Applejack looked around, momentarily stunned and confused by what she saw. All the trees were bare of apples, a few sparse buckets were all she and Spike had collected for that day. It slowly dawned on her that the harvest was now complete, that she had finished ahead of schedule for the first time since Apple Bloom moved away. Spike approached her, more than a little unnerved by her silence, but she grinned at him to signify she was fine.

“Sorry sugar,” she giggled, “I suppose I’m just a might bit shocked we finished the harvest so quick.”

“Is that what this satisfied feeling of a job well done is?” the dragon smirked, one hand on his chest.

“Don’t get smart with me, now. This is a serious time. It’s always a bittersweet moment when the harvest ends.”

Spike’s smirk faded as he watched Applejack eye the orchard, misty-eyed. He looked around, wondering if he could see what she saw. He did – at least in part. Empty trees losing their leaves, barren and bleak, as far as the eye could see. No more sounds of labor or life. It occurred to Spike that the fall and winter seasons probably also reminded the mare about the family she had lost and of the harvests she used to spend with her siblings and Granny Smith, and her parents before that. Without really thinking, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close to him. The movement startled her, but she relaxed, smiled, and looked up into his face.

“Getting sentimental about the harvest already?” she asked.

“Something like that. I’ll go inside and get a fire started for us in case you wanted some time to think.”

Applejack didn’t say anything as she watched the dragon leave. She chewed on the inside of her cheek in thought; so, Spike had divined what was bugging her, had he? He was a sharp one, but given he’d been raised by Twilight that shouldn’t have been surprising. It hurt her pride that he had so openly displayed her pain like that. She preferred to carry her pain in silence, ‘crying on the inside’ as Pinkie once called it.

Realization hit her that Spike also tended to carry his pain in silence, as she had rarely ever heard him complain even as a young drake. Oh, he’d make plenty of sarcastic remarks, but any true suffering he usually kept under lock and key, figuring things out for himself (or trying to, before Twilight intervened). The realization got her wondering what sorts of things her drake-friend got upset over. What bothered Spike? How could she help him cope with it better? Color filled her cheeks as she realized how she was fretting over the dragon’s every worry. When he needed her, she’d know; there was no point trying to figure it all out at once!

Spike had already made the fire by the time Applejack returned inside. The house was getting warm, and a good thing, too. An unfortunate side effect of Zecora’s potion had made Applejack more aware of the cold. There was no health risk, of course, but the mare found chills more annoying than before. How far the potion might have changed her was a recurring source of dread. If she was more sensitive to the cold, then was she also susceptible to Spike’s weakness to water? With her heavier bones could she still swim? She had been having random bouts of paranoia regarding her changes since the morning after she’d used the potion, and each time Spike had managed to assuage her fears. She had never once, despite her worrying, felt she had made a mistake using the potion.

“Well, now we can finish setting up for the haunted hayride,” the dragon broke her out of her thoughts, “It’ll be nice to see this place bustling again.”

“We haven’t tried hosting anything in a long time…” Applejack commented, sparing a look out her window at the barren orchard, “After my siblings moved away, I passed up the chance to host the Sisterhooves Social. Hit a little too close to home, I suppose.”

Spike had managed to silently move closer to her, wrapping his arms around her once more. She sighed in contentment, feeling their combined body heat blend. The iron chord she had felt the first night they’d have sex, that bizarre wire that bound them, could be felt. She wondered if the dragon could feel it too, if he felt it the same way that she did?

“I think you should try hosting it again.”

“Because I’m lonely?” Applejack rolled her eyes.

“Because it’s important,” the dragon drew back and she turned to look at his gentle smile, “The Sisterhooves social has always been an important part of Ponyville, and the Apples have always hosted it. Ponyville hasn’t been the same without it, or without you for that matter. The world needs you, AJ. It needs ponies like you that care.”

“Shoot, sugar,” the mare blushed, “there’s plenty kinder ponies than me. Every pony cares.”

“But you go above and beyond,” Spike insisted, “This haunted hayride, the Sisterhooves Social, the work you did every day of your life to help your family. You never expect a reward; you never want to be famous… I know honesty is your Element, but to me you’ve always embodied all the Elements of Harmony.”

“Even magic?” Applejack snorted.

“Alright,” Spike chuckled, “maybe not that Element. Yet… if friendship is magic, then what you do every day is too. It’s very… I’m very proud to know you.”

“Easy, Spike,” Applejack fanned herself with her hat in an effort to tone down her blushing; honestly, the flattery! “You’re already sharing my bed; no need to try so hard.”

“I’m not lying, AJ,” the dragon smirked, “but you know that.”

