Scorched

by Kody910

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Tragedy, Sad, Applejack, Original Character, Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 40557

[2nd Person] You, a thief, winds up working for the Apple Family.

[2nd-Person Fic starring you and Applejack]

With a history of theft and deception behind you, you make the best for yourself through possessions belonging to others. Or, rather, the possessions that once belonged to others. With no need for a steady line of work, you keep yourself afloat through your occupation as a master thief.

But when a heist goes awry, you're left at the mercy of a simple apple farmer...

Author's Note: Alrighty! Here's a new one!

Uh...I really don't know what to say here. Compared to Rejuvenate, I planned this one out WAY more, so hopefully you won't find it as sloppy.

Won't be incredibly saucy. At the most, I'm predicting this one to be about the [Tender] rating.

Enjoy, folks!

Artwork by Graffston of dA.

Published 2012-04-23 05:14:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-06-16 02:43:42 UTC

Prologue

"So this comes with that warranty, right?"

"Yes sir! Any damages, and it will be replaced, no charge!"

"Great, then it's more than worth the bits!"

"Thank you, and enjoy your new sofa, my good sir!"

Oh yeah, you think to yourself, I got this in the bag.

Silently watching from the shadows, you observe the latest transaction at the local Quills & Sofas store. You're not entirely sure why that blue stallion wanted to purchase a sofa this late at night, and by late at night, we're talking "barely able to see your hoof in front of your face" late.

But you weren't complaining. The night IS your best friend, after all. It only makes it easier for you when potential "clients" do things such as this at this time of the day.

You stick to the dark alleyway you chose to observe the scene from. No need to blow your cover yet, not with a potential witness. As the stallion dragged his new couch away, you began to plot how to go about this. The couch wasn't your target, you weren't concerned with that. No, your eyes were more fixed on that hefty bag of bits in the store clerk's hooves.

You watched as he began to close up shop. Seems like this was the last customer of the day. Perfect, you silently muse to yourself. He didn't take his time, thankfully, and went about locking up all the doors relatively quickly.

The alley you were holing yourself in was kind of rank. Several trash bags holding unknown substances were piled up in the back. Seems like the local garbage collection crew either likes to skip this area, or is unaware of it's existence. Rats were skittering all about, and the number of flies was, simply put, ridiculous. You don't mind, you've been in worse conditions before. The payoff is always the same.

The owner has sealed up all entryways to the building. Double-checking the front door, he begins to trot to his home, a large bag of bits in tow.

Alas, the game begins.

It's an art form you've grown accustomed to. It's all about location and timing. Where to strike, and when. Timing is crucial. One screw up, and either the client becomes aware of your presence, or you get spotted by a third party. Either way, the hunt is lost.

But you haven't had that happen to you. Not for some time, anyway. You've gotten used to the feel for this little game. You've grown to be able to read ponies actions rather well. As for their emotions? Not important.

You begin to shift. Rule #1: Keep the target in your sight at all times. This allows you to plan your moves ahead, as you've learned. If you let them out of your sight for even a second, you may lose them. You've missed a few heists in the past because you were distracted, or couldn't keep up with the target without letting them become aware of you.

This guy, however, wasn't being too difficult. His movements and the directions he took were fairly straight-forward, allowing you to keep pace with him easily. He had a clear cut path to his home. You kept pace with him through the shadows of the alleys. As far as you could tell, he was entirely oblivious to your presence.

Home. This had a double meaning to you. It meant both victory and defeat. Make it home with the loot of your target, and you've achieved victory. Allow the target to make it to their home with the loot, and you've received defeat. You can't follow a target into their home. You don't know whether or not they have family who would make your job more difficult, and dealing with a client in their environment is far too much of a hassle. Better to stick with your territory.

You begin to plan out the perfect time to snag the goods. Rule #2: Plan your strike accordingly. How should you go about getting that bag of bits off of the guy? Your most preferred method was to wait until your target set the goods down, and snag them when they aren't looking. Of course, that isn't always the easiest or reliable way of getting them. Another, more risky method was to very, very discreetly take the goods off of their being without them noticing. This works better in large crowds, where bumping and scraping against other ponies is expected, and not really heeded any attention. They won't notice you taking the goods out of their saddlebag before you've already left the scene.

Only one problem; the goods weren't in a saddlebag in this case. They were in the target's teeth.

When the target has to be this protective of the goods, to the point where he carries them without an outside peripheral, then that leaves Option C: Blunt force. Sure, it's the most noticeable and direct way of theft, but it works when it's needed.

First step, acquire the weapon. Something heavy enough to knock out the target, yet light enough to allow you to use it quickly and cleanly. Scanning the area around, you take a look in several of the garbage cans nearby. Hastily rummaging through the contents of the first, you find nothing of particular interest. Skipping over to the next, you quickly find a seemingly-brand new frying pan. Who would throw out a perfectly good frying pan? you think to yourself. No matter, it works, and you take your new best friend in hoof.

The second step, wait for a location to strike. All around, windows are visible to your target's location. The prying eyes of witnesses are all around, and taking the strike now is far too risky. You need to wait.

The stallion takes a sudden turn into a back way. You weren't expecting this, and you needed to move quickly. Hugging the side of the building, frying pan in tow, you quickly take a path that will allow you to intercept his new route. Peeking around the corner, you see him trotting your way, humming a simple tune. He was walking particularly close to your side of the alley.

Taking a look around, you notice there are no windows in this particular area. No vents, no doors, anything. In this alleyway, there is no possible way anyone would see you. This is it. You've found the location to strike.

The third and final step. The time to strike. You need to swing carefully. If you don't put enough force behind the swing, the target will be groggy, but conscious. Put too much force, and you might kill someone. You're a thief, not a murderer.

You listen closely.

Wait for it...

The trotting gets closer.

Wait for it...

The humming gets louder.

Wait for it...

The rustling of the bag of bits grows louder with each shake.

And...

A light-brown hoof enters your eyesight.

NOW!

*CLANG*

*THUMP*

Silence. For what feels like an eternity, there is nothing but silence. The only sound breaking the silence is your breathing. Adrenaline courses through your body with each breath. This is what you loved about your job. The thrill is unlike any other.

You slowly peek your head around the corner. Looking down on the target, you can clearly tell he is not awake. He was breathing, however. Always on the mark, you muse to yourself.

Quickly taking the bag of bits in your teeth, you dash for your home on the edge of town.

~*~*~

278...279...280...

Upon reaching home, you quickly opened up the bag to take some inventory on what you had just acquired. The patron had payed quite a bit for that sofa.

286...287...288...

It was a humble home, the building you lived in. It was a simple house, only two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a basement. It served it's purpose, however. When you moved to Ponyville, you wanted a house on the outskirts of town, and for good reason.

292...293...294...

You were nearing the bottom of the bag at this point. Taking the last of the bits in your hooves, you finish off the counting.

297...298...299...300! "300 bits even!" You say aloud. "This oughta keep me afloat for a bit."

Pushing the dough back into the bag, you carry over the goods to a chest in the kitchen. Opening it up, you peer inside to find but a few bits within. No more than twenty, surely. You bottom-up the bag into the chest, emptying the new load into the confines of the box.

With the new total stashed away, you close up the container. It wasn't until now that you realized just how hungry you were. You couldn't remember when the last time you ate was, but it was certainly far too long ago.

Walking over to the pantry, you pull on the door to see what's in store. Sadly, there isn't much. Aside from a loaf of bread, some fruit, and a few canned foods, there was little more than dust. You silently berate yourself for having forgot to restock the last time you were in town...again.

Taking out some bread, you settle on a simple daisy sandwich. Finishing the preparations on your late-night snack, you look back and forth between the near empty pantry and your money chest. Though you know you need to restock, you really don't want to spend all of the money you had just earned. You would prefer to save that for when you'd really need it.

"Hmm..." you think to yourself. "Perhaps it's time I did a little 'manual labor.'"

Chapter One

*Crinch...crunch...crinch...crunch*

The sound of twigs and grass snapping beneath your hooves fills your ears as you make your way through the apple orchard.

You had spent the better part of the day scouting out your next target. This time, however, you weren't after cold-hard cash. No, you wanted to get the goods right away. In this case, the goods were food. With your supplies back home having been rather scarce lately, you needed to restock as soon as possible.

You walked through the market square looking for something that peaked your flavor interests. Stands all around showed off products and produce of all kinds. It was a bit like window shopping, only without the windows or the shopping, and with more stalking and stealing.

You wanted something tantalizing to the tastebuds. Carrots are good, but you weren't in the mood for those. There was the possibility of strawberries, but then you remembered the last time you ate strawberries and shuddered. That would be the last time a pony dressed as a vampire carrying a tuba would fool you.

In the end, you settled on the Ponyville classic: Apples.

After having decided your target, you waited until night, as was your custom. You couldn't get away with taking the produce right then and there in the market, not with the prying eyes of ponies all around. You opted to wait until later, when there would be no one within the vicinity.

Unbeknownst to you, the apple stand was going to close up early that day, forcing you to miss your chance at it then. Not one to accept defeat, you decided to make your strike at the home of the stand. On Sweet Apple Acres.

Which is exactly where you are now. Hiding within the confines of the trees, the scent of apples filling your nostrils, you slowly made your way towards the barn. On the specific section of the orchard you were on, the trees were barren of any apples. It must have been harvested recently. Well, there goes the easiest heist you could have ever pulled off.

Then again, what fun would this be if it were always that easy? The thrill of the hunt is one of the things you lived for. If all jobs were as simple as kicking a few trees for your lunch, why would you still be doing this?

You quickly, yet quietly, dart from tree to tree, ensuring that you are out of sight from the barn. As far as you know, there are only two ponies at the barn at the moment: An orange mare, and a red stallion.

At this point, you had ventured close enough to see potential targets. There were quite a few barrels near the entrance to the barn, but that would be too risky. If one of those ponies came out to see you taking one, you would be done for. On the other side of the barn, the trees had apples hanging from the branches. The sound of you bucking the trees for the produce might alert the farmers. Besides, that would be too boring anyway.

You decide to shift to another tree to get a better view, but you stop yourself just before you move. With good timing too, as the mare had just come out of the barn. Your heart begins to race as that familiar feel of "the rush of the hunt" kicks in. This could be a risky heist, but you were all for it.

The mare walks to the side of the barn closest to you, directing your attention towards a cart you hadn't noticed before. Rather than hitching herself into it as you were expecting, she simply stands in front it, looking at the contents. Resting in the cart were multiple boxes, of which you couldn't see the contents. It looked as though she were counting them.

You realize that your three preferred methods of getting the goods won't apply here, seeing as the goods aren't immediately on a pony. You'll need to do a little improvisation.

A voice from the entrance of the barn catches both your's and the mare's attention. The large, red stallion was calling out to the mare, beckoning her back inside. You couldn't make out the words he said, but it sounded rather urgent. The mare quickly trots back inside with the stallion.

You decide that now is the time to strike.

Coming out from behind your cover, you quickly trot towards the cart the mare had been examining earlier. You know this would be your best bet for a successful heist.

You press an ear up to the side of the barn. You can hear the voices of the mare and stallion talking. The voices were muffled, but you could tell that they were having quite a heated discussion.

Convincing yourself that they wouldn't be coming back out for sometime, you decide to take a peek into the contents of the cart. Clambering up to the top, you very delicately crack the lid off of one of the crates. Peering inside, you see the shapes of many, many apples. But the odd thing was that the shapes were a little...off. It was too dark to make out any colors, but the shapes were a little more...square than usual.

You didn't care, apples were apples. Setting the lid back onto the box, you slowly descend back to the ground. You need to quickly decide just how much of this you were going to take. Hauling one of the boxes onto your back could be grueling work, and won't be easy to transport. The time it would take to find a bag or something similar to transport some of the produce would take too long.

However, it hasn't rained recently, and the ground was noticeably dry. If you were to take the entire cart, there would be no tracks...and you could easily take a route around the town to avoid being spotted by anyone...

That settles it. You decided the contents of the entire cart would be your reward this time.

Taking one last listen to the two ponies in the barn, you notice that their conversation hasn't stalled in the slightest. Feeling confident that they won't be coming out anytime soon, you walk around to the front of the cart.

You position yourself in front of the cart to latch yourself in. Taking the clasp in your hooves, you fasten the rigging around your frame. Pulling on the clasp, you ensure that it is locked tight.

You give a little test pull to see how heavy the cart is. Surprisingly, it moves with little resistance. The rest of those boxes aren't empty, are they? you think to yourself. No, surely they wouldn't just have a cart of empty boxes.

You quickly look around for an escape route. You can't take the path leading away from the barn entrance, that would put you in plain sight. You needed to leave through the trees. Turning yourself around, cart in tow, you look behind the barn for a potential route. You notice a clearing in the trees that would allow you to maneuver easily, while still keeping you relatively out of sight.

Perfect, you muse to yourself. You begin to shift toward your new path as-

"Grrrr....."

Wh...what was that?

"ARF! ARF!"

Wh-Where is that coming from!?

You crane your head around to see a small dog with a brown and white coat, looking at you rather furiously. The little mutt lets out a barrage of barks and howls at you.

"ARF! ARF! ARF!"

"Winona?" You hear someone call from inside the barn. "Winona? What is it girl?"

Oh shit.... It wasn't just a random mutt. It was their mutt. It was protecting it's turf.

Simply put, you've been caught.

With no other options, you bolt down the path you had previously chosen. With no time to unhitch yourself from the cart, you drag it along with you. While it wasn't particularly heavy, it still managed to slow you down a bit. The howls of the dog (Winona, was it?) grew more distant.

Glancing behind yourself, you see the two ponies had exited the barn, and were now in hot pursuit of you. Great. Just what you needed. More pressure.

Ignoring your two pursuers, you look ahead to dodge the incoming trees. With no real plan of action, you settle on simply avoiding the obstacles in your way. Adrenaline numbs your body as it kicks into gear. If you thought the thrill of the hunt was strong, then this was something else entirely!

Taking sharp turns, the cart slams into the surrounding trees a few times, weakening it's foundation. You do your best to avoid letting this happen, but there isn't much time for you to plan against it as you run.

At this point, the two farmers had gotten much closer, to the point where you could hear their voices.

"Stop!" The mare yells. "Ya thievin' varmint!"

...Thieving varmint? You think to yourself. What am I, some rabbit in a kid's show?

Looking around yourself, you notice the trees becoming more dense. It looks like you're leaving the orchard now, and are heading into some woods.

The cart was really taking its toll on you now. It wasn't really designed for this sort of activity, so it wasn't in the best shape now. At this point, you admit it. You may have gotten a little greedy with this heist, but it was too late to do anything about it. You couldn't take the time to unhitch yourself from the cart. If you did, they would have caught you with no trouble, and Celestia knows what they would do to you.

With bullets of sweat running down your face, you narrowly weave your way through the growing number of trees. Your breathing has become very heavy, and you don't know just how much longer you can keep this up.

As you run through the thickening wood, you are forced to stop dead in your tracks. Slamming the proverbial brakes, you come to a rather violent river, only mere inches in front of you. Of course this would happen, you think to yourself.

You begin to run alongside the river, following the current. Risking a glance back, you see the farmers are still right on your tail. It doesn't even look like they are tired in the slightest, which only makes you more nervous.

The cart was in bad shape. Not designed for this sort of terrain, you can feel the rig becoming weaker. One of the wheels was wobbling somewhat dangerously. It was only a matter of time before it collapsed.

Your heart pounding, your head throbbing, and your mind racing, you consider your options. Sadly, there aren't many. Trying to reason with them is out of the question. Releasing yourself from the cart won't work. In all actuality, your only choice is to keep running. You didn't know where you were running, but anywhere but those farmer ponies hooves was fine by you.

Looking ahead, you see a relieving sight. An exit from the woods! Granted, you're still being chased, but getting out of these woods would certainly give you more options. Kicking it into high gear, you make a mad dash for the clearing.

Just when you think you might be in the clear, the unimaginable happens.

*SNAP*

The wheel on the cart breaks. The wheel closest to the river. The cart begins to fall to the river.

Your hooves fly out from beneath you as the cart drags you with it. All of time seems to slow down as your body approaches the rapidly flowing water.

Your mind races a mile in a minute, all sorts of thoughts flying through your brain at light-speed. How long has it been since you last failed a heist, let alone this badly? You couldn't remember. Why did you have to be so overly confident in this heist? Why couldn't you just take one crate and be done with it?

Hundreds of 'why' questions flew through your mind, but one stood out among them.

Why is this happening to me?

Of course, you already knew the answer to that.

Because you screwed up. Big time.

Taking in one last breath, you hit the water without any sort of bravado. The cart was quickly dragging you to the bottom of the river.

Regaining your senses, you quickly bring your hooves to the latch. You pull on the latch with all your might, but to no avail. It was jammed. Fruitlessly, you continue to fight with it. Your lungs were beginning to strain at the lack of oxygen, and your vision was starting to fade.

All around you, the literal fruits of your labor were floating through the river. The contents of the cart had spilled out into the water, and were now floating all around you. It's funny, knowing that your lunch tomorrow would be the death of you today.

Your lungs were screaming in pain for the air that you knew you couldn't provide. Your mind had given up at this point, and your vision was nearly gone. Your life's passion would be your demise.

The last thing you saw before you passed out was an orange blur, rapidly approaching you.

Chapter Two

So...This is what death is like?

It would be a lie to say you weren't disappointed. You always figured the afterlife would be more...colorful. But, no, it's just pitch black.

The only part of you awake right now was your mind. You could think, but you couldn't feel the rest of your body. Seeing as your soul has clearly departed from the land of the living, you weren't really surprised. What body was there to feel anyway?

How did this happen again? Your thoughts were hazy. Something about a river, a cart, and a farmer. Maybe two. It seemed like your thoughts were scattered all over the place, with no rhyme or reason guiding them.

There was something about an orange blur...what was that blur anyway? It didn't seem malicious...but rather, it gave off a vibe of genuine care. Was someone trying to save you before you died?

Well, it seems like they didn't do such a good job at that. Still, you credit them for their valiant effort. It's a shame you couldn't thank them in person.

You feel a sudden pain in your lungs. Strange. Pain exists for the dead?

Wait...lungs? Does this mean you're not dead?

"Wake up!"

*SMACK*

Your eyes shoot open as you're brought back to life. You immediately close them again when the blinding light of the lamps overhead burn them insufferably. Coughing rather violently, you begin to feel the stinging pain of a hoof having just swiped across your face.

"Big Mac, get him some water!"

Water...you shudder at the mention of the accursed liquid. Water was the last thing you wanted, as it had nearly just took your life. Your coat was still wet with river water, and it smelled rather repugnant.

After a few moments, you manage to subdue the coughing. Opening your eyes slowly, you look around you. Wooden, lightly painted walls were on all sides. Hay covered the floor you were sitting on, and some generic farm equipment was tucked away in the corners. Your keen detective skills told you that you were in a barn.

You look for the source of the voice that had just spoke. Craning your head to the left, you find an orange mare...wait, it's that orange mare you had just stolen a cart of apples from.

Cringing at the identification of the mare, you finally find the strength to speak.

"W-Where am I!?" Not the most dignified thing to say as your first line to this mare, but you were having trouble organizing your thoughts at the moment.

"You're in the Sweet Apple Acres barn. Ya took a mighty nasty spill in that river." She replied. It was hard to get a good read on her. Her face showed a strange combination of emotions, consisting of concern, hatred, disgust, and relief.

Before you could speak again, a large, red stallion trots in, carrying a glass of water.

"Excuse me fer a moment." The mare says curtly. She walks over to the stallion, and beckons him to the other side of the barn, no doubt wanting a private conversation.

You decide to get a better examination on what you figured to be were your two saviors. The mare had a golden mane with a red band tied on the end. The same could be said for the pony's tail, which was done up in a...ponytail. Weird. Her eyes were emerald green, and several freckles were present just beneath them. Adorned on her head was a traditional, brown Stetson cowpony's hat. On her flank was a trio of red apples.

The stallion was, well, larger than average, to say the least. His coat was a sharp red, with a short-cut orange mane and cropped tail. A large, green apple was present on his flank, and he wore a yoke around his neck. Like the mare, he had freckles just beneath his eyes, which were only a shade darker green than hers. You figured the two must be siblings.

Once they exchanged a few whispers, the two farmers trotted back towards you.

"Alright," the mare started. "Here's the deal. I'm Applejack, and this here is Big Macintosh."

"Charmed," you curtly reply. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm just gonna-"

In an attempt to stand up, you fall flat on your face. Trying to move your front hooves in front of you, you find that you can't. They were tied behind your back.

"I was about to say that ya shouldn't try that. You ain't going anywhere, not after that little stunt you pulled!" Applejack says.

The apparent gentlecolt that he was, Big Macintosh helped set you back up against the wall. He offered the glass of water, which you graciously turned down.

"Okay," you start. "I'll admit, it wasn't my best performance. But hey, gotta give me props for trying, ey?"

"This ain't a game!" Applejack yelled, putting emphasis on the word 'ain't.' "Do you have any idea how much we lost cause of your little 'performance!?'"

"Oh, come on, how much can a few boxes of apples be worth?"

"Those weren't just any ol' apples. Those boxes had Zap Apples in 'em! Ya know, the kind that are really rare, and very valuable?"

"Hm." You let out a small chuckle. "So this was more of a loss for my record than I knew..."

"Y'all think this is funny!?" The mare was no longer trying to hide her angry from you at this point.

"In a cosmic sorta way, yes."

Just before Applejack let loose her fury unto you, a deep voice spoke. "AJ..." You and Applejack look towards the source of the voice. Big Macintosh looked at his sister with a rather bored look on his face, eyebrow raised, as if to tell her to keep her cool.

"Ugh, fine." She said to the stallion. "Now look, here's the deal. Those Zap Apples ain't exactly easy to replace. We won't get another batch of them for some time. Not to mention that cart wasn't cheap either, so we lost quite a bit of revenue cause of you. So now, you've got two options."

If these ropes weren't on my hooves, I could think of at least three viable options. You muse to yourself. "Fine, what are my options, 'AJ?'" You finish the sentence in a rather teasing voice.

"One," she starts. "You work on our farm to pay off the damages you've done. When it's all finished, we let you go, and nopony ever speaks of this again."

"Gag, what's option B?" You ask.

"Option number two..." She punctuates her statement by slamming a hoof on the wall right next to your head. Bringing her face close to yours, she continues. "We turn you over to the authorities, and let them have their way with you."

Oh no. You knew exactly where that would lead. Prison. You've seen prison. You've heard stories about prison. You've had friends who have been in prison. You don't like prison.

"And what's to stop me from running away?"

"The fact that your tied up and this entire barn is locked down oughta keep you sittin' tight."

