Orange Bloom had arranged an appointment with one of the bank's loan managers for the next day, just before lunch. Orange Counter and Applejack spent the morning going over the farm's papers, making sure that they had all of the information they would need to present to the bank. Again, Applejack was impressed by the depth of knowledge that this seemingly city-bound pony displayed about the highs and lows of agriculture. By late morning, they were sitting in an office in the bank, facing a middle-aged unicorn with a stern demeanour and a large stack of paperwork.
Applejack crossed her front hooves nervously in her lap as she sat in front of the desk, feeling helpless. This conversation would determine the future of her farm, of her family, and it was all in the hooves of this unicorn who looked like he'd never worked a day in his life. She knew that she could easily kick this old stallion through the wall behind him, but that wouldn't get her family the money they needed. It was frustrating.
Orange Counter, in contrast, sat calmly next to her, his paperwork arranged neatly on the desk in front of him. His front hooves rested sedately on the desktop, and he gave the unicorn a polite smile that even seemed genuine.
The unicorn had a golden coat and silver mane, and bore a mark of a sealed vault door on his flank. The nameplate on his desk identified him as one Penny Saved. "So, Miss Applejack," he began, peering down the length of his muzzle at the young mare. "I understand that you are seeking a loan to pay for supplies and labour for your apple orchard. What assurance can you give the lenders of Steeplechase Manehattan Bank that you will be able to bring your business up to the level where you can repay this loan?"
Applejack's temper rose almost as soon as the unicorn started talking. She could tell he was speaking down to her because of her age, or her lack of Manehattan sophistication, and now he was questioning her ability to work hard enough to repay the loan? "Now listen here, Mister Penny Saved, I've been working this here farm for..."
She trailed off as Orange Counter placed his hoof on hers, and let him cut in. "Miss Applejack has a sound business plan for the recovery of Sweet Apple Acres. If you examine the financial records of the ten years previous to this year's blight, you should find that the property's natural profit is more than sufficient to cover the repayments of this loan."
Applejack nodded emphatically. "Darn right. I'm going to ship in a few rows' worth of saplings for short term profits, then fill the remaining fields with half seedlings, half a medium-growth rootstock like Moon-Mare 106. That'll get us back up to peak production in eight years at worst, and give us the quick profits we need to get back on our feet and pay you fine gentlecolts back."
Applejack grew in confidence as she spoke, and the unicorn listened attentively, making notes with a floating quill. Orange Counter started to withdraw his hoof to move his papers, but Applejack placed her other hoof on top of his, squeezing his fetlock gently as she explained the finer details of her plan for the farm's recovery.
"You make a persuasive case, Miss Applejack," replied Penny Saved once Applejack had finished. "If you can truly accomplish everything you say you can, then I have no hesitation in recommending this loan to my superiors. Now, as to the productive output of your property, I shall peruse your financial records."
The unicorn levitated page after page of Applejack's documents across his desk, frowning at the first page, growing intrigued at the second, and snatching up the third in both hooves to examine closely. "This can't be right. So many bushels per acre per year, for ten consecutive years... is this accurate?"
Applejack grinned and raised her hoof as if to tip her hat, before she remembered she was dressed for the city. She let her hoof fall back into her lap alongside Orange Counter's. "Sure is, buddy. That's the Apple family for ya, we know everything there is to know 'bout growing apples."
Penny Saved floated the farm's deed over to the centre of his desk, and scanned up the list of owners. "Apple family, you say... Granny Smith... Ginger Gold... Golden Russet... Paula Red... Red Streak... am I to understand that this property has been owned and cultivated by your family since it was first settled? And that your entire family have had apple-related names and, one must infer, cutie marks?"
Applejack frowned. "Well, sure, I guess... all the family I know is apple growers... but what's that got to do with it? It ain't like we have unicorn magic, we're just simple earth ponies."
Orange Counter and Penny Saved shared a look that Applejack didn't like one bit, and she quietly kicked her cousin under the table. "What? What are you two looking like that for?"
