Twilight Sparkle looked over the large orchard of apple trees, breathing in the crisp scent of a late-spring morning as she looked over the vibrant greens and reds of the dozens of apple trees of Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack had invited her over to 'talk about something important', and she wasn't entirely sure what it was about. Was this about her comment that she could help on the farm at their last meeting with the others, she wondered; if Applejack finally going to accept her help with something.

Soon after, Twilight saw Applejack in the distance bucking a dead tree, a cascade of dead leaves and branches falling off around it, before with one final powerful buck with both legs, the tree let off a huge crack and fell. Twilight approached the gamboge-orange farm mare and Applejack wiped her sweaty brow with a hoof before finally noticing Twilight, giving her a smile in greeting. "Well howdy there Twi, Ahm mighty glad ya decided to come. Ah hope Ah ain't stoppin' ya from doin' nothin' important by asking ya over. Ah ain't, right?" Applejack asked, letting herself relax a bit as she realized that this was the last tree in the row. That meant she could take a break, and she could think of no better time.

"Uh, no, not at all actually. I was just going to re-re-shelve the books of the Mystical Classics but that can wait, no biggie!" Twilight said, returning her friend's smile. She always liked visiting Applejack, as with all of her other friends, but something about visiting Applejack felt...special. She wasn't sure if it was just the pure hospitality that she always showed everypony who visited, or just that she always gave Twilight the biggest, brightest welcome and smile anypony ever had. Matter of fact, Applejack was indeed the first pony to officially welcome Twilight to Ponyville, and she could never forget that.

Twilight found herself thinking about that fact more and more as they walked to the house, occasionally contributing her own two Bits to the banal talk offered, remembering how Applejack was her first friend in Ponyville; how Applejack had offered her, a complete stranger, her unbridled hospitality, having indeed invited her to have a feast at the Apple Family Reunion, and had expected nothing in return.

"Hey, uh, Twi? Y'alright there? Yer getting a kinda funny smile there." Applejack said, a mix of passive concern and mild amusement suggested in her voice from the silly face Twilight was making. Twilight simply chuckled and gave a nod back, letting her know she was indeed alright before they made their way inside the main farmhouse.

"Twi, can Ah offer ya some iced tea? Maybe a mite t' eat?" Applejack asked in her strong southern drawl as she accompanied her friend inside and seated her in the kitchen nook, with her voice a feature that made her distinctly 'Applejack' for Twilight. Twilight had found she'd always rather liked the farm mare's voice, ever since she was first sent down to Sweet Apple Acres for the Summer Sun Celebration's food preparations and she'd greeted her with the most vigorous hoof-shake she'd ever gotten. It was more of a whole-body shake really...

"Uh, Twi? Ya kinda spaced out there again...Ah asked if Ah can get ya some tea?" Applejack asked again, shaking Twilight out of her thoughts.

"Wha...? Oh! Uh, yeah, sure." Twilight said disjointedly, as though Applejack voice had suddenly manifested out of thin air. "So, what did you ask me over for? Did you need some help with something?" she asked, only to see her friend suddenly tense.

"Ah...uh...Ah need t' go get th' tea started!" Applejack suddenly exclaimed, before quickly trotting over to the stove, tossing some tea-leaves into a kettle of water and setting to boil. Something about her tone of voice was...off to Twilight. Did she seem...nervous? Applejack being nervous over something was always a bad sign.

"Applejack, is something wrong?" Twilight asked concernedly and watched as the other pony tensed again, her ear flicking nervously.

"Ah...n-no Twi, why do y' ask that?" Applejack asked as she looked back to her purple-coated friend, a wide, fake smile plastered across her face as her eyes shifted from side to side.

Twilight's eyes narrowed as she pursed her lips a bit, an expression of suspicion crossing her face. Applejack was acting strange, was nervous...and was that...was she trying to lie? "Applejack, are you sure about that?" Twilight asked, standing and approaching her friend.

"S-Sure Ahm sure...Ahm...j-jus' peachy!" Applejack said, though her body language didn't follow. She was clearly upset about something, and it was Twilight's job as the Princess of Friendship to find out what!

"What's the matter Applejack?" Twilight asked more persuasively, clearly able to tell something was wrong. Applejack never tried to lie unless something was really bothering her, indeed the Element of Honesty for a reason. "Is something on your mind?"

Applejack sighed. "Y-yeah, it's uh...it's somepony. Somepony Ah hold dear." Applejack finally conceded, before biting her lip. Applejack thought.

"Who? Is it somepony I know?" Twilight asked, looking to the gamboge-orange-coated mare before her, into her troubled emerald-green eyes, only to be interrupted by the whistle of the tea kettle right next to them.

Applejack thought. Thankful for the distraction, she virtually lunged for the whistling kettle. "Now why don't we discuss this over some tea?" she asked as she poured the tea into a pitcher, put some ice in it, and put it, two cups, and a sugar bowl on a tray, with Twilight sitting as asked and Applejack slowly pouring each a cup. Very slowly. As though she was stalling.

