Bruised Apples
It was about noon on the 18th of September, a time where the once clean roads of regions throughout Equestria were now being smothered by the deep layers of brown leaves, shed from trees like tears as if mourning the nearing death of summer and the birth of a colder Autumn and then a bitter winter. On the road to an apple orchard not far from Ponyville was a melancholy looking figure. The pony’s slow, trudging body language and the appearance of a lonely tear on his majestic face betrayed his true feelings to anyone who might have seen him. As he trudged a luke warm breeze caught his face, blowing back the golden unicorn’s mane revealing his tear stricken eyes to non-existent passers-by. At long last the unicorn had finished his painful exodus from the town and had reached the door of the barn house. He looked up at the tall majestic structure of the building and sighed; he raised his hoof and knocked about three times on the door of the building. After a brief pause the door opened beholding the small frame of a filly. Dr Stable smiled weakly at Applebloom and asked politely.
“Hello Applebloom, could I see either your sister or your grandmother, I would like to buy some apples?”
Applebloom who was originally surprised and rather pleased by the appearance of the visitor was now suddenly concerned by the melancholy appearance of Dr Stable. She saw past the weak smile and looked instead to his tear stung eyes and his rough unchecked mane that resembled something like tumble weed. Applebloom smiled weakly but continued to raise her eyebrow at the unicorn.
“Okay Dr Stable,” she immediately disappeared into the house again, where Doctor Stable could only just hear her calls to her elders.
“Applejack! Granny smith! We got a customer.”
“I’ll get it!” said the frail old voice of Granny Smith; however he was instead answered by her granddaughter Applejack who smiled weakly.
“Sorry for ye waitin Doctor, she is a little…aged.” She said letting of a little chuckle, suddenly she was shocked, a little more so than Applebloom was, by the appearance of the Doctor.
“Oh my….Doctor you look worse than a rabbit when the wolves have done with it. What in tarnation happened to you?”
Dr Stable sighed again and put down his face so she could no longer gaze into his distressed eyes. “It’s…..nothing…..could I please just buy a few apples…..?”
Applejack never liked to see anypony upset, she may have not known Dr Stable that much, apart from when Rainbow Dash was in hospital or when Granny Smith needed her hip sorted but she couldn’t just let this slip. She sighed and gave the doctor a very concerned look.
“Look I’ve got some cider in the barn; maybe you could have a drink and tell me what’s wrong.”
The doctor sighed, he looked up again and saw the face of the orange earth pony, she smiled back at him and the doctor immediately felt a sort of sharp pain which immediately turned into a weird, addictive feeling he had not felt in a while. He kept his head up this time and politely said.
“Alright, thank you Miss….”
Applejack chuckled raising a hoof to interrupt him.
“Just call me Applejack Doctor…”
The Doctor impersonated what the Earth pony had done before smiling weakly.
“Please…call me Jonathan. I am Dr Jonathan Stable.”
Applejack smiled at the progress she had made into getting his trust she smiled enthusiastically and nodded.
“Alright, Jonathan then.” She said, trotting over to the barn slowly. Jonathan however was frozen to the spot, He was dumbstruck by the kindness of a pony he barely knew and the feeling that was now entering his body, he no longer felt the crushing sadness he had felt before, he was feeling…butterflies in his belly! Applejack turned to look at the stationary dumbstruck pony and chuckled.
“What’s wrong Jonathan, stuck in the mud?”
Jonathan shook his head quickly, getting himself back into the real world, he smiled weakly however still walking quite sadly, but with an almost faster speed, as if he wanted to get as close to Applejack as possible, as if he needed to get closer.
When she arrived at the barn Applejack opened the door gently making sure not to knock anything that could possibly be being stored behind it. She smiled at the interior, quickly making a check of everything, the piles of apples, the piles of hay and most importantly, the few spare barrels of cider. She carefully rolled one of the barrels of the pile carefully with her front hooves making sure that it did not roll out of control at last she put it near the entrance where Jonathan was standing and propped up the barrel carefully, he went back to the barrel pile to collect a wooden mug she then passed the mug to Dr Stable who sighed and gingerly accepted it. He carefully placed his mug at the bottom of the tap of the barrel. Applejack smiled and carefully turned the tap on with her hooves, taking extra care not to overfill the mug. She then smiled weakly at the doctor.
