The next morning found Tim and Big Macintosh out in fields working on an old plow so they could get one of the smaller fields turned and ready for planting. Tim took this time to ask the big farmer a few questions about the women he had met yesterday, wondering about such things as the wings, magic and other random thoughts. He was unbolting the old cutting blade from the plow as Big Mac was prepping the new one while answering Tim’s questions.

“So, let me see if I’m followin’ you on this,” Tim said as he broke loose another rounded and rusty bolt on the plow. “People like Fluttershy and that mailwoman who run me over are called skyfolk, and they can make wings come out their back whenever the notion strikes em?” Big Mac simply nodded in response. “And yall Apples are called earthfolk and are stronger than the skyfolk and the soulfolk, with some bein’ stronger than others?” Again, the big, orange haired man just nodded, shifting the stalk of straw he was chewing on from one side of his mouth to the other as he looked over the new plow edge. “And these princesses that have turned up missing are considered allfolk, and they have all the abilities of all three types of folk? Seems like a foolish move on someone’s part to want to attack or kidnap someone like them.” Tim then broke the last bolt holding on the old plow blade clean in two under the force he was exerting to try and loosen it. Shrugging at the broken bolt and pulling the part away from the rest of the plow, he moved from the plow allowing Big Mac to start placing the new one in place.

“Eyup, that’s about it in a nutshell.” Big Mac said, reaching into the chest pocket of his flannel shirt to remove the new bolts he had brought for repairing the plow. “We’ve just been glad we aint had the problems ‘round here they’ve been havin’ in most parts of Equestria. I guess with them gals all livin’ here in town, it’s kept a lot of the folks causin’ all that ruckus stayin’ clear of here.” Tim rose a brow at this, wondering what about the group of women he had met might have had to do with keeping the crime out of town. Big Mac noticed this, and took the opportunity to answer the unspoken question.

“Them girls didn’t tell ya? They might not look the part, but them six women have saved this country’s ass a time or two. Twilight there is in real tight with Princess Celestia, she is a student of hers and lived there in Canterlot before movin’ here. Shortly after comin ta Ponyville, Twilight got all them gals together and they actually saved Princess Celestia by defeatin’ her corrupt sister, Princess Luna. Hell, Twilight, Applejack and the rest of them girls actually got Luna ta change her ways and she’s now rulin’ this land beside her sister again.” Big Mac stepped away from the plow after getting the last bolt put in place so Tim could tighten them down with the wrenches in his hand. “Them women are some tough-un’s.”

Tim nodded to Macintosh as he finished tightening up the bolts in the plow. Standing, he put the wrenches in his back pocket and wiped his hands on the front of his jeans. “Well, there’s another job done. She’s ready to go, Mac.” He looked over the field before them, then turned back to Big Mac. “Thanks for clearing a few things up for me, bud. Ya want me to get the horse hitched and get this field done for ya?”

Macintosh shook his head and rubbed at his nose with his thumb. “Nope, I’ll get this took care of, I believe mah sis could use a bit of help over in the barn.” Big Mac looked to the barn and noticed the large sacks of feed still sitting in the back of the wagon he returned from town with earlier that morning. “Ya could get them sacks on yer way and she’ll show ay where ta put em.” Tim noticed the sacks and nodded to Big Mac as he started to walking off for the barn. “Sure thing, I’ll see ya.” He gave a half wave to the man and made his way to the large red building.

Tim got to the wagon and saw the four large 50 pound sacks of feed and seeing how he was feeling back to his old self again, he stood the four sacks on end, making two sets of two about a foot apart on the end of the wagon. He leaned forward, putting his shoulders to the standing sacks and wrapping each arm around a set of two sacks. With a slight grunt, he hoisted the four sacks up and onto his shoulders, two on each side. He shifted the weight on his shoulders just a bit as he turned and walked to the barns door. Nudging the large sliding door open just a touch wider with his boot, he stepped inside the barn and called out.

