Author's Notes:

As you can see, this is a helluva chapter... By the time I finished the saucier bits (pardon the pun) it was close to two pages of fun. I had originally hoped to get this up Christmas night, but a late night viewing of The Gambler kinda threw a wrench in the gears of that plan. If you haven't seen it yet and plan to, get ready for a fekkin' ride guys and gals...

Gotta give a shout out to a good friend of mine (you know who the fuck you are, you cunt wipe ) for putting up with my delays and chiming in with some helpful advice with Galen's letter. Cheers, you oily swab of ball sweat

If you haven't seen my blog post about the inclusion of telephones, see my latest post for my thoughts and views on it

The next day found Applejack waking up in her bed with the sun without any idea about how she got there. The last thing she remembered about last night was a brief kiss from Pinkie Pie followed shortly by the feeling of warmth and security. That only left her with one reasonable explanation. Galen must have carried her home like he did Pinkie. She felt a gentle warmth in her cheeks and felt a smile stretch the corners of her mouth. He really was one of a kind, that smith who called this place his home.

From outside, she heard the yelling of orders and the various sounds of the construction crew hard at work on the next phase of their work. She should be about it herself, so with a sigh she rolled out of bed with a brief yawn. Once she had completed her daily ablutions, she walked into the kitchen and found Galen along with Apple Bloom hard at work making breakfast. Well... More like Apple Bloom telling Galen what to hand her as she cooked everything up.

“Mornin' you two,” Applejack said with a smile.

“Mornin' sis,” Bloom replied cheerfully.

“Hey sleepy head,” Galen said with a little grin despite the bags under his eyes. “At least yew could make it out of bed without any help.”

Applejack felt a faint heat in her cheeks as she looked away slightly. “Yeah...” she replied with a little chuckle. “Thanks for carrying me home last night.”

“No problem,” he said warmly. “Ah didn't mind it. Yer lighter than yew look anyway.”

At that Applejack flushed warmer while Bloom chuckled at her sisters expense. “Go ahead and have a seat, sis,” she said after she flipped a hotcake. “We got everything covered today.”

Applejack just nodded and made her way to the table while the two kept at their work. Not too much later, Big Mac and Granny had joined her at the table and were waiting patiently for the meal to be served. Granny was complaining a bit about the noise from outside, so Applejack said that she'd ask Twilight to drop by and see if there was anything she could do to make it a bit quieter. It took a bit longer than usual, but that was to be expected since Galen seemed to be exceptionally bad here. When asked about it, he looked around a bit nervously and gave an uneasy grin as he simply explained that his cooking talents lay in a different area. Applejack knew enough to let it lay and let him be. She really didn't care to know what kinds of creatures he had killed and eaten in the past. It wasn't as if she rejected that part of him, just more along the lines that she didn't feel like loosing her appetite.

Eventually, breakfast was served and they ate with some light conversation, Apple Bloom asking about their dinner date which made Applejack beam in happiness about how the night turned out. Granny asked a few innocuous questions about it and seemed to get some answers that weren't directly tied to what she asked but was happy with them nonetheless. Galen took the opportunity to ask Big Mac if he would be interested in joining their cookout the next night and got a positive answer when he was told that there would be plenty of vegetarian stew as well as some good drinks to wash it all down with. Applejack let everybody know about her big date with Pinkie the next night as well and told them that she wasn't sure when, or if, she'd make it home that night and to not stay up waiting for her. Everyone except Big Mac gave her a teasing smile and look that had her blushing while she looked down at her plate of food.

After that, they finished their meals and started their preparations for the start of the rest of their day. As they were finishing the last of their meals, Galen asked Applejack and Granny to wait for him in the living room for a bit as he had something important for them to look at. Granny smiled knowingly while Applejack felt exceptionally nervous as her heart started beating hard in anticipation. The time between her cleaning up, Bloom and Mac's departure and moving to the living room felt as though it passed in the blink of an eye. Galen had gone back to his room to retrieve his letter after Big Mac had left and was still in there. When she made her way there, Granny was sitting on her usual rocker and she nodded to Applejack to take the easy chair on the other side of the couch, which she did. Applejack was wondering what in Equestria was keeping the man for so long when he suddenly appeared in the doorway with a little smile and a decent sized piece of parchment in hand.

Granny held out her hoof expectantly when she saw the parchment and Galen passed it to her readily. With that taken care of, she nodded for Galen to sit on the couch and began unrolling the parchment in her hooves. As she went about her reading, Galen took his seat and leaned against the back of it with a little sigh as he closed his eyes. Even though he didn't show it, he must have been pretty wiped out, Applejack thought to herself. He didn't get back until eleven at the earliest after their date and had probably been up for hours after he had tucked her in. He was probably running on adrenaline and nervousness at this point and probably needed some real sleep by now.

Granny took her time reading the letter and if her smile had anything to say about it, Galen did a good job of satisfying her exacting standards. When she was finished, she rolled it back up and motioned for Applejack to take it with a warm smile. She hopped off her seat and took it quickly before returning to her seat which had Granny chuckling at her eagerness to see what it said. Galen hadn't stirred from his spot and if his slowly deepening breaths had anything to say about it, was well on his way to getting that sleep he needed. She gave Galen a little smile before she unrolled the letter and started reading...

When I first came to Equestria, I was confused, scared, disbelieving and angry at everything that was happening. I couldn't be sure if this wasn't some fever dream and I was back in my bed with a life threatening disease or other. The first day here was one hell of a ride and at the end of it, I met a farm mare who took me and my dog in with compassion and generosity, refusing to take anything more substantial than a simple promise from me to get back on my own two feet sooner rather than later. She and her whole family were like an island of familiarity wrapped in a pony sized and shaped package. My life, at that moment, became a bit more stable, knowing that I had these ponies I could fall back on and it let me have a touchstone in this new world. She and her family have been so good to the two of us since we've started living here that I don't think I could ever truly repay them for their generosity.

Not even a day after I made the acquaintance of such a wonderful mare and her family, I made some friends. After a little bit of a rough patch they showed me that life in Ponyville was as much the same as it was different. Lero and his wives have been nothing but understanding and helpful to me since I picked a direction and a course of action. They were the ones... well, mostly Twilight... who helped me get in touch with all the right ponies who could help me build my forge, budget everything out and even get all the materials for it at a discounted price at that. They were all very supportive and kindly understanding of my ignorance, taking the time to explain things that I never would have known of, if not for something I said that showed how little I knew. I'm just glad they didn't treat me like the idiot I knew I was.

Last, and most certainly not least, is this vibrant, pink mare who's involved with the farm mare. She's absolutely amazing, no if's, and's or buts about it. Somehow, she managed to not only set up, get the word out and choreograph an enormous party out at the farm involving nearly every pony from the town, but arranged the catering, drinks and everything else that made a good time memorable. I'll tell you, it was probably the most surprising party I've ever been involved in. This mare is amazing in her own right, although I wish she would focus a little more on her own happiness. She may claim that seeing her friends happy is enough for her, but sometimes I just want to make her happy because she doesn't think it's as important as the happiness of those around her. A mare like that deserves to be happy for herself. Especially a mare like that.

Since I've been here, somewhere in the back of my mind, I've always been wanting to find a way back to where I came from. Some days, especially recently, those thoughts became less and less important. A short while ago, I was given some advice that shook me up pretty good and a date following it up only proved how right it was. I wasn't really trying to get back to anything or anyone in particular. The place that I had called home was no longer what it once was. A place of strangers who payed little attention to the goings on of their neighbors and focused more on their own troubles instead of helping those they could who would help them in turn.

If I'm honest with myself, I don't want to return to that kind of life... After finding myself in a place like this and getting to know the ponies, and person, I have... I don't want to lose it, or them. Especially those two who've found it in themselves to fall for a stranger to their world like me and turn this place into a home like I remember. I'm sure there's some things I'll still be learning in the days and weeks to come, but I hope that they'll be patient with me as I sort a few things out. I should probably stop my rambling for now and wrap this up with a few final thoughts. Despite what brought me here and the troubles I've had, I find myself thinking of this place as my new home. I have friends who I'm truly proud to give that title. Also, surprisingly, there's a pair of mares who have set their eyes, and hearts, on me and I think I'm starting to look at them in the same way. Never really had a real girlfriend back on Earth and now here I am looking at being with not just one, but two mares at once...

I don't think I need to go back anymore, Celestia... I've found a new home...

Wish me luck because I'm sure I'll need all I can get,

Galen

Applejack lowered the letter with a smile that would have made Pinkie proud while her heart felt fit to burst with joy as she looked over at the half dozing Galen. She gently placed the letter on the night stand before standing up on her chair, lowering her front and pounced like a pony sized cat across the distance with a cry of pure happiness. Galen was helpless to defend himself as Applejack wrapped him up in a bone realigning hug that drove all the breath from his lungs as she nuzzled the side of his face, giggles and happy laughter filling the air. He gave a happy, if groggy chuckle of his own as he wrapped his arms around her barrel in a hug as well, his fingers running through her warm, slightly coarse coat and making her shiver slightly at the sensation.

“Enough, young'un,” Granny said with a smile that gave of a glow of happy contentment. “You're gonna strangle the poor colt if you keep on like that.”

Applejack lessened her hold on Galen and pulled back a bit to look sheepishly between the pair, cheeks flushed with high running emotion. Galen looked up at her with a blush inducing expression of happiness while Granny had one of joy at seeing their relationship budding so strongly early on. Applejack gave a little cough and moved to sit beside Galen, leaning against his side and feeling the warmth of him on her side while he reached an arm over and around her to hold her tight to his side.

“Big Mac should be out o' the barn for a while if'n you two want to make the best of it,” Granny said with a cackle that had the pair scarlet in the face. Galen choked on his words while Applejack spluttered, embarrassed by her grandmare's words.

“Granny!” she said in a strangled voice.

“Ha ha ha ha!” she cackled with a slap to a hind leg as she rocked back and forth in her chair. “I'm sure there'll be plenty of that goin' on after he has his cottage built anyway... No other way to properly break in a bed like a pair of pretty mares, right sonny?” Galen didn't say anything, opting instead to just lean his head back against the couch again with a calming breath. One had to pick their battles after all and there was no winning against this wizened mare. Applejack shivered slightly as a slightly glazed expression washed over her face. “Well, that's enough teasin' for my old bones,” she finally said with a chuckle. “Applejack needs ta be about her work anyway and I'm sure you have another mare to show that letter to.”

