Autumn Leaves

Chapter I

Let Them Talk

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Two Years After Prologue

Ages:

Anon-16

AJ-16

Big Mac-18

Apple Bloom-5

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You sat underneath a tree littered with Fuji Apples, the shade from the leaves cascading over you and shielding you from the rays of Celestia's bright sun. Big Macintosh sat next to you, both of you with an apple in hand. An apple in hoof in Mac's case. It was a particularly warm day today, and you were enjoying your small break with Mac, savoring the fruit you were eating.You raised your gaze to the valley of trees below you, taking in the sight of all the blends of red and yellow.

"Lot of apples out there," you say, biting into your apple.

"Eeyup," replies Big Mac.

"Still have to buck most of 'em, though."

"Eeyup."

"We should probably get out there, start bucking them early."

"Eeyup," says Mac, as stoic and quiet as ever. The two of you nod, but neither of you rise to get to work just yet. The only sound out here is the occasional bird chirping in the distance, and the chewing from you and Mac.

"Or," Big Mac speaks up.

"Or?"

"Or we could keep eating apples in the shade." Huh. You have to admit, you liked his line of thinking.

"Eeyup," you say. raising your apple to Mac's and tapping them together. Work could wait for now, or at least until Applejack showed up. You and Mac had gotten the South field bucked earlier than you had expected, and Applejack was carrying on with the Eastern Field. She was supposed to only do half of it, and then all three of you would work on a majority of the Northern field until around sunset. That meant about three more hours of work, and then dinner. Tonight was your night to cook, after all.

You leaned your head back onto the tree, breathing in deep as you relished the shade.The tree shudders suddenly, and you and Big Mac are pelted by apples from above. One lands right on your face, smacking into your nose.

"Ow! What the-... Applejack's here isn't she?"

"Eeyup," says Big Macintosh.

"Eeyup, indeed," says the orange mare behind you, smirking a bit. Rubbing your nose in pain, you see that Applejack has arrived to break up your lazy session with Mac, baskets at her side.

"What're y'all doin' jus sittin' there in th'shade?" Applejack asks as you rub your nose.

"Hanging out," you simply reply.

"Hangin' out?" she asks, deadpan.

"Eeyup," Bic Mac says, simply.

"Well," AJ begins, leaning on the tree you sat under, "Maybe ah should just stay here, sittin in the shade while you two go buckin' in the North field all by yerselves."

You and Mac exchange a look to each other. Applejack definitely wasn't the kind of mare you wanted to get on her bad side. After a pause to think, you both have your answer.

"Nope."

"Good," she says, taking the apple in your hand and finishing it off in a few bites. "C'mon y'all, we're nearly done as it is." You get to your feet, dusting yourself off as you do, and pick up the baskets you brought with you, Bic Macintosh doing the same. All three of you made your way into the Northern fields, you stretching your arms for the ordeal they were about to go through. Applejack gives you a cocky grin.

"Ya sure those delicate little fingers of yers can go fer another three hours?"

You throw a grin of your own her way. "Applejack, I could do a lot more with these hands of mine in under three hours." You waggle your eyebrows, and Applejack blushes deeply when she finally gets the joke. Big Mac just laughs, a deep, throaty chuckle leaving his mouth as he grins and shakes his head.

"Aw just shut it, Big Mac," Applejack says, smacking him with her tail as she tipped her hat forward. "You too Anon, ya know what I meant!"

"Hey, hey, just messing with you AJ, no need to get your panties in a twist."

"No need t'get mah... what, in a twist? Is that one of them funny sayings you got from Earth?"

A small laugh creeps out of you. "Yeah I guess you could say that. Lemme put it another way: 'No need to tangle your riding crop.' There, that work?"

"Oh hush up. Let's just get all this over with before you two drive me bonkers."

You had a tendency to mess with Applejack like this from time to time. It was all in good fun. Hell, sometimes she was quick to the trigger and was able to get out a burn of her own. Today wasn't one of those days it seemed. Good, you liked it when you could get on top of her when it came to burns. You and Applejack take to one portion of the field, Big Mac taking the opposite, and you all get to work.

AJ trots up to trees, knocking all of the apples from them with a swift buck of her hind legs. You take a couple of swings at their trunks, and are able to get down all of the apples with two or three punches. Since you're able to keep up with Applejack fairly well, the two of you often chat while you work.

