The next day, Ditzy had completed her rounds as fast as she could. Ditzy had stopped to talk to Rarity at the very least.

“I’m going to take your advice,” Ditzy told Rarity. “Tonight.”

She’d collected  Dinky from school, poking out her tongue at Cheerilee as she left. While she appreciated what her friend had done, she had to get Cheerilee back, somehow, for being so sneaky.

“You want to help mommy make some muffins?” Ditzy asked.

“Yeah!” Dinky exclaimed with glee.

The weather pegasi had planned a cool evening tonight, so Ditzy cooked a thick and creamy potato soup to go with the muffins. She poured the soup into two vacuum flasks, and packed two separate brown paper bags with the muffins.

She avoided her daughter’s questions as she packed her own saddle bag with a blanket, one of the bags of muffins, and one of the vacuum flasks and two wooden mugs. She packed Dinky’s school saddlebags with the other flask and bag of muffins, two more mugs, and a smaller blanket.

“Are we going to have a picnic?” Dinky had asked.

“Yes,” Ditzy coyishly answered, “sort of.”

Ditzy helped Dinky into her saddlebags, and then picked up her own.

Dinky tried to guess where they were going for their picnic for most of the trip to Sweet Apple Acres. She would not accept her mother's answer of ‘it’s a surprise’. Dinky’s excitement grew as they rounded the corner, and she’d figured out their destination.

“Why didn’t you say we were coming to see Apple Bloom?” Dinky squealed with delight.

“Well, I did say it was going to be a surprise,” Ditzy smiled. “And that’s not all. I was thinking, you’re both such big fillies now, you might want to have your own picnic, just you and Apple Bloom.”

“Really?” Dinky’s eye widened. “We can have our own picnic?”

“If Applejack or Big Mac say it’s okay.”

Ditzy and Dinky walked towards the Apple family house. Before they could knock on the door, Applejack opened.

“Ah don’t know how long Ah’m gunna be, Granny,” she’d called over her shoulder. “Oh hi, Ditzy, Dinky. What brings y’all round?”

“Is everything okay?” Ditzy asked.

“Oh, it ain’t nuthin. Rare’s got her saddle all up in a twist about summ'it, and needs mah help,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes. “Ah swear, everythin’s gotta be the ‘worst possible thing ev’r’ with her.’ Ah’ll be back later once Ah’ve sorted this out.”

Ditzy held back a chuckle. She would have staked her very last bit that there was no emergency at the boutique. Luna bless that conniving and shrewd friend of hers.

Dinky stepped forward. “‘Scuse me Applejack. Can Apple Bloom come outside to have a picnic dinner with me?”

Apple Bloom rushed to the door. “Awww, Applejack, please say yes!” Both foals looked up at Applejack with huge, watery eyes.

“Awww, Ah can’t say no to those eyes. Go on you two, just don’t go too far from the house. It’ll be getting dark soon.”

“Umm,” Ditzy turned to Applejack, trying to hide her nerves. “If you’re going out, is Big Mac around?”

“Sure, he’s in the south fields right now. If’n yah wanna wait here, he’ll be back soon.”

“If- if it’s okay, maybe I could meet him out there?”

“Sure thing, Sugarcube,” Applejack answered, not really paying attention. “Now I gotta go see what all this fracas with Rare is about.”

Applejack waved a goodbye to Ditzy, as she trotted down the path into town. Ditzy made her way to the south field, hoping that Big Mac would be easy to find. She found him leaning over, washing his face off in a stream.

Okay, it was now or never. Confidence. Confidence was what Rarity had told her. She could do confidence. Maybe.

“Ummm,” she said quietly, trying not to startle him. “Hi, Big Mac.”

“Ditzy!” he turned with a start. “Ummm, howdy.”

“Have you finished work for the day?”

“Eeyup,” he nodded. His eyes darted around, and he had started to fidget.

Ditzy smiled. While Big Mac wasn’t ordinarily a talker, he’d seemed particularly nervous this evening.

“That’s good,” Ditzy walked towards him. “Somepony did something very nice for me yesterday.”

Big Mac stood stockstill.

“I was hoping, maybe, that somepony might like to,” she paused, looking down. “Maybe have dinner with me?”

Ditzy could hear Big Mac gulp.

“I brought some food with me,” she motioned towards her saddle bags. “In case somepony said yes.”

She waited for a response.

She continued to wait for a response.

Big Mac continued to look at her in stunned silence.

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it wasn’t him. Maybe he didn’t like her that way. Maybe she’d come on too strong, and had scared him. He was probably just being nice.

Big Mac nodded, almost imperceptibly.

Ditzy had to try her hardest to stop herself grinning. She took off the saddlebag and placed it on the ground. She retrieved the blanket and laid it on a smooth patch of earth below a tree. She put the two mugs down, and started to pour the still warm soup from the flask. She tore open the paper bag of muffins, using it as an improvised plate for the baked goods.

Big Mac nervously made his way over, and sat down on the blanket. Ditzy handed him one of the mugs of soup, before taking her own. He inhaled the aroma of the thick soup.

He took a sip. Potato soup. It was warm. It was thick, creamy, and just a little peppery. He closed his eyes, and enjoyed the taste of it.

“It’s good,” he smiled, eyes still closed. “Very good.”

She passed him a muffin, looking away. “I hope you like these too.”

Big Mac took a tentative bite of the muffin. Rosemary and sage. They were perfectly cooked, a little stodgy, not underdone, nor overcooked and dry. He took another mouthful of soup, and when the flavors combined, he couldn’t help but moan. She was an amazing cook. Sure, everything she’d served was simple food, nothing fancy like you might get in a Canterlot cafe. But these simple, home cooked meals were wonderful. The Apples knew how to cook anything with apples in it, but anything else they made didn’t compare to the grey mare’s cooking.

“You’re amazing,” he let out, before realising what he’d said. He looked over and found her blushing.

“Ummm,” Ditzy started, staring intensely at something on the blanket by her hooves. “I was wondering if, maybe if you might…"

She looked Big Mac in the eyes. “I was wondering if, well, I thought maybe, if you might want to be my-” She paused to steel herself.

“My very special somepony?” she finished, almost in a whisper.

Big Mac looked into her eyes. The look of hope, mingled with fear. She was holding her breath. Oh horseapples, he hadn’t answered!

“Ah would,” he answered barely above a whisper. He nervously moved a hoof forward, across the blanket, and held one of Ditzy’s. “Ah would like that very much.”

Applejack grizzled as she walked through the door.

“Couldn’t find her good scissors. What kind of emergency is that?”

She looked around to see Granny Smith sleeping in her rocking chair, and two giggling fillies at the table whispering.

“What in tarnation are you two doin’ up at this hour?” Applejack snorted when she saw the two. She called upstairs, “Big Mac, why is Apple Bloom still up?”

Apple Bloom and Dinky broke into fits of laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Applejack scowled. “And where’s that no good brother of yours?”

Dinky and Applebloom looked at each other, and replied in unison. “He’s with his very special somepony.”

Then they broke into giggles again. Next Chapter: Chapter 14 Estimated time remaining: 10 Minutes