A Simple Pony (Applejack)
Rightly or wrongly, Applejack has always been considered a simple pony. So when she told her friends that she was ready to settle down, everypony rightfully assumed that it would be with a pony like her. Simple. Down to earth. No surprises. That was why when her cousin Braeburn set her up on a date with a stallion he knew from Appleoosa, everypony expected a relationship between them to work out.
So why then was she so damn bored with her date?
Then again, she might just be jumping the gun. It was only her first date with the stallion, after all. They were eating dinner at a small roadside diner in Canterlot. Nothing too fancy. Just a simple, down to earth place where the two of them could order some good food and get to know one another. They were sitting across from each other and sharing funny stories about Braeburn in an attempt to break the ice.
The stallion ticked all the boxes on Applejack's checklist for a husband. Family-oriented? Check. Wanted a lot of children? Check. Hard worker? Check. Down to earth? Very. Handsome? Without a doubt. Strong? As much as an earth pony could be. He was even a farmer. Oranges mostly, though he had the skill to grow and harvest any type of fruit.
Everything about this stallion was perfect. And yet, Applejack couldn't stop gazing at the setting sun out of boredom, having to remind herself that she was on what was supposed to be a romantic date. A part of her wanted to tell the stallion that a relationship between them wouldn't work out, but she didn't want to reveal that until she knew why she felt this way. If she rejected him and he asked why, what was she supposed to say? That she didn't know? He deserved a justification, as did she.
Around a half-hour into the date—Applejack was too bored to actually pay attention to exactly how much time had passed—screaming resounded from the busy street ahead as the crowd there dispersed in a panic. Ready for action, Applejack jumped out of her seat and turned to where the screaming had come from, the bank adjacent to the restaurant. An earth pony stallion was sprinting out of the building, carrying a giant bag more than likely filled with bits. Not only had this robber not worn a mask, but he also held his head high and made sure to look every fleeing citizen he passed in the eyes as he ran. A dozen police ponies chased after him, eventually cornering him at the end of a nearby alleyway. Recognizing the robber's abysmal chances of escape, Applejack began to smirk. What a fool. He was going to get his behind kicked by the cops and go to prison. Served a no-good criminal like him right.
Trapped, the robber set his bag of bits on the ground before facing the police and shifting into a fighting stance. His lips curled into a devious grin, the corners bursting at the seams with anticipation. Win or lose, it looked like he would enjoy every moment of this.
When the police charged forward to restrain him, he dashed directly at them. He met them head-on. Matching their force with every ounce of his, the robber fought the police, a smile for every moment he had to clench his teeth in struggle, and a laugh for every time he got thrown down and had to pick himself off the ground.
Applejack considered the robber's fighting technique to be brutish at best, but she couldn't help but get swept up by his tenacity. It reminded her of when she'd wrestle Big Mac when they were both foals, before he got too big to handle. Too tiny to overcome his size even then, she had to rely on her fortitude and refusal to give up, the same values this robber was using.
Through sheer grit, the stallion powered his way through and escaped, but not before picking up his bag and throwing it over his back. Determined not to let this low-life get away, Applejack sprinted after him, accidentally kicking the table as she did, sending it back and into her date, causing him to be knocked backward. She followed the criminal to a field outside of the city, where she cornered him beside one of the many steep cliffs of Canterlot Mountain. Grinning, the robber turned to Applejack and dropped the bag of bits, his gaze piercing into hers with unashamed confidence. "Let me guess, you weren't satisfied just watching?" He shifted back into his fighting stance, preparing for anything.
Standing only a few feet in front of him, Applejack could make out each of the countless scars on his face and body. Most were thin and shallow, while others were thick and sunken in, as if caused by a spear or knife. They complimented his scruffy, untamed black mane and dark brown coat. He was muscular, not in the way Bulk Biceps was, but like Big Mac. Thick wrists and ankles, with thicker forearms and neck. Applejack had to make sure that he didn't grab a hold of her, because if he did, she'd never be able to break free. Even with her tenacity, he'd have no trouble snapping her neck or throwing her off the mountain. And yet, the challenge invigorated Applejack, giving her the focus she needed to prepare for battle.
