“Applebloom?…Applebloom!”

The cry issued forth from Applejack, who stood at the bottom of the stairs, her boot tapping noisily on the wood floor.

“Applebloom! Granny made apple cinnamon pancakes! You want any, yuh better git down here b’fore Big Mac eats em’ all!”

“Eeyup,” said Macintosh, as he finished fastening his overalls, and entered the kitchen.

“Alright alright, ah’m comin’!” Came the voice of the youngest Apple family member.

A few minutes later, a groggy-eyed young filly descended the staircase, trying to wipe the sleep out of her eyes. No longer a little filly, Applebloom had definitely lived up to her name. Now just a few inches shorter than her big sister, some expected that any day now, she might overtake Applejack, as the second-tallest member of the Apple family.

Her yellow feet plopped down onto the steps, causing her pajamas to rustle. It wasn’t so much the pajamas rustling, as the two large mounds underneath her strained top, that were causing such a motion-commotion.

In the last year, Applebloom had been surprised when her once adequate chest had just…blossomed! After spending most of her teenage years as an under-developed filly, she was pleased at first when she overtook her sister in cup-size…but then, they just kept getting bigger!

She had already been to Rarity’s boutique 3 times this year for bra fittings, and she didn’t look forward to a 4th. Not that Rarity was bad at her job, but the young filly missed being able to not have to readjust her wardrobe every few months.

Hopefully they’re almost done, she thought, looking down at her chest as she entered the kitchen.

“Well, good mornin,’ sunshine,” said Granny, as Applebloom noisily pulled back a chair, and ‘plopped’ herself down. “And how’s mah ‘full’ lil’ filly feelin’?”

“Just…tired, Granny,” said AB, her mouth opening into a wide “O” of a yawn. “Ah don’t know what it is these days, but ah’m just soo dang tired.”

“Betcha it’s the weather,” said Applejack, digging into her stack of pancakes. “Ah mean, they were predicting the worst drought in 20 moons, and wouldn’tcha know it? Nothin!”

“Well, maybe Twilight did somethin’ with tah help,” said Granny, slowly bringing a stack of cakes to Applebloom.

“Ah don’t think so,” said Applejack. “Twilight knows a thing or two about magic, and ah recall her tellin’ me that magically interfering with nature, can sometimes go bad.”

“Can’t be any worse than when we had those black vines Discord let loose on Ponyville,” said Applebloom, trying to get a forkful of pancake to her mouth, without spilling syrup on her strained top. “Seriously, ah don’t know how Fluttershy can stand him.”

“Well, Fluttershy’s…Fluttershy,” said AJ. “Now, we better stop yammerin’ and start eatin.’ That way you can get washed up, and we can git to our family activity today.”

“What activity?” Asked AB, taking a big bite.

“Well, as you know, we’re comin’ up on Applebuck season,” said AJ. “Because of those drought rumors, I planted extra this year, to compensate in case we lost some trees. Well, because the weather turned out better than expected, ah think we may have a surplus for the first time in years.”

“Wow, thaf fantaftik thif,” said AB, spitting bits of pancake across the table.

“Applebloom” said AJ, her eyes narrowing.

*GULP* “Sorry, Sis,” said the filly, her cheeks reddening. “Ah wuz just thinkin’ what that could mean for the farm.”

“It means apples up the wazoo, that’s whut,” said Granny. “With that many apples, why I bet we could extend our Cider Festival by a few more days this year!”

“Now that’s a swell idea, Granny,” said AB. “And with the extra money, we could continue sprucin’ up Sweet Apple Acres!”

“Eeyup,” said Big Mac, a big smile on his face.

“Well, let’s not sit here twirlin’ our tongues,” said AJ. “Let’s finish these cakes, and git tah countin’ them apple trees!”

45 minutes later, Applejack, Big Mac, and Applebloom were out in the orchard, each with a clipboard and pencil in their hands.

Each family member went to a specific part of the orchard, taking note of the trees, the amount of apples each was displaying, and if any of them were ailing.

By the time the sun began sinking in the afternoon sky, the three met back at the house. Sitting down around the kitchen table with tall glasses of apple juice, Applejack tallied their information.

The kitchen fan couldn’t cool them down fast enough, with Big Mac constantly wiping his brow, and Applebloom constantly flapping the untucked portion of her top, to generate some air.

Finally, after 6 minutes, Applejack looked up, a big smile on her face.

“Apples, I can say without a doubt, that this is definitely gonna be a big season for us. According to these numbers, we’ve got 35% more apples to harvest, than last year!”

The cheering almost blew the roof off the farmhouse, as the little family whooped it up.

“That’s amazin’” said Applebloom, adjusting her bra slightly. “So, when do we git started?”

“Well, actually Applebloom, with the added surplus to harvest, ah wanna try somethin’ new this season.”

“Whaddyamean?”

“Well,” said Applejack, “There’s just the three of us to harvest the crop, and ah know Granny doesn’t want me to over-extend mahself like ah did a few seasons ago-”

“Yer darn tootin,” interrupted Granny Smith.

“Anyway, as the head of Sweet Apple Acres, and seein’ as our crop will add some more bits in our pockets, ah figure maybe we should hire an extra hand, to help round the farm.”