The unicorn smiled condescendingly at the young mare. "Miss Applejack, I'm not sure how you could have missed this, but farms cultivated by earth ponies consistently produce higher yields than equivalent properties managed by unicorns or pegasi. The current estimate is a factor of 40%, am I right, Orange Counter? This is your area of expertise."
"Closer to 50%, although it varies by industry. The tables are in Agricultural Investment Statistics."
"Thank you. Now, a pony's cutie mark is undeniably correlated with their success at related endeavours – that's a self-evident truth. That accounts for another 60% increase over the average for ponies with unrelated cutie marks. Whether you want to call that 'earth pony magic' or 'special talent' or 'we just work really hard', the magic is evident in the market. The true magic, though, comes from the old families, the dynasties. I'm sure Orange Counter here has already bored you with the history of the Orange family – the orange production of his family's holdings is really rather astonishing. The Carrot family accounts for 85% of Equestria's carrot harvest. Even the rock farming industry would collapse if not for the efforts of the Cliffs and the Pies. The influence of the truly old families is difficult to judge, but conservative estimates place most of them at 80% increased yield over younger families."
Applejack's eyed had glazed over slightly while Penny Saved was speaking, but she nodded eagerly at the conclusion. "50% and 60% and 80%? Then the old families are making 130% more apples or carrots or whatever from their land?"
Penny Saved rolled his eyes, while Orange Counter just squeezed Applejack's hoof sympathetically. "Yes. Well," the unicorn continued, "the point is, your family's holdings produce a rather astonishing output of bushels of apples per acre per year. If you can bring your production up to these levels again, then you should be able to pay off this loan in short order. I shall refer this application to my superiors with my full recommendation. You should be hearing from us again soon."
The three ponies stood, and Applejack performed her best curtsey before they left. Outside the bank, Orange Counter put his forelegs around Applejack's shoulders and hugged her tightly. "You were amazing in there, Applejack. Your plan for saving your farm is brilliant. It's in good hooves."
Applejack whickered softly, hugging him back. "Aww, shucks, 'tweren't nothin'. I couldn't have done it without you standin' up for me first. I just can't get the hang of Manehattan ponies."
He chuckled. "You seem to get me alright." He swung his pocket-watch out and flipped it open. "Just in time for lunch, too. Come on, let me take you somewhere nice."
The process took longer than that, of course. There were more interviews to undertake, more negotiations on the size of the loan, the interest rate, and the repayment schedule. Apparently it took the bank a week just to make sure that yes, Granny Smith really owned Sweet Apple Acres and it wasn't actually one of Princess Celestia's private grazing reserves or something. "Oh, I could tell you stories," laughed Orange Counter when Applejack told him about this. "Stranger things happen in this city every day."
When she wasn't dealing with the bank, or visiting the offices of agricultural suppliers to arrange for the rootstock and scion combinations the farm would need to jump-start new production, she took some time to see the sights of Manehattan. Most of what ponies considered the "attractions" of the big city were just places full of noise and bustle to her, but Uncle Orange managed to drag her out to Broadmane for a few nights at the theatre, insisting that she get a "cultural education". Aunt Orange and Orange Bloom brought her along to a society charity dinner to raise funds for better education in rural Equestria, and while Applejack couldn't understand why anypony would pay over a thousand bits for half a plate of carrots and lettuce, no matter how fancily it was cooked, the generosity of the ponies attending impressed her no end. And Orange Counter came to see her as often as he could after work, showing her the city's parks and museums, and generally just keeping her company. It wasn't the same as what she had in Ponyville, but it was worthwhile all the same, and she would be home soon enough.
A few weeks into her visit, Uncle Orange announced that they would be attending a ball being hosted in a few nights' time by Dame Silverhooves, one of Princess Celestia's distant but favoured relatives. "It won't be a huge event," explained Uncle Orange, "only a few dozen Manehattan families, but we can bring a guest, and I think you'd enjoy the company."
"A ball?" asked Applejack, sceptical. "I dunno... those charity dinners were one thing, but a ball? Everypony's going to be all dressed up fancy, and with the dancin' and all... I'm just your poor cousin from Ponyville. I'll say somethin' stupid and embarrass y'all. And I don't have anything to wear, not to dance in."
