"Howdy Junebug, Roseluck, buy some apples?" I said with a smile, with my big brother standing right beside me doin' the same.

Being friendly ain't something I ever had a problem with, even if it didn't help none that my sugarcube wasn't selling right along side of me. Smiling I was, and it was a mighty fine, bright day to be selling apples in town square and everypony out and about, but my country heart was too heavy and the gears in my head were turning too fast to really mean it.

"Sure, I'll take a bushel," said Junebug as Roseluck walked on by.

"Alrighty! That'll be eight bits," I said to the yellow mare.

"AJ still sick? It's been nearly a week, I hope he's ok," she said, gettin' out her money.

"Believe me, ah'd give anything to be back home with him right now, but we gotta keep the apples comin' and the farm runnin'," I said. I gave off a comfortable impression, but I was more nervous than a worm in an apple on cider day. With every question I got about him it ached me on the inside, knowin' that they didn't know that my husband was back at the farm snorting smoke and shaking a tail. Sometimes a secret is best kept a secret; that don't mean you become dishonest, but sometimes it don't hurt to be silent.

"I hope he feels better. I miss seeing him," she said.

"Aw, thanks Junebug, ah'll tell him you said that," I replied. I appreciated that, and I managed a real smile as I placed a bushel over her back. "That's almost a three hundred bits!" I whispered to Big Macintosh as she walked away with her bushel.

"Eeyup."  

It was great that we were selling so good, but it worried me at the same time. Ah' hope he still got enough to eat. We ain't gonna have apples forever. I felt so bad seeing all these ponies walk by and not being able to tell them. We got not one, but two of the biggest secrets in Ponyville, and my family don't even know 'bout one of 'em. I just felt so much better back at the farm with the nicest dragon there ever was. Separation anxiety, I think that's what Twilight calls it. Well I couldn't wait to go back and take care of him, heaven knows he takes care of me, but I still had some sellin' to do before that. I admit thinking about him helped a lot though.

"Where's your boy, Applejack? Not feeling any better, huh?" said the voice of Caramel, one of the few young stallions in this town that still talks to my hubby and me since we married. He ain't a member of that pesky group that had their eyes on me and thus been jealous ever since, that is.  

"Somethin' like that," I said, lowering my head sadly. Speaking of pesky, Cherry Cola, one of those boys to a tee, walked past with a sneer.

"Sick, is he? That's some illness," he remarked, coming to a halt in front of the stand with his pal Felix, another one of them. There was no friendship in their eyes. I don't know for sure what they were thinking, though I think I got a mighty good guess. Funny you boys stopped talkin' to me once you found out ah' was married. I felt my brother step beside me with his head high and his good 'ol "get lost" face, and that was enough for them. "Well we certainly hope he feels better," they said, walking off.

"Don't worry 'bout them," said Big Macintosh.

"It ain't them ah'm worried about," I said with a heavy heart.

Suddenly a high, raspy voice chimed in, and there was no tellin' who that was.

"Hey Applejack," said Rainbow Dash, falling out of the sky right in front of our stand. Oh boy... She wasn't smiling, either. I just shrugged and rolled my eyes. Not being able to tell my friends was the worst.

"Howdy Rainbow," I said.

She went back and forth between my brother and me like we was some kind art show.

"You've been acting weird," she said. My brother and I looked at each other not so cozy. Uh oh.

"Uh, we have?" I asked.

"Yes, you have. All of you. Ever since we found you that morning after the sleep over," she said, walking towards us. "Where's AJ, huh? Don't tell me he's still 'sick',"

My heart dropped and I raised my hoof in a nervous bout. I wasn't no good at this. I had to take another deep breath. Ah' just wanna go back and be with my sweetheart, ah' don't wanna worry about this no more... I had to really think hard about what I'd say. I thought about telling her, even though she'd tease the two of us something fierce as soon as she found out the dragon in the barn was my hubby. Ah' sure ain't tellin' her in this crowd. My big brother was gonna have none of that, anyhow.

"He ain't feelin' like himself, and he doesn't want no visitors, is all," I said.  