“Well gee sis, that sure does sound fine n’ dandy, but why not just ask your friends to help?”

“Ah would have a few years ago, Applebloom. But they got so much goin’ on nowadays, that ah can’t ask them to help us with such a big task. Besides, ah’m sure we kin find a nice, dependable stallion to help.”

“An if were lucky, he’ll finally tame yer sis an get her tah settle down some,” whispered Granny to Applebloom, both giggling aloud.

The next day, Applejack and Applebloom headed into town, with a stack of fliers they had made the night before.

They made sure to post them in prominent areas of the town, where the townsfolk could see (preferably places where good, strong colts or stallions would see them).

As the two sisters walked through Ponyville, they soon encountered some of Applejack’s friends, and shared the good news about the farm’s surplus.

Twilight Sparkle commended the Apples on their good luck, and Pinkie Pie claimed that the Cake Family might be interested in purchasing some of the surplus for their baking supplies.

Of course, a surplus automatically brought thoughts of more cider to Rainbow Dash’s mind, and the pegasus almost lost her head when she heard additional days might be added to the Apple family’s Ciderfest.

Along with Applejack meeting her friends, Applebloom also encountered her two best friends: Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.

Seeing her younger sister with the two fillies, Applejack suggested they split up to post up the rest of the fliers, and meet back at the farm later.

Though the girls’ talking turned to the farm and its good news, pretty quickly they returned to the more prominent bustline of Applebloom’s.

“They’re still growing?” Asked Scootaloo, incredulously.

“Yeah,” said Applebloom, tugging on her bra. "Ah feel a little guilty, given that ah got all this, and you girls got hardly anythin.’

“Aw, don’t worry Applebloom,” said Sweetie Belle, a smile on her face. “Your chest doesn’t change the fact that we’re friends!”

“You bet! Even when they get so big you can’t walk anymore, me and Sweetie will still visit you,” laughed Scootaloo, and the girls all shared in the joke.

“Well, hopefully it won’t come tah that,” said AB, smiling nervously.

Both Applejack and Applebloom returned to the farm around noon, having posted up all their fliers. For the rest of the afternoon, Applejack kept the front door open, eyeing the main road into town. She was sure that at any moment, a small herd of applicants would be stampeding their way to the farm.

3 hours into her watch, and still nothin.’ Then 4. Then 5. And soon, it was time for dinner.

“Yer shore you two canvassed the town?” Asked Granny, as the family ate around the table.

“Absolutely, Granny,” said AJ. "AB and I made sure those fliers were put up everwhere a young stallion could see em.

“Ah jus’ can’t believe we haven’t had anypony show up an-”

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

The sudden sound made everyone jump (and in Applebloom’s case, jiggle), as they looked to the front door. It was Applejack who got up from the table, and answered it.

Standing in the doorway, was a teenage stallion. His skin was as orange as the fruit, and the color of his hair, was as green as an evergreen tree, wih a streak of aquamarine running throuh it. The only thing he seemed to be wearing, was a pair of overalls, that almost looked a size too large for his body, making him resemble a little colt wearing his brother’s hand-me downs. At his side, was a brown suitcase.

“Hi,” he said, quietly. “Um, is this the place where you’re looking for a hand?”

“Why it shore is,” said AJ, extending her hand politely. “Mah name’s Applejack! And who might you be?”

“Um, Coral,” he said, taking her hand, and shaking it slowly, “Coral Leaf.”

“Well now Coral, you caught us right in the middle of dinner, but ah think we can pull up another place for yuh! You feelin’ hungry?”

“A little. But if it’s too much trouble, I understand. I’ll just go back into town and, come back tomorrow.”

“Oh come on in, yer already here,” said AJ, at her most welcoming. “Let me just get that suitcase for yah!”

“Well, if you insist…thank you,” replied Coral, as Applejack led him into the kitchen.

“Guess what everpony, we gots us a visitor!”

After Applejack had introduced him to each of her family members, Coral set himself down to dinner. Being that he was a guest interested in helpin’ out the Apple family, Coral quickly became the center of rapt attention.

He told the family how he had grown up on a small farm in-between Galloping Gorge, and Unicorn Range, in the Northwestern area of Equestria. He was an only-child, whose family had lived in that region for several generations.

A day ago, he had decided to take one of the first big steps in his life, and leave home. Of course, rather than head off to one of the more popular locales like Manehattan or Baltimare, his family was surprised he had chosen to travel to Ponyville.

Coral explained to the Apples that despite its relatively small size (though not as small as where he grew up), so much of the news that traveled back-and-forth throughout Equestria, seemed to originate from there.

“You can say that again,” confirmed Applejack. “Why until my good friend Twilight came here, we Apples were about the biggest thing to come out of Ponyville.”

“Yeah,” said Applebloom, her chest (further) swelling with pride. “Why if it wasn’t for our relations, and Granny Smith here, there might be nothin’ where yer sittin’ right now.”

“Eeyup,” chimed in Big Mac.

“Wow,” said Coral, his eyes a bit in shock at what he had stumbled onto. “I had heard word of your farm from some of my relations. A cousin of mine came through here a few years ago, during your family’s Ciderfest. He said it was worth the 6-hour wait.”

