Chapters Applejack yawned as she walked down the stairs from her room and into the kitchen where she was going to attempt to make breakfast for her family. "Mornin' AJ." Big Mac stated from where he was sitting at their small rounded table. "Do you want anything to eat?" Applejack shook her head and tried to hold back a yawn.
"No thank you, I'll just head on out and get started tending to them trees." he nodded as she walked out into the bright blinding sun. The red stallion looked after his sister and smiled.
"Don' push yourself to hard AJ." he murmured even though he knew that she wouldn't hear him.
Applejack sighed as she made her way over to the northern fields. "Come on Wynonna, let's go girl." she started off at a trot and made her way over to the fields with Wynonna at her side. She sighed again when she noticed that she'd forgotten to check on these fields in a while, and the trees had become over grown.
"Well," she muttered to herself, "Better get buckin', or I'll never get finished." as she trotted farther into the orchard a small smile began to form, though any other pony that would have possibly been there with her wouldn't have noticed it unless they were really close to her, the reason for this was the part of the orchard that she was currently in. It had been her mama's favorite spot on the whole farm. The orange earth pony stopped and stared off into space, able to remember the last day she spent with her mother out in that spot as if it had just happened the day before, not years.
"Mama," a young Applejack said looking up at her mother, "Do you really think that the new foal will be a filly? Mac says that he thinks it's a colt." her mother just laughed as she nuzzled her daughter.
"I don' know honey, it's very likely, but just between you and me I hope it's a filly too. This family could do with a few more girls, don' you think?" the little filly beside her laughed and nodded. Her mama sighed and looked away from her orange filly. "I just wish you're Daddy could be here to see 'em."
"Well that's enough of that!" Applejack mumbled when she realized that she'd been crying.
It had probably been about four hours since Applejack started, she'd been working hard to try and keep her mind on her work and not on a certain lavender colored unicorn or on her mother, and in that time frame she'd already finished bucking five of the seven northern fields, it's amazing how a little determination to not do one thing can take you a long way in doing something else. She was about to go and start on the sixth, but a rainbow flash caught her attention. She repositioned her ever present hat so it would block the sun out of her eyes, and looked up, only to have the breath knocked out of her as a cyan blue Pegasus with a rainbow colored mane and tail crashed into her at break neck speeds.
"DANG FLAB IT Rainbow! Next time look where you're flyin'!" Wynonna trotted over carrying Applejack's hat in her mouth from where it had fallen. "Thank you sweetie."
"Oops, sorry Applejack." Rainbow Dash giggled, "Guess I can pass that trick off as a fail." Applejack rolled her eyes as she turned to get back to work. "So what are you up to today?" Rainbow Dash asked as she quickly took to the skies again, since she did not like staying on the ground for very long, she began flying in lazy circles just above Applejack's head.
"Well I don't know about y'all," Applejack used her front right hoof to motion in the Pegasus's general direction, "But I'm workin'." now it was Rainbow's turn to roll her eyes.
"Well I could see that captain obvious." she stated sarcastically. "I mean what plans do you have for after work?" Applejack shrugged.
"Don' know, maybe I'll go an' visit Twilight, or maybe I'll just stay here." she shrugged again and Rainbow Dash's eyes bugged out.
"Seriously AJ? Just hang out with Twilight? I mean have you even told her how you feel about her yet?" Applejack spun around so fast that she and Rainbow Dash nearly ran into one anther again, and Applejack slapped her hoof over Rainbow's mouth.
"Y'all better watch what you say Rainbow, I told you that in complete confidence, an' you promised me that you wouldn't tell."
"Oops, sorry." Rainbow giggled out when Applejack removed her hoof from her mouth.
As it turned out Applejack was finished with her work around the farm two hours later, even though the blistering sun was no help, and was being pushed out of the gate by Big Mac. "Now AJ, I happen to agree with Miss Rainbow," he'd been coming to check on Applejack when Rainbow had freaked out over her 'just hanging out with Twilight' idea, "You need to tell Miss Twilight just how you feel before somepony else takes 'er heart." he gave her one final shove. "Now go on an' tell 'er, an' you better not come back 'till you do!" and with that she was on her way to the library. As Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom stood up on one of the many hills that over looked the main gate.
