Applejack Needs a Cock and Butterscotch Has One, but She Goes About Getting It in the Wrong Way

Applejack clung to Butterscotch's neck, coughing up water as he struggled down the stairs. Her hooves massaged the sputtering stallion's breast, molesting his thick tuft, "Settle down, 'Scotch. Ya can stop apologizin' now."

"B-But you could've drowned!"

"No offense, sugarcube, but ya couldn't even if ya tried. I'd kick ya flat on your rump long before that could happen."

His legs shook as he descended sideways, bringing all four hooves to a step before tackling the next, "But what if—"

Applejack squeezed him tight, pressing her fetlocks into his windpipe for a half-second to quiet his protest, "'Scotch, I love ya, an' appreciate ya worryin' about me, but stop ruinin' the afterglow." She resumed her exploration of his breast and nuzzled close.

He made a strained whimper, but continued down the stairs in relative silence. Once he stepped onto the landing, Applejack was assaulted by a wonderfully aromatic scent. The smell seemed to, and on a double-take, actually did, carry them through the dimmed den to a round, candle-lit table set for three, Eris already seated. The smell separated her from Butterscotch and sat both in chairs, pushing them up to the table.

In the center of the table was a wide, steaming pot. Before all of them were bowls of a delicious-smelling curry poured over rice. Applejack marveled at the colorful spread of oranges and greens. Vibrant asparagus tips, thick chunks of carrots and yams, and peas swimming in a creamy sauce, the aromas carried on an undercurrent of spicy coconut. Lime wedges sat atop long, white grains of fluffy rice. She took a deep whiff, salivating.

Applejack looked up from her food. Butterscotch looked much the same as she felt, although his bowl had a hearty dollop of yogurt peeking over the rim. Eris, back to her normal discombobulated appearance, wore a lupine smile as she enjoyed the anticipation of high praises.

Butterscotch was the first to speak, "This looks delicious, Eris!" He squeezed the limes over the yogurt before using a spoon to stir it into his food. He dipped his head into the bowl and ate, sounding quite satisfied. Applejack followed suit and couldn't disagree. The crunch of the asparagus offset the smooth dish, the coconut and yam awoke new dimensions in the curry's complex garam masala, the toasted spices so bright Applejack was certain there had been chaos magic infused in there, somewhere. Sweet, heat, cream, and crunch had never been such balanced bedfellows before, and Applejack wasn't sure they could be again after today.

"Abshalooli!" Applejack spilled food on the tablecloth and clamped her mouth shut, blushing. She swallowed and thumped her breast to choke the food down, "This here's the best cookin' I've ever had, outside Granny's of course." Her face fell. She tried to laugh it off, but wasn't convincing, "A-Anyway, how come 'Scotch's got yogurt? I reckoned he'd be pretty good at handling heat."

She smirked at him, and Eris chuckled. Butterscotch shrank in his seat, flustered, "That's different..."

Eris spooned a heap into her mouth with a hum in her throat, licking her lips, "I have to agree with Butt-Butt, here. You couldn't handle yours at all."

"Butt-Butt?" Applejack sniggered as the table eclipsed Butterscotch, "Yeah, I guess it is. I know we kinda already made up, but uh, sorry."

Butterscotch's mane and eyes peeked over the edge, "N-No, it's okay. You were drugged and, uhm, I-I wouldn't have been opposed if I had known Eris was... so open about our relationship."

"He's had a crush on you for quite some time, you know."

"Really, now? I never noticed... since when, 'Scotch? An' why didn't ya say anything?"

Butterscotch shimmied back up in his seat and took a bite, chewing slow and looking away. He gulped, "I-I guess it got serious back when you carried me up the mountain when that dragon came to Ponyville. You just, I don't know, seemed... real to me, then. And I didn't say anything because I didn't want to ruin our friendship, and I figured that you wouldn't want anything to do with a stallion like me..."

Applejack licked her bowl clean and spoke as she was served another helping by an animate ladle from the central pot, "Horseapples, 'Scotch. Dash an' I were talkin' earlier yesterday and we both figured the best stallion for me was you. An' I'd never let anything get in the way of our f..."

She bit her tongue and distracted herself with fresh food. Butterscotch did the same.

Eris chuckled, "You two are adorable. I can't believe I've been missing out on this!" She slinked around the table, tail end draping across Applejack's shoulders and head end wrapping beneath Butterscotch's forelegs, "Do we have any other miscommunications to air out?"

