ComfortFood of choice, in Pinkie's analogies, and both Pinkie and Rarity's dreams. Lyra gave Bon Bon a box of chocolates when she first asked Bon Bon out; [[spoiler:when Twilight decides to ask Applejack out, Bon Bon gives Twi the very same assortment of chocolates to offer to AJ]].

* GenreSavvy:[[spoiler: When Rarity hears about the aforementined {{Gossip Evolution}}, she immediatly figures it to be a case of {{Poor Communicatin Kills}}, thus she manages to tell the others about this and prevent any potential problems that would have came from this situation.]]

* TimeForPlanB: Twilight's over-thought-out attempt to ask Applejack out. “I've actually put together plans going all the way through N. Although I doubt I'll have to go past plan G.”

* TimeForPlanB: Twilight's over-thought-out attempt to ask Applejack out. “I've actually put together plans going all the way through N. Although I doubt I'll have to go past plan G.”