Sweet Apple Summer: A Braeburn and Pinkie Pie story

The heat of the morning sun was just beginning to scorch the summer sky over Sweet Apple acres as Braeburn and Apple Jack stood at the top of a grassy hill that over looked the fertile land that was yet to be touched by the hooves of the Apple family. The Everfree forest loomed ominously in the distance, and beyond that was a rough terrain of hilly scenery and mountain crags that glowed clay red in the sun's light. Braeburn took in the site for all the glory that it was, smelling the fresh air, admiring the rising sun as he basked in it's warm light. The beauty of this place always seemed to remain the same, no matter how many times he'd come to visit. The labor-hungry stallion could feel almost as if the virgin land was beckoning to him.

Apple Jack looked to her cousin to gauge his response. Such a mission she had for him would be a daunting task for most, but her cousin surveyed the land and, as expected, he could only smile. "So do you think you can handle all of this before the summer's end, cuz?"

"This shouldn't be a problem," Braeburn replied to his cousin with a confident and determined grin.

"We have ordered saplings by the plot load, but the company that is supplying them can only bring so many in on one day." Apple Jack pointed to a large wagon that stood lonely in the middle of the vacant, grassy field. "Them there are the saplings we have for today. Plant all of those and then it should be lunch time. After that, you can come down to the orchards to help me and Big Mac with the apple buck'n for the rest of the day. Take a break whenever ya need one."

Braeburn turned his head to look at the wagon in which twelve apple tree saplings stood, ready to be planted. The sides of the cart had hooks that suspended all the tools that he would need: A shovel, a pick axe, a rope, and some stakes, just in case any of the saplings were too frail to stand up on their own.

Braeburn quickly took inventory of everything he brought with him in his saddle bag: His homemade bowie knife, a leather skin full of water, and a loaf of bread if he were to get hungry before it was lunch time.

"Ah got everything Ah need, cuz." The golden stallion confirmed with a smile and a nod.

"Alright, then. You know your job, and Ah got mine to do. I'll see ya at lunch time." Apple Jack gave her cousin a quick hug before turning away with a whip of her tail and a flick of her mane, and she was off to assist her hulking brother with their chores.

Braeburn's work was done how it always was: Quickly, efficiently, methodically, and without pause. His routine of digging the holes, then planting the saplings, then burying them had nearly put him in a trance. It was physically exhausting labor as the saplings were nice and heavy; just the way he liked them to be.

When he buried the saplings he had the shovel strike the earth at a quick, rhythmic pace. Braeburn made a game out of it. He moved the wagon farther away from his work site so he could carry the young trees a greater distance. One sapling was not enough for him. He'd hold one sapling in the cleft of each foreleg and balance another sapling on the back of his head; his fit physique and hardy constitution was honed through the years of this strange habit of turning even the least physically taxing of tasks into harsh tests of his endurance; it always made the work seem fun when it was more of a challenge.

The work-savvy stallion happily hummed to himself as he walked back to his wagon, and to his satisfaction, there were no saplings left to plant. He looked back at the land and paused proudly to survey his work. The twelve baby trees stood erect from the ground in a strait line. He then looked at the sun which was not yet at it's zenith, indicating that it was not time for lunch yet, but he was getting a bit hungry. He lashed his saddle bags to his flank and dug out the loaf of bread to eat it on his way back to the orchards where he was off to join his cousins.

He made his way from the grassy plane and into the thick orchards of his family farm toward the location his cousin told him she would be. But, just then, he heard a feminine voice that was not that of his cousins'; It was too high in pitch to be Apple Jack's, and it was too mature to be Apple Bloom's.

"Why can't I see him now?" The familiar voice rang out like a bell.

He then heard Apple Jack's voice. "Because, sugar cube, he's working on the new land, and it's crucial that he finishes planting those trees before the next shipment arrives."

The other voice became even higher and whinier than before. "But I'm having a welcome to ponyville party for him tonight, and he needs to know what time it will be!" The whiny voice was followed by a chorus of angry stamping hooves.

"He'll be here when he gets done. Can ya just sit tight?"

"No!" The whiny voice cracked and became even higher. "There are two ponies in Ponyville that haven't been accounted for, and I need to track them down before it's too late. That's two ponies, count em, two ponies that wont be able to make friends with him! If I were the sheriff around here that would be a federal offense!"

Braeburn could finally see her now. The pink mare was rolling around on the ground and thrashing her legs about like a spoiled little foal. Braeburn hated to admit it, but he would have liked to see her carry on for a bit longer; she just looks so darn cute when she's angry.

