Author's Note

Sorry for the long wait. NineTailBeastBall and I finally finished re-writig the 2nd chapter of this story, so I hope you all like it and be sure to follow my editor for the amazing work he's done for me and remember to stay tuned for more and to keep on bronying on.

A Darin' Rescue

You experienced for the first time how a farmer wakes up as you heard the loud cry from one of the roosters. It was a good thing no one was around to see you as you fell off the hay bail. You picked yourself up and dusted off your clothes before heading into the house.

As you walked inside, you noticed Apple Bloom walking downstairs, stretching her arms out and yawning adorably like she had just woken up. She almost looked exactly like how your adorable sister looked when she got out of bed.

Except with Apple Bloom, she doesn’t have a pillow head. “Good morning, Apple Bloom. Did you sleep well?” you asked, to which the young filly nodded.

“Ah can tell ya slept pretty good, too. Ya woke up at the right time, breakfast will be ready real soon,” she said with a smile that was almost too cute for you to handle.

Judging from the large number of trees on the farm, the Apple family must be very hard workers. If you’re going to be working with them, a good breakfast was definitely in order. As tough as it was to do hard labor, you were willing to work in a diligent manner to repay the family for giving you a place to stay.

Walking into the kitchen, you took in the delicious smell of French toast with slices of apple pie and some delicious milk to wash it all down. Of course you saw that it Granny Smith was the one who was preparing it all.

“Mornin’ deary. Did ya wash yer hands?” Granny Smith asked. Having good manners, you went over to the nearby bathroom to do as she had requested. By the time you came back into the kitchen, you saw that Applejack had come downstairs as well.

“Howdy sugarcube,” she said sweetly as you took a seat next to her. “Y’all better get yer fill, cause work today is gonna be busy.”

“I will. Thank you for the meal, Granny Smith,” you replied before you started eating.

Remembering what Applejack said yesterday, she needs help harvesting the apples so she could then sell them at the town’s market. This would honestly be your first time doing any farm work, but even if it gets rough, the Apple family is gonna be a much better help to you. With that in mind, you returned your focus to your breakfast, marveling the unique taste of the french toast.

“Take yer time sugarcube,” she chuckled “We still got have an hour before gettin’ to work. Jus’ a lil’ fair warnin’, don’ eat so fast or you’ll make yer stomach burst.”

You took one look at AJ and nodded before putting on the brakes on your eating. The last thing that you wanted to happen was to end up vomiting on the job. Such an incident would be humiliating to both you and the Apples.

After you finished breakfast and helped Granny Smith with the dishes, it was time to head out with the Apple siblings into the orchard and began harvesting apples. First, you watched Applejack and Big Mac as they both kicked the apple trees one by one and caused them all to drop the apples into the baskets.

You attempted to do as they did, but all that did was make your leg hurt and only caused one apple to fall... on your head. Of course, it didn’t hurt too much to get the job done any faster. You tried tackling the trees, but that didn’t do any good and only made your shoulder hurt. That and another apple fell, but this time, it fell in the basket.

This turned out to be a lot harder than it looked. Nonetheless, you still weren’t about to give up and decided to climb up onto the branches and handpick the apples from the branches and even shake them off of the branches and into the baskets. Your little trick was actually starting to work and even Applejack and Big Mac were impressed by your creative way to get the apples out of the trees.

Once the tree you were in was out of apples, you got down and immediately moved on to the next one. As you began to climb, you noticed that this tree had a few apples that didn’t look good for eating. You decided to hold off on shaking this tree and just hand pick the apples.

While picking apples, one of the branches snapped and you accidentally fell to the ground with an audible thud. Shaking off the pain, you stood up and dusted the dirt and grass from your pants and were about to climb up until Applejack came to check up on you.

“Y’all alright sugarcube?” she asked placing a hand on your shoulder concerned.

“Yeah, I just fell, that’s all. Though it’d probably be safer if I picked apples from a thicker branch,” you chuckled after shaking off the pain completely. Once the ache in your back was gone, you attempted to climb the tree again. However, Applejack stopped you for a moment.

“Hold on there, sugarcube. How ‘bout ya grab a stool an’ just pick them apples by hand. If ya ain’t careful, y’all could fall on yer head,” she suggested.

“...Yeah, I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry,” you agreed after considering Applejack’s advice for a moment. You allowed the cowpony to lead you to the barn. Inside, you and Applejack took out a stool that was tall enough for you to reach the apples. It was two steps up and had handlebars to hold onto, just the right size for finishing your task.

Bringing the stool out and setting it beside the tree you had yet to start on, you thanked Applejack and got back to work. Once again handpicking the apples from the tree, you were careful not to lose your balance and fall over again.

