A Taste Of Honey

"Many many, many nights go by
I sit alone, at home and I cry
Over you
What can I do
Can't help myself,
Cause baby - it's you."
-Bacharach/David (recorded by The Beatles)

As the hot noonday sun rose over Ponyville, Twilight and Applejack strolled through the downtown marketplace. AJ’s mind was on choosing food for that night’s meal. Twilight’s… not so much.

I’ve got to get ahold of myself. This whole thing could be misplaced affection augmented by suppressed physical desire. It’s not that I’m physically and sexually attracted to fillies, it’s that, I , uh… well, there just has to be some kind of logical explanation. Wait! I know! AJ saved my life! Of course I feel affection for her! And in my current state of hormonal activity due to my post pubescent state, I naturally confused my sexual desires! I don’t really want to have sex with my best friend, I just really think I do, and what’s so wrong with that?

Well that is certainly a relief! Princess Celestia would be so embarrassed if her personal protege was a fillyfooler. Now that I know I’m not, I just think I am, I can enjoy just walking through the Ponyville market with Applejack. It’s so nice knowing that I don’t love her. Well I do love her, I’m just not in love with her - big difference. If I were in love with her it would only be a puppy love anyway. Can’t I just really enjoy her company without BEING IN LOVE with her?! I’m certain I can. Just trotting along on a beautiful warm day watching as she picks out things for tonights dinner. She’s very choosy and really knows her fruits and vegetables. I could certainly learn a lot from her- after all, my eye for fresh vegetables isn’t really the best, as Spike has hinted at by spitting his food all over the plate after a bite. Now AJ - she can cook. Even the chef’s in Canterlot can’t make a souffle like my AJ can.

My AJ. My Applejack.

Just thinking of those words makes me feel all giddy inside, So what if I’m a little possessive? She’s my best friend! There’s certainly nothing wrong with that. I’m just staying behind her and letting her concentrate on choosing vegetables. She really is in great shape. She keeps her body so well toned. Watching the sunlight shine on her coat as she walks. Those haunches of hers, and that rump… “Hmm? What AJ? I wasn’t staring at anything. Apricots? Hmmm, I love apricots. Oh, uhm, so what were you thinking of doing with them?”

Applejack examined the fruit closely. ”Well, Apple Bloom just loves cold apricot soup. It’s kind of a puree thing with some peaches thrown in and spices. ‘Course it’s gettin a might hot out today - not surprising now that we’ve had the summer sun celebration.. Maybe I should make frozen apple halves.”

“Frozen what now?”

“Now don’t tell me you never heard of frozen apple halves! What did they feed you up in Canterlot? They’re delicious, especially on a hot summer night. Come to think of it the Apple family invented them so I reckon they wouldn't have ‘em up in Canterlot. Well let me tell you, they’re real popular with the pony folk here in Ponyville.” Applejack giggled with pride.

“Well mistress chef, what are they?”

“They’re easy- get a big apple and chill it till it’s real cold - kinda frosty. Then you split it down the middle and hollow out each half. That part takes some practice - you can’t go all the way down to the skin, you gotta leave a little bit of apple. You spray ‘em with a little lemon juice to keep them from gettin’ brown, then put the scooped out shell halves into the freezer to make them into kinda like little frozen apple bowls. Then you take the stuff you scooped out and mash it up with a little sugar, some cinnamon, and mashed up strawberries and a little lime juice. You put that back into the apple bowls, and there you are.”

“Wow Applejack, that sounds delicious”

“They surely are. Now there‘s two ways to have ‘em and it’s kinda funny how once ponies choose a way, they stick with it. The first way is to use a spoon and eat the mashed part before eating the frozen part. The second way is to pick up the frozen half in you hoof and just have at it.”

“Either way that sounds like just the thing for a hot summer night.”

“eYup, it sure is. So Twilight, what about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah - I reckon you’d use a spoon”

“I don’t really know. What’s the other way again now?”

Applejack smiled and got a little dreamy-eyed as she remembered how delicious they were.

“Well, what you do is you just put your mouth right up to that sweet apple and then you eat away,” She came out of her reverie and brightened up. “Usually,” she went on, “how you do it is you hold the frozen apple bowl in your hoof and use your tongue to lick the apple out of it A ’course then you get all the wet stuff soakin and drippin from your muzzle, but some folks feel if you don’t use your tongue to lick out the apple from the frozen half, then you’re missing half the fun- even with the mess it makes on your face. And after you’re done with that you can have the frozen part which usually ain’t so frozen anymore. Anyway that’s how I like it. The hay with the spoon. I gotta warn ya’ though, you need a strong tongue if you’re gonna eat an apple that way.” She paused in thought before continuing. “Course you could always… Uh, Twilight...? Twilight? Are uh, you okay? Your eye’s a twitchin...and if you don’t close your mouth you’re gonna catch a fly or two in it’” Applejack laughed.

