Apple Fancier

by Norm De Plume

Rating: mature
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Fancypants, Sex, Applejack
Length: 20699

Applejack has agreed to model for a photoshoot as a favour to Fancy Pants. She owes him a favour, after all. It has nothing to do with their ongoing relationship. Honestly.

Applejack finds herself in frou-frou outfits far too often for her liking. She blames Rarity for that. But a late-night encounter with Fancy Pants on the deck of an airship shows Applejack that, sometimes, it's not clothes that make the mare.

Thanks to Derpiihooves for their kind loan of their Equestria Bailey's artwork as cover.

Published 2014-06-17 20:00:06 UTC
Last updated 2014-06-17 20:00:06 UTC

Chapter 1

Author's Note

At times in this fic, the phrases "First Sleep", "Second Sleep" and "Waking Hour" are used. This refers to the practice of segmented sleep, where one goes to bed, often soon after sundown, then awakes in the middle of the night and remains awake for an hour or two. Then they return to sleep until the morning. The time in the middle of the night is used for many things, like reading, meditation, accomplishing tasks that can't be done during the day, etc. The practice has long been out of use, due to the invention of electric lighting, but it's still studied and used in many parts of the world.

Both Applejack and Fancy Pants subscribe to this way of thinking here.

Chapter 1

Contains The Following:

Obscure Flashback Metaphor Bonus

Well-Dressed Apple Bonus

Fancy Foods Bonus

Slightly Squeaky Bedframe Bonus

Can Fit Three Apples In Her Mouth Bonus

Slight Sexual Dysfunction Bonus

-~-~-~-~-~

Buttons.

If a griffin had landed in front of Applejack at that moment and threatened to eat her unless she got all the buttons aligned on a blouse and did her frou-frou lace cuffs properly, well she would just pour applesauce all over herself and lie on a platter rather than struggle with buttons.

But instead she half-sat on this stool, clad in a pale violet silk top with a high collar that caressed the nape of her neck. A white unicorn mare fussed with her mane, still damp from a thorough washing. The brushing went on and on, soothing as it lulled her into a state of contentment. It slowed eventually, and some sort of goop was worked into her mane, her forelock teased out into a long curl as the rest of it was slicked down and brushed around one shoulder. Her red hairband snapped around the end of the ponytail and her handler made a noise of approval.

“Now for the waistcoat,” Fleur said, her magic hovering over a brown vest that slipped up Applejack's forelegs with the greatest of care, settling around her shoulders. A small belt in the back cinched tighter, not uncomfortably. “Still feeling all right?”

“Yep,” she said, her voice quiet as well. “But when this is over, I'm takin' him back to my room and seeing how he likes it when the clothes are no longer on the horse.” She gazed at Fleur with bright green eyes. “You're okay with that?”

“He is not mine to jealously possess, you know.” Fleur blinked long eyelashes as she examined Applejack, looking for a fashion faux pas that she had missed in the long process so far. Seeing none, she summoned a pair of white cuffs and fitted them onto the end of the sleeves, buttons magically slipping themselves through loops. “He is simply my patron, as he is Rarity's. You happen to be something more to him. Surprising, yes, but welcome. I had begun to wonder if my dear Fancy Pants had taken vows of the celibate sort.”

“In plain-speaking, I take it that means he ain't been with any other mares in a long time?”

“Or stallions, yes.” Fleur smiled at her expression. “One must always make allowances for the flexibility of some ponies. It saves on shocks later in life. Are you too warm? You appear flushed.”

“It's the whole thought of doin' this,” Applejack admitted, looking down at herself, literally half-dressed. Her hind legs were still bare and her thick blonde tail lay in her lap, still bound by its hair tie. Like most pony-wear, there wasn't a lower half to the outfit.

Looking up and over Fleur's shoulder, she could see Rarity standing in the shadows of the hotel bar that had been commandeered for this shoot, discussing things with both Fancy Pants and the photographer. This wouldn't be one of her friend's greatest triumphs; Sapphire Shores already had that honor, hiring Rarity exclusively to design all her tour costumes. But Sapphire had gone into seclusion to record a new album, and hadn't placed any orders for some time, so Rarity had leapt at the thought of an ad campaign for such a prominent distiller.

“All right. I think you're ready,” Fleur said, helping Applejack onto all four hooves. “Good. Now, go up to the bar and lean on it like you would your cider booth back in Ponyville.”

She allowed herself to be guided to the bar rail and settled an elbow on the polished wood, leaning on it self-consciously. She cast a glance at the bottle on the bar — the real subject of the photo shoot. It wasn't really something she would ever drink, but she wouldn't have to; the brewer simply wanted an elegant mare to help draw attention to the brand.

Elegant. That was never a word Applejack would have used to describe herself. Not until he'd started using it around her.

“No, not tall enough,” Fleur said, gently pressing a foreleg against her back, encouraging her to straighten up. “Just breathe in. Look at me — that's good. Bring those ears up if you can, like they're being pulled up by strings . . . there. That looks lovely.” Her magic tugged lightly on the blouse, pulling it down over Applejack's cutie mark. “Swish your tail for me a bit, darling? I want to see how it looks. We're not going to shoot down that low anyways.”

Applejack let her tail switch from side to side, feeling the tension in her croup. The stress from worrying over Applebloom hadn't gone away. Heck, the changes she was considering in her own life had probably been the cause of that little bit of panic in the first place. But she knew this idea would work. She just hoped Fancy Pants felt the same way. Once she stopped feeling like a prized pig on display at the county fair.

Fleur watched her and nodded in approval. “You'll be fine. Are you ready?”

“I sure hope so,” she said. “Hope he's ready, too. Haven't ever wanted to tear clothes off another pony so badly in my life.”

The white mare gave an impressive smirk. “Don't rip them too hard. Otherwise you're going to have to learn how to sew.”

She whuffed and gave a shimmy of her hips, trying to wiggle out some of the tension. “It's . . . I ain't used to fallin' stupidly in love.”

“Hmmph.” Fleur snorted. “Not many ponies are. It can sneak up on you if you're not careful. Just make some eyes towards the camera instead. I'm sure you can do that.” She turned away and trotted out of the ring of lights that had been set up.

Applejack concentrated on breathing in and out. She let her gaze fall on Fancy Pants again, watching him as he left Rarity to circle around the perimeter. Trying not to move from her pose, she didn't turn her head but let her eyes follow him as he walked from one side to the other. He was wearing his black suit coat with the tails. She knew he had a dress shirt and vest beneath that, otherwise he wouldn't have worn that yellow bow-tie with it. And she was more than ready to peel back all those layers and expose the pony beneath.

Oats and apples, she was never this needy. What she needed was answers, not sex, but maybe she was using one to deflect the other.

“Eyes this way, Miss Applejack?”

Reacting to the voice, she glanced over to see the photographer aiming his camera in her direction.

Bulbs went off everywhere.

**FLASH**
-~-~-~-~-~

“What do you think, Fancy Pants?”

He frowned and tilted his head, letting his monocle drop back down into his vest pocket. “Rather stiff and formal, is it not?”

“You're tellin' me,” Applejack grumbled from her perch on the model stand. She’d just come in to talk to Rarity, only to end up lassoed into being a dress-tester for her big-shot Canterlot friend. “You sure this party your niece is attendin' is gonna object if she doesn't cover her forelegs?” She shifted her weight and grimaced at the purple dress into which she'd been stuffed, probably because it was doing unmentionable things to the base of her spine.

“Well, she is obliged to ensure her fetlocks are covered,” Fancy Pants said, then glanced over at Rarity. “It doesn't have to be sleeves, does it? Perhaps some sort of jewellery might be more fashionable?”

She made a thoughtful noise and her magic flared, all manner of implements floating around. “I had assumed the nature of the occasion would dictate more formal wear, but you may be on to something.”

Applejack rolled her eyes and snorted as Rarity approached her with a cloud of odds and ends. “Uh-uh. I'm done. I don't even know how I let you two talk me into this in the first place!” Arching her neck, she reached back and bit at the laces at her withers, but couldn't reach the first loop.

Huffing, Rarity tried to stop her. “Applejack, you're closest to her size! After all, it's not as if I can pad out one of my ponyquins. You're simply the only choice. And — stop that! Stop pulling with your teeth, you'll rip that ribbon to shreds!”

“T'ain't all that's gonna to be shredded if'n y'all don't get this silly thing off me,” she retorted, bucking beneath all the fabric on her back half.

“Ladies, if I may?” Fancy Pants said as he stepped carefully up onto the stand. “Rarity, I think we may be approaching this the wrong way. We're worrying only about how it looks on her. We aren't asking how she feels in it.” He turned away to put a hoof on her shoulder, drawing her attention away from her mouthful of ribbon. “I understand that you aren't used to this, Miss Applejack, but I also know you've done a Grand Galloping Gala and a Royal Wedding. That puts you miles ahead of my sister's daughter when it comes to formal events. This will be her first at the Castle, and while I want her to have a stunning creation from Rarity, I also want her to be comfortable. It's not worth wearing if you can't enjoy yourself in it. So, please, take a deep breath and tell us what doesn't work.”

Well, when he put it like that . . . Applejack closed her eyes and puffed out a breath, then reopened them. “Hope you've got some time.”

Fancy Pants ignored Rarity's squeak of displeasure and smiled. “Talk to me.”

“For starters, unless your niece has got my kinda hindquarters, things are a bit tight back there,” she commented, flushing as both unicorns craned their necks to look. “Kinda pinchin' my hip.” As Rarity trotted around behind her, Applejack gazed at Fancy Pants and wiggled her shoulders. “Same goes for up here. Are you sure I'm supposed to be her size?”

“She takes after her father, apparently,” he explained. “She's a big filly and she needs to fit in amongst those other girls who look like their . . . slimmer mothers. If this gown is cut a certain way, she'll look every bit as good as those —” He coughed delicately into his hoof.

“Little skinny bitches?” Applejack suggested, grinning.

Fancy Pants looked amused. “Quite.”

She felt a tug in the dress and grunted in relief as a few folds loosened. “Oh yeah, there we go.” She waggled one of her hind legs gratefully. Glancing slyly at Rarity as she ducked down again to pin something, Applejack winked at him. “What's the big deal with Canterlot and fancy outfits, anyways? Almost nopony here wears much, except for her.”

Rarity paused for a moment to glare at her, before turning back to the hem with a huff. “It's Canterlot, Applejack. Clothes convey status there.” She made the adjustments and moved up to the ribbons at the neck, undoing the bow so she could open the gown and examine it. “And that's important in a city of so many unicorns.”

“Well, it's important in a city of fashion-conscious yes-mares.” Fancy Pants chuckled, shaking his head as he watched Rarity work. “You Ponyville ponies work in the fields and the skies more than anything else, so it's not as if you need to dress up like we do in Canterlot. You have your hat for the sun; I have my comfortable jacket for my business. Besides, some ponies just like to look their best. I, for one, wouldn't be comfortable going out without being properly dressed. I haven't done that since I was a very young colt.” He blinked as though that previous sentence was sinking in. “Dear me, it has been a while.”

Applejack grinned. “Really? Never wanted to fling that big ol' jacket off and do some cartwheels down the cobblestones?”

“As amusing as this conversation has gotten,” Rarity interjected. “What else needs to be adjusted? You mentioned the sleeves earlier; I can't do them with your legs still in them." She laced the gown back up again with a bit more force than Applejack suspected was necessary, eliciting a grunt from her.

Rarity's pique being obvious, Applejack elected to not be made into a pincushion and meekly listed off the rest of her admittedly minor complaints. As soon as she was able, she wriggled out of the gown and let her friend levitate it back onto a nearby ponyquin. “Well, I should probably be gettin' back to Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Yes, yes,” Rarity muttered, swirling sketches around herself. “Thank you ever so much for stopping by and letting me rope you into this, darling. You've . . . well, I was going to say 'saved me some work', but I think it's all about the same.” She frowned at the dress, then back at her sketches.

