One Night (a.k.a A taste of an Apple)

Work, one thing that she used to love, but now the thing she had to do to get her mind free of thoughts.

Applejack bucked the tree hard. She didn't know how to solve anything else but with bucking. A physical act for a physical task. The sun was shining brightly down on the land, lighting the green rims of the grass and even though like always a beautiful day, she just couldn't linger in the heat, but had to work out who she was and what she wanted.

Big Mac looked at her from away, seeing the sweat pour off his sister and the extensive work she was laying on herself. He was almost afraid to even bring it up again, knowing his sister's pain was from his own prejudice… but if he turned in favour of this strange relationship, who would even back him up?

Maybe she really was just confused, she hadn't been around too many colts and he blinked looking over to Buckweed as he approached with a cart… maybe, she just needed a push.

"Got the cart like you asked Big Mac," Buckweed said with a bright smile and the older male nodded, nudging his eyes over to his sister as he said casually,

"Help Applejack, she's a little stressed,"

Buckweed looked over to the pretty mare and nodded his head, walking over and pulling the cart next to Applejack's tree.

The orange pony looked at him slightly unhinged… she really didn't want to be around anyone, especially someone she didn't know or care for, or who even cared for her for that matter.

"Need help, Applejack?" Buckweed asked with a friendly smile.

"Err, yeah… just collect them," she said quietly and he nodded his head happily, throwing the buckets of apples into the cart but looked at the mare a little cautious, as he said,

"You know, your family really are great for taken me in,"

"It's free labour," Applejack replied absentmindedly, bucking another tree so hard the ground around it vibrated. Buckweed shook from the impact and just carried the cart over to the next one, doing his job of retrieving.

"Oh I know, but still."

"Why did your folks let you even leave home?" Applejack asked, making conversation as she trotted away.

"They wanted me to know what it was to be independent, to see the world in a different light."

"Right…?"

"So when I returned I would be able to handle taken on the farm by myself."

"Don't you hav' any siblings ta help?" Applejack asked confused and Buckweed became quiet. She felt like she should zip her tongue, but she didn't care too much being sensitive to feelings and just added "well?"

"Heh heh, my mum… died in childbirth with me." He seemed nervous as he added a laugh to his declaration and now Applejack just felt like the biggest jerk ever.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said, and turned to look at the young colt, trying to give a comforting smile but something still struck her as odd and she asked confused "Then why were you saying your folks?"

"I live on a plantation of sorts," Buckweed said a little hesistant, "My extended family and myself run parts of it… but once my father goes, I have to take care of my own land… so that's why I left for experience."

"Wow sounds… hard," Applejack said with a nervous laugh… she really wasn't handling this conversation well, but she didn't expect Buckweed to give her all this information when she hardly knew the colt.

Buckweed nodded his head, collecting the apples again but had also held his tongue in not telling all the necessaries. He had left home for more than experience; he had also left to find a mare. And looking at the strength in Applejack, plus her strong will… maybe he should chance it and get to know this pony… even if she scared him a little.

"So what about your history?" he asked trying to be charismatic "Do your parents work in another part of this area…?"

"My parents…" Applejack said hesitantly… she hated how she always had to explain this to every new pony, "they're dead."

"Oh,"

"It doesn't hurt so much anymore… you just realize life goes on and ya can't let go of responsibilities."

"That's very brave…" he said looking at her with a kind smile, and she smiled back nervously.

"Life isn't always fair I suppose," she said carrying on a little shy to really be talking so melancholy, "But some things I wouldn't change… even if they hurt… because they made me see."

"I… never thought about it that way," Buckweed said, listening intently but not really understanding the full statement that Applejack just made.

She only had that one thought on her mind… the most recent events that all stemmed from a stormy night, no night being so frightening since… just her thoughts in how she could face it or move on… the former being the harder to do.

Big Mac looked at the two ponies talking and smiled… maybe that little push towards the norm is all his sister needed… and maybe, he could change her ways, make her part of the world that worked.

XXXX

Applejack kept finding that in every area of her work life, that young colt appeared to give a helping hoof. She had been suspicious of him at first, not knowing what he wanted… but soon it was realized he was just looking for a companion, and she seemed to be the only one he kept spotting on her own.

He was a nice colt, seeming to know modesty and humility more than some of her best friends did.

He had a yellow coat and a scruffy white mane. She always was a bit curious of what his cutie mark meant, a tree with a compass on it, and decided to ask one day what it was about.

"It means, I will always find the best trees to get the fruit from… I guess kind of like a sixth sense."

"Funny," she said with a smile.

She knew after a couple of days she felt something more for this colt. He seemed kind, respectful and a decent pony.

He wouldn't fight and always had a smile on his face, him usually being the first horse she saw in the morning and the last one she talked to at night.

