//------------------------------//
// Hug A Tiny Day 2013 
// Story: Just Horsing Around ~Pony Tails~ 
// by Darkness Shade 
//------------------------------//

	"A pun right off the bat again sugah?"
"Of course Apps, this one will get milked for a while though since hopefully they'll be other one-offs besides this one in the series...and hey, wait...you aren't supposed to break the fourth wall!"
"Yeah silly! That's my job! ...although I guess Rysy-Wysy seems to know how to do it too! Awesome pun by the way!"
"Thanks Pinks...ahem, now then...let's get this little story started."
"...something about that smile of yours Ry-Ry has me a might bit worried."
"You'll be fine Apps...now come on, we need to get to the story."
"That's right! The readers are gonna lose interest!"
"Pinkie Pie...who are the readers? Tarnation, y'all aren't making a lick of sense...fine then...go ahead and start whatever it is yer up to."
"Heh, don't worry mah sweet little Apps, you'll enjoy what's going to happen. Hahaha."

It was another day on the farm as AppleJack was busy bucking a few last apples before the season began to change; Ryan, who normally would be out there helping her, had left a note saying that he had something to go take care of and would be back later in the afternoon.
"Tarnation, I don't know where that Ry of mine went off to but I do wonder what in the heck he's up to?" AppleJack mused to herself, bucking another tree, "I just get the feeling I'm gonna be up to mah eyes in mischief when he returns. I'd bet mah hat on it! Still..."
AppleJack took a moment to look up at the clear blue sky and smiled.
"I suppose he's probably just trying to do something to surprise me; he's purty sweet like that I've gotta admit. Well, I'm sure as sunshine he'll be true to his word so I'd best get all mah bucking done before then."
Sure enough, just after AppleJack had finished up her lunch, she saw Ryan come running up with his hand behind his back and a pretty suspicious grin on his face.
"Apps~!" He shouted, running up and panting a bit before smirking at her, "Sorry fer disappearing this morning like I did but I promise it'll be worth yer while."
"Heh, I'm sure that's the case sugah...but what're ya hiding behind yer back there?" AppleJack asked, trying to poke around and see but getting blocked at every turn, "Come on Ry-Ry, lemme see!"
"Heh, in due time but not here; fancy following me up to our room?" Ryan asked, putting one arm around her and leading her towards the farmhouse.
"Well...I guess we've got enough apples bucked for cider season so alright; I can't say I'm not a little curious what kind of trouble you've got for us."
"Funny Apps, funny." Ryan laughed as he led her up to their room and closed the door, "Okay...now I need ya to close yer eyes."
"Mah eyes? I knew ya were up to something." AppleJack teased, but she closed her eyes all the same and waited, "Alrighty, whatever yer gonna surprise me with go ahead Ry."
Not saying a word, Ryan first took the box out from behind his back and produced three items; while two of them he set on the desk for later the third one, that was wrapped up in a special way so that he was not touching it when he pulled it out, was an odd, blue colored plant that looked slightly curious in its design.
Grinning at the mischief of the moment, and eager to see the results of what this simple plant had apparently brought to his dear Apps before, Ryan placed it in front of her nose and asked her to sniff.
"Sniff? Well, okay, but I don't rightly see why." AppleJack made a shrug before sniffing the flower and brushing against it, "Hmmm....I know I've smelt this plant before...but...wait a cotton-picking minute!"
AppleJack's eyes quickly flew open and, sure enough, there she saw a plant whose effects on her she remembered quite vividly.
"Apple Ryder, what in tarnation are ya doing giving me a whiff of that Poison Joke?" AppleJack gasped, trying to back away from it but it was already too late as far as she could tell, "Oh oats! Do ya have any idea what you've done?"
"Actually mah dear sweet Apps, I do indeed; your tale about Poison Joke was quite interesting when you and the others told me about that misadventure." Ryan calmly explained, a warm smile on his face, "Your reaction to it in particular was something I took quite an interest in."
"Mah reaction?" AppleJack asked, already sensing everything around her getting bigger and getting a little nervous, "Why's that?"
"Well, ya see, I've always kind of been interested in stuff like that; size differences between people and stuff." Ryan explained, taking her hat off her before it got too big for her, "In particular, being the, well, giant protector/friend/etc. of someone that's tiny."
"...well, what with that sense of justice of yers I guess that's no surprise you'd be so protective." AppleJack gave a slight laugh, relaxing slightly despite Ryan getting a lot taller, "So I'm guessing when ya heard that I had a reaction like that..."
"I was most interested in seeing ya as mah little pony fer real for a little bit."
"Well, darlin' I...I can understand that but..."
"I know, I know; I guess I should've asked but if'n you really are too nervous about it, I did already bring the remedy when I visited Zecora." Ryan explained, crouching down a bit to help her freak out less, "T-Sparks helped me get out there when I asked for her help with mah little plan; she thought it was cute so she didn't object. On the desk is the remedy all ready for use if ya wanna go ahead and change back."

