I watched Applejack walk ahead of my. The path through the mountains north of Canterlot was growing dark, but the sparse shrubbery and craggy flora glistened with the dying sunlight. I walked along beside Applejack. "This is picturesque as fuck."

Applejack coughed. "Yep." She laughed and looked up at me. "Everypony said you were all mean. Ya ain't been so--"

"I'm hiding it." I scratched my eye and hurried back on the slim path through the mountains. "Getting better and pretending to be nice. Actually being a good person is something that alludes me."

"Ya ain't so bad--"

I took a deep breath and stopped to let her catch up. "I've killed so many people, just because I was ordered to. I've watched as a man was torn apart by a mob, and I did nothing. I let my friend walk into a situation that lead to his death." I adjusted my backpack. "I watched as the cities in Newfoundland burned, smiling all the while ash drifted east over the ocean." I took a deep breath and watched Applejack's face grow nervous. "I laughed the day before I came to Equestria because I thought I was finally going to die. I am not a good person."

Applejack shook her head and walked past. "Partner, that ain't right."

I watched her pass. Something felt off about her. "Oh I know." I joined her on the walk through the dense pinewood path, a small gully slowly forming a cliff on the side of the trail. "Uh, did you not bring a tent?"

Applejack slowly stopped and turned to me. "Celestia said you were bringing one."

I coughed into my wrist. "Yeah--one."

Applejack whipped her tail. "That's enough."

I ran my thumb under the straps of my pack. "Is it?"

Applejack smiled at me. "Well I don't mind. Shared a tent with plenty of ponies before."

I sighed deeply and shook my head. "I would have preferred if you brought your own." I kept walking along. I kept my feet on my lane of the path. "Anyways, you're an apple farmer or something?"

Applejack nodded and trotted along by my side. "Born and raised. What about you? Ya some kinda guard...or...killing pony?"

I put my hand over my coat patch. "Something like that." I squeezed the woodpecker patch against my arm. "Yeah, guard works."

Applejack looked up at me. "You alright partner? Ya don't look too good."

I let go of my arm and pulled my hood up. "I'm fine." I looked up as a crow flung itself off a tree. "...So, thanks for coming out here with me. I don't talk to many others beside Celestia."

"Heck partner, I don't mind." Applejack trotted ahead of me. "Rarity said ya wanted to talk to me. And she--"

"What did she say?" I snapped, rushing over to her side. "What did she say to you!?"

Applejack sidestepped onto the weeds that lined the path. "Uh, that you wanted to talk. That ya said ya liked my hat." She flicked a hoof off her brim. "If ya like it, I know somepony who can get you one."

I sighed and walked back down the path. "No thanks. I don't wear hats...."

Applejack laughed. "But ya like mine?"

I kept quiet and walked along the trail. "Look, don't ask."

Applejack bumped my leg. "Something on your mind partner?"

I grumbled and spotted a good place to set up for the night. "Look, I like your hat okay?" I jogged up to the clear spot and set my bag down. "Just don't--"

"Why you running?" Applejack ran over and skidded to a halt before me. "What's goin' on?"

I ducked down and started to detach the tent from my backpack. "Look, just leave me alone right now! I'll set up the tent, you can sleep inside and I'll sleep in the fucking dirt, okay!?" I tossed the tent down and held my hands up. "Do you just want to do it?!"

"Partner, calm down." Applejack put her hoof on my shoulder. "You're acting jumpy as all heck."

I looked down at my feet and sat back on my ass. I groaned loudly and rubbed my face. "Are you gonna make me say it?" I covered my mouth and looked away. "Look, just let me do this, okay?"

Applejack rubbed her foreleg. "Alright then...."

I took a deep breath and stood up. "It's just weird for me to be out like this without a rifle, and hanging out with ponies still feels weird." I rolled out the tent and sorted the stakes out on the ground. "You smell like sweat, not horse smell. You--"

"I do?" Applejack lifted a hoof and looked at herself. "Sorry partner...I didn't--"

"No I mean...you're not like horses back home. They smell really--dirty. Like dirt, mud and stuff. Really earthy, but you just smell like some normal person." I sunk a stake into the ground and strung up the first side of the pup tent. "God damn it...this is gonna be tight."

Applejack scratched the ground. "It ain't too late to just head back if you want."

I looked around. The night was here, the path was dark, and I could see something looming overhead. "It's fine. Just don't talk, stay in the tent and we'll be fine." I stood up and kicked a stake deep into the earth. "Just don't act all worried or--"

"You're gonna sleep outside?" Applejack walked around the triangle tent. "Missed a tie." She grabbed one of the strings that kept the tent tight and pulled it taut.