"Eenope."

Rainbow Dash snorted.

As she did, though, none other than my little sister came galloping out of the crowd, running right past her and up to the two of us. Boy howdy, she was eager and excited about something. I figured I knew who it was about, too, so my interest jumped like a rabbit.

"Applejack! H-" before she could finish, I covered her mouth.

"Not so loud!" I whispered. "Not what is it?" The youngin' gestured for me and Big Macintosh to lower ourselves down so she could whisper to us over the crowd noise and what not.

"Oh, what now?" cried Rainbow from behind.

"Sorry, Apple family business," I said with a chuckle before returning to the sibling huddle. "Alright, what is it sis?"

"I convinced AJ to fly! He's down in the south meadows right now," she said excitedly. I didn't freak out. I was actually hoping he would at some point, so maybe he could have some fun. I won't lie, I was also of course hoping to go with him. My brother, though, didn't see that way at all.

"You did what?" he whispered. He even talks slow when he whispers.

"Hey now, maybe this is a good thing. He's in the meadows, she said! He's a smart one, he ain't gonna be flyin' over our heads here in a few moments. Besides, ah' don't want him to be trapped in the barn the whole time he's like this!" I said.

"At night, not during the day. What if a pegasus sees him? These ponies ain't gonna react nice if they know there's a dragon around, especially a dragon that can't explain himself, 'cause they probably ain't gonna believe us if we try."  

The truth is, of course, that all this made me very, very sad. I sighed somethin' terrible. If only they knew.

"Let's see for ourselves what they'd do," I said. They both raised their eyebrows at me. "No, nothin' like that, just trust me. Just follow my lead."

The three of us Apple siblings turned around and faced the crowd, and we saw that we had two customers waiting for us, Davenport, a fancy business stallion (he owns the furniture and quill shop here in Ponyville) and Coco Crusoe, a brown and little bit younger stallion. I went back to a smile, and took a deep breath.

"Hehe, sorry about that," I said, and nodded at my two siblings who smiled with me. "What can ah' get ya?"

"Gimme a peck," said Davenport.

"The same for me, thanks!" chimed Coco.

"That'll be two bits each," I said, glancing at my family, as the two of them took out their money. Deep breaths Applejack! "So, uh, we was wonderin' somethin', and uh, maybe you can help us. What would we do, uh, we as in Ponyville ah' mean, if, say, a dragon were to come 'round here? Like a grown up dragon? Bigger than Spike, of course."

The two of them looked at each other and raised an eyebrow, seemed like I stirred them up. Not suspicious, but thoughtful, maybe a little surprised.  

"A dragon?" they said together. "Hm, now there's an interesting question," said the quill seller, who seemed to be thinking mighty hard about it.

"Probably run and hide. The pony way," chuckled Coco. It was queer to hear, like they'd have to run from the most gentle creature. Though I guess I figured that's probably what he would say.

"Well, what if it's a nice dragon?" I said with a nervous chuckle. I hoped with all my heart they'd soften up. Davenport wasn't havin' much of that, though.

"Dragons are fierce. They're absolute," he said, and he was plenty serious. Usually, I reckon they sure are. But I groaned on the inside.

"What about Spike? He ain't like that," I said. My brother coughed and stomped his hoof at me. Ah' know, ah' know... ah' just want an answer. The stallion shook his head.

"Yeah, remember the time on his birthday when he hoarded everyone's presents and got huge? He almost laid the town to waste! If you ask me, if a dragon were to threaten this town, I say we take it out before it takes us out. But that's just me, I've never really given much thought until now. Maybe you should tell the mayor, that could be a good thing to plan for."

"But... b-but what if-"

My big brother gave me a boot with his behind. It was a mighty wearisome comment, but I had to hide myself best I could once again. I turned around and closed my eyes. Don't crack now... gotta stay calm, gotta stay calm for AJ, and the whole family... Thank heaven my little sister had us covered.

"Uh... thanks fer yer business," she giggled, taking the money. The two of 'em took their pecks and walked away, probably wondering what that was all about, but I just lowered my head and let out some wind. It cut me real deep. You heard what he said. It was like something from my worst nightmare. That ain't gonna happen, Applejack. That ain't gonna happen... It just can't happen.