"Your aunt can arrange a dress for you in no time, dear. And you needn't worry about embarrassing us. You'll do just fine. And even if you do... well, we're proud of you, and we're proud to have you with us, and we'd love our friends to get to know you the way we have. No matter what you do, we would never be ashamed of you. Nopony should be ashamed of his family."
It was against Applejack's better judgement, but she didn't want to let her uncle and aunt down, not after they'd been so kind to her. And she'd always had fun at the dances at home, even if they would be a far cry from any Manehattan event. Still, she was reluctant...
"Besides, it's not as if you won't know anypony. Orange Bloom and her colt will be there, of course."
Applejack perked up. "Orange Counter'll be there? I mean, uh," she stammered, not having meant to make her interest in the young stallion quite so clear, "He's always good conversation, I reckon he can keep me from gettin' too bored. Sure, I'll go."
Her uncle smiled indulgently, patting her on the shoulder with one hoof. "Glad to hear it. Now you should go with your aunt and find a dress – that's all very secret mares' business, so I'll stay right here."
The ballroom was in a large hall overlooking one of Manehattan's large parks. The building itself was impressive – old architecture with pillars in the Cloudsdale style supporting the atrium. Applejack felt overwhelmed by the stately majesty of the hall as a servant pony took her coat and showed her into the ballroom with her aunt and uncle.
Even though Uncle Orange had insisted on arriving early, there was already a small crowd gathering in the ballroom. Ponies were clustering around an elderly silver-coated unicorn, decked out in a light grey dress and silver jewellery. Some young ponies drifted out of the Oranges' way as they approached, and the unicorn greeted them enthusiastically.
"My dear Oranges. So glad you could make it! Not that there was ever any doubt, I don't believe you've missed a ball for as long as I've known you both. And who is this darling filly you've brought with you?"
Applejack was wearing a green dress with red trim and horseshoes. She felt awfully overdressed, but everypony else looked about the same. She executed her best bow to the unicorn before her, bending her right legs and dipping her head.
"Dame Silverhooves, may I present Applejack, a cousin on my mother's side," said her uncle as she stepped forward and bowed. "Applejack, this is Dame Silverhooves, who's been a friend of our family for longer than any of us care to admit." The unicorn and the Oranges all laughed, and Applejack joined in nervously, still feeling overwhelmed.
"Lovely to meet you, dear. Any cousin of the Oranges is a friend of mine. Pray tell, where are you from? Your cousin has mentioned the Apple side of his family, but I don't believe I can trace the connection."
Applejack swallowed nervously before speaking. "Well, Ah'm from mah... I mean... I've come here from my farm outside Ponyville. The Oranges have been so very generous in showing me around and helping me with the bank."
Dame Silverhooves raised an eyebrow. "Ponyville? I'm afraid I've never heard of the town, but it sounds lovely. You are in good hooves with the Oranges, of course. Please, enjoy my hospitality, meet your peers. The first dance will be starting soon."
Applejack drifted away into the crowd as her aunt and uncle caught up on gossip with their host. She was feeling isolated again, the crowd proving no consolation as she caught whispers around her. "Ponyville? I've never heard of such a place. Where in Manehattan is it?" "A farming community, I believe. She must be a landowner like the Oranges." "No, no, look at her hooves, and her mane. She's a farmer." "Really? Well, what in Equestria is she doing here with us gentleponies?"
The young earth pony couldn't help but step into the last speaker's vicinity when she heard that particular jibe, her temper starting to rise. "Now, it seems to me," she said to the speaker, a middle-aged pegasus lady in a light red dress, "that without us farm ponies, you 'gentleponies' wouldn't have a scrap to eat."
The pegasus looked down her muzzle sharply at Applejack. "And it seems to me that you give your opinion very decidedly for so young a pony." The pegasus and her companion turned up their noses and glided away into another knot of ponies. Applejack fumed silently, grinding her horseshoes into the floor of the ballroom.
She was saved from any further attempts at conversation by the string quartet playing the opening notes of the first dance. Aunt Orange had schooled her in the basic steps of the dances she would be expected to know, and she was light enough on her hooves that she thought she would manage well enough. And being left out of the first round of dances would merely expose her to further ridicule. To make matters worse, Orange Counter was nowhere to be seen.
