Chapter 4: An Improved Apple
A few days passed since that event at the school. Luckily, Granny Smith has manages to convince Filthy Rich to accept Tough Apple's apology and agrees to work with the Apples further. Although Diamond's father admits that his daughter deserves punishment for her teasing and mocking, what the stallion did went a bit too far.
Tough Apple meanwhile got a bit better. Yes, he lost his temper at times but his new friends helped him calm down and he appears to be getting better.
One day, Fluttershy convinces Rainbow, Twilight and Rarity to come with her to help him out. Applejack is busy on the farm and Pinkie is at Sugarcube Corner, working.
"Well, your friendship with Tough Apple appears to be working out." Twilight said to Fluttershy with a smile. "Applejack's cousin appears to be doing better."
"Yeah, yeah, though the guy is still a freak to be handled with." Rainbow remarks with a nod.
"Oh, now, don't say that, Rainbow." Fluttershy respond right back. "Tough Apple is doing better, I am so proud of him like a sister he never has."
"Yeah, kinda like me to Scootaloo except I don't lose my temper."
"As far as you know," Twilight mumbles a bit.
The mares saw Tough Apple pulling off bark off a tree slowly...then he ends up ripping the whole thing off. The stallion growls and tosses it to the ground, stomping on it a few times while yelling.
The mares wait until he's done. Tough Apple notices that they're looking, sighing, "Yew know...when Ah was a young colt, growing up, Ah lost mah temper at a family reunion one time enough 'dat Ah broke mah bat."
"Well, I lost my temper and broke my doll." Rarity said, trying to be helpful to Tough Apple.
"Over yer head?"
Twilight sighs in sadness, Tough needs some help. The unicorn said, "Tough, look, if those foals you know growing up gave you a hard time, you shouldn't let them get to you to the point of losing your temper. You are better than that."
"Shoot, it ain't just them...it's mah family too." Tough Apple said in sadness, "Earlier in mah life, whenever Ah git mad at 'de family reunions, Ah would break stuff, yell at ponies an' scare them an' even ruin 'de Apples. Eventually, mah family stops inviting me."
"Have you met Apple Bloom by any chance?" Fluttershy ask in concern.
"Nnope, Ah did saw pictures o' mah little cousin, but 'dat it. Mah family always kept me out o' 'de good stuff because o' mah bad temper. They gave up on me without trying 'ta help me."
"Whoa...that does explains a lot. I mean, I know Applejack gets frustrated and scared of ya, but not to the point of her giving up on you without helping you with your problem." Rainbow said in concern. "I mean, it isn't your fault you are the way you are. You aren't a monster."
"Hey, Klutzershy," A familiar voice taunts. Fluttershy cringes as the ponies saw her and Rainbow's old Flight School classmates, Dumb-bell, Hoops and Score, nearby, laughing their feathers off. Dumb-bell, the spoke, laughs, "Did you fell into any walls later?"
"Yeah, someone should clip her wings." Score taunts madly as he and his pals, failing to see the mad look on Tough's face. "She doesn't deserve to be a Pegasi!"
"Let alone a pony!" Hoops laugh madly.
Suddenly without warning and because they are near ground level, Tough roars and grabs the three taunting bullies. They scream as the stallion pounds them before stuffing them into a nearby trash barrel.
"Whoa...I'm liking Applejack's cousin now!" Rainbow exclaims, impressed by what he did.
"Ugh! Ah done can't control mah temper when mah friends are mocked like 'dis!" Tough Apple groans a bit as he prepares to trot off.
"But those bullies deserve it, Darling." Rarity pleads to Tough Apple, trying to show the bright side of what he did. "You stood up for Fluttershy and show those ruffians what for."
"What Ah did was unexcusable an' show what a monster Ah am!"
"You aren't a monster, you are a pony." Fluttershy said to Tough in pity. "If only..."
"Leave me alone, Fluttershy...Ah want 'ta be alone." Tough groaned in sadness as he gallops off. The mares look after their friend in sadness; Poor guy.
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At the park, the ponies and Spike, along with the CMC, are having their usual picnic. Applejack was putting down the apples, smiling as she said, "Nice."
"Applejack," Twilight said to Applejack in concern. "I want to talk to you about your cousin Tough Apple."
"Aww, shoot, what 'dat bad tempered cousin o' mah did now? Ah thought he finally calmed down."
"It isn't what he did; it's what you and your family didn't do! Tough Apple is only acting the way he is because you weren't helping him!"
"Gotta admit, sis, he's right." Apple Bloom said to Applejack while playing jacks of sorta with her friends. "Ah done saw a side ''ta him when he defended me an' mah friends against Diamond an' Silver 'de other day. We could at least try 'ta help him."
