Applebuckin'by zG VoiDChaptersChapter 1: The New MeChapter 2: The OrchardChapter 3: Applebuckin'Chapter 4: The NewsChapter 5: The ExodusChapter 1: The New MeApplebuckin’ Inspired by the song “Applebuckin’ “ By Aviators. Written by zG VoiD Chapter 1: The New Me Another beautiful morning over Equestria. The sun is rising with its light beaming down at the lands below it. Another day is starting. All the ponies in Ponyville are waking up and leaving for their daily jobs. Yet there is one house that is empty and dim. A house that has been reserved for a family moving there from Manehatten. That family. Is arriving there soon. So soon that you can already hear the heavy caravan moving up the road. The caravan now was slowly appearing in the sight, a big brown caravan pulled by about 6 earth ponies and a lot of furniture being harnessed down on top. A caravan like this must have been from Manehatten due to the crest of Manehatten painted on the side of the caravan. The sounds of clopping hooves could be heard from far away. The Caravan entered the Ponyville town square and stopped for a second. Inside the caravan, a family of middle class ponies could be heard talking. My family is always on the move. We have yet to find that place where we can stay. That place that will bring us happiness and joy. The place that we may finally call home. We have been all over Equestria looking for that place, from Fillydelphia to Las Pegasus to Manehatten. To this place... I think that It’s about time to figure out why we are here. “Dad. Where are we again?” I asked my father because after all, he is the one in “charge” “We are in to Ponyville, Aviators. I told you that” He answered with his serious tone. He always treats me so seriously. He hardly ever has time to have fun. After that, silence has fallen for the rest of the short trip and when we arrived at the old dim house. I have decided to ask my parents if I could go for a walk around this new town. “So dad. Could I go for a walk? I would like to get used to this new town.” I asked, trying to sound as polite as possible. He was my father after all. “Aviators. Do what you please, either help me and your mother to unpack or at least go and do something.” This was something that I expected from my father. He doesn’t care too much about me nor about what I ever have to say. But I understood that, I know that we have been through a lot and that he is meant to be the “head of the family”. I decided not to help. Not because I didn’t want to. But because I wanted to get familiar with the ponies around. After all this may be the place where we actually stay for longer than 6 months... As I trotted towards the village square in hope to find out more about this location, I saw a pink pony with a mane that looked like cotton candy. Maybe she will know more about this town and maybe she can tell me where I could find a job. “Uhmm... Hello?” I asked hesitantly. I always been a little bit shy, I knew that I really shouldn't because ponies kept flattering me about my nice voice and character but I just don’t feel perfectly normal with so many unknown ponies around. “Oh, wow! I never seen you before. Are you new? are you? are you? Oh sorry. I should introduce myself, I’m Pinkie Pie. And I will be your best friend on the entire world!” She said it like she actually meant it. Is she serious? Was it even a good idea to talk to her? She seems a bit too... overactive. But she is the only pony that can tell me something about this town at the moment. Plus I just started a conversation so I just cannot back away now. Not my style. “Uhm, Hi Pinkie. My name is Aviators, I just moved into the house near the Orchard. I am interested about this town. Could you tell me something about it?” I am still thinking if it’s a good idea to talk with this mare, she seems to be very happy. Why is she so happy? Oh well, maybe she can actually tell me something useful. “Sure I can Avie. What do you want to know about this town?” … Did she just call me Avie? Oh well I can get used to it. “Umm. How about places of interest in this town?” “Ummm. You mean shops?” “... Yes...” Did she really not understand what i meant? Oh well. After all this is just a small town. “You could have said so Avie. Well there is The Sugarcube Corner, It’s a bakery and I work there. I help Mr and Mrs Cake to bake cakes and cupcakes. You should come over one day to try some. There is The Carousel Boutique which is run by my friend Rarity. She makes the best clothes around and I’m sure that she could fetch you something nice if you ask her. There is also Sweet Apple Acres. It's that orchard that you were speaking of. My friend Applejack works there, she bucks trees all day, it must be a hard work now that I think about it. There is also the Tree Library, my friend Twilight Sparkle owns it, she is a great person to ask about anything. She used to be a student of Celestia herself. Apart from these, there are also some minor shops run by ponies here and there is the Mayor’s Hall... But that’s not interesting. Is this enough Information Avie?” Well... I didn’t expect her to actually know much about this town... she looks like she just lives here day by day... but oh well. At least i somehow know the town now... “Yes, thank you, miss Pinkie Pie. I will visit your bakery someday when I get settled at my new house. Thank you for the information. Bye” I said that like it was meant to be a formal meeting... “Bye, Avie. And please, Just Pinkie. Miss Pinkie sounds too fancy and formal. After all we are friends. Right?” “ugh. Yes, Friends. Bye Pinkie...” Why am I still here? This pony really needs to calm down... “Bye,See you around!” She said with a smile. Whilst swaying a bit from left to right. God. I thought that she would never stop talking. She at least gave me some information about the town. Now I can somehow know where to go to get what. But I am interested about Sweet Apple Acres. She said that her friend Applejack works there. She also said that Applejack is a mare. But I haven’t seen any mares there... I will pay a visit to the orchard and see if they need any help. After all, this won’t be the first time that I would do manual work. I quite enjoy it. It helps to develop strength and I can learn about the town whilst I work. Tomorrow I will check the orchard. For today. I think that I will just get used to this place. I’ll walk around for awhile. To find these places that Pinkie was talking about... After all. This is meant to be a “Second Chance” to my family. A new start. But where to start? I’m guessing that I will just start looking from Pinkie’s bakery. “Pinkie? Could you please show me the way to your bakery?” “Sure. I thought that you were going now. Did you change your mind?” “No. I just need to take a tour around the town to get used to it. Maybe you could show me around?” “Sure Avie. I’ll show you all the places in Ponyville. Follow me and feel free to ask questions if you need to.” Is that Pink Pony really going to be this happy about everything? What is driving her to be that happy anyway? It’s just a small town. And i’m just a new pony here... This pony is a bit too friendly... But oh well. At least she is willing to help me around for awhile. It’s better than nothing I guess... Chapter 2: The OrchardChapter 2: The Orchard I think that this will be the last time i have ever asked Pinkie for help, She is good at guiding around. It’s just that she tends to speak a lot and constantly change subjects to something that made little, or no sense to me. But either way, now I know the place really well. Right after the breakfast. I decided to tell my parents about yesterday and the places that I have visited and the ponies that I know the name of. Of course they didn’t care much because they still had some things to unpack. They never tend to listen to me unless it’s something interesting. So I left the house and headed for the orchard. The path to the orchard wasn’t far from the house but whilst walking I had time to think about this town. It wasn’t that bad. It was a lot more happier than Manehatten, It was a lot more colourful than Manehatten. Everything here was better. Ponies here actually interacted with each other. Ponyville was like the all-better version of Manehatten. I think that I could get used to living here. As I arrived at the front door of a red house that was in the middle of the orchard I saw a orange mare running at a apple tree and with supreme expertise bucking the tree with her hind legs making all the apples fall perfectly in the baskets that were carefully placed below. Then gracefully standing