//------------------------------//
// The Meaning of Respect 
// Story: Geoverse Part Four: The Farmer And The Spy 
// by GeodesicDragon 
//------------------------------//


CHAPTER FOUR


The Meaning of Respect


As we came to a stop outside Sugarcube Corner, Ace came out to meet us.

"About time you two got back." he said. "Pinkie has been talking about a search party."

Applejack giggled.

"Ah told you she'd send one."

"That you did," I laughed, "that you did."

"If you don't mind me asking," Ace said, "what took you so long?"

I answered his question by scooping Applejack into my arms and planting a kiss on her, which she returned eagerly.

A smile spread across Ace's face.

"So all three of us humans have found somepony." he said. "At last! Pinkie will no doubt want to cele-"

"I heard!" Pinkie shouted from inside the bakery. "Congratulations to AJ and John!"

Ace and I both grinned as Applejack went inside, carrying a few boxes of pies.

"So," Ace said, "what made you finally tell her?"

"Not what," I replied, "but who. Geo told me to go for it. And I was going to, but then Derek showed up."

"Yes," Ace said, "and we all know how that turned out."

I nodded solemnly.

"Anyway, that's all in the past." I said. "We need to look to the future. And something tells me my future will be bleak if I don't help AJ with these pies."

"Yer darn tootin'."

"Sorry, AJ." I gave her a peck on the nose. "I was talking to Ace."

"Ah heard." she said. "Geo was right ta tell ya to go for it."

She jumped into my arms and nuzzled my chest.

"And Ah'm glad he did."

I kissed the top of her head as she looked into the distance. Suddenly, she let out a low groan.

"AJ?" I asked, looking in the same direction. A stallion was approaching us with an angry look on his face. He had a dark brown mane and his cutie mark resembled three horseshoes.

"Caramel," Applejack said as the stallion got closer, "Ah already told you Ah'm not interested. And in case y' haven't noticed, Ah have a special somepony now."

Caramel sneered and glared at me.

"Him?" he spat. "You chose this monkey over me?"

"Hey, pal," I said, my anger rising, "watch the attitude."

"Yeah, Ah did choose him over you." Applejack snarled. "Unlike you, John cares about me for who Ah am, not what Ah am."

"And that means?" I asked.

"Caramel only wants ta date me because of mah status as one o' the Elements o' Harmony." Applejack explained.

Caramel did a double take.

"How dare you?!" he exclaimed.

"Ah don't hear ya denyin' it." Applejack said, smiling.

"I ... well, I ..."

"Oh come on, Caramel." I said. "Do you really think the Element of Honesty would tell a lie?"

He looked at me.

"She's done it before." he said nonchalantly.

"Yeah, but only because of Discord." Applejack retorted. "Ah wasn't mahself then, but I'm fine now, and Ah don't tell no lies."

Caramel laughed.

"True," he said, "but that doesn't mean you can't do something like this to make me jealous."

I laughed. Hard.

"Are you hearing yourself?" I said. "She doesn't love you, she loves me. Just deal with it and move on."

"Ah thought you had a girlfriend anyway?" Applejack said. "What will Wind Whistler make of you chattin' me up."

"Oh please," Caramel sighed, "what kind of idiot do you take me for? If I was still with her, would I be doing this?"

"You strike me as the kind of guy who would, to be honest." I replied, earning myself another glare.

"Wind Whistler and I are through." Caramel said. "She's with somepony else now, and I'm looking for a new marefriend."

"Well you can look somewhere else," I said, growing tired of his presence, "because this mare is taken."

And just to prove my point, I stuck my tongue down AJ's throat.

I could see Caramel seething out of the corner of my eye.

"Figures," he said, "that she'd jump into bed with the first thing to say nice things to her."

I broke away from Applejack and put her on the ground.

"The fuck did you just say?" I snarled, clenching my fists.

Caramel's ears flattened and he backed away in fear.

"N-n-nothing." he whimpered.

"That's what I thought." I replied. "Now, you're going to apologise to Applejack for harassing her, you're going to respect her choice of special somepony, and then you're going to get lost."

"S-s-sorry, Applejack."

"Apology accepted, Caramel." Applejack said. "Now git outta here."

Caramel turned and ran off as fast as his hooves would carry him. Applejack watched him go and then hugged me.

"Thanks, darlin'," she said, "fer stickin' up fer me like that."

"I took a beating to protect Geo." I replied. "So you can bet your sweet flank that I'll do whatever it takes to protect you as well."

Applejack smiled and we began unloading the pies.

An hour later, we were finished, and Applejack was counting the bits she had earned from selling some of the pies.

I sat by her side, with my arm around her, watching out for any more wayward stallions.

Twilight entered the shop. She caught sight of Applejack and I and came over.

"So, you did it then?" she said with a smile.

Applejack looked up from counting.

"Oh, hey Twi." she said. "Did what?"

"She was talking to me." I replied. "Twilight also told me to follow my heart."

Applejack smiled.

"Where are the kids?" I asked.

"My parents insisted that they babysit for a while to let me take a break." she said. "I didn't want to, but they are my parents, so I couldn't exactly say no."

We all shared a laugh as Twilight sat down.

"I saw Caramel on my way here." she said. "He looked really scared. Any idea what happened?"

"Yeah," I replied, kissing Applejack's neck, "he insulted my marefriend, so I scared him into apologising."

Applejack giggled.

"Caramel was just bein' jealous, Twi." she said. "Ain't nothin' fer ya ta worry 'bout."

"Glad to hear it." she replied. "The last thing you need is to find your special somepony, only for him to end up in jail."

Tears ran down her cheeks as she spoke.

"Oh, Twilight." Applejack said, wrapping the unicorn in a hug. "Princess Celestia is handlin' his punishment. So you know it ain't gonna be all that bad."

Twilight wiped her eyes.

"I know," she said, "but I can't bear to be away from him like this. I've already been through that."

Applejack nodded.

"Ah know, sugarcube." she said softly. "But he ain't gonna be gone for long. And remember, y'all have yer friends ta help ya out until he gets back."

Twilight stopped crying and regained her composure.

"Thanks, Applejack." she said. "That's just what I needed to hear."

She went over to the counter as I wrapped an arm around Applejack, who started counting the bits in front of her.

"That's why I love you." I said. "You always know what to say to make everything better."

"Ah know." she replied. "But anyway..."

She turned to face me and looked into my eyes.

"... isn't that what friends are for?" she said.

I nodded.

As Applejack turned around and began recounting the money, I smiled. I had everything I ever wanted, and someone who I could share it with.

For the first time since I could remember ... I was happy.

As this dawned on me, a single tear of joy rolled down my cheek.