Applejack exchanged a look with Fancy Pants and shrugged as she grabbed her hat in her teeth and flipped it back up onto her head. “Hope your niece likes it. See you around?”

“Let me walk you out, at least,” he suggested, his magic opening the front door for her. “I don't believe Rarity's going to want me to stick around if she's about to do something to that outfit that she thinks she'll regret later.”

Once they were both outside the Boutique, Applejack gave herself a shake. At least Rainbow Dash and the other Pegasi hadn't seen fit to switch the weather around while she was inside. One change in their schedule meant a lot of swearing and rearranging of hers, and Rarity had drained a lot of her will to argue this morning. “I swear, every time I stop in there, it's frou-frou this and fancy-duds that.” She heaved a sigh and looked over at Fancy Pants. “Still, it's not so bad. I think I'm even gettin' used to it, after all the galas and weddings we've done.”

“And you have my very deep appreciation for allowing her to press you into service like that,” he said, peering about. “Now, can you assure me that there is not a horde of pink ponies hiding nearby? I made sure to not wear my bowler on this trip.”

“I wouldn't worry too much.” Applejack waved it off. Life in Ponyville was weird, plain and simple. “That was last weekend. This weekend we'll probably get a river serpent high 'n dry along the train tracks or something.” She sincerely hoped not, because it was pretty darn certain that either the Mayor or Twilight would ask the Elements of Harmony to help move it. If that happened, she would just slap her hat on Big Mac and tell him to go and help push.

Fancy Pants looked amused once more. Boy, for a fancy, upper-crust stallion of business, he sure seemed to have a sunny personality. “You do lead an interesting life, my dear. This must be why Rarity tries to keep me from visiting. She's afraid incidents like that might colour my impression of her beloved hometown.”

She smiled back and let her voice curl into a Manehattan accent. “Well, it certainly adds to the charmingly rustic atmosphere we do try to cultivate here in Ponyville.”

“Hello!” He laughed as he stepped back in surprise. “You've had training, haven't you? Very well done, too.”

She smirked. “My Aunt and Uncle Orange did the honours when I was a filly. I'll have to polish it up for them before I see them next month at the family reunion.”

“Ah, yes. I've dealt with Mosely Orange before.” He looked her up and down once more. This time, he was sizing her up rather than that pile of fabric back in the Boutique. “So you are part of that Apple Family, then. Old Mosely has told me the story of the Princess granting you the land here. That was ages ago.”

“When my Granny Smith was about my age,” Applejack agreed, ignoring the tingle at her dock. She often had those when somepony was givin’ her the once-over with their eyes. “Not a lot of ponies know that she'd met Princess Celestia way back in the day.” As he turned down the street that led to the train station, she walked along beside him. “And I thought somepony as high and mighty as you would travel by airship, not by train.”

“For a short little jaunt like this? Oh, hardly. Besides, on the train, one can relax and let somepony else do the driving for a bit.”

Applejack glanced at him curiously. “Begging your pardon, but you always seem relaxed to me. Wanna try running a farm for a while? Or bein' an Element of Harmony who has to run off from her business every once in a while because something's about to eat half of Equestria?”

His smile was slightly self-deprecating. “I wouldn't presume to be able to coax the soil of Equestria to do anything you can't already do, Miss Applejack. And your service to the Princess is most appreciated. In fact, you have my apologies that I didn't recognize you last year at the Garden Party.”

“Aw, thank you very kindly.” She gave him the same once-over as they walked. With that black coat of his and groomed mane and moustache, he would be a sight out in the orchards, all right. “Did you really mean what you said back there, that you haven't been undressed in a while? You got a fancy suit for sleepin' in, too?”

“On occasion, yes. Useful things, pyjamas. They're wonderful for when somepony wakes you up in the middle of the night and you have to make a solid first impression while you're still getting yourself out of bed.”

Applejack shook her head. “And they jes' barge right into your bedroom? Canterlot sure ain't the civilized place it looks like.”

“Yes, but it is home, just as Ponyville is yours.” Fancy Pants hopped up onto the ticket platform and took a small wallet out of his breast pocket. “I have a feeling we'll be seeing you there soon. Interesting ponies such as ourselves will no doubt cross paths again.” He produced a small square of cardboard and floated it over to her. “Do remember me to your Uncle Mosely when you see him, please? He'll be proud to know how highly I esteem his favourite niece.”

“I'll pass it on,” she said, tucking the card into the brim of her hat. “You get yourself some relaxation on the train. Can't have you gettin' too stressed or the party scene might suffer in Canterlot. Then we'd have to ship Pinkie Pie up to y'all for a week or two.”

He held up his hooves in surrender. “Forty winks. I promise. Please, don’t put her on the train.”

Smiling, Applejack watched him get on board before she saw the station clock and hastily turned around to head back to Sweet Apple Acres. Gracious, she had half a field to work, a tack room to clean, — not to mention lunch to worry about— and here she'd spent the last couple hours gallivantin' around town with fancy ponies. Priorities, girl, priorities!

As she continued down the street, her eye caught the glare of the bright mid-day sun reflecting off the top spire of City Hall.

**FLASH**
-~-~-~-~-~

Tired, but not ready to quit until she'd found him, Applejack slipped past the hat-check (even if she had worn her hat tonight, she wouldn’t have given it up!) and into the atrium of the Canterlot Hospital. She hadn’t ever had to visit here before, but she was certain a hospital didn’t normally have a bar and a dance floor. There were so many ponies milling around. And all of them fancy-dressed.

She paused as she caught sight of herself in a mirrored wall and took a few seconds to assess her appearance. Her grey and blue dress was a bit ancient, but it was still somewhat fashionable, if a glance around the room was any indication. She'd left the shoulder ruffles on and they stood out amongst the newer outfits. Her mane was loose around her shoulders, aside from a blue bow she'd stuck behind one ear.

Taking a deep breath, she felt the wide silver belt around her barrel press against her stomach. She wasn't sure she'd cinched it properly on the train. Hooves weren't meant to deal with those bits of fashion and it wasn't as if she could have brought Rarity with her. She was gate-crashing, after all.

Applejack shook herself and whinnied as she turned on the spot, searching for Fancy Pants in the crowd. She had no clue what he would be wearing tonight, but she was certain he would be here. It was common knowledge that anypony who was somepony would appear at these society fundraisers.

Then she caught a glimpse of a white coat over in the far corner and decided to try her luck there. There weren't a lot of white unicorns prancing about, even in Canterlot. If it wasn't him, it could still be Fleur De Lis. She didn’t really know what those two ponies were to each other, but they did seem to hang out together a fair bit. If she found one, she’d probably find the other.

The hospital charity was a popular one, judging by the number of ponies standing in her way. So she pushed her way through the crowd, probably offending more than a few high-falutin’ sensibilities, but keeping an eye on her quarry. As she got closer, another pony finally moved aside and she caught sight of that distinctive triple-crown cutie mark at the edge of a small herd. She’d found him, all right!

As she came up close to the circle of ponies that hung on his every word, Fancy Pants glanced over his shoulder and spotted her. His eyebrows went up, but he gave her a warm smile and sidled aside to open a space for her before returning to his story.

“. . . so I said 'If you feel that strongly about it, I'll sell the team back to you',” he continued as she settled in right beside him, “which I did, at a price both of us found fair. Well, the next day, when they came out for practice, it appeared as if somepony had been digging all around the goalposts, for what reason I can't begin to imagine!” At his listeners' approving chuckles, he gave a slight tilt of his head to acknowledge their amusement, then waved a hoof. “Nopony tell him. We'll see for how long he'll search. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go and check on the silent auction. If any pony cares to outbid me, you're more than welcome. There are only so many spa treatments I can purchase for a good cause.” His attention shifted to her as he stepped back from the circle. “Well, well. This is a surprise.”

“I'm kinda crashin' the party here,” she admitted, blushing, “but I had to find you.”

“Oh, seeing you is a surprise, too,” he told her as she followed him across the floor. Either ponies stepped aside for him quicker than they had for her, or he just knew the path of least resistance at a party. “But I was referring to your lovely outfit. That vintage style suits you quite well.” He gave her another glance. “My word, there are some unicorns in Canterlot who would pay handsomely to have hindquarters as well-muscled as that.”

“Well, tell them they can come to the farm for a week and buck apples with me. That'll firm things up in a hurry.” Applejack snorted, annoyed that he could distract her so easily. “Listen, I need some help. You got a mechanic that's real good with that new-fangled airship of yours?”

“Naturally. Airships are a tricky business.” His ears perked forward. “Thinking of building one?”

“Nah. Relatives of mine brought one to the reunion, but they had a propeller malfunction when everypony was leaving, and kinda came back to earth with a jolt. And I'm not sure about trusting any of the carriage mechanics in Ponyville with stuff like that. They can do wheels, sure as shootin', but not the fancier stuff.”

Fancy Pants looked startled. “Goodness. Is everypony all right?”

“Fine. Shook up, mind you, but fine. I just need a name and maybe a reference from you or somethin' so I can hire them to come on out tomorrow and take a look at things.” She let a breath out. She was close to finishing this mission, then she could collapse into her own bed after all she'd put herself through the past weekend.

“My dear Applejack,” he said, leading her to an empty table and beckoning to somepony behind her. “Allow me to contact him and schedule the appointment. It will bear more urgency in his mind if I make the request.” A full glass with a straw in it appeared over her shoulder, surrounded in the glow of his magic. “You look quite worn out. Sit here for a second and drink this.”

Gratefully, she settled her haunches down on a cushion beside the table and sipped, watching him go over to a server to give him instructions. The punch was cool and sparkling and she wrinkled her muzzle as the bubbles tickled her sinuses, helping wake her up.

Fancy Pants came back over and set a hoof on her back. “I'll hear back from him very soon. You took the evening train up here, didn't you?”

She nodded. “Yep. There's one more heading back to Ponyville before midnight and I think I can catch that.” She didn't mention that she barely had the bits to pay her fare back to town, after all the expense of the reunion. That wasn't his worry. As for paying the mechanic, she'd manage somehow. She always did.

“There's no need for you to throw your money away on another train ride,” he told her. “Allow me to offer you some hospitality tonight and we can give you a lift home in the morning.”

Applejack blinked and leaned away from him. “Aww, I can't put you out. It isn't right that you get your hooves dirty just 'cause I got a problem.” The idea was tempting, however. If she got back on the train, she knew she'd conk out again and probably wake up somewhere out by Dodge Junction.

Fancy Pants whisked his kerchief out of his breast pocket and polished his monocle. “My dear, that is a feeble protest and you and I both know it. You're exhausted. Very beautiful, but exhausted nonetheless. If I let you walk out the doors of this hospital, I'm sure the doctors would have my hide.” He whickered again. “I do have a large house and almost nopony with whom to share it; the company would be a refreshing change.”

She looked at him askance. “Don't you entertain an awful lot?”

“Oh, of course. But look at them.” He nodded at a nearby group of chattering unicorns and lowered his voice. “Social climbers. Hangers-on. But don’t think I merely endure their presence. I have some wonderful friends amongst them, but many here are friendly as long as the bits keep coming in or the fashions stay trendy. You, however, care nothing for fashion and aren't interested in my money. Which makes you a refreshing change.”

Applejack sighed. “Okay, okay, you speechified me into it, sugarcube.” She finished off her drink and gave herself a shake at the sudden fizz in her brain. “Nnngggyaahh. Ain't you got auctions or somethin' to attend to, though?”

Fancy Pants gave a shrug. “If I win, they'll contact me.” Then he turned his head as the serving mare reappeared with a folded piece of paper. He opened it with his magic and nodded. “Ahh. It appears we may have an even better solution. My mechanic is willing to meet us in an hour at the airfield. We can take my own airship down to Ponyville in a nice, easy drift and be in your valley by the morning. Sleeping quarters are, of course, included.”

