Chapters You give the apple tree a sturdy kick, and watch as the fruit falls into the baskets. You feel a sense of pride in yourself. You're getting better at this. AJ will be proud. You watch as she trots over.
"Nice job cousin! Yer gettin' better! Ah knew ah'd be able to help ya." She says.
Cousin. That word would have made you wince if she wasn't standing right there. You two are distant cousins, and hardly know each other. But to her, as you found out soon after arriving, family is family no matter how distant. Instead of wincing, you smile.
"Yeah, thanks for the help AJ." You reply.
"Anytime cousin." She answers, tipping her hat before walking off.
She said it again! Sometimes you wonder if she knows how you really feel about her, and is condemning you. Then again, should you feel this way about her. Sure, you two aren't blood related. But you're still related. What would everypony else think? What would the rest of the family think? What would she think?
She'd probably be disgusted by that thought. The rest of the world would, what would stop her? Morals? Her morals probably condemn your feelings. You shouldn't love family like this. It's just wrong.
But, you can't control who you love. It doesn't work that way. The best you can do right now is hide it. You've been able to do that so far. It just gets harder every day. Heck, you're not going to be here much longer. Soon, you'll have to make the choice to tell her or not.
Each choice has consequences. If you tell her, she may never look at you the same way again. But if you don't, you'll have it weighing on your mind forever. Gah! Thinking about what to do is a pain. Literally. It's giving you a migrane. So, you try getting back to work. It helps a bit. At least your headache goes away. But the choice keeps nagging at you like your mother.
You decide to stop thinking about it, and let it leave your mind. Choices or not, AJ needs your help with the south field. That is much easier said than done. You are built for speed, not built for strength. Your exceptional running abilities meant that you were your family's errand pony back home. But, this year they sent you out to Ponyville to do work with your distant cousins on their farm, Sweet Apple Acres.
Honestly, you really weren't looking forward to it. You enjoyed having to do so little on the farm back home. But, your family finally got fed up with your lack of effort in strength training. They told you that Applejack and Big Mac would whip you into shape. You fought and fought to stay home, but they threw you onto the train kicking and screaming.
You knew their one mistake was sending you alone. You had planned to bolt as soon as you got off the train, and then run as far away as possible. But, your relatives found you first. Before you could get your bearings, you were stopped by an adorable little filly with a large pink bow in her mane. She kept asking who you were and where you were from. Before you could answer, another voice piped up.
"Apple Bloom! You leave that pony alone right now!" It ordered.
With that, an orange mare with a stenson hat stepped between you and the filly named Apple Bloom. You tried to keep your jaw from dropping. Standing before you had to be one of the most beautiful mares you'd ever laid eyes on. You couldn't believe that this was your cousin. You'd never believed in love at first sight, but you'd be damned if you weren't smitten.
"Sorry about Apple Bloom. She's just real excited to meet more family. Ah'm Applejack." She says.
You can't find the words to introduce yourself. It happens whenever you meet a pretty mare. You become meek, and can hardly say a word. She waves a hoof in front of your face.
"Um, cousin? You alright?" She asks.
"Huh? Oh, sorry Applejack." You respond.
"No problem. Ah just didn't get yer name." She says.
You give her your name.
"Well, it's nice to meet ya cousin. That there filly's mah lil sis. The rest of the famliy's back on the farm. Come on." She says, motioning for you to follow her.
You follow her, staring a bit. She stops, and turns around. She hits you on the head, and you come back to reality.
"Fer the hundredth time, mah eyes are up here!" She says, somewhat angered.
You look around, and wonder how you got to the farm so fast. You hear Applejack start laughing.
"Enough day dreamin'! We've gotta finish the south field." She says through her laughter.
You did it again. You started reminiscencing and stopped working. And again, you started staring at AJ. Your face reddens, and you look down. She starts laughing a bit harder. The laughter continues for a couple of minutes before she lifts your head up. She smiles at you, and you can't help but smile back.
"Come on, the sooner we finish, the sooner you can go hang out in town." She says.
