Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

To a Stallion's heart

Sunny, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and the Cutie Mark Crusaders all arrived back in Ponyville just shortly before dinner time. As the group dispersed, Sunny walked with Apple Bloom back to the farm. As they walked, Apple Bloom expressed her enthusiasm for the up coming 'Daring Doo' movie and how she and the other crusaders were going to work hard to make their own Daring Doo costumes.

"Sure other ponies could just 'buy' their costumes, but where is the fun in that?!" Apple Bloom explained as she happily trotted along side the yellow stallion.

"And let me guess, you might get a cutie mark in 'costume making'?" Sunny half joked, knowing the crusaders turned everything into a project to get their cutie marks.

"Exactly!" Apple Bloom said as she jumped up and down amazingly more excited then she had been a moment ago. "Ya know Sunny, yer a great stallion! It's like yer my long lost brother 'er somethin'."

This made Sunny beam with delight. He always thought Apple Bloom was the perfect little sister figure, and it just made his heart, well, explode when she said that. She was cute, without being too girly. Halfway back to the farm from, the little yellow filly began to yawn, her eyelids began to bounce, wanting to shut fully and allow the little pony to sleep. Without asking, Sunny picked up the yellow filly and began to carry her on his back. By the time they made it back to the farm house, she was out cold.

Both Applejack and Big Mac met them at the door to the barn, both happy to see the safe return of the two yellow farm ponies. Big Mac offered to take his younger sister off Sunny's hooves and put her to bed. Sunny didn't argue. After the day's escapade, not to mention carrying all of Rarity's stuff around, as well as all the shopping she wanted to do, Sunny was a bit worn out. And tomorrow he knew it would be his turn to work in the fields again.

"Have fun?" Applejack asked as Sunny sat at the table with her in the farm house kitchen. She passed him a tall glass of milk as he began telling her all about what happened with Ratity and her parents. Sunny did his best to go over most of the story, but between the glass of milk and the exhausting day, he too was feeling slightly drained. The thought of that comfortable bed sounding more and more inviting by the moment.

"Well.... It was interesting" the yellow stallion then cracked his back. "Ugh... I'm thinking if it's ok with you, I'm going to actually call it a night. Got lots of work tomorrow, bright and early."

Applejack's heart sunk a little, but she never let her face show how disappointed she really was. "Yeah, sounds like a good idea. You sure ya ain't hungry, though? Ah could wipe ya something up really fast. Never good to go to bed on an empty stomach, ya know."

"I'm good, thank you" he said as he hopped out of his seat and stretched again. "But I'll be fine."

With that, the yellow stallion on the farm carried himself upstairs into the guest room where he had been staying the entire time, walked inside, shut the door gently behind him, then jumped and plopped into the bed, his Stetson falling to the ground. And like that, the stallion was out cold.

Applejack watched every step he took. And when he shut the door behind himself, she let out a heavy held sigh, her ears and eyes falling to the floor. She had hoped to spend more time with him today. She didn't know Rarity would have him out for so long. She remembered how this morning she struggled to keep her eyes off of him, not wanting to notice her catching sights of him whenever he wasn't looking. She sighed heavily again.

"Something the matter, Applejack?" Granny asked as she walked into the kitchen, ready to get supper started.

"Granny... Have you ever..." The orange mare began to say, but her words were difficult to spit out.

"What is it, child?" The elderly green mare asked as she began to pull out ingredients.

"Well.... Ah've been sendin' Sunny out an' about, here and there, hoping that somepony, anypony, would help ta jog his memory. Twilight said his memory loss wasn't magical. Something so bad happened to th' feller that his mind suppressed it.... "

"Yep, must have been somethin' really, dang awful ta do that ta a pony" Granny said as she began chopping up some apples.

"Do ya think I'm doing right by him?" Applejack asked, walking up beside her grandmother and helping her prepare the ingredients. "Ah just... Ah want to do what's best fer him.... But... But what if living here with us is what's best? Can he just keep living here with us? Forever? Become one of the family? Ah means, he works well, he's a hard worker! And Big Mac and Apple Bloom seem ta be gettin' along with him, and ah'..."

Granny continued to peel apples but looked up at her grand daughter, who had paused trying to gather her words and feelings. "You, what, Applejack?"

But the pony of honesty couldn't directly say what was bothering her. "Ah just... Ah really want him to stay here. With us... He's like family."

Granny smile and pulled her eldest grand daughter in for a hug. "Applejack, if yer afraid of losin' that wiper snapper, don't be. Ah see the way he looks at you. The way his face lights up when he sees you. How he jumps to yer aid, always tryin' so hard to show you he's good stock."

Applejack was on the verge of tears, but she held an honest smile. "Ah don't know what it is Granny... Ah've never felt this way before, not 'bout any pony before."

Granny released Applejack from her hug and bopped her on her orange nose. "That's called 'love' sweetie. You've been bit by the ol' love bug. And pretty bad to, he he... And you know the best way to ah stallion's heart?"

Applejack's tears clear up as she thinks. "Ugh... Hard work and determination?"

"Through his stomach" Granny corrected her. "And if there's one thing ah think ya've learned 'bout Sunny is his favorite Apple family breakfast is-"

"Apple Fritters!" Applejack then realizes all the ingredients that Granny brought out were for making the breakfast treat! "But how did you..." Applejack began to ask how Granny guessed to make them for the next morning. Did she plan to anyway?

"When you get to be 'bout mah age, sweetie, ya just know things" Granny said, cracking some eggs into a bowl with flour. "Now, are ya gunna help me, or do ah have ta make these mah self?"

Applejack laughed as she put her hat on the rack by the kitchen door and with much bravado, began making the best apple fritters she ever crafted, putting all her tender love and care into them, wanting to impress the stallion that walked into her life and stole her heart.