//------------------------------// // Casual Date (Applejack/Thunderlane) // Story: Friends And Lovers // by FourShadow //------------------------------// It was a surprisingly warm day in Canterlot for February, and while the weather would undoubtedly turn chilly later in the day, for now people were happy to get out and enjoy the sun while they could. To that end, Applejack decided today was as good a day as any to take Winona to the city park for some outdoor playtime. Her little sister Apple Bloom tagged along as well, wanting to catch up on lost time with her big sis and the family dog. The sky was completely cloudless, and a cheerful shade of bright blue as the two sisters and their dog arrived at the park. AJ was humming to herself as she hooked up Winona’s leash, and couldn’t help but laugh when Apple Bloom opened the door to let her out and Winona leapt out and into the open. Poor Apple Bloom was nearly bowled over by the enthusiastic dog! “Real funny, Applejack,” the redheaded girl pouted, adjusting her bow, which had gone astray in her stumble. “Ah, I’m sorry sugarcube, it was just funny to see old Winona so worked up!” Applejack smiled apologetically, before whistling sharply for Winona to heel; the brown-and-white dog obediently (if a little downcast) walked back over to its owner and sat by AJ’s feet. “Winona ain’t that old…” Apple Bloom huffed, but she managed a little smile and gave thefamily dog a scratch behind the ears. Winona yipped as if in agreement, and then bounded to her feet, eager to walk. “Alright girl,” the elder Apple sister said, giving the leash a soft flick, “Let’s get along now!” Winona barked and set off, tail wagging frantically as AJ and her sister walked her around. Canterlot City was blessed in that it had a gorgeous and well-planned public park. It was on a good-sized piece of land, with a winding pathway running through it. The space was open and friendly, suitable for picnics and the like, though there were a few trees for shade as well. There was even a duck pond, which AJ knew that Fluttershy liked to visit (discreetly, mind you!) that added further charm to the place; Apple Bloom giggled as Winona tried to chase a couple of mallards and nearly dragged Applejack after her! All in all, though, it was a good time for the two Apple sisters. It felt like an eternity had passed since the two of them had gotten to just spend time together as siblings, and yet, in just walking the family dog together, everything felt good and familiar, like all was right with the world again. …At least, that was how it felt before the football came soaring through the air to hit Applejack on the head. “Ow!!” Applejack stumbled, dropped the leash and nearly fell, rubbing at the spot with a hiss of pain. “What in tarnation!?” The startled Winona yipped, and bolted off. “Are ya okay, Applejack?” Apple Bloom gasped, startled. “Ohh, ah’ll be fine, you just worry about gettin’ Winona back!” The younger sister nodded and took off after the border collie. As Apple Bloom worked to catch up with the family dog, AJ groaned once more (her head was throbbing quite nicely, she hoped there wouldn’t be a bruise) as she bent over and picked up the stray football. “Ugh… who the heck threw this durn thing at me anyway?” “Ohmygosh, are you okay? I’m so sorry!” A boyish voice called out, and very soon Applejack could see its owner – a kid, around about Apple Bloom’s age, with slicked-back dark hair and gray skin – running over to her. Clearly abashed, he sheepishly introduced himself. “My name’s Rumble. Sorry about that… my brother and I were playing catch and he told me to go long.” “Your brother, huh?” Applejack’s head was still very sore, and while she tried to keep her temper from flaring up, it was hard. “Well tell him to watch his aim next time! Ah coulda been-“ What she could have been, though, was never to be found out, for Rumble’s brother came jogging over and the rest of Applejack’s sentence got lost somewhere on the way to her mouth. