//------------------------------// // Like a Red, Red Rose (Entry #7) // Story: Dear Diary... // by Brony4L1fe90 //------------------------------// Dear Diary, You might have to excuse me if I get a little bit of cupcake frosting on your pages…anyway, I’m sure you know what’s coming. You’re about to hear about my date with Applejack. * * * * * “Thanks Pinkie, I really appreciate you taking the time to make all of this for us,” Twilight Sparkle had said to Pinkie Pie, as she received a basket filled with a blanket, a couple of sandwiches, and two cupcakes to share for dessert. Pinkie Pie also provided some juice for the two of them to drink, although Twilight had refused to let Pinkie add wine to the basket as well. The basket was then completed with napkins and other basic supplies before being handed over to Twilight Sparkle. “For the two most amazingly awesome ponies in Equestria, it’s no trouble at all!” Pinkie said with a couple of bounces. Once Twilight Sparkle had that basket in her hooves, she was so excited for the day’s events, consistently daydreaming about how they could possibly play out, which hopefully would be in the best way possible. Now fully prepared, at least for the picnic itself, Twilight was just about ready to head over to Sweet Apple Acres. Before she actually did make her way, she had one last preparation to make. As Twilight walked past the various stalls in town, she eventually came across one that was operated by an Earth pony who had a coat of a pale yellow, light grayish green eyes and a raspberry-colored mane. “Oh, good afternoon, Twilight Sparkle!” she had greeted the unicorn happily as she approached the stall. “Hello, Rose! Just thought I’d take a quick look.” Twilight had walked up to a stall that sold various bouquets of flowers, all of them high in quality. Rose always had an impressive assortment of flowers in her shop, all grown herself with lots of love and care. The amount of work she put into her flowers really showed, as she tended to win the top prize for her submissions to the flower shows that were held in town. As her eyes scanned through the wide variety of flowers in front of her, a specific bouquet caught her eye. Originally, she wanted to get a bouquet of roses, but suddenly had a better idea in mind. “Oh Twilight, what a great choice! What’s the occasion?” Rose asked as Twilight lifted up the bouquet that caught her interest. “I’ve a date with a special pony at the park today, so there’s no way I could go without some flowers!” Twilight said with a big grin on her face. She started to feel more comfortable about letting her feelings out now, even though she still had not known whether the feelings were returned or not. “That’s wonderful, I hope the two of you have a beautiful day at the park then!” Rose said to Twilight while taking a hoofful of bits for the flowers. “Thanks, Rose, you have a good day too!” Twilight waved to her as she walked away from the stall, then carefully placing the bouquet into her bags. With her surprise for Applejack all ready, she could start making her way towards Sweet Apple Acres. * * * * * And so my plan was all set. Applejack and I would spend some time over at the park, enjoying a nice meal that Pinkie prepared for us, and then, after we finished up the dessert, I would then reveal the present I had for Applejack. Once I give her the flowers and the moment is right…that’s when I had planned to tell her! * * * * * Twilight Sparkle made her way down the usual path towards Sweet Apple Acres, smiling all the way down. She knew she would probably look really awkward to the other ponies she passed with the big grin on her face, but she didn’t care; she was way too excited to hold back any emotions. However she knew she would have to keep a straighter face once she met up with her date. As she walked down the path, she got a good sight of the clock tower, noticing the time was 4:58. “Oh no! I told her I’d be there to pick her up at 5:00 sharp! I’d better hurry!” Twilight’s pace quickly picked up to a gallop as she tore down the path, hoping to make it there in time. She did her best to close off any distractions around her, even missing the greeting she had received from the Cutie Mark Crusaders as she ran past their tree house. “Come on…faster, Twilight!” she encouraged herself, trying to get her hooves to move even faster, even though she was already at her limits. It wasn’t much longer before she finally reached the Sweet Apple Acres home, still running full speed toward the door as she tried to knock on the door with her hoof before any more time passed. Twilight had been so used to stressing over deadlines, more so