Chapter I: The first date
"Will you go with me to the fair?"
"No!"
"Please?"
"No!"
Over and over the stallion went as he walked behind Applejack who needed to finish some errands in town. To say that the mare was annoyed as only the start of it.
"Come on, I really want to go with you, I think you are the most beautiful mare I have ever seen!" explained the brown coated unicorn stallion. "It would be such an honor!" there was desperation in his voice.
"Look, ah'm very flattered and all, but ah just don't have time for some fancy date Mr. Fancy pony, ah'm sorry." the mare explained, she tried to put him down gently.
The stallion went down to his knees and started to grovel, much to Applejack's surprise. "It's just a date to the fair...that's all I ask." his voice quivered.
The mare was about to once again say no but looked to see tears start to form in his eyes. "Oh great, we have a crier. Now ah'll feel even more horrible in turning him down, horse apples." she sighed and made her final decision. "Ah'm just too busy, sorry."
The stallion had tears rolling down his cheeks so he quickly got up and turned around. "If you insist." he sadly started to walk away, his heart felt like it was stabbed with a spear. "All I wanted to do was provide company at the fair and hoedown."
Applejack felt bad, but was relieved that he was no longer bugging her.
Trenderhoof walked to his hotel room, completely depressed, only to bump into another pony. "OOF!"
"Oh, I'm so sorry darling." apologized a familiar voice. Trenderhoof looked up to see that it was...her.
"Rarity?" the stallion saw that Rarity was more dressed up that from what he remembered. "Why are you dressed up?"
"Just wanted to show you the outfit I was going to wear at the fair darling, isn't gorgeous?" she flaunted the dress like a runway model. The stallion actually disliked fancy stuff, he hated how egocentric, lazy and manipulative the fancy ponies are; plus all those needlessly complicated traditions that mostly involve circle jerking each other's egos irritated him. He much rather prefer country ponies, they are more honest, friendly and hardworking.
Rarity just went on and on about the dress, Trenderhoof tuned her out, focusing instead on how his recent dream of settling down with a country mare and work on a farm for the rest of his life was shattered.
Applejack turned around to see Rarity yammering on about fancy stuff, but was shocked to see that a fancy pony like Trenderhoof actually looked bored and miserable. "Ah hope ah wasn't that hard on him, gosh, now ah feel mighty awful for being so rude." the mare decided to do the stallion a little favor.
"Howdy Rares." interrupted the country mare as she greeted her fancy white unicorn friend. "That's a mighty fancy lookin' dress ya's wearin'."
"Why thank you Applejack, so glad you think so, even a mare with your tastes should know how unique, chic and unique this dress is." she flaunted. That statement slightly offended the country mare.
"Yes...well," she turned to Trenderhoof. "look, ah's sorry for my rudeness earlier, so ah decided to reconsider yer offer and go with you to the fair." she smiled. "As friends of course."
Trenderhoof's eyes widen with joy. "You really mean it?!"
"Yup ah do." she reassured.
"I promise you, you would not be disappointed." he was about to give Applejack a hug, but the country mare back away.
"Touch me and ah'll buck ya so hard that doctor's would reclassify you as a gelding." she threatened.
"Oh...of course, sorry." he did not want to blow his chance, he nervously smiled. "Thank you so much, meet you at the farm at 7?"
"How about at the fair instead?" Applejack insisted.
"Anything for you." he smiled before he ran off with excitement to get ready. "WOO HOO!"
"Celestia help me, for ah have no ah idea what ah just did."
Rarity was completely stunned. "You okay Rares?"
"I...I...I think I'll go home now." the unicorn mare's face had a blank expression and her eyes gave out a thousand yard stare at the distance.
"Rares?"
Without a word, Rarity turned around and slowly made her way back to the boutique.
"That was...odd?" was all Applejack could say in response.
That night, Applejack nervously waited by the fair entrance for the strange stallion, she decided to wear her gala dress from last year since she is going with company and all. "Where is he? He's gettin' late." she said to herself bemused.
"Here I am!" Trenderhoof ran in wearing overalls and a straw hat, stereotypical country pony stuff, much to the mare's utter surprise. "Sorry I am late." he apologized since he felt awful.
"Ah thought ya was goin' to wear somethin' fancy, like ya city slickers like to do." she pointed out.
"Yuck, I came here to relax and have fun, not be fancy and stuffy." he explained. "I hate fancy stuff...it's so...uh..."
"Stupid?" Applejack completed, she knew the feeling well.
"Exactly, stupid because what's the point in dressing up if your main goal is to have fun and have a great time." he said with a smile.
"Well, ah guess ah won't be needin' this then." with that, the mare threw her dress off of herself and felt free. Applejack did not care that the dress landed on top of an old stallion with a smoke pipe as a cutie mark, who was driving his electric scooter.