She nodded tiredly. “Sleepin' sounds mighty fine after this weekend.”

“Well, then. My carriage is right outside the door, if we're to make the airfield and ensure my ship is ready to leave. Shall we?” He helped her get back onto her hooves and the two ponies skirted around the edge of the crowd. Applejack let him take the lead as ponies once again parted quickly and easy paths opened up in front of him.

As they headed for the door, another white unicorn in a peaches-and-cream coloured gown peeled off from a herd of mares and fell gracefully into step on Applejack's other side. “Hello. Who's this pony with a taste for vintage outfits?”

“Ah, Fleur. I believe you remember Miss Applejack from last year's Canterlot Garden Party?” Fancy Pants stretched his neck up a bit to look across the room. “Another satisfactory evening for you, I trust?”

“Photo Finish is still a fool, no matter how successful she is.” Fleur De Lis had a deeper voice than usual for a mare of her height and slenderness. “So yes, I take great satisfaction in a career that continues to flummox her.” She examined Applejack as the three of them exited the atrium. “Ah, yes. One of Rarity's friends. I assume that dress is not one of her creations, though. It's far too understated for her tastes.”

Applejack blushed. “It belonged to my dam. Hauled it outta my hope chest tonight because I figured it'd help me get past the fashion police for this event.”

Fleur shot an inquisitive glance over at Fancy Pants. “And yet you're leaving already?”

“Family favour,” he explained, magically opening the front doors for both mares and letting them go ahead.

“I can pay you,” Applejack insisted, turning around to face him once she was outside. “Your mechanic isn't going to do this for free, I know that much.”

“The nice thing about being me, Miss Applejack, is that I don't have to call in any debts for an inordinate amount of time.” Fancy Pants smiled and walked towards a nearby carriage. “And often there are things more valuable than money. Favours sometimes tend to pay off much more handsomely. You're a farmer. There's value in trading a bushel of apples today for a new plough tomorrow. So, if I do this small favour for you now, you can do me a small favour later.” His horn glowed, the door opening and a small wooden step unfolding itself. “Which we shall discuss when you're not about to fall off your hooves."

Scrambling up into the carriage, Applejack settled herself into a cushioned corner seat. Fancy Pants sat himself across from her and Fleur stood in the doorway, looking at him, then at her, hesitated, then she hopped back down to the ground. “You two go ahead and have fun down in the valley,” she said. “I believe I shall return to the gala. Photo Finish still has some dignity left and I want it for dessert.”

He nodded at her. “If you like. Do me a favour and be my proxy if any of the auctions end up going to me. I'll settle up the bills in the next day or so.”

“You said that last time,” Fleur scoffed. “You do know they require payment straight away upon notification. I had to cover your bid that night and it cost me a good sixty bits!”

“Yes, and you were the one who went for that massage, weren't you?” Fancy Pants grinned, but floated a small pouch out of a pocket and let her magic envelop it and whisk it out of sight.

With an agile flick of a hind leg, Fleur kicked the steps back up and shut the door before popping her head and front hooves in the window. “It is lovely to see you under more formal circumstances,” she told Applejack. “We don't see enough Earth Ponies in Canterlot somedays. You're far too sensible to want to waste your time up here.”

She opened her mouth to reply and found herself fighting a yawn, the cushy surroundings having an effect on her weekend-weary body. “Yeah, Fancy Pants was saying that it's hard bein' top of the heap sometimes. Somepony always tryin' to knock you off it, I guess.”

He and Fleur exchanged a look. “She gets it,” he said and she nodded before vanishing with a toss of her head.

“Get wha'?” Applejack mumbled, feeling a tad drowsy.

“Life in Canterlot.” He looked aware that she was fighting a losing battle with sleep.

She yawned again. “Eh. It's like foals playin' King o' the Mountain, just with fancier clothes.” Her head nestled down into her forelegs and she let it stay there, eyes closed almost all the way. “Mmm. 'Scuse me for a second . . .”

As the carriage pulled away, a spotlight from the gala shone one last time through the window.

**FLASH**
-~-~-~-~-~

The moonlight swept across the deck as Applejack opened the door and stepped out of the airship cabin. Mercy, what a nap she'd had. That bed had been one of the most comfortable things she'd ever woken up in. And she didn't even remember falling into it in the first place.

The rigging creaked and she looked up at the giant airbag overhead. It was bigger than Cinnamon Apple's little cradle-and-balloon airship, certainly. She had come up from a pretty darn luxurious cabin with its own porthole, with another four cabins alongside it. And there was room for at least a dozen ponies on deck.

There were currently only two, though: The Pegasus engineer, who was guiding the ship in its slow, circling descent, and Fancy Pants, who was standing by the bow, gazing out into the night.

He turned at the sound of her hooves on the deck and smiled at her. “Feeling a bit more rested, my dear?”

“Kinda.” Applejack shook herself. “I musta really been out of it. Don't even recall gettin' outta that dress. But it's hanging up all nice and smooth right on the back of the door. What're you still doin' up? Ain't you had a long day yourself?” Coming up to the railing beside him, she peered down into the darkness. “Whoah, Nellie.” She could see a few small lights off to one side, which had to be Ponyville. The bright lights of Canterlot on the side of the mountain, though, nearly blotted them out. “So we're out of the canyons.” Airships in Canterlot had to launch out of a series of canyons in the back of the mountain. Updrafts there gave them the needed lift to get clear of the city, but it could take a while. She wouldn’t have normally known that sort of stuff, but Twilight had been antsy on the last train ride to Canterlot and had spent the trip delivering a lengthy presentation on the launch facilities behind the castle.

“Yes, we left them about half an hour ago and we've probably got another two hours until we can find the right wind currents to let us land on or near your farm. Shifter there is doing his best to ride high until he can swing around and find the right draft. Marvellous sort of talent he has.” Fancy Pants nodded at him. “And to answer your question, I had a bit of a nap myself. Of course, I can only have about four or five hours before I find myself wide awake again.”

“You too, eh?” Applejack whuffed. “I get my first sleep in until about midnight, then slip downstairs to do a little bakin' or something. Or at least set it all up for first thing in the morning.”

“I end up poring over accounts and numbers. Makes that second sleep so much more satisfying. Of course, unlike you, I don't arise from my second sleep until about nine or so.” Fancy Pants shrugged. “I would assume you're up at the crack of dawn to do whatever it is that's needed on that farm of yours.”

“Most times,” she admitted, tilting her head to let the winds blow across her face and loose mane. “Then again, it all depends on if Pinkie's been throwin' another party the night before or something.”

His chuckle rumbled through her shoulder as he stood beside her. “Speaking of parties, I hear you provided all the food for the recent Royal Wedding. Do you have any idea how many bakeries, restaurants, fry stalls, catering services, and chefs you embarrassed by receiving that commission from the Princess?”

Applejack blinked and leaned away from him again, surprised at the sudden change in conversation. “Do I wanna know?”

“Oh, about the same number of seamstresses and dress shops Rarity infuriated by being commissioned to design the dress for the bride,” he said with an even wider grin. “I must admit, I haven't laughed that hard in ages, watching the fallout. I was even nearly evicted from the Fifth Horseshoe Club.”

She gave him a disbelieving look. “Naw, you're makin' this up.”

Fancy Pants shook his head and put a foreleg on the railing. “I swear to you, I nearly popped a button off my vest when Silver Needle declared her intention to never set hoof in your little town. As if that stuffed-up mare has ever left Canterlot in her life.”

“I got real problems of my own,” Applejack grumbled, “like fast-talkin' business ponies trying to take my farm, smart-aleck beavers who don't know where to build their dams, and having to put on a reunion that pretty much fell apart because I got stupid over ponies havin' a good time.” She grimaced and shook her head, banishing those memories again. “If somepony's gotten their nose outta joint because I got asked to do some work, twice over, let me add, because that darn Changeling attack meant all the food had get back in the kitchen before it went bad . . . well, I ain't got time for that.”

He nodded. “I get the feeling that the greatest thing you'll ever brag about is your family and your pride in them. Of course, a lot of Canterlot unicorns do that, too, but only because they think it entitles them to having things done their way. You, though, don't strike me as a pony who would let the good things in life go to her head.”

“Yeah, you remember I told you that I tried that once when I was a filly, Manehattan accent and all? Didn't go over well, 'specially for my appetite.” She sidled closer to him for warmth with the cold night wind blowing. “Kinda why I fight so hard against the whole 'bein' fancy' thing. Rarity's your gal for that, remember?”

“I believe she's mentioned that once or twice,” Fancy Pants acknowledged. “And she is somepony worth knowing, it’s true, but you are, as well. Perhaps not in quite the same way, but still . . .”

Pulling back, Applejack looked up at him. “Why on Equestria do I intrigue you so much? I ain't somepony interestin'.”

“On the contrary.” His head dipped and she felt the touch of his muzzle against her mane. “You said it yourself. You're a pony who is so adamant that fanciness won't rule her life that she often shies away from it.”

Blushing, Applejack sidled back out of reach again as she felt a sudden warmth in her chest. Damn her body in the waking hours. It was traitorous and wanting, ready for any excuse to play around. She hated giving it that excuse, even though that nuzzle had been pretty darn nice. “You're wrong there,” she said, “I'm not some kind of—what's that word Twilight used the other day?—aesthetic?”

Fancy Pants chuckled again and sat down on his haunches. “I believe the term is 'ascetic'. And no, you aren't one. But neither are you a decadent sort of pony as are so many of my contemporaries.” His eyes gleamed in the green light of the starboard lantern. “You're determined to lead a quiet life, even with all your adventures. Royal Bridesmaid. Saviour of an Empire. Hero of Equestria. And yet you trade in none of them, seek nothing because of what you've done. To somepony like myself, that's almost a challenge.”

“A challenge for what, exactly?” she asked, squaring her shoulders in preparation for gettin’ her mad on. She wasn’t some sort of game to play! “To haul me up to the top of your little hill so we can wait for somepony to push us both off?”

He looked nonplussed. “No. To know somepony who isn't immersed in Canterlot politics and who doesn't want to be part of it. Somepony who I find interesting. Somepony who I find attractive . . . ”

“Somepony like me,” she finished, frowning. Hoo, boy. Was that where he was going with this? “You think two in the morning on the deck of an airship is the time and place to be havin' a talk like this?”

“Well, that's what the waking hour is for, isn't it?” Fancy Pants asked. “Resolving those issues that trouble us during the day. And believe me, it wasn't as if this were a recent thing.” He took a breath. “It's been, well, a passing fancy up until a couple of weeks ago, when Rarity put you in that gown. But it had its roots quite far back, in that garden party at the Castle.”

Applejack blinked, then looked over her shoulder at the cabin door, one of two means of escape from this conversation. Not that she was entirely opposed to hearing about how much somepony as handsome as him liked her. “Does Fleur know you feel this way? I am not involving myself in anything that's gonna hurt her."

“Yes, yes, she knows.” He put a hoof on the railing again, looking out across the night as the airship swung into a slow turn, following the winds. “We've used each other for our mutual convenience the last few years and we have a marvellous working relationship. But we don't have a personal relationship. She doesn't even live with me.”

“That don't mean anything these days.” Applejack blushed some more, but pushed ahead. “An' I know that havin' sex don't confer possession rights on anypony, but I've seen some real hurt feelings in the past. And what about Rarity? I ain't about to poach a stallion from my best friend.”

He nodded, his ears perking forward as he listened, then spoke, “We had the same sort of talk at the wedding reception . She . . . assumed I was already dating Fleur and I didn't disabuse her of that notion. But it wasn't her in whom I was ever interested.”

“Should have taken that chance,” she half-joked. “I mean, she did catch the bouquet. If you'd told her right then that you weren't the one, she'd have jumped the next poor stallion to wander past.”

