Applejack glanced at the twins, both following behind her with downcast eyes. The walk had, so far, been unpleasant. At first she'd thought it was fine, until she started paying attention and noticing just how many ponies were peering out their windows, quickly trotting around corners or just plain hiding when they came down the streets. As if Aloe had something infectious. It kind of reminded her of when Zecora used to come to town, creating a pang of guilt at how she had treated the poor girl.

Fortunately, they were now on the long path to Sweet Apple Acres, which meant no more homes or ponies to be passed. She decided to start trying to cheer them up. “Yah all are comin' at a nice time. Almost time for the harvest an a few ah the smaller fields are ripe for the pickin', means all kinds ah good eatin's comin' up. Granny Smith always makes some ah the best pies durin' this time too. Everypony gonna be pleased as punch tah have some guests around. We already have a room yah can stay in, across from Big Mac's. All we got in there are a coupla scarecrows we need tah mend, and a paira beds for when we got the whole family tagether. If yah need anythin', feel free tah ask.”

“Of course, thank you Miss Applejack,” Lotus said with a smile. “If you require aid with anything, please feel free to ask us as well.”

“Err, 'course. Eh heh,” Applejack said before looking straight ahead. She doubted either of them could buck so much as a shoe tree, let alone an apple tree.

“Not, ahhh, with the harvest obviously. My brother and I are not fit for such tasks. However, we are both quite skilled with a needle and mending, if you require any repairs. We'd also be more than willing to lend out hooves to massages, if anypony requires it.”

“Oh! That all would be fine, mighty kind of yah,” the cowpony said with a chuckle. “Aloe, yah all okay? Yah been awfully quiet.”

“Huh? Errr, no. I mean, yes, I-I'm fine!” he said with a nervous squeak. In fact, he was better than okay. Once they'd left the town and he'd started to pay attention, he'd found he was walking behind Applejack. With the heat beginning to rise, he found she was getting a tiny bit... sweaty. A glorious sight for any pony to behold, but for him it was a thing of miracles. Red coated his cheeks and he shook his head. “I uhhh, I don't think I've been out here much aside from your sweet apple cider.”

“Tha's okay. Ain't a whole lot out here tah see unless yah are a fan of apple trees an' watching a buncha farm ponies workin' up a sweat.” Fortunately, her back was turned so she missed Aloe's stumble and Lotus' smirk. “We all find ways to keep ourselves entertained though. Huh?” She turned at the sound of a crash, quickly seeing Aloe face first in the dirt. “Yah all okay?”

“Y-yes!” he said with a loud squeak. “I-I'm sure I'll be entertained!”

“Yah went an' said that in Prench again,” Applejack said with a chuckle. Lotus, meanwhile, was struggling to keep her laughter down, her entire body quivering with mirth.

“I... I am fine,” he said again, this time in Equestrian. “So, it will just be us?”

“Well, we got a farm hoof helpin' us out about this time. They all stay in the house as well. Caramel right now, but in a few weeks when the work gets more difficult we'll have a few more.”

“Caramel? Oh! Was he the delightful stallion you brought in last harvest, after the tree fell?”

“As a matter ah fact he is. Ah'm surprised yah remembered.”

“Err, I, well, ummm, I remember most ponies who c-come. He had a very soft, supple back. I was quite surprised, I expected it to be a lot firmer, like Big Mac's. An excellent coat as well. It's comments like that, that made you think I was into stallions, wasn't it?”

“Well, a lil bit. Ah'll be honest, ah really did think yah had an eye on mah brother for a while. With the whole pony tones thing an' all.”

“Darling, everypony was crushing on your brother after one of those songs. He was majestic, dazzling, a true pony amongst ponies,” Lotus said with a delicate sigh. “Whoever ends up with him is going to be quite the happy mare.”

“I still say there were probably foals popping into existence after those numbers,” Aloe said with a smile. “If I was capable, I'm pretty sure that voice would have been enough to make me pregnant. He probably could have taken me right after and I wouldn't have objected in the slightest.” More red coated his cheeks when both mares stopped and stared at him. “I... I meant that as a figure of speech. Not that I'd let him actually... h-how much longer to the farm?”

