In the shade of the tree, an apple struggles to find the light.

by KarmaSentinal

Rating: mature
Tags: Big Macintosh, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Romance, Applejack, Drama, Porn, Second Person, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Sex
Length: 24160

Applejack is lost within his mind, but a good friend helps finds the answer he seeks.

Since Dusk Shine's admission to not only knowing about Nightmare Moon's survival, and to being in love with their former nemesis, Applejack has struggled coming to terms with this.

He is a moral, and honest stallion, and after giving Dusk his word to meet with the evil enchantress, he can't bring himself to find a reason to. As conflicted as Applejack is, he's lucky to have friends he can rely on, and steer him back onto the right path.

Sometimes, what's right and wrong is nothing more then a simple blurring of the line, but by being honest with yourself and remaining loyal to your beliefs can a creature hope to see what was in front of them.

*Edited on 10/4/22

Chapter 2 * Chapter 3 will contain the clop which will be mostly vanilla in terms of sexual acts between two 'passionate' ponies. The clop will be worked into the story, but you could skip it if you so desire.

Rule 63 Applejack

Cover art belongs to Sketchyjackie

Published 2022-09-23 02:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2025-01-03 17:12:54 UTC

Chapter 2

Author's Note

I made the correcting in the description, but the 'clop' part has been moved to chapter 3 as the more I wrote made the scene feel out of place. I'm hoping to have the next chapter by the end of the month, so see you then!

Chapter 2

A week and three days had passed since Prince Dusk Shine told his best friend Applejack, a great secret with the power to potentially destroy everything the new alicorn had achieved in the past few years. The resulting secret left the simple farm stallion in the precarious predicament to meet his best friend’s lover who happens to be the evil half of Princess Luna, and a major threat to Equestria proper.

Why did he agree? AJ knew why he'd foolhardy asked to meet this dangerous creature, but these second guessing thoughts were bucking him ragged.

Accompanying questions nipped at his mind and the back of his heels with enough frequency to impact his ability to properly work. Big Mac and Marble were still gone, but would be returning in the next day or two, and as a consequence saddled most of the farm work onto the conflicted stallion. He still performed adequately to keep the chores from piling up, but his granny, and younger sister could tell something was plaguing the poor stallion who sought to work as an escape.

His family prodded in the traditional way of not directly confronting him, but instead would ask a series of questions that would somehow reflect the current situation in the hope that he would confess. It didn’t work when Granny would tell a story with a pony nearly identical to AJ having a similar problem, or seeming to carry his name spelt backwards. AJ didn’t feel too offended by their attempts because it meant they cared for his well-being enough to put effort into coming up with the story, but he would brush these attempts off by stating he only needed time to think…

“Ya been thinking longer than I’ve been alive, and look where it's gotten ya! Sadder than an unpicked apple during harvest! If it's thinkin’ you be doing, then do it on practical stuff like harvest or grand foals!”

“Ah not this again.” Applejack groaned as he weaved out of Granny Smith’s deadly reach.

“No sassin! I’m getting spoiled, you and Mac are ripening, and Lil Bloom bless her just can’t seem to grasp the simplest of chores. Have you seen the water trough out back?”

“That wasn’t me! Scootaloo was the one who suggested we…” Before she realized it, Apple Bloom hooves clamped over muzzle in abject horror at her mistake.

“I knew y'all were lying!” Granny Smith shouted more from glee than anger having been proven right, and her entire attention turned to the young filly who found herself desperately fighting on the hill she had stood on.

Suddenly, the two Apples were going back and forth leaving the lone stallion perplexed at his turn of luck and made the most of it by turning tail toward the front door.

Never had he been so thankful then he was now for getting off his flanks to fix the creaking floorboards, for they hardly made a noise as his hooves made for the door. No sooner had he closed the door did he almost hear the muffled cry of a filly trying to escape punishment, but nothing inside mattered as Applejack took the path that led toward the barn, and the outer pastures where the majority of the apple trees were already bucked. Not all of them had been touched, and the stallion figured he could at the very least finish the pasture and come up with a definitive answer to give Dusk by the end of the day.

Or he hoped as much, for this entire matter had gone on long enough, and any longer would drive the stallion mad from all the indecisiveness.

Applejack decided his next course of action would be to make for the western most fields as originally planned. These fields were located on the other side of the barn that acted as the halfway mark for the property, and see if he can get a little extra work in to escape from the world around him where he could be alone for a time to finally sort his thoughts. An act AJ found difficult before from unwarranted stress, but now with that cowpony drive in gear felt he could make some real progress. AJ vowed to lay everything to rest by the end of the day so he could give Dusk an answer he 100% stood behind.

What he’d come to realize over the past week that held him up wasn’t the fact it was Nightmare Moon, but more of the repercussions her existence meant for everypony. The obvious were Luna, Celestia, and Dusk Shine that would be the most affected by the reveal, but it also made the stallion ask questions he never thought about asking until that damn alicorn had to complicate things…

‘What if the Elements were more than for whacking a critter alongside the head? Could they truly redeem any pony if they wanted to?’

A plethora of questions like these crowded his mind, but only a select few were what kept the stallion from fully committing to meeting their first, and arguably most dangerous villain. Dusk even resorted to using the ‘you don’t forget your first’ line, and that earned the alicorn a good laugh from the farm stallion, but ultimately yielded at the time.

Ultimately, it would be the worry for his buddy that kept Applejack from backing out of the Pinkie Promise. AJ was that scared of seeing Nightmare Moon again he would risk her wrath.

“By Celestia and her succulent rump, that Nightmare Moon sure is a looker.” He found the need to say it aloud if to make it seem official, and remove it from his mind. If the end of the world hadn’t been in the cards, the stallion could admit there would have been a bit more ‘admiring the princess’ than running. It wasn’t that big of a surprise Dusk chose an alicorn to build the barn with, and if it had been Princess Luna this wouldn’t have been an issue.

Mostly. Applejack’s limited exposure to the Princess of the Night left him feeling emotions he didn’t know if they were acceptable to have. Happy thoughts were common before Luna's return, so he wasn't worried about those thoughts. No. Instead he was worried for his best friend, as he caught Luna lingering around his dreams more then once. Every encounter felt off since the princess never had anything to discuss, and would keep averting her eyes when the topic shifted to Dusk. The stallion might be a little dense, but he been around the pasture enough to know what was happening, and the last thing Applejack needed was lying to a jealous princess why Dusk Shine wouldn't return her letters!

"Figures the one apple with the worm in it is the one he's interested in, but not the orange I'm telling him about.”

If AJ was being stalked by some mare, no matter how beautiful, and his friends knew it, he would be much obliged if they told him. Now, the farm stallion wasn’t sure if telling Dusk about Luna would be a good idea as it could induce more stress to the situation that desperately wasn’t needed.

“This is what happens when ya care.. I should probably warn Dusk before Luna comes knocking on my door with the guards.”

Of course, the Night Princess would never do that, but AJ didn’t want to poke that bee nest for too long, and chance it happening.

The admittance that Dusk was seeing somepony, lifted a basket worth troubles off his broad shoulders. With the weight gone, AJ found himself beginning to stretch to realign his back; he started by standing as tall and firm as possible before shifting the weight back, elevating his rump into the air as he pushed himself back into his locked rear legs. Once he was sure he could go no further, he released the ‘spring’ in his front legs, the pent up energy in his lower back propelling him forward to shift his entire body mass from his rear to his shoulders.

Applejack found mimicking his dog Willow worked wonders on his back and joints, and had repeated the process every time a kink worked its way down the spine from one reason to another. His forehooves dug into the soft dirt as he shifted his weight from the rear to the front, creating a smooth half arc as his stomach touched the ground allowing his rear legs to fully extend out. Once each leg was properly stretched did the stallion finish with a quick flick of the head to the left and then to right creating a sharp cracking sound that trialed from the back of his skull to the start of his back- he found bliss.

Free from a yoke not his own, his thoughts and mild ramblings ended the moment he discovered himself standing in the middle of a barren row of picked apple trees.

Applejack inhaled a generous helping of that warm, early afternoon air as he stared off into the distance admiring the raw beauty of his home; it always calmed the stallion whenever he was upset as a young colt till this very moment as the land not only provided for his family, but reminded the stallion hard work had been required to achieve everything he held dear. If a pony wanted a change, they had to be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to change their own circumstances.

His thoughts turned back to Dusk Shine and his marefriend, and AJ found himself sighing with guilt. Sure, he had real concerns Dusk Shine was being influenced in some way by the Nightmare, and by all right that is a valid reason to not meet the scary alicorn. Yet, AJ knew there was another reason for his inaction….

‘I’m afraid. Afraid that she was playing him for a fool, and all of us will have to pay for it.’

A fair, and by all right a valid concern anypony would have he thought as he weaved his way through the rows of picked apple trees. Once more, the stallion pushed the issue further back for another day when he might be up for tackling it, but AJ had said the same thing the day after his chat with Dusk Shine, and so far that date kept getting pushed back.

Thankfully, his friend is very understanding as it's in his nature being the Prince of Harmony, but everypony has only so much patience regardless of their status in life. It was only a matter of time before Dusk began growing restless waiting for an answer, and acting too rashly…

“And he could get himself into some serious trouble, all because of me being stubborn and selfish.” Applejack thought, even though he had every right to be cautious of the Prince’s request.

Dusk Shine as a pony is very articulate in his mannerism, which was mostly unknown to ponies outside of his immediate friends and family who were unaware of his crippling ability to overthink, leading the general populace to believe the prince is nearly all knowing. But AJ knew better, and the longer he waited to provide an answer could send the young prince spiraling into some kind of scattered brained idea that will only destroy his reputation.

‘Another point to remember.’ AJ thought as he moved further into the orchard looking for work that could distract him for a couple of hours.

He trotted between the nearly mature apple trees looking for any that had been missed, but his family was good at their job, and not including the one rogue apple that didn’t make the cut, the trees were barren. As the stallion continued his search, the barn disappeared behind the growing rolls of densely packed trees as he began entering the patch of property that bordered the Everfree Forest, and not willing to venture any further alone felt dejected at having failed yet another task.

With nothing to search for, Applejack didn’t have to weave through the trees like before, and decided to cut across the orchard to quickly get back.

There was still plenty of work to be done, and some of that did require applebucking the trees that followed the road leading back to town, but he’d wanted to put some distance between the house and himself. It would reduce the chances of being seen, and stopped by Granny or Apple Bloom during a time when the dejected stallion just wanted to think. Yet, ever the stallion raised with strong morality, bit his lip as the barn appeared knowing he would have to cross by the house with the wagon to reach the rows that needed applebucking.

“I went and brought this on myself. If I weren't some yellow pony then I might uh resolved this matter already... not meaning Butters of course." AJ said aloud trying to relieve himself of his concerns, adding that last part in case some pony heard.

There was no real chance anypony heard the stallion's ramblings, but it was always a feeling somepony could that kept AJ walking that narrow path all the time. Still he would continue his one pony conversation as he reached the barn and began harnessing up to pull the wagon for his task ahead- family and house forgotten for the time being.

Distractions could only do so much to the stallion with a purpose and livelihood to maintain, and Applejack won't let his family down. He was already letting one pony down, and at the very least he might prevent more ponies being disappointed with him.

The sun had slowly inched its way over the sky as the day dragged on, causing the shadows to gradually shift toward the east which left the exhausted, and dirty stallion further exposed to the unrelenting sun.

To his great fortune, or by some other force at work Applejack had been left alone the entire day save for a quick visit by Apple Bloom that came offering him cold water, and two sandwiches cut into two halves from corner to corner. He eagerly took the offered refreshments, and learned Lil Bloom was having to repaint the fences surrounding their home as punishment for damaging the water trough. In another week of firsts, the stallion felt a ping of sorrow, and joy when his offer to help was turned down…

“Granny said I have to do it myself…” Apple Bloom repeated as she gouged the ground under her. “... she thinks it's fair, but I say it's not!”

“Well you're the one that went and hid it from her in the first hoof. Celestia’s Sun, and Luna’s Dreams! That’s nearly worse than telling her you kissed that cloud holding colt…”

“YOU KNEW!?” Apple Bloom’s anger was gone and buried. In its place was a look Applejack knew all too well, and unlike then, he could at least comfort his sister.

“His brother, Thunder Lane, came by three weeks ago and told me all about it. Said his lil brother was asking questions he ought not to be asking.” AJ made a show of looking to the left and then to right before leaning close to the filly. “Ya not sick are you?”

“Sick? No, why?” The question was weird to her, but the smile her brother gave quickly left her feeling worried.

“Cause his little bro claimed to be sick, and that said you gave it to him. When pressed for details, he spilled the beans faster than a mouse in a rainstorm.”

Seeing her face become brighter then an apple sealed the deal for the rest of the day after that. He hugged Apple Bloom and told her he’ll keep her secret until when/if she decided to reveal, and after that the filly departed to resume her punishment.

Feeling refreshed and in higher spirits than before, Applejack managed to tackle his task with a renewed vigor that propelled him nearly through the third row of trees before he finally called it quits. The sun was waning from a bright yellow into its warming orange signaling the day was finally nearing its end, and for every hard working creature to retire for the night.

AJ didn’t waste time loading up the wagon, and making his trips back to the barn even if it was a slow process. It was his fifth trip back to the orchards when he spotted something off…

“The hay? Celestia darn it, I don’t need this right now.” He groaned as he approached the next pair of baskets.

These two baskets had been set in the middle of the wagon’s path, effectively blocking the stallion from continuing his duties in any timely manner; AJ halted just a trot away from the baskets, trying to look around for the culprit as Luna’s guiding light was getting very close to casting itself over the treetops. With no other option, he began the tedious process of unhitching himself from the wagon when a loud thump popped next to his ears. Something lite had collided with the wagon from the sound of it, but before AJ could free himself from his harness entirely, something whipped against his right flank fast enough to create a loud cracking noise.

