Anonymous spent the next few days helping around the farm, sometimes he would be put in charge of plowing the field’s with Big Mac, others he helped Apple Bloom with making apple juice, and once he was asked to watch Apple Tart while Applejack and Big Mac had to head to Ponyville to sell their products. Apple Tart had taken a liking to Anonymous and was often seen following him around as he worked. Apple Bloom and Applejack tried to be friendly by trusting her with him, but Anonymous would catch Applejack eyeing him. He didn’t blame her though; he doubted he would entirely trust his own daughter with a stallion he had just met. As he spent time with Apple Tart and the others he began to wonder, who was his family? Did he even have one? He would continually try to remember who he was even if it was the tiniest thing, yet each time he came up with nothing.
His wing was beginning to heal and soon he would be leaving to start a new life rediscover his old one whichever came first. He was saddened by the thought as he had grown accustomed to being around Applejack and her family and he was going to miss waking up to the smell of apples in the morning, he was also going to miss Apple Tart who was constantly trying to get him to play games with her or show him how to make the perfect apple cider. But most of all…most of all he would miss Applejack, her eyes, her mane, her sweet smell of apples. He liked being around her she had been very friendly towards him even when she barely knew him. Something about her made him want to stay and be with her. But he also wanted to stay because he saw how sad she was, she would smile and put on a brave face for everyone, but sometimes late at night when he was restless and walked around the farm he would see her out in the fields letting out loud sobs. He assumed she was crying for her lost love so he never approached her and let her be. He wanted to make her happy, to comfort her, to just tell her it would be okay. But he was afraid of her becoming angry at him for spying, telling him to leave and never come back.
“What do I do? If I stay she might get suspicious, and if I go I might not see her again. I might lose her one way or the other.” Anonymous banged his head against the barn wall as he thought.
“Anonymous?” He turned to see Applejack looking at him concerned “Are you alright hon?”
“Uh, yeah I’m fine. Just uh…getting some air.” She smiled at him.
“Well come on inside its time for dinner.”
“Great I’m starving!” The two ponies walked back to the farm house and were greeted by the smell of apples “I never get tired of that smell.” Anonymous mused.
“Me neither.” Applejack replied. They sat down at the table and began eating the apple laden meal before them “Constar it!” Applejack shouted smacking her head with a fore leg.
“What?” Anonymous asked startled.
“Ah plum forgot about the delivery ah was supposed to make at Ponyville! We were supposed to drop off a large shipment of apples before sundown, ah was so tired from apple buckin’ that it slipped my mind! Wouldn’t be the first time I almost missed somethin’ because ah was tired.” She got up and made her way outside and hooked herself up to a cart and ran down the road to Ponyville.
Anonymous finished eating his food, placed his dishes in the sink, and started to head upstairs to brush his teeth. Before they could he head upstairs however Apple Tart came running up to them with tears running down her face.
“What’s wrong Apple Tart?” Anonymous asked.
“Ma…mah doll…it caught on a nail and…and…” She held out a rather old looking doll that had a hole where its leg should have been.
“Oh… I’m sorry about that.” He said sadly.
“Where’s momma? Ah need her to fix it.”
“She left to make a delivery to Ponyville Apple Tart.”
“What!? But ah…ah need my doll fixed, mommas the only one that can fix anything real good.” She held her doll to her chest and sniffled.
“How about I try to fix it?” Anonymous offered.
“Just like momma can?” She asked.
“I don’t know about that, but I’ll try.” Apple Tart handed him the doll and they walked over to a desk with a sewing kit.
Anonymous threaded the needle and began working on reattaching the leg to the doll. Within minutes the doll was repaired.
“Here you go.” He handed her the doll.
“Wow…this is even better than how momma does it. Thank you Anonymous!” She hugged the doll tightly to her chest.
“You’re welcome.” Anonymous watched as she ran upstairs to play with the doll in her room “How did I know how to sew?” Anonymous walked upstairs and brushed his teeth in the bathroom, when he finished he walked down the hall to put out the lights and then turned to head back to his room when he saw Apple Tart sitting in her bed awake “Apple Tart what are you doing up? You should have been asleep a few minutes ago?”
“Ah can’t sleep. Momma always tucks me in at night.”
“Do you want me to do it?” She nodded and Anonymous walked over to her small bed and tucked the sheets around her.
“Anonymous…do you like momma?” The filly asked.
“Of course I do, she’s a good honest, hardworking pony, and a wonderful mother.”
“No ah mean…do you like her like daddy used to like her?”
“Oh…uh…well…” He wasn’t sure how to answer.
“I’ve seen you looking at momma a lot. And Your face turns red sometimes when she has her back turned.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“The truth, do you like momma like daddy did?” She looked at him with large green eyes.
“You promise not to tell her?” Anonymous asked.”
“Ah promise.” He took a breath.
“Yes sweetie, I do like her like your daddy did.”
“Ah won’t tell her ah promise.” He smiled.
“Good, now go to sleep okay?”
“Okay…Anonymous, thanks for fixing mah doll.”
“You are very welcome.” He ruffled her mane, turned off the light and watched her turn over in her bed with her doll under her foreleg. He started to leave the room.
“Goodnight daddy.” Apple Tart said sleepily.
Anonymous stopped in his tracks and looked back at the sleeping filly. He looked at her for a few seconds and then smiled before shutting the door and walked down stairs to his room. As he sat on the edge of his bed he began to think about her calling him daddy, he felt something inside him that felt like it had been missing for a while. As he thought he heard a voice that belonged to a filly, but not Apple Tart.
“Good night daddy.” Anonymous shook his head and got settled into his bed almost instantly drifting off to sleep.
Applejack returned home exhausted from the trip, she unhooked herself and walked back into the farmhouse. She walked upstairs and checked on her daughter who was sound asleep with her doll in her arms; Applejack walked over and planted a gentle kiss on Apple Tarts forehead.
“Goodnight sugar cube…sweet dreams.” She left the room and shut the door before going to her own room. She sat on the edge of her bed and picked up a photo of her and a brown earth pony stallion with a hat similar to hers “Goodnight sugar cube…I love you.” She kissed the photo and set it back down and then got settled into her bed, as she shut her eyes a single tear ran down her cheek as she gave a slight sniffle.
Down on the ground floor in the guest room, Anonymous allowed a small tear to slide down his face as he heard the voice again.
“I love you daddy.”