A Journey of Two Apples

Chapters

Problem
Solution
Progress
More Problems
Resolution

Problem

Chapter 1: Problem

(Everfree Forest) (Zecora’s residence)

It was a stormy night in the Everfree Forest. The trees whistled as a gale passed through rustling the leaves in its windy embrace. Rain poured endlessly from the dark clouds above hiding away the moon and stars while roaring thunder pierced through its veil. The soaked roads of the woods turned to mud as forest critters of all shapes and sizes saw it best to seek shelter instead of risking the wrath of Mother Nature herself.

But amidst the muck and rain, a single pony strode on by. She was covered in a cape as she pushed through the storm, panting desperately as if she had been galloping for hours. Her blonde mane was soaked while her trademark hat caught on water. But despite those hardship, the little pony did not stop. She was determined to get through regardless.

Eventually her destination was in sight. A home built within a tree stood in front of her. She was gladdened to see a candlelight lit by the window hinting that the owner was still awake.

The pony slowed her pace and made her way to the front door. The stench of herbal mixtures and potions smacked her face like a ram. But it wasn’t going to drive her away. She went through a storm to get here and she wasn’t gonna waste that trip for nothing.

There was some hesitation when she raised her hooves up – like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to knock. Her face twisted with a mixture of emotions before she finally gave in to her desperation.

The door slowly creaked open revealing a striped zebra on the other side. Suspicion and caution marred her face, before she finally recognized the pony intruding her space.

“Applejack?”

“Hey there Zecora.” The Earth Pony replied, mellow. “Sorry to bother you so late. Can I come in?”

“Of course of course!” The zebra granted. “Come on in before your voice gets coarse.”

Applejack gratefully entered, removing her cape and hanging her hat by the giant pot in the middle where a roaring fire went. The bubbling contents were blue in color but she knew well enough not to ask what it was.

“Tea?” The voodoo worker offered with an exotic looking teapot on the table.

“No thanks. I’m…”

“Against the cold and rain, never take such things in vain.” She said in her usual strange rhyming ways.

Applejack thought for a moment before smiling back. “Actually… yeah. I could use some.” The Earth Pony took a sip and breathed a sigh of relief at the contents. It looked like ordinary tea just like the ones Fluttershy made. It didn’t boil or had any weird colors to add in the mix. “Sorry for barging in like this. I didn’t mean to interrupt your work.”

“No need to be so meek. My brew here is almost complete. A homemade recipe back from my homeland. Its mixture here is in great demand.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Hair grow potion.” She answered briefly with a cheeky grin. “But enough about my brew. I am more curious about what ails you.”

Applejack sighed and sulked at the corner. There was a hint of guilt, shame and all manner of negative emotions running through her head that neither she nor Zecora could understand.

“Before I say anything. I want you to promise me that you won’t tell anyone. Not even my friends. This has to be kept between us and us alone. At least…” She paused. “At least until I’m ready.”

“A secret you wish to share? Yet my feelings you do not care?” Zecora mooted.

“Please Zecora. I really… don’t know who else to turn. I can’t go to my friends for this. Especially for this. So please… PLEASE!” Desperation pleaded from her voice. Anyone can tell whatever it was she wanted to say must be very punishing.

Zecora looked to the little pony, noting a tear slipping down her eye. Something terrible was eating her up from the inside and it was killing her.

After a brief pause, the shaman nodded. “I promise.” Relief spread over Applejack’s face. Like a weight lightened on her. “What is the nature of your problem? And I will try my best to fix them.” Applejack nodded and muttered something about being good enough before trotting over to a corner.

“I… have a problem. It’s… about Big Mac.” She said his name like weighed a ton.

“Your brother?”

“Yeah. It’s hard to explain but… I think… I think I might… like him.”

Zecora raised a brow. “I am not accustomed to your ways here. But that doesn’t seem like something you should fear.”

“No! I mean… I think I might like-like him?” It turned out as a question rather than a statement. Her hooves trottled over the floor as she was trying to get her point across. “Oh for tarnation! I think I might be in love with him!”

Lightning clapped outside as if to match the gravity of those words. A torrent of wind followed, rustling the hut. The whole thing lasted for a few good seconds before things calmed down. Applejack on the other hand looked like she had just been stabbed with a broken horn.

The words finally dawned on Zecora and her face matched. “You… are in love with… your own flesh and blood?” The Earth Pony nodded, guilt and shame fortified over her face. “Oh crud.”

xxxxxxxxxx

It took some time before the storm let up and the two to get back into calmer perspectives.

“I have never consulted in love before.” Zecora said while she poured another batch of tea for them. “But a promise kept is a promise I swore.”

“Thanks Zecora. And sorry for yelling. You can understand why I’m all giddy and angry.”

“Your outburst is natural. But these feelings you have is unnatural. Even in my homeland it is strange. Loving family here is quite the change.”

Applejeck bobbed her head down. “I know. It’s all strange for me too. But I can’t help it. I know he’s my big brother and all – and I’m used to seeing him but… it all started to get weird.”

“And you came to me for aid? I must remind you that counseling youngsters is not my trade.”

“I know. But I can’t bring this problem to my friends. They wouldn’t understand.”

“Would they?”

“Ok. Maybe they would. But still… I don’t want them to know about this. At least… not yet.”

Zecora nodded in acceptance. Perhaps that alone was enough. “Perhaps you should start on when you first had them. Then perhaps we can get to the root of this problem.” She gently offered her guest a comfy area by the boiling pot which Applejack hesitantly accepted. “Start from beginning when you felt for your brother and hopefully then your feelings won’t be a bother.”

“Well… I think it happened two months ago…”

(Two months ago) (Sweet Apple Acres)

We were having breakfast back home. We just finished apple bucking the whole orchard and were about to have our long break when granny came back with big news.

“Hold your hooves kids! Granny’s got big news!” The trio apples nearly fell off their chairs when Granny Smith kicked the door down with a wide eyed grin on her face. “Great news in fact!”

“Geez granny. Mind if you let us finish breakfast before you break the whole house down?” Applejack chuckled offering a seat to the old pony. “What’s the big news? Did you invent another way to cook apples or discover a long lost recipe for making an even stronger apple cider?”

“Nope! Even better!” She announced. “You guys know about Apple County?”

“Apple County?” Apple Bloom tilted her head as her big sister answered.

“Course I do. They’re the biggest orchard in all of Equestria. They got over a thousand work-ponies running the field every season, over a thousand acres of farmland and have one of the best water sprinkler system on the East side. They’re practically the most well-known farms in the whole wide world.”

“Wow…”

Granny nodded. “That’s right. And they’re ruined! Bwahahahaha!” She danced around in a country-style, hopping around like a frog. She would’ve enjoyed that laugh even more if her grandkids joined in.

“Ruined?” Applejack questioned. “What do you mean ruined?”

“The Hooverdam over by the county broke and flooded their whole field. The bumper crop they had this season is all gone leaving them completely… Appleless.” The trio looked to each other and then back to her. “Meaning they got nothing left!”

“We got that granny. But mind telling us why you’d call that… Great News? Sounds like a big tragedy to me.”

“Well it’s great for us because those lug heads were supposed to supply Hooverton for their annual Apple-Fair two weeks from now. Without a single apple to their name, the organizer called on us to supply them for this year! They’re willing to pay top bits for it all!”

The siblings cheered. That kind of a contract can set their farm for life. They wouldn’t have to rely on their business partners to keep themselves afloat.

“That is good news granny!” Applejack beamed. “That kind of dough might be enough to build another wing for the house.”

“Eeyup.”

“So how many apples are they asking? A bushel? A dozen bushels?”

“A hundred!” Granny declared.

“A hundred.” Applejack nodded. It was a solid number. Difficult but not undoable. “That might be a bit of a stretch but I think we can work it out. Maybe if we put Apple Bloom here to the field, we can increase our apple bucking by…”

“Ahem… sorry. I didn’t quite finish.” The old pony interjected. “I meant to say that they want a hundred thousand!”

A hundred thousand!? The number alone made Big Mac choke on his pancake.

“A hundred thousand?!” Applejack croaked. “That’s… that’s…”

“Incredible? Amazing? Incredibly amazing?!”

“I was gonna say impossible gran-gran! That’s three times more than what our orchard can make in a year! We can’t fill that kind of order!”

“Pfft. Not with that attitude.”

Applejack grunted. “And even if we can get a hundred thousand apples. How are we supposed to get all those to Hooverton in just two weeks!? The nearest train stop is at Mane’s Manetown. We don’t have enough farm hands here as is.”

“Eeyup.”

“Oh will two you relax.” Granny scolded. “I got everything covered. Goldie and Apple Rose already pitched in and we’ve got a special carriage for you to use. B’sides – Big Mac here can haul the whole thing by himself. I just need someone who can actually do the talking.”

“Well…” Applejack thought it through. Her brother does have the strength of a hundred ponies put together but even so he’s still just one guy. “Big Mac is pretty strong. But even so – getting over to Hooverton is just two weeks is gonna be a stretch. There’s nothing between but empty countryside for miles!”

“Big risks equals big rewards.” Granny Smith quoted before she tossed a bag of coins on the table. “Can’t make money if we don’t try something new. This should be enough for you two to get through the road.”

“You want us to go now!?”

“Course! Getting to Hooverton on hooves is gonna be a long one. The earlier you get it there, the better. And the faster we can get our money.”

Un…be…lievable.

Applejack wanted to protest but found little reason to. When Granny Smith was like this there wasn’t anything to stop her. She’d probably just get all mopey and use her granny powers to guilt trip the lot of them into submission. She can be scary that way.

Quietly the big sister of the group turned to her only brother and can only sigh in agreement.

“I guess we’ll pack up for the trip.”

“That’s the spirit.”

“Ooooh! Can I come along?” Apple Bloom suggested. “I’ve always wanted to see Hooverton. It’ll make a good story for my friends.”

“Sorry sugar cube, but I’m gonna have to say no on that one. The big towns ain’t as glamorous as they sound. And this trip is gonna be harder than most.” She placed her hooves at Big Mac. “Besides. Big Mac and I should be enough. And it’s not like we’re gonna go gallivanting around.”

And I guess that’s how our little story started. Big Mac and I got dragged on a trip. We took the train over to Mane’s Manetown and dragged with us three fully loaded carriages. It was supposed to be a simple delivery trip. Nothing more. But then things started to go… downhill.

Six days.

Six hot days of traveling dragging giant wagons the size of barns through the road.

A job like this shouldn’t be a hassle to an Earth Pony but granny did always have a way to make things harder.

After landing at the train station, Applejack and Big Mac have been trudging through the countryside like nomads taking the shortest route to their destination and avoiding any major settlements with their cargo. It wasn’t so bad. The trip might’ve been long but it was a worthwhile experience. They’ve stoke under the sun during the day and camp at night under the moon and stars while gorging on some delicious pies.

But as time wore on, the walking became a burden as the road got less well maintained. Rain became frequent and sleeping under the night sky became almost impossible.

But regardless of the situation, the siblings pushed on through. They weathered the weather and made no attempts to stop.

“Come on Big Mac! Put your backs into it!” Applejack ordered as she pulled her wagon through the storm. A few hours ago there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky but then this freak rain came out of nowhere and made their journey a heck of a lot harder.

“Already… putting… my back… on it!” McIntosh replied struggling as he pushed the back of a wagon. The flash rain had turned the ground into mud. And just as luck would have it, one of their carriage wheels fell into a ditch trapping it good. Now the two apples had to focus on getting it unstuck but to no avail. “Pfaaa! No good Applejack. The storms coming in hard. Just leave it and let’s find shelter. We can come and pick it up when this weather clears.”

“Uh ah! No way! I ain’t leaving this big old carriage out in the storm! If any of these apples go missing we won’t be able to fulfill the contract!” The stubborn Earth Pony buckled her legs and began pushing harder. “Come on now. Just a little more. I can feel it loosening.” But then the wind suddenly picked up speed blowing her favored hat away. “Ah! Hey! My hat!”

“Applejack! Don’t move! You’re still attached to the carriage!” But Applejack didn’t listen and leaped up catching her hat by its rims. The result however caused some of the crates to fall from the carriage slamming against her. “Applejack!” Fearing for his sister’s life, the big red pony unbuckled himself from the two wagons and rushed over. “Applejack! Say something!”

“Ow… something.” She responded weakly much to Big Mac’s worries. “Dang it. What hit me?”

“A whole lot of apples. Come on. Let’s get out of this storm.”

“No. No… not leaving these… beh-ow!” Applejack flinched as she tried to stand. She quickly looked down noticing the bruise on her forward leg.

Big Mac’s face went pale. “We need to get you some help!”

“Aww don’t blow a fuse over it, Big Mac. It’s just a small bump that’s all-ow!”

“Nope nope. No more. We’re going and that’s final.” Not taking no for an answer and unable to resist, Applejack allowed her brother to remove the collar over her neck and slumped her over his back. He immediately began trotting on the road hoping for some kind of shelter.

His luck came in the form of a roadside inn that was fortunately just a few minutes from where their carriages got stuck. With a heavy hoof he sauntered in startling the proprietor within.

“Oh my goodness.” The unicorn gasped with alarm. “Is she?”

“Help!”

…

……

………

Thankfully the injury wasn’t as bad as Big Mac thought it was. It was a bruise and a gash that made it look swollen and a few rounds of bandages was all that was needed to keep his sister steady.

“And there you go.” The owner of the inn stated as she added the finishing touches with her magic. “That should heal up nicely. I’d want to say ‘Good as new’ but that would lying.”

“Thanks a lot doc.” Applejack nodded in gratitude. “For a moment there I thought I was a goner.”

She chuckled. “Ahuhuhu. You’re exaggerating. In any regard I would recommend that you stay off that leg for the new few days until it’s fully healed.”

“A few days?!”

“Nope.”

“We can’t stay here for a few days. We need to get to Hooverton in a week with those apples or we’ll never finish the contract. We got a hundred thousand apples to deliver.”

“Well I’m afraid you won’t be making that delivery.” The unicorn replied with a non-caring shrug. “Not unless you actually want to recover. And if you keep pressing on that leg it might just get worse.”

But Applejack stubbornly went on. “Well… like granny used to say: No pains no gains. Come on Big Mac. Let’s get back out there and get…!”

“Nope.” The big red stallion stood his ground blocking the exit. “Applejack, stay.”

“Oh come on. It’s just a scratch. I can handle a bit more.”

“Nope.” Big Mac repeated. “Stay.”

“Oh don’t be such a big lug and… whoa!” As she tried to go around him, the big red boy bit her gently around the neck and raised her up like a crane. “Hey! What’s the big idea?”

“Applejack, stay.” He turned over to the proprietor who eyed them with a humored smirk. “Room.”

“Oh of course.” The unicorn granted. “We got one room available. Just up the stairs, second door on your left.” Big Mac nodded in gratitude and made his way up all the while holding onto Applejack who continued to flail around like a wild colt.

The room was lavish enough with a number of tables and lamps all decorated around a single double-bed. The window was closed up due to the storm but that didn’t bother Big Mac. He was far too concerned for his sister than Mother Nature throwing a tantrum. By the time he got in Applejack was spent. She gave up trying to get away. She never could beat Big Mac in a contest of strength.

With a soft plop, McIntosh dropped her on the bed and quickly put the blankets over her, covering her wounds.

“Come on Big Mac! This is re-ding-diculous! It ain’t as bad as it looks. I’m telling ya, it’s just a scratch. I can totally…”

“Hmmmm!” But Big Mac wasn’t gonna have any of it and quickly pushed his sister back down, plopping her head on the pillow. “Stay.”

“But the apples!”

“Forget the apples.” He declared. “Applejack stay.”

“But I…”

“STAY!” He put his hooves down, face looking so fierce that it even frightened the little pony. “Applejack. Will. Stay. And that’s final.”

“Ok ok ok! Geez. I’ll stay. You big worry wart.” Seeing that she won’t be getting through to that big lug, Applejack rested her head on the pillow. The storm outside wasn’t showing any signs of subsiding and you could hear thunder roaring out of the covers. It was going to be hard to get to sleep with that torrent brewing outside. She waited for a while muttering something about unfairness under her breath.

She waited… and waited but found something odd. She opened her eye and noted her brother lying on the floor by the door. “What in tarnation are you doing?”

“Sleeping.” He answered.

“Yeah I can see that. I’m asking why you’re on the ground.” She gestured her hooves over the other side of the bed which was more than big enough for her immediate family to sleep in. “Come on in. The bed’s bigger than you and me.”

“Nope.” Big Mac shook his head. “You need breathing room. Don’t wanna hurt ya.”

“Oh don’t be such a whiskers and hop on. It’s just a scratch. It doesn’t even hurt any-ow!” She flinched in a timely manner. “Stupid crate, stupid storm, stupid muddy road!”

“Eeyup.” He agreed. “Stupid hat too.”

“Hey! You can dish on me but I ain’t giving you permission to dish on my hat. Now come on in already before you break your back.” With some hesitation, Big Mac crawled in and covered himself with the shared blanket. Applejack immediately felt strangely warm. Probably because the big guy himself was stoking. “Just so we’re clear: We’re getting the apples the moment the storm clears up.”

“Eeyup. First thing tomorrow. Promise.” He smiled back sweetly watching her finally hit the hay and closing her eyes.

And then suddenly enough, the storm outside didn’t seem all that scary anymore.

And I guess that’s where it all started. Sure it was subtle at first and I didn’t really thought of it as much. Luckily our wagons didn’t suffer. Those were built to last I tell ya. But things started to get really weird when we got to Hooverton. And not really for the better either. Never did like those big towns.

“Hooowey! That is probably the fastest delivery I ever had in all my life.” The mayor of Hooverton, a fellow Earth pony, stated as he shook hooves with Applejack. Joy and relief wore on his face. “I thank you Applejack for the speedy arrival. You really saved our tradition this year. I don’t know what we’d do if we didn’t get our annual supply.”