"Do you really think she'll tell 'er?" the young filly asked her grandmother as they watched her sister start off towards town.
"I don' know Apple Bloom, I don' know." the older pony shook her head. "Don' know what that girl thinks about much any more, maybe she'll tell 'er and maybe she won't." Granny Smith shrugged, "Well we won' help matters much by standin' here and worryin' let's go have some lunch shall we?" Apple Bloom bounced up from where she'd been sitting and took off towards the house at a speed that would have rivaled Rainbow Dash's.
Applejack was walking through town on her way to see Twilight , the one and only holder of her heart, nearly getting trampled several times finally made her decide to walk on the grass not the main path. She had just gotten to the top of a hill over looking the library when she noticed Twilight standing in front of the giant tree talking to two stallions Twilight appeared close to tears, and she had multiple hairs sticking up and out of place form her normally neat, curtsey of Rarity, mane. Applejack looked at the two stallions, one was an of white tannish color with a deep woodsy looking brown mane and tail. While the other was a deep black with a dark blue mane and tail. "Howdy Twilight, what's goin' on?" Applejack asked when she got within hearing range. Twilight looked up at her and smiled.
"Oh Applejack thank goodness you came when you did. These two," she motioned towards the tan and black stallions standing in front of her, "Are claiming that one of my spells backfired and hit them, but I haven't preformed any spells today that would backfire." she still looked close to tears, and it made Applejack wonder just how long she'd been putting up with these two.
"An' just what did this 'spell' do to y'all?" Applejack asked turning towards the tan stallion raising her eyebrow for infuses.
"Well umm.. you see... um we.." the black stallion hit his companion as he'd been trying to speak.
"We don't have to explain ourselves to the likes of you!" he soon found out why Applejack was called one of the best apple buckers in all of Ponyville. He would be sporting some decent bruises for the next few days to show where her hind hooves had connected.
It had been about three hours since Applejack had sent those stallions own home, the black one, come to be known as Dagger Night, with a preety decent sized hoof print on his flank, and Applejack still hasn't told Twilight how she feels about her. Oh I just cain't do this.
"So um Twi, I was just wonderin' if you have a very special somepony over yonder in Canterlot, or even here in Ponyville." Twilight turned towards Applejack with curios eyes but answered, thanks to a quick elbow jab from Spike who'd recently come in from another failed attempt to win over Rarity.
"Actually AJ I don't, but there is a pony that I really like." Applejack turned away so Twilight and Spike couldn't see the tears that began to form. Her heart begging to break into very tiny pieces.
"Oh, well thanks for letting me visit today Twi, and if those two show up again you just give a holler you hear?" Applejack tried not to let the fact that she was crying show. Celestia knew that Twilight wouldn't let her walk out of there if she knew that she was crying.
"Okay, bye AJ." Twilight stared at the open door puzzled, Applejack had seemed, upset by something towards the end of her visit. Sighing Twilight turned her back on the door. Her horn began to glow a light purple, and the door began to glow the same color as it was closed. "And I love you." but that last part was never heard by anyone other than the small purple dragon at her side.
"I still can't believe you haven't told her yet." Spike grumbled as he walked towards the stairs that led up to their shared bedroom. The slightly dejected lavender unicorn said nothing just fallowed him up the stairs.
Applejack ran dejectedly the whole way home, the streets of Ponyville having cleared during her time at the library, and when she finally reached the gate Big Mac and Apple Bloom were there waiting.
"Well did you tell 'er, did you tell 'er?" Apple Bloom asked bouncing up and down in excitement. Her eyes never once leaving her older sister.
"Nope." Applejack answered keeping her head down so that they wouldn't see her eyes. Thankfully the brim of her hat added extra coverage amongst it's shadows.
"Why, don't you still like 'er?" Big Mac asked raising his eyebrow at the sulking mare.
"Yep." Applejack answered, continuing with the one word answers in the hope to deter any more questions, with out reprieve.
