Not The Obvious Answer

by Jhoira

A Meeting On The Street. It Was Quite Neat. (May 11th, Saturday afternoon.)

Applejack smiled as she and Coco walked down the street, trying not to worry about Rarity and her issues for the time being at least. She was casting a bit of a wary eye around to see if anyone was giving them the stink eye but no one was, then again most ponies didn't know that this was actually a date so no one would know to judge her harshly for robbing the cradle. She sighed mentally at herself, she knew Rarity was right, they really weren't that far apart in age and in a few years the age gap would mean quite literally nothing, but at this point, she did feel a little guilty for going out with Coco who was still only a few years an adult.

Applejack realized that she was spending time with her thoughts and not her date. She turned to look at Coco, she had her trademark adorable little pin in her hair and that little collar thing she often wore. Applejack was more confused by the strange little collar but Coco seemed to like it. Applejack wasn't sure if it was a fashion thing or an affectation but the flower was cute. "Hey sugar cube, I need yer help."

Coco blinked but nodded, smiling, slightly nervously at her marefriend. "O-Of course Applejack! What do you need?"

"I've never been to a prench restaurant, what should I get?"

Coco giggled happily, giving a full genuine smile to Applejack. "I think you'd like the ratatouille, lots of vegetables."

Applejack grimaced slightly. "Uh, perhaps something without rat in it." Coco's eyes widened for a moment before she burst out giggling more that she had to stop walking so she could focus on giggling. Applejack frowned at the city pony. "Now what the hay there Coco. We don't eat rats on the farm if that's what yer thinking." At that Coco couldn't help but giggle more, sinking down on her knees as she continued to chortle, trying to stop herself but unable to. "Now really sugar cube, you're making me a might upset here..."

Coco couldn't answer for another few moments as she gasped for breath. "N... No... Applejack." She giggled slightly but managed to keep her voice at least mostly under control. "Ra-ratatouille is a vegetable dish."

Applejack's ears instantly went down and she blushed a bit. "Oh, oh. I'm sorry sugar cube." She smiled a little awkwardly as she leaned in and gave Coco a kiss on the cheek, causing the girl to blush. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that. Forgive me?" Coco nodded vigorously as she stood up. Applejack smiled, apparently, she'd found Coco's forgiveness button, she shouldn't exploit that, but it would be very useful. As the two started walking Applejack frowned a little. "I need ta make you a promise sugar cube."

Coco stared for a few moments tilting her head, trying to think what could have brought this one but came up with a blank and nodded. "Okay Applejack, what's the promise?"

Applejack gave her a bit of a chagrined look. "I promise to ask for clarification before getting upset with ya."

Coco giggled again, nodding at her marefriend. "Mhmm! I will make the same promise! Communication will make everything better!"

Applejack didn't quite share the optimistic 'everything' there but she agreed with the spirit of the statement. "Honesty is the best policy." She grinned, overly proud of her less than clever reference to herself but Coco gave Applejack the giggle she was after. Applejack was really becoming a bit enamored with that giggle, luckily Coco used it a lot. She was about to open her mouth to say something else when she heard a familiar voice greet her.

"Why hello there Applejack. With a new companion at her back." Applejack looked up to see Zecora trotting towards them.

"Why how do Zecora. This companion of mine is my fri... My marefriend Coco." Applejack was worried that Coco would take offense at the slip-up, but she simply beamed at being called Applejack's marefriend. Applejack let out a sigh of relief though a little non-plussed by how easy it seemed to please Coco.

"Ahh, I had not heard. My congratulations are conferred." She smiled and gave the two a small bow. "Have you seen the princess here? I refer to the one who is near."

Applejack shook her head. "No, I'm afraid I ain't seen Twilight."

"She visited Rarity yesterday." They both looked at Coco. "She said she was going to visit a friend in the hospital."

"Well, that is too bad. There were new potions to be had. We will have to meet another day. I leave you two, and away." Zecora smiled and bowed again to the ponies and started to trot off.

"Zecora." Applejack raised a hoof to waylay the zebra who regarded her curiously. "You and Twilight get that... Uh..." Applejack blushed a bit, maybe she was getting a bit ahead of herself but... She glanced over at Coco smiling at her marefriend before looking back at Zecora. "You and Twilight get that potion you two were trying to make last week to work?"

