Grabbing the apples on the tray, the country mare inspected the fruits intently which grew a smirk on the Wonderbolt's face. Although it was not the most romantic scene he had in mind, Soarin enjoyed his time with the orange pony. Not use to seeing her as dolled up as she was in the Grand Galloping Gala a few years ago, he appreciated her wholesome look. Her hat tipped slightly which had her push it back up. Soarin soon found himself face to face with two apples that she held out.

"Bruises," she announced, shaking her head, "Bruises all over these apples. What're they doin' with 'em? Playin' baseball and usin' them as balls?" Applejack looked down timidly and set her food down on the table. "My 'pologies. It's the inner farmer in me."

"No worries," Soarin assured, "Cafeteria food is never that good anyway."

"Gosh, Ah hope Rainbow's gonna be fine," Applejack said. The blue Pegasus had gone into labor with her first foal a few hours earlier. Although she tried to not show it in front of her friend, Applejack's nerves were getting to the best of her. For the past ten minutes, she wrung her hat and shifted her eyes around whenever silence came between them.

"I'm sure she will be. You must be excited."

"Yeah, Ah reckon Ah am." Pausing, she placed her hat back onto her hat and straightened out the edges. "Very excited, actually."

"Yeah, this is a big thing!" he enthusiastically concurred, "You're gonna be a…uh, an aunt?"

"Well, Braeburn's the father and he's my blood. Since he's my cousin, Ah think that would make it the second cousin. Ah think." She took a moment to calculate, tapping her hoof on the table occasionally. "Oh forget it. That foal's family and that's good enough fer me!" Another quiet moment occurred which made Applejack squirm in her seat. "Y'know, Ah gotta be honest. Ah'm not sure how to talk to a Wonderbolt such as yerself." Soarin gave a modest shrug.

"Don't think of me as that," he instructed, taking a sip of water, "Think of me as a…colt. A colt that happens to fly really really fast." Unexpectedly, an unfamiliar girlish giggle escaped Applejack's lips. Feeling a hoof on his shoulder, Soarin glanced up to see that it was Spitfire.

"Sorry for interrupting you two, but that was our publicist calling," she notified, "She wants up back at the headquarters for an interview."

"Oh, OK," he muttered, starting to get up and throw away his trash. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer Applejack. Maybe we'll see each other again?"

"Sure thing, stop by the Sweet Apple Acres anytime!" She examined the two athletes saunter off together. Starting to look down to finish her soup, something caught her eye. By the door opening, Spitfire gave him a playful shove and made kissing noises as they glimpsed back at the mare's direction.

…………………………….

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him in the distance. Soarin chatted with her grandmother by the porch and they seemed to be getting along fine. What they were talking about, she wondered, filled her brain. If only she had supersonic hearing she cursed. Bucking the apple tree, she viewed all the apples dropping from above her into the baskets. While she placed the stranded ones into the rest of the piles of apples, she saw her cousin approach her. He leaned against the tree and tipped his head towards the house as he raised his eyebrows. Applejack decided to ignore her younger family member's behavior.

"What's up with that guy?" Braeburn asked with a smirk, "He's been here every day for a week now."

"He's one of RD's teammates. Ah've known him fer a while now," she explained, wiping her forehead, "Ah've invited him over here at the farm for a small picnic during lunch last week and, Ah dunno, Ah guess it's become a tradition now." With the mixture of her slight embarrassment and Braeburn's comical expression on his face, Applejack fought hard to hold back her snickers. Somehow she prevailed and she looked down quickly to continue her work.

"Lookachu, AJ," Braeburn finally commented as he strolled away, "All the stallions are after ya. Ah'll be in the barn."

"Hey," Soarin greeted, holding up a carrier, "I brought some salad. I learned how to make it from my chef so I think you'll really like it."

"Got here just in time," Applejack noted, spreading out the blanket that she got out of a tree trunk, "Ah'm starvin'." Soarin could not help but notice the progression he has made with Applejack. Her laugh was infectious and he saw her showing a new, even friendlier side that he did not even know was possible for any pony to have. He had always felt comfortable around her and he had no more doubts that she felt warm with him as well.

