//------------------------------// // "Ah have a question" // Story: Orange and Cyan // by PaperBack //------------------------------// Applejack was starting her usual Friday morning ritual of first tending to the west fields, then getting on with bucking the south orchard. Normally she would have thoughts of apples and bucking and the occasional thought of one of her friends, but today her thoughts were entirely consumed by a certain light blue, rainbow maned pegasus with a lightning bolt cutie mark. As well as their plans for that night. “Oh Ah hope Rainbow is gonna say yes.” the farmer mare said to herself “Hope Rainbow is gonna say yes to what, Applejack?” asked a sweet young voice from behind her. Applejack jumped a little and turned to look her little sister in the face, “Oh nothin’, sugarcube.” she said “Pleeeeaaaaasssseeeeee, can’cha tell me.” the red maned filly wined. “No.” the older mare said flatly, “ ‘Sides you’ll know soon enough. Now where’s Mac Ah need ta ask him somethin’?” “Ah saw him over by the barn with somepony, Ah couldn’t make out who it was.” The orange mare smiled at her younger sister, “Thanks Apple Bloom” she ruffled her mane and walked in the direction of the barn. Making her way to the barn the orange looked to the sky just in time to see a rainbow streak fading from the sky. She smiled and said to herself aloud, “ Just you wait till tonight sugarcube. Ah’m gonna make you mine.” With renewed vigor in her step, her trot to the barn turned into a full on gallop. Reaching the barn in no time at all. She walked around the to the left side of the building, seeing he was not there she continued around to the apple red building, finding no sign of her big brother, on the outside anyway. Walking around to the front of the barn she put a hoof to the handle of the large wooden door and pulled it open. “Mac ya in-- AAAAAHHH. SWEET CELESTIA MAC! COULD YA HAVE PUT A TIE OR A HAT ON THE DOOR!?” she yelled as she slammed the door to the barn. The moaning and grunting from inside stopped as the two lovers were forced to stop their love making. On the other side of the door Applejack could hear a sweet female voice say something then a male voice gave out a loud “OUCH”. A moment later the door opened and a red stallion stepped out into the sunlight, promptly greeted with a punch to the shoulder gleaning another “AOW” from the stallion. “That’s fer not leavin’ a hat on the door, and second ya should only do that at night. What if Ah had been Apple Bloom and she found her teacher and brother gittin’ it on in the barn, Hmm? Ah know her, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell gotcha together, but that is no excuse fer doin’ it during the day. Thirdly and the reason Ah came ta find ya, can Ah borrow yer record player tonight, RD and Ah have a picnic tonight and Ah want ta have some music playin.” “Uh.. sure. Are any other of yer friends gonna be there?” he asked. “Eenope,” she said confidently, “Just Rainbow and Ah are.. just hangin’ out… like uh… Rarity and Fluttershy.” she grinned sheepishly. “Uh huh, likely story.” was all he needed to say “Ugh fine Ah only asked Rainbow cause Ah plan ta ask her ta be mah marefriend! There ya happy?” she said crossing her hooves, not wanting to look her brother in the eye. “Hm. Well then Ah hope ya have a great time and Ah hope Rainbow’ll treat cha right.” was all he said Applejacks eyes shot open and she looked him square in the face, “ Ya mean yer not gonna give me a lecture on how unnatural me datin’ a mare is?” “Eenope, cause it’s not mah place ta say who somepony can and cannot date. So if’n ya need mah blessin’ ya have it, and don’t worry Ah’ll keep this a secret from Granny and Apple Bloom.” he smiled and hugged his little sister. Returning the embrace the mare said, “Thanks Mac,” she sniffed, “ Now Ah’ll let ya get back ta Cheerilee.” After that talk with Mac, Applejack went to get his record player and take it to the hill, where she hid it behind a tree along with one of her favorite records. Then she returned to her chores. