“Hey, Applejack?”

While the earth pony’s blond mane is never completely unkempt - unlike Rainbow Dash, who wears a windswept mane as a banner of pride, or Fluttershy, who removes her extensions rather than undo the tangles that inevitably result when she’s on her back - Applejack has to blow more than a bit of stray hair out of her face to fully regard her stallion.

“Yeah?” she asks between mouthfuls of thick, buttery pancakes.

“I was wondering.” Doug sweeps the last bit of syrup off his plate with his remaining morsel, pausing as though merely voicing the question might get him in trouble. He takes the bite and chews while looking out the kitchen window. Applejack doesn’t care at all for the delay. “If you wanted to go on a run with me.”

“Doug.” Applejack huffs as long lists of chores to do and repairs to complete and apples that need harvesting and sorting and pressing and crating flit through her mind. “Ya know how busy we are ‘round the farm. Ah can’t just-”

“Yeah,” Doug interrupts, drawing a hard frown from his lead mare. She doesn’t care at all for his disappointed tone. “I get it.” He gets up and sweeps the dishes into a teetering stack while offering her a faint, apologetic smile. “It’s okay.”

Applejack inwardly kicks herself. “Hey,” she soothes, sidling next to her stallion. She knows he appreciates the contact, he always does, and she’s thankful to get one hand rubbing at her ears while the other places the dishes next to the sink. “It ain’t that Ah don’t want to.” She bounces on her hind legs, muscular flanks bobbing up and down, and loves how she can still draw his attention to her assets after all these years. She wets her lips, ignoring the protest from the sore other pair. “Besides, didn’t ya exhaust me enough already?”

Her display doesn’t have quite the intended effect when her leg seizes up on her, sending her sprawling to the floor. Doug rushes to her side; his hand traces along her belly, an unasked question plain on his face. “Ah’m fine,” Applejack reassures, though she’s mad at herself and has trouble containing it. “She’s fine, Ah’m fine, Ah just slipped.”

“No, no, you’re right,” Doug agrees, helping her up. At first, Applejack is grateful for the help, but then he jests, “Maybe it’s best you get your rest. You look like you need it.”

“Partner,” Applejack spits out, scowling. “If there’s one thing ya could’a said that’d get me ‘ta run with ya, then…” She huffs as she notices his smirk. “Consarn it, that was your plan all along, weren’t it?”

“I learned from the best,” Doug replies chipperly, drawing a raised eyebrow from Applejack. “No, not you. Chrysalis.”

“Ah. Should’a figured.” She returns to the table where one long lick slides the rest of her pancakes into her waiting maw, though she bets the changeling can fit a lot more in at once. Even so, she likes how Doug holds his breath while watching her closely; knowing him, he’s wishin’ he was that pancake. He clears her plate, and she meets him at the door. She winks, asking, “Used her office yet?”

“...It’s pretty spacious,” Doug admits as they start, keeping to a medium jog.

His conflicted tone surprises her. She knows he loves all their foals, and the changeling nymphs are no different, right? She has nothing but praise for Ocellus, the wary changeling often helping out around the farm but preferring to stay behind the scenes. Even Pharynx, with his acerbic and pugilistic attitude, has been... tolerable. Or maybe she finds him distasteful because of his Abattoir, and the idea of harvesting cows and sheep and chickens as casually as she harvests apples doesn’t quite sit right with her. Still, she trusts him, and somecreature’s gotta do it.

She lets Doug lead, and he chooses the well-worn path to the outer perimeter of the farm. It’s been quite some time since she’s taken this route. Too much work on her plate, and he runs it most mornings so she doesn’t need to check the fences or anything. She finds herself missing the experience, and reminiscing about all the little detours she would take to make sure that the repairs were still good. She goes to peel off once, then again, but both times he just keeps plodding along, a glance to make sure she’s still okay.

And she is, his pace isn’t terribly grueling, not like the one she’ll set when she’s aiming to win the Running of the Leaves instead of sticking by his side, not that she’s raced like that in years. Seems near every year she’s either just weaned a foal or carrying another. And she wouldn’t trade that for all the apples in Equestria. ‘Course, that might be because they’re trying to fill Equestria with Apples, at the rate they’re going.

It’s only once they’re well away from the farm and any prying ears - well, any that can be helped - that she opens up about the other topic that’s been bothering her.

“...Hey, Doug?”

His attention immediately goes from the twisting and gnarled wood to their south to her. “Yeah?”

“Ah’ve been meanin’ to ask.” She’s not sure why the topic is so tough for her to bring up, but maybe it’s because she’s afraid he won’t agree with her. “Have ya thought ‘bout havin’, ya know, the talk with Bo’?”

“Pomarbo?” Doug repeats, confused for a moment. He considers as they plod along, his pace slowing. “I mean, not really. He doesn’t have his cutie mark yet.”

“Ah get that,” Applejack continues, her case lining up in her mind like so many apple trees that need bucking. By his reluctant tone she can tell she is going to need it. “But Ah’m worried ‘bout him. Ah know ya’ve told me it’s natural for a colt his age to be doin’ what he’s doin’, an’ that ya went through a similar phase in your life.”

“Some might say I’ve never left that phase,” Doug jests, scratching from her withers down to her flanks.

Applejack rolls her eyes. “Yeah, an’ ya told me how much ya enjoy it. But it’s cuttin’ into his sleep. Ya know all those books Twi got from the Crystal Empire?”

“Sure,” Doug answers, curious at the seeming non-sequitur.

