The Path She Treads...

by Higherbeach

Rating: mature
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Sex, Anthro, Applejack, Original Character
Length: 7649

Sometimes, fate gives you a curveball. Sometimes, that is just what you need.

Being a long distance runner can give you some decent benefits. Maybe even the heart of a country mare if you get lucky.

Edited by: Benny
Pre-read by: Auramane

Published 2013-11-27 21:20:04 UTC
Last updated 2013-11-27 21:20:04 UTC

The Path I Follow.

A musky smell, dim lighting, stools everywhere, and enough cackling laughter to give anypony a headache. This describes the little bar called 'Punch Up'. Owned by Berry Punch, it is one of the best places to get a drink at any hour; even two in the afternoon, when almost everything about the place changes, especially the clientele. I am one of the few customers it has throughout the day, at least until the work day ends. Another constant companion, is the deliverer of several of the ingredients for the bar to make food and drinks. She is perhaps the entire reason I still come here during the day, that and to cool off from my three hour morning run.

To be honest, I am surprised more stallions don't come here for a chance at her. They wouldn't get much competition out of me. Not that I look bad, because being a runner, I am in great shape, and I hear I’m pretty good looking. My light blue coat makes me stand out rather well, though my black mane doesn't add to that. The problem is, she doesn't send out any of the usual signals. She treats me like a good friend, though, so I won't complain for now. Speaking of treating, it’s almost time for her usual drop off...

As I turn to the door, it begins to swing open, revealing that very mare. A beautiful golden mane in a ponytail, her tail of the same hue contained by a single band, her coat a pure orange adorned by three apples for a cutie mark on her flank. Light green eyes that light up any room with ease, and a stetson hat that she is never caught dead without. A jingle makes it's presence known to me, as a familiar voice pipes up.

"Well, howdy there partner. How you been since last I saw ya?"

"Hello there yourself, Applejack. I have been doing, rather well. How have you been since our last little meeting?"

"Eh, I can't complain. Applebloom tried to get a cutie mark in veterinary care, but thankfully Winona got away before any real harm could be done. How was your marathon last week? Did you manage to place this time?"

"Actually, I won this time! Closest guy was a good four miles behind me." Applejack is so surprised that her jaw actually drops, and I thought it was only a cartoon thing.

"You can tell me about it in a moment, got to drop off my package for the day." She quickly turns around and exits the building, and I see the purveyor of the bar walk through the door.

"Don't stare too long or she may get the wrong impression, lover colt." Berry Punch, the best bartender with anything besides apples this side of Manehatten. As beautiful as she is with her reddish purple coat and mane, most ponies are too afraid to approach her due to her status as a mother. It was a drunken mistake she would never undo, but unless you actually talked to her, you would never actually know.

"As if I even had a shot. She probably has stallions lined up for miles just to talk to her, let alone date her. Maybe I’ll speak with her, but knowing my luck things won’t go according to plan."

“Ain't that the truth." A smile tugs at my lips as as Berry laughs loudly.

"Alright, delivery’s out back, Berry,” Applejack says as she comes back in, and she turns to me. "And you, spill the beans, how did ya do it?" As Berry disappeared into the back, I began the tale of the great marathon race.

***

"So let me get this straight, you just kept running for two days straight, and that is why you won?"

"Yup. I told you AJ, if anypony can win a marathon race, it is me. I have ridiculous stamina and I can keep running for days if necessary."

"Still, that seems a might dangerous."

"For your average pony, maybe, but remember, this is me we’re talking about! There is no limit to what I can do. My body can handle the stress far better than most ponies.” Aj gives a small chuckle before her expression becomes serious.

"How about a business venture then?" This venture could be heaven or hell, a chance or a dead end.

"I'm listening." I must be stupid.

"I could use some help on the farm. Big Mac started dating again, and I could probably cover what he is missing, but I don't want a repeat of the last time I bit off more than I can chew. As for money, I can pay you the same rate Mac gets for the work you complete." As if I need to think about this, a chance to spend more time with the beauty-

"Sounds good, but no need to pay me that well, I probably can't do all that he can." Correction, I must be messed up in the head.