there for a second. Her golden mane was bundled and it laid on her shoulder perfectly to display its full length. She had green eyes, and a stetson hat. She had this sweet, country look to her. Something that made her really interesting. So interesting that I didn’t even notice when she approached me. “Mornin’ What can ah do you for, mister?” She asked with a really interesting accent in her voice. “Uhm.. Hello. My name is Aviators. I just moved into that house that was for sale not far from the orchard.” “Oh. That house?” She said as she looked in the distance. “Yes that one. I thought that it would be polite of me to come and say hello, Pinkie also told me that you could help me find a job as well...” “Oh, Well Pinkie is kinda right. Ah need some helpin’ hooves this summer. Ah need somepony to help me buck sum trees and bring the apples down to the barn. Y’all see, me an’ my brother Big Macintosh can’t really do this alone. It would take too long. So, would Y’all be interested in helping us?” “Sure I will help you. When do you want me to come by?” “Y’all can come by ev’ry day from dawn to noon, It ain’t long but ah’ll pay ya 6 bits a day. You still interested Mr Aviators?” “Sure. And please call me Avie... Mr Aviators sounds too formal for me”... Pinkie had some influence over me after all. But she is right. It does sound too formal. “Oh kai Avie. Oh an’ how rude of me. My name is Applejack.” She put out her hoof and I shook it. “So... I’ll see you tomorrow Applejack?” I asked to kind of conclude the conversation. “Sure Avie. Also. Ya’ll can call me AJ” She said with a kind of concluding voice. a kind of serious and low toned voice. I will never understand why Applejack uses plural when talking to one person but I don’t really care. I to be honest find that accent cute somehow. That mare is very inspirational. I’ll have to somehow record this meeting in case we do move again. But how to describe that mare? Words won’t do because words are hard to put into a picture... I know. I’ll try to write something nice about her... I remember some things from Manehatten... “I have met a mare today her name is Applejack, Her beauty was to be compared to a Goddess. Her Orange skin is to be compared to the Sunrise and Sunsets over the oceans of Equestria. Her green eyes like grass show the nature of the Mare she is, Ponies say that green is the colour of Envy. Yet I only see truth, honesty and modesty in them. Her golden mane was like the sun being tied into a bundle with rose red baubles. Her small freckles on her face made her smile even prettier, they just enhanced the emotion she showed through her smile. Her coat looked so soft and smooth, it made her look so beautiful in the light when it reflected of her.” This should help me remember AJ... Although. When I re-read this... I think that I may have overdone it a bit... But it will help me remember so I will leave it as it is. Now that I have finished with the description I think that it would be time to talk to my parents about the new job. As I made my way to the living room. My parents were already waiting there. They just finished hanging some pictures on the walls and placing some china in the display cupboard. I didn’t even understand why we had that china set, we never used them nor did anypony ever see them. But oh well... “Mom? Dad? Could I talk to you two about something? It’s important” I said. kinda confident but I can never feel good talking to my parents. “Oh, Aviators. Sure you can son. What is bugging you?” My dad as always tries to act so calm no matter what it is what i want to say. “Well... I visited Sweet Apple Acres today. It’s this orchid that we live close to. That one” I pointed and continued. “I have talked to a mare that works there. Her name is Applejack. She has offered me a job and I accepted. It will pay 6 bits a day and I work from Dawn till Noon. I just wanted to warn you that I won’t be in the house at these times and now you also know where to look for me.” I felt so good that I could finish a sentence without getting interrupted. Normally my dad would call me stupid or gullible by now. But this time even he surprised me. “Well, Son. All I can say is that I’m proud of you. Just look at you. Two days here and already have a job. Also, are you planning on introducing us to that mare?” He said. Playfully... Meaning that he was trying to joke about the situation. “Ugh Dad! It’s not like that. She provided me a job and that’s all.” I kinda blushed a bit on the thought of “Introducing” Applejack to my family... “Sure son. I was only joking. Well, all I can say is good luck at your new job.” He said calmly... again this made me feel a bit weird since he never was nice to me before... “Thanks for understanding. Well I better get going. Bye Dad. Bye Mum.” “Bye Aviators.” And so I went back to my room. Happy to know that my parents approve of my new “job”. But I had a funny feeling that this job will be unique. I didn’t know why, I just had that funny feeling. Back in my room I decided to lay on my bed and think about my life so far. That I never really had a proper house and that my parents kept moving to different cities or towns because of reasons they never told me. I just went along with it all of the time and I think that was a good choice. Will this town finally be the one in which we stay? I sure hope so because I would love to. After two days here I have probably accomplished more than ever before. So I laid there for awhile, thinking and wondering about this new life that we are starting. Tomorrow will be my first day at the job. Maybe I will finally make some solid friends. Chapter 3: Applebuckin'Chapter 3: Applebuckin’ Today is the first day that I am meant to work at Sweet Apple Acres and I am already kind of late. I was meant to arrive at dawn yet I just left the house and the sun is already in sight. I don’t think that Applejack will be happy with this. I better get going to the orchard or I may get into some trouble. And so I ran to the orchard, forgetting to say goodbye to my parents and just running forwards. As I got there, Applejack was already waiting. But to my surprise she wasn’t annoyed, she was happy to see that I was even coming to help. “Good mornin’ Avie. Ah see that you are a early bird. Ah thought that you would be late” She said with a half serious, half playful tone. “Hey AJ, I thought that I was late. Where do you want me to start?” I just wanted to start working. That way I could talk with her whilst working. She is a very interesting mare. Really pretty as well... “Hold yer’ horses Avie. We can get to work later. For now, come with me. Ah’ll show you around” She said it with a laugh. She probably found it quite funny how I tried to get straight to business. I think that she is right. I don’t even know where to go and I already wanted to start. Let’s learn about it before I try to haste into something again. So as we walked around the farm and AJ told me about the buildings and her family I decided for a unknown reason to ask her something. “AJ. Would you like to hang out after work? I would like to hear more of your stories” I said this so confidentially but then I realised that she could take it the wrong way... “Uhmm. Sure Avie. We could go to the lake. It’s not far away, But may ah know why would you want to hear mah stories? Ah should be askin’ about you Avie.” She was very surprised by the question. I am not surprised, it’s like I asked her for a date... “Well... I just wanted to know more about you and your family. Your family sounds interesting and uhm... I just wanted to talk to somepony... umm...” This is probably the most awkward situation I have ever been in. I think I should just stop talking about it... “Oh-Kai Avie... We’ll talk later at the lake. Now let’s get to work, shall we?” She said that with her accent making it sound... somehow cute... I have learned about her family and her plans, not a lot but I can see that she is really ambitious about what she wants to accomplish. That day, we have been working all day buckin’ trees and occasionally talking with each other. Spending time with Applejack was really relaxing, she is a really calm and understanding mare to talk with. All the mare’s in Manehatten are mostly self centred or too “urban” to take you seriously. Applejack is completely different. As the sun came to being directly over our heads, We have finished our work and met up at the barn. We planned to go to the lake after all. “Hey Avie, Y’all ready to go to the lake?” She said with little, if any, tiredness in her voice. She must have been bucking for a long time