She did. Of course she did. Stupid Elemental powers; it’d be nice if she could just pretend he was lying or exaggerating, but of course she couldn’t. Her lover’s glowing opinion of her was glowing, and that made her light up like a carnival. Anymore mushy stuff out of Spike and her head was going to swell to the size of Twilight’s balloon!

“Let’s just enjoy a lunch together, alright?” Applejack laughed as she began preparing sliced apples.

Spike joined her, setting the table and preparing some gem dust. Applejack found her eyes drifting towards his diligent efforts to grind the crystals into a fine, glittering powder. Some of the gem dust wafted through the air and she couldn’t help but smell its mineral richness. How could she ignore it? Her sense of smell had increased, after all. The mare figured dragons needed a better sense of smell just to smell something outside of their sooty breath. Not that she minded Spike’s sooty breath, of course; in fact, she found it rather calming lately, like a fireplace. She licked her lips, staring at the bowl. The dragon eventually noticed her gaze and seemed confused.

“It’s just gem dust,” he explained, “You’ve seen me make it before.”

“Uh, yeah…” Applejack cleared her throat, not peeling her eyes from the bowl, “Silly question, but… what’s it taste like?”

“Huh? It’s hard to explain to a someone who isn’t a dragon,” Spike rubbed the back of his head, “I like to use a ruby and emerald blend for apples – mostly for appearance, but also because it pairs nicely with it. How does it taste, hmm… I guess… a little sweet? Salty? With an metallic undertone, but not too strong…”

“Can I try?”

“What, are you nuts? Ponies can’t eat gemstones!”

“In case y’all forgot, I ain’t just a normal pony anymore,” the mare stood tall, taking a sort of pride with the statement. It was funny considering a few days before she had been suffering from indecision on whether or not to sacrifice her pony purity. “To be honest, my mouth waters every time I smell you making gems.”

“Really?” Spike’s eyes gleamed, “Awesome! I’ve always wished one of my friends could try gems! We can make gem-encrusted candied apples.”

“That sounds pretty good,” Applejack struggled to keep from over-salivating. It was a little embarrassing.

“Personally, I’d use topaz instead of rubies,” a third voice chimed in from behind the pair, “Rubies might make it too sweet.”

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea-” Spike began before spinning around, wide-eyed, “Pinkie?! How- where-?”

Applejack was almost unfazed by her cousin’s appearance. It had been awhile since her last visit, but Pinkie had stayed in touch with the farmer often enough that her breaking and entering was to be expected.

“Easy, Spike,” Applejack placed a comforting hoof on his arm, “Pinkie Pie drops by unexpectedly all the time. Though I must admit, you haven’t been by in a few months…”

“Gee, I’m sorry about that,” the pink mare deflated a little, genuine in her apology, “I wanted to come back, but I got so distracted trying to get Twilight out of her castle that I lost track of time. Do you know how many birthday parties I missed out on?! I feel awful!”

“What brings you here?” Spike asked.

“Twilight and I wanted to spend some time with you two,” Pinkie beamed, springing back to her peppy self, “I suggested we all go out for a nice dinner! Just you and Applejack, and Twilight and me!”

“Wait, you got in touch with Twilight?” the dragon’s eyes widened, “She secludes herself in that stupid pocket dimension half the time! How did you-? Never mind, I forgot who I was talking to.”

“She wanted to hear more about you and Applejack,” Pinkie waggled her eyebrows, grinning, “Sorry, that was more suggestive than I meant it to be. Seriously, though, she does want to hear about how you two fell in looooove!”

“Great,” Spike deadpanned, “so an awkward dinner with Twilight. Well, it had to happen sooner or later… Are you up for it, AJ?”

“Uh…” the blonde-maned mare looked worried, “I-I don’t know, sugar… Twilight might not appreciate the fact I’m dating her youngin.”

“I’m not her-” the dragon cringed and stopped himself. Well, he kind of was, wasn’t he? Still, Twilight had never spoken up about him wanting to be with Rarity, but that may have been because she knew he had a snowball’s chance in Tartarus of it working out. “Either way, I wouldn’t worry about it. I mean, we’re adults and she’s a reasonable mare.”

“Don’t worry about it ruining your friendship or anything, AJ!” Pinkie assured her cousin, “She was more upset with Spike, anyway.”

“Me?! What did I do?!”

“Moved out suddenly without saying goodbye, not writing to her about what’s been going on in your life, and failing to mention you had a Special Somepony, just to name a few,” Pinkie’s smile never faded.

Spike stood silently for a moment, brow furrowed as he thought about all of that. Applejack was glaring up at him, clearly disapproving his lack of communication with the mare that raised him. Surely there was something Pinkie was wrong about?

“Uh… Applejack is my filly-friend,” he said, “not my Special Somepony.”

