Applejack chomped down into a freshly-bucked apple, the crisp crunch sounding out. As she did, Twilight bit into her own apple, both looking out onto the trees which had produced such delicacies from atop the hill they'd claimed as their own. This was their fifth date, and it was late in Autumn now, Applejack just having finished her shift bucking trees and harvesting the ripe fruit, and Twilight having helped her and Big Mac in the field, turning what used to be days worth of work into a matter of a few minutes with her magic.

Applejack was usually a very proud pony, refusing help from friends unless she really needed it, relying on her family to help her out...but that was just it; Applejack viewed Twilight as family now. "Twi, t'day was wonderful. Even hard work's better with such a beautiful an' talented mare beside me." Applejack said happily, cuddling up against Twilight, feeling her wing wrapped around her back as they simply held each other close. Despite usually being exhausted after a day of harvesting apples, Applejack felt only the slightest bit tired, with Twilight's magic making harvesting much easier than it usually was.

Twilight blushed at the compliment. "Well, I'm just glad you let me help instead of running yourself ragged like you usually do." Twilight said, leaning into her stalwart mare-friend, sneaking a breif kiss on the top of her muzzle. "Plus, that means you're still nice and energetic for me..." Twilight said, giving a suggestive glance.

"Now now Twi, none of that right now." Applejack said in a fake lecture, "Ah may not be exhausted, but Ah still smell a mite rank. After all, we did just walk right over here from the orchard an' Ah ain't had a chance t' shower yet."

Twilight simply smiled as she got close and buried her muzzle into the farm-mare's tied mane, finding that she indeed smelled of a hard day's work, but also finding that she was quite alright with that. "I don't mind." Twilight said sensually, her muzzle still buried in Applejack's hair before suddenly she pulled back – and held in her muzzle were the red bands that had held the mane captive.

Applejack felt as her mane fell free, shaking her head so it would go over her back instead of to the side. "Y'know how long it takes t' put my mane up like that?" she asked, looking to the causation of her now-loose mane, the pony responsible still holding her red hair-bands in her mouth and backing them with a grin.

"Oh...about five seconds?" Twilight answered after she sat them down, earning a huff.

"Heh, yeah, sounds 'bout right." Applejack conceded with a smile, before feeling Twilight's muzzle go back into her mane, her nose trailing along her neck now and making her shudder. "C'mon Twi...I'm all sweaty and dirty..."

"What if I said I liked you as a dirty mare?" Twilight asked with a smirk and a more than suggestive voice, Applejack simply remaining silent for a while, not sure how to respond. "Besides, I like your mane down. It makes you even more beautiful to me, if that were even possible."

Applejack shuddered as Twilight started placing kisses on her neck now, small fireworks of pleasure going through her. "C'mon Twi... Ah really need t' shower 'fore we get intimate..." Applejack said, but it was only half-hearted. Before she knew it, Twilight was on top of her now as she'd been rolled over onto her back, softly pressed into the blanket their meal had once laid upon before being swept away in Twilight's magic and into the grass, their apples also long ago dropped and forgotten.

Soon, Applejack felt the soft, apple-flavored lips of her lover meet her own and gave a quiet moan of satisfaction as Twilight laid upon her, their chests meeting and her hooves wrapping around Twilight's barrel. They kissed softly for a while, simply enjoying the feeling of the other's lips on their own, before Twilight tapped Applejack's closed teeth with her tongue, asking permission to enter.

Twilight pressed on carefully, her tongue tracing Applejack's teeth until suddenly the wall of enamel parted as she'd wordlessly requested, her tongue suddenly pressing deeper into her mate's maw now. Twilight moaned softly as she felt Applejack's tongue start to duel with hers, that flexible muscle against her own bringing a whole new world of sensations to her as she felt her back tingle, her wings flaring up on reflex as Applejack let out a quiet moan of her own in turn as she started grinding up against her.

Ever since she had used that weird, but REALLY wonderful, penis spell on herself and had sated Applejack's heat with it, she realized Twilight had gotten much more physical with her as of late, and much more open about some things about herself that she'd usually keep hidden, even with her best friends.

They'd talked about their hopes and dreams, their deepest desires, and their darkest secrets since that day of such close bonding. Twilight even admitted to her that she had a phobia of quesadillas, and though Applejack had no idea how anypony could fear a delicious, cheesy snack such as that, she accepted it as just being part of who Twilight was.

In present times, as their make-out session ended after only a few minutes, Twilight finally rolled off of Applejack, leaving the orange farm-mare panting softly as she herself was. "Wow, that was great...as always..." Twilight said, then feeling a pair of strong hooves pulling her down to lay beside their owner and giving a quiet 'oof' as she'd softly hit the blanket. Applejack and Twilight both felt like they knew everything about the other, physically and otherwise, but Applejack wanted to know one more thing – or at least confirm it – before asking Twilight that question she intended to today.