to develop such stamina and endurance. But what’s there for me to guess, I should ask about how long she has been doing this at the lake. “Yea AJ. I just gotta drop this last basket of at the barn.” I must have sounded tired as heck compared to her. But in the end. This was the first job that involved such physical finesse. And so, as I dropped of the last basket next to all the other ones, I felt great relief. Not because all the apples were finally off my back. But because now I can get to know this mare a lot more. The road to the lake wasn’t long, nor hard to remember. We talked a tiny bit during our walk there but I was mostly focusing on the path and the scenery around us. In Manehatten, there weren’t many places like this. Where you could be one on one with the nature. All the trees, birds and animals that walked past ever so peacefully. All these things were better than Manehatten, everything we had there was normally due to the economy of the city or the fact that somepony bought some land and placed a factory there, all the animals moved away and the trees are gloomy due to the pollution. This place? Is like a paradise. Clean air, sounds of nature, and after all. Me and Applejack. As we got closer to the lake. The sounds of the water flowing intensified, me and AJ haven’t talked for a while now, I am guessing that’s because we enjoy these sounds of nature and our company itself. Silence dominated between us until we arrived at the lake, The beautiful sight of nature and the lake overcame me for a while. I was speechless. No such place existed in Manehatten, The best we had was the beach but that was polluted by factories as well. Such a waste. And now, me and AJ were just staring there. Staring at the water. She sat close to me. Now not only was I silent due to the beauty of the land, I was also somewhat extremely comfortable with the mare sitting so close to me. Although I hardly knew her. I liked it. “So Avie, What’cha wanted to talk about?” She asked to break the silence. I had to think about this one to not sound like a complete idiot or anything by blabbering out my first thoughts... “...How long have you been in the Buckin’ business?” I asked as softly as possible. Seemed to work because AJ took a while to think about the answer which gave me more time to calm down. “All my life Avie. All my life...” She answered after a while. I was kind of confused. Did she really never had a job anywhere else? Is this really the first thing she tried? But the expertise does show that she clearly isn’t new to it. We spent the rest of the day by the lake. Talking and staring. Me, mostly at her. I was wondering. How could I make this moment last. With Applejack here with me. But nothing came to my mind apart from “Enjoy this moment.” It was getting late now. The sun was sinking behind the trees. The sky turned darker and we were getting tired. “Another Summer day is over huh Avie?” she asked softly whilst nudging me. Bringing me out of this trance of admiring the beauty around me. “Oh... Yea. We should get back now. It’s getting dark.” I said with a smile. To hide the fact that I paid no attention to anything but her. And so we went back to Sweet Apple Acres. Before I went back to my house. We talked for a while longer. Just to conclude the day. I wanted the moment to last as long as possible but it seemed impossible. After all. I have to come back here tomorrow. “Avie, Ah suggest you go an’ get yer sleep. Tomorrow is another busy day.” She said with a really caring voice. So caring that there is no way that I could ever refuse it. And so I went. Under the shadow of the night. I had couple of minutes of walking so I began thinking again about if this would be the place where I would spend the rest of my life. I should probably stop doing so and just live the moment. After all, all my friends told me that I will find my happiness sooner or later, this could be the place. And so I arrived at my house. The sun was long gone. Darkness everywhere outside. Dim light were seen through the windows. My parents must have lit the fire again. Hopefully they won’t ask about where I have been. Chapter 4: The NewsThree months later. Chapter 4: The News Three months have passed. I have worked on the farm every day now. Slowly getting to know Applejack more and more. Visiting the lake has become part of our everyday routine as well as something that I look forward to every day. “Today wasn’t that bad now was it?” I asked AJ to conclude another day. Just before we left the lake. “Yer right Avie. It wasn’t that bad, compared to three months ago...” She said looking at the water. Looks like she was reminding herself how it was three months ago and all the memories we shared. “Applejack? Promise me that you will never forget the memories we shared. And that this will never fade.” I said as confident as ever. I knew that she would see the emotion that I tried to hide over all this time. But I didn’t care. I wanted her to know what I really felt. “Avie... Ah Promise. None of these memories will ever fade.” She said really softly whilst looking looking directly into my eyes. I knew that she understood what I meant by that. We spent some time in silence, reflecting on the time we have spent together and the things that we have went through. Time flies fast when you are having fun they say... This just proves this in many ways. Time flies too fast with Applejack next to me. Now I know that there will never be a thing that will separate us. As always. Time passes us by, the skies get darker but we decided to stay at the lake for the night. To celebrate the 3 months of hard work. Now I will have to get some wood and leaves for the campfire that we will set up. AJ has gone to get some supplies from the barn as well as some food for the night. I may bring myself to say the words that I wanted to tell her for a while. The words that I need to tell her because I wouldn’t be able to carry on without her knowing my true dedication... “Avie. Ah’m back. I got our stuff. You got the fire ready?” She shouted to me from the path. I could hear that she was close by the rustling of the leaves coming from the same direction her voice did. “I got the wood and leaves. I just need flint!” I shouted back. To my surprise the rustling was loud now. But I couldn’t see AJ anywhere. Neither could I hear her voice coming from the direction. I decided to go and look for her. And so I looked behind the brush and found her saddlebag... But AJ wasn’t there... I was beginning to feel scared now. No AJ? where could she have gone? There was no signs of her. Nor any signs that would tell me where she went. Twigs weren’t broke, The hoof prints stopped at the point where her saddlebag lays. And her stetson hat was there too... Where is she? “Applejack!! Where are you?” I shouted. I was scared now because there was no sign of her anywhere nor any sign of where she may have been... *THUD* “Hehe, I’m here Avie. You scared huh?” She said that so playfully like nothing has ever happened. “Where the heck did you fall from?” I said whilst being squashed underneath her. “Oh, Ah was up in the tree’s. Ah wanted to see if you would react to my disappearance. Ah see that you really care for me dont’cha?” With her saying this. I felt like it was the right thing to do to tell her now... The words that I always wanted to tell her... “Ugh... AJ. I really want you to know... That... I... Really do not like to be sat on like this...” I couldn’t find the courage to tell her like this. I would need to look her in the face first... “Oh... Ah’m sorry Avie. Ah’ll get off of yer.” She said with a small laugh. Making it kind of easier for me now to stand up and look into her eyes. “Is ther’ anything you want to tell me Avie?” She said with her sweet smile making it obvious that she knows what I am about to say... “Yes actually... You see. I need to tell you something. For a long time now. I have been having this feeling towards you. Something more than a friend... I like you... I really like you...” I could have not been more nervous whilst saying that. I couldn’t even keep looking into her eyes. “Oh. Avie. This is sweet an’ all... And ah have some feelings for you... You know... The Froo Froo kind of feelings... But could we please enjoy the night? We can talk about this tomorrow right?” she said so calmly but with a light blush that kind of made me feel better because now I know that I am not the only one that felt this way... And so we spend the rest of the night together. More awkwardly than we intended on doing but we still spent it together. The night sky was beautiful, the