Considering the facts, you don't have many options. This cowgirl must be some kind of expert on knots. The ropes on your hooves wouldn't budge. Looking around, you see the exits to the barn are all locked up securely. No doubt these two would be keeping a close eye on you tonight. Should you choose to stay, they would most likely keep a close eye on you during your time here.

Better to be watched on by farmers than prison guards, right?

"Well, that's a fairly easy decision." You let out a sigh. "Where will I be bunking?"

"Right here, in the barn. I'm sure a varmint like you is used to sleepin' in the dirt."

...Ouch. "You mean like, here? Right where I'm sitting?"

"Yeah. And don't even think about leaving. Ya won't get out."

"Oh, I wouldn't even dream of it. Perish the thought!" You say, sarcasm lacing your words. Something in your head clicked, bringing you back to a serious demeanor. As much as you didn't want to say it, you knew you at least owed it to her. "But, I suppose I should be thanking you."

"Fer what?" She asks, a skeptical look on her face.

"Well, you just saved me from drowning. I suppose that warrants some praise."

"Hmph." Not wanting to dignify you with a proper response, she simply turns around and heads for the door, her brother following close behind. "Get some sleep, you'll need it for tomorrow's work. Oh, and one more thing?" She turns back and walks up to you bringing a hoof to lift your face to hers, she meets your gaze.

"You do NOT call me 'AJ.' Only my closest friends and family may call me that. And you sure as hay ain't in either category." There was only one emotion in her face at this point: seething anger.

"My sincerest apologies, Madame Applejack." You reply, doing your best to keep a straight face.

Applejack merely stares daggers into your eyes for a few seconds before turning back to the door and leaving the barn.

As the two farmers leave the barn, they reseal the door. There's no doubt in your mind that they will be keeping an eye on the barn all night to ensure you don't escape. Looking around, there really isn't any other viable exit in sight. Or bed. She wasn't kidding when she said you were sleeping right where you sat.

You reflect on just how you had gotten into this mess. You got a little overconfident, sure. And you could have checked around to find out about that damn dog. But, in the end, the one prevalent factor leading to your demise was simple.

Because you screwed up. Big time.

The fatigue of having nearly drowned taking over you, you decide your only option at this point would be to attempt to get some sleep. Using your snout, you push some hay together into a makeshift pillow. With a small pile assembled, you lie your head down on the hay, close your eyes, and drift off to a rather uncomfortable slumber.

Chapter Three

You groggily begin to open your eyes after what was definitely one of the worst nights you've ever slept.

Attempting to stretch out, as you do every morning, you come to remember that your hooves are still tied behind you. The awkward position they were in overnight lent to the slight pain in your shoulder you were feeling. Stretching out your hind legs, you relish in the slight relief you get from your less-than-desirable sleeping position.

You look around for any way of telling the time. Craning your head around, you spot a small clock on the wall on the far end. You squint to find the clock reads 5:59 AM.

Figuring you wouldn't need to be awake for a few more hours to start your...duties, you lay back down and attempt to fall back to sleep.

Your mind was abuzz with questions. Just what were they going to make you do? The mundane, everyday tasks that they do around here, or the grueling, shortest-straw kind of jobs? What if they weren't telling the truth about letting you go? What if they were planning on getting their repayment, and THEN hand you over to the police!?

Not wanting to dwell on such questions, you figure it would be best to cross that bridge when you got to it. Silencing your inner monologue, you lay your head back down, and drift off to sleep.

...

*CLANG CLANG CLANG*

...or so you thought.

"RISE 'N' SHINE!"

You somehow manage to find the strength to shoot back up into a sitting position far faster than a pony should be able to. Not particularly easy with no front hooves to do so.

Thinking (or rather, praying) that you must have at LEAST dozed off for an hour or two, you glance back at the clock on the far wall. It read 6:00 AM sharp.

Looking back to the source of the racket, you find Applejack with a pot in one hoof and a pan in the other, violently smashing the utensils against one another.

"C'mon buddy, we got work to do!" She says, in an insufferably cheery voice.

"At this Celestia-forsaken hour?" You let out a groan.

"Yup. We gotta get started right away, before it gets to about noon. Nothing worse than working during the hottest part of the day!"

"How can you be so perky this early!?" You stifle another groan.

"I've always been a mornin' kinda pony! You should too, helps ya start the day better." She punctuates her point by smashing her kitchenware a few more times.

"Would you quit doing that!?" You're forced to yell to be heard over the sound of the utensils.

"Well c'mon then, let's get some grub. Gotta get started soon." She begins to trot towards the door.

"Uh, hey, country bumpkin, aren't ya forgetting something?" You shake your restrained arms to her, trying to remind her that you can't move.

"Oh, that's right, how silly of me!" You swear she was just toying with you, and she was enjoying it. She rests her kitchen tools on the floor and trots toward you. Sitting down, she begins to loosen the ropes binding your hooves.

You take this opportunity to think of an escape. The second those ropes were off your hooves, you would buck her right in her pretty, little face, then make a break for it. That's exactly what you were going to do...that is, it WAS what you were going to do, until you saw Big Macintosh patiently waiting the barn's entrance.

There's no way you would manage to break past him in your current state. He was easily much larger than you, and had a distance advantage to prepare for you should you try to bolt.

You figured it would be best just to play along for now.

Applejack had freed your limbs, and you took a much needed chance to stretch out your aching shoulders. The muscles slowly shifted out from their awkward position, and the tension melted away, much to your relief.

"Now c'mon, we gotta get some breakfast." The mare suddenly sounded a bit more serious. Perhaps it's because she had just freed you from your only restraint.

With as much reluctance as you could muster, you begin to follow her. As you pass Big Mac, he utters out a friendly "Morning." You only reply with a snort.

Following the two siblings, you shake your head a few times in a feeble attempt to fully wake up. It's beyond you how anyone could wake up this early on a regular basis, let alone with as much energy as that mare.

Looking into the sky, you catch a glimpse of a grey pegasus flying overhead, saddlebags in tow. She must be part of the Ponyville Postal Service. You hadn't even thought about that when you were planning your escape earlier. Had you ran, there's no way one of those pegasi flying around delivering mail right now wouldn't have noticed you. They could have gotten an ID on you, and you would have been screwed. In a way, Big Mac's presence just saved your flank.

Looking over to the east, you can barely see Celestia's sun peeking over the horizon. The sky was a cascade of the purples and reds of the early dawn. As you were walking, you heard that traditional rooster's call, and the chirping of other birds soon followed.

For others, this would be a lovely morning. For you, it was just day one of your death sentence.

After trotting along the dirt path for a few minutes, Applejack led you to a table outside, and instructed you to sit with Big Mac and wait. You do as told, and sit on one of the wooden benches, Big Mac sitting on the opposite side of the table as you. An awkward silence followed as she went into the house nearby.

"So..." You start, wanting to end the slightly creepy quiet. "How can you get up this early?"

"Dunno." Mac replied, with little emotion in his voice. "Jus' used to it."

You expected him to say more, but when nothing came, you continued. "So, what exactly am I gonna be doing today?"

"Dunno." Again, no emotion. "AJ hands out the jobs."

Seeing that you weren't going to get answers that consisted of more than a few words and 'dunno,' you gave up. Leaning back on the bench, you wait for the mare to return from whatever it was she was doing. Looking around, you get a better examination on the house. It was a quaint home, two story, and was in great condition. Most stories about farm families portray their home as being rundown and ragged. Perhaps Mr. Vocabulary over here is some kind of carpenter, you muse.

You catch something in the corner of your eye. Looking at one of the second-floor windows, you spot what looked like to be a pair of eyes. Before you could focus on it, the blinds of the window quickly shut.

Before you could question, AJ came out of the house, multiple plates of pancakes in tow.

"I hope y'all are hungry!" That overly perky voice was beginning to grind on your ears. "We got plenty of pancakes!" She sets the plates on the table, and tosses some silverware to each seat. Setting herself down next to her brother, she looked ready to dig in.

You look at the morsels set in front of you. They looked like any regular pancakes, stacked three high, generously covered in syrup. The smell though...it was one of the most tantalizing smells to ever grace your nostrils. The syrup itself smelled great, but there was an odd hint of apple looming around the scent of the pancakes themselves. Your mouth started watering already.

"Well?" You snap out of your trance and look at Applejack. "Are ya just gonna stare at 'em all morning? Ya better eat up, you'll need all the energy you can get with them skinny legs!" She finished her statement with a slight chuckle and a bite of her own pancakes.

"Oh, I'm sorry," you start. "I just wanted to bask in the glory of the masterpiece of a meal before me!" You could cut the sarcasm in your voice with a knife.

"Cut the crap 'n' just eat, already." Applejack was not clearly amused.

Feigning your disgust, you take a fork in hoof and slice off a small bit of pancake. You delicately bring the fluffy morsel to your mouth. The moment it makes contact with your tongue, you're hit with an explosion of flavor. The sweet blend of the sugary syrup, combined with the fluffy, warm pancake exuded copious amounts of pleasure among your tastebuds. The strong flavor of apples was abound, as the sweet fruit had been gingerly blended into the pancake.

Needless to say, it was good. Damn good. Not that you would admit that.

~*~*~

After having finished up your morning meal, Applejack led you and Big Macintosh to a rather barren part of the orchard. Compared to the surrounding area, there was a notable lack of trees here. The house was still in view from where she led you.

"Alright," she started. "Today, you are gonna be plowing this section of the field. We'll be planting some new crops here, and we need it tilled up nice for 'em."

"I can hardly contain my excitement!" If sarcasm had a weight, you would have put out enough in one day to break a pony's back.

"We'll just see how eager you are after today. Big Mac, bring in the plow." Mac begins to trot off towards the barn.

Following Applejack, she leads you to a section of the pasture closest to the house. "Alright," she begins. "Now, you'll have to plow this entire section. Drag the plow about fifteen feet, then loop around, bring it back fifteen feet. Keep it up until you meet that flag." She points off away from the house to a small, red flag about a hundred feet away.

"Alright, where's the plow?" You ask, not spotting one in the immediate area.

"Over there." She points behind you towards Big Mac, dragging a very ragged looking piece of machinery.

"This here is 'old bessie.' Treat her nice, she's the only one we have." Big Mac says.

You wait until the stallion gets the plow right up to you before speaking. "...she's a beaut." Not. You turn back to Applejack. "Now, how exactly do we get this thing-"

Macintosh suddenly ambushes you an brings a yoke around your neck, partially suffocating you. He then quickly ties the plow to the device. Before you can even react, you're already set up and ready for work.

"Welp, off ya go!" Applejack punctuates her statement by slapping your flank, a very snide look on her face.

It took all your reserve to not kick her in the face right then and there. Stopping yourself just short of an instinctive buck, you take a few deep breaths to calm yourself. "DON'T, do that again." You growl, punctuating your words.

"Pardon me." The mare replies, tease in her voice. "Now get to it, ya don't wanna take too long. Better get 'er done before the sun gets right overhead."

Feeling a reply wasn't necessary, you plant your hooves and begin walking forward. As soon as the ropes binding you to the plow went taught, you were stopped in your tracks. You pull forward with your hooves as hard as you can, yet the device wouldn't budge.

"C'mon now, put your muscles into it!" Applejack yells. You couldn't help but feel she was treating this as some sort of sport that she had the pleasure of spectating.

Pushing all your strength into your legs, you dig deep and manage to get the plow moving. Slowly but surely, you being to pull the plow over to the designated fifteen feet. Your legs dug deep into the ground with each step as the plow reluctantly dragged along with you, loosening the soil as you went. Sweat begins to run down your face, and your legs are already becoming fatigued. Taking deep, heavy breaths, you slowly approach your goal.

Upon reaching the end of the fifteen feet mark, you take a small moment to take a mental celebration. You felt quite accomplished having drug that infernal piece of metal this far. Unfortunately, the sound of that mare breaks your spirits again.

"Hoowee, can't believe you managed to bring it that far." She begins. "Ya only got another nine or so passes ta go!"

Looking over to the flag, you realize you hadn't gotten any closer to it. Instead, you had only shifted to the opposite side of it. Putting your hooves back into the dirt, you drag the plow one row closer to the flag, and begin your next fifteen feet drag.

"And don't think about goin' nowhere! I'll be buckin' apples in the field right over there, so I'll be keepin' an eye on you!" Applejack trots off to the adjacent field, and Big Mac begins to make his way towards the barn again.

Not only did you have to do this grueling work, but now you had nopony to keep you company. Sure, those kooky farmers weren't the best company, but they were better than no one. You figured you could at least talk to Big Macintosh, since he seems to be the only one who mildly respects you around here. Sure, he doesn't talk much, but it was better than nothing.

Instead, you get to work alone, pulling a device from Tartarus through the dirt.

This is gonna be a very long day...

Chapter Four

You thought back to a time when you first stole from a general store.

The store was a small place with generic things you'd expect to find in a store such as this one. Food, cheap clothing, some children's toys, the works. Only a few employees ran about tending to customers with their purchases.

There was one item you remember fondly for some reason. A radio. It was a small radio, with a crooked antenna sticking out of the top and a few red dials on the front. It probably didn't get more than three stations. One of the dials on the device was missing. It almost looked like a device that the owners here probably just picked off the street from some hobo.

But still, the device was cute, and in working condition, which a quick test of the power button proved. The radio was priced at only four bits. You thought about buying it for a moment, if not stealing it. But something stopped you. You don't know what it was, but you didn't buy or steal it. You just left it there, and moved on to other wares.

Whatever it was that stopped you that day, you cursed it with all your heart. The music that little radio could have provided could have at least staved off some of the boredom you were experiencing now.

You had never been so damn bored in all your life, plowing this field in complete silence.

The two farmers had left you to plow this field in solitude. Applejack had come by to check up on your progress a few times, but you figured it was just so that she could tease you. Big Mac stopped by once or twice as well, giving you a few tips on how to make this easier on yourself. Most of his tips went unused or were unhelpful, however.

When they weren't around pestering you, you were all alone, pulling this accursed machine through the dirt.

At least your work here was almost finished. You were on the final row, right next to the flag. Your legs ache, your head was burning, and there was sweat dripping from every pore on your body. Your face and mane were absolutely soaked in your own perspiration. You regret having taken your time to do this. Applejack wasn't kidding when she said there was nothing worse than working during the hottest part of the day.

Only a few feet of ground remained to be plowed. Pouring the rest of what little energy you had in reserve left into your legs, you pull the plow through the remaining distance. You look back to ensure that all the land was finished. Satisfied with your work, you take a much needed collapse to the ground.

You lift your hooves and toy with the ropes binding your yoke to the plow. After fumbling with them for a moment, you manage to disconnect yourself from the device. The moment you freed the yoke, you pulled it off your neck and tossed it aside. It had left the skin on your neck and chest quite irritated, and it was incredibly uncomfortable. You curse the pony who invented the device.

You simply sat there for a moment, taking many deep breaths. Your tongue was incredibly dried out at this point. You would kill for a glass of water right now.

"Thirsty?"

You bring your head up to find Big Macintosh standing over you, a glass of water in hoof. Without missing a beat, you snag the glass from his grip, and down the contents within seconds. The cold, crystal clear liquid flows past your tongue, providing the much needed hydration. It was probably the best glass of water you've ever had.

Standing back up, you wipe the excess water off your lips, and hand the glass back to Big Mac. "Thanks," you say. You really meant it, too.

"Eeyup." You expected him to say more, but when he didn't, you weren't really surprised. It seems like he enjoys using as few words as possible.

"Big Mac," you start. "I gotta hand it to you. I don't know how you can do this on a regular basis." You really were being sincere.

He just shrugs. "I dunno, just used to it, I guess." He looks around for a moment before starting again. "Go take a breather under those trees fer a minute."

"What? You're not gonna like, throw me right back into work?" You question.

Big Mac looks upward and taps his chin a few times, as if he's searching his extensive vocabulary for what to say. "What ya did ain't right, but I understand ya need a break every now and then. Ya ain't used to the farmwork around here. If anything, AJ would put you right back to work if she saw you were done now. She doesn't understand that ya ain't used to this sort of work."

You blink a few times to process what he had just said. In your short time here, he hadn't said more than a few words at a time to you, so you weren't expecting that. "Uh, well...thanks."

"Now go on, get a bit of rest. AJ will be over here soon." He begins to trot off the opposite direction. "Don't go runnin' off, now." He shouts over his shoulder.

"Er, I won't, I promise." You call back. You really were being sincere. You had a new found respect for Big Macintosh. Not only because you knew what he was capable of, but because he understood what you weren't capable of. Something that little Miss Country Mare needed to learn.

Besides, even if you wanted to run, you wouldn't get far. Your legs felt like pudding, and wouldn't hold up under the stress of running.

Shaking the sweat off of your head, you trot over to the trees and take a much needed seat under their shade. It felt glorious getting out of the sunlight. You immediately felt cooler under the shade of the limbs and leaves above. Leaning back, you rest your head and back on the trunk of the tree behind you, taking the load off of your exhausted limbs.

Taking deep, relaxing breaths, you wipe the sweat from your brow. You look around to find...not much. Nothing but a bunch of harvested apple trees, really. You look toward the sky. Judging from the sun, you figure it to be about two in the afternoon. Maybe three.

As you sat there, you couldn't help but get an odd feeling. It felt like you were being watched.

You shrugged off the feeling, and just relished in the slight relief you were getting from the heat of the day. You folded your front limbs behind your head, let out a sigh, and closed your eyes.

It really was peaceful around here.The birds chirped all around, the slight breeze caused the trees to rustle, and the cicadas and other insects played their harmonious tunes. That breeze felt great on your burning body.

Your mind was completely at peace. If only you could live like this every day. Not worrying about tomorrow's meals, or who you would steal from next, it felt great. It's been a long time since you felt this at peace. Heck, if the ponies here didn't hate you, you almost wouldn't mind living here. Almost.

The area around almost felt unreal. It felt like something out of a storybook, a land so peaceful as this. The only thing making it seem real was the sound of some other pony breathing.

Wait...some other pony breathing?

"HEY MISTER!"

You let out a yelp and fall over, completely taken by surprise at your sudden company. Not the most graceful meeting, but hey, you've had worse.

You bring yourself back up into a sitting position to face your company. You're greeted with a small, yellow filly sporting a red mane and tail, a pair of bright, orange eyes and a large, pink bow.

"Wow mister, you sure are jumpy!" The little filly says before bursting into a cute fit of laughter. She had the same country drawl as Applejack.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to be ambushed by a little filly." You reply, dusting off your shoulders.

"Ambushed?" The filly looks skeptical. She looks away for a few seconds before letting out a loud gasp. "That's it! Cutie Mark Crusaders Ambushers..." She looks away again in thought before continuing. "...Nah, that doesn't sound very good..."

"Uh, Cutie Mark whats?"

"OH!" The sparkle in the filly's eyes was almost blinding. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders! We go to the ends of the earth to find our special talents, and finally get our Cutie Marks!"

"Er, well, okay then...wait, 'we?'"

"Yeah! Me and my two friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo! Maybe you've met them!"

"I can't say I have..." You stop for a second, trying to get a better read on this pony. "So, I'm going to assume you're part of the Apple family?"

"Yup! I'm AJ's little sister! My name's Applebloom!" Well, there's one mystery solved, you think to yourself. "Say, mister, how did you get your Cutie Mark?"

"My Cutie Mark?" You look back to the image on your flank: a bag with a '$' symbol on it. Of course, you knew what the mark really meant, but telling this filly probably wouldn't put you on better terms with the family, and would only serve to make your life here harder. "Uh, well, my Cutie Mark means that, um...I'm good with money!"

"So you're like, a banker, or somethin'?" She let's out another gasp. "That's cool! So you handle other ponies' money all the time?"

"...You could say that." You say, looking off into the distance.

"Cool!" She seems oblivious to your lie, but you weren't complaining. She stops for a second with that thoughtful look on her face. "Wait...if you're a banker pony, what are you doin' here on the orchard?"

You open your mouth to answer, but another voice beats you to it. "He's a hand we hired to help us around fer a bit." You look over your shoulder to see Applejack trotting towards the two of you, a rather displeased look on her face.

"Oh, hi AJ! You hired this guy to help out? Why haven't I seen him around before?"

"Uh, well, it was a pretty recent thing. We just decided to get a little help for Zap Apple season." Even if you didn't know better, you wouldn't have had a hard time telling she was lying.

"Oh, okay then!" Luckily, Applebloom doesn't seem to notice.

"Applebloom, Granny needs your help up in the house. Why don't ya run along and see what she wants?" You could tell she desperately wanted the little filly out of here.

"Alright then! I'll see ya around, mister!" She turns and runs off for the house.

A moment of silence passes as Applejack waits for the filly to run out of earshot before she speaks. She brings her face close to yours and whispers. "You stay away from my little sister, you hear me!?"

"Hey now, she approached me. I was just taking a breather over here when she came to me about her Cutie Mark Adventurers...or whatever."

Applejack stares daggers into your eyes before turning around and walking the opposite direction. "C'mon, ya got more work to do."

"Ugh, already? What am I doing now?"

"Baling hay with Big Macintosh. He'll show you the ropes on that." She cranes her head around and yells. "C'mon, get moving!"

"Alright, alright, don't get your apples in a bunch." She merely glares at you. You reply with a raised eyebrow and a cocky smile.

As much as you hated the fact that you were already being put back to work, you were at least grateful for the slight rest you got beforehand. Besides, maybe Big Mac would take it easy on you.

...you hoped.

Chapter Five

You wait patiently as Big Mac counts the bales of hay. You're still unsure of where you found the strength to stack them this high.

After Applejack led you over to the area where Big Macintosh was baling hay, she left you in his care. He quickly taught you just how to compile the hay into the necessary square shape, and how to tie it all together. Nothing extensively difficult, but it took you a few tries nonetheless to get it all perfect.

You were still quite tired from the plowing earlier that day, and it wasn't particularly easy to find your strength for this task. You and Big Macintosh must have worked for several hours, as the sun was rapidly approaching the horizon. You were surprised you lasted this long, considering that you were already spent before you got to this assignment.

You tried to take things at a relatively slow pace, and it seems that Big Mac didn't mind. He knew you weren't really in the best of shape for this work at the moment, so you figured he wouldn't mind if you took it a little slow.

Sitting on your haunches, you take deep breaths, sweat running down your forehead again. Somehow, Big Mac had suppressed his sweat, and didn't seem tired in the least. Like earlier, your head was burning, and your legs were aching. At this point, they were sort of numbed, and it barely felt like they were even there. That 'pudding feel' was back in them, and you really hoped Applejack wasn't planning any late night chores for you.

Big Macintosh was counting the bales under his breath. At last, he seemed satisfied with the numbers. He turns towards you, and gives you a nod. At this, you let out a sigh and collapse onto your back.

You simply sit there, taking in the serenity of the area around. The birds were still chirping, the breeze still blowing, and the number of cicadas and crickets was growing as the day's end approached. You lie there for a few minutes, staring into the sky, before a large hoof enters your field of vision, offering assistance.