"We made many potions last week. Perhaps be more specific with what you seek."

Applejack took in a deep breath through her nose, she couldn't just say it, not in front of Coco. "The one for Starlight."

Zecora grinned a bit as she looked between Coco and Applejack. Thankfully since Coco didn't know the context of Starlight's potion request she was none the wiser, and Zecora wasn't going to go blabbing all around ponyville as to what exactly Starlight wanted from a potion. "Ahh, it is that potion after which you inquire. Yes, we did make the potion which she did desire."

Applejack smiled and nodded. "Thanks Zecora."

"Would you like us to brew you one now? It is not so hard since we know how."

Applejack blushed a bit and shook her head. "Ahh, no thank you Zecora." She opened her mouth to continue but she couldn't without lying or intensifying Coco's now curious look and so she closed her mouth and just smiled.

Zecora simply nodded and started her way off again while Coco looked at Applejack curiously. "What potion did Starlight need?"

Applejack frowned, trying to hide her blush, thankfully her orange fur was decent at that. "Now it ain't polite to pry sugar cube."

"Wait... But you just... Huh...?" Coco frowned then grinned. "Oh! You're just trying to change the subject!" She giggled again.

"Why would I do that sugar cube? I have a far better change of subject!"

"Oh?"

"We're here." Applejack pointed up at the sign that said 'Pâturage De Fleurs,' walking over and opening the door. "After you, milady."

Coco giggled as she walked through the door. "So gallant, thank you."

Comments

[Baree]

Err... It's spelled Zecora. Just saying.

[Jhoira]

9622923
Hehe, whoops. ^.^ There we go, all better.

[Starlight Nova]

Why is this rated T?

[Jhoira]

9623058
Just me being cautious, I'm not sure where the story is going. Like this one is very milk-toast, but the one with Flitter and RD is a bit more serious and they'll have cross overs, and I don't expect this one to stay quite so milk-toast. (But hey, it might.)

[bjenk4]

9623059
Are we likely to see either a zecora/twilight or a starlight/and I'm guessing trixie? story/ies added to this shipverse?

[Jhoira]

9623341
That's the plan. Though I left the Starlight question open because this is meant to be at least semi-unusual ships. But Startrix is one of my OTPs so I might not be able to resist.

[Jhoira]

9623341
Though I wouldn't be lying if I said I wasn't considering setting up a Twilight and Cloud Chaser ship. If you've read the others it's pretty obvious I'm setting up for a Fluttershy Muffins (Derpy) ship, but I'm not entirely sure what I'm gonna do with Pinkie and Twilight. (Not going to lie I've considered throwing in a curveball and shipping Fluttershy with someone else but probably won't end up doing it.)

[bjenk4]

9623923
Pinkie/doctor hooves (doc who headcannon varient) is about the only background ship I can think of. Discord is only other character that could keep up but hes more of a mane cast member than background.

I can see derpy/fluttershy ship working well, any flutterbat appearance Being considered?

[Jhoira]

9623968
*GASP!* A straight ship!? Bite your tongue you neanderthal! *Snickers* And I don't like Doctor Who so that drives me away from that idea. :D

[bjenk4]

9623873
Starlight/tempest shadow depending on how far down the timeline you want to go would be a more unusual pairing you could use

[Jhoira]

9623974
*Snickers* I actually really hate tempest shadow. I don't find her a pitiable character I find her a reprehensible one. She's Starlight without the "greater good" to fall back on, so she's just a traitor... And a member of the rebel alliance!

[Poet Knight]

9623341
Yeah the ZecoTwi could be a good one if the author is confident of his rhyming. (Could also explain how Zecora knew the potion worked )

[Jhoira]

9627268
Her rhyming. And I think I did well in this one! (And you don’t know what the position was!... Though it's heavily implied go be naughty it could just be embarrassing, like diarrhea!)

[Orphan]

9623976
And at the end of the moment vie, she finds herself with a debt like no other and a thousand way to repay it. Guilt, and self-hate, and all those years that she needs to untrain from herself. Can’t go throwing nobles out of windows!

[Bookwurm666]

no one would know to judge her harshly for robbing the cradle

think of it as cradling the robin