“Oh?” the farmer scowled, “Well, if that’s all we are, then I guess I don’t really need to go on that dinner with you!”

“You can’t leave me with Twilight on my own!” the dragon looked horrified, then blinked, “Wait, so you want to be Special Someponies?”

Applejack’s teeth clicked shut and she scrunched her muzzle up, avoiding eye contact and blushing.

“You two are really bad at pretending you’re not in love with each other,” Pinkie noted, dryly, “I hope you don’t mind, but I finished up the candied apples while you were arguing! Dinner will be at Twilight’s castle – she thought you’d appreciate the privacy – at 7 o’clock! Don’t be late!”

Spike opened his mouth to say something at the same time Applejack started to say “Hold on a minute,” but the pink mare had bounced out of the front door, closing it with her tail behind her. Looking at the counter, at once surprising and no surprise, the candied apples were finished – half ruby-and-emerald, half topaz-and-emerald. The dragon felt his mouth water; Pinkie was only a step below Mrs. Cake in making the best gem-encrusted snacks. His claw reached out for a slice of apple before Applejack’s hoof swatted it away.

“Ow!” he cried, pitifully, glaring at his lover.

“What are we going to do, Spike?!” she was shaking in anxiety, “Twilight’s going to ask all sorts of… personal questions!”

“Ugh, I know…” the dragon blushed, fidgeting his wings, “She was very interested in dragon anatomy as I grew. Academic, of course, but it was still awkward when she asked me how many times I… um… relieved myself.”

“Relieved yourself?”

Spike replied by making a stroking gesture with his hand. Applejack only tilted her head to the side, confused. The dragon rolled his eyes.

“Masturbating?” he muttered, embarrassed.

“Oh…” the farmer’s face lit up and her eyes drifted between Spike’s hand and groin, wondering how that worked, “So… you can do it with one hand? I-I’ve heard stallions need both hooves. Is it ‘cause it’s smaller than a stallion’s?”

“Whoa, now hold on there!” Spike’s blush of embarrassment became a flush of indignation, “What are you saying?”

“Stallions have very large, uh…” the mare tipped her hat down, covering her face, “I-I accidentally saw Big Macintosh’s once; ho boy…”

“Well, of course a stallion named Big Mac is going to be hung like a-” the dragon stopped midsentence, realizing that the phrase ‘hung like a horse’ referred to their natural length and girth. Suddenly, immaturely, he felt woefully insufficient. “Is mine not… big enough?”

“Whoa there, sugar,” Applejack immediately looked up at him, stubbornly drawing his eyes towards her, “I love you just the way you are. If you’re worried you don’t measure up, well, there’s more to pleasing a mare than having a… y’know.”

“Big dick? We’re adults, AJ, you can call it a dick.”

“The point is, you might not be as big as a stallion south of the border, but you’ve got other tools,” the mare smirked as she circled her lover, “that tongue of yours, for instance. Whoo-ee, just the thought of it gets me a little hot and bothered…”

As she fanned herself with her hat, Spike felt his nostrils itch and his blood rise. She probably didn’t realize it, but Applejack had begun producing pheromones as her arousal increased. In response, Spike was beginning to produce his own.

“And your hands,” Applejack chuckled, running her hoof along the clawed digits, “You got a magic touch with backrubs, sugar,” her eyes drifted to his tail, “’Sides, if size really mattered, you could probably use your tail. But please don’t; that’s getting a little weird for me.”

“Huh… my tail…” the dragon moved the extremity before him, his mind wandering to dirty thoughts of how he could employ it against the mare whose pheromones were driving him up a wall.

“I see all this talk has got you riled up,” Applejack noted, rubbing Spike’s erect penis with her hoof. He hadn’t even noticed. Maybe he should invest in pants at some point?

“Now that you mention it,” the dragon lifted the mare suddenly, laying her down across the table, ignoring the straining of the thick woodwork, “I could use a little snack.”

“Spike, we have lunch w-” the mare begun, breath husky as she protested. It cut off with a sharp peep as she felt a serpentine tongue enter her and work its way around her insides. “N-never mind! Lunch can wait!”

She propped herself up on her elbows to watch the dragon’s sharp-toothed maw nibble and scrape at her mare-hood, his thick, coiling tongue sliding into her and wriggling with a dexterity no stallion could hope to match. Claws were locked around her thick thighs, spreading her wide. Occasional bursts of green flame – evidence of the dragon’s pent up arousal – would blast her exposed crotch, but thanks to her transformation they felt like warm breaths, sensually tickling her sensitive region. Curious, Applejack took her hat off and put it on Spike’s head.

“I’ll be,” she smirked as the dragon eyed her, grinning, “the hat really does make it better.”