You learned from your last mistake and without falling even once, you picked three more apple trees within a few hours. Looking down at the last apple you had pulled out as you held it in your hand, you wiped the sweat from your forehead.

“Alright hun, it’s time for a lunch break,” you heard Applejack say. Time sure flies by when you’re working outdoors, and you’ve worked up quite an appetite the last couple of hours.

Licking your lips at the thought of more of Granny Smith’s food, you allowed Applejack to guide you back into the house. Big Mac and Apple Bloom had caught up to the two of you and were now following close behind.

“Come ‘n get it, youngins! Lunch is served,” Granny Smith called out. Once inside, you caught the smell of the delicious food Granny Smith has prepared for you and her grandkids. Looking at the table, you saw plates of caramel apples, apple fritters and a salad to boost up energy.

“The food looks delicious, Granny Smith. Thank you,” you said with a grateful smile.

“It was mah pleasure, deary. Now go on up an’ git yerselves all cleaned up. Y’all can eat after ya wash up,” she said. You did as you were told and went upstairs to the bathroom. You proceeded to wash your hands and your face. You dried yourself off and headed out of the bathroom and let the apple siblings wash up.

With all the dirt and sweat cleaned off of your hands, you made your way to the dining table and sat down, but chose to wait for the others. To no surprise, it wasn’t long before the Apples returned to the kitchen.

“Well it seems we’re all ready to eat! Ah’ve got a hankerin’ fer a nice big meal!” Applejack said, rubbing her stomach. She and her other siblings sat down alongside Granny Smith. Once we were given permission, we all grabbed a plate each and served ourselves some lunch. It was no surprise Big Mac and Applejack finished their lunches faster.

“Mighty thanks fer the tasty lunch, Granny,” AJ said, patting her stomach. You felt the urge to chuckle from how cute she was when she did that.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac added.

You decided to start a conversation, wondering if you would be doing the same kind of work tomorrow. Not that you were complaining about picking apples, it’s just now occurring to you that maybe there are some other jobs on the farm to take care of. Maybe there’s a couple of farm animals to feed, or some seeds that need to be planted out in the fields as well as plowed.

“Somepony is eager, ain’t he?” Applejack chuckles before she playfully nudges you.

“Well you’ve got me on that,” you admitted before joining in on the laughter. “Plus you guys treat me a whole lot better than how I was treated in my last job. I never even experienced how great a homemade meal felt in such a long time. To me, that’s more rewarding than all the money in the world,” you said before finishing your meal.

“That’s mighty kind of ya to tell us, sugarcube. They say anypony who pours their heart ‘n soul into their hard work, they’re rewarded with somethin’ more valuable than all the bits in the world. It does me an’ mah family good to know yer enjoyin’ yer first day workin’ at Sweet Apple Acres,” Applejack said, patting your shoulder.

“We may not be the richest ponies in all o’ Ponyville, but we’re all still proud o’ how we can provide our apples to all o’ the hungry ponies,” Granny Smith added.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed as simply as ever.

Since you got done with your lunch during your little conversation with the Apple family, you made yourself more useful by bringing your plate and fork to the sink and washed your own dishes before getting back to work.

After washing your dishes and putting them away, you followed Applejack outside where she leads you to the pig pen. “Think ya got what it takes to feed them there piggies?” she asked.

“Sure, I can do it,” you replied, nodding your head.

“Good, take this here bucket o’ scraps and poor it in that there bin,” she points to the wide bin on the other side of the pen where the pigs were sleeping. “After that, you can help Big Mac plant some seeds an’ plow the fields. We gotta be ready fer the next cider season. Ah promised mah friend Rainbow Dash she’d get a special pass to be first in line to have some of our apple cider.”

“Rainbow Dash? Apple cider?”

“Oh that’s right, ah didn’t tell ya did Ah, sugarcube? She’s a pegasus who’s a member o’ the Wonderbolts an’ she loves apple cider. If yer ever in a tight jam, she’s there fer her friends through thick an’ thin. It ain’t no surprise since she’s the Element o’ Loyalty. She’s one o’ mah ver’ closest friends... an’ best rival.”

“So, you and this Rainbow Dash have been friends and rivals for... how long?”

“Let’s just say we’ve competed against each other fer a long time now. Ah’ll tell ya more later on after work, but fer now, them pigs aren’t gonna feed themselves,” she said, opening the gate. You nod and take the bucket of scraps with you into the pen. AJ closes the gate and heads back to the apple orchard.