before Princess Celestia had lightened up on her deadlines for reports on friendship, but since today had involved somepony special, she wanted to be sure she made it on time. Twilight Sparkle smiled while trying to catch her breath, as the door opened to reveal the orange pony that made Twilight’s heart flutter upon sight. “Well howdy, Twiligh’, nice to see ya!” Applejack greeted her with a smile. Twilight had noticed something was different about her, but wasn’t sure what it was at first. It took her several seconds before she had realized… Applejack’s mane was braided! Twilight had never seen Applejack’s mane done in such a special away, except for their trip to the gala, and the time her mane was done for Shining Armor’s wedding. In fact, the only time she had ever really seen Applejack’s hair done in any special way outside of a formal event was during Twilight’s slumber party with Applejack and Rarity, when the three of them were styling each other’s mane. Twilight felt her heart flutter even more as she realized that Applejack actually braided her mane, even though it was just the two of them having a meal at the park. Best of all, her mane was topped with her hat once again. Before getting lost in the moment, Twilight finally responded back with a smile in return. Her response broke regularly in order to catch her breath. “It’s nice to…see you too, Applejack…I made it in time…didn’t I?” Applejack turned her head to look at a small wooden clock on the wall. “Let’s see, uh…5:02?” “Applejack, I’m sorry! I told you I’d make it at 5:00 sharp and I—“ Watching as Twilight overreacted to being a little late, Applejack giggled in reaction. “Oh Twi, y’all are just too much sometimes. It’s only a couple minutes, nothin’ to worry your pretty little heart about. No wonder why Celestia eased up on ya so much,” she said, the two of them sharing a little laugh. Twilight could feel her body ease of stress, and had finally regained her breath from the run to Applejack’s home. “Ready to head over to the park?” Twilight asked, keeping that same smile on her face. “Of course,” Applejack said, walking out the door and following Twilight by her side as the two of them walked to the park. Along the entire walk, Twilight couldn’t help but continuously catch glimpses of the pony she had admired; the two had engaged in various topics of conversation along the walk there, but even when the chats between them would take their occasional pauses, Twilight could not pull her eyes away from Applejack. The two had soon approached the park. Just like the last time the two of them were there, along with their other four friends, the park had various other couples and families all enjoying the scenes of nature around them. Twilight had directed Applejack towards a familiar spot, as she carried the basket towards an empty spot that was within close proximity by a like. “Oh hey, ain’t this where we ate last time?” Applejack had commented while Twilight magically lifted a blanket from the basket and laid it out neatly on the grass, then placing the basket and her saddlebags on the blanket. “Yep, I thought the lake actually made for some nice scenery, plus this way we wouldn’t have to feel so close to all the other ponies.” “What’s the matter, Twi, were ya feelin’ a little claustrophobic by the others?” Applejack had teased. Twilight giggled in response. “Oh Applejack…I just wanted to have a more quiet spot was all. Anyway, I’m sure you’ve been saving up your appetite, so you just wanna get straight to the meal?” “Now yer talkin’!” Applejack said happily, quickly sitting down in front of Twilight, as she magically lifted two sandwiches and two bottles of juice from the basket, placing one of each in front of herself and Applejack. The space around them soon had been silenced, as both of them dug in, enjoying the taste of their sandwiches that Pinkie Pie had prepared for the two of them. All that could be heard was each other’s chewing and moans of enjoyment. After a few minutes of the silence though, Twilight felt that some sort of conversation was needed. “So…I don’t think I ever told you, after I returned home from the hospital, I picked up some new books on chemistry. It’s amazing how much I’ve learned from them! Like, for example, how—“ Applejack raised a hoof, trying to pause Twilight until she could finally swallow the food in her mouth to speak. “Twi, no offense, but Ah ain’t the kind of pony to comprehend those fancy sciences.” “No no, Applejack, it’s fine! It’s nothing too advanced, like, I learned that if you put boiling hot water in one bucket, and put regular, cooler water in another bucket, and placed both of the buckets