“Ain't much further, sugar cube. Ah'll make sure tah see if ah can have mah brother sing yah all tah sleep,” Applejack said with a snicker. A moment later Aloe's stomach rumbled, turning his face even redder. “Ah'll see about getting' yah somethin' tah eat too. The early mornin' chores should be done now, so should be about time for breakfast.”

“S-sorry,” Aloe said before lowering his gaze. “It's been a... rough couple of days. I haven't eaten much. Err, do you ummm... does everypony know we're coming?”

“Well, they knew ah was gonna invite yah. Mighta thought yah'd say no, but no pony is gonna mind yah bein' there. The Apple family knows how tah treat a guest proper.”

“Oh, we've heard stories. You'd be surprised how many ponies have told us after spending some time on your farm,” Lotus said with a giggle. “I think it will be delightful. Ah, there it is!” Off in the distance, the house was just barely coming into view. “It's hard to believe so few of you run this entire farm all by yourselves.”

“We hire help when we need it, but yah'd be surprised how little work there is aside from harvest time an' sowin' time. The magic in the land does such a good job keepin' the plants healthy and glowin' red. Durin' this time ah year we mostly jus' tend to the animals and keep inventory, make sure we ain't getting' any infestations or such. Get any fixin' done, like we were plannin' on fixin' the eastern fence so we could send the cows back out there tah graze without worryin' about any of them timber wolves givin' 'em a right scare. Gotta buck the few fields that like ta come in early. Probably headin' down tah town later tah help with some odd jobs too.”

Lotus let out a whistle. “My goodness, when do you find time to sleep and relax?”

“Ah get by jus' fine. Runnin' a farm ain't easy, but it's a nice enough life. Ah wouldn't trade it for anythin'. Runs in the family, after all.”

Aloe sniffed the air as the delightful scent of pancakes, hay bacon and prench toast enveloped them. The window of the kitchen was open, allowing the scents to wrap around them as they came closer. “Truly, it smells delightful. I sure hope there is enough. My sister and I can eat a lot more than you'd think.”

Applejack merely chuckled and opened the door, motioning inside. Both the twins mouths fell open at the sight of the course. Stacks of hay bacon, toast, pancakes, eggs, and just about everything imaginable for a well balanced breakfast stood on the counter, and Big Mac wasn't even finished. Already there was enough to feed the two for a week! “I thought you said Caramel was the only one staying here with you?” Lotus asked nervously.

“He is. This should be enough, don'tcha think?” Applejack asked. Soon, the largest feast the twins had ever seen laid before them, causing them to share a nervous glance. Then the bell was rung. “Come an' get it everypony!”

Applebloom was the first to arrive, her face lighting up when she saw the two. “Ah knew yah'd say yes, ah jus' knew it!” She galloped over to Aloe, a grin on her face. “So, if yah're really a guy, does that mean yah can or can't get pregnant? Big sis says you're meter saxiphone.”

“Applebloom!” her sister snapped. “Ah'm sorry Aloe, ah thought she'd know better than tah be rude towards guests.” She glared at the little filly, causing her to take a seat and hang her head.

“No, it's fine,” Aloe said with a sad sigh. “It's actually a lot more common than most ponies think. You've probably met plenty of ponies who have their genders ahhhh... less apparent to varying degrees. The fact my sister and I are twins is one of the reasons my case is so severe.” He then paused for a moment and chuckled. “Though, technically I guess I would be, hee hee, meter saxiphone. But no, I can not get pregnant. My sister can though.”

“ALOE!” Lotus snapped.

“What? She's old enough to ask me, she's old enough to-- eek!” Aloe was shoved out of his chair with a powerful push from his sister.

“We're at the dinner table, show some manners.” She then looked up at the staring ponies. “Err, sorry. We were just--” The table burst into laughter, drowning out her words as Aloe slowly climbed to his hooves, sliding into the chair.

“Now Lotus, ah didn't think ah'd have tah tell yah, but no horseplay at the table,” Applejack said with a light snicker and mock scold.

