Three hard knocks on the castle door. Barb knew only one pony who's definition of a friendly visit was light collateral damage, although she knew it wasn't on purpose. Nevertheless, if they wanted to keep the door, she had to run. Another three knocks, and the wood was almost crying from the assault when Barb finally got there and could open the door.

"Hi AJ!" The farmer was a giant compared to Barbara, so she always kept something to stand on when he came for a visit to be able to look him in the eye without streching her neck.
"Mornin' Barb. 'S Dusk up?"

Barb smiled. "He's awake, but not up. Trickster went to Baltimare earlier, and they spent most of the night saying goodbye, if you know what I mean."

Barb noticed with satisfaction that Applejack blushed. Even though some of the stuff he and Elusive done in the bedroom could be described as kinky, other ponies sex life was still something he prefered if they kept to themselves.

"Well, if he ain't presentable, ah'll just come back later..." He began to turn away, when he felt Barb's hand on his shoulder.
"Come on, AJ, it’s Dusk we're talking about. The only stallion alive that still sleep with pajamas, slipper and night cap. Just get in there, I'll bring some coffee."

"Ehm... well, Alright then. Mighty nice of ya, Barb."

" Just good hospitality, AJ."

Applejack made his way up to Dusk and Tricksters quarters. The bedroom door was slightly ajar, but he still knocked 'discretely' before he went in.

"What? Barbara? What is it? Is the castle on fire? Are the changelings attacking? Are..."
Dusk Shine sat up in his bed, with panic in his eyes and his hair in a mess. AJ assumed that apparently something had scared him while he was reading, because three open books were thrown on the floor. He quickly walked across the room so he could calm down his friend.

"Calm down Dusk, 's just me."

Dusk just stared at him first. "Apple...Jack? It’s just... you?" As Applejack nodded, Dusks eyes shrank to their normal size and his breath got steadier. "Well, it’s good to see you, but please try to knock a little softer next time."

"That's what ah did." Applejack looked confused.

Dusk stared at him, then he sighed. "Ok. So, Applejack, what can I do for you?"

"Well, um...it's kinda dumb but ah, well, ah need to do something, and it keeps nagging me, and ah know ah have to get this done if ah, um, would get some, eh, peace."

"Oookay... That sounds complicated. Is it something to do with the farm?"

"No, it's... Ah need help with Elusive."

"You need help with Elusive? Sorry for asking, but he told me what you did with ropes last time we had tea, so... I don't know if I can help you with that."

Applejack blushed hard. "N-no... It ain't about that. Well, sort of but... Not about sex directly, more..."

"Aha! I understand!"

"You do?" Applejack looked with surprice at Dusk, how could he know about this? Barb had promised to keep quiet.

"While the sex-change formula have to be slight altered, the procedure is basically the same. Have you decided who will carry the foal?"

Applejack blushed even harder. "What? No! Ah mean...ah will be the carrier... But it's not about that. We have to be married first!"

"So, is it about marriage? No, it can't be. You are already engaged."

"Dusk... It has nothing to do with... Ah need help to... get even with Elusive. "

Dusk blinked. "You mean... You mean like with a prank? Applejack nodded. "Oh, well I guess I... but, well sorry for asking, but wouldn't Rainbow be more of a help? He is the main prankster around here, as far as I know."

Applejack looked down at the floor and scratched his hooves. "Yeah, that’s the thing. Ah don’t wanna ask Rainbow."

"Why not? I thought he was your best friend?"

"Oh, he is. It ain't 'bout that. It's like this, if ah ask Rainbow for help, it will be something big and fancy and something that completely will piss Elusive off. And then he'll want to get even, and do something even bigger against me, and then ah have to do something to him and so on and so on for ever and ever! None of us Will give up, ah know Lucy! Damn it, ah wanna marry the stallion, not start a war with him."

Dusk blinked again. "But...Why do you have to get even with him then? If you just stop there won't be anything more."

Applejack looked at Dusk with a face that said 'did you just say that apples grew on squirrels'. "Of cource ah have to. No pony plays a member of the Apple family for a sucker and gets away with it."