Fancy Pants made a small noise of agreement. “Perhaps you're right. Although, I believe she did do just that. Some chap named Soarin', if I remember correctly. But I was still trying even then to come to terms with the feelings I'd been having for you. If I'd said that I liked one of her closest friends, would she have been that generous in letting me go?”

Applejack stepped back from the railing and sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Gimme a sec, here.” She turned around and walked across the deck. Of all the things she had not expected to bring back from Canterlot, it was a proposal like this. All she had needed was a quick favour, one that she could pay off at her leisure without too much interest, and she had thought Fancy Pants was her guy. Well, it seemed he was indeed her guy and he wanted something more than a simple favour, with plenty of interest on his part.

She watched him as he paced the deck: Same black velvet jacket over however many layers of clothes. Same white coat, same curly mustache, and same unshorn fetlocks, too. He looked every bit as good as he had the day she had walked him to the train station in Ponyville. Applejack sighed again. Honestly, he wouldn't normally be her first choice for the sort of pony she'd bring onto the farm.

Sure, that fancy coat might be hiding plenty of muscle. And he was a sharp one, so he might have incredible business sense that could help them run the place even better than they had been. And she might even like the way his hindquarters looked in the red glow of the port lantern. But a fancy pony like that gettin' dirty hauling hay bales with his teeth all day? Hah.

Applejack knew she was using her farm as an excuse to avoid letting herself be interested in somepony. She'd done it before with other stallions. Truth was, the farm was her life and her reason for being, but she couldn't keep other ponies away forever. The Apples would need another generation, and she couldn't pretend it was going to be Big McIntosh and Apple Bloom who would find ponies to bring onto the farm.

And now, up here in the air, in the middle of her waking hour, she was understanding this more than she would if she were on the ground in the middle of the day. She had been getting questions from her aunts at the reunion about when she was going to get another stallion on the farm. It was easy to shake them off because it was the same thing each time they visited, but it had been on her mind for some time. Especially after that terrifyin’ plunge she’d taken out by the Wonderbolts Academy. If something ever happened to her, the farm would be in trouble. Family would pitch in, naturally, but they wouldn't stay forever. Then again, it wasn't as if pickin' up a mate like you would pick up a sack of flour from Sugar Cube Corner was the right idea, either. You didn't go out and find somepony on the thought that tomorrow you might be hydra-chow.

She snuck another look at Fancy Pants. Putting him to work on the farm as some sort of test to prove himself wasn’t a smart option. It wasn’t friendly. More to the point, he would simply power through it if he thought she was some sort of prize for passing. Weren't nothing to base a relationship on, that was for dang sure. A pony got more serious consideration than that.

She looked up at the sliver of the moon that was visible in the night sky. “If'n you're listenin', Princess, I could use a little strength right now,” she whispered. “He's a fop, not a farmhand. An' I'm a country gal, not some sorta courtesan.” Sneaking another look at him, she shook her head. “I think I need to go back to bed. Maybe this is a really weird dream.” That sounded good. She was dreaming about somepony offering himself to her because her aunts didn’t know when to back off on their questions. Yeah, that was it. Although why her brain was picking one of the fanciest ponies in all of Equestria was beyond her. As well as why her body seemed to like the thought of it.

Turning around, Applejack waited for him to approach her. Sure, she could have gone over there, but a mare had to have some dignity when being pursued. And it only took him a second to notice that she was ready to talk again.

“Is this a bad idea?” he asked quietly, coming up to her.

“Not at all.” She lifted her gaze from his buttons to his big blue eyes. Tarnation, why did he have to be so tall? “It's just . . . you’re gonna have to give me a little time on this. Middle of the night after I’ve run myself ragged, up here in the rarified air, with you lookin’ all sexy? My mind ain’t clear. You’ll get a proper consideration, though.” Applejack took a careful step back, ignoring her body’s insistence that it was nice and warm up against him. “An’ listen: If you're gonna pursue me, you're gonna have to understand that I love my farm. That don't mean that I'd put it before you, although there could be days that it feels like that. And that might not be easy for a city pony like yourself.”

“Believe me, the number of things some ponies in Canterlot put ahead of their special someponies can be immense.” It was his turn to sigh. “At least with you, I would understand it's more necessary to worry about your farm than a hoofcare appointment.”

She nodded. “See, the grass isn't greener on my side of the fence, either. There's work and there's worry, not parties and politics . . . . Well, maybe a few parties. We do live in the same vicinity as Pinkie Pie.” Another step backwards and she looked over her shoulder to see where the railing was. “You're temptin' me, Mr. Fancy Pants, here in my waking hours. Kinda why I’m keepin’ my distance now.”

“And you haunt my dreams in both my first and second sleeps, Miss Applejack,” he murmured. He didn’t look offended that she was hanging back. “I was quite surprised to see you tonight, but I’m glad I was able to finally articulate my feelings in this matter.”

“I am going to give you a friendly warning, though.” Applejack grinned. “See, there's always room for ponies to join the Apple family. It don't matter that you're rich or handsome. Although, we do prefer you be useful.” She shrugged, trying to show that she felt he’d have no problems demonstrating that. “But there's no way out once you step in. Apples to the Core, and all. So you're welcome to spend some time with us tomorrow and see if I'm worth the effort.” She sidled away from the railings and closer towards the cabins. “I need to take myself back to bed, though, so I can get my second sleep. Thank you for being helpful and for, well, for being honest. That couldn't have been easy.”

Fancy Pants half-closed his eyes and his snort ruffled his mustache. “I appreciate the invitation. I'm unused to being at a disadvantage. Thank you for being kind about it.”

“We'll work this out, Fancy-boy.” Applejack wasn’t in a real hurry to leave, but she knew she had to get some more shut-eye. Plus, she wanted to put off thinking about this whole thing for a while longer. “Oh, if I were you, I wouldn't let on to my family that you've got an interest in little ol' me. They're liable to start seeing how many apples you can haul around.” Grinning, she turned around and opened the cabin door, the moonlight gleaming off the porthole.

**FLASH**

Chapter 2

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 3

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She awoke as she nearly always did, deep in the middle of the night and snug in her own bed. She was alert, but still drowsy; warm, but not sweltering beneath her blankets. A quick glance at her alarm clock with the glowing-gem hands confirmed the time. It was one in the morning. Her waking hour, when she used the night to do what she wanted. No pony else was up at this time.

Except tonight.

Applejack whuffled as she stretched and felt the heat of another body against her beneath the covers. She wanted to roll over to face the stallion lying there and nudge him until he woke up. She hoped he was just as eager to spend time together as she was before their second sleep began.

Then her chest quivered as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky outside. Thunder followed a few seconds later and her ears twitched at the sound of rain pattering against the window. That was right; they'd scheduled a rainstorm tonight. She hadn't thought it would be this loud, though.

The memories of the day came back to her. She'd dressed up like a fashion-mare on the runway to get Rarity out of her country-imposed funk over Trenderhoof. It had worked, but it had taken Fluttershy and both spa ponies to dress her up and style her into that monstrosity she'd called “Applejewel”. Her scalp still ached from the mane-brushing and pulling that had to be done to get her to look that silly.

Applejack was the first to admit it: She was completely oblivious to a lot of things when there was that much work to be done. And with the Ponyville Days festival on top of them, she'd thrown herself into getting things ready for the cider-tasting on top of her regular chores. So she'd missed Trenderhoof's interest in her.

It wasn't her fault! Some ponies couldn't just come out and say things like her Fancy Pants. No, they had to do it all crossways-like, and just follow her around, makin' weird remarks and reciting fancy poetry . . . about . . . her.

Burying her face in her pillow, Applejack muffled a scream. Holy hay bales, she was dense! She was real lucky Fancy Pants hadn't shown up in Ponyville until after Rarity had come to her senses and both mares had seen Trenderhoof off the farm with most of his dignity intact, although she wasn't sure exactly what he would have done. She doubted it would have been something drastic, like making Trenderhoof eat his own argyle sweater, but she didn't want to find out. Heck, she knew she would have felt like putting cold iron on her hooves and kicking any mare that got all up in his haystack, if she saw that happening.

But none of that had happened. Rarity had come back to her senses and the two of them had had to rush to set up for the rest of the festival. Luckily, Fancy Pants had arrived in time to help her with the cider-tasting setup.

During the dance, he'd also taught her to foxtrot all fancy-like, since she had put Rarity's dress back on for the party. That had been a hoot, but the real fun had come when he had tried to teach Rainbow Dash the same thing. It had been unsuccessful in a rather hilarious way, but she'd also suspected he'd made the attempt to get to know her best friend and competitor better. It had meant a lot to her that Rainbow had also sensed that and not blown him off.

Naturally, her own sense of hospitality had led to him staying at Sweet Apple Acres. If by 'hospitality', one meant 'sneaking him in after everypony else had gone to bed'. To her amusement, he did indeed have an overnight bag that contained — amongst other things — a sweet pair of silk pyjamas. And they did feel nice against her coat as she nestled back into him in her bed. But, just as before, her body was treacherous in the waking hour and it wanted more than just a silky snuggle.

Deciding that she wouldn't be giving in that easily, Applejack slipped out of bed and nudged open her window. The smell of the rain made her nose twitch and she sighed at the scent of wet earth and leaves. After the good weather of the last few days, this was what her orchards needed.

She stood there, listening to the wind and rain, using her ears and nose to sense how the storm was going, and figured it had just started with that little thunderclap. Huh. Convenient timing. She liked rain at night, too. It meant her apples would be gleaming in the morning. And she liked the wet grass on her hooves as she walked through the rows of trees.

Applejack glanced back at a rustle to regard the now-obviously awake lump beneath her blankets. “Did you bribe Rainbow Dash to add some oomph to this storm?”

Fancy Pants lifted his head and yawned. “I allowed her access to my extra cider-tasting ticket. If she happened to promise to repay me by turning up the volume, there was very little I could do to stop her.” She saw him prop himself up on his forelegs in the dark. “I trust she knows what she's doing so as to not damage your crop. I merely suggested that she make the storm somewhat special for you.”

Well, well. Somepony had been payin' attention when she didn't think he had been. She smiled, even though he couldn't see her. Then she made up her mind.

In a floor stand was a box of long matches and she lowered her head to nose the lid off before taking one in her teeth. With a flick of her neck, she struck it off the rough patch glued onto the side of the brass stand. The flare was at least eight inches from the fine hairs of her muzzle, giving her time to amble around the room and touch the match to several small candles inside magically unbreakable glass bowls (enchanted by Twilight and given to everypony as a party favour after her last birthday).

After snuffing the match out, she set it carefully on top of her dresser so the charred end wasn't on the wood. Only then did she turn around to see her Fancy Pants in the candlelight. He looked different half-asleep, with his usually smooth mane mussed around his neck and ears. His fetlocks were unshorn and she had liked the feeling of snuggling between them in bed. As for the rest of him, it was still beneath the covers. She intended to change that.

“So, you've seen my life. And I've seen yours.” Applejack sauntered over and got back into bed, rolling over to press her back into his chest. “And now here you are, in my bed.” She chirped as he obliged her with a lick behind the ear and a cuddle. “Sure you want to keep on the road to bein' an Apple? You coulda been there when Discord got Rarity and I sick with that Blue Flu. Heck, he could take an interest in you and do awful things to Fleur or anything you got goin' on in Canterlot.” She didn't want him to go through that sort of sickness like she had. She didn't want to be responsible for drawing the attention of any of that lunatic towards other ponies, either.

“From what you tell me, nothing he does lasts very long.” His hoof stroked her chest and he kissed the nape of her neck. “And he seems to get his comeuppance rather quickly. I think I might have been more afraid of that family road trip you took with Pinkie Pie.” Fancy Pants paused and she felt his body shift. “I assume she's not truly a member of your clan.”