I walked over and took the rope from her. "Look, this coat is insulated, so don't worry."

Applejack looked up and rubbed her foreleg. "I think the weather ponies might be--"

"It's also waterproof." I pulled my hood back up. "It's fine." I reached into my backpack and pulled out a blanket. "Here, go put this down. It'll keep you warm."

Applejack took the blanket from my and scratched under her hat. "You sure partner? Looks like there's room for three in there."

The tent could probably fit four in a pinch, but I wasn't about to let Celestia guide this without even being here. "She's trying to make a point...something about making friends or something."

Applejack cocked her head. "Who?"

"Never mind." I hopped in place and looked around. "Well, go the hell to sleep!"

Applejack slowly backed up.  "Alright partner. But I got an extra sleeping bag if yer' so inclined."

"I'm not inclined...." I looked down at myself. "Pretty...perpendicular." I felt my skin grow cold. "God I hate myself...." I rubbed my forehead. "God damn, why do I open my fucking mouth?"

Applejack disappeared into the peach colored tent. I stood out in the cold mountain air for a bit. A loud crack echoed over us. A few droplets rained down before turning into a heavy downpour. The tent was on a bit of a rise, and all the water seemed to drop down towards the other end of the path. I on the other hand, quickly found out my coat wasn't waterproof.

I licked my lips as Rarity's faithful recreation missed out on one of the key features. I stared at the tent. I looked up to the sky. I looked back to the tent. I walked towards the tent. "Fucking fashion bitch...it's not supposed to be fashion!" I tore my hood off and flung the door to the tent open. Applejack as finished laying down the blanket on the floor of the tent and was about to lay down when I barged in. Applejack had strung up a lantern from the main line. She looked up at me and cocked an eyebrow. "Don't ask."

I tossed my pack down and started to pull my jacket off. I stayed outside the tent while I was getting the coat off. I managed to pull it off and hang it on a post, covered by the thin tarp of the tent. My undershirt was soaked through the back, and quickly found a home next to my coat. I sat back in the tent and tore my boots off. Applejack had left a spot near the entrance of the tent for her horseshoes and I tossed mine to join hers. I sat back and pulled my legs up to my chest in my corner of the tent. "Bullshit."

Applejack sat on her haunches next to me. "So, it wasn't--"

"No."

Applejack nodded. "Well, I still got that bag if--"

"No."

Applejack looked down at my chest. "So...those hurt?"

"No." I rubbed my stomach. "...One of them still itches, but I don't think it's healed completely yet." I traced my finger down my pec and against my ribs. I could feel the twisted skin where a piece of shrapnel had gone through my vest. "Yeah, that one wasn't terrible, but it was pretty deep." I stretched my legs out and sat there, rubbing my scars. "Ugly right?" I ran my thumb up and down my worst one. "But hey, we're not supposed to be pretty."

Applejack bit her lip. "Uh...ow?"

I looked down at the scar. It ran from the base of my right ribs to my collarbone. "Eh. I didn't feel much." I beat my chest. "Got a mesh put on my lung after that one." I rubbed my chest. "Scary part wasn't really going down. Scary part was waking up."

Applejack lifted a hoof. "Uh, that one there hurt?" She pointed to the one across my nose.

I rubbed sideways across my face. "That one isn't actually real." I tugged at the cartilage of my nose. "All this is reconstructed." I pointed to my nose and cheek. "I looked a bit like ground beef after that one. Almost lost my eye, lost about half my nose." I rubbed the scar. "No, they just screwed up there so they gave me a scar instead of just letting there be a blemish." I turned to her. "What about you? Any scars?"

I watched as a lump went down her throat. "None like that partner...."

I took a deep breath. "Well I'm happy for you. They're interesting stories, but not worth having to think about what happened." I laid down flat and rolled onto my side. "Uh...it was good talking to you." I kept my back to her.

Applejack laid down and pressed her back against my own. Her coat was soft. "Any family?"

"Alive or dead?"

"Alive I suppose."

I reached up and turned the light off. I heard some rustling and felt something slowly drift over my midsection. I looked down to find another small blanket draped over us. "One sister, my mother was still alive last time I checked, but she was on her way out."

Applejack sighed and nestled in. "That it?"

"To my knowledge. Why?"

Applejack took a deep breath. "I got a brother, a sister, cousins, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, grannys and--"

"...No mom?"

Things went quiet. "No ma, no pa. Not anymore." Her voice was flat.