"AHHH the Japs are capturing us! Red alert!" before he proceeded to crash into a stand selling cabbages. "My cabbages!"
"That's better." happily mused Applejack at the feeling of being free again. "Come on, let me show ya around." she escorted the stallion who happily followed her.
The fair was in full swing, everyone had fun and enjoyed how entertaining it is becoming. Applejack happily showed Trenderhoof around at all the stands as the stallion took notes on his notepad. "Okay ladies and gentlecolts, starting now at the main dance floor, it's the HOEDOWN!"
"A hoedown?" Applejack's eyes lit up like a Heartswarming tree. She loved hoedowns.
"A hoedown?"
"Yes Mr. City slicker, a hoedown, ever heard of them?" she said playfully.
"Heard of them?" Trenderhoof chuckled. "I was the Manehatten hoedown champ two years running." he boasted.
"Ah city pony like ya? Yeah right." Applejack chuckled, she shook her head in disbelief. A city pony good at hoeing-down? That she has too see.
Trend took that as a challenge, and trotted to the center of the dance floor. With a knowing smirk, he gave Fiddlestick's band the signal to start a song. Fiddlesticks proceeded to go wild with her fiddle playing as the stallion slowly began to four-step through it.
Ponies began to cheer and stomp their hooves in encouragement, clearly impressed.
Applejack raised an eyebrow in unexpected awe. "So ah guess he can hoedown." she said to herself. "But can he keep up with a farmer mare like me?" she smirked and walked to the center of the dance floor to dance with him and show off her moves.
At the same time at the Carousel boutique however...
"Uh, Rarity? Are you there? Twilight wanted me to check-up on you since she couldn't find you at the fair." announced Spike as he let himself in the dark boutique. He looked around only to see a fancy dress torn to pieces on the floor. "Rarity...?" the dragon was even more concerned. He nervously looked around only to suddenly bump into someone. "Ooof."
"Oh, pardon me Spiky-wikey, ya should watch where ya's goin'." said a voice. To Spike, the voice sounded like an extremely over the top country accent, but still familiar.
"Huh?" Spike got startled and quickly turned around to see the most shocking site. "Rarity...you're..."
"Countrified fo' a special somepony, eeyup." the voice laughed. Spike fainted at the sight.
At the fair, both Applejack and Trenderhoof happily danced with each other. "Go city slicker go!" cheered the mare, impressed by the stallion's dance moves.
"You're not bad yourself Applejack." commented the stallion.
"Aw shucks, it's nothin'." modestly chuckled Applejack.
Trenderhoof smiled at the mare, which caused the mare to blush in response.
"STOP EVERYTHIN' Y'ALL!" yelled a new voice. The music quickly stopped as everyone turned their attention to the stage. "FOR THE MAIN ATTRACTION IS HERE!"
Everyone looked on with stunned silence and dropped jaws. Applejack was even more stunned. "Rarity?"
"The new, improved an' countrified Rarity, yee-haw." the unicorn squealed. It was Rarity indeed, only her mane was a loose mess, she wore a straw hat and overalls, and to Applejack's surprise, there was dirty and mud on said overalls.
Applejack went up to the front row. "Rares, what are ya doin'?"
"Tryin' to get the special pony of my dreams, so we can get hitched someday ah tell's ya what." she chuckled and squealed like a pig. "Since he like's country thin's, ah might as well give him what he wants."
"Have ya lost yer mind Rares!" the apple mare spat with disbelief. "Ya's makin' a fool of yerself, look at ya."
"NO!" she yelled. "For once ah have finally realized what my true callin' is, an' that callin' is workin' all day at the farm milkin' the cows!" she announced with a dopey smile.
"The last thin' ya milked was a bull!"
Rarity gave Applejack a dirty look for bringing up that incident. "AH CHALLENGE YA TO A HOEDOWN! WINNER GETS THE STALLION!"
"Please, for yer sake, don't do it...ah warn ya." Applejack said with concern for her friend.
"Why? Afraid that ah'm the better country mare?" Rarity snarled.
"Look, ah'd be willin' to share him if ya want-"
"LIKE AH WOULD EVER SHARE IF A MARE LIKE YOU!" Rarity snapped. "HE'S MINE AND MINE ALONE YA DIRTY COUSIN KISSER!"
The crowd gasps.
"Cousin kisser? In my defense, ah was in school, an' there was this colt ah liked in my class, an' ah needed someone to practice kissin' on." Applejack blushed deeply with embarrassment.
"Are ya goin' to accept my challenge or not?"
Normally, Applejack would just walk away and leave Rarity alone to make a fool of herself. But that last comment just went to far, she trusted Rarity to keep that information a secret. "Ah'll take that challenge, but don't say ah didn't warn ya."
"Ya can go first." Rarity offered.