"Hey Twi? Yknow when we, well, 'did th' do' while Ah was in heat?" Applejack said, receiving a nod from Twilight, with them now holding a dreamy expression at the steamy memories, their eyelids hooded as they stared into each others eyes; "Well, Ah was thinkin'...do y' really wanna have foals with me, like that? After we're married 'a course. Ah've always wanted to have a large family ever since I was a li'l'un, and Ah wanted to make sure that was OK with y'all."

Twilight laid and thought for a while, before nodding. "I've always wanted to have a foal or few myself, but never really gave it any active thought given all of my other responsibilities; from my studies, to saving Equestria time and time again, then to my princess duties, I've never really had a chance to just settle down and consider motherhood. But yes, I do want to have foals one day."

Applejack smiled and nuzzled against her, with Twilight wrapping a hoof around her crest in response and squeezing her against herself. "Ahm glad t' hear that." Applejack said, "That'll make this that much easier knowin' that." the farm-mare then stood and went to the picnic basket, lifting the cloth and reveling something she'd kept hidden underneath it until now; a thin and long red box, knowing what it contained could very well change their life forever as she took it out carefully.

Twilight was somewhat disappointed by the loss of her lover's muzzle and warmth against her, but her curiosity overwhelmed her as she saw Applejack walk over to the basket. As she saw a thin, long box be removed however, she quickly found her desire to know what it was grow.

Applejack then came over with the box in her mouth, before setting it down in front of Twilight. "Twi, Ah have somethin' very important t' ask you." she said, then kneeling before Twilight. Applejack then opened the box, revealing a medieval-style bracelet studded with diamonds and a single emerald in the center. Twilight was stunned at what was transpiring so suddenly, as there in front of her was an antique Earth-Pony engagement bracelet, its olden-Earth-pony style distinct from any other jewelry ever produced, reproductions notwithstanding.

Applejack cleared her throat, then looked into her mare-friend's eyes, bracing herself for what she was going to say, butterflies dancing in her stomach. "Twi, these past years Ah've been your friend, and these past months Ah've been your mare-friend, have been the best times of mah life. Ah've never felt so loved, so accepted, by anypony as much as by you. You've taught me so much about mahself, and showed me so much about you, and everything you've shown me about yerself has only made me love you more. You helped me when Ah needed somepony but was too stubborn t' ask, you've saved mah life countless times, you've showed me so much love..." Applejack paused as she realized she was tearing up, seeing Twilight's eyes also starting to water.

"Twi, what Ah wanted t' ask you today...is this. Princess Twilight Sparkle, would y' do me th' great honor of acceptin' me, this simple farmer gal, as yer wife?" Applejack asked, giving a warm smile as she did despite being beyond nervous, her heart nearly thumping through her chest. As Twilight remained silent, a shocked expression on her face for quite some seconds, Applejack started to grow anxious, shifting in place. When Twilight suddenly, virtually body-slammed her in a tight hug, and Applejack felt her muzzle mash against hers when they hit the ground with Twilight on top, she found their lips meeting as she started kissing her passionately, and knew her worry was for naught.

They continued kissing for a while, Twilight not wanting it to end, holding her lover close to her as such an important decision was made. They lay together, with Twilight atop Applejack, as the prior met eyes with her love, her tears of joy dripping down on Applejack's muzzle.

"Applejack, I wouldn't want anypony else in the world than you to call my own. I love you so much...yes, yes, YES I will be your mare." she said, and at that Applejack's own tears started falling as she reached up and pulled Twilight into another deep kiss, before it softened to a more gentle one shortly. A kiss of soul-mates.

Eventually, they released each other from their embrace, if reluctantly, the flavor of each other on their lips still fresh in each others mouths. Applejack soon removed the bracelet from the box, lifting Twilight's hoof with her own and slipping it onto her fetlock. Twilight then gripped Applejack tightly in a hug as they sat, wrapping her wings around her back as she held her fiancee close to her, as she now always would.

"You know..." Twilight said, giggling softly, "I was going to ask you to get today too. I even have the horn-ring my mom and dad were married with on me..."

"Oh really?" Applejack asked, chuckling softly; "An' jus' how am Ah supposed to use a horn-ring with no horn?"

Twilight lit her horn and a small gold ring appeared around her neck on a gold chain, a sizable diamond in its middle. "Well, I thought about that. I know engagement necklaces are a Pegasus thing, but I was hoping it would be OK despite that. I know how important tradition is to you."

"Twi, ain't nothin' more important t' me than you, even if it means breakin' a tradition. 'sides, it's beautiful, just like mah fiancee."

"Mine too." Twilight said as she then slipped the necklace over Applejack's neck and secured the clasp, only to be met in a soft kiss. They held each other for a while more as they kissed softly, now symbolically bound as one; as a ring circles itself and a bracelet traces its own curve, their love was never-ending.

Author's Note

Yay engagements!