“Sorry ma'am...”

“An' you two,” the farm pony turned the scold on Aloe and Applebloom. “No more talk about pregnancy's at the table. Yah hear?”

“Yes ma'am...” the two said in unison.

Before long the whole family was gathered together. The twins stared in wide eyed amazement at the sheer quantities the family could put away. Even Applebloom was able to easily out eat the two of them put together, and she was the lightest eater of the bunch. Before long, talk of business and play were being spread out between bites, including funny stories of what they'd been doing lately.

Caramel's stories dominated the field, as he told about the odd jobs he'd been doing before returning to the Apples for the field work. Laughter and happy words spread through the kitchen like wildfire, though in Aloe's eyes it all ended too soon. The farm ponies galloped off to work the fields, leaving them alone with Granny Smith, the oldest member of the family who just no longer had the energy to do the harder work on the farm.

The elder pony smiled at them before looking to Lotus. “Now yah must be the young'in lookin' tah capture mah lil gran' daughter's heart. Mmmm hmmm. Ah see what the paper says, takin' a close look at yah ah can still barely tell yah be a stallion. Even with the eyes an' the hooves. Maybe a bitta the ears, but ah'll be darned.”

“W-what? But... but I am a mare,” Lotus said softly before holding up her hooves and examining them closely. “What's wrong with my hooves?”

“Ummm, I'm the stallion,” Aloe said softly. “Though... I'm a little curious how you know.”

“Who yah thunk reads the paper around 'ere? Wait, yah be a stallion? Now ah jus' don't believe that. Roll over on yah back.”

“WHAT? NO!” Aloe shrieked and cowered behind the table. “I'm not going to, you, scandalous, I won't, you...” She narrowed her eyes at the elder mores laughter. “You were pranking me, no?”

“Hee hee, an' yah fell for it like ah was sellin' yah a bridge. So you're the one lookin' tah win mah granddaughter? Me an' yah gonna haveta getta know each other then. Yah any good with a needle?”

“As a matter of fact, my sister and I are fabulous with needles. Well, we're no Rarity, but we know our way around a few pins,” he said proudly as he puffed out his chest.

“Good, yah two can help meh with some ol' fashion mendin'. Won't take long.” The elder mare slowly crawled from her chair, her entire body shaking as she made her way out of the room. She dropped down in an old recliner, a basket of torn clothing besides her. She soon had a needle and thread for all of them as they got to work. “Now, tell meh about you'self.”

“Err, well, I'm co-owner of the spa with my sister. I, ummmm, I'm a great masseuse and I know all the tasks required to help a pony relax. I'm not really strong compared to ummm, any of the ponies who work here. But I'm really good at my job so...”

“So yah'd plan to stay in Ponyville if yah an' Applejack got hitched? What about the farm?” the elder pony asked with a cocked eye. Lotus pretended to be focused on her own stitching, though her ears rose.

“I... I don't know. I mean... I didn't expect to have... this happen at all. I didn't plan to tell Applejack. I thought it might go away if I just... didn't focus.”

“Well, that ain't no way tah go about a crush. All yah gonna do is make yourself more miserable and long for it even more. Ain't yah got any common sense?”

“N-no ma'am...” Aloe mumbled, squirming the entire time. He found himself soon being racked over the coals by the elder mare, asking everything from his favorite meal to his retirement plan.

He didn't know how long he was there when he heard the door open again. “Oh thank Celestia!” he blurted out and turned.

Applebloom gave him an odd look. “What's got yah all worked up for?”

“N-nothing...” He glanced to the elder pony, who was still rambling something at him. “Save us...” he whispered.

She snickered softly and nodded. “Aloe, Lotus, yah wanna help meh make some snacks for the others? Ah could use the extra hooves.”

“Gladly!” Lotus said before putting the needle down. Granny Smith gave them an odd look, but soon shrugged it off and went back to mending.

“Granny Smith, we were thinkin' ah havin' a picnic down by the swimmin' hole, wanna join us?” Applebloom asked with a smile.