"Tired?" Big Mac asks, his usual stoic look on his face.

"You don't know the half of it..." You reply, taking his hoof into yours as he pulls you back up.

He opened his mouth to reply, but a call from the distance beat him to it. "Hey, ya'll done yet?" You look off in the distance to see Applejack approaching from the house.

"Eeyup. Just got done." Big Mac answers.

"Hoowee! Ya sure did get quite a few bales! Maybe ya ain't as bad as I thought ya were!" She says to you in a teasing voice. You simply roll your eyes in response. "I'll bet my hat that you two are hungry as wolves!"

To punctuate her point, your stomach decides to let out a sound not unlike a dying whale. You give a small chuckle. "Uh...yeah...what's for dinner?"

"C'mon, you two. We got a great big apple pie waiting for us back in the house!"

Your face lights up like a foal in a candy store. You begin to trot toward the house with Big Mac and AJ. The farm stallion has an unusual spring in his step that you hadn't seen before. Must be from the mention of food. You figured he could eat quite a bit, given his size.

The three of you walk in silence all the way to the house.

~*~*~

After a few minutes of walking, you found yourself sitting on a bench out back, waiting for Applejack to bring out the dinner. You and Big Mac wait in silence, as you take in the peaceful nature of the area.

It really has been a long time since you found anywhere as peaceful as this. Your time is always spent plotting, preparing, and worrying about tomorrow's lunch. It really was nice to be able to throw away all those concerns for a while.

Of course, there were the concerns of you being held hostage here and being forced to perform labor for the farmers of the land to repay some damages you caused. That concern was always there. But you really didn't dwell on it as much as you'd expected. Perhaps it's because you were just so at peace here.

After a few minutes of waiting, Applejack comes out of the house, a large pie and several plates in tow.

"Alright, everypony!" She yells out, strangely enthusiastic about this pie. "Pie is served!" She sets the pie and plates on the table, and begins to cut out pieces. Handing a plate to Big Mac and one to you, she sets herself down, and prepares to dig in.

You take a moment to examine your meal. It looked like any other apple pie. A clean-cut crust, lightly covered in sugar, and filled to the brim with apples. Steam rose from the pasty, signaling that it was indeed very fresh. The smell that wafted from the sugary treat was incredible.

Looking at the other's slices, you notice that your slice is slightly smaller. You weren't surprised, considering who was serving. Would they mind if you asked for seconds later?

You dismiss the thought and pick up a fork. Putting the prongs to the pie, you bring the fork through the tip of the slice with little resistance. You lift the bit of pie and place it on your tongue.

...Oh sweet Celestia, was it amazing. The moment you began chewing, an explosion of flavor graced your taste buds. Apples, sugar, dough, a bit of cinnamon, the number of flavors went on and on, all blending harmoniously. The warm pastry almost melted in your mouth. The crust wasn't crunchy, but not exactly chewy. It was a perfect blend of the two textures. It was easily the best damn pie you've ever had, and that was only with one bite!

"So how is it?" The voice of Applejack catches your attention. She bears a very coy look on her face.

"In all honesty? This is probably the best pie I've ever had." You decided to say 'screw it' to your reluctant attitude towards this pony's cooking skills. Even if she isn't the kindest pony, she deserves praise for this.

"Glad ya like it."

"Mind if I get a little more?" You ask. Even with a near-complete slice on your plate, you knew you would have room for more.

"Don't get greedy." She finishes, diving right back into her pie.

The three of you eat in silence for a few minutes. Not that you were complaining. The less time spent talking, the more time you got to spend with the delicious treat in front of you.

You had about a bite or two left of your pie, when the sound of a door opening behind you caught your attention. You turn around to see two ponies. One you recognized as Applebloom (like you could forget her after your introduction), but the other you had yet to meet. She was a very old mare, with a pale green coat. Her white mane and tail were both done up in buns, and on her flank was a large pie. She wore a orange handkerchief on her neck, which sported a white lace and an apple pattern. Her eyes were about the same shade as the filly's.

"How's everypony likin' the pie?" She asks, her voice rattling.

"Uh, G-Granny! What are you doin' out here? I thought you were busy inside!" Applejack asks, sounding rather frantic.

"Lil' Applebloom here told me that you n' Big Mac hired a new pony to help out aroun' here, and I wanted to meet 'im. Oh!" She approaches you until she gets somewhat close. "Is this the feller you were tellin' me about, sweetie?"

"Yup! That's the guy!" Applebloom exclaims.

"Hmm..." The old mare brings her face uncomfortably close to yours, examining your face. You can feel her breath on your face as she simply stares at you. After what feels like forever, she brings her hoof to your face, and begins feeling your features. Her hoof was surprisingly firm for a mare her age. Must be the farm life that made her this durable.

You don't really know how to respond. If any other pony did this, you would probably punch them in the face. Given the fact that she's such an old mare, you don't really want to take that chance, and decide to let her have her fill.

After a few minutes, she backs off, and suddenly bursts into laughter. "Hoowee, now this guy is a worker! I can feel it!"

You just knew you had to ride on this. "Oh ma'am, you flatter me! Tell me, what's your name, sweet angel?"

She lets out a few hearty laughs before answering. "I'm Granny Smith, owner of this 'ere farm. You've met my grand kids already, it seems."

"Wait, a spry, little thing like you is a grandmother? I would never have guessed!" This elicited even more laughs from the old mare. You glance over at Applejack, and it's not hard to tell that she really, REALLY, wanted you to shut up.

"Oh, now, c'mon..." She says. You can tell she's getting bashful.

"Judging from your Cutie Mark, would it be correct to assume that you were the one behind this delicious morsel?" You ask, pointing to the pie. She nods, and you continue. "I must say, ma'am, you have quite the culinary skills. Best pie I've had, hooves down!"

"Ohohoho, this guy's such a gentlecolt! How did you two ever find him?"

Applejack was about to answer, but you beat her to it. "I work down at the First Bank of Ponyville, and AJ here came in one day, and, well, one thing led to another, and here I am now!" You threw in the 'AJ' just for good annoyance measure.

"Oh, well, you two made a fine choice in hirin' him." The old mare tells her two grand kids.

"Uh, hey, listen, Granny, I'm glad ya got to meet him and all, but we need to get him set up for tomorrow's work!" She says, again with that frantic feel in her voice.

"Oh, where are ya staying, sonny?" She asks sweetly.

Again, AJ was about to answer, but you beat her to the punch. "Well, I've only been here for one night, but I must say, the dirt of your barn's floor is rather comfortable."

"What!? Applejack, have you been making this handsome, young thing sleep out in th' barn!?" She yells at her granddaughter.

"W-Well, I, uh-"

"Oh, it's fine. I'm sure that there's no place for me in your home..." You interrupt.

"Oh, now, we can't have a little feller like you sleepin' in the dirt. You're staying in our guest room!" The old mare exclaims.

"WHAT!?" You and Applejack exclaim at the same time. You really didn't think you would get away with that. Perhaps this old mare is kinder than you expected. Something AJ over there should adopt.

Applejack starts again. "But, but Granny, I-"

"No buts! I won't have any friend o' the Apple family sleepin' in the dirt!" She says rather loudly.

"So he's stayin' with us, Granny?" Applebloom asks.

"Yessiree!" This elicits an adorable 'yay' from the filly.

Glancing at Applejack, you can tell she's not happy. VERY, not happy.

"Now c'mon, sweetie. Let's go get his room ready for him." Granny Smith says, as she turns to head back into the house. She cranes her head around as she yells back to you. "You wanna come in?"

"Uh, I'll be there in a minute." You call back.

Satisfied, she continues into the house, Applebloom hot on her heels. You begin to trot away from the house, towards the hills on the other side of the pasture.

"And just where in the hay do you think you're going?" Applejack yells.

"Relax, I ain't going anywhere!" You call back. You really weren't planning on running. After today's work, you didn't think you'd get very far if you tried anyway. You just wanted to get away from the family for a bit.

Looking back, you think you see Big Mac consoling his sister. From the distance, it looks like she let's out a huff before turning and walking away.

You turn your head forward again, and focus on your destination.

~*~*~

After a few minutes of trotting, you found yourself on a hill not far from the house. This particular hill was devoid of all trees, and had plenty of maneuvering room.

However, it had one specific aspect that made you choose it to settle on for a minute. It had a glorious view of the sunset. There was virtually nothing obstructing your view of the sun's descent. No trees, no buildings, no land features, nothing. From where you were sitting, there was nothing in view but the sky and sun.

The large, glowing orb cast out a beautiful array of reds, oranges, yellows, violets, and many other colors across the sky. There wasn't a single cloud overhead, giving a perfect canvas of colors. The sun itself was dimmed down from it's usual yellow hue, and appeared more of an orange as it approached its daily slumber.

The land was bathed in an orange glow. It gave off an incredibly peaceful vibe. A vibe that was added on to by the sounds all around, and the slight breeze flowing through the area. As the day went on, the crickets and cicadas of the farmland built up a sort of orchestra, and were now playing their symphony.

If there was ever a personal heaven for you, this might be it.

If only you could live like this every day. No worries, no targets, no 'hunts.' Granted, you loved the thrill of the 'hunt,' but sometimes, it was nice to get away from it all. It was nice to take a little time for your own, personal solace. It's why you loved sunsets. As one of nature's most peaceful acts of the day, you enjoyed watching the color spectacle of the sky during this time.

That....and it was the only thing that you still had that reminded you of her.

Shaking your head, you bring your mind back to the serenity of the scene at hoof. You were glad to be alone for once on this farm.

"I'm surprised ya haven't run off yet."

...Or so you were. Craning your head around, you see Applejack approaching you, a reserved look on her face. Well, there's goes your chance at escaping the family, either for one minute or one eternity.

"What? You don't think I'm THAT shifty, do you?" You ask, tease in your voice.

She sits next to you before responding. "I wouldn't put it past ya."

"Oh, your words pierce my heart like an icicle..."

"Hm. I gotta say though, ya picked a good spot to stop. This is my personal favorite place to watch the sunset." She keeps a stoic look on her face, and doesn't turn her head to face you.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I trespassing?" You continue to tease.

"No more than ya already are." She teases back.

You shrug your shoulders. "I gotta ask though. Why didn't you tell your Granny about me?"

"Uh...Well, Granny's kinda gettin' on in her years...I don't want to scare her by lettin' her know there's a criminal runnin' around the farm."

"Eh, can't argue with that."

The two of you simply sit in silence for a few moments, admiring the view. You glance over a few times to see if she's changed facial expressions, but it seems her face is stuck with that stoic look. You casually pass your eyes over her body. She really was quite built. Years of work on the farm must have made her quite fit, and it showed pretty well.

She was shining in an orange glow, which was only amplified by her own orange coat. She was like a radiant beacon, shining on the countryside. Her eyes were glowing brightly in the sunlight, and almost seemed to sparkle.

As much as you hated to admit it, she really was quite attractive. But you couldn't let yourself become entranced with this mare. There was the whole issue of her holding you hostage here. And you doubted her family, namely Big Macintosh, would appreciate you ogling at her.

Still, it didn't hurt to take a glance. She was a fine specimen.

You rub your eyes in a casual way, and look back towards the sunset. She didn't seem to notice you staring. You don't really know how long you were looking at her for. Hopefully not long enough for her to notice.

"So why do you do it?" She suddenly asks.

"What?" You ask back.

"Why do you steal from others?"

"What makes you think I've done this before?"

"Well, ya told me that yer little mess up with the Zap Apples and the cart was gonna be bad 'for yer record.' I'm assuming that you've stolen more than once."

"Oh, right." You told her that? A bit of a clumsy move. "Well, I guess...I don't know. Just used to it, I guess. No different than you or your farmwork."

"Wait, what!?" She sounded appalled. "That's completely different!"

"Nah, I steal for a living, you work on a farm for a living. Other than our methods of getting by, I don't see how it's different." You very casually say.

"But, I mean...ugh, how can ya live with yourself doing that?" She almost sounded pleading.

"You tend to lose the ability to feel guilt when you've been doing this as long as I have." You really don't care what she thinks of you, so you don't mind telling her this.

"Wha...how long have ya been doing this?"

"Oh, psh, I don't know...ever since I was a little colt, really." You wave a hoof dismissively.

"What!? Why would you-"

"If you grew up like I did, you wouldn't question." You interrupt.

"But, I can't even..." She looks downward, placing a hoof on her hat to readjust it.

"It's just the way I had to get by."

She then looks back up to you, and says the unthinkable.

"What would yer daddy think about ya doing this?"

You can't respond. She did not just bring that up. No, no pony speaks about...him. Not after what he did.

"Well!?"

You fight to contain your anger. Looking down to the ground, you close your eyes and take calm, slow breaths. Any time someone asked about your father, you had to fight against the memories of the pain he put your family through. The turmoil, the hatred, the reasons you became a thief, it all stemmed from him. You've wished for all your life that you could get back at him for what he did.

Only one problem. It's hard to get back at someone you don't know.

"I...I never knew my father." You say, calmly.

She remains silent for a long time before finally speaking. "...Oh...I-I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

"You...you believe me?" You ask skeptically.

"Well, yeah...you may be a thief, but I don't reckon anypony could lie about that. And, uh, not to brag, but I'm fairly good at tellin' liars." She replies. "B-but I'm sorry, really..."

"It's fine, whatever. Don't worry about it." You wave a hoof dismissively again.

The two of you sit in silence again, but this time, it is much more tense. You can feel the nervousness emanating from her. Why did she feel so bad about saying that? It's not like she cared about you. Why would she? Is she trying to sympathize with you? As if she could, she has no idea what you went through.

But then again, perhaps she did. Her parents don't seem to be around this farm. Maybe they did the same thing your father did...No, surely not. She probably just works and lives here, and her parents are off in some other town or whatever.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, she finally stands up. "Well," she starts. "We should probably get some shut-eye. Got more work tomorrow." You think you hear a hint of guilt in her voice.

"Aye aye, boss." You say, trying to dispel the awkward air. You trot ahead of her, and out of the corner of your eye, you think you see a look of despair on her face.

The two of you trot back to the house in silence.

Chapter Six

You open your eyes to find yourself standing. Where? You aren't sure.

You look around you. Somehow, despite there being no immediate source of light, you are able to see. You thought to not question it. The landscape is nothing but gray. Gray for miles, as far as the eye can see. The floor beneath your hooves feels like stone. Yet when you look down, it is nothing but solid gray. No details, no shades, nothing. Just gray.

The air around feels cold, and is incredibly dry. It almost hurts to breath it in. There is no stench in the air whatsoever. The cold bites at your skin. You feel your hairs standing on end. You are slightly shivering, attempting to get at least a little warmth from the frigid atmosphere. It was to little avail.

A sound from behind you grabs your attention. You turn around to find a small filly. Her body is solid black. Her mane and tail are solid white. Her eyes are closed. She stands about twenty feet away.

You begin to approach her. As you draw closer, you notice the air to grow colder and colder. It slowly becomes more difficult to breath. Yet you can't turn away. It feels as if some force is drawing you towards the foal.

You feel a light pressure on your chest, yet when you look down, there is nothing touching you.

You arrive at the filly. She doesn't move. There is no detail in her features at all. Just solid black. You can't even make out a mouth on her face. Or eyelids. Does she even have eyes?

At last, she opens her eyes and looks at you. Like her mane and tail, her eyes are also solid white. It was difficult to tell exactly what she was looking at. Her face was facing yours, so you only figured that must be what she was observing. There wasn't much else out here to catch somepony's attention, anyway.

She opens her mouth, which, unsurprisingly, is solid white on the inside. She speaks.

"You shouldn't do that. Even for me."

You open your mouth to question, but before you even get a chance, the filly vanishes. It looked as though her body was turned to dust, and whisked away by the wind. You turn your head, attempting to find her, but with no luck.

Another sound from behind catches your attention. You turn around, only this time, instead of finding a filly, you look upon a massive torrent of water, charging right at you. The tsunami roars as it rapidly approaches you.

You turn and run. You don't know where you are running to, but anywhere but that water was fine by you. You look back to find the wave growing closer and closer. You give it your all as you run.

The cold air caused your lungs to sting. Despite the frigid air, you begin to sweat. Your legs ached, and your head was pounding. You look to your sides to see the water was beginning to surround you. You put even more effort into your mad dash.

The pressure on your chest gets a little stronger. There is still nothing there.

Your breathing is incredibly heavy. The water behind is roaring in your ears. You give all of what's left of your energy to your legs, driving yourself further. You can't outrun the torrent, and sooner or later...

You shake your head, only focusing on running. You can't stop to wipe the sweat from your face. The water was right on your tail. Your legs are screaming in pain. They desperately want you to stop, yet you know you can't. You bite through the pain, and keep running.

At last, your legs finally give out on you. You stumble over your own hooves, and fall to the ground. You look back to see the wave right over you. You take in one last breath.

In an instant, the tsunami crashes down on you. If the air was cold, this water must have come from the icebergs. You can feel your body temperature dropping already.

Your eyes shoot open. Luckily, the water doesn't sting them, and you can see clearly. You look towards what you think is the surface, and immediately start swimming towards it. It looks as though you are making progress.

Suddenly, everything slows down. The surface stops approaching. You feel yourself being pulled downward by an unknown force. You fight with all you strength, trying to swim up and away, with no luck.

Your lungs begin to ache. You frantically search for the cause of the force, yet there is nothing there. It feels like a weight has been attached to your legs, dragging you down. Your hope, along with your vision, begins to fade.

The pressure is even stronger on your chest now.

Looking back towards the surface, you spot something. A very faint light. You reach for it, and it seems to glow brighter. You begin to kick, and try to swim towards it. In response, it begins to shine even brighter.

You use a new found strength in your legs to swim for the light. You can feel yourself being dragged away from the force pulling you down. The more you kick and fight, the brighter the light shines. It has a very faint, orange hue.

You can feel the water growing warmer as you approach the orange light. Your body is returning to it's natural temperature, and your vision is returning. Your lungs aren't even straining anymore.

The light is right in front of you. It is incredibly bright, yet it doesn't hurt to look into it. You can almost feel it, it's right there! You reach out for it, and...

Everything goes black.

"He...ste..."

You look around, there's nothing.

"...ak...p."

The pressure on your chest grows stronger.

"...leas...ake u..."

The pressure turns into a pounding. Your chest begins to really hurt.

"HEY, MISTER! WAKE UP!"

You shoot upward. You open your eyes, only to close them immediately. You take in heaves of breaths, and you can feel sweat running down your face.

You open your eyes to find yourself in a bed, sheets loosely covering your legs and belly. At the end of your legs, you find a small filly. Applebloom was staring at you with fear in her eyes.

"...A-Are y-you okay?" She asks, her voice trembling.

Was that all...a dream? You think to yourself. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit of a nightmare, is all."

"A-Are ya sure?" She sounded deeply concerned.

"Yeah, don't worry about me," you reassure her. "I'm fine, really."

"Well, o-okay..." She still sounds unsure.

Something in your head clicks. "Hey, what were you doing in here?"

"Oh, um, I was gonna wake you up fer today's work, but..." She looks away. "I got in here, and you were sweatin' and shakin' in yer sleep... I-I was worried, so I kinda started yellin', but...but y-you wouldn't wake up, so I..."

"...you started hitting my chest?" You tease.

"N-No! I kinda, well...I mean, I started pushin' on you, but you still wouldn't wake up, so I..." She begins to nervously rub her foreleg. "...started hittin' you, yeah..."

You let out a light chuckle. "It's fine, really."

"Are ya sure? I didn't hurt you, did I?" She looks at you with pleading eyes. She really was adorable.

"Really, don't worry about it." You look into her eyes. For just a split second, you saw something. Something familiar, that reminded you of someone you knew, long ago...

"Well, alright then...." Suddenly, she perks up. "Hey! Let's go get some breakfast! Granny's makin' waffles!"

"Yeah, let's." You reply kindly. Applebloom hops up and bolts out the door, not waiting for you. You can't help but laugh.

You climb out of bed and look around your room. The Apples had boarded you in their guest room. It was fairly small, and lacked any sort of fancy wallpaper, but it was quaint. It came equipped with a wardrobe, a chest, a wall mirror, a small desk with a chair, and of course, the bed you slept in. The bed had a blanket with an apple print on it. You weren't surprised.

Taking a moment to look at yourself in the mirror, you adjust your mane from it's unkempt state. Might as well look somewhat presentable, right? Running a hoof over it, you bring down all the unruly hairs sticking out in all directions. Satisfied, you trot out the door and towards the kitchen.

You bypass several other doors on your way. You had gotten a small tour of the house, courtesy of Granny Smith, when you had first come in. You could pick out a few rooms, such as Applejack's, Big Mac's, and Applebloom's, but a few rooms you forgot about.

You trot down the stairs, passing through the living room, and into the kitchen. Immediately, the familiar smell of apples hits your nostrils. Taking in a deep breath, you can smell something similar to the pancakes you had yesterday morning.

Looking around, you see Granny at the stove, and Big Macintosh and Applebloom waiting at the table. Applebloom's mouth was watering slightly. Big Macintosh sits with his usual, stoic look, waiting patiently for breakfast.

Granny turns her head and sees you. "Oh, mornin', sonny!" She says, as chipper as she was yesterday. "Did ya sleep well?"

"Eh, I've had better nights." You say, recalling the nightmare.

"Oh, that's no good. Was the bed not comfortable?" She asks, genuine concern in her voice.

"Oh, no no no, it's fine, just, eh, had a bit of trouble sleeping." You reassure her.

"Alright sonny, but if you need anythin', let me know!" She's about as stereotypical as grandmothers can get, you think to yourself.

"Heh, thanks." You reply. You begin to trot towards the table.

"Oh, before you sit down, would you mind runnin' out front and grabbin' the paper?" Granny asks.

"Sure thing, ma'am." You turn around and begin to make your way towards the front door.

Passing through the living room again, you open the door and step outside. It was a little humid outside, and the sun was just barely peeking over the horizon. Just like yesterday, you figured it was about 6 AM.

You look down to find a neatly folded newspaper sitting at the edge of the porch. Picking it up in your hooves, you figured it wouldn't hurt to take a peek at the most recent events of the town. You open up the paper and look at the front page headline:

Local Shop Owner Mugged! Bag of bits Stolen!

A new knot forming in your stomach, you crush the paper into a wad and look around. On your right was a rocking chair, resting on the porch. You figured Granny must sit there during the day. On your left was two barrels. One had a lid, but the other was completely empty.

You take the lid off of the sealed barrel, and inside was nothing but water. You chuck the paper inside and slam the lid back down.

"...There was no paper today." You say to yourself.

Walking back inside, you head back into the kitchen. The moment you do, Granny looks over and asks.

