March 1st, 1000
Doug awakens to a quiet house, the only light a dim twinkling from the stars outside. He shifts a little back and forth, trying to figure out why he woke up. He rolls to his side, one arm wrapping around Fluttershy, the mare restlessly whimpering. Doug takes a deep breath, trying to get back to sleep.
Wait, there it is again. His ears perk up as he turns; it sounds similar to Fluttershy. But higher pitched, light whimpers and pawing at the sheets. Doug gets up, a soft whine from the pegasus as his hand gently rubs between her ears before it leaves. The door to Applebaum's room is closed; Doug places his ear against it, a slight frown as the whimpering continues. He lightly raps his knuckles on the door. It probably isn't the two fillies waking up early, they rarely do so on a school day.
A quiet gasp comes from the other side, followed by the hurried sounds of a filly shifting position against the sheets. Doug slowly pushes the door open, glancing at the sleeping form of Lemon before focusing on Applebaum's bed. Her scared breathing pushes the sheets up and down, only getting worse as Doug takes a hesitant step forward.
Doug quietly says, "Applebaum?" The sheets cease moving, the young mare holding her breath as Doug stops. "I'll be outside, if you need to talk." He takes a step back, softly closing the door behind him. He pauses, a sigh as he hears the squirming against the sheets resume. He walks away, grabbing a book before sitting down at the kitchen table with a glass of apple juice.
Applebaum grimaces to herself, her hooves pawing against the soaked sheets. They cling to her coat, a slimy reminder of the dream she just woke up from. Her hooves cover her eyes, another choked sob as the pressure beneath her gut increases. Her hooves do nothing to keep her mind from replaying the images. She definitely doesn't need the dream or her imagination to know what he looks like. She knows; sometimes in the back of her mind, other times a little bit more obviously in front of her, that her sire is... intimate with her dam. And with the other mares in the herd.
It's not like he hides his affections for them. Always scratching their ears, rubbing his hands along and inside their manes. The way he traces lines under their barrels when he thinks the fillies aren't watching. A part of her, growing larger and larger by the minute, desperately wants those same fingers on her, her mind desperately trying to tell her body that it isn't right. Applebaum whimpers as she feels his cold hand caress her inner thigh, shuddering as his slick fingers creep closer and closer. Just like he does with his mares before he-
Applebaum lashes out, kicking him away, but her hooves only connect with air. She struggles, trying to find something solid on which to release her pent up frustration, fervent pounding on the mattress not enough. She grunts before she collapses, her flailing tangling her even more in the sheets. Her mental images briefly disperse as she exerts herself, only to return even stronger as she gives up. Her breath huffs out, a heavy sigh as she tries to relax again, the clammy sheets giving her no relief. She struggles again, her hooves unable to wrench the soaked covering off of her.
Her frustrated scream rends the early morning, followed shortly by a quick burst of footsteps and the door opening. "Applebaum?" comes the worried voice, met only by her muffled cries. The sheets offer no comfort to her burning desire; instead, it is his warm hand that snakes its way under the cold bindings that gives her the tiniest bit of relief. Applebaum closes her eyes even tighter as his hand strokes around her head, running over her eyelids as he finds her neck and chest.
Applebaum raises her hooves, holding on to Doug's arm as he pulls her out of the mess of sheets. She clings to his torso as he lifts her up, one hand holding around her withers while the other pats her mane, lightly pushing her head into him. She feels him walking, one eye opening to look up at him before she squints, the light from the kitchen briefly blinding her. She peeks back up as she bounces up and down, his feet doing a little dance. She giggles, relaxing against him, her breath finally steady instead of the spurts and sobs before.
"That must have been some nightmare, huh?" Doug says, pulling one hand away from her. She nods into his chest as he wipes a bit of the sweat from her coat against his leg. "You want to talk about it?"
Applebaum shakes her head, rubbing her muzzle against him as she grins. She spots Fluttershy peeking out from Doug's bedroom. The mare cautiously smiles at Applebaum, a short wave of her hoof before she retreats back. Applebaum shudders as Doug's hand pushes some of her sweaty coat into her. She squirms, trying to rub it off on his chest or arms, a smirk as he sighs.
"Ewww," he jokingly says, holding her away from his body. She smiles back at her sire, waving her hooves around. "So, what do you think of a bath?"