"Heh, we'll see about that. Anyway, I best be heading out. Think you could come to the farm tomorrow around, say, one in the afternoon?"

"Sure thing AJ, I'll be there." A friendly smile, a pat on the back, and Aj was on her way with trademark smirk worn on her face.

"Seems to me like somepony is getting a little closer to his dream mare."

"Haha Berry, good one. We both know this doesn’t mean anything."

"We’ll see."

-Two months later-

My once temporary job has become a second profession for me. Helping AJ on the farm went so smoothly that Granny practically shoved me into the job permanently. I was nowhere near as fast as Applejack or as good as Big Macintosh, but thanks to my training, I could keep up with them, all I needed was time. Mac was still dating, but he never seemed to find that one special somepony. Every time there was just something wrong. Even mares like Twilight and Cheerilee didn't work out, regardless of the hopes of the Apple family. It seemed like it would be a while, so when Granny pushed, I walked along with it. The only problem was Applejack still doesn't send out any signals. I have only been in three relationships, but there were always some very telltale signs to look for, but she sends none of them.

I have been on the look out for a mare, though. The fall is coming, and couples will start drifting together, solidifying their relationship over the winter and eventually staying together through the spring, but again I will be alone. Not that Applejack has found somepony, either, though.

"Get your butt over here! Can't have a family cook out with our number one worker day dreaming now can we?" Snapping out of my day dream, I head over to the Apple family barn and prepare to eat. It’s an Apple family tradition for the workers to eat a meal together after the last harvest of the year to celebrate. As I have been working the land, Big Macintosh invited me a few days back. I didn't have any races to attend, so I gladly came to enjoy a family meal for the first time in a while.

"Sorry about that, just got to thinking."

"This little get together reminding you ‘bout your family back home?" AJ asked.

"Not really, don't have a family." The sounds of discussion and preparations to eat come to an immediate halt. I remember how big they are on family, and I mentally berate myself for saying such a thing in front of them.

"What do you mean you don’t have a family? How can anypony have no family?" AJ looks positively clueless.

"Well, from what I gather, I was born from a mother who was from a good family, but she fooled around while her husband was out and ended up pregnant with me. When she refused to give me up she was tossed out, eventually abandoning me to an orphanage in Trottingham. It wasn't exactly glamorous, but I lived. I have since met my grandparents on my mother's side, got into a fight, and then moved here to try and have a decent life. Long story short, never had a family to start with."

"Didn't you have a family at the orphanage?" After a moment, Big Mac decided to speak up.

"Oh, there were ponies there that would claim it, but not a one actually treated me like family, preferring to associate with me whenever something good happened to me and distancing when it was them getting the good stuff. Until I came here, I took it as fact that, no matter what, nopony else would be there to 'just help'." Just as a dark mood was settling, the wisest pony I ever met stepped in to get things back on track, if a bit awkwardly.

"Well you got us ain't ya? We may not be related by blood, but we are family. Before you go denying it, remember that family is there for family, and you certainly been there for us, so we will be there for you, sonny. Now, let's stop all this sad talk and get to eatin’ before the food gets cold." Thanks to Granny Smith, the atmosphere lightened, and we moved on with our lives, until near the dead of winter that is.

***

Things between Applejack and I haven’t changed a bit. She has certainly been friendlier, treating me as she treats her brother, but it seems my hopes are falling, as well. Marathon season will be starting up in the end of February, when the odd weather makes the races actually exciting. Today however, I am on a trip with AJ through town on a small shopping trip for the farm to keep the variety up for the meals. At least, that was the plan until a certain rainbow-maned pegasus showed up demanding we get some shelter.

"What do ya mean 'get indoors now'? What in tarnation is going on?" Aj asks Rainbow Dash. The pegasus is another very popular lady in town. A naturally gifted flyer with a perfectly lithe body and beautiful blue coat, to say she wasn't attractive would be a lie, but right now, attractiveness is far from anypony's mind.

"I mean that the weather team has been trying to hold off a big storm from the Everfree, but it will be here any minute! This is an emergency! We might not get it under control for days!"