Applejack charged toward him, determined to meet his force with every ounce of hers. Grabbing his hooves, she drove forward and dropped him to his back beside the cliffside. Restraining one another on the ground, each of them used all their might to vie for the top position to pin the other flat on their back. One moment Applejack would win the battle, the next, the robber. Filled with adrenaline, Applejack and the robber shared a smile, determined to make the other quit.
The wrestling—a several minute struggle that left both of them exhausted—lasted until Applejack and the stallion separated. Slumped over and attempting to catch their breaths, they shot each other a smirk. Despite the fatigue, they both practically shook with glee at the prospect of continuing the fight.
"Always stay true to yourself. Never change," the robber said, kicking the bag of bits to her and sprinting off.
This act left Applejack scratching her head, not only from the fact that he'd so willingly given up the money, but at his words. Why on earth had he felt the need to say that? And to Applejack of all ponies?
Lost in thought, she made her way back to the bank and returned the bits. Her date was there waiting, his eyes wide from worry as he asked her if she was okay. The fight and its aftermath played on a loop in Applejack's mind, stealing her from reality. Her heart pounded against her chest from the adrenaline still flowing in her veins. She'd been in many life and death battles before, but none had ever worked her up this much. Something about this fight was different. She felt alive, more than she ever had while farming apples or saving Equestria with her friends. She had to figure out why. Away from here.
Her date must have asked her if she was okay at least ten times before she blurted out, "S-sorry, but I got to go," and sprinted away from the diner and to the nearest train station to catch the first train she could. It was nearing midnight when she arrived home. Applebloom threw open the door and ran forward to hug her sister with a day's worth of built-up excitement when Applejack finally made it to the farm.
"Tell me everything! I wanna know about every second of my sis' first date."
"Sorry, Applebloom, but not right now." Applejack was dripping with sweat and her breathing was labored, but she had no idea why. Hours had passed since her fight, more than enough for her to recover. And yet, her heart was racing. More than it had even right after the fight. "I… I got to go."
"Wow, that bad, huh?" Applebloom said, more to herself than anything as her sister dashed to her room.
Once Applejack was inside, she jumped onto her bed, the events of the day endlessly replaying in her mind. She hated the fact that she didn't know why this was happening to her, despised it even. She was the bearer of honesty, and if there was anypony she was unquestioningly honest to, it was herself. She knew everything there was to know about herself, and yet this entire day was one mystery after another. First, it was her dream stallion somehow boring her. Next, it was the fight. Then, it was that good-for-nothing criminal's words. Always stay true to yourself. Never change.
Who did that scum even think he was giving her such advice? And of all the ponies to remind to stay true to themselves, he'd chosen her?
That said, Applejack couldn't deny that fighting him had been so much more fun than her date. Everything about that criminal, from his unashamed confidence to his love of getting down and dirty, was more fun than Mr. Checks All the Boxes. But why? Her date was a good man and everything that she had ever wanted.
Or, at least, he was everything she thought she wanted. Perhaps the bearer of honesty didn’t know the truth about herself as well as she thought she did.
But why the robber of all ponies? It wasn’t as if he was handsome or had a decent sense of right and wrong. He was a leech on society who did nothing but steal from honest ponies. And she wasn’t exactly the type to have silly fantasies of finding somepony mysterious and exciting. She wasn't Rarity. Besides, Applejack's life was plenty exciting already with fighting villains. That being said, there had to be a reason. And it was her job to find it. She had to find the truth about herself.
Though, perhaps the truth was exactly what she was afraid of finding. The truth that she had fallen for a villain.
…….
The next day, the robber struck his next target, a Royal Guard training center on the edge of Canterlot. After stealing some worthless spears and shields, he sped out the exit to lure as many guards as he could onto the field outside. There, he dropped the stolen weapons and kicked them toward the guards. "Next time, make it harder."