Butterscotch nodded, "I'm, uhm, worried about Applejack's and my... intimacies."

"Hold on a moment, there, sugarcube. There was no way you weren't enjoyin' yourself!"

Butterscotch squeaked, "N-No, I did! Being assertive was, uhm—it was new... and scary... and hard, because it felt like I was h-hurting you, but when I saw how much you liked it, it got a bit... a lot easier. I meant that I'm still worried about going too far, and—"

Eris squeezed Butterscotch, tickling his chin shut with a claw, "Such a gentlecolt. You have excellent taste, Applejack."

She unwound herself from the ponies and floated on her back over the table, stretching, "The solution to your concern is proper communication, Butterscotch. As hot as the heat of the moment might be, talking before you get started and setting boundaries is important." She licked her lips, "Although I do enjoy breaking them from time to time."

"Talkin' beforehand's all well an' good, Eris, but it's mighty hard to get a word out with a cock stirrin' up lunch." Applejack giggled in aroused delight as Butterscotch hid behind his hooves and wings.

"Quite right, Applejack, that's why you establish a signal at the start before the steam comes out. Tapping a leg with your hoof, or using a safe word—"

Applejack rapped the table, "Oh, I heard of those! Somethin' like 'apples!'"

"O-Or bunny?" An eye peeked between Butterscotch's spread wings.

Eris pinched the bridge of her snout with a claw, "Or Hastur, but it's important the word wouldn't come up during sex. So no, ‘apples’ is a bad one." Applejack wilted.

"And so is ‘bunny.’" Butterscotch hid back behind his wings.

"And Hastur... well, it's quite dangerous to go on repeating that." She had a dreamy look in her eyes that made Applejack shiver, "So that's why we should use something simple and obvious. The phrase 'safe word' itself works wonderfully. We can get more complex as we learn about each other in detail."

Applejack nodded, "Sounds reasonable to me. So you're really fine with me joinin' the herd, Eris?"

"Chaos incarnate."

"Right. Well, that settles it! We need ta start plannin' the wedding. I'll invite the whole Apple clan! 'Scotch, we gotta go home an' tell Granny that—"

The name made her pause. She knew she would have to confront Granny soon. And the sooner she confronted her, the better. It wouldn't do to let this wallow.

She lead with a sigh, slipping out of her chair, "I'd better head on back home an' have a talk with Granny about... what happened."

Butterscotch emerged from hiding, "I'll go with you."

"Me too!"

"No, Eris, it's best you don't come along."

Butterscotch nodded. Eris pouted, "But I looove drama!"

"I don't mean to be rude, Eris, but you'll probably wind up making things worse if you're there..." Butterscotch got off his chair and trotted over to Applejack's side, "Oh, but, thank you for the food! It was very delicious."

Applejack nodded and motioned to tilt her hat towards Eris, but her hoof moved through air, "Shoot, forgot my hat. Hold on, let—"

"—me get that for you?" Eris snapped her paw and Applejack felt her stetson adorn her head once more.

She tipped it, "Thank ya kindly! We'll be back quick as can be."

At that, Applejack trotted out the door with Butterscotch by her side, abreast with him the whole way back. Talk was minimal and frivolous with Applejack in a mood that soured the closer she came home. Drugged. Drugged! Applejack snorted every time the word entered her mind. Granny Smith had her drugged. She had an idea why Granny had her drugged. She had probably had her drugged to force Applejack to get with a stallion.

Granny had been pestering Applejack for years to hurry up and settle down. Granny never talked about why she didn't harp on Big Gala about having foals, but thinking on the looks her older sister had given Cheerilee, she suspected it was something best left buried. Apple Bloom hadn't even gotten her cutie mark yet, but Applejack was sure as soon as she did, Granny would start setting up 'play-dates' with colts. The old mare was foal-crazy! So crazy that she'd drug her own grandfilly into having them.

By the time they reached the front gate of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack wore a scowl and was popping veins.

Butterscotch fell back, "I think I hear shouting from the barn..."

Applejack galloped to the barn, and soon picked up on the sound of Rainbow Dash’s loud, foul language. Big Gala sat outside the barn, biting a struggling Apple Bloom by the skin of her neck, her hooves holding down the filly's ears. Applejack nodded her head to Big Gala and waited by the barn doors.