"Days? I can't be stuck here for days! Where will I go and how will I get these groceries home? Speaking of which, I got to get to them." As Applejack tried to run, Dash blocked her path.

"No-can-do, AJ. If you want, I can deliver the stuff and tell them, but it is just too dangerous for you to go." Looking over and finally spotting me, Dash became pensive for a moment before coming up with a solution, "Alright then, how about this guy's place? His house isn’t that far from here. Go there and you should be able to get through this storm, no problem." Applejack prepares to protest when snow starts to fall around us.

"And now we are out of time. Either you guys go there, or I fly you there and deal with whatever comes." AJ looked around and, sensing this is probably not the best time to argue, drops the issue entirely, shoving the food we bought into Dash's hooves.

"Fine, take them and go tell my family I'm safe. We will get to safety." Dash nodded and she took off, leaving as I take AJ by the hoof and lead her to my house. The slow snowfall from just a few minutes ago is replaced by a swirling vortex of white, white, and more white. We barely get into my house and close the door before the winds reach dangerous levels. If we had tried to get to the farm, we would have frozen to death! As a pegasus, Rainbow Dash should be fine, but all the pegasi in town still won't be able to rest easy. All available pegasi would have to deal with this storm as soon as possible. Hopefully the damage will be minimal, and we can go home soon. I noticed that Applejack is shivering, snow clinging to her coat unlike mine.

"Alright, let's get you warmed back up. My bathroom is not that far.” I picked her up and took her to the bathroom, just a bit off of the living room we started in. I took a towel off of the rack and began to rub her back. Although it took a while to warm back up, she is back to normal with no apparent problems.

"Thanks for that. Glad we were so close to your place. You got a fire place, hot plates, or something in here? Feels awfully warm in here." As I lead her back to the living room, I let her know exactly what she is in for.

"Don't have a fireplace and didn't have a chance to pick up any new hot plates. You feel warmer because I just rubbed you down, and it warmed your coat. It is still rather cold here, and there is no fireplace, don't need it." Although AJ was confused, she decided not to push it and enjoy the natural warmth of a small home with two bodies in it. Being a single story house with two bedrooms and two baths, there was plenty of room in the house for the two of us..

"The hot plates I have are from last year, so I do not know if they still have a charge. We may just have to stay close to be warm." Hot plates, gotta love them. Invented four years ago, they quickly became a large part of the world during colder times. They are small, stone blocks with a magic crystal in the center. Until the return of the Crystal Empire last year, they were rather expensive, but last year they became relatively cheap. Just one can heat a house like mine for a week, but although they are relatively cheap, it is not easy to recharge them, so they don't normally keep more than six months.

"Well, we won't know until we try, right?" There is an odd inflection in her voice, it is almost as if-

'No, going to cut that off there. Better to not get hopes up that are going to die horribly.' After burying those thoughts again, I found myself holding out the freshest of the year-old hot plates. Sadly, although it worked, it was only barely so, and it was hardly able to produce any heat at all. It was still something, but the amount of heat it gave was dismal at best. Our one hope for warmth besides each other, was basically gone. If anything happened to the house, we would probably be dead before anypony could find us.

"Well, seems we will be sharing our body heat to live, now, is there anything we should do before we settle in for a bit?"

"Well, I think we should eat, have a bit to drink, and then settle in for the night covered in blankets. That sound like a plan?"

"Sounds good, we got enough blankets to cover ourselves, and it’d be a nice way to hopefully get through this quicker." My heart actually fell a bit, until she added a bit more to her statement. "I am just worried that Granny or Applebloom may not fare so well. I know Mac will do what he can, but you can never really stop worrying about family, ya know?" As my heart came nearly back to where I was previously, I gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. I headed over to my kitchen to prepare dinner, and noticed immediately that the temperature is quite a bit lower than normal. Perhaps the enchantment needs refreshing, would have to talk to Twilight about that later. I quickly head to the stove and turn the knobs. I can hear the gas running, and soon, I have it alight. Normally I would wait for a pan, but in this case, getting it working may be the better option. It took a full hour to prepare and cook the food thanks to some frozen shut doors, but with Applejack's strong arms, we did get to eat something. It was only a simple grilled cheese sandwich and a salad, but at this point anything would help.