“Ahh geez. It was nothing mayor. Just happy to help where I can.” Applejack responded, smiling softly as the crowd cheered her arrival like some long time hero coming back from a grand adventure. There were journalists taking photos and festive ponies all helping themselves to the crates of apples that came. “Besides, you should be thanking Big Mac over there. He was the one who dragged the whole thing on the last stretch. I’d never made it on my own, not with this bum leg of mine.”

“And he shall be richly rewarded for his help.” The mayor nodded signaling the guards to help unloading the cargo. “I’ll have my secretary deliver your payment shortly. But in the meantime, why not enjoy what our festive festival has to offer? You can enjoy our grand cuisine from far off land and various byproducts of our bakers and chefs.”

“Why… I just might.” She was already eyeing the many treats lined up by the stands and stalls that decorated the streets.

“And I’m sure you and your husband will find this place charming.”

Indeed we wi… wait…

“Husband?” Applejack’s eyes widened.

“The big red fellow.”

She laughed awkwardly. “Aheh. No no no. That ain’t right. We’re not married.”

The mayor quickly bowed in apology. “Ah… my mistake. Regardless though. You and your boyfriend should really try out the cookery. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.”

“What?! No! He’s not…”

“Excuse me, Mr. Mayor.” A Pegasus interrupted. Most likely his secretary. “But you’re needed on stage. Your two o’clock speech is starting.”

“Ooops. I almost forgot. Duty calls. Please enjoy the festivities.”

“Now wait…!” But the pony was gone, drowned out by the crowd of photographers before she could correct him. “What a silly goose. Me and Big Mac? Whoda thunk?” It’s not like he’s the only stallion in her life or anything.

“You called?”

“Gahh!” She screamed. “Big Mac! Don’t sneak up on a pony like that!”

The red stallion shrugged. “Uh… sorry? What’s eating you?”

“N… nothing.” She stuttered. “Just a little uh… city blues. It’s a lot to take in after seeing small towns like Ponyville. Right?”

“Sure… I guess.”

“Forget it. Let’s just enjoy the scenery while we’re here. They got some good grub at the fair. We can bring some home for granny and Apple Bloom. It’ll be a lot faster now that we don’t have three big wagons to hold us back.”

“Eeyup.”

Applejack decided to forget the whole mayor misunderstanding and moved on. This was the biggest apple fair in all of Equestria and a little mishap wasn’t gonna spoil it.

As they went around the fairgrounds, they noticed parades, flyers, Pegasus waltzing overhead and a whole mess of apple based products on display. To think that 80% of everything here would be made from apples from her family’s farm. If she wasn’t so humble, she’d be puffing her chest with pride and wearing a dung eating grin on her face just like she was doing now.

Ah… oops. Gotta keep that grin under control.

“Well howdy there.” The owner of a certain stall called out to them taking his hat off to greet the two apple siblings. “You two must be the heroes that rode in to our fair town. Welcome welcome. Come on in.”

“Aww shucks.” Applejack blushed, waving the compliment off. “We were just doing our job Mister. It wasn’t anything too big for us. Right Big Mac?”

“Eeyup.”

“For you maybe. But your little speedy delivery saved my shop from going under the red. I got tons of order for my flapjacks. Wasn’t even sure I’d actually make them.” The older Earth Pony nodded before pushing up two freshly made dishes. “Here’s a little something, on the house.”

“Oh wow. Thanks Mister.”

“Don’t sweat it. You and your boyfriend there have a good one.”

Boyfri…!?

“Wait what? No!” The two apple siblings choked back. “We’re not…”

“Go on now. Don’t be shy. It’s the least I can do for you folks for saving our little festival.” He pushed the treats again, laughing. “Now go enjoy the rest of the festival. I got me some customers to attract! Hey Handy! Move your tosh! We got them apples to bake!”

“Now hold on there. Big Mac and I ain’t… argh!” Applejack looked as if she wanted to throttle something or someone. That was twice now.

“Forget it Applejack.” Big Mac tapped her shoulder, already taking a bite off his share of flapjacks. “Never say no to free food.”

She sighed. “Fine. But this better not be a thing around here.”

And sadly the universe decided to answer her challenge. As they went through the fair, more ponies misunderstood their relationship more and more. It worked around like some kind of conspiracy!

“Hey there, have one on the house.”

“We’re having a two for one couple special.”

“Your boyfriend is quite the looker.”

“I’m actually jealous.”

“When’s the wedding?”

It went on and on for hours and for some meticulous reason, Applejack can’t seem to find the right moment to correct them.

“Has this whole town gone mad?!” She screamed out finally after getting away from the crowd to stop by a gazebo in one of the parks.

“Dunno.” Big Mac shrugged back without a care, taking a bite off another treat that they were generously given. “Hmm… not bad.”

“Don’t you give me that no-care-in-the-world look! Fifteen! We stopped at fifteen shops and they all took us like we’re married or something!”

“That was funny.” He chuckled.

“Don’t laugh! It’s not like you tried to correct them either!”

“Nope.” Big Mac took another bite. “Too focused on the food.”

“Of course you’d be.” She couldn’t understand it. Did they look like a couple to everyone? Was it because of their cutie marks? Their apparent closeness? Their appearance? Sure, Big Mac was a great stallion. He was strong, kind, sweet reliable, and always led a helping hoof whenever she needed one. And… maybe he wasn’t that bad to look at either.

“Well… we can’t blame them.” He replied. “No one here knows us like in Ponyville.”

“I know that! But still…!” Spots of pink began to show around her face and turned into a full blush. She supposed that she could forgive the townsfolk and their naivety. They were practically strangers here so no one would know about them or Grandma Smith or any of the Apple family for that matter.

“Relax.” The young stallion cooed. “It ain’t that bad. Here… wanna slice of pie?”

She sighed in defeat. No point in whining about it now “Yeah. I could go for some pie right now.” She then took a bite off the pie in his hooves. “Oh! Why that ain’t so bad. Not as good as home but it’s definitely a contender. Give me another one.” Her brother gladly did so and she chomp down another mouthful of delicious pie. Applejack would’ve enjoyed it too had she not heard a group of ponies passing by, giggling together.

“Oh my. What an adorable pair.”

“Youngsters these days are so bold.”

“Should we say something?”

“I think we should.”

“Oh hush you three. Leave the lovers be. It’s a festival after all. Give them a chance to be happy.”

Ah phooey! Applejack wanted to shout but her pie-filled mouth prevented her from doing so. No one people took them as a couple. They were practically acting like one! Going to the fair together, closer than two newly grown apple ever should. Heck, she was literally eating from the palm of his hooves!

“Pfaa!” She spat out at last, coughing.

“You ok?”

“No! I’m not ok!” The little Earth Pony fired back. “I need to get out of here before we make this whole misunderstanding worse!” She bolted off – but never got two feet away when her wounded leg buckled causing her to fumble on the steps in a comical way. “Ow…”

Big Mac quietly approached and sighed. “Doc said you should lay off that leg.”

“Oh shut it.” Applejack grunted and tried to stand back up but failed. “Ow…”

“Need help?” Her brother offered.

“No! I don’t need your help. I can stand on my own four hooves!” She tried again but the injury only made her flinch and recoil from the pain which again made her fall into the bushes.

“Need help?”

A groan escaped her. “Yes please.” With a single move, Big Mac grabbed her by the neck and hoist her onto his back. He carried her the rest of the way to the fairground to meet with the mayor and along the way the misunderstanding continued. Applejack gave up trying to correct them as they whispered and giggled behind their back. She wasn’t gonna stay in this town for long anyway, so why should she care?

After they got their money Applejack decided to hightail it back home before things get even weirder.

(Present time) (Everfree forest)

“And so… after that everything began to change.”

“Change how?” Zecora asked, listening intently.

“Everything!” Applejack answered loudly. “Ever since we got back from Hooverton, I can’t get those words out of my head. I just used to think of Big Mac as… well…… just Big Mac. But every time I’m near him I feel like my heart’s trying to come out and say hi! When I look at him I feel… nervous – like I was gonna pounce like one of Goldie’s cats.

“Physical attraction has always been a thing to get one’s attention.”

“What? No! Eww! Are you crazy!? I don’t feel that way!” Applejack’s face turned a shade as one of her farm’s apples.

“Your mouth speaks in denial, yet I your face blush for a while.”

“Oh confounding tarnation!”

Zecora gave one last chuckle before pressing her hoof on the pony. “I am glad you shared this secret with me, but I cannot fathom what help I can be.”

“Well you’re good at whipping up potions right?” The Zebra nodded back in reply. “Then maybe you can whip up something to get rid of this feeling. Like… like… one of that stuff that Applebloom made for Big Mac that drove him crazy! Like an anti-love potion on something!”

“That’s not how things work Appl-”

“Please Zecora!” She pleaded desperately. “I really need your help right now! I don’t want this to go on! I don’t want to feel this way! I want my stupid heart to stop giving me these feelings or at the very least talk some sense into it.”

Applejack groaned and groveled all over the floor. Zecora could see that this feeling she had for Big Mac was going against everything that she was. Her heart and mind were battling each other over dominance of her own actions. Which would explain why she came here and not one of her friends instead.

She could just decline this request. After all it had nothing to do with her. But then again she did owe these ponies a favor or two whether they knew it or not.

“Very well little one. I shall do as you ask. Finding a cure for your heart may yet be a challenging task.”

“Really?”

“But be warned: While spells and potions can fix many problems. Only you can make your heart blossom.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” The apple tilted her head sideways in confusion.

“Forget it.” Zecora sighed back. “In the meantime there are things you must attend. Go and speak to your family… your friends.”

“And then what?”

“Tell them of this story, refined in all its glory.”

“Tell my friends that I harbor an irrational and horrible love for my brother? That’s nuts! They’ll never understand it!”

“You fear that they wouldn’t understand why. But how can you know until you try?”

“But…”

“No buts no ifs. You must never make light of this.” The zebra shook her head in response. “Now go home, little one. Before the dawn breaks with the sun. I will call upon you, when I have made that special brew.”

Applejack opened her mouth to protest but knew then that she was right. She couldn’t keep this problem to herself. Especially when the answer wasn’t coming any time soon. Her friends could help. But would they truly understand? “You’re… you’re right Zecora. I guess… maybe… I should talk to them. Or at least one of them. But… what if they hear it and they all think I’m weird?”

“They are your friends Applejack. Through thick or thin, you know they’ll always have your back.”

The little apple hesitantly nodded and slowly lifted her cape back up. It was only when she opened the door did she realize that the storm had passed.

“I just hope this doesn’t bite me in the rear.”

Solution

Chapter 2: Solution

(Sweet Apple Acres)

The sun was just about dawning when Applejack came home. That trip to the Everfree forest was a long one – if not unproductive at the least. The warm embrace of the sun made her forget about those marshy swamplands. If Celestia was willing, nobody would’ve noticed her missing from the house all night all. It was exhausting to get back. Luckily apple-bucking season was still a few months away which gave her and the family more time to tend to the animals and the smaller crops. Won’t have to worry about those orchards until then. Heck, if she can do her chores early, Granny Smith might even give her the afternoon off.

But first she needed to get this forest muck off her body. A good shower by the barn should do the trick. They had that new one installed just this month to wash the cows but the family use it too for that warm morning touch. With all the money they made out of that Hooverton contract, Granny Smith has been splurging a lot on the farm. She even had plans to add another wing to the house. Something akin to a game room.

A good shower should do me some good. The Earth Pony thought to herself. Anything to distract myself from this wretched feeling bubbling in my chest about…

“BIG MAC!?” She screamed out loud when she bumped onto that stallion who came out of the showers looking haughty and nice. “Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-what in the world were you doing in there!?”

The red pony raised a brow. “Uh… shower?”

No duh Applejack! Why else would a pony go into a shower to begin with!? You stupid nincompoop!

“Oh… right.” There it was again. That feeling in her chest. Her heart was thumping. Just looking was more than enough to get a reaction out. And that smell. He smelled like a fresh batch of daisies on Fluttershy’s garden – or was that the new shampoo they got? Oh crap! How long has she been standing there looking like an idiot? Uh oh. He’s looking back. He’s tilting his head. Come on, say something already!

“So… how’s your morning been?” Yes perfect! No suspiciousness there.

Big Mac looked around him and shrugged. “It’s just starting… I guess?”

“Uh right…” Crudderhead, she didn’t think what to say after that. Come on brain, think of something! You have to get me out of this rut.

“You wanna use the shower?” He asked.

“Uh. No. I’m good.”

“Really? The water’s still warm.”

“No no. I’m not all that sweaty yet.”

“Oh… ok.” Big Mac nodded. “Hey you seen turkey?”

“Ah… what?”

“Turkey.” Big Mac repeated. “One of our turkeys gone missing.”

“Uh… no?”

“Ok. Where were you?” The big guy asked switching the questioning as suddenly as it came.

“M… me?”

“Eeyup.” He nodded. “Didn’t see you in bed this morning.”

“Oh…” Crud, she must’ve left her room open when she snuck out last night. Quick! Make an excuse. Anything! “Oh well you know me. Aheh… I like to wake up at the crack of dawn and get a good exercising done. A perfect workout to get ready for apple bucking season, right?” He didn’t look convinced. More like her excuse just drew even more suspicion.

“Eeyup?” He slowly approached, touching her head with his.

“Uh… big brother? Whadyadoin?”

“You feeling alright?” Big Mac asked. “You’re looking kinda red.”

Red? Wait… was she blushing? Oh no! She was! She could already feel her freckles turning redder than the juiciest apple in the orchard! Calm… CALM!

“W… well you’re pretty red yourself!” She countered, quickly pushing him away using more force than necessary landing the guy in a stack of hay. “Oh… sorry there. I was just umm…”

“Big Mac? Applejack? Is that you?” Oh thank Celestia for small mercies. Granny Smith was here with Apple Bloom by her side. “Aren’t you supposed to be making breakfast?”

“R… right. Sorry granny. I’m on it.” She was about to bolt off when granny stopped her.

“Now hold on there. Now that we’re all here, I thought about giving you some big news.” The trio siblings looked at her with a questioning look.

“Big news?” Applejack asked uneasily. “This ain’t another big contract, is it? I think I’ve had enough travel for a while.”

“No of course not. Not all news are that good.” Granny Smith grinned. “I got a letter from Grand Pear yesterday. Looks like that old coot fell and gone and broke his leg.” Does she always start off her good news with bad incidents? Applejack couldn’t tell.

“What!?” Apple Bloom gasped. “Is he ok? Is it serious? Does he need help? Are they gonna cut off his leg?”

“Hold your yabbling. I ain’t done yet.” Granny scolded. “Grand Pear’s fine. Mostly.” She added that last part holding a spit in. “But the problem is that he’s trying to set up a new farm right down in Stalliotopolis. A ripe opportunity. Heard he got a sweet deal on a good plot of land there.”

“Stallio…what?” Applejack tilted her head in question. “I’ve never heard of that place before. And I’ve been to a lot of places.” From the Crystal Empire to Canterlot.

“Stalliotopolis! It’s this huge city on the other side of Equestria about a week away from Ponyville. Grand Pear wants someone to help get the farm started. Planting and digging and building. It’s gonna be a long backbreaking work.”

“I’ll say. Remember how we wanted to expand the farm this one time? It took us months just to get those seeds planted. And expanding the barn to take all of’em.”

“Eeyup.”

“Exactly. Which is exactly why I volunteered you two.”

“WHAT!?” Applejack gasped.

“I said I volunteered you two!”

“You volunteered us? Without telling us? You do understand what volunteer means, right?”

“Course I do It’s umm…”

“Granny. I really want to help Grand Pear, but these apples are gonna sprout in a few months. We need to be here when harvest day comes. And building a whole farm seems like too much of a job even for Big Mac and me. I mean we are amazing but even we got limits.”

“Oh relax. I’ve seen you handle tougher things than a few trees. You’ll be fine.”

“Wait.” Apple Bloom protested. “Does that mean you guys will be gone all summer?”

“Eeyup.”

“Oh I don’t want that! I wanna be with my big bro and big sis.”

“Hold your worries there, sugar cube. We ain’t decided to go anywhere just yet. That’s just granny’s wrinkles talking.” Applejack reassured her. “Volunteering requires that we agree as well.”

“Eeyup.”

Granny Smith sighed. “Alright fine. But the trip ain’t until next week. So if you change your mind, just give me a holler.”

I wouldn’t hold on that happening any time soon grandma. Can you imagine starting up a whole farm all on their own? Applejack knows that they’re capable of amazing things but there are times when she needs to put her hooves down. It would just be her and Big Mac and no one else across acres of empty field. They’ll be bucking trees and pears while planting new ones. And when the day was done they’d sit by the fireplace snuggling toge…

What!? No! Bad brain! Pull yourself together! You’re supposed to go against what the heart wants! Don’t make me come in there and whack some sense in you myself!

“Big sis? You ok?”

“Y… yeah. I’m fine. Just the thought of all that work got me all hungry. Wanna help me whip up some pancakes?”

“You bet! What about you Big Mac?”

“Eeyup!” Of course he’d never say no to food.

xxxxxxxxxx

Ok Applejack. Forget last night. Just focus on cooking. No need to talk about all this nonsense about love and hearts. Recite the recipe in your head. That should clear things up. First we get the milk and egg and… wait…

“Hey. Where are all the milk?” She quickly scanned the kitchen. She was sure that they just milked the cows yesterday. Unless someone was really thirsty, it had to be around here.

“Up there.” Apple Bloom pointed upward towards the bucket which hung over the cupboard.

Granny must’ve put it there by mistake. It was a habit of hers. She’d always put things in high places so that other ponies wouldn’t be able to reach it. She still thinks that they were kids and needed protection from anything that can choke them.

