I shuffled a few papers around my desk, taxes were coming in, exports were shipping out and money was rushing towards us, all ready to help fix the damage done by whatever catastrophe had befallen our town. It seemed like it never ended, something was always going to break, something was always going to need to be fixed, and oddly enough it was usually the roofs.
Things had a funny way of crushing through the thick shingles or thatch that kept us dry. I had thought about banning flying over the densest part of the town, but that would only cause more problems than it would fix. First off nopony would listen, we'd have to hire ponies to keep the laws in order, guard salaries are ridiculously high. Celestia's guards get paid so much, and even with the apple harvest we didn't have nearly enough money to hire just one."
We were just civilized enough that we couldn't have a militia, but not civilized enough to have a proper income. We were the tiny hamlet at the bottom of the hill, and I doubted that anything could change that. Not even a flood of excess cash would change it, it was what this town was, and I was never going to be more than the mare in charge of keeping it from falling down. I didn't mind though, I had my reasons for loving Ponyville, and I had the drive to make sure it wouldn't fall apart.
"Parchment?" A sharp, yeehaw, voice cut the constant scribbling of my quill and pulled my view up. Applejack was standing in the doorway of my office, leaning against the door frame and looking at me with the usual compassion her green eye's carried. "How's it lookin?"
I set my quill down, running a hoof over my face and pulling my mane back. "We'll make it, and with enough for a festival this year!" I waggled my hoof in the air, "And I mean something good, with actual entertainment, something professional!"
Applejack chuckled, taking a few steps towards me and taking her hat off. "Sounds like it's gonna be fu--" before she could finish a loud snap called us to the window. I kicked my chair away, watching as an oak slowly fell onto the fountain outside, crushing the decades old stonework and causing water to spew into the plaza.
I stared in shock as the far off festival was canceled, the money just as quickly turned towards the reconstruction and replanting of the plaza. "...Well, there's always next year." I sighed, tossing a file across my office and onto the couch I slept on.
Applejack walked up next to me, putting a foreleg over my withers and pulling me against her neck. "Sorry Sugarcube...didn't mean to get your hopes up." She rubbed my head with her neck, causing my glasses to shift around my face. "Like ya said, there's always next year."
I let out a long sigh. "I need to find ponies in Canterlot willing to insure an entire town. Maybe then I can just let this place burn down and we can start over." I nuzzled Applejack's head, "It wouldn't take much...just leave a matchbook out and it would happen on its own, right?"
Applejack leaned her head away, looking at me with a slightly amused, slightly worried expression. "Darlin'...don't, they might be a bit dopey, but gotta keep 'em safe."
I felt my ears slap against the back of my head, "Yeah...I know, it's not easy though!" I ducked under Applejack's leg, turning and leading her to the desk. "It's like trying to keep a town of foals from choking on bottlecaps!" I pressed my hoof down, "Look at this!? Everypony in the town has some emergency at least once a month! I mean, they try, but these ponies keep acting like this is still some hole in the ground, not a permanent town!"
Applejack nodded, "I get it, but I mean, it's all wood and--"
"Applejack...it's got stone foundations, and we're trying to actually build a city here!" I turned to her, staring her eye to eye. "I know, you live in the country, but it's not all one thing, it's not all the country, it's not all the town, we've gotta have something permanent, and something rural, and it's so hard to keep the balance without the entire thing going up like a tinderbox!"
Applejack smiled softly. "Darlin', come out to the orchard with me."
I felt my heart jump, "I- I can't leave! I can't- who's gonna run the town!?"
Applejack looked at my desk, picking up a few scrolls and files. "I think I know a mare who'll love to sort some papers and such."
"But, does she know--"
"She's a quick study,"
I looked past Applejack, towards the window. "...Can she take care of the fountain?"
Applejack turned around, her ponytail mane almost swinging into my head. "Huh? Oh, probably!" She spun around, smiling wide, "Now, you gonna come take a load off, or I gonna have to drag ya there myself?"
I took a deep breath, watching as ponies started to crowd around the downed tree, parting a way for the flood of water trickling down the drain. "I need a nap...." I turned to my couch, grabbing my coat and wrapping myself up in the warm cotton mass. "Applejack...go tell her, I'll find my way to the acres."
Applejack walked up to me, giving me a quick peck on the cheek. "Alright sugarcube, go relax." She passed me, drawing my eye to her flank as she scooped up her hat and hurried out.