into a pile of snow, that the hot water would actually freeze faster than the cold water.” Opposite of what Twilight had expected, Applejack actually suddenly stopped chewing her next bite of her sandwich, giving a surprised look at Twilight. “Of all the…how the hay is that even possible?” Applejack asked, actually showing interest in the science behind it. “You mean…you…actually want to know?” Twilight Sparkle said in surprise, starting to smile. “Well…without getting too in-depth about it, it’s basically because when you have a bucket of hot water, it’s more likely it’ll contain bubbles of gaseous water vapor inside, so there’s always movement inside of the bucket as the gases try to escape, removing some heat from the water as the gases float away. Also, the heat from the bucket would cause the surrounding snow to melt as well, which will then cause it to eventually re-freeze from the rest of the cold snow. This would leave the hot bucket surrounded by a layer of thin ice, which would freeze the water faster than a soft, fluffy layer of snow. Also with cold air surrounding the two buckets constantly, the bucket with the cooler water would just freeze on the top and insulate the water underneath it, while the bucket with the hot water would freeze all around and in the inside while the gases try to escape.” “Uh…” Applejack said, now starting to get a little confused from Twilight’s explanation. “Ah cain’t say Ah quite get it, but Ah’m not surprised that a smart pony such as yourself would be able to easily understand such a thing.” Twilight’s face blushed a little from Applejack’s comment, her smile getting bigger as she tried not to let out an awkward giggle. “Oh, and what about the fact that helium can’t be solidified?” “…what-ium?” Applejack asked in confusion. “…actually, nevermind,” Twilight responded back with an awkward smile, Applejack laughing a little to herself in reaction. The two ponies had then returned to their sandwiches, continuing on with conversations in other topics: about Applejack’s work on the farm, about new spells Twilight had learned, and even a little bit of gossip the two had heard about random citizens in Ponyville. Twilight had soon finished up her sandwich, watching as Applejack was finishing hers. As Applejack was approaching her last few bites, Twilight turned to look down the lake. Everything was just about going according to plan, as she saw the sun making its way towards the horizon, with only about an hour or so of sunlight remaining. “Well, Ah must say that was some good eatin’, definitely enjoyed the sandwiches, Twi,” Applejack said, feeling satisfied with her meal. “It’s not done yet though, Applejack!” Twilight exclaimed, taking out two cupcakes from the basket. “Oh come on, now yer just spoilin’ me, sugarcube,” Applejack responded as she began to eat the cupcake. The cupcakes were vanilla, topped with strawberry frosting and even had chocolate sprinkles on them. Twilight Sparkle and Applejack both enjoyed the first couple of bites, their eyes soon attracting towards each other, as the two watched each other take their next bite. “Twi…ya might wanna take a gander over there,” Applejack said softly, pointing behind her. Twilight was gullible enough to turn around and look into the distance, to see nothing in particular except a couple other ponies that were also out for their own picnics. Once Twilight had turned back, she saw nothing but a hoof closing in to her face, the hoof covered in pink frosting. Twilight felt the squishy frosting smear across her nose and cheeks, Applejack laughing as she swiped her hoof across Twilight’s face. “Well ain’t you pretty,” Applejack teased, as she looked at Twilight’s face, the bottom half of which had a pink streak of frosting across it. Twilight licked the frosting that was around her mouth, then showing a devious look in her face as she raised her cupcake up, swiftly smashing it into Applejack’s face in retaliation. Frosting, crumbs and sprinkles had covered Applejack’s face entirely. Applejack had then scooped up some of the bits of cupcake and frosting from her eyelids, smiling evilly as she splattered it onto Twilight’s chest. “Oh…that’s it!” Twilight shouted, quickly shoving Applejack to the ground and then standing over her, scooping some of the frosting from her face and smearing it across Applejack’s body. Applejack swung her legs up to push Twilight away, then taking her shot to cover Twilight with some of the frosting that she had on her face. The two laughed as they played around with their desserts, wrestling around with each other and dirtying up each other’s coats and manes. A few minutes had passed before