“Tarnation. I keep telling Granny that she needs to stop putting things in high places – or at the very least put them somewhere where we can actually reach.” She groaned. “Alright. I’ll get the ladder. Big Mac you can start off with theyoooohhwaaahh!” Her brother on the other hand had a better idea. Before she even knew it, Big Mac got beneath her and raised her up on his back.

“Awesome!” Apple Bloom cheered from the table. “You’re real strong Big Mac.”

“Eeyup.”

“Yeah. Good for you. Mind giving me a heads up next time?” Ah crud. It was that feeling again. Her heart was thumping. No. NO! Not now you stupid heart. Just grab the milk and go down slowly. No need to be weird.

“Bkah?”

“GAHH! Turkey!” Just as she grab the milk bucket, one of the farm’s turkey suddenly appeared behind it scaring her off balance. She fell right on top on Big Mac with the milk spilling over her head and the turkey itself flying off through the window, its feathers decorating them like tribal decors while it shot one egg out for each of them.

“Turkey!” Big Mac realized. “Found’em.”

Right… the missing turkey.

Dang it.

“What in the…?” Granny walked into the mess. “Are you guys making breakfast or is breakfast making you?” Ugh… good one grandma. Never gonna live that one down. “Good grief. That’s one heck of a mess you made.”

“Yes. We noticed Granny.”

“Well don’t just sit there like a bunch of lazy potatoes. Get out of here and wash up. I’ll handle the breakfast part.”

“Again?” Big Mac whined.

“Yes Big Mac. Again. No scoot.”

Dagnamit…

xxxxxxxxxx

Brrr… it’s freezing. Maybe she should’ve taken Big Mac’s offer this morning when the water was still warm. Perhaps they could petition granny to get a water heater. They did have the money for it. Heck, she’d even install it herself.

Stupid darn turkey hiding in the cupboard. It always was a wild one but never too smart. If it wanted to run away it would’ve chosen a better route – or better yet, run all the way to the Everfree forest and get itself eaten. Less work and less worry for her and her family.

And now to wipe this yolk out of her mane with… uh…

“Oh for the love of Celestia. Where in the world is the shampoo!? Doesn’t anypony put things where they’re supposed to be?”

“Soap?” Big Mac offered from the adjacent stall. A whole lotta bits but Granny Smith says that they can’t afford private shower stalls.

“No. The other bottle.” She repeated which the boy quickly corrected. “Thanks.”

“Need help?”

“No. I can wash my own mane, thank you very much. You don’t have to coddle me all the time you big lug-ow!” What the heck? Did her leg flinch again? “Oh for love of… what now?”

“Uh oh.” Big Mac noted. “Old wound from the trip.” What? No. That can’t be right. That ache healed weeks ago. It couldn’t have popped up again just from one fall. Applejack tried to wash her mane again but the pain returned making her grunt and groan.

“Dagnamit.”

“Need help?”

“No! I can do this… on… my… ow!” She seethed her breath between her teeth as the pain surged in again and again. “Tarnation. Confounding little…!”

“Hmph!” It went on for a good minute before Big Mac finally intervened.

“Ah! Hey! What’s the big idea?”

“I’m helping.”

“Well I’ll be the judge of tha-oooww!” Damn it leg! Now even her body wasn’t complying with her. She tried to reach out but there was little she could do with a bum leg. Heck she probably couldn’t even resist even if she tried. Big Mac was simply too strong for her.

Sensing a drop on her resistance, Big Mac quickly began scrubbing her mane, letting the shampoo run its course. It was… soothing to say the least.

“Just so we’re clear. I’m just letting you scrub me. I can still do it on my own.”

“Eeyup.” Silly stallion. Always there to give a hoof even when no one asked for it. This little situation kinda reminds her of when they were just little foals. But of course they didn’t exactly have showers back then, just a large bucket that they shared. The two of them would take turns scrubbing each other’s mane laughing all day long. Heh… thinking back they must’ve been adorable together.

“Feelin’better?”

“Yup. A little lower.” The big guy complied lowering the brush down to her back which tickled her spine. “Heh… it ain’t the same as the spa treatment with Rarity but a pony could get used to this free pampering.”

“Eeyup.”

…

Applejack enjoyed the little treatment for a while, savoring the feeling. But as it wore on, her heart began to thump again. She can only guess that this whole close proximity with the big stallion behind her was the cause. And the shower she was having along with the free back scrub wasn’t helping her case either.

“Say… Big Mac.”

“Eeyup?”

“I was kind of wondering. Had you ever thought of… your love life recently?”

“Nope.”

“Really?”

“Eeyup.”

Applejack groaned. She enjoyed the fact that her brother talked less. It made him a great pony to whine and complain but the downside is that his list of vocabulary was very limiting. Getting a sentence out of him was like trying to get a rock to talk. Though… in some cases a rock might actually hold a more interesting conversation than him.

“Wh… what about Sugar Belle? I thought you two hit it off.”

“Eeyup.”

“So why haven’t I seen her around these days? Is she on vacation or something?”

“Nope.” He shrugged. “Broke up.”

“Oh…” She paused for a bit before the words dawned on her. Her mouth lit up like a Christmas tree. “Wait what!? You broke up!?”

“Eeyu-”

“Don’t you ‘eeyup’ me, Mister!” A hoof to the face stopped him. “You had a major breakup and you didn’t bother to tell your dear old little sister?”

“Nope.”

“What happened? Was it a bad pie at the Ponyville fair?”

“Nope.”

“Was she mingling with another stallion behind your back?”

“Nope.”

“Did she unleashed some ancient horrible monster from beyond the grave and had it possess her to do unspeakable deeds!?”

“Uh…… nope?”

“Well then what did happen?”

Again the boy shrugged. “We drifted apart.”

“But I don’t understand. You guys looked so happy during the spring holiday!” He nodded back and sealed his mouth shut. Applejack wanted to press the issue but knew better for her brother to open up on something that big. “Boy. I never really noticed. I’m uh… really sorry Big Mac.”

“Meh.” He waved it off. “Things happen.”

Things happen? That’s his reason? Come on. You can’t just leave something juicy on the table and not expect anyone to just pick it up for themselves.

“So uh… I guess… you’ll be out for a new special-some-pony?”

He shrugged. “Maybe. But not right now.”

Oh… that’s good. No! Bad! The good kind of bad! Arghh! That didn’t make sense! Why was her brain melting off!? Why was she subconsciously happy that her brother was a bachelor again!?

Knowing that he was up for grabs in the market made her more conscious of her presence. And suddenly enough the water didn’t seem all that cold anymore. No. It was more like her body was heating up. She was definitely turning red. She could practically feel it on her skin.

“You sure you’re ok Applejack? You’re turning really red.” Again her brother pressed his head against hers and she swore that she was getting so hot that the shower was becoming a steam bath all on its own!

“It’s nothing really. Just the uh… water and light playing tricks on you, that’s all.” He wasn’t convinced and got in closer.

“Is something bugging ya?” He asked worryingly. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Oh no. She can’t resist it. Her heart was thumping. Their close proximity was making her knees wobble. At this rate she might just… pounce…

“I need to go somewhere!” She burst out loud, suddenly tossing Big Mac off. “I uh… gotta run! I forgot something really important!”

“Wait! What about breakfast?”

(Everfree forest outskirts)

Dang gone jahuzafat! That was not how she wanted that conversation to end. But at this rate she could probably forgive herself. Her heart was pacing to the point that it was about to explode – or maybe that was because she ran so fast.

Damn it. Why did she feel this way? There was deep resenting sensation going on in her mind lately. For a moment there she actually felt calm, peaceful and maybe even… super happy. Every time Big Mac brushed her mane, touched her skin or even speak softly to her, her body immediately lights up. And worse still was the fact that she actually enjoyed it.

Every fiber of her being was complaining why she ran when she could’ve savored that little slice of paradise. Maybe because it was wrong and immoral? She tried to convince herself but that didn’t stop her heart from trying to claw its way out of her chest.

Zecora can’t brew her potion fast enough. If this keeps up she’ll end up doing something she’ll regret. What if the next time she sees Big Mac and she loses control? She’ll have to rip off her own legs to keep that from happening.

Haaa… ok calm down. The moment’s passed. Just take in the fresh air. The smell of lavender was soothing for her.

Where was she anyway? She ran so fast that she didn’t have time to chart a course. She just went through the road and didn’t look back. There was something familiar though. And the scent. Oh! Wait. There’s only one place in Ponyville that smelled this relaxing. And judging from all the animals around, she must be near Fluttershy’s place.

She opted to go back but found herself conflicted. Perhaps Zecora was right. She might actually have to talk to her friends about this situation. And out of everyone in her circle, Fluttershy was the most understanding – or at the very least the most open-minded of the group. Heck if she can make friends with the High Lord of Chaos himself, her situation must look tame in comparison.

Yeah… that did sound pretty good. Maybe this could turn out for the better.

xxxxxxxxxx

“YOU WHAT!!!!?” Or perhaps a complete and total disaster. “YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH WHO!?”

“Shhh! Quiet down.” Applejack hushed her which the Pegasus quickly complied.

“I’m… I’m so sorry. That was very rude of me. I shouldn’t have yelled.” Fluttershy apologized, taking a deep breath. It must’ve been a pretty heavy bomb to drop so suddenly on such a normal day. And you know that it was serious if the most soft-spoken pony in the world broke her own personal sound barrier. “It’s just… you took me by surprise that’s all.”

“I don’t blame you. It’s really unnatural.”

“Very unnatural.” Gee… she could at least try to lessen the load. “I’ve seen complicated love before but… with your own brother?”

“Yeah yeah. I know. You don’t have to point it out.” Applejack grumbled. “I’m already feeling weird enough as it is. I don’t suppose you can help me, do you?”

Fluttershy shook her head but then hastily poured up two cups of tea for herself and her guest. “Well… I’m not really sure if this qualifies. I mean I have solved several relationship issues with some of my animal friends but us ponies are completely different in that regard.”

“I’m willing to try something at this point.”

“Well… have you at least told Big Mac how you feel?”

AJ coughed. “Oh heck no! That’ll just make things a whole more awkward between us. It’s already hard enough to keep all of this bottled in as it is.”

“The base of any relationship is communication.” She reasoned. “You can’t expect anything to be done if you two don’t express yourselves to one another. Remember our times with the Kirin tribe?”

“Yeah. But there are just some things you just don’t say to folk.” Applejack pointed out. “I mean… what would I do if Big Mac finds my confession weird? We’ll never be able to look each other in the eye! Then the rift between us will only get bigger and bigger that we can’t stand being in the same room together. We’ll start to fight, argue and fight! Then one of us will have to move, then our workload would increase, the farm will go under and then Granny, Apple Bloom and me will have to find other pastures to graze on! It’ll be a total disaster!”

“Hmm… that is a good point. A teeny big of exaggeration but a good point nonetheless. But what about Big Mac? How does he feel?”

“How should I know? You know he doesn’t say much nowadays. Even now I just discovered that he and Sugar Belle broke up.”

“They did?” Fluttershy gasped along with her pet rabbit. “When did this happen?”

“A while now.”

“That’s strange. They looked so happy the last time I saw them together.”

“That’s what I said! But then he told me that they just drifted apart. I hope it wasn’t because of something I did.”

“I seriously doubt you are the one at fault Applejack. But regardless, we’re drifting off topic. This is about you after all.”

The apple nodded. “So… you’ll help me?”

“Of course. But I’m afraid this problem is too big for the two of us to tackle by ourselves. We will need all of our friends to put our brains together to figure out a solution.”

“What!? No!” Applejack bolted towards the door using her own body to barricade it. “You can’t! They’ll never understand!”

“Applejack please. They are our friends. Trust them.”

“But I’m not ready to go… public with this! I’m… not sure.”

“We’ve dealt with many problems before together. This shouldn’t be any different. Besides, I’m sure they’ll be more understanding than me.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“Scandalous! Outrageous! Absolutely atrocious!” Or maybe not. “This is heinous. I don’t think there are enough insults in the dictionary to voice this situation!”

“Rarity, enough.” Twilight spoke up, resting her wings on the floor. “I think Applejack is sulking enough without adding insult to her injury. I mean look at her. She’s already feeling terrible for holding these affections.”

“And she should be. These immoral emotions she possess should be taken to the moon and left there to rot for all eternity.”

“Whoa. Easy on the vocabulary there.” Rainbow Dash opted. “They kinda hurt.”

“Even I’m feeling the sting.” Spike agreed, seething his dragon teeth.

“I think it’s really sweet!” Pinkie squealed. “Love should be celebrated, not constipated. I say go with your gut.”

“I still find it absolutely revolting my dear. And I’m allowed to voice my opinion on this matter.”

Twilight agreed somewhat. “I’ll admit, this problem is strange on a certain level.”

“On any level.” Pinkie added. “On a super duper level!”

Yup… a totally different level.

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.” Applejack sighed walking out. “I’ll just head on home. This doesn’t involve you ponies.”

But Twilight quickly used her magic to shut the door. “No no. Please don’t go Applejack. You called us for us, and as your friends we will do whatever we can to help you. And we won’t judge. Right Rarity?” The rest of the gang darted at the fashionista who rolled her eye in agreement.

“Fine. I’m sorry. I won’t say more.”

“Good. Besides, this shouldn’t be any different from what we normally do as Princesses.” Twilight nodded back. “So anyone got any ideas?”

They were silent for a while. Solutions never did come as often as problems do.

“I always believe that communication is key to solving any problems.” Fluttershy opened up. “I say we should have Applejack open up to Big Mac.”

“I already said that I’m not doing that.”

“But…”

“No.”

Fluttershy sighed but didn’t argue any further.

“Ooook?” Twilight continued. “Anyone else?”

“Why don’t we use some of your magic?” Rainbow Dash suggested. “Don’t you know some kind of spell that’ll just make this go away? Sounds pretty simple like a reverse-love potion or something.” Ha. At least someone here was making headway. Thankfully Applejack already had someone working on that.

“I don’t think magic is the solution here.” And Twilight shattered that hope. “Emotions are powerful reagents and very complex. One wrong brew or a single error in incantations could have unwanted affects. I think we should stick to the normal things we do. Something without magic.”

“I don’t suppose you can just bury these feelings and move on?”

“Believe me, I’ve tried.” Applejack replied sulking. “But it just pops back up in the worst possible time. If this keeps up I don’t think I’ll be able to hold myself back.”

“How about a pie?” Pinkie put in her two bits, showing the said pastry. “A side of apple pie always lets me forget about the worst things that ever happened to me.”

“No… but thanks… I guess?”

“Oh well I tried. Nom nom nom nom!”

“Come on friends, focus.” Twilight called out. “Applejack came to us for help. Don’t let her down.”

“No offense Twilight but we’re not exactly relationship experts.” Rainbow Dash reminded them. And obviously they were not. The gang can mend friendship and misunderstandings on a daily basis. But when it came to love – especially odd love – they were no better than rookies. “Maybe we should look for an expert. Someone who actually knows love more than we do. Maybe… the mayor or…”

“No!” Applejack hastily protested. “No more. I don’t want anyone else to know about this! Honestly I’d really prefer if we just kept this between us ponies.”

“Ahem…”

“And you too Spike.” She sighed. “Look. This is already humiliating for me. So… please don’t.”

“We won’t, Applejack.” Twilight swore. “We completely understand. Don’t we?” The others nodded in supporting agreement. “So… does anyone have any experience with… well… love?” Eyes rolled around for a brief moment before they all settled to Rarity who stood at her own corner.

Sensing their stares, the unicorn groaned and hesitantly decided to agree. “Fine. I suppose I can help.” She approached Applejack. “I apologize for my earlier outburst but you must understand that your confession left me somewhat perplexed darling.”

“You’re telling me.”

“But it seems like we are doing this all wrong.” The unicorn continued. “Instead of tackling your problem head-on with a solution, perhaps we should look at the root of the problem instead.” The gang looked around confused. “Tell me Applejack. What is it that you want?”

“What I want?”

“Yes darling. What is it you want? Do you truly desire Big Mac in such a way?”

“What? No! Of course not.”

“Then tell us. What is it you want?”

“I want to stop feeling like this!” She shouted. “I want to look at Big Mac without my heart trying to rip through my chest. I want to not feel for him. I want things to go back to normal. To the way they were before this! I want to be with Big Mac as a family. Nothing more.”

The gang froze up quietly at her little outburst but Rarity, strangely enough, was smiling. “Well I think we’re making progress here.”

“Really?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

After recovering, Rarity trotted around her depressed friend. “Tell me Applejack. How many stallions do you actually know?”

The cowgirl pony looked back, inquisitively. “What’s that got to do with this?”

“Just answer the question dear. I need to know how many stallions you actually know. With the exception of your family naturally, how many stallions have you formed bonds with? Like… close relationships.”

Applejack gave it a moment’s thought. If she had to exclude her family, she would say…

“Well other than a few guys in Ponyville here and there. Then… almost none.”

“AHA!” Rarity’s face beamed. “Then we found the root of the problem!”

“We did?” Twilight asked.

“Of course my dear. It seems so obvious now. This ridiculous affection you have built for your brother is the result of your lack of relationships with other stallions. You don’t truly ‘Love’ him but rather it’s because you have no one else to go to. Big Mac is the only stallion that you’ve ever truly bonded with. That’s why you’re feeling this way.”

That sounds stu…

“That… kind of make sense.” Twilight!? You actually agree with this crackpot idea? “You’ve been hanging out with Big Mac for so long… you actually begin to see him as something more.”

“I don’t think relationships work that way.” Rainbow Dash looked unconvinced.

But Rarity seemed to believe so. “You’re more than welcome to correct me. Or do you have some other explanation for this oddity?” Their silence answered her question.

“So what should I do then?”

“Well the answer is simple.” The seamstress answered giddily. “You need to find another stallion in your life. Someone fresh. Someone new! Someone to take your heart away, sweep you off your hooves and run into the sunset.” That last bit almost sound like a horsenapping incident but no one thought to correct her. “We can put your heart back on track and forget all this nonsense on your brother.”