Applebaum quiets down as he starts walking to the main bathroom. Last week she had taken a bath with him in the room, though he was mostly there to make sure that Lemon and Meringue actually got clean instead of just splashing water everywhere. Did she... did she really want him to help her right now?
Doug transfers her to one arm as she deliberates, cradling her while the other starts the water running. He tests the temperature, it quickly warming as he drops her into the tub. She brings up one foreleg to her barrel, dancing back to the other one as the warm water laps around her hooves. The warmth is doing very little for the burning spreading through her; in fact, it's making it worse! Same with the wet hands trying to lather a bit of soap into her coat, starting to get the sweat and grime out.
Applebaum whimpers, one hoof reaching back and pushing against Doug's hand. She fearfully looks up, afraid of the recrimination that might be coming. Instead he smiles back, a short pat against her green mane. "You want to take the bath alone?" he asks, a bit of a sigh belying the jovial tone. Applebaum nods, reaching up to turn the water to as cold as it will go. "Okay, then. Just be sure to stop the water." Doug shakes her head as he ruffles her mane one more time as he gets up. Applebaum can't help but steal a glance at him, a blush coming over her muzzle that she tries to hide in the water.
The cold water helps with cleaning the sweat off, but does very little else to suppress the desires building in her. At least it's better than the warm water, giving her mind something else to focus on. Minutes pass, leaving a clean Applebaum shivering as she pulls the stopper out. A quiet knock comes at the door, an orange and blond head poking its way in.
Applejack softly smiles as she walks into the bathroom, laying down next to the tub. "Hey, there, Applebaum," she says, pulling a towel off of the rack. "Heard you're going through a bit of a tough time."
Applebaum reluctantly nods, hopping out of the tub. She gladly takes the towel, drying off the cold water. "Mama?" she hesitantly says, large eyes looking up at her dam. "Am Ah going to be okay?"
Applejack's smile grows larger, rubbing a hoof along Applebaum's mane. "You're going to be just fine, Applebaum. Ah suspect you're becoming a mare, going through your first heat."
Applebaum looks back at her flank, her cutie mark practically laughing at her. She accusingly points a hoof at it, glaring and saying, "You're saying my cutie mark did this to me?" She huffs at Applejack's smirk and nod, "Well, why does anypony want a cutie mark then? This is horrible! Ah've got these feelings... and all Ah can think about is-"
Applebaum cuts herself off, her eyes growing wide as she stares up at Applejack. A mortified expression comes over her as she drops down, covering her eyes with her hooves, laying there still as a statue.
Applejack chuckles as she strokes Applebaum's back, "It's okay, dear. Those thoughts are perfectly natural. Ah reckon they're pretty powerful, too." The statement, more than a question, gets Applebaum to nod. At her continued silence Applejack continues, "Celestia knows Ah could barely control myself the first year Ah was with Doug. And knowing what it's like certainly makes it even harder the years we weren't trying to get pregnant. Like this year." Applejack looks down at Applebaum, the young mare recovering quickly. "Speaking of getting pregnant, do Ah need to, um, explain that?"
Applebaum shakes her head, "No, Miss Cheerilee pulled me aside after Ah got my cutie mark. She explained about what, um, Ah have, and what colts have. And a little bit about how they go together." She sinks down, "Ah'm sorry, Ah know Ah'm not supposed to talk about this. But it's all Ah can think about!"
"It's okay, Applebaum. Ah'm not gonna get mad because you have an honest question or you're talking about the contents of some heat addled dream. Celestia knows Ah've had my share of 'em." Applejack lays down next to her filly, "You want to tell me about it?"
"Well, it, um..." Applebaum trails off, a pause before she says as fast as she can, "It involved Daddy." Applebaum's muzzle sinks into her hooves, hunching down and curling up defensively. She sighs, having a hard time going into the details of the dream, how her sire was with her in the bed. His hands forcefully stroking up and down her sides, getting closer and closer to her tail, though his knock had woken her up before the dream could go any further. And the worst part is, she isn't sure she wanted it to stop!
