Anonymous awoke early the next morning; he stretched his limbs and left the room. He walked into the kitchen and found Apple Bloom making breakfast.
“Morning Apple Bloom.” He yawned.
“Morning Anonymous.” She smiled at him while she cooked “Hey, do you mind waking up Applejack? She needs to get to work.”
“I’ll get her.” He started making his way up the stairs and approached Applejacks bedroom door.
“Applejack! It’s time to get up!” There was now answer “Applejack rise and shine!” The room was still quiet “Applejack?” He turned the knob and discovered that the door was unlocked, he pushed the door open and saw that she wasn’t in her bed “Applejack…are you in here?” He started to walk in hoping to find some hint of where she was, her room was fairly larger than his current room and the bed was big enough for two ponies to sleep in. He knew why that was and it saddened him slightly at the thought of her sleeping in a large bed by herself. He looked around and spotted a box on a desk, the lid was open slightly and curiosity got the better of him as he walked over and lifted the lid more. Inside was a golden necklace with an orange gem in the shape of an apple.
“I didn’t take her for liking jewelry…maybe her husband got it for her?” He shut the lid thinking of leaving as he saw nothing that told him where Applejack could have gone, as he was about to leave he spotted a worn Stanton hat on a hat rack above the bed. It wasn’t Applejack’s, it looked similar, but the colors were darker “Must be a spare.” He looked out her bedroom window and saw the sun looking rather harsh outside. He looked back at the hat and took it off the hook and placed it on his head and it fit perfectly “I’ll put it back once the work is done.” He said to himself as he looked at himself in a nearby mirror, wearing the hat Anonymous couldn’t help but think that the hat suited him. He tilted the hat slightly and formed a seductive grin.
“Well howdy Miss Applejack. That basket of apples you’re carrying sure does look heavy, mind if I…help you out.” He put on a southern accent.
“Why of course you can Mister Anonymous, ah sure am lucky to have such a big, strong stallion like you here on the farm.” He then switched back to his own voice.
“Well I’d do anything for a mare as lovely as you.”
“Ah, shucks you’re just saying that!”
“No I would never say something that wasn’t true…in fact to prove it to you how about we go inside the barn and…do some private apple bucking?”
“But Mister Anonymous, there ain’t any apple trees to buck in the barn.”
“Well I’ve got a tree between my haunches that needs a good bucking from a lovely mare such as you.”
“Mister Anonymous! How can you say such vulgarity?”
“It isn’t vulgarity Miss Applejack it’s the truth…I think you are the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria. And I’d do anything to make you happy Miss Applejack…anything.”
“What in the hell are you doing?!” Anonymous snapped back to reality as he spun around and saw Applejack glaring at him.
“I…I was just…”
“Take it off…take it off right now!”
“Take what off?” He was scared and confused at this point, how much had she heard?
“Take that hat off of your filthy head right now!” She was shaking with anger.
“I’m- I’m sorry I just thought I could borrow it for working outside.” She walked up to him and stared him down.
“Take my husband’s hat off of your mangy head right now, or I’ll buck it off!” Anonymous removed the hat from his head and handed it to her “Is this how you work? You act all sweet and helpful only to go through other ponies belongings?!”
“I…I was looking for you, and you weren’t in so…”
“So yah just thought you’d take someponies most beloved possession and wear it on your head! And who in thunderation were you talking to?”
“I…I wasn’t talking to anypony!” He was starting to sweat.
“Don’t lie! Ah heard you talkin’ to somepony up here! I heard you say mah name, were you making fun of me!?”
“No! I would never make fun of you Applejack!”
“Get out! Get out and don’t let me see you in here again!” Anonymous quickly left the room and he heard the door slam behind him, shortly after he heard loud sobs from inside her room. Anonymous hung his head and walked downstairs to leave the house.
Anonymous sat outside under a tree feeling stupid for ever going inside her room. His heart had been broken by how angry he had made her and he hung his head in shame. It had been a few hours since that moment and the bright sunny day that was there this morning was being replaced by dark storm clouds. The wind was starting to pick up, but he didn’t care, facing a storm would be better than facing Applejack again. In the distance there was a low rumble, and he knew the storm would hit soon. He got up and left the tree knowing how dangerous of a decision that would be, rain started to come down and caused his fur and mane to become wet and matted. Instead of taking shelter in the farmhouse he took refuge in the barn and found a soft pile of hay to sit on.
The storm began to rage outside as thunder, lightning, and rain hit in every direction, and the wind howled making startling noises. Anonymous knew he wasn’t getting back in the house so he decided to get comfy until it died down…that is if Applejack would let him back in.
