//------------------------------// // Hearts and Hooves Day // Story: An Apple a Day for Hearts and Hooves Day // by SilentEchos //------------------------------// Another early day on Sweet Apple Acres. This wasn't anything new to the middle child of the apple family. The farm always had its early morning chores but today was just a little different. Applejack was up much earlier than she normally would be on any other day, Princess Luna hadn't even begun to lower the moon yet. Applejack set about fervently doing her morning chores, she had the cows milked and the other animals fed and was setting the buckets under the trees for Apple Bucking later on that morning. The orange mare had no problem pushing through the morning set up. Today was Hearts and Hooves day and Applejack had gotten her brother to cover her chores for the day. After last year's escapades it was easier than it sounds. “'ey Big Macintosh!” The element of Honesty was known to be a little brash. The large red lump responded with a tired blend of groans. “Ah' wanted ta thank ya ag'in for lettin' me get off the farm for the day.” An inaudible mumbling came from the under the blankets but the farm pony knew her brother well enough to know what he said. Teasingly the mare spoke to the big, covered lump . “Ah' figured after last year what with Applebloom an' her friends settin' ya up ya might want ta be busy today.” The first audible tone from the stallion, “Eeeyup.” As Macintosh rolled out from under his blankets. “Welp, I'm off then, see ya later Big Mac!” Applejack galloped towards town. The sun now a minute or two past dawn had just begun to throw warm, golden rays over Ponyville. “Ah sure hope Pinkie's awake by now.” The mare chuckled as she came closer to Sugarcube Corner, “Ah know she's gotta busy day an all, hope she don't think it's gonna be quite fer long.” Applejack had lost herself in her thoughts failing to realize that she stood at the door to the Cakes' sweet shop. The crashing sound of cookware sounded through the early morning, shaking the daydreaming pony out of her daze. Pounding the door open, worried for Pinkie's safety, Applejack stepped inside. A white cloud of flour greeted her coating the farm pony from snout to hoof. Trying to see through the baker's fog she could hear the resounding, high pitched giggling of her friend. “WAHOOO! That sure was fun! At least now I don't have to worry about getting all the trays out.” Shaking off part of the piled cookery, a snow-white mare bounded up from the ground her mane bouncing long after she landed. Pinkie quickly busied her self setting up all of er ingredients, ignoring the small mountain of things now in the middle of the kitchen. Shocked, Applejack stood for a minute to calm down. “How in tarnation has that filly made such a mess this early!” Attempting to brush off the film of flour that had so kindly greeted her, “Ah hope she can pull this together today, honestly.” Walking closer to the pile in the middle of the room Applejack made a few small coughs, she cleared her throat twice, she tapped the pans and trays in front of her but nothing seemed to grab the other mare's attention. Finally, with little tact an impatient pony spoke. “Pinkie Pie!” Projecting her voice was easy enough for the farm pony, after all, try calling across an acre or two on an apple orchard. Pinkie, in her usual, high-energy fashion, sprung up into the air and turned to see her friend. “HEY THERE! I'm so glad you could make it this morning I have to...” The cascade of tasks and chores and things to bake and ingredients to gather and sales to make made Applejack's head spin as she tried to keep the list straight in her head. “Has she even remembered to breathe yet?” A slightly shocked voice in the back of Applejack's head sounded. “... and then you got here, which is fantastic news 'cause now you can help me with all of that!” The pink mare gasped sharply, she had in fact not taken a breath for almost a full minute explaining her day to her visitor. Slightly taken back by recent events Applejack simply nodded and added to the pink mare's statement. “Eeeyup' that'd be why ah'm here Pinkie.” It was difficult to sound excited after hearing Pinkie ramble on about her day, bouncing around the room. Even a sold out cart of apples during her days at the market wouldn't get Applejack as excited as Pinkie Pie normally was. The morning sun now poured through the windows and morning warmth infused the Cake's bakery with a happiness that only a rainbow could overcome. Pinkie had gone from a rapid-fire day planner and had replaced her bouncing with the single biggest smile that the Element of Honesty had ever seen from the pink mare. “Pinkie?” The orange mare asked, confused by the antics of the party pony as usual. Still searching the oddly happy pony for some indication , Applejack moved closer and noticed the cyan eyes of her friend tracing over her. The smiling filly simply turned with a snap of her tail an replied, “ Oh nothing silly filly, I just noticed the sun shine and remembered that you have quite the day ahead of you!” The pink pony rambled on a bit further, “After all, It is Hearts and Hooves day and I'm sure we both have our special someponies to meet after all this baking!” Applejack shuddered slightly, “ I'm sure you do Pinkie, I'm just helping a friend out today” “You mean you don't have anypony to be with on Hearts and Hooves day?” The pink mare exclaimed in her sugary, high pitched voice. “Nah, you should now better Sugarcube, I ain't nothin' special. Ain't no pony interested in some dirty, farm mare.” The despair faded the sunshine in the room, a dark cloud hung over the the room until Pinkie spoke again. “Don't be silly a silly filly!” Her voice filled with a sort of humorous outrage, “I know for a fact that there is somepony who thinks you're the sugar to their cupcakes!” The farm mare raised an eyebrow, “Oh do ya now?” She asked with a doubtful smile