Big Gala stood up to trot off. Apple Bloom kicked in the air, ineffective, "What the hay's goin' on, Applejack? Why won't nopony tell me anything?!"

"I'll tell ya afterwards, Apple Bloom. Jus' be a good filly and stay with Big Gala until Granny an' I come back for dinner, alright?"

"Not like I got a choice," Apple Bloom said with a grunt, forelegs crossed. Big Gala trotted off to the home, passing Butterscotch on his way up. Once Apple Bloom was out of earshot, Applejack opened up the barn door.

Zecora struggled to restrain the small pegasus, pleading around a rainbow tail in her mouth, "Rainbow Dash, please, I know you're upset, but don't do something that you will regret!"

Rainbow Dash struggled against Zecora's hold, her powerful wings dragging the Zebra across the dirt floor of the barn towards a stone-faced Granny Smith, "I'M GONNA BEAT THE LIVIN' DAYLIGHTS OUTTA THIS OLD SACK OF—"

"You ain't gonna do nothin', Dash!" Applejack tackled Dash to the floor, skidding in the dirt as Zecora tumbled with them. She landed at the top of the pile, with Zecora below her, and Dash on the bottom, "If you touch a hair on Granny's head, I'll buck you into next week!"

"Get off of me!"

"Not until you promise me you're not gonna do anything foalish!" Applejack pinned Rainbow Dash's wing with a hoof and stood up, letting Zecora extricate from the pile-up.

"Ow, ow, ow! Fine, I won't give her what she deserves, just get off me!" Applejack stepped off and away, watching Dash get to her hooves, "Go easy on the wings..."

"What the hay did you think you were gonna accomplish, haulin' Granny out here and pickin' a fight?"

"She’s the one that said we'd talk in the barn!" Dash stabbed a hoof at Granny Smith. Applejack looked at her grandmother, who only betrayed a nod.

Butterscotch had crept inside the barn at some point. He was whispering with Zecora. Applejack shook her head, "You still picked the fight, comin' over here! What did you think you were gonna do to her? Fight her?"

Dash threw her hooves up, "We wanted to make her apologize. But she won't!" She stomped.

"If she's gonna apologize to anypony, it'd be me an' Zecora!"

"That's just it, AJ—she won't. She won't apologize to Zecora, and she never said she was gonna apologize to you, either!"

Applejack snorted, "Like I can believe that." She walked over to Granny Smith and sat down in front of her, frowning, "You wouldn't really go an' have me drugged and not say sorry, right?"

Granny nodded, "I would."

Applejack looked back at Rainbow Dash with a smile, "See, she said she would—" Her head whipped back, "You'd what?"

"Told you," Rainbow Dash growled.

"An' I'd do it again in a heartbeat!"

"Wh-What? Granny, you know what you're sayin', right?" Getting to her hooves, Applejack stared.

"Oh, I know full well jus' what I'm sayin', Applejack. An' I knew full well jus' what I was doin'!" Granny Smith lurched forward with her walker, "An' I'd do it again! Shoot, if it ain't worked this year, I'll go an' do it again next Spring!"

"Worked? What do ya mean, worked?" Applejack met Granny Smith halfway, a hoof from her grandmother's face. Her frown now bore teeth.

"Well, ain't that'cha coltfriend ya brought over fer my blessin'?" She waggled a limb at Butterscotch, who hid behind Zecora.

"He—I—Do you have any idea what I went through the past two weeks?!" Her ears pinned back in anger, "How it felt to fall so far behind on the farm? Betrayed by your own body?"

Granny Smith's expressionless face didn't falter, "Almost everypony here's been a filly, AJ."

"You dirtbag! I'm gonna—"

"Dash! Shut up an' let me handle this," Applejack barked over her shoulder, then turned back to Granny, "Been a—what I just went through ain't natural for a filly! It ain't natural for mares, neither. Those drugs got me so worked up I—I made some really bad decisions! An' I hurt one of my best friends."

"Went out an' had yer way with a stallion, eh? How traditional!"

"Raped. Raped a stallion. One of my best friends! Butterscotch, he's right over there, that's the stallion I raped!" Applejack's hoof pointed at the quivering yellow mass hiding behind a consoling Zecora, "An' don't give me any hooey about tradition, neither! It weren't right then, an' it ain't right now!"

"Ain't right? You know what ain't right, Applejack? Throwin' yer life away for a farm!" Granny Smith hit the ground with her walker, getting snout to snout with Applejack, "Lettin' the best years of yer life run past like a greased pig 'cause yer still hung up on the past!"