An hour later that we huddled in my guest room, I taking a small, inflatable air mattress to sleep on, joined her in the same room. I had gathered all the sheets in the house, and with her on the bed, we fell asleep.

I awoke a few hours later from an odd dream befitting Discord. I noticed Applejack was no longer in the bed asleep. Panic flew to my mind as I remembered basic training for survival and in a situation like this, I needed to find her. Worst case scenario: she was delusional from the cold and could get herself killed. As I stepped out of the guest room, I saw the door to my room slightly open. I approached and opened the door, greeted by the sight of Aj holding up a picture, the only one I kept before moving here, of me and my family. She looks behind her, fear pervading her entire being.

"Look, I'm sorry, I jus-"

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't exactly keeping it a secret, just didn't want to try playing a sympathy card or something." She visibly relaxed and soon became rather curious.

"If you don't mind me askin’, how did... you know..."

"Well, it all started with a day at the races seven years ago. I was entered to run for my school in a regional track and field event. It wasn’t the things they hold here in Equestria. Mostly because I know of few schools that still do ‘go till you drop’ challenges. There were twenty-four of us at the start, and we started off with an hour long bike ride over various terrain. This got a few, but most of us were good to go.

"Next up was the distance running. After an hour, five of the original number stood strong. In the end, I won without breaking much of a sweat, though most people thought it was because of my heritage, the town wasn't exactly friendly to us, least of all a mixed blood like me. One guy got so angry he actually punched me in my right wing. Bone poked through, but the doctor said it was fine. Should have known I needed a better opinion. It became infected and had to be amputated in Cloudsdale. My parents decided to have my other amputated so I would look less... odd." She had tears flowing down her face, but as I watched them, I saw them turn to snow. This was no time to finish this story.

"Look, I will tell you the rest later, but right now it is getting dangerously cold in here. We need to keep warm now more than ever. Let's get back to the guest room and get those blankets on us."

"I guess this explains why you don't need many hot plates, huh? Would just be a waste of money if your mother wasn't-"

"She's long passed now. Seriously, we need to get back into the war-" I couldn't even finish my sentence before my roof collapsed. Thankfully it didn't collapse on us, but it cut us off from the kitchen and guest room. No faulty hot plates, and no blankets. The worst case scenario may not have come, but this was a close second. AJ looked just as horrified as me, so I assume she realizes just how bad this is.

"Well, shit."

'Did AJ just cuss?'

"Oops, sorry, bad habit I picked up in Manehatten a few years ago. But this is pretty bad. How are we going to keep warm?" Thinking on this a moment and trying my best to ignore the fact that Applejack never cussed, I think until what amounts to a solution forms in my head.

"Alright, let's take the mattress and lay it in the closet, there should be enough room for it. We will have to huddle close, but we can use my clothes, towels, and whatever else we can find to warm ourselves."

"Bu-"

"There will be time to talk later, but we need to get through the night, AJ. I would rather have the time to talk, then to talk our time away." She tries to think of an argument before running into my bathroom and grabbing towels. We found ratty linens and used them and the other stuff we found to wrap ourselves together. In this state we were warm, but it brought up a new issue. We were face to face in the same bed and between the same sheets. Our bodies were touching, but that was to create an air pocket. These things and more raced through my mind as her head slipped underneath my chin.

"I think... I think now is the best time to finish your story. I can't go to sleep, and the distraction may do us both good if ya feel alright 'bout it." I can't tell if she is truly nervous or not, but I guess if you can't trust the Element of Honesty to be honest, then Discord is crazy again.

"Alright. Not much to say really. Mom... she always worried that I wasn't doing well for some reason or another. Heck, I think she felt the loss of my wings more than me. Her worry finally made her collapse a few months after my surgery. We were assured it was just fatigue, but not even my little sister believed it."

"Eh."

"Ah, that's right. Never really talked about the rest of my family. That picture was taken a few months after mom became pregnant again. I keep a picture of my sister in a locket, but I stopped wearing that after I moved here. Anyway, over the next few months she started to really dive in health, and soon she was permanently in the hospital. It wasn't long after that she finally passed. She became delirious, and she was left unattended for just a bit too long. Ended up thinking she was part of the Equestria Games swim team and did a lovely swan dive off the roof. She landed about ten feet from us." AJ froze, becoming completely stiff as she processed the words.

