//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: Coming to terms with reality........ // by Furstreak //------------------------------// As Twilight made her way back into town, she silently cursed herself for having said something that could have very well, ended her friendship with Applejack. Over the years, she had seen Applejack go through many relationships, all of which dissolved, and each party going their seperate ways. The young earth pony was a hard worker, and always brought family first before anything else. Unfortunately that meant that they were also first before her partner at the time. Sometimes the partner she had would become selfish and want only the farmers attention on himself. Other times they would be asked for some assistance on the farm and snub the orange pony off. On one occasion there was a stallion that was only interested in her sister, and used her to attempt to get to the younger sibling. That didn't end well for the stallion, as he is still missing to this day. The librarian had made it back to her home at Golden Oaks Library, almost dragging herself into the large, hollowed out tree. Once inside she didn't even stop to pick up a book as she made her way to her bed upstairs, climbed in, and pulled the covers over her. Thoughts of todays events playing through her mind as she thought of a way to rectify what she had done. "Alright, you said something nasty to one of your friends, and hurt the other to the point where he is temporarily crippled and laid up in bed, being taken care of by the friend you said something nasty to. So let's break this down." She groaned softly realizing the shit she had just stepped into. "The stallion I am considering dating is being taken care of by one of my best friends that also have an interest in him. I have injured said stallion, as well as my friend. But she also hurt him...." She trailed off for a moment thinking things through. "So... hmmm... I think I can still salvage my friendships, and come out with a stallion as well. But I'm going to have to do some more research on him before I can properly implement my plan." As the day continued on, Twilight made a list of things she would need to do in order to win back her stallion, and save her friendship with the pony currently taking care of him. She had said and done things that, to many, would be considered a friendship breaker. However, having been together for so long with her friends, that said friendship could be mended, if done right. XXX "Ya'll right sugarcube?" Came the voice of a slightly worried farmer as she tapped on the door of the room housing the injured stallion. "Yea, you can come in if you want. I'm kind of bored of staring at the wall." He laughed softly. As the farmer opened the door, she couldn't help but smile at seeing the stallion laying there. Making her way over to the side of the bed, she took a seat in a small arm chair next to the nightstand. "That's better, you're much more interesting to look at than a wall." Kami chuckled softly seeing her roll her eyes. "Ahm just a big ol ray ah sunshine ain't I?' She chuckled. "Nah, that would be princess sun-butt." He snickered, only to cause Applejack to belt out a loud laugh and snort before covering her mouth with both hooves. After a minute of getting her laughter under control she gave the stallion a stern glare as she began. "Now that ain't right, ya'll shouldn't be calling the princess names like that." "It made you laugh, didn't it?" He snickered again seeing her shake her head, giving a soft laugh. "It was purty funny. Ain't never heard nothing like that before." She continued giving a small chuckle, both ponies taking in a deep breath and giving a contented sigh. "AJ..." Kami trailed off as he looked to a slightly interesting spot on the floor. "I heard what Twilight said earlier." Applejack snapped her head to the stallion still laying silently on the bed, speechless at that moment. That was, until he raised his vision to meet hers. "Kami.... I...." She sighed. "I... I just ain't had much luck, ya know? Ah mean, in the relationship department. Every stallion ah've been seeing has always been a burden teh me an mah kin. Ah'd still like teh try one with ya if'n yer interested. But ah got some stipulations ya'll gotta unnerstand before we even think about getting tehgether." She stated with a stern nod. "Ok... but before you begin, I just want to let you know something. It doesn't matter to me how many other stallions you've been with. If you found yourself at the point where you didn't want to be with them anymore, then good for you. If they left you for some stupid reason, then it was their loss, not yours. For the short time we've known each other, I've come to admire you in many ways." He smiled softly before turning to a stern glare. "Being kicked in the face wasn't one of them." A moment of pause as AJ looked a little shocked at him, until of course he burst out laughing, making her do the same. Once the two ponies caught their breath, he continued. "You're a great pony, and from what I've gathered in the short time we've known each other, you're a hard