“Well, she told me he came by one day, curious an’ askin’ if she knew much ‘bout it. ‘Course she does, it’s Twilight, she knows the mechanics inside out and backwards. But he didn’t want a tutor, thank Celestia, just to look around. Says she even let him browse through the ‘restricted’ section, an’ Ah’d bet bits to bagels she made a few recommendations.” Applejack huffs. “An’ now he’s stayin’ up late readin’ from ‘em. He’s even made a few drawings, crude like ya’d expect. Ah thought ‘bout takin’ his fireflies away, but it ain’t like they’re hard to catch, and Celestia knows he might make a light of his own.”

“That sounds like a fun project,” Doug chips in, smirking.

Applejack’s glare is far less theatrical. She knows her stallion likes poking fun, and doesn’t normally begrudge how her serious nature gives him a straight-mare to play against. “He don’t need encouragement. Not there, not when they’re so many other things, better things, he could be doin’.”

“On the contrary.” Applejack finds it frustrating when Doug contradicts her, but they both have Pomarbo’s best interests at heart, and that makes it tolerable. “If he finds it interesting, I say let him pursue it. Maybe it’s just a phase, or maybe it’s something he’ll end up doing for the rest of his life. I mean, have you thought about what will happen if he gets a cutie mark there?”

“Doug,” Applejack spits out, “Ah’ve spent far too much time dreadin’ if’n that happens. But Ah can’t just go an’ forbid him from doin’ it, or he’ll just do it even more! An’ Ah’d rather he be doin’ it in the barns or his room than, heavens forbid, the Golden Oak’s basement. Or whatever room Twi’s built to replace that.”

“Applejack,” Doug cautions, to no avail.

“At least Miss Tiara’s got a decent head on her shoulders,” Applejack continues, bulldozing over Doug with a whole wagonload of repressed worries and fears. “Ah’ve come across ‘em in that barn, you know the one. She just watches while he’s workin’ away at it. Ah don’t think she finds it as interesting as he does, most fillies don’t, but she ain’t gonna stop him if it’s somethin’ he likes doin’.”

“As you shouldn’t,” Doug says, drawing another huff from Applejack. “And I don’t think trying to distract him away from tinkering with the Super Speedy by giving him ‘the talk’ is going to work, either. If he’s not interested, he’s not interested, and pushing him isn’t going to help matters.”

“Well, Ah thought ‘bout encouragin’ Miss Tiara to raise her tail for him.” Applejack winces as Doug tweaks her ear. “Yeah, yeah, Ah know. That ain’t likely to work. Ah’d need ta be all subtle-like about it, an’ that’s a subject that batters at the barn doors like an Everfree storm. Like ya said, he ain’t interested, an’ she’s clever enough to have thought of it herself.”

“That’s…” Doug sighs to himself. “That explains so much.”

“Tiara’ll make a great lead mare, too,” Applejack continues, as though Doug didn’t say anything. “She’s good at getting others in line or on board. An’ since it’s your colt, Ah bet there’ll be quite the number to get in line.” She winks at Doug.

It’s his turn to roll his eyes. “Would you be this unhappy if he was into, say, pears instead of appliances?”

“Pears?” Applejack laughs at the absurdity. “Doug, Ah wouldn’t have to; Granny Smith’d run him off the farm ‘fore Ah got a chance to.” She quiets down a little. “But, honestly?” She looks from side to side, forlorn. “Part’a me thinks pears would grow pretty well on this land. An’ if that’s what it takes? Ah want one of mah foals to work on the farm. With Apple Bloom off helpin’ ponies, and Applebaum goin’ to all corners of Equestria... “ Her head bows down. “Ah know it’s selfish, wantin’ your foals to follow in your hoofsteps.”

“No, I get it.” Doug scratches at her ear, her fears and worries falling off that wagon like so many sacks of seed. “What better way to prove your work is worthwhile than to have somepony decide that’s what they want to pursue, too?”

“Eeyup.” Applejack snuggles up as close as she can without physically tossing him on her back and letting him ride her.

“And,” Doug continues, “if he does get a cutie mark working with machines like the Cider Squeezy, or building his own designs? Like, a factory to make applesauce. That’d keep him on the farm! Or at least close to it, if he traveled around Equestria to the various Apple farms and helped construct or maintain their own versions.”

A wave of pleasure bowls Applejack over, sending her reeling and stumbling into Doug. The two halt as Doug worriedly kneels to inspect her glazed-over eyes. His mouth contorts to a frown, though a quick glance to her sides draws a confused gasp. “Your cutie mark…”

He doesn’t resist, not that he would, not when Applejack plants her hoof square on his chest and presses him to the ground. Her lips find his, wet and primal, a frenzied barrage of kisses that beg and demand to be something more. Her tail tickles down his belly, up his legs, thrashing around and everywhere and why why why aren’t you there already?!

After a moment of confusion he rises to the occasion, as he always does, but one quick roll in the grass ain’t enough to satisfy the urge that’s overtaken her. She rolls to her back, inviting him to his favorite position, her belly jiggling in a way he adores.

It’s amazing, her cutie mark ablaze, and she’s sure that if she wasn’t already pregnant she soon would be. Those are the only other times she’s felt this good, this complete, this full of energy and life and love.

“Well, if you’re trying to sway me with sex,” Doug quips, riffling his fingers through her tangled mane as they stare into each other’s eyes. “What brought that along? Not that I’m complaining!” He ends with a quick peck to the tip of her nose.

“Partner?” Applejack giggles at the ticklish kiss. “Truth be told, Ah’m not entirely sure.” She glances at her cutie mark, still pulsing the same way Luna’s and Cadance’s had. The euphoric feeling slowly fades, and she knows she wants more of it. “Guess we better head to Twilight’s to find out, right?”

“Race you there!” Doug laughs as he pushes her down to get a better head start, not that it matters when she flips to her hooves and barrels after him.

Next Chapter: Ch. 109 - Might in All Forms, Part Two Estimated time remaining: 14 Hours, 46 Minutes