"So Aj, what's on your mind lately?"

"Aw not much. Just enjoyin' the days as they go by is all. What about you, Anon, you have anythin' comin' up soon?"

"Well, if my math is correct, and I know just how much you hate math-"

Applejack lets out a quick laugh, cutting you off. "Damn straight Ah hate it."

"-then it seems my birthday is coming up fairly soon."

"Again?"

"Happens every year, Applejack."

"Hahaha, ah know, ah know. But ah was actually thinkin' about that other special day that comes around BEFORE yer birthday."

You can't help but let out a groan. You knew exactly what day she was talking about. Hearts and Hooves Day. Seems like AJ would get in some burns after all, what with the current conversation topic.

"What about it?" you ask, sending a right hook into the tree before you. Orb after red orb fell from the branches above, filling the baskets at your feet. AJ's smirk returns as she bucks yet another tree.

"Just a tad curious as to what yer plans may have been is all. You got yerself a special somepony t'spend the evenin' with?"

Well dammit here it comes, you guess. Since you got here, you had gotten to know the pony's of Ponyville very well. Hell, you even became close friends with Applejack's buddies. Being the only human in town, or in Equestria, you didn't know for sure, some of them didn't really... receive you well. The first year in Equestria was pretty tough on your emotions, what with you being "the local freak." But over time, the townsfolk grew accustomed to you, and eventually you weren't treated as an outsider.

On top of all that, you were getting older. You began to see some of the mares in town as quite... attractive. You even had a small crush on one of Applejack's friends, Rarity. Last Hearts and Hooves Day you asked her if she wanted to go on a picnic, but she declined. Something about being allergic to "country bumpkins."

"...No, not this year. Just like always," you reply with a sigh. A left hook hits the tree, and more apples fall into their respective baskets. "What about you, you have anypony special in mind?"

Applejack gives a cocky smile and puffs out her chest. "As a matter of fact, ah do!" Her smile lights up her whole face when she declares it.

"Wait, you? A special somepony?" Applejack nods, still smiling to herself. "Okay," you say with a laugh of disbelief, "Who'd you blackmail in order to agree to that?"

"Oh har har, very funny," she says back, rolling her eyes. "It's not like ah'm serious about it at the moment, he just asked me out t'dinner is all."

"Dinner eh? And who's 'he'?" You send a short jab at another tree, more than half of its apples tumbling to the ground and into your basket.

"Son of the local watch-maker. His name's Clockwork."

"The town watch-maker had a kid and he named him 'Clockwork'? That's almost as bad as some ponies who work in an apple orchard naming their kids after apples." You smirk at Applejack, who grunts and bucks another tree. You'd have to do better than that to rile her up you suppose.

"Clockwork happens t'be a very hard workin', upstandin' colt. Besides, he's takin' me to the Gilded Carafe fer dinner."

The Gilded Carafe? Wow just... wow. That restaurant was one of the fanciest places in Canterlot. Just getting a reservation took months to get, let alone one on Hearts and Hooves Day. It was one of those places where the meal cost more than you'd make in a lifetime, yet wouldn't take up any space on your plate. Clockwork must have had a lot riding on this dinner. More importantly though, maybe you could finally get a good dig into AJ now.

"Gilded Carafe huh? Isn't that supposed to be for classy, elegant mares?" you say nonchalantly as you move over to a new tree to punch. Applejack throws a glare your way.

"Are you sayin' ah'm not elegant?"

"Well," you start, catching a few red galas in a basket, "I've never really seen you be elegant before. Unless, you know, that one time we went mud wrestling was what you call elegant. Seems to me you're too much of a tom-boy for that kind of pl-"

You're cut off sharply as Applejack suddenly tackles you into a large pile of leaves, tussling with you as you try your best to pin her.

"Or maybe this! Maybe THIS is your definition of elegant!" You grab her from behind and tickle her stomach, sending her into fits of laughter.

"Hahaha, stahp! Hehehehehec'mon lay off Anon!" Applejack giggles and laughs, totally at the mercy of your secret weapon: Fingers.

"Oh wait, what's that? I can't here you over how elegant you're being!"

