The grandfather clock in the Apple family living room ticked slowly and loudly in the silence of the room. The rocking chair had stopped creaking a long time ago and its inhabitant, a light green old stallion hardly even snoring, hung with his face forward and down and gave barely any signs that he was even still alive. A pair of birds twittered in the trees outside the window then flew off with a show of flapping their wings until they left and the house fell silent again.

Applejack was sitting in a single sitting chair, hat pointed down where it covered his eyes so that no one could see them. A single strand of hay hung out of his mouth and he chewed it as he slowly turned over to Rainbow Blitz sitting on the larger couch next to Red Gala.

“I thought you said Dusk was comin’,” Applejack said slowly.

“He is,” Blitz said without facing him. “I managed to convince him.”

Applejack slowly turned back to facing forward. “I notice you’ve been at Elusive’s lately.”

“I have a flying competition coming up,” Blitz said, simply and methodically as though he’d been planning it out for a long while. “I thought he could make me an outfit that would give it a little flair.”

Applejack chewed at the piece of straw. “You’re startin’ to sound like him, too.”

Blitz swung his hooves back and forth, slightly off the ground. “Perhaps,” Blitz said indifferently. “Similar aspirations and such. He has his suits and I have my flying. It’s performance, but in two different fields. I can no more explain a dress or suit than Elusive can explain how a pegasi maintains flight.”

Applejack pointed his piece of straw towards Blitz. “How many times have you had to repeat that in the last week since our date at the restaurant?”

Blitz shrugged, his eyes moving over to Applejack’s. He couldn’t see the farmer’s eyes under the brim of his Stetson, even though last time he checked they were open. His eyes meandered up to where he saw a little spot that was darker than the rest of the hat and shuddered a little bit.

“It’s nice you’ve been doing this for Applejack,” Red Gala said softly, causing Blitz to startle. “It might not look like it, but he’s been happier and more excited about this than he’s been in a while.”

Blitz shrugged and looked over to the red mare. “What are friends far, you know? I mean, Applejack’s always been a decent partner of mine and I intend to see this through.”

The mare laughed. “You really are the Element of Loyalty. I ain’t ever seen anyone as dedicated to it, even if you don’t quite understand why.”

Blitz laughed, then leaned in close. “I’ve had a little help,” he whispered. “Still isn’t exactly normal, but at least I know a little more.”

Red Gala looked at him for a while in confusion, but then smiled. “Love isn’t exactly you’re most skilled area, is it?” she asked.

“You could say that,” Blitz said, looking towards the ceiling. “I’ve never been able to hold a marefriend for long. I always had them run off on me.” Blitz smiled, and soon laughed. “Something about being too fast for them.”

Red Gala laughed. “So Blitz isn’t just your name?” she giggled.

“You could say that,” Blitz said. “But, yeah, I’ve had to look into some romantic advice.”

Applejack turned over towards Blitz, eyes still hidden under his Stetson.

Red Gala didn’t seem to notice. “You probably could consult Dusk Shine on something like that, couldn’t you? He seems to know everything.”

Blitz sighed. “That would be a good option if that wasn’t who your brother was trying to woo.”

Red Gala shrugged. “You could ask for yourself, then. ‘Hello, Dusk. Do you have any books on how to keep a mare’s interest?’ Simple as that.”

Blitz nodded and looked down at the floor. “True.”

The answer left no real room for a response so Red Gala fell quiet, which was exactly what Blitz wanted. The only sound left was the slow ticking of a grandfather clock and the sound of hooves coming down the dirt road. The three ponies all swiveled their ears towards door as the sound of hooves came closer, eventually tapping on the wood porch outside and falling silent.

There was a long pause. After what seemed like hours, there came the sound of three, slow, steady knocks on the front door in the hall just outside the living room.

The old stallion was startled awake with the sound of a snore cut off midway. He looked around the room before focusing on Applejack. “That must be the mail,” he said. “Get the mail, will you Applejack?” he asked.

Applejack pushed the brim of his hat back to reveal his eyes staring worriedly out into the room. “Yes, Grandpa Smith,” he said. He slowly got up in his chair then turned to face Blitz and Red Gala. “I’ll be right back,” he said, and began walking slowly out of the room.

