After their break was finished and they’ve had their snack, Applejack and Pinkie Pie go back to work bucking the remaining trees. Pinkie starts trotting a bit faster than AJ because where she was working is further away.
“Pinkie, hold on a sec” Applejack stops her.
She turns around, “What is it Applejack?” she asks
Applejack takes her hat off and puts it on pinkie‘s head, “There ya go sugar cube “ Applejack says smiling,
Pinkie blushes a deep crimson again, “Thanks” she nuzzles AJ for a quick moment, then runs off to her section of the orchard. Applejack does as well.
A few more hours pass, the sun is almost starting to go down. They finally finish their work. When they’re back in front of the house, Pinkie stretches, proud of herself. Her long day of work is finally over. She gives Applejack her hat back, then slightly bows to Big Macintosh and Granny Smith,
“Thanks for letting me work today.” she says to them.
They both nod, “Eeyup.” Big mac says,
“You’re welcome to work here any time.” Granny smith tells her.
Pinkie nods, and starts trotting home. Applejack runs after her, stopping in front of her. Pinkie looks at her questioningly for a moment.
Applejack sets her hat on Pinkie’s head again. “ah want you to keep it sugar cube.”
“Really?” Pinkie asks with an excited smile. “Are you sure?”
“Course I am.” Applejack says blushing a little.
“Thank you so much Applejack.” Pinkie says hugging her, “I promise I’ll take good care of it.”
“Ah know ya will sugar cube.”
Applejack steps out of her way, and Pinkie heads home for the night. Applejack heads back to the house, and goes up to her room. Laying down in her bed she stares at the ceiling thinking about Pinkie.
When Pinkie gets home, she does the same. She has an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach, she isn’t sure what it is. She hugs Applejack’s hat to her chest, thinking to herself, ‘what is this feeling.. How am I supposed to react to it.. Is Applejack feeling the same way?…why is this happening..’ as she lays there, her mind races with a hundred questions for which she has no answers. She sets Applejack’s hat on her nightstand sighing, then tries to fall asleep. After about a half an hour, Pinkie’s pinkie sense is making her tail twitch, but due to her mind racing she doesn’t even realize it. About an hour later, she falls asleep.
Little does Pinkie know, Applejack is laying in her own bed at home, doing the same thing she is. Thinking to herself, ‘what is this feeling, how do I react, is Pinkie feeling the same way.. Why is this happening,’ Applejack falls asleep in about an hour, her mind racing. She has a nightmare, and wakes up yelling about a half hour later, Apple Bloom is peeking through her door,
“Applejack.. You okay sis?” she asks concerned,
Applejack looks over at her, “Yeah.. Ah’m alright..” she says breathing heavily,
Apple Bloom gives her a worried look, “Are you sure? She asks.
“Yeah,. Ah’m sure” she gives Apple Bloom a reassuring smile.
Apple Bloom smiles back and heads back to her own room closing Applejack’s door. Applejack stares at her hooves for a moment, before laying back down. She then mumbles to herself, “Ah’ hope..” Closing her eyes she falls asleep quickly and stays asleep the rest of the night.
The next morning, both Pinkie and Applejack both wake up around the same time. Applejack, still worried about the nightmare she had, tries to snap herself out of it by eating some home made apple pancakes for breakfast. It helps take her mind off of the night before, which makes her feel better.
Pinkie Pie who was also still curious about what she had felt that night, tries to snap herself out of it by doing a bit of baking for the Cakes before she has to leave to go to Sweet Apple Acres. She still hasn’t realized her pinkie sense went off the night before either. When she’s done with her work for the Cakes she goes back up to her room to grab AJ’s hat. Then heads outside and toward Sweet Apple Acres.
When Pinkie gets through the gate of Sweet Apple Acres, Wynona comes running and barking, happy to see her. Pinkie lightly pats her head smiling. “Hello there Wynona.” she says happily. Applejack opens the door to see what Wynona is barking at, she smiles when she sees its Pinkie. Pinkie trots over to AJ, and AJ hugs her, Pinkie smiles hugging her back happily.
“Howdy Pinkie” she says, “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Hiya Applejack!” Pinkie says, “I’m glad to be here.”
Applejack looks at the ground briefly then just off into the distance, Pinkie senses something is wrong.
“Is something wrong AJ?” Pinkie asks concerned.
“Well.. Uh, Yeah kinda” Applejack replies.
Pinkie gets worried . “what is it..?” she asks
“Ah’ had a nightmare last night..” Applejack tells her.
“Oh..” Pinkie says, hugging her again, “well I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you..”
“Don’t worry about it too much Pinkie.” AJ tells her.
“I had already felt a bit better when I woke up this morning’ and had a good breakfast.”
“That’s great to hear.” Pinkie smiles, “When do we get to work?” she asks,
“Oh, right now ah guess.” Applejack says, almost sad that she just wants to get to work right away.
“Okay!” Pinkie says happily, quickly heading out to the orchard.
Applejack follows her, and they begin their work for the day. They work a bit slower than yesterday, but they get a lot of work done pretty quickly. After working on two or three lines of trees, Applejack starts collecting apples that didn’t land in the baskets surrounding the trees. She hears a very loud snapping noise, and her eyes go wide, she turns around to face a tree behind her that is starting to fall over. She gasps and tries to run, but her hooves are stuck in the mud and she can‘t get free. Pinkie’s pinkie sense causes her tail to twitch, She looks at it, then at Applejack. She can see the tree starting to fall. and Applejack struggling to free herself from the mud. She rushes over, running as fast as she can. “APPLEJACK!!!” Pinkie screams diving into her just as the tree falls. Applejack is shoved out of the way and to the ground. She shakes her head looking at the tree trunk where it broke, then looking back at the spot she was standing. She gasps loudly just as the rest of the family is running out of the house.
“Applejack!” Apple Bloom yells. “What happened..” She looks at what is under the tree, Big Mac, having already seen it, turns her head away and covers her eyes. A few tears start to roll down Applejack’s cheeks.