“Alright everypony!” Applebloom was pacing back and forth, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle standing at attention. “It is our solemn duty as meddling little sisters to make sure that my big sis, Applejack and my Brother’s friend, Gigawatt, go on the romantic date that we have planned them. Now are we all clear on the plan?”

Scootaloo raised her hoof in salute. “Sir Yes Sir! I am to grab your sister away from her work! A task that is of the up most importance!”

“Correct! And Sweetie Belle….”

“I am to have finished making the picnic arrangement before the two ponies reach the objective point sir!”

“Correct!” Applebloom said. “While you two are doing that, I will be retrieving the apple!”

“The what?” asked Sweetie.

“The Apple.” Applebloom repeated. “You know, Gigawatt.”

“Then why not just call him Gigawatt?” asked Scootaloo.

“It’s a code name! ya’know, like what the spy ponies use!”

“Can we have nick names?” asked Scootaloo excitedly. “I wanna be Soaring Eagle!”

“You can’t have code n-“

“I want to be Snake!” screamed Sweetie Belle.

“Y’all can’t be sn-“

“Snake? Snake. SNNNNAAAAAAKKKKKKEEEEEEE!” yelled Scootaloo playfully.

“No pony gets a codename!” scowled Applebloom. “Forget the code names!”

“You started it.” reminded Sweetie Belle.

“LOOK!” Applebloom snapped the other two fillies back in line. “We have a mission, and failure is NOT an option! Do I make myself clear!”

“SIR YES SIR.” They both said in unison.

“Alright then, everypony meet at the rendezvous point in thirty minutes! Break!” and with that, the three fillies headed of in separate directions.

Deep in the orchard of apples, Applejack was busy bucking apples as usual.

“Applejack! Applejack!” a young voice called out.

“What the hay?” she looked out to see Scootaloo zipping on her scooter, she looked like she was in trouble. “Scootaloo?

What’s wrong?” she asked as the orange filly approached her.

“I need you come with me right away!” she was panting heavily. “Let’s go!”

“Go where?” she asked.

“We don’t have time! We need to go now!” she turned her scooter around, urging Applejack to follow.

“Hold your horses! I’m a coming!” she said as she took off after the speeding little pegasus.

Big Mac and Gigawatt were just hanging around the barn.

“Dude, did you see that hot Bon-bon pony? I think she totally wants me.” Gigawatt said boastfully.

“Nope” replied big Mac.

“What are you talking about?” he said. “She totally digs me.”

“Nope” repeated Big Mac.

“Right” he said sarcastically. “What is she? A fillyfooler?”

“Yeeeuuuupppp”

“That what I tho- REALLY?” Gigawatt was shocked. “With who?”

Big Mac just chuckled to himself; he knew that Lyra and Bon-bon had been together for years.

They heard a quiet yelling coming from the orchard; it slowly began to build until the faint sound of Applebloom. “Gigawatt I need you, you’ve got to see this!” she called out, racing towards them.

He greeted the little filly. “Hey Bloomy, what’s up?”

“You’ve got to come with me!” she tugged on this yellow and blue mane.

“Hey, no messing with the mane” he smiled, his coat seemed to glow more when he smiled. “Come on Mac, let’s go.”

“NO!” screamed Applebloom. The two big ponies stared at her. She had been a little too loud. “I mean… uuh, I just need Gigawatt.”

Big Mac looked concerned at his sister, wondering what she meant.

Gigawatt put his worries to rest. “It’s okay Mac, I’ll catch up with you later. That okay? “

“Yep” he said.

“GREAT!” Applebloom shouted, dragging him towards the apple fields.

Back in the field just outside of the CMC’s clubhouse, Sweetie was putting the finishing touches to the picnic dinner. She was levitating a candle stick and putting it on the blanket when she heard the sound of two vices drawing nearer. She quickly touched everything up before jumping into a nearby bush.

“So what’s so darn important that y’all needed to drag me away from work for?” questioned Applejack, still following Scootaloo.

“Applebloom, what do you have to show me?” asked Gigawatt, coming from the opposite direction of Applejack.

“Well you see Applejack……”

“Gigawatt, I have to tell you something….”

“What in Tarnation’s!” scowled Applejack.

“Hey there, AJ” replied Gigawatt.

“APPLEBLOOM! WHAT DID YOU DO?” Applejack scorned at her sister.

Applebloom began to giggle nervous. “Well it looks like y’all are busy so….” Her and Scootaloo jumped into another nearby bush, leaving Applejack and Gigawatt alone.

Applejack looked at Gigawatt. “Look here Gigawatt, I’m sorry my little sis dragged you here, if y’all want to leave that’s fine with me.”