“I told you,” Spike said as his tongue left her entrance for a moment. He stood up and reached up towards Applejack’s head, caressing her cheek before reaching behind and undoing the red ribbon binding her ponytail. Her blonde mane came undone, framing her on the table. “Now that looks appetizing…”

Before he could do anything, the mare kicked him back with enough force that he stumbled into a chair but was uninjured. Surprised, he looked up to see Applejack looking at him with a seductive look. She got off the table and grabbed some supplies from the counter. Spike said nothing, despite his horniness, curious where this was leading. When she leveled a knife near his member, he panicked.

“Relax you big baby,” Applejack chuckled, dipping the knife into a jar of caramel sauce, “it’s dull.”

Spike eased up as he let her smother his dick in the sticky, sweet substance. He’d heard of people using dessert items in sex, seen it in a few magazines, but he hadn’t expected Applejack to be into it. It was a surprisingly nice feeling, the far cooler, gel-like liquid being gently massaged onto his member by a beautiful mare. Next she began sprinkling gem powder onto the caramel, packing it until his dick looked like some bedazzled cone. They both had a laugh at the image.

“Sorry, sugar,” the farmer said as the laughter died down, “but I really wanted to get a taste of gems, and I’m hungry,” she ran her tongue along the bottom of his shaft, and while he couldn’t feel the direct contact of the action, the erotic imagery of her enjoy his flavor more than made up for it. “I also wanted to taste something else…”

Spike bit his lip as he watched the mare lick the gem dust and caramel from him, more and more feeling bleeding through as her tongue cleared up the thick substance. It wasn’t long before he was clean and she was sucking on him, stimulating his member with lips, tongue, throat, and teeth. He clutched the back of her head, encouraging her to take him deeper into her mouth. As he drew closer to climax, he released her and gestured for her to back off, but she didn’t relent. Quite the opposite, she picked up speed, causing his breathing to become labored.

“H-hey now, AJ,” his breath came out in husky tones and smoky wisps, “I’m close… If you’re not careful, I’ll blow right into your mouth!”

The mare slowed only long enough to shoot him a ‘you think I don’t know that?’ look before picking up speed again. The dragon cried out in ecstasy as Applejack got him worked into a fit of pleasure. His hips surged forward at the last moment of their own volition, startling the farmer as he rammed his entire length down her throat, scrunching her muzzle. Wide-eyed, Applejack froze as she felt her mouth and throat fill to overflowing with his seed. Even with her newfound fireproofing, the slimy substance felt uncomfortably hot, like freshly made hot cocoa. Ironically, she could taste nothing as she struggled to counter her gag reflex and slid off of Spike’s deflating member. Slowly, he exited her, his cum pooling into and out of her mouth as space was freed up.

Applejack only gaped, unwilling to try and swallow it all. As it slowly dribbled out of her lips and down her face, pooling in her open mouth, she tasted it with her tongue. It was an odd mixture. There was definitely a strong, mineral flavor – and not just from the leftover gem dust in her mouth. There was a potent amalgamation of flavors that were thoroughly organic and more than a little nauseating. They were new to her, but she could put words to most of them: salty, bitter, rich, reptilian to name a few. Finally, there was a chemical flavor that made her head spin, as if Spike had injected a condensed version of his pheromones directly into her skull. With some embarrassment the farmer realized Spike’s orgasm had caused her to cum as well. No need to let him know how much she liked the alien sensation, though.

Her eyes drifted up to look at her lover who was gaping and already hard as a rock again. From his perspective, Applejack was on her haunches, rosy-cheeked with his cum pouring out of her mouth, hazy emerald eyes looking up at him. It was adorable and hot in equal measure and the dragon felt smoke waft from his nostrils. She tried to say something but stopped herself as more cum spilled out. Grimacing, she closed her mouth and swallowed the foul (but not entirely unpleasant) fluid, then took a breath.

“Spike-”

She yelped as the dragon lifted her up and onto the table, spreading her legs again. Blushing, she didn’t protest as he inserted himself into her, letting out a breath of relief as if he’d just had a cool glass of water after walking through a desert. He immediately picked up speed, every thrust fueled by lustful desire. The farmer only gawked as pleasure coursed through her veins. What exactly had he seen looking at her that could get him this worked up? She let herself be tossed around by him, not resisting as he repositioned her on her side and lifted a leg up along his shoulder. He wrapped his hands around her thigh as he slammed his dick into her moist pussy. It was warmer now than it had ever been, changed by the potion, and he loved it.

“Applejack!” he growled out with his final thrust, burying his seed deep inside her, shuddering at each release. Panting, he got off of her, looking away to avoid being aroused again. He realized, looking up, that her hat was still on his head.