“Now be careful, this is the strong batch you should drink it slow-“Applejack’s plea was ignored by the doctor as he grabbed the mug, not caring about using his slow magic and quickly drank the strong contents of the mug in almost two seconds, he then slammed the mug down again, his face showing early warning that he was about to burst into tears and demanded another mug.
“Jonathan, I really hope you not trying to drown your sorrows…you being a doctor should realise---“
“NO! I NEED IT!”
“No you don’t Jonny. You don’t NEED the cider.”
“YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WENT THROUGH!”
Jonathan soon was in crying hysterics, his face now crimison as his ocean blue eyes spurt forth an ocean of tears.
“NOT A CLUE.” He went silent now, suddnely he collapsed on the floor, no longer screaming and instead just sobbed, leaving almost a puddle on the floor.
Applejack sighed and smiled weakly trotting over slowly to the crying unicorn; she carefully placed her hoof on his back, stroking him slowly like a loving owner does to a dog. The crying unicorn looked up at the orange pony showing his tear stained face. Applejack smiled warmly at him and unexpectedly put her head close to his and gently nuzzled him.
“Now tell me Sugarcube, what’s got you this upset?”
The Doctor sighed and looked up at her and that addictive feeling came back again, he saw the beautiful face of the orange pony, the cute freckles that rested majestically on her face as well as the her long adorable pony tail that she had turned her mane into and her soft, groomed orange hair. He felt that addiction again….He knew he could talk her.
“It’s a very long story.”
Applejack smiled at her companions co-operation giving him another nuzzle.
“I’ve got plenty of time; Big mac is doing the apples today.”
Doctor Stable smiled and began his story.
“It was almost exactly this time three years ago….Since……My wife was taken away from me. She was…a bit like you, a beautiful hardworking pony, except she was a unicorn like me, we had met at medical school and we had fallen in love almost instantly, we got on more than bees with flowers, and probably needed each other as much as them. About five weeks before she died we…. decided we wanted a…foal...” Jonathan chocked the last word out before nearly bursting into tears again; Applejack lovingly patted and cooed him, stroking him with her hoof slowly.
“It’s okay sugar cube. Keep going.”
Jonathan swallowed and closed his eyes.
“Her name was Arwen featherton, her cutie mark was a phoenix feather, as she also prepared for the autumn so well by collecting up all the leaves and helping the animals gather food, to show from the cold ashy death of summer…a new season, Autumn could be born... I was at her side when she died……It was Autumn two years ago she…….she…..Was about to give birth to our baby foal….and he….he.” Jonathan could barely finish the sentence and soon was close to collapsing into tears again, Applejack had to go close to him, nuzzling him like a beautiful lioness to try and emotionally prop him up.
“Keep going Sugar cube.”
Jonathan closed his eyes croaking out pathetically.
“He was born dead, and the other doctors……couldn’t restart his heart….and Arwen…my sweet Arwen….she she……..died from the blood loss….and the sight of….her dead foal……”
He paused and tears soon rolled in fountains down his golden face, Applejack continued to hug him tightly and cooed more so and softer.
“Oh no no no no Sugar cube. It’s okay…it’s okay.” She patted him gently, Jonathan raised his head again looking at Applejack, and he saw that she was crying as well. He sniffed and raised an eyebrow.
“Why are you crying Applejack?” He croaked.
“It’s because….your story….was so sad….and it is sad to see a friend of mine so…..distressed.” She hugged him tightly nuzzling him smoothly and gently, her face stained with tears from nuzzling her new found friend. She then smiled warmly and cuddled him close and soon she felt a sharp pain, almost identical to what the unicorn had felt previously and before she knew what she was doing she had slowly licked his cheek. She immediately retracted her face going as red as the apples she picked.
“I’m so sorry…..I wasn’t thinking!”
Jonathan smiled weakly. “Yes….Thought kills action….”
Applejack looked at the poetic pony and chuckled, she rested her hoof softly on Jonathan’s head, just resting it there, and slowly she started stroking his mane, untangling it, straightening it, returning it into a mane instead of demented tumbleweed. While this was happening Dr Stable blushed a bright red, forgetting his sad nature and chuckled.
“Applejack……what are you doing.”
“Fixing something, just wait there a second.”