“Well, if’n yah play yer cards right after we test yah out tomorrow, maybe you’ll get tah be right up front, and help us with this year’s doins,” said Applejack. “This will be one of Sweet Apple Acres’ biggest harvests, and we’re thinking of extending the festival by a few more days to compensate.”

“Yeah,” smiled Applebloom, as her red-orange eyes met Coral’s green ones. “Maybe we can keep yah in charge of watching out fer Rainbow Dash. Sis keeps saying she could drink enough cider til’ she-”

*POP*

It happened so quickly. One minute, the shiny black button Applebloom had fastening her plaid top was holding snugly. The next moment, it was sailing through the air, before hitting Coral on the nose, and plopping into his soup.

A second later, Applebloom had quickly run from the room.

“Applebloom?” AJ called after her sister. “Honey, it’s alright!”

The only response was thumping on the stairs, and the slamming of a door.

“Ah apologize, Coral,” said Applejack, as the young colt picked the black button out of his bowl. “My lil’ sis is usually a right friendly filly. It’s just, well…she’s, growin’ into her own.”

“I see,” said Coral, lookng at the place where she had once sat.

“Granny thinks it runs in the family. Word is her great-great-grandmother Applefizz got big early on and…a-heh, I’m sorry, ah really shouldn’t be talkin’ bout this. Not very polite dinner conversation.”

“No no, it’s fine,” said Coral. “You obviously care about your sister, and I completely understand. I’m sure Applebloom will, um, grow to accept her changes, just l-”

*KA-THUMP*

Suddenly, the table jolted slightly, causing the cups on it to spill a bit, and some of Coral’s soup to slop onto the table.

“Huh-whuh?” Murmured Granny, woken from her table-side nap.

“What in tarnation wuz that?” Asked Applejack. “Big Mac, yer trick knee actin-”

“It was me,” said Coral, a tinge of red spreading across his cheeks. “O-one of my legs has a tendency to get um…excited? I’m…i’m sorry.”

Coral swallowed hard as Applejack looked at him in a concerned way, before shocking him as she started laughing.

“A-ha-ha-ha! Aw come now Coral, the meal was getting borin’ anyways. Besides, we’ve let you ramble on so much, yer soup’s prob’ly gettin’ cold!”

After dinner, Coral insisted on helping clear the table, but the Apples claimed he was their guest, and requested that he relax in the living room.

After they had finished cleaning, Applejack and Big Mac sat down with Coral, and explained what they were looking for in a farmhand for Sweet Apple Acres.

AJ went over the bucking method for harvesting apples, along with her hopes that their helper could also do other chores on the farm.

Though he had never worked with apple trees on his family’s farm, Coral assured Applejack that he was a hard worker, and would give it his best effort the next day.

“That’s all we ask of you,” said Applejack, as the clock chimed 9 o’clock. “Well, I think you better hit the hay. It’s a little late to be headin’ into town to look fer lodgings, but we got a spare bedroom for when guests stay over. Ah’ll show it to yah.”

Leading him upstairs, Applejack led him past a door with a golden apple-shaped nameplate, reading “Applebloom” on it.

“She’s prob’ly asleep by now,” said Applejack. “Haven’t heard a peep out of her since downstairs.”

The guest room was simple, with a bed and a dresser, along with a mirror in the corner.

“This’ll work just fine,” said Coral, setting his briefcase on the dresser.

“We’ll wake ya up bright an’ early tomorrow mornin,” said Applejack. “Granny may not look like much, but she can still make a hearty family breakfast.”

After getting situated, Coral lay on the bed, his eyes taking in the purplish night haze out the window, and listening to the sounds of the farm animals nearby.

It was just like being back home, except for a few differences here and there.

As his eyes looked up at the ceiling, his hand reached into his pocket, and pulled out the shiny black button Applebloom had popped off her shirt.

Twirling the little disc in his fingers, he watched its irridescent surface catch some of the moonlight, streaming in through the window.

There must have been a lot of her behind this he thought, when suddenly, his attention was drawn towards the lower part of his overalls.

Slowly, a lump could be seen rising near his crotch, causing him to gulp loudly.

Coral quickly placed the button on the nearby dresser, and held his hands against the rising growth. He tried to concentrate, and soon relaxed, feeling the lump recede, and his overalls becoming as calm as a still sea.

That’s enough out of you, he thought. Well, for tonight, anyways.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

“Rise and shine, Coral Leaf!”

The sound of Applejack’s voice caused the young stallion to almost jump out of his skin, jolting him awake!

“Yer in for a treat this mornin: Granny’s makin’ her big apple-cinnamon rolls! Hurry and get cleaned up a’fore Big Mac eats em all.”

“Eeyup,” came a male voice on the other side of the door.

Coral smiled at the conversation. He hadn’t been at Sweet Apple Acres more than half a day, and he found himself enjoying the family’s camaraderie!

Grabbing up a toothbrush and a bar of soap from his suitcase, Coral made his way to the bathroom, only to hear the shower running. jiggling the handle, revealed that the door was locked.

“Almost dun in here,” came a young voice that made Coral freeze (and his overalls become a little tighter).

Oh no, he suddenly thought. I left her button on the dresser.

Quickly, he shuffled back to his room, putting it in a drawer. He wanted to make a good impression on the Apples. Who knows what they might think if they found him with Applebloom’s button?