"Well...I guess since ya have given me a clear choice...and it does seem to mean a lot to ya." AppleJack remarked, noting she'd finally stopped and that Ryan even sitting was quite tall, "I guess I wouldn't mind indulging this little interest of yers."
"Really?" He asked, smiling as she walked over towards him, "I do love ya Apps, so you know I'd always be very gentle with you."
"Heck, I know that mah Apple Ryder; I am yer gal so I don't think you'd do anything to ever harm me." AppleJack giggled before staring at his open palm, "I've got the strangest sense of déjà vu going on here but...yer hand...yer whole self in general is a lot bigger than any of the girls were when I shrank last time. Still..."
Ryan held his breath when he felt her walk into his hand and get settled, his mind racing at actually getting to experience this after always wondering just what it'd be like.
"This is...kind of mind-blowing ta be honest." Ryan quietly stated, gulping as he slowly brought AppleJack's tiny form to his chest and cushioned her there, "Holy Ponies...."
"Hee, yer a bit stunned eh?" AppleJack teased, gently running a hoove over his chest, "Mah goodness yer heartbeat is pretty loud at this size."
"Mmmmm....you have no idea how happy this is making me mah little Apps." Ryan sighed before cushioning her against him and slowly standing up, "Hold on."
"Whoa nelly!" AppleJack gasped as she held to his shirt tightly, "Careful sugah...it's mighty high up from here for me."
"I know, I'm going slowly for that very fact." Ryan reassured her, before fully standing and picking up something off the desk, "Here Apps; yer missing something."
Looking at what was offered, she laughed softly as she took a version of her hat perfectly scaled for her shrunken size and put it on.
"Well Yeehaw, I'm mahself again."
"Silly filly, yer always yerself no matter what happens to ya." Ryan chuckled before slowly walking over to the bed and sitting down and setting her in his lap.
"Hey Ry? Did you happen to have an accident with the Poison Joke as well? Or did Zecora help make sure you didn't get inflicted by it?"
"I was wondering if you were ever going to ask about that." Ryan smirked and shot her a curious look, "Let's just say that if I ever wish to blend in, I have my means to."
"And what in tarnation does that mean?" AppleJack huffed, lightly stamping his thigh, "You and yer secrets!"
"Yep...but hey, you know what one of the best things about being a tiny girlfriend is?" Ryan asked, smiling as he scooped her up in his hands.
"Uh...what are ya up to darlin'?"
"You trust me right?"
"Well, yeah; I know ya honestly love me so why wouldn't I?"
"Good." Ryan whispered as he slowly lifted her up to his face and planted a kiss on her tiny face, "That is one of the best things: getting big kisses."
"I'll say sugah." AppleJack woozily replied, quite dazed by how nice that all felt, "I don't suppose...I could have another?"
"Heh, I don't see why not." Ryan gave her another, then another, and then one more before she completely collapsed in his hands, "Oops."
Laughing softly at her relaxed state of mind, he slowly and carefully lay back before settling her right over his heart and draping his left hand over her.
"Oh mah Apple Ryder...a gal could get to liking this; it's certainly much more enjoyable than mah last adventure at this size."
"Was it that bad? You didn't really get into the details too much, just a basic gist since it seemed y'all weren't too happy being poison joked."
"Well, to be honest...I felt pretty vulnerable and such; even if I was around mah friends, it wouldn't take much for somepony to decide that was ample time to get some kind of revenge with me being all tiny and defenseless and stuff." AppleJack explained, glancing up as Ryan looked down at her, "I mean...AppleBloom pretty much just stuck me in a tree and well, the less spoken of the crash that landed me in Rainbow Dash's mouth the better..."
"I can't imagine being in a giant mouth to be all that relaxing, even if it's yer best friend's." Ryan softly caressed her mane with a finger, "I'm glad I can make this time more enjoyable though."
"Well yeah...that's the thing; when I'm like this with ya Ry I don't feel nearly as vulnerable. I...well, I feel pretty content actually. I reckon that's because ya wanna be the giant protector or some such thing."
"Well yeah, I've always been helpful like that...so that, what with my intense sense of justice, kind of leads to that naturally." Ryan joked, laughing warmly at his thoughts.
AppleJack, having never felt such rumbling before, had a strange sense of comfort and awe at the fact that his laugh of all things was so powerful.
"Mah word, that was certainly different." She admitted, "Different...but not bad."