"I told you," whispered my brother, as the two of them came to each of my ears. My little sister had somethin' to say though, too.

"Aw, that's just one pony! They ain't gonna know he's at the farm! If somepony sees him, he just waits till night, then he flies back to the barn."

"No more day flying," said Big Macintosh. "Applejack?"

I reckon they saw I wasn't doing too well right then. I sunk all the way down ground, my legs just gave out from under me. What kind of pickle are we in now? My goodness, this was not supposed to happen.  I wanted to cry, but I couldn't go makin' a scene in front of the everypony. My heart was breaking for him. I turned my head up at the light coming down through the puffy clouds, it reminded me of all the wonderful memories we'd made together. So many days like this me and him have bonded. So much light. Ah' love him so much. What are we supposed to do? We got the most precious gift of our own to raise, and now... this happens. Don't cry, Applejack... please don't cry.

My brother and sister were standing on either side, doing their best to hide me from the crowd, which didn't make me feel any better about myself. I felt terrible; they still didn't even know about our foal. I just wanted to tell them at the right time, but now I felt like there wasn't ever gonna be a right time. Thankfully I remembered one of the Apple family promises right then. Never give up hope, Applejack.

"Hey, it's alright, sis. We'll get him back to the way he was," said my little sis, wrapping around me.

"No matter what comes, we'll face the weather. He's familly, and we're in this together," said my brother, who joined us for a sibling hug. I needed every second it. I think we all did. We didn't care none what the ponies passing by thought, we just hugged good and long.

"Ya know, ah' prefer to take care of you guys, not you takin' care of me," I said, and I think I maybe even smiled a little. And we got somethin' to tell ya'll tonight, too. "This hug is just missin' one dragon."  

Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom both stood up and looked at each other, before they both lent their hooves to help me up.

"We can take over the stand, sis. Why don't you go find AJ?" said the little one, while the big one nodded his head. I took their hooves and stood up slowly, though there was a spring in my heart (and I reckon some roses in my cheeks). It was just what it needed, though I did feel kinda bad leaving them.

"Shucks you guys, that's awful kind of you offer, but are you sure you can manage it without me? Ah' don't wanna pass off the workload." My little sister and my big brother had my back today, though, I could see they weren't gonna let me stay no more.

"Go find him, sis! I ain't done hardly anything all day 'cept feed AJ, and the day ain't got much longer anyhow," said Apple Bloom.

"Eeyup," said Big Macintosh.

"Aw, c'mere you two," I said, and threw myself around them for one more hug. Apples together. After that, I trotted off towards the south meadows to find my AJ.

Meanwhile...

Whoaaa!!!! Spread! Spread!!!! I was headed straight for the ground, nose-dive style (which meant some serious pain along with it); I closed my eyes, spread my wings, and threw my head up until my body was parallel with the grassy meadow, and in a swoosh of wind I shot forward. My gosh that was fun!!! I kept my wings spread and let myself glide just above the ground so I could regroup in-air. Ok, so curling the wings makes you go super fast, so no more of that for a while. I gave my ginormous wings a slow, methodical flap and the air beneath them lifted me about twenty feet higher or so, so I gave it one more flap - careful not to go higher than the trees- and then evenly distributed my weight to the right so my right wing could dip down and I could turn that way and head back towards the lake.

At this point, I'd been flying over the hills and the lake for hours, and it wasn't until just then that I actually tried something new (curling my wings), and discovered that while fun, it was definitely too advanced for a first time flyer. Remember how I lost my balance on my first two tries? Well, it didn't take me long to discover that was because my tail has to be straight when I'm flying, or else it throws the rest of my body's balance off. At first I was tempted to just beat my wings frantically, but I discovered that only really works on the initial take off if you don't get a running start. Just two or three steps and a slow flap that allows air to catch all the area my wings encompass, and bam, I'm lifting off the ground feeling light as a feather instead of feeling heavy and fat. Oh... and I may or may not have eaten a few more fish throughout the day. I couldn't help it. I was hungry!

