Applejack Gets a Back Rub

Two years later

Applejack had just finished bucking the last of the trees in the East Orchard. She had taken longer than she had planned. Everything was taking long than she planned these days. Especially now that Applebloom had gotten her cutie mark and had gone off to secondary school. It had been hard being down a farm hand. And Applejack missed having her sister around. Things were made no better with Granny's passing. It forced her and Big Mac to also split the household duties as well.

The sun was hanging low in the sky as she headed to the South Orchard, towing a cart of baskets. She welcomed the cool relief of the evening after a hot days work. Big Mac collected the baskets of apples from the east, emptying them in the cider cellar. Applejack was bringing the empty baskets to the south on her cart, setting them out under the trees for an early morning. The sun was turning the western horizon into a beautiful pallet of reds, yellows, and shades of orange. She sighed in quiet awe enjoying the view. The last couple years had not been kind to the earth pony. The constant manual labor that once kept her athletic and fit was taking its toll on her body. Injuries took longer to heal. It had been a long day indeed. Applejack was tired.

A distant glint circling in the sky caught her attention. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a silhouette flying above her. Was it Rainbow Dash? It looked like a Pegasus, or maybe even a Griffin or a…

“Dragon!” Applejack hollered! Dropping her cart and running for the barn as fast as her hooves could carry her. The figure in the sky saw the sudden burst of movement on the ground. It turned out of its lazy glide into an aggressive dive and headed right for the terrified pony, swooping into a fast strafe.

Applejack dived in and out the rows of trees, trying to evade the dragon’s pursuit. She didn't look back. That was the rule in a dragon attack. Run, and run, and never look back. She neared the farm house. It wasn't much, wood as it was. But it would buy her precious seconds to warn Big Mac, and maybe even mount a defense, or to take shelter in the cellar.

Or at least an escape attempt.

Applejack's tired legs were on fire. Her muscles screamed in pain. The last thing she saw was the outline of the dragon's shadow on the ground around her. She dove into a slide to avoid his swoop. She covered her face expecting a gout of flame.

She felt the thud of the dragon coming to a hard land in front of her, cutting off her way to her farmhouse. She cried into her hooves, “Oh Celestia, no! Not yet! Not like this!”

“Applejack?”

Applejack looked up from under her hooves. To her surprise the dragon not only didn't eat her, but it knew her name. He was a little taller than Big Mac, but he seemed like a mountain from her position on the ground. She was still afraid to move.

“Applejack, it’s me.” He put his wings away, and knelt down, trying to make himself as small as possible. She squinted at him, his purple scales, his green spines... his face. That face. She knew that face.

“Spike? Is that you?” she whispered, pulling her hooves away from her face.

He looked away a little embarrassed. “Yeah, it’s me.”

“But you've- you've changed! You've grown!” she said, surprised.

“Yeah well… it’s kind of a long story.” He said. "But um... I'm back."

Applejack got back to her hooves. She was still unsure of what to say. She hadn't seen him in so long. Not since the wedding and... gosh it had been a long time. “Well, um. If ya don’t mind lending me a hoof- er, a hand setting them there baskets out, you could tell me all 'bout it."

Spike smiled at that, flashing his sharp teeth briefly, “I think I’d like that.” Spike said as they each walked back to the South Orchard together. Despite her familiarity with him, she was still a bit nervous at his imposing presence. He could be quite intimidating if he wanted to be.

Applejack and Spike arrived back at the cart of baskets she had abandoned when she fled. “Sorry ‘bout running off on ya like that. You gave me a bit of a fright back there.” She apologized.

“Yeah, that’s been happening with me a lot ever since…” he trailed off motioning with his hand at himself. “I grew up.”

“So have ya gone to see Twilight yet?” she asked.

“No. I just got back into town. This was my first stop.” He replied, “Is Apple Bloom around?” he asked off hand.

“Naw, she and her friends got their cutie marks and their off doing their own things now. Little ‘Bloom is now in secondary school now for arc-a-tex-sure.” She said, focusing on each syllable of that last word. “Big Mac is back at the farm house by now. He’s been helping take care of that too since ole' Granny left us…” she said somberly, “You've been gone quite a while. You've missed so much.”

“I know. I just… needed some time I guess. ” Spike offered.

“Trixie and Twilight’s foal just turned a year old. At least you were still here for their wedding before you left.”

“A foal? But how?” he asked.

“Trixie wouldn't say. ‘Magic.’ is the only answer she ever gives." she answered.

Spike’s memory flashed back to that first day with Trixie in the spa. That, and the spell she had cast on him at the time, “Yeah… magic. That sounds about right.”

“You sure grew up quick after you set them two up.” She went on.

“Yeah, well… it was all those bits I was earning at the spa. I don’t have a very expensive lifestyle. So they just piled up into a... hoard I guess. It triggered a bit of a dragon growth spurt. That’s why I had to quit and just… get away from everypony for a while.”

“What about Twilight?”

"Well, we just needed some time apart, I think..." Spike remembered back to that first day in the spa with Twilight...
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Twilight had practically ushered Spike into the massage room, “Spike, I paid my bits and I want the Usual. I need it!”