"I do have to be honest with ya sweetie...there is a bit of an ulterior motive for this as well."
"What ya talking about?"
"Well, see....there was a group of people that were into the whole giant/tiny thing back on Earth and, because we're all twenty percent cooler and stuff, a few of them came up with our own holidays for the community." Ryan explained, "The first one had already passed by the time I thought about the Poison Joke, but the second one is right on time for today."
"The 11th of August?" AppleJack asked, "I reckon that seems as good a day as any fer a holiday but what in tarnation is it called?"
"Hug a Tiny Day." Ryan smirked as he explained, "So, ya see...I can't rightly celebrate it without a tiny..."
"Hence the poison joke sugah?"
"Exactly...and now I've got mah Appleteeny all to mahself to snuggle and dote on with hugs a plenty." Ryan followed that up with a pleasant snuggle, holding AppleJack close for a short while before finally resuming his gentle caressing.
"A gal...could get used to treatment like this." AppleJack sighed, closing her eyes and enjoying the gentle caressing of her mane as she curled up under his hand, "Ah think I'm gonna get mahself some...."
"...some what?" He quietly asked but received no answer, "Heh, Happy Hug a Tiny Day mah sweet little Apps~."
Seeing she had finally fallen asleep, no doubt from the combination of his body heat, heartbeat, and gentle caresses, Ryan took his free hand and grabbed his hand-held device before pulling up the camera function.
Making sure to get the best possible angle, he pushed the button and was quite pleased with the results; knowing he had one last thing to do before he could fully enjoy his moment with his gal he slowly typed out a message, attached the picture, and off it went.
"There, I've kept mah end of the agreement." Ryan quietly whispered before setting it back down and glancing at the sleeping AppleJack, "Mah word, I don't know how it's possible, but she's even prettier when she's tiny like this."
Settling into the bed, he closed his eyes and enjoyed a brief rest with his gal, quite content and amused that he actually got to celebrate this holiday as it was intended.
'Heh, I can only imagine how jealous some of them back on mah Earth would be of mah Apps if they only knew about her little trick.'

Somewhere else in Ponyville, what was most likely the first e-mail ever to be sent in Equestria's history had arrived in the inbox of one Twilight Sparkle.
"Hey Twilight, I'm not sure why but that crazy computer thing you and Ryan built seems to be flashing."
"Well it shouldn't be doing that Spike...as far as I know." Twilight noted before looking at the screen, "Oh...it seems I have an...electronic mail? Is that what Ryan called it? I seem to have this "e-mail" from him...wonder what it is? Hmm, it's titled 'Happy Hug a Tiny Day!'?"
"Huh? I wonder what that means? Anyway, open it Twilight! At least that means it works then."
"Right; okay...let's see...and...click here....? Okay, and then it should open." Twilight remarked, opening the e-mail;, "It's loading! Awwwwwwww, that really is adorable; I knew it would work out well for them!"
"Is that AppleJack as...Appleteeny? Heh...guess I know why you took Ryan to the Everfree Forest now."
"Yes but Spike? You can't let anyone know about this; not unless they decide to share. Got it?"
"You got it Twilight! My lips are sealed."