“Hey, Applejack? You in here? Big Mac said to bring this feed to ya.” He walked a few feet into the barn and stood, not seeing the tall blonde woman in his direct field of view. The sacks on his shoulders obscured his view to his sides, thus not letting him see Applejack who was standing off to his right in a corner of the barn after finishing repairing a damaged saddle. Neither did Tim see the look in the woman’s eyes as she looked him up and down, drinking in the view. As she gazed at the man, noticing the perfectly fitting and dirt covered jeans that showed a hint of his toned, powerful legs, the way he seemed to stand there effortlessly with two-hundred pounds of cattle feed on his shoulders and the muscles of his arms and back bulging and flexing under his sweat-dampened shirt as he adjusted the large sacks he toted, a sly smirk came to her face and she crooked a brow in interest. Applejack then leaned back against the workbench she was standing at and crossed her arms under her breasts, continuing to enjoy the view. Getting lost in her thoughts, she softly bit her lip and stood there in silence, at least until Tim turned to face her, at which time she just simply smiled at him and shifted her stance, still leaning against the table.

“Well, it seems ta me that ya got a bit of ya strength back… Big Mac been workin ya hard?” she said as she left her position at the bench and walked past Tim and to the other side of the barn to a small room under the barn’s loft. “Naw, it aint been too bad,” Tim stated, shifting the load on his shoulders once more, following the woman across the room with his eyes, “not as bad as you leavin’ me here holdin all this feed… Anywhere particular ya want it, Applejack?”

The tall blonde pushed opened the door, leaning her back against it as she laughed softly, gesturing into the room by pointing over her shoulder with a thumb. “In here will do nicely, just stack it there with the others in the corner.” She smiled at Tim as he walked past her and into the room, setting the feed down where he was instructed. Coming out of the room, Applejack shut the door behind him and motioned for him to follow her outside and doing so, she led him to another small barn just a short ways away from the main barn. Stepping inside, he could see the barn had been transformed into a descent sized gym with random equipment and punching bags surrounding a boxing ring in the center of the room. Tim looked a bit surprised upon entering the room and looked to Applejack as she crossed the room to sit on an old leather couch that sat long one wall. He followed her, but remained standing as he continued to look around the room.

“Nice little setup ya got here, it’s been ages since I’ve been at a gym.... What are we doin out here? Aint we got some chores that need doin?” Tim looked around the room, noticing the assorted equipment around him- a pair of bench presses with more than enough free weights, a leg press machine, a few heavy bags and speed bags hanging from a beam that supported the upstairs area and random dumbbells stacked in one corner; all of this surrounding the raised boxing ring in the center of the room with assorted pairs of boxing gloves hanging on the wall close to the couch which Applejack was sitting on.

“Sure, we got a few things ta take care of, but Ah figured we could take a lil’ break and Ah could show ya our workout room. Seein’ ya tote all them feed sacks like ya did, guessed ya might be interested in comin’ out here and workin’ out some,… Maybe keep me comp’ny while Ah’m out here.” Applejack then rose from the couch and stood close to Tim, placing a hand on his arm and squeezing his bicep a bit, smiling at him. “Ah aint had anybody really be able ta go ‘toe-ta-toe’ with me in the ring in a while, if ya think ya might be up for it.” She bumped into Tim, catching him of guard and causing him to slightly readjust his footing. Looking back to the woman with a raised brow and a smile on his face, he crossed his arms and chuckled at Applejack. “Yeah, I guess I might be up for some free weights or maybe goin a round or two with ya.” He said to her as she walked back toward the barn’s door. Applejack stopped at the door, looking back at Tim over her shoulder and resting a hand on the doorframe. “Aight, suga’cube, we’ll come back out here after supper and see what ya got,” she said with a bit of a husky tone in her voice before winking at Tim and tilting her head, motioning outside. “C’mon, let’s go check the fences and see if they need mending.” Tim blinked a few times at the tone of Applejack’s previous statement before following her outside to get back to work.