worker and love your family dearly. I've seen you talking and play fighting with your brother. Your little sis seems to admire you a lot as well. I haven't spoken with your granny yet, but I'm sure she has nothing but praise for you." "Kami... I..." She paused as he stepped back in. "Now hang on love, ah ain't finished." He chuckled. "I also want to let you know that I'm not just giving you compliments to try and get into bed with you. I don't believe in leading somepony on just to get them to sleep with me. I'm a grown man...er... stallion, and I value my friends highly. I wouldn't try to get them to sleep with me if I wasn't serious about keeping a strong relationship with them. " He paused for a minute as he gave another sigh. "I realize that what Twilight said could be true, or it could have been a lie. Either way, I won't judge you. I'm really upset that Twilight would stoop so low to try and keep my attention, but I don't want to write her off just yet. So I'm going to do this. I would like to take each of you out on several dates. Possibly more if you're willing. If you don't mind that is." He smiled, slightly nervous about the coming answer. "Ya'll are something else, ya know that?" AJ smirked. "Yer just a bit more chivalrous than ah took ya for. An fer that." She smiled, leaning down and giving his nose a kiss before pulling back and seeing his growing blush. "Ya'll get a bedtime story afore ya go teh sleep tehnight." She snickered seeing him roll his eyes. "Hey now, I gave you all those compliments and all I got was a kiss on the nose and a bedtime story?" He laughed giving a mock shocked expression. "Uh huh, ah could give ya a quick buck upside the head if'n ya really want something else sugarcube." She smirked as she pressed a forehoof to his nose, then pulling it back as he took in a quick breath. "Ah.... aaahhh.... AHCHOO! *pop* ARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!" He screamed out as he let out a big sneeze then began rolling around in his bed in severe pain. "KAMI! What in tarnation did ya do to yerself?!" AJ yelled as she watched him thrash for a moment before coming to a stop under the mish mash of covers. "That hurt like nothing I have ever felt before." The blue unicorn stated as he slowly pulled the covers from atop him and tossed them to the side. "Yer moving? But how?" She asked, giving him a perplexed look. "I guess that sneeze caused it." He laughed only to slightly curl up as his stomach let out a loud gurgle. "Just in time too." He groaned as he pulled himself from the bed and slowly exited the room, followed by Applejack. Making his way slowly down the hall, he entered the bathroom, turning just in time to see AJ nod as she closed the door. "Just make sure ya'll don't strain yerself enough to pop yer back outta place again ya nut." She laughed. "No worries there." He laughed back. "I'm too sore to strain anything else." After a short time, the stallion made his way from the bathroom, albeit slowly, and trotted slowly downstairs. As he hit the bottom of the stairs and making a sharp turn into the living room, he glanced out the window to see that darkness was slowly creeping across the land as the sun began to set. The sky giving a soft rust color as the sun dipped below the horizon, the blue sky slowly turning to black as the sun continued its decent, being replaced by the moon on the opposite side of the sky. As his vision fell onto the living room, he gave a soft smile as he looked at the homely setting before him. A large dinner table with six chairs, a small horn of plenty as its center piece, overflowing with various fruits and vegetables. All along the walls of the room holding many different pictures of not only the immediate Apples within this home, but the extended family that resides all over Equestria. "Wow..." Kami trailed off as he continued looking over all of the pictures of the massive family that is the Apples. "Yep." Applejack spoke up as she trotted into the room with a smile. "Biggest family in all Equestria. We got kin spread throughout the whole world, even a few in Dragonia." She chuckled. "Ain't heard from them inna while though. Probly hold up inna cave hiding from some dragons, or beatin'em up." Kami cocked a brow toward the farmer as a smirk spread across his face. "Beatin up a dragon? Really?" He laughed. "Sure! Ah mean, even Fluttershy done stared one down without any trouble ah'tall. But that don't mean ah'm dumb enough teh try it." She groaned. "Still though, if'n mah friends'er with me, helping me out, ah'd take one on." Kami chuckled softly at the thought, entertaining the thought of actually beating up a dragon a hundred times his size. After a moment though, it hit him. If he trained his magic enough, and learned the right spells, maybe even he could take on a dragon. That thought came to a halt though as his nose wrinkled up for a moment as something delicious trailed around him. Taking in a deep breath he gave a very deep sigh as a smile crept across his face. "I guess ya'll done smelled dinner." AJ grinned. "So ah was right, this'n does like a good home cooked meal." She hummed to