“You bucking idiot! Why would you go into her room and touch her things? That’s something a weird pervert does…that’s something…I would do…” He covered his face with his hooves and he groaned.
“Celestia damn it!” A loud shout was heard outside the barn causing Anonymous to lift his head and look outside the door. He saw Applejack outside in the rain only her hat was missing “Get back here you!” She shouted at the sky. Anonymous looked up and saw her hat flying in the breeze, Anonymous ran outside to meet her.
“Applejack get inside!”
“No, ah ain’t leaving mah hat in this storm!” she began pacing back and forth as it twirled in the air.
“Applejack it’s just a hat! You can get a new one!”
“Ah don’t need, or want a new one! That was my pappy’s hat and ah ain’t leaving it out here!” She made a grab for it with her mouth as it swooped by and she missed.
“Why do you need your pappy’s hat?” He asked her.
“Because before he left he said that as long as ah had his hat, the farm would always be mine! And ah ain’t giving it up!” Anonymous looked at her and then to the hat as the wind blew it further away. Anonymous saw the despair in Applejacks eyes.
“Is it that important to you?” He asked. She nodded and in a split second Anonymous ran after the hat.
“Hey, where are you going!” She shouted.
“I’m getting the farm back to you!” He called back.
“Are you crazy!? You could die or get hurt!”
“Maybe!” Anonymous ran full gallop after the hat ignoring AJ’s protests.
Anonymous ran as fast as he could, not taking his eyes off of the hat. It was way up in the air however and no matter how close he was it was always out of reach.
“If only I could fly!” He looked to his bandaged wing and then to the hat “I’d do anything for you Applejack…anything.” He grabbed the bandages with his teeth and ripped them off, he then splayed both his wings and took off into the sky. Soon he was within reaching distance of AJ’s at and made a grab for it and missed.
“Hold still!” He shouted as he tried again. He made several attempts before he finally grabbed it in his mouth. As he did however a powerful guest blew past and began blowing Anonymous away, but he held on to the hat as if his life depended on it. As he tumbled in the air he felt something grab his torso and he looked down to see Applejack had grabbed him with a lasso.
“Mold mh phit!” She muttered through the rope in her mouth. She began pulling and backing upto pull Anonymous to the ground.
“Phanks” He mumbled through the hat. Applejack nodded and they both ran back to the barn.
They trotted in the barn and shut the doors to keep the rain and win out. Once the doors had been securely shut they sighed and then looked to each other.
“Thanks for saving me back there.” He said shyly.
“Thanks for saving mah hat.” She replied. Anonymous placed the hat on her wet head and smiled.
“It does look good on you.” He said smiling.
“Ah think so too.” She chuckled. Applejack looked to his wing “Looks like you’re all healed.” Anonymous flexed his wing.
“Yep…it doesn’t even hurt anymore.”
“Ah guess you can be on your way tomorrow.”
“Oh…yeah I…I guess I can leave now.” He looked to the ground.
“What’s wrong sugar?” She asked him.
“It…it’s just…I’m really going to miss this place.” He replied glumly.
“Well don’t worry. You can come back anytime you want.” He looked at her surprised.
“You mean you’re not mad anymore?”
“Well ah can’t say I’m happy that you went through my husband’s things…but ah think you just made up for it.” She smiled at him.
“You said it was important to you.”
“It is…almost as much as mah family.” Anonymous smiled.
“Well…glad I could help get it back…and I’m sorry for wearing your husband’s hat. It was a stupid thing to do.”
“Yes it was. Especially when you were making fun of the mare that’s treated you like family.” She smirked.
“I wasn’t making fun of you Applejack I was…” He stopped.
“Yes?”
“Nothing…you’re right it wasn’t a good thing for me to do.” He turned to walk away but then he felt a hoof on his shoulder.
“Anonymous…is there something you ain’t telling me?” He looked back at her and stared into her beautiful green eyes with his own.
“Applejack I…” He halted.
“Yes?”
“I…I really like being here on the farm and…thank you for everything that you and your family have done for me, I hope that one day…I can find a mare as wonderful as you.” She blushed slightly.
“Well I’m sure she’s out there somewhere, yah just have to keep looking.” Anonymous smiled and walked over to a pile of hay and curled into a ball. He began to shut his eyes when he heard hoofsteps approach him; he looked up to see Applejack looking down at him. She then sat down next to him and pressed her wet, yet soft body next to his as she curled into a ball shutting her eyes. Anonymous just looked down at her sleeping form and then extended a wing over her body like a blanket. He then rested his head and tried to sleep.
“Maybe there is a chance we can be together after all.” He thought as he entered the void of sleep.