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to throw the ball that hard! Are you hurt? Do you need any help?” The brother was an older teenager, tall and athletically built, with striking good looks – dark gray skin, silvery blue hair spiked up like a mohawk, and amber eyes, that were presently full of concern and regret. He was wearing a dark athletic jacket with a thundercloud emblem over a tank top, and plain blue jeans and running shoes. Applejack found her voice again, and spoke up. “I think ah’ll be fine,” she said, handing the football over to him, “But thanks for asking, partner.” “Name’s Thunderlane,” Rumble’s brother said, offering her a tentative smile, “And I really am sorry about that. My little bro and I wanted to have some fun out at the park; guess we got kinda carried away.” Applejack adjusted her hat slightly, to try and cover where she’d been conked by the football, and managed a chuckle. “Ah can relate to that, no sweat. Me and mah sister could get up to a lot of mischief when we were – aw dang it!” she caught herself, “Apple Bloom!” The farm gal whipped around as she realized that she’d left her little sister to go chasing down Winona all by herself, but was relieved to see both her younger sibling and the dog on their way back. Apple Bloom waved to her, and Winona barked cheerfully. Rumble’s face lit up as he laid eyes on the panting, happy dog. “Aww…” he grinned, “That’s your dog?” “Yep,” AJ smirked, “Go on over and say hi if you want. Winona’s a real sweetheart, ain’t that right girl?” Winona yipped cheerfully. Rumble went over to give her a scratch behind the ears, as Apple Bloom introduced herself. Thunderlane smiled, and then looked back to Applejack, while their siblings were distracted. “You’re sure you’re alright?” he asked softly. “I really hope I didn’t knock you down or anything.” “Ahh, don’t worry your head,” AJ waved him off. Her head was sore but she found that her frustration was pretty much gone, his apology and clearly contrite attitude had gone a long way towards mending any hard feelings. “Ah’ve taken worse spills on the farm, or wrestlin’ with Rainbow Dash!” Thunderlane chuckled. “That’s good… last thing I need is to explain to my mom how I managed to put a girl into the hospital or something!” AJ snorted, and the two of them shared a laugh. “Thunderlane?” They looked over to see Rumble and Apple Bloom. Winona was laying on her back, letting them give her a belly scratch, her tail wagging frantically. Rumble gave his big brother a hopeful grin as he asked, “Can I play with Winona and Apple Bloom some more, please?” Thunderlane folded his arms, but he was smiling. “I’m not the only person here you should be asking, bro,” he said. “It’s all right with me, as long as it’s okay with…” he looked to Applejack, embarrassed, “Uh?” The farm girl smirked. “It’s Applejack, partner. And yeah, it’s fine with me.” “Whoo!” the younger siblings cheered, and soon were off like a shot, Winona yipping and barking as she raced ahead, Apple Bloom holding onto the leash for dear life. Thunderlane and Applejack couldn’t help but share another laugh, before realizing that they were now alone. For a minute or two they stood in comfortable silence, before Thunderlane tentatively spoke up. “So… Applejack?” “Yeah?” She raised an eyebrow. The dark-skinned boy let out an awkward sigh, trying to find the right words. “I know I said I was sorry about the football and all… but I really meant it. Can I… can I do anything to make it up to you?” Applejack blinked, feeling a slight warmth in her cheeks, even as she said, “Aw, no sugarcube, you don’t have to.” “Please?” Thunderlane asked, “I’m not asking to do anything crazy. Just maybe buy you a soda or whatever. Something a bit more tangible than just a ‘I’m sorry.’” Applejack folded her arms, and shook her head, before letting out an exasperated huff. “You’re serious about this, ain’t ya?” she asked. Now I know how Rarity feels when she calls me stubborn… Thunderlane nodded, his expression earnest, and she decided it would be easier to go along with it. “Well… all right,” she said. “You know the Sweet Snacks Café by the mall?” “Of course.” “Alright then. You buy me a milkshake there and we’ll call it even, got it?” Thunderlane nodded. “Sure. No problem. What time works for you?” “Tomorrow afternoon good for ya?" Applejack hitched a thumb over her shoulder, "I got chores when I get back to the farm.” He nodded again. “I will be there. Thanks.” Applejack huffed slightly. “I’ll be thankin’ ya only when that shake’s in front a’ me.” Thunderlane chuckled. And Applejack rolled her eyes, though it was lighthearted. