The Oncoming Storm

    He splashed about annoyedly in the lake, swimming towards the shore, his mane soaked thoroughly, making the top half of his sight obstructed by it. The rain and wind whipped at the parts of his body out of the freezing lake. And that mare had the audacity to watch, suppressing a laugh.

    "Ya going for a swim?" She shouted to him, the wind carrying her voice to his ears. He grunted in response, although he was pretty sure she didn't hear. Who was she, and why was she watching him? Coughing and spitting out water, he crawled onto the wet grass, sinking a little in the mud, breathing heavily, eyes closed.

    "Not. A. Word," he gasped, sensing the pony kneeling beside him. He was shivering, muddy, and drenched to the bone. He really didn't feel like getting rediculed.

    "Easy sugarcube," the pony responded, in a southern accent, helping him to his hooves. "Easy does it." He childishly clung to the pony's neck, gasping and sputtering. He realized that his trench coat, which held his sonic screwdriver, was still in the TARDIS, which currently resided somewhere in the Everfree.

    "Hafta get the TARDIS.." He mumbled. "So cold.. Hafta get the TARDIS.." He felt a strong hoof wrap around him, lifting him up to his hooves. He leant heavily on the mare, still shivering and coughing water.

    "Easy there. The storm's about to get worse. Best be taking shelter," she whispered calmingly. He opened his eyes, suddenly remembering that accent.

    "Is your little sister going to pester me to buy apples again?" He questioned, taking in her orange coat, her Stetson, her brilliant green eyes of which were staring into his, looking apologetic.

    "I am terribly sorry about that. I don't know what was going through her mind,"  she bowed her head. A rumble of thunder rolled through the sky, following immediately by a flash of lightning, lighting up the churning cloudy sky, and the features of the golden maned pony, making her glow.

    "Ah.. Uh.." He was speechless. Him, the Doctor! Speechless! Another strike of lightning, this one striking a tree down in short-lasting flames, the torrent of rain putting them out. "Let's save the apologies for later?" He suggested, raising the last syllable's pitch so that it became a question.

    "Sounds good. Let's get some shelter," she began walking, the Doctor keeping in tow, not having to rely on her to walk, although moving sluggishly. The flashes of light from the lightning giving her the same glowy look, that of an angel, non-weeping. She was rather good looking, he realized, but that doesn't mean I'm falling for her, does it? He looked again at her. Absorbing her cute features. Her freckles, the way that her mane glowed when there was light placed in just the right way, her beautiful green eyes, her.. Way to go Doctor, you went and fell for her. Do you even know her name?

    "Excuse me miss, two questions?"

    "Ask away, sugarcube." There was something about that 'sugarcube', it reminded him of River Song's 'sweetie'. When exactly am I going to meet her again? Ever since The Library.. Her voice snapped him back into focus.

    "Um, the questions?"

    "Ah, right. Sorry. Where are you taking me, exactly?"

    "To Sweet Apple Acres, are ya ok with that?"

    "I guess so, but just one night. I've got to find my TARDIS," he knew that much, he couldn't let any other being find the time traveling blue box. She nodded sweetly in return, wondering what the heck a TARDIS was. The next couple seconds they walked in an awkward lack of conversation, the mud splashing specks onto their coat.

    "And the other?" She piped up.

    "May I ask your name?" The Doctor replied quickly, the faintest of blushes spreading on his face in embarrassment.

    "I'm Applejack, sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier," she gave him a sheepish grin.

    "I didn't introduce myself either, you realize. No need to apologize. Well, actually, I'd like to know why you were laughing at me while I was drowning."

    "I thought you were joking around, I swear on my Element of Honesty that I only thought it was a skit or a prank until you were gasping and wheezing on the mucky ground," her head bowed again, and an ashamed blush taking over the orange of her cheeks, and making them red. He extended a hoof to pat her back softly.

    "I have mistakes too, except most put in danger more than just one person's life. Its ok," he smiled kindly, brushing back his wet mane so he could see clearly, and wondering why he didn't do that earlier. "And by the way, I'm the Doctor. Just, the Doctor. And please don't ask 'Doctor? Doctor who?' It gets annoying after a while."

    "Doctor?" She asked, faking an innocent voice, grinning.

    "Don't."

    "Doctor Who?"

    "I'm not answering that." They walked in silence for a couple minutes, until coming to the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres, coming upon row and row of trees bearing the red fruit the land was named for, the rain still going strong.

    "This is humongous! And you tend to this whole place by yourself?!"

    "Well, me and my older brother, yes," she smiled, glad someone was acknowledging her endless work.

    "That's brilliant! You must get quite the workout."

    "Yeah, I do. It leaves me exhausted at the end of the day."

    "Shall we?" He motioned to the barn and house in the distance.

    "We shall," she grinned. Trotting off happily into the forest of apple trees.

I just made that girl's day. He smiled, forgetting the rain altogether. He quickly caught up to her, keeping pace with her, at her side, step by step.

    "Best be picking up the pace a bit, don't want to get caught under a fallen tree or anything," she remarked, beginning to walk a bit faster, the Doctor keeping in tow.

    "Would roots come out of the ground here?" He asked, to which in reply, Applejack slowed down.

    "Good thinking Doctor," she smiled. "Don't want to injure myself, I've got too much work to do." The time it took to get from the edge of the fields to the house and barn was so fast it could almost be declared time travel. But time always happens to move faster when you are with someone that interests you.

    "Granny, I'm home!" She hollered throughout the house as soon as they stepped through the threshold. An older pony with a green coat and grey hair held up in a bun walked in.

    "You're all muddy! And who is this you have with you?"