"Then why didn't you tell 'er!?" they both asked in unison, well it was more of a scream, but the point got across.
"'Cause she likes somepony else." was all Applejack told them before she ran off so as not to hear their responses, though what she would have heard were gasps of sadness, anger, and surprise, she ran crying up to her bedroom, and stayed there for the rest of the night.
"Well," Big Mac said as he looked at the youngest of the Apple siblings, "I guess we just have to try and cheer 'er up the best we can." the little filly nodded in agreement but looked down at her hooves instead of up at the red stallion beside her.
"Why doesn' Miss Twilight like Applejack?" she asked innocently, reminding her brother just how young she really was, no matter how much work she did on the farm.
"Well I don' right know Apple Bloom." Big Mac answered as he looked off towards town, "I just don' know."
Applejack was sitting in her room for at least three hours before Big Mac finally poked his head in to check on her, what are big brothers for if not to look after their little sisters after all. "Hey AJ, are you gonna come down for dinner?" she shook her head and turned over so that he couldn't see her face.
"Ah come on Applejack, Granny made your favorite, roasted apples." again she shook her head.
"Just leave me alone." she mumbled and turned her back to him. Big Mac looked on in surprise, Applejack this upset was unusual in it's self, usually Rarity would be the one to react like this, but Applejack turning down food, this was worse than he first thought. He walked out with a sad shake of his head as his answer to a curries look from Apple Bloom, who had already started eating.
It's been two hours since Big Mac had left Applejack's room, for the third time, and he was honestly begging to worry about her. Big Mac heard hoof steps on the stairs and spun around, only to find that it was Apple Bloom. "Is she gonna come down?" he asked and she shook her head.
"Nope, poor Applejack, she's really upset about this." Big Mac nodded and sighed. Applejack was usually the strongest willed pony he knew, who would have thought that all it took to upset her like this was for Twilight to say that she had a crush on somepony?
"I wish there was somethin' that we could do to, hey now wait a minute." Apple Bloom raised her eyebrow. It was unusual for Big Mac to meddle like this, but she guessed if Applejack could mope, then Big Mac could meddle, at least a little.
"What is it?" he turned to her with a smile, and hopefully the answer to their problem.
"Why don' we try to hook Twilight and AJ up? I know it's not normally somethin' I'd do, but at this point I'd try anythin' to cheer AJ up." Apple Bloom nodded enthusiastically, "Alright let's ask the other girls to help us." the two ran off, not noticing the elderly green pony standing in the background smiling.
"Now that's my grandchildren," she murmured, "Willin' to go out of their way, and out on a limb, to help their sister."
Apple Bloom and Big Mac had to work fast, they spent all night getting in touch with all of Twilight and AJ's friends, all of them more than willing to help. They met up in the park the next day and Big Mac explained everything again.
"Of course we'll help darling, they're both our friends, and poor Applejack must be devastated." Rarity stated, and all the others nodded in agreement. Big Mac smiled and nodded his thanks.
"So how are we gonna pull this off?" Rainbow Dash asked, as she flew around in lazy circles.
"I have no clue." Big Mac told them honestly, "I was hopin' y'all would have some ideas, other wise Apple Bloom is talkin' to the crusaders now, and we all remember what happened when they last tried to set up two ponies." the girls all nodded as Big Mac shivered at the memory of the love potion that the cutie mark crusaders had used on himself and Miss Cheerily.
"Well, we could always get them together for a picnic." Fluttershy suggested. Big Mac shook his head sadly.
"That won't work, Applejack wouldn't even come down for dinner yesterday." they all gasped, as he nodded with a frown.
"You mean Applejack turned down food!" Pinkie Pie gasped out in a combination of horror and shock, again Big Mac just nodded his head.
"Well now what?" Rainbow asked from her new position on the ground. When the red stallion had mentioned his sisters lack of an apatite she'd crashed to the ground and had just sat up.
"I think a picnic is a lovely idea Fluttershy," Rarity stated, "And she'll come even if it means dragging her here by her tail." the others nodded in agreement as they started working out their plan.