Find a life partner? The thought never crossed Applejack before. She always knew that she would eventually find someone to fill her life and run the farm together. The family was always growing bigger and she was expected to contribute one way or another. She just didn’t expect it to come so quickly.

“Isn’t that a little too hasty Rarity?” Twilight said. “I mean this is love. You can’t force someone to be a special-some-pony. Relationship has to be built with time. Allow it to grow and develop on its own.”

“I agree.” Fluttershy added. “Having a special-some-pony is a sacred tradition that can’t be rushed.”

“I don’t suppose either of you have any other ideas to provide then?” Rarity challenged back which they couldn’t really confront.

“Still… this solution of yours is a bit…”

“No. Rarity’s right.” AJ spoke up much to everyone’s surprise. “I’ve been isolated in the farm for too long. With all my chores and apple-bucking, I’ve never really had the chance to do all this… playdate. It’s always just been me and my family. It’s time I did something about that.”

“Excellent!”

Twilight looked to her uncertain. “Are you sure about this Applejack?”

“No. But if I don’t do something about this feeling, I might do something I might regret. Maybe meeting someone new will help me sort this feeling out.” She scratched her cheeks shyly as she spoke. “So uh… I don’t suppose you ponies know of any stallion out there looking for a country girl like me, do ya?”

“Leave everything to me, my dear.” Rarity offered with glamor. “I know every pony in Ponyville and know every bachelor and bachelorette there is. Give me a few hours and I’ll set up everything for tonight.”

“Tonight?!”

“Absolutely. We can’t let you off with that ridiculous feeling burrowing in your chest. That simply won’t do. The sooner we get this done the sooner you can forget about Big Mac. I’ll even reserve a place in that fancy restaurant at the edge of town. It’ll be magical.”

“Nothing too fancy I hope.” Applejack trembled. “So… how does this work? Do I do my mane differently? Wear some fancy dress.”

“Of course not darling. This is a dinner date, not a gala. No need to put the extra effort. Just be your beautiful charming self.” Rarity paused as she turned over to her other friends. “But I may require some assistance from the rest of you. That is… if you’re willing to help.”

The girls and Spike cheered in agreement.

Progress

Chapter 3: Progress

(Sweet Apple Acres) (Three days later)

Big Mac might be slow on the uptake sometimes but he wasn’t stupid. Something strange was going on with Applejack lately and he could see it as plain as day.

He wanted to respect her privacy by letting her come to him. He was always there whenever she needed him. Rain or shine, he’ll be there at a moment’s notice. Sure they might’ve had some hiccups along the way but they always came out on top in the end.

They used to play together, hung out at the orchard and wait till the apples grew, wrestle the pigs whenever one of them was going off and shared a joke now and then.

However things began to change ever since they got back from Hooverton. Now she barely hung out with him. They hardly played anymore and she found a new spot for herself in the orchard. Heck she wouldn’t even want to wrestle a pig and that was one of her favorite game when she was a filly.

They hardly talked anymore either.

…

Ok that last bit was his fault seeing as he hardly says a word. But that was because he was more of a listener rather than a talker. He made this change willingly to himself to accommodate for his family.

“Uh… Big Mac?”

Maybe he should say something to Applejack. Maybe he should start talking and ask her plainly if something was bugging her. It would certainly break this ice that she covered herself with.

“H… hey Big Mac.”

No no. That’s an invasion of privacy. He trusted AJ. She’s old enough to make decisions on her own and is more than capable of protecting herself. She didn’t need his protection back then and she doesn’t need it now. After all, it was her life. He had no authority to butt in.

“B… Big Mac!”

Yeah. That’s right. She’s no longer a foal. She’s a grown mare. Beautiful in her own way. He should just stay out of it and help only when she comes to him. That’s how a grown stallion should be. Respectful and…

“Big Mac! The pancake!”

What? Oh crud!

The red pony flipped the frying pan up tossing the contents within high into the air. Luckily he was a quick thinker and hastily brought out the plates to catch them all. He then presented them to the table with graceful posture.

“Phew… that was a close one.” Apple Bloom sighed in relief. Though she sighed too soon when one last pancake fell right on her face. “Meh… not perfect. But at least you didn’t waste breakfast. That’s a win for me.”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed pouring a chunk of praline on his share.

“Something bothering you Big Mac? You never overcooked breakfast before. You wanna talk about it?”

“Nope.”

“Really?” She asked. “Does it involve big sis?” Wow, for a young filly, she sure is sharp.

“E… eyup.”

“I get ya big brother. She’s been going out a lot lately these last few days. She seems so busy, disappears in the evening and comes home in the middle of the night. Do you think something’s up?”

“E… ey… nope.”

“Which is it?” He refused to answer. “Are you worried about her too?”

“E… eyup.”

And speak of the devil. “Hoowey. Remind me to ask Granny to install new showers for the pigs. I don’t mind the mud but the smell is getting way out of hand.”

“Heya Applejack.” Apple Bloom greeted. “Come and get some breakfast. Big Mac’s cooking today.”

“Smells great!” She nodded. “But I can’t. I’m meeting up with Rarity and the others and I’m running late. My chores are all done now so… gotta go.” Without even waiting for a reply, the little apple bolted off leaving her siblings behind to wonder.

“Huh… that’s the third time she used that excuse. I wonder what they’re meeting about. You know anything Big Mac?”

“Nope.” He answered back, his eyes cast over the door, his face marred with worries.

“Oh don’t look so glum, big brother. At least we know that she’s with her friends. Maybe they’re doing something important for the Kingdom like they always do.”

“Hmmm…” That was a possibility. But that didn’t ease his worries one bit.

“Tell ya what. Why don’t I go and look into it? Me and the Cutie Mark Crusaders can watch over her and help out if she gets into trouble.”

“Really?” Big Mac’s eyes widened.

“Sure can. I’m already planning to meet with Babs anyway. We’ll make it a playdate. Besides, I know you wouldn’t want to butt in on big sis’ life without her permission.”

“Nope…” He agreed on that sentiment.

“Then it’s decided. Cutie Mark Crusaders, assemble!” She quickly took a bite off her pancake. “After breakfast of course. One more please.”

(Ponyville)

It was easy to spot Applejack amongst the crowd of ponies here in Ponyville. Her signature hat was a dead giveaway and can be spotted for miles. It also made her a poor hide and seek player.

Apple Bloom and her Cutie Mark Crusaders plopped out of the nearby bushes, each wearing a different form of camouflage to blend into the scenery. Though Scootaloo’s feathery disguise didn’t seem all that convincing to the naked eye.

“So… tell me again why we’re spying on your sister?” Scootaloo asked.

“She’s been going out a lot and coming back in the middle of the night lately. I’m worried she might be off doing something dangerous.”

“Isn’t that common? I mean your sister is friends with Princess Twilight. She might just be saving somepony from danger.”

“Yeah. But that’s usually once in a blue moon. Not every day. I should know, I’ve lived with her. No she’s definitely up to something. And all this secrecy is making Big Mac all worry-like.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just ask?” Babs pointed out.

“No. She’d tell us if it was important.”

“Here she comes!” Sweetie Belle warned which quickly prompted the gang to hide.

And true enough Applejack was there galloping into the town square all prim and proper. And behind her stood Rarity.

“Big sis?” Sweetie Belle noted. At least she didn’t lie about meeting up with Rarity. That was a relief. Twilight and the others were also with her huddling in like they were having a super-secret meeting.

“Can you hear anything?”

“No… they’re too far.”

“I might have something.” Sweetie Belle spoke as her horn lit up resonating with two familiar voices. “It’s an eavesdropping spell. I learned it from Twilight the other day.”

“Awesome!”

“Shh! Listen guys.”

The CMC silenced themselves and listened in intently on the horn.

“So how was your date last night?” Rarity asked with excited curiosity ringing in her tone. “Wasn’t he fabulous?”

“If by fabulous, you mean boring as a bale of hay, then yes he was fabulous.” Applejack replied annoyingly. “The guy was a joke!”

“What? But I thought you two hit it off. He looked happy as Pinkie on Prankster Day.”

“Is it Prankster Day already?” The said pinkette asked giddily.

“The guy was a snoozefest on hooves. He spent a whole hour complimenting my mane.”

“Well he is a hairstylist darling. It’s his job. I wouldn’t mind having someone give me a compliment here now and then. That’s the finest form of flattery in a date. Well… other than expensive gifts or a moonlit chariot ride in the night sky. Oh! Maybe even an all-expense-paid spa treatment!”

“And the guy before that couldn’t stop talking about wood.”

“Well his name is Wood Chuck. He can’t help it if it’s his passion.”

“Rarity.” Twilight whined in the sideline. “This is Applejack we’re talking about here. Everypony has very different preferences. If we’re gonna find some special-pony for her, it has to be someone she will like, not someone else’s.”

“SPECIAL-PONY?!” Apple Bloom gasped which her friends quickly shushed her down. “Sorry. But this is huge news! My sister is looking for a special-some-pony! It’s amazing!”

“Guess that explains why she’s been coming back so late.” Babs clarified. “She’s been going on dates. Or as some folks say: Dipping your hoof in the water.”

“Shh! Listen.”

“Hmmm… I suppose you’re right.” Rarity nodded. “I’m sorry Applejack. I guess I was so used to my taste that I molded into yours. Why don’t we try again? Give me your preferences. What are you looking for in a mate?”

Though they couldn’t see her face, the CMC gang could tell that Applejack was blushing on the other end of that spell. “W… well… I’m not sure. I never thought of it actually. I always thought that this special one would just come into my life like in one of those old fairy tales Granny used to read to me every night.”

“You can’t just wait for your soul mate to come to you my dear. You have to go out there and find it! Now come on. Dig deep. I need something to go by. Anything.”

Applejack sighed and thought deep. No one really asked her about a life-time partner before so it was kind of hard to find one on the spot. “Well… if I had to make my own, he has to be a hard working guy.”

“Hmm… yes yes. Go on.” Rarity nodded pulling out a pen and paper to jot down notes.

“I uh… I want someone who would be nice to be with. Calm, cool and a good listener. Someone like uh…”

“Big Mac?”

“Yeah like… oh…”

“Pinkie Pie!” Rarity scolded. “There’s no need to make this awkward. But… yes. I suppose this does give me reference. Better to have someone you can be familiar with rather than… the other choice.” She paused in thought. “And I think I have just the one for you.”

“It’s not gonna be another hair stylist is it?”

“Have faith in me darling. I have just the perfect match for you.” She turned over to the others. “Twilight, do you mind making the reservation in my name like last time? And have it in that new restaurant that opened up. I heard from the critics that the meals there are to die for.”

“Sure thing. Spike can help out. We’ll call in a favor.”

“Dashy. Can you clear up the sky tonight just in case?”

“Fine. I guess I can do it one more time for you ponies. But I’m already working overtime here.”

“Splendid. Pinkie, can I count on you to not to make any kind of racket near the restaurant?”

“Awww~~ but that place is the best place for laughs! I already skipped that neighborhood 3 days in a row.”

“Pretty please?”

Pinkie groaned striking a name off her list. “Fine. I guess I can double my fun-fun jokes at the mayor’s office. You think she likes the in-your-face trampoline cannon or the trampoline on-your-face cannon… cannon.”

“And Fluttershy. I’ll have you look out for… potentially disruptive animals?”

“Oh sorry but I can’t make it tonight.” The shy one interjected. “Discord will be coming over for a tea party. I promised to teach him the joy of knitting. We’ve been planning it over for a week now.”

“Well that’s a blunder.”

“I want to help. But I can’t break my promise for another. But…” She stressed that last word. “… if it helps, I promise to bring over as many animals to my little gathering. The more in there, the less will be out here.”

“I suppose that will do.” Rarity nodded back in affirming their missions. “Alright then. Everyone has their assignments?” They nodded. “Good. I’ll make the arrangement with the date while you Applejack, get freshen up at the spa. Let’s all meet back at the restaurant, same time as before.” With a final nod they dispersed leaving the Cutie Mark Crusaders to squeal in joy.

“Oh my gosh! This is amazing you guys! My big sister is actually looking for a mate! I’m gonna have an in-law!”

“Congrats Apple Bloom.” Sugar Belle chuckled.

“This is so exciting! I’m so happy I can’t stop jumping!” And she really couldn’t. Her legs were hopping nonstop like a rabbit on a sugar rush. “This totally explains why Applejack is out every day and night. She’s goin on dates!”

“True. But I wonder why she wouldn’t tell you guys.” Scootaloo asked.

“She probably wants to keep it a secret and surprise us all when she brings her mate over to our place! Oh this is incredible. I bet the stallion she brings home will be charming, dashing and one of a kind!”

“But we don’t even know who it is.”

“Then there’s only one way to find out.” Apple Bloom cheered. “You girls up for a stakeout tonight?”

“Definitely!”

“Absolutely!”

“I’m in.”

“Right then. Operation: Sneak Peek on Future In-Laws and finding a shorter name for this operation, is a go!”

(Fluttershy’s cottage)

Fluttershy let out a soft sigh as she knitted a yarn over by the window. Surrounded by her animal friends, she felt calm and collected. The last days have been kind of hectic helping Applejack find a perfect mate to partner up with. With the group’s effort combined they were able to pull off a rather romantic evening for the county pony.

Though the situation didn’t exactly make things better for Fluttershy. She thought she could keep it in, but thinking how Applejack could harbor such affection for another was out of this world. Even more so when her first love would be her brother of all pony. Perhaps Rarity was right with her reasoning and this solution of pairing her with other stallions.

“Hello~~~? Anyone in there?” A griffon hand startled the shy one from her seat.

“Oh! D… Discord. I’m sorry. I must’ve spaced out. I… have a lot on my mind lately.”

“I’ll say. Otherwise you wouldn’t have sown your little friend in your quilt.” Fluttershy looked to her knitting and gasped when she found Angel mucked within the strands. “Hmm… rabbit fur? I must say it’s a rather unusual taste.”

“I’m so sorry Angel.” Fluttershy hastily undid her work removing her little rabbit from the center who immediately barked angrily.

“Something troubling you?” The Chaos Lord asked, fixing a pair of glasses on his eyes.

“A little bit.” She admitted. “Just a little problem here and there. Where were we in our lesson?”

“I wouldn’t really know. We didn’t even start. You just started knitting without me. I just followed your example.” He revealed his work which turned from a quilt to a… well… something other than that. No one knew what it was exactly. Was it a dress or… a hat? Maybe a mixture of the two? “I gotta say I’m a natural at this.”

“Hehe. Well no one gets it the first time.”

“Meh. Knitting might be boring for some but I know how to make it fun.” With a snap of his fingers his work came to life, with a cane and a rhythm it danced on the floor. “So what’s got you all blue? Was it breakfast?”

“Oh no. Nothing of sorts. It’s just… well…” She paused. “I can’t really say.”

“Oh come now. What are friends for if you can’t tell them your problems?” He snapped his fingers again bringing pillows for comfort and refreshments to the table. “Did another animal cannibalize another? Or did the royals of Equestria put a ban on bird feeds?”

“I’m sorry Discord. As much as I want to tell you, I’ve been sworn to secrecy. I can’t speak of it until it is resolved. You wouldn’t find it interesting anyway.”

“Nonsense. A chaotic relationship is a fine source of energy for me. Especially one that’s complicated as Appleteeni.”

“Yes it is quite com…” Her eyes widened. “Wait a minute! How did you know?”

“Oh a little bird told me.”

“Discord! Have you been eavesdropping!?”

“Mua? Eavesdropping?” The multi-racial-creature feigned hurt. “Well maybe a few times. But not this one.” He let out a soft chuckle. “Spike told me.” Spike!? Oh of all the draconic creatures to blabber, it had to be him. “Though I must say I never expected that apple-loving-lover to actually go for such a… troublesome path. Imagine the riot that’ll happen when she confesses! Ohhh I should probably set up cameras just in case.”

“No. NO!” Fluttershy scolded. “You will do no such thing. This is a matter of extreme privacy.”

“Oh but it would be such a memorable moment. Imagine how cute and embarrassed she’d look when she faces her fear. She’ll probably turn just as red as a rose.”

That did sound tempting. You don’t often get to see Applejack’s cute side. To see her blush and shy away like… well… her, would be a moment to cherish.

“No. I forbid you from using my friend as a source of entertainment.”

He scoffed back. “Fine. But I’ll have you know that such a moment to be captured on picture would garner a lot of clicks in the world of fan-fiction.”

“Fan what?” They were interrupted by a knock on the door. “Oh. That must be my new tea-set collection.”

“Another one?” Discord whined. “Don’t you have like a dozen of them?”

“I do. But this one was made from Yakyakistan. I ordered it weeks ago. Now. Promise me you won’t go telling anyone about Applejack’s problem.”

“Anyone? Not even my new friends in the Ogres and Oubliettes club?” A club that consisted only of two others.

“Especially them!”

“Oh that’s no fun.”

“Fun is only fun when everyone is enjoying it. This kind of news will only hurt people.” She reached for the door. “Promise me you won’t say a word to anyone, especially, BIG MAC?!”

WHAM!

“Geez. Alright already. You don’t need to shout.”

“No! Big Mac!” She corrected, panting heavily while she barred the door. “He’s… outside!”

Oh?

… Ooooooh~~ now this was gonna be interesting.

“Why is he here? What do I do?”

Discord held her up to ease her panic. “Well firstly you should probably calm down. If you keep this up he’ll probably suspect something.” Ah… that’s right. “And secondly, you should probably invite him in. Shutting the door in front of a guest might give a… negative impression.”

Oh Celestia, he’s right. All the talk about Applejack made her panic. She didn’t need to shut the door on him like that.

After giving a few breaths, Fluttershy got back to the door and oh so gently opened it, finding the stallion on her front entrance rubbing his pained nose.