“That Ah do,” he said with an easy smile. “An' a princess as well.”

Granny Smith nodded with a knowing smile. “In that case, you two should get about your chores. The canoodling can wait for later, as long as you keep it quiet.” She finished with a teasing smirk. Applejack just shook her head in defeat and reared back to give Galen a quick kiss on his cheek before hopping off the couch and out of his embrace.

“Ah'll see you for supper?” she asked knowing that his time in town would probably run long.

“Ah'll be there,” he replied with a smile. Applejack nodded and left the room and out of the house to be about her chores with much more vigor and energy than usual.

“You meant every word in that letter, didn't you, Galen?” Granny asked once Applejack had left.

He looked over to her and nodded with a resolute expression. “Tha' an' so much more,” he replied quietly. “Everything's just starting, but Ah know there's gonna too much ta put in words. Things tha' can't be put in words. If ever Ah had an overabundance of hope fer tha future, it's righ' here an' now.”

Granny just smiled and leaned back in her chair. “Then Ah have no qualms about leavin' those two mares in your care,” she replied. “Ah know you'll treat them right.”

“Ah wouldn't treat them any other way,” he replied as a warm expression washed over his face. “In any case, Ah really should be off. Ah have another mare ta show this letter to.”

Granny just nodded in response and let Galen get up in peace, snagging his letter as he bid her farewell and left the house. In the comfortable silence of the house, Granny let out a happy little sigh as spring was coming for a few lucky individuals.

Galen made it into town in good order, not seeing hide nor hair of Applejack along the way as she had probably ran off to catch up on her chores. He passed by Lero's place which was devoid of life at the moment and made a mental note to drop by and ask a few bits of advice about how developing relationships with mares tends to go. Galen wasn't about to try that one on his own. He wasn't brave enough to face a truly angry Applejack if he did something socially unforgivable, not to mention she might make him sleep in the pit that was being dug or boot him into town if she felt like it. It was still her house and surrounding property after all, even if the deed said that he owned that little hill.

With a tiny shiver he continued on his way to Sugar Cube Corner to show his letter to Pinkie Pie. He walked through the streets while keeping a weathered eye out for any trouble and made it there without spotting hide nor hair of a certain pony. As he walked inside the empty cafe with a faint jingle, he spotted a cheerfully smiling light blue mare who had a two tone pink mane and tail. Galen returned her smile and crossed the room to the counter.

“Good morning, dearie,” she said in a motherly tone. “Is there anything I can get you to eat?”

“Ah'm good, thank yew,” he replied with an apologetic smile. “Might Pinkie be around though? Ah have somethin' Ah'd like 'er to read.”

She stole a glance at his letter with an unreadable expression and seemed to mull his request around for a moment before nodding with her previous expression. She turned around and made her way upstairs while Galen let out a little sigh and shook out the tension in his shoulders that had accumulated in that short span of time. A short while later, he heard the clack of hooves on wood and looked to the stairs as Pinkie came down them at a brisk pace with a huge smile on her face at his unexpected visit.

“Mornin', Pinkie,” Galen greeted.

“Good morning to you too,” she replied warmly once she reached the bottom of the stairs. “Here to sweep me off my hooves again?”

Galen flushed slightly at the memory and gave a little cough at which Pinkie giggled. “N-not righ' now...” he said as he looked away slightly. “Jus' thought Ah'd swing by to show you something important.”

“Oh?” Pinkie said curiously as she tilted her head slightly. She came around the counter and stopped a couple paces away from him.

“Uh... Yew think we could take a seat?” he asked as he eyed a booth. If she was going to react anything like Applejack did, he wouldn't mind a bit of a barrier between the two of them.

“Sure,” she replied in a worried tone as her fears were suddenly resurrected from the ashes of Applejack's fiery, impassioned logic. Galen led Pinkie over to the same booth in the corner where they'd had lunch yesterday and took a seat while Pinkie took the one opposite him. When they had settled down, Galen put the rolled up parchment and rolled it across the table to Pinkie who stopped it gently with a hoof. She looked at it with a combination of emotions that had her afraid to even see what was on the inside of it. She looked up at Galen for reassurance and found him leaning back in his seat with eyes closed and his breathing deepening slowly.

She gave his odd behavior an equally odd look and glanced back at the letter in confusion. Surely, if this was a letter containing anything bad, he'd be awake and alert, not on his way to dream land. Besides, he hadn't said anything other than that this was important, so she had to read it. Right? Right. So, with a slightly shaky breath to calm her nerves, she took the parchment in her hooves and opened the letter. As she first started reading, she was a little confused. As she read further, her heart warmed. By the third paragraph, her heart was a whirling vortex of plasma and when she finished the letter, she was ready to explode. Or implode. She wasn't quite sure... Maybe an exploding implosion?

It didn't matter. What mattered was that Galen was sitting right across from her and there wasn't a Pinkie Pie hugging him yet. Well, she would just have to fix that. She let the roll of parchment curl back up and quietly slid out of her seat with a calm she didn't feel. She hopped up into his booth and nuzzled his face, making him twitch slightly before she sat down and gently wrapped her hooves around his shoulders. After his initial twitch of surprise, he found himself smiling warmly without opening his eyes. He reached around and brought Pinkie into a hug as well that gave the both a feeling of warmth that was far greater than simple body heat. He could practically feel the joy radiating off of Pinkie.

They sat like that for an easy five minutes until a polite cough interrupted the moment like a little bit of turbulence that would cause a birds flight to wobble. They opened their eyes and looked over to Mrs. Cake who was smiling in a knowing way from the base of the stairs. “I'm sorry to interrupt since it looks like you two are having an absolutely wonderful moment, but it's almost time for us to start baking for the lunch rush and get started on our special orders for later today,” she said in an apologetic tone.

Pinkie gave a little pout that Mrs. Cake simply chuckled at as her smile turned rueful. She looked up to Galen and her expression turned apologetic as well. “She's right,” she said with a little sigh. “I'm so glad you let me read your letter, Galen. It made me so happy that I have no idea why I haven't exploded... or imploded yet.” She nuzzled against his face and he leaned into it slightly with a happy expression. “I'm looking forward to Saturday like you wouldn't even believe,” she finished as she slowly pulled away, reluctant to end her contact with him.

“Same here,” he replied in a faint rumble. “Ah'm takin' Jackie out Sunday as well...”

“Oh, you are, are you?” she asked slyly. “If I didn't know any better, it sounds like you're serious about this, huh?”

“Maybe a bit,” he said with a coquettish smirk. “Besides... Yew two are a couple already an' Ah'm not gonna be tha one ta break yew two up. Ah'll take tha two o' yew or not at all.”

“Mmmmmm...” Pinkie hummed appreciatively. “Are you sure you don't know anything about herding? Because you're saying all the right things, buddy...”

“Well, it's not like Ah'm a complete idiot,” he said with a little snort. “Besides... Who wouldn't want a pair o' cute, strong an' incredible mares after their attention? Sure, it took me a while ta sort things out, but Ah'm not about ta say no ta either one o' yew. Ta be honest Ah don' know all tha rules yet, but if yew both want me, yew'll both have me...”

Pinkie blinked a few times before giggling up at him with a slight blush. “You kinda are an idiot,” she said with a smile that took away the sting of her words. “But you're an idiot in all the right ways.” She leaned over once more and gave him quick peck on his cheek. “But you seriously need to ask Lero for help here... I don't want to lecture and I'm sure Applejack's more than busy enough as it is... I'm sure Lero won't mind helping you out though.”

“Ah guess,” he said in a mock grumpy tone, his lie given away by his smirk. “At least Ah didn't put mah foot in mah mouth...”

“Oh, eww,” Pinkie said with a face before she snorted and giggled in amusement at the mental image. “Anyway, I really need to get going before Mrs. Cake gets upset. I'll see you Saturday!” she called as she trotted off back to the kitchen. Once she was lost to sight, Mrs. Cake came back out as Galen stood up to leave. She gave him a look that made him wait as she came around the counter and looked up at him from halfway across the room. Galen gave her a smile and a nod that she returned sparingly.

“So, you're going to be dating Pinkie Pie and Applejack?” she asked politely.

“Ah certainly hope so,” he replied.

Her expression hardened and Galen fought the urge to gulp out of nervousness. “You be good to her,” she said in a low, iron hard voice. “She came here to be our apprentice when she found out her special talent. She's like a daughter to me and I've seen her heart broken too many times to have much sympathy for anypony who fools around with her...” Galen smothered a sigh ruthlessly as he closed the distance and offered her his letter. If it was good enough for Granny, then he was sure it was good enough for Mrs. Cake. She raised an eyebrow before taking it from him and taking a seat at the closest table before reading it. She took a few moments and let it roll back up before looking back at him. “I suppose this will do,” she said with a little smile that held plenty of warmth in it. “But I'll still be keeping my eye on you...” she finished in a hard tone.

Galen smiled as he moved over and took his letter back. “Ah wouldn't have it any other way,” he simply said as he turned and crossed the room to leave. Mrs. Cake gave him a curious look as he walked away and shook her head with a little smirk. He's certainly one of a kind, I'll give him that, she thought to herself with a little bud of happiness. Hopefully the three of them could help it bloom fully. Pinkie certainly seemed a lot happier ever since last night and after this little visit, she'd probably float up and away if she ever went outside. Mrs. Cake popped a little crick in her neck and hopped off the chair before making her way back to the kitchen where Pinkie was hard at work.

Galen made his way to the library after finishing his business at Sugar Cube Corner. Twilight had told him that she was normally there most days from six in the morning until four or later depending on how busy it was, so Galen knew exactly where to find the wyrmling he was looking for. A couple minutes later, Galen found himself inside the golden glow of the Golden Oaks Library with motes of dust flitting around him like faeries from the old tales as he looked around.

“Hello?” he called out in the silence that almost seemed sacred to the place.

“Good morning, Galen!” Twilight said happily as her head suddenly popped up from upstairs. “What brings you here?”

“Ah was lookin' for Spike,” he replied. “Ah have a letter for Celestia 'bout something.”

“You don't mind me asking what it's about, do you?” she asked with honest curiosity. Galen really couldn't deny her request, especially when it concerned her as well... albeit on a less personal level. She had helped him so much that he doubted he would even be where he was if not for her.