“Boy howdy, Spike…” the mare said between her own panting breaths, “that was a hay of a ride. What got you so worked up?”

“You,” the dragon smirked, helping his lover off the table and handing her a towel. While she cleaned up he began their usual ritual for disinfecting the table. The fact they were so used to cleaning the furniture was probably a sign they should restrict sex to the bedroom, but they were the only ones living there, so who cared?

“I’m serious, sugar,” the mare giggled, “It’s still pouring out of me… and it’s even less than what you let out in my mouth!”

“You have very soft lips,” Spike was grinning now, tail wagging, evidently happy, “and you look good with your mane loose. Of course, you look good with your mane done up, too. And in a ponytail,” he paused, pursing his lips, “Actually, you look good however you style your mane.”

“You liked my boots, too,” the mare snorted, not believing Spike for a moment, “and as I recall, I used my lips that time, too. What really got you riled up?”

“Well…” the dragon nudged the hat on his head up, scratching his forehead in embarrassment, “um… seeing you there, with your mouth full… It’s stupid, but I found that really hot.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow, almost unconvinced save for how genuine the dragon’s embarrassment was. Really? Because her mouth was full of cum? That was an even stranger thing to be aroused by then wearing a hat or boots! Shouldn’t it be gross to look at? Then again, shouldn’t having a slithering tongue shoved up inside her also be gross? Actually, really everything about sex was disgusting the more she thought about it, so who was she to judge what was and wasn’t hot.

“I should have Rarity make you a hat of your own,” she decided to say, “I like the look of you in one, but wearing my Pa’s hat is a little… strange.”

“This was your dad’s?” Spike removed the article of clothing and looked at it, a little mystified, “Wow. I had a suspicion, but I didn’t want to ask.”

The mare was about to ask why he wouldn’t want to ask when she thought better of it. After all, she never felt comfortable prying into other’s personal business. She took her hat back as he handed it to her, staring at it for a moment. It was a strange realization she was having: she didn’t like talking about herself or sharing her burdens with others, and nobody ever wanted to intrude on private issues. It balanced out to her never getting to discuss her family with anyone, for no one ever asked and she never instigated it. She’d really only ever discussed her family and private woes with Rarity when they had been particularly close. It would be nice to talk about her parents with someone else. Talking about the lost had a way of bringing them back, if only for a while, rather than letting them fade into obscurity.

Meanwhile, Spike was contemplating his own family and suffering the same dilemma. Aside from Twilight and Smolder, no one had ever made an effort to ask him about his feelings on being an orphan, especially since he made such a show of Twilight being his family. Applejack would never ask him about it, and he’d never bring it up by himself. Seeing a relic of her father’s, some remnant of him beyond memory and photograph… he felt the oddest twinge of envy and admonished himself for it. Every time he thought he was over his birth parents never being in his life, the sinking sensation snuck up on him.

The sobriety of their thoughts killed their sex drive and they returned to lunch after cleaning up their residue. Afterwards, the pair continued their decorations for Nightmare Night. Lanterns were strung up through the orchard, lighting the path the carts would take, and hay bales readied and set aside for seats. Spike worked on tailoring Applejack’s costume while she occasionally looked over his shoulder and whistled at his work, saying it was as good as Rarity’s. A lie, true, but not by much; Spike was very skilled at cloth crafts and had earned plenty of firsthand expertise helping Rarity for years.

“Good gravy, Spike!” Applejack’s voice snapped him out of his sewing, “It’s already 7:30!”

The dragon hurriedly packed up his project and the pair rushed for the bathroom, realizing they hadn’t bathed. Filling the tub with room temperature water, they both splashed in and worked fiercely to scrub themselves and each other with soap and water. They dried themselves in a frenzy, Spike helping brush Applejack, and made themselves presentable. It was a shame they were in a rush; they could have had some fun in the tub, and Spike always enjoyed brushing Applejack’s coat. As they ran outside they glanced at the clock.

“7:55!” the mare cried out, distressed, “We’re gonna be late!”

Spike took off with his wings, wrapping his arms around Applejack as he lifted himself, ignoring her protests. She was heavier than she used to be, but no heavier than Smolder, and the pair of them had trained with mid-flight rescue maneuvers before, so the extra weight was hardly a hindrance. Eventually, Applejack quit protesting and allowed herself to enjoy the sensation of flying. Part of her was terrified, not enjoying the sensation of nothing beneath her hooves, but another part of her felt the same adventurous thrill she did when sailing. She enjoyed the view before closing her eyes and focusing purely on the wind rushing against her, hearing Spike’s slow heartbeat and feeling his comforting heat radiate into her.

