The sunset was drew to a close, the night began to take dominion of the sky and the color scheme covered Sweet Apple Acres in a beautiful shade of red. Over the path that leads from the apples fields to the farm, a couple of figures moved slowly. Applejack walked staring into the sunset, and the pegasus at her side did the same; only that he looked at her intently. His heart was beating rapidly and his thoughts were fixed on the beautiful mare that walked beside him. He knew that if it wasn´t now, maybe he will never have another chance.
"Aren't beautiful the sunsets in Ponyville Shadow?" She asked him.
"Aaaah... yeah..." Shadow gulped. Applejack's voice took him by surprise while he was lost in trying to gather the courage to tell her something from the bottom of his heart. "They´re stunning... more so... when you appreciate them with someone who you estimate."
Applejack lowered her head, not daring to look at him. Her cheeks were painted with a soft scarlet shade, but the evening light hid it perfectly. The rest of the way they did it in silence; only their steps and the noise of the wheels of the small carts made them company.
The rest of the Apple family was away; they had won a trip to Manehattan and to Las Pegasus in a contest. Applejack didn´t feel quiet leaving the property alone for so many days. Even though her friends had offered to take care of the farm in her absence. She told them no, however, unknown to most of them, days before the departure of her family, she had received a letter from somepony very special; somepony who she had met a few months ago during a Hearts and Hooves Day in Canterlot.
They met at Joe's cafe when she covered him with a milkshake by accident. Applejack slipped and her tray fell on the head of a gray-haired pegasus. She was sure that he would scream her filled with anger; however, he began to laugh and proved the drops of the drink that were falling from his mane. He approached her and Applejack froze in place before she could say anything. He looked at her and smiled.
"You know? This have been the most original way, in which someone has caught my attention. Hi, my name is Shadow, and yours?"
She had her heart in her throat. Nervously, she took his hat and covered her face. "A-Apple-Aapplejack..." She could not hide her embarrassment; her cheeks were as red as the apples of her cutie mark. "I... I'm so sorry... please... forgive me... it was..." He raised his hoof in the air and she was silent.
"Wait, did you said… your name is Applejack?" She nodded. "Applejack owner of Sweet Apple Acres?... Applejack, the national hero?... The element of harmony?" He said full of surprise and with a smile from ear to ear. She just nodded not knowing what was going on.
"By Celestia!!! I never thought I'd see the day I'd meet someone as important as you. Please let me invite you whatever you want."
"But, if I was the one who..."
"Forget it… is past water. Now, what do you say, do you accept my invitation?"
He gave her the most tender puppy eyes he could and Applejack could not take it anymore. She accepted and the two began to talk, they laughed and knew each other all day long until the evening fell on Canterlot. He accompanied her to the castle and when they parted, he gently kissed her on the cheek and she felt the heat rising to her face. Then, he said goodbye and she watched him fly away. A small accident gave her the best Hearts and Hooves Day of her life.
After that, the two kept in touch by mail, and each time that she visited Canterlot with her friends, she always looked for a way to escape so they could see each other. In her letters, she told him about the adventures she had with her friends and how was everything on the farm. He told her about his life as a lawyer, and of how he had managed to get that Queen Chrysalis and the changeling race were accepted in society. At first to Applejack this doesn´t seemed so nice, but it had been some years since the incident at the wedding, and the attitude of the changeling queen has had a significant change. Maybe it was because now there were four princesses to face her if she planned something, but they were only guesses.
In the last letter he had sent her, he told her that he will take a vacation and would love to visit her in Ponyville. She almost threw the house out the window when she knew it, and without hesitation, she said him she would be delighted to have him as a guest. Explaining to her family that during their absence she would have a "friend" at home was not easy. Big Mac was angry, he didn´t like the idea that his sister will stay alone at home with somepony to whom he didn´t know; and less if that somepony was a stallion. Applebloom thought it was great and Granny Smith just smiled and gave a malicious glare at her granddaughter. Applejack just laughed nervously and told them it wasn´t what they thought.
Shadow came to the village a few days before the Apples left the farm. When Applejack introduced him to her family, Applebloom scream of excitement and jumped on him. Shadow caught her with his wings and hugged her tightly. When the filly asked if he was her sister´s coltfriend, the colors left his face. Applejack tried to hide her shame under her hat while she told Applebloom to go and play with Winona. Granny Smith stared at Shadow and said she was glad to know that her granddaughter was in good hooves. The poor pegasus turned white when the elder Apple said with a smile full of malice and a mischievous look that she was sure that the two of them would spend a good time together in the loft upstairs.
"Granny!!!"
Screamed Applejack. Granny Smith just laughed and sat in her rocking chair and fell asleep. When Shadow finally retrieved the color and his breath, he realized that he was facing a wall of red muscles. Big Mac pulled out his chest and stared at him.
"Follow me; let's talk in a more private place..."
Was all that the huge pony farmer said. Shadow followed him without knowing what to expect, this had been quite an experience for him.
Applejack was worried; two hours had passed and they had not come back. She began to think that maybe Big Mac had done something to make Shadow run away, so with a little fear, she decided to find out. She walked to the barn and gradually began to listen music, somepony singing out of tune and laughters. When she reached the door, she stood with eyes wide open as soup bowls. Shadow and Big Mac were hugging each other and singing to the rhythm of Colt Daniels while in their free hoof they had a jar of cider. The two clashed their mugs and drank every drop.