"Where's the paper?"

"Y'know, weirdest thing, there was no paper." You say casually.

"Oh, that clumsy pegasus musta lost it again. Oh well!" She goes right back to preparing breakfast.

Letting out a small sigh, you take your place at the table and wait. Big Mac was on your left, and Applebloom was on the opposite side of the table. Big Macintosh looks over to you.

"Mornin'." He says in his usual stoic voice.

"Hey." You reply. He goes right back into silence mode after that.

You look over to Applebloom, who is giving you a slight look of concern. You give her a smile, in an attempt to let her know you're fine after the little scene from earlier. She smiles back, and looks over to Granny.

"Hey, where's Applejack?" She asks.

Granny was about to answer, when the familiar, orange mare in question trots through the door. "I'm right here, don't worry." She says while adjusting the hat on her head. "Mornin' family...and you." She says, looking at you.

You merely give her a wink in reply. She smirks, and sits down at the table next to you, leaving a seat open next to her for her grandmother.

"It's just about ready, everypony!" The elder mare calls out.

"Great, can't wait. They smell great!" You call out, making Granny chuckle slightly. You look over to Applejack and ask. "So, what are my duties today, boss?"

"You and I are gonna be harvesting the west field today." She says, ignoring your slight teasing. "Hope ya got some experience in apple bucking."

"I can't say I do." You reply.

"Not that I'm surprised." She says, giving a slight glare at you.

At that moment, Granny Smith speaks up. "Alright everypony," she says, bringing over a several plates worth of waffles. "Dig in!"

She slides a plate in front of you. Resting on the plate was a larger-than-average waffle, generously topped with syrup and powdered sugar. You pick up the fork resting next to the plate and push it through the waffle, cutting off a small chunk. You bring the piece to your mouth.

Once again, an explosion of flavor graced your tastebuds. It tasted much like the pancake from yesterday, but had a much crispier texture to it. It slightly crunched under your teeth, but it was just as amazing, if not more than the pancake. The powdered sugar was a nice touch, and made the waffle all the more sweeter. The taste of apples seemed to be slightly stronger than yesterday's breakfast, and the syrup was still just as sweet.

It was a pretty damn good waffle, to say the least.

You thought about striking up some sort of conversation, but decided not to. You wanted to eat all you could in order to have the energy for today's work. If yesterday was any indication, you wanted to be as ready as you could be. Time spent talking meant less time spent eating.

With that in mind, the five of you eat your breakfast in silence.

Chapter Eight

"Okay," you say, heaving breaths. "I think we're done here."

The sun was now setting across the farm, and the day was finally beginning to cool down. After your little...moment, with Applejack, you had worked alone for most of the day. It was boring as all hay, but you didn't have much else to do. At least it wasn't as hot as yesterday. The work was repetitive, sure, but it wasn't exactly easy. Had it been any hotter out here, you might have sweated yourself to death.

Resting against a tree, you wipe the sweat from your brow. Hard work should always be rewarded in your book, and right now, your reward was a nice, little rest in the shade. You managed to harvest a large quantity of the trees here. It would only take another day to finish off what was left.

Off in the distance, you can see a large, red figure pulling a cart. Big Mac was making his rounds to pick up all the apples you and AJ had just harvested. You considered going over to talk with him, but dismissed the idea. You were in no rush to speak with him. And if anything, you'd see him at the inevitable dinnertime later on.

Instead, you lean back and fold your hooves behind your head, once again taking in the serenity of the land. You hadn't seen Applejack ever since that awkward conversation earlier. You figured it might be for the best. You still aren't certain as to what sparked her response. Obviously something to do with her parents, but what exactly?

Not wanting to dwell on it, you silence your inner monologue and close your eyes. A crisp scent wafted through the area. It was that strange smell of the country air. It was hard to define, especially with the scent of apples infecting it as well.

You had considered just taking a nap here, but decided against it. First, and foremost, if AJ found you, you would never hear the end of it. Like you needed to have her yelling at you more. Second, this probably wouldn't be so great on your back. Trees don't make the best beds for anything that isn't a pegasus.

Instead, you simply relaxed against the base of the tree, listening to the sounds of birds, bugs, and breathing.

Huh. Weird déjà vu...

"HEY MISTER!"

Falling to your right while letting out a disturbing yelp, you take a face full of dirt. You hoped this wouldn't become a sort of ritual between you and that little filly.

Bringing yourself back up into a sitting position, spitting out bits of soil on the way, you turn to see the ever excited face of Applebloom.

"You have a nasty habit of sneaking up on ponies, don't you?" You ask, teasing.

She looks genuinely embarrassed as she rubs her foreleg, looking away. "S-Sorry...I didn't mean ta scare ya..."

Smiling at her adorable display, you comfort her. "Don't worry about it, I've had worse scares." You lean backward into a more comfortable position. "So, what brings you out here?"

"Oh, I was just gonna tell you that dinner is almost ready up at the house!" She begins to look a little nervous. "And, well..."

"...Yes, go on." You ask, encouraging her.

"I was gonna ask what y'all are doin' tomorrow..."

"Well, I'll probably be working some more..." You take a sly look on your face. "What? Little Applebloom isn't asking me...on a date, is she?"

Her eyes go wide and her face grows beet-red. "N-No! No! I was just, uh..."

Letting out a chuckle, you continue. "Calm down now, I was just kidding. So why do you ask?"

"Well, all my friends are busy tomorrow, n' I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with me..." She says, still embarrassed by your joke.

With a smile, you reply. "Well, I'd be honored, but AJ will probably put me right back to work finishing this field tomorrow." You lean close to Applebloom and whisper. "That mare can be such a slave-driver sometimes!"

Applebloom starts giggling, which you can only find to be adorable. It's strange. The sight of this filly giggling brings back such warm memories of...her...

"I wouldn't think AJ would put you right back ta work tomorrow..."

"Why is that?" You ask, genuinely curious.

"Well, tomorrow is Sunday. We usually don't work on Sunday." She looks away with a slight hint of sadness in her features. "Well, most of us, anyway..."

"What do you mean by that?"

She looks off into the distance. Following her gaze, you spot the object of her attention: Big Macintosh. "Big Mac works all the time, even on days off." She looks to the ground. "He never has any time for me..."

Seeing this filly this sad caused your heart to ache ever so slightly. "Hey, c'mon now, don't think that way. He's just such a busy guy, is all."

"Yeah, but even during the holidays, he works. I'm afraid he's gonna work himself to death one day..." She let's out a depressed sigh.

"Hey, don't talk like that." Your sudden, serious tone caught the filly off guard, and she suddenly looks a little frightened. Toning it down a bit, you continue. "Look, I'm sure he would love to spend time with you. But running a farm like this takes quite a bit of work, y'know. Somepony has to keep up with the place."

She doesn't seem convinced. You can't stand to see this adorable little filly this sad. For whatever reason, you decide to humor her.

"Hey, look. I'll see what I can get worked out with AJ, and tomorrow, you and I will have tons of fun."

"Really!?" She exclaims.

"Of course! And as for Big Mac?" You say, leaning in close. "Don't worry about him. I'll take care of it." You punctuate your sentence with a wink.

Suddenly, the filly leaps forward and wraps her hooves around your torso. "Thank you! We're gonna have so much fun!" She buries her head into your chest.

Your heart melted a little at the adorable display. It's hard to think that a sister of that Applejack could be this sweet. Perhaps AJ herself wasn't so cold after all...

It hurt you a little on the inside as well. Had this little filly really been that desperate for her brother's attention? To the point where she adopted a sort of surrogate brother in you? Granted, you had plenty of experience dealing with scenarios like such as this, but it still tore you apart knowing she was this hurt by the lack of time spent with her brother.

Yet with this filly...you felt something. A strange connection. It was as if you had known this child all your life. But then again, with all the memories she managed to conjure up in your mind, that didn't seem so far-fetched. She was very similar in her mannerisms to...her...she also had the exact same eyes...

Shaking your head, trying to clear your thoughts, you pat the little filly on the back. "Don't sweat it." She releases herself from you, and backs up, looking at you. "Now, you said dinner was ready?"

She enthusiastically nods her head, and turns towards the house. "Right this way!" She says, waving a hoof. After she turns around, you roll your eyes at the cute, little display.

Getting up, you trot over to her side. You decide to ask about her friends.

"Hey, you said that all your friends were busy tomorrow?" She nods. "With what, may I ask?"

"Oh, Ms. Cheerilee gave us all this big essay to write. Scoots and Sweetie are doin' it tomorrow."

"And you've already done it?" She nods again. You playfully muss her mane, being careful not to undo her bow. "Look at you, being the overachiever!"

She blushes slightly, making your heart melt a little more. "I just wanted to get it out of the way..."

"And that's a good thing! Opened up a day on your schedule, right?" She nods yet again. "Besides, I'm sure this Cheerilee will be quite happy."

"I don't think she would've gotten mad...she's a really nice pony..." She looks up to you, a slight sparkle in her eyes. "I think you two would get along really good!"

"Ha ha, if you say so. Next thing I know, you'll be setting me up on dates with her." You say jokingly.

"W-What!? N-No I wasn't! I was just, er, um..." She looks towards the ground, blushing.

Looking at her, you realize that she might really have been considering doing just that. You shake your head, chuckling slightly. It was silly, thinking this filly would be a catalyst in your love life.

"C'mon now. I was kidding! You gotta lighten up a little!" You say, mussing her mane again. She looks away, a blush still present on her face.

The house was coming into view now, and the two of you walk the rest of the distance in silence.

Chapter Nine

You shot up in bed with a start.

You had that exact same nightmare again. The only difference was that everything was amplified. The freezing cold, the strain on your body in the tsunami, everything. The pressure on your chest was absent, seeing as Applebloom wasn't pounding on you this time.

Wait, where was she? Looking out your window, you see the sun rising above the barn. It was definitely later than the usual 6 AM. Perhaps you really were getting a day off, seeing as a messenger wasn't sent to awaken you.

Rubbing your eyes, you slide out of the bed and head over to the mirror. With your mane being a horrid sight, you take a moment to both fix yourself up and reflect on yesterday.

After your little chat with Applebloom, you joined the family for yet another amazing meal. Apple turnovers, which were, once again, amazing. You're convinced that these ponies were the best cooks in Equestria. You wouldn't be surprised if they had medals lying around in this house somewhere. You wondered if they were breaking out all the stops to make the best meals they could just because they had company. It felt kind of nice, like you were royalty, or something.

After dinner was over, you opted not to go view the sunset like the previous day, and instead headed for bed early. You were slightly afraid of having to face AJ in her spot again, especially after the awkward air that surrounded your conversation.

Yet at the same time, you felt disappointed that you didn't face her after that. Was a small part of you anticipating your little chat with her in the sunset? Even after the hell she's put you through, you at least have SOME form of realistic connection with her. That, and you wanted someone to talk to. Someone to REALLY talk to, that is. Big Mac is cool, but he's not the chattiest pony.

When you finally managed to brush your mane into a presentable state, you waltz out the door and head for the kitchen. It was slowly becoming a routine. Passing the same doors, going down the same stairs, through the same living room, so on, so forth. The only difference today was the time you got up.

Walking into the kitchen you find....what, the hay? There are pink dots painted on, well, everything. Walls, floor, ceiling, furniture, literally everything in the kitchen was painted with dots.

Stepping forward, you accidentally place your hoof on a dot to find it is still very much wet. Looking at your new, pink hoof, you groan slightly. Looking over across the kitchen, you spot Granny Smith's hair sticking up just behind the table.

Trotting over to her, being careful to avoid the dots, you find her with a paintbrush in her mouth, painting the dots on everything. Had she lost her mind, or was this her idea of interior design?

"Uh, Ms. Smith..." you begin cautiously. "What is all this?"

"Oh! Mornin' sonny!" She stands up to face you on your level. Taking the brush out of her muzzle, she continues. "What's all what?"

You wave a hoof around, wondering why you would even need to indicate what you are talking about. "All this? The pink dots?"

She squints her eyes and looks around. You can't help but wonder why, it wouldn't be that hard to notice them. "Oh! Those! Well, for our Zap Apple Jam, of course! Turns out the jam likes pink polka dots!"

Convinced the mare must have lost her mind, you decide not to push it any further. "Ooookay then..."

"Oh, right!" She says, just before kneeling down to continue her painting. "Lil' Applebloom was lookin' fer ya! She went out front!"

"Alright, thanks." You say, as you start for the door.

"If yer hungry, we got some bagels over on th' counter!" She calls from her painting position.

"Another of your amazing morsels, I take it?." She let's out a hearty chuckle. You turn around and sure enough, next to the sink is a plate full of bagels. Trotting up to it, you take one in your hoof, and take a bite.

...Apple bagels? You think to yourself. That's new. The bagel was still warm from being freshly baked, and the bread was slightly chewy. There was a slight hint of apple in the flavor. You didn't know whether to have expected that or be surprised. In all honesty, they weren't the best thing you've had in your time here. But still, it was free food, courtesy of a slightly insane, old mare.

Taking a few moments, you finish off the rest of the bagel. Heading into the living room, you begin to walk toward the front door. As you walk, you hear hoofsteps coming down the stairs.

Sure enough, it was Applejack. Adjusting the hat on her head, she doesn't notice you until she turns around the banister at the bottom of the stairs.

"...Morning." She says, with a smile.

"...Hey." You reply, somewhat curious.

Looking down, she sees your pink hoof. "I take it Granny has already started gettin' ready for makin' Zap Apple Jam?"

"Uh, yeah. Why does she-"

"Don't ask."

"Okay." Quite frankly, you weren't sure you wanted to know why. A short silence passes between the two of you.

"So," the mare starts. "Applebloom tells me your spendin' the day with her?"

"Unless you have some task for me, herr boss." You say, teasing.

She actually laughs slightly, and looks down to the floor. "Nah, I ain't ready ta put you back to work. Besides, today's Sunday. We don't work on Sundays around here."

"Well, from what your sister has told me, there is one pony who does." You tell her.

"Oh, that..." She looks a little distraught. "Ever since Hearts and Hooves day, Big Mac has been working non-stop. He even takes small jobs around town. I don't know what's gotten into him..."

"Hmm..." You were genuinely curious. While you didn't know exactly why the big fella would do that, you knew one thing; he was neglecting his little sister, and you wouldn't stand for that. "Don't worry about him. I've got it covered."

"If you can reason with him, be my guest. I've been trying to get him to take a break forever." She lets out a sigh, and begins to walk towards the kitchen. "I'm helping Granny with the Zap Apple Jam today, so you can just have fun with Applebloom."

"So, you're cool with me being around her now? Whatever caused you to trust me like that?" You ask, trying to prod her.

She turns around to face you. "I saw you and her talking yesterday. I don't know what you said to her, but I haven't seen her face light up like that in ages." She walks up to you and lowers her voice. "Ya may be a thief, but...I reckon ya cain't be that bad of a guy."

You didn't know how to respond. Was she genuinely growing to trust you? With how harshly she lashed out at you for talking with her sister a couple of days ago, she was suddenly becoming much friendlier about it. What could have caused that?

"Uh, thank you?" You say, slightly confused.

She simply turns and walks towards the kitchen. "Well? Run along now, she's waitin' for ya. And don't go runnin' off now either!"

"Still don't trust me that much, I see?" She simply smirks and walks out of sight into the kitchen.

It was hard to imagine that you were actually becoming a somewhat accepted part of the household. Sure, Granny and Applebloom liked you, but they didn't know any better. Big Macintosh seems to have set that little incident aside, which was for the better. You shudder to think about what your treatment would be like here if he HADN'T been that kind.

But Applejack...she was a mix of differing amounts of care. On one hoof, she had to care about you. If she didn't, her grandmother would be all over her case. On another hoof, she still held resentment in her heart towards you for, well, obvious reasons.

Yet there was another side. One that was confusing to figure out. It seemed like she genuinely cared about you, but there was another factor behind it. Is it because she saw how happy you apparently made her sister? You weren't sure, but there was definitely another piece to the puzzle.

You figured the answer would come with time. Turning towards the door, you head out to greet your playmate.

~*~*~

"Heads up!"

You run backwards, and prepare to clasp the disc flying at you in your hooves. For a small filly, Applebloom had a surprisingly strong throw. She managed to toss the Frisbee quite a distance.

The disc was now starting to descend, and you were directly in it's path. Deciding to impress the filly, you jump up the rest of the distance, and catch the disc in the crook of your hoof.

Upon landing, you hear her call out. "Nice catch! You're real good at this!"

"Ah, it's nothing. Just had practice, is all..." You yell back. "Get ready, here it comes!"

Rearing your foreleg back, you see she's taken a preparatory stance. Feeling like you've gotten a good position, you swing your foreleg forward and let loose. The disc flies about ten feet above the ground, and cruises through the air at a relatively fast pace.

Applebloom begins to back up to catch it. She picks up speed when she realizes she won't be in a good spot to make her mark. The sight of the filly backpedaling so quickly makes you chuckle slightly. She has a slight look of fear on her face, as if she's afraid she won't make it.

The look is quickly lost as the disc starts to droop. With a sudden burst of confidence in her features, she gets ready. Not one to be outdone, she leaps up in the air, and catches it in her teeth. This had been how she had caught it every time.

"I gaw' ih!" She says, her voice muffled by the plastic. She takes it out and repeats. "I got it!"

"Nice one, kid!" You call back. You notice she starts to rub her mouth a bit. "Something wrong?"

"It just kinda hurts catchin' it like that. But I can't catch it with one hoof..." She says, sounding a tad embarrassed.

"Ah, it's easy." It doesn't seem to reassure her, though. "Tell ya what, I'll help ya catch it with your hooves."

"How?" She asks, a pondering look on her face.

"Simple, you use the pancake technique." She has a skeptical look on her face. "Here, let me see the Frisbee. When I toss it, catch it by putting both hooves on each side. Kinda like you're clapping your hooves around the Frisbee. Got it?"

Nodding, she hands the Frisbee to you, and you backpedal a bit to give her some space. Rearing up once again, you bring your foreleg around, and swing it forward, letting loose. You threw it a bit easier this time, to give her a little more time to prepare.

Again, she takes on that look of slight fear. Probably because she's about to try a new technique. Of course, it was out of your hooves now, and she had to get this right on her own. She begins to back up slightly, and when she's in position, she stops.

Taking a moment to steel her nerves, she prepares for the incoming projectile. Pushing herself onto her hind legs, she lifts her front legs into position, closes her eyes, and...

"You got it!" You yell out. Opening her eyes, she sees that she managed to use the 'technique' successfully.

Suddenly, she starts bounding around like, well, a school-filly. Having dropped the Frisbee on the ground, she jumps around, cheering.

"I got it! I've never caught it with my hooves before! Now Scootaloo can't make fun of me for that no more!" She says, completely ecstatic about the otherwise small achievement.

"See? It ain't that hard." You say, trotting up to the little champion. She suddenly hugs your forelegs.

"Thanks! You have no idea how much she bugged me for that. I'll show her next time we're playing!" She sounded so triumphant. It managed to make your heart melt a little.

"Ah, it was nothing." Patting the filly's head, you look off into the distance. Through the trees, you see Big Macintosh baling hay again. Seriously? Is that all he does? You think to yourself. "Hey, ya thirsty?"

"Hay yeah! All this catchin' is hard work!" She says, sounding very confident.

"Hey now, don't get brash. I'll go fetch us some water." You say, excusing yourself.

She nods, and you begin to walk towards the red stallion. The brother works, while the farmhand plays with his little sister? You intended to fix this odd scenario.

As you walked, you started to think. Why exactly were you doing this? You have no true ties to either of these ponies. It's not like they were family to you or anything. Sure, Applebloom treated you like it, but that's just her little innocence kicking in. She didn't know any better.

There was just something tearing you apart. Seeing Applebloom so distraught about her big brother abandoning her was something you couldn't stand.

You had to fix it.

You approach where Big Mac was working. He was finishing a tie on the newest bale of hay. He didn't seem to notice you approaching. You set your elbows on the bale and lean forward.

"All work and no play makes Mac a dull colt, y'know." You say.

His head shoots up and bears a surprised look on his face. It's probably the most emotion you've seen from him at one point.

"Heh, ya surprised me..." He replies, rubbing his eyes.

"I hear you're quite the workaholic." You say.

"Er, well, I have been doin' a lot, lately. I have ta take care of the work around here, ya know..."

"Sure, but AJ tells me you've been taking small jobs for other ponies as well." He visibly flinches at this. "Tell me Mac, do ya need to take care of their work, too?"

"Ah..." He seems to be having trouble finding his words.

"I hear that you started putting in all this overtime after a certain Hearts and Hooves Day...?" You ask, pushing for information.

"W-Well, I..."

"Tell me Mac, did you happen to meet somepony on that day?"

He merely stares at you wide-eyed. This is the first time you've been this forward with him.

"I would bet my career that you've been taking all these jobs for payment, haven't you?" He doesn't respond. "Payment, for a mare..."

At last, he hangs his head in shame and sighs. "Yeah...Cheerilee is her name..."

"Applebloom's teacher?" You ask.

He nods. "Applebloom n' her little friends gave us a potion that made us fall in love. The effects wore off later on, but then we tried a relationship for real, and..." He looks away. "Well, it's kinda gotten far..."

"So you've been taking jobs all around town to keep up with her?"

"It ain't like she's demandin', or nothin'. I just wanna make sure she's happy." He says. "I've been working overtime here ta make sure I can at least spend some time with her during the off season, and I've been taking jobs around town ta make some money fer, well...our time together..."

"Well, that's quite noble of you, Mac." You trot around the bale and wrap an foreleg around his shoulder. "But do you think she'd be happy knowing you were neglecting one of her favorite students?"

"What do ya mean?" He asks, eyebrow raised.

"Look over there." You point a hoof towards Applebloom, who was just visible enough to see through the trees. She was tossing the Frisbee up and down, catching it with both hooves. An adorable sight. "That little filly has been pretty upset lately. Know why?" He shakes his head. "Because her big bro has been working himself to death, never able to spend some time with her."

"Wha...really?" He asks, genuine concern in his voice.

"Mhmm. She's pretty torn up over it." You stand up. "Why don't you run along and give her her fill? I'll take care of this."

"You would do that?" You simply nod. "I...I never knew she was that upset...thank you fer tellin' me."

"Think nothing of it." You dismissively wave a hoof. "Now go on, she's waiting on ya."

With a smile on his face, he stands up, and begins to trot off in Applebloom's direction. As he walks, he stops, and turns towards you. "Y'know, maybe ya weren't as bad as I thought."

"I'm deeply flattered by your gracious compliment!" You say sarcastically. Big Mac merely smiles and continues walking towards his little sister.

At this point, you were feeling unusually good. You managed to help mend a slightly shattered relationship between two siblings. You only hoped Big Mac would take your words to heart, and make sure to prevent this in the future.