Dusk stared at his friend, and he was dead serious. He sighed. He could try to reason with him, but that usually ended in talk about ' traditions'. Dusk realized that he never could talk AJ out of it so it was better to just tag along. " Okay. Then I guess asking Bubble is also out of the question? "

"Yep. To many bananas. Ah need something... Well not big but... Something he can’t one-up me on. Nothing cunning, or clear or childish. Ah need something smart, and yer the smartest pony ah know."

Dusk blushed. Applejack had to admit, as monogamous as he was, Dusk Shine was a cutie. "Well, Applejack... I am flattered but and I would love to help but, can’t you come up with something yourself?"

"Ah would but... Ahm not good at it. Ah don't like prankster, ah can do the switching of salt and sugar in someones coffee. But that's as far as ah'd go on my own. And He went further than that."

"What did he do? "

Applejack draw a deep breath and began his tale. He told Dusk about the breakfast, he mumbled his way through the description of the sex, and he became red in his face with anger as he told Dusk how he spent the whole afternoon shopping. "And he knows how much ah hate shopping. And so, when ah finally found a gift for him, he told me that it was all some punishment for me wearing his suit when ah fed the pigs. Mah pigs ain't filthy! And we could wash it!!! There was only a few stains on it, and those were gone after the wash! "

Dusk was lost for words. "Oh...uhm...well... that sounds like Elusive alright but... well...isn't it to much to prank him? I mean, you made up, he said he was sorry..."

"No, He didn't."

"What?"

"Dusk, this is Elusive. He never apologize. He said that I was myself to blame. If I didn’t feed the pigs..."

Dusk put his hand on his cheek. Elusive was known to be a bit to full of his own importance, and to put him down a nodge would be benifical for all. " Hmmm... I kind of see why this needs to be done. Alright, I'll help you. Just let me look in..."

"Dusk, if it is.'one thousand and one pranks', we have that one at home. A gift from Rainbow."

"Oh." Dusk slumped his shoulders. Then he began to think. Applejack could almost see the gears grind in his friends brain. He was silent for a while, and then he almost jumped out of the bed.

"I have it! It's perfect! I even think this is foulproof. There is no he can top THIS!"

***

Later the same day, Elusive was in his studio. The boutique was his main work space, but at times the familliar surroundings did nothing for his creativity and a quick change of surroundings usually did the trick. Plus, it was nice to steal a kiss at lunch. Today however, he had spent the day at the spa and had just went up to look things over.

He noticed it the moment he entered the room. Somepony had been there. The signs were small and subtle, but they were there. Some needles out of order, a chair one inch to much to the left... and a slight smell of dirt. Applejack. Elusive frowned. Why would Applejack go here? He never came up here on his own free will. Elusive shrugged his shoulders and went down for dinner.

After dinner, a simple meal of a cheese-, tomato and apple salad, Elusive looked at Applejack and asked: "Darling? Where you up in my studio today?"

Applejack read a newspaper and answered without looking up. "Nope".

Elusive frowned. Applejack HAD been there. Why didn’t he just admit it? "Darling, I believe you were. Some time after lunch."

Applejack seemed to think it over. "Hmmm... nope."

"Applejack... look at me."

"Yes, Lucy?"

"Don't call me that! Now I'm asking you for the last time. Why did you go up to my studio? I know you've been there. Don’t pretend something else."

"HMmm... oh yeah. Ah was up there looking for ya."

"Why were you looking for me? I was at the spa."

"Yeah, ah remembered when ah got there."

"Oh. Alright. "

They left the subject, but Elusive couldn't let go of the uneasy feeling. There was something... And later that evening, Elusive heard somepony open the door to the studio. He rushed to it, but there was no pony there. But the door had been opened, and from what he knew, only he and Applejack was inside the house...

It took some time to fall asleep that night.

***

The next day, after breakfast. Elusive had kissed Applejack goodbye and began his way to the boutique when he remembered that he forgot to bring the tie he was going to lend Dopey. So he went back to the house, and as he entered his room, he froze. Applejack was inside his wardrobe.