"Miss Pinky?" Braeburn called out. "What's all this ruckus about?"

"It's not a Ruckus!" She insisted. "It's a fracus!"

"Not too keen on the difference." Braeburn retorted. "What's got you in such a tizzy?"

"Apple Jack wont let me talk to you, because she's a meanie!"

"Well, that ain't very neighborly of her. Why ain't she letting you grace me with your presence?"

"Because!" The pink mare ranted as she proceeded to roll about and thrash her limbs. "You're out working in the field, and she thinks I'm going to distract you!"

Big Macintosh opened his mouth, about to speak, but Apple Jack raised a hoof and silenced him. "She'll figure it out in a minute, Big Mac. Just give it time."

"Oh," said Braeburn with a boyish grin. "Ah must be having one of them out of body experiences, then."

Pinkie Pie lay still for a moment and panted to catch her breath from her exhausting tantrum. She slowly rolled over to lay on her side and looked at Braeburn for a moment before her mind registered what Apple Jack and Big Mac had already figured out.

Braeburn's foresite and past experience with the Pink Mare had tipped him off to what was about to happen. He let Pinkie Pie stare at him a moment more as he walked and stopped in front of a sturdy looking apple tree.

Pinkie Pie's eyes and mouth widened into a radiant smile as she slowly began to rise to her hooves.

Smiling, Braeburn lifted his right rear leg and placed his hoof against the tree behind him.

Pinkie took one hop, a skip, and a jump before landing with her forelegs crouched down and her posterior in the air, her tail  and rump slowly wiggling about like a cat about to pounce.

Braeburn took a quick moment to push the tree with his hind leg to test it's sturdiness.

Then the pink mare took a bounding leap. "Urge-Hug!" she yelled out like a war cry.

She made solid impact, the force traveling down from Braeburn's chest, out through his hind leg, and absorbing into the tree which shook as the stallion transferred the power of pinkie's charge into it. An apple fell from the tree, and in a smooth display of dexterity and hoof-eye coordination, Braeburn deftly reached out and easily snatched it in mid air as Pinkie Pie hugged him. He then took a generous bite from it before wrapping his forelegs around Pinkie Pie in return, enjoying the embrace with a slight blush.

Apple Jack cocked a curious eyebrow as she observed Braeburn's behavior. His head was down so his hat would obscure his eyes, but his toothy grin and pink lines on his face that showed under his fur made his affection for her pink friend obvious.

Pinkie pie released her grip and skipped back so she could face her new friend.

"You got a lot of power in that hug of your, Miss Pinkie," Braeburn stated before he ate the last of the apple in two large bites, followed by the core, slinging it in the air and catching it in his mouth with a loud chomp.

"Ah, I was gonna ask for a bite!" Pinkie complained.

"Not a problem," Braeburn said before turning around and punching the tree lightly with the hoof of his right foreleg. Two apples fell and Braeburn snatched them both before they could touch the ground. He opened his gaping mouth and bit off  large portion of one of them before holding the other apple out for Pinkie Pie as he chewed with a content smile.

Pinkie Pie graciously took the apple before nibbling at it like a corn cob, the red, round sphere some how spinning about in her hooves as it gradually lost mass with each interval, and bits of the peel flew in every direction like a piece of lumber put to a circular saw.

Apple Jack and Big Macintosh watched on in silence as their strange interaction continued.

"Thank you!" She said cheerfully as she held the core out and spun it on her hoof.

"You don't eat the core?" asked Braeburn.

"Eww, no way. Did you know that apple seeds contain traces of cyanide? No thanks!"

"I'll take it off your hooves, then," Braeburn offered.

"Waste not want not," Pinkie replied before tossing it to Braeburn who playfully caught in his mouth and practically swallowed it whole.

Pinkie Pie snortled at the silly stallion.

Braeburn raised an eye brow and tilted his head slightly. "Apple Cores are good."

"Yeah, whatever you say," Replied Pinkie Pie, waving a dismissive hoof.

"What did you need to say to Braeburn?" Apple Jack reminded Pinkie Pie impatiently so they could get back to work.

"Oh, yeah!" The pink mare suddenly remembered. "The party is going to be at seven tonight. Everyone in Ponyville is invited. Make sure to bring your appetite."

"Well, shucks, miss Pinkie, I feel a bit awkward having a whole party in mah honor," Braeburn said. "Ah got an idea though."

"What's that?" Asked Pinkie.

"How about just you and me?" Braeburn asked with a shy, yet confident smile.