With their weapons recovered, the Royal Guards returned to the training center, allowing the robber to escape. Scowling, he continued walking away from the area until the sight of a lone pony obscured by the light of the setting sun caused him to stop in his tracks. Adopting a fighting stance, he inched forward until he could make out who was standing in his way. It was Applejack, her fierce gaze matched by her tall, confident posture.
"I've been waiting for you," she said.
The robber let out a laugh. "You down for another fight?" He shot her a glare of his own, one filled with the intensity of a pony more willing to die than give up. "Because I definitely am."
"No. I'm here to talk." Applejack walked to him, stopping only a few inches in front of his imposing figure. "Tell me, why d’y’all always give back what you steal? And what's with goin' after the most guarded places you can find? Next time I find you, you'll probably be going after the Royal Palace."
The robber let out a sinister cackle. "Maybe I'm working up to It. Gotta start small but dream big, right?"
Undeterred, Applejack stared into his eyes, her gaze as piercing as it was unwavering. If she had to fight him again to learn the truth, then she was ready. She wasn't going anywhere until she had her answers.
Luckily for her, it only took a few seconds for him to tell her the truth. "I steal for the challenge. The harder the prize, the greater the thrill."
"And the fighting?"
"Another way to get that adrenaline fix. I try not to hurt anypony if I can…" With a grin, he pointed to his countless scars. "But my opponents don't seem to share my restraint."
"Guess that explains how you didn't overpower me in two seconds last night. So you're okay with being a criminal? I can't imagine you got many friends being the way you are."
The corners of lips curled further, transforming his grin into a sinister sneer. If Applejack had any sense left, then she would've fled as fast as possible. But she couldn't. Not until she had every answer. Not only about him, but about herself.
"I'm the villain," he said, pointing at his cutie mark. It was an image of the gallows, the type used to hang criminals in the stories of the days before friendship. "True honesty is staying true to yourself even if the whole world is against you. Even if everypony else considers you crazy. You got your own destiny, and I got mine. Without ponies like me, why would there be a need for the police, the Royal Guard, and ponies like you and your friends? You need me."
Applejack recoiled in disgust at such a gross bastardization of honesty. Her element meant never being ashamed of the good in oneself and one's bonds with others. It wasn't an excuse to do whatever one wanted, consequences be damned. Were Tirek, the Storm King, and King Sombra also representing honesty just because they were being themselves? No, they were rotten, no different than the excuse-making wacko in front of her right now. "Is that why you told me to stay true to myself and never change? So we can make this a game? You steal, and I catch you?"
The villain walked past Applejack, playfully bumping into her as he did so. "Maybe. Or maybe I liked that you were the only pony with the guts to go after me after I beat the cops. Maybe I respect that you're the bearer of honesty and I don't want you to change."
With a chuckle, Applejack used her hoof to push him toward a tree. He caught his balance, but not before he and Applejack shared a smile filled with just the right amount of arrogance. "And what is it about me that y’all don't want changin'?"
"I heard about how you got your cutie mark. Your sister and her friends put it in their school newspaper once. It takes guts to stay true to yourself and choose a nowhere town like Ponyville over Canterlot. It takes guts to be satisfied and proud of apple farming when you're friends with ponies like the Princess of Friendship and a hot-shot businessmare." Holding his head high, he ran his gaze up and down her body, spending a sweet moment to take in her muscular hind and cute freckles. He had no intention of hiding his lustful gaze. "Maybe I always had a thing for you, and I don't want that tough pony I like ever changing into a softie."
Applejack's heart skipped a beat. Somepony liked her? The most stubborn pony in Equestria. The most boring one out of her group of friends. The one who was satisfied with never being anything more than a simple apple farmer. Applejack had always seen dating as nothing more than a step in the process of settling down and continuing the family legacy. It was a task to be completed, no different than the weekly farm-work. Love was for the other mares who kept their head in the clouds instead of staying grounded and working hard, and so she was speechless. What was there to even say?