"Ah'd love to just watch the sunrise one morning without that little voice in my head tellin' me to get to work," she admitted as she rested her body on the grass.

"Applejack, why don't you take a break?" he questioned as he bit into an apple.

"We've been over this, Ah can't. There's too much to do 'round here."

"But everypony has a short vacation once in a while. And you're the hardest working pony I know! You definitely deserve a breather."

"Ah'm fine," she declared, waving her arm.

"I still say that I should take you out on the night of the town. Just the two of us for one evening."

"Soarin, ya made me that offer yesterday." She pushed herself up to glimpse into his emerald orbs. "It's not that I don't wanna take it or that it doesn't sound fun. But Ah don't know how that'll fit into my schedule."

"What if I were to tell you that I have your family's best wishes?" Applejack asked was he meant. "I talked to your grandma before I met up with you and she says it's a lovely idea. The rest of them seemed to agree. So what d'ya say?" Applejack stared at him for a moment.

"Ah suppose everypony needs some relaxin' time," Applejack eventually answered, "Sounds like a plan to me."

……………………………

Next evening, after saying her farewells to her relatives, Applejack soon found herself in front of Soarin who held the door open for her on his cart. Even the wagon she took with her friends to the Grand Galloping Gala had no comparison to the colt's vehicle. Coated in a dark, navy blue shade, the rims and bumpers shined a gold luminosity. Normally, Applejack would not favor encrusted jewels onto a wagon since she figured it was tasteless. But the cart used the jewels sparingly, only a small replica of Soarin's cutie mark on both sides of the lower rear doors, which enchanted the wagon's sleek appearance. The cowfilly let out an impressive whistle.

"Quite a ride ya got," she remarked, helping herself into the back seat.

"Thanks," he meekly responded.

"Interior's nice too," she added, rubbing her hooves across the seats, "So, where are we headin'?"

"It's a surprise," he replied with a sly smile. Applejack lightheartedly rolled her eyes. They stroke up small talk as their bodies swayed with the wagon. Then, she saw small colored spots on his face that shook around. Figuring they were reflections from the window, the mare scooted up to the glass behind and dropped her mouth in astonishment. Lights were everywhere and they engrossed her luminous orbs. Lowering her sight from the top of the enormous buildings ahead of her, she observed the bustling ponies and brilliant signs. There were groups of acquaintances that let out rowdy shrieks and boisterous guffaws as street performers entertained the masses.

"Are we in Lost Wages?" she probed excitedly after seeing the welcome sign. Soarin gave a small nod and chuckled when Applejack gave him a gentle punch in the arm. "When ya say you're goin' all out, ya mean it don't ya?"

"I figured this is your night to live it up," he stated as the cart halted. Waiting for his driver to open the door, he moved closer to her as the noise barged in. "I hope this is alright with you…"

"Ah certainly wasn't expectin' this but Ah can't complain," she assured, letting herself out. It was humid but Applejack grew to love the warm weather against her fur. Caught up with the atmosphere, she felt a tap on her shoulder which made her jump a little.

"I've made dinner reservations," he informed with a wink, "I think you might like this place." Keeping his head down, he placed on his glasses and escorted the country filly to the back entrance.

"Ah'm surprised those tourists didn't recognize ya back there," Applejack noticed, "Course, we did park in the back and didn't have to walk that far." Ever since Rainbow Dash became a Wonderbolt, along with meeting other famous ponies in the past, Applejack knew the precautions major celebrity ponies had to take in avoid ecstatic fans. Especially sports stars.

"Most ponies can't recognize me without my sports unicorn on and my hair down," he testified, letting Applejack go ahead of him as he opened the door. "Or in this case, they'd just think I'm an impersonator." They were welcomed by a well-dressed pony in a suit. Applejack could not hear the words he mustered for the music was too loud.