"You don't really get over it do you?"

Applejack huffed. "Not really. It gets easier--"

"But its always there." I rubbed my arm. "Fucking dad...died of frostbite."

Applejack chuckled. "That ain't all that bad. Coulda been worse."

"Oh? How'd yours go?"

"Don't know." She chuckled. "They just up and left one day."

I stared at the darkened patch of tent for a few seconds. I slowly rolled around until i was facing her. I forced my right arm under her and up against her stomach. My other hand wrapped around her and pulled her against my. I pressed my face against the back of her head. She smelled like sugared apples.

"I thought ya weren't gonna--" Applejack's voice was cut off as I slid my right hand down her stomach. I kept my left plastered against her heart. Each time I slid lower I could feel it kick harder and faster. Applejack's mouth hung open, letting out little gasps and grunts as I slid down her belly. I felt her heart jump as my fingers passed over her nipples. Her back legs tightened up as she pressed a hoof against the back of my hands.

I closed my eyes and let my nose rest against the base of her ear. They slapped the side of my nose and my eyes as they went back. Applejack's voice wavered as I held her against my by the heart. Each beat rippled through my fingertips. My hand was stuck with its fingers against one of her nipples. There was nothing to squeeze, her belly was softer there, but her nipple grew hard under my touch. I pinched her. She tightened up around me and leaned her head back.

She twitched and squirmed as I touched her. She held her breath as I tweaked her nipple between my fingers. I pulled her, pinching hard as she tried not to grunt. Applejack's legs twitched as I teased her. She pushed her stomach out to try and keep me from pulling at her, but it only meant I could pull farther.

I let her go. She slapped back into place with a tiny jiggle. Applejack let out a loud grunt. Her heart kept beating like mad as I brushed her other nipple. Her voice was low and husky, an extremely pleasing change from the usual shriller voices I was used to. I slid my hand flat across her body and cupped her pussy with my fingers. Applejack's heart went racing as I rubbed her clit with the base of my fingers. I rubbed her chest as she squirmed and huffed. "It's okay to move around."

Applejack either listened, or didn't care, and kept on letting her hips shift and her hooves tighten around my hand. I rubbed up and down her lips. A streak of damp formed up and down my palm. I stopped and shifted my fingers around until I could split her lips and leave her exposed. "Mmmphmm...." She let out the sweetest, groan she could as her thighs closed on my hand. I kept her split open for the air to behold.

I held her in place and dug my index finger against her. The heat was incredible, and the gooey juice slowly coming out of her invited me forward. I peeled one lip open and pressed my thumb against her clit, letting it wink out on the occasion that I would brush up against her flesh. "Tell me when you're ready."

Applejack's heart slowly eased into a steady, less frantic, beat. "Partner...ya didn't say anything--"

"I'll stop--"

Applejack went silent. She tightened her hips around my hand, warming my fingers with her body. "Ready."

I took a deep breath and held it as I pressed my finger into her. I pressed down against her damp flesh and forced my finger inside of her. She jerked her hips and huffed loudly. "You alright?" I asked as calmly as I could.

Applejack shifted around until her left back leg lifted up and gave me better access. I took the hint and slowly buried my fingers into her. Each dig into her tight body. Her heart picked up again as I slipped my fingers in and out of her, pushing apart her tight warm little slit. She twitched and kicked gently. I felt her muscles tighten up against me as I pushed back inside her. The sweet scent of apples slowly grew heavier and more sweaty.

I dug my fingers in deep and yanked at her slit. I felt her heart skip a beat as she started to breathe deep. I dug my fingers in as deep as they would go and spread them, artificially filling her and setting her off. I could feel every muscle in her body tense up as she dripped out over my fingers. I pinned her head to a pillow with my nose and felt her heart pick up. The cold that was stuck in my fingers melted away as I rubbed her clit with the base of my fingers, still jammed knuckle deep inside her hot little body.

She let out an extremely husky moan, her left leg joined in and kicked all the way out, shaking violently as she dug her right hoof into the blanket and tried to kick. I waited until she stopped panting and slowly pulled my dripping hand away from her. I let it rest against her belly. I held her against me until she stopped panting and relaxed under my arms.

Her body was burning up, and I could smell pussy and sweat in the air. I pulled my arm out from under her and rolled away. I laid down back to back with her and wiped my hand on the sheet. Applejack caught her breath and looked back. "Uh...okay.... You tryin' to tell me something?"

"No...."

Applejack huffed. "...That was...I don't even know what to say."

"Nothing."