You nod, and follow her. Thinking she can't see you, you let your eyes drift once more. She looks back, and notices your stare. Instead of saying anything, she decides to tease you a bit. She adds more sway to her step, and looks forward with a grin on her face. You take notice, and snap your attention back up.
"Enjoyin' the show cousin?" She asks with a snicker.
You don't answer, and instead trot up next to her. She's giggling a little bit. You roll your eyes.
"Lighten up. Ah was just playin' is all." She says.
"Yeah, yeah. Can we just finish this field already?" You reply.
"Isn't that what we're doin'?" She retorts.
You chuckle, and continue into the field.
Two hours. It took you two hours to finish the south field. You follow Applejack around. She did promise to be your guide around town and the farm. She doesn't leave the field, and instead sits down and leans against one of the trees. She invites you to set down beside her. You oblige her request.
"Tell me about ya, cousin." She says.
"What?" You reply.
"Tell me about mah cousin. Ah don't really know ya yet. Ah'd sure like to." She explains.
"Okay. What do you want to know?" You ask.
"Just anything. You got a nickname? Just callin' ya 'cousin' is gettin' a bit boring." She inquirers.
"Well, my sisters would always call me speedy because I'm so fast." You respond.
"Well, we've already got a Speedy. He's one of Rainbow's friends." She tells you.
"Oh. Well, I guess I haven't got a nickname in that case." You reply.
"Well, then Ah'll just have to think one up! Ah got another question." She says.
"Shoot. I'll answer anything you can throw at me." You say.
"Why are ya always starin' at me?" She asks.
Out of everything she could possibly ask, it had to be that. You feel your stomach jump when she asks it. Your mind begins racing as it tries to make an excuse. When it can't make one up, you just tell her the truth. Not the whole truth. Just part of it.
"Well, I just think you're really pretty. And I can't really help myself, is all." You tell her.
"Gee, thanks. Nopony has ever told me that before." She says, blushing a bit.
"Really? I can't see why they wouldn't. I mean, you're beautiful." You say.
'Okay Cassinova, shut it down before you do something stupid.' You think.
"You really think so? Or are ya just bein' nice?" She replies.
"I really think so AJ. Don't you?" You reply.
She's really blushing now. It seems like she's never been complimented. You find that notion insane. How could nopony have complimented her before? Was their somepony else who got all the attention?
"Well, Ah don't know. Ah ain't never been told Ah was." She says.
"You are, AJ. You're the best looking mare I've ever seen. No joke." You say.
"Aw shucks, you're too kind. Ah'm not that pretty. Rarity's much better lookin'." She responds.
"That uppity unicorn? Really? She tries too hard. She doesn't have your natural looks." You tell her.
'You're going to do something stupid. Stop complimenting her so heavily.' Your mind tells you.
"Really? Ya think so?" She asks.
"I do. You sure do like compliments, don't you?" You reply.
"Yeah. It's kinda nice. Ah've never been told those things before." She tells you, her cheeks a bright red.
"Well, I'm glad it made you happy." You say, smiling.
"Thanks cousin. If it means anything, you ain't too hard on the eyes yourself." She says.
"Why thank you!" You respond, blushing a bit yourself.
"Ah like ya cousin. You're real nice. Ah think we'll be good friends." She says with a smile.
Friends. The one word you really didn't want to hear. It stings more than hearing "cousin" everytime she addresses you. This time, you actually wince. You're just glad she didn't notice it. You swallow hard, and speak.
"Yeah. Friends." You say, keeping a smile on your face.
The two of you sit in silence for a while, just enjoying one another's company. Soon, the sun begins to sink into the sky, and you decide to return to the farm before nightfall. It doesn't take long to get there, and it doesn't seem like the others (aside from Granny Smith) had returned from what they were doing.
"Well...what should we do now?" You ask.
"Ah thought you were goin' to town for a bit." She responds.
"I was going to, but I'm not so sure anymore." You say.
"Why not?" She asks.
"I just don't have anything to hang out with." You explain.
"Well, Ah'll hang out with ya." She offers.