Applejack nods knowingly, "Eeyup. Lots of fillies first heat dreams are about their sires, or so Ah've heard. Mine sure was. Especially if'n they're a strong male role model, and your sire certainly is." A somewhat dreamy look comes over Applejack's muzzle as she continues, "In fact, most mares keep a bit of that dream with them, and end up herding with a stallion that's a lot like their sire." Applejack glances down, her expression hardening, "Just don't go getting the wrong idea. He's still your sire, heat or no heat."
"Ah know." Applebaum stares at the floor, "Please don't tell anypony."
Applebaum's contrite look is enough for Applejack to soften and say, "Now, now, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Ah think it's a little adorable, actually."
"Applejack!" the young mare whines, rolling her eyes at her dam.
"What? Doug's a lot like my sire, Bright Mac. Your sister got Bright Mac's mane, but you got his eyes." Applejack sighs as her voice catches. She wipes a tear from her eye, "Ah'm sorry, Ah always get a little choked up when Ah talk about my sire. And this heat don't make it any easier, either. We were talking about your sire." The glazed look comes over Applejack as she continues, "Doug's a hard worker. He'll say what needs to be said, even if it gets him in trouble. Though he does try to avoid trouble if'n he can help it." Applejack grunts, taking a few long breaths. "He's always been honest with me, even if he knows Ah won't like it, like with what happened with Princess Celestia."
"So, um, you think Ah'm gonna find a stallion like that?" Applebaum cautiously asks; her parents almost never talked about romance and dating. Like what happened with Amethyst Star; the mare rarely came over to play cards any more, instead spending a bit more time hanging out with Big Mac.
Applejack nods, "Well, sure, those are some of the qualities you can look for. Ah think they're right important ones, too. But they ain't the only thing you gotta look for."
"Like what? What made you decide Daddy is right for you?" Applebaum glances at the door, then back at her dam.
Applejack hesitates, stammering a bit as she tries to order her story. "Well, Ah was looking for a stallion Ah could start a herd with for a number of years. It wasn't until my parents passed on that it really hit home how much Mac and Ah needed the help, here at the farm." Applejack closes her eyes, "Ah was desperate when Ah met your sire. Ah got really lucky he turned out as well as he did."
"What do you mean?" Applebaum asks, perking up a little at the admission she hadn't heard before. "You didn't know Daddy was honest when you married him?"
"Well, he was very open with me on a topic that sounded fantastical. It was like a story, once upon a time, you know? But, even when Ah was skeptical about it, he stuck to it. But aside from that, he'd tell me what he thought about what we were doing. He weren't mean about it or nothing. He was just willing to stand up against me, which ain't a trait you see in many stallions. And Ah really liked that." Applejack shifts uncomfortably, a quiet whine coming from her.
Applebaum turns at the whine, raising an eyebrow. "There something else to that story?"
Applejack sighs, "Well, Ah finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel, you know? Here's this stallion, he came into my world, and maybe he don't look like much at first. But he quickly grows on me, we're having fun and Ah'm teaching him about farming, and then he goes and proposes. And Ah was so afraid of him leaving, of ruining this plan that Ah had forming, this orchard Ah was planting in my mind, that Ah went along with it." Applejack smiles, "And Ah'm grateful every day that it turned out so well. It's kinda like he made the stars align." Applejack groans, her breath coming hotter and heavier now as she glances at the door.
"Ah'm happy it turned out so well, too," Applebaum says, snuggling next to her dam with a hungry look in her eye. "What's it like being with him? You know, really being with him."
"Oh, ponyfeathers," Applejack groans, one hoof pawing at the floor. "Ah don't know how much Ah can talk about that particular topic right now." Applejack gulps, "Ah better go out and get a head start on harvesting. Bucking apples instead of, you know, bucking Apples. And getting you another sister."
"Oh." Applebaum sinks down, "Ah'm sorry, Mama."
Applejack offers Applebaum a quick smile, dancing a little on her hooves. "Now, it ain't your fault, lots of fillies are curious about what it's like. Better you learn it from one of us mares than rumors. Or worse, a book. But, Ah'm sorry, Ah better leave now, 'fore Ah figure out what it's like all over again." She bends down, kissing Applebaum on the mane, "Go see Rarity before school, Ah'm sure she can tell you more." Applejack scurries out of the room, barely blowing Doug a kiss as she races out of the Carrot house.