Once the brew had filled both cups and both sat, Applejack took a sip of her drink before giving a sigh, her eyes closed as she thought about how to go about this. Twilight horn lit as she levitated the cup of her own brew in her raspberry-red magic, taking a sip, grimacing, and adding a sugar cube to it. "Twi, we're friends, right?" Applejack asked, seeing as Twilight sat the cup down and looked to her.

"Of course we're friends Applejack. You're the first Pony in Ponyville I ever met and the first real, true friend I ever made." Twilight said, with a small smile on her face.

"W-Well Twi, Ahm mighty glad t' hear that," Applejack said nervously, her hooves kneading against the table as ponies were wont to do in times of distress. "Hey, uh, Twi? What...what would you say if Ah said Ah think Ah...love somepony?"

Twilight's eyes quickly widened a bit as she heard that subject brought up, with dating somewhat of a poor subject for her, given she'd never really focused much on it as a subject of her interests. She wasn't sure why Applejack would come to her for dating advice, as she never had really been interested in having a coltfriend; her studies, friends, or her princess duties took all of her time up. She didn't know why hadn't she chosen Rarity, or even Pinkie Pie, both of whom had been on at least a few dates in their time.

"Well Applejack, If you'd have told me of the reason of you calling me here, I could have brought some of the books I have on relationships. But generally, stallions—"

"Twi, what if...what if it ain't a stallion Ahm interested in?" Applejack interrupted, unable to even meet Twilight's eyes, a blush glowing hot on her face. "What if she's a beautiful, confident, real smart mare of status? Somepony Ah've known for years and have wanted to tell about the way Ah've felt...but never knew how. Never knew how she'd react to me...likin' her like that..."

Twilight reached over and put one of her hooves on Applejack's hoof, realizing it was lightly shaking. "Applejack, you're trembling," Twilight said calmly, with the named mare then looking up to her upon feeling her hoof land atop her own. Twilight's hoof was warm and soft, and the gesture would usually be comforting if not for the situation Applejack had put herself in by inviting her over with this on her mind.

Applejack thought, gulped, and forced herself to look into Twilight's eyes. "Twi...Ah... asked ya here ta...ta tell ya somethin'..."

Twilight nodded, offering a comforting smile. "You can tell me anything. I'm one of your best friends, and I couldn't imagine anything that could ever change my mind about you." she said, starting to softly rub on Applejack's cannon, comforting her as well as she could. She knew love could be a touchy subject, especially given that the mare in question, whom many ponies viewed as a straight-laced mare in every respect, admitted to being interested in a relation with a mare.

Applejack swallowed hard, her eyes closed as she took a deep breath, before finally speaking what she needed to, lifting the weight she'd had on her chest for years but never had the nerve to let loose. "Twi..." Applejack started, before looking the named mare dead in the eyes, "...Ah...Ah think Ah love ya."

Twilight was stark still after Applejack had said that, the soft, calming petting she'd started doing on her hoof having stopped as well. The silence in the room was palpable, the room completely quiet save for their breathing and the steady ticking of the clock. Eventually, Twilight shook herself out of her daze and cleared her throat. "Well, uh...well this...this certainly isn't what I was expecting when you asked me over..." Twilight said, following it by a nervous giggle. After all, how was she supposed to react to everything she thought she knew about Applejack being turned upside down in a second; to react to the admission of love made to her and so suddenly revealed.

Applejack looked down to her hoof with Twilight's still on it and nearly felt like crying as she'd remained quiet after what was said, a look of confusion on her muzzle. She'd messed this up hadn't she, being so sudden about her declaration like that. She could have stayed in the wonderful friendship she'd had, and yet she just had to tell Twilight about this feeling she'd had for her since not long after they'd first met, and just had to reveal what she'd held bottled up for so many evenings and nights alone in her room, loneliness deep in her heart...

"Twi, Ahm...Ahm real sorry Ah wasted yer time with mah silly nonsense." Applejack started, growing more upset before feeling a light pressure on her hoof again. As she looked up, she saw Twilight smiling softly, finding her purple hoof now wrapped fully around her own.

Twilight seemed undeterred by what Applejack had said, instead simply holding onto her hoof, softly squeezing a bit on occasion. "Applejack, you could never waste my time." Twilight started, Applejack detecting a nervous expression on Twilight's face but still she continued to speak; "When I spend time with you, it's like...it's like I can just relax. With other ponies, even our other friends, it seems like...I have to put an act on for them, you know. Be who they expect me to be with them, and then be who society expects me to be as a Princess as well. But you...you Applejack, are different. With you, I just feel like I can let my mane down so to speak; just have some apple cider and chew the hay. Just relax and be myself."

"It's like you'd never judge me for anything I say, and you'd never expect me to do something beyond what you know I could do. You're just you Applejack, and you like me...you like me for just being me. That's why I could never judge you Applejack, because I know you could never judge anypony else."