"Look, it's not 'dat Ah don't wanna help him. 'De problem is mah family is worried 'dat his bad temper would mess things up." Applejack explains to her friends with a sigh.
"Well, help him, do something!" Rainbow pleads to Applejack in concern. "He's your family, at least help him with his temper and show him that he's loved and accepted!"
"Hey, is this where the ponies can have their picnics?" Cherry Pie asks as she and her friends came up with picnic supplies of their own.
"You can join us! We love the extra company!" Pinkie giggles as she bounces around her new friends. "The restaurant closed for the day?"
"We are taking a break right now." Plumsweet giggles as she and her friends set up. "So...we hear you talking about Tough Apple?"
"Yep, trying to figure out how to resolve his strained relationship with his family," Scootaloo said with a nod. "Apple Bloom is taking the first step. Not sure about the rest."
"Right...you should help him." Feathermay said to Applejack seriously, before blushing a bit. "Not that I'm saying that I like him...err, more..."
"Feathermay, come on, you don't have to hit it." Firecracker said slyly to her friend. "You like him more than a friend since you two first met."
"Firecracker!"
"Ah, dear love. I just love the sound of it." Spike said lovingly while smiling to Rarity, drooling a bit.
"Err, Spikey-Wikey, you're drooling on the blanket." Rarity said to Spike in concern, noticing how some of his drool is on the blanket.
"Oh sorry."
"Applejack, you should hang out with your cousin more, fix the problems you have with him." Fluttershy pleads to Applejack.
"Right, come on! Be a good cousin!" Pinkie said while hugging Applejack, batting her eyes.
Applejack sighs while saying, "Ah don't know..."
Suddenly, there was a distant banjo playing music being heard that had a nice tune that were catching some ponies in the area's ears, AKA the Mane Six, CMC, the Mane Six lookalikes as well as Derpy, Time Turner, Caramel, Lyra, Bon-Bon, Cheerilee and some more. Then about right in the spot by the fountain of Ponyville's park, was Tough Apple playing his banjo, Joe. It seem the stallion was in a deep status of having his eyes shut, playing his banjo while feeling there is no one else around, thinking he was alone to be at peace. But then what happened next was that this guy...started to sing with his accent like a country singer.
Tough Apple: My name is Tough Apple
This town is my territory
He ended up introducing his name and the folks that were nearby watched him sing, some even to smile at hearing how nice he sings.
The neighboring town is also my territory
Everywhere is mine
As Tough Apple was playing, he felt his body moving, and got up to dance forward off the fountain.
Today again I expand my territory!
Now we see Tough Apple playing while he walks, but doesn't notice...that he's leading his own marching band of the pony citizens dancing to his musical beat.
Territory! Territory! Territory! I love it!
Say oh!
Tough Apple exclaimed out and asked for a second verse line to fill in that spot.
Chorus Crowd: Oh!
The crowd responds in a cheer to be pumping their hooves up in the air.
Tough Apple: Oh!
Chorus Crowd: Oh!
They repeat this step while walking on down the path Tough Apple was going down to.
Tough Apple: Oh, Oh!
Chorus Crowd: Oh, Oh!
Tough Apple was stretching out his song there and so was the crowd doing the same thing, looks like everyone was having fun here.
That was, until the song ended with a sound of a horse sounding off right there. It was around then, that Tough Apple took a moment to notice from his open eyes, where he was after his daydreaming, and noticed the crowd.
"WAAAAHH...wah da ding-bat is goin' on? Where'd ya come fro'," Tough Apple ask in alarm and embarrassment.
"That was great, Tough Apple!" A random stallion proclaim with a smile in liking this stallion's singing.
"Let us hear more!" A random mare cheered out with a smile in wanting more to hear this guy play.
"Can I have your signature?" A little filly named Alula raises her hooves up in the air, smiled to hold a paper in wanting a signature of Tough Apple.
"Wait...ya mean...ye all LIKE 'dat?" Tough Apple respond quite shock, normally, folks say his playing the music got on their nerves, which was true, but this was the first time anybody said that they liked this when he sang. Truthfully, he did this to release tension and think of happy thoughts, but the stallion never thought his gruffy voice could sing so well.
"Liked it? Are you kidding me? EVERYPONY LOVES IT!" Pinkie Pie pops in from out of nowhere to tell this guy.
"Wooh, how da ya do 'dat trick, poppin' fro' outta nowhere?" Tough Apple yelps before asking how the pink pony does that.