<<<<<<

<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<

The afternoon came and went; fences were repaired, shingles were replaced on a leaking spot on the porch roof, horses were reshod and seeds were sown, along with a few other small jobs that Granny Smith insisted that needed to be done before Applejack and Tim left the farm for their journey. Though the day of departure was still uncertain, it was to be soon, and the family’s matriarch wanted to make sure as much as possible was done to ensure things at the farm ran as smooth as possible. Talk around the dinner table that night was short and boring, at least up until the point Tim mentioned that Applejack had shown him their gym and the boxing ring, at which point Big Macintosh raised a brow at Tim and smirked at the man sitting across the table from him.

“Ya know, Ah could stand for a round in the ring mahself,… whatcha say, Tim?” Granny Smith, Applebloom and Applejack all looked back and forth between the two men, seeing both of them staring at one another, each one smirking just a bit as they sized the other up. Tim wiped his mouth with his napkin and laid it on top of his plate, never breaking contact with his challenger as he craned his neck to the left causing a faint series of cracking sounds. “Sounds good to me, Mac,” he said as he slowly stood from the table. “I’m ready whenever you are, hoss. You ready?” Big Mac smiled wide and stood up as well, smiling wider at the equally large man across the table from him. “Eyup,” was all he said as Big Mac nodded to his grandmother and walked out the back door of the kitchen. Tim turned back to the women at the table with a wide grin on his face. “Excuse me, ladies,” he said as he picked his plate up and set it on the counter next to the sink. “I hate to barge out, but it seems I’m expected in the barn.”

Tim turned and left out of the kitchen behind Big Mac, pulling the door shut tightly behind him with a slight slam. Applejack and Granny Smith looked at one another, rolled their eyes simultaneously and began to laugh. “Well, boys will be boys!” Granny Smith said, taking another sip from her glass. “Hope yall’s brother don’t rough ol’ Tim up too bad…” she said as she stood to begin clearing the table.

Out in the barn-turned-gym, both men were now standing in opposite corners of the boxing ring, pulling on their gloves and grinning ear to ear at each other. They were both standing in the ring wearing their jeans and work boots, having removed their shirts to allow for more freedom of movement- as well as an attempt to intimidate the other. As Tim finished pulling on his gloves, Big Mac slammed his gloves together causing the leather to make a loud smack, drawing Tim’s attention to him. Big Mac then held up one hand out from his body and made a small hammering motion. “Ding, ding.” The big farmer said as both men locked eyes and advanced on one another towards the center of the ring.

Macintosh wasted no time, sending out a hard, fast left jab aimed directly for Tim’s face. The strike was barely blocked, the edge of the large red glove grazing an ear as it passed Tim’s head. Immediately a series of shorter but quicker jabs found their mark on Tim’s stomach before he could step back and off to the side of the orange haired man’s attack. In an instant Tim was under fire again, but this time he was able to block a vicious uppercut to keep it from connecting to his jaw. The impact from the blow was tremendous, pushing Tim back into the ropes. He was able to get his guard up just in time for the storm of strikes from Big Mac- the fight seemed to be extremely one sided as all Tim could do was block blow after blow. From the outside looking in, it seemed that it was an uphill battle for the dark haired fighter with the grey in his hair, and he was at a disadvantage, but he was biding his time.

The storm of blows slowed for just a brief moment, and Tim side-stepped to Big Mac’s left, providing Tim just a split second to attempt at landing a hit. He swung out with a right hook that found its home on the left side of Big Mac’s face, narrowly getting past the farmer’s attempted block. The farmer stumbled backward a step and a half, and Tim took that opportunity to launch his assault.

