After reading Trenderhoof's about Ponyville, Applejack decides to give the naive unicorn a second chance
The story picks up after the episode "Simple Ways".
After his visit to Ponyville, Trenderhoof writes an article about the beauties of the humble village. He writes, in particular, about a certain mare, whom he had admired so much to the point that he wanted to move to the said village. Applejack reads this article and, touched by his words, decides to give the naive writer a second chance. However, she needs to do it without her friends, Rarity in particular, knowing.
The newspaper finally arrived at Sweet Apple Acres that fine morning and Winona took it from the porch to the dinning table, where the Apple family were having their breakfast. The Apples enjoyed a meal of pancakes that Apple Bloom had made. She was not a good chef, but at least her pancakes were edible enough for her family. Granny Smith, since her teeth could not allow her to eat much solids, had to blend her food into a smoothie for her to eat properly. Big Macintosh had a tower of pancakes for himself, because of his hefty appetite. Applejack, on the other hoof, did not mind much her breakfast; she took the news paper from Winona's mouth and patted her head, making the dog bark in delight and sit on the floor, beginning to eat her own breakfast.
Applejack took off the rubber band from the newspaper and began to unroll it, revealing the text that was written on it. The headline news wan not all that important; all it said was that some parasprites began to invade Canterlot, but they were put under control immediately. As Applejack flipped the pages of the newspaper for something interesting to read, she noticed a picture of Ponyville town square. She read the article that was connected to it and, to her surprise, she recognized the name of the writer.
It was Trenderhoof, the young unicorn who had visited Ponyville not too long ago to attend Rarity's Ponyville Gala. She still remembered the headache that he had caused to both her and Rarity, since, at that time, Rarity had a crush on Trenderhoof, but Trenderhoof had a crush on Applejack. Things got awkward that time, and, let's just say, things nearly went downhill for Rarity and Applejack's friendship.
Despite this, Applejack decided to read the article. The title was alluring to her, for some reason: Humble Beauty. She thought that this was referring to Ponyville, being a town founded by Earth Ponies and all, and how Rarity transformed it from a simple village gathering to a gala.
Ponyville, what words can I describe it with? It does not show any glamour, nor does it have anything special. In fact, this small village lies in the edge of the Everfree forest, considered to be one of the most dangerous places in all of Equestria. Why would any pony want to go there? What good can come from this humble little town?
The answer lies in the ponies who live here. Ponyville is a town founded upon the hard work of the ponies living here, most especially the Earth Ponies. Unlike the grand cities like Manehatten, Trottingham, Las Pegasus, Cloudsdale, or even Canterlot herself, Ponyville was built by the same ponies who live there. And they take pride in this, not because their town is well known, but because they have earned it with their own sweat and blood. And even until now, they still work hard to show Equestria what they are made of.
I learned this all through one mare I met. When I first arrived in Ponyville, I met the mare who was in charge of a certain gala in town. I realized how much Ponyville wanted to be acknowledged in the world of fame in Equestria. The mare made efforts to make her village externally beautiful, and I must say, she made a fantastic job at it. However, there was this other mare who caught my attention in Ponyville. She was not elegant, nor did she posses anything of external beauty; she was just a farm girl, who worked hard. It did not become clear to me yet, but for some reason, my heart fell for her. That is right, I fell in love. I wondered to myself, how could somepony as attractive as her be working hard on a farm, bucking apples off trees and plowing fields with the strength that equaled that of a full-grown stallion.
It brought me to think; I have met other mares before, but not one of them would lift a hoof to do corporal work for the sake of her morals, town or country. Their beauty is wasted because they only care about what is externally about themselves. This mare did not think anything of that; all she had in her mind was that she needed to work for a living, and that the beauty of it. It was not because she was beautiful externally, for to my eyes, she really was, but her determination to do what is right for her family, village and friends was what really struck me the most.
Sadly, when I asked her out for that evening's gala, she turned me down. She was not ready to be in a relationship, and I must admit, I fell blindly into love. But if ever I do get the chance to visit Ponyville again, I hope I still see the same beauty I found there. Not the external, but the hard earned.
Applejack was speechless after reading the article. She lowered the newspaper and was surprised to see her family staring intently at her as if she had seen a revelation. The mare twitched an eye and asked them,
"Uh... what are y'all looking at?"
"Ummm, Applejack." replied Apple Bloom. "You haven't touched your breakfast. Don't 'ya like my pancakes?"