Returning to the hallway, he was just in time to see the bathroom door open, and Applebloom emerge.

Her hair was wrapped in a pink towel, with strands of her fiery-red hair sticking out in places.

Her body was wrapped in two green towels. This was notable as she had one around her body, and another precariously wrapped around her very ample bosom!

“Um, mornin,” she said, seeing Coral.

“Um, mornin,” he replied, almost sounding like a parrot, repeating her greeting.

“Look um, you don’t need to worry about the soup,” said Coral, the words tumbling from his mouth.

“…the soup?” Asked Applebloom, water dripping from her towel as she scrunched up her face, before realizing what he was talking about. “Oh, that. Well, glad yah liked it. I, best be gettin’ ready fore the day.”

In a flurry of green, pink, and yellow, the filly flounced into her room and closed the door.

Coral’s shower was a cold one. As he worked to wash himself, his hands kept coming back to his penis, stroking its slick surface.

While other stallions his age were easily 4–6 inches in length, Coral had them beat at 9 inches…and that was just when he was flaccid! When properly ‘motivated,’ his stallionhood could become rock-hard, reaching a length of over 18 inches. Because of this ‘size issue,’ he was unable to find proper undergarments that fit. After the runaway growth during his teen years, Coral had just accepted that places didn’t exist where he could find proper clothing (notably that which would fit and hold his massive abundance of stallion meat).

It took him a little longer than usual to shower, but finally, Coral emerged bright and shiny in his overalls, and came downstairs.

The Apples were situated around the table, with Applebloom dressed in jean shorts, and a knotted green top.

“Whut took ya so long?” Asked Applejack. “Granny Smith was afraid you fell in the toilet.”

“Ah hold the family record,” the old mare said, proudly.

“Anyways, tuck in! Not very often Granny makes these!”

A few bites in, and Coral quickly became a fan of Granny Smith’s cooking. While there were apples in the farm areas around his home, the flavors that passed his tongue and disappeared down his throat, made him eagerly tuck into a second roll, and then a third!

“Well, he seems to be tuckin’ into my food as much as you do with mah fritters,” said Granny, smiling at Applejack.

“Heh, y-yeah,” said Applejack, blushing at the comment.

“Yeah,” said Applebloom, a sly smile on her face that seemed to cry ‘sibling secret-spilling’. “You wouldn’t know it Coral, but mah sis can pack away Apple fritters like the world was comin’ to an end.”

“Eh-heh, be quiet Applebloom,” said AJ, in a manner that was secretly code for, ‘shut up, little sister.’

“Well, if Granny does make apple fritters, I’d love to try one or two of them,” said Coral, as he polished off the third cinnamon roll.

15 minutes after breakfast, the Apples were leading Coral on a tour of the farm.

When he had first seen it at dusk, the lack of proper lighting largely hid what the morning light was showing him: a farm at least 15 times the size of his own family’s!

The rolling hills seemed to never end, as trees rose and fell among the swells of the bountiful Earth.

Of course, among the scenery, Coral’s eyes kept darting back to Applebloom’s own ‘rolling swells.’

Her top looked quite snug on her body, and each step made her abundance wobble like jell-o.

“So, ready to see if yuh have what it takes to be Apple material?” Asked Applejack.

“Whuh-huh?” Said Coral, breaking from his stupor.

“You feelin’ alright Coral? You seem a bit…distracted.”

“Nonono, I’m fine. So, what should we do first?”

Starting with daily chores for Coral, was a walk in the park. It was clear that tending to the animals, let alone bailing hay, were easy tasks for him.

Eventually, Applejack, Big Mac, and Applebloom took Coral out to one of the orchards, and showed him how to applebuck.

It was odd for Coral to see the family get down on all-fours, then rear-up one or two legs, and give a swift blow to a tree.

However, when he saw the shower of apples that resulted from the kicks, he became a quick believer in the Sweet Apple Acres methodology.

When it was his turn to give it a try, Coral wound up with both legs, and let loose. However, giving it 120% of his all, resulted in a string of pain registering from his heels to his head…and only a few apples falling from the tree.

“Um, well, it was good for a first try,” said Applejack, as Coral crumpled to the ground.

“Yeah,” said Applebloom, coming over and extending her hand, “maybe you should try it agin, but with jus’ one leg.”

Coral looked up at Applebloom’s face, haloed in the sunlight like an angel, and took her hand.

His heels felt like they were swelling as he got to his feet, and moved to another tree. Getting down on all-fours again, he readied his right leg, and kicked!

“Yuh don’t say,” came a voice out of the darkness.

“Eeyup,” came an even deeper one.

“Quiet, y’all,” ah think he’s stirrin."

Coral opened his eyes slowly, and found himself in the Apple’s living room, the family looking down at him.

“How yah feelin, Coral?” Asked Applebloom.

“Well I-AGH!” was his response, as he tried to move his right leg, only to feel a sharp pain shoot through it!

“Easy there,” said Applejack. “Yer gonna be a bit tender for a few days.”

“What…what happened?” Asked Coral, as AJ handed him a glass of water.