The pigs snorted and sniffed at the bucket in your hands, taking in the scent of their grub. You poured the scraps in the bin from left to right and stood back and watched the pigs scarf their lunch down. You walked back to the gate and exited the pig pen. You closed the gate and headed out towards the fields.

Big Mac had a couple of bags of seeds in each of his hands. “Big Mac!” you called out. Hearing your voice, the red stallion looks your way and waves for you to come over and help him out. You quickened your pace and were handed one of the bags of seeds.

“Follow me, partner,” Big Mac said cocking his head to the side. You walked with him up and down the fields, planting the seeds in a straight, vertical line. Big Mac plowed parts of the fields he forgot to plow before he proceeded to plant the seeds he had. Once all the seeds were planted, it was time to water them.

Like you told them before, you weren’t usually the kind to do farming, but you were willing to work hard to repay them for their hospitality. Besides, planting and watering a few seeds wasn’t too hard.

It took a couple of hours for the seeds to be planted and watered, but all that hard work finally paid off and the day was coming to a close. It was now time to regroup with the others and head back inside for a nice tasty.

However, when you saw Applejack, she looked worried for some reason. “AJ, what’s wrong?” you asked.

“LOOK!” she shouted in panic, pointing at the house. You looked and felt your heart skip a beat. There was... smoke and fire coming from out of the doors and windows.

“Holy shit, how... how did this happen?!” you asked.

“Ah have no idea, but we gotta find a way to put out the fire!” AJ said.

“Somepony! Anypony! HELP!!!” Apple Bloom screamed from the 2nd floor. At that moment, your fight or flight instinct kicked in. In a swift motion, you ran into the burning house without a second thought. You bolted up the stairs, holding your breath so you wouldn’t inhale the smoke coming from the flames.

You went for the first door on your left and tried opening it, but the doorknob was too hot.

“No pain no gain...” you said to yourself. Gripping the knob tightly, you bite down on your lip hard enough to draw blood as you try to ignore the heat. You managed to twist it as hard as you could and pushed the door open. Inside, you see Apple Bloom looking at you, frightened by the roaring flames that reached her room. She ran up to you and hugged you tightly.

“Get me outta here, please!” she cried into your shirt. You patted her head to comfort her. With her safe in your arms you were about to head downstairs, but then the ceiling collapsed in front of you, blocking your way out. Apple Bloom held onto you tighter, more frightened than how she felt before.

“We’ll have to use a different exit! Stay close!” You said, running back into her burning bedroom. You locked your eyes on the window and prepared yourself for a long sprint. “On the count of three, I’m gonna break through the window and you’ll use my body as a cushion, okay?”

“O-Okay, but hurry...” the poor filly paused as she let out a nasty cough “...I can’t breathe...” she finishes weakly.

“Alright, here we go! One! Two! ….THREE!!!” You shouted. And just like that, you grabbed Apple Bloom and ran up to the window. At the last minute, you used your shoulder blade to break through before turning around and wrapped Apple Bloom tightly in your arms. She buried her face into your chest, muffling her screams.

You land hard on the ground, back first. You grunted in pain and looked down to see if Apple Bloom was alright. She looks at you with a surprised and scared expression.

“Are you alright, Apple Bloom?”

Still in shock, she could only manage to nod slowly. You sighed in relief and hugged Apple Bloom, thankful that she’s safe and sound.

“Apple Bloom!” Applejack called out, running towards you and her. Apple Bloom struggled to pick herself up and waved at her sister. Applejack kneeled down and gave her little sister a big hug, sobbing quietly. “Ah thought Ah lost ya, Apple Bloom!”

“He... He saved me, sis... He saved mah life,” Apple Bloom said, weakly. Applejack looked at you with a surprised expression, but it changed into worry when you coughed out smoke violently.

“Hey, are ya alright?! J-Just take it easy! Big Mac, get him to the hospital an’ hurry!” AJ said in a bit of a panic.

“E-Eeyup,” Big Mac said frantically. Although, he not only carried you, but Apple Bloom as well. Making sure you were secure, he wasted no more time in hauling you both off to the hospital. It was to keep your eyes open and eventually you passed out. Nothing else filled your vision but darkness.

Opening up your eyes, you immediately avert your gaze when you saw the bright light up on the ceiling. You looked to your left to see the beeping monitor on your left. You turned and noticed you were strapped to an I.V. You groaned and placed your hand on your head.

“What happened?” you asked, feeling a little dizzy.

“You’ve lost consciousness before you reached the hospital,” said a female voice. You looked to your right and saw a pure white mare with baby blue eyes and a pink mane that was made into a bun.