The older couples had already formed up for the first dance, and the younger mares and stallions were pairing off at an alarming rate. Nopony seemed to want to dance with her. At home, she would have shrugged it off and danced by herself or with one of her mare friends, but it was different here. The last thing she wanted as to stand out, alone.
"May I have this dance?" asked a stallion as he glided up next to her. He was a unicorn, several years her senior, with a light red coat and blue mane. Applejack turned to face him, gratefully, and nodded in relief.
The stallion guided her out onto the dance floor, and while a few ponies turned to stare at them, most kept their attention on their own partners. The first few steps of the dance involved merely prancing alongside each other, stepping to the beat without coming into contact with one's partner. Applejack matched the stallion's careful tread easily, her hooves light and sure.
"I had my eye on you since I heard you were from Ponyville," murmured her partner as they trotted past one another in the second stage of the dance. "I've met plenty of fillies from the country. They all come to Manehattan sooner or later, full of country liveliness and charm."
Warning bells started ringing in Applejack's head, and everything her mother had told her about stallions came to mind. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean, sir," she replied, making an effort to keep her voice calm and cultured. "I'm really only in Manehattan on business, and I shall be returning to my property once it is concluded."
The unicorn glided alongside Applejack as the third stage began, putting his right front hoof out to meet her left. "Well, then, you'd best take your chances while you still can. Have your fun before you're back and leashed to the plough again, if you know what I mean? Come on, everypony knows you country fillies are always ready to go."
This was definitely the sort of stallion her mother had warned her about. "I don't like your tone, sir," she said quietly, keeping her eyes on the ponies around her, not wanting to create a scene. "I'm merely here to socialise and keep my aunt and uncle company. I'm not looking for any sort of..." She cut off and her eyes went wide as the unicorn's hoof came to rest rather intimately upon her rump.
Her mother had told her exactly how to deal with stallions who did that.
Without thinking twice, Applejack planted her front hooves on the dance floor and kicked the unicorn squarely in the chest with both rear hooves. His shout was quickly covered by the sound of shattering glass as he was propelled through the balcony doors and over the railing.
The musicians froze, holding their bows in readiness as they waited to see what happened next. Everypony in the ballroom turned to look at Applejack, or at the glass tinkling to the floor in what remained of the balcony doors. The only sounds were the muffled cries of the stallion and the sound of breaking branches as he tried to extricate himself from a gorse bush on the ground.
Applejack wanted to disappear. She wanted to keel over and die. Any moment now would come the laughter, and the shunning. She had caused a scene, she had embarrassed her aunt and uncle even after they had assured her that she wouldn't. Everything was going terribly, terribly wrong.
"Well, well. Looks like somepony has had one tequila sunrise too many."
An olive earth pony stepped lightly out of the crowd, and diverted everypony's attention with a few well-placed quips. "You know, a pony should really learn to trot before he tries to canter." He peered out onto the balcony and at the bushes below. "Or fly." The crowd laughed and the music started again, and ponies moved back into the steps of the dance as servants arrived to clear away the broken glass.
Orange Counter stepped up in front of Applejack and gave her a deep bow. "My apologies for being so late, dear cousin. If I'd been here on time, I would never have let old Grabbyhooves anywhere near you. May I have this dance?"
Applejack breathed a sigh of relief and moved quickly into position, hooves moving in perfect unison with Orange Counter's. "That were a mighty fine thing you did just there," she thanked him, abandoning her Manehattan tones. "You done saved me."
Orange Counter shook out his mane as he trotted alongside Applejack. "Really? It looked to me like you saved yourself. Every mare in Manehattan has wanted to do what you just did, they just never had the courage to do it."
Applejack felt herself blushing, and kept quiet for the rest of the dance, contenting herself with enjoying the movement and the proximity to Orange Counter. After the dance came another, then another, and then they excused themselves from their hosts to take in some fresh air.