"Stoppitstoppitstahahahahaha!" she barely says through a bout of sporadic laughs. You kind of feel sorry for her, so you ease up on your hold of her. She takes advantage of that, spinning around and pinning you into the pile of leaves. She leans in close to your neck, grinning dastardly.

"Oh don't you DARE."

"All ya gotta do is tell me ah'm a classy, elegant mare is all," she says connivingly, that smirk still spread on her face.

"NEVER!" you declare. You would not bow down to such tyranny!

"Then face th'consequences!" Applejack proceeds to nuzzle vigorously and mercilessly into your neck, sending you over the edge in laughter.

"Ohgodnopleeeheeheese! Ahahahahastoptoptop I give! I GIVE HAHAH!"

"Say it!" Applejack says, rubbing her snout even further into your neck. This was just too much. You were deathly ticklish, and there was no way Applejack would let you go if you didn't concede. Damn. Seems like she won this one.

"You-haha-you're a cla-hahaha-ssy mare!" you admit in between laughs.

"Classy aaaaaaaand?" You're tearing up a bit from how much she's making you giggle.

"Elegant! Classy and elegant! C'mon AJ, I give!"

She's always done this to you, tickling your neck to get what she wants. It was your "kryptonite," you had told her once before. She didn't know what kryptonite was, and you didn't feel like explaining it at the time, but soon after she learned that it was your biggest weakness.

Applejack stops tickling you and ponders. "Hmmm... nah, ah'll just keep torturin' ya."

"Bu-But I said you were classy and elegant!"

"Yup," she says, nodding, "''Cept ah ain't classy, nor am I elegant!" She cackles in diabolical laughter, and proceeds to keep nuzzling you.

"Oh come on that's not fa-heeheeHA come on stoppit-pfffffffffffft"

"Ahem," says a deep voice from behind you.

You and Applejack shoot up into standing positions, quickly returning to bucking apple trees, acting as if nothing had happened whatsoever. Big Mac lets out a quick sigh and returns to his side of the field.

You whisper to Applejack, "I'll get you back for all that. I SWEAR on every tree in this orchard, mark my words."

Applejack sticks her tongue out and whispers back, "Good luck with that."

With that, the two of you return to working the orchard in relative peace.

-------

Later

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The kitchen fills with the scents of fresh food, as you prepare tonight's dinner. You would kill for some decent meat for once, but seeing as how almost everything in this world talks, the prospect of having beef anytime soon is extremely slim. Especially since, you know, the cows could talk too. Convincing them that being a steak dinner is fun was pretty much out of the question. So for tonight, you've made a hearty ham-bone soup, minus the ham-bone. So, technically, just a thick vegetable stew. Granny Smith stood a few feet from you, as she took some fresh bread from the oven, beginning to slice it.

"Now be careful, yungin', ya don't wanna spill any o' that stew, now do ya?" she says, eyeing you carefully as you cook.

"Yes ma'am, Granny, no worries. Can you hand me some bowls?"

"Ya sure it's simmered all right? Ya don't wanna count yer chickens b'fore they hatch," she says as she collects a few wooden bowls for you. She was always like this when you cooked. Then again, it made sense. Granny was used to cooking for the family, so making sure that whoever did it instead of her did their best was right up her alley.

"Haha, yes'm," you say to her. "I think the stew came along nicely. Here." You take a scoop of the stew and hand the spoon to Granny, who takes a sip.

"MmmMM! Well shucks, ain't that the berries! Alrighty then, ah'll get you some bowls an' we'll go set the table."

Ain't that the berries. You've gotten used to Granny Smiths sayings, and boy did she have a lot of them. Filling the five bowls with soup, you bring them over to the table where Applejack and Big Mac were already waiting. Applejack sniffs the air and smiles.

"Boy that sure smells nice, don't it Bic Mac?"

Mac smells the air as well. "Eeyup."

"Glad you like how it smells," you say, "But I'm hoping it tastes as good as well. Lemme just stet these down and we can-... Where's Apple Bloom?"

You hear a bit of snickering from underneath the table, and look down. Apple Bloom's tail was clearly sticking out from under the table, while you could hear her trying to contain her laughter as she hid from you all. You cock an eyebrow at Applejack, who just smiled and nodded at you. Aw well, might as well just go with it.