    "I'm the Doctor, ma'am. Applejack here made sure I didn't drown," he responded quickly. Granny Smith looked confused.

    "Its that bad out there?"

    "No, no, I was in the pond, back in Ponyville park," he explained. No realization showed in the elder pony's eyes.

    "If you say so.. Applejack, I prepared a hot bath for you, you two go clean off," she motioned wildly to the stairs.

    "Us two?" Applejack questioned, sounding shocked, motioning between herself and him.

    "I'm not drawing two baths. Now go clean off," she had a 'don't mess with me' look in her eye, so Applejack nodded, a huge blush on her face, took off her Stetson and gave Granny the bag of bits she was keeping under it, said "daily earnings" and  walked up a couple steps, then motioned for the Doctor to follow. She led him to a bathroom, where steam was coming out of the space left open by the ajar door.

    "She wasn't kidding with the hot bath, was she?" He grinned.

    "No, she wasn't. What are we, vegetables?"

    "Don't think so Applejack, but we will be steamed," he nodded toward the door. "Better face the dragon." He nudged the door open all the way, becoming enveloped in steam for a couple seconds before it thinned out, then stepping inside. Applejack walked in, closed the door to hang her hat up on a hook on the other side of the wooden door, then took out her hairband, letting her mane free of its form being stuck together, and began combing it out.

    "You're beautiful," he murmured, most likely too loudly seeing as Applejack dropped her brush and turned to him, eyes widened.

    "I am?" She questioned. He was caught.

    "Well.. Nah," he grinned. "Beautiful would be an understatement." In a flash Applejack's face flushed a deep red. Thank you, Captain Jack.

    "You're treating me too well. Are ya just looking to get in bed with me?"

    "We probably are going to share a bed, seeing as we're sharing a bath, and how iron willed your grandmother is. But no, I'm not. I would never do such a thing." He started to ease his way into the bath.

    "You probably are right on the bed thing, I'm afraid," she let out a soft chuckle, and worked her way into the other side of the relatively small tub. "But if you were, you were playing me correctly. Complimenting my hard work, or my looks.." Her ears folded down a bit, and she turned to face the apple wallpapered wall.

    "You don't get much credit, do you? Its all just work, work, work, and nobody acknowledges the fact that you are doing any of it. I'm sorry," his expression softened. "I am so, so sorry. But why wouldn't you get any suitors? You are a brilliant young lady."

    "I don't exactly know why," she sighed in relief as she sank to sitting in the tub, her head resting on the back of it, the Doctor doing the same. "Although I am flattered, sugarcube. I really don't consider myself beautiful. The fact that nopony outside of my family compliments me on anything about my looks doesn't really help." The water of the tub soon became brown with mud as they relaxed in it.

    "Well, rest assured, you are very, very wonderful. And aside from laughing at drowning ponies," she hit him, both laughing a little.

    "Hey!" He held up his hooves in mock defeat.

    "As I was saying, aside from laughing at drowning ponies, you have one of the nicest personalities out of the many, many people I have met."

    "I.." She smiled goofily. "I've never been treated like this before, and I, uh, like it.. And you."

Score! he smiled, then did an inner facehoof. Brain, no. "I'm glad you think about me this way."

    "Me too." They sat in the tub until the water was cold and it was half-mud, staring into each other's eyes and doing not much else.

    "I think we should get out now, I feel pruney," the Doctor suggested.

    "Same." They both hopped out of the bath, the Doctor holding his breath and unplugging the drain, while Applejack grabbed two cream towels, an apple embroidered in a corner in each of them, and wrapped one around him.

    "Thanks," he smiled, drying himself off, then neatly folding the towel up and placing it beside the sink, Applejack following his lead, then taking her stetson off the hook, lead him to her room.

    "I'm not going to wake up Granny at this hour of the night, so you'll just have to sleep with me," she smiled slightly.

    "I'm not complaining," he replied, pulling the covers down on one side of her bed and rolling in. "Don't you love tonight?" A giant crash of thunder chorused throughout the sky.

    "Yes. We've got the best weather ever, I'll have to thank Dash later," she crawled in to the other side of the bed, turning on her side to face him, they lowered their voices to whispers.

    "Has a boy, from outside your family, ever hugged you before?" He asked.

    "Not in a long time. No," she replied with a tinge of sadness. And without another word, she felt him wrap his front hooves around her, his warm body pressed against hers. He softly nuzzled one of her ears, which got a good reply/squeak from Applejack, so he decided to give a it a little nibble.

    "What kind of magic are you using?" She sighed, relaxing in his hold.

    "Would you believe none?" He grinned.

    "No."

    "Better start believing then," he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "You know I'm doing almost nothing when almost drowning is the best thing I have done in a while." That got a giggle out of Applejack.

    "Why do I love you so much?" She asked. "I had only met you a couple hours ago."

    "I'm pretty sure that I gave off a different attitude than all the others. Ever heard of love at first sight?"

    "Its stuff of dreams, then again, this is almost a dream.." She thought for a moment. "Yes."

    "Good answer, me too." He gave her a peck on the nose, to which she responded with a kiss on the cheek. They commenced an epic war of snuggling and kisses for five minutes, until Applejack moved her head in the wrong direction and they locked lips. Both of their eyes widened, then closed as Applejack moved her head forward. They held the kiss for a couple seconds, before breaking it.

    "I taste apples, unsurprisingly," the Doctor remarked, as Applejack thought for a moment.

    "Then care to explain why I taste fish fingers and.. Custard?"

    "Long story, but lets say it involves a Pond," he smiled, snuggling up beside Applejack, enjoying her presence, letting all time in the world be lost. She moved one hoof to lift his head to look at hers, green against blue.

    "Doesn't everything?"