“S… so sorry about that. I didn’t mean to shut the door on you, Big Mac. You just… caught me by surprise that’s all. A… are you ok?”

“Eeyup-ow!” He snorted before giving back a wide smile.

“S… so can I help you with anything?”

The boy looked estrange like he wasn’t really sure what to say. “I uh… is… Applejack here?”

“Applejack?” Why wasn’t she surprised to hear him ask that? “N-no. I’m afraid not.”

“Oh… uh… do you… know where she might be?” She’s probably in town getting ready for her big date with another stallion – whom she’s doing to forget about her love for you. But she wasn’t gonna say that.

“I’m sorry but no. You might find her in town though. Why? Is something the matter?”

He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. “Ah… n… no. Never mind.” He nodded in apology as he turned away. “I’m sorry to bother you.”

There was a heavy inkling of trouble brewing on that Earth Pony’s face. So much so that he hung his head low as he left.

“Wait.” Fluttershy spoke. “I would make for a bad host if I didn’t offer you something to drink. Please come in. Maybe I can help you with your problem.”

Oddly enough to red pony agreed.

xxxxxxxxxx

There was a pregnant feeling hanging in the room and somehow Fluttershy couldn’t help feel like Discord planned this the whole time. There was just no way that Big Mac, the subject of Applejack’s one-sided affection would just come to her home unannounced. There has to be some kind of plot. It’s just that she had no way of proving it.

“Tea?” She offered with a strained smile. He nodded in acceptance which she quickly poured. “Sooo… Big Mac. How’s everything? Is the farm alright?”

“Eeyup.” Ah… the usual reply to all questions directed at the big lug.

“Ok… how are you? Are you… feeling alright?”

“Eeyup.” Oh come on! “Well… no.” Oh! She nearly spoke too soon. “I got a…… problem.”

“Oh really now?” Discord cooed, snaking around the red stallion with a mischievous grin. “Do tell. Please. You have our undivided attention.”

“Discord!” Fluttershy scolded. “What did we talk about personal space?” The Chaos Lord grumbled but slowly slithered away to the next chair. “So what is this problem, Big Mac?”

“It’s… it’s… Applejack.” Her eye twitched. “I think there’s something wrong with her.” Yeah there is. She’s in love with you. “She’s been acting all weird lately.” Yeah! Because she’s in love with you. “We’ve always hung out together. But nowadays she’s been spending less and less time in the farm. It’s like she’s trying to avoid something.” YEAH! BECAUSE SHE’S IN LOVE WITH YOU!

“And why would you think she doesn’t want to be with you – er I mean home. Be at home.” Fluttershy hastily corrected. “She just might want some time to herself. Applejack is a grown up now.”

“But… she likes the farm.”

“I’m sure she does, Big Mac. But this is Applejack we’re talking about. She may be honest but even she has things she wants to keep to herself.” Like a series of affection she’s been having.

“But what if she’s in trouble?”

“I seriously doubt that.” She shook her head in reply. “I’m sure she’s just enjoying life with others.”

“But I…”

“Big Mac. You lo-lo—love your sister, don’t you?” It was a stretch just to say that word. The big red stallion nodded back. “Then why don’t you give her some space? I’m sure that there’s a perfectly good reason why she’s been so busy lately.”

“But I’m her big brother. She knows that she could tell me anything.”

“Well not everything.” Discord whispered avoiding Angel’s banter.

Fluttershy sharpened her eyes on him but allowed it to pass. “I’m sure she would. But like I said, there are just some things somepony can’t share.”

“I know that.” He replied. “It’s just that… I get the feeling she doesn’t like me anymore.”

“Oh don’t be ridiculous. Your sister loves you dearly.” Too much actually. “If you give it time and trust her, I’m sure she’ll come back to you and everything will be back to normal.” His expression didn’t give much but he did look a lot better than before.

“You… think so?”

“I know so.” Hopefully so. “Give her some time. Please.”

“I uh… alright. I suppose so.” Yes! Victory! “It’s just that… I’m worried.”

“And you have every right to be worried. All I’m asking is for you to give it time. For Applejack.”

Big Mac pouted but couldn’t really find the words to counter her reasoning. She was right – of course she was right. He just needed to give her space just like he told himself this morning. But panic and worry caused him to seek aid. To seek her. What kind of a brother would he be if didn’t notice something wrong with his own sister?

“Oh don’t look so glum, Big Mac. These things tend to happen even amongst families.” Fluttershy reassured him. “Tell you what. Why don’t I take you out for dinner? My friends and I always feel better after a good meal.”

“I… uh… oh!” Big Mac’s blush was thankfully hidden under his skin. Otherwise he’d be giving out the wrong impression. “R… really? I don’t… know…”

“You can’t go worrying about Applejack every time she goes out. It would be good for you and for her. If I know Applejack, she wouldn’t want to worry her big brother either.”

That’s… kind of true.

“Ah… I guess I could use a break.”

“Excellent, we can go now. Would you care to join us Discord?”

“And force myself eat mediocre food? I may have reformed but my taste pallet are still strong. Sorry but not in this lifetime.” The creature of confusion gagged watching the two ponies leave. “Besides, I get the feeling that this might be the beginning of a really good game. Ooooh! Now I really have to record this!”

(Fine Hoof)

Applejack was never really accustomed to restaurants. Growing up in a farm like the Sweet Apple Acres provided her with all the tasty food she could ever want so she never understood the necessity of it all. At least until now.

Thankfully the place that Twilight picked for her this time wasn’t as fancy as the last one. It was an outdoors restaurant with tables set up in a casual setting. They called it the Fine Hoof. A play on names for something cheesy she’d bet. It opened just this month and attracted many regulars to visit frequently. She didn’t feel out of place either. Everyone here was loud enough to be heard and dressed normal enough to look like regular everyday ponies.

Looking up to the sky Applejack could tell that Rainbow Dash did her work splendidly. There wasn’t a single speck of cloud in the sky and the jeweled stars glittered brightly above. There also wasn’t a single animal running loose so Fluttershy must’ve done right by her. Twilight and Rarity were having dinner a few tables over. Not far enough to avoid listening in but close enough to help her should she require a bail-out.

Now all that was left was to wait for her date who was… running a tad bit late or so she would believe.

Ugh… she hoped it won’t be like the last one… or the one before that. Seriously though, Rarity’s taste in ponies and mates were weird beyond reasoning. The hairstylist guy couldn’t give her a minute to talk and don’t even let her get started on the construction worker. That pony thinks more about his muscles than anything else.

Whoever thought that finding a perfect partner would be so hard? Heck! Whoever thought dating would be so hard!? This is nothing like the stories Granny told her back when she was still a foal. They were all just silly nonsense of make-believe. All that magical dreamy princes who’d sweep ladies off their hooves are nothing but a bunch of hootenanny…

“Excuse me. Are you Applejack by any chance?”

Applejack turned to the stallion and had her jaw hit the edge of the table with a loud thud.

… a bunch of hootenanny… holy… moly

Wh… who? Who was this stallion that stood before her? Who was this lovely, huge and well chiseled Earth Pony? The guy was about half size larger than her with a grape branch cutie mark on his backside. He had deep brown eyes that matched his fur and mane, an awkward smile and he held in his hoof a bushel of flowers.

“Howdy. The name’s Advocat and I’ll be your date tonight.” And what was that accent? It sounded foreign, like a deep rough yet smooth at the same time. Hearing it felt like a massage to her eardrums.

Ahem!

Ok Applejack. Calm down now. Don’t get fooled by his looks alone. You ain’t that shallow or stupid enough to be captivated by appearances. Even though he looks like the Adonis of this universe, don’t lose it. You need to be strong. You had three dates already with stallions of the worst attitudes. Just use the same old line that Rarity gave you. The very same one she had you rehearse a hundred times over. The perfect opening to any date.

“Mbfrll…”

Advocat looked back startled. “Pardon?”

“I mean… HI! HELLO! WELCOME!” Applejack’s tone went a note too high which prompted the other patrons to turn in their direction. Strike one! “S… sorry. I’m just new—I mean nervous. I wasn’t really expecting anyone to show or…”

“Please don’t apologize.” The stallion waved back nonchalantly. “I… don’t really get out that often either. I spent hours trying to pick the right tie for this date. It’s been a sore.” He gave a weak smile before presenting the bushel of flowers. “Here… for you.”

Flowers? FLOWERS? FLOWERSSSS!?

Oh my god. It’s real! These are actually real flowers! That’s practically dating 101! She takes everything back Granny Smith. Miracles do happen! If your heart is pure and if your desire is strong enough even dumb fairytale stories can come true!

“Ahehehehehe…” Oh crap. Stop it Applejack, you’re drooling! Hold it in. Hold it on!

“Are you… ok?”

Damn it! Strike two. “I mean to say… thanks. I’ve uh… I’ve never gotten flowers before.”

“Really? That’s too bad. They look striking on you.”

Oh gods. His compliments were leagues greater than the hairstylist. The words alone made her body shiver and it soothed her mind with that accent. And the flowers!? They were beautiful. She had seen many of them before but she never knew that they could be so electrifying. These felt like they were charged with some kind of magic and were ready to explode in mere moments.

And she was blushing. Applejack could feel it. Her cheeks were burning up and her heart was racing.

“Are you ready to order, sir, madam?” The waiter approached which thankfully brought her out of her stupor. He seemed disinterested until his eye met with her date. “Ooooh! Mr. Advocat, sir. Welcome back. Will you be having your usual tonight?” His attitude turned a complete 180, like he was treating some VIP.

“Yes please.” He answered back.

“Wonderful choice sir. And you madam?”

Oh fiddlesticks! Where in the world was the menu? Wait… how do your pronounce that word? Is it suffle or suflay? Dang it, why didn’t she use the time to think what to order instead of just gawking at the empty sky. Now she’s gonna look like a total fool.

No. NO! Don’t panic Applejack. You were raised better than this. You need to focus. Do something that’ll impress the guy. Order something and make it wild. Leave a lasting impression.

“I’ll have what he’s having.”

NOOOO! You idiot! You just made it sound like you had no idea what you wanted!? That was a cheap trick and everyone here knows it! Strike three! You. ARE. OUTTA HERE!

The waiter on the other hand didn’t seem to mind and simply jotted the order down and left without another word. His eye on the other hand… left a scar on her soul. The sour look of judgment.

But once the waiter was gone, the two slowly discovered themselves in stunned awkward silence. They smiled and scratch their heads like a couple who were on their first date having no clue what to do or say.

“So uh… Rarity told me that you work at a farm?”

“Huh? Oh yeah!” Keep it down you lug head! “I mean… yes. Sweet Apple Acres. It’s just right across Ponyvile. We got the largest apple orchard this side of Equestria.”

“Heh. That’s awesome. Well my family owns the largest vineyard this side of Equestria. We make the best grape jam, grape juice and grape fruit that’ll make your mouth water.” He lift his hoof up to exaggerate only to notice some dirt on the edge. “Ah… dang it. I’m really sorry. That was embarrassing.”

“Wait.” Applejack noted. “You got mud clogged in your hoof?”

“Y… yeah. I just came from the field. It’s hard to scrape it off ones the mud dries up.”

She laughed. “Well me and my brother have the same thing happen to us too. Working on the field makes you work on the ground. The hard part is letting the mud dry up before you can even remove them. We’d brush that corner for hours just trying to get it off.”

“Oh I know the feeling. I’ve gone through three toothbrushes scrubbing them off. No amount of soap will be enough.”

“We stopped using toothbrushes a long time ago.” Applejack chuckled. “Now we just hose’em down and scrape them on the wall of the house.”

“Me too!” They shared a quick laugh which quietly dissipate the ice between them. “Wow… I never thought I would start a date conversation with mud on my hoof.”

“Granny always say that the mark of a hard working farmer isn’t the sweat on his brow but…”

“… with the dirt on his face and the mud on his hoof.” They finished the last part together. “I didn’t know anyone else knew that line. I thought it was just a quote my grandpa said to keep us together.”

“You got grandparents that spits out wisdom too?”

“Of course. Though most of the time he just spits.” He added humorously.

“Hehe. Mine too!” Applejack laughed an honest laugh for what else like years. “Wait. You said you work in a vineyard? Are you talking about the Vini Vineyard at the edge of town?”

“The very same.” Advocat nodded back with pride.

“I’ve always wanted to visit that place. I pass through it whenever I go to the train station but never really had much of a reason to go there.”

“Oh but you absolutely must. We’re harvesting for this season and the grapes tastes the best when they’re fresh from the source.”

“I say the same with my apples.” She paused and let that sentence sink in. “Well… not really out loud but you know what I mean. Ahehehe.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Wow… Applejack was laughing. She was actually having fun. Twilight couldn’t believe it but she couldn’t deny what she was seeing right before her eyes. Her friend was having a proper date and she wasn’t being too awkward about it. Heck, the stallion she was with looked more awkward than her.

She honestly didn’t believe that this idea could work. Forcing people together through a blind date was just messy in so many ways. But the results here speaks for itself.

“Wow Rarity. I think this plan of yours might just work after all.”

“Was there any doubt, darling?” The seamstress chuckled softly, giving herself an imaginary pat on the back.

“Well… maybe a little bit. Sorry.”

“Oh come now. Even I can bring a good idea once in a while. Fight fire with fire is what I say. If love is the problem, then the simple cure is love itself. Isn’t it romantic?”

“I wouldn’t really know much about romance, but I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen Applejack smile so much in a date.” And smile she did. Even though they couldn’t hear what the two ponies were talking about, their grinning faces and lovely demeanor were more than enough to say that they were having fun. “She seems so… happy.”

“Come now Twilight. You sell yourself short. You know more about love just about as any pony here.”

“Nothing more than what I read in books?”

“Is that so?” Rarity grinned mischievously. “Then I suppose a certain Castle Guard that visits your home recently hasn’t been making waves?”

“Wh… what?” Twilight’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Flash and I are just acquaintance. He uh… delivers messages from Canterlot. That’s all.”

“Emm hmm…” Her grin made her believe otherwise. “And the bountiful gifts he brings over doesn’t speak more than that?”

“He was just being… nice. Ahehehe.”

Rarity looked like she wanted to continue teasing but decided not to press further. This was Applejack’s day. Twilight’s time will come… in time.

“Oh well. Regardless, I must say that this date of our friend is going off in a tremendous start. I don’t think there’s any need for us to interfere.”

“Not that I can see.” Twilight agreed on that. If anything should happen, it’ll be on Applejack’s hooves. “So… this restaurant. What would you recommend for an appetizer?” She pulled out a menu and read its difficult-to-pronounce delicacies.

“That’s an easy choice dear. I always start my meals with a light carrot Sugar Belle?”

“Carrot sugar belle?” Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “I don’t see it on the menu. Does this place take orders off the list?”

“No no. Not that. Look.” She pointed her hoof to the nearby bush where the Cutie Mark Crusaders were huddled together with a stack of suspicious equipment lying next to them.

Concerns and curiosity poked their noses prompting them to stand and investigate.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Do you see them?” Babs asked, lifting Apple Bloom on her back who used her binoculars to spy on her big sis.

“Yup. I see’em. They’re at table 4. The pony with the grape vine cutie mark. Ready your spell Sugar Belle.”

“Way ahead of you. One eavesdropping spell coming right…”

“Sugar Belle!” Rarity’s voice boomed startling the trio. “And just what do you think you’re doing, young lady? Snooping around in the bushes is not the hallmark of a prim and proper mare.”

“And what are these?” Twilight scooped up their tools with her magic. “Night-vision goggles, binoculars, camera and… a note pad?” She could guess their motives on that alone. “Are you ponies spying on Applejack?”

“What? No!” Scootaloo denied that accusation. “Of course not. We would never ever think of snooping in Apple Bloom’s sister.”

“Oh really?” Twilight challenged, opening the notepad. “5:05 Applejack arrives at restaurant. 5:20 she orders water with lemon. 5:50 her date arrives on scene. Doesn’t look that good. Approval rating 6 out of 10?”

They were caught. “Ahehehe… we were uhmm…”

“I don’t believe this. You ponies should be ashamed.”

“I absolutely agree.” Rarity nodded. “A mere 6 out of 10? That stallion is a thoroughbred Earth Pony with enough pony-stocks to build Ponyville three times over. He deserves, at the very least, a solid 9 out of 10!”

“Uh… Rarity, I was talking about their total invasion of privacy.”

“Ah… well that too.”

“But we’re not doing anything bad.” Apple Bloom pointed out. “I just wanted to see what kind of in-laws Applejack was bringing into the family. I mean… weren’t you excited when Shining Armor brought Princess Cadence over?”

Twilight nodded but held her ground. “Of course I was. But I didn’t go around snooping their love life. I respected their privacy and you should to.”

“Ugh… I guess.” Apple Bloom groaned. “But wait. Why were you two doing over here? Are you snooping too?”

“No sweetie. We aren’t. Applejack asked us to be around just in case anything happens. Rarity was the one who set up this date and I made reservations for this restaurant.”

“So what? You’re like… the backup or something?” Babs asked.

“Ehhh… I guess you could say that?”

“Then can we join you?” They pleaded. “We’ll be real quiet and we won’t eavesdrop on Applejack. Please?”

Twilight and Rarity glanced at one another not really sure. If left alone, these kids would most likely try to do their deed elsewhere and without them knowing. Better to have them around where they can see them rather than to leave them to their own devices. Literally.

Besides… from the looks of things, the date seems to be going well.

“Alright fine. But you must promise to behave. That means no magic and no eavesdropping.”

“Yay! Free food!”

“But first we need to keep all this gear you brought with you.”

“I call dibs on the night vision goggles!”

(Town Hall)

Pinkie let out a sigh of relief as her final performance ended for the night. The audience that gathered let out a thunderous applause all of them leaving with a laugh or a smile on their faces. Pulling out jokes and pranks was hard work and making those animal balloons was just the cream of the crop.