Twilight shook her head and cleared the image that had lodged in her mind. She had to shake it a second time.

“Oh, sorry. Just, uh, got a little distracted. Must be the heat.”

Hmm, how many times have I done “it” today already...? Oh hay- who am I kidding? I am so completely in love with that pony and I don’t care what anypony thinks or feels or does or says, except her. How could this have happened?! How did this start? OK - 1. I was sent here to make friends. 2. I’m here just over a week and I want… Wait a minute! I’ve done more than make friends - I’ve fallen in love! That HAS to count toward extra credit! Oh but it’s with a mare, I’m sure to get points off for that. I wonder grade-wise how the whole masturbation thing works in there. What am I doing?!! Classifying everything based on school grades and tests? I really need to get out more. Oh, right, I am out… AND LOOK HOW WELL THAT’S WORKED OUT!!

“Twilight? Are you okay sweetie? Come on over here out of the sun and sit down.”

Twilight did as she was told and went into the shade of one of the vendor’s tents. She sat down on the cool grass and looked at Applejack with a sleepy smile . The blonde earth pony looked at her worriedly and stroked her mane. “You sure you’re feeling alright sugarcube? The sun is a might hot today and you ain’t got a hat like me. Let me finish off this old water in my bottle and get you some fresh-”

“Applejack?”

“Yeah?”

“How many times do you think is too much?”

“How many times what?” Applejack asked before placing the water bottle to her lips and drinking.

Twilight watched as her head tilted back and the sun lit her mane.

“I’d love some.”

Applejack took the bottle from her lips “Sure sugarcube. Let me finish this first - it’s kinda warm. I’ll refill it with nice cool water from that tap over yonder-”

Before she could finish the sentence, Twilight had used her magic to grab the bottle and put it to her own lips as she finished what was left. She thought about kissing Applejack. The earth pony just watched her, confused and slack jawed.

As soon as she’d finished the water, Twilight lowered the bottle to the grass and looked at Applejack with a crooked smile.

“I think you’re just gettin plain silly. I ain’t never seen you like this Twilight. Bein’ all playful. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

“I’m feeling just fine.”

Applejack picked up the bottle, sniffed it and peered into it with a raised eyebrow. Then she looked at Twilight who just smiled at her.

“I don’t know what’s goin on Twilight, but I think you need something to cool you down.”

Suddenly there was a mini cloudburst directly over Twilight’s head. Atop the mini-cloud that created the burst, a rainbow maned Pegasus was jumping up and down.

“AHHH!! Rainbow Dash!!” the unicorn cried out as the water poured down over her head..

The cyan Pegasus hovered above and cracked up into a fit of laughter. “Well AJ said you needed cooling off and I just happen to be passing by and thought I’d oblige.” Dash said as she landed next to Twilight. Using her hoof, Dash reached over and lifted Twilight’s bangs out of her eyes then leaned over and looked into them with a grin. “So, what are you two up to?”

“Oh nothing,” AJ replied, “just shopping for some-”

“Hey! Twilight!! Watch it” Rainbow shouted as the lavender unicorn shook her body off spraying most of the water on her blue friend.

The shower and shake had cleared Twilight’s head and made her feel a little more normal. Then she looked up at Applejack and everything slowed way down. The earth pony had pulled her hat off to shield herself from the spray. She was laughing and smiling at Twilight for spraying/paying back Rainbow Dash. The sunlight caught her blonde mane and face and her green eyes lit up like emeralds, and they lit up something in Twilight’s chest.

Oh hay.

I’m in love.

This time there was no kidding. No sexual concerns, no silliness, The thought had hit Twilight like a thunderbolt. She felt it rise and had to look away from Applejack. She turned and ran as fast as she could, moments before bursting into tears.

“Now see what ya did with your foolishness, Rainbow? You went and got her all upset.”

“ME?!Wha’d I do?”

“Ya got her all wet! Now where’d that filly get to?” Applejack looked around, then began trotting in the general direction that Twilight had gone in. Dash followed overhead.