“Why don't yew come on down and give it a read?” he asked with a half grin, knowing that she would either end up blushing uncontrollably or hopping around like an overly excitable filly. Twilight perked up immediately with a grin of her own and scurried down the stairs. That is if a princess of Equestria could scurry.

Twilight pulled up short with a beaming smile and caught the scroll of parchment with her magic as Galen tossed it to her. She started reading immediately, her eyes slowing down markedly as she mentally digested the contents of the letter and a faint flush blossoming on her cheeks. When she finished, she looked up at Galen with an abashed expression with a healthy dose of uneasyness. “I... Are you really, truly sure?” she asked in a quiet voice.

Galen's grin widened as his face warmed to a comforting glow of total assurance. “Ah'm sure,” he replied in an equally low voice.

Twilight's expression turned heart meltingly happy as she gave a little nod. She turned around slowly and trotted back up the stairs to where Spike was presumably napping and disappeared from sight. Galen waited patiently for a few moments as he heard the quiet murmurs of their conversation before the quiet noise of Spike's flame was heard. All was silent for a few more minutes before another rush of flame was heard which heralded Celestia's reply. Twilight came back downstairs a brief moment later and levitated the reply directly to Galen who opened it...

Galen,

I'm sorry I couldn't reply more in depth as I'm currently knee deep in court at the moment with only a few minutes to spare for a brief recess... But are you absolutely sure about your decision? This will be a decision that will not only affect your life, but the life of two mares who are just beginning to open their hearts to you as well. If you have any lingering doubts or desires regarding your old life, it very well might taint all your endeavors and lead them to ruin from within.

I don't mean to be melodramatic, but this is a decision that I can simply follow through with if there's any doubt in my, or your mind. I can only ask you how sure you are. Are you willing to make this work despite the differences in species and culture? In starting over absolutely with a rather substantial debt over your head? What about children and a lasting legacy in Equestria?

There's so much you're giving up for these two mares alone. I know that I may be asking some rather cold and calculated questions, but they are important nonetheless to your happiness and well being as well as that of two dear subjects of my own.

I can only ask you once more, Galen McCaffrey...

Are you sure beyond a shadow of a doubt?

Galen tore off a small piece of parchment form the letter, briefly scribbled a quick, three word reply with the quill form her check out desk and passed the little scrap to Twilight who took it with a slightly worried expression before taking it back upstairs to be whisked away by arcane fire. A few tense moments passed before the same scrap returned with a reply written on the back of it. When Twilight passed him the scrap, he glanced at it, huffed a little breath with a smirk and passed both scrap and letter to Twilight who read them worriedly. Her expression waxed concerned as she read Celestia's letter, giving Galen a brief glance that showed her nothing more than absolute confidence before looking at his reply.

I am sure.

She flipped it over with a flutter in her heart.

So be it... Also, good luck...

She looked at Galen and gave him a smile that was decidedly watery as tears of happiness flooded them. She laughed in a warbled voice and trotted over to Galen who knelt down to receive her warm hug. “You're quite a guy, you know that?” she said in an emotionally choked voice.

“Whoa, now,” he replied with a chuckle. “Ah am who Ah am. Just so happens tha' Jackie an' Pinkie mean more to me than mah old life. All tha's left o' tha' are memories of better times an' a plot Ah called mah own. Ah have all tha' an' more waitin' righ' here for me.

“Mah Gran always said tol' me tha' 'home is where tha heart is...'” He paused as a content expression washed across his face. “Well... Ah'm pretty damn sure it's here now...”

Twilight felt such a case of the warm and fuzzies come upon her that she could barely contain herself from bolting from the spot to find one of her herd mates to violently hug and snuggle. “I'm glad to hear that,” she said instead. “You've become such a great friend in such a short time. I would have hated to see you go and I know it would have broken their hearts... I'm so glad you're staying...”

“Glad ta know Ah've got such great friends,” he replied heartily as he gently rubbed her back. “Well, yew know Ah'm not goin' anywhere now, so yew can let go anytime, Twi...”

She twitched which made Galen give a chuckle before she pulled back with a faint flush. “I guess so,” she said with a giddy smile. “I know Lero's going to be thrilled to hear it and I know Rainbow has been complaining about you not playing any hoofball, so there's that...”

Galen cut her off with a snort of amusement as Twilight rambled to cover her awkwardness at the situation. “No need to fret,” he said with a grin. “We'll get to it when we do. For now, Ah think Ah need ta take a nap if tha's alrigh' with yew. Ah think Ah had 'bout two hours o' sleep las' night an' it's startin' ta catch up with me...”

“Oh!” she exclaimed with a shocked expression as she levitated a bemused Galen up in her magic as she summoned a thin blanket while bringing him to the couch along the back wall of the library. “Just take all the time you need to sleep. This couch is surprisingly comfortable and I can wake you up in an hour if you want. Lero and the others should be around for lunch by then as well, so you can join us if you want.”

“Sounds good,” he replied in a deadpan as he was quite effectively manhandled by the mare and was settled gently on the plush couch. “Do yew always baby visitors like this?”

“Only ones who spend most of a night writing declarations of love,” she said with a giggle at his expression and flush. “But seriously, I've pulled more all-nighters than you would believe, so I know what I'm talking about here. An hours sleep will do you a world of good and you can get through the rest of your day without turning into something made out of pure grumpiness.”

Galen fought back a massive yawn and gave Twilight a small, thankful smile and reached for the thin cover. With a quick whipping of his arms, he unfurled and settled the sheet over him lightly with a jaw cracking yawn. “Thanks fer lettin' me crash here fer a bit,” he said quietly. Twilight just gave him a knowing smile and walked off to let him get his shut eye. He was out in seconds...

After Galen's visit, Pinkie Pie was floating on a cloud that made the day seem to fly by in mere minutes as she was lost in her own little world. Mrs. Cake, for all her love of the mare decided to simply bump and prod her along in the right direction instead of bringing her back down to earth. When the day finally finished, Pinkie was more than ready to turn in for some much needed sleep (and fantasizing), but was reminded by Mrs. Cake that she had some final phone calls to make to ensure her date with Applejack the next night turned out well.

Throughout the entirety of the previous week, Pinkie had dipped deeply into her treasure trove of favors, I.O.U.'s and bank account to ensure that this would end spectacularly. So, with that friendly reminder, Pinkie trotted over to the phone and went about her business. Her first call was to Aloe and Lotus to make sure her reservations were set and locked in. Luckily, with Lero working there, he had talked to them in offering her his own personal discount of twenty percent off for all services. He had even scheduled himself to come in an hour early so that he could be there to not only keep her company, but also give her a massage to help keep her tension in check. The call went quickly and smoothly, only a few friendly words being exchanged before she hung up and called her next destination.

Au-delà de doores fermés, was quickly becoming one of the most lucrative hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Canterlot, catering to both the nobility who sought a moderately less formal venue along with a vibrant atmosphere and everypony else who had the bits to spend on a guaranteed good time. She was often called as an exclusive, paid consultant for their luxurious deserts due to her exposure through baking competitions, not to mention her legendary party skills for when the place was booked for such an occasion. Her award winning recipes were often copyrighted (at the insistence of the Cakes looking out for her future) and she sold all their rights to restaurants who placed bids on them. To say the least, Pinkie had more bits than she knew what to do with and could only spend so many of them on balloons and party supplies without overburdening herself and the Cakes.

So, when she made her second call she was greeted by the warm, formal voice of the Maitre'D. They exchanged pleasantries and she asked after her reservation. The Maitre'D admonished her that she always would have a place reserved for all the work and help she had done to help establish the business, going above and beyond what was asked of her. She had even loaned the owner several hundred bits when her business hit a few major obstacles. Pinkie ended the call a couple minutes later after catching up on a few odds and ends, giving her farewells and greetings to all the other employees at the restaurant.

She let out a light sigh as she reset and picked the phone up one last time before dialing the number for a modestly upscale hotel she had talked to a couple days ago. The receptionist picked up after the first ring and Pinkie went through the usual routine. She gave her name, confirmed that the reservations were for two, from Friday evening until seven in the morning and requested a wake up call a half hour before their checkout time. The mare scribbled down some notes and let Pinkie know that everything was in order. Pinkie thanked her and hung up the phone for one last time that night before picking up a letter beside their phone.

It was from a theater in Canterlot and this was the letter replying to her request for reservations for two side-by-side reservations for a romantic western that she had looked into thoroughly before deciding that it was the best out of the offered movies. Nervously breaking the seal, she scanned the contents of the letter before a smile lightened up the room as it looked like all her plans were coming together without a single hitch.

Mrs. Cake was waiting patiently with a smile that radiated a gentle glow of happiness. “Everything in order?” she asked with a slight tilt to her head.

“Yep!” Pinkie replied with a grin. “Thanks again for giving me Friday off on such short notice...”

“Think nothing of it,” Mrs. Cake said warmly. “You certainly do enough for us that it's the least we could do to repay you a little.”

“Aww!” Pinkie said with a slightly watery expression as she closed the gap to give her long time employer and adoptive family member a hug. “You're the best,” she said with a warm expression that Mrs. Cake couldn't see, but could certainly feel from her embrace.

She just smiled and nuzzled Pinkie as she returned the hug for a few brief moments before holding her by her shoulders. “You should head on up to bed, deary,” she said with a smile. “You have a long day ahead of you and need your rest since today was still pretty busy despite the lull before lunch.”

“Okie dokie,” she said before giving one last, quick hug before cantering off upstairs to take care of her nightly rituals before retiring to her bed, Mrs Cake following immediately in her steps.

The next morning found Pinkie almost springing from her bed as the first rays of the sun lit upon her eyelids. She knew she had several hours until she and Applejack would even be leaving for Canterlot, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to stop herself from getting antsy if she couldn't find to take her mind off of it for now. Maybe she should see if Rainbow Dash had some free time to hang out. She had been meaning to talk to her about how her relationship with Lero has been different than one with stallions. As she was about to leave her room, an itchy sensation rolled from her dock to her withers and fought the urge to flop onto her back and wiggle about like Winona to scratch it, opting to hop in place with an audible squee of glee as her Sense told her everything was going to go exactly her way today.