Applejack gives Fiddlesticks her cue and the music starts. Applejack started to do her best line dancing she could, successfully shuffling her feet on the dance floor. Overall she did a competent job, as Trend watched nervously, secretly hoping that the crazy unicorn in the overalls won't win.
"Yer turn Rares." the orange coated mare offered after she finished. Rarity just made a look that screamed 'bring it on' and gets into position.
Just as the music started, a realization dawned on Rarity: she has no idea how a hoedown works. She tried her best to mimic Applejack's moves with nervous sweat beading down her face. But her inexperience caught up with her as her legs tangled up beneath her. "AHHHH" she stumbled off the stage and landed inside a muddy pig pen. The entire audience laughed at the sight of a muddy and smelly Rarity, along with the pigs in the pen. Rarity has never felt more humiliated in herself as she got out and ran off back to the boutique crying.
Applejack and Trend looked on with pity and worry.
Later that night, both Applejack and Trenderhoof walked to the farmhouse at Sweet Apple Acres. "Ah still had fun regardless Trend." reassured the mare.
"I still feel sort of responsible." admitted the stallion with a sigh.
"Don't worry there, ah'll talk to her when she's ready to talk and we'll work it out in time." Applejack explained as she tried to calm the stallion down.
"I hope so." he looked down as they both reach the front porch of the farmhouse.
"Somethin' else on yer mind?" she asked.
"Just that I have to leave back for Manehatten tomorrow." Trenderhoof admitted, he did not want to go after having such an amazing time.
Applejack placed a forehoof around the stallion. "Ah tell ya what," she began. "Ya's free to come visit Ponyville and the farm any time ya want, in case ya need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city."
"Really?" he said with surprise.
"Of course ya silly colt." she joked. It made Trenderhoof smile back. "See, there ya go, buck up ya hear."
"Thanks for the great time, I'll make sure to write some very nice things about Ponyville and you." he stated.
"Aw shucks, ya don't have to." she humbly blushed.
"I mean it, ponies everywhere should know more about this town and it's amazing citizens, especially the ones that are as beautiful as you."
"Ponyville is a nice place to live and...wait...what?!" Applejack shook her head after full realizing what the stallion said. "Did ya say ah was beautiful?!" stunned.
"Of course you're beautiful." he reassured. "Why would I kid about that?"
"Oh...ya mean it?"
"Of course, you don't believe me?" Trend was a bit concerned.
"No, it's just that one pony outside my family and friends have ever called me beautiful, an' ah don't think ah'm as pretty as those fancy pin-up models ya always see."
"You mean those anorexic four legged sticks? Oh please, they are nothing but attention whores, they are not real mares in my opinion."
"Okay, so what's yer ideal mare then, what makes a mare 'real'?" she was interested to know.
"A real mare is someone who is healthy, honest, cares about their loved ones, levelheaded, hardworking, accepts their flaws and never thinks highly of themselves to the point of being stuck up." he explained. "That's why I like country ponies and the country life, everything is real and nopony is fake with others and themselves."
"Well, ya should thank Granny Smith for raisin' us right." she humbly answered.
Trenderhoof smiled. "Anyways, I have to get back to my hotel, got to leave early tomorrow, thank you for everything." he bowed and then walked away.
"WAIT!" yelled Applejack after him. Trenderhoof stopped in his tracks. "Huh?"
"Ah was thinkin', next time ya come back, we should grab a drink over at this country bar me and my brother often go to." she offered.
Trenderhoof just gave a smile. "If I ever do come back, I'll make sure you are the first to know, the article should come out next month, look forward to it, thank you Miss Applejack." he bowed one last time before he happily walked out.
Applejack was, to her surprise, sad to see him go. "Gosh...he really does thin' ah'm beautiful." she blushed at the thought. She gave a hopeful smile and went inside the farmhouse to go to bed, another long day of chores tomorrow.
At the Ponyville hotel, Trenderhoof began to write down his article about the town of Ponyville, and his wonderful time with the most beautiful mare he has ever met.
The Hidden Gem that is Ponyville and it's citizens, by Trenderhoof.
The stallion just smiled at the title. "It feels like I already met my hidden gem today, I hope I get to see her again." he mused to himself before he continued his work.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note
Hope you like this.
I like TrenderJack because it serves as an interesting challenge to get the two together.
Thanks. Look forward for more.
The music blared in the stereo as a filly danced around in her pink room and sang along with the song. "My secret combination is a mystery for you!~" she sang as she wiggled her rump so her tail could spin around. "Use your imagination, I'm not easy but I'm true!~" she climbed on the bed and began to dance and bounce on it. "I love you Kalomira!" she squealed with glee.
"Macoun, mommy needs your help outsid-" Trend was interrupted by the sight of his daughter dancing sexy on her bed. "MACOUN!" he yelled as he quickly used his magic to turn off the stereo.
The filly looked around with confusion from the sudden silence. "Huh? What?" she turned to see her dad at the doorway.