Applejack grinned. Then again, perhaps him dealing with Pinkie was a good first step. If he could handle her, he could probably, one day, put up with Discord. “Ain't nopony that knows. Family tree's smudged. Ancestry documents are also smudged. Ain't nothing ever certain about Pinkie Pie, it seems.” She arched her neck and lightly bumped muzzles with him, smiling at his slightly-worried expression. “But she's not here right now.” His sigh of relief made her even more amused and she kissed him. “I am, though. And I think it's time I see how good we are in bed.”

Fancy Pants took a deep breath of his own, then nodded. “Are you sure?”

She cocked a hind leg and pushed the covers off. As they fell off the end of the bed with a flumph, she flicked her tail against his. “'Bout as sure as this.”

She heard his breath catch as that little roll of her hip rubbed up along his length from beneath and he settled himself against her hocks. “My dear . . .”

“Don't tell me you weren't thinkin' the same thing for tonight,” she murmured. “You arranged for a storm to cover us. An' Applebloom's old enough to not be afraid of lightning or thunder any more, since she's known for years that Pegasi control it. She won't be runnin' in here all scared-like, which is good for you and me.” Applejack let her rump slide against his groin and opened her hind legs so she could lightly rub her thighs against his sheath, liking the weight of him. “So, before I get too much into this, you wanna get that top off?”

The mattress dipped a little as he rolled away from her with a groan and a soft squeak of the boxspring. She'd planned ahead for this as well, just in case she'd felt like letting him in. While he'd been in the shower earlier, she'd made sure the frame wouldn't squeak or bang against the wall. If the signs were right and she was going to be intimate with him, she didn't want anything alerting her family to their little encounter.

“One bare stallion, at your pleasure,” came a smooth voice from behind her. Applejack swallowed hard, suddenly nervous that her wish was about to come true, then she rolled over to see her reward.

Oh, yeah. There was a white stallion lying beside her; one unencumbered by cummerbunds, vests, or silk scarves. He was nice and bare and Applejack sat up to appreciate the view. “Well, hello, Mister Fancy Pants. You've been hidin' yourself from me for far too long.” She moved closer and stretched her neck out to nuzzle his shoulder. “Mmmm.” Lifting her head, she took a gentle nip of his withers.

His sigh was swallowed by a rumble of thunder from outside and she grinned as she nosed along his back, taking her time to nibble here and there. At his croup, she paused to brush her cheek against his coat, then nudged at him to roll onto his side so she could appreciate him some more. He obediently turned over for her and her dock gave a twitch as her tail threatened to hitch right then and there. Ooof. Hello. He had a real nice sheath on him.

She looked up at him. “What can I do to you that you'll like?” A few impure thoughts flitted through her mind and she smirked. “Other than the obvious.”

He touched a hoof to hers, stroking her fetlock. “Come closer?”

She laughed at that and lay back down beside him, settling down between his forelegs and letting him nuzzle her mane. “You've been wanting to get your hooves on me for ages, I know that much.” He nibbled at her and she grunted in pleasure. “Yeaaaahhhh, that's good there.” As she dipped her head to let his teeth get into the soft spots behind her ears, Applejack licked the hollow of his throat. Some slow, deliberate necking was just what she needed after this week.

Her tail was swishing behind her, the motions lending heat to some parts of her body that hadn't woken up in a long while. Sure, it had been a while, but who was really counting the months since the last time she'd even had a little bit of a spark? Her dock was tight, but that was nothing that a little foreplay couldn't cure. So she whispered happy-sounding noises as his mouth tugged, wet and hot, on her ears and forelock, and she proceeded to lick and nibble on his neck. When he kissed her forehead, she took that chance to lift her head and meet his muzzle with her own.

A soft little swipe of his tongue against her jaw made her sigh again, even as she moved to stroke his sheath with her stifle, her nudging coaxing him to open up some more. “This okay?” she asked.

Fancy Pants groaned as her hoof grazed his groin, lifting his hind leg up to give her the access she wanted. “You really do like to go right for the goods, don't you, darling?” He licked his muzzle and shifted to allow her to explore.

Applejack smiled and glanced down. The candles around the room were flickering, so it was still dim, but she could see the effect her touch was having. “I don't dance around a tree when I want it to drop its apples, but that ain't the sorta wood I want to be bucking.” She nudged his balls with the tip of her hoof, marveling at the feel of them against her fetlock, then she cooed as she felt his cock extend from his sheath and she wriggled her belly against him happily. “Oooh, yeah. There you go, handsome.” She considered rolling him right over onto his back so she could get her mouth on him, but gave an “oh!” of surprise instead as he draped his hind leg over her flank to pull her closer and press his cock between them.

“Now that feels nice,” he breathed, capturing her attention with another lick; when she lifted her head again, he captured her mouth as well, both ponies starting to rock softly against each other.

Holy Hannah, she was right deep into this. All she really wanted was him deep inside her, but this was still a good start. Sure, he might not get her off, but that didn't mean she didn't want to hop on. Just the feel of his length against her was making her skin shiver.

Breaking away from his hot tongue, she panted. “I'm likin' this.” Then the lighting flashed outside and she reflexively cuddled in tighter, grinding it out and making him moan. After the roll of thunder had passed, she gave him another stroke of her hind leg, tracing his outline with the sensitive part of her thigh while his shaft was hot against her stomach. “But what I really want is to get you into my mouth for a little bit. And I'm pretty sure you've been aching to get your hooves on my back half, ain'tcha?”

Fancy Pants closed his eyes and nodded, breathing out heavily; his cock was trapped between his stomach and her wriggling body and she was rubbing him with slow swirls of her stomach.

“Good boy.” Applejack purred to herself as she slid her belly along his length some more, feeling the warmth and the firmness against her. She liked watching a stallion shiver as she used her body to promise things that her mouth could fulfill. Sitting up, she carefully turned herself about, trying to rein in her enthusiasm. She wanted him to have fun, too, and that wouldn't happen if she accidentally kicked him in the chops. Laying back down, she settled her head between his hind legs and presented him with her own hindquarters, her tail lifted nice and high. “You ever do a sixty-nine?”

“Ahh . . . no?” he offered, gazing at her back hoof resting on his shoulder, then right down at her offerings on full display.

“Think you're gonna like it, then,” she said, smirking as she flicked her tail to brush the tip of his horn. “I like it fine when I'm on my side. Saves wear on my neck.” She demonstrated as she stretched out, wiggling her front hooves as she arched nice and slow, putting on a show in the candlelight. Something popped in her back as her body loosened up and she twitched her hips in a slow figure-eight beneath his muzzle. “Take your time, handsome. I know I'm gonna take mine. We don't have to end this early.” Settling her head down on her curled foreleg, she nuzzled at him where he was the softest, getting his scent in her nose. Mmmmhmmm. All her senses quivered and she dipped to taste his cock, giving in to a wanton impulse.

He was dark and hot against her muzzle and she took a moment to rub her cheek against his length as she began to lap at him. His hips gave a jump as she sucked and nibbled at his base and she enjoyed the hot snort of his breath over her flank. She returned that snuffle against his sheath, her ears flicking against his inner thigh as she tongued him and worked her way up to the head of his cock. The tension in him was incredible as he tried to keep his legs spread open for her. Taking pity on him, she nosed at his hip and he relaxed with a sigh, letting it down again to brush her ear with his leg.

“Jes' let go and take it easy,” Applejack crooned, nuzzling him and licking a slow circle around his medial ring and making him groan deeper and twitch against her tongue. She might have been pretty far out of practice, but she could at least remember a few things that stallions liked.

And then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him lower his head to join her. Anticipation tingled low in her groin as he got closer, then whoah, his nose pushed between her legs and a hot, wet lick brushed her from clit to tip.

Applejack squirmed at the sensations, unable to buck while on her side. It didn't matter anyway; Fancy Pants had his hooves pressing into her cutie marks and her hind legs were slung right over his shoulders as he delivered another long lick, eliciting a muffled whinny from her.

The rain continued to patter down outside, the occasional lightning flash silhouetting the twined bodies on the bed. The two ponies were curled together by candlelight, her head bobbing softly back and forth beneath his barrel, and his head rocking just as gently between her thighs. The rumbles of thunder sent soft vibrations through both bodies, covering those moans that were not quite muffled by flesh.

Applejack was the first to finally lift her head, panting as she rubbed the flat of her hoof from ring to base. “Let's not wear your tongue out on the first night, shall we? I'm feeling real good and I don't think we oughta waste it.”

Fancy Pants peered over the curve of her flank, making her cheeks suddenly flame red at his lusty expression. Oh, heavens, he'd been eating her out for ages and he looked like he was willing to keep going until dawn. Her tail swished again and brushed over his face, only to have him snap softly at it, catching and giving her that sudden shake she'd been longing for since Manehattan. The tugging made her twitch and wink back there and Applejack's breath caught at the feeling.

Seconds later, he'd stripped off her tail-tie with his teeth and there was a cascade of blonde hair covering her rump and his neck. Then he was nosing beneath her once more and she gasped again at the hot kiss he suddenly planted on her nethers. “And give me one good reason to stop feasting on you, darling,” he drawled.

She narrowed her eyes, then flicked her mane to one side and her head dipped particularly low.

Applejack could fit three apples in her mouth without even trying, so a few inches of unicorn cock wasn't that difficult, even without practice. But the effect on Fancy Pants was immediate and he panted and pawed at her croup as she gobbled his knob, his hips straining to meet the sudden suction of her mouth.

She didn't look up from her deep, slow blowjob. She knew she was showing off, but she wanted him to see how she could please him. No issues there, no siree. And so down her head went, taking him all the way to his ring, before she pulled off again in a hard, stretching suck, letting him go with a toss of her head that slapped his slick cock up against his belly. Breathing harder, she rested her cheek on his barrel and winked at him. “Good enough reason, Fancy-boy? Besides, I think I want this cock inside me for a bit. Don't have to be for long, but I figure you should have that pleasure.”

“You're certain it's not going to hurt you?” he asked, looking as if he truly wanted her, but was remembering their earlier talk about her body and her needs.

She wiggled free and turned herself back around so she was once again lying muzzle-to-muzzle with him. He'd really buried his nose in her and she caught her own scent as she kissed him. “Nah, it ain't gonna hurt me. I'm hummin' nicely now and it's going to feel real good.” With that, she rolled over and put her back up against his chest, lifting her hind leg once more and lightly hooked it over his to open up nice and wide. “Think you can find your way in?”

He glanced down the line of her body and settled a foreleg against her ribs as he arched his hips and pressed his blunt tip up against her. With a slow, corkscrewing motion from his hips, he parted her sopping wet folds and sank in nice and slow, eliciting a moan from her.

Applejack rolled her head from side to side as he penetrated her, whining with want as he kept going, filling her up nice and full. Her hair-tie had come off and her mane was loose. She could hear him blowing strands out of his face, but he never stopped pushing into her and she took him all, her hard flanks finally slapped by his hips as he hilted her. Both ponies paused to breathe, wide-eyed at what they'd just done.

“Oh, pears,” she breathed, daring to flick her tail and feeling him inside her as she flexed those muscles. “I'm so stuffed, it ain't even funny. Mmmmmfff! Don't move just yet.” Another flick from her tail, which was sodden from her juices, twitching helplessly, and trapped between their bodies.

“Not . . . wanting to,” he replied, groaning as he slid his left foreleg beneath hers to spread her open a bit more against his chest. She was on her side, stretched wide out, with all four legs splayed. Two of them were twined around his, her right hind leg was hooked back around his hock, and she was not going anywhere. Talk about feeling well and truly debauched. She was open as she'd never been with a pony.

Both of them breathed hard, mostly from him keeping control and her being overwhelmed at being taken after going so long without. The candles were still flickering. The rain was still coming down outside. And Applejack was now moving gently, her hips rocking against him. There wasn't any more of him that she could take, but she could still swirl her hips. And as she moved, his cock stroked her in soft, secret places deep inside. Invisible sparks were fanning into flames and she was so hot. All the stress of the Ponyville Days preparations, Trenderhoof, and Rarity's latest fit was fading, replaced with the pleasure of having her stallion inside her. She was so spread, so wet and open in his legs, but she trusted him to hold still and let her do her thing. And it felt good to just ride him, with her forelegs braced and her back against his chest.