But there was another reason why she had gotten close to this horse. She had to show herself that what she felt for Rainbowdash was only a lie… she had to see what it was like to be around a colt.

It was stupid really… but she honestly did like Buckweed as a pony. She kept telling herself that what she felt for him could be more… that it had to be, he was near perfect for her.

He was what society told her she should want, what society told her would bring her happiness.

Even her brother always left when she was with Buckweed, everyone trying to push her with the colt.

And then on the forth day Buckweed said a little shyly while they threw hay bails into the barn.

"You know Applejack… you really are amazing…"

She paused, smiling nervously, as she looked at Buckweed beside her and replied back.

"You're a pretty great horse too Buckweed…"

He seemed to turn away shyly with a hidden smile, but said as casually as he could,

"I was just wonderin'… we've really gotten to know each other the past few days… would you perhaps… like to go out tonight?"

Applejack's heart beat suddenly fifty times faster than it had ever done… she had seen this coming yet it still scared her when the question was asked. It scared her what Rainbowdash would think… Rainbowdash the other way of life… the one everyone was against her choosing. The one she was meant to avoid.

She looked at Buckweed with a smile, trying to be as open and grateful as he had been towards her and just said weakly,

"Okay…"

"Really?" he said surprised, a smile growing across his mouth eagerly, she had said yes, "Applejack, that's great!"

"Yeah," she said quietly with a small smile, "I guess it is…"

"Meet me in the meadow at five this evening," he said eagerly and before leaving as if to prepare, he grabbed her in a hug… Applejack hugging weakly back, before Buckweed vanished out the door and she sighed.

This is what ponies wanted… this is what she was meant to want.

She found herself walking back and forth in her room worried though as the time drew close. Her first date… her first step in forgetting that rainbow coloured Pegasus. What was she so hesitant about… why did this feel wrong to her?

She shuddered when the clock struck four thirty and knew she had to get heading. She had dressed herself up in a summery yellow dress, her mane let down to show her blonde long hair.

She took a breath as she left the house and headed for the meadow, her steps soft and not fully there… she was just so afraid.

She finally saw what Buckweed had planned, as the young colt was waiting for her, a picnic spread across the grass and she smiled, coming over to him and saying nervously,

"Sure looks lovely."

"Applejack," he said taken back by her appearance, "You look beautiful."

"It's just something I threw on," she lied and sat down, the two beginning the date.

And soon her fear disappeared. It was Buckweed, the gentle colt that had a heart of gold… his flattery and jokey nature, talking to her like she was the greatest pony in the world.

He wasn't a threat like he once was in the past… he was a friend, someone who understood her and liked her for what she was… someone that she might be happy with.

But that Pegasus still lingered in the back of her head no matter how much she enjoyed herself tonight… the light feel of those blue feathers… that cheeky smile.

She had to get her out of her mind… she couldn't keep thinking about her like that, when no one wanted that.

She looked before her as Buckweed leaned slowly forward saying,

"Applejack…?"

"Yeah…" she said quietly and felt his lips touch hers… the musky breath filling her mouth as she kissed him back.

His lips were harder than Dash's… strong… but she felt nothing when they kissed.

No this couldn't be right…

She kissed him back faster, surprising Buckweed as she held him close to her, kissing him hard… but still it felt like it was only an act of physicality… not that spark, not that moment that told her she needed him to live.

She pulled him on top of her, pressing against his body briskly saying in near tears, "Just do it,"

"Are you sure?" he said afraid but wanting it so bad.

"Yes!" she said in a cry and he pushed into her… the intense pleasure going through his body… her light fur smelling delirious, her lips so warm and moist.

But no… no matter how much she wanted him… this wasn't right.

It wasn't her!

It wasn't Rainbowdash!

No matter how much society told her this was right, all her gut kept telling her was how wrong this felt.

This fur was not Dash's, those brown eyes were not pink.

His lips didn't taste the same, he didn't look the same!

He wasn't her and he would never be her!

And she started to cry, Buckweed looking at her confused as he hesitantly pulled out of her, a worried face on him as he said desperately,

"Applejack I'm so sorry! I thought this was what you wanted?"

"No!" She cried, laying there, tears streaming down her cheeks. She needed Rainbowdash… she couldn't deny it anymore.

She loved her… she had to be with her… and she had to find her and tell her.

"Was it me?" Buckweed asked quietly, feeling like he had been hit by a train the way he felt and she just shook her head, getting up and crying,

"No…"

She couldn't lie anymore… not to him, not to anyone.

"I'm in love with someone else."

That was like a knife through his chest and all she said after that was,

"I'm sorry…" taking one last look at him and leaving after that. She had to find Rainbowdash and tell her what she had finally let herself discover.

She had to tell her that she loved her.