Mayor Mare often scolds her for performing in front of the town hall because it distracted her and her staff from performing their late night duties. But after doing it a number of times she allowed it seeing as it brought some measure of entertainment in their bureaucratic life.

“Thanks a lot for coming everyone. Come again same time, same place. I’ll be here all week.” They all waved at one another leaving the candy colored pony to pack up. “Wow Gummy. That was an awesome performance. You were killing it out there with your rhythm. I almost couldn’t catch up. We should totally do this more often. Maybe we should ask the others to join in. We can start a band together! Oh… but it would totally go against my one-pony band. Oh! What do you think we should call ourselves? The Pinkettes? The Pinkie Doodles? The Pink Pancakes!? Hmm… that reminds me I’m kinda hungry.”

The little alligator blinked.

“You’re totally right, Gummy. All this talk about pancakes is making my tummy go yummy. What do you want to eat? Cupcakes? Candy canes? Cupcake with candy canes?” If the reptile had anything to say, he didn’t say it. “Aww… you’re right. I guess we could go on a diet. Let’s go see Mrs. Cake if she’s still open.” She was about to bolt over to the pastry shop when she caught a familiar figure at the corner of her eye.

The fair skin and pink mane was easy to discern even from a distance.

“Oh look. It’s Fluttershy. Maybe we can all have dinner together. Hey Fluttershy! Fluttershy over hereahhhhhh!”

Her mood meter when to the danger zone when she realized that the soft spoken pony wasn’t alone.

“Eeeep!” Panicking, she quickly jumped into fountain poking one eye out comically. “Is that who I think it is?

Appearing from the crowd, dressed to the nines with a bowtie was none other than… Big Mac himself. His large frame and red skin was pretty much a dead giveaway. His Ponytonnes outfit gave him a sense of regal, like he was a big-shot pony from the big city coming to visit this far off town for some manner of vacation.

“That’s Big Mac! But why are they together?” Pinkie asked to no one in particular. “Are they… on a date?” She laughed. “Pffaa! What am I saying? Of course they aren’t. That would be so silly. There’s no way Fluttershy would date Big Ma—and now he’s giving her flowers!?” A single flower actually. One that he plucked from the nearby bushes and gently placed it over her mane. Fluttershy’s cheeks dotted red as he continued to lead her up the streets and into a café. “This is… this can’t be. This can’t be real… right Gummy?”

The alligator yawned.

“You’re right Gummy. We can’t rule anything just yet. This requires a thorough investigation. We need to spy on them! Come on. I know a hiding spot where we can—eh hey! Who took my night-vision goggles?”

Resolution

Chapter 5: Resolution

(Sweet Apple Acres)

Applejack can’t really recall much of last night. Not that she really wanted to anyway. The only thing that was clear was that she came home crying with a broken heart and fell right asleep the moment she hit her bed. After that… nothing.

When morning finally came, the pony had little desire to leave her bed. Normally she’d be out at the farm at the crack of dawn. But today… she barely had enough energy to turn her head around.

But she knew she couldn’t stay in bed forever. Granny would pour a bucket of water over her if she did. There were no lazybones in the apple family. Not while she was around.

After forcing herself up from her bed, Applejack hoofed on down to the dining room where Apple Bloom was already gorging half of her breakfast with a wide-eyed smile on her face.

“Morning Applejack.” She greeted. “How’s my favorite big sis?”

“Meh…” The older apple grumbled annoyingly which thankfully Apple Bloom didn’t catch on. She quietly took a seat opposite of her expecting a nice quiet morning. Granny was probably still asleep, but that wasn’t anything new. The daily newspaper didn’t even seem to have anything of interest. It was just the same old news on the same old things. Applejack couldn’t believe that she would have any desire for some villain to show up and wreak havoc upon the ponies. It wasn’t until she glanced sideway till she noticed Apple Bloom smiling expectantly on her. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“What do you mean why?” She exclaimed. “Your date last night! Tell me all about it!”

Oh right… the date.

“Eh… it was fine – I guess.”

…

“And?”

“And what?”

Apple Bloom groaned. “What else!? What’s his name? What did you two do? How was he like? Was he funny? What’s his cutie mark like? Where is he from?”

“Whoa easy there Sugar Cube. One question at a time. He’s… nice. His name is Advocat. He runs a vineyard on the other side of Ponyville… and uh… nothing else.”

“Oh come on big sis. That ain’t fair. This is your first ever date I ever saw you in. You gotta give me a little more.”

“Well there really isn’t much else to say. He’s… nice.”

The little apple slammed her face onto her food. “Did you at least kiss?”

“What!? No!”

“Booo…” Apple Bloom grumpily took another bite off her food. “You’re no fun.”

“You can’t expect all dates to be like in your story books sweetie. Life just doesn’t work that way.”

“What’s this about dates?” Granny Smith inquired startling the two.

“Granny? What are you doing up so early?”

“Early? It’s almost noon you lazy deviant.” The old pony pointed out. Has it been that long? She was sure that it was still morning. Maybe she was still out of it. “Now what’s this I hear about you goin on dates?”

“Applejack is looking for a Special-Somepony!”

“Apple Bloom!”

“What?” The little one acted innocently enough. “Granny asked.”

“What did I tell you about telling other ponies about my outing?”

“To not tell Big Mac.” Ah… right. Damn this clever little foal. “You never said anything about not telling Granny about your big date.” Applejack face-hoof herself.

“Ooooh! Big date huh?” Granny Smith’s eyes sparkled. “That would explain why you’ve been coming back late these last few nights. And here I thought you were off getting your hide in trouble.” Oh dear Celestia, not this. “Soooo~~ Who’s this lucky pony? Got a name to share?”

“I don’t really think…”

“His name is Advocat! He and big sis went on a date last night together on a fancy restaurant. It was super romantic with food – oh! And he brought flowers.”

“Oooh? Flowers you say. Now that’s a classic.” Granny teased as her grin widened. “Hmm… Advocat. I think I’ve heard that name before. He wouldn’t happen to be the son of Chartreuse? The owner of that super famous vineyard?”

Applejack blinked. “You know’em?”

“Know’em?” She laughed. “I’ve been friends with those folks back in my days. Why I used to buy their famous vintage every season. That was until their bad harvest thirty years ago. Glad to know they’re still doing ok. Hmm… I heard rumors that Advocat was quite the looker.”

“Oh he is!” Apple Bloom vouched on that rumor. “He was really handsome. He has the brightest brown eyes and the mane to match. But Scootaloo didn’t see much on him so we split the point 7 over 10.”

“A good score for someone you just met.” Granny Smith admitted much to Applejack’s dismay. “You should definitely bring him over for dinner. One taste of our apples and he’ll be hooked to you like one of Goldie’s cats.”

“A little too early for that kind of thing, ain’t it granny?”

“Hmmm… you’re right.” Oh thank god she still had some logic in that old brain of hers. “We should invite their whole family! It’ll be a good get-together with the Grapes.” Nope. Never mind. “I can whip up some of my old recipes. I wonder if Opal is still with them. She did love my daisy burger.”

Applejack rolled her eye in return. “You’re just doing this to tick me off, ain’t ya?”

“Meh. Partly.” She admitted once more. “But let me have this. It’s not every day I get to embarrass my own grandkids of their love life. And Apple Bloom is still years away for that to happen.”

“Hey!”

“Anywho… why don’t you tell us more about this date of yours? What did you two do? Did you hold hooves? Did you kiss?”

“What is it with everypony and kissing? There’s more to a date than kissing, you know?”

“Ahuh. But that’s the best part!” Granny reasoned. “That first passionate moment when you snuggle up and just lock lips with the love of your life. It’s one of the best feeling you can ever experience in life kiddo. I should know. My first one was…”

“Na nanananananana! I can’t hear you!” The two little apples hastily covered their ears before they bleed.

“Pfft. Kids these days don’t appreciate a good story. Speaking of stories… where’s brunch? I’m getting hungry.”

“Got it.” Apple Bloom answered pulling a plateful of pancakes from the rack. “Big Mac made it this morning. He got up bright and early and made a whole batch.” The aroma practically filled the kitchen as she brought it over to the table.

“Hoowey. That smells delicious.” And it did. It truly did. But why did it look so foul in her eyes? Normally Big Mac’s cooking would make anypony whet their appetite but today… just knowing that he made it made Applejack feel sick to the stomach. “Something wrong kiddo?”

“N… no.” That was a lie but they didn’t really know it. “I’m not really feeling all that hungry right now. I think I’d better do my chores first. Food taste better when you’re tired, right?” She quickly plopped from her chair. But before she could reach for the door, it opened up revealing Big Mac on the other side.

The stinking musk and the sweat on his brow were all evident of his work in the farm. His feet were thick with soil and his whole body covered in dirt.

“Hey.” The big guy greeted happily to his little sister, a bright sunny smile on his face. “Morning AJ.”

“Yeah. Morning.” She answered grumpily while he stood there expecting something. “Mind moving aside? I can’t get out if you keep standing there.” He noted and quickly stepped aside.

“Oh AJ. I’ve been thinking about that job with Grand…”

“Not now Big Mac.” She interjected, not really wanting to hear it.

“Where are you going?” Big Mac asked.

“My chores. Like I always do?”

“Oh I can help.”

“I’m fine.” She declined his offer. “I can do it myself.”

“But your leg.”

“I said I’m fine!” She yelled, startling Apple Bloom and Granny Smith from their meals. “I don’t need you coddling me like some kind of invalid!”

“B… but I just want to help…”

“Well I don’t need your darn help!” She was angry. Furious even. The emotions swirling inside of her ran violently like a torrent of potions bubbling, changing from jealousy, irritation, annoyance and then anger. “You should keep your nose to yourself and talk less just like you did before! If I want your help, I’ll ask for it! If you really want to help someone then why don’t you just go and find your girlfriend instead!?”

Her words stabbed the boy like daggers. He looked back confused and frightened at the same time unable to process what was happening. And before he could reply, his sister departed towards the orchard leaving him in a stunned silence.

“What was biting her apples?”

“Big Mac? Are you ok?” Apple Bloom asked, looking slightly shaken by that sudden outburst. “Why was big sis so angry? Did you do something?”

“Nope.”

“I’ve never seen her so ticked off before. But… I don’t understand. She was quite happy yesterday too. Could you have done something to make her mad without you knowing?”

“No…pe.” He sighed. “Maybe… we’re just… growing apart.” The big guy groaned as he trotted back to his home, saddened.

“Well whatever it was, it rightly spoiled my meal.” Granny Smith scoffed. “Kids these days. Don’t even have any respect for a proper meal. It’s a wonder how this far is still standing.”

“Say Granny.” The sad red stallion called out. “About that job with Grand Pear…”

xxxxxxxxxx

Stupid Big Mac. Always trying to stick his nose where it didn’t belong. Her leg injury was fine. He didn’t have to treat it like she had the darn plague. Who was he to just mossy in like that? She’s a strong independent pony who can handle herself in any situation. She can kick a villain’s behind to the other side of Equestria with one hoof tied behind her back. Big Mac can just beat it.

…

But yelling at him like that in front of the folks was probably not the best reaction.

Ugh! This is so confusing! Why is she even angry in the first place? Was she just cranky because she just woke up on the wrong side of the bed or was it because her brother found himself another girlfriend?

Maybe a few practice kick on the orchard will take her mind off this whole debacle. She needed to clear her head. And the last thing she wanted to see was another… goh!

“Whoa there.” Applejack recoiled and landed on her bad leg causing her to slip and nearly fall if it wasn’t for the large stallion’s quick reaction. “You should really watch where you’re going there, little lady.”

“Yeah. Sorry. I wasn’t looking and just… Advocat!?” She recognized the stallion’s face instantly. “Wh wh wh what are you doing here?”

The handsome pony smiled back sweetly as he replied. “Well I was taking a stroll this afternoon in town. But then I saw your farm just ol’yonder and thought that I’d take up that tour you were offering yesterday.”

Tour? Did she offer a tour? She probably did but she can’t seem to remember much about the date after Pinkie and Discord dropped the bomb on them. She’ll took a mental note to get them back later on this.

“Is… this a bad time?” Advocat questioned when he noted her pained face.

“What? No! I mean… yes? Maybe?” She forced a smile trying her best not to make it look awkward. “It’s just that… the apples are coming out yet so there really isn’t much to show other than the pig pen and the carrot field. I kinda just said that as an offer for the future, you know?”

“Ah… I see.” He accepted that excuse harmlessly enough. “I can understand that. Well if you’re free right now… why don’t you come to the vineyard instead? I’d totally love to show you our harvest. You’ll be amazed at the juice selection we’re making.” He paused. “Unless of course you’re too busy.”

Was she busy today? She did have her chores to do after all. And she did have to go and apologize. Perhaps she’ll just have to reschedule and…

“Nope. Free as a bird.”

… nope. Never mind.

(Fluttershy’s residence)

Fluttershy let out a yawn as she finished dusting her home. It was a nice quiet afternoon. And judging from the bright blue sky out her window, it was going to be a perfect day just to stay indoors and relax. It was going to be calm and serene, just the way she liked it.

That was until a knock on the door shook her home to its roots.

“Open up Fluttershy! We know you’re in there!”

“Pinkie darling. Manners.”

“Oh… sorry.” She knocked again but this time even louder. Probably using a battering ram at this point. “This is the Pony Police! Come out with your hooves up! Pretty please?”

“Oh for the love of…” Twilight’s grunting voice took over as she knocked. “Fluttershy. It’s me, Twilight. Are you in here?”

Finally calming down from the earlier shock the Pegasus gently answered, making sure that Pinkie wasn’t gonna just charge in with a lance. Rarity and Twilight were there while Rainbow Dash hovered just above them. Pinkie obviously was hanging by her home’s tree branch.

“Oh. Why hello there friends. What are you all doing here on this lovely afternoon?”

“Hey Fluttershy.” Twilight greeted back, looking somewhat nervous. “Mind if we come in? We need to talk.” That didn’t sound ominous at all.

“Oh of course.” She permitted it and gently closed the door behind them. They stood by the center of the living room all innocently enough though looking a bit fidgety. “So what seems to be the problem? Did something bad happen?”

“I don’t know.” Rainbow Dash thrust her hoof accusingly at her. “Why don’t you ask the elephant in the room?”

“Elephant?” Fluttershy scanned her room. “I don’t think there are any elephants here.”

“She’s talking about you!” Twilight explained much to her shock.

“Me? What did I do?”

“Pretty much the biggest blunder ever.” Rarity put her two bits in. “What in the world were you thinking?”

Fluttershy stepped back, shaken by the multitude of accusations thrown at her. “I’m… sorry? But what was it that I did that was so horrible.”

“Really?” Twilight challenged. “Why don’t you take a wild guess?”

The said Pegasus thought deeply before answering. “Did I forget your birthday?”

“Wrong!”

“Oh… um… did I forget our… friendiversary?” Their faces didn’t really gave much confidence.

“I’ll give you a hint.” Rainbow Dash added. “A romantic evening, a stroll in the park and lovely food.” Those were three hints but no one was going to correct her there.

“A romantic evening, a stroll in the park… and food? Oh! Was there a party I didn’t know about?” The gang, excluding Pinkie slapped their faces. “No?”

“Your date with Big Mac!” Twilight snapped. “Does that ring a bell?”

“Date?” Fluttershy’s head tilted sideway, confused. “I don’t remember any da…”

“Don’t push it, sister!” Pinkie shoved her hoof at the suspect’s nose giving out a bad-cop vibe. “We know exactly what you did. There’s no used hiding it!” She pulled out a desk lamp from thin air and directed it at her. “We know where you live…”

But Twilight quickly shooed her away with her magic before she spoke. “Fluttershy. You had a date with Big Mac. Pinkie and Discord both saw you.”

“With pictures!”

“Pinkie, hush!”

“Just saying…”

But Fluttershy remained oblivious. “I’m so sorry Twilight, but I don’t know what you mean. It’s true that I was with Big Mac last night but we didn’t go on a date.”

“You went to the restaurant near the town hall. A famous place for a romantic evening.” Rarity pointed out. “And you say it’s not a date?”

“Well it is my favorite restaurant.” Fluttershy replied innocently enough. “It’s the few places where they allow other animals in. I take my friends there at least once a month. They have the best carrot soup in all of Ponyville.”

“And you don’t find that wrong at all!?” Twilight snapped.

“The soup?”

“NO! Going out with Big Mac!”

“Come on girl!” Rainbow Dash added, dragging her hoof down her face. “I might not know much about this whole dating stuff but even I know how that turned out.”

“I assure you girls. I am certainly not dating Big Mac. I would never do such a thing to Applejack, especially with her feelings right now. That would be just wrong.”

Twilight’s face began to twitch. There was such a thing as ignorance but this was just plain brain-dead!

“Ok. Let’s try this again.” She stated piece by piece, calmly and coolly. “You… and Big Mac… went to a restaurant, he was wearing a fancy suit.”

“Oh yes. Very fancy.”

“Yes. You had dinner together… in a romantic restaurant together, he gave you flowers.”

“He did. It was very sweet of him.”

“You had a great time together… and then… he walked you home through the night sky. TOGETHER!”

“And very peaceful.”

“AND YOU DON’T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THIS!? AT ALL!?”

“Oh come now Twilight.” Fluttershy shrugged. “I guarantee you that it wasn’t a date at all. We were just two friends, enjoying a lovely evening, alone together on a beautiful night while having a great time with one another.” Then suddenly the image slammed her like a hammer when she thought about what she just said. “I just described a date, didn’t I?”

“YES!” They all cheered with a sigh of relief. “Finally!”

“Oh no.” Fluttershy began to panic, tapping her hooves on the floor. “No no no no no no no. This isn’t good.” She glanced over to her friends. “You guys wouldn’t have told… Applejack about this, would you?”

They glanced at one another before Twilight answered. “She already knows.”