Alright, anyway, I'll admit it was pretty fun, though I resolved to not fly any higher than the trees; one, because I didn't want to risk anypony seeing me. Two, I had to make sure I had a feel for it and could slow myself down so I didn't come crashing to the ground, and three, I wanted to save the most spectacular views - in the clouds and beyond- for when Applejack was with me. I wasn't comfortable at all flying fast yet, but I had gliding down; gliding is where I just keep my wings spread without flapping and tilt them up or down depending on whether I want to go higher or lower. I had at it down so well I was even confident enough to let Applejack or Apple Bloom or any other pony in the family ride me. Now of course I was (and am) still bitter and embarrassed having been given this lumbering dragon body from Discord. But at least I'm able to enjoy the kicks that come with it now. I can't wait to take her up there with me.

I floated right down the spot by the lake where I had made the resolution to not be miserable and shy away from things like flying, and let my legs touch down and my wings fall to the dirt. I took a few steps and collapsed. This was the first real rest I'd had since I breathed fire over the lake, but as my heart rate lowered and my body relaxed in the silence, I soon became very sad as I rested my head on my front claws and gazed at the surface of the lake just across from me. It was getting later in the day, and sunset would be coming soon, and I was suffering from a lack of Applejack.

I had been able to enjoy myself for a few hours, but now that momentary enjoyment was leaving me and I was back to being all alone, and once again stuck with nothing to do but lie down and come to terms with my new self. Being a dragon had led to me bonding with Applejack in new and wonderful ways, but it had its serious downsides. I don't want to be like this forever. I feel like a big family pet! I can't be like this forever. I can't be a dad like this! I took a deep breath through the nose and watched the dust from the exhale blow away from me. I longed for the company of my wife. I closed my eyes and pictured her bright, smiling face in the sunlight. Deep inside me, I sensed that at that moment that she was looking for me, and that she needed me too. I did find comfort in this; our hearts are always drawn to the other.

But there was only one way to feel profound comfort. I rose myself up on all fours and started walking towards the small forest on the side of the lake to go find her, the one to whom I entirely belong. The joy of being with her her again was starting to excite me some. I'm coming, Applejack. Throughout this majestic valley there are beautiful green and open hills, with the occasional forest and patch of trees scattered about. Surrounding three sides of this lake are open meadows, but the most direct route back to Sweet Apple Acres is the one side there are trees, the route I had run through to get here. I certainly wasn't able to weave through the trees flying, so I just moved along eagerly on all fours beneath the canopy. When I had reached the edge, and about to cross back into the open, I heard her sweet voice calling pleadingly.

"AJ? AJ?" she cried, loudly and tenderly. I stood still for a moment, frozen with excitement, then ran forward and poked my head out of the edge of the forest. She had just passed where I was; she was trotting along the side of the trees, calling into them, occasionally looking out into the meadow and even up in the sky. I was so happy to see her. She looked exhausted too, after a long and anxious day of selling apples; she was more than deserving to end the day in a husband's comfort, and I was happy to give it to her. I wanted to sneak up behind her and surprise her, and initially I exited the forest silently and flapped my wings twice to glide down to her, but when I thought to myself Applejack!, it came out of my mouth as a friendly roar.

She turned around and her eyes lit up as I landed on all fours right in front of her. I reared up and sat back on my tail and turned my head sideways, looking down at her with a big, silent smile. Hello Applejack! At first she appeared amazed to see my brief flight, but when we immersed ourselves in each other's eyes she eventually broke out into a friendly and grateful smile.

"Howdy there, sugarcube!" she said with a warm chuckle. "C'mon, get down here and let me hug you," she continued, and stretched her right front leg out for me. I fell forward on my own front legs and lowered the front part of my head, bringing it snuggly and warmly in under her neck and against her chest, and naturally my body behind me collapsed so I was laying on my belly, and my tail swooshed around slowly as all felt right in the world in the warmth of our embrace. "It's so good to see you," she said lovingly, laying herself down just across from me. You too, I replied, though it came out as a bellow. How was your day?