clearing in the trees gave us a clean look at the stars and the moon. The water was glimmering and reflecting each and every little star giving it a shimmering look. The trees slowly rustled around us making this peaceful noise carried through the night. The cracking noises of the flames could also be heard coming from the now dying fire. The sounds of little animals in the forest could also be heard around. This night was perfect. It was me, Applejack and nopony else around. We were alone in the nature. In the same place that we spent more than 3 months at. Now I know that this is the place that I want to spend my life at. And the mare that I wish to share it with. This was the idea I tried to imagine for so long. To live and love. But now, I should more likely enjoy the time I have together with AJ. And the calm sounds of the nature are driving us to sleep. I awoke. It was way after dawn. Me and Applejack have fallen asleep Close to the now dead fire. The birds were chirping and the nocturnal animals were now gone. And the sight of animals drinking from the lake got me to think that the simpler life is better than a busy one. But now, I have to wake up Applejack and get back to the house, after all. My family must be wondering why I still haven’t came back. And so we got up, ate the leftovers and got our belongings and started to head back towards the village. We kept talking, not about our feelings but about how we would do in the nearby future. After we got to the farm I have left Applejack and started to trot down towards my house. Whilst walking, I had a bit of time to reflect on the night and what we said to each other. I also thought about what to say to my parents to make them see that I want to spend the rest of my life here... So I walked, and thought about these things. Until I reached my house. And there I saw him, my father waiting for me. The expression on his face didn’t look good or happy at all. “Son, I have some news for you. Come with me.” He said to me. His serious tone got me to think of what could that be about. Yet nothing came into my mind. Chapter 5: The ExodusChapter 5: Exodus. “Son, I have to tell you this. We have received a message from your uncle. He has offered us a house and a stable job back in Manehatten. You will be able to go back to your friends and your old job, hopefully. We will start packing up and we will leave hopefully tomorrow after dusk.” He said. Ever so calmly and sincere making this hurt that much more. “But... Dad... I already got a job here and I don’t want to leave. I got new friends here. I can’t leave now.” I could hardly speak at this point. Sadness, confusion and anger flown through me at this point. “Look son. One day, you will understand why we have to move again. But for now, don’t make this any harder for us and just do as you are told ok?” These words flown so easily through his lips. It was hard to not notice the fact that there is no way that I could ever persuade him to think otherwise. Then silence has fallen. I did not want to argue with my father. Every time I have done in the past, it never came out good on my end. Now. I just didn’t know what to say or to do. Multiple thoughts and emotions were flowing through my head. I needed to think about this and about what I should do now. There is no way on Equestria that I should just agree to this. I promised AJ that this would never fade away. And I never break promises. But on the other hand. I cannot abandon my family. My mum and dad are the only family that I really have. The thoughts are mixing in my head so much. I do not know anymore what to say or do. I went to my room and locked myself in. I need time to think about this. If I go with my parents. AJ will be angry and all the feelings that I had for her would pain me till I die. If I stay here. The thought of having no family will pain me as well. There just isn’t a win in this situation. So I grabbed the diary from the desk by the window. And read through the pages. Bringing back memories of these 3 months spent here, they were the best 3 months in my life. The memories that reminded me of the good times that I had with AJ and her friends. And these memories, That I promised that will never fade. And so I am here. All alone, in silence. Thinking about what and who to believe more, my heart or my parents. There is no way to win in this situation. Not enough time or will is left in me to chose right now. I will have to do something about this soon though. Because either way. I can only choose one. I couldn’t sleep that night. The thoughts just overwhelmed me. I decided to tell Applejack about this. Leaving without telling her would be worse than spending some time and telling her about it. I took my diary, packed it into my saddlebag and left. It was early dawn. The sun was still to rise, it was still dark. I slowly walked down the path leading to Sweet Apple Acres, the place where I worked and enjoyed working at for three consecutive months. I stopped for a second at the front door. Thinking again if it would even be a good thing to start a day off with. But I am guessing that it is better to tell her now rather than to stay silent for the rest of my life. And so I decided to knock. I waited for a while, nopony opened the door instantly but that is because even now. Nopony normal would be awake right now. After a minute or two. The door creaked open and there she was, the mare that I hoped not to see at first. Applejack. “Mornin’ Avie. What the hay are you doing here so early?” She asked ever so calmly. Yawning a bit after the sentence. “Applejack... I have to tell you something very important. Could I please enter?” I asked, trying to hide the feelings that I had at that moment. The sadness of having to tell her the honest truth. “Of course Avie.” She said as she moved into the house, giving me some space to follow her. She sat down on a cushion in what seems to be their living room. “Take a seat and tell me what’s bitin’ ya”. “Okay.” So I sat down next to her. Trying my hardest to think of a way to tell her this without causing more trouble than it will already be. “You see AJ... My Parents. Told me that we cannot stay in Ponyville no longer. Something about my uncle in Manehatten wanting us to work there. My dad has told me that we will leave today at dusk. I just wanted to spend today with you Applejack...” Sadness has clearly shown in my voice at this time. My thoughts raced in my mind of what to say next and what to do. “Avie...” She was shocked, sadness and disappointment could be seen on her face. I couldn’t bring myself to carrying on. She knows pretty much everything that had to be said. “Avie... What about yer plans? To stay here... You even told me. That you like me... Will this end now?” She was devastated. Sadness has overtook her voice. I couldn’t look into her eyes. But I knew one thing. She was crying. “AJ... I didn’t chose for this to be this way. I love you. I don’t want to leave you. And I promised you. None of our memories will ever fade away. Trust me...” I tried to force a weak smile. It was pointless. Not only that I couldn’t force myself to smile. My feelings now were shattered. I didn’t want to harm her. But the truth had to be said. “Avie... Could we please spend today together?... Ah really want... To spend some time with yer” These words made me somewhat less sad. The fact that she didn’t just tell me to get out. But instead she wanted to spend the most amount of time as possible out of what I had left. “Of course AJ. Anything for you.” I answered. Softly, because there just wouldn’t be anything that would make me happier than spending my time with Applejack. And so, time went by and we spent most of it by the lake. The place where we said that we will never fade in each others minds. We talked and laid next to each other for almost the entire day. Telling each other stories and remembering memories that we have shared over these three months. It pains me to see the that this moment cannot last forever. But life has to carry on. As much as this will hurt me. I will never allow myself to forget about this summer. The three months of work and sitting by the lake, talking and playing. All these memories bring joy and pain. But to seek the happiest in the sad is what I tried to do. I will always remember the nights out by the lake, I will remember when we told each other that this would never fade away. The stories we told each other. And the moments that we shared Because I swear that I felt something. This summer, Applebuckin’.And to not give up hope and believe that one day, I will come back here. To Ponyville. To Applejack. The End Written by zG VoiD