“OH NELLY!” He yelled in alarm as his rear hoof was immediately flung back to buck the offending thing, but instead found the wagon. The force of his swift buck shattered the front in a flurry of splintered wood, and not only did his hoof get stuck, but somepony even cried as they were pelted with the shrapnel.

“APPLEJACK!”

The stallion paused at his name believing it to be Apple Bloom before the raspy voice flicked a switch within his brain. He didn’t even need to further think about it when a gust hit his back, knocking off his favorite hat, and all the accumulated sweat just before a familiar sky blue pegasus was cradling his muzzle. AJ said nothing as the mare smothered his face against her barrel, all the while muttering a mixture of words in between a sob, and whispering.

He blinked as she pushed herself back to look into his eyes as if she were searching for something, bringing him back into her soft barrel before pushing him away so she could examine him like a mother would do for their foal. The attention Applejack was receiving felt strange, and foreign to the hard working stallion as the area just under his eyes was warming up faster than would like to admit.

Watching the mare he’d grown very fond of over the past year behave in this manner left him feeling conflicted, for her brashness had a certain charm to it. Yet, AJ knew he was seeing another side of the complicated mare that only a select few ever get to see, and to witness this raw gesture was a compliment in itself.

What forced Applejack to lean up, and kiss Rainbow Dash as she came back to check his muzzle once more, he couldn't properly describe. The closest he could put into words was it felt like somepony had whispered the idea to him, and nothing about the suggestion was malicious, so he puckered up and went in.

“Easy there…” Applejack found himself saying as he tried taking a step forward but found himself unable with his rear hoof caught in the wagon.

Rainbow Dash was hovering in place as her mouth and eyes flashed a great number of emotions before settling on what she felt was the appropriate response of anger. Her eyebrows collapsed in as her lips drew up to expose her bright, and well maintained teeth in a great display of primal rage, but the worst of it came in the form of a forehoof striking the stallion’s left shoulder. The actual assault did little to hurt the stallion as it was meant to draw his attention out of the clouds and back to the angry pegasus in front of him.

“THAT’S NOT FUNNY! I THOUGHT YOU SERIOUSLY HURT YOURSELF JUST NOW YOU BIG DOLT!”

“I was only startled sugarcube, and nothing more. See? All I gotta do is just give it a tug and she'll pop right out.”

Applejack ignored Rainbow’s yelling as he turned to his stuck hoof, and with some effort managed to wiggle it loose enough to pull out of the wagon without injuring himself too badly. The stallion’s calming display seemed to further enrage the pegasus as she flew to the side to better examine the leg for signs of deceit, but after a solid 20 seconds of intense studying deemed it good enough.

Even visually seeing the leg didn’t improve Rainbow’s mood as she hovered with fore hooves crossed above her barrel. Her muzzle had softened as her initial concern for the stallion left as what emotions remained were heated embarrassment, and guilt from causing the scene in the first place. Applejack minded none of the slaps as he knew they held no harmful intent behind them, and by either his upbringing or affiliation to the Element of Honest felt there was some sort of understanding between the two.

Loyalty and Honesty. Two virtues that shared much with the other sense being loyal to somepony or ideal meant you had to believe the foundation was real, and not a fabrication of falsehoods. While the reverse required the one spreading the honesty required the loyalty…

“Something like that anyway.” AJ shook his head clear of that confusing monologuing, content to leave it to the professionals.

“SOMETHING WHAT!?” Rainbow Dash screeched from irritation of the situation, and lack of reaction from her stallion. Growing up in Cloudsdale had conditioned her young to expect anything that wasn’t a calming look of ease, and this indifference to everything really made the wings flare with excitement. Another moment witnessed that reinforced her growing love for the farmer as it showed perhaps she could be a little more open with him in the future.

“Something that isn’t too important, Rainbow.” He said, having been brought up without the need to resort to yelling back as a response unless it warranted it. “Just know you did nothing wrong except startle me, but not enough to get worked up over.”

“Why aren’t you angry with me?” She whispered this time as opposed to yelling.

Applejack finished unhitching himself from the wagon before walking toward the hovering pegasus, and even in the dimming sunlight he could see her features portrayed a different tone than her accusing voice- worry. A feeling he’d been privy to learn as they started seeing more of each other, and had been told by her parents when they came to visit some months earlier. Their explanation had been heartfelt, and the sole reason the stallion changed his attitude when around Rainbow Dash.

He didn’t want to reopen any more old wounds, and had taken on a ‘softer approach’ Butterscotch would have proudly said.

“It's real simple Rainbow, but just know I find it more of a compliment. So thank ya kindly.” He even leaned in so the unusually timid pegasus could see the wink before turning his focus towards the two baskets in the middle of the path.

Ponies might have called it deflection, or even passive aggressive depending who was asked, yet it was another dynamic in their quest to understand the other. As AJ learned from Rainbow’s folks months ago, all of this brashness was an act that grew to become the leading role. Basically, from what the stallion had discovered was the real Rainbow Dash had been playing the part for so long she’d begun believing it was the truth.

And as the Element of Honest, this left Applejack in another pickle as he had to carefully avoid certain responses( save when they raced) to avoid stirring up something harmful. So, he stuck to his half-truths of sorts. Sure, he did take pleasure knowing Rainbow found himself delightful enough to drop the act sometimes, but AJ didn’t like all of the unneeded force behind everything. It made everything else seem fake by comparison, but ultimately, it was to play on her ego.

An ego that had taken the pegasus far in life...

Applejack was listening as he began clearing the path for anything that would tell him what Rainbow might be doing, and only as the second basket had been placed in the wagon did he finally look toward the now empty space Rainbow had once occupied. He shoved the basket closer to the front to keep the weight centered as his eyes scanned the surrounding treetops for the elusive mare, but found nothing except the open twilight sky. The stallion felt hurt, but had to remind himself he’d been told about this behavior from Windy and Bow, and was forever grateful for the knowledge as the insight had helped explain most of her quirky behavior while navigating two of Rainbow’s biggest pet peeves.

There will come a time he will have to tell Rainbow Dash what her parents told him, but for now he will have to endure whatever troubles, or heartache it might cause…

“Here I am all worked up from a slap on the flank, and Dusk is having to rule a country while keeping that kind of secret from literally everypony. Buck I’m a lousy friend.”

Chapter 3 (Slight Clop)

Applejack found his thoughts looking up with their mouths open in the middle of a spring hurricane. That translates to a poor night's rest, leaving the overworked stallion exhausted day and night. But it wasn’t enough to keep Applejack from getting up earlier than normal to begin drafting a letter meant for his buddy, Dusk Shine.

The letter’s first incarnation consisted of the exhausted ramblings of a farm pony trying etch his thoughts onto the parchment, but instead made very weird sexualized metaphors involving apple trees with the forbidden fruit of The Royal Sister’s garden. After getting up to relieve himself did the haze over his mind depart, and with embarrassed disgust AJ enough to discard the parchment with the understanding to destroy it later.

The sun hadn’t risen yet, but he knew his time was up.

Applejack returned the writing material to the simple desk positioned on the opposite of his room, turned around and began considering where to leave the written letter. Thinking quickly, he hid it under his mattress where it would remain until he could properly get rid of it without curious little eyes finding it. Satisfied for now, he gave his coat a quick pass with the brush, and grabbed his hat before heading downstairs for breakfast.

The hall was quiet save the floorboards groaning under his iron steps, their acknowledgement to the coil of muscle each limb possessed, but the distinctive chatter and banging of pots alerted the stallion he was the last one.

“Morning everypony.” Applejack called out as he descended the stairway, going slower than usual as he worked on his mane and fixed his hat to give the appearance he hadn’t stayed up most of the night. A similar course of ‘hellos’ and 'good mornings’ came from the kitchen.

Reaching ground floor, and making a quick left toward the kitchen revealed Marble, and Granny Smith huddled over the stove with Lil’ Bloom resting on Marble’s back. Their conversation was garbled together, and then further saturated with the sound of heated oil popin’ in the skillet. Looking to his right, Big Mac was setting up the table in the living room with a stack of plates, and silverware already being divided among the chairs.

Taking his cue, he approached his older brother.

“Hello lil brother.” The big, but soft spoken stallion greeted his brother with a wave of his red hoof.

“Mornin’ Mac.” Applejack greeted, ignoring the hoof waving as it was a harmless habit his older brother picked up some years ago. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Granny wants to show Marble how to bake applecakes and hashbrowns, seeing she's picking up on the other foodstuffs already.”

“Oh Celestia’s golden sun, when was the last time we had applecakes? It has to be like two months?” AJ placed the final plate at the table end before moving toward the little hutch that housed the family drinking cups and towels. Big Mac hummed in thought, and then shook his head left to right.

“A feeling it's been longer than that, more like the last reunion. We were feelin’ a bit overwhelmed by the apple themed dishes if I recall things properly, and stopped for a bit.”

“That might be right. We haven’t had many apples these past couple of months. It's nice to have them, but all the time is a bit much.” Applejack agreed as he passed off the glasses to Big Mac, allowing him to finish setting the table.

There was a high shirk followed by a loud bang! The brothers turned to the kitchen just in time to see one of the smaller iron skillets whirling by with Applebloom chasing it. Luckily for the filly, the skillet was stopped by the old love seat.

“I got it!” Applebloom cried as the skillet fell flat onto the ground, with none of its contents ever leaving the iron pan.

“Applebloom! Are you alright?” The question came from the kitchen, and after a shuffling of hooves came the owner of the voice.

Marble Pie stood in the door frame with a look of absolute horror written on her muzzle, but especially in her wide, princess-like eyes. The timid mare was very soft spoken most of the time, and to hear her raise her voice let alone yell forced both stallions to pause in wonder at the mare. She paid them no mind as she trotted over to Applebloom who stood over the runaway pan, and knelt down to look over the filly.

While Marble prodded the filly with questions, Applejack looked toward Big Mac, and started chuckling to himself when saw what would be described as ‘dopey’. The younger brother recognized this look of course for he’d given Rainbow Dash the same look without knowing it unless she brought it up, and that left the younger brother feeling happy for that big oaf. AJ made his way to the hulking red stallion that was still intent on watching Marble and Applebloom, and leaned to whisper a question.

Applejack didn’t even need to see his siblings’ muzzle to gauge the reaction was exactly how he had imagined it would be. With a chuckle, AJ slugged his brother’s shoulder in an early congratulatory acknowledgement of the soft spoken Big Mac’s future plans for Marble and himself.

Breakfast came and went, and Marble’s first attempt at making applecakes were enough of a success to warn the timid mare honest praise from the apple family. Applebloom, and Big Mac were her biggest supporters of the meal as they had an active interest in the food. Either they helped in some fashion, or were dating the cook being the obvious reasons for their enthusiasm. Big Mac wanting to capitalize on the moment offered to help with the dishes, allowing AJ to quickly depart lest his loitering become noticeable, and potentially ruining any plans the older sibling had in mind.

AJ made himself real scarce by doing the only thing he’d done for the past two weeks-work. With his grandma’s blessing the stallion was out the door, and ready to continue where he left off the other day; the farm stallion dove into his chores once again with the hopes of losing himself long enough to come up with a clear answer to his buddy Dusk Shine.

Speaking with Rainbow Dash the other day had cleared much of his anxiety, and after seeing the look Big Mac had watching Marble was finally fitting the pieces together to process it in a way he could finally get behind. For now, AJ would hold judgment.

Yet the look Big Mac had for Marble was the same look Rainbow claimed he wore, and it was the same look AJ saw Dusk Shine had when he spoke of Nightmare Moon. A possible spell being casted on Dusk wasn’t completely ruled out, but for now the alicorn’s mind appeared to be his own, and that was enough for AJ to agree to the meeting in the first place. After weeks of procrastination did the farm stallion finally feel confident enough to meet Nightmare Moon again.

Refreshed mentally, Applejack began going over his work schedule when a gust of wind collided with the back of his head with enough force to knock his hat off. The sudden burst caught him off guard as he couldn’t recall feeling a breeze tugging at his mane, the rustling of leaves, or branches groaning as they swayed in the wind…

“Hey big boy!” His question was answered without the need to ask, as a raspy voice greeted him.

He didn’t even have to move as another gust of wind assaulted the length of his back, and all the way up to his ears in a harsh screech before the sight of his pa’s old hat occupied his view. Hesitation gripped the stallion as he looked from the offered hat and the smug pegasus offering it as flashes from yesterday reappeared in his mind, but after a small debate accepted the hat.

“Morning Dash, and what do I owe fa this visit.” Applejack asked with a genuine curiosity since she’d left without a word yesterday evening. He’d been worried most of the night she left because of him, but those fears had since been buried in the wee hours of the morning.

“Since when did I need a reason to visit my best bud? Besides, Granny said I was more than welcome anytime as long as I let her know!”

“You spoke to Granny?” He took a step back like he’d been caught and was trying to come up with an explanation of some kind…

“Re-lax. Granny isn’t like those Everfree Woods wild ponies she comes off as, or so I’m told.” Rainbow added that last part when she noticed how big AJ’s eyes were getting. “She’s honestly real sweet, and reminds me of my mom in a way, but opposite you know?”

“Rainbow dear.. Granny has this weird sense. Almost like Pinkie PIe, but less terrifying.”

“Oh, that! Yea it's freaky, but in a cool way. She could guess my weight and calorie intake with a glance before offering me some pie. Of course, I accepted. I swung by hoping you still had some cider left, and you did! How fortunate, uh?” The pegasus was subtly implying her lover, and work out rival had been holding out with the cider, but the farm stallion knew what it meant offering a glass out of season meant.

“Did Granny tell you or offered you cider!?” Applejack practically hissed not from anger, but from a deepening worry chipping away in the pit of his stomach. Rainbow obliviously nodded, and even ignored the stallion's fear outright to gloat about having some secret cider.