Applejack regaled Orange Counter with anecdotes from Ponyville as he picked up her coat from the cloakroom. "And that last apple just wouldn't fall no matter how hard I bucked the tree, so Big Macintosh came and tried, but it wouldn't fall for him either, and then he kicked it so hard that the whole tree uprooted and fell down! It took us until supper to get that one planted again, and it turned out somepony had nailed that apple to the branch! We never did figure out who was behind that one, but I reckon it was that weather pegasus, Rainbow Dash. The look on Big Macintosh's face when he heard the roots ripping out of the ground was worth all the work, though."
They had strolled out into the park, and Orange Counter paused under a large tree, laughing. "Ponyville really sounds like a great place. I've got to come and visit you there someday." He looked up at the tree he was leaning against. "Oh, it's a plum tree. In season, too. Pity it's council land, we're not allowed to pick the fruit ourselves."
Applejack peered up into the leaves, then gave the tree's trunk one swift kick with her right rear hoof. Two ripe plums dropped off the branches, landing in her outstretched front hooves. "I don't see none of Celestia's guard watchin' us, do you? Dig in, this is some good fruit, just properly ripe." She sank her teeth into one of the plums, tossing the other to Orange Counter.
Orange Counter stared at Applejack in admiration as he caught the fruit. "You're amazing. In fifty years I'll never learn to do half of what you can."
Applejack shook her head, swallowing the last of her plum. "Ain't nothin' special. I just got a..." she began, but cut off as she felt Orange Counter's mouth against hers.
Applejack was startled, but only paused a moment before slipping a foreleg around Orange Counter's neck and returning the kiss, closing her eyes. Her mother had also told her what to do about stallions like this one, but she decided to make an exception, just this once. It may not have been precisely how she imagined her first kiss, but it was perfect nonetheless.
After several long moments, Orange Counter broke the kiss, and brushed a hoof against Applejack's cheek. "You're... um... yes. Amazing." He looked at the ground, a faint blush rising to his muzzle. "Um. Is... is that alright?"
Applejack smiled and took his hoof in hers. "It's more'n alright, sugar cube. It's... it's real sweet. You're real sweet. You... wanna walk a bit further?"
They walked on through the park, leaning their flanks against each other, sharing jokes and stories, stopping every few minutes for another kiss and a lingering embrace. They came to a clearing where they could sit and watch bats fly across the sky by the moon's light, holding each other's hooves and simply enjoying one another's company.
As the moon reached its zenith, Orange Counter clambered to his feet. "Well, it's been a wonderful night... in so many ways... but I guess I should be walking you home now."
Applejack stared at Orange Counter, her heart racing. Her mouth felt dry from excitement and nerves. Her mother had been extremely clear on moments like these, but right now, she didn't care. She wasn't going to let this moment slip away.
"Well, it's a... a long walk back to my uncle and aunt's place. Maybe I could... stay at your place? If'n you don't mind, that is."
Orange Counter looked as nervous as Applejack felt, but he offered her his hoof and pulled her upright. "I would... that would be... yes. Yes, that is I don't mind, I'd love to... yes."
It was only a short walk to Orange Counter's apartment, and soon they were safely inside, away from prying eyes and disapproving tongues, with only each other's comfort and happiness to consider.
"And then what happened?" asked Scootaloo, leaning forward on her hooves, her face radiant with excitement. Apple Bloom was perched in a chair, listening attentively, but unsure that she liked hearing about her sister kissing a stallion.
Sweetie Belle looked embarrassed. "Well... you know," she mumbled. "Adult stuff."
Scootaloo tilted her head to one side. "What, like working and paying bills and stuff?"
The unicorn filly shook her head. "No, like... like Cheerilee was talking to us about last month?"
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both looked blank.
Sweetie Belle persisted. "With the diagrams?"
Realisation dawned, and Scootaloo giggled. Apple Bloom, on the other hand, looked disgusted. "Sweetie Belle! That's my sister! I don't want to think about Applejack doing... having... being... eww! What do you know about that stuff, anyway?"
Sweetie Belle shrugged. "Rarity keeps her romance novels on the top shelf where she thinks I can't reach them."
Scootaloo stuffed a hoof into her mouth to keep herself from giggling any more. "Mmf. Okay, so... what happened after that?"