"Oh sugarcube, ah' wish ya coulda been out there with me today. Guess what; we done sold almost three hundred bits when I left! Oh, and almost everypony was askin' about you. Cheerilee, Lily Valley, Mayor Mare, Junebug, Caramel..."

She meant it as a compliment, and it was flattering, but I still turned my head away for a moment and sighed. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you. "Hey, at least we're together again though, right?" I turned my head back and gazed into her eyes; they were overflowing with kindness, and I nodded my head with a smile. "Ah' figured we could watch the sunset together. Ah' reckon you don't mind listenin' to me talk, huh?" she said with a blush. Oh no! I don't mind at all! I shook my head frantically. "Well, ah' heard you had an interesting day, huh?"  

Oh yes, I- . I let out a dragon-gasp and froze for a second. I almost forgot. It's nearly sunset! I shot up and started jumping side to side, grunting with excitement as she stood up un bewilderment. Do you wanna come flying with me? I haven't been way up there yet, I was waiting for you. After a few moments she started to giggle as I pranced around.  

"What is it, honey?"

I ran around her in a circle, looking at her all the way as her own eyes followed me. If Discord's gonna turn me into a dragon, we can't not go flying at least once together. When she continued to stare at me confusedly, I finally stopped in place. I reared back, briefly beat my wings, and looked up at the sky, going quickly from it to her and it to her. She must've known I'd been flying, as she implied Apple Bloom had told her. Her smile faded and her eyes widened when she came to realization what I meant.

"Oh, you - you want me to go with you?" she said, chuckling with a flicker of fear as she stared up into the sky, which was in its last brightness before darkening with the sunset. I roared and nodded my head up and down. She looked up at the sky with fascination and wonder, though I could see she was a little scared. I knew she wanted to try it though; every earth pony wants to try it living alongside the pegasus. I tried my best to calm down, I stared at her intently and tried to convey to her the feelings in my heart. When she turned back down to look at me, I reassured her with all of my strength. I didn't spend the whole day learning to fly just for me. I know you want to go up there; you told me you've always wondered what it's like to fly. The view would be amazing up there, not to mention romantic. I'm not going to go fast or do anything stupid. We're just gonna go for a glide, the two of us. Let us escape together. When I had finished thinking my thoughts, I sensed that she got the gist of what I was saying, and she smiled, and there was a deep trust in me in her eyes.

"Well, ah' suppose it is nearly sunset, and ain't nopony out here but us. Alright sugarcube."

I roared excitedly and lowered myself down beside her and pointed back toward my body with my head, encouraging her to climb on. I knew Applejack the brave would not pass this up. I was eager for us to ignore our problems for an evening and just have some fun in the other's company. She took a long, deep breath and then starting scratching the side of my neck with her hoof, which I found terribly enjoyable, so much that even tipped over in bliss. She giggled and took off her hat, and I saw as I flipped over and stood back up that she had a long rope tucked away under it. I smugly raised an eyebrow at her; this confirmed she wanted to go flying with me.

"Ah' came prepared," she said, chuckling with a blush. She picked up the rope in her mouth tossed it over my back. She crawled underneath me and grabbed it again, pulling it so it was snuggly in front of my wings on the top but just behind my front legs on my belly. "Ain't too tight, is it?" she asked, to which I gleefully shook my head that it wasn't. I felt tickled at the thought of Applejack riding me; up to this point, she would occasionally let me ride her, but it was admittedly a delightful feeling for her to now be riding me. She started to laugh again, which also tickled me; it was if she knew what I was thinking again. "Ah' never thought ah'd be ridin' you one day, sugarcube."

She tied the rope around her own stomach so that we were now inseparable, a smart precaution even though I wasn't going to let anything happen to her. I watched her from the corner of my eye as she struggled to climb onto my withers. When she initially used my neck to climb on, I could feel her weight, but when she moved to my back, she didn't feel like much at all.