“When you’re as awesome as me, ponies tend to treat you differently, and it's’ something I’ve grown accustomed to. She did ask a lot of questions about me, but being in the newspaper several times makes ponies want to hear it directly from the source so they claim to have found out from me directly. Yep, I think your granny is a Wonderbolt fan, AJ.”

“Dash, I love ya you know?” Her smile beamed brighter before being ruined by that snark look she loves wearing in public.

“And I like ya too big boy…”

“But you can be so oblivious to many a things! She was scouting ya out like some County Fair Show chicken!”

“HEY! I’m no chicken you…”

“DASH! LISTEN! Granny as a bit o’ time on her hooves, and tends to take up interests we may not agree on. Granny as been making comments about needin somepony with wings to reach things…”

“Why not use a chair or something?” Rainbow asked, completely missing the direction of the conversation. Applejack found himself fighting the need to not treat his love like his lil sister, but sometimes the pegasus made it difficult to treat her like an adult.

“Because she liked ya enough ta be dropping hints around me. Those flying marks are meant to say she wouldn’t a mind ya being an apple.”

Whatever Applejack thought Rainbow would say or do, he certainly didn’t expect her to so casually brush it aside in the manner she did. If he wasn’t so full of needless guilt, the stallion might have found himself embarrassed at the implications it presented for his own future.

“Oh. Well, alright that's cool.” Rainbow’s tone and lack of feeling bristled the stallion’s fur more than anything in recent memory, and that included finding out about Dusk’s rump in the hay.

“Cool. That’s all ya have to say? Granny knows, and been droppin hints and that’s all ya have the say?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged as she hadn’t given the implications much stock other than it meant she and AJ didn’t have to be so secretive around the farm. If anything, it was a relief for the pegasus because now she had a bigger reason to chill around the farm, and see AJ more often.

“What can I say other than it's nice of her? It means we don’t have to be all secret agents, or Mare of Shadows anymore when I come over or you when you have an itch to cloud watch.”

“Darn it, Rainbow! That was what I was doing, and you know it.” AJ didn’t mean to hiss between his teeth again, but the rising heat in his face blinded him to certain thoughts, and situational awareness. He was a lucky stallion to have found a mare that views everything as a challenge, and not as an attack on her.

“Yea… and the tail that came with it didn’t turn you away either.” She crossed her hooves over her chest as she grinned like their friend Pinkie Pie. She sat on her haunches as she watched the stallion desperately trying to figure out something to say or justify his actions- he had nothing.

Taking his unwillingness to dig a deeper hole, she finally broke and began laughing, happy that she managed to leave him speechless with such word play. Feeling weightless like the clouds she so often slept on, Rainbow Dash was feeling good, even more now that she had learned Granny was pushing AJ to make things public.

‘Hurricane's flaming wings! This day is shaping up better than Wonderbolts Graduation.’ She thought as Applejack pouted.

Applejack couldn’t help the embarrassment he was feeling as the mare he loved was laughing at him, but strangely the stallion wasn’t upset at the laughing itself. It was how it chimed with a warmth developed and conditioned over the years they have grown closer, and it was this airy sense of intimacy that wrangled the meaning back onto the ground for them to enjoy. There was no harshness, nor was it impudent to his character as an honorable stallion that cared for the wellbeing of the mare laughing, but a laugh born from a tenderness wanting to play.

To express a serenity she often left at home, and hid it from the sight of everypony that wasn't four special ponies…

He scuffed. His hoof grazed the ground with enough force to leave a small gopher size hole in the otherwise tilled farm ground. AJ didn’t care for the imperfection he’d caused as he watched the approaching mare with cheeks puffed out in the same way of his youth. Nothing lasts forever, or his mother had told him once during one of his first Zap Apple Harvests. This truth had remained constant through his years working the farm, becoming an Element of Harmony, his social life with his friends, lover, and family.

All were moving on in their own way that wouldn’t be recognizable in time while he bucked trees worrying about what some ponies would say or do. Rainbow Dash was moving on with her dreams of flying with the Bolts, and somehow wanted to bring him along- a sad excuse of a stallion that couldn’t make up his bucking mind how to help his best friend with a very serious problem.

A problem not so foreign to himself.

It was during his deep reflection of life did AJ feel the tangled mess of Rainbow’s mane mixing with his own, as she nuzzled his neck- careful not to knock his hat off. Applejack felt conflicted as the urge to flee kept nipping at his hooves trying to get him to run, and stop making problems for everypony around him. Element of Honesty, or not he was still a simple farm stallion trying his best to make do with his place in life even as the world seemed intent throwing ponies or problems his way that served no purpose then to complicate matters even more.

He felt himself leaning into the muzzle, even returning it even. Somehow in that moment everything just clicked for him. The stallion needed a new understanding. A new view of himself.

With this clarity of mind, Applejack felt refreshed and ready to start making things happen, like asking a certain mare the one question that needed to be asked, but never seemed appropriate to bring up…

“Ya’ll wouldn’t mind being an Apple?” AJ finally blurted out.

If the question wasn’t so serious he might have made a joke about how fast Rainbow jerked back with her wings fanned out like one of them feather dusters, or how her smirking smile had been wiped away. Rainbow Dash didn’t do anything but continue to gawk at him with a look that suggested she couldn’t believe he would ask that question. Up till this very point he’d tried keeping their tussle in the hay private from everypony, yet granny seemed to know and even support their courtship. So the question now had bigger implications than the obvious possible conclusion.

Like public hoof holding for starters. It was a curiosity that had begun during his fling with Rarity noting how suddenly it seemed everypony was holding hooves to mirror their relationship, and how he briefly considered asking Rarity about it. Yet, as he moved closer to his obviously flustered partner, AJ couldn’t help but smile as entertained what he might say if Rainbow and himself were caught hoofing in public. Unlike his brief time with Rarity, the stallion felt a bit of pride letting the town know about them, and even relished in the attention.

“We can hold hooves in public.” AJ whispered, and the statement was enough to snap Rainbow out of her stupor.

“Hoof holding!? That’s what this is about AJ?” The offbeat mare suddenly roared, letting all of Sweet Apple Acres know of her anger at what appeared to be an insult against her feelings.

Her flared wings provided the thrust needed to push her forward as she stampeded over to the stallion that might become her former coltfriend at this rate.

“You think it's funny playing with me like that..I..you..ARGH!” She jabbed her hoof into the stallion's broad chest to help vent some of her frustration, and still he showed nothing but that still goofy smile plastered on his lying muzzle.

Before she could retract her hoof, Applejack suddenly lurched forward to grab the angry pegasus into a hug that kept her close to his chest. Rainbow wasn’t in the mood, and fought wildly to break free from AJ’s grip even going so far to try biting him, but even this failed to loosen his grip. The struggling mare he’d unintentionally hurt strengthened his resolve to make things right, and starting now he wasn’t going to avert his gaze to the problem.

No longer.

So in a move that felt very much needed, but he would have never considered performing prior, AJ waited for Rainbow to expose her neck during one of her unregulated attempts to break free, and bit her on the neck. The bite wasn’t meant to break the skin to draw blood, but a primal leftover of ponykind’s old days of wondering the lands before forming the first vestige of civilization when ponies would often fight to take mates; some out of love, but most driven with the need to secure their future and would resort to intimidation of any kind to achieve the desired results, and biting the neck prior to bucking was the easy way to assert one’s self. Applejack’s instinct to nibble the exposed skin of Rainbow’s neck provoked an instilled fear into the mare that made her seize all attempts to break free.

And so the two remained locked into this struggle, one trying to retake control of himself and the other fighting the sudden desire to give into the demands of her captor. Enough of his clarity came back to make his intent clearer this time.

“Because I love ya so much I fear what it would do to ya Dash!” He bellowed into the folds of her neck like the words alone would further strengthen his hold over the mare, and to some extent it did.

Rainbow Dash was no longer struggling against his iron grip developed through years of farming before transitioning into half a decade of fighting world ending bad guys, but her heart wouldn’t yield and if anything would beat faster against their chests. If AJ were in a better state of mind he would’ve pointed this little fact out, but in his current hormonal state swear their two hearts were beating as one; this sort of wishful thinking only made the well mannered stallion slip further into his hormonal urges.

Spurred on by this slight misalignment in thought, AJ would go on to make one of the best decisions of his life.

Applejack was experiencing a rush of emotions that were seeping into his muscles trying to urge him into some sort of action, and this need to release this force was starting to dictate his thoughts and actions…

“I want ya so bad it hurts not being with ya longer than a tree without rain. I…” AJ halted as he finally loosened his hold over the pegasus who slumped further into his chest, and barely put up a fight as he readjusted his hold. “...I’m scared for the future, Dash. We’re set on differing paths like two trains on separate tracks, and I don’t want to ruin the Bolts for ya.”

It felt good getting some of that off his chest, and AJ felt himself relaxing into Dash’s sluggish embrace as his own hormonally fueled rush grew thin, and the urge to take action gradually left his body. AJ was calming down now as his intent was made known, and as it appeared Rainbow was receptive of his advances, yet as they held each other he couldn’t help but question his actions with a new clarity present.

AJ noted how his hug pulled Rainbow closer, and how she returned the gesture in turn…

“AAAH! Applejack blurted out he felt the mare’s determined teeth, and unlike the mares of old, he felt no desire to give in- struggling even. It was only when he kept hearing her muttering something that finally made AJ stop, and listen.

“We’re in this together colt, you got that!?” Rainbow Dash boldly stated as she withdrew her relentless nibbling to force the stallion to withdraw so he can look her in the eyes.

“I feel good around you. Great even. Almost, and I mean almost enough to not care about the Wonderbolts.” Applejack felt his eyes widening at the admission, but wisely kept his mouth shut, and listened. “Mom and Dad adore so much that they write me letters asking about you. YOU!”

“Well Dash, I don’t quite know what to say about that. Flattered no doubt.”

“You should! They never write about anything, as they like showing up in the pony to express themselves. Writing letters to them is like me not feeling up for training- it's unnatural. So appreciate it!” Dash made her point clear by shoving her hoof into his chest, and took the chance to break free the moment AJ’s grip slackened enough to do so.

Dash righted herself onto all fours, but didn’t immediately take flight as she was well aware of what had transpired only minutes ago, and how their very relationship was changing before her eyes. She watched with great interest as the stallion of her life sloppily got onto all fours looking much like how she felt when getting dominated, but it was his hardened eyes that kept her watching and waiting for him to make the first move.

Thankfully for her sanity, he did.

“I rightly do, Dash. I rightly do appreciate their love. It makes things a bit easier uh?”

“Buck them, Applejack. Sure they may be family, or friends but they’re not ones going to spend the rest of their lives with us are they?”

“Perhaps not in the way I want to with ya, but it don’t change…”

“It changes everything!” Rainbow shouted and this time even moved in closer to stare AJ down as she poked his chest.

“Besides you and our friends, mother and father are all I have; pop’s family was more traditional from what I was told and he even went against their wishes when he married mom. Mom never got along with her family, and left young when she met pops so it's always been the three of us until I met the five of you. The girls, and you guys are all the family I have, so you matter a lot.”

“Damn it Dash, I didn’t know.” Applejack slumped and found his head resting on her shoulder as he paritaly sulked in this new information. “I’d always taken your antics as a bit spoiled like, but you were just happy to be with us?”

“Well…” This time Rainbow pulled herself away from the hulking stallion who tried pulling her back into their previous embrace. She resisted this temptation while crossing her fore hooves behind her head, her way of showing discomfort, normally embarrassment. “...ok. Some of that was enjoying the free attention, but onlysome of it. The rest of it was me having fun with my best friends.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash found their conversation cooling faster than Hearth's Warming Eve night, but that wasn’t a bad thing for the pair of overwhelmed ponies trying to figure themselves out. They couldn’t have guessed how their encounter today would have gone, much less understand the nature of what was said or life implied during what in reality was only 23 minutes of actual talk- a lot of changes were coming.

They had moved off the makeshift path to settle next to one of the trees where the treehouse was a short distance away, and sat next to each other in contemplative thought of the strange words, emotions, and actions they had partook in just a short time ago. The words were a bit shocking, but the ‘love nibbles’ it's often referred to by most ponies were the biggest shock to the pair as it signaled more than a desire to mate. In modern times, to instinctively perform that act meant the ponies in question had a strong enough bond to feel comfortable around the other, and more often it meant a deep love for the other in question.

Stealing glances of the other, they had their own interpretations of the act, and as AJ's bravado was slowly being drained, Dash was the one to eventually break the awkward silence by asking a question that needed to be asked again.

“Did you really mean it, Applejack? You wouldn’t be ashamed of having a pegasus in your family?”

The question ringed in AJ’s ears as he took it within him to digest, and ponder why she would ever ask such a silly question. In the past, Applejack might have laughed at the absurd question or made some snide comment about the silliness of it, but that was the old, less experienced AJ. The stallion in present being asked this question understood substantially more than his home life had prepared him for, and much of that was owed to his friends and their grand adventures; he knew when to laugh, and when to sit idle until a proper response could be brought up.

Rainbow Dash deserved a better response than the typical half-flanked ones he’d give just about to everypony else that wasn't a close friend. Instead, Applejack squared his shoulders, and stood tall for the task at hoof, and nodded.

“Rainbow, I wasn’t lying about Granny treating ya like a new hire. She likes ya a lot, and neva have I heard a joke made at your expense either. Applebloom is familiar with you a great deal more than Big Mac, and Marble, but all of them would welcome ya with open hooves.”

What he said was true, but his words didn’t have the effect on Rainbow as he imagined it. For she started looking down as she fidgeted with her hooves in the way a pony might sing to pass the time, but the dejected look she was brandishing pricked at his aching heart. A lot of that confidence (fake or otherwise) had grown on the stallion, and seeing more of her timid nature bristled his fur wrong for it wasn’t natural. AJ was positive his family would welcome the pegasus, but those darn insecurities were foggin up her mind fiercely.