You put the bowls down on the table, and then dramatically proclaim, while scratching your head, "Gosh, I wonder where Apple Bloom could be? Applejack, have you seen Apple Bloom?"

"Nope, can't say that ah have, Anon," says AJ, stifling a laugh. "Big Macintosh, have you seen Apple Bloom?"

"Nnnope."

"Well gol'lee, Anon," Applejack says dramatically. "I think we may have LOST little Apple Bloom!"

Apple Bloom's tittering can still be heard, as she tries her hardest to remain undetected.

"Well that's just a darn shame! And here I went, making a nice, hot, delicious meal for all of us to enjoy!" You let out a big, drawn out sigh for effect. "Oooooh well, guess that means I get to eat Apple Bloom's dessert then, huh?"

"Dessert!?"

Apple Bloom quickly darts out from under the table and bounces in and around your legs."Ah didn't know we was havin' dessert! Can we have it know? Huh? Can we? Ooh is it ice cream! Or maybe it's some apple pie! Or... or..." Apple Bloom looks from your smarmy grin over to Applejack's barely contained giggling. "There's no dessert, is there?"

"Nope."

You scoop Apple Bloom up and put her in the chair next to yours. "'Fraid not, squirt. Nice try though, what with you hiding and all."

"Did Ah at least fool y'all with mah hidin' spot?" the little filly asks, wide eyed.

"Yup, you sure did. I really had no idea you were under the table, giggling the whole time." Apple Bloom's face lights up, but then realization dawns on her when you say you could hear her laughing, and pouts disappointingly instead.

"Oh now Apple Bloom," Granny Smith says, entering the the dining room, "Wipe that frown off yer face and dig in! Anon did a mighty fine job with this here grub t'night."

"...Fine," Apple Bloom says with a pout.

You ruffle the hair on her head and sit down, and begin eating your meal. Dinner goes by quietly, while you and the Apples make small talk around the table. Towards the end of the meal, Apple Bloom pipes up.

"Hey Anon," Bloom says, gobbling up the last of her stew, "Have ya got yerself a special somepony fer Hearts an' Hooves day yet?"

You cough up some soup in surprise, but try to cover it.

"Oh uh, well I... uhm... no, no not exactly."

Once you think she's content with that answer, you go for another sip of soup. Apple Bloom turns her ears down in disappointment, but then they shoot up and she dawns a bright smile.

"Oooh! Ah know! You an' Applejack can be special someponies with each other this year!"

Both you and Applejack choke on your food, coughing and spluttering in surprise..

"Uh.." AJ says, wiping her mouth

"Well I don't... I mean.."

"It's not that I.. uhm.." Applejack groans in frustration.

"See Apple Bloom, me and... oh wow, uh.." This... was pretty awkward. You don't really know why it was awkward, but dammit it sure felt that way. When Granny Smith chimes in, though, you're lost for most words.

"Well now ah think that'd be mighty fine!"

"WHAT," you and Applejack say in unison, while dropping your spoon to the table. Granny smith smiles, the wrinkles on her face scrunching up, her smile lines showing around her eyes.

"Oh don'tchu 'what' me," she starts, waving a hoof. "You two get along better than pigs in a mud puddle! Only makes sense fer you two t'at least spend some time together on Hearts 'n' Hooves day! Never seen two ponies... well one pony an' a person, t'be so close as you two after all."

"Granny," Applejack starts, "I don't think that'd be such a great-"

You cut AJ off, trying to defuse the situation. "I mean," you say, "Applejack already has a date for Hearts and Hooves. Besides, why would I want to-"

"Applejack's got herself a bonafied DATE?!"

Aw hell. Cat's out of the bag, and Apple Bloom is jumping right on it.

"Who's takin' ya out AJ?" Bloom asks bluntly, bobbing up and down in her seat. "Huh huh huh? C'mon, sis, tell me!"

You look to Applejack, who looks mortified now that Apple Bloom knows about her special somepony. You mouth the words, "My bad," to her, smiling weakly. She glares. Yup. All's good.

"Issit that "Clockwork" fella down on Cottonwood Drive?" Granny Smith asks. "Ah've noticed the way you've been takin' to 'im rather nice like."