Applejack lay silently crying on her bed as the harsh unforgiving sun shone outside her window. "Why cain't it just rain?" she wondered aloud, totally unaware of the white unicorn that had walked in. Rarity stared at her friend in utter shock.
"Applejack darling what ever is the matter?" she walked over to the orange earth pony and sat down by her side. She began to stroke Applejack's mane in comfort, "Tell Rarity all about it." Applejack tried to turn away but Rarity had somehow known her weak spot, and was exploiting it fully, and to her own benefit.
"Aw Rarity the pony that I love more than anythin' in the world loves somepony else." Rarity faked a look of shock, she even added a gasp for effect.
"Oh you poor dear, I know what will cheer you up, the girls and I are putting together a picnic you should come." her cheery voice had an undertone of mischief to it, but it was left unnoticed by the orange mare.
"I don' know Rarity I'm not really...." she was cut off by the white unicorns hoof over her mouth.
"Oh nonsense you're going, I'm not taking no for an answer." Applejack sighed and sat up, hoping that the disarray that her mane was in would change Rarity's mind, but no such luck. "Oh here darling let me fix that for you." she levitated a hairbrush off of the dresser on the other side of the room and got to work, despite Applejack's protests. "Darling this will be over much quicker if you'll just stop struggling." the white unicorn chided.
"It'd be over even sooner if y'alled just take no as my answer." Applejack muttered, and gained a harsh pull on her mane for her trouble.
"Um, Twilight are you in there?" Fluttershy asked from the doorway of the library. She wasn't answered by the unicorn in question, instead Spike walked down the stairs the baby dragons face wore an expression of sadness.
"Oh hey Fluttershy, Twilight's up in her room. Could you come help me? She's been up there for a while and won't come down, I don't even think she's studied for the past three days." the yellow Pegasus's eyes widened, it was quite unlike Twilight not to study.
"O-okay, I'll do what I c-can." she fallowed the baby dragon up the stairs and into Twilight's room, only to be faced with a crying unicorn, and a very large pile of used tissues. "Oh Twilight what's the matter?" she rushed to her friend's side and began to stroke her mane like she would with an upset animal.
"I don't t-think that the p-pony I like l-likes me b-back." Twilight sobbed out as she turned towards the shy Pegasus and sobbed into her shoulder.
"Oh? And um, not to pry Twilight, but um, who is that you like?" Fluttershy asked being very careful not to upset the crying unicorn even further.
"Applejack." she mumbled as she tried to hide her face.
"Oh, um I'm sorry Twilight but I couldn't hear you. Who did you say?" she leaned in closer to try and catch the name so she wouldn't have to have Twilight repeat it again.
"Applejack!" Twilight screamed, pulling away from her friend her face as red as the streaks in Rainbow Dash's mane and tail. Fluttershy stared at her in shock.
"Oh, oh my." she looked down at her hooves. "Um Twilight please don't be mad at me." Twilight opened her mouth to ask a question, but it never got farther than that. At that very moment Fluttershy nodded to somepony out the window and Rainbow Dash flew in, scooped up Twilight and zoomed out again.
Spike smirked from his spot beside Fluttershy, the girls had gotten him in on the plan earlier that day. "Nice one 'Shy, good luck." the shy yellow Pegasus nodded and fallowed her friends out the window.
Applejack stared down at the picnic blanket that Rarity had set out before she'd run off. "Forgot somethin' at 'er place did she? Forgot somethin' my flank!" she was still muttering to herself when a shadow centered over top of her. "What in tarnashon?" was all she managed to ask before Twilight was plopped down beside her.
Applejack looked up to glare at the cyan Pegasus that was hovering above her. Then she looked back down at the 'picnic', well more like glared back at it. As she looked around at everything it finally hit her. They were sitting in the exact same spot as when she'd first realized that she was in love with the lavender unicorn, and where she'd finally confessed her feelings for Twilight to Rainbow Dash. Even the food in front of them was the same as that she'd tried to use to soften Rainbow up before she told her the news.
"Rainbow Dash!" she screamed as the smirking mare flew in lazy loops above them.