"Oh of course I do, sugar cube." she replied, patting her little sister's head.
"Then why haven't you even started eating it?" asked Granny Smith.
"I... uh..." Applejack thought of an excuse; the article she had just read kind of took away her appetite. "I'm not that much hungry. Can 'ya save these for me later?"
"I'm not so sure, AJ." replied Apple Bloom. "Big Mac has been eyeballin' your pancakes ever since he finished eating his stacks."
"Eeyup!" added Macintosh.
"He can have it, then." she said, excusing herself from the table. "I need to go out and get some fresh air."
The cowgirl took the newspaper with her as she left her home, leaving Big Macintosh to help himself with his sister's breakfast. Granny Smith and Apple Bloom watched in annoyance as the hungry stallion greedily took the pancakes off Applejack's plate and gulped it in one bite.
Applejack made her way to Carousel Boutique; she wanted to ask Rarity about the article that Trenderhoof had written. But when she arrived at the boutique, she found Sweetie Belle sitting outside, a bit concerned, sitting on the porch.
"Heya there, Sweetie Belle." she greeted. "Why are you so glum?"
"Hi, Applejack." replied Sweetie Belle. "It's Rarity. She does not seem to be in a good mood to be interrupted right now."
"Let me guess: she's working on a new design of clothing?" Applejack said with a tone of sarcasm.
"To be honest, no." replied Sweetie Belle.
Hearing that, Applejack was surprised. She did not think that Rarity would have any other reason to not be in a good mood. She then asked,
"Then, what's gotten her so upset?"
"She said it was about an article in the newspaper she read." replied Sweetie Belle. "She's kinda upset about the writer, but I'm not sure why."
Applejack blushed, hiding the newspaper she was carrying in her cowgirl hat.
"You don't say..." said Applejack, scrunching her mouth, looking left and right.
"Yeah." replied Sweetie Belle. "If you have anything to say to Rarity, just tell me, and I'll tell her later when she's cooled off."
Applejack took a step back and said,
"Well I was supposed to talk to her confidentially, but I guess I can wait until tomorrow. Thanks, Sweetie Belle."
Applejack then made her leave, saying her goodbyes to the young unicorn, who bade her farewell. She made her way back to Sweet Apple Acres, not knowing what to do next. She still could not get Trenderhoof's words out of her mind. It really felt like they really touched her to the heart. What was also troubling to her was the fact that Rarity was feeling bad because of those same words. She would not want to be the cause of more trouble for her friend.
But for some reason, in Applejack's mind, she felt like she wanted to talk to Trenderhoof.
Morning dawned on the city of Manehattan, but the beautiful morning was almost unseen due to the urban environment. The sound of carriages, street vendors, and commuting ponies muffled the sounds of morning that could be usually heard in a quiet town. An alarm clock went off at around seven thirty in the morning, only to be switched off magically by Trenderhoof. The unicorn groaned a bit, not wanting to get out of his bed, which was not that much comfortable, but nevertheless was still a bed. He tossed his pillow off and slowly began to sit up. His eyes were still drooping and his mane was a mess. He shook his head a bit, trying to wake himself up.
He turned to the left side of his bed and slowly planted his hooves into his soft slippers before finally getting his body out of bed. He was wearing his pajamas, which were light blue, with dark blue stripes. He then made his way to the bathroom slowly, dragging his hooves on the floor. He came in, making his way to the sink, and began to refresh himself, washing his face and brushing his teeth. After that, putting on his glasses, he made his way to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast.
As he made his way to the kitchen, he noticed that the mail had arrived for him, with the envelopes inserted through the mail slot on the front door of his apartment. Using his magic, he picked up the envelopes and brought it with him to the kitchen, where he made coffee for himself. He sat down at table, sipping some coffee from his mug, and began to open the envelopes to inspect his mail.
As per usual, aside from bills which he had not payed in months, he saw some critiques about his article, most of them bad. He should not be surprised; the article he had written was not as good as his previous articles, which praised the accomplishments of every town he had visited. His latest article praised only one pony and even, in a way, rejected the efforts of external beauty of the village.
He was ready to throw them away when one last envelope caught his attention. Unlike the previous ones, this one was from Ponyville.
Curious, Trenderhoof opened the envelope and found not a critique of his article, but a letter addressed specifically to him.