"Oh Granny, not you too?" Applejack says, rubbing her face with her hooves.

"Well ya can hardly blame me fer takin' an in'trist in yer suitors, now can ya?"

"Is he that colt that works with his pa down by the watch shop?" Apple Bloom asks, curious as ever.

"Ugh, YES," Applejack answers her sister, hooves still on her face. "Can y'all drop it now, please?"

"Is he a nice, polite gentlecolt?" inquires Granny Smith.

"Can he buck apples? Or cook?" Bloom asks, her bobbing increasing in pace as she gets more and more invested in the embarrassing interrogation. Applejack is muttering, rather than actually speaking.

"Yes, Granny, he's polite an' nice. Apple Bloom, no, he fixes clocks an' the sort."

"Anon can buck apples an' cook! See? He made us stew t'night!" Bloom beams at you, while all you can really do is give a cough and look down at your bowl.

"Ah'm fixin' to make you into a stew if ya don't keep badgerin' me about-"

"How long have y'all been special someponies?" Granny asks, stirring her soup a bit. She's eyeing AJ with an air of grandmotherly concern. "Ah don't recall you invitin' him over fer supper at all.."

"Granny we're not even datin', not really. He jus' asked me out t'dinner is all, and ah said yes. Can we drop this? Please?"

"You know what," you say, rising from your seat, "It looks like we're all done with dinner. I should go wash these dishes. AJ, mind helping me out?" Applejack starts to protest, but you wink, and she gets that you're trying to get Granny Smith and Apple Bloom out of her hair.

"Sure!" she says, relieved. "Yes, ah'll gladly help ya." You snatch bowls and plates from the table and the two of you dash to the kitchen to begin cleaning up.

"Hey," you say to her in a whisper, "Sorry about letting that slip, wasn't really-"

"No no, it's alright, really," AJ says, cleaning a few spoons. "Had to come out eventually, after all. Sure didn't need Apple Bloom to know though, now she won't stop talkin' 'bout it."

"Yeah, my bad," you say with a weak smile.

"Yup. Your bad." She splashes some bubbles from the sink at you.

"Cut it out, I said I was sorry. Besides, I think we both needed out of there."

"Ah know what ya mean. I mean, what Granny said? 'Y'all get along better than pigs in a mud puddle.' Gol'lee, that old mare..."

"Ha, yeah," you softly laugh back. "Could you imagine that? The two of us, special someponies? Boy that'd be strange." The two of you laugh, and continue washing dishes.

In a very.

Awkward.

Silence.

The tension between the two of you is so thick now that you could cut clear through it with a knife with ease. You both just sit there, washing up dishes in total silence, the only sounds either of you hear being the tick of a clock on the wall and the scrub of sponges to kitchenware. The minutes that go by feel like hours, but all you can really do is... well, sit there and do the dishes.

"So," you mumble, finally breaking the pause in conversation.

"...So," mumbles Applejack.

"Uh... uhm.. we had pretty good weather, huh?.."

"Oh, yeah! Yup, mmhmm. Mighty fine weather. Yup... yup."

More silence besets you, and you give a small cough. Maybe two.

"I think ah'm gonna head to bed now, actually," Applejack says quickly.

"Yeah, cool, yeah. Got it. Yeah."

AJ finishes her dishes, then trots off, a small blush on her face as she looks back at you. Your cheeks warm up as well, and you both dart your heads away from each other. Once she's gone, you give a frustrated groan and smack yourself on the forehead. You idiot, why are you embarrassed? It's Applejack we're talking about! Good 'ole Applejack, with her reliable honesty, bright green eyes, soft, blond hair... her freckles around her cheeks, orange coat that shines in the setting sun, her-

SNAP OUT OF IT MAN.

You shake your head, hoping the images go away as well. That was... weird. Strange and weird. When you begin to think about it, though, you do realize that maybe Granny Smith had a point, earlier. You and Applejack got along amazingly well. Hell, you spent plenty of time with each other as well. Working everyday, downtime spent in town with some of her friends on the weekends. The two of you would even just sleep in the barn's loft sometimes, just watching the stars. You'd talk to one another all night, telling stories with each other. She'd ask you about your old life, your friends, your dad. You really liked nights like those. But you never really thought of her as a... well a potential "girlfriend." She was your best friend, and you hers. Still... the thought of being with her...