“Hmmm? Down by the ol' hole? Jus' try an stop meh!” the elder pony said with an enthusiastic smile.

“Mmmkay. Ah'll let Applejack an' the others know when ah head back out.” She then trotted into the kitchen, the other two following behind.

Aloe quickly made his way to the nearby window, gazing out. To his delight he could see Applejack, off in the distance. She was bucking trees, moving baskets and loading wheelbarrows. She was fast, though she didn't rush. The earth pony would flow from one task to the next, never hesitating. Skill and practice molded into a strange dance of work efficiency. Even though the sun was casting its hot glow on the land, the mare didn't pause aside from the occasional moment to wipe sweat from her brow.

“D'awwwwwww,” Applebloom said, breaking his focus.

“What? I-I was watching the, ummm, sun rise!” Aloe lied, horribly.

“Darling, you were starring for almost a minute and a half. Not to mention the sun rose hours ago,” Lotus said with a gentle snicker.

He blushed and looked down. He must have been staring a while, as they'd already brought out the makings of a few sandwiches and were putting them together. He moved to join them, his face crimson enough if showed through his coat. “I was just... admiring the... art of her skill. She is, uhhh, quite talented. Lots of endurance, I'd have passed out by now, doing that work.”

“Aw shucks, that ain't nothin'. Yah should see us durin' full pickin' time. Her an' Big Mac can buck almost an entire field between 'em faster than yah can build a dam.”

“Well, I've certainly never built a dam, but I imagine that is quite fast,” Aloe said with a blush. “No wonder you ponies can eat so much. You must plow through calories faster than... errr... did I say something?”

Applebloom just glared. “Yah callin' us all fat?”

“What? No! Never!” Aloe shook his head quickly. “I was just admiring your worth ethic! Such hard work, day after day. I don't think I could do it.” He paused and glanced out the window again. At the worst. Possible. Time. Applejack had been taking a moment, whipping her hat off and shaking her mane out so the sweat cascaded around him. The poor stallion didn't have a chance, falling over with a strangled, gurgling sound.

Applebloom hopped off her stool and galloped to his side. “Yah all okay?”

“Oh, he'll be fine. He just over heated,” Lotus said with a soft smirk before walking to the sink and taking out a glass. “I know how to fix him.”

------

Aloe, now considerably wetter, and the others trotted out into the field, their saddlebags bulging to the brim with food. The three workers let out a little cheer at the sight. “Granny Smith says the swimmin' hole'll be fine,” Applebloom said with a nod.

“Mmm'hmm.” Big Mac nodded back, before trotting towards the house to gather her.

The five remaining started trotting through the fields. Applejack's coat glistened with sweat, the matting of her coat revealing every perfect curve of her body. It took every fiber of Aloe's resistance to not stare, which he only achieved by staring at the ground.

“So, what happened to yah?” the farm mare asked, looking him up and down.

“I had an accident with a glass of water. It was, err, a tad chilly.”

“He passed out when he saw yah workin' the fields an' Lotus tossed a glass'a water on 'im,” Applebloom said with a big grin on her lips.

“Applebloom!” Applejack snapped. Aloe was too embarrassed to say a word, just nodding away.

“To be fair, dear Applejack,” Lotus said with a smile. “You did look quite dazzling, all sparkling and sweaty in the fields. I can hardly blame my brother for his behavior. I was a little tempted to stare myself.”

The mare just turned her own brilliant shade of red, to match Aloe's. Not another word was spoken as they made their way to the pool. It was surprisingly large, with a small little beach and some trees. They set the blanket in the shade, then Applebloom galloped off and leaped into hole, eliciting a shriek from Applejack.

“Not without your floaties!” the elder sister yelled before galloping after her, tossing her hat aside. “What have ah told yah?”

“But it's just a few minutes, ah'll be careful, honest!” The filly gave her biggest, saddest, poutiest eyes to her sister, even her drooping bow helping to add to the effect.

The elder sister rolled her eyes before nodding. “Fine. Ah guess if she's in, won't hurt the rest of us tah get our hooves wet. Yah all comin'?”