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Looking to the sky Applejack saw that it was close to five in the afternoon. She finished gathering up the baskets full of apples and loading them onto the cart. After storing the apples in the barn she made for the house, grabbing her picnic basket on the way out. “Hiya Granny,” she said upon entering the humble family home, walking quickly top the kitchen and opened the refrigerator getting out the food she had made for her and Rainbow for tonight, placing everything into the basket and then ran up stairs and into her room. She opened the door and walked over to the dresser, there was not much on top except for a lamp and a photo consisting of a lime green stallion with a short light blond mane and a certain stetson hat, an orange mare with a mane of a rainbow of different hues of orange, in front of them and slightly off to the side trying to get a better look at a something was a young Big Mac, and there in her mother's hooves was an infant Applejack. Both of her parents wore looks of pride and admiration for their newest little foal. Applejack picked the photograph up and held it in her hooved for a short while, smiling at the ponies in the picture. As she did so she moved one of her hooved to said stetson that was currently resting atop her head, shedding a single tear as she held a memory of her parents in her hooves. The orange mare sniffed upon hearing a soft knock on her door. She looked over to see who it was. “Ya alright AJ?” asked a large red stallion She sniffed again, “Yeah Ah’m alright…” she looked back to the picture still in her hooves, “Do… do ya think Ma and Pa woulda liked her?” she asked, her eyes full of hope. Big Mac looked at his little sister, a small smile on his face, “They pro’ly woulda been weirded out by you fancyin’ a mare… but Ah’m sure in time they woulda came round.” he said putting a foreleg around her and pulling her into a side hug. Greatfully returning the sign of affection she said, “ Thanks Mac… hearin’ that means the world ta me.” After that they shared another hug and Applejack started making her way to the hill. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Applejacks walk to the hill was uneventful, save for an energetic pink mare wanting to play twenty questions. After ascending to the top Applejack began to lay out the picnic she had made for her and Rainbow Dash, who had yet to arrive. From within the confines of the basket she had brought forth two apple pies, a dozen or so fritters, dumplings and some apple cinnamon rolls, all of which were made to suit the cyan mare who was going to be enjoying them. The last to be removed from the basket were six bottles of special made cider. Just as she was setting the last bottle down on the red and white checkered blanket Applejack heard the soft flapping of pegasus wings above her. Looking up she was greeted with two large magenta eye staring right into hers, “ Hey AJ.” said the pony who the eyes belonged to. “Howdy RD!” Applejack said to the pegasus, “ Care ta land and sit a spell?” Landing softly on the blanket across from the farmer mare, Rainbow said, “ Oh here’s the bottle of cider ya wanted me to bring, which I don’t know why since you already have cider here.” pointing a hoof at the six bottles. “Just you wait and see.” Applejack said walking over to the tree where she hid the record player earlier. Dash looked at her friend slightly confused, “ Uh AJ… why did you bring a record player here?” she asked as the orange mare began to wind it up. Carefully pulling the record out of its sleeve and placing it on the turntable, she said, “Cause Ah wanted a great song ta remember this night with,” she flicked the needle over onto the record and the sound of a guitar started playing, she sighed happily and said, “This is one of mah favorite songs, “ she looked over to Rainbow, “It’s called ‘Sundown’ by Gordon Lighthoof.” As the song began to get into the meat of its duration the two mares lied down on the blanket and began to indulge themselves in the goodies Applejack had made. Half way through her first apple cinnamon roll Rainbow couldn’t help but lot out a moan that said ‘this tastes AWESOME!!!’ to which Applejack giggled momentarily. “Ah take it ya like the cinnamon rolls?” she asked “You bet your flank I do!” Rainbow exclaimed, “Why don’t you sell these? I bet you would make a killing.” Applejack giggled again, “Well Ah am the only one who makes ‘em, and Ah only make ‘em fer special occasions, or fer friends who want some.” “Oh… well do ya think I could get some sometime?” she asked “Sure, sugarcube. Ah’ll make ya some.” Rainbow brought a hoof up to below her chin, “ Awesome!” she said and went back to eating her roll. The two mares sat in quiet contemplation for a few minutes, enjoying the music and the sounds of early evening. “COME ON JUST DO IT ALREADY! SHE’S RIGHT THERE JUST ASK HER!” Applejack yelled to herself. She sighed and looked over to the light blue mare and said, “Rainbow… Ah have a question ta ask ya.” Rainbow looked up from her current victim of her hunger and asked, “What is it AJ?” Applejack inhaled sharply and closed her eyes, “Will you be mah marefriend?"