"Uhm, Anon?"

Apple Bloom's voice breaks you out of your daydream and you turn to her.

"What's up?" you ask, drying off a dish.

"Uhm, well, ah guess ah jus' wanted to tell you ah was sorry 'bout dinner. Granny said ah made it awkward fer you and Applejack.."

Funny, you could have sworn Granny Smith was ALSO making things weird too. You let out a sigh and smile at Apple Bloom.

"It's alright. You didn't bother us that bad, Apple Bloom, no need to apologize. Oh, here, I have something for you."

She cocks her head in confusion as you walk over to the cupboard, and pull out a small tin with a napkin covering it.

"What's that?"

"Your dessert."

You whip off the napkin to reveal a tiny cinnamon-roll inside the tin. Apple Bloom's face lights up and she hops up and down in place.

"Shhh," you hiss, putting a finger to your lips. "I only made it for you, so don't go declaring it to the whole town, ya' hear?"

Apple Bloom nods her head quickly and takes the tin on her head, bouncing out of the kitchen joyfully. Smiling to yourself, you go back to your chores. Then, suddenly, she's back in the kitchen.

"Anon?" she asks.

"Mmhmm?"

"Ah think you'd be a much better special somepony fer Applejack than that Clockwork fella any day." You're surprised. You weren't expecting anything like that from her, not at all.

"What makes you say that?" you ask, putting your rag on the counter. Now you were curious. She wasn't serious, was she? What could she even know about this kind of thing, anyhow? After all, she was only five years old.

"Cuz whenever she talks about ya, she smiles. She smiles a lot when she's around ya."

You can feel your cheeks getting warm. She... smiled? She smiled when she talked about you? What did that even mean? And... and why did it make your heart jump a bit when you heard it?

"Thanks fer the cinnamon-roll, Anon! G'night!"With that, Apple Bloom hops away once more. You don't really know how long you stood in the kitchen, dumbstruck, but it must have been for a while.

-----------------------

A Few Days Later

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You walked through Ponyville, on your way to Sugarcube corner. You had a simple chore today: Go buy flour from the Cakes. You were going to make some garlic bread in a couple of days, and you wanted to make sure you had enough flour for the job. This would have been an enjoyable walk on any other day. Except this one, of course. Today was Hearts and Hooves day. So what would have been a quiet walk through Ponyville now turned into a walk through Lover's Lane. Couples roamed the streets, hanging festive decorations in the shapes of hearts littered the town. Seems like everyone was paired up. Everyone except you, of course. Ah well, c'est la vie. Didn't bother you none.

You enter the bakery and see Mr. Cake sitting behind the counter, and he waves at you.

"Afternoon, Anonymous! What can I do for you?"

"HI Mr. Cake. I was just wondering if you all had some sacks of flour available. I have plans to bake soon, so I was hoping to stock up."

"Righty-O, we have plenty of flour. How many sack do you need?"

"Just one, but I'll buy two. We're low on the stuff as it is."

"Alighty then, I'll be right back."

Mr. Cake leaves the foyer and into the kitchen, and you patiently wait by the counter, pulling out your small bag of bits. The sound of the front door opening grabs your attention, and you turn to see who it was. Oh. Rarity.

"Oh, well hello there, Anonymous." she says, trotting into the bakery. She's wearing a simple white beret on top of her perfectly curled mane.

"Hey Rarity. What's up?"

"Oh you know, Hearts and Hooves day is keeping all of us very busy, as per usual. I'm just here to pick up a small dish I ordered. I'm having dinner with a very special guest after all."

"Uh-huh. Well, congrats." You return to counting out your bits, hoping that you brought enough for the flour.

"What about you, darling?" Rarity chimes from behind you. "Have any plans with anypony special?"

"No, not that I'm aware of. Just working tonight."

"What? Oh my you simply must be joking with me. You're saying you don't have a special som-"

"No, Rarity, I don't. Kay? Kay." You really wish she would leave you alone about this. Seems she still remembers how you once asked her out that one time and felt like seeing if you had lucked out anywhere else. Ugh. Just in time before Rarity can speak up again, Mr. Cake returns with two bags of flour.