He felt his throat drying as he rummaged through his mind for a cure to her dispirited outlook, and even though it wouldn't happen, the idea he’d ever say thosewords was enough to scare him. Yet, he was hopeful they would have the same impact on Dash and prove his claims true.

“If my family doesn’t take well to ya because of some silly feathers…” He swallowed as her ears swiveled towards him “... then uh.. maybe.. perhaps.. I could become a Dash instead?”

In that instant, AJ was having to take a step back as the worried mare became alert and wide wing in the same way she’d been earlier when she practically forced herself into his space.

“Don’t joke about that Applejack!” Dash warned, but AJ knew the tone wasn’t backing her words. Their shared history together had exposed them to a great many things that otherwise would have been kept secret, and he was going to make use of this knowledge.

“That’s no joke, but a promise. If for some reason my family can’t accept ya being an Apple…” He knew they would, and to be saying something so false left him feeling dirty, as if he were besmirching their good names. AJ didn’t like it, but Dash needed to understand how serious he was about making this work. “...then I wouldn’t want to be one either.”

Applejack finished repeating his declaration, and though he felt dirtier than working in the fields, it was a necessity he kept telling himself. A necessity to hammer the point he would (within reason) do practically anything for Dash, and it was why he watched her every movement with great interest for signs of her mood.

And as before, she didn’t necessarily make her feelings known with words, but by her actions.

Her anger was gone now, yet she felt desperate to keep up appearances that she was still angry for one reason or another. She never really understood why, but was thankful her parents had been supportive and overall awesome parents.

Looking at the stallion that made her question things she hadn’t considered before Uncrossing her hooves from over her chest, Dash calmly moved over to the stallion she loves while watching how under his unmoving exterior, his eyes would shift ever so slightly this way or that.

‘He’s worried.’ Dash thought to herself as she stopped two hooves away, but close enough if one of them were to lean in they would be touching.

From this distance, neither spoke or said anything as they watched the other while reflecting on the past, wondering if it might tell them how they ended up in this very moment. Applejack more so about his future, while Dash finally began understanding why she was so angry with AJ in the first place.

“That’s one of the nicest things any pony ever said to me. Most ponies make jokes or assume things that aren’t true.” Dash admitted as she wondered why she was still here telling Applejack more of her past then he likely knew.

Her parents adored him, and it wasn’t too hard to guess they had told him about her foalhood, and some of her problems. She didn’t know if this angered her or only increased her attraction to the stallion with how he handled himself. Perhaps she was feeling a bit of both, and that was fine for the odd combination really got the blood flowing where it counted. She felt herself already fidgeting in place as she began imagining some of her favorite moments, and how they would go back and forth- one time it was all about her, and then the next she was begging AJ…

“I didn't know that Dash... Golly, this just gets worse the more I speak don’t it? It sort of just flows out sometimes when I git a ramblin, and suddenly I’m telling a pony about the PH levels of water needed for the trees to root and thrive.”

Applejack recalled some of his past ramblings when he got nervous, especially in front of the one pony he really didn’t want to do in front of, but the quirk had led to some interesting results in the past.

One of the more recent comparable situations would be during his fling with Rarity, where the beat red stallion managed to ramble on about the intricacies of which stitch worked better on work related garments. The whole fling didn’t last longer than a few months, and by then both had reached the agreement they liked each other better as friends. One positive to come from this was when stallion demonstrated on multiple occasions an understanding of her line of work that provided another connection for the two ponies.

With Rainbow Dash, his antics provided the pegasus with the selfish satisfaction she could provoke that vulnerable side from the otherwise stoic stallion. Understanding his feelings better than most ponies gave the pegasus the sign needed to jump in and give the overstimulated stallion a chance to calm down, and she did just that.

“You never did finish telling me how you got that cow off your flanks.”

Or she might further agitate the situation further.

“Iuh..Dash.. this isn’t the place…” Applejack stuttered as he swiveled his heating face around out of habit to see if anypony was around trying to listen in. He never told a soul save Dash about what happened many years back with the new heifer Annabelle. “She was…”

“She’s still pretty.” Dash said trying to hide the playfulness she took watching Applejack acting shyly. If the stallion picked up on her dilemma, he didn’t address it as he shifted to looking at the ground.

“Yea…” he sighed before looking up at Dash. “We were young and both had grown up around each other, and you know how things are when your yearlings trying to understand things. It was bound to happen sooner than later, and if Granny knew she said nothin so far.”

Applejack didn’t notice the smile gracing his muzzle as he lost himself in the moment, but Dash did. Her wings fluttered against her sides as she listened how her love bucked a cow, and somehow the idea of learning more of him fascinated the pegasus more than it stirred jealousy. Perhaps their earlier greeting had left her more bothered, then she’d assumed.

“So you two did bucked? Sure, it's strange but not the strangest pairing I’ve seen before. There was this one time when I was flying for the Pony Express I had to deliver a package to this Diamond Dog/ Deer couple…”

“How?” Applejack asked as the color returned to his flushed face trying to process the odd combination, and all he got was a shrug in return.

“I didn’t really ask, but my best guess is it's a fetish. Some creatures get a thrill from the taboo of it, but I think they liked the kink of it- predator and prey. That’s just my best guess though.”

“And it's a wild one at that. I can’t even picture it.” Applejack stated as he straightened himself up, while Dash leaned against the tree. He took a couple steps out of habit, stopped, and stood still trying to remember what exactly he was doing before Rainbow’s arrival. “Buck, Rainbow. I can’t even think straight now.”

Applejack shook his head as he looked around the row of trees, almost debating his actions as Rainbow Dash eyed her stallion up and down as he stood there. The pair had come together for that intense moment and were separating back into their own lots of life, but each could still feel the connection trying to draw them together once more. He turned back to the tree to find her looking at him with equal uncertainty to do next as they calmly met the other’s gaze- a tail flick, fluttering of the wings…

“Did ya want to hang around a bit longer? I’d appreciate the company if ya have nothin ta do.” Applejack asked wearily.

He watched more for her reaction than a proper response sense he could read her better that way, and the longer she rested against the tree staring left AJ feeling their moment was anything more than that. Each flutter of the wings, or bashing of her eyelashes made his heart skip a beat as she tried to determine their meaning, if any, to help justify his reluctance to look away.

His throat was drying up as he body seemed to have paused their normal functions waiting for the pegasus’ answer. Her ears pinned back, and AJ felt his own ears beginning to fall back in response when Dash suddenly fell forward and hopped onto all four hooves…

“Yea, I got nothing planned. What were you doing anyways?”

The question snapped Applejack out of his deepening funk to curse quietly as he tried recalling what he’d been doing before, and felt his face heating up again at what he was going to propose. His left forehoof began drifting toward the back of his neck, and with a practiced motion began moving his hoof up and down trying to rub the tension out of his body.

“Well shucks, not much besides chores. I considered fixing up the Crusader’s Clubhouse for them before ya swooped in.” He tried laughing, but his embarrassment made the attempt sound more forced than natural. Something Rainbow Dash picked up on real quick.

“What’s wrong with the Clubhouse? Scoots hadn’t mentioned anything wrong about it, or needing repair when I watched her racing scooters last month.”

“Well, it really doesn't need much work. Bones are solid minus a few boards that are starting to wrap and peel, but that isn’t a problem. Really it comes down to me wanting an excuse to think and figure I’ll be productive to.” Applejack admitted, and thankfully he could tell that truth here without having to feel bad hiding it from anypony.

“Yea, I get the feeling too, sometimes I get an itch to just fly away for the day.” Rainbow Dash nodded. It’s her primary reason for coming to Sweet Apple Acres most days(along with seeing AJ) just to escape her responsibilities, and today was no different.

“Well then, I recken we could think about things together?” AJ offered, as a crooked smile began forming on the pegasus’ muzzle.

“Just the two of us alone with nopony around? Applejack, I expected better from a stallion who just proposed moments ago! It's almost like you were waiting…”

“Proposed! I never did no such thing!” Her ruse worked, and Dash had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Applejack, either from further embarrassment or some other reason failed to pick up on this as he proceeded to defend his morals and earlier actions. Dash kept the pressure up.

“Yes you did! What did you mean when you asked if I wanted to be an Apple?” She was enjoying herself at his expense of course, but Dash knew there wasn’t any harm in this teasing in the long run. Besides, it felt good getting a straight answer from the dodgeful stallion even if it was still layered underneath the extra cloud fluff.

“I..wait a minute Dash..oh nelly.” He stumbled on his words as began reflecting on what he’d said during the thick of their exchange, and collapsed onto his flanks in further thought.

Applejack swallowed defensively as he tried to sort every thought and feeling trying not to mix them up as he prepared his words carefully. Seeing how her stallion suddenly fell onto his hunches alerted Dash that maybe she’d taken the teasing a little too far.

Her own thoughts and feelings rooted in the past were urging her to escape the situation and leave for the relative safety of her cloud home. Yet, she fought this old habit more successfully as her face heated up recalling AJ’s jaw grabbing the scruff of her neck… Dash had to flap her wings to break the rising urge, but a selfish thought crossed her mind that might help the both of them.

It was time for all that bravado, true or false, to be put to the test.

Her wings twitched with an increased blood flow in preparation for what brash, but secretive timid pegasus had in mind. Her hooves held firm as she placed one in front of the other to the distracted farm stallion just a few spaces away. Dash bit her lip again, and not to keep from laughing, but an inert need to keep focus else she’ll get lost in the pink clouds fogging up her mind.

“Hey Applejack…” She whispered first, watching as his left ear flicked toward her but otherwise he made no other movement. Dash felt her resolve weaken, but the memory of the admission, both physical and verbal were the only thing keeping her from fleeing. “Want to make like a rain cloud and ruin somepony’s day?”

The question was bizarre enough to get Applejack back to reality.

“Pardon? A what now?”

“Me and you go and rain on something..just the two of us?” Dash asked again, but found herself becoming frustrated as AJ did nothing to respond to her advance. “HELLO? RAIN CLOUD BECAUSE YOU MAKE WET!?”

“NO NEED YOU YELL! I could tell you were tryin ta rile me up for something, but Dash, that was just bad. That made about as much sense as me applying for the Bolts…” AJ huffed, but softened his gaze as he regretted his yelling. “Yet, I appreciate the compliment, Dash.”

“Well you should! It’s not the thing I go around telling everypony, and no! That thing about me and Cpt. Spitfire isn’t true as I’d never mess with a married stallion.”

Applejack nodded knowing the rumor wasn’t true, but hearing Dash confirm it made his heart a little lighter. He took the opportunity to lean in and kiss the mare on the cheek.

“I’m aware sugarcube, so ya don’t have ta explain ya self for my sake. What’s weighing my mind is a heap of problems not my own. Please don’t fret on it anymore.”

“Well fine…” Dash snorted as she turned her head away in a manner AJ had seen Rarity do before when feeling displeased about something. “...it's not like I was trying to spend some time with yooouuuuu…”

And just like her spa friend, Dash dragged the world out to achieve a desired effect AJ might not have ever done without the added push- quality time. Applejack had fallen for this with Rarity before, but unlike her requests to model, gem hunt, and expensive dates, Dash wanted the practicality of his time even if it meant sacrificing some of his free time in order to get it.

Having grown wiser as he grew older, and became the Element of Honesty had elevated Applejack’s senses drastically to a point the stallion had developed a Pinkie Sense of sort. Nothing too extreme or all telling, but more of an enhanced gut feeling that would start tingling along his spine when a pony was being deceptive in any sort of way. This tingling sensation was currently dominating his thoughts as he listened to his mare, and knowing Rainbow enough ruled out the idea she was lying in the traditional sense- the pegasus was more in the barn with her feelings kind of pony.

But her antics were more theatrics than any real display of emotions, AJ noted this and decided to play along.

“Hey now Sugarcube, we can still spend some quality time together. I have a place with a fantastic view.” Applejack implied as he moved closer to Rainbow Dash, who’s ears pointed straight up as she backed up toward the tree. “It's not terribly busy this time of year meaning we’ll likely be the only ones.”

“My stud, you shouldn’t have! Renting a whole place just for us must have been difficult to acquire…”

“Nothing of the kind. It helped that I know the owners of the place, and they’ll be out of town for a couple days.” AJ moved forward as Dash finally felt the bark of the tree poking her flanks.

“That does sound rather appealing…” Dash’s wings twitched in rising anticipation.

“I thought so as well…” AJ forced himself to take a deep breath else he’ll forget going forward.

“Think you up for it big boy?” Rainbow asked. Her raspy voice always had trouble whispering anything audible, but to Applejack’s ears it carried a certain sensuality not even the princesses could ever achieve.

AJ had witnessed Princess Luna trying to achieve this tone with Dusk Shine before, and not even her beauty made the attempt any less horrifying. Rainbow’s question carried with it a confidence the pegasus knew only had one appropriate answer, while Luna’s attempt was more of a foal willing to take any answer even if it wasn’t the desired one.

As a stallion of principle, and a traditional upbringing, AJ had found it nearly impossible to gave into his lust with Rarity for the first time, and while the whole matter ended on a positive note, he’d left feeling guilty. This guilt made their relationship feel cheapened in some unseen way, and it was only after constant reassurance, and conversations with Rarity did he finally believe that wasn’t the case.

But with Rainbow Dash, he never got that feeling. Everything seemed to fit into place with a certain predestined purpose that made everything else feel unnatural.

“This sun is a bit bothersome, and its rather rude to keep a mare waiting too long.” He couldn’t hide the coming smirk as he enjoyed this bit of role play, something the hardworking stallion doesn’t partake too often. Dash responded in kind seeing this as a sort of competition of sorts, and found the challenge engaging.

“PLEEEEASE… this isn’t hot at all. Give me a moment and I can show you hot.”