“Well, you wound up to give that tree a kick, and next thing we knew, you wuz howlin’ like Winona when she discovered that skunk’s den,” said Applejack. “Then, after thrashin like a bronco for a few seconds, yah just stopped movin.”

“Pain mustah made you pass out, dear,” said Granny Smith, as she brought a cloth filled with ice, and placed it on Coral’s right ankle.

“I’m sorry,” said Coral. “I know this looks bad, but in a few days, I can try again! Maybe, I just need to work into it gradually.”

“Well, um, about that Coral,” said Applejack, looking a little sheepish, “about you stayin’ on…I want to talk to you about that…in private.”

After a few minutes, only Coral and Applejack were in the living room, with the nearby clock’s ticking, the loudest sound of all.

“Now Coral,” said Applejack, “Ah know you’ve lived on a farm, and ah love the fact that you kin carry that on outside of yer family…however, Sweet Apple Acres is special, Coral, and…well, after today, ah thank we need somepony a bit…stronger.”

Coral could feel his heart drop into his stomach at those words.

“Please Applejack, this is nothing,” he said, trying to not let the throbbing in his leg make him wince. "This may look bad, but I know I can be of use to you, and your family.

“I’ll, I just haven’t applebucked before, you can understand that! I just need to practice, and, if I can do that, why I promise you, Big Mac, Granny Smith, and Applebloom, that I-”

“Coral,” said Applejack, interrupting his diatribe. “I thought long and hard about this while you were out. Ah’ve seen you try yer hardest, and ah know you ain’t a slouch…but ah just don’t think applebucking is in your future. Ah’m sorry.”

A few hours later, Coral headed up to his bedroom, his right foot aching a bit less. Applejack said she would allow him time to heal, before he would need to leave.

The next few days found Coral lying around, with a towel-full of ice placed on his foot. However, even though he was stuck healing in a bed, the family would still check on him occasionally.

Big Mac’s visits were usually pretty quiet, while Granny Smith would regale him for hours on end about distant relations, and the history of the farm.

Of course, Coral quickly grew to appreciate Applebloom’s visits (though he would try to quickly hide his ‘excitement’).

“Ah know mah sis says yer not proper applebuckin’ material, but ah don’t think she’s bein’ fair,” said Applebloom, bouncing into his room a few days after his accident.

“I know,” said Coral, trying to focus on her eyes. “But, she is your sister and the head of the farm. I mean, if there’s one thing my Mother taught me, is to respect what others have to say.”

“And that’s it? Yer just gonna walk away? What are ya, Coral Leaf? Are you a colt, or a stallion?”

Coral was rather surprised at this outburst from Applejack. Though he hadn’t spent a whole lot of time with her, he was surprised how matter-of-fact she could be about some things.

Must be taking after her big sister, he smiled, thoughtfully.

“And whut’s got you so happy?” Asked Applebloom, as Coral realized she could see his expression.

“N-nothing,” said Coral, the smile quickly fading away. “I-I’m a stallion, of course. And, why are you so quick to believe I just need to keep trying?”

“Becuz, ah know a thing or two bout tryin,” said AB. “In fact, me and mah friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, have been ‘tryin’ since we were fillies.”

“I don’t understand,” said Coral.

“Ah’ll show you what ah mean,” said Applebloom, looking a little nervous, “but, promise me yuh won’t tell Applebloom or even Big Mac whut I’m about to do.”

“Um, okay,” said Coral, feeling a bit nervous. “I promise.”

Quietly, Applebloom locked the door. A few moments later, Coral’s eyes widened as she began to take off her jean shorts.

“Wait-whuh, Applebloom, stop,” he said, growing nervous (the keyword being ‘growing!’). “Y-you don’t need to do that.”

“It’ll be quick, a promise,” she said, and with her shorts on the floor, she pulled down a corner of her pink panties, showing him her left flank.

The fact that she was standing in front of him, her shorts on the floor, revealing part of her golden-yellow fanny to him, was making Coral very uncomfortable. But what she was revealing to him, quickly made him realize what he was seeing.

“You, don’t have a cutie mark,” he said. “Yer this old, and…you don’t have one?”

“No,” said Applebloom, her eyes cast down on the floor, “and neither do mah friends. Matter of fact, that’s how we met: over findin’ out we were the same for not havin’ found our special talents.”

“And you’ve been looking for it since you’ve been a filly?” Asked Coral, trying not to stare.

“Yup,” replied AB, as she began putting her jeans back on. “Me and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders-”

“The who?”

“Oh, sorry, that’s what we call ourselves: The Cutie Mark Crusaders. Ah feel we’ve done near tried everthang to get our marks.”

“And you’re still trying?”

“That’s right, Coral. And ah think that’s whut you need to do: keep on tryin.”

“But you heard your sister,” said Coral, shifting slightly in his bed. “I blew my chance. And I’m healed enough, that I could leave tomorrow.”

“Well, you know what I think? I think we just need a little magical help in this case,” said Applebloom, looking out Coral’s window, towards the Everfree Forest. “Just so happens…ah know a Zebra.”

The next day after breakfast, the Apples saw Coral off.

“Once again, I’m sorry it didn’t work out, Coral,” said Applejack, “but ah wouldn’t worry. Ah reckon there’s plenty of farms across Equestria that’d be right proud to have somepony with your skills.”