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom and Rumble paused in their playing with Winona to look up and notice their two elder siblings talking. Apple Bloom blinked in surprise as she could see Thunderlane say something that, while it was too far away for her to her, she could still see it make Applejack laugh. Rumble shook his head as the two of them then watched AJ and Thunderlane take out their cell phones; it was easy to guess that they were exchanging the other’s number. “Great. I think my brother likes your sister.” “What?” Apple Bloom asked. “No way, that’s crazy! They’re just exchangin’ numbers is all.” “Yeah, so he can probably ask her out later!” Apple Bloom scoffed, as she picked up the ball that she’d brought for Winona to chase. “Whatever. They’re just talking, that’s just what’s going on. This ain’t one a’ them romance stories.” It was five minutes before two o’clock the next day, and Applejack was waiting across the street from the Sweet Snacks Café. She had her cell phone out and was in the middle of talking with someone. “For the last time, Rarity, it’s not a date!” She listened in annoyance to the voice on the other end, the fashionista was talking very excitedly about something. “You just back up those horses there, partner,” AJ huffed, “All I agreed to do was meet him here and let him buy me a milkshake, that’s it.” Applejack listened to the next set of statements for a minute, and quirked her lips in a halfhearted smile. “Yeah, yeah… look, how about you wait until after I call ya back before you go about makin’ me a dress, okay?” Rarity answered in the affirmative, now sounding more subdued, and she said a few other things by way of apology. Applejack’s half-smile became bigger. “Ah know, sugarcube. Look, it’s fine, hear? I’ll call you back when I’m done and tell you all about it, okay?” The farm girl rolled her eyes affectionately as she heard a loud squeal over the other end of the phone. She then noticed Thunderlane approaching from the other side of the street. “Oh, gotta go. Talk to ya later, Rares.” Applejack said goodbye, and ended the call, before heading over to meet with Thunderlane by the café. “Hi, Applejack,” the dark-skinned young man greeted her. “Good to see you.” “Howdy, Thunderlane!” Applejack tipped her hat, “Good to see ya too. What d’ya say we get on inside and order?” “Of course.” The two teenagers stepped inside, and while Applejack was not a regular customer of the café, she still knew it well enough from Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash having sung their praises of it. The interior was bright and stylish, a deliberate throwback to a classic malt shop from the 50s; there was a soda counter, black-and-white tiled floor, neon lighting along the walls, booths, and a jukebox in the corner that played tunes for patrons to groove to if they so wanted! A waitress rolled up to them on rollerskates. “Hello, and welcome to the Sweet Snacks Café! How can I help you?” “You want to sit at the counter or a booth?” Thunderlane looked to Applejack. She shrugged idly, “Booth, I guess. It’s what I’m used to.” “Okay, two for a booth. Just having dessert, that’s all.” “All right! Follow me,” their waitress beamed as she rolled off, handily snatching up two menus as she skated over to a corner booth and set the two of them up there. “My name’s Sugarsocks and I’ll be right back to see if you’re ready to order!” Applejack and Thunderlane sat down facing each other. They each picked up a dessert menu and scanned it for a minute. AJ hummed thoughtfully as she looked over some of the offered treats; there were plenty of options. Standbys like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and then there were options like banana, peanut butter, mango, mint… “Whoa nelly. How do they keep track a’ all these flavors?” she shook her head. Thunderlane chuckled. “Having trouble deciding?” he asked. “Nah, ah got a pretty good idea,” Applejack shrugged. “What about you?” “I’m good, I know what I like.” A minute later, Sugarsocks rolled back over to their table. “Hello again! Are you guys ready to order?” “Sure. Ah’ll take a, strawberry milkshake please. No whipped cream though.” “And I’d like a banana shake,” Thunder requested. “With whipped cream please.” “Okay, sounds great! I will be back with your order in just a bit!” Sugarsocks beamed, before collecting their