I shook my head, feeling a soft heat draw over my face. "Apple Flank...Cheerilee was right...." I rubbed my face, pulling my coat tight and hurrying out of the back door of the town hall. The cool autumn afternoon was calm, The Running of The Leaves was already done and rain was scheduled for the night, and nowhere would get more rain than the orchards.
I was going to be locked in a house with the Apple Family for the night, and thrown to quiet afternoons around the orchards for maybe a week if I was lucky. It was honestly the best I could hope for, and atop all that, somepony else was going to be taking care of the town. I giggled to myself as I tore down the dirt path to the orchards, not wanting to get caught out in the rain.
I hurried down the woody path, only a few ponies passing by, heading farther into the country and towards the farms that sat beyond the orchards. They didn't pay me much mind, usually too busy to bother talking to me about their problems. Their normal policy was to wait until the problem actually caused trouble instead of telling us sooner and fixing it quicker.
The nice thing about the country though was even when we couldn't fix things, the ponies found a way. As much as I wished I could run a city instead of a town, we survived off the crops, the apples selling all across Equestria for top bit. Without the farm ponies, without the Apples we wouldn't have made it past a year.
And even I wouldn't have made it long without them. Each year somepony from their family would come down and help make sure we got enough to fix everything, to maintain the town. When Applejack started coming, we talked, and talked, and talked, and eventually all that talking got a little serious.
I stepped into the fenced off part of the orchard, feeling calmed by the barn, the farmhouse, always standing tall above the calamity that usually ran this region. I'd seen it torn down, exploded, burned, but it always came back, always the same, and it was always comforting each time.
I decided to wait outside, on the porch. Normally somepony would have met me at the door, but without that I was left to take a seat and wait for Applejack. I didn't mind too much, and it would be nice to be here waiting for her to come back. I didn't have many chances to talk with her, or even to spend a night with her, and whenever we could, I'd always try to make it clear how happy I was.
The night was coming up, the orchards whistling as the cold wind blew past. The farmhouse creaked as the wind blew a few stray leaves past. The dirt path stemming like Roam lead off deep into the now barren trees. The cold was biting, but I could outlast it, for her, and with the knowledge that I'd be spending the night with the mare I loved.
In the end she did come, just as the rain started to trickle down and the sun lowered under the hills to the west. I watched as she drew closer, drops exploding off her hat and spraying against me. "She's gonna take care of it, about a week, unless ya go back early." Applejack stated, taking off her hat and shaking it free of water. "Dash coulda waited...rain wasn't supposed to start for another thirty minutes."
I looked past the roof of the porch. "Rainbow Dash? Well she's rather, brash. Then again you'd know better than me...but, rain is rain."
Applejack walked past me, nodding as she went. "Yep, oh, family's not here. Big Mac's in Vanhoover, delivering apples. Granny's visiting Appleloosa and Apple Bloom's at some camp on the other side a' town."
I smiled, "House to ourselves?"
Applejack pushed the door open with a single strong hoof. "Eeyep."
I chuckled, "So then, what's the plan?"
Applejack walked inside, holding the door open with her flank. "Nothing too special, just- bah!" I gave her cutiemark a quick nip, barely pinching her skin between my teeth.
Applejack's leg shop up, guarding herself. She looked back at me, a bit red around the cheeks. "Parchment...it's a little--"
"It's also been a while." I preempted, "I mean, I won't force anything...but it'd be nice."
Applejack looked a little flustered as she backed into the living room. "I'm not...opposed to it all, but it ain't the only reason I asked ya out here."
"And it's not the only reason I came to visit." I tapped my hoof on the floor, "It's part of it, sure, but I do miss you." I walked up to her, holding myself nose to nose with her. "I really do love you." I pressed our noses together, sweeping my own over hers in a few quick bursts.
Applejack grew redder, taking a few steps back. "I uh...second door on the left...." She mumbled, walking towards the hall with her tail perked up slightly.
I watched her strong flank sway as she went, feeling a bit bad for my focus. She was on my mind a lot, and not just for those physical reasons. She was sweet, honest, and she was the key to something I wanted more than anything else. A calm life, with good company and a caring companion. Her body was simply par for the course, and what a par it was.
Strong legs, beautiful face, thick golden mane. She was beautiful, perhaps in a rustic way, but in a way that also appealed to me. For all my pretense to wanting something more, something bigger and more complex, the quiet life of simple work drew me in.
The home was warm, weathering the rain well as it picked up. Everything about the rustic farmhouse felt warm, inviting, like the mare I'd arrived with. The pictures of ponies long gone, founders and farmers, watching me and keeping me safe as I slowly left the living room, looking into the hall towards the stairs.