Tim might have been lacking the speed and form that Big Mac had, but he had force, and lots of it. He went in with a series of right jabs, turning his body into each strike and putting the force of his weight behind his blows, plowing through his opponent’s attempted guards and stepping closer to his target. Big Mac shot out with a few half-hearted right jabs of his own, connecting into Tim’s ribcage, but if they slowed his aggressor down any, he was unable to tell it. Tim then threw in a left hook of his own to stop the strikes coming at his ribs, disrupting his rhythm and allowing Big Mac a window of escape. As the two men backed away from one another, the both stared each other down and began circling one another as they panted for breath.

Big Mac got his wind a little faster than Tim, lunging in and alternating tight left and right hooks aiming for Tim’s face. It was all Tim could do to block the rapid fire of blows coming from both sides of his head, but again he weathered the onslaught and awaited his chance to strike. Tim adjusted his footing and planted himself to the mat, not giving an inch to his attacker. He continued to block strike after strike as he got himself into position to load all of his might into one well-aimed swing. The blows coming at him slowly began to get a little sloppy and slightly less frequent, but the kept on coming. When one of Big Mac’s swings went a tad bit wide and caused a delay in the timing of the follow-up strike, Tim loaded up his swing and rolled the dice on landing one powerful hit.

He was right on the money. He let loose with a powerful right cross that connected with the center of the big farmer’s face. Tim followed through with his shoulder and pushed his fist straight on its path, taking Big Mac’s head with it. Where the head went, the rest of the body followed, taking the big man off his feet and raising him into the air a few inches off of the ring’s surface. Big Mac’s arms were sent flying out to his sides as they began to circle in the air at a failed attempt to gain balance before he awkwardly came back down to the mat and promptly fell back onto his hind end. His back fell flat to the mat, causing his head, along with his body, to make a solid bounce before landing at the edge of the ring. Big Mac stared up at the barn’s ceiling and shook his head as his eyes started to water from the pain in his nose. As his vision cleared, he saw the gloved hand of Tim reaching down to him, offering to help him to his feet.

Big Mac took the hand and was hoisted up onto his feet. Being that Tim pulled him up a little too hard, Big Mac found himself colliding into his helper, both now standing in the center of the ring. Pulling off his gloves, Big Mac’s hands went straight to his nose, and after a moment of feeling around for a moment, he snapped the protrusion back into place with a pained hiss.

“Eyup,.. Ah’mma feel that in the mornin’,” he said as he worked his jaw open and closed a few times, trying to work the pain and soreness out of it. He raised a fist up and held it out to Tim, who bumped it with his own now ungloved fist and slapped Big Mac on the shoulder with his free hand. “I was worried for a minute there, thought I might have put too much inta that hit…” Tim said with a chuckle, “mighta should of held back a little bit, I guess. You ok?”

“Yeah, he’ll be a’ight,” a familiar, sweet southern drawl called out from the door of the barn. “He’s ‘bout tough as I am. But Ah’ll say this,” Applejack said as she began to walk across the floor to the ring, “tha only other person Ah’ve seen beat ol’ Mac, has been me.” The woman now stood at the old leather couch next to where the gloves were hung on the wall. Both men turned to look at her as she unbuttoned her orange flannel shirt, revealing a white, slender strapped tank top over a white sports bra. Big Mac crawled under the top rope of the boxing ring and stepped down to the main floor, throwing his red gloves on the couch behind his sister. Picking up his own shirt, he pulled it on and turned to his sister, once again rubbing his nose and popping his jaw.

“He’s all warmed up for ya, AJ,… Watch out for that right cross of his, though, it’s a killer.” Buttoning his shirt, he turned toward Tim and nodded. “Enjoyed it, Tim. Have fun with tha ‘Monster of Ponyville’ over here,” he said as he nudged Applejack with his shoulder, who retorted with a snort and a hard shove towards the door.