“She can’t take a little water? After what we went through with Nightmare Moon you’d think she’d be able to handle a little rain”

“Well maybe it’s that time.”

“What time is that?” Dash asked then suddenly realized what Applejack was talking about. “Ohhh... Yeah, maybe. I don’t know what’s up with all of you with that. Fluttershy practically locks herself in her cottage when her estrus comes around. And Rarity becomes an even bigger drama queen than she usually is. You don’t see me getting all moody.”

“Are you kiddin’? Last month you were throwing things at Pinkie Pie!”

“Yeah? Well she ate my brownie! Besides, it wasn’t that bad.”

“You shot her with a lightning bolt!”

“Well they were chocolate chip brownies!!”

Twilight had run behind the tents and found the mares room. She went into a stall and paced, trying to calm herself.

I am! I really am in love! What am I going to do? How will I be able to face anypony? I don’t think I’ll ever be able to tell Applejack. Now I’m supposed to go there tonight for a sleepover! I can’t. I can’t go and sleep in that house. It feels like AJ, it sounds like AJ, it smells like AJ! The whole place is covered in AJ!! I won’t be able to control myself - I might break her door down and carry her out to the barn, out to those soft hay bales where I’d lay her tenderly on the…Stop it Twilight! I’ll just have to tell her I can’t make it. That’s it - she’ll understand. I’ll say that I need to study for a test that Princess Celestia says I must take by the end of the week. It’s a test on the nature of fluid dynamics which is very complicated and requires a lot of studying. I’ll explain how the vectors alone will take days to understand.

Twilight opened the door and came face to face with Applejack.

“There you are sugarcube! I was gettin all worried about you. You okay? You seemed a might upset before.”

“Well, yes, I suppose I was, but that was because, well, it’s about tonight’s sleepover. I-I don’t think, uh…”

She saw the smile on Applejack’s face fade quickly into sadness and disappointment and her heart sank.

“It’s just that I, uh, I don’t know what to bring...”

Applejack’s face brightened right up again. “Just that cute little nighty you packed and that cute little you, sugarcube!”

Applejack headed back to Sweet Apple Acres and Twilight moped around Ponyville.

I can’t go on living here if I can’t tell Applejack, and I don’t know if I can tell Applejack. What excuse could I give the princess for returning to Canterlot? ‘Dear Princess Celestia, I don’t quite know how to tell you this, but I’ve fallen in love, and not only have I fallen in love, but the pony I’ve fallen in love with is a MARE! Oh, right, and I can't stop wanting to clop! What do you think of that?! Your great idea that I should come here and make friends worked a little too well, wouldn’t you say? Now I’m a filly-fooler who want's to do nothing but fool with that filly!! Thanks a lot! Now what good are friends? You only fall in love with one of them and they have no idea that you love them and then where can you go for help and advice? To your other...’ Duh! I can go to my other friends for help! Why didn’t I think of that? Wait, I did! ‘Dear Princess Celestia - Never mind.’

Twilight trotted toward the Carousel Boutique. As she got closer her happy trot began to slow.

How am I going to tell her? What should I ask her? I can’t just tell her the truth, she might be shocked. I’ll have to be tricky about it…

The bell over the shop door jingled as Twilight entered the boutique.

“Twilight! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Hi Rarity. I was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by.”

“You’re not really going to use that old thing are you darling? Nopony is ever just in the neighborhood. Now are you going to tell me why you really stopped by or do I need to bring out some of Applejack’s delicious hard cider?”

Twilight looked down and pawed the floor. “I guess you’re right. I have a, well I’m having a-”

“Friend, darling, you have this friend…”

“I do?” Twilight asked quizzically.

Rarity looked at Twilight with an expression usually reserved for the terminally clueless.

“Oh! I do! Yes, I have this friend who has a problem.”

“No!” Rarity said, in moderate shock.

“Well, yeah, she kind of does.”

“Yes, sweetie, I got that part. Twilight, would you care for some cider?”

“Okay, thanks.”

Rarity trotted to the back of the shop and opened the refrigerator. Among the various items were three brown ceramic jugs. One had an “X” one had “XX” and the third had “XXX”. She reached in and put her hoof on the one labelled “XXX” then looked out to the sales floor at Twilight. The lavender unicorn was looking around happily. Rarity frowned a little as she exhaled and moved her hoof to the one marked “X”.

Moments later she came out with two coffee mugs floating in front of her. Twilight turned happily and accepted one in her purple levitation field. She took a generous swallow.

“Mmmm, thanks Rar- oh! Wow, this must be the triple X cider I keep hearing about. Wow!”