"Darling? What are you doing?"

Applejack quickly closed the door and smiled a demi-fake smile. "Oh, hi Lucy! Ah was just... out of briefs. And ah just wanted to see if yer had any."

"Applejack... First of all, that’s not the wardrobe where I keep my underwear, and you know that. I've told you, that one is for shirts, that one is for accessoaries, that one is for underwear. And besides, you hate wearing underwear when you work. "

"Well... ah wanted to surprice ya."

"Surprice me."

"Yes."

"By wearing underwear."

"Yeah."

"Look, Applejack. I don't know what your game is, but I suggest that you stop it. Now."

"Mah game? Lucy, ah ain't playin no games. Ah was just..."

"Ok. Ok. If that’s your way of handling this, forget it. See you tonight."

Elusive had trouble concentrating the whole day. No matter how much he tried, his mind came back to Applejack. His behaviour was suspicious, no matter what he said. But what was he doing? And why? Applejack was no prankster, and he was probably the least spontanious pony Elusive knew. Elusive tried to shake off his feelings. He needed to concentrate! This suit for Baritone demanded his best, and.

Suit. Applejack. That "gift".

Elusive almost dropped everything he held on the floor. The conclusion was instant. Applejack was going to get even for his little stunt. And he knew his coltfriend. The sweetest, yes, but stubborn as a mule and never letting go of things he got on his mind to do. Elusive stared blankly at the wall.

"Shit."

But a moment later, he calmed down. He had the upper hand here. Applejack didn't know he was found out. All he needed to do was to stay one step ahead and wait for a mistake. Elusive smiled a grim, cat-like smile, and finished the suit without further distractions.

***

But the following days were Tartarus. Elusive tried to act normal, but he didn't dare to leave Applejack alone in the house. That took a lot of him, as he had to follow Applejack whenever he went in came he decided to act. Then he realized he might have hired somepony to... The boutique! Then he bribed Soprano with theater tickets for him and Barb if they watched over the boutique and never left it unguarded. After three days, he never left the house. He checked his studio for traps and pranks once every hour. He checked his wardrobes twice an hour. He couldn't eat, and he didn't dare to sleep. Because one time, he woke up at night and found himself alone in bed... And he KNEW that Applejack had been in the studio. Even though he found him in the kitchen having a glass of water, he KNEW.

***

Now it had been five days since the realizetion. Elusive was pale, even more than normal. The Black rings under his eyes where thick like hoofprints, and his mane was laying flat against his head. And worst of all, he couldn't even have a cup of delicious tea since he caught Applejack with his hands in the can once.

It was now three o'clock at night. Applejack was out hunting fruitbats. SAID he... but Elusive knew. And he would catch him. He would catch him... He would...

"Lucy?"

"AAAAH! "

***

When Applejack was in caretaker mood, it was no use in fighting back. Elusive found himself in bed, with a cup of tea, his favourite silk pajama on and all the softest pillows. He reluctantly sipped his tea.

"Lucy, why in Solaris name are ya up at this hour? Ah told ya to go to bed. It could take all night if we were not of luck. So what were yer doin'? And why d'yer hair look like a mess?"

And then, Elusive had no resistance left. "I was trying to figure you out."

"Sorry?"

"I know everything, Applejack, I get it. You want to get back at me for...that thing at breakfast. And I thought I could outsmart you but... I checked everything, I have been one step ahead of you all the time! And I still! Don't! Get! It!
What are you planning? What is your game? Please, baby... I give up, I’m so tired... I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I played you that trick. Just tell me what you are going to do."

Elusive sank back on the pillows and looked at his coltfriend with tears in his eyes. Appeljack gave him a light kiss on his cheek. "Well, ah'm mighty thankful yer finally apologized. And because yer honest with me, ah'll be honest with yer. But yer got to understand, ah'm telling the truth. Nothing but the truth, ok? Or d'yer want me to Bubble promise?"

"No...no, I believe you. Just tell me."

"Alright then. The truth is... ah did nothing. Ah didn’t plan to do anything at all."

Author's Note

The reveal!