"I ended up blocking out the mental image, but sis, she was driven into her shell after that to the point of needing mental help. She changed after that. I held on hope even after I moved out that she would one day get over it, but then she regressed even further. She lost the ability to see me as family and actually jumped me. I had seen her flirting and had hoped it was a good sign, but it seems she is so lost, base instinct dictates her actions. I assume it is because she doesn't want to believe it was her mother, so she is throwing away the notion of 'family'. But at this point it is all conjecture.

"When I finally realized my sister wasn't coming back I decided to talk with dad. That is when I knew I had to leave. One disaster after another pushed dad back into something I never expected: alcoholism. When I got home he did everything short of attacking me. I realized I had no family left, no future in that town. I got a visa and a real estate agent, and I got out of there in two weeks. I left behind a lot of things, but I kept a few important memories like my locket and that picture. Ponyville wasn't my first stop though.

"My first stop was Detrot. I kept the locket on, but eventually the memory of what she had become was too much. I just threw it in a cabinet and moved to a small town. I wanted to forget, maybe start a family. But most mares aren't looking for romance, and those that are have much higher sights then me. Imagine my surprise that mares everywhere are virtually the same. They want perfection and won't settle for anything less until they are passed their prime." Applejack started to squirm, guess I hit a nerve.

"The first mare I found here who was open to relationships and was different, was Rarity." That spiked her attention. "I asked her out as more of a joke, but color me surprised when she accepted. The date could have gone better, we simply never connected. However, she gave it an honest answer, and thankfully it didn't leave either of us with a bad taste. In fact, every mare I met that is a good friend of her’s has proven to not be the standard I found." That gets AJ to sigh in relief. Guess she was worried she might have given off that feeling herself.

'Silly Applejack, there is nopony that would-' Taking the time to just look at her, to notice her movements, it suddenly strikes me how odd everything is. The fact that she invited me to be part of some family events is not something unheard of, but besides family and good friends, I am the exception. Add to that the sheer amount of time Applejack and I work together and that the decider is either her or Mac, a possibility presents itself in my head. A quick thought to how she was acting recently, and it seems almost certain.

She had been warming up to me gradually since we met and since I started to work at the farm, but it just never clicked. I can't just act on an assumption, but-

"I can understand the feeling." AJ's voice brings me back from the depths of my thoughts like a bolt from the blue, or Rainbow Dash. "The girls and I get asked out all the time. We aren't anything special in looks besides Rarity, but our status as the element bearers makes us so popular. Not a one actually cares for who we are. Even that Flash Sentry stallion only really wanted to make Twilight his because he thought he deserved her. She wasn't even a pony in his eye. Heck, I reckon most of us turn down our suitors now just for the fact that they want us for things, not us. Now though, I think I'll tell ya mah tale. It's only fair."

"You don-"

"Yes, I do. It was about a year after Applebloom was born. We were a happy family, and everything seemed to be going our way. Then the farm got into bad times. For some reason, most of the trees on the plantation started dying. An acquaintance of Granny said he could help, but the price was ridiculous. Even after he cut it down for his good friend. We ended up going to the Lord of the area, and he offered to help pay, for a price. We were desperate, so we accepted. The deal was, the youngest Apple over the age of 13 had to sleep with him." Shock swept through me, swiftly followed by anger. Applejack continued her tale, but it seems there is somepony who needs a good lesson taught.

"My mother begged and pleaded, but in the end I was forced to be his. Problem being he never planned on being kind. Mah parents dropped me off, sobbing, and they were taken to 'wait things out'. Turns out he was a lot more cruel than planned. He drugged me, and when I awoke I was being bucked from behind, suspended over my parents. It hurt so bad. I couldn't even see straight. From what I would later learn, that lord had loved my mother and hated that he was spurned for my father. He had even been the reason our trees were dying.