"The menus are on the side of your table over there," the waiter clarified as the couple sat down in their isolated area up stairs, "I will be right back with your waters. I'll give you two a little time to look over what you'll have for dinner."

"Thanks, it was my pa's," Applejack yelled out, grabbing her hat. She furrowed her eyebrows as the waiter walked away in the middle of her sentence. "Guess he didn't hear me."

"Are you OK?" Soarin questioned, watching the orange pony rearranging her hat.

"What?" she shrieked back as the bass of the song got louder.

"I said are you OK?"

"Oh yeah! This place is somethin'!" The florescent lights that surrounded them changed colors continually. Currently Soarin's coat looked purple to her.

"I've been here before; the VIP area is great isn't it?"

"What? Ah can't hear ya!"

"I said-" He cut himself off and gave an irritated groan. He leaned closer to her and spoke in her ear. "Kinda noisy in here, isn't it?" She gave a sympathetic smile and nodded.

"It's a lil' hectic, too," she noted, seeing a pony swallow staffs of fire on one of the tables ahead of them.

"Maybe we can save this for another time. Wanna get outta here?"

"That's fine by me." Leaving the building, Soarin hoped that Applejack did not see how red his cheeks were.

"S-sorry about that," he apologized, "I thought at the time taking you to this place was a good idea. It thought it would be more entertaining than deafening and distracting."

"Nothin' to apologize for, sugarcube," she consoled, "Yer heart was in the right place."

"If you want-and only if you really want to- I can treat you to a restaurant of your choice."

"I'd like that," she agreed to, "Ah really want to spend more time with ya." Searching the streets, Applejack tugged on Soarin's arm and pointed to a building in the distance. "That place looks good." He directed his attention to the structure and smiled.

"'Aunt Susie's Eatery and Tavern'," he read out loud, "Should've known."

………………………………....................

"So what made ya want to join the Wonderbolts, anyhow?" Stuffing the salad lettuce into her mouth, she reclined back in the booth and gave a satisfied 'mmm'.

"Enjoying your salad?" She gave a hearty hum in confirmation as she humorously rubbed her belly. "Wow, and that was just the first bite!" He then looked upward to answer her question. "I know that this will sound cheesy, but I joined because flying is my passion. Whenever I fly, I'm in a new world. It's a reality that I love being in. I know that some ponies joined just to have the fame and money but as hard as this is to believe, that stuff is secondary to me."

"What about our ride over here?" she teased, referring to his well-polished wagon.

"That's the company's. They insisted on me bringing it just in case there's a publicity opportunity with photo-ops." He rolled his eyes and made a gun-shot sound as he took a fork and placed it on his temple. "I'm not really into the flashy-flashy stuff. I'm always afraid I may ruin it. In fact, I may've gotten a scratch on it from just talking about it."

"Gotta keep up with yer image," Applejack proclaimed with a grin.

"I guess. It's just not me at all. I'm more careless. That's why I can dig you; you don't seem to be stuck in a material world." Applejack's eyes lit up and she shyly continued her meal. "You're different, AJ."

"Ah hope y'all are enjoyin' yer meals," a pudgy mare boomed as she approached their table.

"Yes, we like them very much," Soarin confirmed, motioning to his empty plate.

"Ah swear, Ah've never seen a pony eat so fast in my life," Applejack cut in, "And Ah thought my friend Pinkie Pie was the fastest eater in Equestria."

"Are y'all interested in desserts or beverages?"

"Well, maybe we can hold off on the desserts since my dinner guest is still enjoying her entrée." Applejack gave a quick eyebrow flash and beamed.

"A beverage sounds nice," Applejack piped in, "After all, your cider was pretty tasty. What d'ya have again?" The server handed them two small menus.

"Why not live a little?" Soarin finally decided, "I'll have the Wild Western Extreme drink. Extra dry."

"I'll have the same."

"A-are you sure?" Soarin probed as his eyes grew large, "I mean, it looks pretty big in the picture."

"Are ya sayin' I can't hold my alcohol?" she joked, setting the menu aside. Soarin accepted her silent challenge and placed his menu on to of hers.