"A gift," Pinkie Pie shrugs off to say with a cheeky smile, once again, leaving Tough Apple speechless. When he came to town, Fluttershy was seen as the only pony that didn't felt much afraid of him or thought of him negatively, and this girl Pinkie Pie was about the same thing...if not a bit more oddly weird in a positive way.
"Right, come on, your singing is awesome!" Scootaloo exclaims eagerly.
"Right, good as mine," Sweetie said with a smile.
"Yes, you should do it more often." Caramel said with a smile. He was freaked out by this pony when Tough Apple first came to now but now...the former doesn't seem to be that anymore.
"Yeah, nice," Flitterheart said with a happy giggle.
"Nice work, dude!" Spike exclaims, giving Tough Apple the thumbs up.
Tough Apple kinda smile in liking this attention, it's not like the bad attention he gets from being rude, nasty, and bad temper. And then surprisingly, he took the filly Alula's paper, brought out some pen to write his own signature 'Tough Apple' before presenting it to her. The filly smiled in accepting the gift of the autograph of the Apple Family member that sung so well as she giggled with joy to head off to show her friends this. Now seeing that scene, even Tough Apple felt that squishy feeling in his heart, feeling such love like that in making folks happy & making friends, is a lot better than being mean to them...when of course, they ain't mean back, but he gets it.
"Okay...Ah done git what yer are saying, girls." Applejack said to her friends while Feathermay smiles a bit at how Tough is doing.
Soon, the crowd dispersed as the rest of the Mane Six walked up to Tough Apple.
"Wow...didn't know you could sing like that, Tough." Flitterheart said in amusement.
"Well, thanks, Ah prefer not 'ta sing in public...just when Ah'm alone." Tough explains to the mares and dragon with a shrug.
"Are you kidding? That was awesome like Fluttershy's and Sweetie's singing." Spike whistles in amazement.
"Right, when yew ain't disturbing 'de public, you sound like a country star 'dat Megan spoke of." Applejack said to her cousin in approval.
"Megan? Who's Megan," Tough asked in curiosity.
"Come now, haven't you heard of the Mag'ne? The one who is the foster mother to the princesses," Rainbow ask Tough with a grin. "Haven't you heard of the legends of Ponyland, the Smooze, Tirak and all that stuff?"
"Cain't say 'dat Ah have. Ah've been livin' in New Neighleans fer a long time."
"Huh. Well, when she comes by the next time, you should meet her." Fluttershy said, amazed that Tough hasn't heard those legends.
"Look, you oughta enter a talent show sometimes. When you aren't going plum loco, you are gentle as a lamb." Feathermay said to Tough gently.
"Right, you are awesome!" Plumsweet and Pinkie exclaims at once.
Applejack pauses, remembering what her friends told her: how she and her family gave up on Tough Apple because of his bad temper. Perhaps...it's time to put an end to not helping him.
"Hey, Tough; Wanna go picking fer berries tomorrow wit' Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh an' me?" Applejack asks her cousin.
"Wait, seriously?" Tough ask in surprise, wondering if he's hearing things. "Yew wants 'ta hang out wit' me after what Ah have done in 'de past?"
"Shucks, o' course we do!" Applejack replied with a smile and a wink, "After hearin' about ya standin' up fer Apple Bloom an' bein' nice 'ta Fluttershy an' stuff, we're gonna give ya another chance."
Tough looks touched and amazed. His family is actually giving him another chance. Perhaps this may be the chance to patch things up.
"Sure, no problem; Shucks, give me what Ah need an' Ah'm there!" Tough Apple exclaims to Applejack with an eager look on his face.
Fluttershy and some of the ponies smile happily. Looks like Tough Apple's rough relationship with his family will soon be repaired...as well as his impressions with the ponies.
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"Wait, hang on." Ben in the present spoke up, interrupting the story as he looks puzzled. "So far, the story's good, but that doesn't explain how your cousin ended up living in that shack in the first place."
"Well, if yew let me continue 'de story, Ben, Ah will let yew know." Applejack said to Ben with a frustrated sigh.
"Right," Phobos remarks to Ben in agreement. "Let AJ continue the story."
Applejack nods, clearing her throat, "Now where was Ah, y'all? Oh yes, it was 'de next day, an' has planned, we were y'all doing berry picking..."
-----------------
Back to the story, the Apples are getting berries as planned, this time Tough Apple is helping out. Normally, Applejack's family would take four baskets on Big Macintosh then go back to empty before coming back to refill. But with Tough Apple, they got eight baskets enough to get the whole job done.
"We done appreciate yew coming wit' us, Cousin Tough Apple!" Apple Bloom exclaims happily. "Dis job will be done in no time!"
"Thanks, Apple Bloom." Tough Apple said with a smile, "Ah'm really glad y'all are givin' me another chance."