"You don't have to, AJ. I'm fine here." You say.
"Oh come now. This place isn't all that fun. Truth be told, Ah wouldn't mind goin' to town mahself. There just isn't all that much to do around here. Plus, it'd be a nice way for us to get to know each other better." She explains, smiling.
"You seem real eager to get to know me." You say.
"Sure am! Ya hardly told us about yerself." She responds.
"Well, I guess there's no harm in it." You say.
The two of you set down your baskets, and head to town. With little to do, Applejack leads you to a bar. She orders you both a drink before you can object. Normally, you don't drink. It never really appealed to you. Not that you'd never touched liquor before, you have. You just chose not to do it very often. In this instance, she'd already paid. It would be rude not to drink it.
"So. What's my cousin like? Tell me about yourself." She insists once more.
You oblige her request, and begin telling her about yourself. Before you knw it, you've both been through quite a few drinks. You'd strayed from the original topic, and were just rambling. You were having a back and forth about who knows what when you finally decide to leave. The two of you get up, and walk out, using one another for support. You're still rambling on, and laughing.
The two of you stumble back to the farm, and Applejack leads the two of you to the barn.
"Hey, thahouse is overthare." You say, speech slurred.
"Yeah, but weshoodnt wake up th'others." She replies, speech slurred as well.
She leads the both of you to the back of the barn. There, you find some pillows and blankets. The two of you bed down, and continue to talk. At this point, you've begun sharing secrets.
"AJ, Ivegot a secret ta tell ya." You say.
"What izit?" She replies.
"You, are thebest pony ever." You tell her with a drunken snicker.
"Thanks! Ivegot one too." She says.
"Imlissening." You reply.
"Didjyou know that, ive never had myfirst kiss?" She confesses.
"Noway! Thatznot true, you liar." You say.
"Its true." She says.
You sit in silence. She does too, and is looking down at her hooves in embarrassment. The awkward air is growing thicker by the minute. Finally, you decide to do something.
"Do ya want it?" You ask.
She nods a few times, and giggles a bit.
"Alright." You say.
You sit up, and face one another. You lean in once, and miss each other by a mile. You try it once more. This time, you both lean your heads in the same direction and knock them together. You both laugh at that, and try once again. Like they say, the third time's the charm. You both connect in a kiss. You continue to kiss for a few minutes before she breaks it.
"Thanks ferthat." She says.
You nod, and feel the energy in your body begin to vanish. You yawn once. When your eyes open, you notice AJ has already passed out. Next thing you know, you collapse, and slip into the welcoming blackness of sleep.
You open your eyes, and are instantly greeted with a pounding headache. That's one reason you don't drink. The hangover is murder. Your vision is rather blurry, but you vaguely remember entering the barn last night. You rub your eyes to clear your vision. You can feel somepony's hooves holding onto you. Did you bring a mare back last night?
You look over, and notice that it's Applejack. Wait, Applejack?! You begin racking your brain to remember what happened just last night. Unfortunately, your memory is as fuzzy as your vision was. You really hope you didn't do anything regrettable. Heck, your faces are just mere inches from one another. You lay there, not sure if you should wake her up or let her sleep.
Eventually, she answers that for you. She begins to stir, and yawns. You quickly shut your eyes, hoping to feign sleep. You hear her groan, and open one of your eyes. Sure enough, it looks straight into one of hers. You open the other, an stare into the sea of green looking back at you. She's trying to sort out what may have happened last night. An awkward air begins growing between the two of you. You decide to break it.
"Umm, good morning AJ." You say.
"What the heck happened last night?" She instantly responds.
"I don't know. Honest." You respond.
"Did we?" She begins.
"I don't know AJ. But...." You respond.
"But what?" She snaps.
"Could we maybe, stay like this for a bit?" You ask, a small smile coming across your face.
"Why in tarnation would we?" She says, scowling as she jumps up.
"Sorry. It was a stupid question." You say as you stand.
'THEN WHY DID YOU ASK IT!?!?!' Your mind screams at you, causing you to wince.