Considering how kind Big Mac had been to you in your time here, you figured you owed it to the guy to be a little caring. You couldn't stand to see a broken relationship between siblings. Trust and love like that was one of the most important things in the world to you. A value you've held ever since you were young.

Kneeling down, you prepare to finish the tie Big Mac was working on.

"Well I'll be...ya actually managed to convince him."

A familiar voice behind you catches your attention. You turn around to find Applejack leaning on a bale of hay. She begins to trot towards you.

"I didn't think you could do it. I've been trying to get him to take it easy for weeks." She bears a very surprised look on her face as she talks. "How'd ya manage to do that?"

"He may be big and tough, but even he has to have a soft spot for his little sis, right?" You reply.

"Yeah, he does care about her a lot...I was just worried he got carried away to the point where he forgot about her." She turns to you. "Did he tell you why he's workin' so much, by the way?"

You were about to spill the beans, but decided not to. If Big Macintosh hadn't told his family about his little girlfriend by now, he must really want it to be secret. Instead, you decide to hold off on it. "I'm sure you'll find out in due time."

"Well, whatever you did...thank you." She looked truly pleased and thankful for your work.

"It's nothing, really." You look off in the distance towards the now setting sun. "Just something I needed to do..."

"What do ya mean?" She asks.

"...Nothing." You reply, pushing the memories from your mind. You look back to Applejack, and she looks slightly concerned. Not wanting to cause any strife, you change subjects. "So, how did the Zap Apple Jam making go?"

"Oh, we got plenty of batches made! And we got quite a few goodies up there too! Wanna come and try some?" She asks, seemingly tranquil about your presence here for once.

"I will later, I'm just gonna go relax for a bit." You say, as you begin to trot away. "Tell Granny to save a few goodies for me."

"Can do." AJ says, tipping her hat.

The two of you begin to go your separate ways. Her to the house, and you to the hill you viewed the sunset from the other day.

On your way there, you saw two ponies. A stallion and a filly, laughing together.

Chapter Ten

A/N: Major, major, MAJOR, shout out to ADashofLoyalty! He created a lovely little song based on this chapter!
Those who wish to view it may do so be clicking here.
Anyway, on to the story!

"Ah...." You say, releasing a sigh. "This is the life."

With your back propped up against a tree, you watch Celestia's sun slowly descend beyond the land. It portrayed its cascade of colors across the darkening sky as it slowly vanished from view. Only a few clouds lazily drifted through the sky, but nothing too severe to block the sky from view.

Same as the last time you came out here, birds were chirping, cicadas were singing, and a light breeze blew through the area. With your body not being as fatigued as last time, however, it felt even better to just relax here.

Today was an unusually good day. You never thought in your life you would play the role of 'relationship mender' for a brother and sister, but it felt good to do just that. Judging from their laughter you saw earlier, it looks like it was for the best that you stepped in. It warmed your heart to see them happy together.

It was strange...you had been some kind of catalyst for their relationship with each other. You had only known them for a few days, yet you really felt like you were becoming a part of the family. Despite what had brought you here in the first place, you actually began to feel like you belonged...

Of course, with Applejack, that might not be entirely true. Then again, even after your introduction with her, she really seemed to be warming up to you. For whatever reason, she seemed to actually not mind you being here. Not that you were complaining, of course. If it makes your life here easier, why would you?

Yet you knew that you would have to leave eventually. You couldn't pawn a free room and food off of them forever. A shame, seeing as they could cook circles around you.

You take a deep breath of the crisp, country air. It was quite refreshing. A much better change of pace from the stuffy city air you grew up in.

The city...you remembered all the hardships you faced back in the day. It was back in those days that you became a thief, all because of the action of a single stallion. Every day, you wish you could go back, and change the series of events that led to what happened back then...

Shaking your head to rid yourself of those thoughts, you lean back and sigh, taking in the sun's rays.

You begin to count under your breath.

3...
2...
1...

"I figured I would find you up here."

Right on cue. You crane your head around to see Applejack approaching. This time, she looked much more relaxed and pleased to see you up here.

"Am I that easy to read?" You ask.

"I wouldn't say that, but you seem like a guy of habit." She replies.

"Ponies naturally hate change, right?"

"I suppose, though you could do with a few."

"Heh, tell me about it." You lean back onto the tree, folding your hooves behind your head.

"Hey, I brought ya a little somethin'." You turn to face her, and see she is holding a muffin in her hoof.

"A muffin? What's this for?" You say, taking the morsel from her hoof.

"Just a little somethin' Granny and I whipped up. Think of it as my thanks for helpin' Big Mac."

"Gee, what flavor is it?" You ask sarcastically.

"Just try it. What, ya don't trust me?" She asks, teasing.

Shrugging, you remove the muffin from its wrapper. With it off, you see the muffin is incredibly colorful, with a rainbow pattern on it. Having never seen such a muffin, you can't help but ask again.

"Okay, seriously, what flavor is this?" You ask, slightly skeptical now.

"Just eat it!" She says excitedly.

"Alright, alright." Reluctantly, you bring the muffin up to your teeth. Taking off a small chunk, you begin to chew tentatively.

As expected, it tasted like apples. The tastes of sugar, cinnamon, and what you expected of a muffin were there. But suddenly, you mouth begins to tingle. Not from the flavor, but from something more tangible. It almost tasted like the muffin was...electrified?

"Seriously, what flavor is this!?" You plead.

"It's made from Zap Apples. Ya like it?" She asks, tipping her hat back a bit.

The tingling intensified with every chew. It wasn't painful, but it was...something. It was almost like Pop Rocks. As with everything else you had eaten in your time here, it was quite delicious. The muffin itself was very soft, and almost melted in your mouth. The taste of apples was there, but it was slowly being drowned out by the electrical feeling. The shocking sensation was slowly sending a strange, pleasuring feel through your tastebuds. Your mouth was almost being numbed by the sensation, but not to the point where it stopped feeling. It just felt incredibly good.

Easily the weirdest muffin you've ever had.

"Okay, what kind of sorcery did you use to make this?" You ask.

She laughs a bit before answering. "Sorcery nothin'! It's just the magic of the Zap Apples! I don't right understand it myself, but I know it works!"

"You don't say..." You reply, before taking another bite.

"If ya like that, we got more like it up in the house. Pies, cakes, turnovers, you name it."

"I take it these are popular?" You ask between chews.

"Yup. Since the Zap Apples don't come around so often, ponies scoop 'em up right when they get the chance."

"I can see why, this is pretty damn good."

"Thank ya kindly. We're the only farmers in Equestria who harvest and sell Zap Apple products. Ponies come from all over just to get a batch!"

"I see..." It made more sense as to why she was that upset with you for having lost a cart of them. Perhaps these Zap Apples were one of their staple products.

After a few moments, you finished the muffin, and the two of you simply sat in silence, admiring the view. The sun was slowly losing it's glow to the land, and was vanishing from view.

Looking over to Applejack, you see she was glowing again in the sunlight. The glow coming from her body was magnified by her orange coat once again, and her eyes were sparkling in the fading light. Her mane and tail were also glowing even brighter than her coat.

This time, however, something was different. You don't know why, but she just seemed...well, more attractive than last time. Perhaps it was because of how she had changed towards you. With her attitude about you being more positive, she just seemed...nicer. You struggled to put a word to it.

After a few moments, she suddenly turns, and her gaze meets yours. Turning your head away quickly, you feel a slight warmth in your cheeks.

"What is it?" She asks.

"Er, nothing, nothing..." You reply, somewhat shakily. Why were you so nervous all of a sudden?

Either way, she didn't press on it, and simply turned her gaze back to the sun. Your eyes met with the same object of her attention. The two of you simply sat there and admired the view for a few moments.

After a bit, you hear her shift. Looking over, you see she is nervously rubbing her foreleg.

"Something wrong?" You ask.

"Well, I..." She turns her head away. "I just wanted to apologize for yesterday...I shouldn't have stormed off like I did..."

Images of the previous day's conversation came back to you. Namely, how she suddenly stormed away after you mentioned her parents.

"Oh, it's nothing, really." You say, trying to reassure her.

"You may think it was nothin', but I feel downright silly fer havin' done that..."

"It's nothing, seriously. Besides, I shouldn't have asked about..." You stop yourself mid-sentence, wincing slightly. You were afraid to hear her response.

"...my parents?" She asks with no emotion.

"...y-yeah." You reply, rubbing the back of your neck.

She lets out a long sigh. "Well, if you're thinkin' what I think you are, then you're right."

Your eyes grow wide. "You...you mean they're..."

"...Yeah..."

"I..." It suddenly became harder to force words out. "I'm sorry, I didn't..."

"It's fine...I ain't mad at ya or nothin'...not like you knew..." She lets out another sigh.

"...Was it recent? Or..." You really wanted to stop yourself from prodding, but couldn't.

"No, it was years ago...Shortly after Applebloom was born, actually..."

"Oh..." You wanted to stop asking about it. You really wanted to just end it there, and spare her the pain of bringing back the memories. But something in you just wanted to know. Some strange curiosity that just had to know.

"If you don't mind me asking...how did it happen?"

She suddenly looks a little more distraught. You knew you had just made a big mistake, yet you couldn't stop yourself from asking. You prepared for a severe lashing.

"...Years ago, when I was just a little filly..."

Wait...she was actually answering?

"It was during...June, I think. I don't right remember the date. It was late at night, and my Daddy, Ma, and I were in the barn. Big Macintosh was up in the house with Granny and Applebloom. Applebloom had just been born, ya see, and we didn't take her out much. Not yet, anyway.

"Anyway, the three of us were doing a little bit of maintenance on...somethin', I can't remember. It wasn't that important, but it was what we were doin'. I think Daddy was teaching me somethin'. Well...Ma was out there with us, just watchin' us work. I would look over to her every now and then, just to see her smilin'...

"Well, we were workin', fixin' up whatever it was we were doin'. None of us noticed that somewhere, one of the lanterns we had lightin' up the barn had fallen over. By the time we realized it..." Applejack begins to visibly shake.

"T-The fire, it had already started burnin' everywhere. It spread like crazy...In a split second, we were all trapped...So my Daddy, he scooped me up, and ran fer the door. I just covered my eyes and hoped we would make it. Over the flames, I could hear my Ma s-screamin'...

"We did, Daddy and I got out. He carried me away from the barn, and set me down. He took off his hat..." She takes her hat off her head and looks at it. "...he put it on my head, and he told me...'Wait right here, and hold on to this for me. I'll be back in a flash, I promise!'" She hangs her head low and closes her eyes.

"...And?" You ask, concern in your voice.

"...Of all the promises he decided to break...that was the one I wish he never did..." You begin to hear her sniffling. Looking closer, you see a tear running down her cheek.

"Applejack...?"

She suddenly leans towards you, and buries her face in your shoulder. Her hat presses up against your chest, and you can feel her tears soaking your fur. Her sobbing shakes your body, and you can hear her whimpering.

Of all the things you could have imagined taking place on this farm when you first arrived here, this was definitely the last of them. You never thought you would be consoling a mare, Applejack nonetheless, over a topic like this. Bringing a hoof up, you wrap it around her shoulder, and rub her gently.

"It's okay..." You say, attempting to reassure her. "It's alright..."

"I'm sorry...I sh-shouldn't have told y-you all that..." She says, her voice muffled in your shoulder.

"It's fine...you sound like you needed to get all that out, anyway." You reply, attempting to lighten the mood.

"After everything that had happened, we had the farm rebuilt. There wasn't much of anything left after the f-fire...I left for Manehattan for a while when it was done. I just wanted to get away from it all, y'know?" For the next few moments, the two of you simply sit there, her sobbing into your shoulder.

"I can understand..."

"D-do you know what it's like? To lose your parents like that? Ponies who are so close to you?"

You quietly sit there. You're not sure if you should respond honestly or not out of respect for her plight. If this mare is as good at telling liars as she is, you might not get away with it either way.

"...Yeah...I do."

She suddenly looks up to you. "Wh-What? OH!" She backs of and clamps a hoof to her mouth. "I'm sorry...your..."

"If that's what you're thinking, no...my father didn't die when I was young...though I wish he did, in a way." You reply, already knowing her motivation for that action.

"W-what do you...no, I shouldn't ask." She is very shaken.

"And I shouldn't have asked about you." She stares at you for a second before looking to the ground. "I at least owe it to you to let you know."

She simply sits in silence with a pleading look on her face, wanting you to proceed to tell her. Your childhood, your parents...and her.

"Like I said. I lived in Manehattan for most of my life. I grew up with my mother, and...my sister..."

"You have a sister?" AJ pleads.

"Yeah. Well, I...anyway...her name was Sky Line. She was a pegasus. My mother was an earth pony, and, from what I gathered from her, dad was a pegasus too. Guess my genes came from mom.

"We lived in a crappy house, from what I know. I don't remember it, I was just a foal. My sister, she had just been born, and I was only a little older than her. The place was rundown, and we couldn't afford much furniture, or much of anything, really. It wasn't much, but it was home.

"But...from what my mother told me, everything changed one day. She had taken me and sis to a shop across the city. We were gone for several hours, apparently. When we got home...everything...was gone."

"...Gone? What happened?" She asks.

"...Apparently, my father happened. He took everything, and left. Literally, everything. Furniture, our money, all of it. He left absolutely nothing, and just vanished without a trace. No one has ever seen him since. Mom always did say he was a slimy bastard.

"With no money, we struggled to get by. My mom tried forever to find a job, but no one would take her. Eventually, we got evicted from the house, and were forced onto the streets. Mom managed to keep us going for awhile. At least until I was old enough to function on my own. My sis, she was still pretty young at the time. I felt so pathetic, being reduced to begging on the streets of the city. Back then, I never knew why we had to live that way. It wasn't until I was a teenager that mom told me everything...

"It was then that...I started my 'career.' I started to steal. I knew it wasn't right. Even with how we lived, my mother was a righteous pony. But I just...I wanted to help all I could. Her and sis were the only things I cared about, and I had to provide as much as I possibly could for them. The few bits and loose change I got from begging weren't enough. So I started doing what my mother hated...

"It started small. Taking a fruit or two from the local vendors. Then, as I got more experienced, I expanded my views. I started stealing from small general stores. And when I got really cocky, I started taking from ponies directly. I did this for years, and years.

"But...even with all I was doing, it wasn't enough. One autumn, I noticed my mother was starting to become ill. It grew worse everyday. I could see her life ebbing away with each passing day. One day, at the beginning of winter...I woke up one morning, and....she didn't."

Pausing to look over at Applejack, you see she has a horrified look on her face. Not waiting for commentary, you continue.

"It's not like I could slow down, though. I still had my sister. I loved her more than anything in the world. That morning, when mother...passed, I carried Sky to another part of the city while she was still asleep. I didn't want her to see what had happened. I told her that mother had just left for awhile, and that she would be back one day to make everything better...I regret not telling her the truth...

"I kept up my career, and kept taking, and getting more daring with what I did. I started taking greater risks for better rewards. I nearly got caught a few times, but it was worth it to see my little sister grow up. After a few months, this appeared." You gesture to your Cutie Mark. "Turns out, I did have a natural knack for it...heh, I say that like I should be proud of it.

"Then...one day...Sky found out. She was so disappointed in me. I told her that it was for the best of the family. I had to do it to keep us going. Scraping for cash would only get us so far, and I had to do something to help alleviate the stress. She didn't buy it though. I remember her telling me that I shouldn't do that. Even for her.

"With as much as she hated it, I had to keep doing it. It became second nature to me after awhile. Even when I wouldn't think about it, I would go 'home' to notice somepony's purse in my hoof. It became a curse, and I couldn't quit. Soon enough, I was addicted to it, in a way. But still, at the heart of it, it was just me trying to provide for the filly closest to me.

"Yet...it was all for nothing one day. I was a teenager by then, and she wasn't far behind. Winter came one year. That winter...was absolutely brutal. I don't know if the weather pegasi lost their minds that year or what, but it was crazy. The streets were covered in snow, and virtually everything was frozen.

"She...she started to get sick, Sky Line did. I had dealt with her being sick before, but...this was different. No matter what I did, she wouldn't get better. I put more effort into stealing than I ever had before, and even risked my life a few times, just to see her get better.

"But...it didn't come. She wouldn't recover...And one day, she...she..."

A tear runs down your cheek.

"...she passed away in my hooves..."

Silence passes for a few moments.

"I...felt so guilty. I never told her the truth about our parents...I never got to see her earn her Cutie Mark, and never got a chance to teach her how to fly...I just...there are so many things I never got to truly experience with her..."

Your lip began quivering, and tears were now rolling down your face.

"Do you know why I came up here on the first day?"

"...No..." AJ responds.

"Sky Line...she loved sunsets. I never understood why, but she did. Almost everyday, I would take her to the outskirts of the city, just so we could watch it happen." You look down to the ground. "It's the only thing we cherished together that I have to remember her by now..."

For what felt like an eternity, you two sat there in silence. Even the birds and insects had seemed to silence their songs. The only noise was the wind, and the crying of two ponies.

"...Is that why you've been so nice to Applebloom?" Applejack asks cautiously.

"To be honest? Yeah...she reminds me so much of my kid sister, of my little Sky Line...she even has the same...eyes..."

With that, the dams burst. You lose all control over your emotions, and just let it all flow.

You didn't even care anymore. You had pent this up inside of you for years, and it had to all come out. The painful force of the memories finally caused the gates to cave in, and you were fine with that. You didn't care about the events that brought you here, or what AJ probably thinks of you now. You just had to get it all out.

Suddenly, Applejack leans into you, pressing her head against the bottom of your chin.

"A-AJ?" You ask. You wince slightly at having called her the name she specifically told you not to use.

"It's alright...it's alright..." Even as she says this, you can feel her tears falling onto your body.

"I-I'm sorry...I shouldn't have told you all that..." You reply.

"It's alright...sounds ta me like you needed to get all that out anyway..." She says back.

The two of you sit there like that for several minutes, finding solace in one another.

Perhaps the two of you aren't so different. Despite all you had been through in the last couple of days, and despite all of the ideas and impressions you've gotten of her, you feel like you are more alike than you knew. Two broken souls, devastated by the actions and fates brought upon by those close to them.

It was like you said. Despite your ways of getting by, you two aren't so different. The paths the two of you took were direct results of the struggles you faced with your parents. With your families. What happened to the both of you was entirely out of your control, yet you had to accept what had happened and strive on.

It was just how the two of you emerged from the ashes.

The sun had vanished from view. At this point, it was entirely invisible, and only it's last few rays were painting the sky.

You and Applejack had sat there for who knows how long, leaning into one another. It's hard to imagine that in one day, you two would grow closer than what you ever thought possible.

After what felt like an eternity, Applejack finally breaks the ice.

"It's gettin' late..." She starts.

"Yeah...it is." You reply.

"We should be gettin' back to the house..." She pulls herself off of your shoulder and stands up. "And, uh...please don't tell anyone about what we talked about today..."

You stand up with her and give a smile. "Yeah. And don't worry. I won't." You reassured her with all the sincerity you could muster.

The two of you walked back to the house together, with heavy hearts, and new bonds.

Chapter Eleven

Walking up the stairs, they give an eerie creak with each step. You had expected this, of course. You were used to it, anyway. Reaching the top of the staircase, you look down the connecting hallway.

You immediately begin to walk down the hallway, your gaze fixed on a specific door. You knew precisely where the goods you were looking for were, and wasted no time getting there.

Putting your hoof on the door handle, you turn it and walk right in with no hesitance. You hoped nobody else was in the room, or the house for that matter. That could get a little...weird.

Walking into the room, you saw everything you expected to find. The bed, the dresser, mirror, desk, all the works. Nothing out of place, just like you liked it. Turning your gaze to the right, you find the closet, and walk to it.

Pulling the door to the closet open, you find a variety of boxes. They were stacked rather high, and were covered in dust. These boxes hadn't been touched for years, it seems. You weren't surprised. There was probably nothing of real value in most of them, anyway.

Rooting through the closet, you find one specific box. It had an orange, striped pattern on it, and it was a little damaged with age. Pulling it out of the closet, you blow on it to dispel any dust. Taking the lid in your hoof, you pull it off.

Inside rested the goods. Wrapping the chain around your hoof, you lift the trinket out and look at it. There was no doubt about it, this is what you were searching for.

"Oh yeah...I can't wait to see the look on her face."

~*~*~

Every day, things changed.

Every day, you enjoyed three marvelous meals provided by the generous Granny Smith. The majority of these meals consisted of apples in some way. There were a few lunches and dinners that consisted of sandwiches and salads respectively, but they were nowhere near as good as the usual morsels. Each apple-based meal never failed to surprise you.

Every day, you watched as Big Macintosh grew closer to his little sister. He began to find more and more spare time for both himself, and those around him. You even got the pleasure of meeting his marefriend, Cheerilee. She took a liking to you rather quickly, and even thanked you for helping Big Mac with his plight. It seems everypony was concerned with his workaholic attitude.

Every day, you bonded with Applebloom. She dragged you into a few crazy escapades to try and earn her Cutie Mark. Most of these ended in disaster, however. It took you days to scrap all the jelly out of your hair after one specific incident. She introduced you to her friends Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, her two comrades in crusading. They drilled you with questions about your Cutie Mark, which you delicately avoided answering. At one point, Applebloom called you her 'second big brother,' and you were just fine with that.

Every day, your debt dwindled down, though you didn't know specifically how much you owed. You were both glad and disappointed with this knowledge. Eventually, you would have to leave this farm. Once that debt was done, there would be nothing binding you to staying here. You could go free. It was nice knowing that burden would be off your back soon, but it hurt nonetheless knowing you would have to leave the hospitality of these country ponies.

Every day, the nightmare returned. With each passing occurrence, every event in the nightmare intensified. The cold, the tusnami, everything. Yet at the end of it, you felt happy. The warm light at the end of it all grew more and more inviting, more sincere, more...friendly. You didn't even have to struggle when that part of the nightmare occurred. It almost felt like the light was pulling you toward it now.

And every day, you grew closer to Applejack. From the cold hatred the two of you shared for each other due to your initial introduction, you forged a strong friendship. She no longer treated you like a child being punished, and grew to respect you.

In your spare time, you would often chew the fat, and share tales of your foalhoods. Applejack would tell you stories of how she grew up on the farm and even how she saved Equestria a few times (something you held tentative belief in). You recalled bittersweet tales of your time with your sister. You avoided anything that dealt with your 'career activities.' It wasn't something she was particularly fond of.

At the end of each day, you and Applejack would finish the day with a viewing of the sunset. Though it still held a bittersweet sentiment for you, you didn't dwell on it as much as you did before. Perhaps because you finally had someone to share it with.