Chapter 1: The New MeApplebuckin’ Inspired by the song “Applebuckin’ “ By Aviators. Written by zG VoiD Chapter 1: The New Me Another beautiful morning over Equestria. The sun is rising with its light beaming down at the lands below it. Another day is starting. All the ponies in Ponyville are waking up and leaving for their daily jobs. Yet there is one house that is empty and dim. A house that has been reserved for a family moving there from Manehatten. That family. Is arriving there soon. So soon that you can already hear the heavy caravan moving up the road. The caravan now was slowly appearing in the sight, a big brown caravan pulled by about 6 earth ponies and a lot of furniture being harnessed down on top. A caravan like this must have been from Manehatten due to the crest of Manehatten painted on the side of the caravan. The sounds of clopping hooves could be heard from far away. The Caravan entered the Ponyville town square and stopped for a second. Inside the caravan, a family of middle class ponies could be heard talking. My family is always on the move. We have yet to find that place where we can stay. That place that will bring us happiness and joy. The place that we may finally call home. We have been all over Equestria looking for that place, from Fillydelphia to Las Pegasus to Manehatten. To this place... I think that It’s about time to figure out why we are here. “Dad. Where are we again?” I asked my father because after all, he is the one in “charge” “We are in to Ponyville, Aviators. I told you that” He answered with his serious tone. He always treats me so seriously. He hardly ever has time to have fun. After that, silence has fallen for the rest of the short trip and when we arrived at the old dim house. I have decided to ask my parents if I could go for a walk around this new town. “So dad. Could I go for a walk? I would like to get used to this new town.” I asked, trying to sound as polite as possible. He was my father after all. “Aviators. Do what you please, either help me and your mother to unpack or at least go and do something.” This was something that I expected from my father. He doesn’t care too much about me nor about what I ever have to say. But I understood that, I know that we have been through a lot and that he is meant to be the “head of the family”. I decided not to help. Not because I didn’t want to. But because I wanted to get familiar with the ponies around. After all this may be the place where we actually stay for longer than 6 months... As I trotted towards the village square in hope to find out more about this location, I saw a pink pony with a mane that looked like cotton candy. Maybe she will know more about this town and maybe she can tell me where I could find a job. “Uhmm... Hello?” I asked hesitantly. I always been a little bit shy, I knew that I really shouldn't because ponies kept flattering me about my nice voice and character but I just don’t feel perfectly normal with so many unknown ponies around. “Oh, wow! I never seen you before. Are you new? are you? are you? Oh sorry. I should introduce myself, I’m Pinkie Pie. And I will be your best friend on the entire world!” She said it like she actually meant it. Is she serious? Was it even a good idea to talk to her? She seems a bit too... overactive. But she is the only pony that can tell me something about this town at the moment. Plus I just started a conversation so I just cannot back away now. Not my style. “Uhm, Hi Pinkie. My name is Aviators, I just moved into the house near the Orchard. I am interested about this town. Could you tell me something about it?” I am still thinking if it’s a good idea to talk with this mare, she seems to be very happy. Why is she so happy? Oh well, maybe she can actually tell me something useful. “Sure I can Avie. What do you want to know about this town?” … Did she just call me Avie? Oh well I can get used to it. “Umm. How about places of interest in this town?” “Ummm. You mean shops?” “... Yes...” Did she really not understand what i meant? Oh well. After all this is just a small town. “You could have said so Avie. Well there is The Sugarcube Corner, It’s a bakery and I work there. I help Mr and Mrs Cake to bake cakes and cupcakes. You should come over one day to try some. There is The Carousel Boutique which is run by my friend Rarity. She makes the best clothes around and I’m sure that she could fetch you something nice if you ask her. There is also Sweet Apple Acres. It's that orchard that you were speaking of. My friend Applejack works there, she bucks trees all day, it must be a hard work now that I think about it. There is also the Tree Library, my friend Twilight Sparkle owns it, she is a great person to ask about anything. She used to be a student of Celestia herself. Apart from these, there are also some minor shops run by ponies here and there is the Mayor’s Hall... But that’s not interesting. Is this enough Information Avie?” Well... I didn’t expect her to actually know much about this town... she looks like she just lives here day by day... but oh well. At least i somehow know the town now... “Yes, thank you, miss Pinkie Pie. I will visit your bakery someday when I get settled at my new house. Thank you for the information. Bye” I said that like it was meant to be a formal meeting... “Bye, Avie. And please, Just Pinkie. Miss Pinkie sounds too fancy and formal. After all we are friends. Right?” “ugh. Yes, Friends. Bye Pinkie...” Why am I still here? This pony really needs to calm down... “Bye,See you around!” She said with a smile. Whilst swaying a bit from left to right. God. I thought that she would never stop talking. She at least gave me some information about the town. Now I can somehow know where to go to get what. But I am interested about Sweet Apple Acres. She said that her friend Applejack works there. She also said that Applejack is a mare. But I haven’t seen any mares there... I will pay a visit to the orchard and see if they need any help. After all, this won’t be the first time that I would do manual work. I quite enjoy it. It helps to develop strength and I can learn about the town whilst I work. Tomorrow I will check the orchard. For today. I think that I will just get used to this place. I’ll walk around for awhile. To find these places that Pinkie was talking about... After all. This is meant to be a “Second Chance” to my family. A new start. But where to start? I’m guessing that I will just start looking from Pinkie’s bakery. “Pinkie? Could you please show me the way to your bakery?” “Sure. I thought that you were going now. Did you change your mind?” “No. I just need to take a tour around the town to get used to it. Maybe you could show me around?” “Sure Avie. I’ll show you all the places in Ponyville. Follow me and feel free to ask questions if you need to.” Is that Pink Pony really going to be this happy about everything? What is driving her to be that happy anyway? It’s just a small town. And i’m just a new pony here... This pony is a bit too friendly... But oh well. At least she is willing to help me around for awhile. It’s better than nothing I guess...
Chapter 2: The OrchardChapter 2: The Orchard I think that this will be the last time i have ever asked Pinkie for help, She is good at guiding around. It’s just that she tends to speak a lot and constantly change subjects to something that made little, or no sense to me. But either way, now I know the place really well. Right after the breakfast. I decided to tell my parents about yesterday and the places that I have visited and the ponies that I know the name of. Of course they didn’t care much because they still had some things to unpack. They never tend to listen to me unless it’s something interesting. So I left the house and headed for the orchard. The path to the orchard wasn’t far from the house but whilst walking I had time to think about this town. It wasn’t that bad. It was a lot more happier than Manehatten, It was a lot more colourful than Manehatten. Everything here was better. Ponies here actually interacted with each other. Ponyville was like the all-better version of Manehatten. I think that I could get used to living here. As I arrived at the front door of a red house that was in the middle of the orchard I saw a orange mare running at a apple tree and with supreme expertise bucking the tree with her hind legs making all the apples fall perfectly in the baskets that were carefully placed below. Then gracefully standing there for a second. Her golden mane was bundled and it laid on her