“Twilight, you don’t want this. Especially not from me!” he pleaded with her.

“One hundred percent satisfaction guaranteed!” she reminded him.

“Then take your money back, I don’t care about your bits.” He insisted.

“Spike I just want… I need you to love me the way I love you. I've just been so lonely. I look at you, but when you look at me, you don’t see me the same way. It’s like I’m not even there. I just wished that you would love, or at least lust after me the way I do for you.” She opened the maintenance door, levitating several toys out.

“Twilight, you know I don’t feel that way about you. I’m sorry but I don’t think I ever will either!” Spike thought for a moment, “But I think I know a Great and Powerful somepony who does…” Twilight’s ears perked up at that...
______________________________________________________________________________

“I kept working at the spa for a little while…” He looked at her, his eyes a bit moist. “I guess my heart just wasn't in it. And I guess my ‘clients’ could tell too." He looked over his shoulder at his back, "Then, once I started working just for the money… this happened.” He flourished his wings.

Applejack offered her sympathies, “Hmm. That is a tough break if ever I heard one.” She paused "So where've ya been all this time?"

Spike looked to the horizon, taking a deep breath of the orchard's scent, the fresh air. "Oh, no place in particular... I just needed some time to think." He set a couple more baskets down. "I went off to follow the last of the dragon migration. I visited some of the other towns and cities across the land." he looked back at her, "Did Twilight tell you that Princess Celestia offered me a position as an ambassador to the Draconian nation for Equestria?"

"She mentioned it." she answered.

"It was a tempting offer. A real chance to make a difference in the world. I haven't taken the Princess up on her offer though. But she told me that it would remain open once I 'found whatever it was I was looking for'." he said, mocking her royal voice.

"What were ya lookin' for?" she asked him. He shrugged noncommittally. “So… but what brings you here though? Am I just on your way into town?”

“Not really, no. I actually came from the other direction on the other side of town. I had to fly around the edge of Ponyville to avoid causing a panic with everypony again. You know, I didn't want them to call the Wonderbolts on me again. Being a dragon hasn't made my... 'tourism' very pleasant.” He chuckled, “Otherwise I would have been here earlier.”

Applejack thought for a moment, “You went that much out of your way just to come see me first? But why?”

“I was thirsty." he fibbed, "I figured I’d come by for some apple juice. Plus, I hadn't seen you in the longest of all. So I figured I owed it to you.” He paused waiting to see if she bought it. “So… what about you? What have you been up to these last two years?”

“Oh, same old, same old.” She said. “Running the farm same as always. Dawn to dusk, day to day. Some things never change.” she said, sounding a bit tired.

“Everypony else has been settling down and starting their families. Have you found a special somepony yet?” he asked.

“No. Never really had time, or the inclination really...” Applejack trailed off. “There hasn't been anypony since… well," Spike waited for her to finish. She blushed as she finished in a half whisper, “since you.”

That was a surprise. “What? You've not even tried to get in touch with ex- boyfriends? You know, somepony from before… me?” Spike asked.

“There is nopony else. You were my first. My last. My one.” She said, sounding a bit more poetic than she meant to.

“I- I didn't know I was… your first.” Spike said, sounding almost regretful.

“Well I didn't think I would be your first either, but… well, it just sort of happened, right?” she said.

They both walked silently, distributing the rest of the baskets. Applejack laid out the final one from the cart. She climbed into the harness and began pulling it back to the barn. Spike walked by her side the whole way. When they arrived outside the barn, she struggled to remove the harness. Spike used his hands to help her out. She finally was released as she grunted from her soreness.

“Those are still mighty useful I see.” she said motioning to his hands.

“Yeah. It seemed like you were having difficulties.” he said, grinning a little.

“Well it’s been a long day. And I’m plum tuckered out.”

She and Spike sat there in the grass for a few moments in silence. The setting sun slipped below the horizon leaving them in the fading light of the evening. Each waited for the other to bid them goodnight. But it never came. The stars began to twinkle in the deep purple of the eastern horizon.

Spike finally worked up the courage to speak. “You know AJ, you seem awfully sore. Would you like a back rub?”

Applejack turned to him, not sure how to respond. His gentle smile said more than his words ever could though. It brought a warmth to her heart that only seeing a dear friend after a long absence could.

“Oh, a back rub you say?” she smiled back.

“Yes. I've been told I’m quite talented” he held up his hands wiggling his fingers, “with these.”

Applejack thought a moment. She could see the sincerity in his eyes. She didn't need to answer. She slowly stood up and opened the barn door. Suddenly she felt herself being swept up, as Spike carried her in his arms inside, closing the door behind him.

“You know it took me two years and a world's worth of traveling to find out the thing I was looking for..." he said, leaning his head to her soft mane.

"I love you.” He whispered softly into her ear.

She smacked him in the face with her hoof. “It took you long enough to figure it out!” she said as she turned and kissed him.

Inside the barn, Spike lays her tired body down on the soft hay.

and Applejack Gets a Back Rub.