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// Who's Mistake Was It 
// Story: Spending Time with Applejack 
// by Tower of 0 
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   Ivory's afternoon was quite full with cleaning up the mess from the night before. The door of his backroom was clean off the hinges, papers scattered, some books. Applejack had quite the fit last night and stormed out in a rage. He was still sore because he got bucked around a few times trying to calm AJ, but felt like she broke a rib or two in the process. Ivory had plans to get see if anything was broken, but the mess had to come first. Boy, this place is a disaster.

Applejack sat out off in a secluded part of the orchard, with last night on her mind and how hurt Ivory may be right now. She knew she had bucked him around two or three times around his house. She didn't mean to, but she was so upset about what she had heard, AJ just couldn't help it. Hormones were a bit out of place as they were and she couldn't possibly forgive herself if she hurt Mr. Dreams worse than he brushed it off to be.

The real question on the matter was how strained their relationship might be after that night. Would Ivory understand how she had acted, or be a bit harsh? A question that only the day's events would unfold. Applejack get on her hooves again, remembering she had a bit of work to do on the farm today, nothing too straining. Her thoughts were still consumed by how Ivory's and her's relationship might go next.

Ivory exited the clinic with an all-clear and no broken limbs (surprisingly). Now all he needed to do was to get some help on fixing the door to the backroom in his home. Sure, he could use magic to fix it himself, but he didn't know how to fix a door, and neither did he want to pay a load of bits for a repair-pony to fix the door. So he'd figured he might as well do for now and made his way back home in a steady trot. Intaking the surroundings around him along with that crisp afternoon air the Spring had possessed.

Ivory was listening to the birds chirp as he passed into the park, sure, his house was on side of the park, somewhat close. He wasn't thinking about home now, he placed himself on the fountain in the center and engrossed himself in a deep thought. There was one thing on his mind and one thing only, well, pony to be exact. Applejack was on his mind, he was wondering how she had been doing after last night.

Applejack felt like she had to make it up to Ivory, somehow. Whether it was to apologize, take him somewhere he'd like, letting him take advantage, or, all of the above. She was always there for him, when he was down in the dumps, when he was hurt, even had fun together. There was a connection they both shared, but it felt like it was skewered after what she had done that night. If she also found out that she accidentily broke some bones, she wouldn't feel comfortable knowing she had.

The stallion on the fountain changed his gaze every so often to observe a local tree, critter, sometimes a bench. His sides were protesting earlier's walk, yet, home was so close. Ivory could just get up, move a few more yard home, and plop down on the couch. Ivory Dreams his name rolled off the tongue in his mind repeatedly, as if looking for some kind of flaw. Maybe he was just saying his own name out of boredom, distracting himself from the pains in his chest.

An orange mare left Sweet Apple Acres in the late afternoon, leg was feeling good enough to buck some trees, not a whole lot. She had a plan though, a plan that was sure to make everything up. Her irrational anger, destruction, harm, and least of all, leaving without a single 'goodbye'. Applejack didn't have an idea just how exactly Ivory would react to her visit, whether or not if he was sore about what she had done.

The door to Ivory's was left wide open,  he felt a little fresh air wouldn't hurt. Almost every window in the house was open also, curtains flowing in the wind that caught them coming in. The stallion in question know as Ivory Dreams was lounging in his living on the couch, looking through the photo album his mother had made for him. He kept the door in the corner of his eye as he flipped through its pages, focusing on the memories he had left of his family.

Ivory only had his mom now, no idea what had happened to his father. He was just... gone, Nopony ever knew what had happened to him. Ivory's eyes got lost in thought as it focused on one particular picture. It was a family photo, with one extra member that wasn't really related. A tear welled up in his eye, a smile appeared on his face, staring at a cream coated unicorn colt with an orange coated earth filly, accompanied by the unicorn's parents.

A familiar color now occupied the door frame to the house. The form of orange was staring directly at the stallion from across his home.
"Ivory" A voice called to his ears, tearing him away from his memory and towards the form in the door way.
"Ah, AJ, it's good to see you again. I didn't think you'd come by again." Ivory said with a hint of happiness in his tone.

Applejack just stood there, staring at Ivory as if wanting an invitation inside.
"Iv'ry" She spoke again, forgetting to pronounce the 'o', a hint of sorrow dealed in her tone. "Ah've got somthin' to say.."
"As do I," Ivory replied back, closing up the album, "you say what you want to say first."
The orange mare's emerald eyes started to drift to the floor as she took in a breath of air before speaking.

"Ah'm sorry, and not just fer what happened, but fer reactin' the way ah did. It was wrong of me to do so.. Ah just hope ya aren't too sore with me."

"AJ, why in Equestria would I be mad at the mare I love more than anything? I'm the on that should be sorry. not you."

"You? Sorry? Sorry fer what?"

"For not being more careful about how you'd react, and in hindsight, I probably should've never let that happen at the party anyway."

Applejack's face went from a state of sadness to one of hybrid confusion-sorrow. Ivory was up from the couch and approaching her, embracing her in a hug that told her more than that she was just forgiven. As she hugged, the hug got a bit tighter, causing Ivory to groan a bit out of pain. She pulled away with a bit of concern only to have that stallion in the embrace smile back at her.

"I'll be fine, just going to be sore for a few days." Ivory said with a smile.

"Are ya sure 'bout that, sugarcube?" Applejack responded, staring into his eyes.

Ivory just leaned in and kissed her, showing what passion he had left before the sun fell into a perfect spot. AJ gladly returned the kiss whilst blushing her cheeks a full red. The stallion started to guide the mare inside the house and close the door behind her. Ivory wasn't sure whether or not he still loved Applejack, up until he found that old photograph. Now, it was her turn to see if she still loved him as much as he did.