“You certainly know your cider Twilight Sparkle.” Rarity smiled. “So, tell me about this friend of yours.”

“Friend?” Twilight’s face once again became an expression of confusion.. Rarity smiled patiently at her. “Oh! Of course, my friend.. Well she told me that she had a crush on somepony.” Twilight said before having another drink of cider.

“A CRUSH?!” Rarity said, almost spitting out her cider. “How serious is this crush?”

“Hmmm, that is good cider.” Twilight said with a slightly crooked smile. “Well, I don’t mind telling you that it’s a pretty serious crush.”

“And just how serious is pretty serious?” Rarity’s ears went straight up and her eyes opened wide and her lost its playfulness.

Twilight’s eyelids had gotten a little heavy and she swayed slightly before looking around the shop conspiratorially. She leaned over to Rarity and whispered in her ear. “Love...”

Rarity’s eyes flew open wide and her ears drooped slightly. “And Twilight, this, this friend of yours, does she know this object of her affection very well?”

Twilight, eyes closed, smiled and nodded slowly. She staggered slightly and immediately opened her eyes and steadied herself.

“I see,” Rarity’s gaze lowered to the floor and her ears drooped. “Is he cute?” she asked dejectedly.

The smile on Twilight's face became lascivious. She leaned forward and spoke sotto voice “That’s just the problem. It’s not a he, it’s a sheeee.”

“A SHE?!!” Rarity’s eyes once again flew open wide and her ears shot straight up.

“SHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Twilight said, with slight stagger, She held her hoof up to her lips. Unfortunately this left her on three legs and as she was having trouble with four, only three left her at an extreme disadvantage. She stumbled forward, barely catching herself before falling. “Whew, no more cider for this little pony! Anyway, yes, and my friend is very much in love.”

“Well, what is the mare of her affections like??!” asked Rarity excitedly.

“Oh she’s beauuuuutiful. Probably the most beautiful pony in Ponyville.”

“Oh Twilight! Really, darling! You make me blush!”

Twilight was staring off into the vast beyond, “In fact I’ll bet she’s the most beautiful pony in all of Equestria.”

“Oh Twilight! I-”

“But my friend just can’t tell her.” Twilight said, her head drooping.

“Whyever not, darling?”

“Because what if her the mare doesn’t like me, uh, I mean my friend, - HER.”

“I cannot think of one reason why you would think that. Maybe she feels the same way about you, I mean your friend, but is too shy to say anything.”

Twilight spun around and looked right into Rarity’s face. “REALLY?!! Do you really think so?!”

Rarity smiling seductively looked back into Twilight’s eyes and moving closer whispered “I certainly do darling.” She opened her mouth slightly and leaned forward. Twilight, however had turned away in joy, leaving the snow white unicorn hanging and now it was her turn to stumble forward.

" You will be at Applejack’s sleepover tonight, won’t you?”

Rarity, had recovered from her stumble and looked at Twilight with mild annoyance “Yes, I suppose so…”

Twilight went back to her friend and looked at her sweetly. “I think I, uh my friend will tell her tonight!”

“But why wait till then darling? We have the store to ourselves now. Sweetie Belle’s in school. I could close the shop for a half hour, or two. We could go upstairs…”

Twilight picked up her mug and took another swallow before answering. “Oh you don’t need me to help you pick out what to wear tonight. Just bring your pretty little self…” Twilight walked to the door and opened it.

“Well, okay…” Rarity said with a pout. She walked up to the door and looked at Twilight. “I guess I’ll just have to wait.”

“Thanks for understanding. I want it to be special” Twilight said with a long blink. The cider was back in her bloodstream. Then she leaned forward and gave Rarity a little kiss. She aimed for her cheek, but got her on the lips. “Ooops!” she said and blushed. “See you tonight.” Then she stepped outside and closed the door.

Rarity’s eyes rolled back and her eyelids drooped. As the door closed she turned her back to it and leaned against it, smiling. A pink glow surrounded the OPEN sign in the shop window and flipped it to CLOSED. Rarity reached over her shoulder and locked the door, then she walked unevenly toward the stairs. As she passed the shop counter her horn began to glow and from behind the counter there floated an impressive looking purple phallus. It followed Rarity up the stairs and as she reached the top step a distinct squeal of “OH!” could be heard, followed by the words “Patience, darling, patience… oh yesss, uh-huh, ohhhh, keep going, oh yes, at this rate I may not even make it to the bath tub…”