"Alight," he says, setting the bags on the counter, "Two flour sacks. That'll be 18 bits."

You barely have enough, but just enough is good. Lucky break. You hand him the money, throw the sacks over your shoulders, and head out before Rarity can make any further remarks.

By the time you got back home to the farm, it was getting close to the start of the evening. You stood in the kitchen, sorting food and putting apple slices in jars of preserve. As you left, you saw Granny Smith helping Applejack with...

Wow.

Applejack was draped in a nice, modest, white dress, and Granny Smith was tying her mane and tail into a braid. The dress was as simple as a dress could be. No fancy designs, no embroidery, no intricate stitching, just white silk and some lace at the ends.

"Oh, hey Anon. How do ah look? It's not too much do ya think?"

You're floored. You've never seen Applejack like this before. In a dress, all dolled up, her hair in braids and not a strand out of place. She was... breathtaking.

"You look... stunning, really."

Applejack smiles brightly at the compliment. "Thanks. That takes a lot of the worry off ma shoulders. Ah've never been to a fancy restaurant b'fore, and Clockwork tells me that all the mares there get dressed up like. Oh, here." She holds out her hat to you.

"I wanted to wear it t'dinner, but apparently it's 'uncouth' to wear a hat at the table in restaurants. Mind holdin' on to it for me t'night?"

"Yeah, no problem."

You take the hat from her and put it on your head. It had been a long while since you last wore it. Hell, it wasn't even your hat, at least not anymore. This old thing was pretty synonymous with Applejack's whole look. Granny Smith finishes braiding Applejack's tail and smiles wide at her granddaughter.

"There! Now ain't she purttier than a spotted heifer in a pansy patch!"

"Granny!" Applejack blushes, probably at the fact that Granny referred to her as a cow more so than her remark on her state of beauty.

"Oh calm yer britches, y'all know what ah meant," Granny tuts. She smiles to you and back to Applejack before walking off to the living room, sitting down in her rocking chair. Applejack looks to you and speaks in a low, hushed whisper.

"Do... do you think he'll think ah'm pretty?"

"He'd be stupid not to. You look great, AJ. Really." You take a hand and brush a strand of blonde mane out from her eyes, tucking it back in place for her. Applejack softly laughs at that.

"Ha, that means more comin' from you than Granny, in mah opinion."

A knock on the door sounds through the room, causing the two of you to jump a bit. You give one more smile to the orange mare in front of you before walking off to go answer it. Outside the door stands a colt, brown fur, black mane, dressed in a tuxedo. This must have been Clockwork.

"Uh," he begins, looking up at you, "Is Applejack home?"

"Why, want to see if she can some out and play?"

"Wh-.. excuse me?"

"I'll need to see if she's finished with her homework first though, she's having a hard time with math." You say, gesturing behind you. Clockwork looks utterly confused. Good. You liked messing with the guy.

"I'm... sorry what?"

"Anon, quit it!" Applejack says, bumping you with her hoof. "Sorry, Clockwork, he can be a bit of a nuisance."

"Could easily say the same about you, little miss Applejack," you retort, grinning. The two of you smile, while Clockwork simply stares in confusion.

"Okay then... well," Clockwork begins, scratching the back of his head with a hoof, "I got us a chariot to take us out to Canterlot tonight! Shall we?"

Applejack nods goodbye to you and trots out of the doorway past Clockwork to the chariot in the front yard.Clockwork eyes Applejack as she walks down the lane, his eyes gazing towards Applejack's lower body.

"Oi," you say, snapping a finger. Clockwork whips his head over to you, and you point two fingers at your eyes.

"Eyes up here. Got it?"

"Pfft, sure whatever man." With that he trots off to Applejack. Giving the two of them one last look before they ride off, you wave off the orange mare, who waves back. You hope Applejack had a good time tonight. She never really had a special somepony before, and she seemed to like this guy a lot. You head back inside as the chariot takes off into the air and away for Canterlot. Back to work, it seems. With that thought in mind, you head to the cellar to take some stock in food for Spring.

------------------------

The Dead of Night

------------------------

The sound of the barn door opening jarred you awake from your slumber. You had slept in the barn loft again, Applejack's hat resting on your face as you slept. Peaking over the edge of the loft, you spot Applejack at the barn's entrance, softly illuminated by moonlight.

