I woke up the next morning to the sound of Caramel, a (you guessed it) caramel-colored Earth pony, knocking on my door. I met Caramel first at Pinkie’s party, but we became friends when I saw him shooting basketballs at his house and joined in. Caramel and I clicked as fellow sports lovers. Anyway, I got out of bed, threw some clothes on, and walked over to let him in. I opened the door and he trotted inside, making his way to over to my fridge. He poured himself a glass of root beer with his mouth.

“Feel free to have yourself a drink,” I said sarcastically. He pretended like he didn’t hear my teasing and took a big gulp of root beer.

“Me and some of the colts are gonna go play a game of football. You wanna join?” he said. I chuckled in amusement.

“Football? No thanks. I may have had my way with you in basketball, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt in football. I’m not about to embarrass myself trying to tackle one of you. Besides, I, uh, had other plans for today,” I said. I wanted to see Applejack, but I wouldn’t dare tell him that.

“Oh, come on! I thought you had guts when it came to sports. What other plans do you have, anyway?” he said, raising an eyebrow. I started to walk away and began rearranging some things in the fridge so I didn’t have to look him in the eye.

“Well, I had other things in mind, that’s all,” I said, pouring myself a glass of root beer.

“I bet you’re going over to Sweet Apple Acres. I’ve seen you and Applejack lately, you guys are like peas and carrots,” he said. I smiled and chuckled embarrassingly hearing Applejack and I spoken of as peas and carrots. I really liked the fact that he said that, but at the same time, I resented. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him with a smug look on his face, so I wiped the smile off my face and turned away from him completely. He spoke as I lifted my glass.  

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say she could be your very special somepony,” he said. I spit out the root beer I was drinking as these words screeched through my head, and I turned and faced him.

“Oh shut up, Caramel. She’s a really good friend of mine, and that’s it. Besides, even if I did lo-… you know … she’s a pony. And I’m… “ I lowered my head and let out a sigh of crippling disappointment. I sat up straight and shrugged to try to cover up my real emotions. If Caramel, or anypony else for that matter, found out about my newly discovered feelings for Applejack, I was as good as dead. So I put on a fake smile and faced him.

“I’ll tell you what, I got some things to do around here first, but I’ll think about it if you let me play quarterback and nothing else,” I said.

“Alright!” he said, kicking up his front legs. I walked over to the door and opened it for him. He bolted out and I shut the door, wiping the sweat off of my forehead. That was a close one. I took a deep breath and sat down on the ground with the door on my back. Oh for goodness sake. How did I ever find myself in this position? Truth is, I was so completely new to the whole romance/deep feelings for someone (or in my bizarre case, somepony) that I didn't even realize it at first. When she goodbye the night before, I felt a kind of love for her I had never felt about anyone in my entire life. I love everything about her. I very much want to spend the rest of my life with her. Oh for the love of - how does she feel about me? I'm not that lovable, am I? I mean, she said I had a cute mane, and I was quote on quote real fun to be around, and super nice. The way she stared at me last night, maybe she... Oh my gosh, this is pathetic.

There was no denying that being around her made me as wonderfully happy as I ever been, each minute I spent with her was suddenly like a foal opening presents on Hearth's Warming Eve. But then the most unfortunate fact popped back into my head. She's an Earth pony, and it will be really hard to marry her. I mean, for Pete's sake- is that even allowed in Equestria, for a pony to marry a non-pony? Maybe I could just live the rest of my life like this. I could go back and fourth between jobs and continue to see her a lot. That farm has been in her family for generations, she’s not about to leave. We could be like peas and carrots for the rest of our lives, just the best of friends and nothing more. That doesn’t sound so bad.

It didn’t sound so bad at all. But at the same time, Applejack was the element of honesty, and for me to feel this way about her and not have the courtesy to at tell her at some point seemed like a major disservice to her. I’d walk over hot coals or eat a sword before I showed her any disrespect. I took another deep breath and covered my face with my hand. Alright, I’ll tell her at some point. Doesn’t have to be now, or even soon. But at some point, I will confess what I truly think of her, man to mare. My mind was made up, or so I thought. I just wanted to see her and continue to know her and play with her. She had to at least know at this point that I loved her as a friend, right? Maybe that was good enough.

A long night of little sleep and a meeting with Caramel and I was eager to see my favorite playmate, regardless of my new burden. I walked out my door and headed over to Sweet Apple Acres. As usual, it was an absolutely gorgeous day. I entered through the gate to the house and barn, and cute little Apple Bloom was outside playing with Winona, the family dog. She saw me and greeted me with a friendly smile.

“Howdy!”

“Hi there, Apple Bloom! Is your sister here, by chance?” I said, equally as friendly and overly enthusiastic.