Applejack's nostrils flared, "Granny, I'm warnin' you—"

"If yer father were here, he wouldn't want ya—"

She stomped, "DON'T BRING MY PA INTO THIS!"

"I'LL BRING MY SON INTA ANY CONVERSATION I WANT! If yer father or yer mother were here, they wouldn't want ya—"

Applejack backed off from Granny Smith, her vision hot and wet.

"—wastin' yer whole life on a buncha silly trees—"

Applejack tore out of the barn, sobbing.

"—AN' NEVER FINDIN' YER OWN HAPPINESS!"

She ran. Ran out into the beating sun. Ran through the orchard, shadows catching her tears. Ran up the hill where she'd watch her parents rise into the night sky. She threw herself down and wept.

* * *

By the time her tears had dried, the sun was setting. She didn't remember when Big Gala had laid down beside her, but it had been a long time. She wiped her eyes and it stung, "She shouldn't have brought 'em up. That was dirty."

Big Gala nodded with a husky voice, "Eeyup."

"An' what she did was inexcusable! Doin' that to her own family! Her grandfilly, for Solaris' sake!"

"Eeyup."

"Her gettin' on in years don't give her any right to do what she did to me!"

"Eeyup."

"I woulda settled down on my own!" After a pause, Applejack got into a sitting position next to her prone big sister, looking down at her, "I woulda!"

Big Gala didn't reply. Applejack sighed, "I told her I was gonna, one of these days..."

"Eeyup."

"Even if... I am a bit of a workaholic."

Applejack replied to Big Gala's deadpan gaze with a sheepish grin, "Maybe more than a bit."

"Eeyup."

Her grin falters, "An' our fights over it had been gettin' worse."

"Eeyup."

Her ears folded, "... Guess that's why what she said hurt so bad. She's right." Applejack hoofed at the grass. The sun had set, and the stars were rising. Her parents would show up soon.

"Eenope."

"What do ya mean, 'eenope'? Ma and Pa wouldn't want me wastin' my life for the farm..."

"Does the farm make you happy, Applejack?"

"More'n anythin' I've done so far. Although... 'Scotch might come close." A blush raided her cheeks, "I mean, not the doin' part, but..."

"Then you're not wasting your life."

Applejack curled up, "But what if Granny's right? Workin' myself to the bone on the farm, tryin' to find them in what grows from the soil... that ain't what they wanted for me, right?"

"They wanted you to be happy, Applejack. They wanted all of us to be happy. That'd be the best thing you could do to honor them. And if the farm makes you happy, Applejack, it doesn't matter why. It makes you happy, and that'd be good enough for them."

Applejack went quiet for a while, watching the stars. Watching her parents. There, they shone, watching over her. Over all of them.

"You really think so?"

The stars twinkled, "Eeyup."

Her tears started again, "Thanks, Big Gala."

Her big sister sat up and sidled next to her, a foreleg pulling her into a close hug. They shared the night for hours, and slept beneath watchful, loving eyes.

* * *

It wasn't the sun that woke Applejack up, but shaking. She opened her eyes to Rainbow Dash and Butterscotch standing over her. Big Gala, still asleep, pinned Applejack with her head. Butterscotch opened his mouth, but Rainbow Dash's voice drowned him out, "You alright, Applejack?"

Applejack rubbed her puffy eyes and pushed against Big Gala's snout, pushing the drooling mare off her, "As much as I could be, given the circumstances." She twists to find her hat on the grass and dons it, adjusting for a snug fit, "Y'all didn't do anything to Granny while I was gone, right?"

Butterscotch shook his head, "N-No, we—"

"Butterscotch exploded on Granny Smith. Made her cry!" Dash stood on her hind legs to sling a foreleg around Butterscotch's neck, giving the shrinking stallion a grin, "Forget throwing a book, he threw the whole library at her!"

"Butterscotch!" Applejack hopped to her feet, "You—"

"—are totally awesome!"

"Shut up, Dash!" Applejack frowned, "'Scotch, you shouldn't have—"

Butterscotch slipped from Dash's hold and shook his head, "S-She wasn't even sorry for what she did, Applejack! I couldn't just stand by and let her make my mumble mumble cry..."

Rainbow Dash hopped back and leaned against Butterscotch, muzzle craning towards his ear, "Make your what cry?"