As she froze, a rosy pink hue tinted her cheeks and she hung her head in an attempt to hide the blush.
With a laugh, the villain said, "Meet me in the center of Ponyville tomorrow at noon. We're both gonna show off what we're embarrassed of most. That'll show how determined you really are to stay true to yourself."
With that, the villain walked into the darkness of the night, the sun setting behind him.
………
Applejack couldn't believe that she was about to do this.
She was standing in the middle of Ponyville's town center, among a crowd filled with ponies she saw everyday. The villain stood beside her, his smirk reaching new heights as he held onto a ballerina tutu. "You know what you have to do." He handed her the tutu, after which she put it on and took a deep breath to prepare herself for what she'd agreed to do.
"Listen, everypony." She made sure to shout loud enough that everypony around her stopped in their tracks and turned towards her. All eyes were on her. Every witness who'd never let her live down this moment. "I like ballet. That's right. You heard me. Ballet is the greatest thing ever and there's nothing wrong with me thinkin' that."
Applejack wanted nothing more than to shut her eyes and run as fast as she could away from here, but instead, she turned to the villain for further instructions. With watering eyes and cheeks puffed in the same way they would be if he was holding in laughter, he shifted his body into a ballerina pose. With a sigh, Applejack shut her eyes and contorted her body into what she hoped was a pose resembling that of a ballerina.
Laughter filled the town center. Applejack tried her best to ignore the noise, but it was just too loud.
"Eyes open," the villain said.
Through sheer willpower, Applejack pried her eyelids apart to take in everypony’s reaction to her declaration. The crowd was practically rolling on the ground laughing from seeing her pose, which looked nothing close to what a ballerina would ever do. She shook from embarrassment. Why was she even doing this? To appease some guy she just met? Somepony whose name she didn't even know? He already liked her. It wasn't as if she had to win him over. So why do something as dumb as this?
The more Applejack pondered, the longer she kept the pose, and the louder the crowd’s laughter rang, the more she realized that she was doing this for herself. Despite her adventures with her friends, she never seemed to do much to stand out on her own. Her dream would always be to settle down with a simple stallion and continue the Apple family legacy, but that didn’t mean that she shouldn’t challenge herself every so often. Each of her friends had a goal to strive for, something to challenge them. Twilight had princesshood. Rarity had her business. Dash had the Wonderbolts. Fluttershy had her animal sanctuary. Pinkie had spreading laughter throughout the kingdom. And Applejack, she had this. Looking stupid in front of everyone in her home town to remind ponies that they should never be ashamed of who they were. As the bearer of honesty, this was her duty. Not only to the world, but to herself.
"Come on, everypony. Do it with me." A contagious smile transformed Applejack's face, and the crowd shifted their bodies into ballet poses of their own. She turned to her partner-in-crime. "It's your turn next. I hope you remembered that."
The villain shot her a smile. Not his usual cocky one, but a smile that radiated with a warmth that a mare like Applejack could come home to every night.
……..
That night, Applejack and the villain lay on a hill on the outskirts of Ponyville. They were wrapped in each other's hooves, gazing at the stars. A simple time with a simple pony.
Beneath the crime and theatrics, the villain really was a simple pony. The truth was his creed, and he couldn’t be any more open about it.
"I never would've guessed that was your secret," Applejack said with a giggle.
"That's why it's a secret. Besides, what's the issue with a grown stallion liking dolls made for fillies?"
With a chuckle, Applejack ran her hooves up his muscular chest, taking a moment to gaze into his perpetually fiery eyes. "Nothing. Just still laughing at how you took out that doll and started dancing in front of everypony like a flea on a fat dog. It was uh… definitely something."
"I couldn't let have you the most embarrassing moment of the day. What kind of pony would I be if I did?"
The confidence with which he did everything, it made Applejack's heart race in all the right ways. She had never met somepony so sure of themselves. "Don't change. Ever."