“Mmmkay.” She arched slightly to look back at him. “Come and have me, handsome.”

His groan of relief made her ears tremble and the first slap of his hips thrusting up made her cry out, the now-quiet rumbles of thunder barely covering her bliss. Her tail had wriggled free and lay strewn over his cutie mark as he pumped up into her.

“Haaaah . . . aaaahhh . . .” Panting, she turned her head back to brush his muzzle with her own. “I like that. Keep doin' it.”

Fancy Pants merely grunted and kept fucking her in slow, steady strokes. He'd taken up the control she'd given, but Applejack wasn't about to lie back passively. Instead, she turned her head and nipped at his unshorn fetlocks. He was the first stallion she had ever bedded who had tufts over his hooves, and she nuzzled them in happy exploration. He responded with another nip and tug of her ears and she yipped at the pull.

The pace slowed a little and she rode him with quiet enthusiasm, whispering to him over and over how much she liked his cock there, whining when he held himself deep and stirred her in slow circles, and churning her hips when he paused, keeping the nice friction going.

“Is it all right,” he finally asked, breathing hard, “to keep going like this?”

Oh, she hadn't thought of that. She wasn't in heat, so it wasn't like he could get her pregnant tonight. Her tongue almost lolled out of her mouth, though, at the thought of him coming inside her; holding himself in there, pumping until it was too late to pull out, and then spilling his hot, thick cream nice and deep. Then he'd slide out and let it all trickle down along her hind legs. “Uh-huhhhh,” she breathed, nodding in sudden, flaring desire. Whoah, she'd never gotten that hot at the thought of being filled before. Why now?

Then he chewed on her ear again and she whined, her thighs trembling as little shocks ran up and down her body. Never mind 'why now'; she was gonna get it nice and hard from him and she didn't want to wait to feel him spilling inside her. She was so hot and she wasn't going to ever come down. And so she nodded. “Come on, then.”

His thrusts sped up, Applejack muffling her yelp by mouthing his foreleg, then Fancy Pants was panting and hissing something into her shoulder as his cock flared inside her. The flare locked them together and Applejack felt her inner muscles flutter at that. She arched her back, riding the small wave she'd crested, even as she felt the first pulse of his cum and imagined him shooting deep inside her, which only made her shiver more. She swore she could feel the next few hot gushes, too, matching them with the jerks of his hips as he emptied himself.

Then he was limp and nuzzling the crest of her mane and she was purring in still-hot satisfaction. “That was fantastic, Applejack.” He murmured her name in a way that made her heart squeeze and he lifted his head to bite her shoulder, working his teeth into her coat. “Mmmm. My word, you do roil those little flanks.”

“I thought that's what you liked best about me?” she joked, tilting her hips up even as he was slipping out of her, just to keep his load inside her. She blushed hotly as she gave herself a little slap with her tail. “Spice and cinnamon, I'm sopping wet.”

His groan was one of regret and he rolled over onto his back, front hooves in the air in a gesture of surrender. “Half an hour ago, that would have gotten my attention.”

She reached out and poked him in the side, grinning. Damn, that pony had some good haunches on him, even when he was upside-down. “Okay, I'm rethinkin' this whole relationship. If you can't even stir yourself after a little bit of sex, how the hay are you going to ever do a day's work on a farm?”

Fancy Pants opened one eye. “I don't believe your apple trees will share your enthusiasm for my cock, darling.”

Applejack snorted, then prodded his cutie mark some more. “Pretty much the same muscles, darlin'. Only more bucking and less thrustin'. Least you ain't soft here. You got some definition, after all. Who knew?” She gave up nudging him and rolled over to put her head on his chest, her tongue darting out to lick his chin. “I know what'll get your attention.” She wriggled about and got her forelegs down beneath her belly, canting her hips up and tracing the tips of her hooves over her teats.

He lifted his head and whickered at her with interest. “Oh-ho.” He shifted slightly and gave a small grunt of effort, Applejack fluttering her eyes shut at the pressure of another damp tail swishing against her nethers. “Tell me if it's all right,” he said.

“Course it's all right. But it's just for starters.” She brushed herself again, let him tease her with another soft swirl, then made a decision and turned herself over onto her back. Squirming up to lean against the headboard, she spread her hind legs again. “Here. Lemme show you how I do this.”

Fancy Pants sat up as well and rested his head on her shoulder, watching as she rolled her hoof in a circle, the ridge of her frog applying slow pressure to her hot little box. With a flick of her fetlock, she began strumming her clit, her breathing becoming erratic again as she stoked her fires back up from the smouldering embers that he'd been raking so thoroughly just minutes ago.

“Ahh, there we go.” Applejack smiled and turned her head, kissing his cheek. “See, nice and slow.” She got the pressure right for a few seconds and her hind legs trembled at the small rush of pleasure. Taking a deep breath, she let it out again, relishing that little sensation. Then she glanced over at him and reached over to take his hoof. He was hesitant, but allowed her to guide him down between her legs.

“I'm used to doing this with magic,” he admitted, kissing her ear as she began to roll his hoof in the same pattern she used on herself. “Or with my tongue.”

“Yeah, that's a mighty fine attribute of yours,” Applejack murmured, “An' you're welcome to try whatever fancy magic tricks you've got. But like a lot of things on my farm, it's just as well if you know how to do me by hoof.” She nuzzled his cheek some more, even as she showed him the strokes she wanted. “Mmmmm. Feels nice.” Figuring he'd gotten the idea, she let his hoof go and he continued to rub her in that circular motion. “That's it,” she coaxed, her breath starting to hitch again. “Just like that.”

The rain was still coming down outside, but lighter and quieter than before. The thunder and lightning had mostly abated. And Applejack drew another deep breath as she rocked her hindquarters beneath her lover's touch. It wasn't going to get her off, but it was still good. She could keep this little plateau going for a while before she got too sensitive and would have to stop. Then she'd have to slip outside and soak herself in a rain barrel before coming back to bed. The pipes were too old and loud in the house to risk such a late shower without somepony waking up.

Fancy Pants lifted his touch a little to rub her between her teats before slipping back down along her slick folds. “So beautiful,” he whispered in her ear, giving it another lick and making her twitch. Yeah, he was getting to know her hot spots pretty darn well. “And you looked very lovely tonight in that dress, even if it was one of Rarity's.”

“Flatterer,” she told him. “You fell for me before you ever saw me in clothes, remember?”

“I do.” He dipped his head down to kiss her chest. “But other ponies appreciated you in that dress tonight as well. Including one particular acquaintance of mine at the cider-tasting.” Fancy Pants glanced up, his hoof never stopping its gliding. “He had a thought and wanted to see if you would be interested.”

Applejack was tempted to give him a look, but settled for a soft nip on his nose. “Sure, diddlin' me nice and slow and you wanna talk business.”

“I would have brought this up before, but I figured you'd be more amendable after sex,” he explained. “Then again, it usually took a couple of orgasms before I could ever get Fleur to agree to something.”

Her laugh was shaky, the way he was stirring her up. “You ain't gonna get an orgasm outta me, but since I don't want you to stop, just keep talkin'.”

And so he did, massaging her around and around as he explained just how he wanted to cash in that particular favour she owed him from so many months ago. Of course, he interlaced the explanation with more kisses and fancy, flowery descriptions of her beauty. So by the end, when she was happily overstimulated and blushing from all his attentions, she was happy to agree to his proposal.

And outside, far off in the distance, a lone little Pegasus hopped up and down to wring the last dregs of lightning out of the storm clouds.

**FLASH**
-~-~-~-~-~

Applejack blinked a few times, trying to make the spots in her vision go away. She could hear the activity around her as ponies consulted on whether or not they needed more pictures of her and the bottle.

She'd already changed positions half a dozen times at the direction of of the photographer. At least Fleur De Lis had been the one to help show her what those directions meant, along with Rarity, and both of her friends had been careful and attentive. They knew she was out of her element here and were making it as painless as possible.

“That's a wrap, everypony! Thanks for coming out!” The on-set lights were doused as the overhead lights came back on. Ponies started milling around, coiling cables up in unicorn magic or gathering in small groups to discuss the 'promotional launch' that would come next. Some even began handing out free samples of the brew on display.

She looked around for Fleur or Rarity to help her, but it was Fancy Pants who appeared at her side. “That was excellent, my dear. They're very happy with how this has turned out.”

“Wasn't so bad,” Applejack said, dropping back down onto all four hooves and watching the room. A little bit of standing on her hind legs wasn't that hard, after all. “So, what now? Do we have to be sociable for a bit?”

“On the contrary.” His tail flicked up beneath hers and she mmmphed at the sudden heat. Okay, that had sent blood rushing to places that she'd already had enough trouble not thinking about all through the session. “I have no obligations here, so I was thinking we could make our excuses and a quick exit.”

She sidled away from him so she didn't perk up onto the tips of her hooves right then and there. “Whoah. Don't you have schmoozin' to do? Reputations to maintain, and all?” As much as she wanted him at the moment, she figured at least a token protest was in order. She had to make sure she wasn't diminishing her fancy stallion in anypony's eyes if she did drag him off. They both had to be ponies with whom others would want to do business. Especially if her idea would bear fruit.

It had been a couple of months since he had stayed over at Sweet Apple Acres. The morning after hadn't been as awkward as she had anticipated. The day after Ponyville Days was generally agreed to be a 'sleep in' occasion. And with the energy she and Fancy Pants had used in their waking hour? It was definitely a 'sleep in' occasion. Thankfully, Applebloom had worn herself out at the festival as well and hadn't bounced into her sister's room first thing in the morning. They had been the first ones up and were both downstairs before anypony else had woken. Applejack had cornered him in the kitchen, kissed him plenty, then slipped out the back door with him for a quick saunter around the orchard before breakfast.

They had been trading visits back and forth since then, both of them taking turns to hop on the train and travel to either Canterlot or Ponyville. The last time Fancy Pants had come down to the farm, she had been checking up on the vampire fruit-bat sanctuary. He had shrugged out of his suit-coat, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, and lent her a hoof, much to her surprise. Then again, when she had been up in Canterlot a month or so earlier, she had shed her hat and let him put rubies in her mane and tail, just for some practice at wearing gems. It had been about then that she had started thinking of Fancy Pants as 'her' stallion, despite what she'd once said about sex and possession rights. Her heart couldn't help it, though. She was liking him more and more, and more and more she had been thinking of just what sort of life they could have together.

“They won't notice if I'm gone,” he said quietly. “Fleur is making her rounds now, charming whomever needs to be. They don't need me to tell them what to like and when to nod for this sort of thing. Besides, I'd rather be unlacing you one bow at a time.” His nose was pressing behind her ear again and she breathed out hotly.

“I hear that, Fancy-boy.” Applejack made a noise in her throat and bumped her flank against his. “Let me just say goodbye to Rarity so she knows I'm not off doing damage to one of her outfits.” She stretched her neck to look around the room, only to find her best friend following a leggy yellow mare around. Huh. If that was Sapphire Shores, and that hat and brassy voice were pretty good giveaways that it was, then she was out of the recording studio. Rarity had always said that once Sapphire went in to do an album, she lived at the studio until it was done. So, if she was here . . .

Her gaze switched to Rarity herself, who was nearly dancing around Sapphire as the two ponies talked. She'd seen that little hop before, too. It was Rarity's 'victory is MINE' dance. Well, well.

Applejack nudged her stallion and nodded at what she'd seen. “Looks like there'll be a new tour announced soon. And guess who's designin' the outfits for it?”

“Will Rarity be anxious to talk to you?” Fancy Pants asked. “We can stay for that.”