She snuggled her back against my spine. "Partner...you alright?"

"Shame. Lots of shame."

Applejack rolled onto her back. "I uh...Able, right? It's Able?"

"Yes."

"What exactly happens next?"

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Look, if you're going to get mad at me, or try to-- It's this one time okay? When we get back in Canterlot, we part ways, we never talk about this again. Alright?"

Things went quiet. "...We ain't in Canterlot. So can we--"

"I just wanted to spend some time with you!" I sat upright and looked down at her. She was belly up with her hooves over the sheet. "You've got something about you that I like...and its something...attractive...and I just wanted to try. And I guess it-- Look, I'm not trying to like ask you out or anything, I'm not-- It's a one time thing okay!?" I couldn't help but shout, even though the moments after were filled with utter regret for doing so. "It's one time, okay? You're beautiful, and I wanted to try and make this happen." I crossed my arms. "I'm sorry okay?"

Applejack sighed and looked me up and down. "No marefriend? No proposal or all that?"

"God no...I barely know you." I rubbed my face. "I just wanted to-- I actually do want to be friends with you...you seem sweet, but I just couldn't help it okay! You made me sad and you just laid there and let me touch you...." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Why didn't you say no?"

Applejack sighed and licked my ribs. "Because I didn't want to." She pressed her forehead against my side. "So...after we go back, this is all water under the bridge."

I took a deep breath. "Yes."

Applejack took a deep breath. "Well then right now it don't matter? It wont matter later?"

"It was me being stupid, okay!" I held my arms out. "It was just me being an idiot...okay?" I rubbed my face. "I wish we could have been friends, but--"

"We can be."

"After this?" I held my hand up. "I mean...its always going to be hanging there now."

Applejack sighed heavily. "And? You're a grown up pony, so am I. We're not stupid."

I shook my head. "I can't, okay?"

"Nah. Not okay." Applejack bit my ribs and headbutted my side. "Ya'll are my friend. Like it or not, and what happens out here ain't gonna change that."

I looked down at her. She looked up at me, mane undone from its tie, billowing out behind her. Green eyes, sitting beautifully. "I'm sorry I touched you."

Applejack shook her head. "I ain't." She laughed and looked away. "You probably know how to do stuff like that a lot better than I do."

I felt my face tighten up. "Oh...god...you're not--are you?"

Applejack looked away. "Well, hoof don't really count...so...I was."

I threw myself back down and grabbed my face. "God damn it."

Applejack loomed over me. "You alright sugar cube?"

"I feel like shit." I rubbed my face. "I feel...like complete shit."

Applejack huffed. "Alright...guess I'm gonna have to make ya feel better...." She pulled her mane around to her face. "Practice...right?"

I looked up at her. "What?"

Applejack coughed into her hoof. "I ain't been with many boys...especially like this...and you ain't been with many mares...have ya?"

"Celestia...you...." I decided to leave out the animals back home. "Guess not."

"Well then you mind if I practice?"

I'd never dreamed casual sex would carry so much guilt. "...When we get back to Canterlot, what's going to happen? I'm going to go back to Celestia...and you're going to go and what?" I sat upright again. "I do love her...she's someone I share with, someone who gets it." I held my right arm tight as the burning picked up. "I can't go home with you, this can't keep happening."

Applejack sighed. "Then we better make it memorable out here." She grew a bit pink. "And I'm actually just gonna...just gonna...gonna...." She pressed her lips against my chest. she licked my skin and leaned her head back. "...Ya taste good partner...." She walked around and sat on my knees. She locked eyes with me. "I uh...probably not the same, but I ain't never kissed a boy.... Kissed a mare once, but that was just...." She shot forward and pecked me on the lips. She looked at me dead on. "That's right, right?"

I felt my expression shift away from my usually vile ways. For the first time since I got here, I felt the tension in my eyes let go. I felt my face relax. "So when we get back to Canterlot...we don't bring this up. We carry on as friends." I stared at her. "We don't talk about this, if anyone asks, we just went camping."

Applejack nodded. "Alright partner."

I nodded. "I'd love to have you as a friend...but this is a one time--"

"Then make it count." Applejack snorted. "Now did I do it right?"

I sighed and flicked my wrist towards me. "Relax, take time and figure out what you're doing."

Applejack nodded. "Should I try anything? Or just--"

"I swear to god just do it before I stuff you." I shook my head. "Seriously...just do something, trial and error, just pick something and do it."