Applejack stood in front of the door for a long time. He turned around to see that Grandpa Smith had gone back to sleep but Rainbow Blitz and Red Gala were looking at him expectantly. Applejack turned back to the door and sighed, gulping just a little bit before opening the door.

As he expected, it wasn’t the mail pony. It was Dusk Shine. He stood warily in the door and looked Applejack up and down, not saying a word.

“Dusk Shine,” Applejack choked out.

“Applejack,” he said.

Applejack exhaled loudly, unsure of what to think or say.

“Can I come in?” Dusk Shine asked.

Applejack nodded. “Yeah.” He stepped aside so that Dusk Shine could come in.

Dusk Shine stepped in and sat Red Gala and Rainbow Blitz sitting together on the couch. Red Gala had scooted a few inches closer and Blitz seemed to act casual as though their hooves weren’t anywhere near each other despite Red Gala being only an inch or two away. That’s what I’m used to, Dusk Shine thought to himself as he walked into the living room.

“Glad you could make it, Dusk,” Rainbow Blitz said.

Dusk Shine nodded absentmindedly. “I thought you had work,” he said.

“I have a bit more loyalty to my friend than I do to my position,” Blitz replied. “And it doesn’t take me that long anyways.”

Dusk Shine blew a piece of his mane out of his face before turning to Applejack. “Is everything ready?”

“Nearly,” the farmer replied. “I just have to pull the blanket out from the hall closet. I’ll be right back.” He motioned to a seat. “Sit, if you want.”

Dusk Shine shook his head. “I’ll be fine.”

Applejack nodded and left the room.

Dusk Shine looked over to Red Gala and Rainbow Blitz. “So, do you two have any plans?”

“Weather patrol,” Blitz said. “Napping in a tree or on a cloud. My usual.”

“I need to pick up a loaf of bread from the bakery,” Red Gala said. “Afterwards, I have to sort out the apples from the harvest.”

Dusk Shine went red in the face. They aren’t… oh… “Well, sounds like a normal day.”

Blitz nodded. “Yep.”

Applejack came out from the hallway with a red and white checkered blanket. He went into the kitchen and picked up a small basket, which he put on his back on top of the blanket. He sighed and looked at Dusk Shine. “You ready?”

Dusk Shine bit his lip. “I don’t know if I ever will be,” he said.

For a moment, Dusk Shine could see a little shimmer appear in Applejack’s eye. But before he could tell if it was there or he was seeing things, Applejack blinked and it disappeared. He steeled himself and started towards the door. “Well, then, let’s go.”

“We’ll be heading out, too,” Red Gala said. “You know, make sure no one’s here to bug you. Blitz, you want to walk into Ponyville with me?”

Blitz nodded. “Sure. I probably should pick up lunch from Sugarcube Corner anyway.” He turned to Applejack and Dusk Shine. “Enjoy yourselves. For what it’s worth.”

Neither Applejack nor Dusk Shine replied. Rainbow Blitz started hovering in the air alongside Red Gala as they made their way along the road out of the ranch and towards Ponyville. Meanwhile, Applejack led Dusk Shine off the trail and into the orchards. They climbed out of the small valley where the farmhouse was situated and headed off until they reached a point where the orchards ended. Their entire journey was taken in silence.

From there, Applejack led Dusk Shine up a small hill towards the shade of a few large oak trees. In between them was a nice, flat piece of ground where Applejack placed the blanket and set down the picnic basket. Dusk Shine started taking out their lunch, which happened to be a plate of finely-cut sandwiches, a few apples, a salad from fresh ingredients straight from the market, apple turnovers, and homemade potato chips. It was all rather neatly arranged and presented, Dusk Shine noticed as he pulled each one out and set them on the blanket.

The two sat down to eat, both facing away from the oak trees. The sun shone bright and warm though it was cool in the shade of the trees, where Dusk could hear a pair of cardinals whistling their mating calls. Down below, two rabbits frolicked in the shallows of a small creek, and even further beyond that Dusk could see the sights of Ponyville and its residents wandering around, in particular a cyan pegasus with a rainbow trail kicking at clouds and turning the sky clear and bright blue.

“Why did you agree?” Applejack asked.

Dusk Shine munched on a potato chip while he thought. “Blitz told me to think of it as data.”