“Nah. She'll be in such a tizzy that she'll just bolt off to her room at the castle or back onto the train home and start sketching like mad.” She smirked as Rarity abruptly shot out of the bar, nearly bowling over a few Teamster ponies who were hauling in road cases to store all the cables. “See? And she's off. Now, come on, before somepony else decides we really are needed here. I want to share something with you.”

She led him out the far door of the bar and walked a little ways until the two of them were alone in a back hallway. When she turned around, she took a good look at the stallion with whom she was sharing her heart. She had been thinking real hard lately about where they were and the changes she'd already been making in her life. And she'd finally talked with her brother about things. Now she had to talk to Fancy Pants. “Up until I met you, my life was farm, family, and friends. I didn't have any real plans except to plant, harvest, and sell apples.”

“And you apple very well,” he agreed.

“I ain't about to give that up.” She looked back at her cutie mark. “My life is still apples, no matter which pony I find myself tanglin' tails with. And I'd always hoped that if I did find somepony to be sharin' my life, they'd be of the same mind. Well, I got me a pony who's got a thing for a particular sort of Apple, don't I?” She nickered at him.

He nodded, looking attentive. “You most certainly do.”

At least he was letting her get it out, letting her speak her mind without rushing her. “We've been doin' this a few months. And here's the thing: I ain't ready to stop doing this. I'd like to keep going. But there's also a catch. I can't leave my farm for too long.” Applejack shrugged. “Say I moved in with you, assuming that's something you've ever thought of.” His grin spoke volumes. She couldn't help but smile back. “You and I both know I'd get miserable without dirt to dig my hooves into. It wouldn't be solved just by getting me a rooftop garden or something, neither. Likewise, having you spend serious time on the farm is asking too much from you. You've got ponies here that need you to tell them which way to stick their nose up in the air. Because if you quit doin' that, the herd's going to find another leader. And it might not be somepony as nice. You're too responsible to ever let that happen.”

“I admit, that thought had crossed my mind.” He flicked his tail. “And you're quite correct. Moving to Ponyville would mean giving up many of the social circles I inhabit. If I ever thought they wouldn't miss me, it would be an easier decision, but we both know that having somepony like Jet Set dictating things isn't the best idea for Canterlot. Fleur is strong-willed, but she's got a different mentality than I do.” Fancy Pants sighed. “So both of us have to stay put. I suppose that's still tolerable for now.”

“It don't have to be like that.” Applejack inhaled deeply. This was the hard part, even thinking about taking a big step like this after so many years of complacent apple-raising. “I'm considering finding a nice patch of land between Canterlot and Ponyville. Good land, too, with the right sort of dirt. And I'm also thinkin' about taking a couple dozen trees from the western orchard back home to plant there. That side of the farm's had fruit-bat problems, but the younger trees are still good and it's about time they got a chance to grow on their own.” She reined in her instincts to keep talking about the trees. They weren't the main goal of this; he was. “What I'm saying is: I'm thinkin' of starting up a branch office for Sweet Apple Acres. It won't be far from the original location.” She grinned rather crookedly. “Say, an hour's walk or so?”

Fancy Pants blinked and looked over his shoulder, obviously checking to make sure nopony had come out of the bar through that back door. “I don't believe I understand. I thought you were wanting to keep your family together on your farm, perhaps even add to it.”

“Yeah, I wanna do that.” She gestured with a front leg. “But then I finally got around to talking with Big McIntosh. He was pretty understandin' about my needs, it turns out. He also said that while family's important, my happiness is even more important. So we did some figurin' and I reckon I can do both for now. Until I get a better idea of my footing.”

She laid it all out for him: Her brother had checked the list their family had updated after the reunion last year. It showed all the Apple family members on each farm and the crops they raised. Over in Hollow Shades, two of their cousins had recently married other ponies and their farm was getting crowded. It would soon be time for some Apples to move out and find their own way in the world. And Sweet Apple Acres would be the first farm to make them an offer and entice them towards Ponyville. Her farm could finally have some serious help, teaching other Apples how to handle a larger crop than most of the family branches could produce.

“Nothing's gonna happen right away,” she admitted. “Think of it like me moving down the road to pick out new land for trees. Won't even be growing apples for the first couple seasons, if the trees aren't cared for. But I won't be so far away from my family and friends. Or you.” Applejack swallowed as she gazed at him. She had been spooked the first time she left home and when she had returned, she had never wanted to leave again. Now she was thinking about stepping out there once more. “Sure, it's been tradition that if I'm gonna get into a relationship, my goal should be to bring the pony home. That's how my sire did things. And how Granny Smith did it before him. But I got told that I don't have to take tradition on my shoulders this time. Mac's confident that he'll get up and find himself a bride one of these days. Same for Applebloom, once she figures out just who or what she likes. But, for now, this could be a way for us to see what a life together would be like without uprooting the lives we're living now.”

Fancy Pants moved closer. “You've given this some thought, haven't you?”

Applejack shuffled her hooves. “Well, that's all it is right now is just thoughts. Wasn't gonna go doing anything until I talked to you and saw where you'd be standin' on the issue of closing the distance between us.” Never mind all the 'distance closing' they'd been doing on a regular basis since the Ponyville Days gala. This was bigger than sex and she wanted to hear what he was thinking.

The two ponies gazed at each other, then he slipped his foreleg over her shoulder in a hug and lowered his head to nose at her. “You had the one idea I hadn't,” he told her, inching his muzzle up to kiss her neck. “I have been agonizing for a while . . .” He licked her. “. . . about the thought of leaving Canterlot . . .” His tongue brushed her coat and she shivered. “. . . and how I would even begin to offer a way to start of a new life with you.” His mouth was warm against her coat, his kisses making her tail switch softly from side to side. “But this is an elegant solution.” Fancy Pants lifted his head to lick her ear. “Much like yourself.”

Applejack reluctantly pulled away, afraid that her brain would turn off if he kept it up and she wouldn't get through this. “Maybe it is elegant, but it ain't perfect by any means. Trees might not take, ponies might suddenly hate apples.” She shrugged. “Two years from now, everypony in Equestria might turn into a tortoise, for all I know.” Stretching her neck up, she carefully rubbed her nose against his. “But I've been runnin' over a lot of worst-case scenarios in my head recently and it's been driving me bonkers, not to mention makin' my younger sister real uncomfortable, so I've had to try to stop worrying about what could happen and just let it happen.” Then she put her head on one side as some of his words sunk in. “Wait. You were thinkin' about moving out to Sweet Apple Acres for me?”

“Yes, well.” He twitched his mustache, snorting softly after she'd mussed it with her muzzle. “I have to admit, when I first saw you, there was a brief hope that you would come to Canterlot. Then I learned just what sort of pony you were and that hope was dashed as if I had stood under a rogue Everfree raincloud.” His shoulders moved beneath his black suit coat. “You had a farm to run and it was your life. But I decided to ask for you to date me regardless of that. After these last few months, I had a new hope: That I could leave certain aspects of my own life in the hooves of others here in Canterlot. I wanted to spend more time with you because I was growing to understand the life you led. Not all aspects of it appealed to me, admittedly, but that was all right. Love is about compromise, after all.”

She nodded. “Yeah. It's why I can do things like dress up like this without going to Rarity-levels of losin' my mind.” Applejack picked up her hooves, one at a time, then set them down again, aware she was fidgeting. “Last couple months have been an experience for me, too. And it ain't just because of all the back-and-forth we've done together. I've always been able to count on my friends to pull me out of work when I get caught up in it. But there ain't ever been a stallion that could pull that off. Trenderhoof sure couldn't, and that was mostly because I'm so dense that Twilight would say that light bends around me.” She grinned ruefully. “But you caught me at the one time I was open, way up in the air there, with plenty of thoughts already ringin' around in my head. And I'm glad you did. So yeah, you can pull me away any time you want.”

Fancy Pants smiled back. “Ah, I had hoped that there might be a cozy little shed for me somewhere on your new farm, not unduly far from the water trough where I could have my weekly bath.”

“We could even rustle up a spare toothbrush for you,” she suggested, smiling. “And of course there's room for you. I don't plan on bein' the only pony out there, not by a long shot. I'm gonna have to have some help stakin' a claim, too, since I'll still have my life in Ponyville. So, if you're willin' to try it, you're welcome to come on out and make yourself at home.”

There was silence and Applejack took a deep breath, feeling her stress levels vanishing again. She had done the photo shoot and she had had the conversation that would send the shovel into the soil on a new part of her life. Now she had to follow through. But first, she felt she deserved a reward. “Okay. We can do this together. But right now, all I want is to take you upstairs, have you stand nice and still, and then I'm gonna strip every inch of fabric off you.” Applejack stretched her neck up and gave his ear a hot, wet tug with her mouth, making him grunt. “And then,” she whispered, just as she let go, “I'm gonna roll you over and show you why I'm so good at bobbin' for apples on Nightmare Night.”

He blinked at her, then quickly whirled around and headed for the stairwell. Applejack's grin didn't dim as she caught up to him in a couple of quick jumps of her own. No elevators for them this time, no sirree!

Fancy Pants shouldered open the nearest door to the stairs and she followed him through. The instant it had shut behind her, though, she found herself pinned sideways to the wall. Her head was tilted back and her mouth was gently plundered by his tongue, even as his haunches met hers and pressed their cutie marks together. It was the opposite of what she'd done to him in Manehattan. Only this time, her tail was the one being lifted.

She held herself still, just as he had, and swirled her tongue with his in encouragement. But then he was pulling away and her knees were like liquid as she managed to straighten up from the sudden kiss. Her tail was flagging desperately too, trying to fan away some of the heat, and her muzzle was tingling. “Whoah, Nellie! That was just talk, lover.”

“Talk or not, when you get decadent, it does things to me, Applejack.” Fancy Pants nosed at her and she wiggled and pushed back with her muzzle. “It makes me want you and if that means taking you halfway up a staircase, well, then . . . ” He kissed her nose and she nickered as she gave him a soft swipe of her tongue in return.

Things would have progressed further, but a door banged open a few floors up and both ponies started apart. Panting, they gazed at each other, then shook themselves and resumed trotting upstairs. Fancy Pants moved back to let her take the lead, but Applejack just knew that was so he could watch her hindquarters flex and her tail bounce up the stairs ahead of him. With that in mind, she began to sashay her hips, giving him teasing glimpses of what lay beneath her tail.

A particularly deep snort against her dock made her jump a little and she glanced back at him, smirking. “Hold your reins, hot-breath, unless you wanna just leave a trail of clothes all the way from here to my room.” The gleam in his eyes made her pause. “Oats and apples, you're really thinkin' about it!” She laughingly half-turned, her tail whisking aside to avoid his muzzle, and she nipped at him as he caught up to her. “Just a few months together and you're ready to go naked. In a Canterlot hotel, no less!” she whispered.

“And I have you to thank for it,” he murmured back, giving her a gentle shove of his nose, herding her closer to the landing as she grinned and hopped up a couple more steps. “I'm not one for doing these sorts of things out in the open, Applejack, but you are straining my resolve.”

She looked down at her outfit, then back at him. “Well, suppose we'd better hurry, then. If I wrinkle this, Rarity will come all the way back from the train station to yell at us both.” She gave a little twist of her hindquarters, moistening her tail against the damp heat between her thighs before flicking and brushing it beneath his nose. He snorted and snapped at her, but missed as she swished it aside and flaunted her hips at him in a self-satisfied strut towards the door to the hallway and her hotel room.

As she reached for the handle, a glow of unicorn magic surrounded it and the door swung open for her. She shot an appreciative smile over her shoulder, then gasped as his magic skittered up her croup and dock, causing her to whuff in surprise. Arching her back, she left herself open. Seconds later, he had seized her tail in his mouth once more and given her a deliberate shake, making her whinny with desire as that pull sent vibrations through an already thoroughly-aroused Apple.

Applejack nearly stumbled out into the hallway, Fancy Pants right behind her. The door shut and one of the light bulbs in the stairway chose that moment to wink out. Seconds passed, then the light abruptly flicked back on again.