Dear Trenderhoof,
I know the last time we met, we did not exactly see eye to eye. But after reading your article here on the newspaper, I think I understand why you really had a liking for me. I did not understand it at first, but for some reason, your words can't get out of my mind. I'd really want to talk to you about this, and if you get the chance, please visit me in Ponyville anytime soon.
Sincerely, Applejack
P.S. You might wanna stay away from Rarity for the time being.
The letter was short and to the point, something typical for Applejack. Trenderhoof had mixed feelings after reading the letter; he felt very happy that the mare in her article actually gave back positive feedback, not only about the article, but also about his feelings for her, but also a feeling of awkwardness and regret. Only a few weeks ago, this mare turned him down, saying that she was not ready for a relationship.
In all honesty, Trenderhoof still loved her, but because of what had happened in Ponyville, he tried to suppress this feeling, knowing that falling into blind love was dangerous. But now here she is, writing to him, asking him to come to Ponyville. What would she say to him? How would he act? How should he behave? He was determined not to make any mistakes this time.
Within a few hours, Trenderhoof readied his stuff. He did not know how long he was going to stay in Ponyville this time. It was just the beginning of the Summer season in Equestria, and already, things were getting pretty hot for him.
Applejack stood on the platform at the Ponyville train station; she had received a letter saying that a certain unicorn was on his way from Manehattan to meet her. It was the first days of summer that time, and the sun was shinning bright and hot on the town that day. The young mare was lucky to be wearing her traditional cowgirl hat to keep her under the shade during this heated season.
Despite all these, she still felt nervous; she still did not know what to say. All that kept going around in her mind was how blindly Trenderhoof fell for her and how she had rejected him. His words still struck her, and she could not really understand the feeling of it. She did not want to tell it to her friends, especially to Rarity, who, until now, is still cross at Trenderhoof.
Applejack just stood there, staring blankly into the horizon, waiting. Finally, she heard a train whistle blow, and a silhouette of a train appeared from afar on the tracks. The train came closer and closer, filling Applejack with mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness.
The train finally stopped and out came the passengers. The cowgirl looked left and right for the pony she was waiting for from the crowd of ponies coming out of the train cars. Finally, she caught a glimpse; she noticed Trenderhoof, wearing his recognizable shaded glasses and his sweater, despite the fact that it was hot that day.
She dodged throw the crowd toward him, but she did not want to call his name. She just finally arrived in front of him, who, in surprise, looked back at her. There was a moment of awkward silence; clearly both of them did not know how to greet the other. But Trenderhoof finally broke the ice, trying his best to keep his cool, and greeted her first.
"Hello there, Applejack."
"Hey, Trenderhoof." replied Applejack. "I'm so glad you came."
Another moment of awkward silence came; Trenderhoof did not know how to reply to that statement. He did not want to jump to a conclusion that Applejack wanted him back. He did not want to be the same blind fool he was.
"Well, you did say you wanted to speak to me about my article." he replied, his voice mixed with calm and nervousness.
"Yeah, that was pretty much what kept my mind busy nowadays." said Applejack, rubbing her foreleg, looking away bashfully. "I really liked how you wrote about me being hard working and all."
"All I did was write the truth." he said, hoping that his words would not screw up the conversation. "As I've said before, Ponyville is beautiful in itself, but it's ponies like you that make me admire it."
Applejack, once again felt touched by those words, but did not want to show it. She looked around and noticed that they were the only two ponies left on the platform. The train had finished boarding passengers and was ready to leave. She then asked him,
"How long do you plan to stay here in Ponyville?"
"Well it's up to you." he replied. "You were the one who invited me and I have no other business here."
"Oh, I see..." Applejack felt embarrassed. She realized that she had dragged a city pony out of his home just for a conversation that would have take only a few minutes or seconds. But it just kept bothering her that she had to do it anyway.
"Would you like to stay at my place for the night?" she said, hoping that her bringing him here would at least mean something to him. She did not want his visit here to be a total waste, and it was unethical for her, since she is a very hospitable pony.
"I'd love that, Applejack." replied Trenderhoof, containing his happiness. He was finally being invited to her house, something he thought would never happen after what had happened back then.
"We'd might wanna go through a different route then." added Applejack. "If you remember what I wrote, Rarity might get really cross at me if she at least sees you."
"Yes." replied Trenderhoof. "I feel bad for breaking Miss Rarity's heart, and I really wish I hadn't been the fool I was back then."
"You weren't a fool." said Applejack as they both began to walk. "You were just... err... umm.... not thinking straight that time."
