Abraham was walking back to Sweet Apple Acres. He had a lot on his mind: His client, his campaign, his life. Most of his time was spent thinking. Sometimes he was so deep in thought, that he bumped into other ponies by accident. Which is exactly what happened during his walk.
"Oof!" Lincoln was knocked down into the ground. He shook his head and saw the Mayor turning her head to him.
"Are you all right?" She asked.
"Yeah, no damage." He stood back up to face her. "I'm sorry if I bumped into you Miss Mare."
"Oh that's quite alright Mister Lincoln."
"Please, call me Abe."
"Okay, `Abe'" the Mayor playfully said. She started to walk forward, leaving Abraham alone. He, however, needed to ask her something. So he followed. He eventually reached her side.
"Miss Mare. What were you discussing about with the princess?"
She stopped for a moment and gave Lincoln a look of suspicion. She then continued walking.
"How did you know that I was talking to the princess Abe?"
"I was eavesdropping."
The Mayor giggled.
"Abe, aren't you a little too grown up to be eavesdropping?"
"You're never too grown up to be curious Miss Mare."
They shared a laugh together, as they walked across the fields. Then, silence. Nothing but the sounds of their hooves on the ground. Then, Lincoln asked the Mayor something she thought she'd never hear.
"Ma'am. What's your REAL name?"
Mayor Mare stopped walking. She froze in shock.
Nopony's ever asked what my name is... She stuttered, trying to find her voice.
"I-I-It's.......It's Mary."
"Mary. What a nice name."
"Thank you. It's....it's my mother's."
"I see."
Once again, they found themselves in an awkward silence. But only for a bit.
"So, what were you talking about with the princess?"
"Oh, just... stuff. Nothing that would interest you."
"I'm not so sure about that. Tell me Mary. Please." The sound of him calling her by her real name ran shivers down her back.
"Well, I was actually talking about you."
"Me?"
"Yes. About your `request' to the princess."
"Oh yes. That."
"You didn't show any fear when you spoke. I could hardly believe your bravery."
"Stupidity is more like it." Lincoln joked.
"No no no! The princess herself told me her admiration of the show of respect you gave her!"
"She did?" He looked at Mary with a smile.
"Yes. You have a lot of integrity Abe."
"Thank you Mary. I try my best." The two politics went on, discussing foreign affairs, taxes, and diplomatic statuses. Mary, however, was especially interested in the big top hat he was wearing.
"You look very tall with that hat. Where did you get it?"
"I bought it when I first came to Sweet Apple Acres. Apparently, after this pink pony eccentrically welcomed me to Ponyville, I was invited to go to a party. Well, I wanted to look my best, so naturally I started to get dressed for the occasion. I looked at the mirror and I thought `Something is missing...' so I went off to the nearest shop to look for a hat. I tried a bevy of hats before I came to this one," Abe pointed at his hat. "I grabbed this hat and went to the party
It was at a tree house of sorts."
The Mayor perked up. "Twilight's house?"
"Yes! She has large assortment of books. To this day, I still go there."
She gave a smirk. "Gee. I wonder why." Lincoln blushed deeply and cleared his throat.
"Oh no no! It's not like that! It's just that.... I LOVE a good book." He nervously laughed. "I'm just very good friends with Miss Sparkle."
"VERY good friends?"
Lincoln nodded. "My best friend is a pony who will give me a book I have not read."
"I see."
"Anyways, back to the celebration..."
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"She thought you were a what?" The Mayor looked at him in surprise. They were close to Sweet Apple Acres, and the sun was already beginning to set. They talked so much that they didn't keep track of time.
"A vampire-hunting rapper," Lincoln responded.
"Why on Equestria would she assume you were a `vampire-hunting rapper'?"
Lincoln shrugged. "I have not the slightest idea. But I know through our years of friendship that Pinkamena can be quite..."
"Random?"
Lincoln blinked at that word. "Well, I was about to say stochastic, but I guess `random' would suffice." He gave a low chuckle, as the sun started to hide behind the horizon. They were now on a hill, overlooking Sweet Apple Acres. The glow of the sunset gave the trees an aura of calm. The breeze was breathing over the land, as the limbs and branches moved and swayed in graceful swings. It was a sight to see, and The Mayor was enjoying the view.
"Wow! I've never realized how beautiful Sweet Apple Acres was."
"What?"
"The sunset Abraham."
"Oh yes, the sunset." They stopped on top of the hill. A lone sassafras tree loomed over them, casting a light shadow.
"I've lived here ever since I could remember. I was just a little colt, alone and abandoned."
She turned in disbelief. "You were an orphan?"
He nodded. "Yes, but my parents abandoned me because they had no choice. They were not able to support me, so they had to.... let me go." There was a short pause, then he continued. "They dropped me off at Sweet Apple Acres. I thought it was just a visit. But it wasn't. They said goodbye to me...." he turned away from her and pretended to look at the sassafras tree. He then cleared his throat and looked back. She noticed his eyes were a little different. Of course, she already knew he had been holding back his tears. But there was something in his eyes she could see clearly: Hurt. "They cried before they left. I had convinced myself that they would come back, that they would come and give me love and be there when I needed them. But they never came." He sniffed, as he turned his gaze to the sunset. "I spent countless nights wondering what I did to have them leave me. I blamed myself for their departure, and I...I lost all hope in ever seeing them again."
"I'm so sorry." The Mayor sympathized with him. She then followed his gaze to the sunset and the apple trees. The wind slowly and softly movef across her face. She breathed in, enjoying the smell of the air. The silence of the spot made everything calm and peaceful. And the sky, preparing for Luna's Moon, was a canvas filled with orange, red and yellow. The slight purple that showed symbolized the coming night. She felt inner peace being here. Being here with her only friend.
"You know, I am truly thankful for this." He said, breaking the silence.
"What do you mean?"
"The Apple Family adopted me as one of their own. They showed me great kindness and compassion. But most importantly, they showed me love. And since then, I've regained my hope. I will find my parents one day, and I'll get my closure. But for now, I feel thankful that this time I spent was spent with a friend. Thank you, for being here Mary."
"You're welcome, Abe." They continued staring off into the sunset. She moved closer to him, to his side, and leaned on his shoulder. She sighed, as she closed her eyes, taking in the moment. Abraham stayed silent, as he glanced over to see her. He gave a warm smile and looked back at the sunset. He then closed his eyes, enjoying the moment as well. They were two friends, looking at a sunset, at Sweet Apple Acres. And they stayed there, until the night.
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(Author's Note: I have placed a Lincoln quote in this chapter. See if you can find it.)