As night fell I shivered from the lowering temperature. I wrapped the quilt tighter around my body for warmth, I storoked the immitation hat of my once loved Applejack. Tonight was the night, after a year of leaving the farm I'd finally come to see her face to face. All I had left to do was wait for her now, and follow her into the woods to the pond. My memories of her was all I had tonight. After tonight... maybe not even that. I closed my eyes and drifted into a catnap. I was awoken later by a loud SMACK!

I opened my eyes and saw AJ at the back door of the old barn. She'd opened the door a little too hard, she was looking for lights, to see if she'd woken any of her family. Nope, all the lights were off. She continued her journy into the thick trees on her monthly path to the pond. I waited several minutes, I had to at least give her time to settle down. And give myself some time to think what I would say. Finally I got up, I let the blanket billow off as I got up. I slowly made my way down the familiar path that had for only a few months of my life been a happy walk with somepony I cared for.

Meanwhile, Big Macintosh in his room sound asleep. Heard a loud BAM! He bolted up and looked out the window for what the rucus was. He saw his sister Applejack making her walk to the pond. After so long she still went down there, something was different tonight though. It wasn't her there was just something strange tonight. He didn't know what it was but he stayed by his window for a few extra minutes. Finally a shadow appeared out of some brushes out left of the field. Big Mac smiled as he saw who it was. After a whole year he still knew it was Applebuckin' season, but more important he still was looking for Applejack. He went back to bed.

I followed the path trying to think of something to say but I couldn't. What could I say, there was no telling how she would react to the sight of me. As I made it to the clearing I saw the familiar teal-blue water glistening on the surface radiating its blue aura up into the canopy of the apple trees. I saw AJ staring into the waters edge, right next to her left hoof, a small sprout only a year old, I smiled. I exited the brush with a small rustling sound, she heard it because her ears pricked up but she didn't say anything. I just went over and sat beside her, both off us not looking at the others reflection in the water.

Finally I glanced over to her, after a year of rehabilitaion it seemed she was finally able to walk. I looked back down and smiled, my little fighter, I knew she wouldn't give up so easily.

"Ah got better," she started the conversation, still not looking up but I saw the tears in her eyes, "Ah can walk now." she told me.

"I see that." I said.

We were quiet for a few more minutes.

"Ah shouldn't have done that to ya." she said, "ya didn't deserve it I'm sorry." she told me.

I smiled and finally looked up at her, for the first time in a whole year I saw those breathtaking emerald eyes again. Although they were full of apology and sadness I still couldn't believe how much they'd captivated my attention.

"You were just angry that's all." I told her comfortingly trying to make her feel better.

"That don't make it right." she said, "You saved me." she said stepping closer but still careful of the sprout on the floor. We both looked down at it, it was a sprout from the heart apple we'd planted last summer.

"Were've you been all this time?" she asked sitting back down, it was just like old times. Sitting here at the lake, telling stories until three in the morning, only barely getting back to the farm before sunrise. I took a breath pondering where to tell my story.

After leaving the farm I didn't have any place to go. At least this time I had a little money, and food. It didn't last long. I kept heading east as my plan was to do before I got sidetracted. Every day I thought of that mare, even more once a month when I'd look up to see Luna's full moon in the sky. Reminescing on old times when, for once, I was happy. It was a long way into the next town. I'd run out of food long before, money was useless out here, there were no shops on the way. What I'd give for a haybacon and cheese sandwich right now. I kept moving by trying out some of the plants I found along the way. Some of them were good, some were bad, some were really really bad. Not gunna get into the details of what happened to my boody though.

Somehow I reached the next town, found a store and walked through the door. Dirty and grimy once more, I poured the contents of what I had on the counter and told the waiter to give me something hot and delicious. He came back with a cup of coffee and a daisy and tulip cheese burger. It was divine after so long of being hungry. After that I got what was left of my money and rented a motel for the night. I got cleaned up and went to bed. The next morning I went to a local gym to try to get a job as a trainer. I had to make money somehow, and I wasn't about to step in the ring myself.

And who should be there but Dirt, he apparently ran the gym. I was in some town called Haymill, it was a small town, so small you can toss a rock across to send a message to somepony, Dirt had said. I trained a couple of boxers, one of them was a peppy young foal name Rocket. He went on to go to the junior division chapionship, he was knocked out in the semifinals but I was proud of him. His father wasn't.

As the fifth round began of his match I watched his father roaring at him to give it more, I could see exhastion setting in, he wouldn't last long, then again he was the youngest in the division. I didn't expect him to win. I trained him for eight months for this moment. Suddenly I heard the crowd roar, I looked up to the ring, Rocket was down. The reff began the count.

1...2...3...4...5...6...7

His eyes opened a bit, he wasn't going to take much more even if he did get up, he looked at me. I smiled and nodded my head at him.

"GET UP!" his father shouted, "GET THE BUCK UP AND KEEP FIGHTING DAMMIT!" his father shouted.

9...10!

"THAT'S IT MATCH OVER!" the reff held up the victors hoof.

His father was swearing and raising Tartarus all over the place. I got up and pressed my muzzle to his.

"Cut it out!" I said to him.

"Or else what?" he shot me a menacing glare.

I gave him a good hoof to the face which sent him flying back into a couple of chairs. He was out cold. I went to the ring to congragulate Rocket, even though he didn't win he was still a champ for putting up with that. I got into the ring and picked him up. As he stirred he looked up to me.

"Did I win?" he slurred.

"Ya kid." I told him, "you won."

After I left the arena I began to walk home, but somepony tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around expecting to see Rockets dad. Instead I saw myown. I stared at the old man for the first time in forever. Once again it was like a movie scene.

"I saw what ya did to that kids dad." he said.

"Ya?" I told him raising an eyebrow at him totally prepared to do the same to him.

"I just wish somepony woulda snapped me out of it like that all those years ago." he told me.

Again silence.

"I've been talking to ya mother again." he said trying to strike casual conversation, "we're uh, thinkin' about gettin' back together."

I nodded. Silence.

"Well it's been nice seein' you son."

He said turning to walk away.

"Dad." I told him, I hadn't called him that since I started hoofboxing when I was seven, it was always coach or sir.

He turned around also surprised at the referance I'd used to call him by.

"Ya?" he said.

"I forgive you dad." I told him after a brief silence, I heard a small thunder roll and it began to rain. Good thing now too because now he couldn't see my tears coming down.

He just smiled and nodded to me, "Thanks son" he said and turned to walk away. I did the same.

After a few more months Rockets dad commited suiced, Rocket was sent into foster care. It broke my heart, I didn't want to see the little guy go. I headed back were I knew I could go. As I started westbound I was stopped going through a familiar town. Ponyville. I walked right past Sweet Apple Acres. That's were I saw her, I remembered it was summer again... Applebucking season, and there she was, buckin' apples just like her old self.

"So I watched you and your family for the next few days." I told her, "Waiting for just the right moment," I told her looking up at the sky, "waiting for the moon to hit just the right spot." I smiled and looked back at her.

She smiled back at me.

"Just like old times, huh?" I told her.

She gave her famous country girl guffle again, I missed that, "Eyup," she said, "just like old times" And there it was that old sparkle what only came around when she was happy.

I swiped off her hat, "HAY!" she said, I tossed it on the ground jumped into the water.

"Common," I shouted to her.

She got up and jumped in after me. This time, we didn't wrestle we didn't splash we just floated there. Gazing into each others eyes again. I felt so happy, happier than I ever had before.

"Maybe you can come work on the farm just layk old times too." she said.

"Ya," I said drifting closer a to her, we were just inches away now, "maybe" I said.

The End