Author's Notes:

Sorry for the delay :c had an impromptu trip on Saturday out of state and wasn't happy with a couple sections so I had to do a rewrite of those areas before I was happy. Hope you enjoy

After his initial consultation with Twilight, Galen went back into town every day for the next week to work out all the seemingly endless details that would go into building his forge. He visited the Mayor's office early on in the week and looked into the prices of land as well as the relevant ordinances concerning noise. He made sure to keep Applejack in the dark as far as what the prices were when he asked her about how much it would cost to purchase that little plot of land she had offered and added it to his rapidly growing sheaf of papers concerning his project.

So, here he was, sitting in Lero's living room with Twilight and the others as the two of them went about finalizing his plans just before lunch on Saturday. With everything as it was, his choice of building area chosen, contractors, material suppliers, transport of said material and various other minute details like raw materials for him to work with at the start, the total cost of his project was five thousand seven hundred bits.

“So, ya think tha's a reasonable amount fer what Ah'm getting?” Galen asked her from across the table. “There's gonna be a bit left over so Ah got some bits ta live off of fer a while, but not too much.”

“To be honest, I think you're being a little modest in your spending,” she replied. “Since we started this project, I went to visit one of the forges in Canterlot and their dimensions, forge sizes and living quarters give much more for them to work with in terms of area per pony.”

“Ah don' need a massive forge or huge amounts o' floor space,” he replied with a grimace. “Ain't like Ah'll be smithing massive projects or smelting raw ore.”

“I guess you're right,” Twilight conceded. “Have you talked to Applejack about some of your plans yet?”

“I plan ta do jus' tha' this afternoon,” he said. “Kinda wanted ta surprise 'er with everythin'.”

“I'm sure she'll be happy with how everything turned out,” Twilight said with a smile.

“Ah hope so,” he replied with a half grin.

While Galen was busy with his plans, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were busy with plans of their own. During the week, Pinkie had dropped by once more and she had rather shyly asked Applejack out for their first date that Saturday for lunch. Applejack had practically been floating an inch off the ground for the rest of the week, her giddiness apparent for everyone to see. When she was called out on it by Galen and Apple Bloom, she was more than a little embarrassed by it, but fended off their questions with a few flippant comments that had them chuckling at her and letting her have her secret plans.

Even with her embarrassment, it still didn't do anything to spoil her excitement. So, today was the day and she was putting the finishing touches on the small meal she was bringing to compliment what Pinkie was going to bring. Once finished, she put everything in a set of covered basket saddlebags and made her way out of the house through the back boor so she could avoid Big Mac and Granny Smith. They had agreed to meet up at a cozy little spot by the lake in the White Tail woods, which worked well for Applejack as she needed to drop by the spa to get her courting flower. Applejack had nothing against Roseluck, but she didn't have the color she was looking for in her particular type of flower.

The usual trip into town seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye for Applejack as she trotted in with a spring in her step, her incredibly happy smile seeming to infect those she saw with a smile and brightened their already great day. She passed by Sugar Cube Corner and noticed Mrs. Cake in the window who noticed Applejack as well a moment later, her worried worried expression changing into a gently encouraging one. Applejack wasn't quite sure what to make of that, so she just gave her a confident expression that she hoped would put the older mare at ease. After crossing the square and turning down a side street, she entered the spa with a jingle.

“Mornin', Aloe,” she said with a grin as she saw the pink coated mare behind the counter. “How're you today?”

“Quite fine, Miss Applejack,” she said in her oddly accented speech. “I take it you are here for your flower?”

“Yes, please,” she replied. “Thank ya again for lettin' me have one. It really means a lot ta me.”

“With how often your friends visit, it is not a problem in the slightest,” she replied as she rummaged around under the counter. “We just wish we would see you in here more often. You are quite the beautiful mare yourself, yet you take so little care of your coat and mane...”