With time, you noticed she acted differently around you. Not just being kinder to you, but other things began to arise in her. She would often shift uncomfortably when you complimented her, and you noticed she would walk closer to you when you two were together. A few moments during work, you would have to brush up against her. Doing so elicited a very slight blush from her on occasion.

All things considered, you two somehow managed to become friends over the next several weeks. Even with that, there was something inside of you, very lightly tugging at your heart. You didn't know what it was, and you didn't know how to satiate it. You began to notice this tugging growing slightly stronger every day.

Every day, things changed. For better or for worse.

...

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Hey! It's time for breakfast!" Applebloom calls through your door.

You sit up in bed, and rub your eyes gently. Looking towards the door, you call back.

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute!"

Hearing her hooves trotting away, you toss the sheets off yourself and bring yourself over to the mirror. It had become a part of your daily routine to start off with fixing your unkempt mane.

It had been roughly four weeks since you had arrived at Sweet Apple Acres after your failed heist. You were truly an accepted part of the household by all of it's inhabitants. Yet, as much as you loved it here, you couldn't keep this up forever. Eventually, you would have to leave, as much as you regretted it.

Shaking your head to clear your mind, you finish up your mane, and head out the door. Trotting through the same hallway and down the same stairs, you quickly make your way to the kitchen, once again, you find the familiar smell of one of Granny Smith's amazing breakfasts.

Walking into the kitchen, you immediately find Big Mac, Granny Smith, and Applebloom in their usual spots. Applejack, however, was strangely absent. Granny was the first to notice you.

"Mornin', sonny!" She calls out, as cheery as ever.

Trotting over to the table, you take a seat. "Morning, Ms. Smith. Big Mac, Applebloom." You say, giving each pony a nod along with their names.

"Mornin'." Big Mac replies, in his usual, stoic voice.

Looking to Applebloom, she seems a little worried. She speaks before you can ask. "Hey, have you seen Applejack this mornin'?"

"Uh, no. Can't say I have." You reply.

"I haven't seen her yet, either." Granny says. "Have you, Big Mac?"

"Nnope." He replies simply.

"Humph. Would you mind runnin' upstairs 'n lookin' fer her?" She asks you. "Applebloom musta just missed her."

"Uh, sure. No problem." You say. Glancing to Applebloom, you can see she's pouting slightly at the unintended insult.

Pushing yourself out of your seat, you trot through the living room and back upstairs. Looking down the hallway, you identify Applejack's bedroom and trot to the door. Putting an ear to the door, you listen closely.

"Applejack?" You call out. "You in there?"

No response. Curious, you lightly push on the door to find it is ajar. Pressing a hoof against it, the door nudges open, and you let yourself inside.

Looking around, the mare you're searching for is very much absent. Stepping into the room cautiously, you look around. You hadn't been in this room very much. In fact, you can only recall coming in here twice, and both visits were very short.

Immediately to your right was her bed, which was equipped with a red blanket and pillows that sported an apple pattern. On the wall was a peg that held her usual rope. She had attempted to teach you how to handle the rope like she does. You only hurt yourself trying to replicate her tricks. On a peg on the wall to your left, her hat was hanging. You've never seen her walking around without her hat...Did she forget it?

Next to her bed was a small table with a lamp and picture frame. The picture consisted of her, Big Mac, Applebloom, and Granny Smith. Big Mac was in the back with his usual, dull smile. Granny was nearly asleep, and Applebloom was hugging Applejack around her neck. A pretty cute photo, really.

To the right of the door was a small pillow lying on the floor. It must be where that infernal dog sleeps. Winona still hadn't warmed up to you after all this time. You didn't care, you were more into cats anyway.

On the other side of the room was a dresser with a mirror hanging above it. You don't know why Applejack even needed a mirror. She herself told you she wasn't horribly concerned with her appearance. Something you admired in her, to tell the truth.

One of the higher drawers on the dresser was jutting out slightly, and the corner of a piece of paper was protruding from the top. Though it was probably nothing, something about it caught your attention. You walked toward it and pulled the drawer out a little more.

Looking inside, you see the drawer is filled with a bunch of papers and a few photos. Most of the photos are of the household family, but there are pictures with relatives you've yet to meet. You picked up the protruding photo and looked at it. It depicted a rather young Applejack, along with two classier looking ponies, a stallion and a mare. The mare had her orange hair done up and wore a flashy necklace. The stallion sported a shocking green mane and blue eyes. Both of them had oranges on their flanks. These two must be the Aunt and Uncle Orange that Applejack told you about a while ago.

The picture looked like it was taken in a city. It must have been taken during AJ's trip to Manehattan. But there was something else that caught your eye. On Applejack's neck was a small, golden necklace. At the center was a heart-shaped piece with wings protruding from either side. Strange...you had never seen Applejack wearing that before.

Even stranger...you have seen that necklace before.

At that moment, you hear hooves coming towards the room. Closing the door, you left the photo on the dresser, and turned around. Applejack was walking through the door, and had started reaching for her hat on the wall when she noticed you.

"What are you doin' in here?" She asks, slightly skeptical.

"I was actually looking for you," you reply. "We were waiting downstairs on ya."

"Oh, sorry, I was just takin' care of somethin'." She looks towards nothing in particular.

Curious about that photo, you ask. "Hey, uh, this photo over here..."

She walks towards you and looks at the picture in question. "Oh, that? That was just taken back when I went ta Manehattan all those years ago. What about it?"

With your premonitions about the photo correct, you get straight to the point. "That necklace you're wearing in it...What is that?"

"Oh..." Her expression saddens. "That was a little locket I had when I went ta Manehattan..."

"Had?" You asks.

She nods. "Yeah, it was very...dear to me, and I...went and lost it..."

"Oh...Sorry to hear that..." You pause for a second. "You lost it while you were in Manehattan?"

"Yeah, it was about three or so days 'fore I left."

"And...when exactly was that?" You continue to prod her for information. Something about the necklace just bugged you.

"I...I don't remember what day it was exactly...Oh!" Her eyes light up and she looks to you. "It was during a carnival!"

"Carnival?" You think back to your foalhood, and remember something that may resemble what she was talking about. "You mean that carnival they hold every year outside the city? Krazy Karl's Kiddie Karnival?"

"You been to it? Hoowee, it's somethin', ain't it?" She looks upward. "I'll never forget that day...that little fair was the first one I ever been to. It was a whole load of fun..."

Thinking back, you remember that carnival. They had all sorts of kooky rides and cheap prizes available for winning. You took Sky Line to it a few times, though she opted not to ride the bigger rides. She never had a strong stomach. Often times you went alone, just to see what you could scavenge off of potential targets.

Then, it suddenly clicked. Applejack said she lost that necklace while she was at that carnival. You remember finding something at that carnival. Something very familiar.

"Welp," AJ says, interrupting your thoughts. "We'd best not keep them waiting downstairs. They'll start wonderin' where we are." She begins for the door.

"Uh, yeah. Let's move!" You reply, unusually perky.

As you two walk for the kitchen, you couldn't help but think about that necklace.

You have seen it before.

And you knew exactly where it was.

~*~*~

For once, you weren't going to have that nightmare tonight. If only because you weren't sleeping.

With the rest of the family having gone to bed long ago, you tossed the covers off of yourself and stood up. Only taking a few seconds to readjust your mane, you head for the door. Luckily, the work from the day hadn't drained you to the point where this little mission of yours wouldn't be possible.

Cracking the door open, you peek into the hallway. All the other doors were shut, and it looked like it was clear to move. Pushing the door open all the way, you step out and start for the stairs. Taking your time, you very lightly step down on every step, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Once you reached the bottom of the stairs, you head straight for the front door. Placing your hoof on the handle, you glance around again to make sure no one was in the kitchen or living room. With the coast clear, you turn the handle slowly, and pull on the door. Of course, it had to be as loud as possible at this very moment. The door creaks ever so eerily, causing you to wince. You could only hope that they weren't light sleepers.

After a few heart-stopping seconds of loud creaking, you finally manage to slip out of the door, and pull it shut. For some reason, it didn't creak on the return trip. With the door locked in it's frame, you let loose a sigh of relief. Turning around, you prepare to head to your destination.

"Up so late?"

A voice to your right causes you to jump in fright. Looking over, you see Big Macintosh sitting on the porch, eyebrow raised.

"Yeesh, give me a heart attack, why don't ya?" You reply curtly.

"Sorry. Jus' didn't expect ta see you out here so late."

A knot forms in your stomach. Though they were kind enough to put the little incident from four weeks ago behind them, the memory of the heist was still there for the Apple Family. How was Big Mac going to respond to the little thief sneaking out at this time of night?

"Uh, I could say the same to you." You reply shakily, trying to dispel the awkward air.

"Hm." He turns his head to the sky. "Y'know, I've always like the moon."

"Really?" You say, looking to the object of his attention. The moon hung lazily overhead, casting a cool light across the land. The stars around twinkled in their usual manner, but the moon was in full view tonight, and was incredibly beautiful.

"Eeyup. It's so... nonjudgmental." He says calmly.

"Er...what do you mean?" You question.

He taps a hoof to his chin a few times before replying. "It sits there at night jus' watchin' what happens when everypony is asleep. It can't do anything about what they do at night, but it sees everythin' that happens. It can only witness what ponies do at night." He turns to face you, with his usual stoic look. "Like a silent observer."

"Uh...yeah, I guess I see what you mean." It kind of scared you when Big Mac went on little monologues like that. He seldom spoke much, but when he did, it could be kind of intimidating.

"So...what is it gonna witness tonight?" He asks.

You knew where he was going with this. Sighing, you answer. "Look, this isn't what you think. There's something I have to go and get for..."

"...For?" He presses.

"...For Applejack." You reply, turning your head away.

"And it can't wait until mornin'?"

"...Not really. Since AJ has been so hesitant to let me leave, I doubt she'd change her mind if I said it was for something for her. Heck, that'd make her more suspicious!"

"And yer comfortable telling me this?" He asks.

"Well...AJ can be kinda quick to jump to conclusions, ya know?" He nods. "And, well, you seem more understanding. Er, no offense to your sister."

He shakes his head. "Tell me. What exactly are you goin' out to fetch?"

Your stomach tightens a bit. "Uh...It's something very dear to AJ. She lost it years ago, and I just so happen to know where it is..." Mulling over your words, you realize just how unbelievable and corny that sounds. "I know, I know, it sounds ridiculous, but you have to trust me!"

He merely stares at you in silence for the longest time. His face showed no strong emotions, and his eyes barely twitched any direction. You could feel his gaze boring into you, as if he were staring right at your soul, evaluating your intentions. It was sort of frightening.

At last, he spoke. "Why exactly are you doin' this?"

It was a question you had asked yourself many times over the course of the last few weeks over many different topics. Your motivations and intentions behind most everything you had been doing here had been something that most everyone would think unfit for you. For your character. Considering what most anyone else would think of you, most of the actions you had taken seemed out of your quota.

Of course, no one knew you better than you. You knew why you were doing this. It was something you wouldn't have thought possible based on your arrival to this farm.

Because you cared about Applejack.

"Because...I, uh...I can't stand to see her so upset over this." He merely looks at you. "She seemed pretty torn up over this...thing she lost, and I don't want her to beat herself up over it."

Again, he merely observes you in silence, evaluating your statement. You really hoped that he wasn't about to go off on you.

He stands up after a few moments. "Just be back before mornin'."

"Y-You're letting me go? Really?" You were completely dumbstruck.

He begins for the front door. "When ya open this door, make sure you lift it. It'll keep it from squeakin'." He demonstrates by lifting it and pushing it open. It opens without a sound.

"Er...thanks." You reply dumbly. "And thanks for letting me do this."

"I don't know what your talkin' about." He replies with a smile. "But before you run off, I've been meanin' ta ask. Any reason I found a newspaper in that barrel over there a few weeks ago?"

That familiar knot forms in your stomach again, and you can't find any words to reply with. "Er, I, uh..."

"Or do I want to know?"

"Not really, no."

He simply shrugs and walks into the house.

You finally let loose that breath you had been holding. You were terrified that you may have just signed your death warrant by running into Mac. If he hadn't been that understanding, who knows what could have come from that encounter...

Shaking your head, you trot off towards Ponyville.

~*~*~

"It's been far too long..."

Trotting through the streets, you relish in the familiar town of Ponyville. It has been weeks since you walked down the familiar paths of the humble town, and you hated having to be away from it for this long.

Even in the night, you were able to pick out your favorite restaurants, shops, and other locations. It all felt familiar to you, and you were glad to be back in the town you loved. You opted to not take a path leading to the Quills & Sofas store, however.

However, none of these stores were your destination. No, you were headed to a much more familiar home on the edge of town. Your own house, to be precise. You knew precisely where that necklace was, and took no detours to reach it.

Walking through the streets, you stop when you spot a mare and stallion talking. You immediately dart for cover. Seems old habits die hard. Though you can't hear what they are saying, you can see them clearly. Taking a closer look, you see the mare is currently wearing saddlebags. They look to be full of something.

You stop yourself from moving. In any other instance, you would be making preparations to swipe those bags from her. Yet right now, you couldn't bring yourself to do that. The thrill of the hunt that you loved so dearly...wasn't there. In fact...you didn't want to steal from them.

Why? This is the first time you have felt like this in years. This is the first time you didn't want to go through with a potential heist. Ever since you started your 'career,' you had never turned down an easy heist like this...why? Was it because you had a preset objective? Have you lost your luster after having been on the bench from stealing for so long? Maybe living in a household of righteous ponies brought you out of your usual mindset.

...Or was it because you had changed? Did you really not want to steal anymore? It was the only thing you knew, heck, it was your special talent defined by your Cutie Mark. How could you not want to do it anymore? It was a sort of existential crisis. The purpose you were defined to fulfill no longer held its usual merriment for you.

Then again, perhaps it was for the best. You were going to get caught one day by the wrong group of ponies, you knew that. Your career might have even gotten you killed too. The life of thrills and hunts was a dangerous one, and though you were all for it before...You no longer were. Something in your heart didn't want you keep doing this. Perhaps you were finally giving in to her wishes...

She never wanted you to. Now you were finally listening.

Stepping out from your cover, you walk right past the two ponies. The stallion gives you a passing glance, but heeds no mind to you. It felt strange. You had never casually passed a potential target like that. Them knowing of your presence just felt unsettling. It might take some getting used to. You pass them by, and continue trotting to your home. It was only a short distance away, and you could see it from here.

After a few minutes, you were standing on your doorstep. Looking over to the few potted plants you had resting on the porch, you lift up one of them and take out the key from beneath. At least no one knew about this key but you.

Putting the key in the lock, you turn it and open the door. Stepping inside, all of the lights are off. You found yourself standing in your living room. It was just as you left it, albeit much dustier. Not wasting anytime to reminisce, you immediately turn and head for the staircase.

Walking up the stairs, they give an eerie creak with each step. You had expected this, of course. You were used to it, anyway. Reaching the top of the staircase, you look down the connecting hallway.

You immediately begin to walk down the hallway, your gaze fixed on a specific door. You knew precisely where the goods you were looking for were, and wasted no time getting there.

Putting your hoof on the door handle, you turn it and walk right in with no hesitance. You hoped nobody else was in the room, or the house for that matter. That could get a little...weird.

Walking into the room, you saw everything you expected to find. The bed, the dresser, mirror, desk, all the works. Nothing out of place, just like you liked it. Turning your gaze to the right, you find the closet, and walk to it.

Pulling the door to the closet open, you find a variety of boxes. They were stacked rather high, and were covered in dust. These boxes hadn't been touched for years, it seems. You weren't surprised. There was probably nothing of real value in most of them, anyway.

Rooting through the closet, you find one specific box. It had an orange, striped pattern on it, and it was a little damaged with age. Pulling it out of the closet, you blow on it to dispel any dust. Taking the lid in your hoof, you pull it off.

Inside rested the goods. Wrapping the chain around your hoof, you lift the trinket out and look at it. There was no doubt about it, this is what you were searching for.

"Oh yeah...I can't wait to see the look on her face." You say to yourself.

Looking at the necklace, it was the exact same one in the photo. A small gold chain with a heart shaped trinket in the center. On either side, wings were protruding from the heart. It was a bit worn with age, and had a few scratches in the surface here and there, but it certainly was the one AJ was talking about.

You remember the day you had found this little trinket. You were visiting a yearly carnival just outside the city. It was a small carnival, intended for younger ponies, and you decided to pay it a visit to see what you could pickpocket. During your time there, you had stumbled across a dropped necklace. With no idea who it belonged to, and nothing better to do with it, you had initially planned on selling it or something, just to make a few bits.

But you never did. You don't know why, but you never brought yourself to selling it. Perhaps you had forgotten to, or you just didn't want to. For whatever reason, you just held onto it for all of these years.

Applejack said this was a sort of locket. You wanted to open it to see what was held within, but the only problem was that she never told you how it opens. You turned the trinket over, searching for anything that resembled a button, but no dice. There seemed to be nothing that resembled a keyhole, so that throws that out of question.

With no idea how to operate the mechanism, you shrug. With no better way to carry it, you lift it over your head and rest it upon your own neck. Satisfied, you exit the room, and begin the walk back to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Applejack is in for a surprise tomorrow."

Chapter Twelve

"Alright," you say to yourself. "Let's see how this goes."

After having returned to the Apple Family home late last night from your little treasure hunt, you quickly tucked yourself back into bed for the next day, though you didn't get much sleep. The nightmare didn't return, if only because you hardly slept at all.

Luckily, the following day wasn't so eventful. You and Applejack had spent most of the day fixing up some equipment in the barn. You nearly nodded off several times, both due to boredom and fatigue. However, you kept yourself going solely to chat with her. She had a strong desire to talk about her friends for most of the day. Mostly gossip, but quite a few nitpicks about her fashionista friend were thrown in as well.

Applebloom hung out in the barn with you two for most of the time you worked. She had been going on and on about her new schemes to get her Cutie Mark, most of which Applejack forbade her from trying. Knowing how stubborn that filly could be sometimes, you figured she probably wouldn't listen. She left after a while to go find her friends to discuss some crusading options.

As was your custom, you and her enjoyed another sunset viewing at the end of the day. You contemplated presenting her gift to her then, but then it would have felt...awkward. You don't know how she would have reacted to that, and didn't want to risk it.

Instead, you waited until now. The sun was now entirely set, and the family was getting ready to hit the hay. You wanted to give the gift to her now, and spare her the pain of living another day without it. Bringing yourself over to the desk in your room, you pull out a drawer you had stashed the trinket in.

You lift the trinket out and take a look at it. Yup, still the same one you put in there last night. Satisfied, you wrap it around your hoof to prevent it from jingling before you surprise her with it. Closing the drawer, you step out in the hallway, and begin to walk towards AJ's room.

You contemplated how she would react. There were a couple of possibilities. One such possibility, is that she will be infuriated. She might end up thinking you stole it from her. Considering how you two met, this is a pretty likely scenario. You could only hope she could believe you when you tell her you didn't steal it, and that her whole being the "Element of Honesty" will kick in and help her see the truth in your words.

Another possible scenario would be that she will be overjoyed. She would break down in tears and thank you for having held onto it for all these years. She would be so deliriously happy that she might even drop what's left of your debt! She might even give you a kiss, and-

Woah. Where did that come from? Applejack, giving you a kiss? You shake your head. There's no way. Sure, you find her attractive...and she's incredibly nice, once you get to know her. And she's generous, funny, adorable, and...Is that why you were doing this? Was it more than some deep-rooted desire to see her happy that she got her necklace back? You risked getting caught sneaking out last night and being reprimanded for it. More so than what Big Mac had done, that is.

When you thought about it, you really did care for her. It's crazy, the same mare who held you hostage when you first met her was now the same mare you were smitten with. Ever since you had started seeing eye to eye with her, things just developed inside of you. You no longer held any resentment over your meeting, and you began to see her in a different light. She really was kind, and generous, and just about perfect in every way. Except her math skills, but you looked past that.

Considering everything, she had done more good for you than anything else. She had given you a home, meals that had yet to be rivaled, comfort in your darkest moment, and at the end of it all...a friend. A true friend. You hadn't had a true friend in years. Sure, you had a few buddies here and there, but no one to share your darkest secrets with. No one to tell about your deepest woes. No one who would be there to listen when you needed them to. You had never been comfortable enough around anyone to tell them everything you had told AJ.

Perhaps it was because she understood your plight. She had been through a similar scenario. She knew what it was like. Because of that, you admired her. She listened, and she comforted you. No one knows what it's like to be the bad guy behind the lines. Yet she took a chance, and listened. Something no one had ever considered doing for you before. On top of it all, she understood. She was willing to put your differences aside, even your quarrels from the past. Anyone else would never let that go. Whether or not she would be willing to admit it, that mare really did care about you...

Okay, you admit it. You like her. More than you initially thought. But considering the events that led to you knowing one another, there's no way she would ever go for you. Not in that way. Though she could put your little incident behind her, she couldn't have simply forgotten about it. You only hoped that this action you were about to take would not jeopardize what you two had managed to forge between you.

Coming back to reality, you realize you had just been standing right outside Applejack's door the entire time. Looking around, no one had seen you just standing here. Taking a quick, deep breath, you hide the necklace behind your back and knock on the door.

"Hey, AJ? You in there?" You call out.

There's a short pause before she answers. "Yeah, c'mon in!"

Turning the handle in your hoof, you push the door open and trot inside. Applejack was rooting through a drawer in her dresser, rearranging some papers and photos inside. Her hat was hanging on the wall, and her hair was undone. This was the first time you had seen her without those bands binding her mane and tail.

She turns around, tossing her mane. "What's up?"

You can't speak for a second. Though her appearance was only changed slightly, you found yourself dumbfounded by her look. Her hair was draped over her shoulders and flowed freely as she turned. Something about it just mystified you. She was incredibly beautiful without those bands. Something you never would have guessed.

"Uh...you alright there, pardner?" She asks, concerned.

Snapping back to reality again, you blink a few times, breaking yourself from you trance. "Oh, uh, sorry...so, whatchya doing?"

"Just gettin' ready to hit the hay." She says, as she goes over to a small shelf to your left. She begins to pick up some books and starts setting them on the shelves.

"Heh, I never took you for an egghead!" You tease.

She rolls her eyes. "I ain't on Twi's level, I can say that much." She steps back and examines her work. "But I do like to take some time to crack open a good book every now n' then."

"Eh, probably more often than I do, so there's that." You joke back.

"I wouldn't have guessed with how well ya are with words." She teases. At this point, she begins to take notice of your leg behind your back. "Say, whatchya got there?"

"Ah ah, no peeking!" You say, waving your free hoof. "It's a surprise."

"A surprise? Like, a gift? Fer me?" She asks with disbelief in her face.

"No, for Winona!" You say sarcastically. "Of course you!"

"Well, what is it! Lemme see!" She cranes her head around, trying to get a look at the object in your hoof.