Gigawatt smiled, showing off his bright white teeth. “And waste a perfectly good picnic” he pointed to the blanket laying on the grass. “I don’t think I could eat all of that food, and it looks like your sister and her friends worked hard to put this together.”

“Well….” She thought. She was rather hungry. “Oh what the hay? I could use a bite.” She smiled as the two walked to the blanket.

“WOOHOO!” screamed the cutie mark crusaders. Applejack frowned at them and they quickly retreated to their bush, watching them.

“You got to love them” chuckled Gigawatt.

“Yeah….” Her voice trailed off. “Sorry they dragged you into this. I told Applebloom not to do this.”

“And has she ever listened?” asked Gigawatt, taking a bite of a block of hay.

“Well……heh, no. I guess she doesn’t.” she said, taking in a mouthful of cut carrots.

“Be happy you just have the one. I’ve got four, and there all older” sighed Gigawatt, sipping some punch.

Apple spitted out her punch. “Four? How in da name of the princess did you survive?” she could barely keep control of one, and the idea of having four sisters was just unbearable.”

“I just take it in stride” he took a big drink of punch. “And I try to forget.”

“Ya poor thing.” She said leaning closer to him. “What did they do to ya?”

Gigawatt smiled nervously. “I would really rather not talk about it. It’s kind of embarrassing.”

“Now I gota know” she said. “C’mon, I promise not to tell anypony”

“You do?”

“As my friend Pinkie would say, I ‘Pinkie Promise’.” Applejack crossed her heart and poked herself in the eye.

Gigawatt, amused by the gesture, decided to tell her. “When I was little, My sisters would……” he drifted off.

“Your sisters what?” asked Applejack, leaning towards the glowing pony.

“My sisters………. Theysortadidsomethingreallystuipid.”

“They sort a did a what?”

“They dressed me up as a girl!” he finally blurted out.

“They dressed you up as a girl?” she was barely able to hold back her laughter.

“They were older than me!” he was starting to laugh too. “I was just a colt, and there were four of them!”

Applejack burst out laughing. “You just let them dress you up in dresses?” she grinned at him. “I’d never let a pony do that ta me.”

Gigawatt just rolled his eyes. “Whatever cowgirl.” Something caught his eye. He turned around to look to see three little fillies fast asleep. “D’aww, look at that.”

Applejack got up and headed towards the fillies. “I suppose that I should take these fillies home.” She grabbed Applebloom by the mane and flung her on her back. She then grabbed Sweetie Belle and tried to put her on her back as well, but she had a hard time supporting the two of them. “There a lot heavier than they use ta be.”

Suddenly, she felt a weight lifted of her back. Confused, she looked towards Gigawatt. His horn was glowing plasma green, much like the rest of his body did. By his side, were Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, surrounded by a glowing green aura, levitating by his side. “Need a hand?” he asked.

Applejack couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks.” She said.

It was a short and quiet walk back to Applejack’s house. The two ponies hardly talking to each other further, other than a quick quip about the weather, or a fact about apples. This awkwardness continued until they finally reached the house.

“I’ll put Applebloom to bed, if y’all could set Scoot’s on the couch” said Applejack as she headed up the stairs of the house.

“Wait, we’re not taking her home?” asked Gigawatt, referring to the orange pegasus.

“Well to be honest…. I don’t know where she lives.”

“Really?” replied a shock Gigawatt. “You don’t know where she lives?”

“Don’t know if anypony does, ta be perfectly honest.” She called from upstairs. “I worry about her sometimes, ya know.”

“That sucks….. Couldn’t imagine what I’d do without a family…..” Gigawatt said, thinking of his own family. They did drive him crazy, especially his sisters, but he couldn’t imagine not having them.

Applejack walked back down the stairs. “Tell me about it. Well Applebloom is all tucked in, and Scootaloo’s out like a candle.” She looked at Sweetie Belle. “That leaves her.”

“Please tell me you know where this one lives.” Gigawatt joked.

“Yeah, she’s Rarity’s lil sis.”

“Rarity?” wondered Gigawatt. “Rarity, rarity…… have I met that one.” He drifted off in his thought. “Is she the green unicorn with the white mane?”

“That’s Lyra Heartstrings.”

“Oh that’s Lyra?” he said as they walked out of the house, Applejack carrying Sweetie Belle on her back. “Yeah I met her at the party. I think she likes me.” He smiled cockily at Applejack, who just laughed.

“I highly doubt that” snickered Applejack.

“Oh really? What makes you think that?” he asked smugly.

“Well, cause she’s Bon-Bon’s marefriend.”