Spike, for his part, enjoyed embracing his lover, and enjoyed seeing her having a good time. It was almost a shame they had to land at the castle, but he did a loop around partly to slow down and partly to extend their time in the air. Touching down on the balcony he and Twilight traditionally used for landing, they were greeted by a frustrated Smolder and an abashed Ocellus.

“What are you two doing up here?” Applejack asked, fixing her hair and hat after the breeze.

“Princess Twilight didn’t appreciate the fact we knew you left without saying goodbye,” Ocellus explained, “so she ‘requested’ we help with dinner…”

“Thanks for that, by the way,” Smolder added, sarcastically.

The pair led the couple into the castle and towards the dining area, Ocellus making a good show as a servant while Smolder rolled her eyes and barely played the role. Did Twilight know about her attraction to Spike? The dragon doubted it; even if Twilight was mad, she would never put Smolder in this situation if she realized how uncomfortable it would make her. Sitting at the table already were Twilight and Pinkie Pie. Applejack and Spike took their seats.

“It’s… been awhile…” the dragon noted. Twilight bit her lip, unsure what to add and the room fell into awkward silence. Spike noted the usually dining room table had been replaced with a much smaller table so they were closer. “You, uh, got a new table.”

“It’s just the old one from the library,” the princess confessed, sheepishly. Another charged silence. “So… how are things?”

“Good.”

“Good.”

Awkward silence.

“Hi, Applejack,” Twilight turned her attention to the mare trying to hide under her hat, “it’s been awhile…”

“Eeyup.”

“I should probably quit beating around the bush, but I just don’t know how to start…”

“Maybe by asking how long they’ve been seeing each other?” Pinkie suggested, helpfully.

“How long have you two been seeing each other?” the princess asked with more confidence.

“Oh,” Spike blinked in surprise, “um… well, about a month, I think.”

“That’s about right, yeah,” Applejack’s eyes widened as she exchanged surprised looks with her lover, “I’ll be, it’s been a month since we got together!”

“Wait a second,” Twilight’s brow furrowed, “you’ve only been dating a month? But you moved out a month ago! Are you telling me you just moved in with Applejack and started dating immediately?”

“Actually, this is technically our first date,” the dragon noted, feeling a little sad at the realization.

“You’ve been together for a month, but not dating,” the alicorn cleared her throat, color in her cheeks as she tried to look nonchalant, “So… what have you two been doing?”

“…Couple stuff,” Applejack blurted out, face scrunching.

“Couple stuff?”

“Eeyup.”

“I haven’t seen them,” Pinkie said around a mouthful of salad, the only pony actually eating, “but I think they’re having sex.”

Applejack immediately hid herself under her hat as Spike buried his face in his hands. Twilight gave a deadpan stare at Pinkie, who winked back.

“Judging by your reactions, I see she’s right,” Twilight let herself giggle, “You two don’t need to feel ashamed or embarrassed about it.”

“You’re not mad?” Applejack peaked out from under her hat.

“Mad? Why would I be mad?” the princess looked surprised, “I mean, I was caught off-guard, but I’m not mad. In fact, I’m actually really happy for both of you.”

“Seriously?” the dragon gaped, “I was worried you’d want to do something embarrassing, like show AJ all those photos of when you raised me.”

“You’re not out of the woods yet, mister,” Twilight smirked, levitating a photo album from where she’d put it near the table, “but that can wait until after dinner. For now, let’s just catch up. Applejack, I’m sorry I’ve been so busy. I’ve really let everything get away from me.”

“Don’t go blaming yourself,” the farmer sighed, “all of us have drifted apart, throwing ourselves into our work. You aren’t the only one responsible for it.”

That much was true. After the constant threats had ceased, the Elements of Harmony had slowly begun to drift apart. It was hardly noticeable, but more and more of their free time was being spent on other pursuits, or other relationships. Applejack and Rarity and gotten close, but pulled out before anything became of it. They had been good friends, still, but something in their dynamic had changed, and once where they had been inseparable, now they could spend weeks at a time away from each other. Soon months. Now an entire year. A lot of their friendships had ended up that way. Fluttershy’s marriage to Discord had been the first true break as she entered the world of matrimony, flitting around the world with her husband on safaris. Rarity began doing fashion tours far more often. Rainbow Dash followed suit, spending more time on tour with the Wonderbolts, being groomed for Spitfire’s position as leader. Twilight threw herself into royal duties to compensate for the sudden disappearance of half her friends, and Applejack chose to suffer in silence as her family disappeared one-by-one. Only Pinkie Pie tried to continue life as always, but even she had become sidetracked, obsessed with breaking Twilight’s isolation and ironically falling into her own.