"Settle down, just close your eyes!" She does as you tell her, and waits patiently. A small, cute smile is formed on her lips.

You take but a few seconds to observe her. With her hair unbound, it draped all around her shoulders and neck. It made her look...wild. Untamed, like a free spirit. You liked that. You've always like the unpredictable. It made things thrilling for you.

Looking back, you bring the necklace around, and hold it out in front of you. The necklace jingles slightly from the movement, and the sound causes Applejack to smile a little bigger. Something you were glad you could invoke.

"Alright," you say. "You can look now!"

Applejack removes her hooves from her eyes and looks right at the trinket. Her smile slowly begins to fade. She lowers her hooves and her lip begins trembling.

"I...Is that..." She begins to say.

"Your necklace? Yes, it's not just any replica. I'm certain this is your necklace, from all those years ago." You reply, bristling with confidence.

"I...how did you...why do you..." Her face is in complete disbelief. Slowly, she stretches a hoof out and takes it from your grasp. She merely stares at it for a few seconds, unable to speak. At last, her eyes widen and she gasps.

"Well?" You ask. "What do you-OOF!"

You suddenly find yourself being forced against the wall, her foreleg pressing very hard on your throat. You struggle to stand on your back legs, and you find your breathing to be constricted.

"Why the hay do you have this!?" She yells. Well, there goes the chance at a happy reunion.

"Applejack," you squeeze out through a constricted windpipe. "Please, let me explai-"

"DID YOU STEAL THIS FROM ME ALL THOSE YEARS AGO!?" She made no attempts to hide her anger.

"No, I didn't!" You say, trying to defend yourself. Your neck begins to ache at the pressure she was forcing onto it. "If I had stolen it, I would have sold it right away, I guarantee you! Look, I found it at that carnival! You must have dropped it, or something! I found it, and held onto it. Okay, I'll admit, I had initially planned on selling it, but I didn't! Call it fate, call it luck, call it whatever you want, but please, believe me when I say I did not steal this from you!"

She merely glares at you, examining you and mulling over your words. You hoped that her sense of trust and lie-detector skills would kick in before you suffocate under her foreleg. Her eyes pierced right through you, examining every corner and inch of your soul, searching for any sort of evidence that should raise doubt in your claims.

After what felt like an eternity, her expression very slowly begins to soften. "You...you really are telling the truth..."

"Of course I am!" You say through forced breaths. "I've learned to not lie to you! Doesn't work!" You joke, trying to lighten the mood.

"But...why did you keep it...?" She asks.

"Air...air..." You wheeze. She immediately lets off and you fall to the floor. Coughing violently, you try to pull as much air as you can into your strained lungs. After taking a few moments to bring your oxygen levels back to normal, you continue. "Like I said...I never stole it from you, I swear. I found it at that carnival, the same one you went to."

She merely stares at you in disbelief. Her eyes darting back and forth between yours, as if she was unsure whether or not this was all true. Bringing her eyes down to the locket, she stares at it, as if she were authenticating it.

After a few seconds, she sits down on her haunches, and brings her hooves to either side of the locket. She places a hoof on each wing, and presses them downward. With that, the front half of the heart sprung upward with an audible click. The moment it opens, Applejack gasps, and clamps a hoof to her mouth.

"...Applejack?" You ask concerned. She doesn't respond, and keeps her gaze fixed on the locket. You can see tears welling up in her eyes. Curiosity taking over, you trot around her and look over her shoulder into the contents of the necklace.

You gasp slightly at what you saw. Inside, was a small picture, worn with age. A family photo, it seems. In front was a young Applejack and Big Macintosh. Behind them were two ponies you hadn't met. One was a large, dark red stallion. He was incredibly built and sported a traditional, brown Stetson cowpony's hat. The other was a light yellow mare. She had a long, flowing mane of orange and her belly was noticeably large. Her green eyes had bags underneath them.

With no need for words, you had no trouble figuring out who they were. Stepping back slightly, you look at Applejack. Tears were now flowing freely down her face, and it looked like she was fighting back sobs.

"...Applejack?" You start. "Are you-"

Your sentence is cut off as she throws her arms around you, bringing you into a tight embrace. Your heart rate suddenly increases, and you feel a warmth in your cheeks.

Despite how strong she had been forcing you to that wall, her embrace was surprisingly gentle. Firm, but gentle. You could feel her breath on the back of your neck, and her fur intermingled with yours. Her warm body pressed up against yours, and as she pulled you in tighter, you couldn't help it as your heart rate increased some more.

"Th-Thank you..." She whispers. "I don't know how I can ever repay you..."

At a loss for words, you merely let her cry into your shoulder. Sitting down on your own haunches, you wrap a hoof around her shoulder and lightly return the embrace. This action causes her to pull you in tighter.

Finally, you manage to find your words again. "Think nothing of it." You decided to keep it simple. No need to spoil the moment with some silly demand.

You close your eyes and enjoy the embrace. She leaned her head into your neck a little more, and cried softly. She was no longer sobbing, and was just resting against you. You rub her back gently trying to comfort her. She sighs lightly at the action.

Slowly, her breathing returned to its normal state, and you simply cradled her in your forelegs. After a moment, you feel her shift. You open your eyes just in time to see her lean forward and give you a soft kiss on the cheek.

It was short, but the moment couldn't have possibly been any less enjoyed. You were dumbstruck, and lost your voice again. Your heart rate shot through the roof, and your cheeks were as warm as the sun. She had just kissed you. Sure, it was on the cheek, but she had just kissed you. You couldn't move as she slowly slid out of your embrace. The spot on your cheek tingled slightly where her lips pressed.

After a short moment of silence, she looks to you and smiles, a rather noticeable blush on her face. "I...thank you...I don't know what the odds are that this happened, but..." She looks away for a second before continuing. "...Thank you."

"...I-It's nothing...r-really." You reply lamely.

She merely looks at you. The two of you merely stare into each other's eyes for the longest time. It almost looked like she was expecting you to do something. You could lose yourself in those beautiful, green eyes.

After a few awkward minutes, she finally speaks up. "W-Well...we should probably be gettin' ta bed..." She sheepishly rubs her foreleg.

"Er, yeah...w-we should." You reply, your voice cracking slightly.

The two of you stand up in unison, and you begin to walk to the door. Just as you open the door and begin to trot out, she speaks again.

"Hey." You turn to face her, only to find yourself being pulled into another, quick hug. "Thanks again."

You pat her on the back slightly. "It's nothing."

Slowly and reluctantly, the two of you pull away from your embrace. Giving her a slight nod, and her returning the gesture, you exit her room and close the door. In the hallway, you fail to resist the urge to pump your hoof slightly. Smiling like an idiot, you trot to your room to begin your slumber.

~*~*~

You groan slightly as you lay in bed, unable to begin your slumber.

You had been lying awake in bed for several hours, unable to sleep. You didn't know the exact cause of your sudden insomnia, but whatever it was, it was growing to be annoying. Tossing and turning, you tried to find some kind of position that would be at least somewhat more comfortable and sleep-inducing, but no dice.

You had given up at some point, and just settled on lying there. At some point during the night, you thought you heard hoofsteps in the hallway. Somepony must have just been going to the bathroom, so you ignored it.

Turning towards the wall, you look to the clock. It reads 2:36 AM. Great, you think to yourself. Tomorrow's gonna be brutal.

Perhaps you would get a day off, however. Maybe AJ would consider giving you some time to yourself after your little gesture from earlier. You felt a little bad, thinking about trying to pawn something off of her like that. You immediately dismissed the idea.

Turning again, you fruitlessly try to fluff your pillow, attempting to make it slightly more comfortable. There's no point, you're well aware of that. But with as exhausted as you were, you at least wanted to try.

Your mind was still mulling over the events of earlier. You had no idea that Applejack was THAT torn up over losing that necklace. Considering what was inside, it wasn't too much of a surprise. That necklace may be one of the very last items she has to remember them by...

No matter how you went about thinking of the scenario from earlier, your mind always managed to drag you back to that kiss. Your brain was abuzz with questions surrounding that little action. Does that mean she does consider you more than a friend, or was it just an act of kindness? Did she harbor feelings for you, or was it an on-the-spot action? You had no idea, and your mind couldn't stop mulling over it.

Turning again, you press your pillow over your head, trying to dispel all the images and thoughts of that kiss. It was to no luck, however, and you can't quit thinking about it. You kick off your covers, suddenly feeling like they were constricting you.

You just wished Celestia would send you some kind of sign. Something to tell you what to do, where to go next. You had no idea how you would greet Applejack in the morning tomorrow, or how the relationship and friendship you shared had changed. You wished that there was something that would point you in the right direction.

You turn again to face the window next to your bed. Looking out the window, you see something. It looked like...a light? There was an orange light far in the distance. It seemed to be...glowing. It started glowing brighter and brighter. Was this that sign you were looking for?

Rubbing your eyes, you sit up in bed and try to get a better examination. Your eyes focusing on it stronger, you realize that it's no ordinary light. You begin to feel horrified, knowing the implications of the sight before you.

It was the barn. And it was on fire.

You immediately shoot out of bed. With no concern for stealth or delicacy, you haphazardly crash through your door, and dart right for the stairs. Quickly making your way down, you hastily burst through the front door and turn right to the burning building.

The barn was fast approaching, and you now see how severe the situation is. The entire building is engulfed in flames, and it is spreading rapidly. A million questions were flying through your mind at rapid speed, but you couldn't focus on any one of them for even a second.

You mentally berate yourself for not having woken up the rest of the family. This is probably something they would want to be aware of. With no time to dwell on it, you focus only on getting to that barn.

As you approach, you see two small figures about forty feet from the entrance of the barn. Getting closer, you can easily identify them as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. You have never seen them without Applebloom around them. You fear the worst.

Running right up to them, you waste no time with introductions. "What the heck is going on!?" You yell, trying to keep your voice audible over the inferno behind you.

Scootaloo raises a hoof and points it to the barn. She speaks in a very shaken voice. "A-Applebloom is s-s-still in there..."

You turn your gaze to the burning barn. She's...in there...no...NO!

You don't know what came over you. The next thing you know, you're running headlong into the blaze.

Running right up to the doors, you bash your shoulder into them and send them flying out of your way. You are immediately hit with a wave a burning heat. You can already feel yourself sweating.

Bringing yourself into a crawling position, you hug the floor. The air above was thick with smoke. You could feel your hairs being singed. You could barely breath already on the floor of the barn. You can only hope Applebloom is on the ground floor...and still breathing.

Shuffling forward, you yell out her name repeatedly. Each time, you are only greeted with the sound of burning wood. You continue to move forward. Parts of the ceiling begin to crash down around you. One piece of burning lumber very narrowly avoids crushing your leg. Not wasting time to count your blessings, you keep moving forward.

You can hardly see in front of you through the flames. Applebloom wouldn't respond to your calls. The building was burning at an incredible rate. Your hope slowly begins to fade. You fear the worst has come for that filly...

As you shuffle forward, you finally see a glimmer of hope. Through the blaze, you can see a pink bow. Doubling your efforts, you crawl toward the bow as quick as you can.

At last, you come upon Applebloom. Her eyes are closed, and she's not moving. Her hind leg is pinned beneath a large piece of lumber. You immediately take the wood into your hooves, only to retract them right away. The wood is still incredibly hot, and burned your hooves slightly. You fear it may be too late...

In a sudden moment of adrenaline, you put your hooves back on the lumber to try again. You wince in pain as the wood burns your skin, but you grit your teeth and bear through it. Lifting with all your might, you toss the wood aside. Looking down to the poor filly, you can see her leg is quite damaged from the fallen plank.

With no other options, you pick up her body and lay her across your back. You can feel her chest expanding very weakly. You let loose a slight sigh of relief, knowing she was alive.

But you weren't out of the fire yet. Turning back the way you came, you bolt for the exit. No longer crawling, you feel your head growing dizzy from the increased smoke intake. You try to keep your gaze fixed on the exit, but it grows more and more difficult to do so.

As you run, you stumble over a newly fallen piece of lumber. You force yourself to fall in such a way that Applebloom wouldn't be injured by the impact. With a new pain in your chest from the fall, you try to force yourself back up and begin for the door again.

Before you even get the chance, another piece of the building's foundation comes down and nails you right in the skull. A searing pain shoots through your head and neck. Your vision falters and you nearly black out. Looking up, you see the exit is right there! It's so close, yet you can't move. You aren't paralyzed, you can tell that much, but your body won't respond. You can feel your consciousness fading...

In your mind's eye, you can see the horrified face of Applejack. She was about to lose yet another pony close to her to flames. You feel a powerful guilt, knowing that you may have just let her down...

Looking back, you can see Applebloom's face. She wears a strained expression, as if she is on the verge between life and death. Something about looking at her sparked something inside of you.

You suddenly hear a small voice in the back of your mind.

Don't give up! You can do this! Do it for me!

Suddenly, you find yourself with renewed energy. Your eyes shoot open, and you look back to the exit. With a new found strength in your legs, you pick yourself back up and begin to limp for the exit. You were not going to go down without a fight.

The door grew closer at a surprising speed. You were on the verge of collapsing where you were, but you absolutely refused to do that. You weren't giving in, not yet. The door was right there. You were going to make it! Putting all of what you had left in reserve into your legs, you make the final push, and bolt out the door.

You carry yourself for a good twenty feet or so before you collapsed. You had made it. Against all odds, you and Applebloom had escaped the inferno.

With the satisfaction of having succeeded in your mind, your vision rapidly begins to fade. All feeling in your body begins to numb, and you can feel your consciousness slipping from you. You quickly succumb to the darkness invading your senses.

The last thing you saw before you passed out was an orange blur, rapidly approaching you.

Chapter Thirteen

You open your eyes to find yourself standing. Where? You're still not sure exactly where, but it's a familiar location nonetheless.

Over the course of the last few weeks, this place has become a regular visit for you each day. Or, rather, every night. The same gray landscape, the same bone-chilling cold, the same everything. It grew monotonous fast.

You waited. You knew how this played out. It was a little performance you had rehearsed every night for the last several weeks. You could look around all you want, but until you had that sound cue, you weren't going to find anything.

Within a few moments, you heard your sound cue. Turning around, you spot the same filly that had been invading your dreams every night for quite some time. You begin to trot up to her to begin the next step.

This scenario...it seemed strange this time. You felt like you were more in control of your actions then you had been in previous iterations of this nightmare. In fact...you were aware you were in the nightmare now. Every other time, you only realized it when you woke up. Maybe it's because you weren't just asleep...could you be dead? You remember having escaped from a terrible disaster, but maybe you hadn't made it out unscathed.

Perhaps you had perished after passing out. Perhaps this was your life after death, being in this cold, unforgiving landscape of constant floods and colorless ground. Maybe you were being punished for not having made it out of that disaster quick enough.

Whatever the case may be, you felt the desire to fight back.

Trotting up to the filly, you wait patiently for her to begin the next step. Same as always, she had the solid black coat and solid white mane and tail. Slowly, she opened her solid white eyes, and spoke with her solid white mouth.

"You shouldn't do that. Even for m-"

"STOP!" You suddenly yell. You didn't even mean to, it just slipped out.

The filly visibly flinches at your sudden outburst. Her body flickers like an old television screen. In the distance, a loud boom not unlike thunder echos through the area. A sudden silence hangs in the air. Whatever you did, it caused the usual cycle to break, it seems.

With no other options, you decide to say what has been on your mind every time you suffer this accursed nightmare.

"Look...you don't understand. I had to do it. If I didn't, you and I would never have made it as far as we did." You tell her.

"It still isn't right," she responds coldly. "Mommy wouldn't have been happy if she knew."

"There is a fine line between right and wrong. Give a crime a good enough reason for being done, and it can be justified as right!" You try to defend your actions.

"Still...I didn't want you to..." She closes her eyes once more.

"I know you didn't, and heck, I didn't even want to...but you have to understand, I was only doing it for you!" You begin to raise your voice. She merely stares at you with her cold, blank eyes. "If I hadn't, you and I wouldn't have lasted a week...I had to."

"...It doesn't look like it did much good though." She says. You can feel the air around you growing more and more frigid.

"Don't say that! Do you realize what I did for you!?" You are yelling at this point. "I could have been caught! I could have been jailed! Heck, I might have even been killed! I can't even count all the times I risked my life for you!"

"I still don't understand why you would do something so foolish..." She responded. She always tried to make herself sound intelligent using words that were out of her age group.

"You don't know why? Why!?" You trot forward and pick up the filly. Her body is cold as ice, and you can feel your hooves slowly absorbing that cold. You refuse to put her down. "Because I love you!"

Her eyes shoot open, and she merely stares at you. That booming sound happens again, and the ground shakes slightly. Her mouth hangs slightly agape, and her lip is quivering.

"...W...What?" She asks in disbelief.

"I didn't even think I had to tell you that. I loved you more than anything in the world. Did you think I didn't love you?"

Though she has no irises, you can tell her vision is darting between your two eyes. "B-But..."

"How could I not love my little Sky Line?"

At the mention of her name, the filly gasps. After staring at you in disbelief for a few moments, she closes her eyes. You set her down. The moment she touches the ground, her monochrome colors begin to melt away. Underneath was the familiar filly you knew. The same purple coat, dark purple mane, and small wings. And, of course, her bright, orange eyes.

Tears begin to well up in her eyes. "B-But you ignored me...you would leave me all alone to go an-and steal things..."

"I know...and I'm sorry...I was only doing it for you..." You look away for a second. "What I did...or, rather, what I have done is wrong. I should have stopped, but...somewhere down the line, it all spiraled out of control."

"But why did you do it?"

"Sky...please..." Your lip begins to quiver. "I had to. I had to do it to keep us going. It was all we could live on, what I was able to get us. I didn't ever expect it to get as out of hoof as it did. Now I have this to remind me of it forever." You gesture to your Cutie Mark. "It's not something I want to wear. It never was. But I had to bear it, to keep you happy, to keep you going."

"But..." She looks distraught. "I wasn't happy...you lied to me."

"...I know I did. And I'm so, so sorry...Nothing I can do will ever make up for that. And...what happened to you was my fault."

"What!?" She suddenly yells. "No it wasn't!"

"I could have done better. I could have saved you. I'll never forgive myself for what happened to you..." You feel a tear run down your cheek.

"No!" She suddenly gives you a light punch in the chest. "It wasn't your fault! It never will be!" You can't help but simply stare at her. "I...I'm not happy with what you did...but, you really did try your best! You did what you could! I just wouldn't get better...I don't want you to live thinking you made me d...move on." She begins to choke up.

"Sky...I'm sorry. But I'll always believe-"

"Don't! I don't want you to! Mommy wouldn't want you to! She wouldn't want you to live thinking that!"

"Mother..." You say quietly.

"Mommy loved you, and I love you! I don't want you to do that to yourself! It wasn't right what you did, I'm sure we could have found another way...but it was like you said. You only did because you loved us. You just wanted to help as much as you could, right?" You nod. "Even if it was a bit of an...unjust way of helping, you still did everything you could to help. And for that..." She leaps forward and wraps her hooves around you. "I'll always love you, big brother."

Tears began to stream down the filly's face, soaking your chest. You have to fight back the sobs that were now trying to pry their way out of you. The cold air around begins to dissipate, and it is replaced with a genuine and very welcome warmness. You could feel Sky trembling in your hooves as you returned the embrace.

"I-It wasn't your f-fault." The little filly says through sobs. "I'll always love you..."

"...And I'll always love you, my little Sky Line..." You close your eyes, and simply enjoy the embrace.

Beep...

Your eyes shoot open again. "What was that?"

"What was what?" She asks confused.

Beep...Beep...

"That beeping noise! It almost sounds like..."

Beep...Beep...Beep...

"Like a...heart monitor?" The realization hits you. "Wait, I'm not dead!?"

"No, of course not." Sky Line says in a point-of-fact manner. "And if you're hearing things from the real world...That must mean it's time for you to go back..."

"W-What!? No!" You lift the filly up. "I don't want to go back, not yet!"

"It's okay, big brother." She gives you a light kiss on the cheek. "It's time to. You have ponies waiting on you out there. Go to them."

You merely stare her in the eyes, with tears streaming down both of your faces. You didn't want to leave, not when you were finally going to make amends with both her and yourself. You couldn't leave, not yet!

A thought hits you. "Wait...I'm dreaming, so that means..." Your face lights up. Not wasting a second, you close your eyes, and begin to envision. You envision a sunset, like the ones you and Sky enjoyed every evening, years ago. Actually, no. Not like the ones you enjoyed years ago. You envisioned a sunset on Sweet Apple Acres. The most beautiful sunset you had ever seen.

Suddenly, you begin to feel the earth around you shifting and warping. You feel grass spouting up beneath you, and the land reforming to the familiar hill you enjoyed the view from. You heard the tree you liked to lean on sprouting up next to you. The calls of birds and chirping of cicadas bombarded your eardrums. Through your eyelids, you could see the sunlight blooming.

Opening your eyes, you find yourself and Sky Line on the Acres, in your favorite spot. Or rather, her favorite spot. The sunset was just in front of you, and it never looked more glorious. It was funny, it was like you were playing Celestia, controlling the sun like that.

You look to Sky Line, who was now sitting beside you, staring at the sunset in awe. Her mouth was agape, and she had a look of complete disbelief across her features. She looks up to you with a great, big smile and tears in her eyes.

"Brother...?"

"Before I leave...let's just enjoy this, one last time."

She simply smiles, and leans into you. The two of you watch the sun slowly descend, and the rainbow of fading colors across the sky changes in accordance. Even if it was an artificial sunset, it was easily the most beautiful one you had ever seen.

A light breeze flowed through the area. Looking down to the small filly, you see her mane rustling slightly, and she unfurls her wings. Though you never got to see her properly use them, you were fine with the moment at hoof. Everything about this moment was perfect.

Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...

Well, almost everything.

"That sound...it's getting more frequent." You say to her.

"I guess that means your time is almost up..." She brings her head up and nuzzles you. Wrapping her small forelegs around your chest, she brings you in for a tight hug. "Go. They're waiting on you. And brother? Can you promise me something?"

You look down to her. "What is it?"

"Well, it's actually two things." She pulls herself off of you and looks into your eyes. "First, can you please promise me...that you won't do it anymore?"

This was it. You had felt like the 'thrill of the hunt' was lost before, but now, it was time to make it official. You could either throw everything from the last few weeks away right now and keep all the skills you had accumulated over the years, or you could finally respect her wishes and end your career. Keep going, or end it all?

Looking into those eyes, you knew you couldn't choose the former.

"I think it's time I retired anyway." You give her a sheepish smile.

Her eyes well up with tears and she smiles back. "And one more thing?" You nod, encouraging her to go on. "Promise me you will tell her." You recoil slightly in surprise. "No matter what happens, I'm sure she would stay, one way or another."