With that thought in mind, she practically skipped to the bathroom to brush her teeth and take care of business as usual before trotting downstairs after getting her saddle bags and bits, going out the door with a cheery farewell to the Cakes who gave her a happy smile in return. They gave each other a look as their expressions of warmth deepened at seeing their once-upon-a-time charge, tenant and employee so happy without bounds. Once out on the street, Pinkie turned right and made her way through the sparsely populated market, making a quick pass by Applejack's stall for a quick smooch and a gifted apple that she demolished in moments before leaving her marefriend to her business extracting a promise to meet her at the train station by three o'clock. Applejack told her that it wouldn't be a problem as Big Mac had promised to take over after lunch which would let her get prepared for their date as well.

With a little purr and a lingering kiss that had a little more warmth than the sun on their coats, Pinkie was off, riding a cloud of ecstatic elation like Rainbow Dash scooting around the sky on a cloud. Unsurprisingly, when she made it to said mares house, she found her friend just waking up with a frumpy look and aroma that said she'd not gotten much sleep but was still well rested despite all that. She let Pinkie in with a smile and offered her some of the breakfast Lero was currently in the process of making while she made herself scarce to wash off the scent of their activities.

She joined Twilight, Spike and Lyra at the table with a greeting, giving Lero a smile that expressed her thanks for letting her join them as well. He just gave her a rueful smile and told her that she'd always be welcome at their table for all the efforts she had gone through to help everypony get to know him. She'd been the one to help spread the word about his eclectic set of skills that made him uniquely suited for a wide range of problems that needed fixing, after all.

By the time Dash made it back, breakfast was being served. They ate at a sedate pace while they all talked about their plans for the day, which seemed to be a daily ritual, letting each other know what was going on and how available they were in case something came up and needed help. Pinkie took a mental note about this and vowed to bring the idea up with Applejack for when they got to this point in their relationship.

Twilight had some correspondence to catch up on with some scholars around Equestria and would be at the library for some hours as she wrote out her replies and researched this and that for others who were making inquiries to her; Spike, of course, would be by her side the whole time. Lyra would be performing for a function the Riches were hosting from ten to three for their business partners but had the rest of the day free. Dash had the day off since she had been training Blossom Forth as assistant weather team leader and felt that she was ready to take the reins for first time on her own. Her flexible nature (no pun intended) made her great at dealing with unexpected situations and brilliant at finding solutions that quickly and effectively dealt with them.

When breakfast was finished, Twilight and Spike left promptly with a kiss for each of her loved ones and a warm hug for Pinkie. Spike simply opted for hugs all around. Lyra had a couple hours to spare and lingered around to give her lyre some love in one of the chairs while Dash and Lero claimed the couch. Dash brought her gem encrusted comb to Lero with a puppy-like expression that had Lero chortling as he patted his lap. Once he took the grooming implement from her, she practically fell onto the couch with her head resting in his lap as he began brushing her mane. Pinkie couldn't help but find the sight adorable as she settled down into one of the last available chairs and began asking a few questions that quickly had her as the center of attention.

They all looked from one to the other when they realized the nature of her inquiries and who was likely the object of her information gathering. When asked about it, she told them cryptically that both she and Applejack were sure and so was he; that she was only trying to understand him better as a human and not a stallion before going any further than they had so far. When she brought that up, she had to tell them about their date the other night which had them all giving her big, blush inducing smiles at the mental image of her being carried home by Galen.

To say the least, Pinkie's head was practically spinning with all the advice and details they supplied by the time Lyra had to finally pack up and head out for her gig. Some of the details doled out by Rainbow Dash were so blush inducing that she was surprised that the tips of her ears weren't singed. So, with a hug for Pinkie and kisses for the others, Lyra was off with her well tuned lyre in magical tow. Pinkie decided to make that her cue as well and made her farewells to the lazy pair with hugs and nuzzles for their support and well wishes at her and Applejack's success in their endeavors. After she left their house, she made her way straight to Aloe and Lotus' spa for her appointment.

She was a little early for her appointment, but that wasn't much as an issue as they led her to the sauna to start off with. She waited in companionship with several other mares who were there as well who asked innocently why she was there on her own. She answered with a slight blush that she had a big night ahead of her and left it off at that despite their animated inquiries and recommendations for what she could do to make it a memorable affair. After a steamy session of twenty minutes, Pinkie was brought out and led to the mane and coat styling area since her hair would be much more receptive to their treatments after the heat and moisture.

They treated her coat with oils and extracts that had minty and floral aromas just shy of burning while the others gave her the impression of soft caresses and sighs. Her coat which was always slightly poofy and curly, quickly became a shimmering and form hugging sensual wave along her shapely curves, drawing lingering looks and envious expressions as her cuteness was transformed into something much more... or more simply bringing out what it was that she always had in the first place that others never had. They finished her coat off with a full currying that only accentuated the waves in her coat and left it with a silky sheen.

Her mane and tail were teased out of their usual state of chaos with gentle combs and brushes with the aid of oils and special exotic waxes that darkened bright pink about half a shade. As the twins worked, her mane and tail changed from amorphous blobs to one that gleamed as it fell in a energetic and undeniably sexy cascade that was even more striking a transformation than what her coat had gone through. Even with the waves, her mane fell well past the knees of her forelegs and washed over her withers in a shimmering curtain; her tail was long enough that it trailed on the ground for close to a foot behind her. Seeing how long both were, she asked for a trim that would leave her with a framing set of locks that would fall to either side of her face and could be pulled back elegantly with a hair pin in a pair of loops when she got that far while her bangs would rest just above eye level while her tail was trimmed so that it fell in layers, stopping roughly a foot from the floor. They acquiesced to her request and with a few minutes of effort, Pinkie was satisfied with the result.

Oh, how she quickly transformed from the energetic mare they all knew to the bombshell beauty that they now saw, drawing looks from all across the open floor as she moved to the massage table for the final part of her treatment as one would ease any tension she had while the other would trim, file and polish her hooves to a smooth and glossy finish. To say the least, nopony recognized the mare who left the spa an hour after she had arrived although she unknowingly drew the eyes of a large portion of the passing traffic on the streets as she made her way to Carousel Boutique.

When she showed up, Rarity was absolutely beside herself in appreciation of Pinkie's new look, her eyes appreciatively going over her curves as a warm flush washed through her at the sight of her friend. Pinkie didn't have much time for small talk and made he apologies to Rarity for the rush as she asked her for any small accessories she though would look good with her new style and a few for Applejack as well. She wanted for both of them to look good without the need for a full outfit. Rarity, for her part had exactly what Pinkie Pie was looking for.

She gave Pinkie an elegant silver hair clasp that held a radiant baby blue sapphire. Next, she came up with a silver necklace made of heavy links and set with small, dark green emeralds that seemed to make not only her coat and mane become even more vibrant, but made her eyes appear to glow with a smoldering inner light. For Applejack, Rarity had a pair of rose gold foreleg bracelets engraved with stylized stalks of wheat and apple branches that were set with emeralds so dark that they appeared black, flashing in the light with a green so deep that it brought with them thoughts of pure, vibrant life. Along with those, there was a matching torque set with a trio of silvery blue topazes. When she asked about the jewelry, Rarity simply said that these were accessories she had planned to include with their new dresses for the next Gala and saw no reason to hide them away when they could be used to help them turn heads.

Pinkie flushed at her friends praise and thanked her with a hug that she hoped conveyed her appreciation and love for her before taking the small bag Rarity had put the jewelry into before making her apologetic farewell. Rarity, of course, understood that she had a whole plethora of odds and ends to take care of, not to mention unwinding a little before the date unless she wanted to be high strung throughout it. Pinkie giggled and left without much else being said except for another thank you.

After leaving Rarity's with roughly an hour and forty-five minutes until she was to meet Applejack at the train station, Pinkie dropped by to get a pair of round trip tickets in the luxury car so that they would have a little bit of privacy so that they could change on the way without any unwanted eyes watching. That was if they could manage to make it on board without a mass of ponies mistaking one of them for somepony famous... Like she noticed she was drawing as she stood around. So, after paying for the pair of tickets and tucking them into a curl of her mane, she quickly made her way back to Sugar Cube Corner to wait out the rest of the time in relative peace. The Cakes were busy with the remnants of the lunch rush and didn't pay much attention to Pinkie as she trotted up to her room, closed the door and settled gently down on her bed for a short nap after setting her alarm to go off a little over an hour later.

She woke up to the energetic buzzing of her alarm at exactly the time she set it for and went about her final preparations with focused excitement. Wanting the jewelry to be a surprise, she slipped the bag, a healthy supply of bits and the train tickets in a black crushed velvet shoulder bag that she had been given as a gift by none other than Rarity for a birthday some time ago. Never having an occasion to break it out before now, she took a few minutes to carefully wash the light covering of dust off in the bathroom with a slightly moist washcloth. After drying it, she made her way downstairs to the now quiet lobby of Sugar Cube Corner. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were cleaning a few of the tables and looked up when they heard her coming and collectively dropped their jaws when they saw her transformation, her smile giving away that this was still the same bubbly mare that they knew and loved.

“I'll be back tomorrow morning, so don't wait up for me,” she said with a blush and a wink as she continued on her way across the floor and out the door. For a few minutes after her departure they stood around in shock at her transformation.

“Um...” Mr. Cake began, breaking their shocked silence. “Was that...?”

“Yes, dearie,” Mrs Cake answered. “That was Pinkie Pie...”

“She's...”

“Going out on a serious date and went to the spa,” she replied in a no nonsense tone. “Just wish her luck and be happy for her.”

“Okay, snookums,” he said with a ponderous expression, opting to wish her the best of luck in his mind.

Pinkie arrived at the train station, after getting another casablanca lily from Roseluck, with roughly twenty minutes before three and waited for Applejack to arrive in her own time. To be fair, when Applejack finally showed up, Pinkie almost didn't recognize her immediately. First, she came from the direction of the uptown district instead of the market like she would have thought. Second, Applejack must have timed her own visit to the spa to end just before their date and came straight here. Her thick coat shone with a bright gloss that matched Pinkie's, although her coat was straight instead of wavy. Her mane and tail had been trimmed in a layering manner similar to what Pinkie had, although Applejack hadn't asked for anything special like what Pinkie had asked for. Usually bound and heavy, her mane and tail was loose and glided freely instead with a golden shimmer that made her eyes the center of attention. Pinkie felt her tongue glue itself to the top of her mouth and gulped at the sight.

Applejack, on the other hoof spotted her out with only a little trouble and bade a beeline for the model-esque beauty she had become with a flush and a heavily thumping heart. The only reason she knew that this seemingly strange mare was even Pinkie was from her brightly sparkling eyes since her transformation had been so complete. Quickly closing the remaining distance, Applejack stopped a few paces away and gave Pinkie a smoldering once over that had Pinkie smiling sultrily back with a flush of her own.