"Then why'd ya ask it?" She asks.
"I don't know. It was just a bit nice. That's all." You answer, looking down.
"And why would that be?" She asks in a scolding tone.
"I just haven't gotten to ....." you say, your voice becoming no more than a whisper.
"Gotten to what?" She asks.
You remain silent. You don't want to answer her.
"Answer the question." She says, a hint of anger seeping into her tone.
"I haven't gotten...to wake up with a pretty mare in a long time." You say, tensing up as you anticipate a punch.
You stay like that for a bit. You're surprised when a punch doesn't come. You slowly raise your head. Applejack is frozen. She has one hoof raised, and looks ready to hit you. But her cheeks are also red. She doesn't know if she should take that as a compliment, or if she should be disgusted and give you a punch in the mouth. You both stand there for a while.
Eventually, she sighs and lowers her hoof. She starts walking out of the barn, taking her hat and putting it back on.
"Listen. Ah don't know what to do. Mah head hurts. Ah'm gonna go get somethin' to drink, and try to remember what happened." She says as she walks out.
"I'm sorry if I offended you AJ. It won't happen again." You say.
She doesn't respond. She just continues on. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why did you open your mouth?! You begin beating yourself up. Your head screams out with another wave of pain. You follow Applejack to the water pump. Not only will it help your headache, it will cure your thirst. Your mouth is sticky, and your throat dry.
You wait for her to finish at the pump, and then take a long drink yourself. Never have you been so happy to have water. It feels wonderful as it flows down your throat. Almost instantly, your headache lessens. Your memory begins to come back as well. You decide to go sit down in one of the fields. You wander in, and find a tree to sit under.
"Who's there?" Applejack asks as you sit.
Wow. The odds are just astounding. Out of thousands upon thousands of trees, you just happened to pick the one she occupied.
"It's me. I'll go find another tree if you want me to." You respond.
"Nah, you ain't done no harm. You can sit." She says.
"Mind if I sit next to you?" You ask.
"Go ahead. Ah ain't got a reason to be mad. Ah just wish Ah knew what we did." She answers.
You sit next to her. You both sit in silence. You're waiting for your memories to come back. You can't help but notice how beautiful the day is. The midday sun is high in the sky. The fruit on the trees has a nice shine. It's a hot day, but there's little humidity. It's a very comfortable heat. The air is crisp and warm. It seems to carry a faint scent of apples. What more would you expect from an apple orchard, though?
You can't help but smile as you enjoy the day. You continue thinking, and notice as your memory keeps coming back. Soon enough, you remember what happened. You gave Applejack her first kiss. It wasn't a quick one like your first kiss. No, this one was passionate. You feel your stomach knot, and look at her. She's looking back at you, with an expression that says "I just remembered it, too".
"You were...mah first kiss?" She asks.
"Yeah. I...I was." You reply.
"Well. At least it wasn't...that, other thing." She says.
"Yeah." Is all you can say.
"Ya have to promise ya won't tell anyone." She quickly says.
You nod, and make the promise. Again, an awkward air begins to form between you two. It lingers for a bit.
"I have to ask, though. Was it good?" You ask.
"Huh?" She responds.
"The kiss. Did you like it?" You explain.
"Oh. Well...yeah." She says, blushing deeply.
"Would you. Umm, would you do it again?" You ask.
"What, kiss you?" She responds.
"Well, yeah. Would you?" You say.
"Yeah. Ah mean, if we weren't cousins and all." She answers.
'Don't. You. Dare.' Your mind scolds.
"Well, we kinda aren't. I mean, we aren't blood cousins. If you want, we could...you know." You say.
'Why are you such an idiot?' Your mind says.
She looks around, making sure the two of you are alone.
"You promise you won't tell anypony? Ah mean, it was real nice the first time. Ah just don't want the others thinkin' Ah'm a freak." She says.
"Don't worry. I won't tell." You respond.
She sighs in relief, and smiles at you. You smile back. She looks around once more before she scoots closer to you. She closes her eyes, and leans towards you....
