The day was young, but Sunny knew he was already going to heavily enjoy it. For three reasons; 1) it was Big Mac's turn to run the apple stand in town. Not that running the stand is bad or anything, but it was the middle of the week, and that meant it would more then likely be a slow day. Unlike his more silent pal, Sunny heavily enjoyed talking with the ponies in town. So the yellow stallion was more then glad to have remained on the farm today. 2) Today Sunny was tasked with helping Granny Smith and Applejack make the fresh baked apple products they both eat and sell. He had spent a lot of time in town, running around, and meeting lots of ponies. Which was great and all, but staying on the Apple farm and being around most of the Apple family made him feel, well, relaxed. At home even. And 3) between the three of them, they would have all the orders done in no time, and that meant Sunny could spend some time with Applejack and her friends, or well.... Maybe just Appejack.
As the yellow stallion was being instructed by Granny on how to work the dough for the pies so they end up light and fluffy, rather then hard and crunchy, the stallion was finding it harder and harder to listen. Every chance he got he shot a quick look over at the Orange mare who was covered in little blotches of flour and dough. He couldn't explain it much himself, but he felt... Something....
"Are you paying attention, Sunny?!" Granny snapped, narrowing her eyes at the stallion as he flipped his head around to meet her frustrated gaze.
He gulped, fearing he had been caught with his hoof in the cookie jar. "Y-yes granny! Miss! A-ah was listenin'!"
But Granny seemed oblivious as to what Sunny was paying more attention to, or to be more accurate, 'who' he was paying more attention to, and just assumed the Stallion was losing interest in her words of wisdom when it came to the Apple family secret methods to baking. "Maybe ya' would prefer ta' be workin' on the filling. Why don't ya' go peal an' cut up some apple slices. Not too thin this time, ok?"
Sunny nodded sheepishly and moved from the table where the dough was being prepared and rolled out, to the table next to Applejack where she was carefully preparing the pie tins. As he grabbed a few apples and began to carefully peal the skins off then, Applejack took note of his work.
"Ya really improved since ya first started" she said as she smiled at him. "Ah remember when ya could barley move the peeler across the ' apple's skin. Now ya really got it down."
Sunny began to beam with pride as a huge smile spread across his face. He could feel his cheeks becoming red as he lowered his head and tried his best to focus on his work. His heart was beating a million milled per hour when the door to the kitchen flew open, slamming against a wall, with Rarity standing there, looking flustered and more frightened then Sunny had ever seen her.
Her entrance was so sudden, it shocked Sunny to where he accidentally sliced threw the apple and the chunk of apple he cut off from the whole flew across the room and landed on the fashionista's face! To every ponie's surprise, the mare who was all about her appearance and her looks simply wiped the sticky and juicy apple chunk off of her face, and ignored the trail of apple juice that it left behind. She instead homed in on Sunny, who was looking just as worried as Applejack and Granny at this point. Rarity flew across the kitchen and landed next to the yellow stallion.
"Sunny! I need your help! I've been summoned to Canterlot for business but I can't go alone!" The white unicorn gave him the biggest and saddest eyes she could. "Please! Please-please-please! Please! Go with me!" She begged as she batted her eyelashes, slight tears gathering at the far edges of her eyes.
Sunny turned to Applejack, looking concerned and unsure of how to answer. But the orange farm pony gave him a weak smile as she shrugged. "Maybe you should go with her. It might help you with your memory. Besides..." She looked down at her friend who was beginning to tear up, her make up beginning to run. "She looks like she really needs yer help. A true friend helps a friend in need, right?"
"Y-yeah..." Sunny replied half heartedly as he liked down at the fashionista on the brink of tears, as she gave him a small and sweet smile. He gave Rarity a half, but honest grin as he told her "if love to help you, Rarity, so what-"
"Splendid! I've already packed for the occasion, even for you, we can't have you going to this meeting without the proper attire, all free of charge and a gift for you help of course, now we have to hurry, don't want to miss out train!" Rarity spoke faster then Pinkie Pie at this point, and like magic, her make up seemed to fall back into place, even the apple residue seemed to have dissipated (or was absorbed into her coat, Sunny wasn't sure.).
Rarity grabbed Sunny around his right front leg and practically dragged him out of the farm house faster then when she arrived. Granny and Applejack just stood there and tried to take all of it in, looked to each other, and wondering just what kind of meeting had that mare all in twist like that.
(http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SJMizrTFiFo)
Sunny looked out the window of the fast moving train, amazed at not only how the landscape seemed to fly by in a blur, but also how beautiful it was. Other then the trees or rocks that lay in the front, closest to the train, the scenery beyond that was amazing. Being further in the background made it seemed to move a lot slower, allowing Sunny to observe it more. He hadn't been out side Ponyville other then when he first met Goldie Delicious. And off in the far far distance he saw the most amazing sight! His pupils doubled in size as his eyes caught the sight of a castle on the side of the tallest mountain! He couldn't believe his eyes, it was huge! A castle of white and gold stone with accents of purple and slight black. It was like a work of magic!
"Amazing isn't it?" Rarity commented, seeing Sunny gawk at Canterlot. "Every pony thinks so. And wait until we get there! You are going to love it! The glamor! The sophistication! Oh...." The white unicorn sighed with a the joy at the mere thought of Canterlot. "We have a few stops to make, then we'll head on to have lunch with my, eh...."
"Clients?" Sunny completed her sentence, knowing that it was common for business partners and clients to often share a meal together to get to know one another. "Mind telling me who we are meeting and why?"