“Eeeeep!” The soft spoken pony screamed. “But but but… it wasn’t a date! I swear! It’s just that Big Mac came to me and he was so sad and I didn’t want him to leave with a frown.”

“So your plan was to take him on a date?”

“No! Of course not. I just wanted to cheer him up. All my friends looked really happy when I took them there.” Her animal companions nodded back in agreement. “I swear, there’s nothing between me and Big Mac. We’re just friends.”

“It’s a shame Applejack doesn’t know that.” Rarity groaned shaking her head in distraught.

“How did she take it?”

“How do you think? She was crushed!”

“Devastated!” Pinkie added. “Her heart ripped in two! Her soul torn! She’s gone stone cold, sister!”

Twilight’s eye rolled. “Not exactly the words I would use but… yeah.”

“Oh no no no no no!” Fluttershy hopped from the ground in fright. “I need to go find her and clear this misunderstanding quickly.”

“She’s probably at the farm at this time. Let’s go!” Without another word the gang quickly bolted through the door making haste to their friend.

(Sweet Apple Acres)

Granny Smith nearly lost her teeth when the Mane 5 burst through her door like a flood of ponies trying to squeeze through that small hole. They pushed and pushed until they finally managed to get through, their bodies crashing on the floor in a fine comical manner.

“What in the world is going on?” She asked, looking irritated when someone interrupted her meal. “You girls look like you’re in a hurry.”

“Granny Smith!” Twilight pulled out of the pile with an exhausted gasp. “Sorry to barge in like this. But we really need to speak with Applejack. Is she around? It’s urgent.”

“Nope.” She answered plainly much to their surprise. “She left this afternoon.”

“For where?”

“No clue. Said she needed to clear her head or something.” The Mane 5 glanced at one another which sparked Granny’s curiosity. “She ain’t in trouble, is she?”

“No ma’am. But it’s really important that we find her.” Twilight quickly turned to her friends for a strategy meeting. “Alright. Where does Applejack go when she wants to be alone?”

“The orchard!” Rainbow Dash stated.

“Or the lake.” Rarity added.

“Or the cake shop!” Pinkie said. “I always go there whenever I need to unwind or gather my thoughts. Which isn’t really a lot, considering that I’m eating most of the time.”

“That’s still a lot of ground to cover.” The Alicorn groaned. “Let’s split up for now. Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie, you three search the town. Dash and I will head to the skies and see if we can spot her. Come on girls. We need to do this before things get out of hoof.”

With an invisible nod, the gang quickly saw themselves out leaving Granny Smith behind with a puzzled expression. “Well that was the shortest and strangest visit I’ve ever had.”

(Grape Grape Vineyard)

Applejack let out a sigh. Why did this have to happen? She always thought of herself as a sensible pony. Someone who wouldn’t do anything out of the ordinary like all the other ponies in Equestria. She once thought that she’d end up like her parents one day. Grow up to a fine mare, find a pony to settle down with, have foals and fillies of her own and tend to the farm till she gets enough wrinkles to match Granny. Never in her life did she think that her heart would settle for that oaf she calls a brother.

Maybe she was sick? Maybe there was a spell cast over her. Did Starlight put another charm on her? That sounds like something she’d do – or maybe it was Discord? Maybe he decided to put a spell on her just for laughs? But… no that wouldn’t be right.

“Applejack? You listening?”

“Huh what?” She looked up noting her date giving her a worried glance. “Sorry. You were saying something?”

“I was gonna ask you to watch your step.” He gestured to her hooves which she just realized, was dipped in fertilizer. She looked behind her noticing a trail she made and the working pony who was giving her the stink eye. No doubt he was gonna be the one to clean that up.

“Oh… uh… oops?”

“Are you ok?” The tall stallion asked. “You seem a little… distracted.”

“I’m fine.” She forced out a smile. “I was just… amazed with your vineyard.” And surprisingly enough that was somewhat truthful too.

Applejack had crossed the front of the vineyard a hundred times over, maybe even thousands of times already even when she was a foal, but she never once actually saw the inside of the compound. She never really had much of a reason to. It’s always just been a background cover for her. Like a place for sightseeing and such. And it’s not like she developed any interest in grapes in the last few years.

The vineyard itself wasn’t as big as Sweet Apple Acres but it was just as majestic. Giant round purple fruit bore over the leaves looking so plump that even Rarity would go green with envy. There were over a dozen workers there all tending to the field and another dozen dancing over large barrels, squeezing the juice out which then flows over to the barrels and then stored in the largest looking barn she ever saw.

“Well it is amazing.” Advocat admitted with a slightly bragging tone. “This whole place was built by my great-great-great-great-great double-great grand pappy, Grape Root Senior. He came to this town with nothing but the clothes on his back, a dream and a few seeds to his name. After he took out a loan from the bank he took those seeds and made the first ever vineyard in Ponyville. His grandson, Grape Root Jr. took reign over this place and expanded it. And it became the dominant supplier of grape juice on the west coast of Equestria.”

“That’s… kind of impressive actually.”

“Yup. And wait till I show you our juice mixer! It’s the bestest thing ever!”

He took her over to the large building at the center where it looked like one of those fancy restaurants with a clean wide table on the side connected to a giant machine with a multitude of pipes with liquid moving inside of them and gears sticking out of it.

“Whala! My family’s latest invention. The Juicer Maximizer 1000!” He declared proudly. “It has over 15 functions, temperature control to keep the grape in perfect climate, all put together for the pleasure of our taste buds.”

“Ahuh… so what’s the 1000 stand for?”

He opened his mouth to answer but nothing came. “Huh… I have absolutely no idea. But hey, you should try one. I’m telling ya, the flavor this thing churns out is out of this world!” Maybe because the thing looked more like a sentient alien weaponry that could probably dominate all life in Equestria? “Or at the very least it can stop that heartache you’re going through.”

“Yeah… most likely – ah what?”

“Your heartache.” He repeated.

“I’m not having a heartache.”

“Applejack. You’ve been groaning and sighing the whole time we were on the road.” Advocat grinned. “I might be ignorant on love but even I can tell when a pony isn’t having a good time.”

She tried to counter but found her words dry and useless. With a defeated sigh, she submitted. “Is it… that obvious?”

The stallion shrugged. “You’ve got the look of a pony who just got her heart ripped out and thrown into the wind. I should know. My aunt had the same look.” He shuddered. “It was not pretty.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean for things to go like this.” She rubbed her legs shyly. “You’re a really nice guy Advocat. And in any other day, I probably wouldn’t mind going out with you. It’s just that…”

“You have another pony in mind, don’t you?”

Applejack’s cheeks flushed. “H… how did you…?”

“I could tell even from our date last night.” He explained. “You had this dozy look about you – like you weren’t all there – and you wanted to be somewhere else.”

“So… that obvious huh?”

“Well… maybe a little bit.” He smiled softly despite looking a little dejected. “From the look of your face, I’m guessing you already had your heart reserved for someone else. Someone really special. And you don’t want anyone getting near it until that day comes.”

She nodded back, her head hanging low. “Yeah… but it’s never gonna happen.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s…” The little cowgirl sighed. What she could even say? That she was totally smitten by her own sibling? “It’s just…”

“Complicated?”

“Yeah…” She chuckled. “It’s really complicated.”

“Oh…” Advocat bobbed his head before signaling to one of the workers to pour them a mug of juice. “Well, have you at least told him how you feel?”

“I would, if I didn’t know he’d say no.”

“Well how would you know?”

“Because he’s…” She groaned. “We’re not really… like that.”

“So you’re just friends right now?”

“Something like that.” Her laugh was dry as her throat. “He ain’t exactly much of a talker. Sometimes I don’t really know what he’s thinking.”

“But does he care about you?” Advocat asked, offering a second mug which she accepted.

“A lot.” Very much so. “Almost too much sometimes.”

“Then I don’t what the problem is.” Of course you wouldn’t. “I mean you like him and he cares about you. I don’t see how he’d say no.”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

Of that he agreed. “Well I’m probably not the exact pony who would know anything about love. I mean… I have a hard time finding a date for myself already. But I know for a fact that you love this pony more than life itself. And you certainly can’t get over him. Not until you face your fears.”

“Ha! Yeah right. And what would you have me do? Go up to him and tell him my feelings straight up like a damsel?”

“My pappy always say that the direct way is the fastest way.”

“So you want me to go up to this guy, tell him how I feel and get my heart broken into a million pieces?” She said in a deadpan tone, gulping her mug away. “No offense but that doesn’t sound like something I look forward to.”

“Well you won’t know until you try.” He took a sip from his mug before continuing. “Besides… would you rather have him fall for some other pony?” No. At least… she didn’t want Big Mac to. Just the thought of him getting together with another mare just made her gut wrench up tighter than a corkscrew. And that just made her feel worse. “Then I guess you have your answer.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You don’t exactly have a girlfriend either.” She flinched back from that statement. “Sorry. I guess I’m in the same boat.”

“Look Applejack.” He sighed. “I don’t rightly know what you’re going through. But what I do know is that you need to find this lucky stallion and tell him how you feel. If you want to let go of that feeling, then you have to be honest with yourself. I’d rather get my answer than to regret that I never even tried.”

Regret.

Could she live with it? Could a life with Big Mac be even possible?

Realization struck her like a brick – or maybe that was the juice. But either way, he was right.

“Gosh darn it. You’re right. You’re… you’re absolutely right!” She shouted out loud earning a glance from the other workers in the room. “You’re right Advocat. I should tell him! Win or lose, I need to hear the answer from his mouth. I’ve never been afraid of a challenge before and I won’t back out from one now.” She pranced on the ground for a moment, darting between the stallion and the exit. “I’m uh… really sorry about all of this Advocat. You’re a really nice guy and all that but…”

“Say no more.” He stopped her. “I completely understand. Now go.” With a final thank you, she bolted off ignoring the workers she nearly crashed onto. “I really need to stop giving people advice.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Applejack ran. She ran as fast as her hooves could take her. She tried to avoid the ponies in her way, despite most of them calling out to her to slow down.

“Hey easy there!”

“Watch where you’re going!”

But she didn’t care. Nothing mattered at this point. There whining and complaining can all just be background noise. That pony had but a single desire and that was to follow her heart. How could she have been so blind? So deaf? Her whole body screamed of this pact and denying it only made that desire stronger.

It didn’t matter anymore if it was wrong, immoral or indecent. Forget the rules, forget the law. She was going to Big Mac and rip this band-aid as quickly as possible. To hell or high waters, she will get an answer.

“Applejack!” Twilight’s voice cut through the crowd as she glided to her side. “There you are! We’ve been looking all over for you!”

“Can’t talk right now Twi. I’m in the middle of something important.”

“I know. But this is also important. We…”

“Hey AJ!” Rainbow Dash flew in matching speed. “Slow down. We need to talk.”

“Can’t talk. Must. Get. Back.” The little apple hoofed it, taking a breath with every gallop.

“Yeah sure. We know you got things to do. But this is kind of a big deal.”

“Then I’ll deal with it later.”

“Applejack!” Another voice chimed in from the cake shop. “Hey guys! I found Applejack! Hey! Wait for us!”

“Applejack!” Soon enough all her friends came along, all hoofing at her pace.

“Applejack. Please wait!”

The next voice caught the cowgirl’s attention prompting her to tilt her head to the side, still not stopping. “Fluttershy? What are you…”

“I know you’re angry. But I can explain.” The soft spoken pony opened up, forgetting for a moment that she actually had wings to fly on. “What happened last night between me and Big Mac wasn’t what I intended. It wasn’t a date.” She noted the glare coming from her other friends. “Ok maybe it was a date. But it wasn’t intentional.

Applejack’s face lit up. “But I thought you two were having a good time?”

“I know. And we did. But it wasn’t anything romantic. It was just a simple outing.”

Her tears was the final stroke she needed to finally hit the brakes. Pinkie on the other hand kept galloping till she hit a wall. “So… wait. Does that mean you aren’t going out with Big Mac?”

“No!” She pleaded. “It was just an outing. I know that it must’ve looked like a date to all of you, but it wasn’t. I simply wanted to cheer him up. Big Mac was so worried about you and he looked so sad. I didn’t intend for it to mean anything.”

“So… it was all just some silly nonsense?”

“Yes. I swear Applejack. I would never do anything like that. I would never hurt you in anyway. Please you have to believe me.” Fluttershy cried a river as she begged her friend back. Please don’t hate me.”

“Fluttershy…” Applejack felt like an idiot for overthinking this. She was a jerk to both her brother and her friend. She took one look at some photo some Lord of Chaos showed them and just assumed the worst. If anything she was tricked. With a heavy sigh, she held the crying pony’s shoulder and smiled. “I’m not mad at you Sugar Cube. If anything I should probably be mad at myself for assuming you two were going out. I’m sorry I had you all riled. All of you.” She directed that last part at everyone. “I’m sorry for letting you all go through this because of me. And for that, I have to set things right.”

Twilight’s brow rose. “What are you planning to do?”

“What I should’ve done from the start!” She shouted. “I’m going to find Big Mac and tell him once and for all how I really feel!” And without even waiting, she rushed off once again with her friends trailing behind her.

“Darling. Are you sure this is right course?” Rarity questioned, keeping pace and avoiding the mud puddles everywhere. “Wasn’t the plan to get her over her brother? What if he… well… doesn’t take it well?”

“Then I’ll just have to live with it.” Applejack replied, determination forced on her heart. “I’ll have said my piece and that’s that. Better to go for broke than to live the rest of my life with this ache.”

“Well… whatever it is you plan to do. We’re all with you.” Twilight approved. “Right girls? Eh? Where’s Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash pointed over where the pinkette fell which wasn’t far.

“I’ll get her.”

(Sweet Apple Acres)

Apple Bloom gave a sign of approval as she put the final nail onto the door. It only took a few hours with Granny’s help but it was worth it. They even added an extra inch on the doggy door. Now Winona will be able to slide through without having her tail getting stuck in the edges. Not to mention that the whole front lawn looked better than ever. Setting down her hammer, the little apple decided to finish off her brunch for a job well done.

But the moment she took a nibble off her plate, the door burst open with a tumbleweed of ponies crashing in.

“Ah… dagnamit. Maybe we should’ve slowed down.”

“Big sis?” Apple Bloom tilted her head in question. “What’s the matter? Why are you and your friends crashing down the door?”

“Sorry Sugar Cube. Can’t really talk right now. I need to speak with Big Mac.”

“Big Mac? Well actually…”

“Big Mac!” She ignored Apple Bloom and quickly headed upstairs. “Big Mac! Come on out. I need to talk to ya!” But strangely enough there was no reply. The big lug was always ready whenever she called for him. “Big Mac? Big Mac!”

“Applejack. He’s not…”

“Not now Apple Bloom. Big Mac! Where are ya!?” The rest of the gang followed suit calling out for that big red stallion like they were doing a turkey call. “Big Mac!”

It went on for a whole minute before Granny came in. “What’s with all the yelling and the hollering!? Some of us are trying to work around here!”

“Granny!” Applejack hollered to her. “Sorry for running off but I really need to talk with Big Mac. It’s kind of important. Do you know where he is?”

Granny Smith seemed taken aback by her desperation but answered her anyway. “Well if you’re looking for him then you probably just missed him. He’s gone.”

“Gone!?” The Mane 6 gasped.

“What do you mean gone, Granny?”

“Stalliotopolis.” Apple Bloom explained finally earning their attention. “He took that job running Grand Pear’s farm.”

“WHAT!?” Applejack choked. “Why!? When?”

“Just right after you had your fight. He said something about giving space between you two. He left for the station hours ago.”

No…

“No no no no no no! NO!” She held her curses in as she stomped on the floor. “This is all my fault. I did this and now… I’ve just gone and done it!”

“Control yourself Applejack!” Rarity snapped the girl out of her rut. “This isn’t the time for self-pity! There might still be time. We can probably catch him at the station, if we hurry!”

Twilight agreed. “Rarity’s right. It’s too early to give up now. If my memory is correct, the next train is scheduled to leave in… fifteen minutes. We can still get there!”

“Across Ponyville?” Pinkie seemed skeptic. “That’s gonna be a long hoof.”

“Not if we use our heads.” The Alicorn turned over to her blue furred friend. “Rainbow Dash, can you fly on ahead and stall the conductor? It’ll buy us some time. Or maybe even find Big Mac and tell him to come back.”

“Way ahead of you!” She flew off immediately without another word.

“Come on girls. We can still make it!”

(Train station)

“For the last time little miss: There is no one on board this train named Big Mac.” The station conductor practically berated at Rainbow Dash for what felt like the hundredth time.

“Well then you’re wrong!” Rainbow countered back. “Check again. Because I know that he is on this train!”

“I have worked this ticket booth for 10 years!” The Earth Pony rebuked. “I have never… and I mean NEVER missed a name. And I am telling you now, your friend isn’t on this train. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to finish my inspection. We’re already behind schedule and I don’t need any more delays.”

“Then at least let me check inside before you leave!”

“Absolutely not. No tickets – no ride. B’sides, you already got them wings. Might as well use’em” The pony excused himself brushing her off rudely.

“Oh for the love of Celestia…” She held her curse back when she noted her friends coming. “Finally! I thought you were coming next century.”

“Sorry. We came… as fast… as we could.” Twilight panted. “But the train is still here. That’s good. Right? Where’s Big Mac?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been calling out to him but I got no reply. It’s not like the guy talks much anyway.”

“Well, have you looked inside the train?”

“I want to. But this guy here keeps saying…”

“No ticket – no ride!” The conductor finished with a huff.

Twilight took a breath. She expected this kind of resistance from the conductor. After all, he’s been in this business far longer than most ponies.

“Excuse us sir. But do you mind if we took a quick look just in case? Our friend is heading off and we wanted to say our goodbyes before he left. We wouldn’t take long. Just a few minutes.”

The conductor groaned once more. “And I’ll tell you what I told your friend again. Once everyone’s aboard, they don’t come out less they want to.”