menus and skating off once more. Left alone once more, Applejack and Thunderlane settled in to wait. And, after a minute of surprisingly comfortable silence, they began to talk. “So…” Thunderlane started. “How’d you discover this place?” “Mah friend Pinkie Pie loves it here,” Applejack snickered. “Heck, she’d work here if she weren’t already workin’ at the bake shop and lovin’ that too! That gal practically lives for sweets; ah could bribe her t’ do my homework with one a’ Granny’s apple pies!” She smirked, and added, self-consciously, “And I have too.” Thunderlane snorted with amusement. “Nice,” he said. “So, you’re from Canterlot High right?” Applejack nodded, feeling a slight prickle of apprehension. Did he know anything about the Rainbooms, or… She didn’t let herself finish the rest of that thought and answered, “Yes. Yes ah am. And you?” “I just transferred to Crystal Prep from Cloudsdale High.” Thunderlane admitted, his mouth twisting a little. “…Wasn’t the best place to be, but it could have been worse I guess.” “Huh…” Applejack frowned, curious. “So you’re pretty new to Canterlot, aintcha?” “Yeah. Rumble and Mom and I’ve ‘officially’ been here for about two weeks now. Still getting used to everything and all.” Thunderlane smiled suddenly, “Like all that stuff about last year’s Friendship Games! That sounded pretty crazy.” AJ gave him a flat look, and heaved a sigh. “You have NO idea, partner.” A moment later, something he’d just said made her blink, and she looked at him with a little concern. “Thunderlane?” “Yeah?” “Just a minute ago, you said, you and your brother and yer ma were new in town.” She frowned. “Does that mean…” the rest of her question trailed off, as Thunderlane closed his eyes for a moment and let out a weary sigh. “Oh.” “It’s all right,” Thunderlane said quietly. “You didn’t know.” Applejack looked at him sadly, sympathetically, and after a moment she reached out, and carefully put her hand on top of his. He looked at her in surprise, as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s alright, sugarcube,” she said. “My sister and I… we live with our granny. Ma and Pa, well, I was ten or so when it happened.” Thunderlane stared at her. “Oh… oh man. Applejack, I’m-“ “You don’t have ta,” she cut him off. “Ah ain’t looking for a ‘sorry’. But I do know what it’s like, and I do get it.” She squeezed his hand one more time. “What happened, happened. But ah do hope that you and yours can find a nice start here in Canterlot.” Thunderlane said nothing for a few seconds. Then he smiled at her, a soft and warm smile that made Applejack feel relieved. “Thanks, Applejack. I really appreciate that.” She gave his hand a little pat, and then (reluctantly) withdrew back to her side. They sat for a few minutes, quietly but comfortably, until Sugarsocks came up to their booth with their order. “Here are your shakes! One strawberry shake, no cream, and one regular banana shake? Everything look okay to you?” “Looks good to me, sugarcube,” Applejack smiled as she accepted her tall, frosted glass of sweet delicious dairy treat. “I think we’ll be fine,” Thunderlane added politely. “Great! If you need anything, I will be there!” She skated off, and AJ and Thunderlane settled in to begin on their desserts. Applejack took a sip of her milkshake, then closed her eyes with a hum of contentment. The flavor was rich and sweet, the taste of the strawberries coming through quite nicely! “Good, huh?” Thunderlane asked. “You said it, sugarcube,” she smiled, “Thanks, Thunderane.” “No problem.” He chuckled softly, and the two of them enjoyed more of their shakes, once again in a surprisingly comfortable silence. As time went on though, after they’d finished their treats, the two teenagers did return to conversation, about a number of topics. Applejack listened to Thunderlane talk about growing up with Rumble, about how his little brother could sometimes drive him crazy but still be the best sibling he could have hoped for too. “Ah know that feel,” Applejack agreed with him, “Apple Bloom’s given me a fair share a’ headaches over the years, lemme tell ya!” “Oh yeah? Like what?” “Like the time she an’ her friends decided they were gonna be a rock band fer the talent show.” AJ rolled her eyes fondly, now being able to laugh at the old memory, “Apple Bloom ‘borrowed’ mah guitar and amp