"Alright, gimme one second," she said, shuffling her legs around, and tightening the rope. I could sense her nervousness and excitement, and honestly, I was nervous too. The only time I had done anything like this was when I rode on the back of Princess Celestia from the first testimony. That was a lot scarier because I had no control, no rope to help me hang on, and she went super fast without easing into it or anything. This time, I was in control.

"Alright, ready."

Here we go! I looked back and smiled at her, and she gave one in return, nervous but reassuring. I was nervous too, but I was ready to try it with her. I took a few steps slowly at first, then broke into a jog. That's when I heard a squawk from my back and felt Applejack's front legs reaching around the bottom of my neck and holding tight, so I planted all four of my legs in the ground. Everything ok? I yipped, turning my head.

"Heh, sorry about that, ah'm fine, ah'm fine," she said, chuckling and pushing herself back up. That time, only half her weight was on my neck, since her back half was on my back, and my neck was certainly strong enough for that. You can stay like that, I don't mind. The truth was, I actually enjoyed it of course, because I wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

After a short pause, I leaped forward and immediately broke out into a run over the Equestrian meadows. "Whoa!!!! AJ!!!" I heard Applejack cry as she fell forward and once again held on tight to my neck. This time, though, I kept running as the wind blew in our faces; we were getting off the ground, and faster seemed to allow for a smoother take off, I'd discovered. Hold on! Tail and body straight, spread wings, and flap! I flapped my great wings once, and off the ground we lifted as Applejack fearfully clung tightly to me. I tucked my legs back, and three more flaps and just like that we we were lifted up about forty feet or so. Then I left my wings spread and just let us drift smoothly along over the meadows. With these huge wings, gliding is easy. I felt Applejack sitting back and heard her gasping with wonder and cackling with excitement behind me.

"This so much fun!" she cried, as I happily looked back and saw her gazing out over the scenery. You think this is fun! I tilted my wings and let them catch more air, drawing us higher to about a hundred feet or so, and soon that turned into two or three hundred. The gorgeously bright day in Equestria was coming to and end, but with just enough time for us to look out over wide setting with all the bright colors of green, blue, and white. "It's so beautiful sugarcube. Look, ah' think I see the farm!"

I hadn't been this high yet, and I too admired the beautiful aerial view of the valley along with her with a deep and profound fascination that was made better with her being there. Slowly but surely I let us drift to about a thousand feet, and what an incredible sight it was, as the two of us began to relax and enjoy the cruise. Every time I looked back, Applejack's emerald eyes went from the scenery to me with a tender smile and intense gratefulness, and it was almost enough to make me forget everything. Earth ponies were the humblest of the three; they could neither fly nor use magic, but today I had given her the gift and thrill of flight. I love her with all of my heart. If only you could see how much fun we were having now, Discord.

"This is amazing," she said into my ear, as she once more fell forward and rested her head on the back of my neck as she reached around and hugged it. I looked up at the blue and sky and the puffy clouds above us; we were already half way to them. Much to both of our exhilaration, I flapped determinedly and we soared swiftly upward into the blue and white in a loud noise of wind given our speed, until we burst through the clouds.

"Whoo hoo!! Yee haw!!!!" shouted a laughing Applejack. I tipped my wings and dipped us up and down, swimming through the white puff like a dolphin breaching the surface of the ocean. My own heart rate was through the roof in the rushing air; I wanted to laugh triumphantly myself, but instead I settled for a roar. It was a blast that we'd never experienced together, and we felt like the prince and princess of adventure and love.

Eventually we reverted back to the slow, quiet, cruising pace we had before, but only we were remained above the wide great lake of clouds, high in the sky. We flew into the horizon of the setting sun; above us, the sky had turned a dark purple, and as our gaze moved downward towards the area in front of us, the color of the sky went from purple, to pink, and finally to orange as we observed the last light stretching out over the land. Overhead, the evening star twinkled brightly in the darker twilight of dusk. My wife, whom I think I'd worn out, watched it sideways; she was back to leaning on me, though this time she was relaxed. All of our problems were suspended as we basked in the company of each other.