After about another minute her work had been done and Jonathan’s beautiful chocolate mane had retuned. She chuckled slightly at the improvement.
“I might not be one of those fancy fashion people like Rarity, but I know a handsome looking Pony when I see one.”
Jonathan was now as red as a tomato; soon ideas were rushing through his head. Does she like me, I think I like her too, is it just the cider talking?
Applejack started laughing, amused by her friend’s crimson colour.
“Awww you’re so cute when ya blush, even cuter then you are normally.”
Applejack looked into Jonathan’s eyes; she fell in love with those majestic and beautiful ocean blue eyes. He loved his repaired chocolate brown mane and his golden hair. He also looked adorable in his cute reading glasses, whatever resistance she had before was gone, she could barely help herself as she leant in slowly into Jonathan, as if she was about to nuzzle him again, but before he could think she kissed him deeply, accepting now the feelings she had felt before. Jonathan blushed deeper but didn’t resist, he kissed her back, passionately stroking her, forgetting how he had previously started the day. They retracted slowly, barely believing what they were doing; they smiled at each other and gave each other a loving nuzzle, confirming their new bond. It was now Applejacks turn to blush as she thought.
“You can pick apples right?”
The new ponies relationship was soon the talk on ponyville, everyone was talking about how the hardworking, orange earth pony was now going out with the witty, intelligent doctor unicorn. It was the front page in all of the ponyville papers and was a subject of virtually all the gossip in the town. Applejack decided to stay at the farm not wanting to be bothered by gossip ponies while Dr Stable took a day of work, instead staying in the comfort of his home and day dreaming of his beautiful Orange Marefriend and the experiences they shared. At about 8pm, under the soothing cover of darkness the doctor slowly but carefully left his home, not wanting to be spotted by even a single pony that might be patrolling at night. He carefully kept to the shadows till he saw his target, Sweet Apple Acres, he smiled trotting normally now, knowing that there would be no hostile ponies about here. He smiled as he slipped into the barn still keeping as quite as possible. Suddenly she felt a hoof grab hold of him and he yelped sharply.
“Shhhhhhhh.” The familiar voice whispered. “Did anypony see ya’ll come here.”
“No,” he whispered back, “It’s just me.”
Jonathan shielded his eyes as a bright light near him suddenly appeared; he smiled as he saw his beloved Applejack who was lighting a small candle.
“Sorry if it was a lil bright, but we want to see each other right.”
“Yes, especially if one of them is as beautiful as you are.”
Applejack went a bright red. “Oh shucks you are such a charmer Jonathan.” She approached him slowly and gave him a loving nuzzle, a little more affectionate then the ones previously, Jonathan leant in, feeling as if his heart was melting from the love he felt. Applejack smiled and retracted
“Err……I got us some supper.” He turned her head towards a small table that was furnished with two apple pies with hay fries laid around it. Jonathan smiled and nuzzled his mare friend lovingly. “That was extremely kind of you. Thank you.”
They sat on opposite sides on the table, talking as they ate about all that had happened in their lives and that days, they laughed, joked and flirted all through the night, Applejack still couldn’t believe though how quickly this unicorn had melted her heart. After they had eaten they rose and Jonathan yawned, he bowed and said his thanks, as he turned to leave Applejack rose her hoof smiling.
“Wait…….Can I quickly tell you something.”
Jonathan raised his eyebrows, curious at what his marefriend might say, he trotted up to her and stood there waiting for what she was going to say.
“Well…what is it Applejack.”
She smiled and leant in close and whispered in his ear. “I love you Jonathan, more than I’ll ever love any other pony. Jonathan smiled and warmly embraced her, kissing her like he hadn’t done to another in years, he hugged her and stroked her gently with his hoof to make her feel safe in his touch, Applejack did similar, trying as hard as possible to show her lover that she really did love him. It soon became heated, and Applejack and pushed Jonathan onto a pile of hay and embraced him further stroking him all over, this continued until, due to fatigue they closed their eyes slowly, close to sleep. Jonathan, finally letting go his grief turned to Applejack
“You are the most beautiful pony I have ever loved……and you have done the impossible…you have made love from heart break, you have made delicious cider from bruised apples.”
Applejack smiled brightly and hugged her lover; they hugged onto each other for warmth, spending that night in the barn together, content with their own company.