shoulder perfectly to display its full length. She had green eyes, and a stetson hat. She had this sweet, country look to her. Something that made her really interesting. So interesting that I didn’t even notice when she approached me. “Mornin’ What can ah do you for, mister?” She asked with a really interesting accent in her voice. “Uhm.. Hello. My name is Aviators. I just moved into that house that was for sale not far from the orchard.” “Oh. That house?” She said as she looked in the distance. “Yes that one. I thought that it would be polite of me to come and say hello, Pinkie also told me that you could help me find a job as well...” “Oh, Well Pinkie is kinda right. Ah need some helpin’ hooves this summer. Ah need somepony to help me buck sum trees and bring the apples down to the barn. Y’all see, me an’ my brother Big Macintosh can’t really do this alone. It would take too long. So, would Y’all be interested in helping us?” “Sure I will help you. When do you want me to come by?” “Y’all can come by ev’ry day from dawn to noon, It ain’t long but ah’ll pay ya 6 bits a day. You still interested Mr Aviators?” “Sure. And please call me Avie... Mr Aviators sounds too formal for me”... Pinkie had some influence over me after all. But she is right. It does sound too formal. “Oh kai Avie. Oh an’ how rude of me. My name is Applejack.” She put out her hoof and I shook it. “So... I’ll see you tomorrow Applejack?” I asked to kind of conclude the conversation. “Sure Avie. Also. Ya’ll can call me AJ” She said with a kind of concluding voice. a kind of serious and low toned voice. I will never understand why Applejack uses plural when talking to one person but I don’t really care. I to be honest find that accent cute somehow. That mare is very inspirational. I’ll have to somehow record this meeting in case we do move again. But how to describe that mare? Words won’t do because words are hard to put into a picture... I know. I’ll try to write something nice about her... I remember some things from Manehatten... “I have met a mare today her name is Applejack, Her beauty was to be compared to a Goddess. Her Orange skin is to be compared to the Sunrise and Sunsets over the oceans of Equestria. Her green eyes like grass show the nature of the Mare she is, Ponies say that green is the colour of Envy. Yet I only see truth, honesty and modesty in them. Her golden mane was like the sun being tied into a bundle with rose red baubles. Her small freckles on her face made her smile even prettier, they just enhanced the emotion she showed through her smile. Her coat looked so soft and smooth, it made her look so beautiful in the light when it reflected of her.” This should help me remember AJ... Although. When I re-read this... I think that I may have overdone it a bit... But it will help me remember so I will leave it as it is. Now that I have finished with the description I think that it would be time to talk to my parents about the new job. As I made my way to the living room. My parents were already waiting there. They just finished hanging some pictures on the walls and placing some china in the display cupboard. I didn’t even understand why we had that china set, we never used them nor did anypony ever see them. But oh well... “Mom? Dad? Could I talk to you two about something? It’s important” I said. kinda confident but I can never feel good talking to my parents. “Oh, Aviators. Sure you can son. What is bugging you?” My dad as always tries to act so calm no matter what it is what i want to say. “Well... I visited Sweet Apple Acres today. It’s this orchid that we live close to. That one” I pointed and continued. “I have talked to a mare that works there. Her name is Applejack. She has offered me a job and I accepted. It will pay 6 bits a day and I work from Dawn till Noon. I just wanted to warn you that I won’t be in the house at these times and now you also know where to look for me.” I felt so good that I could finish a sentence without getting interrupted. Normally my dad would call me stupid or gullible by now. But this time even he surprised me. “Well, Son. All I can say is that I’m proud of you. Just look at you. Two days here and already have a job. Also, are you planning on introducing us to that mare?” He said. Playfully... Meaning that he was trying to joke about the situation. “Ugh Dad! It’s not like that. She provided me a job and that’s all.” I kinda blushed a bit on the thought of “Introducing” Applejack to my family... “Sure son. I was only joking. Well, all I can say is good luck at your new job.” He said calmly... again this made me feel a bit weird since he never was nice to me before... “Thanks for understanding. Well I better get going. Bye Dad. Bye Mum.” “Bye Aviators.” And so I went back to my room. Happy to know that my parents approve of my new “job”. But I had a funny feeling that this job will be unique. I didn’t know why, I just had that funny feeling. Back in my room I decided to lay on my bed and think about my life so far. That I never really had a proper house and that my parents kept moving to different cities or towns because of reasons they never told me. I just went along with it all of the time and I think that was a good choice. Will this town finally be the one in which we stay? I sure hope so because I would love to. After two days here I have probably accomplished more than ever before. So I laid there for awhile, thinking and wondering about this new life that we are starting. Tomorrow will be my first day at the job. Maybe I will finally make some solid friends.
Chapter 3: Applebuckin'Chapter 3: Applebuckin’ Today is the first day that I am meant to work at Sweet Apple Acres and I am already kind of late. I was meant to arrive at dawn yet I just left the house and the sun is already in sight. I don’t think that Applejack will be happy with this. I better get going to the orchard or I may get into some trouble. And so I ran to the orchard, forgetting to say goodbye to my parents and just running forwards. As I got there, Applejack was already waiting. But to my surprise she wasn’t annoyed, she was happy to see that I was even coming to help. “Good mornin’ Avie. Ah see that you are a early bird. Ah thought that you would be late” She said with a half serious, half playful tone. “Hey AJ, I thought that I was late. Where do you want me to start?” I just wanted to start working. That way I could talk with her whilst working. She is a very interesting mare. Really pretty as well... “Hold yer’ horses Avie. We can get to work later. For now, come with me. Ah’ll show you around” She said it with a laugh. She probably found it quite funny how I tried to get straight to business. I think that she is right. I don’t even know where to go and I already wanted to start. Let’s learn about it before I try to haste into something again. So as we walked around the farm and AJ told me about the buildings and her family I decided for a unknown reason to ask her something. “AJ. Would you like to hang out after work? I would like to hear more of your stories” I said this so confidentially but then I realised that she could take it the wrong way... “Uhmm. Sure Avie. We could go to the lake. It’s not far away, But may ah know why would you want to hear mah stories? Ah should be askin’ about you Avie.” She was very surprised by the question. I am not surprised, it’s like I asked her for a date... “Well... I just wanted to know more about you and your family. Your family sounds interesting and uhm... I just wanted to talk to somepony... umm...” This is probably the most awkward situation I have ever been in. I think I should just stop talking about it... “Oh-Kai Avie... We’ll talk later at the lake. Now let’s get to work, shall we?” She said that with her accent making it sound... somehow cute... I have learned about her family and her plans, not a lot but I can see that she is really ambitious about what she wants to accomplish. That day, we have been working all day buckin’ trees and occasionally talking with each other. Spending time with Applejack was really relaxing, she is a really calm and understanding mare to talk with. All the mare’s in Manehatten are mostly self centred or too “urban” to take you seriously. Applejack is completely different. As the sun came to being directly over our heads, We have finished our work and met up at the barn. We planned to go to the lake after all. “Hey Avie, Y’all ready to go to the lake?” She said with little, if any, tiredness in her voice. She must have been bucking for a long time to develop such stamina and endurance. But what’s there for me to