“Eeyup,” chimed in Big Mac.

“That’s the truth,” said Granny Smith, giving Coral’s muscular forearm a squeeze. “Right fine specimen such as yerself, you’ll prob’ly fine some cute lil’ filly to settle down with soon enough.”

“Thank you, Granny,” said Coral. “Thank you all. I, I wish it could have worked out. Really, I do.”

“Well, we better get goin,” said Applebloom.

“W-we?” Asked Coral.

“Yeah! Applejack said ah could walk you to the train station. Now come on. We don’t wanna miss the train, would we?”

Coral smiled sheepishly, and picked up his suitcase, as the other Apples waved him off. 12 minutes walk from the farm, the untamed wilderness of the Everfree Forest rose up on one side of them.

“Alright, turn in here,” said Applebloom, as the path to Ponyville forked right, and an unkempt path forked left into Everfree.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Asked Coral. “It doesn’t look safe.”

“Aw don’t sweat it, Coral,” said Applebloom. “Ah’ve visited Zecora many times. It’s an easy journey to get to her place.”

“Well, it, just looks a little dangerous.”

“Aw, is big strong Coral Leaf scared of the big bad forest?” Said Applebloom, jokingly.

“N-no,” he stammered. “I’m just being, cautious.”

“Well, ah think yer scared,” said Applebloom, sounding more like a taunting little filly than a grown pony.

“No, I’m not,” said Coral, getting a bit agitated at her taunts.

“Well, after you then, Coral.”

Taking a deep breath, Coral walked down the left path, with Applebloom following behind.

“So what does this, Zebra do?”

The two had been wandering the path for awhile, with the foliage growing denser, and more wild, the further on they trotted.

“Her name is Zecora,” said Applebloom. “She’s from the far south, and she knows magic, but, not the regular kind.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, the magic my teacher Twilight knows, is pony magic. Zecora’s is, a little different. And she knows a lot about these woods. Like-whoa, watch it!”

Coral was almost pulled off his feet as Applebloom grabbed his arm, and jerked him aside.

“What was that for?”

“Yah almost stepped into a patch of Poison Joke!”

“What now?”

“Those blue plants,” said Applebloom, pointing to a patch of a few dozen sprouted right in the center of the path. “They’re called Poison Joke. Heh, mah big sis and her friends got into some when they first met Zecora.”

“Oh?” Asked Coral, as he noted a big smile crease Applebloom’s face. “Care to share?”

“Well,” said Applebloom, as they walked around the patch, and continued on their way. "Ah followed Zecora, since mah sis and her friends were scared over nothin.’ They’d heard she was some kinda wicked enchantress, and nopony would talk to her.

"Well, ah thought ah’d do just that, and followed her. Boy, AJ done told me off for runnin’ away like ah did.

“Course they all walked through a huge patch a Poison Joke, and the next day, they all had strange things happen. Twilight’s horn was soft as a slug, Pinkie Pie’s tongue swelled up so she couldn’t talk right, and AJ…she was the size of a mouse!”

“Yeah, right,” smiled Coral, trying to imagine the Apple family patriarch at that size.

“Ah swear on a stack of Granny’s apple pies, she was. And she still thought she could boss me around, too!”

“Sounds like you’ve had a pretty adventurous life here in Ponyville,” said Coral.

“I guess so,” said AB. “I’ve rarely traveled very far from here, and it always seems when things get borin, excitement seems to-”

*AWWHHHHHOOOOOOOOO*

The long howl caused both to stop in their tracks.

“Wh-what was that?” asked Coral, his eyes wide.

“I-it sounded like a, timber-wolf,” said AJ, her eyes darting around.

“W-what’s a timber-wolf?”

“It’s a creature, m-made from branches, and leaves, and, and…has green, glowin’ eyes.”

“I’ve never seen one before,” said Coral, scanning the path in front of him.

“Well, yer about to,” came Applebloom’s trembling voice.

“Why?”

“Th-thar’s one behind us.”

Coral turned his head, and saw the glowing green eyes of a timber-wolf, its stick-body moving with the deadly grace of a cat. There was more rustling, and as they watched, 3 more emerged from the brush along the path.

“Come on!” Said Coral, yanking on Applebloom’s arm, breaking into a gallop!

The timber-wolves acted on the sudden movement, and gave chase.

Coral had no idea where he was going, just running as fast as he could, and keeping one hand on Applebloom.

“C-Coral,” came Applebloom’s breathless voice, “y-yer runnin’ too fast, and, I’m bouncin’ everwhere!”

He turned to see that indeed, her breasts were flying in all directions, as her body attempted to keep up.

Suddenly, AB screamed, and her hand slipped from Coral’s!

Turning around, he saw that her foot had snagged a gnarled tree root, and she was down, coughing from the cloud of dirt that had poofed up when she fell.

The timber-wolves had slowed, and were advancing on her, preparing to pounce.

“CORAL!! HELP!!!”

Her cry caused Coral’s mind to snap into action. Seeing a large tree branch nearby, he grabbed it, and raising it above his head, charged into the space between AB and the wolves.

“STAY BACK!!” Came his voice, which he was certain the wolves wouldn’t understand, but he needed to hear.