"Ah' love you, sweetie," I heard her whisper into my ear. She didn't say much at this point, and neither did I of course, but we spoke to each other lovingly in the silence of our hearts. Rest now, my angel. I closed my eyes briefly and let the breeze brush off my face. Then I opened them back up and observed the sun sink over the horizon, followed by the rising of the moon. As I looked upward into the breathtaking expanse of stars, I couldn't think about anything other than how much I loved the pony on top of me. I remembered before we married when we used to escape together into the meadows after nightfall to gaze up at them, and how with each word she spoke, the more adorable I found her, and the better I understood how uniquely pure and selfless she is, in all her countryness. I also knew it was time to retire for the night, I didn't want her falling asleep back there.

Ready? I bellowed, and turned my wings downward so we began our descent into the darkness-covered land below. We sifted through the clouds and made our way downward, though not too fast; I was sure to let my wings catch plenty of air. I searched the moonlit plains below for any kind of landmark I could follow to know where to glide in the direction of home. I could vaguely make out the Kingdom of Canterlot perched upon the side of the mountain on the other side of the valley, and I knew Ponyville was only some miles south of that down in the valley, so I straightened us out in that direction. We had many miles to fly, but it didn't take long at the clip I was going. Hm, I've got an idea.

At nighttime, I can get away with flying two or three hundred feet above ground; my black underside is virtually undetectable in the night sky. I saw the landmark town hall in the center of Ponyville and quietly drifted us just a few hundred feet over the rooftops of the sleeping town. I passed right over Sweet Apple Acres (which was a beautiful sight from the air, even at night) and I heard a whisper from behind.

"Uh, sugarcube?"

I looked back and smiled reassuringly, asking her to trust me with my eyes, and when she looked ahead, I think she realized where we were going, and she shot me a friendly beam of approval. I turned back around and guided us over the meadows, hills, and forests we had spent those nights staring at the stars together. I had thought about taking us to the "secret spot" but I decided I wanted to return to the lake where I had been, as the grass beside the lake was very soft there. Where are you?Aha!

I lowered us right down beside the twinkling lake at the top of the grassy hill beside it and let my feet touch the ground just beside it. Then I lowered myself to the ground for my wife to climb off of me.

"Whoo-eee! Ah' am plum tuckered, but that was so wonderful, sweetheart," she said, crawling down from my back and once again scratching the side of my neck, which I enjoyed every second of. I stood up and stood still, allowing her to bite the rope off of me. I stared at her affectionately as she pulled it off. "There ya go!" I rolled over on my back and the grass beneath it massage my body, then, without moving, I looked at up at her. She walked up to my stomach, and before she could do anything I swooshed my tail around and pushed her right into it, and cuddled her in my limbs (though not my claws of course), and she started laughing wildly. I held her tightly and then released her and rolled over on my stomach, so we were both laying side by side. We stared up at the stars again in silence, just like we had before. We were no less in love then we'd ever been.

"Ah' miss hearin' your voice," she finally remarked in a weary tone. Even though her humble eyes were full of love, there was also deep anguish. I was immediately reminded of our situation, and the distress of the uncertain future overtook me, too. I am so sorry. I sighed. I brought the tip of my nose to just beside her belly, so it was as close as it could be without touching it, thinking to myself how much I loved and cared for what was growing in her. The mystery of our love was not only was I united her in spirit, but in the creation of new life. We were going to have a son or daughter of our own. There is perhaps no better way for me to love to Applejack than to love our child, and there is no better way for me to love to my child than to love his most devoted mother.

I looked up at her, and the two of us stared in silence, pouring ourselves out into the other. We scooted ourselves to each other, and I rested my much larger head against hers, and let the warmth pass to each other. Then we rested both our heads to the ground. I knew we were going to sleep here tonight, so I stretched out my left wing and gently set it on top of her. I took a deep, long breath through the nose, and pulled my right claw out from under my stomach. I noticed a bare patch of dirt just beside me where I had rolled and apparently torn up the grass. I looked intently at my claws on my right front foot and began to swish them around, unconsciously making squiggly lines, even tipping it sideways so I was just using my "index" claw. That's when it hit me. Wait a minute...