Butterscotch's ears twitched and folded. He turned away from them and blushed, "Make my m-m-m-marefriend cry."

The words stunned Applejack and a terrible heat overcame her face. Was being claimed supposed to feel this embarrassing? Even moreso than what they did yesterday? Being called a stallion's marefriend?

Judging by Rainbow Dash's smugging, it was.

Butterscotch hid behind his wings. Applejack covered her face with her hat. Rainbow Dash laughed, "Big Gala, wake up! This is priceless!"

"M'gonna go." Applejack trotted down the hill, brim of her hat low over her hot face.

"We'll catch up with you later, AJ! Gala, wake uuuuup."

"M-Me too." Butterscotch caught up and walked beside her. When they were beneath the cover of trees, he closed the distance between them. Applejack felt his wing cover her back, his side to hers. It was a wonderful feeling that made her press against him—a little too hard, it seems, when he veered off-course. It made Applejack giggle. Butterscotch giggled, too.

"I'm really sorry, Applejack. I should have just walked away. I let my emotions get the better of me, and now my mother-in-law hates me..."

"Mother-in-law? We haven't even had the wedding yet, 'Scotch." She caressed her blushing stallion's cheek with hers, "And you're right. Ya should've walked away." He wilted, downcast.

She licked him on the snout and smiled, "But I'm glad ya didn't." She laughed as his wings snapped open and at his struggle to close them.

The sound of retching echoed from the canopy above them, "Ugh. You two are sickeningly adorable." Applejack's favorite chaos noodle descended from it, "It's enough to make me puke." And puke she did, chocolate milk into a glass cup appearing in thin air.

Then she drank it. Applejack cringed.

Butterscotch was unphased, "Eris! Be nice. Applejack's had it really hard the past couple of days—"

"—courtesy you and yours truly, in part." Eris curtsied.

Butterscotch flushed and stammered, "You know what I meant! Just be nice, please."

"Yes, Master. Shine your hooves, Master? Preen your wings?" The Eris above them hunched over and bowed as several Erii in maid uniforms polished Butterscotch's hooves as they walked, two more butler Erii pulling out Butterscotch's wings and going over them with a delicate touch. Applejack laughed, the levity helping her put last night's argument behind herself.

Butterscotch sighed, but smiled all the same, "Comb Applejack's mane while you're at it, please. She slept outside all night and it's gotten tangled with grass."

The Eris above them smiled, "Of course, Master. Anything for the Master's Miss." Three more Erii appeared; one to hold Applejack's hat, one to brush her mane, and another to brush her tail. They walked in a Gordian knot of Eris. She was kind enough to finish before they came within sight of Applejack's home.

"Do I get to introduce myself to my future mother-in-law, too, Butt-Butt?"

"You may as well."

Applejack spoke up, "Don't do anything that would scare her, please. I don't want her to have a heart attack."

"Oh, please. Heart attacks aren't my style. Now, I don't mean to brag, but dying from a fit of laughter has—"

"Oh look we're here let's go inside Applejack lead the way!" Butterscotch nudged Applejack along. She trotted up to the door and looked back over her shoulder. Rainbow Dash and Big Gala were walking up from the orchard now. Butterscotch hurried up the ramp to the door, Eris worming through the air, snickering. Applejack headed on inside.

Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Zecora were seated at the table. There was enough food for everypony, save Eris, but she could feed herself. Applejack glanced at Granny, but looked away before their eyes met. She took a seat next to Apple Bloom, Butterscotch sitting beside her. Rainbow Dash and Big Gala took seats opposite them at the table, while Eris floated overhead.

A large stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes topped with baked cinnamon-sugar apples sat on everpony's plate, along with a tall glass of apple juice to wash the sticky goodness down with. Eris peeled a duplicate plate and stack from Butterscotch's as if separating two layers of paper, opting for chocolate milk instead of the traditional juice accompaniment. They ate without talking, but not in silence. The pancakes were too good to not elicit sounds of pleasure.

Awkward silence fell once breakfast was finished. The seconds dragged on as chairs squeaked and ponies coughed. Applejack was about to open her mouth before Apple Bloom burst, "Will somepony please tell me what horseapples y'all done went an' stepped in?"

Granny Smith and Applejack thumped the table simultaneously, "Apple Bloom, watch yer dang mouth!" Applejack looked at Granny Smith, and she looked back. They shared a laugh.

"I guess you'll start, Granny, an' I'll pick it up once we get to my part?"