“That’s what she said.” Applejack said without thinking, spurred on by years of habit between Dusk and himself. Nothing was truly meant by the phrase as it was more of an inside joke between the boys, but Rainbow Dash heard him, and matched the stallion’s smirk with her own.

“That is what I said, and don’t you forget it.” Her raspy voice struggling to be heard as she pressed herself into the tree to ‘escape’ the hulking stallion pursuing her. ”It’s not the season, but want to start practicing for next year, colt?”

“Well, they do say practice makes perfect…” He was close to her, nearly pressing muzzles together as he looked down into those off purple eyes, feeling flustered how they too were intently watching him. “ I say five sounds pretty good.”

“Five rounds? Somepony’s feeling energetic…”

“Five foals sugercube.” Applejack felt himself getting more excited from the fantasies alone, but seeing his love knowingly or not flapping her wings with a raised tail really sold the idea. “We Apples are a big family after all, and only fits if we keep it up.. tradition and all.”

“Only five? Why not seven or ten?” Her voice was regaining control as the tree bark kept slipping through her tail, and pricking her exposed nethers. Rainbow Dash wouldn’t outright say it, but she was finding the sensation strangely stimulating. She couldn’t help but bite her lip.

The lip biting stoked a further desire in the stallion as he began mirroring the pegasus’ actions in a false attempt to stifle his own growing excitement and need to feel those silk feathers against his underbelly once more. He took a shuttered breath as he fought for a measure of control, but even pressing his thighs together to keep his ‘apple tree’ from swaying in the wind proved utterly useless.

So he kept up with the sweet talking that really wasn’t sweet talking, but more of the pair expressing fantasies, and hopes for the future. It was one of their greatest secrets besides their not so obvious attraction to one another, for the pair felt emotionally bound that any other way left them feeling less, or incomplete in a sense. An emptiness that always lingered in their individual lives to a point they had to seek the other, and this often came in the form of competitions between the pair.

It was easy for the ponies to spend time together that didn’t require much conversation on their end, while allowing them a chance to admire the other in their prime condition. A glorified ogling exhibition for two.

Just like their current conversation was little more than their chance to properly describe their wants for the future under the guise of ‘foreplay’.

“We’ll have a whole wagon full of them. I’ll saddle up, and pull them to every one of your shows. Set them up right in front so you can see us waving and cheering the entire time.” Applejack had to take a deep, but watched the excited pegasus trying to flap her stiff wings while pressing herself further into the tree trunk. “Your.. loyal.. fans…”

For all the seriousness and unrealized tension in the air, Rainbow Dash found herself starting to laugh at her stallion’s words, and not out of maliciousness, but a strange mixture of happiness and another feeling she couldn’t accurately describe. Peeling herself off the bark, she leaned up and gave the worried stallion a kiss underneath his chin, before moving closer and rubbing herself along the length of his neck and shoulder.

Applejack felt himself stiffen at the contact, but began giving into it as Rainbow Dash weaved her spell over him; he leaned down to return the gesture the best he could without moving to prevent interrupting the sweet smelling mare. She was getting aggressive as her wings became too rigid from the increased blood flow, a remnant of an older time meant to keep pegasi from hurting themselves from needless flapping during mating.

Nowadays, it was a signal that a pegasus was all but ready to start the show in a manner of speaking.

“Right now, big boy…” She flexed her neck so she could better whisper into his ear, but instead found herself trying to nibble on the appendage. Her stallion teased her by tilting his head while he carefully worked his forehooves under her wings, and along her lean sides toward those flanks.

Rainbow knew what was happening, and pressed herself further into his neck to give him more room, and once she felt his hooves wrapping around her flanks to grasp her inner thighs, did she wrap her forehooves around his neck. This was his signal to carefully lift her off the ground to avoid having her stiff and now highly sensitive wings smacking into anything, and with a quick count to alert his mare, shifted his weight to his back hooves to properly stand on them.

Applejack had slowly learned to perform this difficult act out of necessity to better help Big Mac with chores around the farm, given Applebloom was too young to perform the heavier lifting, and it was this skill he was putting to great use. His powerful rear legs routinely used for applebucking were now supporting the heavy stallion as he took each careful step toward the place he’d mentioned before.

Each measured step taken, the more Applejack found it wasn’t the act of walking bipedal that caused the stallion the most discomfort, but his uncaring erection being pinned to his underbelly by the equally aroused pegasus nibbling along his neck. The muscular stallion swore this was an attempt to see how long she could distract him before reaching their destination; a Contest of Wills was in the work to see which of the ponies would break down first, and rut the other underneath openness of field, and sunlight.

‘Celestia deserves her fun too.’ Applejack thought as he recalled the old earth ponying saying that suggested the princess was aware of your doings unless it was indoors. This was meant to scare fillies and colts into behaving when their parents weren’t around, but unintentionally gave way to the belief the princesses found enjoyment from watching ponies rut during the day. A joke of sorts among the rural earth tribes, it was the Princess’s way of alleviating the stiffness of Canterlot.

Traditionally shy from his upbringing, the farm stallion admitted this would be the closest he would ever give into the idea of rutting Rainbow in the open for the whole world to see, especially if the saying about the princesses was true. It would make future meetings with the reigning monarchs awkward, but somehow he felt those old gals would only express their interests for encores.

Encores he would happily repeat with the pegasus gnawing on his neck.

So he carried her like a won prize from the town fair to their destination, a treehouse nestled in the branches of the only non fruit producing tree in Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack had to fight the increasing difficulty of caring a horny pegasus deliberately trying anything she could to win this unannounced challenge while dealing with his own weakening thoughts. Rainbow Dash knew what she was doing as she increased the pressure of her bits along his neck, and her aggressive rubbing of her hips against his belly just to grind herself against his unapologetic ‘apple tree’ as she called it before.

He desperately buried himself into her own neck just to feed off her scent believing it would sustain the unyoked desires, but his rear legs began waning under the torment even as their destination came into view. With the treehouse in sight, the stallion’s determination found a renewal for one final burst of determination…

“Hang on, sugarcube.” He groaned into Rainbow’s neck.

Either Rainbow Dash didn't care, or his words were too distorted to decipher, but the pegasus was jolted out of her imagination when she hit the laddered tree hard enough to elicit a cry. Yet, before she could angrily voice her frustration, she found herself once more falling AJ’s hold as he attempted to climb the questionable ladder up the treehouse. Instinct took over, forcing her to halt any prior teasing to avoid causing an accident. Rainbow finally grasped Applejack’s waist with her rear hooves as she clung from his neck, which freed the farm stallion’s forehooves to grab the ladder.

No excessive movement or sound was made as the determined stallion relentlessly inhaled, and exhaled into his lover’s neck only further inflaming his desire as the scent became the only thing he could taste, smell, and see.

As the two ponies ascended the ladder into the treehouse, they shared a thank you to the princesses for the Crusaders inability to host a meeting today as Applebloom was likely fixing the water trough, leaving Sweetie Belle unwilling to use the treehouse by herself. At this realization, Applejack unknowing began biting Rainbow’s neck with enough of her mane getting caught in his mouth to yank the pegasus’ head back.

“AH!” She cried out more from the surprise than pain, but as Applejack kept doing it with each step climb did exclamation morph into an instinctual pleasure.

Unicorns to common knowledge never partake in neck biting as the act was deemed barbaric and uncultured given their magic fulfilled that role well enough. For their magically lacking cousins, the ‘love bite’ as always been integral to love making for the many centuries before the princesses ever came into power; earth ponies used it much the same way as their flying counterparts did, to keep a better grip during rutting, but the pegasi more so to keep their mate from rocking the cloud too much. Death by stiff wings, while extremely low was never zero.

Applejack’s need to bite was primal in nature to both ponies, and in this moment served no purpose then to let the other know what was about to happen. Because as soon as he reached the top his strained legs gave in to the weight, causing the stallion to drop his mare onto the floor with him landing on top.

There was a momentary reclamation of their senses and awareness as the two ponies laid upon one another, basking in the scent, and sight of their lover before the stallion already on edge from a prior promise and desire went in for the attack. Rainbow Dash quickly found herself being pinned against the balcony floor as the muscular stallion positioned his weight to keep her in place to bury himself in her neck.

Rainbow Dash was teetering back and forth between lust and need.

What complicated this choice was his modest attempts to penetrate her, forcing his dick to strike her lower belly before sliding over her ‘soft’ fur, and back up to her rib cage. He would realize this error eventually even in this drunken lust haze of his, and would raise his hips up causing it to drag all the way back until it sat on the very edges of her pussy. She would freeze up, breath hitching as her mind hurriedly encouraged her stallion to go a little lower…

But after the third attempt, her sanity won, and begrudgingly knew she had to take this inside the tree house even if it meant waiting longer. It was one thing to be caught rutting under the open sun, but another entire headache being caught by one’s siblings, and there was no way she wanted to be the cause of some very awkward talks. So Rainbow bit her lip in frustrated lust, and began trying to drag herself from underneath the stallion who fought her every inch by trying to bite her neck, and a single good thrust for added measure.

Stiff wings and a huge stallion literally trying to rut her into the very ground pleased the brash pegasus as she found the experience exhilarating.

Ponies of Ponyville will gossip, and some of the more hurtful things would eventually make their way to her ears somehow, someway furthering the need to put on her act; the only ponies to have ever seen her true self would be her parents, Butterscotch, and the stallion trying to bruise her hips. As hot as the idea was to rut under the open sky (a very pegasus tradition), Rainbow had the clarity to seek the treehouse if only to keep some of those possible rumors from begging too close for comfort.

Even with the weight of the working stallion nibbling along her neck, just under the chin, Rainbow managed to back up toward the simple sheet that acted as the treehouse’s door…

“That's right.. follow..low..the rainbow.” She whispered as she watched Applejack desperately trying to regain his hold, and by the princesses he was the living incarnation of lust in this very moment.

The stallion was vaguely aware what was going on, but he felt an aching need he couldn’t accurately describe- tipsy would be close. His mind was aware, but his motives were a mystery, yet Applejack knew his lovely pegasus was the answer to his discomfort, which was why he followed her like a dog wanting a treat. So, the high strung stallion followed her further into the dis-repaired tree house, and when the sheet protecting the entrance flapped back into place, and the sun wasn’t warming their backs anymore did the pair finally give in.

Applejack had barely understood he was inside the treehouse when Rainbow Dash lunged for him, catching the stallion unaware until he felt the air rushing over him before his back hit the ground hard. The air in his lungs couldn’t even escape his body before her smaller mouth plugged the opening, her thin lips acting like a changeling trying to suck the love from him. Applejacks’ eyes went wide from shock having never seen his lover so aggressive, yet it thrilled him to no end seeing the shy pegasus from earlier embodying her public image. He tried keeping up with her kissing, but Dash had always been faster, and this was no different now as desperately played catch up; even as he followed the motions, it took a moment to realize she’d pulled back from the kissing.

Applejack, feeling blindsided as his mind and body tried processing what was going on and where he was…

“Wakey wakey there stud.” Dash commanded as she poked Applejack’s stomach with her forehoof, purposely making sure to avoid touching his pulsing ‘trunk’. She almost shivered watching her stallion flinch at her touch, and nearly moaned herself when she heard his hoarse groan. “We don’t have much time…”

Her words hit Applejack the same way a simple breeze would if he’d just gotten out of the lake, and in seconds the stallion had rolled himself onto all four hooves. Rainbow Dash retreated a step before catching herself. In tune with the other, AJ lunged forward as Dash sidestepped to avoid the ‘attack’ that nearly clipped her outstretched wing, and little else. With no mare pinned below him, the stallion pivoted to meet his prey just as the pegasus made her attack, smacking his flank with a passing hoof.

He groaned. Turned around and made another lung for the mare only for her to repeat her doge. This time the stallion was ready, and no sooner had he landed, his hooves were already pivoting to the same direction as the pegasus; Dash for her part was aware and was wisely changing up her ploy when her eyes widen from shock as she witnessed her rival and lover threw his prized hat at her. A hoof technique developed from years of work and throwing rope, the worn hat sliced through the air with nothing to stop it save the pegasus or the wall behind her- Dash dove. The roll was sloppy because of the stiff wings, and the calculated risk had failed.

She wasted too much time. Next thing Dash felt the powerful muscles of Applejack’s hooves wrapping themselves just below her waist, and pulled her out of the roll with little resistance efficiently planning her to floor. He was careful not to step on her outstretched wings as he maneuvered her underneath him, but being the fighter Dash was didn’t make it easy for him, and quickly began flicking her tail up at his muzzle in an effort to smack him. The stallion tried this tactic for himself, if with less enthusiasm to avoid injury. With the conflict more one sided now, Dash couldn’t help but smirk as she seized the opportunity to fight dirty by going for the bouncing trunk and hefty pair of apples occupying much of her view.

While her partner fought the color tail whacking his muzzle, Dash went on the offensive. Wrapping one hoof around his rear leg locked her to his side, and further reduced his mobility while extending the other hoof before AJ could comprehend the situation; the outstretched limb gripped the tip, and slide back to drag the flaring head down against the shift in a single motion earning the mare a stifled moan from the stallion. She began working earnestly as he fought out the initial shocking sensation, but found her own rhythm of pumping the shift struggling once she felt her tail being buried into her burning folds.

Applejack had taken a drastic, but equally appropriate response to the pegasus’s unorthodox fighting but simply slamming his muzzle in between her flanks, the whipping tail firmly pacified.

Now the pair’s rivalry consumed them nearly as much as their lust. Applejack knew the handicap dealt against him, already battling the feeling of strain from earlier, and was desperately trying to correct; with a working fervor, his tongue lapped at the warmth between her thighs like a dog drinking from a bowl. He couldn’t stop unless he wanted to give up, and he wasn’t about to quit even as his tongue became caked with her tail, having the mixture of saliva and pegasus lust a strong adhesive. It was this mindless drive keeping the stallion functioning as his partner gripped his dick with enough strength he felt like buckling from the deep tissue massage.