"You too. When I first met you, I thought it'd also be the last time. I wanted to use what little time I thought I had to say something that mattered."
"What do you think I'm gonna change into? Besides, nopony’s convinced me to change my ways yet, and I intend to keep it that way."
The villain’s voice softened, and a scowl dripping with bitterness transformed his face. “It’s age. It changes everypony. They all get softer and lie by calling it wisdom.”
"Not the ponies I know. My granny is as tough as they come. Her hips might be gone, but there ain’t nopony I'd want to tick off less." At first, Applejack stared at the villain with her eyes widened from confusion, but the longer he remained silent, the more she understood what he was really talking about. "That's what they told you, huh? That you'd stop chasing thrills and eventually become like everypony else?”
"Everyday. They were so sure of it, as if they knew me." He was practically shouting the words. "Always so confident. I couldn't let them be more confident than me." As he clenched his hooves, shaking with anger, Applejack snuggled up his chest, calming him. "Don't compromise, Applejack. Ever. Not even for me. Because I won't for you. I'm living and dying by my own choices, never somepony else's."
Applejack didn't know if she was ready to agree to such a black-and-white world view. What she did know was that he needed her and so she gave him the tightest hug that she could. Lost in each other's embrace, they continued gazing upon the stars for the next few hours. As far as Applejack was concerned, everything was perfect. The embarrassing afternoon. This night. The feeling of his body pressing against hers. It was all so simple, so effortless. Like it was meant to be. Like it was meant to last.
"How about we make this official. I can introduce you to my family tomorrow. What do you say?"
The villain's eyes widened out of shock and he jumped to his hooves, pushing Applejack off his body. "I don't do official. I made myself a promise long ago that I'd never date or settle down. And never means never. I'm as stubborn as you are, Applejack, and that comes with the bad."
Applejack knew what type of pony he was. He was like her. There was nothing she could say to change his mind. There was nothing she could ever do to transform who he was. The only thing she could do was leave before she got more attached.
Fighting back tears, Applejack got up and ran away. She held her tongue. Any insult she could think of would be too good for him. He really was the villain, not because of his cutie mark, but because he was a selfish jerk.
……..
Applejack stormed into her house, knowing no better place to let out her anger. She sat at the kitchen table, engulfed by darkness. Her family was asleep; at least, she hoped they were. She didn't want them to see her like this. Her face wet with tears, mane in tangles from pulling at it, and mucus dripping from her snout. All this over a guy. Not the good guy Braeburn had found. But a villain. A criminal. A jerk she wanted nothing more to do with.
Just because he was obsessed with staying true to himself didn't mean that he had to forgo love. Seriously, what was wrong with him? What did he hope to prove by remaining alone forever? No kids, no family legacy. He'd have his thrills, his only company. He didn't deserve Applejack. Not her affection, and definitely not her heartbreak.
The sound of creaking wood came from the entrance. Applejack rubbed her hooves over her face, hoping to wipe away the mucus and tears before whoever it was came in. She hoped it was Big Mac. He'd set her dumb self straight. She couldn't have it be Applebloom. She couldn't be a poor role model to her little sister like this. Oh, Applebloom, I totally ditched that awesome guy Braeburn risked his reputation to get and got rejected by this other guy. Oh, and that guy also robs ponies for a living. Ain't I such a good example for you and your friends?
Anypony but Applebloom.
To Applejack's relief, it was Granny, who walked in holding a burning candle. "I heard a noise, so I came down to investigate. Is everything okay, dear?"
Applejack's first instinct… Yes, it was to lie. After the past few days, she wanted nothing to do with the truth, least of all the truth about herself. Most of her mucus and tears were wiped away, and Granny's vision wasn't exactly the best anymore. Applejack could simply say that she was tired after a long day with friends, go up to her room, and try to meet her original date the next day. She could move on with her life and make her family proud.
If only it were so easy.
Applejack couldn't lie. Not to Granny. Not to herself.