“It's not much of a priority living on a farm,” Applejack said as her cheeks heated up a little once Aloe came back up from behind the desk and sat a small paper box on top of it. “Plus it'd be a waste of your efforts, getting me all prettied up just to end up all sweaty and dirty the next day.”

“That is not a worry for us, Miss Applejack,” Aloe replied soothingly. “We know it is only temporary. What we work for most of all is to bring out the inner beauty in our clients, even if it is for only one night. As long as you shine for an hour or two and are happy, we are more than happy with the results.”

“Ah never thought 'bout what you got out of sprucing us up, to be honest,” Applejack said with a slightly subdued smile. “Aside from a living, that is.”

“Not many do, but all feel the same and we are pleased with that,” Aloe said with a small smile. “Now, if I am not mistaken, you have a date to get to.”

“That I do,” Applejack replied with a grin. “Thanks again for just letting me have this. It really means a lot to me.”

“They sit around and look pretty mostly,” Aloe replied. “You are the first to ask for one as more than a simple snack. It means a lot to my sister and I.”

Applejack really didn't know how to reply to that, so she just gave Aloe a grateful smile and said, “Ah don't really know what ta say.”

“Just promise that you'll come here before your next date,” Aloe said with a grin. “We will make your date speechless in appreciation of your beauty.”

Applejack blushed and laughed with Aloe, her mood rising ever further than she would have thought. “You have my word then,” she said as her mirth faded.

“See you then, Miss Applejack,” Aloe replied with a brilliant smile.

With their conversation concluded, Applejack put the small box in one of her baskets and made her way outside. She turned down the way and made her way across the short bridge that spanned the small stream on the east side of town on her way to the woods. As she made her way, she passed several ponies on their way to the woods as well, though she ignored them as her mind was singularly focused on the mare that was surely to be waiting for her there.

Now that was a conundrum for the farm mare. A pony that seemed to be obsessed with the happiness of others yet ignored her own. She didn't seem to work very hard at all, but Granny said she worked harder than she did sometimes. She had been surprisingly frank with Applejack, talking to her in terms that were almost too frank for the honest pony. Well, it was time for Applejack to give a little in this budding relationship. Celestia knew she was filled to the brim with happiness at the moment and had so much to share that it seemed endless.

Soon enough, she was passing through the dappled shadows of the woods on her way to the lake, the deep green of the woods lending their color to those passing under their boughs and branches. Eventually making its presence known, the lake gave off silvery shivers of light between the thick trunks of the trees and Applejack increased her pace so that she wouldn't keep Pinkie waiting for much longer. Suddenly, the light assaulted her in a brilliant flash of silver as she left the dense shadows.

Looking around after her eyes adjusted, Applejack spotted a small spot of vibrant pink across the lake and made her way around. As she got closer, she noticed Pinkie had her head down between her forelegs, her mane seemed to be a bit deflated as well. Applejack closed the remaining distance, her happiness draining away as worry for the pink mare replaced it. “What's the matter, Pinkie?”

Pinkie raised her head up with a little sniffle and looked at Applejack. She just shook her head as a tear leaked out from the corner of an eye and sat her head back on the ground. Keeping a sigh in check, Applejack wiggled out of her saddlebags and lay down beside Pinkie so that their barrels and shoulders touched. “What has the happiest mare I know so down in the dumps,” she gently cajoled. “You and Ah are supposed to have a great day, so that's what we're gonna do and Ah won't take no for an answer.”

Pinkie just gave a puff of air and shifted around a bit before settling back down. Applejack knew this game. Apple Bloom did it every once in a while when something didn't go her way, so Applejack did what she normally did in this situation. She just settled down to wait, leaning her head to the side so she could give Pinkie a gentle nuzzle on the side of her neck before matching her posture. It didn't take long for Pinkie to begin shifting uncomfortably as she knew she was the cause for Applejack's patient waiting.

“I told you nothing ever turns out right for me on dates...” she finally said in a low voice.

“What happened?”

“I kept messing up on everything I tried to make for lunch,” she said as she raised her head up, tears gathering in her eyes.