“Like what you see?” Pinkie asked in a slightly husky voice.

“Uh-huh,” Applejack dumbly replied with a slow nod.

“In that case, come on,” she said with a smirk and a flick of her tail. “You can ravish me after our date, cowpoke.”

Applejack's face felt like it could roast marshmallows as she watches Pinkie Pie walk away, hips swaying, tail flitting playfully and a half lidded eye looking over her shoulder to see if she was following. Applejack knew Pinkie had always been cute, but this was almost too much for the poor mare and her heart. She followed after a couple seconds and rushed to walk side by side as they made their way to the boarding area. Barely a minute had passed by the time of their arrival, but they were already drawing a good deal of attention from the various ponies around them. Hopefully they could return to Ponyville without a crowd of paparazzi lying in wait similar to what Fluttershy had had to deal with.

As the train pulled into the station, some little filly asked her mom if the two pretty mares would take a picture with her. Applejack and Pinkie both adopted a look of horror and dashed aboard the train as soon as the conductor was opening the door, brushing past him with rushed apologies as Pinkie led Applejack toward the back car and the private compartment that they would claim as their own for the trip. They both loved foals, but today was just about them and nothing involving flattering pictures with random foals was going to make it that for long. They rested for a few minutes until a slightly grumpy conductor showed up asking after their tickets which Pinkie supplied with apologies for their rude entry. The conductor just made a noncommittal grunt, punched the tickets and returned them to her before wandering off.

“Hoo...” Applejack sighed loudly with a little grin that showed just how narrowly they had dodged that bullet. “Talk about a close one...”

“No kidding,” Pinkie said with a barked laugh. “You didn't bring any bits with you, right?”

“Nope,” she replied. “Just enough to cover mah spa trip an' those are gone as you can see.” She punctuated her statement with a coquettish tossing of her mane.

“That's good to know,” Pinkie replied as she sidled up to her and nuzzled her. “This is all me taking you out, after all...”

“That's right,” Applejack said as she pressed her lips up against Pinkie's silky smooth cheek. “And Ah know it's going to be a great time... So where are we going? You never told me any details other than for me to meet ya at the train station a bit ago. You've been mighty secretive with all this...”

“I just want to surprise you with a great time,” Pinkie replied with a lidded gaze and a kiss to her nose. “Just relax and let me take the lead tonight. I promise you that you're gonna have the night of your life.”

Applejack leaned into Pinkie and let out a happy sigh at the utter confidence in her voice. This was her night to show Applejack that she had finally come into her own. Her night to shine as Applejack's marefriend, for Applejack to follow in her lead and be swept off her hooves like she had done with Pinkie Pie not so long ago. “Lead away, sugar cube,” she answered in a sultry voice that pulled the two together for a slow kiss that left the pair slightly breathless before they broke away. They had the rest of the night for things to go further than that, so they had to beat back the flames that threatened to consume their bodies for the time being.

After the kiss, they each took a seat on the bench across from one another and waited for the train to depart. Applejack decided to start by asking Pinkie about where she had come up with the bits for everything. She answered readily (if bashfully) about the rather lucrative sale of some of her recipes and her consulting services. Applejack nodded with a sly smile and commented about how Pinkie was probably loaded with so many bits she didn't know what to do with them all. Pinkie bashfully looked away and flushed which had Applejack chuckling nervously.

“Y-you're not that loaded, are ya?”

“I've got about forty five hundred bits give or take a few hundred floating in my bank account?” Pinkie replied in an unsure tone, as if she weren't exactly sure herself. “I may be slimming that number down a little since I didn't pay attention to my balance and most of my fees are directly deposited to my account. Plus, it's not like I check my account every month... Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure that was the balance a few months back so I'm pretty sure it's closing in on or passed the five thousand mark by now...” Applejack felt like she had swallowed her tongue at her admission. By Celestia's toasty flank was Pinkie loaded. She could buy a house exactly like what the Riches had and still have over half her bits. For all of Applejack's and Big Mac's efforts, they had only accrued maybe half that in stable funds. “I don't really like to talk about it. I don't think I could ever use all of them anyway despite all the free parties I host, so I just ignore the bits unless I need more for party supplies and food.”

“A-Ah see...” she said faintly, pausing her response as the trains steam whistle sounded with a final boarding call by the conductor. A couple moments later, they lurched as the train started on its way. “Ah suppose that makes a lot of sense with how you always seem to have an unlimited supply of parties for everypony and every occasion.”

Pinkie just nodded and looked out the window before her eyes widened and let out an excited squee. Applejack looked outside and saw the unmistakable prismatic contrail of Rainbow Dash taking off in the distance, a darker mass clinging tightly to her back before she slowed down enough that the now obvious obvious form of Lero could rear back and stretch his arms out in a clear motion of elation. Pinkie giggled as Applejack chuckled at the sight before turning their attention back to one another.

Eventually, they lost sight of the flying pair as they rounded a curve and fell into a comfortable silence. Applejack let out a little yawn and Pinkie suggested that she take a nap since she had been up since early that morning and they still had most of an hour to get to Canterlot. Applejack raised her eyebrows a bit at that before a coy expression came across her face and she slunk her way to Pinkie's bench to sit and lean against her, a content expression overtaking her previous one as she made herself comfortable on the bench. Pinkie lay down a moment later and acted as the big spoon, draping her head over Applejack's withers so that she could doze for a little bit as well... It was going to be a long day after all... and night...

Pinkie had stopped her dozing about three quarters of the way to Canterlot and had spent the remaining time just relaxing beside and on top of Applejack, being relaxed by her marefriends steady breathing as she slept. Eventually, Pinkie felt the shift in momentum as the train began slowing down and moved away from Applejack to stretch before she went about trying to wake her up. Instead of her usual method of shaking her gently while saying her name, Pinkie felt that she should change things up a bit and moved in front of her sleeping face.

“Applejack~” she cooed, barely louder than a murmur. She leaned in and gave her a little kiss on her lips. Applejack didn't respond, so she repeated her actions again. And again. And again. And again.

She wasn't sure how many times she did that since she got a little too into it, but eventually she noticed a little smile on Applejack's face and noticed how her breathing wasn't the deep breaths of sleep. When Pinkie paused in her new wake up method, Applejack opened an eye that twinkled in mischief as her smile widened.

“Ah was wondering when you'd notice Ah was awake,” she said with a yawn as she sat up.

“He he he,” Pinkie giggled. “Who said I minded?”

Applejack chortled and leaned forward for one more kiss before looking out the window. “We almost there?”

“Yep!” Pinkie replied. “I wanted to wake you up so we could help put our accessories on before we left the train.”

“Accessories?”

“I borrowed a few pieces from Rarity,” she explained. “I thought that since this is our first big date and all, we should look the part. At least a little bit anyway since I figured that clothes would only get in the way later.” She finished with a flush and a saucy smile that was immediately mirrored by Applejack.

“Ah don't mind fancying myself up every once in a while,” she replied. That and the promise she made to Aloe and Lotus helped sway her decision to drop by the spa for tonight. She was glad she went through with it all as well since Pinkie had apparently pulled out all the stops for tonight. “What am Ah gonna be wearin'?”

Pinkie rummaged around in her bag before pulling out the jewelry bag and upended it on the bench between them, separating the pieces between them. Applejack gave a little whistle at the high quality pieces and brought one of her braces up to get a better look at it. To say the least, even though it was probably worth a lot more than she ever would consider spending on a piece of jewelry, it was gorgeous and in a style that didn't flaunt wealth. A humble piece for a humble mare.

“I'll help you with your necklace if you'll help me with my pieces,” Pinkie said with a smile before it turned sly. “I'd do it myself if I could, but I need to arrange my mane just right for the hair pin and I'm sure you'd like to get your hooves on me at least a little bit before tonight...”

“Darn right,” Applejack growled with a grin as she slipped her bracelets on where they contrasted darkly against her shimmering coat before she scooted closer to Pinkie Pie. When she was close enough, Pinkie took the two slightly longer strands of her mane and brought them into position with a little fancy hoofwork. When she was ready, Applejack took the pin and slipped it between her hooves where it secured her mane tightly. After it was in place, Applejack brought her forelegs around Pinkie's shoulders and nibbled on her ear lightly. Pinkie cooed at the affection and pressed into Applejack's warm barrel where she let this go on until Applejack started licking the edge of the appendage, causing silvery sparks of pleasure to flick into life.

“Tha-that's enough for now...” she said in a slightly breathy voice. “Wouldn't want to leave any stains for the conductor to clean up, now would we?”

Applejack blushed hotly as she reluctantly backed away. “Ah guess,” she grudgingly agreed. After that she took Pinkie's necklace, bringing it gently over and around her neck before lowering her lips and teeth down to gently work the clasp. Pinkie shivered as she felt her hot breath wash through her coat and across her sensitive skin.

“Your turn~” Pinkie sang when Applejack finished securing her necklace and pulled away. Applejack smiled and pulled her mane up and out of the way for Pinkie as she brought the crescent shaped torque to rest on her collar bone and worked the chain around. She worked the clasp just like Applejack had, the only difference being she had more finesse. Instead of pulling away, Pinkie scooted closer and wrapped her forelegs around Applejack just like she had done to her before treating her to some feisty ear nibbling that had the sturdy mare melting at her touch. She would let out breathy little whimpers whenever she nipped a particularly sensitive nerve. Suddenly, their teasing was cut short with a jerk as the train finally came to a stop and the whistle blew. “That's all for now,” Pinkie said teasingly as she stopped cold and hopped off her seat to Applejack's very great displeasure. “We have the whole night ahead of us, sweetie. I won't leave you hanging...”

“Oh...” she groused with a grin to give the lie. “Fine... But if you get me much more riled than this, Ah won't be held accountable for mah actions. Ah've never seen you act or behave so sexy and it's hitting all the right buttons...”

Pinkie brought a hoof up to hide her cheesy grin. “There's all kinds of buttons I know I'll be pressing... and licking... and nibbling before the night's over.”