"Silly!" Pinkie responded. "A party isn't much of a party with only two ponies!"

"Ah know, but it don't gotta be a party. You can just show me around town. We can maybe have dinner, or see a movie, or both?"

Apple Jack leaned toward her big brother so only he could hear her. "Is it just me, or is Braeburn asking Pinkie Pie out on a date?"

"Eeyup," he answered.

"That sounds like it'd be fun, but everypony already knows about the party. That shell I launched in the sky yesterday was basically an invitation for everyone who could see it. It could hurt somepony's feelings if I just uninvited them so I could have you all to myself."

So she can have me all to herself? Braeburn thought for a second. As much as he liked the way she phrased that, she had a point.

"If you'd like though," Pinkie pie continued, "I could show you around town tomorrow night."

Braeburn smiled warmly before saying, "That sounds good to me, Miss Pinkie."

"So, you'll come to the party tonight?" Pinkie asked, her eyes widening into hopeful, shimmering orbs. "I promise it wont feel awkward. You'll be having to much fun for it to be."

"Of course. Ah'm look'n forward to it, so long as you'll be there."

"Of course, I'll be there, silly!" Pinkie laughed. "I'm the hostess with the mostest!"

Braeburn looked down for a moment, completely forgetting his obligations to his cousins for that instant. Then he blurted, "You wanna do something until then?" He could hear Apple Jack clearing her throat loudly. He looked at his impatient cousin for a moment who cocked an eye brow as she glared at him.

"Ah think ya got some prior duties to fulfill before ya run off and elope with Pinkie, cuz!"

Embarrassed, yet composed, Braeburn smiled sheepishly and said, "On second thought... I'll see ya at seven."

"Great!" Pinkie Pie cheered and, to Braeburn's surprise and bewilderment, the mare threw a hoof full of confetti in the air before bouncing around excitedly on her tail.

"I still have to track down two more ponies, so I can get a head count of all who are coming. I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah," Braeburn answered in a far away tone as he rubbed the stubble on his chin, perplexed as to the origins of the confetti the pink mare had just strewn about.

"I'll see you around~" she said playfully in a singsong voice before abruptly ending their conversation and skipping away merrily.

Braeburn watched her leave, admiring her tail, among other things, as the exuberant mare sang to herself while she bounced gleefully back toward the town of Ponyville.

The confetti anomaly was quickly thrown from his thoughts as the stallion could feel his pulse quickening, spreading out all four of his legs, he slowly slumped to the ground on his belly, little hearts practically rising from him and bursting with little pops as he blushed profusely with a narrow eyed smile.

"Well, well," He heard Apple Jack laugh..

"Hmm?" Braeburn hummed questioningly in response, seemingly still intoxicated in his state of romantic euphoria.

"You got yourself a little crush, Ah take it." Apple Jack said amusingly.

Braeburn rolled over to his back to look up at his cousin who was now beaming at him. "Now that's a mare, Ah tell ya."

"Yep," Apple Jack agreed. "She's definitely a mare alright. Of that I am certain."

The love struck stallion rolled over to his belly before getting back to his hooves. "Alright," he said. "Let's get to the apple buck'n."

"You sure snapped out of that fast," Apple Jack commented, surprised by Braeburn's sudden change in disposition.

"We need to get this over with as soon as possible. Ah saw a beehive on mah way back to you guys." The stallion's brain seemed to race with an assortment of different thoughts as he brought up the random topic.

"Uhh... Alright, then." Apple Jack commented as she took her hat off and scratched her head confusedly. She looked back at her brother who had already returned to his labor without saying anything. Not giving it anymore thought, she stayed quite and shrugged her cousin's vague statement off before returning to her work.

And the day went on as it usually did for the Apple family as they toiled in the orchards. Braeburn was successful in providing entertainment throughout the day with his silly antics and quips which made the day for his cousins seem as if it went by faster than it actually did. Eventually, the sun began to lower, and it's radiant shine dimmed to an orange, rippling glow as it had begun set.

Apple Jack wiped the sweat from her brow as she inspected the wagons that contained the apples they had harvested for the day. "This is a nice haul. Ah don't think we've ever had this much in one day. Ah'm mighty proud of you, Braeburn! You did fine work, like always!"

"He's gone," said Big Mac.

Apple Jack's mane whipped as she spun around. "Where'd he run off to? He does know that his party is starting in a few hours, don't he?"

"He said something about a beehive before he ran off..."

"Again with the beehive," Apple Jack sighed. "You don't think he's up to something dangerous, do ya?"

Her tired-eyed brother could only respond with a curt shrug.