"We'll take two of those please."

…………………………….

"Ah never, and Ah mean nevah, wear a…a, uh, saddle," Applejack stammered as she pushed her glass away. "A-Ah feel like Ah should at times, but what's the point? Ah m-mean, sure Twilight's little friend Spiiiiike likes tah ride me sometimes. Ah'm one m-mean, kicker. H-he never stays on."

"Who's S-Spike?" Soarin murmured, wiping his perspiring face.

"Oh forget it, stallions never listen tah what mares are a-tryin' tah say." Applejack brought a shot glass up to her eye to look through it. "It's empty!" she exclaimed, smacking down on the table, "Shots!"

"B-boy, they serve f-fast here, don't they?" Soarin remarked after the bartender slapped down two more shot glasses in front of them.

"Alright, back tah our g-game. Ah dare ya tah…try this here brussel sprouts Ah didn't finish on mah salad."

"I h-hate those things. T-they remind me of droppings." Quickly, the colt placed the vegetables into his mouth and grimaced as he chewed.

"Ah can't b…believe-" Applejack let out a guffaw and threw her head back.

"Uh-uh-uh," Soarin interjected, pushing the shot glass towards her. "I did the dare. Now you d-do the deed." Taking a huge swig, the blonde smacked the cup down and banged on her thighs.

"Wow-za!" she yelped, motioning over for more shots.

"OK, OK, I got a good one. I dare y-you to…kiss me."

"Eww, what if ya got c-cooties or somethin'?"

"N-not even a peck on the cheek?"

"Fine, there's no way I'm gonna be more t-tipsy than you."

"I think w-we're both past the tipsy stage," he retorted, feeling her tug him closer to her. Their lips pressed awkwardly and she began to pull away. Staring into each other's eyes, their goofy demeanor vanished momentarily as she took a deep breath. Tenderly, he planted him lips onto hers as she wrapped her arm around him neck. Her hat fell off her head and brushed against her shoulder, causing her to retract.

"There, Ah did yer dare," she announced with a mischievous grin, "Now drink up."

"That was the best dare yet," he kidded.

"Yeah, well, don't expect too much of that," she warned as she watched him drink the alcohol, "A-Ah'm a traditional gal. Ah don't give away myself j-just willy-nilly."

"Aww, I was hoping t-to be your knight in s-shining armor," he joshed, "Your turn." Her gaze became inspired.

"Ah've got the perfect dare."

……………………………….

Shielding her sight from the blinding sunlight, the orange filly rose herself to a sitting position to find her head ringing. Opening her eyes slightly more, panic grew within her chest. She did not recognize the place she resided. Wrapped in white linens, she glared to her left to find a large window that was partially covered by curtains. It seemed as if she was in a bedroom but the arrangement of the place struck odd to her. Something caught her eye on the dresser next to her and she reached to get it. Picking it up, she soon realized it was a hotel key. With her heart beating against her ribcage, she scrambled to get out of bed to find a large, pale blanket on the floor. Grabbing onto it, she caught a glance of a pony and found out that it was a slumbering Soarin. Gasping, she immediately dropped the covers and stepped over him. Everything span. She tried to recollect her memory from the night before but failed.

Suddenly, she saw her reflection from the mirror on the wall across from her. Ignoring the stabbing headache she was experiencing, she galloped to the mirror. Everything seemed fine until she saw a flash from her left ear. Her irises grew small as she tapped her sore ear.

"When did Ah get an ear piercin'?" she whispered frantically. The table underneath her showed a picture with a paper attached to it. The photograph showed her and a recognizable blue stallion smiling in front of a building that read ‘Chapel of Love’. Flipping over the picture, she read the larger paper which was surrounded by gold trim. Setting it down, she tip-toed over to Soarin who was now letting out soft snores. It was just as she feared: he has the same earring on his left ear. Grasping the paper again, she read the title again in utter disbelief.

"Oh sweet Celestia," she panted, "Ah've eloped with a Wonderbolt!"