"He weren't gentle either. He nearly killed me from my perspective, and nearly ruined me from a stallion’s perspective. After a few days of this, he had my parents killed and decided to keep me, telling others we had never arrived. In the end, his daughter double crossed him. She was a noble’s daughter through and through but rose above it to save me. During one of our 'sessions', the royal guard broke in and arrested him. We received an apology from her majesty and enough money to get the farm back up and running, as well as keep ourselves fed.

"After that, it took a while to get anywhere near normal, but I was so... empty. I felt used, and even when I was truly smiling, I was just, sad. I remember when I told the girls, they were so worried they tried everything to cheer me up. They succeeded, but after that I gained something that I honestly hate. I can see a stallion's true intentions with unnerving accuracy. I can literally see the true reason a stallion, or mare, is talking to me in a heartbeat. It-it's part of the reason I trust you."

'Say what now?'

"When we first met, you knew I was beautiful. I didn't have my element yet, but you knew how I looked. I waited for you to hit on me, order me a drink, or anything. But you didn't. You acted like I was no different than any other mare. After a while, I decided to talk with ya. Get to know ya and all that. I watched it, the reason slowly change from politeness, to friendship. What I hated, was when that evolved in a bad way."

'Here it comes, the part where she tears me- wait. She wouldn't be acting like this if it were bad. She would be preparing to do something, and this certainly wouldn't be the time to do so anyway. She can't possibly be about to-'

"I watched you begin to believe you weren't worthy. I watched as you started to think I deserved better because of who I was. That I deserved something amazing. I know the point is across by now, but I love you, I really do. I wanted you to realize this, so I got an excuse to bring you to the farm, to work together, to spend time together, and to be happy together. You had an inkling, but you never truly believed I loved you. I saw the way you were opening up, and I know that soon, you would realize it, but dagnabit I needed to tell ya. So please, be honest with yourself."

Her words struck me hard. She really did love me, and not only that, she had carried such a burden for so long? It honestly hurt to know what I had done to her. She was waiting for a reply, and I decided to give her what she wanted.

"You're right, I have fallen for you, but I was always scared. I believed I was worthless. No mare worth going after payed attention, until you. I guess I just saw what others saw in me." I felt AJ’s hooves go around my body as she snuggled even further into me.

"Then use my eyes, sugarcube. See yourself through my eyes. You have been nothing but kind, and that weren't no mask. You were so kind and gentle, even Mac thought we were doing things." A quizzical look, and AJ put it bluntly. "He gave me a box o' condoms." My face flushed as the images passed through my head. Several sexy scenarios pass through my head before I pull myself together. AJ is more than just a body, she is honest, kind, caring, straightforward, and hard working. Any stallion should feel honored to have her say anything like she said. A loud creak breaks me out of my thoughts as the situation we are in is made ever so clear again.

"I love you, too, AJ, but right now, we need to focus on survival. When we get out of this though, I promise, I will make up for lost time. I will take you out on such an amazing date, it will get across exactly how I feel, in ways no words I can say will ever match. That is a promise." I half expect her to ask me to make it a Pinkie Promise, but it seems she knows I didn't even need to say it was a promise. She merely cuddles up to me, and as peace runs through us, we fall asleep.

Some Time Later.

I was finally preparing to leave the hospital with Applejack. After our confessions, we stayed wrapped up for what ended up as two days. Thankfully, Twilight had memorized house locations, so the rescue squad found us. It still took them two days, and by then AJ and I were in deep trouble, but we lived. After that, we decided to start dating after we were allowed to leave the hospital. Thanks to my resistance to the cold, I was out in two weeks. AJ was finally getting out a month after that. Spring was almost here, and we had a lot of catching up to do.

A ding signaled the exit of another pony leaving the doors to the hospital. Looking towards the doors, I see AJ in wheelchair. We suffered no permanent damage beyond a lot of dead skin and lost sensitivity in our feet, but the rules declare all those released from the hospital are to leave in a wheelchair. Once she is out of the doors and they close behind her, she immediately stood up, to fall immediately afterward.