"Shadow *hic* you know?... you're… a great guy... Ah *hic* Ah'm glad my... sis- sister has… a-friend *hic* li-like you..."
"And you Bi-Big *hic* Mac… you… are... Like the *hic* bro-brother... *hic* I never... had... Cheers to that!!!"
Shadow said and raised his jar so high and so hard that he fell to the ground with a thud and laughing nonstop. Big Mac rolled on the floor laughing uncontrollably with tears in his eyes. Applejack was relieved to see that her fears were just crazy ideas. She went back to the home laughing and left the two colts finish and seal their relationship.
"Well... this turned out better than expected." She told herself.
The next day, Big Mac gave the pegasus a tour across his apples fields. Applebloom accompanied them and Shadow carried her in his back. On the way, she talked about her friends, her adventures and how she had obtained her cutiemark.
Applejack and Granny Smith set out to prepare food and things for the trip. The rest of the day passed in peaceful tranquility. She took him to meet the town and to their surprise, when they arrived to Twilight´s home, the rest of her friends were there. When they saw her enter accompanied by the pegasus, all of them put a smile full of malice on their faces.
Questions like, "who's your friend?" or "is he your coltfriend?" didn´t took long to be heard.
Applejack blushed more and more before each question. Shadow tried to save her by saying that they were just good friends, but he couldn´t hide his nerves either. Rainbow Dash was more direct and said that if her farmer friend had no hooves enough to talk to Shadow, she was more than ready to take him away. After hearing that, Applejack felt the fire of jealousy burn inside her by the first time. Rainbow burst out laughing at the attitude of her best friend towards Shadow.
The afternoon had arrived when they left the library. Applejack's thoughts were a tangle of confusion; hear all the advices and questions of her friends made her realize that something had come into her heart. She looked at her friend and then the truth hit her. She knew what it was, but, how to say it? After all, he was a great and successful city pony, there was no way that he was looking for a rural pony like her... or maybe, was there a chance? That thought made her sigh and hurt her deeply.
The next morning, the two accompanied Big Mac, Applebloom and Granny Smith to the train station. Then, they went to Sugar Cube Corner to buy some pastries. Applejack decided to not open her stand in the market and took Shadow to the lake. They shared the small snack and returned to the farm. She had to harvest some apples for a small order and he offered to help her. Although Shadow could fly, the harvest of the apples took them all the day.
The freshness of the night received them when they returned to the farm; they left the apples in the cellar and went into the house for dinner. Applejack was doing everything possible to not look at Shadow. Her heart told her "Come on, be brave and tell him how you feel." But her mind would not let her do it. Unknown to her, her friend was in the same situation. To him, she was a great mare, she was everything that he had dreamed to find in somepony. But also, he felt that insecurity, what if she didn´t feel the same?
"You know?" he finally said. "These last days... have been the most funniest of my life..."
"Mine too... Shadow... now you're like part of the family... I'm glad of have threw that milkshake over your head..." She said with a smile on her face. Shadow looked at her and started to laugh too.
They dined in silence after that. Shadow stayed in the room while she took a bath, then he did the same when she finished. They parted and went into their rooms. The hours passed slowly, Shadow could not sleep and went down to the kitchen for a glass of water. He looked out the window and saw the beautiful starry sky and the stunning full moon. A shooting star passed through the sky and he wished for the courage to tell Applejack what he felt for her, the courage to confess that love that was burning now inside of him, and that nothing else that her company could quench it.
He climbed the stairs heavily, and when he opened the door to his room he stood perplexed. On the bed sitting on her hind legs was Applejack, her long golden mane fell over her shoulders and part of it hid her face, making her look innocent.
"He- Hello... Shadow..."
"Aaaah... hi... Apple- Applejack... What happens?"
She wanted to say something, but stopped when he advance, he got on the bed and sat in front of her, the silence floated between the two.
"Shadow..." Applejack finally said. "You know… you're one of my best friends… at your side... I'm so happy... you're smart, funny, strong...and… a- atractive..." She looked to one side and her cheeks had a pink shade. Shadow said nothing, just listened. "And... I have to say... I like you... so much... I... I can´t deny it anymore, but... I know that maybe… you do not feel the same for me... well, I bet you have more beautiful and feminine mares than me in Canterlot..." Her eyes began to fill with tears. "But this I feel... I could not hide it anymore... so... if you don´t..."
Applejack stopped talking and gasped when she felt how Shadow´s wings hugged her and made her get closer to him. The warmth of his body and the embrace of his wings filled her with tranquility; she rubbed her face against his chest and looked up. Shadow´s blue eyes were fixed on the beautiful green eyes of the earth mare. He stroked her long hair with his hoof and then he placed both hooves on the cheeks of his loved.
"Applejack... you're the most perfect mare I have ever met... you are strong, proud, hardworking... but… over all... you´re beautiful. Since that day at Joe´s cafe... I knew you were that special somepony for who I had waited so long..." She was crying of happiness now. "I love you Applejack... and I will always do it."
She smiled and hugged him even more strongly; they shared the moment in silence until she finally said something with tears in her eyes.
"I love you too Shadow."
Both shared a smile and their lips finally met over and over again. There was nothing else to say. The moon casted her light over them while it moved over the sky that night.