“But it’s really important.” She pleaded back. “He’s heading off to Stalliotopolis and we might not see him for weeks if not months.”

“Look. When I say he ain’t here, then he ain’t… wait…” He paused as if struck with realization. “Where did you say he was heading to again?”

“Stalliotopolis.”

A crooked smile bore on his face when he replied. “Well that explains it. This here train is heading over to Yakyakistan. Totally different route, little lady.”

“It is!?” She gawked. “Then… this train isn’t going to the big city?”

“Nope. If you girls are looking for the Stalliotopolis Express, it left the station hours ago. Didn’t take a lot of passengers either. It’s probably long gone by now.” Applejack’s face froze at that moment. “But if you want to catch up to it, the next train is coming in an hour. It’ll have to go through a few detours here and there but you should be able to catch up to your friend in about… oh I don’t know – a day? Maybe two if you’re lucky.”

“Two whole days!?”

“That’s what I said. Now if there’s nothing else, I need to get this train moving. We’re already two minutes behind schedule.” Without another word, the conductor hastily blew his whistle signaling the train to depart.

The smoke from the engine puffed away blinding the Mane 6 as they watched it go further and further into the distance. No words were said amongst them. Only a deep sense of sadness for the cowgirl as her body slumped to the ground in regret. She was too late. Far far… too late.

“Oh Applejack… dear. I’m so sorry.”

“It… it ain’t your fault.” The saddened Earth Pony stifled a sob though the tears wouldn’t stop. “It’s mine.” Fluttershy wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words within. She could only hug her friend to ease her pain. “I shouldn’t have pushed him away.”

Even Pinkie Pie who always had a happy smile on her face dropped to a frown. She kept silent but gave a supporting smile either way.

“Hey that’s quitter talk!” Rainbow Dash protested, already flapping her wings at the first sign of approval. “We can still beat this! I can fly over to the train and grab Big Mac and bring him back here.”

“That’s a lot of ground to cover Rainbow Dash.” Twilight reasoned. “That train runs on an engine. And unlike you, it doesn’t need sleep or gets tired.”

“Then I’ll fly to Stalliowhatalis and ambush him there! Tell him to come back!”

“We don’t even know where their farm is and Stalliotopolis is a huge city. Not to mention that it’s a week travel from here. It doesn’t matter how fast you are. Getting there from here is simply too difficult even for all of us.”

“Then we’ll catch the next one! Hey Mister!” She shoved her face over to the conductor. “When’s the next express train to Stallialopartolis or whatever it’s called?”

“It’s Stalliotopolis.” He corrected, rudely pushing her away. “And if you must know, that train only stops here on the weekends. So you’re out of luck sister. But if you want, I can reserve you a ticket at a discounted price.” Her groan and bitter expression stated that she wasn’t interested.

“Forget it Rainbow Dash. It’s not happening.”

“But we can’t just give up!”

“No, she right RD.” Applejack spoke up dishearteningly. “This whole thing wasn’t gonna happen.”

“But what about your confession? Your whole happiness thing?” Rainbow Dash berated. “You can’t just throw a curve ball and end it like this.”

“It has to.” She reasoned. “My Granny always say that there are just something that just ain’t meant to be. I’m guessing this is one of them. I had my chance to say my piece and I… I blew it. I pushed Big Mac away even when he was trying to help. This whole mess is on me.”

The whole tension that the gang had then suddenly deflated like an airbag. They huddled over their heartbroken friend muttering comforting words and taps on the back. It helped… but it couldn’t heal the emptiness in her soul.

xxxxxxxxxx

“So what now?” Twilight asked not really sure what to do next.

“I think I’ll head home.” Applejack sighed over exhaustingly. No doubt tired from all the galloping they had to do across town. “We did make quite the scene when we barged in like that. And I should probably fix that door we broke down too.”

“We’ll help.” Fluttershy added. “It’s the least we can do for you after all the trouble you’ve gone through.”

“Anything to help a friend.” Rainbow Dash nodded back which everyone chimed-in in agreement.

“Thanks guys. It’s a big help. Maybe a little labor can take my mind off this whole fiasco.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” Pinkie Pie added, forcing a comforting smile. Though she looked more confused on what to do. “Umm… I know I’m not really the best person when it comes to love and stuff. But… I know that a cupcake always make me feel better.” She ruffled through her main pulling out the said cupcake.

The cowgirl chuckled. “Thanks. But maybe later. Right now I just need some time to think things through. I’m really grateful for everything. You all really put up with me these last few days. I’ll be sure to pay you all back. That’s a promise.”

“I certainly hope so.” Rarity spoke. “Those reservations cost me a hypothetical hoof and a leg. I even wanted you to try on that dress I’ve been working on back at the boutique.”

“But I didn’t order any dress.”

“I was saving it for your next date, darling. It would so match your eyes.”

“Heh… well maybe next time. Just make sure it doesn’t nibble my tail like the last one.”

But their somber laugh was rudely interrupted by a seventh voice who gagged at their conversation.

“Oh for goodness sake. This is such a typical Friendship ending.” The Lord of Chaos magically poofed in front of them. “Don’t these scriptwriters have any imaginations whatsoever? It’s always the same with you ponies. You have a conflict, you debate and talk, you have a climactic moment and then you end the episode off with the power of ‘friendship’ ugh.” He waved his claws around producing a miniature rainbow. “How redundant.”

“What do you want now Discord?” Rainbow thrust her hoof at him accusingly. “Didn’t you cause enough damage already for one day?”

“Damage? Me? Why Rainbow Dash, I’m hurt.”

“Discord.” Fluttershy called out. “This really isn’t a good time right now. Applejack’s hurt on the inside. She needs time to heal. And I’m also still upset that you spied on me last night.”

“It was Pinkie’s idea. I was just along for the ride.” The Chimera said plainly, ignoring the pinkette’s annoying rant on the side. “Oh fibble-whiskers. And here I thought I could still pull a prank on you girls. But seeing you all solemn and content just takes the fun out of it.”

“You’re not pranking us.” Twilight threatened.

“Not with that attitude. Hmph.” He huffed back annoyingly. “Oh fine. I lied. I didn’t come to prank you. I actually have a surprise for you as a matter of fact.”

“We’re… not really in the mood for surprises, Discord.”

“Not even if it’s a good surprise?” With a chuckle and a wave of his claws the multi-limbed creature moved away revealing a familiar Red Stallion behind him.

A single look was all it took to recognize the figure. Though he may be wearing a new working outfit, that handsome mug was unmistakable. They gawk and gasp while Pinkie on the other hoof went coo-coo. It wasn’t an illusion, at least they didn’t think so. There wasn’t any magic lingering around here. But how was that possible? They were sure the big guy had already gone to the big city without a care in the world but he was here… standing before them with a puzzled goofy expression on his face.

“Big Mac!?” Applejack got out of her daze, her heart again beating and jumping to her throat. “Wha… what? How? I thought you were. Weren’t you… on the train?”

“Nope.” He answered back plainly and yet confused at the same time. “Sandwich.” He pulled out the said sandwich from his saddlebag as he explained.

Sandwich? THAT sandwich!?

There was another confusing pause before Discord decided to add some context. “I found this fella at the bakery earlier. And when he told me he was heading off to Stallibimapalopolis or something, I insisted that he stayed and play one last game of Ogres and Oubliettes for old time sakes. I let him win this time. You’re welcome by the way.” He then nonchalantly moved away giving room for the ponies.

It was quiet now. The gang simply had nothing to say or perhaps they were too shocked and surprised to say anything at all. And it would’ve stayed like that for hours if Big Mac didn’t break the ice.

“So…”

“Oh oh Big Mac!” Pinkie shouted, finally shedding off her confusion. “We’re so glad you’re here and not far far far away! We have so much to say, so much to ask! And Applejack heremphh!” The cupcake she had been holding was shoved into her mouth by Twilight’s magic before she could say more.

“Alright girls. I think we need to give them a moment of privacy.” Twilight gave a wink at Applejack as she hastily carried the others off.

“Oh come on!” Rainbow Dash whined, flapping her wings to fight back. “I wanna hear what they’re saying.”

“No no. This is a private matter. No other ponies allowed. Come along now.” The princess ignored their complaints and trotted towards the nearby tree that should be far enough to keep them from eavesdropping. “You too Discord.”

“Me? But I was the one who brought them together.” He slumped at her glare. “Fine. I’ll go. And just when things were getting interesting.”

…

……

………

Applejack’s heart began to race. It only took the silence for her to finally realize that it was only her and Big Mac who now stood by the road. They were alone at last. She couldn’t have hoped for a better situation and yet… she didn’t feel like she was ready. She didn’t mentally fortify herself for this. She knew that she was determined to speak her feelings, but that the time came, she felt the words clogged in her throat.

Damn it. Did everypony went through this when they had to confess their feelings to others? Did their hearts beat so fast that it felt like it just wanted to just leap out and dance? She was downright nervous gosh-darn it. Oh great, now her cheeks were turning red. She can practically feel them heating up right now. The cowgirl wrapped one leg over the other, trying to rub her own skin off.

“AJ?” Big Mac spoke up, taking a few steps forward, closing the distance between them. Was he always this tall or did he grow a few hoof taller when she was away? “You ok?”

Oh to heck with it all!

“I’m…” She opened her mouth but then found herself a loss of breath. “No. I’m not alright Big Mac. In fact… I’m far from it.” Her brother approached, brow furrowed worryingly. “I… wanted to say that… I’m sorry for this morning. Sorry for… yelling at ya. I know you’re mad. I wasn’t right in the head at the time, you see? It was all just… confused and angry at stupid things and took it out on you. You get me?”

“Nope.” Typical answer.

“Big Mac…” Applejack welled up inside. “Listen. I know this is gonna sound strange but… hear me out.” The big guy nodded wordlessly. “You and I have been together for a long time even after ma and pa passed away. And I don’t rightly know anypony else who could take your place. And… now that I think about it, I don’t want anypony to.” She shied away but forced herself to stand strong. “You’ve always been there for me Big Mac. Even when I didn’t want you too.”

“Eeyup.”

“What I mean to say is… I can’t picture my life without you beside me. And honestly… I don’t want to.” She locked her eyes with his, forcing herself in this confrontation. “I want to be with you… for the rest of my life.”

Big Mac’s eyes shot open. There was no mistaking those words. It was a proposal so cleverly hidden yet so plain to see. The little apple had brought her heart out to bear and offered it up with all the will she could muster.

A choking laugh escaped her as the last word finally left her mouth. “Heh… it sounds really weird after I said it. I must look like the craziest coo-coo apple you ever saw. You can… probably laugh now.” She sighed out her heart and closed her eyes bracing for his answer, whatever it may be.

Applejack had already pictured many endings for this scenario. All of them normally followed with some hilarious hijinks or something along the line of Pinkie’s crazy adventures. But when she felt his nose nuzzling against her mane, all those nightmarish scenes suddenly went up in a puff of cloud.

Her eyes shot up as she looked to her brother’s soft smile. “Big Mac?”

“I don’t think I can picture a life without you too.” Her mouth went agape as their eyes connected. That look on his face and those words alone made her body sizzle like it was on fire. She wanted to hop and scream but again they all choked inside her throat. “If I’m gonna spend my life with somepony – I’d choose you in a heartbeat.”

She placed her head on his mane, taking in the smell and rubbing her cheeks against it like it was the most comfortable pillow in all of Equestria. Her shoulders went limp as if a great weight lifted off.

“I… I don’t know what to say.” Applejack choked and sob, her happiness spilling over her eyes like an endless tide. “I didn’t think you’d…”

“Don’t cry.” Big Mac interrupted, wiping a teardrop from her chin. “I can’t promise how this’ll end but… I promise to still be here whenever you need me.”

“Heh… you big lug.” She threw in a punch which didn’t really seem to affect the big red stallion. “I guess you won’t be going to Grand Pear’s farm.”

“Oh I’m still going.”

“Wh… what?” She stuttered confused.

He nodded back as he explained. “I made a promise. Gonna help Grand Pear start up that new farm.”

“B… but you’ll be alone!”

“Eeyup. It’s gonna be quite lonely there. And a lot of work. Too much for one pony.” He eyed his sister back knowingly. “I could probably use somepony to help me out there. Keep me company. Someone who knows more about farm work than me.”

The words dawned on her. “Y… you want me… to be your partner?”

The boy smiled. “I wouldn’t have anypony else.”

Applejack’s face beamed like all her birthdays came together in one joyous celebration. Every cell in her body was telling her to jump for joy but she restrained it. If she let that part of her out to play, who knows what Pinkie would do.

“Well Big Mac. Looks like you got yourself a sweet deal.” They nuzzled with one another again, looking like the happiest couple in the world.

“HEY!” Rainbow called out from the distance with her friends eyeing expectantly. “Are you guys done yet? We’re dying over here!”

Applejack laughed and quickly signaled them to come back. The look on their faces practically screamed of scandals.

“So… what did you two talk about?” Twilight opened up, clearly holding back a long list of questions that she wanted to ask.

Pinkie on the other hoof, held nothing back. “Did you make plans already? Why were you crying!? We saw a lot of crying! Did she hurt your feelings? Did he say no? Yes? Maybe!? Tell us everything!”

“Yes. Please do.” Discord chimed in grinning creepily as he pulled out a notepad. “Don’t skim on the details either. I’m documenting this for future generations.”

“Well for starters, Big Mac and I decided to give this whole thing a shot.” The smaller apple explained plainly, not surprised of their bewildered reactions. “Yeah. I know. He surprised me too. But he was a real gentlepony on it.”

“Eeyup.”

“So… does this mean you two are a thing now?” Rarity asked, mentally shoving her other self to a corner. “That’s… wonderful?”

“We’re not sure what we are. But we’re willing to try at least.” Applejack rubbed her hat shyly. “I know you don’t support this kind of thing Rarity…”

“And I honestly still don’t, my dear. You know where I stand on that.” She replied as a matter of factly before her face softened. “But what kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t support you on your most difficult endeavor? If this… thing… makes you happy, then you have my full support.”

“Thanks. On the other hoof, I’ve decided that I’ll be going with Big Mac to start up that new farm in Stalliotopolis.”

“WHAT!?” Rainbow shouted but quickly groaned when Twilight shoved her sides. “Uh I mean… that’s great? Good for you.”

“You’re really going? To the big city?” Fluttershy asked enduringly. “Is that… alright?”

“It’s probably for the best.” Applejack reasoned. “Figured we’d best start this new relationship thing in a place no one knows us. And it’ll just be for a few months. I won’t be gone forever. We’ll be back just in time for the apple bucking season.” And probably enough time to settle this whole business. “Speaking of which, I should probably head home and tell Granny and Apple Bloom.”

“Oh now~ she remembers us.”

“GAHH!” The gang freaked out when Granny Smith appeared from behind with little Apple Bloom by her side.

“G… Granny?” Applejack choked. “W… what are you doing here?”

“Wondering what all the fuss was about.” She answered stoically with her eyes narrowed. “Wouldn’t have believed all this nonsense unless I heard it with my own ears and saw it with my own two eyes.” Ah applefudge. Barely ten minutes into their secret relationship and already her family discovered it. “Hmmm… I knew you were looking for a Special-some-pony. Never really thought you’d grab something so… close to home.” She gave Big Mac a stink-eye which made him sweat in buckets.

“Ehe…hehe?”

Applejack gulped her fears. She knew she’d have to do this eventually, she just never thought it would come so soon. Having to introduce love ones to family was supposed to be some kind of tradition. “I… I know you probably don’t approve of this Granny. But… you’ve got to understand that this is how I feel. My heart’s been telling me this for months now and I… I think I made the right call.”

“Out of all the apples you could pick, you pick one that didn’t fall off its tree.”

“I wouldn’t want to be with any otherpony other than Big Mac.”

The old apple glanced between the two, her stare poking at them sharper than any pitchfork. She gave out a disappointed sigh later and shrugged. “Well… it really ain’t my business. If you two were still little fillies, I would’ve clobbered your ears clean. But… you’re old enough to know better. So… I’ll just say… be happy. For whatever it’s worth.”

Apple Bloom then approached, holding a shy smile to herself. “I still would’ve preferred a proper in-law. But I don’t mind you two getting together. If my brother and sister are happy being like this, then I’m happy too.”

“Aww… thanks Sugar Cube.” Applejack threw a hug over her little sister, grinning ear to ear.

“We should probably get our tickets before the next train gets here.”

Huh?

“Tickets?” The big sis tilted her head in question.

“Yup! I’m going with you to Grand Pear’s farm. Granny said I can go with ya.”

The old pony scoffed. “She’ll be mighty lonely without you two hanging around here.”

“You sure about this Granny? I don’t want to leave you alone in the farm.”

“Oh hush now. Don’t you worry about a thing now. You ain’t the only apples in Ponyville. I got family coming along to keep me company. It’ll be an age old party for us seniors! Wahaha! Besides. She’ll also be there to keep an eye on you two just in case you try doing something stupid.” Ah… of course. That makes more sense.

xxxxxxxxxx

The next train came by not long after their little episode. With all loose ends tied up behind them, the three little apples boarded and waved their friends a final farewell.

“Bye! Bye bye! Seeya! Write back soon! Arrivederci! Sayonara! Auf wiedersehen! Namaste!” Pinkie repeated over and over as they watch the train slowly slipping into the setting sun. “Aww… I miss them already.”

“It is gonna be a little lonelier without those three hanging around.” Rainbow admitted. “Are they gonna be alright on their own?”

“Nothing is for certain.” Twilight answered. “But as long as they stick together, I think they’ll be just fine. I’m just worried what we’re gonna do now. All this running around and panicking left me kinda… empty inside.”

“I agree on that darling.”

Granny Smith chuckled. “Well if you want something to take your mind off, you can start with fixing that door you reckless runners broke down.”

Ah… yeah… that.