“Are you goin’ to at least try to give this a chance?” Applejack asked.

Dusk Shine started to feel bad and guilty with himself. “It’s called ‘experimentation’ for a reason, I suppose.”

Applejack lazily took a bite of his sandwich. Despite having packed a decent-sized lunch for the both of them, Dusk Shine could tell that Applejack himself didn’t look that hungry.

“So this is just a science project,” Applejack said.

Dusk Shine shook his head. “Look, I felt really bad for you after just walking out at the restaurant. I wanted to try and make it up to you.”

“So it’s pity, then,” Applejack said, not even looking at Dusk Shine. “Look, if you don’t want to do it, then go ahead and go. I won’t stop ya.”

Dusk Shine found himself in a strange position. Applejack had just given him permission to leave. If he wanted to, Dusk could just get up, walk down the hill, and find himself back into Ponyville’s main square in about ten minutes. But whatever force had brought him there and made him accept Applejack’s offer in the first place made him stay. He grabbed an apple and took a bite of it.

“When was this one harvested?” Dusk Shine asked.

Applejack looked over at him curiously. “I bucked it off the tree a few days ago.”

The apples hadn’t even been made available in his stands quite yet. It tasted like it; crisp and fresh, juicier than any he’d ever tasted and bursting with flavor. Applejack had gone out of his way to make sure Dusk had the best. It was also apparent with what Applejack pulled out of the basket next: two bottles of cider; cider season wasn’t for weeks. Applejack gave one to Dusk, who looked at the bottle and felt something lurch inside of him.

“This isn’t even available yet,” Dusk Shine said with a slight awe as he took the bottle from Applejack and rolled it around in his hooves. “But… why?”

Applejack seemed surprised. “This is special. I wanted to do something special. I suppose one of them was makin’ sure the stuff I gave you wasn’t anythin’ less.”

Dusk Shine opened the bottle and took an experimental sip. The crisp flavor of apples contained a slight cinnamon spice and a sweet vanilla finish. He stared at the bottle in awe. “…this is the best cider I’ve ever tasted,” he said. “I mean, even out of you, it’s the best.”

Applejack allowed a small smile on his face and Dusk Shine could see his eyes brightening. “The cinnamon and vanilla is a new thing we’re tryin’ this year,” he said proudly. “Glad to know it already has a positive review.”

“It doesn’t even need any ice or extra cooling or anything.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Ice?”

Dusk Shine grimaced. “Sorry about that. It’s a Canterlot thing; bitter ciders are placed in ice to mellow the flavor. This… this starts bitter, but it’s refreshing with a sweet finish.”

Applejack smiled even bigger. “Thank you. Seems odd that you’d put ice in a cider, though. The apples they were usin’ were probably too bitter to begin with.”

“What types do you use for the cider?”

“We typically invest our sweeter varieties like ambrosia or jazz, sometimes red delicious. But every once in a while, we’ll make one with braeburns. This batch was made with the braeburn cultivar.”

“Did you know that the first braeburn’s were made by an accidental crossing of a Granny Smith and a Lady Hamilton?”

“Yeah. My great-great-great grandmother was Lady Hamilton’s granddaughter. She was the one who discovered the braeburn.”

“Oh, wow! I bet that was a big breakthrough.”

“Kind of. My older cousin in Appleoosa – Braeburn; you met him when we brought him an apple tree – owns a whole orchard of them. They’re quite popular because they chill easily. But otherwise, they’re just another apple.”

Dusk found himself smiling. “Don’t say that.”

“You can’t tell a braeburn from an ambrosia,” Applejack said with a smile on his face. “Don’t tell me they’re not just another apple until you can tell me the difference next time at the stall.”

Dusk Shine went red in the face, but found himself laughing. It wasn’t long before Applejack was breaking down and laughing himself. Dusk Shine found himself rolling onto his back, and Applejack soon followed suit until they were both on their backs laughing. It wasn’t long before each of them was calming down and they were staring up at the leaves of the trees.

Dusk was the first to sit upright again. “It’s really pretty up here,” he said. “I mean, you can see the whole valley from here. It’s so clear I can see all the way to Canterlot.”

Applejack heaved himself upwards. “Yeah. This was ma and pa’s favorite spot. Their first date was when pa took ma up to this first spot.” There was a moment of silence. “I was told this is where I was conceived.”