Applejack felt as Twilight's hoof gripped a bit tighter, and suddenly the latter leaned forward, closer and closer before finally Applejack felt something warm and soft next to her upper lip and on her muzzle. It would seem Twilight had tried to kiss her on the lips but missed, kissing the side of her muzzle instead. Despite it being unexpected, and rather an adorkable act she had to admit, Applejack decided to right the miss and shifted her muzzle to meet Twilight's, then pushed into a rather delightful sensation of her lips meeting her friend's.

Twilight gave a slightly startled, confused 'mmph?!' from the sudden, surprisingly pleasant feeling of another's lips on her own, and despite being the one who had started it, let herself melt into Applejack's kiss; melting into her very first kiss. Applejack heard a quiet, feathery 'poomph' from in front of her, and from her experience of being around Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash so much, she was sure that it was Twilight's wings flaring out either in surprise...or possibly arousal?

Applejack herself was surprised she was kissing Twilight but still she continued, their muzzles and lips suddenly, softly grinding together as Twilight pressed back into her, their breathing increasing a pace as did their actions. Applejack held Twilight in the gentle kiss for a good long while, with her taking the lead as the only one with any apparent experience and Twilight simply let her, with both enjoying the tingles rolling up and down their spines. It all felt so...right to her.

Twilight eventually felt as Applejack relented now after what felt like an eternity of pleasure later, leaving her to catch her breath as she apparently did the same when their muzzles parted. Both mares had a hot blush glowing on their faces, Applejack's Stetson now askew and Twilight's wings fully erect behind her.

It was silent for a while before Twilight finally looked back to Applejack, with her hoof still holding her friend's tightly all throughout their osculation, not having wanted to let go. "Applejack, I..." Twilight stuttered, as though digging for the words, seemingly unable to find them and only giving a frustrated huff as they'd eluded her.

Both simply looked at each other for a while as they held hooves over the small dinette table, each holding a small smile before Applejack leaned in for another kiss. Twilight gladly accepted it, leaning forward to the orange muzzle approaching her and letting the farm mare's muzzle so gently, delicately overtake hers again, electricity rolling down her spine as she felt their lips connect again, a passive flavor of apple entering her mouth and making her realize that Applejack must have recently eaten one. That flavor was mixed with the tea from just now and another distinct flavor; one that could only be Applejack's own. Twilight found herself quite liking that flavor most of all.

Suddenly, Applejack felt as Twilight's tongue tapped on her teeth, and opened her mouth on instinct. Twilight's tongue was clearly inexperienced but even still the sensation of another's tongue on Applejack's own was quite something, stronger tingles going up her spine as she found herself straining against the table to get closer to Twilight. Reluctantly Applejack broke the kiss, getting a confused look from Twilight as she then stood.

Soon, however, Applejack trotted over and resumed the kiss, this time surprising the other mare as she rolled her onto her back on the dinette bench, Applejack then standing on her back hooves and leaning over her she resumed the kiss, her chest rubbing against Twilight's. Twilight was once more surprised at how...assertive Applejack was being but let herself be pinned so lovingly against the bench, letting Applejack's lips meet hers again, letting her own forehooves curl around her back and held her tightly. This was all so sudden, so random...yet it all felt so right to her. It felt so...nice.

Minutes later, Applejack finally relented, ending the kiss with a strand of their mixed saliva joining them together for but a moment before it snapped. Applejack backed up and got onto all fours again but Twilight still laid there, staring into space...and thinking. Thinking of how safe Applejack always made her feel, and how she was always the bastion for the group; a reliable, stalwart ally who would ground anypony who thought they couldn't do something that she truly knew they could.

Ever since Applejack saved her from falling off that cliff all those years ago, and had comforted her to let go at the right time into the arms of safety, Twilight had always felt safer next to Applejack. She felt like she could be beside Applejack in any situation, and that she would always have her back, no matter what they may face; may it be a hydra, or a magic-stealing centaur from Tartarus, or simply somepony with power and a chip on their shoulder who needed a stern talking-to.

Finally, Twilight seemed to find the words that had so evaded her earlier as she lay there, panting lightly from the sensual overload her first kiss had given her, a swirl of emotions and nervousness flowing through her as she considered the words that she'd found. The words she spoke with the upmost sincerity as she lay prone on her back still, Applejack looking lovingly down upon her.

"Applejack...I think...that I love you too." Twilight stammered, and Applejack only nodded, before leaning over her and giving her another soft kiss.

"Twi, would...would ya maybe wanna...hang out sometime? Like, maybe as...more than friends?" Applejack asked with a hint of her hesitance from earlier coming back. Everything was moving so fast now, and she was having trouble keeping up. As Twilight leaned up and gave her a quick peck on the top of her muzzle, Applejack couldn't help but smile as she looked downwards at her friend.

"I would love to, Applejack." Twilight said, unsure about what opening this door may bring but knowing that this is what she wanted. She wanted Applejack.

Author's Note

And so it begins.