"Anon?" She asks, peering into the barn. "You awake?"

"Yeah. How'd your night at the Gilded Carafe go?" You swing down off of the barn's loft and walk up to Applejack.

"Ehh, not so great, actually," she replies.

"What happened? To fancy of a place for you?"

"Oh what, the restaurant? Aw no, it was fine. The food was nice, bit expensive, but nice. The view of Canterlot was a might pretty as well."

"So what's the problem?" You sit down on a hay bale, and Applejack joins you. She answers you, with a twinge of disgust in her voice.

"Clockwork."

"What, your 'hard workin', upstandin' colt'?" you ask, grinning. Maybe a jibe or two was in order.

"Yeah well ah thought he was all those things..." she says, dejectedly.

"What's the matter? What happened?"

AJ lets out a sigh and rests her head on a hoof. "He takes me out to the nicest place ah've ever been to, foots the bill fer the meal, and we have a nice evenin'. Then," she says, sounding irritated, "when we come back t'Ponyville he makes the carriage stop by his place first. Asks me if ah wanna see his house. So ah say, 'Sure, ah don't mind!'... turns out he was more interested in seein' somethin' of mine instead."

It takes you only a second to register what she means. You don't even say a word, you just get to your feet and pull Applejack's hat onto your head, about to head out to town. Applejack stops you by grabbing your arm.

"Now hold on a minute, where d'you think yer goin'?"

"Where else?" you say, pulling the hat further onto your head. "I'm going to that colt's house to give him a piece of my mind, that's where I'm going!"

"Anon, stop. Ah already took care of it."

You turn around and raise an eyebrow cautiously.

"...What do you mean?"

"He made his moves on me," she begins, "Tried to throw some charm mah way, and ah told him I wasn't that kind'a mare. When he kept insistin', I realized he was dead set on ruttin' with me. So, I socked him in the face."

"He... he didn't... you know?..."

"No, Anon, he didn't do anythin' to me," AJ says reassuringly. "Ah punched him and then stormed out th'door. His daddy should be right 'shamed with him."

You sit back down with Applejack, your previous temper subsiding. Applejack shakes her head, grinning slightly at your fed up nature. Still, you could tell something was slightly off with her.

"...You okay?" you ask.

"Yeah... yeah Ah am, it's just... Ah thought he liked me, y'know? Turns out he was tryin' t'butter me up with a fancy-shmancey  dinner in order to get me in a bed with 'im... all Ah really wanted was t'spend time with someone who cared, is all."

Applejack leans her head over onto your shoulder, and lets out a disappointed sigh. You think to yourself for a bit, then get an idea. Time with someone who cared huh?...

"Okay, that can work."

"Hmm?" Applejack mumbles out, her eyes a tad tired from the night she endured.

"Next year," you say plainly. "Next year, how about I take you on a picnic? No fancy restaurant, no chariots, just you, me, a basket, and the shore by the lake. How's that sound?"

It's hard to see with the lack of light, but you could swear she blushes at you, a smile softly growing on her face.

"Alright," she says quietly, "Deal. You'll be mah special somepony next year."

You can't help but chuckle a bit at that. "Haha, I'm not a pony though, Appleja-"

You're stopped when you feel soft lips meet yours, silencing you. They linger on your own for a while, then part from you. You can feel your heart thumping beneath your chest as Applejack looks up at you, still smiling softly.

"Does is really matter?.." she asks.

"Uhm... no. No I... I guess not.."

Your cheeks are on fire and your stomach feels light. Did she just kiss you? You could swear she just-

"Anon," AJ says, "Do ya mind if Ah stay with you t'night? Up in the loft, Ah mean. Ah'd like t'not be alone tonight."

"...uh yeah. Yeah, sure."

Applejack jumps onto your back and you pull the two of you up to the barn's loft, the full moon shining through the open window. You and Applejack rested in the hay, looking up into the sky, and you slowly but surely drifted to sleep. Before you nodded off, you looked down at Applejack, her head resting on your chest. She slept peacefully, a content smile on her face.

...

Maybe Apple Bloom was right.

You take a last look to the moon, and fall asleep without a care in the world

End of Chapter One