“Yee haw!” Caramel yelled before galloping past her and leaping in as well.

The twins shared a nervous glance, before shaking their heads. “Errr, we'll watch our supplies,” Aloe said quickly. “You three have fun.”

“Well, alright then,” Applejack said before leaping into the water. To Aloe's disappointment, the water was very deep so he couldn't see much aside from her head. The twins took up residence under a tree and watched the frolicking ponies, letting the cool breeze relieve their heat. Soon enough, Big Mac and Granny Smith joined the three, splashing and having a grand old time. They'd even brought the floaties.

The filly glanced to the twins. “Yah all gonna come in? Water's fine!”

“We're fine,” Lotus said nervously.

“Aw, come in yah young whipper snappers,” Granny Smith said with a chuckle. “Yah all can't jus' lounge about under a tree, you'll grow mushrooms!”

“Really, we're quite comfortable. Just enjoy yourselves. How about we start setting up the picnic, okay? Eh heh...” Aloe said with a nervous gulp.

Applejack watched the two for a moment, rubbing her chin. Finally, her eyes went wide. “Yah two can swim, can'tcha?” Their faces went pale in unison. “Ah golly, yah two really are twins. Even panic the same.”

“It's not, there just, we didn't have anywhere to swim back home. It just became one of those things we never learned,” Aloe said, poking his hooves together nervously.

The farm pony smiled up at him. “Want us tah teach yah?”

“Err...” He stared. He didn't want to humiliate himself in front of her. On the other hoof, that smile was just... mesmerizing. Fortunately, his sister was far faster acting than him. She gave him a shove, toppling him down the hill with a shriek. He landed on the ground in front of Applejack with a groan.

“Ah'll take that as a yes. Big Mac, mind if we use your duck floater?”

“Nnnnope,” the stallion said before tossing her the circular duck floatation device and she put it around Aloe's head and down around his waist. She snickered softly at how easily it fit.

“Now come on.”

“Wait!” he cried out, but it was too late. He was yanked into the water and let out a scream. In a blind panic he flailed about, his hooves not touching the bottom. Instead, they latched onto Applejack. He accidentally dunked them both a few times before he finally calmed down enough for her to keep them both afloat.

“Yah all okay now?”

“Whimper.”

“Nothings gonna happen. See? Ah gotcha.” She held onto both his front hooves and slowly swam backwards, pulling him with her. “There, yah trust me?”

He whimpered and slowly nodded. “Good. Now jus' try kickin' your hooves while we go. Don't worry, yah won't fall with meh holdin' your hooves an' the floaty around your waist. Gotcha?”

He did as she said, blushing nervously. “O-okay. Hey!”

“Jus' relax. Ah still gotcha.” She moved to his waist, her hoof on his stomach. “There, now try kickin' with both hooves.” He started, sending water flying everywhere as the spectators let out eeks and tried covering their faces. “Easy, sugarcube! Yah don't gotta swim that hard, jus' keep gently paddlin'. Ah gotcha, no need to panic. Ah ain't gonna let yah drown, ah promise.”

He smiled and soon, his movements were much softer and gentler. She soon lowered her hoof a little, but stuck with him, letting him know she was there. That she wasn't leaving him. Though he couldn't swim without help, he was soon able to go from side to side, even without her, with the floatation device.

“There yah go. Now ah reckon a few weeks ah this an' yah won't even need the duck,” Applejack said with a smile.

“You're a very good teacher,” Aloe said with a blush as he bobbed up and down in his lil floaty.

“I've had some practice. Yah aren't any harder than teachin' Applebloom. Now it's Lotus' turn.”

The mare froze under the tree. “E-excuse me?”

“Yah heard meh. Yah didn't think you were gonna get off scott free, didja?”

Lotus whimpered and shook her head. “I-I'd really rather not.”

Aloe smiled and called up in Prench. “Oh no, sister. After tossing me down, the least you must do is join me. Come! The water is fine! Cold as ice, but fine!”

“Not a chance!” Lotus yelled back.

“Then you leave me no choice.” He glanced to Big Mac before switching back to Equestrian. “Would you mind singing?”