"Yes, exactly." he replied. "I did not exactly know what I was doing. My real goal that day was to write a story about Ponyville, and I had high expectations from Rarity, which she fulfilled, but..."
The unicorn groaned, not knowing what else to say. Applejack decided to cheer him up and replied,
"That's all right, sugar cube. We do stupid things when we fall in love."
She did not realize what she had said until it had come out of her mouth. She immediately looked away, hiding her blushing face from him. Trenderhoof himself felt bashful, but he knew what she said was right. He then asked,
"Have you ever fallen in love?"
Now this question got Applejack thinking; she did not know what to say. Had she ever felt any romantic affection for another pony? Does she feel it now? It was confusing for her, so she replied,
"I don't think I want to dwell into that yet."
Trenderhoof felt like he stepped over border with that one question and backed down, saying,
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." replied Applejack. "Like I said, you're a nice pony, but I just did not feel like I was in a ready for a relationship. I didn't say I hate you, Trenderhoof."
Trenderhoof made a relieved smile, and the two continued to walk the alternate route to Sweet Apple Acres. Evening was fast approaching, but the temperature outside was still high; this was going to be a hot summer.
The two finally arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, a little sweaty because of the alternate, long route they took to get there. Applejack took off her hat and wiped the sweat off her forehead whilst Trenderhoof had sweat marks on the pits of his sweater.
"Wow, it's so hot today." said Trenderhoof, using his magic to get a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his face.
"Well us ponies get used to it." replied Applejack. "I'm sorry I had to let us use the long way."
"It's alright." he said. "We wouldn't want to upset Miss Rarity, now, would we?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
The two walked up towards the barn. The unicorn looked at the building and made a sigh, still remembering the last time he had visited the place. He still remembered that outfit he wore to try to impress Applejack, only to have her say no to him. He also remembered Rarity that day, who did the same thing just to impress him. The memory made him feel awkward and uneasy.
Applejack opened the door and the two walked into the living room. There, Granny Smith was sitting on her rocking chair while Big Macintosh was fixing a coffee table; Applebloom was with her fellow Crusaders, trying to get their cutie marks.
"Howdy, y'all." Greeted Applejack. "I'm home!"
Big Macintosh was too busy to reply, but Granny Smith, seeing the young unicorn accompanying her granddaughter, said,
"Hey, I remember you!"
Trenderhoof flinched for a moment, but then he realized who this old pony was; she was one of the founders of Ponyville, whom he danced with back in the gala in Ponyville.
"Miss Granny Smith, I presume?" he said.
"Darn Tootin!" she replied. "And you must be Trendyhoof!"
"Ummm, it's Trenderhoof."
"Close enough!"
Hearing his voice, Big Macintosh stopped what he was doing and looked around. Seeing him, an angry pout came to his face; Applejack told him about how much the young unicorn had annoyed her before, and he did not like seeing his sister getting annoyed. The angry look caused Trenderhoof to be startled. But Applejack, intervened, saying,
"Alright, everypony, Trenderhoof here will be staying for the night with us. And I was the one who invited him over, so I expect y'all to treat him like an honoured guest. Understood?"
"Oh, I bet he's gonna enjoy his stay here!" replied Granny Smith. "Ain't that right Big Mac?"
Macintosh just looked straight at Trenderhoof with the same intimidating look and blankly replied,
"Eeyup..."
Trenderhoof felt intimidated at the brother's stare.
Applejack then took his bags and said to him,
"Let's get you to our guest room."
"A-alright.." replied Trenderhoof.
He then followed her upstairs to the Apple family guest room. Big Macintosh continued fixing the table and Granny Smith continued rocking on her chair.
The two finally reached the room, which had a bed with a wood carving of an apple. It did not look as fancy as a Canterlot Suite or a Manehattan Hotel Room; just a simple farm bedroom.
"I'm sorry, it ain't much." said Applejack. "We don't usually have fancy guests over."
"It's fine, Applejack." he replied. "It's way better than my apartment room."
Applejack put down Trenderhoof's bags near a corner and asked,
"So, how long do you plan on staying, Sugar cube?"
"I honestly do not know." chuckled Trenderhoof. "I guess until all this awkwardness finally goes away."
"I understand." replied Applejack, looking down. "I feel a little stupid for bringing you all the way here for nothing."
