Chapter 1: Date Gone Sour
Poisonous Apples Are Not Poisonous
By CrazyRandomPony
●▬▬▬▬๑۩۩๑▬▬▬▬●
"Ah' reckon you haven't been here before," Applejack stated, smiling at her date.
Here she was, in a place she'd never thought she'd be. Her hair dolled up in a braided bun to go with her brown, fluffed up asymmetrical dress with short fluffy sleeves. Quite formal for a late night meal in the Hay Burger, but for once Applejack felt as if that wasn't enough. Her counterpart stared around the room, not giving her much attention at all. Caramel.... his name was Caramel. He was the guy who kept loosing the grass seeds at Twilight's first winter wrap up. She could see why now, he couldn't focus for a mere ten seconds. Greasy is what she would call him, his hair obviously using way too much of the mixture. His ears made him look like an elf as well. A very annoying, quite the perpetual, greasy elf. Still, Applejack decided to go for it, accept his many requests for a date. What did she have to loose? Her dignity was already long gone.
"Mmmhmm. The... lights.... yes the lights are very intriguing."
Sure they are. Caramel sounded more and more like a sleazebag the more she talked to him. Maybe she should have worn perfume...?
"The... pepper poppers are very good.... Would ya' like some?" Applejack offered, attempting a flirt (albeit a very terrible one).
"Yes they are," Caramel replied ignorantly, staring at something behind Applejack.
The country mare sighed, munching on one of her poppers as she stared down at her plate. She was slowly getting tired of this. Tired of the dates. Tired of the bullcrap stallions who lived in this town. Tired of always starting the conversation. And what was he staring at this time? Applejack turned in her seat, Caramel not noticing, and followed his gaze to the flank of a very lovely Lily Valley. The flower cutie mark she had apparently intrigued him.
Oh, so that's what was capturing his attention all night? Well fine then, have a date with Ms. Sexy for all she cared.
But Applejack did care, and she knew it.
With another sigh, she turned to the nearby waiter. "Check Please."
Applejack's brown slip on's clicked against the dirt road, the only sound she could hear other than the distant parties or the laughs of little foals playing hide and seek in the orchard.
Why was it so hard to find someone for her? All of her friends seemed to settle down and have their cake and eat it too. Even Rainbow Dash! She had meet some Wonderbolt guy named Sourin' and just went head over heals for him. All of her friends were head over heels for somepony who was head over heels for them. Applejack wouldn't say she's exactly jealous, she didn't want any of their coltfriends or anything. But she did want someone to watch over her, help her work the long hours in the orchard, surprise her with an apple fritter or two in the morning, help her build a small barn where they could live peacefully. Maybe she didn't even want that, but at least some attention from time to time. It may have been a bit strange but, she wanted looks from stallions on the street, like the ones Rarity or Fluttershy got. She wanted to be in a bar, sipping her drink and then someone would walk over and buy her a drink. She wanted the few ponies who did ask her out to notice her. Hang on her every word, laugh at her jokes, listen to her stories and then told their own. Applejack even considered the same sex but it wasn't happening, she just didn't swing that way. Sometimes she wished she did so that she'd have a larger dating pool.
But alas, it was all for not, she just couldn't find anyone.
Applejack couldn't help but look through one of the shops windows, only to find she was next to the Cake Shop. There was a couple, a pegasus and an earth pony, each of them pointing to a display of many white cakes. They were getting married.
Curiosity got the best of her as she stopped walking and watched the scene. The mare feathermarked the stallion before walking over to more cakes, which seemed to result in a blush and a laugh. Obviously a young couple, they each looked at a cake with decorative white roses and seemed to agree on it. Mr. Cake smiled at them, writing down the cake order for when and where. The stallion kept looking at the mare as if she were the most precious thing in the universe, and the mare seemed to notice, but didn't say anything about it. Mr. Cake must have cracked a joke, since the couple started laughing together, the mare's wing draped over her fiance'.
What would Applejack give for something like that? How many nights has she cried herself to sleep because she doesn't have anything like that?
The cowpony soon realized she was invading the couples privacy, and she really should just walk home. So, she forced herself to look away, and continued down the pathway to home, which wasn't that far away. Just a few more blocks and she'd be there. Home sweet home.
Soon, she walked through the barn door, closing the door quietly as to not disturb anyone's slumber. She untied the braided bun Granny Smith had done up for her, and carefully took off her shoes, which were homemade along with the dress. She was so proud of Apple Bloom for making that. Her little sister was finally growing up.
Applejack sniffled, trotting up the stairs and into her room, shutting the door. She looked around for a few seconds, now realizing she didn't want to sleep. But being part of this family told her that she had to if she was going to get any work done. She shimmied out of her dress, tossing it into the laundry bin that was next to the door. She made her way over to her bed, pausing to look at her reflection in the vanity mirror. Was she not good enough? Applejack had always thought she was at least a little pretty, but now she wasn't so sure. She shouldn't be thinking like this, she should be happy she had her family and friends, and she should be confident about her looks.
But what was the point?
Rubbing her eyes, she tossed herself into bed, staring at the ceiling for a bit.
I wont cry...
She turned over, shoving her face into her pillow.
I will not cry...
Not but two seconds after she said that, she sobbed into her pillow, muted the noises so her siblings and Granny wouldn't hear.
Author's Note
Sad, I know. The term 'feathermarking' can be found in the fanfiction here.
