''Finally, another day of hard work over with!'' Applejack said as she finished bucking a tree, wiping her sweaty brow as she watched the delectable fruits of her labours drop into a nearby basket, varying in rainbows of colour. ''Now we can maybe get some pies ready for the market stall tomorrow,'' She said, tipping her Stetson hat back over her head.
Her hooves were covered in bark scraps and her orange coat was matted with dirt, a mix of leaves and broken twigs entangled in her fur and mane, a reward that was received with each buck she delivered to each individual tree in her family's orchard.
''Best haul this to the barn for later,'' She said, bending down to retrieve the handle of the basket between her strong teeth, dragging it with ease.
Since the day Applejack began working the farm, she was far from the pony she is today. As an amateur, she was a wet noodle, hardly capable of knocking a leaf from a tree, let alone an apple. Despite the hardships time has bestowed upon her, she has always prevailed and grown stronger, eventually morphing into the very mare she is today.
Her father always said that she was his strong little girl, and she always did him proud. He was not wrong, and even Granny Smith, her grandmother, agreed. Her her big brother, Big MacIntosh, would fight her on the argument, which led to endless challenges as the two siblings worked the fields together to provide for the family, determined to prove who the strongest Apple is.
Reaching the barn located off a short few minutes of dragging from the orchard, Applejack released the bucket of freshly harvested apples, the bucket landing with a suppressed 'pompf', cushioned by the many layers of carefully organised hay and straw.
''Hello, AJ,'' A voice called out from somewhere within the barn, right as Applejack was about to turn and leave to return home. She turned around with a startle, a gasp escaping her cool lips as she scanned around the room for the source of the voice. Eventually, she looked over to the back of the room, off to where a pile of hay bales were stacked neatly into a small mountain. ''I've been waiting for you.''
There, leaning against the bales of hay and wearing a smile was her friend, Rainbow Dash. She was stood on her hind legs, an elbow resting on top of a hay bale, the other posed sassily at her side. She blew her mane out of her face so she could better face her farm pony friend.
Applejack raised her brow at her, both suspicious and annoyed at her sudden appearance, not that she wasn't happy to see a friend, of course. Yet, when it's Rainbow, she knew that anything could transpire, and not in a good way. ''You scared the Jiminnies out of me, sugarcube! Why are ya'll hiding out in my barn?'' She asked, approaching the prism-maned pegasus, her eyes locked onto her the same way a bull looks at a red flag.
''Just thought I'd drop by to say hi,'' She replied innocently, allowing herself to drop from her leaning position to stand on all four of her cyan hooves. She levelled her eyes with Applejack and looked deeply within her emeralds. ''Hi.'' She said, waving her hoof with a small, mischievous smile.
Applejack frowned, unamused at her antics. ''Very funny, Rainbow,'' She said, pushing her hoof down with a light shove. ''Now, what do ya need? I've gotta go back an' help Granny Smith prepare dinner.'' She said, clearly not in the mood for any pranks or gimmicks.
Rainbow rolled her eyes at her. ''Oh, puh-lease! AJ, I came because I want to ask you a question,'' She said simply, bringing her face close to her friend's, to the point she could feel and smell her minty breath.
Applejack's unamused glare dropped in an instant, replaced by confusion. ''That's it? A question?'' She said, somewhat not believing the pegasus. ''Well, shoot. What's this question of yours?''
''Well...'' Rainbow began, tapping her front hooves together, looking at the ground. ''...it's a really big question,'' She said, bringing her eyes up to meet Applejack's and inching her muzzle closer to her with each word.
''Go on,'' The farm pony ushered, rolling her hoof eagerly.
''Like, so big that it's enormous,''
''Yes?''
''As in, you couldn't fit it in a one-million-paged book,''
''Now, Ah find that incredibly hard to believe, but go on,''
''And even if you tried to fit it in a book, you wouldn't deliver it correctly,''
''Consarnit, girl, what?!'' Applejack said loudly, her tone irritated, pushing Rainbow's face away, removing her from her personal space. ''Just out with it, already! Shoot!''
Rainbow stared at her for a while, absorbing her body language and her face of agitated heat, her cheeks warm and glowing with a tinge of pinkish-red. Oh, those adorable, little cheeks with their white freckles... Rainbow could almost not contain herself from reaching out to squeeze them, but she pulled back her mental leash.
Eventually, she smiled and said, ''I want a hug.''
The room fell silent for what seemed like hours, the duo of best friends entering a staring contest, Applejack with small, frozen eyes and Rainbow with a simple, warm and friendly smile, acting as if this was normal.
Applejack shuck her head. ''Well, shucks, that's all ya'll wanted to ask? A hug?''
''Euyup,'' Rainbow replied, imitating her big brother and opening her hooves up, readying up.
AJ rolled her eyes and complied, wrapping her hooves around her friend and accepted the embrace request. She couldn't understand why, but she humoured her, anyway.
Rainbow Dash felt herself blush as she pressed her cheek into Applejack's absorbing their utterly adorable plush chubbiness and warmth. Oh, how she's always wanted to do this! She's dreamed of it, she's longed for it, she needed it! She had it, the mare of her dreams encased in her hooves.
She smiled in triumph, mentally pumping the air with a victorious hoof.
''Thank you, Celestia,'' She whispered to herself, hardly containing her blush.