“Ah'm sure it wasn't that bad,” Applejack replied.

“I forgot to put baking soda in the muffins, accidentally swapped the salt and the sugar when I tried cookies and burned the pie I tried to make,” she said in a trembling voice. "I even set part of the kitchen on fire..."

“Oh...” Applejack said lamely. “In that case, we'll just have to share what Ah brought and be happy with it.”

“I'm sorry,” Pinkie said as she fought back tears and sniffed loudly.

“Hey, don't worry about it,” Applejack said in a quiet, forceful voice. “Sometimes things don't always turn out like we planned. Don't mean we can't make the most out of it.”

“I guess you're right,” Pinkie replied. “Sorry for being so mopey. I was just hoping this time would be different is all.”

“It's already different from those other times,” Applejack said with a smile as she moved away to grab her saddlebags. “Ah already know what Ah'm in for and so do you. Anyway, it ain't like Ah'll turn you away because you got the jitters and set a kitchen on fire.”

Pinkie gave a quavery laugh at that before saying, “Thanks, Applejack.”

“Ain't a problem,” she said as she sat back down beside Pinkie, her saddlebags placed in front of them. “At least it won't be unless you set my kitchen on fire.”

Pinkie giggled as she blushed, leaning a little bit into Applejack as she nuzzled her back gently. “Don't worry. I'm normally not that bad. I can't help it if I get nervous before I go on a date with one of my hottest friends.”

Applejack nearly choked at that and her face felt like it would ignite as she looked around to see if anypony was close enough to have heard. Thankfully, there wasn't anypony nearby, so she turned back to Pinkie. “Really?”

“Yep,” Pinkie replied happily, all traces of her bad mood gone. “You better believe it.”

Applejack really didn't know how to respond to that, so she distracted herself from the topic and pulled out the food she brought. Once everything was out, Applejack pulled out the small paper box and placed it next to Pinkie's hoof. “May as well start with this,” she said with a little nudge to the box.

Pinkie took the box and opened it, revealing a dark yellow lotus that had a slightly golden sheen to it. She looked back at Applejack with a smile as she rummaged around in her mane and pulled out a small box of her own before passing it over to Applejack. Applejack took the box and opened it to find a bright pink casablanca lily. They exchanged one last smile with one another before they took the exchanged flowers and placed them behind their ears.

With that done, Applejack and Pinkie settled down with small smiles as they split the modest salad and miniature pie between them, Pinkie getting to use the one plate Applejack had brought. They didn't really talk about anything as they ate, opting to just enjoy each others company and close proximity. They watched across the lake as other ponies began gathering and playing in the water or relaxing on the beach. “So,” Applejack began as she too the first bite of her portion of the pie. “Did ya really mean it about me being hot?”

Pinkie almost choked this time as she blushed and looked at her date. “W-huh?”

“You heard me,” Applejack replied with a slightly wicked smile. “What do ya find so sexy about me?”

“W-why do you wanna know?” Pinkie stammered out.

“Just curious,” she said with a tilt of her head. “Ah'll even tell ya what Ah think makes you so cute too.”

“Cute?” Pinkie squeaked.

“That's one thing right there,” Applejack said smoothly as a little blush dusted her cheeks. “You have this cute little squeaky thing you do every time you get really embarrassed.”

Pinkie squeaked again.

“See? There it is. It's so cute Ah almost can't stand it,” she said with a low chuckle. In all her experience, Pinkie had never had a date progress like this before. Normally she never got to the point where she and her date listed off things they liked about each other, but Applejack apparently felt that their preexisting friendship entitled her to skip a few dates in terms of protocol. Applejack leaned into her a bit more, her smile turning comforting instead of mildly saucy. “Come on Pinkie, you can tell me.”

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and pointing her head away from Applejack before letting it go slowly. She scrunched up her muzzle a bit before she mumbled something.

“What was that?”