“Oh yea, she’s testin’ some of the apples in the west field. You’ll see her,” said the little filly. I thanked her and made my way over to the west field. As I walked through the orchard, the sweet smell of apples began to fill my nose as the trees glittered with green beauty. In the row of trees left of the one I was walking down, I spotted Applejack. Before I walked over to her, I looked at her from where I was standing. Her blonde mane flowed through the breeze with grace, and her pretty sherbet coat glimmered in the sun. I gazed into those beautiful eyes that I had drowned in the night before, and saw that she was smiling. It was as if she was smiling at the fact that she was alive, or just that the day itself was beautiful. My heart leapt for joy at the sight of her, and I smiled and walked forward. She saw me, and her face lit up in excitement.

“Hi there, sugarcube! Whatcha doin’?” said sweetest voice in the wide world.

“I just came by to see what you were doing, and if I could join you,” I said, deeply blushing.

“Why, ah’m just walkin’ down this here field and seein’ how the apples are comin’. Ah'd love fer you to walk with me,” she said with a friendly smile. I let out a deep breath and smiled with comfort. As she turned and started walking to the next tree, she spoke again, this time walking away from me as she spoke. "Sugarcube, ah' gotta tell ya something." My heart started beating really fast. This sounded kind of serious! Was she somehow aware of how I felt about her? I didn't know, but when she turned around with a smile on her face and the sun at her back, almost giving her a halo, I couldn't help but relax with all of my soul. "Ah' had so much fun with you yesterday. Ah' ain't had that good of a time in an awfully long time," she said, her eyes getting bigger. All of the nervousness in me left at an instant. I even managed to forget why I was nervous in the first place. Wonderfully surprised and extraordinarily happy, and a big smile came over me.

"Oh, it's nothing, Applejack," I said, smiling blushingly and looking down at the ground. "You have no idea how much fun I had."

"Yea, ah' could tell," she said, laughing. Suddenly my own heart melted and I drifted into a dream at the sound of her laughter. She already had the sweetest voice, and now her laugh was the like most exhilaratingly charming music I'd ever heard, and as happy inside as it made me, it was taunting me. It was as if my own feelings for her were mocking me. And to think, I feel this way about an Earth pony.

We continued on down the row of trees together, testing the apples and talking casually and friendlily as we had done since she pulled me out of the bucket at Pinkie’s party. We talked about things from the day before, Apple Bloom and her cutie mark, even apples. But just before we reached the end of the field, she did it. She asked me that one question that I couldn't answer without either lying or telling her just how I felt about her.

“So, do ya’ll wanna live in Ponyville for a while? How do ya like it here? What's yer long term plan?” she said. She even hesitated before she said it, as though as she was choosing the right words. It was very curious. But the smile faded on my face and I turned red as I looked down at the ground, scared. Oh no. She did it. She asked me what my long term plan is, and how do I like it here in Ponyville. What do I tell her? The truth is... I... I wanna marry you.. I took a deep breath and looked up to the blue sky for an answer. I knew I wasn’t going to get one, so I looked down at the ground again. I just didn't know how to respond. I felt something inside telling me to be honest with her, even though that would probably end it all. No, I'm not doing that. Just lie. I know it feels terrible, but I have to.

“Well, I came to Equestria to get a job and Celestia-willing, to make friends. I never wanted to get married or anything like that." I took a another deep sigh and smiled sheepishly down at the ground. I didn't have hardly any control over what came out next. "That was… until… until I... until I met you.”

No. You didn't. I couldn't believe what I just said. I told her the honest truth. I covered my face with my hands and lowered my head. “Oh Applejack," I said with desperation. "I've never met anyone like you, I-I love... everything about you! You are such a sweet pony, you're so admirable the way you come out here, the way you love your family. Every time you laugh, every single time you smile at me, I-... I know I’m not a pony, but... well, I think... I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” I said, turning up to her more utterly desperate then I've ever been in my entire life. You fool! Idiot! Imbecile! Why would you do that? My heart choked as I looked at Applejack, whose mouth and eyes were wide open in shock. In utter disappointment, I lowered my head and sighed.

“Applejack, I’m… I’m so sorry. I should never have…”

Before I could finish, perhaps the most unexpected thing that's ever happened to me happened. I went to turn my head up, and suddenly, her mouth was directly on mine! I opened my eyes in shock, and found that Applejack had moved in and begun kissing me ever so gently. I blushed deeper and more embarrassed then I ever have in my entire life. My own conscience was fighting with itself for kissing a pony. But after a few seconds, I couldn't help but relax. I even began kissing her back. She opened her eyes and began staring into my eyes I placed my hand on her golden mane, which had the touch of angel. We kissed ever so slowly, ever so gently, and even with all of my guilt and mixed emotions, it was the most wonderful thing ever. I had never kissed anyone before in my life, human or pony. But when she kissed me, it felt as though all was right in the world, and the romantic feelings I had for her were only strengthened. She pulled back, and I looked back at the ground awkwardly, then flipped my head up with a small smile.

“So... I take that as a yes then?”

"Eeyup," she said, giving me another loving smile of triumph.

I couldn't believe it. Applejack actually loves me too? It was a dream come true. The greatest dream I've ever had, born in the moments I spent with her. The love of the Earth pony called Applejack.