the two were starting to get worn out from all the wrestling, Twilight lying on the ground while Applejack stood over her, her front hoof placed firmly on Twilight’s chest to pin her to the ground. “Look at y’all, all plum tuckered out, cain’t even get back up,” Applejack teased with a smile, laughing a little. “Ah’m impressed with ya, Twi. Ah’d never thought a bookworm like yourself would put up such a fight.” Twilight was a little out of breath, but laughed a little with Applejack, smiling at her. Even though the smeared pink markings all over Applejack’s body covered up her orange coat, Twilight could still find herself getting lost in Applejack’s glistening green eyes. Applejack had looked back at Twilight, sharing a smile with her, happy to have had such a wonderful time with her friend. “You’re a real fun pony ta be around with, Twiligh’…Ah wish Ah could have this much fun with everypony else, but…lately, especially after today, Ah find Ah have the most fun when Ah’m with you, and Ah couldn’t be happier.” Twilight’s mouth opened up in happiness, showing a big grin. Her face lit up with a bright blush on her cheeks once she had heard the compliment from Applejack. Twilight hadn’t noticed it as she was still lost in Applejack’s eyes, but Applejack was also letting out a slight blush as well, as a barely noticeable fade of red filled her cheeks. The moment felt just right to Twilight. Before she could go any further, she had remembered about the surprise she had saved for just this moment. “Applejack…there’s something I want to show you,” she said, as her horn lit up. Within seconds, a bouquet of flowers slipped out of Twilight’s saddlebags and had floated magically next to Applejack. Applejack looked to her side to see the flowers floating next to her, her eyes wide open in surprise. “Twiligh’…what’s this…?” Applejack asked, almost speechless as she examined the bouquet. It was a beautiful arrangement filled with orange, purple and pink flowers, complete with a couple of red roses. Twilight had picked out an arrangement of flowers that had matched the colors of the two ponies; when Twilight had noticed the bouquet at Rose’s flower stall, she knew she was lucky to find it and knew that it was the perfect choice. “Um…Applejack…” Twilight began, starting to get nervous. “It’s…for you.” “Oh, Twiligh’…it’s beautiful…thank ya kindly, but ya didn’t have ta do that,” Applejack said sweetly, her face lighting up a little as the red in her cheeks became a little more noticeable. “But I did, Applejack…after all…you were willing enough to spend a nice time with me at the park…and I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much with anypony else.” Twilight couldn’t hold back her emotions anymore. She felt her face heat up, her cheeks fully blushed as her eyes were half closed, her ears lowered, showing how much she really loved having Applejack around her. When Applejack had heard those words from Twilight, and got another good look at the bouquet, it then hit her. “So…that’s why y’all got flowers with our colors in it?” Twilight only nodded back in response, unable to speak. “Ah don’t know what ta say, sugarcube…,” Applejack took her hoof off of Twilight’s chest so she could then get back up from off of the ground, “…no pony had never gone so far to please me, what with the hat and the flowers and the day at the park…” Applejack had paused for a few seconds as she looked at Twilight, Twilight now finally noticing how much Applejack started to blush. All Twilight could do, as she was still speechless, was carefully lower the flowers to the ground so she wouldn’t have to worry about dropping the flowers, as she put all of her concentration to the pony of her dreams, who stood only a foot away from her, staring into her eyes. The two remained silent in a deep gaze that wouldn’t break; Twilight and Applejack shared a loving smile towards each other as they continued to stare into each other’s eyes. Twilight Sparkle had then noticed the air around her warm up a little, as Applejack approached a little closer. Once Applejack’s face was only a few inches away, her eyes fell half-shut, as did Twilight’s, continuing their gaze. “Twiligh’…” Applejack said softly, in such a way that made Twilight’s face rush with blood as her heart beat three times as fast. “…yes, Applejack?” Twilight answered back, the response having a similar effect on Applejack. Twilight Sparkle had thought the date would have ended with herself doing something completely awkward to confess her feelings to Applejack, but there the two of them stood, feeling so much affection for one another. The two continued to stand in place, until