“That’s what I- WHAT?” Gigawatt said, his face frozen in disbelief. He fell to his knees and screamed to the heavens. “WHY IS EVERY MARE IN THIS TOWN A FILLYFOOLER!?”

Applejack gave a little puff of disbelief “Hey, straight pony right here!” she yelled, a little offended that she wasn’t one of his choices for a mare. What did Lyra have that she didn’t?

“Easy there Jacky” he got back up and started walking. “I was just fooling around.”

“Sure ya were” she said sarcastically as they continued down the path.

It was another stretch of pitch black quietness as Applejack and Gigawatt walked together in the half-moon light.

“Hey Gigawatt” said Applejack, finally breaking the silence.

“Yes?”

“You knew what my sister was up too, didn’t you?”

“Of course.” He replied. “My sister tried this trick on me hundreds of times, mostly to embarrass me or hook me up with one of their friends. Why do you ask?”

“If ya knew what it was…..” she paused afraid to say what she was thinking.

“What? You can tell me.” He gave her another glowing smile. She couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“If ya knew what it was……. Why’d you stay?” she held her breath waiting for his reply.

“Simple” he said, leaning in to her ear. “Most ponies aren’t you.” He whispered.

Her heart stopped beating as her face turned hot red. Had he just said what she thought he’d said? ‘Most ponies aren’t you’, that were his exact words. Was he flirting with her? It seemed too obvious; he probably said that to all the mares he’d met. But he said it to her, which had to mean something! What to do, what to do? What was she thinking? She didn’t have time for coltfriends, she was better than that. Wasn’t she?

“Hey Applejack, is that the house?” Applejack shook her head as all her thoughts left her.

“What?” she looked up at what Gigawatt was pointing at. It was the Carousel Boutique. “Yeah, this is it.” she walked up to the door and gave it a knock. “I sure hope she’s still awake.”

The door opened. Rarity was wearing a silk pink sleeping gown and her hair was rolled up those weird hair roller things. She was still wearing her sleeping mask over her eyes.

“Who’s is this at this ungodly hour?” she let out a yawn as she pulled off her mask. “Oh hello Applejack” she turned to Gigawatt, averting her eyes from the strong light being emitted from his body. “Who’s your….. friend? “ she asked.

“This here is Gigawatt, friend of my brother, staying at the ranch with us for a visit. Anyhooves, we just wanted to drop off Sweetie for ya.” Gigawatt levitated the sleeping filly off of Applejack’s back.

“Here you go.” He said nicely.

“Why thank you Gigawatt.” Rarity said. She turned to Applejack. “Applejack, can I see you alone for a second?”

“I get it” said Gigawatt. “It’s pretty late; I’m going to head back to the orchard.” He turned around. “Night!” he called out as he walked away.

Applejack waved at the glowing pony. “Good night Giggy!” she quickly covered her mouth with her hooves. She looked towards Gigawatt’s direction; he didn’t seem to hear it. She gave a sigh of relief as she collected her thoughts.

“What was that all about?” asked Rarity, she looked at Applejack with a huge catty smile on her face as she watched Applejack turn red. “Oh we are SO talking about this.” She said as she dragged Applejack inside.

“I’ve got nothing to say” Applejack said, turning her head up to the unicorn.

“What’s the matter Applejack? Embarrassed of your new coltfriend?” she asked, her eyes half shutting with a cocky look in them.

“He’s not my coltfriend.” She said bluntly.

“So, does Big Macintosh know that you’re dating his friend? I imagine he might not be too fond of this.”

“He’s not my coltfriend.”

“I mean, he certainly is GLOWING with personality. You know I never knew that’s what you were looking for in a coltfriend.”

“He’s not my coltfriend!”

“So have you two kissed yet? Tell me every little dirty detail!”

“I HAVEN’T KISSED HIM YET CAUSE HE AIN’T MY COLTFRIEND!” she yelled. “WHY CAN’T EVERYPONY JST GET THAT!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. She was panting heavily from the scream. Rarity was terrified, yet she was still smiling. “I gotta go get some sleep; it’s a long day tomorrow.”

“WAIT, APPLEJACK!” Rarity said as Applejack was heading out the door.

“What?”

“Take this” she said. Rarity’s horn began to glow white as a sexy, black piece of night wear was flung at Applejack’s face. “Wear this if you get lucky tonight!” she fell to the ground laughing.

“You can be such a mule sometimes! Ya know!” as she stomped out of the clothing shop, throwing the lingerie back at the white unciorn.

“Oh Applejack, really, have a sense of humor!” she hollered out as she laughed on into the night.

Next Chapter: Chapter 15: The Red Side of the Moon Estimated time remaining: 7 Minutes