“Oh, hello. Who might you be?” you asked politely, despite the discomfort you felt.

“My name is Nurse Red Heart. I’m the one who has been assigned to take care of you until you’re ready to be discharged. I heard about how you rescued that little filly from the farm house. Quite a brave thing to do. Most ponies wouldn’t have done what you just did,” she praised.

“I… I did what I could,” you said, weakly. “W-Where’s Apple Bloom? Is she alright?” You frantically looked around for any signs of the apple filly.

“Ya don’t have to worry ‘bout it, sugarcube,” said Applejack’s voice. Your eyes darted at the doorway where she stood. “The lil filly’s in the room next to yours restin’ up. Earlier, she couldn’t stop askin’ if you were alright. She’s very grateful ‘bout how ya saved her from the fire.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I was worried she might have inhaled too much smoke,” you said as a huge stone fell off your heart. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if she didn’t make it.”

Nurse Red Heart looked over at Applejack. “Nice to see you again, Applejack,” she said, then turning her attention back at you. “I’ll give you two some privacy.” And so, she walked out of the hospital bedroom and allowed you and Applejack to talk in private.

“If anythin’ sugarcube, mah family and Ah are in yer debt. Ah’m very grateful fer what ya did to save Apple Bloom,” AJ said.

“I don’t get it, how did the fire start? It was fine at first, but now...” you said, your voice still as weak as before.

“Turns out that Granny Smith left her cookin’ apron on the stove while she left to go freshen up. It must’ve gotten burnt by the stove flames and spreaded all over the house. It’s all burnt to a crisp, so it’s gonna take a while before we get it repaired,” Applejack explained.

“I... I’m sorry to hear that,” you said, looking as if you failed her. The orange mare however smiled and walked on over to you and started comforting you. She began rubbing your shoulder and even stroking your hair.

“Hey, no worries. At least we all made it out alive an’ that’s all that matters,” she said. Suddenly, she stopped stroking your hair and just left her hand on your head.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” you say as you reach for the inside of your shirt and pull out a locket you have with a picture of your little sister. “Applejack, maybe it’s time I told you about who this girl is in my locket.” you opened it up and showed the picture to AJ.

“Ya sure yer comfortable with this sugarcube?” she asks.

“Eeyup,” you nodded, mimicking her brother. She laughed a bit before you explain. “AJ, the girl in this picture… she’s my little sister, Daisy.” Applejack shared sympathy with your love for your sister, smiling warmly. “She was a walking ray of sunshine that I couldn’t stop loving. We stuck by each other through thick and thin, even when my parents were spoiling her. But then... tragedy couldn’t keep its filthy hands off of her. She ended up getting diagnosed with cancer when she was 6.”

Applejack gasped and put a hand over her mouth. “Ya mean she’s...?” she asked, unable to finish her question, but you nodded anyways.

“She died at the ripe young age of 8 years old. But even after she left us, she still had that angelic smile on her adorable face. Unfortunately, it was after her death that my parents started getting mad at me over every little thing I did wrong, even when I was doing something good. I couldn’t stand to be near them anymore. It felt like I don’t even know my own parents,” you said, staring up at the ceiling.

“Ah’m mighty sorry to hear that, sugarcube...” she said. You can still tell that Applejack’s really sympathizing you, but then you see the tears flowing out of her eyes. You reached up with a smile and wiped them away.

“It’s true that I miss her so much, but I know she wanted me to be happy and keep going, not just for her sake, but for my sake, too. So I moved on, but I had a lot of help from you and your family after you took me in,” you said still smiling at the orange mare beside you. The farmer pony blushed a bit and hid her face with her stetson.

You weren’t sure if it was wrong to make her blush like that, but then you’re caught off-guard when she leans in and presses her lips onto yours. Now you were the one blushing. She locked her hand with yours and continued kissing you.

You closed your eyes and decided to savor the kiss. Despite being a hardworking farmer, Applejack’s lips were quite soft. You started getting used to it and kissed her right back until she was ready to break for air. You stared at Applejack with a noticeable blush and vice versa.

“A-Applejack, wha-?” you tried to ask, but she stops you.

“Ah felt Ah needed to thank ya properly fer savin’ mah sister. Ya probably already know this, but yer like a hero to her. And she feels like yer the second big brother she’s always wanted,” she said.

This made you feel both surprised and happy. To think that after all this time, you’ve actually been given a second chance at having another little sister. Even though she’s a pony, Apple Bloom does resemble similar traits to Daisy. As for Applejack... well... maybe one of these days you might actually bond with her in ways you never even considered at first... like as a couple.

Besides, after that tender kiss she shared with you, how could you not like her?