And the smell of apples that permeated the building was heavenly, leading me up the stairs towards Applejack's room. My heart fluttered as a dim, flickering light waited from the cracked doorway. Everything went still as I peeked in, finding Applejack laying across her bed, mane and tail undone, legs outstretched, hooves upturned as she laid on her stomach.
I took my jacket off as I walked into the room, lit only by a single flickering oil lamp by her bed. She was waiting for me, all but presenting. "Parchment...I uh...take it easy alright?"
I dropped my coat on the floor. "Hmm?"
Applejack turned her head to face me, "Legs are still a little sore is all, get like that after the final harvest."
I climbed up onto the bed, smiling softly at Applejack as I put my hoof on her flank. "I'll take care of it, okay?"
Applejack turned away, facing the headboard, "...Okay."
"Okay." I cooed, moving over and sitting with her hooves between my legs. I reached up, planting one hoof on each flank and dug in. I dragged the hard of my hoof into her body, getting little coos and groans as I pushed and pulled her muscles. "I'm not Aloe or Lotus...but I like to think I know a little bit about your flank."
Applejack let out a quick huff. "Why ya gotta-" She shifted heavily on a deeper push, moaning softly and stretching out, "-talk about my flank?"
"Oh shush." I continued to knead, slowly moving down towards the back of her thighs. "Your tail says you like it when I talk about your flank...." I leaned down, pinching a few of her tail-hairs and tugging them straight. "Getting excited?"
Applejack buried her head in a pillow, snapping it to the side and staring at the lantern. "Well I wasn't exactly expecting this. Thought maybe we have a little dinner, just cud-dle." She fumbled her words as I dragged the tip of my hoof down her leg and into her underhoof. Her leg went ridged, jittering hard and causing her flesh to wobble. "Ah."
"Dinner does sound good." I cooed, leaning down towards the bump in her tail. "I do love the taste of Apples."
"Parchment!?" Applejack snapped, trying to look far enough behind her to see me. "I thought you're gonna slow down this- time!" She yelped as I pulled her tail aside, holding it against her flank despite her attempts to swish it back into place. "Parchment?"
"Applejack?" I asked, half looking at her, half looking at her plot, a bit wetter than I'd expected.
Applejack peered at me with one eye, her skin getting a bit red under her orange coat. "...Go slow."
I smiled, looking down and spotting my prize. "Sure...." I slowly leaned down, pulling my legs out from under me and laying down flat on my stomach, lined up with Applejack in the same pose. I shifted down, taking the first tentative lap of her damp lips, letting her soft squishy folds bend and contort under my tongue.
The moan I received was a work of art, heated but vulnerable. Both begging for more and asking to be teased all at once. I continued to press the tip of my tongue against her sticky, hot slit, my nose stuck between her flanks in a rather compromising position, but a position I would soon switch to.
Applejack wasn't too pleased with my preferences, but after a bit of coercing and some promises I'd finally managed to share it with her. But for now I had a warm, winking slit asking for me to continue my prods and licks, barely digging in as her slit winked open, asking to be filled. But I pulled back, letting the slightly viscous Apple juice stick to my tongue, stringing between us before cutting off and leaving my mouth a bit gooey from excess saliva and juice.
I took a deep breath, leaning over and looking towards Applejack's head, her forelegs clawing at the headboard. "Applejack...you okay?"
She looked around, eye's half closed, sweat starting to percolate down her brow. "Parchment...ya gonna...you know?'
I felt a small frown draw over my face, one borne of worry less than frustration. "You want to do something else?"
Applejack turned towards the headboard. "...I- it ain't...I mean It don't feel bad, I just...need a second."
I rubbed Applejack's flank, the mare was a few years younger, and if her stories were true she never had many mates. If I wasn't the first, I would surely by the second. "We don't have to if you don't want to. Do you just--" I was cut off as an orange hoof reached down, peaking under Applejack's groin.
She let out a quick huff, shifted on the bed and spreading her legs a little. "Just...warn me sugarcube."
I breathed past her backside, enjoying the soft twitch she gave out. "Alright...ready?"
"Ready darlin...."
I slowly lowered myself down, the heat coming off her backside making me drool slightly. My already juice covered tongue reached out, making contact with her pucker. Applejack let out a cute moan as I pushed against it, whimpering softly and jostling herself with her hoof. I closed my eyes, enjoying the heat as I punctured her with my tongue, letting her tighten up around me, squeezing me and trying to both lock me in and out all at once.