“Ah!” she yelled as she jumped from her seat, hoping to catch her for a little snuggling and maybe a few smooches but Pinkie was too quick for her and darted out of their cabin with a clatter. Applejack's face broke out in a massive grin and she turned on her forehooves as soon as she touched down, leaping out on her tail with a happy yell. She chased Pinkie through the train cars and out onto the platform at a flat out run filled with laughter instead of panting. Pinkie dodged, wove and leaped over the throngs of ponies who made shocked noises at her high speed pace as she made her way out to the main thoroughfare with Applejack only a couple body lengths behind; eliciting her own cries of surprise that she paid no mind to.

Going by memory, Pinkie ducked into an alleyway and pelted down it with a high pitched, squealish laughter that echoed down the way. Applejack followed her in this way for a good long while until they were taking a narrow, winding path that ended in an explosion of color as they found their selves in the middle of a massive flower garden. Applejack slowed down quickly as she looked around in wonder, slowly walking up to stand at Pinkie's side.

“You know,” she said faintly as she panted slightly from their run. “Ah would have come with you if you had only asked...”

“I know,” Pinkie replied with a giggle. “I just thought that this way would be more fun!”

“Darn right it was fun,” Applejack said with a laugh. “Ah don't think Ah've ever had such a tease of a date before, not to mention Dash is normally the only other pony who can keep up with me.”

“Well, I can keep up with her even when she's flying,” she replied as she stuck her tongue out a little and closed her eyes.

“Well, Ah'm glad Ah caught the important part already,” Applejack said with a flush and a grin as she looked over at Pinkie.

“Oh yeah?” she asked as she opened her eyes and tilted her head. “What's that?”

“Your heart,” she said softly as she leaned over to kiss the end of her nose.

“You're a cheater,” Pinkie replied warmly as she returned the gesture. “But I don't think I mind you catching me every time...”

They fell silent for a time as Pinkie led Applejack through the garden, enjoying the scenery and just making small talk. When they passed one of the small tower clocks around the area, Pinkie led Applejack out of the garden and back into the city proper. “So, where are we goin' next?”

“The movies,” she replied simply.

Applejack whistled lowly. “Back row?”

Pinkie giggled and shook her head. “Not this time~” she sang with a smile. “I wanted us to actually watch the movie. Besides, it's not often we go out to see a movie and I don't think you'll want to be caught in this place.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well... I may have made reservations with the most high scale theater in Canterlot,” she said sheepishly. “Couple that with being fairly well known and being in the sixth row back...”

“We'd literally be making out in the middle of the upper class who would gossip about it like no tomorrow,” Applejack replied with a rueful smirk. “Ah guess Ah can be a good filly and keep my hooves to myself... This time...”

“I thought you'd see it my way,” Pinkie said with a laugh as she picked up her pace, Applejack keeping right beside her.

They made it to the movie with a half hour to spare, waiting outside for a few minutes as a stream of ponies flowed out. When the flow died down, they entered into the main lobby where a unicorn stallion wearing an off gray dress vest completed with a black bow tie waited at a ticket booth. His drab, upper class expression brightened with curiosity when he saw the couple walk up to his booth and greeted them cheerfully. “Good afternoon, madams. What show might interest you today? You're here early enough that you can see any of our featured films with only a minimal wait.”

“We already have reservations,” Pinkie replied. “Two for the four thirty showing of Gilded Ridge, under the name Pinkamena Pie?”

The stallion smiled and nodded as he checked his reservations and saw that she was indeed listed. “Very good,” he said with a smile. “Your tickets will be fourteen bits.” Applejack's eyes widened and she spluttered slightly at the price but didn't say anything as Pinkie pulled a twenty bit coin from her purse before hoofing it over to him. He returned her change along with a pair of lightly gilded tickets that she put in her bag. “Enjoy your show,” he said as the pair turned and continued on their way through the velvet roped maze that would lead them from area to area in the lobby before the cinema circle. After a quick stop at the concession stand for some light snacks and a medium drink apiece, they made their was around until they found their movie and found their seats quickly enough.

The seats were just plush enough that it was a happy medium between firm and soft with wide enough rests that they could rest their forelegs on them without any fear of awkwardly cramping the other pony sharing it. The time seemed to fly by quickly as they munched lightly on their treats and sipped conservatively from their drinks as they watched the ponies slowly flooding the cinema. Unsurprisingly, they drew a few eyes and were the topic of a few conversations. The only thing that kept the ponies around them from rather blatantly hitting on them was that the two were obviously on a date and had a set to their faces that nothing would interrupt their date without it being absolutely worth their time.

Almost without warning, the lights dimmed to where the only lights were the faint leads along the aisles designed to be unobtrusive but helpful for anypony who needed to exit the dark theater. The screen in front of them flickered to brilliant life and a faint clattering sounded from above as the projector came to life; a crackling static sounded as the record needle touched the vinyl that went along with the movie. An image of a stark, gray-scaled plateau standing proudly amid the sparsely vegetated desert landscape came into focus with the title of the movie in an embossed font that conveyed a rough and tumble setting.

The story was fairly simple for the most part, but enthralling. A unicorn farm mare of high repute finds a pegasus stallion on the run from a band of outlaw mares looking to find a stallion to break for their purposes. He had been a merchant, and they had not only stole his entire caravan, but held him hostage to be used and abused. She takes him in, slowly nursing him back to health. After some time passes and the stallion heals up from his injuries and undernourishment, he begins to help out around the farm, picking up some of the work load. The heroine is surprised that he's so ready and willing to lend an eager hoof. Eventually, the stallion comes to a decision and decides to give up his wandering lifestyle, asking the heroine if she'd be willing to take him after he finishes tying up some loose ends back where he lived. The film suddenly shifts to a band of four earth pony mares with an outlaw cast to their appearances, though the youngest of their number has a much softer appearance. They plot to track their stallion down and make sure he won't think about running away ever again.

To say the action, romantic sub-plot and surprising twists and turns jumped up from there would be a bit of an understatement. There was a saucy little bit where things got pretty heated between the heroine and the stallion and even a betrayal withing the group of outlaws by the youngest one shortly after they invaded the heroines home. The minimally censored sex scene had a good portion of the mares in the theater squirming in their seats while the invasion had them mixed between the shocked, worried mares and those that rumbled menacingly at the thought of their stallion being taken away from them. Applejack and Pinkie Pie were in the latter portion of those. By the end of the movie, the remaining three out law mares had been arrested and the youngest had been offered a chance to stay with the heroine and stallion, both willing to give her a chance since things would have turned out very badly if she hadn't helped when she did. To say that the younger mare was tear stricken and happy beyond words would have been an understatement, but the rather heated scene involving all three at the end left in noponies mind that it was a happy ending.

When they finally left the theater two hours after getting there, they walked around for a little bit to cool off and unwind a little bit before dinner. Opting to go for another nature based stroll, Pinkie led Applejack to a nearby arboretum. The building was absolutely massive, with enormous crystal panes instead of glass that made up the roof, silvered and dripping with the humidity of the warm interior. After they paid their admission fee, they wandered around the building for almost an hour as they took in the clean, invigorating air and peaceful atmosphere. By the time they left, they had a bounce in their step and were teasing one another with little nips and rough nuzzles. Pinkie eventually put an end to their fun as the time came for them to progress to the next part of their date and led Applejack to a small restaurant with a matte black sign that read Au-delà de doores fermés in a silver, flowing font.

“You sure about this place?” Applejack asked with raised eyebrows as she eyed the massive line of ponies waiting for admission.

“I'm sure,” she replied with a sly smile. “It just so happens that I have a standing reservation here...”

“Is that right?” she asked with an air of uncertainty.

“Yep! Now let's get going...” she said as she walked forward. “The day's not getting any younger after all~”

Applejack swallowed her uncertainties and followed Pinkie up to the bouncer, a rather intimidating brown pegasus mare that wore a black vest along with a sleeveless white shirt under that, brought together with a simple red bow tie. When she noticed Pinkie, her expression brightened from her perpetual neutral glower to a full faced grin. When Pinkie closed the distance, they met with a giggle inducing hug that had Applejack at a total loss for words.

“Pinkie!” she said in a velvety smooth voice, a Manehattan accent clearly evident. “I heard you were dropping by today for a date. What I didn't expect was for you to show up looking like a model pulled straight from the pages of Play Colt.”

Pinkie flushed with a giggle. “It's not every day that I get to take my marefriend out on a big date and I wanted to properly show her how much I love her~” Applejack blushed and looked around nervously.

“Your marefriend's just as drop dead sexy as you are!” she said as she looked Applejack over. “No wonder you were always turning down my offers if you had your eyes on her this entire time...”

“You cut that out right now,” Pinkie said sternly.

“Ha ha ha~” she said with a light punch to Pinkie's shoulder. “Got ya! I know, I know... You really weren't looking for anything back then, but that doesn't mean you can get out of some teasing~ Just wait until the others get a look at your lady love.”

Pinkie grumbled wordlessly with a tiny smirk to give the lie and finally gave a little giggle. “I guess that's fair...”

“Alright,” the mare said with a smirk. “Enough from me. You two go on inside and Missy D will get you seated. I have to keep everything nice and tidy out here, so have a drink for me since I have a couple more hours until my shift is over.”

“Will do, D.R.,” Pinkie replied with little grin. “Don't bust too many skulls... Wouldn't be good for the reputation.”

“No promises~” she said with a giggle before turning back to the pony heading the line who had a suddenly nervous expression on her face at the last bit of their conversation. Pinkie ducked under the rope with Applejack right behind her and they made their way inside. To say that the change from bustling Canterlot street to a languid, gently floating atmosphere was startling to say the least. The interior of the entryway was carpeted with a velvety smooth crimson carpet with golden oak and ebony paneling along the walls that gave a safe, comforting feeling. The air was slightly hazy with smoke from several different sources, giving a heady aroma that only added to the atmosphere as did the golden lamps that gilded the slowly rolling haze. When they made their way to the reception room, an off white unicorn mare with a silvery-blue mane and tale with sapphire blue eyes was wearing a full tuxedo smiled warmly at Pinkie Pie as the pair walked up to her.

“Welcome back, Ms. Pie, to Au-delà de doores fermés,” she said in a lilting accent that matched the atmosphere of the place to a tee. “I'm so happy you've had the chance and occasion to make use of your permanent reservations. I dare say that your table and chair have been quite lonely without you and if not for our impeccable staff, I dare say there would be a coat of dust on them as well.”

“Pshaw!” Pinkie said with a splutter and a laugh. “It hasn't been that long...”