herself seeing him nod. "Whatever you're cooking smells like heaven." He sighed once again as his hooves lead the way into the kitchen, directly toward the table that was being set up with various foods. "The rest should be done purty soon. Why don't ya'll take a seat in the dining room an ah'll bring ya a plate." AJ smiled warmly to him only causing him to beam. "T-thanks AJ, but shouldn't I help ou..." He was quickly cut off as the farmer raised a hoof to silence him. "Ah won't take no fer an answer sugarcube. Ya'll are ah guest in the Apple home, so let us take care of ya." She smiled, nodding to the door to the kitchen. "Alright, but I expect to pay ya back for yer hopitality." He smirked. "Ah'll think'o something ya can do. But fer now, get!" She chuckled as she swatted his flank with her tail. A short time later, Kami watched as the Apple family began to file into the room. Each bringing a plate or bowl of food with them with there mouth and on their backs. Another few short minutes and the table had been filled with a huge variety of dishes. The unicorns eyes flickered back and forth over everything, unable to comprehend how these ponies would be able to down this much food. This of course only passing his thoughts until the phrase, 'eat like a horse' passed in front of his little train. "Well now sonny, dig in." Granny Smith chirped happily as she took a seat the head of the table. Big Macintosh sitting to her left while Applejack sat to the right, next to Kami. Applebloom taking up the seat next to her big brother. Using his magic, the dark unicorn quickly began piling food onto his plate before setting it down in front of himself. Picking up a fork he dug into some mashed potatoes only to paused as Applejack pulled her plate to in front of her with food stacked almost twice the height of the unicorns. "Wow, and I thought I was hungry." He chuckled only to make her blush slightly. That was of course until Big Macintosh pulled two plates to in front of himself stacked just as high as Applejacks. "Heh, ya'll don't eat much, do ya?" Big Mac picked as he gave a snicker toward the unicorn and then giving a sideways nod to his youngest sister whom had a plate stacked the same height as Kamis. "Be thankful, not wasteful. Besides...." Kami grinned. "That's what seconds are for." "And thirds!" Applebloom chirped happily as she dug into her plate, face first. Pulling back and munching happily before licking some mashed potatoes away from her lips. As dinner went on, the small group conversed quietly with one another. Trading stories from various parts of their lives, and several from Kamis home world which seemed to captivate them to no end. Learning much from his past as well as his present, it would be no short time for the Apple family to digest what they had taken in. "So ya'll are telling meh that ya came from a family that only had you and a single siblin? That seems a might small considering what ya'll said before." AJ chuckled, thinking back to when he had stated he wanted a large family of his own. "Considering that your world is probably a complete mirror image of mine, does it really seem that plausible?" Kami smirked seeing the farmer rub her chin in thought. "Well, ah don't mind none, so long as ah become an aunt." Applebloom giggled out, causing Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh to do the same. Applejack turning ten shades of red at the comment as kami gave a chuckle and eyebrow wiggle toward her as well. "Well, I doubt that would be anytime soon. I have yet to properly ask this young lady out on an official date." Kami stated with a smile. AJ managed to calm herself enough to turn back to the stallion with a smirk as she began. "So then ya'll are interested. Well then, how bout tomorrow at seven. But don't yall be picking out a fancy schmancy place teh go to. Heck, ah home cooked meal'd be good in my opinion. That is, if ya'll kin cook." Kami gave a sheepish grin as he swallowed the knot forming in his throat. "Sure ah can cook, but...... Ah dont think my skills would be that great since it'd be the first time ah cooked as a pony." He chuckled nervously. "That, plus ah don't usually cook for anyone but myself. So everything I do cook is made for my tastes. Would you be willing teh try something new and unusual?" He asked giving a sheepish grin. "Ahm going out with you now ain't I?" AJ chuckled causing him to facehoof. "Yep, just toss some new and unusualy food into the mix and we've got a whole new experience." He laughed back. "Sure thang sugarcube. Now ah don't expect much, so don't ya'll be going overboard." "I will AJ, and thanks... you know... for understanding." "Don't sweat yerself silly. Ya'll are the one who's understanding. Heck, ya'll er more understanding than any stallion ah've ever met. Except for mah brother, but her don't count." She snickered. "Hey!" The red stallion snorted causing the group to chuckle at his expense. "Alright then, I guess tomorrow is going to be an interesting day." Kami smirked as they family nodded and continued dinner. Yes, tomorrow is going to be a rather interesting day for the stallion.