I pushed harder, forcing more of my tongue inside of her. Applejack let out a soft huff, throwing her head back and slapping the back of my head with her mane. I spread her flanks, pulling her open and wiggling my tongue inside her rear. Her hoof continued to cause a loud squelching as she jammed her hoof against her dripping lips.
Taking some inspiration I lead one of my hooves down, sliding it over my stomach and onto my button. Warm fluids were slowly spilling out of my burning slit, causing each slide past my sex to become more and more smooth, each did more and more pleasurable. I was kissing Applejack's pucker on one end, endless squeezing and throbbing causing my brain to go a bit numb. On the other end I was slowly numbing my hips, dragging the insides of my hoof against my lips and pulling at my pink insides.
Each tug of her body, each squeeze of my tongue as I bobbed my head, sliding my tongue in and out, prodding her, causing her to tense up and wiggle as I tenderly poked her ass.
"Parchment, wanna slow down a little?" Applejack wheezed, her back arching, breath getting ragged as she continued to masturbate, leaning her flank up and sliding her slit along my neck. My throat was slathered in her juice, warm sweet scented juice, slowly dripping down from her entrance.
"Gonna, gonna go darlin'!" She yelped, sliding herself further and further up my throat as I kept my tongue half jammed against her pucker, tugging at her as she calmed down and let me work. Her flesh was malleable, squishy and outright hot. I cringed as a pass over my own slit sent me off, causing my back to arc upward and force my mouth against her hole, my nose stuck against the dock of her tail.
Applejack let out a soft squeak, her back arching downward, pressing her into the bed and forcing her head to pop up. Her tail tickled my back as my body heated up, my hips gyrating as I lost focus, gently tonguing her backside. Hearing her huff and whimper as she finally gave up, laying down and leaving me ticking her, causing a few twitches and jumps as she mumbled softly.
I realized just how wet my throat was, my hooves a bit sticky as I rolled onto my back and laid against her flank. I looked around, spotting the lantern now off and the room jet black. "Applejack?"
The sheets of her bed jostled as she pulled her flank out from under me. "...Yeah darlin'?"
I stretched my mouth, "...Can I borrow your toothbrush?"
Applejack chuckled softly, wrapping her hooves over my withers and around my neck, her back resting against my own. "Didn't think about that...did ya?"
"I did not...you said I didn't have to worry about the town...I spaced out." I laughed, nervously trying to absolve myself as Applejack laid her chin on my crown and hugged me from behind. "Worth it...but, a little--"
Applejack kissed my ear, causing it to flick against her lips as she pulled away. "Red handle."
I hurried out of the room and into the bathroom, cleaning up and washing off. I did my best to hurry, not really comfortable without her.
I hurried back, finding Applejack's silhouette waiting in the window, staring out as the heavy thudding of rain tapped against the window itself. She was beautiful, her mane hanging free of her ties, body flashing from black to orange as a streak of lightning clashed with the dark sky and brought about a crying thunder. Applejack and I both flinched at the loud snap.
I walked over, joining her next to the window. I plopped down next to her, leaning against her. "Applejack, you alright?"
Applejack turned to me, the tapping of the rain casting a heart wrenching shadow as the moon found a path through and lit up the night. "I uh...part a' me asking you here was...I just, wanted to ask ya something."
I knew what she was going to ask, and it was something I had been trying to do for a while. "Still looking...."
Applejack looked at me with a smile. "That mean ya still sleepin' in the office?"
I frowned hard, my actual income too little to survive on with the special help I was giving to Applejack. "Yeah...I've been renting a hotel every weekend."
Applejack leaned against my head, breathing past my mane. "Still smells like candyfloss." She nuzzled my head, forcing my eye closed as she rubbed against me. "Bout time ya start actually sleeping in a bed, don't ya think?" Applejack kissed the side of my head, "And I don't think anypony will complain when I tell 'em what you're doing for me and Macintosh."
I swallowed hard. "Applejack, I can--"
"Now I ain't got room for a new bed, so we're gonna have to make due with what we got." Applejack turned to the night, laying her chin over my withers and watching the rain pelt the window. "Sound good?"
I smiled, my mane pulling to the side as I watched the moon shine through the clouds. "Yes...it sounds wonderful." I laid my head over Applejacks' "And we'll find them...even if they're gonna, we'll find them."
"Thanks sugercube..." Applejack pulled free, fighting to the top of our head pile and pinning me against my own withers. "For everything."