She told Granny everything. About not liking her ideal husband. About the villain. About his rejection. When she was done, she hung her head and expected Granny to scold her. To her shock, Granny laughed and said, "Reminds me of my days as a young gal. You really did take after me, Applejack."
At ease, Applejack was able to grow a half-smile. "I just don't know what to do. I like this here guy even though I want a stallion to settle down with. I like him because of his honesty, but I don't want to change him cuz then he won't be the stallion I fell for."
Leaning forward as much as she could in her old age, Granny wrapped her hooves around her granddaughter and embraced her. The world could have been falling apart outside, but inside this house, Applejack had her granny to put her at ease. "You're gonna hate me for saying this… but you already know what to do. Just do what you're best at, staying true to yourself. The answer will come in time. I made the right choice, and I know you will too."
With that, Granny got up and returned to her room, leaving Applejack to ponder alone. This was her life, and so she had to be the one to make the decision. No matter what life threw at her, it was her duty to stay true to herself.
If the villain wasn't going to compromise, then neither was she. With any chance of reaching an agreement with him gone, the answer presented itself to her. It was time for Applejack to build the rest of her life.
……
It was the following night when the villain came to Sweet Apple Acres. Walking alone through the countless rows of Apple trees, he made his way to the barn, the icy expression etched onto his face complementing the anger burning in his eyes. When he reached his destination, he pulled open the creaky door, letting a thin line of moonlight into the darkness that saturated the structure's interior. Shifting his body into a fighting stance, he stepped inside.
When he had gone a few feet into the barn, the door closed behind him, trapping him in pitch blackness. But as quickly as the blinding darkness had come, a dim light appeared from behind. He didn't need to turn around to know who was standing behind him, but he did anyways. "I came, just like you asked. So tell me, what is this about?" The sight of her only served to further cool his already icy expression.
Sharing his cold look, Applejack walked to the opposite end of the barn, holding a candle between her teeth. When she arrived, she used the flame to light another candle she had set on the ground. "I thought about what you said, about not wanting to settle down."
She walked around the barn, lighting the many candles she had positioned throughout the structure in advance. "I told you before; I don't plan on changing who I am. Ever." A flickering orange glow illuminated the barn. Gentle heat radiated throughout the building, and yet the expression on the two ponies remained as icy as ever. "But at the same time, I don't want you to change who you are. Not even for me." She set the original candle on the ground, a few feet beside a large pile of hay. “The smart thing would be to just forget about you. Move on. But I can’t deny that I'm into you. You make me feel a certain way no other stallion can. So, tell me, what is a mare like me supposed to do?"
The villain's chilling look melted into confusion and he raised an eyebrow. Applejack walked up to him, after which she wrapped her hooves around his thick frame and led him toward the pile of hay. When they reached it, she pushed herself forward, her body weight throwing them both onto the mass of dried grass. She landed on top of him, where she used her position to gaze into the eyes of the stallion who had stolen her heart. He really was a thief, in every sense of the word. "I wanna let out all my emotions for you tonight. Every last ounce of it. So when tomorrow comes, I can start settling down and building a family of my own without a heavy heart."
The villain needed a moment to take in what was happening. "And you're sure this is what you want?" Long gone was the sinister criminal who lived for the thrill, an awestruck, wide-eyed, innocent pony having replaced him, one so taken aback by the moment that he gazed into Applejack's bedroom eyes as if this was the first time he'd seen a mare.
Applejack ran her hoof down his chest, stopping so close to his groin that it took his breath away. So close that Applejack had to use every ounce of her willpower not to go all the way down. "I reckon that this is your first time. You might talk smooth, but your eyes‘re giving you away. Don't worry, it's my first time too." She drew her head closer to his, causing him to freeze. No more than an inch separated their lips. Applejack locked her gaze onto his eyes, the gateway into the soul that he'd proudly laid bare to the world. In them, she could see his years of loneliness, the overflowing bitterness, but most of all, the selfishness that resided within him. She could see his honesty. He was the type of pony who'd let her know well in advance that he planned to stab her in the back. There was no reason to ever doubt him, and that was exactly what Applejack was afraid of. "You don't do official, right? Not even for me?"