I ran over to check on her, but as usual, she picked herself off the ground. She nearly stumbled when I grabbed a hold of her and helped her balance. She looked at me, angry at first, until shame fell over her. I can tell she doesn't like it, but her therapy wasn’t complete. Not moving for so long left her legs virtually useless since she could barely stand. Luckily the spring months aren't too busy, so I can take over for her, but she will never live this down. If there is anything AJ hates worse than lying, it is doing nothing when work needs to be done.

I walked with her, a silence overtaking us. I was more curious than worried, though perhaps it should have been the other way around. Although all of her friends had visited nearly daily in the hospital, yet none showed up to take her home. It perplexed me even more when I noticed plenty of ponies giggling and clearing the way for us, leaving us room to have a conversation. Maybe it was the smell of apple cider as well. I wonder where that came from.

"Listen, sugarcube, there is something I gotta know." I kept pace while watching her, interested in the coming question. "When we were trapped, did you honestly mean what ya said, that ya loved me?" The question stopped my pace for a moment before I continued forth.

"You should know that better than me. Even before I realized it, I had fallen for you. As I said when we were trapped, there is nothing I wanted more then to confess and get it out, but I was always afraid. When you poured out your heart, I knew I couldn't just leave you with your guts on the floor, so I added mine in there too."

"But why?"

"In the hopes that you would take some of it for yourself." The answer genuinely stunned her. For the first time since I started pushing her wheelchair, she looked at me. With everything she had, she stared me down, looking for any fault or hint that would show a lie. I don't mind, it was a cheesy thing to say, and a lot of stallions would love to get her on their side or in their bed. I have no need to worry though, I wouldn’t lie to her.

"Wow, you really fell for me, didn't ya, sugarcube?"

"You are a very difficult mare for somepony like me to not fall for." A silence descended upon us. My statement shouldn't have been that bad, but it seemed Applejack was thinking about something, and I just hope I didn't blow anything. As we reached Sweet Apple Acres, I realized something was very wrong indeed. There was no family as close as the Apple family, yet not a single member was there. As we entered the old house, not a single individual was present. The world itself seemed to be standing still as their absence weighed on my mind. Then AJ broke the silence.

"Sugarcube, I think it is time to explain what you no doubt have noticed. Let's head to the living room and talk for a moment." I follow her directions, and soon I am sitting opposite Applejack in a chair, while she remains in her wheelchair. "I am going to be blunt, nopony is here, because of what I am about to ask of you." At first, thoughts of rejection fill my mind, but even AJ would not go to this extreme, she would have said it a long time ago. "I want you, to be my partner this season."

A pregnant pause fills the room, surely I heard her wrong. She wants me to be her partner this season? We have known each other for a while, but we haven't even started dating. It is then that I notice it. The ponies in the street weren't avoiding us because of something AJ said, but what she’s is going through. She’s is already in heat.

"I won't lie, I didn't know for sure until a little while ago, but I know how much we love each other. This heat is already getting to be unbearable, and it is barely started. I hate being an early bird, but right now, I only want you sugarcube, please, help me."

It honestly stuns me for a moment. I have heard about heats, but had no idea that Applejack was an early bird. From some of the things I heard, if you are early or late, it is absolutely terrible. The presence of other mares in heat makes it a lot more bearable, but AJ is early by nearly two weeks. For her right now, this is an absolute disaster, but I am uncertain.

"I understand your situation, but we haven't even gone on a date yet. How can you be so certain that after this has passed that we won't fall apart? I don't want to see you hurt, and I know what a heat does to a mare. I don't want us to end up hurting each other and-" In an instant her lips were upon mine. She had, without my knowing, left her wheelchair, and made it over to me. She quickly fell as her legs failed to support her, but as I held her close, she said the words that I didn't know I was waiting for.

"Sugarcube, we have spent so much time together, both before and after, that we know the depths of each other very well. We both love one another and have for a long time. I am not asking this of you to just sate this terrible heat, I am asking this of you because even the masks that hide yourself from you, can't hide you from me. A piece of you made it into my heart, and a piece of me made it into yours. 'If things don't work out' won't happen, because right now we are already far beyond that. So please, make love with me."