for practice – an’ blew out all the windows on the ground floor! Dang near gave Granny a heart attack and my ears were ringin’ for weeks!” Thunderlane tried to keep a straight face, but failed, and he cracked up laughing. Applejack gave him a mock-offended look at first, then let out a laugh of her own as well. She was simply having fun too. The conversation moved on to other topics. Thunderlane asked her about growing up on a farm, and she told him about her childhood: about getting up early to do chores, about how beautiful the sunrise was at the very start of the day, about how her pa Bright Mac had taught her to care for the trees in the orchard, how her ma Buttercup had taught her to play guitar… Applejack was not the sentimental type in the least, but she found herself opening up quite easily. Thunderlane might not have understood everything about life on the farm, but he listened to her. She could tell, and she appreciated it. And in turn, she listened to him. Thunderlane talked some about his own childhood, growing up in Fillydelphia before moving to Cloudsdale when he was eight, and then Rumble had come along and he’d found himself in the role of big brother. He’d always been a fan of sports and had been on the basketball team at Cloudsdale High; he hoped to make it onto the Crystal Prep team as well. Thunderlane, to her surprise, also loved to cook, and AJ had to admit, the soup recipe he described to her sounded quite good! The time flew by, and before either of them knew it an hour had passed. Thunderlane chuckled sheepishly as he waved Sugarsocks over to ask for the bill, “Guess we got a little carried away huh?” “Aww, don’t worry none,” Applejack waved it off. “Ah had fun today, Thunder.” She paused, “…Uh, can ah call you that?” The boy from Cloudsdale smiled. (And was that a faint blush on his face?) “Sure. Only if you don’t mind me calling you AJ?” Applejack laughed. “Oh heck, you ain’t the first, so go on ahead!” The two of them left the restaurant in good spirits. And Applejack, on a whim, decided to walk with Thunderlane to his car. “I do mean it though,” she said to him as they made their way through the parking lot of the Canterlot mall. “I did have a great time today.” “I’m glad,” he smiled, that warm gentle smile he’d had before, and Applejack beamed back at him. She’d had her concerns before, but now she really couldn’t complain. The afternoon had more than made up for the football to the head from yesterday. They walked in silence for a moment, before Thunderlane spoke up again. “Applejack?” “Yeah?” “Do you…” this time, she could tell that he was blushing slightly, as he got the words. “Well, do you want to do something like this again, sometime?” Applejack blinked, as the gears in her head turned, processing the question all the way through. “Oh,” she said stupidly. “Oh, do you mean like… a date?” “It doesn’t have to be,” he answered, sheepishly putting his hands into his pockets before taking them back out again. “I mean, I just – I had a great time today. And if you’d just prefer that we leave it at today, I get that. But if you’d like to hang out again… I’d be okay with that.” They had come up by his car now, and he was trying not to lean against it or rest against it, as though the vehicle somehow were a lifeline against the awkward subject the young man had just brought up. Applejack looked at him for a minute. And she thought about what to say. She thought about yesterday, and how he’d been so concerned, and offered honestly, with no apparent ulterior motive, to make it up to her for accidentally conking her with the ball. She also thought over the past hour or more that she’d spent, just hanging out with him, and how he’d listened to her and vice-versa. Applejack gradually smiled. “Y’know what?” she offered. “I think we could give it a try.” “Really?” Thunderlane blinked in surprise, but he managed to smile as the realization sank in. “Cool… That’s really cool, Applejack.” “Heh,” she smiled at him, tipping her hat lightly, “Think nothin’ of it. Whattya say we try this again next week? An’ this time, I’ll buy the snacks, got it?” He laughed softly. “Fair enough.” Thunderlane opened the car and moved to get inside. “You’re really nice, Applejack. I’ll see you next week, got it?” You’re really nice, Applejack. Those words caused a sudden, sick rush