In the end, they’d all drifted apart and none of them were at fault for doing so. Was Fluttershy not allowed to enjoy her marriage? Were Rarity and Rainbow Dash supposed to put their careers on hold? Was Pinkie supposed to just sit by as her two remaining friends isolated themselves from her?

“That’s true,” Twilight suppressed the urge to blame herself for everything; self-pity wasn’t going to fix anything, “I hear you guys are making a haunted hay ride.”

They talked about the haunted hay ride, about Twilight’s job, about Pinkie’s life, and about anything that came to mind, easing up as time went on and enjoying the meal. Salad, the main entrée, even up through dessert they chatted, feeling the bonds of friendship and family rekindle. Applejack related the adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders she had learned through letters from her sister, and Twilight caught them up on how Starlight’s life was in the Crystal Empire. Soon they were all laughing and having a good time, stomachs full and all sense of ill ease completely forgotten. Twilight laughed the longest, apologizing as she dried her eyes.

“Sorry, sorry!” she inhaled, steadying her breath, “It’s just so funny, isn’t it? I locked myself away to focus on my job as the Princess of Friendship, and I wasn’t even spending time with my friends! It’s ironic.”

“Twi, you don’t have to do your job every waking moment,” Spike chuckled, “I know that’s what Celestia and Luna did, but they didn’t retire and leave you in charge because you were like them. You lead by example, and you trust ponies to live their own lives.”

“Wow, that’s… really wise,” the alicorn gaped, then smirked at Applejack, “Is this your doing?”

“I’m afraid not,” the farmer smiled fondly at her lover, “He has a habit of getting philosophical on me, too. You raised him right.”

And the awkward silence returned as Twilight and Applejack remembered they were the same age, but there was Applejack dating the dragon Twilight had raised from infancy.

“Awww… and you were all doing so well, too,” Pinkie pouted, “Is it really that weird?”

“N-no!” Applejack blurted at the same time Twilight scoffed “Of course not!”

“I just… I don’t know how I should react to this…” Twilight confessed, “Applejack is my friend, like a sister to me. Spike has always been like a brother, or even a son to me! For both of them to suddenly be dating each other, it sort of messes with the image I had of both of them.”

“So, you have a hard time dealing with friends suddenly changing their relationships around you?” Pinkie asked. That tracked, considering how far in denial the princess had been when Fluttershy got married. “Well, hypothetically… if a friend wanted to be more than friends with you, but you only saw them as a friend, but they super-duper liked you, and you found out, would that friend still be your friend even though the friend wanted to be more than friends with you?”

Twilight tried to process that, tapping her chin and losing track.

“Wait, what?”

“Wait an apple-bucking minute here,” Applejack was astonished, “Pinkie, are you that friend?”

“I’m still confused, what friend?” Twilight asked, looking between the others.

“Maybe…” Pinkie avoided eye contact, blushing.

“Land’s sake, Pinkie, just tell her,” the farmer beamed, pleased for her cousin.

“Tell me what?” Twilight was getting annoyed, looking at Spike for help.

“Don’t look at me,” the dragon held up his hands, “I’m as confused as you.”

“I can’t tell her!” the pink mare actually looked worried, “What if she doesn’t feel the same way?”

“You’ll never know if you don’t try.”

Pinkie was going to protest further but stopped herself. Honestly, what good would come from putting it off any longer? Was she supposed to just keep dropping hints forever? They weren’t getting any younger. Well, except Fluttershy and Applejack. And Twilight. She was derailing her own thinking just to stall for time!

“Alrighty,” Pinkie sat up straighter, looking at Twilight with an intense, serious expression. Twilight stared back, confused. This went on for some time, Pinkie’s stare growing more severe until Twilight blinked. “Yay! I win!” Applejack gave a deadpan glare in Pinkie’s direction, “Oh, right! Twilight, can you keep a super-secret secret?”

“Of course,” the princess smiled.

“I have a crush on somepony.”

“Really?” Twilight’s eyes widened, “Who?”

Applejack face-hooved at the same time Spike rolled his eyes; even he had been able to piece it together by now.

“On the mare I invited to dinner, duh!”

“Oh!” Twilight blushed, looking at the others, “But… isn’t Applejack your cousin?”

Spike burst into laughter, falling out of his chair at that.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, that was just… it was so tense!” he choked for air, “AJ, maybe we should… we should give them a moment!”

“We’ll be in the map room if’n you need us,” Applejack stayed serious, though between Twilight’s naivety and her lover’s reaction she was more than a little tickled herself, “A word of advice, first, Twilight: if a relationship seems strange to you, don’t knock it ‘til you try it. Fortune favors the brave, that’s what Granny Smith always said.”