In an instant my mind is sent into chaos, but my heart demands action. My lips grab hers as I lift us into the air. I head towards the stairs that lead to the second floor, and soon, I am in a battle of tongues with Applejack on her bed. As we break apart, I noticed that I am no longer hidden by my fur, my shaft fully on display in front of her. She tried to shimmy down to work on me, but I was the least of my concern.

"Allow me." I lock lips with her again. When I retreat, it is but for a moment before I kiss her chin, then her neck, then her collarbone. I slowly worked my way down, encircling her breasts, the sounds of light moans filling the air. Her coat had no taste, though I doubted it would remain that way much longer. I finally started kissing her breasts, slowly spiraling in on her left breast towards her nipple. She may not have been the largest mare out there, but I certainly had nothing to complain about. Getting to be with your special mare during her estrus guarantees a rather fun time, minus the possibly shattered pelvis.

As I reached her nipple, the light moans finally broke free, turning into much louder, open-mouth moans as I finally gave her some real stimulation. She instinctively moved her hooves to secure me to her, to make sure I gave her all the pleasure I possibly could. Her legs, though weak from her rest, moved around me, lightly securing me in place. I could feel her dampness on my lower abdomen as she lightly rolled herself on my body. Our coats mashed and clashed as we continued our dance, and I lightly suckled and chewed her right, and my hand finds her left. Soon she forces me away, her eyes heavy in need. Her heat asked that I give her a rutting, but her heart demanded I give her something far greater.

"Take me sugarcube. I-i c-can't wait an-any longer." I locked my lips with hers as I align myself, her wet coat guiding me to her flesh. I pressed myself against her, feeling the warm, wet sensation of silk against me. I take a peek down and, for the first time, notice something, her lips are closed tight. Even with all the options out there, she never once took another stallion. I am about average in size, but I know that I can't rush anything right now. My heart would never forgive me.

I released my hold on her lips as I slowly push in, met by her trying to push me in faster. A simple gesture on her hip was all it took to get her mind on track. Right then she would have preferred the pain, but I knew that I should lighten it as much as possible. I slowly pushed in, her walls clenching and relaxing as they finally felt a presence they had awaited for so long. I felt a small resistance about halfway in, but I passed it before I could react. Judging by the sounds, Applejack was more affected by my stopping than any pain, so I pushed forward, soon bottoming out within her. Puzzled, I looked to her to receive an answer I was certainly not expecting.

"Sugarcube, if ya thought I would get hurt here's a quick lesson. Breaking a mare's hymen is not painful if the stallion prepares her first. You did a good job o' that, so hurry up and plow me already. I am more then ready." With a silent nod, I began one of the most ingrained tasks of a stallion, rutting his mare. Her warm, soft and velvety walls gripped at me with all her might. She was surprisingly strong down there, nearly crushing me on my entry and letting me out with ease on my exit. Her previous moans were nothing compared to her almost animal like screams of pleasure. The sounds of the act, combined with the sensations of her walls on me, quickly drive me nearly out of my mind. I mashed my lips again onto hers, finally letting my own pleasure shows through in the grunts I can no longer hold back.

I tried to hold out, but I couldn’t stop moving, I couldn’t slow down, and I certainly wasn't pulling out. Without my knowledge, she had wrapped her legs around me and was now ensuring I was stuck inside. I knew I wasn't getting out, so I pushed in. I bottomed out and emptied inside. For a moment she went silent, then she went crazy. She moaned so loudly it hurt, and her walls clenched so tightly I was afraid of losing myself in a more literal sense. Then the spasming came, her body clenched and released so rapidly that I couldn’t keep track of anything. Soon, even though I had just released, I quickly reached that peak and went again.

Then it happened again. Her body went through the motions as mine did. Our bodies milking each other for orgasm after orgasm. It only ended when my body finally failed. I collapsed on top of her, barely conscious as she wrapped herself around me. Her warmth flooded me, and I knew she was satisfied. Soon, darkness claimed me, and I was left with a single thought.

"I love you, Applejack."

"Strangers call me Miss Applejack, acquaintances call me Applejack, friends call me AJ, and you, you can call me honey. Okay, sugarcube?"

I struggle to stay awake long enough to reply, but all that comes out is a slightly muffled grunt of approval.

"Good, cause you’re an Apple now, love."