“I really like the way you sway your hips as you walk when you're in a really good mood,” Pinkie said as her blush flared brighter.

Applejack cocked her head at Pinkie's words, “Ah sway my hips?”

“Oh yeah,” Pinkie said with a wicked little grin of her own that she turned on Applejack. “You turn heads wherever you go when you're really happy. Most of your customers at the Gala weren't just there for your wares. Why do you think they asked for stuff that was in the back?”

Applejack snickered a moment later, full blown laughter coming from her soon after. “No wonder so many of those mares were giving me the stink eye after Ah closed up for the night.”

Pinkie joined Applejack in her laughter, all worries about her flubbed first date long gone in the company she was in and the conversation they were having. They talked about less sensitive topics after that initial question from Applejack and finished their desserts. With their meal eaten and a companionable silence settling over the pair, they packed up and seemed to reach an unspoken agreement that this should be the end of their first date. They walked side by side back around the lake and down the trail back to town, finally stopping outside Sugar Cube Corner on a surprisingly empty street.

“Sorry for being so mopey earlier,” Pinkie said with a little small.

“It's alright,” Applejack replied with a bright smile. “We had a good time anyway, right?”

“Yeah,” she said as she looked in the front window to see the dark interior.

“You wanna come on back ta the farm?” Applejack asked as she noticed that the bakery was closed for the day. “Won't make ya do any chores, Ah promise.”

Pinkie giggled at that. “Sure,” she answered. “They gave me the day off anyway and I didn't have anything else planned for the day.”

“In that case, you can stick around and help with dinner,” Applejack said with a smirk as she led Pinkie off. As she walked, she payed attention to how she walked and noticed that she really did sway her hips when she was in a good mood. She looked behind her and saw Pinkie looking off at some point in the sky with a brilliant blush on her cheeks. “Looking's free, sugar cube,” she said with an absolutely devilish grin at turning the tables on the unpredictable mare. Pinkie mumbled something in a strangely high pitched voice as she looked fit to catch her mane on fire. Applejack just continued on her way, sure that Pinkie would catch up sooner rather then later and was proven right when Pinkie came up level with her barely ten seconds later. “Everything alright, sugar cube?”

“That's not very nice,” she said while she kept looking ahead, a cute pout pushing her bottom lip out a little.

Applejack laughed and moved to give Pinkie a quick peck on the corner of her mouth, however, she she moved, so did Pinkie and they ended up kissing full on. Applejack was taken a little by surprise but quickly went with the flow, pressing forward a bit to give the unexpected kiss some force yet remain relatively chaste. Pinkie on the other hoof was completely taken by surprise and she froze up as she felt as if electricity were coursing into her from her lips for a moment before melting into the kiss as Applejack took the lead. They parted a few seconds later, both panting slightly and smiling with slightly goofy expressions.

“That make it better?” Applejack asked with a small smile, a blush dusting her cheeks.

“I guess,” Pinkie said as she resumed her pout for a moment until an absolutely brilliant grin split her face. “Okay, that totally makes up for your teasing.” Applejack laughed and continued on, Pinkie keeping pace with her. “You're a really good kisser, by the way,” she said with a little titter.

“Ah've had a few dates here and there,” Applejack replied. “Nothing stuck, though a few were good for a tumble in the hay or two before they figured they'd rather live the easy life than work on a farm.”

“Oh...” Pinkie said softly. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be,” Applejack replied. “Ah wouldn't be here with you like this if things did work out.”

“I guess that's true,” she said with a giggle.

They finally finished the trek up to the farm and crossed the yard up to the house, Applejack opening the door for Pinkie and entering right behind her. Just as Pinkie entered the kitchen, Applejack spotted Galen leaving his room from down the short hallway and waited for him to come closer.

“Hey, Galen,” she said as he entered the living room. “Just get up from a nap?”

“Kinda,” he replied with a yawn that popped his jaw. “Yew got a moment? Got somethin' Ah wanna talk ta ya 'bout.”