One stroke. Two Stroke. Three Stroke. Then it’ll stop for the hoof to slide down the length to take a playful smack of his delicate balls.

More than once one of his rear legs did buckle only to be quickly pushed back into place by the still aware mare between his legs, and more than once in the stallion’s lust drowned mind the thought of simply dropping to the floor, and burying her underneath his eager dick and balls tempt him. The time of foreplay was gone, and what they were doing now was nothing less than pure lust before the rutting began, but the struggle to discover who would lead was the only thing preventing them from starting.

His eyes shot to the very edges of his sight nearly rolling back into his skull trying no to leave this perfect position, and in that flickering moment became intimate with the knowledge there will still be hours left before the sunset; the shadows of swaying branches bobbing to their feverish declaration of love would be their only audience, and their grasping shadows would continue bobbing to their rhythmic till the final death throes of the sun falling behind the sea trees…

Resting after a hard day’s work is a practice to many creatures, especially true with the Apple Family-if slightly less common.

Applejack had been indulging in this rare break as he laid on the old treehouse floor with his left hoof resting in the curve of Rainbow back, who had been taking advantage of the lull by laying on top of the equally exhausted stallion. Unlike him, she was oblivious to the waning sunlight outside signaling their extraordinary long absences, yet both ponies have been dealing with their own stresses of life for some time, and moments like these only encouraged them to be selfish.

“Buck them! I’m not worried about some pony barely able to get out of bed without an alarm!”

Rainbow Dash had once told Applejack in a rare display of humility he thought. Both for one reason or another always held a concern for their public image, and the very idea of Dash not caring suddenly left him hot under his hat at the time. In a way, all of their stress and concerns had built up to this need of isolation from life, and time to safely release it positivity.

“We’ve been gone for a while now.” Applejack groaned, but made little effort to release the pegasus resting on his stomach. If anything, his rear legs entangled with Rainbow’s own legs tighten their grip to keep his lover from rolling onto the floor.

Or to keep her from getting up.

“Probably. It’s not like I’m busy or keeping somepony waiting…” her wings, already struggling to keep close to her body finally gave up, and slid down her sides until they draped over her lover’s frame.

“I got someponies waiting on me. Shucks, we neva really good at being all discreet uh? I’d almost wager it feels like we’re putting on a show for them, with the secrets and all.”

“Don’t joke about that Applejack! I like to keep a clear line between work and pleasure, and I’ll sooner quit the Wonderbolts then be seen as a showmare!” Her words were hard, and struck Applejack with enough force to wake him out of their private rodeo.

“Ya right there sugarcube, and I do want to apologize for my comment. Your nothin like them prowling mares looking for salt- ya the mare I love.” Applejack kept himself together, and managed to look his stunned lover in the eyes. A feat the shy stallion was mighty proud of even if his heart was beating faster than hooves running to the supper table.

The disgruntled pegasus was rightly still feeling provoked by his earlier comment, but even she couldn’t deny hearing him so casually say ‘I love you’ left her heart beating, and wings fluttering. Rainbow Dash held her tongue long enough to rest her head once more on his broad, and scalped chest forcing Applejack to lift his head up enough to see her. It was then she re-initiated their previous display of affection by capturing the other’s breath; Rainbow started by exhaling (while trying not to smirk) forcing Applejack to ‘capture’ the breath by inhaling the same moment. He failed, forcing the pegasus to repeat the process a second time so he could keep the act up until there weren’t any missteps, and once established the pair began their discussion once again, a bit slower this time to keep the rhyme.

“Thank you.” She whispered. Blinked and lightly flicked her tail enough for it to cover Applejack’s legs for no reason save her own desires. “Even if I wanted to show you off, it would only be bragging, and as the best flier in Equestria, that’s not cool.”

That earned a chuckle from her massive lover.

“I guess you’re right about that hon. We Apples are a private lot, and even joking about it shows how much y'all changed me. Celestia and Luna forbid speaking of intimacy around Butters that doesn’t involve caring for animals. You girls are something else.”

“And what do you mean by that colt!?” Dash broke their intimate moment to jolt the stallion’s chest with her sleek hoof. Applejack, for all of his naivety, understood when the ice he was laying on was beginning to form cracks, and properly began checking his words.

“Just that darling. The boys and I have our ways carved into stone, and nothin but a crisis could change that. But you…” Applejack in a daring performance had his hoof along Rainbow’s back tap it three times “...and I mean all of ya girls are constantly changing. Each year y’all maturing with the seasons. Why I feel no different than when we first went galloping off into that old castle- just older. I envy y’all, and have been trying to force myself to change.”

The confession in his mind came off a little strong for his liking, yet he couldn’t come up with a better way that felt more honest than that. Still looking at his lover, Applejack watched as Rainbow’s face couldn’t decide which emotion to portray, leaving her ears the only indication of her mood- perplexed.

“Wow. That’s some heavy stuff there big boy.” Applejack couldn’t roll his eyes further back if he tried.

“That’s it? I’m laying under you sharing our breath after bucking ourselves to exhaustion, and open up to get that? Oh Celestia.” His head fell back onto the floor with a lite dud, partially ignoring his mare’s wings flapping aggressively.

“I’M TRYING! YOU KNOW I’M NOT GOOD WITH THIS EMOTION STUFF! THAT’S RARITY’S BUSINESS.”

“You ain't lying!” Applejack couldn’t help but laugh at their friend’s over the top reactions to what he might find mundane, or not worth the effort. “She would be shackled up in that corner with that couch she likes dragging around..Celestia how does she even hide it?”

Nothing could keep Applejack from laughing, not even Rainbow’s protests to stop making fun of their friend who had been nothing but wondrous to their group the past several years. In truth, he only wanted an excuse to laugh at something ever since Pinkie Promising to keep Dusk’s secret, even at the expense of another.

‘I’ll make it up to her later.’ He thought as he ignored the half hearted wing beats of his lover smacking his sides. Even by the way she hit him, Applejack knew she was in agreement with his comment, but couldn’t so casually talk about Rarity behind her back.

It was this instinctual understanding between the pair that had allowed their relationship to blossom on another level nearly devoid of speech, and that thrives from a deeper intimacy.

Moments after intimacy were the best for the stallion, as the time spent with her left his mind with a sense of clarity he never knew existed. For him, the entire world became clear and his problems were understandable until the next day when the fog returned, leaving the stallion alone with his thoughts once more. That clarity was a bonus, and never the reason he sought out the pegasus he would remind himself out of guilt believing he might one day blur those lines- Celestia he hoped not.

“It’s getting late, I should be heading home.” Applejack looked up as he felt his lover adjusting herself, and soon she was working herself free of his grip.

The pair ultimately said nothing while they picked themselves off the floor of the old treehouse, embarrassed as the obvious details of their escapade would remain behind until one of them could come back and properly clean it up. Their eyes would flitter up to the other only to avert their gaze when the other would notice, yet this didn’t stop them from seeking physical contact as they squeezed through the door. Standing on the little balcony of the old treehouse really highlighted to the Apple the state of their retreat…

“Thank Celestia we didn’t fall through. These boards sound more brittle than Granny’s apple brittle treats.” Applejack noted when a misplaced hoof nearly sunk through the rotted floorboard. His partner found the courage to work out the stiffness of her wings, and immediately began hovering just a hoof length off the ground.

“No kidding. This place is a dump..well not an actual dump, but needs a lot of work.” Rainbow Dash added her two bits before falling silent, her eyes trailing the length of the old section of the wooden railing. “This place has seen better days…”

“Come again?” The stallion asked, not wanting to move from his spot having become aware how fragile this old tree house really was. His partner, unfazed with the issue, turned to face him without making a sound, and pointed to a spot almost next to him.

“Scootaloo used to tell me about her day back then. She showed me that spot during a training session, and started recapping all their adventures… the same filly that now hates me.”

“She don’t hate ya Rainbow. Sure she’s acting out, but noth’n time and a talk can fix.” Rainbow Dash peered at her secret coltfriend with some unwarranted resentment at being told the same thing from everypony that wanted to stick their nose into her business. A quick blink later and those thoughts were buried once again for a later date.

“Maybe…” The Pegasus shrugged as her hollow bones touched the highly dubious floor next to the Apple Stallion, the will for flight gone. “… she’s still traveling last I heard, somewhere by Las Pegasus…”

“She’s closer to Applewood now, or so Applebloom told me some weeks back. Scootaloo’s work don’t really leave much time for herself most days sadly, but that filly.. ‘cuse me, that mare really needs to make time for her friends else they all fall by the flanks.”

The wood under their very hooves creaked with each shift in weight until the unease of it prompted the couple to carefully climb down the wood boards nailed into the tree, which were the sturdiest thing on that tree. Once their hooves touched the grass with a soft crunch, the fear of falling through the rotting wood vanished. A simple offering of his hoof to the Pegasus was a welcomed gesture, and following her coltfriend’s example leaped off the final step onto the vibrant grass. A simple adjustment of their hindquarters exacerbated the need to jump in the lake some leagues away, but their path never led them to its shores.

The time to return home was now, but as the sun rescinded, the encroaching night brought with it a familiar chill to mark its arrival.

Nightmare Moon was living in the forest no more than an afternoon trot away bothered the Apple stallion once again, but not nearly as much. His eyes causally leering the Pegasus he loves so much, and somewhat proposed to only made the matter with that crazy hag tolerable. If anything he could think clearly. There was now an inkling of a plan forming that needed further evaluating, but held a hope the stallion had been seeking.

From now till Rainbow Dash’s departure, the stallion felt like he could gallop all the way to Dodge Junction, and back without breaking a sweat. He sharply inhaled the chilled air in some act of deficiency no pony save himself would know, yet kept his stride toward his home held high once anew.

He was ready to speak with Dusk Shine.

Chapter 4

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Epilogue

Unclaimed by the greater Equestrian Provincial System(EPS), the Everfree Forest is a near untamable expanse of forest occupying a large enough tract of land to swallow the entire mountain the capital, Canterlot, occupies with enough distance left to make any method of travel besides flight unadvised. Walking through the Everfree Forest during the midday is never a good idea. Walking through this expanse of trees at night is an even worse idea.

The canopy of this ancient forest stretches the near length of its recognized boundary, sending the floor below into a land of shadows, or dusk at best. Fueled by constantly replenishing chaos magic leftover from the Imprisoning War between the Royal Sisters and Eris, life underneath the towering trees had to change as well. Accompanying the altered life was a strange orchestra of noises, the very same that kept Applejack alert as Dusk Shine’s horn lit their path.

The farm stallion held no ill will toward this place after his family spent generations living near it, and would claim to respect its fierce independence; the source of his discomfort was the understanding ponies like Dusk and himself shouldn’t be here all willy nilly like. For his alicorn friend, the chaos fueled forest was another school of magic that only lacked proper exploration, but still followed a set core of rules all the same. It was these rules he claimed allowed them to even enter the forest, let alone navigate it without its restless magics altering their reality.

Supposedly of course.

“I swear on Celestia’s giant sun lit flanks that this here forest is toying with us. It’s the only explanation for all them strange calls and clingy vines.” Applejack whispered to his friend. The paranoia that the forest hearing, and reacting to this information wasn’t a farfetched idea.

Without turning to address his friend, Dusk kept his pace constant by having measured the proper strided needed to reach the old castle at a reasonable pace without burning too much energy in the process. Energy he always needed, but unfortunately couldn’t ritually cast a teleportation spell without the chaos magic affecting the casting, or drawing attention to the location. Walking had more negatives than positives, yet reminded the only viable option unless he grew wings of his own or bought another hot air balloon.

“It's just a theory, but one with promising results that could land me a grant to pursue further research, but would require further expeditions to even prove its viability. In short, you could be right, Applejack. The Everfree Forest has evolved some form of intellect to protect itself.”

“AH BUCK THAT!” His booming voice breaking their otherwise uneventful trek so far, nearly forcing the alicorn to magically silence farmer’s voice from worry the forest would perceive the outburst as weakness, or some form of assault. Thankfully this was the only outburst from Applejack after the rumbling growl of an unknown creature called back.

Familiarity of the two ponies was another driving point for their unusually quiet ventures. This quasi-tranquillity would only last for so long before the scales leaned just enough to send the chaotic forest into a frenzy if not careful. Until that exact moment, the two ponies only worry was the occasional sound or rouge vine acting upon its own until at last the trees thinned, and parted to reveal the fissure separating them from the castle. Its decrepit towers, having suffered a millennium of ill treatment, loomed just on the other side of the fissure nearly concealed by the forest itself, leaving the only real indication of habitation being the crumbled piles of smooth that outlined the old walls.

Applejack made an honest effort to never set hoof in this accursed forest, yet Harmony and his own loyalty to his friends complicated this promise. What had been a traumatic encounter those years ago were once again seeping to the surface of his mind as his eyes wandered the area again, only for the farmer to notice it was different.

His hoof immediately shot up to point at a section of the former wall far to the left.

“Is that a garden?” He asked Dusk Shine, unable to hide his surprise. The alicorn’s attention quickly shifted to the spot being pointed out.

“I can’t really tell from this far away, but I can confirm that on my last visit the castle ruins were more in ruins than now. Aside from a lack of debris, why do you believe it's a garden AJ?”

“Simple. I’m a farmer, and I know the difference between a tilled plot of land, and one cleaned up. That spot there looks like its being prepped.” His knowledge and tone was enough to convince the alicorn.

“That is unusual. I’d assumed Nighty was content, but never considered she would take it upon herself to make her own improvements…I’m a terrible pony.” He sighed as the light from his horn grew brighter before phasing out, and the pair watched as where the bridge had once stood platforms of light took shape, connecting the two sides together. “Hurry! The spell lasts long enough to gallop across!”