Applejack pushed her head forward and kissed me square on the lips. She put some force behind it, but her eyes were jammed shut and I could tell she was still hesitating. But the soft pressure on my lips was a step in the right direction. She pulled back and opened her eyes. "I don't know if--"

"Relax."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "I am."

"You're not."

Applejack frowned and started to lean forward. "I am." She pressed her lips against my own and for once, she eased up ever so slightly and let the motion carry her against me. She pressed a hoof against my chest to keep herself balanced. And a soft moan was let out as she pulled away. "Alright I think I--" I pulled her back and held myself over her. She jammed her hooves against me as I leaned over her. She jammed her eyes shut and her eyebrows dipped into an agitated look. She tried to push back.

I turned my head a little and pressed forward. Applejack let out a soft grunt and eased almost instantaneously. Her hooves stayed against me, but without nearly the same pressure. I dug my fingers into her mane.

It was as normal a kiss as could have been expected. Ponies had slightly larger mouths, but nothing like a real horse. One could have been mistaken for forgetting they were equine at least at that moment. I pulled her tight, watching her eyes open wide and slowly flutter down into narrow slits. I eased my grip and cradled her head in my hands. "Uh...like that?" She asked, looking around the tent.

"Yeah...like I said, relax." I stared into her eyes. "God you're beautiful." Something about the freckles was too much for me. I pulled her up and kissed her again. I turned my head and pressed my tongue out. Her lips didn't taste like anything, simply a clean fleshy texture. Her eyes opened wide. She shoved back hard, enough for me to know to let off.

She kept her hooves pressed against me, still laying back in my hands. "Uh...what do I do? I ain't never gone this far so--"

"Relax." I grimaced again. "Seriously, the answer to everything is going to be to relax. And the irony is fucking thick as paste."

Applejack licked her lips. "Do I taste anything? Should I do something?"

I shook her once. "Mother-" again "-fucking-" and one final time, "-relax!"

Applejack frowned hard. "Maybe you  should first."

"Don't tell me what to do!" I picked her up, nose to nose with me. "Relax."

Applejack huffed in my face. "Fine."

I went back into place. Applejack's brow was still furrowed. It only lasted a few seconds before I pressed my tongue out, meeting hers. I lowered her back down. She was sticking the tip of her tongue out and jamming her eyes shut. "Uh...you're not relaxed."

Applejack opened her eyes and pulled her tongue back in. "You said--"

"Let me lead, don't stick your tongue out, and relax."

Applejack grew a bit red. "Fine partner...next time just tell me not to."

I went back and pressed my tongue out. Applejack didn't move. She tensed up as I prodded the part of her lips. Her eyebrows furrowed as she opened her mouth slowly. I slid past her lips. She tensed up as did. Her mouth was damper than I'd expected, but I managed to find her tongue forced against the bottom of her jaw. I watched as her brow tightened up as I tickled her tongue. I relaxed my grip and traced up and down her tongue with the tip of my own.

She let out a soft grunt and pushed against my chest lightly. Her brow slowly went slack as I moved from her long limp tongue to her teeth. The lack of sharp teeth was odd, but the soft squishy texture of her tongue against the side of mine send a shiver down my shoulder. I pushed back against hers, getting a soft groan for my efforts.

I kept on, letting my tongue rove around her mouth and occasionally collide with her own. She closed her eyes and I could finally see her face relax. I pulled back and let her rest in my hands. Her hooves curled up against her chest. "You alright?"

Applejack licked her lips. "Wetter than I thought that'd be." She took a deep breath and looked around. "Did I do it--"

"Yes, but you still need to relax." I set her down beside me and stood up. "...I'm just going to-- Fuck it." I stood up and undid my pants. I was just about to go off, so it wouldn't take long.

Applejack leaned back. "Uh--uh--I don't--"

"Don't worry...save that for later...." I trusted my hips out and laid myself against her head. I dragged my cock over her mane, and just as I reached the end of the soft silky glide, I lost it. I came in her mane, shooting streaks deep into her blonde hair. "Oooh kay...." I let out a long held breath and felt myself loosen up as I shot cum into her mane. It turned out to be quite a bit and before long she had a massive soggy spot near her right ear.

Applejack pulled her head back. "Uh...okay...."

I dropped down to my knees and tucked myself away. "Sorry, that needed to be taken care of." I laid down and closed my eyes. "I'll help get that out in the morning...just...really tired."

I felt Applejack poke my shoulder. "Um...was that supposed to happen or what?"

"Uh...yes." I reached out and pushed her down onto her side. "Get some rest." I pulled her against my stomach and held her there. "Cummy headed thing."