of guilt to stab her in the chest, and she felt her good mood wilt away entirely, now replaced by a deep worry. Dang it… he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know! Ah can’t keep that from him! If we’re gonna date he’s gotta know the truth! “Thunderlane?” Something in her tone made him start in surprise. He paused in starting up the engine, and looked at her, concern plain on his face. “Yes?” Thunderlane asked. “What is it?” Applejack frowned, wringing her hands for a moment. “Ah… look… if you and I, if you wanna date me, there’s something you should know about me. Somethin’ ah gotta tell you before anyone else does.” Now looking very worried, Thunderlane carefully got up out of the car, and shut the door, standing before her, giving her his full attention. “What’s wrong?” he asked. Applejack thought about where to even start. She sighed, and resolved to just tell it to him straight. “I… I haven’t always been nice. Me an’ my friends… we weren’t good people, before. We were bullies, Thunderlane. Apple Bloom was… she was sick, really sick, and ah was in an awful place, and it made me mad, spitting mad, and Sunset Shimmer was there… and she got us to do horrible things for her.” Thunderlane stared at her, his face blank. She kept talking, the words coming out faster, in an awful breathless rush. “And it just got worse from there, and I didn’t think there was a way out, b-but Sunset got arrested, and me and mah friends… we could been expelled, but we weren’t. S-someone important forgave us, told us to start over fresh… and we did. Tried our hardest to… and it’s been a whole lot better, I feel so much better than how ah used to be…” Her voice trailed off for a moment, and she forced herself to speak up again. “But I wanted you to know. Wouldn’t a’ been right for me to start a relationship with someone, who didn’t know that ah’ve done bad things. Wouldn’t want ya ta – ta think I was lyin’ to ya, or stringing you along…” Applejack sighed, heavily. She didn’t want to look him in the face. “Well, there ya have it. Ah’m real sorry. Ah just got carried away, and I forgot… If you don’t wanna meet up with me, I get that.” An instant later, she was surprised as Thunderlane put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him to see him smiling sadly at her. “Okay…” he said softly. “I… didn’t expect any of that… but it’s okay.” “What?” Applejack asked blankly. “If you were the person you said you used to be, you wouldn’t have told me any of that!” Thunderlane said, in a firm but sympathetic tone. “You were completely honest with me. Even if you thought I wouldn’t want anything to do with you!” He smiled at her, and she found herself blushing, “I’m touched, Applejack. I really mean that. Thank you for telling me.” “Aww…” she muttered, and to her embarrassment, she realized she was getting misty-eyed. “Dang it, Thunder, ya got me all worked up.” He chuckled, and they ended up sharing a gentle hug, the young man patting her on the back. “It’s alright, it’s alright,” Thunderlane assured her. “We can still give this a try if you want.” Applejack snorted with a ripple of laughter, “I do!” “Okay then!” he laughed. “We will! Now, how about I drive you someplace closer to home? Would you like that?” Applejack smiled at him. “Ah would, thank ya very much.” She gave him one last hug, and then… on a sudden burst of daring, she leaned in and gave him a quick, chaste kiss on the cheek. He blushed, and so was AJ as she pulled back. “Too much?” she asked apologetically. “No, it’s fine.” Thunderlane smiled at her. “I just didn’t expect a kiss until after the first, official date.” Applejack managed a laugh. “Well then,” she said, “Guess that just means you’ll have to surprise me later to make it even!” He chuckled goodnaturedly, and Applejack went around the car to the passenger’s side. The two of them got into the car, and Thunderlane started it up, AJ settling back in her seat to try and fully relax after her panic from before. She reached over and gave Thunderlane’s hand a squeeze, which he returned. Heck of a day, Applejack thought to herself. But ah think it turned out all right in the end… She realized something else, and then heaved a sigh. “Problem?” Thunderlane asked. “No…” Applejack sighed. “Ah just remembered that I’m gonna have to tell Rarity about all a’ this, that’s all!”