"You two Love birds
"I'm terribly sorry about this Twilight, I don' know what's goin' on here any more than you do." Twilight shook her head, actually enjoying her time with Applejack.
Even if she doesn't love me back, at least I've still got this time right now. "Oh that's okay AJ, I don't really mind." The second mare shook her head bewildered.
"But what about that special pony that y'all have your eye on? Wouldn' you rather spend time with them?" she asked staring intently into the other's eyes.
Even though I'm giddy as a school filly that you're spendin' time with me instead.
"Oh Applejack, is that why you ran off the other day? Because I told you that I liked somepony?" Twilight asked exasperated. When Applejack nodded she couldn't help but smile. "Oh AJ," Twilight blushed, touched that she at least had some proof that the earth pony may feel the same way that she did, "The somepony that I was talking about was you." she blushed when Applejack turned her emerald green orbs towards her.
"Do you really mean that Shugarcube?" Twilight was just about nod, but right then and there a dark cloud of magic surrounded her and lifted her off the ground. The two mares had been so caught up in their discussion that they didn't see or hear the two stallions come up behind them.
"See Asper I told you that the spell would work this time!" Dagger Night cried out as he floated off of the ground, while the spell that he had preformed, the same one he'd blamed Twilight for claiming it had backfired, sucked the magic, and life, from it's lavender victim. "I told you!" the midnight black stallion began to laugh and it soon gained an ominous edge to it.
"Twilight!" Applejack cried out as she watched the unicorns horn start to disappear. She took a step towards them, only to have a tannish hoof stop her.
"Stop this Dag, you're killing her!" Asper Wind, the other stallion from before, as well as another unicorn himself, cried "I told you that you shouldn't mess around with that book!" he tried to use a protection spell to release Twilight from the other's hold. But the black stallion only knocked him aside.
"And why should I care about this mare? Or even about what you think, you're both just weak!" now through out this ordeal he had never noticed Applejack, and the reason for that being because she was now directly behind him, and in prime position for what happened next.
"Leave her alone!" she cried as she used her back hooves to send the stallion flying. Using the distraction that Applejack provided Asper with time to return the magic stolen from Twilight to her before facing his friend.
Twilight and Applejack stared in shock at the two stallions, Asper Wind and Dagger Night were paying the mares no attention. Twilight's horn had already fully reappeared when Asper turned towards them. "Please," he begged even as Dag, he had called his companion that earlier, tried to spear him with his horn from behind. The tan stallion had tears in his eyes as he continued, "Please help him, I need him, I love him." the lavender unicorn didn't know whether it was the talk of love that got to her or the tears present in the other's eyes. But something told her that healing the dark unicorn was the right thing to do.
"I'm right here for you Twi." Applejack murmured into her ear. "And I always will be." with that the lavender unicorn concentrated on the two stallions, and just as it had that fateful night years before when she had first truly become friends with the girls, her magic took over. In a sudden flash of lilac colored light the two mares and stallions were thrown backwards.
Twilight groggily opened her eyes to find herself wrapped up tightly in Applejack's hooves. The orange earth pony had grabbed her friend when they'd started to go flying. "Applejack, Applejack!" Twilight cried tears begging to form in her eyes. No, oh Celestia please no.
"Ugh, Twi, that you?" Applejack asked as she finally managed to pry her eyes open. The lavender unicorn through her hooves around the other mare's neck pressing their lips together in a glorious and passionate kiss. They pulled apart blushing at the sound of somepony clearing their throat.
"Thank you so much." Asper Wind said as he nuzzled the black unicorn next to him. "I don't know what I'd have done without Dag." he turned towards his stallionfriend, "Well now you know better than to ignore me when I tell you to..." his voice faded as they walked away leaving the two mares alone with themselves and their thoughts.
"Um, Twilight," Applejack said shyly, "There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it AJ?" Twilight asked. The orange earth pony leaned forward until her face was just a breath's length away form the other mares.
"I love you." she whispered before she pressed her lips to Twilight's forehead. "Will you go out with me?" Twilight tried to blink away the happy tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"Yes, oh Celestia, yes!" she squealed throwing her hooves around her new marefriend's neck.