the move was made. Applejack’s eyes slowly shut completely, while Twilight’s eyes closed in reaction. She then felt as her lips touched Applejack’s, the two enjoying the beginnings of a memorable first kiss. The kiss broke softly after a few seconds, as Twilight and Applejack only reared their heads away about an inch to enjoy another loving gaze in each other’s eyes. “…I love you, Applejack,” Twilight whispered softly and lovingly. “…Ah love ya too, Twiligh’,” Applejack responded back in a similar manner, both of their smiles momentarily turning into large grins, but then turning back into loving smiles as both of their lips had returned to each other. Twilight and Applejack both wrapped their hooves around each other’s bodies, embracing each other as their lips shared a sweet kiss. The two then turned their heads a little as their kiss became more romantic, Applejack beginning to run her hooves through Twilight’s mane. Both Twilight and Applejack were able to enjoy the faint taste of strawberry frosting on each other’s lips, along with the taste of each other’s saliva that began to collect on the outside of their lips. Twilight Sparkle carefully brought herself back down to the ground, letting Applejack rest her body on top of hers, as Twilight wrapped her hooves around Applejack’s waist, continuing the kiss with greater passion. Twilight softly felt Applejack’s back, while Applejack began to softly caress Twilight’s cheek during the kiss, each of them enjoying heartwarming comfort while sharing their admiration for each other. She had then taken in the sweet smell of apples from Applejack, the smell triggering an increased heartbeat from Twilight. With their two bodies pressed against each other, Applejack could feel Twilight’s heart beating so quickly, causing her own heart to beat much faster, Twilight feeling her heartbeat as well. Twilight felt so much love for Applejack, which had greatly intensified now knowing that the pony of her dreams had returned such feelings; she couldn’t help but want to bring more passion into the kiss. Even though it had seemed odd at first, Twilight brought her tongue up to her lips, gently feeling Applejack’s lips as they continuously moved against Twilight’s in their romantic kissing. At that moment, Twilight could feel Applejack’s lips open up a little more, soon feeling the tip of Applejack’s tongue softly pressing against her own. Twilight had never felt such an alluring feeling when her tongue had touched Applejack’s, but she had loved it instantly. She had loved it even more so once she felt Applejack’s tongue move in a little more, swirling around Twilight’s tongue and mixing saliva between the two, feeling every taste inside Twilight’s mouth. At that moment, their kissing had greatly intensified and became much more intimate, their lips tightly pressed against each other while their tongues played around each other and explored each other’s mouths, the two then bringing their arms around each other’s necks to pull theirselves as close as possible. Twilight Sparkle and Applejack had found themselves in a moment of absolute bliss, being so close to each other and enjoying such intimacy, that even though the kiss had lasted for a good five minutes, it felt like it could have lasted forever. Their two tongues soon parted ways, as they gave each other a few more kisses before their lips departed from each other, leaving a little saliva resting on each other’s lips. Once the two had finished their moments of intimacy, their faces remained only inches away as they gazed lovingly into each other’s eyes, each of them softly caressing each other as the time flew by. The atmosphere seemed to glow around them, as the sun had soon reached the horizon behind them. Twilight had soon looked over to the lake to see the sun casting its reflections on the waves of the lake. “Applejack…would you like to sit with me by the lake…and watch the sunset?” Twilight asked softly. “Ah’d love nothing more,” Applejack had agreed, Twilight soon standing up and walking with Applejack over towards the lake, sitting at the edge of the grass. The two could not stop thinking about each other during the entire sunset, as they continued to wear the smiles they had on their face, Twilight soon cuddling into Applejack’s arms as the sun lowered further into the horizon. Applejack placed her head on her new marefriend’s shoulder, rubbing her cheeks softly against Twilight’s. “Ya know, sugarcube…ya truly are a wonderful pony. After all ya did for me, Ah truly am lucky ta have you,” Applejack said to Twilight, kissing her cheek while the sky slowly started to fade in color, as night had