“Huh?”

“Please, sing the music in--”

“I'm coming!” Lotus yelled before trotting down the hill, her face bright red. She shot her brother a nasty glare. “You're a wicked beast, you know that?”

“I'm also soaking wet, thanks to you. The least you could do is join us.”

“Ah'll get some more floaties,” Applejack said with a chuckle before crawling out of the water. Aloe froze and stared at the sight of water cascading down her body, dripping down her powerful legs, enveloping her--

He teetered over forward, dunking under the water with his back hooves kicking out helplessly, shrieking into the water as it shot up his nose.

------

Aloe sat on the beach, a towel wrapped over his shoulders as he watched his sister swim back and forth. Her movements were still clumsy, but in the short time she'd already abandoned the need for floaties. “How yah feelin'?” Applejack asked as she took a seat besides him, water still dripping down her body and holding her mane flat.

“U-ummm... fine,” he said gently, careful not to look at her and instead focusing on the foods. He'd been slowly setting everything out, an excuse not to return to that dreadful water.

“Yah aren't mad about it, are yah? Ah'm sorry ah got out then, ah thought—”

“What? No! I'm not mad at you, I could never be mad at you! I'm just a little, well, err...” He glanced back to his sister, who was splashing Caramel. “Jealous.”

“Ah gee. Yah don't gotta be jealous about none-a that. We all learn things at our own pace, won't do yah no good tah get upset cause she's a bit faster on the uptake than yah are. Took meh a whole summer tah learn tah swim when Big Mac taught me.” Applejack reached out and patted his shoulder, before moving down to help him unpack.

“Well... I-I guess.”

“Don't yah worry your lil pink head, you'll get better the longer yah practice. End a your visit yah might not even need the floater at all.”

He grinned and nodded. “I sure hope so. You're an excellent teacher.”

She shrugged. “Ah think we gone an' had that talk already. Don't worry about it sugar cube, wasn't any trouble. Come on everypony! Lunch time!” she yelled before letting out a whistle.

Soon the ponies were gathered together, eating a hearty meal. Aloe occasionally glanced at Applejack, hoping to catch her glancing at him, preferably with a blush. Sadly, she didn't seem to look at him any more than anypony else, focusing most her attention on whoever she was chatting with, or who was telling a story. Blushes never seemed to enter her cheeks. He wondered if she even remembered what she said about his advances and was beginning to question if she had meant it. His gaze lowered to his sandwich and he considered telling her it was okay if she wanted to forget the whole thing. It would be fine if she didn't feel for him that way. But he was too afraid to find out what her answer would be.

Applejack, on the other hoof, couldn't stop thinking about it. She saw the way the stallion's eyes lit up when he looked at her, as if she was the only pony in the world. She couldn't deny she found it flattering, if a bit embarrassing. Very few ponies had ever looked at her quite like that. Sure, she'd gotten her share of lustful leers(farm ponies were great at those), but he seemed more star struck when he watched her, than perverted. She could only think of one pony in recent memory who had looked at her like that, and the problems it had caused.

Unfortunately, the guilt of everything that happened still rested on her shoulders. Though she knew it was barely her fault, the majority of the blame rested squarely on Discord, she couldn't shake what she felt was hers. A part of her hoped the pony would be so miserable here, that he'd run off and never think about falling for a farm pony again and she could avoid breaking his heart.

Though, another part of her gave him a little respect for not breaking yet. She was half tempted to take him out to the fields and see how well he could do out the there. Then a rather wicked idea, for her at least, came to mind. “Hey Aloe, Lotus. We don't gotta lot left until the fields work is done, yah wanna come on out and get your hooves dirty? Can show yah some-a the work that got mah hooves in that state yah always complainin' about when ah come to your spa.”

“I think I'll pass,” Lotus said quickly, shaking her head. “I'll stick to mending, thank you very much.”

“I'll give it a try,” Aloe said with a smile. “I'll try anything once.”

Applejack nodded with a smile. After ten minutes of real farm work, she bet he'd be racing to the hills.