Trenderhoof saw that she felt the same awkwardness he was feeling, and she too looked like she was in shame. He walked up to her, placing his hoof on her chin to lift her head up, knowing that this may be an act of affection, but with the real intention of just cheering her up.
"Don't look yourself low, Applejack." he said calmly. "I guess it's better this way."
He did not know what else to say; he feared that he was overstepping his boundaries again, but his real goal was just to cheer her up. What he got in reply surprised him; Applejack gave him a hug, though not long and affectionate.
"Thanks, Sugar cube."
Applejack then broke the hug and made her way to the door, saying,
"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. You go unpack your bags for now."
"Will do, Applejack."
The separated there, not knowing how to process what had just happened. But the level of awkwardness did subside, leaving a small feeling of happiness and relief.
-
It was already dinner time, and Trenderhoof made his way to the Apple family dinning table. There, at table sat Appjack with Apple Bloom sitting beside her on the right, Big Macintosh sitting across and Granny Smith sitting beside him. Trenderhoof's chair was at the middle of the table, in between Applejack and Big Macintosh.
Big Macintosh was the first to see the guest and resumed his intimidating look on him, startling the young unicorn. But when Applejack saw him, she invited him over, saying,
"Have a seat, Trenderhoof. We can't start our meal without all our guests."
"Umm, okay." replied Trenderhoof, hesitantly.
The young unicorn took his place at table, enduring the gaze of the brother. On his plate was a slice of apple pie and some cider. Although he was used to the Hors d'oeuvres he ate back in Manehattan, the meal looked appealing to him. He was about to start eating when Apple Bloom said,
"Hey, aren't you that pony Applejack said was 'annoying'?"
Trenderhoof suddenly blushed in embarrassment. He felt like every pony at table was looking at him now; he knew that Applejack would have told her family about that one embarrassing moment. But feeling that he did not have to feel that way, Applejack intervened, saying,
"Well I didn't exactly say he was REALLY annoying. He was just not thinking straight that time, that's all."
"Oh, well, you still said he was annoying." replied Apple Bloom.
"Not as annoying as you are." Applejack replied, chuckling.
A smile came to the unicorn's face at hearing that. Apple Bloom then asked,
"So do 'ya still have a crush on my sister?"
"Ummm..." Trenderhoof blushed. "Well, let's just say I'm trying not to be as naive as I was back then."
He did not really know what to say, fearing that saying he still did would upset Applejack. In truth, he kind of felt it, but the feeling was being suppressed by awkwardness.
"You're lucky you didn't come here during Hearts and Hooves day; I would've given you two that love poison I gave Big Mac and Miss Cheerilee."
Big Macintosh nearly spat out his cider at hearing that. He made a big gulp and was about to say something before Applejack cut him off, saying,
"Now Apple Bloom, let's not talk about that here at table. He's not here for that sort of stuff."
"Then why is he here?" Apple Bloom asked.
Applejack did not have an answer to that. She did not want to tell her family that she was the one who invited him over for no particular reason other than the article he wrote about her. Trenderhoof sensed that she did not have an answer to her sister's question, so he decided to compromise.
"I... just wanted to... help Applejack out at the farm for a few days!"
The Apple siblings looked at him for his answer. Applejack gave a small relieved smile whilst Big Mac had a skeptical look on him.
"Why would 'ya wanna help Applejack out?" inquired Apple Bloom.
"Well, umm..." replied Trenderhoof, thinking of an answer. "I... I'm going to write an article about... ummm... farm labour."
"Really?"
"Umm... Yes... I'd... like to show the world how... umm... important farming is to Equestrian agriculture and economy."
He did not really know what he was getting himself into, but seeing a relieved smile on Applejack's face was enough to let him do it. Big Macintosh's face, on the other hoof, still looked skeptical. They finally finished their dinner and it was finally time to hit the hay. Applejack accompanied Trenderhoof to his room, saying
"Thanks for helping me back there, Trenderhoof."
"I should be thanking you for helping me out." he replied. "Your sister is quite an energetic one."
"You have no idea." Applejack replied. "But you know that you have to really do everything you said tomorrow."
"I know." sighed the unicorn. "At least I'll be getting some exercise tomorrow."
"Yeah..."
Trenderhoof entered his room and said to Applejack,
"Well, good night then, Applejack."
"Good night, Sugar cube." she replied. "Sleep tight."
With that, Trenderhoof closed the door and made his way to the bed, not knowing what he has in store for tomorrow.