Dusk Shine found the last piece of information a little awkward and blushed. Yet there was something else that kept him smiling. “That’s kind of sweet, you know.”

Applejack looked over to Dusk Shine. “Whaddaya mean?”

“It’s kind of romantic,” he said. “I mean, your parents had their first date up here, and this is probably your first date. And you brought it up here.”

Applejack smiled and looked down at Ponyville. “I suppose I hadn’t thought of it that way.” He chuckled a little. “Ma would be proud of me.”

The sandwiches and apples were finished off and the chips were nearly gone. Dusk Shine took a bowl of the salad and started to eat it; it was tossed with a cool, sweet balsamic dressing.

“Have you ever been on a date before?” Applejack asked.

Dusk Shine nodded. “Five times with the same mare.”

“Really? Who were they with?”

“Princess Blueblood.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “The same one that Elusive railed on?”

Dusk Shine smiled at the irony. “She wasn’t so bad, then. It was about a month before I left for here, matter of fact, when we had our last date. We walked through the gardens and she took me out to lunch before going to the theater.”

“How come you never followed through with it?”

“We went our separate ways. I became caught up in my studies, and I just couldn’t feel anything for her. She was actually rather sweet to me, even though she argued with nearly everyone else. Surprisingly, when we were there for my sister’s wedding, I talked with her and she seems to have mellowed out.”

“Did she try and go out on another date with you?”

“She apologized for what she did with Elusive first. She asked for forgiveness. That was it. I gave it to her, though. She seemed sad, though. Like she knew we’d never be together.”

Applejack nodded. “How did you feel about it?”

“Well… I’m glad she’s still my friend. But I don’t think I could become royalty. I’m more at home here unless I’m visiting with family or my old foalsitter.”

Applejack laughed a little. “City boy’s done gone and turned himself country, then?”

“I suppose so,” Dusk said. “Suppose I should get a Stetson like yours, then, huh?”

“My pa gave me this one,” Applejack said. “So unless your pa gives you a guard helmet or somethin’, you’re out of luck.” But he took it off and placed it on Dusk’s head, pretending to scrutinize it. “It does look cute on ya, though” – he cut off to a rather spot-on impersonation of Elusive – “but it doesn’t go with the pink at all, darling.”

Dusk Shine laughed harder than he meant to, but he didn’t hold back for one second. Not only had the joke actually been hilarious, but it was kind of cute to see Applejack loosen up from his usual serious, work-minded self. And, for some reason, Dusk liked seeing it from him.

Half an hour later, their lunch was finished and they walked past the farmhouse. Applejack had started telling Dusk Shine a story about how Applebuck had gone and gotten himself stuck in a tree.

“…and I swear he started mocking me!” Applejack was saying. “He started sayin’ he was a cat and started giving off these little mews. Well, he let me buck him out of the tree the minute I said I’d have to get Red Gala to come over with a ladder.”

Dusk Shine laughed. “You know, I’ve heard Prince Solaris muse once we’re like cats. Heck, you could probably dangle a ball of yarn in front of anyone and they’d bat at it at least once.”

“Applebuck did that with an apple on the floor of the kitchen when he was just learnin’ to speak. We have a picture of it in the album I should show you sometime. It’s actually pretty cute.”

Dusk Shine saw they were back at the house. “Maybe later,” he said. “I should try and see if there’s anything I have to send to Prince Solaris.”

Applejack nodded. “Thanks for comin’ along with, though.”

Dusk Shine sighed. “Yeah. It was better than I thought it was going to be.”

Applejack’s eyes seemed to lose a bit of the glimmer they had earlier. “Well, I suppose that’s it then?”

For a long time, Dusk Shine was silent. Finally, he shook his head. “We could… try this again sometime.”

Applejack was so surprised he bolted upright and his hat jumped slightly off his head from the jerk. “…really? You… you’d really do that again?”

Dusk Shine nodded. “Yeah. Maybe I kind of have to think of it like data, but good data needs multiple points, doesn’t it?”

Applejack found a smile growing on his face. “So… Sugarcube Corner next Friday?”

Author's Note

I don't know why I kept Braeburn a male. Or why I kept Blueblood's original name.