"Works fer me. Apple Bloom, there comes a time in a filly's life when she starts gettin' interested in colts—"

"Miss Cheerilee already taught us about the birds and bees, Granny! Skip that!"

"Settle down, youngin'. Ya can't go skippin' willy-nilly through a story else you'll go an' lose yer place an' get all turned around tryin' ta find it! Now, where was I... right, gettin' interested in colts..."

* * *

"... so I decided, well, sure as shootin', if Applejack here ain't gonna listen to reason, I'd make her!" Granny Smith coughs, "Which I suppose was downright awful of me to do, now, but that's besides the point! Anyway, I hear she went to get medicine from Zecora in the Everfree, so I starts plannin' how I'm gonna make her do what I want her to—"

Apple Bloom stood up in her chair in rapt attention, "How'd'ja do it, Granny?"

Zecora sunk in her seat. Granny Smith adjusted her dentures with a wet smack, "Talkin' so long m'teeth darn near fell out! An' as fer Zecora, it's amazin' how far usin' a full name'll getcha!"

Apple Bloom quirked her head, "Ain't her name jus' Zecora?"

Applejack and everyone except Granny Smith and Eris turned to look at Zecora, who sunk lower still, "My name, in part, is what you've heard, but of it in full I'll never speak a word! How Granny Smith learned it, I cannot say. But when I learn who helped her do it, they will be made to pay!"

Granny Smith tittered, "I ain't tellin'! An' y'all better not go tellin' nopony, neither, ya dang flyin' spaghetti monster, or I'll give ya a taste of my walker!"

Eris put on a shocked face and pawed her breast in mock indignance, "Moi? Kissing and telling? Perish the thought!"

"Perish, indeed! Now, Applejack can take it from here..."

* * *

"... an' then I ran off to be by myself. Butterscotch chewed Granny out, Big Gala came to comfort me, and now we're havin' breakfast together as one big family."

Apple Bloom scratched her head, "So... y'all already made up?"

Granny Smith nodded her head, "I was bein' a cantankerous old coot."

"An' I was bein' stubborn as a mule. An' Granny's family. What else can we do but make up? So I think, as long as we both agree we messed up big time, AND Granny gets 'latrine duty' until my first foal's birthday, we can put this behind us."

"Well, I didn't mess up half as bad as—"

Butterscotch frowned, "Granny..."

Granny shifted in her chair, "Er, well... dagnabbit, fine! I was bein' a might bit more awful, but I was doin' it out of love!" She sighs, "An' fair's fair, I guess. I can't rightly expect ya ta jus' be happy with an apology."

"An' for that love, Granny, I'm thankful. Not for the circumstances—by Solaris, not those, ever—but in a way, you kicked my rump into takin' care of myself for once." Applejack pulled her chair along the table next to Butterscotch's, pulling him into a strong hug, "An' even if I don't agree with your methods, by Luna did it get results."

A blush crested Granny's face, "An' what a result it was!"

The Apple siblings balked, "Granny!"

Butterscotch made himself small as Granny laughed. Eris began laughing, too, and her laughter was infectious. All of the tension was released, visibly and audibly raising everypony's spirits. Applejack hugged Butterscotch again, "So, about that wedding..."

Apple Bloom jumped in her seat, "I wanna show 'Scotch 'round the farm! Big Gala, ya wanna help me with the tour?"

"Eeyup."

Rainbow Dash rested her chin on a hoof, "So, like, is Butterscotch moving in here, AJ, or are you moving in with him?"

"In their future, the farm I see, with foals running around; no less than three!"

Eris harrumphed, "But the cottage is so cozy! Butt-Butt, make these ponies see reason."

"Butt-Butt?" said Rainbow Dash.

"Butt-Butt?" said Granny Smith.

"Butt-Butt?" said Zecora.

"Butt-Butt?" said Apple Bloom.

Butterscotch balled up underneath his wings, hiding Applejack with him. Big Gala shook her head, "What a silly name."

Applejack brushed up against Butterscotch in their private world, "Y'know somethin', Butterscotch?"

"I know that your family's very boisterous..."

"I've never been this happy before in my life."

He fumbled with his words, "I-I feel the same way—"

"An' there's no way we're stoppin' at three."

She nuzzled him close as he turned red from snout to pinion, "I love ya, 'Scotch."

He returned her nuzzle, "I love you too, Applejack."