My Time with the Farmer

It had been six months. Six long, sweet months of just me and applejack. I had moved out of the house and moved to a cooler, and much more cozy place in Colorado. It was December twenty fourth and I was decorating my home for Christmas. I was stringing up lights outside when applejack. Came out into the freshly fallen snow.

"So Joe, I like you spiffin' the place up and all, but what's with all of this and the tree in the great room." She asked.

"It's for Christmas. It's a Holliday that we celebrate on earth. It was a little over a week after Christmas when I found you." I said focusing on the lights. Cursing as one of the bulbs cut my hand.

"I like holidays, but this is more than  just a celebration. This is big. I just don't understand why." She asked. I helped as I fell face first off the ladder. I heard applejack giggling. I pushed myself up and shook the snow off my face but it was still clinging to my hair and thin moustach I had allowed myself to grow. "Hey grandpa," she snorted.

"Why you little," I said slinging a snowball at her which she hopped out of the way of gracefully.

"Ya gotta throw better than that if you wanna hit me pops" she said with a snicker. I chucked another one at her a bit to the right of her and she jumped right into it. I rolled over and laughed holding my ribs which I was sure had been bruised. "Oh it's on." She said making a snowball and flinging it at me. It missing my head by an inch. I quickly scrambled up as another one hit me in the chest.

"Ooofff." I said holding the right side of my chest. I quickly dove behind my car and made another snowball. I turned around right as applejack  flung another one and hit me square in the face. She snorted again.

We played like that for hours until we oth got tired and went inside. I fixed us some hot chocolate while applejack sat next to the fire. I grabbed a blanket and draped it over he shoulders and sat down next to her. She snuggled up close to me and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Joe, tell me the story of Christmas." She said sipping her hot chocolate.

"We'll its about the night Jesus was born. You do know who Jesus is, don't you." I asked her.

"No, but I take it that he is mighty important." She said with a yawn.

"We'll, in my religion, Christianity, we believe that god sent his son tho save us from the evil in this world. And all he asks in return is for is to love him. Like I love you." I said looking down at her and kissing her on the cheek. She looked up at me with a smile and snuggled in closer. I could smell the sweet scent of apples on her breath. We sat their until she started to snore lightly started to get tired myself. I went to go get a few pillows and sat them on the ground and laid down on the one next to applejack and pulled the blanket over us and fell asleep next to the fire. When I woke up it was snowing softly outside as the sun crested the horizon. It cast its weak orange light through the mountains and flooded the great room. I went onto the kitchen and started up some coffee. As I sat there and looked at the sun coming up, sipping my coffee and looking at the sun applejack joined me. She sat down on my lap and stared out the window.

"Hey applejack, I got you something." I said as I slid a package wrapped up in apple pattern paper from under the table. Applejack looked down at it surprised. I picked it up and set it on the table as she tore off the wrapping paper to reveal a box. Inside the box was a black Stetson hat like the old worn, brown one she had lost when I got shot. Applejack gasped and put it on.

"I love it," she said missing me. "I just feel bad I didn't get you anything."

"I don't mind, the kiss was good enough for me." I said with a smile. She leaned up and kissed me again. We moved into the great room and flicked on the TV and started to watch the parade when there was a knock at the door. I was caught by suprise but applejack just jumped behind the couch and hit there. I answered the door still in my boxers. I peeked out to see something strange. Standing in front of me was on of the most beautiful looking mares ever. A tall white one and a smaller midnight blue one with several other smaller horses in tow.

"Kerry Christmas Joe," they all said.

"How, how do you all, besides celestia, know my name. Or where I live. Why are you even here. And how did you know it was Christmas." I asked them looking around wildly.

"Why Joe, we are here to celebrat Christmas with you and applejack." She said in a calm tone despite my less than pleasant tone.

"Oh right sure common in." i said motioning them on inside. "Applejack, we have company." I called out as she jumped over the sofa. "You guys can talk while I go change." I said rushing up stairs. I got to my room and shut the door. The freaking princess of ponies was in my living room with her sister and applejack's former friends before she ended up here. I decided to put that past me and pulled a pair of pants on a swell as a sweatshirt from my old high school(go tigers) and hustled down stairs to see everyone sitting there talking. I snuck past them and into the kitchen where I made some hot chocolate and toast. When I walked back into the great room with the tray of drinks rainbowdash was telling a story.

"And then the storm cloud comes back towards me I swear smiled and disappeared." She said as I sat the drinks down on the table. I sat down as they all started to talk again.

"Splendid hat darling." Rarity said to applejack.

"Thanks, Joe got me it to replace my old one." She said. Twilight sipped her drink and sat silently. Pinkie and Luna were chatting about something to with moon cheese. While rainbowdash told stories about her strength.

"And then I lifted the manticore and threw it across the everfree forest." Rainbowdash said.

"Oh please," applejack said. " I could beat you in a push up contest with one hoof tied behind my back."

"Your on," she said.

"I'll join to," I said. I removed my sweatshirt revealing the finely toned muscles in my back and chest from drawing back the bowstring thousands of times. Everyone's eyes went to me, especially Luna. I smiled back at her which made her blush fiercely. All of us dropped to the ground and began.

This went on for a while. Finally rainbowdash gave out and left me and applejack there. I had gotten into a rhythm but after about 150 my arms started to burn. I started to struggle and so did applejack. At about 187 we both dropped to the ground, exhausted. My arms burned and sweat poured from my face I stood up and donned my sweatshirt while Luna sighed and fluttered her eyelashes at me. After that we just sat there and talked until the sun went down.

At six thirty, celestia pulled me aside.

"You do know why we are here. Why I'm here at least." She said softly.

"I have a pretty good idea." I said looking down at the floor. "I just have one question, why would you send her here. You knew she was here. Why did you wait until now." I asked

"Whenever a ponies heart gets restless, I send them into the world of the humans so they may fulfill their adventure and return home." She said. " I chose you because you were applejack's guardian. Like your father was fluttershy's, and your Grandfather was Rainbowdash's."

"Could I at least say goodbye." I asked. She nodded. I walked into the great room and pulled applejack aside into my room.

"AJ, you know why those ponies are here right. They're here to take you home." I said. A tear forming in my eye.

"Oh that's great, your going to love Equestria." She exclaimed.

"No applejack, you don't understand. I'm not coming with you." I said a tear rolling down my cheek.

"No, that's crazy, I'm not going to leave you," she said grabbing my waist. I knelt down and she wrapped her hooves around my shoulders and sobbed into my chest. I hugged her back and stroked her mane. Celestia opened the door and looked down. I looked up at her. She nodded and closed the door. Applejack looked up at me and kissed me. She held me there for a while until she heard a knock on the door. She broke the kiss and answered the door. Celestia was standing at the door.

"It is time for us to go." She said to applejack. I stood up and followed applejack out the door into the great room. Every pony thanked me and gave me a hug for an awesome Christmas. Luna whispered in my ear that she thinks I'm cute which normally would have made me blush but it didn't mean a thing to me now. I was to numb to feel anything. As the walked outside into the snow. I saved to them one last time. Applejack looked back at me, her eyes red and puffy. She smiled and tipped her hat at me and then they were gone in a flash of light. All that was left was a note in the snow. I scrambled out into the snow and picked it up and read it.

times have changed.

Nothing will be the same.

Ill be back for you,

In three years time.

Just be ready,

When the clock strikes nine.

It confused me. I need to ask what it meant. But I guessed that only time will tell. I moved back towards the house sat down next to the fire and began my three years of waiting.