Shutting his eyes from shame, the villain shook his head.
Applejack's heart sank deep into her chest, and yet, she was relieved from his answer. Holding back tears, she pressed her lips against his. Her first kiss was every bit as magical as she’d hoped it would be. So magical that she knew it would haunt her for the rest of her life. She would never be able to relive this feeling ever again. Not with any other stallion. "If you're sticking to your choice, then I'm sticking to mine. I'm letting out everything tonight. Every part of me is yours. No regrets."
The villain needed a moment to let Applejack's words sink in. Gazing into her passionate eyes, he nodded, after which he wrapped his hoof around the back of her head and pulled her in close for a kiss that took her breath away. She was frozen in the moment. She would only ever get this one night with her lover. One night to let him feel every inch of her body. One night to lose herself in the bliss of his lips and teeth making their way down her chest and stomach.
She had no regrets. She wanted her body to be felt in every way possible, because never again would she get to be in the arms of her lover. The one stallion who could give her everything she ever wanted in a man, but nothing that she needed from a husband.
The two of them made love with each other until morning. Every act that Applejack could think of was done by her and to her until the last bit of darkness was gone, extinguished by the light of the rising sun. When they were finished, they lay on their bed of hay, wrapped in each other's hooves. The many candles were dead, as was Applejack's one night of bliss. She wore the proudest smile of her life as she thought back to the past couple of hours. She had stayed true to her heart, and by extension, to herself. And there was no better feeling than that.
"You know," the villain said, his voice closer to Fluttershy's whimpering than to his usual confident bravado. "If it's that important to you, perhaps… perhaps I can reconsider. Maybe settling down, having kids… maybe it's not so bad."
"No."
The villain was taken aback, not only from the forcefulness of her response, but from how she’d said it with a bright smile.
"Look, I know relationships are about compromise, but what I like about you is that you don't. You stick to your guns even if the whole world is ready to tie the rope around your neck for it. I ain't want either of us to have to compromise, not even for each other. I know it sounds selfish, but that's the funny thing about honesty; it's selfish." As the bitter truth sank in for the villain, he hung his head and a frown engraved itself on his face. Unable to see her lover in despair, Applejack used her hoof to lift up his head, her smile warming the misery etched onto his expression. "Live free, the way you were meant to be. I'll be happy, and no matter what, I'll always have this night."
Growing a smile of his own, the villain gave her a nod. It was time for him to leave, and so with a final kiss on the forehead, he walked toward the exit to return to his life.
"At least tell me your name, why don't ya," Applejack said, stopping him in his tracks by the barn door. "What am I supposed to call you when I tell my friends about you?"
As her lover gazed at her one last time, the ends of his lips curled into a devious grin. The same grin that she had fallen in love with. It radiated with the selfish essence that was honesty. He truly didn't have a care for the world, and that was just how Applejack liked him. He was the opposite side of the coin, the dark side of her Element of Harmony. "Just call me the villain."
………….
It took a week for Applejack to get another date with the stallion Braeburn had found for her. After pulling some favors for her cousin and lots of apologizing, she convinced the stallion to give her another chance. The date was at the same diner as last time, at the same table as well.
"I really am sorry for runnin' off the way I did. You deserved better than that, and I'm gonna give it to you this time," she said.
Her date really was the understanding type. He accepted her apology with a smile and continued where they had left off, with a tale detailing how close he and his grandparents had been and how that led him to wanting a large number of children.
Yeah, Applejack could get used to this. She could see herself calling this stallion family. He may not have been the man she wanted, but he was the husband she needed. She had the villain to thank for making her understand that difference, for making her understand herself better.
With a smile, Applejack began to share her own family stories. She was excited. About a potential future with this stallion. About creating a family. About continuing the Apple name.
But most of all, she was proud of herself. Despite everything, she had stayed true to herself, and there was no greater pleasure than that.