“Ah told ya, don’t be callin’ me that! If Ah ever find out who started that there nickname, Ah’m really gonna show ‘em a monster! Now GIT!” She finished pushing her older brother out of the barn by putting a boot to the seat of his jeans and shoving him out the door, closing it behind him. Tim, who was now sitting on the edge of the ring resting his arms on the ropes, watched as Applejack made her way back to the couch before turning her back to Tim, setting her hat down and slowly pulling her tank top up and over her head, leaving her standing there in only her sports bra, jeans and boots. Swallowing hard, Tim turned his eyes away from the attractive blonde, not before noticing the musculature of her back under the smooth, tanned skin. His gaze wasn’t averted long; he caught himself looking back at her out of the corners of his eyes, watching as she bent over at the waist to pull off her boots, putting the view of denim stretched tight over her thick backside on display for him. Before he knew it, she donned her Stetson, approached the ring, grabbed the middle rope and jumped, landing both feet on the edge of the ring.

“Well, Ah seen ya box,” she said as she climbed through the top and middle ropes, stepping into the ring, “let’s change things up a bit an' see if ya can wrestle.” Applejack stepped to the far corner of the ring and began bouncing on her feet, shaking out her arms and leaning her head from side to side. Tim stood from his seat and pulled off his own boots, dropping them down onto the barn floor. He turned to her and pointed at her hat.

“You wanna take that thing off, little lady? I’d hate to see a good had get messed up.” Tim said with a smile on his face. Applejack just smirked at him and put her hand atop her hat, pushing it just a little bit further down on her head.

“If ya knock this hat off the top of my head,” Applejack said as she flicked the brim of the worn Stetson with her middle finger, “Ya win. But Ah got to tell ya, it aint happened b’fore, and Ah don’t intend on it happenin’ today.” She grinned and she lowered her stance as a fire shone in her sparkling, emerald eyes. Tim nodded and smiled back at her, lacing his fingers and stretching his arms out in front of him before getting into more of a wider stance, placing his hands on his knees. “Whenever you’re ready ‘sugarcube’,” he mocked. Applejack’s eyes grew wide as her smile grew wider; then she charged.

Tim jumped out towards the woman and they both locked their hands on the other person’s shoulders and the power struggle began. Surprisingly to Tim, he was being pushed back towards his corner a little quicker than he anticipated. Exerting more force of his own, he stopped the woman’s advance and they locked tighter together, each one putting forth more force with each passing second. He felt Applejack’s grip on his shoulders tighten as she latched tighter onto him, bringing her face in close to his.

“Don’t be thinkin ya need ta take it easy on me,” she said, right before she dove her left shoulder down and spun around to Tim’s back, changing her grip and wrapping her arms around his middle, “or ya might just be in for a shock!” With that, she lifted her opponent off of the ground almost effortlessly, and executed a suplex, letting go of Tim as his shoulders crashed into the mat. Dazed, Tim leapt up onto his feet, shook his head and turned to face the blur that was Applejack rushing him again.

Their bodies collided again, their hands locked out to the sides of the faces and their chests pressed together. The two parties had pressed their foreheads together and stared into each other’s eyes, both gritting their teeth. Tim could feel the woman’s soft skin pressed against his own and he could smell a hint of flowers- apple blossoms to be exact. The brief moment he let his mind drift to the thought of her sweet scent, she seized the opportunity to overpower him and force him down onto one knee, putting his face directly between her pert, sweat-glazed breasts.

“What’s tha matter, big boy? Ya lettin’ my feminine charm distract ya?” Applejack laughed as she put more force behind her push, managing to get Tim slightly off balance. He shook his head to clear his mind of apple blossoms and sweaty tops as he forced his way back onto his feet, pleased to hear the woman grunt as she tried to keep him down. Foreheads still pressed together, Tim grinned at the woman and got back into a more promising stance and adjusting his feet once more.