With that, she left the other two mares alone.

“I haven’t seen Spike laugh that hard in years,” Twilight muttered, returning her attention to Pinkie who was now close enough that their muzzles touched. Looking into the earth mare’s blue eyes, it all clicked finally. “Oh… you meant me, didn’t you?”

“That’s okay, right?” Pinkie backed up, biting her lower lip in concern, “It’s okay if you’re not interested!”

Twilight honestly wasn’t sure how to feel. The analytical part of her mind which categorized her friends into specific relationships was telling her not to engage. After all, so many books on the subject of relationships exclaimed: do not date your friends! Yet, around her, Twilight had seen so many examples of friends entering into successful relationships. In truth, Twilight didn’t feel any concern or trepidation about dating Pinkie, and that’s why she hesitated. She was so used to being panicked, to being worried, to stressing, that this sensation of complete calm was alien to her. There was no passionate romantic feeling drawing them together, but wasn’t love supposed to feel different for everybody? Without thinking, the princess leaned forward and pecked Pinkie on the lips.

Pinkie looked stunned, then ecstatic.

“That felt pretty good, actually,” Twilight blushed, realizing what she had done. An electric thrill went through her. “Can we kiss again?”

“Oh, Twilight,” Pinkie snorted, waving a dismissive hoof, “as if you need to ask!”
…

“Do you think it’s going alright?” Spike asked, looking at a clock while they waited in the map room, “It’s been thirty minutes!”

“I hope my advice didn’t backfire,” Applejack started chewing on her hoof mere moments before Smolder and Ocellus led a disheveled Twilight and Pinkie into the room, “Oh no, did you two get into a fight?!”

“Hardly,” Smolder laughed, but it withered when Twilight glared back at her.

“They were making out,” Ocellus explained, not having seen the alicorn’s warning glare, “Oh, sorry… Is that something ponies don’t talk about?”

“Well, duh!” Twilight snapped, “If you walked into a room and saw a dragon or a changeling making out with someone, would you just blab about it?!”

“I wouldn’t say we ‘blab’ about it,” Ocellus shrugged, “but we don’t avoid the subject.”

“Why would we need to?” Smolder looked genuinely confused, “Dragons always brag about their exploits. Remember that dragon-changeling party three years back where Thorax and Ember were making out on the table?”

“We had to pry them apart, too,” Ocellus giggled.

“Okay, I really don’t need that mental image,” Spike interrupted them, “I’m happy for you, Twi.”

“We should do dinner again sometime,” Applejack offered, “Maybe make it a monthly thing?”

“We could even invite Discord and Fluttershy,” Spike offered, thought Applejack and Twilight looked less than thrilled at the prospect of having Discord over for dinner.

“That’s a great idea!” Pinkie gasped, “We could do a monthly couples party! I haven’t thrown a party in so long! Can we, Twi, can we?!”

“Well…” the alicorn couldn’t hide her smile, “Sure. Though you didn’t need my permission.”

“I’m looking forward to it already,” Applejack made to leave, then stopped, “Oh, Pinkie? I was wondering if you’d be interested in helping us with the haunted hay ride. Spike and I have done a lot already, but it’s not quite up to snuff, yet.”

“Pinkie Pie is back in business!” the pink mare stood on her hind legs and thrust her forelegs into the air.

They said their goodbyes and parted ways, reaching the farm and preparing for bed. Applejack had already worked up a thicker bedframe with her carpentry skills and it supported their weight easily. As they lay there, full and fatigued from a day well-spent, sleep catching up to them, Spike chuckled. Applejack turned her to look at him, curious.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, it’s just… I think that was our first date.”

The mare blinked and returned to looking at the ceiling. They’d been having sex for a month, calling themselves filly- and drake-friend, and they had only just now had a date? Not even a truly romantic date, but rather a dinner with friends. The realization made her a little sad.

“We should do it more often,” Spike continued, looking at her, “if you don’t mind. I had fun, and it’d be nice to go out – just the two of us – for dinner, or a movie.”

“I haven’t seen a movie in over a year,” the mare confessed, looking into his eyes, “I’d like that.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Sure thing, sugar.”

They kissed, embraced, and fell asleep.

Author's Note

Wow this took way too long. Weak ending for a chapter, I know. Anyway, updates will still be slow. I’m busy with some IRL stuff, and I’m trying to keep some other works… relatively updated. Sort of. As always, I won’t reply or acknowledge any comments or messages about updates.

Some things of note for this universe: Applejack and Rarity nearly became a thing, but decided to stay friends which made things easier for them to drift apart. Starlight moved to the Crystal Empire with Trixie. I may expand on that in a later chapter, but my plans for that would probably be best as an independent spin-off fic.