guess, I should ask about how long she has been doing this at the lake. “Yea AJ. I just gotta drop this last basket of at the barn.” I must have sounded tired as heck compared to her. But in the end. This was the first job that involved such physical finesse. And so, as I dropped of the last basket next to all the other ones, I felt great relief. Not because all the apples were finally off my back. But because now I can get to know this mare a lot more. The road to the lake wasn’t long, nor hard to remember. We talked a tiny bit during our walk there but I was mostly focusing on the path and the scenery around us. In Manehatten, there weren’t many places like this. Where you could be one on one with the nature. All the trees, birds and animals that walked past ever so peacefully. All these things were better than Manehatten, everything we had there was normally due to the economy of the city or the fact that somepony bought some land and placed a factory there, all the animals moved away and the trees are gloomy due to the pollution. This place? Is like a paradise. Clean air, sounds of nature, and after all. Me and Applejack. As we got closer to the lake. The sounds of the water flowing intensified, me and AJ haven’t talked for a while now, I am guessing that’s because we enjoy these sounds of nature and our company itself. Silence dominated between us until we arrived at the lake, The beautiful sight of nature and the lake overcame me for a while. I was speechless. No such place existed in Manehatten, The best we had was the beach but that was polluted by factories as well. Such a waste. And now, me and AJ were just staring there. Staring at the water. She sat close to me. Now not only was I silent due to the beauty of the land, I was also somewhat extremely comfortable with the mare sitting so close to me. Although I hardly knew her. I liked it. “So Avie, What’cha wanted to talk about?” She asked to break the silence. I had to think about this one to not sound like a complete idiot or anything by blabbering out my first thoughts... “...How long have you been in the Buckin’ business?” I asked as softly as possible. Seemed to work because AJ took a while to think about the answer which gave me more time to calm down. “All my life Avie. All my life...” She answered after a while. I was kind of confused. Did she really never had a job anywhere else? Is this really the first thing she tried? But the expertise does show that she clearly isn’t new to it. We spent the rest of the day by the lake. Talking and staring. Me, mostly at her. I was wondering. How could I make this moment last. With Applejack here with me. But nothing came to my mind apart from “Enjoy this moment.” It was getting late now. The sun was sinking behind the trees. The sky turned darker and we were getting tired. “Another Summer day is over huh Avie?” she asked softly whilst nudging me. Bringing me out of this trance of admiring the beauty around me. “Oh... Yea. We should get back now. It’s getting dark.” I said with a smile. To hide the fact that I paid no attention to anything but her. And so we went back to Sweet Apple Acres. Before I went back to my house. We talked for a while longer. Just to conclude the day. I wanted the moment to last as long as possible but it seemed impossible. After all. I have to come back here tomorrow. “Avie, Ah suggest you go an’ get yer sleep. Tomorrow is another busy day.” She said with a really caring voice. So caring that there is no way that I could ever refuse it. And so I went. Under the shadow of the night. I had couple of minutes of walking so I began thinking again about if this would be the place where I would spend the rest of my life. I should probably stop doing so and just live the moment. After all, all my friends told me that I will find my happiness sooner or later, this could be the place. And so I arrived at my house. The sun was long gone. Darkness everywhere outside. Dim light were seen through the windows. My parents must have lit the fire again. Hopefully they won’t ask about where I have been.
Chapter 4: The NewsThree months later. Chapter 4: The News Three months have passed. I have worked on the farm every day now. Slowly getting to know Applejack more and more. Visiting the lake has become part of our everyday routine as well as something that I look forward to every day. “Today wasn’t that bad now was it?” I asked AJ to conclude another day. Just before we left the lake. “Yer right Avie. It wasn’t that bad, compared to three months ago...” She said looking at the water. Looks like she was reminding herself how it was three months ago and all the memories we shared. “Applejack? Promise me that you will never forget the memories we shared. And that this will never fade.” I said as confident as ever. I knew that she would see the emotion that I tried to hide over all this time. But I didn’t care. I wanted her to know what I really felt. “Avie... Ah Promise. None of these memories will ever fade.” She said really softly whilst looking looking directly into my eyes. I knew that she understood what I meant by that. We spent some time in silence, reflecting on the time we have spent together and the things that we have went through. Time flies fast when you are having fun they say... This just proves this in many ways. Time flies too fast with Applejack next to me. Now I know that there will never be a thing that will separate us. As always. Time passes us by, the skies get darker but we decided to stay at the lake for the night. To celebrate the 3 months of hard work. Now I will have to get some wood and leaves for the campfire that we will set up. AJ has gone to get some supplies from the barn as well as some food for the night. I may bring myself to say the words that I wanted to tell her for a while. The words that I need to tell her because I wouldn’t be able to carry on without her knowing my true dedication... “Avie. Ah’m back. I got our stuff. You got the fire ready?” She shouted to me from the path. I could hear that she was close by the rustling of the leaves coming from the same direction her voice did. “I got the wood and leaves. I just need flint!” I shouted back. To my surprise the rustling was loud now. But I couldn’t see AJ anywhere. Neither could I hear her voice coming from the direction. I decided to go and look for her. And so I looked behind the brush and found her saddlebag... But AJ wasn’t there... I was beginning to feel scared now. No AJ? where could she have gone? There was no signs of her. Nor any signs that would tell me where she went. Twigs weren’t broke, The hoof prints stopped at the point where her saddlebag lays. And her stetson hat was there too... Where is she? “Applejack!! Where are you?” I shouted. I was scared now because there was no sign of her anywhere nor any sign of where she may have been... *THUD* “Hehe, I’m here Avie. You scared huh?” She said that so playfully like nothing has ever happened. “Where the heck did you fall from?” I said whilst being squashed underneath her. “Oh, Ah was up in the tree’s. Ah wanted to see if you would react to my disappearance. Ah see that you really care for me dont’cha?” With her saying this. I felt like it was the right thing to do to tell her now... The words that I always wanted to tell her... “Ugh... AJ. I really want you to know... That... I... Really do not like to be sat on like this...” I couldn’t find the courage to tell her like this. I would need to look her in the face first... “Oh... Ah’m sorry Avie. Ah’ll get off of yer.” She said with a small laugh. Making it kind of easier for me now to stand up and look into her eyes. “Is ther’ anything you want to tell me Avie?” She said with her sweet smile making it obvious that she knows what I am about to say... “Yes actually... You see. I need to tell you something. For a long time now. I have been having this feeling towards you. Something more than a friend... I like you... I really like you...” I could have not been more nervous whilst saying that. I couldn’t even keep looking into her eyes. “Oh. Avie. This is sweet an’ all... And ah have some feelings for you... You know... The Froo Froo kind of feelings... But could we please enjoy the night? We can talk about this tomorrow right?” she said so calmly but with a light blush that kind of made me feel better because now I know that I am not the only one that felt this way... And so we spend the rest of the night together. More awkwardly than we intended on doing but we still spent it together. The night sky was beautiful, the clearing in the trees gave us a clean look at the stars and