Rarity heavily sighed as she felt guilty and slightly ashamed for tricking the yellow farm pony. "Well... You see... The 'business' aspect of it is... Well, really 'personal' business... We're... Meeting my parents."
Sunny was still confused. "You do business with your parents?"
"Well ... not really, my parents retired young. They owned several small businesses around Canterlot and Manehatten, and are just enjoying their time together. But because of that, they worry about me, being all caught up in my shop and what not. They think I should be settling down, getting married and having foals."
"Ah...." Sunny commented, not really sure of what to say. He can't really remember his own parents, and the only mother figure he has in his life right now is Granny. And the only parental advise she gave him was 'if you own a farm either have lots of kids or make sure you have lots of grand kids.'
"Sooooo.... I need your held to get my parents off my back." Rarity continued, brining Sunny back to the present. "For the past month or so, my parents have been trying to hook me up with all kinds of stallions. Mainly ones who they knew the parents of. And it's been... Annoying lately. I've been getting love notes and proposal letters from stallions I don't even know. "
"Sounds kinda frustrating" Sunny commented, imagining how weird it would be great some random mares to come up to him every couple of days and want him to marry her. "But I still don t se what you need me for...?"
"Well, and I know it's low of me to put you in this position, but..." The mare gulped. "Would you mind pretending to be my Special Some Pony to get my parents off my back?"
"Your.... What?" The phrase confused the yellow stallion.
"'Special Some Pony'" Rarity repeated herself. "It's a phrase meaning 'a pony you have personal feelings for'. You know, somepony you want to be close with, somepony who makes you feel all warm inside, somepony you want to impress and be with all the time, somepony who make your heart feel like it's going to burst, or burst twice."
Sunny didn't even need to think. As the white mare spoke the image of a certain blond mare with a light orange coat, freckles, and emerald green eyes filled his mind. He didn't know how long he was lost in thought before he realized that Rarity was trying to talk to him. But when she finally was able to snap him out of it, he only shook his head and muttered "huh? What did you say?"
Rarity chuckled, "it seems you might have somepony already in mind, darling. Makes me feel a tad bit more guilty for asking your help with this, but also a tad bit envious. Not to pry, but is she somepony I know?" The smile on Rarity grew as she tried to see threw Sunny.
"Huh? I don't know what you are talking about. Know who?" Sunny began to play a little.
"Playing coy, darling? Tsk tsk tsk. That's not polite." The fashionista commented as she continued to smile.
"Oh? And tricking your parents is?" Sunny countered, returning a cocky smile.
"Touché, touché" the white mare replied, her smug smile wavered.
Sunny let out a huge sigh as he turned and took a good look at the fashionista. "Rarity.... I'm not so sure I'm ok with all of this.... Lying to your parents... Maybe it's because I don't remember my own but... Don't they have your best intreats at heart?"
That added weight to the guilt Rarity had already been carrying. "I know, darling, trust me. I already feel absolutely dreadful about this whole ordeal. I know my Mother and Father mean well... But I'm not some old mare. I want to enjoy life in Ponyville, with my work, and have fun with my friends still...." Ratity's ears slightly dropped as she continued. "The last couple of stallion's who wrote to me explained, in great detail, how I would have to be the one to move in with them when the time came. And since their homes or businesses were located in places like Trottingham, Los Pegasus and even Dodge Junction, that would mean I would have to move away from my friends!"
"You can't do that!" Sunny's heart began to beat a million miles per hour at the thought of Applejack losing one of her best friends.
Rarity tossed her forehoof up to her head and rested herself agains the back of her seat. "I never wish to be separated from my friends, not in any way, shape or form... But these suitors Mother and Father keep sending after me are getting more and more persistent...."
"I'll do whatever I can to help you, Rarity" Sunny said with a smile on his face.
Rarity looked up and shinned at the thought that Sunny was now willing to aid her in her hour of need. "You will! Oh Sunny!" She flew over and jumped at the stallion, giving him a great big hug. "I'm ever so greatful! You have no idea what this means to me!"
'It means you won't lose a part of your world...' Sunny thought, the true emotion behind his smile was that of a saddened envy. 'Friends.... Family.... I will help you to keep them both so you don't lose anypony.'
The train ride lasted for a few more hours before they both arrived in Canterlot. They spoke about what they would be doing in Canterlot, other then just meeting Rarity's parents.
"Just a few small stops before we head to the restaurant to meet my parents, which will give us some time to practice." Rarity began as she happily hopped off the train, Sunny carrying her luggage behind her.
"Practice?" Sunny said between breaths. As usual, Rarity seemed to have packed for a while week rather then just one day.
"Well..." Rarity once again gave Sunny a sheepish look. "I never told them you... Worked on a farm. I told them you worked for the mayor. You know, a high end respectable job involved with authority."
Sunny stopped dead in his tracks, a frown and glair glowing on the stallion's face. "Working on the Apple farm 'is' respectable."
Rarity saw the stallion's anger and tried to recover. "I understand, sweetie, trust me, I have nothing but respect for the working pony. Applejack and I are some of the best of friends. But my parents would never believe I would fall for a stallion who works around, eh-yuck, dirt all day...."
Sunny just pushed out some held breath and frustration and tossed the rest of Ratity's luggage on his back. He was greatful for his earth pony like strength, it made carting the heavy cargo easier.
"Now, you work for the mayor" the white unicorn continued as they walked into the shopping area of Canterlot, Sunny getting a sickening feeling in his stomach that this was not going to end well....