“It's been nearly eight months since you've started helping us and five since you've gotten your own personal table, Ms. Pie,” she replied with a little smirk that said she won this argument.

“I... Huh... Has it really been that long?”

“Indeed it has,” the Maitre'D replied with a solemn nod. “Now, enough dillydallying. You and your lovely date must be famished by now and would like nothing more than to unwind at this point, especially if she's had to keep up with you.”

“Ah do well enough,” Applejack said with a chuckle as she found a chance to get in on the good natured ribbing. “Being a farm mare will give you stamina for days when it comes to Pinkie, here.”

The Maitre'D's eyes widened and she spluttered with incredulity. “A- A farm mare?! I thought you were a model at the least!”

“Yep!” Applejack replied with a blush and a smug, proud smile. “Ah'm Applejack Apple out of Sweet Apple Acres.”

The Maitre'D was temporarily stunned speechless until Pinkie back poking her with a giggle to see if she was broken. After the third time, her hoof was batted away and the mare recovered. “I... I see that we'll be hosting one of our suppliers as well this evening.”

“Really?” Pinkie asked with an odd look between the two.

“Probably the case,” Applejack replied with a smile. “Ah'll explain about the fine details some other time, but let's just say that a lot of the restaurants in Canterlot decided to pool their bits together and place bulk orders all at once, taking their cut of the order when it comes in. Ah don't rightly know who all buys mah apples, but it seems like this place knows who has the goods if they're getting in on the action,” she said, finishing with a sly little smile.

“No wonder their apples tasted so familiar...” Pinkie mused out loud.

“In any case,” the Maitre'D said to get the conversation back on track. “How about we get you two seated and started off with a nice wine?”

“That sound super,” Pinkie said as the head waitress turned and walked to the door on their left. When they walked through it, they found that they were in a rather large room floored and paneled exactly like the entryway, although it had a low ceiling that gave a very cozy feel to the dining room. Almost making it feel intimate despite the large amount of floor space. Along the walls were booths that held many a couple and several herds out and about for a good night while couples and trios sat around the many smaller tables set precisely in grids on the floor. In the direction they were heading, a small stage was seen although no performers were on it at the moment. As they made their way, conversations quieted as eyes were drawn to the shining pair before they resumed their conversations again, the topic being the happy couple and why they had never seen such a beautiful mare or couple before.

After a little bit of weaving through the tables, Applejack and Pinkie were placed at a cozy little table just the right size for both of them that had a little stiff felt placard that had Pinkie Pie's name name on it front and center of the stage. When the Maitre'D removed it, conversation died down a little more when they realized who it was that they were talking about. “Why don't I start you two off with our house white wine?” she asked with a glance between the two. “Unless you two feel in the mood for something a bit more... substantial?”

“I think something more substantial would be better,” Pinkie replied with a smile. “We've had a long day and now it's time to unwind.”

“I'll have that sent right out with a waitress to take your orders,” she replied before walking off to arrange everything.

“Is it just me, or are you some kind of celebrity here?”

“I kinda am,” Pinkie replied with a little giggle. “I'm the pony that kept this place afloat for a couple months and helped make it so successful, but I've only been here a whopping four times now. Plus, that's not to mention that I've only eaten here one other time. This table's on permanent reserve just for me in case I feel like dropping in, but so few ponies know about me in Canterlot that I'm a bit of an enigma.”

“You've always been an enigma, sugar cube,” Applejack said with a smirk. “But Ah love you for it... Wouldn't have Pinkie Pie without a few mysteries wrapped up in ya.” Pinkie blushed and giggled as she moved her hoof across the table to caress Applejack's lightly. She pulled back slightly when she noticed a tawny pegasus mare coming up with a bucket of ice nestling a bottle of wine in it on her back and a pair of glasses under a wing. She turned to her side and Applejack felt her breath catch when she saw the bucket begin tipping, but quickly laughed in appreciation as the bucket slid down and up her unoccupied wing, coming to rest solidly on their table. The glasses quickly came to rest in front of the pair a moment later and they watched as their waitress took the bottle of wine in a wing, pulled the loosely set cork off easily with a quick flick of her other wing and poured each of them a third of a glass.

“Good evening, you two,” she said in a youthfully scratchy voice. “My name is Dust Dervish and I'll be your server for the rest of the night. Would you two care for a menu or would you care to hear the specials tonight?”

“What are your specials tonight?” Pinkie asked as she took the lead again.

“Well, tonight we have a lightly seared garlic parmesan eggplant fillet on a bed of spinach and iceberg lettuce,” she listed off by rote. “It also comes with a bowl of spicy apple and tomato soup.”

“Ooohhh... I'll take it!” Pinkie said excitedly.

“Make it two,” Applejack chimed in with a smacking of her lips.

“I'll bring it right out as soon as it's finished,” she replied with a tiny grin. “It's nice to see you again, Ms. Pie. Thank you so much for the card and present last week for my birthday.”

“Not a problem,” Pinkie replied with a smile. “Glad you enjoyed it.” Dervish smiled again before turning and walking off to place their orders. After she left, Pinkie Pie took her glass of wine and gave it a tentative sip. Her eyes widened in enjoyment at the sweet red wine and let out a sigh as the alcohol shortly began its job of loosening tension in her body. Applejack followed suit and found the wine much to her palate as well.

“So, Ah never would have had you pegged for some underground celebrity in Canterlot...” Applejack began as she started some casual conversation. Pinkie quickly found herself telling Applejack all about how she had gotten into not only helping this specific restaurant so much, but her contests and swelling of wealth. This was a whole side of Pinkie that Applejack was sure nopony ever knew or even guess at. It probably helped that Pinkie's eccentricities often made everypony forget any questions they had about how she kept herself in money all the time.

Oddly enough, Applejack suddenly remembered her grandmother's words about how Pinkie worked harder than even she did and Applejack found herself humbled in front of her marefriend. Pinkie worked hard for everyponies happiness, letting the quality of her recipes bring their monetary rewards and she would spend an absolutely astounding amount of said rewards on everypony else. Applejack couldn't help but feel a slow burning fire light itself in the pit of her stomach and knew that there was only one pony who could put it out.

Pinkie Pie on the other hoof was completely unaware of Applejack's growing desire for her and turned the conversation back to her and what she had been up to lately. Applejack felt that she hadn't much to talk about herself since the only major things going on right now was the beginnings of Galen's forge being built and that wasn't very exciting at the moment. The party he had planned for its completion though? That was an entirely different bushel of apples and she brought the topic of taking Galen out on a date or two before then so that they could really make the party memorable. To say the least, they both had a healthy glow to their cheeks as they talked and planned a bit.

As they poured their second glasses of wine, Pinkie brought up the topic of the movie that they saw with a smile, a little squirm in her seat and a deepening of her blush. This conversation quickly became heated as they brought up favorite characters, favorite parts and a healthy appreciation for the steamier scenes of the movie. By the time the first part of their meals were brought out, they were almost ready to start chewing ice to help cool off. The meal was led off with the soup, still steaming slightly from its freshness. It was sweet, tart and just spicy enough to have a little bite from the peppercorns it was cooked with.

The soup didn't last long as they were eating it while it was barely cool enough to be considered safe to their mouths. After that, they finished the second glasses of their wine and had made part of their way into their third when their entrees made it out to them. The fillet was, in a word, exquisite. The savory garlic, creamy parmesan, succulent eggplant and the bed of leafy greens had the perfect blend of flavors. The clear little crystals of sea salt dusted across the fillet had them grinning like fillies about to get their first lick of the stuff. They knew where the night was going to end and Pinkie made the first move as she stuck her tongue out sensually, lowered her face down to the plate and came back up with a gleaming speck on the tip of her tongue. She curled it back lazily with a little grin and sucked on the morsel until it dissolved, sticking her tongue back out with a wink to show that it was all gone. Applejack felt a telltale dampness on her seat and was infinitely grateful that she was sitting on her tail. If she left a stain, she was sure she would die of mortification.

Their main course didn't fare any better as they ate and drank for the next forty minutes, extending their meal with conversation as their inhibitions lowered to just the right level for what they had planned and both faces flushed red with alcohol, salt and desire for one another that was just about ready to reach its boiling point. When they finished, Pinkie grabbed three ten bit coins and dropped them on the table with an eager smile before she hopped off her seat. “So, ready to go to the final stop of the night, rosy rump?”

Applejack guffawed and hopped off with a grin. “Lead the way, pink cheeks,” she answered with a chortle. Pinkie giggled and trotted off between the tables, leading Applejack with coy looks and tantalizing flicks of her tail, uncaring of the ponies around them as Applejack was the only pony on her mind. Whenever they passed the staff, they gave little calls of encouragement and wishes for a fun night. Pinkie called out replies that seemed to satisfy them, but barely payed any mind to them as she was more focused on getting to their room for the night.

They left the restaurant at a canter, jumping over the red velvet rope with chiming laughter and a clatter of hooves as Pinkie led Applejack on another chase in the dusk down the street. They didn't have far to go as the hotel Pinkie made reservations at was only half a block away, but far enough to get their blood pumping. Pinkie slipped in through the revolving door with a giggle and cantered up to the receptionist and quickly confirmed her room, got the key and signed her name in the guest log by the time Applejack had made her way through the same way as she had gone on a second circuit on accident. Pinkie giggled when Applejack finally caught up with her and they made their way to the first available lift and Pinkie pushed the top floor. As soon as the door closed, Applejack pressed herself up against Pinkie's chest and engaged her in a deeply impassioned kiss that finally brought their desire to the burning point.

Pinkie kissed back with as much passion as Applejack did and parted her lips with a confidence she didn't normally feel and her tongue asked permission for entrance. Applejack moaned and opened her lips readily and felt Pinkie's tongue dart in without any hesitation, caressing her lips and tongue as she brought her own tongue into play. Applejack felt herself being pushed back and suddenly standing upright as Pinkie became more aggressive in her passion, keeping Applejack upright as she leaned up against her and forced her against the wall. Whenever they had to part for breath, Pinkie would pepper kisses and nips up and down Applejack's jaw and neck to her great pleasure while Applejack would bring a hind leg up between Pinkie's. The first time caused Pinkie to start and let out a shuddering moan, but the second time had her grinding her hips against the limb and dampening it with her fiery arousal.