the moon. The water was glimmering and reflecting each and every little star giving it a shimmering look. The trees slowly rustled around us making this peaceful noise carried through the night. The cracking noises of the flames could also be heard coming from the now dying fire. The sounds of little animals in the forest could also be heard around. This night was perfect. It was me, Applejack and nopony else around. We were alone in the nature. In the same place that we spent more than 3 months at. Now I know that this is the place that I want to spend my life at. And the mare that I wish to share it with. This was the idea I tried to imagine for so long. To live and love. But now, I should more likely enjoy the time I have together with AJ. And the calm sounds of the nature are driving us to sleep. I awoke. It was way after dawn. Me and Applejack have fallen asleep Close to the now dead fire. The birds were chirping and the nocturnal animals were now gone. And the sight of animals drinking from the lake got me to think that the simpler life is better than a busy one. But now, I have to wake up Applejack and get back to the house, after all. My family must be wondering why I still haven’t came back. And so we got up, ate the leftovers and got our belongings and started to head back towards the village. We kept talking, not about our feelings but about how we would do in the nearby future. After we got to the farm I have left Applejack and started to trot down towards my house. Whilst walking, I had a bit of time to reflect on the night and what we said to each other. I also thought about what to say to my parents to make them see that I want to spend the rest of my life here... So I walked, and thought about these things. Until I reached my house. And there I saw him, my father waiting for me. The expression on his face didn’t look good or happy at all. “Son, I have some news for you. Come with me.” He said to me. His serious tone got me to think of what could that be about. Yet nothing came into my mind.
Chapter 5: The ExodusChapter 5: Exodus. “Son, I have to tell you this. We have received a message from your uncle. He has offered us a house and a stable job back in Manehatten. You will be able to go back to your friends and your old job, hopefully. We will start packing up and we will leave hopefully tomorrow after dusk.” He said. Ever so calmly and sincere making this hurt that much more. “But... Dad... I already got a job here and I don’t want to leave. I got new friends here. I can’t leave now.” I could hardly speak at this point. Sadness, confusion and anger flown through me at this point. “Look son. One day, you will understand why we have to move again. But for now, don’t make this any harder for us and just do as you are told ok?” These words flown so easily through his lips. It was hard to not notice the fact that there is no way that I could ever persuade him to think otherwise. Then silence has fallen. I did not want to argue with my father. Every time I have done in the past, it never came out good on my end. Now. I just didn’t know what to say or to do. Multiple thoughts and emotions were flowing through my head. I needed to think about this and about what I should do now. There is no way on Equestria that I should just agree to this. I promised AJ that this would never fade away. And I never break promises. But on the other hand. I cannot abandon my family. My mum and dad are the only family that I really have. The thoughts are mixing in my head so much. I do not know anymore what to say or do. I went to my room and locked myself in. I need time to think about this. If I go with my parents. AJ will be angry and all the feelings that I had for her would pain me till I die. If I stay here. The thought of having no family will pain me as well. There just isn’t a win in this situation. So I grabbed the diary from the desk by the window. And read through the pages. Bringing back memories of these 3 months spent here, they were the best 3 months in my life. The memories that reminded me of the good times that I had with AJ and her friends. And these memories, That I promised that will never fade. And so I am here. All alone, in silence. Thinking about what and who to believe more, my heart or my parents. There is no way to win in this situation. Not enough time or will is left in me to chose right now. I will have to do something about this soon though. Because either way. I can only choose one. I couldn’t sleep that night. The thoughts just overwhelmed me. I decided to tell Applejack about this. Leaving without telling her would be worse than spending some time and telling her about it. I took my diary, packed it into my saddlebag and left. It was early dawn. The sun was still to rise, it was still dark. I slowly walked down the path leading to Sweet Apple Acres, the place where I worked and enjoyed working at for three consecutive months. I stopped for a second at the front door. Thinking again if it would even be a good thing to start a day off with. But I am guessing that it is better to tell her now rather than to stay silent for the rest of my life. And so I decided to knock. I waited for a while, nopony opened the door instantly but that is because even now. Nopony normal would be awake right now. After a minute or two. The door creaked open and there she was, the mare that I hoped not to see at first. Applejack. “Mornin’ Avie. What the hay are you doing here so early?” She asked ever so calmly. Yawning a bit after the sentence. “Applejack... I have to tell you something very important. Could I please enter?” I asked, trying to hide the feelings that I had at that moment. The sadness of having to tell her the honest truth. “Of course Avie.” She said as she moved into the house, giving me some space to follow her. She sat down on a cushion in what seems to be their living room. “Take a seat and tell me what’s bitin’ ya”. “Okay.” So I sat down next to her. Trying my hardest to think of a way to tell her this without causing more trouble than it will already be. “You see AJ... My Parents. Told me that we cannot stay in Ponyville no longer. Something about my uncle in Manehatten wanting us to work there. My dad has told me that we will leave today at dusk. I just wanted to spend today with you Applejack...” Sadness has clearly shown in my voice at this time. My thoughts raced in my mind of what to say next and what to do. “Avie...” She was shocked, sadness and disappointment could be seen on her face. I couldn’t bring myself to carrying on. She knows pretty much everything that had to be said. “Avie... What about yer plans? To stay here... You even told me. That you like me... Will this end now?” She was devastated. Sadness has overtook her voice. I couldn’t look into her eyes. But I knew one thing. She was crying. “AJ... I didn’t chose for this to be this way. I love you. I don’t want to leave you. And I promised you. None of our memories will ever fade away. Trust me...” I tried to force a weak smile. It was pointless. Not only that I couldn’t force myself to smile. My feelings now were shattered. I didn’t want to harm her. But the truth had to be said. “Avie... Could we please spend today together?... Ah really want... To spend some time with yer” These words made me somewhat less sad. The fact that she didn’t just tell me to get out. But instead she wanted to spend the most amount of time as possible out of what I had left. “Of course AJ. Anything for you.” I answered. Softly, because there just wouldn’t be anything that would make me happier than spending my time with Applejack. And so, time went by and we spent most of it by the lake. The place where we said that we will never fade in each others minds. We talked and laid next to each other for almost the entire day. Telling each other stories and remembering memories that we have shared over these three months. It pains me to see the that this moment cannot last forever. But life has to carry on. As much as this will hurt me. I will never allow myself to forget about this summer. The three months of work and sitting by the lake, talking and playing. All these memories bring joy and pain. But to seek the happiest in the sad is what I tried to do. I will always remember the nights out by the lake, I will remember when we told each other that this would never fade away. The stories we told each other. And the moments that we shared Because I swear that I felt something. This summer, Applebuckin’.And to not give up hope and believe that one day, I will come back here. To Ponyville. To Applejack. The End Written by zG VoiD