She was dead serious. She wanted you to see this to the end. You still had no idea if that mare reciprocated your feelings or not. Yet your own sister wanted you to at least try. Even if she had never met her and never will, she wouldn't have told you that if she didn't think something was there. She had never steered you wrong. Even if this is all a figment of your dreams and imagination, you couldn't let it all go unfinished.

"...Of course. I will." You reply.

She smiles once more, and hugs you again. "I love you big brother."

"I love you too, my little Sky Line."

Tears begin to stream down your face, and you close your eyes. This might be the final time you would ever see her. This could be the end. Yet...you were at peace. You had finally made amends. You finally got to see her happy. Even in the end, you held up your responsibility as an older sibling, and were totally satisfied.

You feel the earth tremble around you. The land, trees, wind, animals, and sun were all fading away. The air turned to a very neutral temperature. It was neither hot nor cold, just borderline between the two. Without opening your eyes, you can feel the filly in your embrace slipping away. It felt like her body was disintegrating in your grasp. You didn't want to see her go, yet you knew this had to happen and accepted it.

Once the last fragments of her had slipped away, you open your eyes. Looking up, your attention is brought to a bright, white light. You lift a hoof to it, and it begins to grow brighter and brighter. At last, it is far too bright for you to keep your eyes open anymore.

Through your eyelids, you feel the light fading to a dimmer glow. Opening your eyes, you find yourself staring at a white tiled ceiling. You can hear a steady beeping sound to your left. Craning your head, you find a heart monitor, with a steady pulse displayed on the screen. Only now do you realize you are laying in a bed, with needles and monitors attached to your limbs. You can feel bandages tightly wrapped around your head.

Looking around, you find yourself in a well-kept room. A small table and a few chairs lined the walls. Through the curtains on the window to your left, sunlight weakly streamed into the room. It was a faded orange, and you figured it must be later in the day. Looking to your right, you see a digital clock on the wall that read 6:09 PM.

A throbbing pain in your head reminded you of everything that had happened. The fire, the piece of lumber that struck you, saving Applebloom, the-

Wait, Applebloom! Where is she, is she okay? Did she-

Your train of thought is cut off as a white, unicorn stallion opens the door and trots in. With a clipboard levitating in front of his face, he doesn't seem to notice you.

He begins talking. "Day three since incident. Time: 6:10 PM. Patient is..." He lowers his clipboard and looks at you. When his eyes meet yours, he looks stunned. "...Awake?"

"Uh...hello?" You reply weakly.

He sets his clipboard on the edge of the bed and trots up to you. "Well, well, good morning, sleepyhead! Or rather, good evening! Seems you took quite a spill!" He spoke with a very hearty voice

"Yeah...I'll say." You reply.

"That was a nasty concussion you suffered there! I can only imagine what that must have been like, going through that ordeal." It seemed like he was trying to be funny.

"Ordeal? You mean you know what happened?"

"Yes, yes, of course! I was informed of everything through your friend Applejack!" Your eyes widen at that statement. "In fact, she's the one who brought you here! You and her little sister."

"Applebloom!" You suddenly exclaim, making the doctor flinch. "How is she, is she alright!?"

"Settle down, my boy, it's alright. She's going to make a full recovery. The worst of her injuries was a simple fracture in her leg. Nothing life-threatening."

You breath a sigh of relief, knowing your efforts were not in vain. Leaning back, you rub your forehead with a hoof that isn't wired to anything. "Thank Celestia..."

"Hm. Now I can understand why she was so concerned." The doctor says under his breath.

"What?" You ask, puzzled.

"That mare, Applejack, was absolutely beside herself with grief. She was so heartbroken to see both you and little Applebloom in this situation. So much so that, well, we can't get her to leave." He sounded displeased as he said that last line. "She's been here for the last three days, constantly shifting back and forth between your room and hers. She won't listen when we tell her that it's time for her to go."

So...she really does care for me that much. You think to yourself.

"With her sister having woken up two days ago, I think she would like to see you awake now. Would you like me to go fetch her?" He asks.

"...Yes, please, if you wouldn't mind, uh..." You realize you don't know his name.

"Ohoho, it's alright. You've been out for days, of course you wouldn't know who I am. I'm Dr. Coachen."

"Nice to meet you. Well, properly, that is." He gets a hearty chuckle out of your joke.

"Very well, I'll see to it that she knows of your condition." With that, he exits the room and closes the door.

Three days...you were out for three days. If Applejack cared for you as much as it seemed, just how much heartache have you caused her by being out for that long? She must have been filled with anguish, waiting and wishing for you to get better. You felt terrible, having put her through that.

After a moment, the door opens again. At the doorway was a familiar mare. Her hair was scraggly, her eyes were sagging, and she looked absolutely exhausted. But to you, she was the most beautiful creature in Equestria.

She trots forward and sits next to your bed, tears in her eyes and a weak smile on her face. "...Howdy." She says weakly.

"Hey...you look terrible." You say jokingly.

She chuckles slightly. "You ain't much better yerself."

"Heh, tell me about it." You look into her eyes. You could feel yourself slipping into them ever-so-slowly. "How is Applebloom?"

"She's awake, and doin' fine. She told me what happened." She looks away. "Her 'n her friends went out to the barn to try doin' what you 'n I were doin' that day. She wanted to get her Cutie Mark in repair, or somethin'. I just don't understand why she had to sneak and do it without my permission...I dunno if Sweetie or Scootaloo are gettin' punished for what happened."

"What happened was a freak accident." You reassure her. "We should just be happy they're alright."

"Yeah...and as for you." She props herself up and scoots a little closer to you. "I...I can never thank you enough, or repay you for what ya did...I mean, when I saw you in front of the barn, I thought that..." She begins trembling, and her tears increase.

You reach a hoof out and stroke her mane. You can feel her shiver under your touch. "Don't think that. Everything is fine now. We're all okay, and it's going to be alright."

Rather than respond, she leans forward and wraps you up in a hug. Her cheek brushes past your as she wraps her forelegs around you. You can feel her shivering slightly. "Thank you...I'm so glad you're okay..."

"It's fine...hey, c'mon, I've been through worse." You joke slightly, trying to lighten the mood. She lifts her head, and stares right into your eyes. Her face was close enough that you could feel her breath on your muzzle. It almost seemed like she was drawing slightly closer to you by the moment.

It was now or never.

"Applejack...I-"

You're cut off as she presses her lips to yours. Closing your eyes, you pull her closer, and she shifts her hooves behind your head to do the same. Her tender tongue dances across your lips, begging for entry. You gladly accept, and she goes right in, lavishing in every crevasse of your mouth. She tasted like apples, which came as no surprise, but it was a much warmer, sweeter taste. You swing your tongue around and wrestle with hers, the two of them performing a sort of dance.

After a few moments, she breaks away, and the two of you take a much needed breath. She opens her eyes, and stares longingly into yours, a smile on her face.

"I...I think you can consider yer debt payed."

"I couldn't be happier." You reply.

With that, she pulls you in for another kiss, which was even more passionate than the first. The two of you held this one for even longer.

Two broken souls, devastated by the actions and fates brought upon by those close to them. Now, the two were finally getting the much-needed repairs they required for so long. A broken tool should not be considered useless, but rather, it should be considered re-purposed. Though it may no longer serve one function, it could possibly serve another, given the right circumstances.

With all that had happened to you over the last few weeks, you felt like you finally had found that purpose. A new reason to carry on. A new reason to keep going. You had someone to care for. Someone to be cared by. You for her, and her for you. The price you paid for giving up your career was one that was well worth it. The price she paid for putting up with you was well worth it. The two of you found someone new to lean on and rely on. Through the disaster, you had found something incredible, that neither of you would trade for anything.

It was just how the two of you emerged from the ashes.

Epilogue

"WHERE THE HAY IS MY HAT!?"

You step out of the bathroom only to be greeted by the booming voice of Applejack. Stepping into the hallway, an orange blur streaks past you, frantically scouring the house in search of her beloved headgear.

"Er, AJ?" You ask concernedly. "Something wrong?"

She runs up to you and puts her hooves on your shoulders. "I can't find my hat anywhere! You didn't take it, did you!?"

"Oh, come on. I benched that whole thing months ago, you know that!" You say, rolling your eyes.

"Oh Celestia, if I lost it..." She runs of into another room in her dire search.

Genuinely curious, you try to remember where she last put it. As you think, a giggle from down the hallway interrupts your thoughts. Knowing precisely who that giggle belonged to, you had a pretty good idea of who the hat-pilferer might be.

It had been several months since the fire. Life on the Acres had returned to normal since that day. Well, mostly normal, anyway. Reconstruction on the barn went smoothly, and you gladly offered to help. Of course, your free time for helping was cut down after you managed to get a small job helping out at the First Bank of Ponyville.

Applebloom had recovered nicely. Despite her injuries, she didn't seem so shaken by the whole ordeal. Perhaps it was because she had been unconscious during the blaze. She felt awfully guilty over being one of the primary causes for the fire (and still does), but you reassured her it was alright. As long as she was fine, that was fine by you.

You have since started living in your own home again, but ever since you and Applejack made your relationship official, you made it a point to visit whenever you could. Especially during the later part of the day. You and AJ had made it a sort of ritual to view the sunset. However, it wasn't quite so bittersweet anymore.

Trotting down the hallway, you turn into Applebloom's room. She lies on her bed in an uncharacteristically cool manner. Her forelegs are folded behind her head, and one of her hind legs is propped up on the other. Her eyes are closed.

"Hey Applebloom," you start. "You seen AJ's hat anywhere?"

"Nope. Course not. What makes you think I have it?" She responded way too quickly for it to be anywhere near believable.

"Really? No idea at all?" You say, trying to prod her.

"Yup. No idea." She keeps her eyes closed as she talks.

"Huh. Strange. I just got this feeling you know where it is." She nervously shifts. "Perhaps you just forgot."

"Sure, I-" Her eyes shoot open and she sits up. "Uh, I mean-"

"So you do know? You just can't remember?" You tease.

"W-Well, I-"

"Perhaps I should help...jog your memory." You take a sly look on your face.

"What do you-" Before she can finish her sentence, you press your hooves onto her ribs and begin to tickle her. Her speech is cut off and replaced with jovial bouts of laughter. "H-Hey! Haha, quit it! S-Stop it! Hahaha!" She falls onto her back in her fit of laughter. She feebly pushes against your hooves, trying to stop you.

"Are you sure you can't remember where it is?" You prod her more, trying to get her to admit.

"O-Okay, okay! Just s-stop it!" You release her, and she sits up. She takes a moment to catch her breath before continuing. "I just hid it under her bed. I didn't do anythin' to it."

"Thank you, but please." You step back and take a more serious tone. "Don't get into stealing. Trust me, it's not a field you want to get into."

"What're ya talkin' about?" She takes a very confused look on her face. You simply give her a knowing look, and leave the room.

Trotting into Applejack's room, you quickly lower yourself to the edge of her bed. Looking beneath, you quickly spot her hat, and drag it out from it's location. You were about to stand up when something else caught your eye. Under her bed was a large case. It looked like a guitar case.

Curious, you stand and call for AJ. "Hey, Applejack, I found it!"

Within seconds, she arrives in the room and breaths a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness! Where was it?"

"That ain't important." You decided not to rat out Applebloom, for whatever reason. Handing the hat to her, you ask. "Hey, is that a guitar case under your bed?"

As she sets the hat on her head, her ears fold back, and she suddenly looks very bashful. "Er...yeah, it is."

"I had no idea you played guitar! You never told me, and we've been together for how long now?"

"A...few months..." She nervously rubs her foreleg. "B-But I ain't any good at it."

"Nonsense! I'm sure you're wonderful at it!" She doesn't seem to buy it. You trot up and wrap a hoof around her shoulder. "I'd like to hear you play it sometime."

"R-Really?" She looks incredulous.

"Would I lie to you?" You give her a small kiss on the lips to prove your point.

"Well...maybe some time." She takes a small blush on her cheeks.

"Great. Now, I've got to get running. Got to get to work!" You say, strangely enthusiastic.

"Alright, have a good day, Honeybun!" She replied. She had started calling you that quite a while ago.

Exiting her room, you begin for the First Bank of Ponyville.

~*~*~

Wow, today sucked.

It wasn't a particularly spectacular day for you at the bank. You walk in only to be greeted with a piping hot cup of coffee in your face within minutes of arriving. Not much else to get excited about happened after that.

It didn't matter, you were just happy to be back at the Acres, heading to your spot. It was later in the day, and you were going to end it in your favorite way possible. Though the sunset still held a bittersweet memory for you, you still loved it. Moreover for the 'sweet,' rather than the bitter. You'll always have a place in your heart for those memories...There are just some things you can't throw away.

Trotting up to your usual spot, you find that Applejack hasn't arrived yet. Strange, she was usually up here before you were. Perhaps she had a few extra errands to run.

Shrugging, you plop yourself down next to the tree you had grown fond of for being your backrest. Leaning back, and folding your hooves behind your head, you relish in the serenity you loved so much. The cicadas were playing their usual melody, and the birds with their usual song. A cool breeze flowed through the area. Taking a deep breath of the crisp, country air, you simply wait for her to arrive.

3...
2...
1...

"Howdy, Honeybun."

Right on cue, as always. You turn your head to see the country mare approaching. She was carrying a large, black object on her back, connected to her via a strap around her chest.

She came up and sat right next to you, lifting the object over her head. She sets it down on the ground, and you can now identify it as the case she had beneath her bed.

"Your guitar?" You ask.

"Ya wanted a performance, right?" She asks, sounding slightly nervous.

"Only if you're up for it."

She smiles sheepishly and begins to unpack her instrument. Opening the case, you find inside is a standard acoustic guitar. It looked rather old, as it had quite a few scratches and scuffs here and there, but it looked good nonetheless.

Lifting it out of its case, Applejack lifts her hooves to the standard playing position. "Gimme a minute, it's been awhile since I played fer anypony."

"Take all the time you need." You say as you wave a hoof dismissively.

She takes a few moments to get reacquainted with the instrument. During that time, you can't help but admire her in all her glory, shining under the suns subdued rays. You can't help but feel like the luckiest colt in the world for having a mare like her. She truly had no equal.

After a bit, she turns to you. "Alright, I'm ready. Now, what to play..." She taps her hoof to her chin, and her face suddenly lights up. "I got one ya might recognize."

With that, she readjusts herself before playing. She brings her hooves over the strings, and begins to play a rather familiar tune. Listening close, you recognize the melody. It was a song you had heard, years ago, on a cute, little radio. Your mind filled in for the other guitar, as you recalled the lyrics. You even surprised yourself when you began to sing.

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you.
It's strange what desire will make foolish ponies do.
And I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you.
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you.

No, I don't want to fall in love.
No, I don't want to fall in love.
With you. With you.

You look over to her, and she looks as though she is completely entranced by her instrument. No time to ogle, you recall the next verse.

What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way.
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you.
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt that way.
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you and,

I don't want to fall in love.
No, I don't want to fall in love.
With you. With you.

Her eyes are fixated on the instrument in her grip, her gaze unfaltering. One hoof glided across the neck of the guitar, while the other delicately plucked at the strings, producing the melody.

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you.
It's strange what desire will make foolish ponies do.
And I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you.
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you.

No I, don't want to fall in love.
No I, don't want to fall in love.
No I.
No I.

Nobody loves no one.

With the song complete, you can practically hear the applause of an audience. It wasn't bad, if you do say so yourself.

Looking over to Applejack, you can see her smiling, a wistful look in her eyes. She sets the guitar back into its case, and snuggles right up to you under the tree. Planting a soft kiss on your lips, she gently rests her head against your chest.

"But I wouldn't mind if ya did."

The two of you bask in the fading sunlight, merely enjoying the view.

If there was ever a personal heaven for you, this might be it.

No, scratch that.

It was definitely your heaven.

Chapter Seven

THUNK!

"C'mon now, you can do better than that!"

THUNK!

"Put yer back into it!"

THUNK!

This had been the process for most of the morning.

After breakfast, Applejack led you to the western side of the orchard to begin harvesting that area. She quickly taught you how to 'properly' buck apples from the trees. To her, it was some sort of incredible, ground-breaking science, it seems. To you, it just seemed like kicking trees.

While you weren't bad at it per se, Applejack was better by miles. It took you roughly three or four bucks to fully harvest a tree. Five bucks for particularly stubborn ones. For her, she only had to use one buck, sometimes two. She even harvested smaller trees with a single kick from one leg.

You didn't really care about being outdone though, and just wanted to focus on getting through this as soon as possible. Applebucking was nowhere near as tiring as pulling that infernal plow you used yesterday. If you could just do this for the rest of your time here, you'd be fine.

Though it didn't help that Applejack was yelling at you like a drill instructor.

"C'mon, speed it up!" She yells, as she give a tree a kick.

"Y'know, the less time you spend yelling at me, the more time you have for harvesting." You say back in a prodding fashion.

"If you would pick up the pace and get yer flank moving," she pauses to kick a tree. "I wouldn't have ta yell at ya!"

There was just no reasoning with her. She was more stubborn than a mule. Not wanting to waste more time, and not wanting to be yelled at any further, you continue bucking.

You approach an average sized tree. From the branches was a plethora of fruit for which the tree got its name. You find the flattest part of the trunk, and line yourself up with it. Turning to face away from the tree, you look back and align your back hooves with it's base, rear up, and...

THUNK!

With that, it began raining fruit. The apples fell into the few bins you had placed around the tree beforehand. Rather than pick up all the apples, you placed the bins around the trees to catch the majority, and then picked up the stragglers afterward.

You managed to get most of the apples with one kick, but decided that it would be best to go ahead and finish off with another buck. Rearing up again, you...

THUNK!

The rest of the fruit fell from the limbs and into the bins. There were a few that had missed, and you proceeded to scoop them up and place them in random bins. Not taking your time, you did so rather hastily. Might as well save Applejack's breath for her.

Satisfied with your work, you look around to see the bins in this small patch of trees were all filled. You look to Applejack for further direction.

"Alright, let's move on to the next batch. Bring the cart over." She says, as she begins to trot towards the next section of trees.

"Aye aye, captain." You call back.

You walk over to the cart of bins and attach it to yourself. The two of you had brought plenty of bins, and the cart was stuffed with them. As you harvested, the mountain of bins within the cart was shrinking, making it easier to move. The more you worked, the easier it was to pull the cart, so the work balanced itself out.

Trudging forward, you bring the cart to a small opening among the trees to stop. There was no need to take any filled bins. Applejack said that Big Macintosh would bring another cart through and pick up all the produce later in the day for storage.

Stopping, you unhitch yourself and begin to set the bins beneath the trees. Not caring about doing so delicately, you haphazardly toss the bins beneath the branches. As you do so, you cast a glance over at Applejack. Your eyes meet hers, and she quickly looks away.

"C'mon, let's get a move on." She says, trotting towards a newly equipped tree. "We got still got plenty of trees to buck. And don't call me 'captain!'"

"Apologies," you say in that teasing voice she loves so much. AJ simply rolls her eyes and begins bucking.

You push the cart back a bit to give the two of you some extra room. Trotting up to another tree, you prepare to resume the monotonous task of the day. Looking out toward the field, there were still plenty of trees to harvest. Today is gonna be a long day, you think to yourself.

...

"So where ya from?"

The sound of Applejack's voice caught you off guard. Stopping mid-buck, you look over to her. She wasn't looking at you, and was focusing on the tree behind her instead. After kicking it twice, she casts a glance over to you.

"Well?" She asks.

She was actually trying to start a legitimate conversation with you. You figured you wouldn't hear anything but orders and demands from her during your time here.

"I lived in Manehattan for most of my life." You pause to kick the tree. "I just moved here about a couple years ago, actually."

"Manehattan? I lived there for a little while." She responded.

"A little while as in...?"

"Oh, about two weeks, maybe. I can't remember, I was just a little filly."

"Two weeks?" You chuckle a bit. "I'd hardly consider that LIVING there. Sounds like it was just a vacation!"

"Not exactly," she says, sounding a little apprehensive. "I left for the city to get away from the farm for a little bit."

"Really now? A hard-working mare like you wanted to take some time off?" THUNK! "Whatever could have sparked that?"

"I just...needed a little time away from this place, that's all."

You stop for a second and look at her. You could tell you weren't getting the full story here. Seeing as you were only here temporarily, why would she care about hiding some big secret from you?

"Is that the only reason? Really?" You ask, trying to pry the rest of the information from her.

"Y-Yes, really. I just wanted some time away. I left to spend some time with my Aunt 'n' Uncle Orange. Nothin' else."

At least you got a little more information. Time with her relatives seemed like a likely story, but there was definitely something else. She didn't seem to be the best of liars.

"And...that's all?"

"Yes! There's nothin' else to it!" She yelled.

"Okay, okay, no need to yell." You reply, putting your hooves up in a mocking defensive fashion.

She simply stares at you for a second, before resuming her kicking.

A slightly awkward silence passed. Whatever she was hiding from you apparently held an extremely personal value to her. Should you really press for details, though? If it really does matter to her that much, pushing for information would only serve to make your life here harder.

Then again, why were you so interested in figuring it out? This mare didn't really hold any value to you. As far as you were concerned, you were her slave. Once you had payed off that silly, little debt, you probably would never speak to her again.

With that in mind, you figured you would just drop it, and carry on to other possible topics.

"So," you start. "What do your folks do?"

You went back to kicking trees, waiting for a reply. You didn't hear anything, even after what seemed like minutes passed.

"Applejack?" You say, turning towards the country mare.

She wasn't facing you. You couldn't see her face on account of her head hanging a little low. Her hat obscured her features from view entirely. She wasn't even moving.

"Er...something wrong?" You ask, ever so slightly concerned. Why? You didn't know.

Rather than giving a reply, AJ gave an absurdly strong kick to the tree behind her. Every fruit from the tree fell to that kick. You could have sworn you heard wood splitting as well.

After a short moment of silence, she speaks up. "It's nothing." With that, she begins to walk the other direction, harvesting trees farther away.

Looks like you struck a nerve. Why would she react so bitterly to such an innocent question? Unless...

Thoughts of yesterday begin to flood into your mind. When she had asked about your father, and how you responded. That slight look of concern and guilt in her eyes. They were definitely genuine. Even at the time, they didn't seem fake, and she gave off a true vibe of concern. Why she would have done that, there could have been only one explanation. Were her parents...?

The idea of her having given you true sympathy yesterday didn't seem so far-fetched now. There was no falsehood in her response just now. It would take a certain kind of bitterness to evoke a response like that. If her parents truly were...gone, then maybe she did have an idea of what it's like...

Even then, her parents probably didn't do to her what your father did to you. Still, you were a bit worried that you might have just said the worst possible thing to her. You hoped that this little moment wouldn't come back to bite you later.

With your only conversation partner gone, you went back to your mundane task.

...

THUNK!