Not needing further explanation, and drawing from those years of experience, AJ followed his galloping friend across the bridge built by light and magic, only to gallop faster when he began hearing shattering glass behind him. No sooner had he made it did the final two panels of light shattered leaving an uncrossable gap, leaving the pair stranded until Dusk could cast the spell once again. AJ was only alerted to his friend's departure from the crunching of small pebbles, and made a quick trot to catch up, but held his tongue.

Old and new fears were alive well right now, and the farmer was more conflicted now than ever.

The old path toward what once served as the gatehouse hadn’t changed, but once the pair trotted pass its weathered arches, and rusted bars did the signs of recent renovations become more prominent; certain sections of rubble had been purposely cleared and neatly gathered along side the old walls to create a sort of barrier, explaining the spots of dirt seeing the sky for the first time in a millennium. This pattern repeated itself as far as they were willing to see, and not explore, yet even from here it was clear some attempts to repair the wall and castle keep had begun. Even the sturdy wooden doors of the keep had been partially cleaned or replaced, even if the quality of the work was questionable, the repair was obvious. Applejack was more surprised, and mildly impressed having guessed who could have done it, while Dusk Shine was more ashamed of his oversight, leaving Nightmare Moon alone for so long.

The click clack of their hooves would echo in the enclosed area, bouncing off the smooth stone. A natural occurrence morphed into a literal manifestation of their growing sense of pending dread as they finally pushed the doors open, the hinges silent save for those echoing hooves announcing visitors to an otherwise tomb of solitude.

Immediately Applejack felt his fur bristling in response to the unwelcoming atmosphere while his friend marched onward without the slightest trepidation weighing him down. Somewhere between the gatehouse and now Dusk had conjured up another orb of light, its rays looking dim against the curtain of shadows. Twice AJ opened his mouth to speak, but the fear kept the words chained to his chest leaving their hoofsteps trotting down the hall without them. This announcement hadn’t gone unnoticed by the two stallions as years dealing with threats to Equestria had tempered their nerves, yet even knowing who was to be expected kept the pair on edge as they feigned ignorance to the moving shadows above.

Their destination was the old throne room as it served the focal point of the old castle, and as Dusk put it would allow Nightmare Moon a sense of safety by providing options for her to escape…

‘Or attack.’ Applejack thought as it took everything he could muster to keep looking straight ahead and not at the wall to his left. The jewel-like orbs he would notice just on the outer edges of his sight was enough of a personal reminder of their venture here.

Truthfully this was almost an exact reconstruction of that longest night, just without the rest of the Elements backing them up. The good Princess Luna had made sure the farmer’s nightmares were no longer a problem, and while mighty thankful for the sound sleep, it hadn’t fully rid himself of the experience from his mind. In a twisted, almost harmony induced way Applejack being led back here was ironically facing his fears.

One moment they were at the doors of the castle, the next they were standing in the very center of the old throne room, and Applejack locked onto how cleaner it appeared. When compared to their first fight nearly four years ago it was obvious work had been done between then and now. The biggest change he’d noticed was the lack of dust naturally in the air, or being kicked up as they walked around what was left of Princess Celestia’s old throne. The ancient marble seat having been shattered before their first fight, still laid broken around the small platform with the bigger pieces having crushed the few steps as they slid down to their final resting place on the stone floor.

From their brief encounter with the Elements, and Dusk’s own description of his time spent with the alicorn, AJ would’ve believed anything with a connection to Celestia destroyed by now, yet it appeared unbothered.

‘That shouldn’t be overlooked.’ The farm stallion thought as he kept close to his companion who appeared a bit unsure what to do besides stand in the center of the former throne room.

As for him, he’d stay close by, but the urge to revisit, and explore this pivotal moment from his past compelled him. Without saying anything AJ absentmindedly began moving toward a particular spot away from the two thrones as he’d recalled the memories of that fight more clearly. The lone spot to suffer any true damage from that fateful encounter as it was the only spot to have been practically obliterated by the Nightmare’s magic, and of their group he’d been the target of the powerful attack, only missing it because of Rainbow Dash’s quick reflexes.

None of his friends knew how much that moment had bothered him, the idea of how close he’d been to an unfortunate end. It’d be something he’d keep to the end of his days if it weren’t for the returned Princess Luna discovering it by chance one night, creating another reason he’d been more open to her return to power than anypony else.

It also made this whole mess with Dusk Shine even worse for the farm stallion.

By itself, that was a plateful, but given his cordial correspondence with the Night Princess who constantly confided with him about her interests with Dusk Shine, it muddied the waters. Dusk Shine, the ‘Unofficial Prince’ of Canterlot. The very same pony whose actions were not only instrumental in the rescue of Princess Luna, but moonlighting with the incarnation of Evil that’d not only tried to kill them, but kept Luna, Celestia’s sister hostage for a millenia?

“Harmony n’ shakes this is something else.” Applejack whispered a tad louder than he’d wanted, and might have ignored it if nothing had happened.

Of course something happened.

The farmer and the student were alerted to the strangeness when the temperature fell off a cliff, and plunged them into an uncomfortable chill that left them feeling more vulnerable than cold. The suddenness broke their trepidation by replacing it with a fear of the unknown. While the farmer’s voice greedily clung to his throat in a desperate bid to keep quiet, he found his buddy Dusk Shine resisting the chill by mumbling something under his breath as he stood defiantly facing the arch way they had entered from.

Applejack found himself fighting his own muscles for control after they went and locked up on him when that chill bit him good from his ears and down his back. The sensation was sharp, and sudden, yet reacted real quick by seizing his body leaving him near petrified. He couldn’t even warn Dusk if he wanted to, and was forced to watch the alicorn stand alone with his little orb of magic, the only effective lighting the pair had. His thoughts and memories had conjured up a host of possibilities and probabilities before ever stepping hoof into the Everfree Forest, but when The Nightmare finally made her appearance all of that was chucked right out the window.

“What happened Nighty?” Dusk Shine asked, having ripped the thought right out the farmer’s head.

The Nightmare from his literal nightmares, and that image so vividly etched into his mind made this representation before him look like a Nightmare Night costume at best. The graceful sheen of her luxurious coat was dull, and matted from the migration of dust from the room to her fur; the mane and tail that always flowed with power hung limply to one side unable to better hide uneven clumps of mane, and a few missing patches of fur. Telltale signs of personal neglect that were exasperated when she attempted to save appearances by taking a measured step toward Dusk, yet found even that difficult once applying pressure to said hoof eliciting a silent struggle to keep standing.

None of this screamed the terrible mare of Nightmares, and foalhood tales. Instead, all Applejack could see now was the downward decline of a pony barely able to lift its head high enough to look anywhere save the ground to avoid misplacing her own hooves. Dusk Shine didn’t even give the mare the chance to make a fool of herself when he trotted up to her, despite her protests.

“We are not helpless.”

“I never said you were..what happened?”

Applejack couldn’t move or say anything as the magical grip remained firm, yet relying on his good sense of reading the tone and body language of a pony, he was once more surprised to sense little hostility between them. It reminded him when Big Mac and himself would get into fights growing up, and say things out of anger, but never meant them. The Nightmare’s tone was sharp, but her intent was duller than a river stone being skipped along the surface of the river.

Butterscotch's lessons came to mind, and how certain animals would mask their problems by feigning strength. AJ started feeling this was her way of hiding her problems by appearing stronger than she was, or at least he hoped so.

Unable to do anything save silently watching their exchange, Applejack did just that, watching them. Dusk had approached with a feigned subservient care that the farmer assumed was how he even won over the alicorn before, fearing her power and rank, but that mask meant little now. It was clear Dusk really did hold power between them, and was striving to leverage that right now. For her own displays, The Nightmare held her own mask as tightly as she could, yet even from this distance Applejack could see the invisible cracks, and how the mask was held up by nothing more than wishful thinking.

He ignored most of their actual conversation to focus on their body language, and was fascinated to witness the calibrated dance going on between them: pinning ears, hoof caresses, flicking of their tails, a snarl, a silent nod. It all resembles the rare arguments between Dash and himself…

…if Dash was an alicorn of darkness.

Lingering fears were slowly being forgotten as he silently watched his friend talk down the alicorn, until the grip keeping him pinned still was forgotten, and without its support, AJ quickly found himself lying on the floor with a dull thump. Picking himself up, Applejack remained silent as now found himself the focus of four eyes, two resembling cats, staring at him until the alicorn looked away.

“Tis done. Explain thy choice.” The Nightmare asked with her attention once more upon Dusk Shine, who managed to take the brunt of it without flinching.

“Applejack knew about our circumstances already, and his support would be insurmountable in winning support from the rest of the Elements…”

“NEY! NO MORE PONIES!”

“You can’t keep living like this Nighty! You’re literally dying without your connection to the moon, and I was a fool for not realizing it sooner! You’re coming back with us.”

“NO!”
“HOLD UP!”

Applejack’s own vote stalled the bickering ponies as the farmer cautiously approached them in a way to position himself in between the two lovers. The intent didn’t go unnoticed by the alcorn who began trembling with a new rage at the blatant challenge- only to be stopped by a hoof.

“Please everypony. Let me explain before we do or say anything too drastic. Applejack, she lost connection to all her magic including her passive reserves.” Dusk Shine turned to face the imposing alicorn of his heart. “I’m worried about you. Your health has deteriorated beyond appropriate levels deemed acceptable by the Equestrian Health Services and Canterlot Institute for Medicine to be left without supervision. My limited studies are enough to diagnose you with the beginnings of severe mana withdrawal classification 2.”

“WE ARE NOT A FOAL YOU LITTLE…”

“IT MEANS YA MIGHT DIE WITHOUT HELP YOU STUBBORN MULE!”

Nightmare Moon’s head whipped so fast Dusk Shine became worried it could aggravate her condition if she weren’t careful, but between the farmer and sickly alicron it was in some way a sign of respect to be treated as a great enough threat to warrant her full attention. This subtle display of respect went unnoticed to the farmer fighting his worries and instincts to flee as he, with an ironically stubborn attitude as well, stood his ground, even baring his own teeth to match her intensity of anger.

By Harmony’s will Dusk Shine was slow to react, and during that moment of hesitation the two adversaries had conversed with more than mere words could allow. Articulation of entire thoughts, and emotions were sent and received before the alicorn could even ready a spell. By the time he’d taken a single step, Applejack and Nightmare Moon had reached an agreement. Their stances were still stiff with an edge, but the will to fight had been subdued enough for the pair to see the other backing off as a formality, and not a sign of weakness.

Applejack turned to his buddy, and flicked his head toward the alicorn watching them.

“Given’ ya some space. I’d be up by the doors when we’re ready.” The statement was brief and left little room to argue before he trotted past for the hall they’d previously taken, leaving the alicorn prince reeling from the shift in tension, and unexpected support.

He turned to the one alicorn not sure what to expect, yet never in 2+ years of knowing her had he ever seen the mare look so fragile under the moonlight. Withered, and defeated. Appearance excluded, those vibrant slitted eyes seemed dull with an age he’d never seen prior till now, making Princess Luna’s own eyes appear to shine with a polished glee. The Nightmare, his Nighty, was not only dying, but desperately trying to hide her growing dependence on somepony more than herself- him.

Keeping with tradition, she spoke first.

“Thy companions are cut from a different cloth, perhaps one like ours.”

“Was that a compli…”

“Tis was respect for worthy adversaries. Nothing more Dusk Shine.” The alicorn didn’t even look away when she said his name, the condescending tone, and remarks absent. Dusk Shine’s distress became more pronounced hearing her refer to him as an equal, only confirming the situation was much worse than previously suspected. “Thy assumptions are correct. We lost thine magic some weeks ago, and been forced without it.”

“Night I...stupid. Of course you couldn’t tell me without the magic. I should have known or at least expected the possibility that sharing your connection with the moon wouldn’t be feasible. Did you sever the connection or did Luna?”

“Neither. Thine magic simply stopped.” Her tone and posture briefly took on the familiarity of their previous encounters, almost mocking his inability to have predicted this predicament. Sadly it was another ploy to deflect her deteriorating health, and one Dusk caught onto quickly.

“We both know magic doesn’t simply stop without a reason, either negation spells, insufficient mana, or injury as the common explanations to reduced magical output. Your explanation would only be viable coupled with one or any combination of the three previous possibilities afflicting you. Time is of the essence now, and there will be no arguing moving forward. You’re returning with Applejack, and I immediately.”

Her reaction was all telling, and only added to this strange night in the ruined castle. The infamous Nightmare Moon only dropped her head as she struggled to stand, not even reacting to the alicorn’s assistance as she was brought to her unstable hooves. Standing this close allowed Dusk to see how beaten her large wings were, paying particular attention to the damaged feathers that had been bent to cover up the bold spots of her wing. He wisely said nothing as he helped the alicorn hobble toward the hall where he would inform Applejack, but he had a feeling that the stallion already knew and accepted it.

The air between them would have stayed heavy if Nightmare Moon chose to remain silent.

“Thy friend, the mud pony.. hoard ponies like thee.”

Dusk Shine looked up to his wounded lover wondering if she would clarify her statement any further, but found her focus on her hooves once again as they continued their slow walk toward the hallway to begin the long journey back to Ponyville.

Chapter 1: Under the casting shade, does the hanging fruit long for the sun.

Applejack buried himself in his work more than usual ever since learning his best friend, Dusk Shine had been seeing somepony of questionable morality. He did eventually thank the alicorn for finding the confidence to speak with him on the matter as it demonstrated a deep respect for the farm stallion that left him feeling honored. Sure, the alicorn might have disclosed this secret to Applejack knowing of all their friends he was the most level headed of the group, but the fact remained he was the only one of their friend group, or anypony for that matter that knew the the young prince was seeing somepony.