About ten seconds before the bell sounded for the floor, Pinkie pushed off with an annoyed albeit cute little growl and readied herself to exit, as did Applejack a few seconds later when she saw Pinkie give her a wink and jingle the key. It was a good thing they cut their activities off as well as there was a trio of ponies waiting for the lift when it opened up. Neither mare paid much attention to them as Pinkie looked left and right for the right numbers and galloped off to the right with a crystalline laugh, Applejack right behind her. They thundered down the hall and came to a stop only a few seconds after they started, waiting only long enough for Pinkie to open the door, dart through with Applejack and shutting the door hard before their mouths found one another again in the dimly lit room, the light of a full moon shining through a wide window at the head of the bed giving light to the room.

They fought for dominance with panting breaths, pushing bodies that sought as much contact with the other as they could get as they made their progress in jerky starts and stops to the bed. Applejack halted their jumping into bed at the foot for a few moments to roughly take off her bracelets and worked her mouth behind Pinkie's neck as she removed her hair pin and necklace as quickly as she could without damaging them. Pinkie did the same for Applejack's necklace when she realized what she was doing and as soon as the last piece of jewelry hit the floor, Applejack lunged carefully and brought the pair up on the bed with a little bounce, her resting on top.

As soon as their vision settled, Applejack kissed Pinkie hard, thrusting her tongue back in without any resistance and enjoyed the moment before Pinkie fought back with her own dexterous appendage. As they kissed, Applejack brought her hooves up and pinned Pinkie's to her side before breaking for air. She kissed and nipped Pinkie, licking her fur and skin after each act which made Pinkie give off little mewls of pleasure. By the time Applejack was suckling, nipping and licking at her collarbone, Pinkie was practically writhing under her. After a few more moments at this spot, Applejack began shifting her attention down further and further, leaving a broken trail of wet patches of fur that stood up at odd angles and cooling patches where her heated breaths had left their mark.

Eventually, she had to shift her forelegs away. When she did, she quickly brought them under and around Pinkie's hind legs to keep her in her submissive position. After the quick shift, Applejack finished her path down Pinkie's stomach and found her muzzle resting between her per little breasts, nipples standing proudly erect from excitement. Applejack wasted no time as she nuzzled one while she opened her mouth and clamped her lips around the other. Pinkie twitched at the electric sensation seemed to pump even more warmth and heat into her veins, only to be replaced by iced lightning when Applejack nipped and nibbled at it. Seeing her reaction, Applejack spent a little bit of time switching between both breasts, a wicked grin on her face as she watched Pinkie melting under her ministrations.

Eventually, Applejack stopped her teasing and began laying a slow trail of kisses down between her breasts leading to her arousal drenched lips. Pinkie felt her breathing increase as Applejack neared her absolutely sopping folds, letting out faint little squeaks until the first kiss touched the top of them. Applejack heard Pinkie's breath hitch when she made contact with her folds, only to let out a breathy, shivering moan that only served to spur both Applejack's arousal and actions further. Licking her lips to get a taste of her arousal, Applejack was greeted with a tart flavor that had very faint undercurrents of cherries and strawberries. With a quick motion Applejack set herself at the base of her lovers folds, flattened her tongue and dragged her way all the way back up slowly as she gently pressed into her. Pinkie's back arched as she tried to grind her hips into Applejack's muzzle, only to be pulled up short as Applejack would pull back with a smirk while maintaining contact the whole time.

As Applejack lapped and dove into Pinkie's folds, she couldn't help but teasingly graze that little pearl hidden shyly at the top of each stroke. Her teasing drew Pinkie into twitching, panting, mewling mess as her pleasure strained against what seemed like steel bands for release. Applejack, was paying close attention to her and with one final trip from bottom to top, she coiled her tongue around that overly sensitive pearl of pleasure and suckled gently. With this last act, Pinkie felt her pleasure pitch higher than she had ever felt in her life and the imaginary steel bands she felt constricting her blow apart as her world was obliterated in a wash of crashing, electrifying pleasure so intense that she couldn't even make a sound to mark its arrival. When Pinkie reached her peak, Applejack felt her body go utterly slack as minuscule convulsions wracked her form while a tiny spray from her folds matted the fur down around her muzzle. To help prolong her orgasm, Applejack gently lapped at Pinkie's tender folds, drinking in the dribbles that glistened in the faint light. Eventually, the last waves of her orgasm faded away and Applejack moved up to see Pinkie's slightly delirious expression, a weary grin plastered there along with copious amounts of sweat.

“How was that, sugar cube?” Applejack asked in a husky whisper, her messy face split with a grin of her own.

“Mind blowing,” Pinkie replied between breathy pants. “Give me a moment to catch my breath and I'll try my best to return the favor~”

“Take your time,” Applejack said as she settled down to cuddle the temporarily spent mare. “We got all night to get to me.” Instead of replying, Pinkie rolled onto her side and pulled Applejack's head in for a sloppy, breathless kiss that ended as quickly as it came before she settled back down to recover. While Pinkie recovered, Applejack spent her time giving Pinkie light, fleeting kisses to her mane or nibbled the edge of her ears. Feeling the love and affection in Applejack's actions, she recovered faster than she thought she would and shifted onto her side to catch Applejack's mouth in a kiss that tried to convey all the passion she felt for her in it. She shifted further and moved over Applejack as she rolled to maintain the kiss. Eventually they both broke with gasps for air and love in their expressions.

Pinkie started off slowly, with lingering kisses, gentle suckles and heated licks along Applejack's jaw and neck as she retraced her impassioned trail from before. By the time Pinkie was making her slow way down her barrel, Applejack was sighing breathy moans to give voice to her pleasure. When she reached her stomach, Pinkie's actions only multiplied as she began to add playful little nips as well that only made her next loving action seem to be electrified. Deciding to mix things, up, Pinkie started nuzzling energetically on her downward way, leaving a hot trail that flared to life when Pinkie nipped and licked immediately after breaking the contact. As Pinkie closed the gap to her breasts, Applejack felt her arousal flaring back to full force with a heat that she was sure Pinkie could feel.

Suddenly, Applejack felt Pinkie lick up through the small valley between her slightly smaller breasts, leaving a trail of icy fire. Without missing a beat, Pinkie latched her mouth onto a nipple while she brought a hoof up to massage and tease the other which dragged a deep moan out of Applejack. Pinkie nibbled, nuzzled, twirled and sucked stoking Applejack's fires higher than any of the other mares who she brought to her bed in the past managed to. A fleeting thought that crossed her mind brought the fact that she hadn't loved any of those others like she loved Pinkie might have something to do with it as well.

However, all her minimal thoughts fled her mind when she felt Pinkie back away and her heated breath wash over her own slick folds, making her feel skittering sparks fly through her nerves as the fluid soaking her fur cooled ever so slightly from the action. For only one more moment Pinkie hesitated, letting another breath wash over her before she leaned in slowly and lapped her flattened tongue from the bottom to the top of her folds as she tasted her pleasingly musky, slightly fruity juices. Applejack let out a hitched gasp as she felt like climbing the walls from that little bit of pleasure. Pinkie lapped again, her tongue flooding with Applejack's flavor as she delved deeper into her folds, reaching in and curling up against the velvety walls of her tunnel.

Applejack's breathy moans turned husky with a distinctly scratchy sound as her pleasure rocketed. Pinkie let herself smile as she dove back in, tongue straining and reaching as far as she could, twisting and curling as she found one area that had a slightly different texture. When Pinkie's tongue ran and pressed on that special spot, Applejack felt the muscles in her lower back tense up with a fiery sensation as her back arched and her breath hitched with a raspy moan caught in her throat. Pinkie quickly repeated that action once more before quickly extracting her tongue and lapping up between her folds before flicking up against Applejack's barely hidden pearl, latching her lips around it a split second later; lavishing it with firm licks and lightly caressing it with her teeth. Applejack's hoarse cry of release echoed in her ears while a hot gushing splashed against her, soaking both her chin and neck liberally a few seconds later as her whole body tensed and strained.

Applejack was lost in a sea of pleasure from Pinkie's loving ministrations. Never had anypony been able to touch her the way Pinkie was right this instant, never mind the fact that her usual source of pleasure hadn't even been touched yet. However, when she turned her attention to it, Applejack suddenly found herself dragged to the bottom of said ocean without a moments notice. She loosed a scratchy cry and felt her body flash unbearably hot at the same time her nerves were lanced with ice while her vision and hearing was replaced by white noise. When she finally started to come back to Equestria she felt the tender, gentle lapping of Pinkie who cleaned her recently flooded folds of their glistening tide.

Pinkie eventually stopped her lapping when she noticed Applejack's breathing begin to slow again. She looked up to see a pair of weary emerald eyes looking back at her and smiled warmly. “I take it you enjoyed yourself?” she asked in a warm tone.

Applejack let her head flop back with a few weak, husky chuckles and gave a content sigh. “If only you knew, lover,” she replied. “Ah'm too tuckered for a shower...”

“I could give you another tongue bath~” Pinkie teased as she stood up and began pulling the edge of the comforter across the bed.

“Maybe some other night when Ah have the stamina,” Applejack pleaded, worried about what might happen if she became addicted to Pinkie's special brand of pleasure.

Pinkie giggled with the comforter in her mouth, dropping it after she had pulled it back enough. “Think you can drag yourself under the sheets so you don't fall asleep in your own mess?” she asked with a smile evident in her tone.

“Ah suppose...” Applejack said groggily as a long day, a long date and a mind blowing orgasm finally started to catch up with her. She rolled over and scooted forward on her stomach which had Pinkie snorting in amusement and a smile coming up involuntarily on her own face. When she had made it over to the uncovered section and dropped her head down on the pillow, Pinkie flung the comforter back over the pair while she quickly dropped down and curled up around Applejack, forming the big spoon out of the pair.

“Sweet dreams, apple of my eye,” Pinkie murmured as she wrapped her forelegs around Applejack's barrel.

“No fair,” Applejack grumbled half awake. “Ah can't think of anything cute to call you...”

“I don't mind,” Pinkie replied as she tightened her hold and nuzzled into her mane with a content sigh.

“Love you, Pinkie...” Applejack said in half a whisper as sleeps talons sank deeper into her consciousness, dragging her under faster and faster.

“I love you too,” Pinkie whispered back as she felt her lover falling asleep in her hooves. Applejack's breathing deepened more and more as all the tension left her form, one last sigh escaping as sleep finally claimed her. “And I know you'll never let me go...” Pinkie whispered to herself as she surrendered herself to sleep a few moments later.