One of the wolves took a flying leap at him, and with a smashing blow, the branch crashed into the creature’s body, shattering it into splinters!

A second wolf charged at Coral, and with another heavy blow, it too disintegrated.

That just left the one, who seemed to back away apprehensively.

“Want to end up like your friends?” Threatened Coral. “GET!!”

The wolf growled low, but then, slunk back through some bushes, and soon, the forest was still again.

Turning back to Applebloom, he saw her rubbing her left ankle, which looked red and swollen.

“Are you alright?” He asked keeping the branch close by for protection.

“Ah, ah’ll be fine,” said Applebloom, looking at her ankle, before looking at Coral with a look of shock.

“Y-you just knocked apart two timber-wolves, with a stick.”

“Well, yeah,” said Coral. “They were going to eat you.”

“Y-you just knocked apart two timber-wolves, with a stick.”

“Yeah, you just said th-”

Before he could finish, Applebloom had embraced the shocked lad. He tried his best to ignore how big and soft her breasts were against his chest, and hoped that his stallionhood wouldn’t burst out of his overalls.

“Coral, do you know whut this means?”

“Um, no.”

“Well, ah think you can help out the Apples after all.”

“It’s almost 2 o’clock, Granny. Where could that silly little filly be?”

Applejack had expected her sister to be back about 30 minutes after she and Coral had set off for the Ponyville Depot.

“Aw, maybe she ran into her friends,” said Granny, rocking slowly in her chair. “You know how gabby those girls’ gums can git when they’re together.”

“Yeah, ah know,” said AJ, looking up the path to town. “But what could they be talking about for several ho-oh my Celestia!”

Coming up the path, was Coral Leaf, with Applejack piggybacking on his back. The two had leaves and twigs in their hair, and it was clear to see dirt and mud caked on their clothing. A piece of Applebloom’s shirt had been torn off, and fashioned into a wrap around her swollen ankle.

As dusk settled in, both Coral and Applebloom were cleaned up, and Applejack had properly wrapped her sister’s ankle.

Naturally, AJ wanted the whole truth about what had happened. Though Applebloom started out saying they had taken a wrong turn, Coral quickly spilled the beans on what had really happened.

“Ah can’t believe you would do somethin so foolish,” said Applejack to her little sister. “Ah gave you explicit instructions, and you almost got Coral killed.”

“But Applejack, you shoulda seen him,” said Applebloom, a look of excitement on her face. “He done picked up a heavy branch, and knocked apart two timber-wolves!”

“So?”

“Applejack, you know Timber-wolves ain’t pushovers. It takes a lot of power to make em fall apart. Ah think when it comes to Applebucking, Coral has that power, but just not in the way we Apples are used to.”

“Whut are you gettin’ at, young lady?” Asked AJ.

“I’m proposing we give Coral a second chance.”

“Applebloom, he done bucked twice the other day. That’s two chances right-”

“Alright alright alright, a third chance! Now, let him rest up, and tomorrow morning, let’s let him take another whack at those trees.”

“Oh…alright,” said Applejack, looking at Coral. “Seeing as how you saved my sister, I guess you’ve earned another try.”

That evening, as he was preparing to go to sleep, there was a soft tap on Coral’s door.

“You awake Coral? It’s me…Applebloom.”

Coral tried to ignore the tingling in his lower extremities, as he made his way to the door, and opened it a crack.

“Hi.”

“Howdy…may I come in for a bit?”

“Sure, but you’re sure Applejack won’t mind?”

“No. Ah passed by her room, and she’s snoring loud n’ plenty.”

Coral watched as Applebloom entered, clad in pink pajamas, with little apples patterned across the top and bottom.

“Guess you folks sure do like your apples.”

“My friend Sweetie Belle’s sister Rarity made em for me.”

“It’s cute. Gives you a real down-home look.”

She smiled coyly, and slowly walked toward him.

“Are you tryin’ ta be smart with me, Coral Leaf?”

“Um, uh, no,” he said as she got closer, her breasts gaining more ground by the centimeter, as the gap closed between them.

“Are you shore? You look like yer startin’ to sweat more than a pig in a mud puddle.”

“P-p-pigs don’t sweat,” said Coral, as he felt her chest squish against his. “They, don’t have sweat glands.”

“Oh, really?” She cooed, her face moving towards his.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s the honest-to-Celestia truth,” he said, closing his eyes.

*Smack*

Suddenly, he felt a soft pressure on his right cheek, and slowly, the weight of Applebloom’s chest receded. Opening his eyes, he saw her standing quietly in front of him, her arms behind her back.

“That was to thank you, fer savin’ me this afternoon.”

Coral was finding himself having trouble breathing, and comprehending what had just happened.

“What’s wrong? Yuh swallow yer tongue or somethin?”

“N-n-no,” said Coral, finding his voice. “It’s just, well…if I tell, you promise not to tell anyone else?”

“Cross may heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. If mah lips may move to soon, may AJ send me to the moon.”

“Uh, what was that?”

“It means, ah won’t tell.”

“Ok. It’s just that…that’s the first time I’ve been kissed by a girl.”

“Really?” Asked Applebloom. “Wut about yer Mother?”

“Mothers don’t count,” he replied, a joking smile on his face.