With a practiced pivot, the orange furred stallion spun around, and delivered a massive buck to the tree’s lower trunk, sending the force of the kick up the trunk into the branches that held the Apple Family namesake. The rip, and bright fruit were vigorously shook from their spot on the branch as if they were in the middle of a rogue storm that had rolled in from Everfree Forest, and soon their grip failed, and the apples began plummeting one by one toward the waiting spread of baskets below.

Applejack had taken a step back to watch this whole process even though he knew the apples would make the baskets, and there was no real need to supervise. He’d been distracted, and found the act of watching a process he knew all too well calming for it always delivered the same result with one or two possible deviations that ultimately lead to the same result: he would buck a tree, watch the apples fall into the baskets below, then move to the next tree, and repeat. It was this structure he desperately needed right now as he collected his thoughts on the matter with Dusk.

‘Of all the ponies you had to buck…’

It was this same phrase that vandalized his mind with uncontested fears for his friends, and Equestria as a whole, but Dusk held none of the signs a pony might have if they were under the influence of some trick. In fact, he seemed completely fine besides having a massive knot in his head for ever giving the idea to buck one of their greatest foes without any sort of credence! Dusk even invoked a Pinkie Promise even if it meant risking a party from the mare, and that frustrated the stallion more than he had let on. Applejack was hurt by Dusk’s insistence on the Pinkie Promise, and his reluctance to accept one on his own mortality.

So AJ had turned his buddy down for the time being as he sorted his thoughts to avoid meeting the mad mare of the moon and go spouting something wrong.

With the plan on hold for now, Dusk had left for Canterlot three days ago leaving Applejack alone to boil in his own thoughts, or he had hoped if it wasn’t for his older brother tryin’ to pry. Big Mac is the best brother a pony could ask for, and he has to go and make that claim questionable by trying to ask what’s wrong.

Why couldn’t he just take an ‘alright’ and leave it like that?

Sadly, Big Mac wasn’t the pony to leave things hanging on the clothesline for any length of time, and AJ was forced to partly air out some of his worry. Not enough to pin who it was about, but to his great relief that big oaf (a loving term any little brother would call their older sibling) nodded along and even offered some advice that might work.

Having stewed in his own thoughts all morning, and fast approaching lunch, AJ decided he was done working for the day. Checking the baskets, he left them under the tree and made his way toward the family barn to retrieve the wagon, load up the baskets, and leave them in the barn until tomorrow at the very least.

His task still took another hour to properly accomplish, but in the end he was grateful for a chance to process his mind some more and not worry about trying to perform his chores with a head full of smoke and needless distractions. AJ had finished hooking himself, and had started to turn the wagon around with the last load of apples when he heard heavy hoofsteps softened by the grass off to his right. There was only one pony besides himself that had the weight to make that distinguished THUMP.

Halting in his tracks he watched as Big Mac moved with the speed of a pony with a day off and nothing to do. AJ adjusted his hat, and called out to his brother, who in turn nodded in return.

“Where ya off to?” He asked in that deep, and pondering voice of his. His yoke was missing indicating he had no plans to pull anything today, and most likely sought to catch up around the farm.

“I’m done for da day. There ain't no working when I can’t think straight, and so I thought about heading to town and seeing what the girls are up to. What about cha? You seem more relaxed than a bear in winter.”

“I wish. Not all of us can take a dip in the pound at will, but to answer, I’m going to take Marble back to Rockville for a quick spell. She got a letter from Igneous and Cloudy that some of her cousins are coming over. Marble hadn’t seen them in years, and we thought it would be nice to visit.” He then pointed one of his large hooves toward his yoked sibling. “ You should take a break lil brother, and I don’t mean seeing what your friends are up to either. You need it.”

“I guess so, Mac.” Applejack sighed as he lowered his head in mild shame at the admittance of his own weakness. “ This whole thing on my mind leaves me uncomfortable, and I don’t like it.”

“It should make you uncomfortable, but I respect ya for helping a friend shoulder his burden long enough to help him see through it.”

“You really feel I’m doing the right thing?” Big Mac nodded.

“I’m sure Dusk is relieved knowing somepony out there is, and has listened to his problem without making it too big a deal.”

“Wha..how… what makes you think it's Dusk Shine!?” He stumbled and if that wasn’t an indicator enough, Big Mac smiled and then chuckled.

“It’s because you didn’t correct myself when I said ‘his burden’, and there’s only one stallion you actually like hanging around with.”

“Well, when ya put it like that…” AJ scuffed, but shook his head dejectedly now burdened with the knowledge he’d already failed to keep his friend’s secret. He started moving, and Big Mac followed along the wagon as the brothers made their way toward the barn to finish sorting the apples before taking the rest of the day off.

Applejack wandered around for a small bit after bidding his family farewell, and headed into Ponyville to see what his friends were up to. The young stallion wasn’t used to taking time off, but work needed a clear head and anything less could lead to an accident the family didn’t need. So wandering aimlessly into town with no goal other than to bother his friends was the next best option, and he hated himself for it, but never did he curse his best bud.

It was surreal in a way, for if he wasn’t in the fields working or at the stall selling then he was likely trying to save Equestria from some disaster that suddenly decided they had a hard on for the country. To walk into town with nothing to weigh his back down was a true luxury the stallion never even considered, for why would he worry about a day off when so much needed to be done?

Just strolling into town with no direction other than to Rarity’s store for no reason then to chat left him perplexed, and guilty to interrupt a pony at work just to make him feel better.

Trying to take his mind off his own selfishness, Applejack listened to the the vendors and their patrons barter for more bits or a fairer deal, yet none were against the system then lavishing in the experience. The act of barter itself only fueled a pony’s need for social interaction on some level, and through commerce ponies will become more connected with their neighbors as they begin recognizing them outside of their profession.

Applejack stood off the main road to watch and listen to these ponies far longer than he would on any normal day, but once more this day was strange and felt a little pony-watching wouldn’t hurt. Much to his surprise, he started noticing distinct patterns among the stall owners and their patrons he never picked up on from the other side of his own stall- ponies, both seller and buyer tended to lean toward a deal that favored both parties naturally. Not because of each pony’s ability to barter but by some inherent drive to help the other out, creating this ideal to inflate prices just a bit over to give the illusion the final price would be the lowest price the stall owner was willing to sell at.

Thinking back, he’d been guilty of this because he knew most ponies don’t buy a single apple, and often bought in bulk to reduce the cost of each apple.

“That’s mighty weird.”

“What’s weird?”

AJ is a stallion used to hardships derived from back breaking labor, and a sense of duty imprinted upon apple foals at a young age to create the vibrant fruit that made up the Apple Clan. Maintaining their signature namesake required an understanding passed down from parent to foal to successfully continue growing the bright juicy fruits, and this dependency for stability makes most members of the Apple Clan susceptible to uncertainties- like surprises.

The farm stallion was already springing forward in mid leap when he heard the familiar high-pitched filly laugh of a certain baker coming from behind him. He’d had to calm his bucking heart before he could fix his hat and confront the baker.

“Pinkie!”

“Applejack! That was fun, let's play again sometime!” She declared, and had just started bouncing down the path when the stallion called out to the fleeing mare, but his plea fell on deaf ears as the mare of questionable sanity continued down the path that led away from the Cake’s storefront.

His heart was still racing from the scare, but he had no drive to pursue the departing mare as she bounced quickly to her destination, and wanting to talk to Rarity sooner than later opted to ignore everything else for now. As he walked, he was greeted by more and more ponies that recognized the stallion from the apple stand, and was taken back when a few of them approached with concern for the stallion’s wellbeing. That touched AJ more than anything, and after promising his health was fine, and he’d only taken the day off did the ponies reluctantly leave.

In a way he was happy to see his new observations were being proven true, as he did recognize some of the ponies who had questioned his health as frequent customers of his stall, and one he knew as the owner of local General Store of Ponyville. Their kindness would be felt for the next couple of days, and in the present help alleviate the stallion's fears of harboring such a personal secret. For the first time in nearly two days did Applejack’s mind seem clear, and the weight on his back felt lighter as he followed the road as it curved to the north where much of the town’s main businesses were located.

Seeing Rarity’s store from here, he felt his cheeks heating up as a past memory kept flashing in his mind, bright enough to fill his vision of the unicorn ‘modeling’ garments meant for closed doors. That had made things awkward between both ponies for a spell before the seamstress had enough and forced the embarrassed stallion to sit and talk about it.

Of course, the talk gave way to building tensions after that fateful meeting, and for a short time the ponies grew very close.

All things eventually come to an end in order to give birth to the new experiences of life, and so the farm stallion, and the sophisticated mare ceased their weekly meetings, but still kept the closeness that had been tilled from that one encounter. It’s this closeness, and Rarity’s unique perspective of being a lady that made the stallion seek her out often for matters Applejack found out of his realm of understanding.

He stopped two storefronts away as he gathered his thoughts to question if this matter was even worth a visit, and after greeting a few more passing ponies decided he needed to escape public notice for a bit. The biggest reason AJ was seeking Rarity out was if she had no clients, then it would only be the two of them as their sisters were off on a camping trip organized by the local Filly Scouts.

This made breaching the stoup that marked the boundaries of the boutique all the easier, as the stallion fixed his hat once more to give the illusion some effort was made before knocking three times, each knock firm with a deliberate pause between them to indicate the pony would wait until a response.

Fortunately, his status as an Element bearer made the nature of his visit appear more official than it really was, and had helped to keep rumors in check when the two used to ‘hook up’. Those days were done as their romantic interest in the other faded, but from those ashes did the uniqueness of their current friendship bloom into a closeness the stallion might claim felt more familial in nature.

‘Like brother and sister.’ He thought as he waited.

As per politeness, Rarity would call out to her impending arrival to guests so they wouldn’t depart too hastily, but the knocks were a signal of sorts to alert the seamstress who was wanting to see her. This ‘signal’ held no alternative meaning than to allow the mare a chance to pick up before answering, and if he pressed his ears against the door AJ might have heard hoofsteps as they traveled from room to room. Applejack knew time didn’t matter to him as he now had the day off, but Rarity worked and could be very busy but was still making the effort to accommodate him…

“I really need to make it up to her.”

“That you do, darling.”

Applejack blinked awake from his thoughts as he took in the lack of a door, but a beautiful unicorn mare in its place looking expectantly at him. Even if those days between them were done, he was a stallion looking at a pretty mare, and she knew this. Her favorite way of flaunting her power was lean in close and bash her long eyelashes at him, as if they were being used to throw her scent in his direction, and for the farm stallion the attention had always been a bit much.

“Please stop Rarity.” He pleaded with her for a multitude of reasons, but the biggest one had a love for flight and speed. Rarity didn’t even look ashamed as she smiled, and took a step back to allow the flustered stallion to enter.

“I will apologize in time dear, but you stallions make it too easy for me. Yet, you are a taken stallion so I will go on and give an apology. Applejack, I was having fun, but it's not worth it at the expense of a good friend. I apologize for my behavior.”

Applejack listened to the apology and had just opened his mouth to accept it when her words finally sunk in.

“WHO SAID I TAKEN!?” He yelled, startled and flustered to comprehend there might be more ponies in the shop with them. Luckily for him, it was just the two of them.

“Why if I didn’t know before I certainly do now! Dusk wasn’t the only one struttin as you like to say!” Rarity screeched happily as she turned for the kitchen.

Now Applejack’s mind was racing with a new worry as he knew Rarity thrived on this like a tree does with water and sun. He wouldn't be leaving any time soon without giving the social mare something to work with, and he quickly started trying to figure something that might occupy her long enough for him to make some sort of escape. As if reading his mind, her horn glowed faintly with her mana right before he heard the bolt lock clicking shut.

“Is it just us?” He asked, and after hearing a delightful sounding ‘yes’, took a few calculated steps into the little hall that served more for presentation, then any function.

The hall was no more than maybe five strides, yet displayed pictures of ponies he didn’t know wearing mostly dresses from her early work. If AJ wasn’t too distracted with his promise to Dusk, he might have given these photos more attention as the seven reminded the stallion of potential lines Rarity had pitched some months back. Nothing more had been said once he gave his opinion, but the signs were there if AJ took a step back, and looked at the designs the mare had been producing since that chat.

Ultimately, he pushed that conversation aside and followed his friend into the main showroom where seven ponequins wearing samples of Rarity’s newest lines. The ponequins were arranged to give the impression they were at a gathering socializing, five wearing dresses, with two wearing jackets…

“Why does that one own a hat?” AJ pointed at the one wearing a much fancier looking hat, but in the same style as his. Rarity poked her head out of the room that was her personal kitchen, saw the ponequin in question, and giggled.

“Darling, do you remember those questions from several months back? Well, that is the test product of my new ‘Sophisticated, rough, and tumble’ Country look!”

“It’s just a colorful hat and a jacket, Rares.”

“Don’t be so simple!” She huffed from the kitchen, rattled some glass, and came walking with two sipping cups on little plates. The kind AJ seen in the more ‘upper class’ ponies would drink from, but still took the offered drink as it was his friend who had made it.

Rarity wasn’t known for serving anything subpar, and the drink proved he was right to have taken it.

“I got the idea mostly when we went with you to Appleloosa three years ago, but was inspired when I saw you talking to Trenderhoof. It hit me that there might be an untapped market of ponies looking for nice clothing that don’t leap into high society prices, or would be too nice to wear but once in Luna’s blue moon.”

“And cowpony wear fits that bill?” AJ asked, sounding even more unsure about this venture.

He watched the beautiful mare’s eyes beam at the chance to explain herself, and as he listened to the fashionista describe a process he knew very little about, and even less on how work gear could spawn a fashion revolution for the common pony.

Applejack, like the good friend he was, would stay for a period of time listening, and even agreed to model a few new designs himself until Rarity’s little sister finally returned home. With the filly’s arrival, the stallion took it as his que to head home given Big Mac and Marble would already be on the train. He’d forgotten the reason for his visit, but by strange circumstances managed to achieve the same result- forget about his promise.

For the first time in two days, the stallion felt much like his old self.