-~-~-~-~-~
Epilogue
-~-~-~-~-~

“No, it ain't that I'm walking away from the farm.” Applejack heaved a put-upon sigh and marked another young apple tree for transplant. “And I ain't leavin' Ponyville, either. Can't a girl even move on down the road a bit?”

Princess Twilight Sparkle looked contrite as she walked along beside her. “Sorry, Applejack. I didn't meant it like that. I came the other way, you know. And I have lost touch with a few of my friends in Canterlot because I haven't been back often enough.”

“You aren't even gonna miss me, Twilight. I'll be back here pretty often.” She considered the next tree, but decided it could remain where it was. “I'm expandin' my life. And Sweet Apple Acres. And maybe even the Apple family, if things keep going the way they've been going.” She smiled softly and sat down, deciding it was okay if she took a break. “Besides, I can't go too far, can I? I got myself a pretty throne now and I'm gonna be . . . doing whatever it is we're gonna be doing now. Can't just up and leave after that, can I?” Sure, she could have, but what sort of friend would she be?

Applejack had been busy since her confession to Fancy Pants back in Canterlot. She had had to tell her friends before anything else, and had dealt with some hurt feelings about not being consulted yet again. It had taken a little while, but she had convinced everypony that it wasn't like she was shipping off all the way to Canterlot or Cloudsdale. She would be only an hour or two out of town. In Ponyville terms, that was nothing. That had settled things down.

Other than that, their reaction had been pretty much what she had expected and she'd accepted the hugs, the worry, and the offers of help. Pinkie Pie had promised to throw her a huge Make Like A Tree And Leave party when the transplanting happened. Rainbow Dash claimed she could spare some time to make sure there were decent weather patterns for her new orchard, but Applejack knew her friend well. It wasn't a promise she'd hold onto with both hooves.

One pony whose help she really had needed was Fluttershy's. Moving trees down the road meant disrupting critters who had nests and burrows built in the branches and around roots. And somepony would have to negotiate with them. She'd learned her lessons from the last great beaver-dam flood. But the talks had gone easily and most of the trees she had wanted hadn't even been occupied. There'd be other negotiations with whatever animals lived out by her new orchard, to which she wasn't looking forward, but it would mean securing the safety of her apples from unhappy former inhabitants.

As for Rarity and Twilight, both unicorns had respected Applejack's wishes that the transplanting be done in the Earth Pony way. But they had offered to help do other heavy lifting with their telekinesis, which she was more than happy to agree to. Nothing wrong with saving her back from being thrown out too early in life.

She'd also had to sit down with Applebloom and explain her decision. Her sister, naturally had shied away at the news. She had grown up in the safety of her family and hadn't rebelled like Applejack had done before. So she was nervous at the thought of Applejack finally taking those first steps off the farm. Then again, after the whole 'Never Gonna Let You Out of My Sight' incident the month before, she was also rather confused at the sudden change in intent. It would take some time for her to process everything, but when told there would be other Apples coming to live with them, she immediately wanted to know if Babs Seed would be one of their cousins moving in. That had started a whole other discussion and Applejack had been glad that she wasn't going far, since that might mean missing helping her younger sister through her first cousin-crush.

Twilight sat down beside her and perked her ears up. “Have you found a place that isn't going to be too much trouble?”

Applejack nodded. “Yep! Just had to follow the river up towards Canterlot. There's some pretty decent land up there that doesn't feel like anypony's ownin' it. I had Fancy Pants double-check the Canterlot land records, just to be sure, and he says there ain't a claim on it, so he filed one for me. It'll probably end up bein' part of the package Princess Celestia gave my family, but we have to make sure.”

She had stood there and let her hooves sink into the ground, feeling out the possibilities of that little patch of earth. The land had talked to her more than any other place there, and she'd listened to what it promised. There would be space for her trees there; good, rich soil that her apples would love, every bit as nice as home.

“Can't say I know a lot about what's gonna happen next,” she admitted. “But I need to do this, even if it doesn't take hold. Just because we've had the farm here for three generations doesn't mean I shouldn't know how to start an orchard from scratch. And havin' a unicorn by my side is gonna be a real experience, 'specially one of his stature.” Applejack smiled a little. “I don't think he'll be swappin' that coat for a pair of coveralls and a pitchfork any time soon, but he's ready to give this a shot. That's all I can ask of him.”

Nodding, Twilight cocked her head onto one side. “Is it okay that he's a unicorn? I mean, is the rest of the family going to care? You don't seem to have a lot of horns or wings in the family tree.”

“No kiddin'.” She heaved a sigh. “There's a reason for that. I mean, other than the whole 'Earth Magic' thing we got. You just ain't ever seen a big farm of Earth Ponies get into an argument with a herd o' Pegasi who are late with the day's rain. If there's a Pegasus worth his or her feathers in the family, there's gonna be divided loyalties.” She got back up onto her hooves and gave herself a shake to get some leaves off her flanks. “He's gonna be fine, though. He's smart, not afraid of some work, pretty darn fond of me, and is real good at keepin' to the same sleep schedule. And this is probably the time we're gonna see just how we get on each other's nerves, when we're figuring out what a life together is like.”

Her friend leaned over and nuzzled her. “You'll do fine. The door to my castle is always open if you need to talk, you know.”

“I'll be sitting right by you fairly often,” Applejack reminded her. “And don't think me being a little more outside Ponyville ain't no reason to come and visit. You can pop outta nowhere from pretty far away now.”

As both mares giggled, she looked over Twilight's shoulder. “Well now, lookee who's come on out. Hey, handsome!”

Fancy Pants himself appeared from between the rows of apple trees. “Your brother said I could find you out here.” He nodded to Twilight and straightened up in respect. "Princess. We only heard of your battle against Lord Tirek. But I saw the scars in the ground outside Ponyville . . . you fought mightily."

Her ears went down and she sighed. "It turns out, Fancy Pants, that all that power did neither of us any good. I couldn't defeat him on those plains and all I really did was tear up the land. At least the fight was nearer to the Everfree Forest than to Sweet Apple Acres, otherwise Applejack might not be willing to continue with her plans if we had damaged her farm." She offered them both a nuzzle and kissed them on the cheek. "I do wish a long and healthy love for the pair of you. And please bear in mind that wherever you end up, you're always welcome in Ponyville and at my castle, as I've already told Applejack." Twilight stepped back and opened her wings. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm sure you two have plenty to talk about and I'll get out of your way.” With a flash of purple light, she was gone.

Fancy Pants looked at Applejack. "Is that the same filly who broke out such horrendous dance moves at my garden party two years ago?"

Applejack chuckled. "Yep. I think if anypony understands life changes the best, it's Twilight. She's moved, grown wings, become a Princess . . . and lost her home as well." She sighed. "You mightn't have heard, but Tirek blew up the library, where she lived. Nothing left but a stump."

If he had been wearing his monocle, his expression would have dropped it. "I say! Are there plans to rebuild?"

"Earth Ponies can do some things, but it was a real old tree. Twilight said for us not to worry, even though we've all been offerin' our help. Figure she'll just let us know if we're needed." She saw her opening and went for it. “Talkin' of growing a home, I think we're gonna have space for a nice house up there. Might have to keep the area small and build up instead of out, though, just in case we can't get all the land we want.” Applejack shrugged. “Don't know if you feel like you can draw up some plans, but we've built a few barns here in our time and so we're pretty good at followin' blueprints.”

“I”ll keep that in mind.” He followed her as she resumed her search for more worthwhile trees to bundle up for a new home. “I did go and look at the ground you selected. There's another possible use for it while you wait for your trees to adjust and begin producing apples again.”

“I'm listening.” Applejack was indeed listening. Fancy Pants may not have had an eye for apples or the Earth Pony magic that flowed through the ground, but he was a pony of business. If he had seen something to her advantage, she was willing to take it.

Fancy Pants looked around, as if to ensure there wasn't anypony listening in. His magic even ruffled a few branches of nearby trees, like he was looking for spies. Finally, he seemed satisfied. “Fruit orchards can be an excellent host for soil that is suitable for growing truffles, especially white truffles. And believe me, there are places in Canterlot that will pay well for quality fungus.” He lowered his voice some more. “We both know ponies in the truffle business. Should we approach them and see what they think of your soon-to-be orchard?”

“Sure.” Applejack flicked her tail. Truffles! She had them in a couple of areas around Sweet Apple Acres, but the yield was usually middlin' quality. She figured it had something to do with the magical interference from the Zap-Apple Trees. It hadn't really been an area of business she had worried about compared to apples, so she had never asked Truffle Shuffle's parents about if there was a way to improve that particular crop. Well, if she had the right conditions on her other land, she might have to arrange a drop-by after the next Parents' Night at the school. “We got pigs, so I'm sure I can provide one for the huntin', if they like the lay of things. You talk to your ponies and I'll visit mine. We'll see who has the better offer.”

He nodded. “Very well, darling. I believe that just leaves the latest study I found, which suggests that I haven't seen enough of your wonderful hindquarters in recent weeks. I suppose I should rectify that somehow.”

She shot a grin over her shoulder. “Aww, so you came out to do some work with me and watch me buck? How sweet.”

Fancy Pants undid his cravat and it floated into the pocket of his coat, which he then shrugged off and hung from a nearby branch. He had only a light-blue vest on and he rolled his shoulders, then stretched his neck from side to side. “Perhaps I came out to do more.”

Applejack's mouth dropped open and she blinked, then hooted. “Now there's a sight I didn't expect to see for quite some time!” Grinning, she went up to him and bumped his shoulder with hers. “Now you're lookin' more like an Apple,” she said, examining the vest. It wasn't one of his usual ones. This was more denim and had some sorta silver stitching pattern worked along it. “Just tell me you didn't go and get Rarity to make this for you.”

He turned his head to nose at her ear. “Don't let on, but Fleur has some family that lives out in one of the more rustic parts of Equestria. She occasionally ends up with bits and pieces like this from them for various reasons, mostly to have them upgraded or decoration added that they can't get in San Palomino. She was kind enough to loan this to me with a warning to not let you rip it off with your teeth.”

She snorted as his breath made her ear twitch. “Okay, I suppose I can let you show off a little for me. Just as long as you don't crack a hoof like some other certain ponies have done tryin' to match me buck for buck.” She looked up into his big blue eyes, just like she had back on his airship, and she smiled and touched her nose to his. “At least you're willin' to do this, instead of wanting to come along the next time we gotta wrangle a dragon or stop a three-headed dog that got away from guardin' the gates of Tartarus.”

She'd worried about him up in Canterlot, back when Tirek had taken all of Equestria's magic. But she had resisted the urge to run off and see him, mostly because there hadn't been anything she could have done. Her job had been to help Twilight and stand with her friends against tyranny. She knew it had been the same with some of them, too. Rainbow would have wanted to bolt back to Cloudsdale, Pinkie would have done the same for her family. But both had stayed as well, because that was what they did. And Fancy Pants hadn't held it against her, just as she'd warned him not to. She was trusting him more because of the way he listened to her.

“So?” Fancy Pants linked his tail with hers and she relaxed at his comforting touch.. “Shall we do this? The sooner you teach me properly, the sooner we can finish.”

Applejack nodded and leaned into him a little more. Seeing if he was staying the night could wait until she wore him out here. It wouldn't take long to wear his stamina down and she could coax him into a hot bath and her bed without too much trouble. From there, it would be just a mater of waiting until the waking hour, when she could rear up and show him once more what she looked like in the glow of candlelight.

And if he was real good, she'd get out those silk pyjamas she'd borrowed from Rarity and put on a little striptease for him first.

-~-~-~-~-~

FIN

Author's Note

Thanks are due to pre-readers.

oblivion2k,
ScyStorm,
MrNumbers,
and especially CinnamonSwirlTheBreaded, who edited the majority of the fic and improved it from how it looked in my head.