"Your mother needs your help outside." Trend sternly exclaimed. "Now!"
"Yes daddy." she said before she quickly ran out to save her further embarrassment. She grabbed her favorite red bandanna before she ran outside.
She galloped out to the orchid to see her mother bucking some of the apple trees. "What is it mommy?"
"'bout time ya got here, ah need all the help ah can get." her mother explained. "Ah need ya to help me haul all of those baskets into the barn so ya can help me sort them." she instructed.
"Yes mommy." Macoun agreed.
Inside, Trend was in the study doing the farm finances. "Oh, I hope we get a good harvest this time, it's getting harder each year from all this increased competition." he sighed.
Outside, Macoun carried a basket filled to the brim with apples into the barn. She looked down to see that her hooves chipped. "Oh darn, I just got these fixed yesterday at the spa." she may be a farmer girl, but she loved to look perfect.
Applejack chuckled. "Ya, and yer girly ways, ah have no idea where ya got that from."
"But mommy, you know it is my dream to be a noble lady of the court." the filly began to fantasize. She pictured herself at a grand ball, wearing a fancy gown, dancing with a mysterious stallion prince. "It would be wonderful, a farmer girl and her perfect prince." she began to waltz around the barn, much to Applejack's bemusement.
"Princess Macoun and her Prince Charming, the debutante ball king and queen!" she squealed with girlish joy. Her mother suddenly grabbed her to snap her out.
"Save the fantasizin' for after chores." she sternly explained to her only daughter.
The filly sighed. "Yes mommy."
At another part of Sweet Apple Acres, in the clubhouse, Cortland and his two friends were reading a magazine.
"Oh wow look at that beauty!" pointed one of the colts. "Now there's something I want to ride forever."
"I know, she's very powerful too." agreed Cortland.
Cortland and his friends were looking through a magazine about trains and model trains. "Oh wow, look at the model town, it's the most beautiful G-scale town I have ever seen."
"I wish my model rail town was like that." Cortland sighed.
The colt's ears perked up when they heard a bell in the distance, the bell could only symbolize on thing; "DINNER!" exclaimed Cortland. "Got to go guys, see ya tomorrow!" he ran off leaving his two friends behind.
Both Applejack and Macoun calmly walked into the dinning room as Trenderhoof rang the dinner bell. Cortland ran in through the back door in the kitchen. "Save some for me!" exclaimed the colt as he sat down at the table with his parents and sister.
Dinner was already served on everyone's plate. "Oh wow, I love savory apple dishes!" cheered the colt.
"Mommy..." whined Macoun. "you know I can't eat apples...I break out in hives when I do..." she confessed with worry.
"Don't worry my princess," assured her father. "I made the exact same dish but without the apples." he served it to her.
"Thanks daddy." she smiled.
Applejack looked on with worry, it pained her to know that despite being an apple, Macoun could not eat them. Something that never happened before in apple family history.
Macoun suddenly gave an extremely powerful belch, much to the filly's embarrassment. "Hehe...excuse me."
Everyone just laughs. "That's my girl." laughed Applejack.
That night, Trend was in the shower as Applejack brushed her untied mane at the dresser. "Ah worry about Macoun sometimes Trend..." began the mare. "Our entire livelihoods revolve around apples and she can't eat them without breakin' into hives and suffocatin'"
Trenderhoof stepped out of the shower, he used his magic to dry his mane with a towel. "Calm down hun, our little Macoun is handling her condition well despite the circumstances." he walked into the room to put on his night shirt.
"It just hurts that my only daughter can't participate in some of my families traditions." she explained, hurt. "No apple pie eatin' contests, no apple cider drinkin' contests, she can't eat most of the foods traditionally eaten in the apple family reunion." she continued. "It's sad..."
"Her condition doesn't make her less of an apple." the husband explained. "You spent 26 hours in labor, naturally and without drugs to give birth to our precious foals, you are not a quitter, I know you, don't give up hope now."
"The only reason ah refused the pain killers was because ah distrust doctors." she explained with a sigh.
"I know...I know..." he chuckled. He kisses the mare's forehead. "You're my silly stubborn country mare, and I love it." he joked.
Applejack gave a small smile from the compliment. "Ah'm trying not to worry, really am, but that comes with bein' a parent and all."
"Tell me about it hun." he agreed before he got on the bed. "And don't worry, I'll take the foals to school in the morning, you just relax." he said as he started to dose off.
Applejack just smiled at the sight of her husband falling asleep. "Ah swear ya like sleepin' more than me sometimes." she laughed to herself. She got on the bed next to the stallion, tucked herself in and curled up against him. "Good night my silly city slicker." she joked before she herself fell asleep.
Tomorrow was another day.
Author's Note
A short slice-of-life story starring Applejack's family.
The regular story will resume after this.
Thank you for the support.
