“Uh, Applejack? A-Are you sure this is a good idea?” you ask nervously.
“Honey-bun, we both agreed that doin’ it when everyone is present and accounted for was the best idea.”
“Well now I’m nervous!” you cry as you stamp your hoof down “They all think I’m some tourist you met on the boat home who lives here in Ponyville! Why did you even tell them that?”
Applejack gives you a stern look. “You told them that the minute you got out of the carriage. I was gonna tell them straight up then and there.”
“Oh,” you say bashfully “sorry...”
Applejack sighs heavily and opens the door. “Just go take a seat at the table. I’ll be right behind you.”
You feel all eyes go on you the minute you walk into the room, making you sweat. You were wearing your mane in braids and may have gone a little overboard on the blush and lipstick. Sitting down, you take a deep breath and remind yourself of each pony’s name so you didn’t stumble across your words when you talked to them.
Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Big Mac, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy...
The group quickly returns to their previous conversation, so you do your best to focus on it, but can’t help but feel a little lost.
“...said he was going to ‘hang out with the boys’ while we were at dinner,” Rainbow Dash says as she nudges at her plate idly “I wonder what they’re doing right now.”
“Oh!” Pinkie Pie cries “I know! My hubby was saying how they were just gonna sit around and smoke cigars while playing poker.”
Rarity nods. “Yes, mein Schatz says that it’s a good bonding experience for them and it would help them become as good friends as we are.”
“Umm ...‘mein Schatz’? What’s that?”
“Oh, sorry Fluttershy. It’s just a little pet name I call him. Just how I’m his little fräulein,” Rarity says with a giggle.
“He hasn’t given me a pet name...” Twilight says sullenly.
“SOUP’S ON EVERYPONY!” Applejack declares as she bursts through the door, carrying a silver tray on her back.
Apple Pies, fritters, dumplings, and what looked like apple-kabobs drizzled in caramel were all laid out on the table.
“Wow, this all looks so good.” Rainbow Dash says as she grabs one of the kabobs.
“Darling, you must tell me where you learned to make this excellent drink!” Rarity declares as she takes another sip “What did you call it again?”
“Apple-hito. It’s sort like a mohito, only with hard cider. Still really good. Honey-bun here showed me how to mix it.”
“Uh... Who’s honey-bun?” Twilight asks as she puts her fritter down.
Your heart races as you realize the cat was out of the bag. Applejack takes a deep breath and goes to stand up, but you beat her to it.
“I... Kinda lied when I first met you. I wasn’t a tourist who met Applejack on the boat... And I don’t live here in Ponyville. Truth is, I met AJ a little after she got off of the boat.”
“I thought she drowned when I first met her, but it turned out she was the lifeguard there.” Applejack says as she moves to your side.
The words weren’t as easy to find as you thought. “We kinda... Well... The thing is...”
It was equally hard for Applejack as her own Grandmother stared intently at her. “We’re kinda... Sorta...”
All at once, you both find your nerve and speak up at the same time. “We’re in love.”
The table was completely silent as they stared on in disbelief.
“Uh... Wow,” Twilight says finally “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Me neither,” Rarity says, particularly stunned.
“Wow AJ, I pegged you for a ‘ma barn door don’t swing that way’ kinda mare.” Rainbow Dash says with a tease.
A blush starts to creep across Fluttershy’s face. “Oh my...”
“Oh wowie wow wow!” Pinkie Pie cries “I didn’t know you were gay!”
Rainbow Dash swats the back of Pinkie’s head. “Hey! Lay off, Pinks!”
“What?!?” Pinkie yells in defense “It’s just that if I’d known, I woulda taken a swing at her myself.”
Rarity looks at Pinkie in surprise. “Pinkie, I didn’t know you were...”
“I’m not,” she says as she takes a bite out of her slice of pie.
“Then why did-”
Pinkie shrugs. “What can I say? I’ve always been curious.”
Big Macintosh was the next to speak up. “Well uh... Gotta say this took me by surprise... But it’s fine by me.”
“Oh wow... I had no idea everyone would take this so well,” you say with a half-hearted giggle.
All of a sudden, you feel someone grab a hold of your head and force you to look to your left. It was Granny Smith, and she was scrutinizing every inch of you. “So you were a life-guard, eh?”
“Uh... Yes ma’am,” you say uneasily.
“Do anythin’ exciting in that line of work?”
“I kicked a shark.”
Granny Smith is taken aback by your frankness of the statement, as is everypony else at the table.
“What? It was just a great white.”
Granny Smith laughs aloud now as she pats your back heavily. “I LIKE THIS ONE!”
Applejack smiles from ear to ear, so you take this as a good thing. “So... I really don’t have anywhere to stay. It’s kinda why I’ve been sleeping here... You don’t mind if I... Move in?”
“Sweet-heart, you’re more than welcome to stay,” Granny Smith says with a warm smile.
You do your best to hold back your tears in front of all of Applejack’s friends, but you find it increasingly difficult. “Thanks everyone... I had no idea you’d make me feel so welcome.”
“No problem!” Rainbow Dash says as she puts a hoof around your shoulder “So, life-guard, huh?”
“Yeah, one of the best on the beach, or so I was told.”
“Well, we don’t really have any beaches, but we gotta lake.”
Your ears perk up at this revelation. “Oh?”
“Yeah!” Twilight declares “If you’re as good a swimmer as you say you are, then you could teach some of the kids here all the basics! Maybe even CPR classes for the adults!”
“Oh my gosh, that’s a great idea!” you say giddily “I gotta go down to the lake and check it out!”
You turn to Applejack and put your hooves on her shoulders. “I’m gonna need some help getting that all set up. Can you lend me a hoof?”
“Why certainly, honey-bun,” Applejack says, her embarrassed blush finally dying down.
You plant a quick kiss on her lips, making her entire face go red again. “Thanks sweetie.”
Taking a seat back down, the festivities commence again, in higher spirits this time. Just as you are about to dig into your plate, you feel someone tug at your side. Looking down, you see Apple Bloom staring up at you.
“Uh... Yes?” you ask as you crane your neck down.
Unexpectedly, Apple Bloom grabs a hold of your neck and holds you tight. “Thank you,” she says above a whisper.
“For what?”
“Oh! Uh... You know...” she says uneasily “Fer makin’ my sister happy. Yeah, that’s it.”
“Oh... Okay. She makes me happy too, so it’s a fair trade.”
“Do... Do I have to call you ‘big sis’ now too? Or...”
You shake your head. “No, not really. I mean, if you want to, I’m fine with it.”
Apple Bloom extends a hoof. “Well then ‘big sis’, lemme be the first to officially welcome you ta Ponyville; yer new home.”
You shake her hoof, smiling all the while. “Thanks, Apple Bloom. I really do feel like I’m... home now,” you say as you grab a hold of Applejack and hug her tightly.
I’m home, you think with a content sigh I’m home and I’m loved.