“I’ll hafta admit,” he grunted through his clenched teeth, “you’re putting up one heck of a fight, for a little farm girl, that is…” Watching Applejack’s piercing green eyes flutter at the audacity of his comment, Tim felt her falter just a bit, but that was enough. He quickly let go of both her hands, lowered his left shoulder below the hem of her sports bra and put his head under her left arm. In a flash, he drove his shoulder into her, wrapping his arms around her lifting her from the ground before diving to the mat, planting the woman flat on her back. For a second, he was concerned he may have winded the woman as she brought both hands to her Stetson, keeping it snug atop her golden hair with her eyes closed. He moved his hands to her shoulders, straddling her and pinning her to the ground. He paused, waiting to see the woman react.

And that was the precise moment Tim learned he made a tragic mistake. A smile crossed the blonde’s face as her eyes shot open; he could see they now burned with an intense flame from deep within. She bucked her hips upward, lifting Tim off of her, almost high enough for him to stand. She brought her knees up tight to her chest, put her feet on Tim’s beltline and forced him up and over her head, locking onto his forearms in the process. As Tim landed flat on his back, he was surprised once again as Applejack flexed her body and somehow flipped over onto him, straddling his chest and knocking the wind out of him with the impact of her wide, healthy hips. His eyes crossed for just a moment as he coughed, then closed his eyes tight before feeling her move and place a forearm across his throat. He opened his eyes to see her nose to nose with him; stray locks of her golden hair drifted out from under her trusty Stetson and touched his cheeks. Her right arm was lightly resting across his neck as her left arm was stretched out over his head, holding her weight up off of him. She smiled madly as she panted, the fire still in her emerald eyes as she gazed down into his brown ones.

“Whew!” she exclaimed as she tossed her head and brought her face right back down to his and looked into his eyes again. “That. Was. Fun! Looks like Ah win though, suga’cube. Ah remain undefeated!” she beamed down at him. Tim swallowed as he finally felt his breath coming back to him. His eyes darted back and forth from her blazing emerald orbs to her Stetson and back again. A smirk of a smile crept across his face.

He continued to stare into the woman’s eyes as his smile grew wider. He rose his left hand to the side of his face and held up a finger as Applejack cocked her head slightly to her right, raising a brow in confusion, but still grinning none-the-less. “Now, hold up one second,” Tim said between his slowing breaths. He raised his hand quickly, catching the brim of the brown cowboy hat and knocking it to the mat beside the pair. He grinned, watching Applejack’s eyes grow wide as she slowly turned her head to her dislodged Stetson as it rocked to a stop, upside-down beside them. She squinted her eyes and cut them back at Tim, her jaw dropping just slightly causing her warm breath to caress the side of Tim’s bearded face.

“Looks like ya lost your hat,… Guess that means that I win this one.” Tim let his arm fall back down to the mat beside his head, smiling up at Applejack with a grin comparable to that of a mule eating briars. He laid there with that silly look on his face as the woman atop his chest turned her face back to him, her expression changing from mild shock to something Tim couldn’t identify right off. With half lidded eyes, Applejack smirked down at him and slowly opened her mouth to speak.

“Well, then... Seein’ as how yer the first one to ever accomplish such a feat, Ah’m guessin ya should be getting a reward right about now.” She raised up from Tim’s face slowly, moving her hands to his shoulders and sliding her seat down from his chest and more towards his waist. Tim closed his eyes and chuckled softly at the woman as he rested the back of his head on the cool mat he was still pinned down to.

“C’mon now, I'm pretty sure we didn’t make any kind of bet, Applejack,… and besides, I was just teasin’ ya, we both know you w….”

Tim didn't see it coming, nor did he get to finish his sentence due to the warm, soft lips that landed hard onto his, silencing him instantly. He swore he tasted a hint of honey and apples as his mind began racing a mile a minute when he heard and felt Applejack moan into his mouth as she pressed even deeper into the kiss.

Author's Note

Well, there's my attempt at working a little bit of romance (or whatever) into this story... hope my work isn't to laughable... Please like/dislike and comment- I really would like to know what yall think of my story so far. Thanks for reading.