approached. “Applejack…” Twilight whispered in flattery, speechless for the compliments she had received from her marefriend. She returned the kiss and then continued to watch the sunset, holding onto Applejack’s hooves, which were gently holding Twilight in comfort. Night had soon arrived, Twilight then starting to clean up their picnic supplies as the two prepared to leave the park. Applejack helped Twilight carry the basket while she used her magic to carefully bring the flowers along with her as they both walked back towards Sweet Apple Acres. Upon reaching Applejack’s front door, the two swapped their possessions, Applejack trading the basket she held over to Twilight so that she could take the bouquet of flowers. Applejack then took a good whiff of the flowers, enjoying the smell with her eyes closed as thoughts of Twilight filled her mind with each smell. She then re-opened her eyes to look at Twilight, who smiled back at her. “So, Twi…Ah had a thought, earlier today at the park…ya know about the carnival that’s coming to Ponyville soon? Ah thought it’d be mighty nice if, well…you and Ah went together,” Applejack asked, her face bringing about another blush. “Oh, Applejack, I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Twilight agreed with a big smile on her face. “So, uh…it’s a date then?” “It’s a date,” Twilight agreed, starting to blush a little again. The two walked up to each other and pressed their lips together, sharing yet another romantic kiss at the door, Applejack carefully bringing her hooves around Twilight while ensuring her flowers weren’t ruined in the process. They both continued the kiss for another minute, enjoying the feeling of their lips one more time before the night ended. Applejack and Twilight had then released their lips from each other, looking into each other’s eyes lovingly, as Applejack stood by her door. “Ah love ya, sugarcube…” Applejack sweetly whispered to Twilight. “I love you too, dear,” Twilight quietly responded back. The two had then continued on to wish each other a good night and the sweetest of dreams, as Applejack made her way inside and softly closing the door behind her. Twilight then started to walk back home, enjoying the ambience of the night sky as every minute of her first date with Applejack replayed in her mind repeatedly all the way home, reliving that wonderful kiss the two had shared for the first time. * * * * * So, now you know why I’m all covered in frosting…and, well, why I have this big smile on my face that I just can’t get rid of! I just can’t get over it. I’m in love with Applejack! Applejack is in love with me! APPLEJACK IS MY MAREFRIEND! …oh, oops, got a bit carried away there…accidentally tore into the paper a little bit while writing that. Sorry! But my goodness, what a feeling it was to have her so close like that, just feeling those loving kisses we shared…wait a minute, this must be really awkward, especially since I just pretty much explained every little detail about those kisses we had. Wow, uh, maybe I did go a little too far with writing this entry… Anyway, I’d better wash up and get all this frosting off of me. I really wish I didn’t have to shower, afraid I’ll lose that lasting feeling of Applejack holding me the way she did…oh, sorry, sorry, I’ll stop now! Until next time, once this pony in love can relax about her obsessions, Twilight Sparkle * * * * * Twilight Sparkle had then put her quill away, as she closed her diary and floated it away to the best hiding spot she could think of, on top of one of the bookcases in her room. She knew that Spike could never reach such a height, and surely no pony else would ever think to look in such a spot. Once she put the book away, she then looked at a nearby picture that she had framed, of Twilight and her five friends all together. She had stared at the pony she loved, who stood right next to her in that photo, right against her left side with Fluttershy in front of her, Rarity on the other side along with Pinkie Pie behind her, and Rainbow Dash floating behind herself. Never did Twilight think that Applejack, who once was just a good friend to her, would now become such a wonderful marefriend. Once Twilight took a quick shower to wash off all of the dried up frosting on her body, she then retreated off to bed, wanting to quickly get to sleep so that the next day would arrive quickly. She couldn’t wait to see all of her friends, and share with them that two of their best friends had just started a relationship together. Her eyes slowly faded shut, as she pulled up her covers. “Sweet dreams, Applejack,” she whispered into the air, wishing she had been right next to her to hear it.