“Ah guess not, but ah wanted to give you a nice reward for bein’ so brave. I thought about maybe havin’ Granny make you a pie, but ah figure soon enough you’ll be stuffed full of our family’s fixins.”

“If I make a good impression this time.”

“You’ll do fine,” said AB, crossing to the door, wit Coral close behind her. “Ah better git to bed, so we can see what you can do tomorrow. Oh, and Coral?”

“Yes?”

*Smack*

“For luck.”

The last thing Coral remembered, was rubbing his left cheek, as Applebloom smiled, closing the door behind her.

“Well, let’s get this over with.”

Applejack had assumed her more serious demeanor, as she, Big Mac, Applebloom, and Coral, made their way out into the south orchard.

“Wish we would have cleaned up a bit after the last rain,” said Applejack. “Look at all these loose branches.”

“Yeah,” said Applebloom, in a slightly mock-tone, “so ma-ny bran-ches. Co-ral, do you see a-ny, big ones?”

“Yeah, there’s quite a few,” he replied.

“Any that you think might make fer, a good swingin’ stick?”

Coral looked around, his feet making crunching sounds on the wood, before he found a rather sturdy branch, maybe 2 ft long, and about 9 inches in diameter.

A little bigger than mine, he thought to himself.

“Wow, that sure looks nice,” said Applebloom. “Coral, why don’t you shake off some of the branches? Try knocking them loose, on that tree over there.”

Coral obeyed Applebloom, and went to the nearest tree. Taking a big swing, he slammed it against the trunk. The tree seemed to shake and vibrate, before suddenly, a small storm of apples rained down on the ground.

A few had hit him on the head, but he was still standing.

“You feel alright?” Asked Applebloom, coming over to Coral.

“Yeah, I feel fine,” he said, flexing his arms.

“Yuh don’t hurt nowhere?”

“Just my head from a few apples.”

“And yer feet aren’t achin?”

“Nope.”

Applebloom turned to her sister and Brother, grinning from ear-to-ear.

“Family, ah think we’ve found our new farm hand.”

A few more apple tree tests that morning, and Coral’s strength was confirmed. While he may not have had the lower-body strength of an Apple, his upper-body strength more than made up for it.

By that afternoon, he and the Apples had begun their harvest, and by that evening, the dinner table was a scene of much talk and happiness.

At one point, Applejack raised her glass, and the others took notice.

“Apples,” she beamed happily, "Today, we began harvesting the largest crop of apples in our family’s history. And, we have now welcomed a new stallion into our lives: Coral Leaf.

"Coral, when ah first met you, ah didn’t know what to expect…and I should have kept my expectations more open.

"While we here on Sweet Apple Acres do things a certain way, Applebloom reminded me that sometimes, they can still be achieved in other ways.

“To you Coral Leaf, our new farmhand, and friend to the Apple Family.”

Later on that evening, there was another light knock at Coral’s door. Opening it, he found Applebloom, her chest squished against the door.

“Got time for a quickie before bed?”

“A-a what?”

“Just a little talk.”

After letting her in, Coral was surprised when he found himself being embraced hard, by Applebloom.

“Congratluations,” she said. “Ah told you ma sister would come around.”

“Yeah, you sure did,” said Coral. “Though your acting skills could use a little work.”

Applebloom responded with a glum look, and flicked his muzzle.

“Well, ah’m still learnin, Coral Leaf,” she said, matter-of-factly. “And so are you. Given yer manners and all, I take it things were pretty quiet back where you came from.”

“Yeah,” said Coral. “It was.”

“Well, you’re in Ponyville now,” said AB. “And by the sounds of Applejack at dinner, yer gonna be here for awhile. And if ah know my hometown, it’ll change you like it’s changed so many other ponies.”

“I wonder how it’ll change me,” Coral wondered aloud.

You’ll just have to wait and see,“ said Applebloom. ”Well, ah better git to bed. Good night, Coral Leaf."

“Good night, Applebloom,” said Coral, before being shocked as she gave him another hug, her twin globes once again pressing between them.

After she had gone, Coral lay in bed, imagining Applebloom in the room next door, sleeping on her back, as her covers rose up over her enhanced body.

Ponyville changes you, he wondered to himself. I wonder how it’ll change me?

As he drifted off to sleep, a thick bulge began to form around his crotch.

Author's Notes:

And there it is: the first ever FimFiction or fanfiction in any form I've published anywhere.

I welcome any comments/critiques in regards to the story, and hope to have the next chapter up soon.

I will admit that I was surprised when the first draft clocked in at 7,500 words, and revisions didn't put much of a dent in it. It has set an unwritten word-count precedent for several of the other chapters I've worked on, and will be working on.

I'm also sure some looked at the tags on this, and are wondering, "where's 'the good stuff?" Well, I'm one of those people that doesn't like to just blow everything right at the start. Stick around for the ride, and all will be revealed (hint hint, wink wink).

The main purpose is to tell an engaging romance story, so that you believe the characters, and what they are going through. Making people actually care about the characters, is something I am a real stickler about (I did a 56-page comic on DeviantArt, and it was structured in the same way: story first, fetishes second).

Once again, thanks to Coral Leaf, whose commissioned art inspired the gears in my head to start turning on this story, as well as allowing me to use his O.C. for the story.