"Right, kinda our fault for giving up on you for having a bad temper." Big Macintosh admits a bit as his last basket is done. "Shucks, maybe it was a mistake to keep you out of the family reunions."
"What about Braeburn?" Tough Apple asks Big Macintosh, reminding his cousins of Braeburn's absence.
"We try inviting him 'de last time...but something in Appleloosa came up so he couldn't make it." Applejack explains to Tough Apple.
"Oh. 'Dat's okay." Tough said, knowing how busy Braeburn can be.
Suddenly Tough Apple yelps as something trips him, causing him to spill his berries. The stallion growls as he saw it's some sort of rabbit.
"Ay! Stupid rabbit," Tough Apple growls as he holds up a hoof. "Why Ah..."
"Tough, Tough, calm down, it was an accident; 'De little fella' meant no harm!" Applejack said while trying to calm her cousin down. "Don't go hurting him."
"Yeah, please calm down, Cousin Tough!" Apple Bloom begged, joining her sister in trying to calm her cousin down.
Tough Apple grunts then calms down, then pets the rabbit while saying, "Well, it's an accident so…no harm done, little fella'."
The rabbit smiles, and then nuzzles Tough a bit before leaving. Big Macintosh said, "Come on, Tough, we can help pick some new berries for your baskets."
"Thanks, Mac." Tough said as he gets back to work.
-------------
The rest of the Mane Six arrives as the Apples finish up their berry picking. Rarity comments, "Got to admit, you got this job twice as done."
"Yes, you did great, Tough Apple." Fluttershy said to Tough proudly.
"Thanks." Tough Apple said with a smile.
"Well, we got all our chores done." Applejack said with a smile. "We done got time to spare."
"That's great!" Pinkie exclaims happily. "Let's have some fun!"
"Say, want 'ta know what Ah like 'ta do back home in New Neighleans?" Tough Apple asks the mares and Big Macintosh mischievously.
"Yeah, yeah," Apple Bloom said eagerly with a nod.
"Got a huge mud pit?" Tough Apple asks with a smirk, having one interesting game in mind.
"I don't think the game you have in mind is appropriate for little fillies." Twilight said uneasily, having a bad idea as to what Tough may have in mind.
"Shoot, Ah don't mean 'dat mud activity. If yew git me a mud pit, Ah will done show yew!" Tough Apple insists to Twilight, assuring her that what she thinks isn't what he has in mind.
"Well, if you're sure, then I guess its okay." Twilight said.
The Apples take the others to a big mud pit that is fenced off. Fluttershy said, "Well, so what do you have in mind?"
Tough smirks as he calls out, "Soooeeey!" The others have no clue as to why he did that.
But then the ponies yelp as they heard a stampede, seeing a bunch of pigs running onto the scene and into the mud pit.
"So you can hog call." Rarity said, unimpressed. "I don't see..."
"HEEEHAW," Tough Apple laughs as he jumps right into the mud pit. The others look surprised as he begins wrestling a pig, "Pig wrestling! One o' mah favorite sports back home!"
"Pig wrestling," Everypony else exclaimed in surprise.
"Yep; we wrestle 'dem piggies an' one another 'ta 'de mud!" Tough Apple laughs madly as he is winning.
"Say, that looks like fun!" Rainbow laughs as she jumps into the mud pit, joining in by wrestling another piggy. "Hey, ponies, come on in, do some pig wrestling!"
"Heavens, no! That's disgusting!" Rarity exclaimed in disgust.
"Doesn't stop me any; Here Ah come, cousin," Apple Bloom laughs as she jumps into the mud pit, grabbing a piggy and wrestle. "Come on in!"
"Hey, don't let mah relatives an' my friend have all 'de fun!" Applejack laughs as she and Big Macintosh jumps for some pig wrestling of their own.
"Wait for me!" Pinkie giggles as she jumps into the mud pit, wrestling a big piggy. "All right, now this is fun!"
"Hey, Big Mac." Rainbow said devilishly as she throws a mud ball right at Big Macintosh, hitting him head on.
"Whoa! You're going to get it, Rainbow!" Big Macintosh said devilishly as he throws some mud at Rainbow, only for him to miss and hit Tough.
The ponies gasps but Tough Apple smirks as he throws mud right back at Big Macintosh.
Rainbow laughs as she throws a mud ball at Applejack who got hit by it. The farm pony smirks while saying, "Oh, yer're going 'ta git it now, Rainbow Dash!"
"Betcha can't catch me!" Rainbow taunted, focusing on Applejack at the moment.
"Take 'dat!" Apple Bloom shouted playfully as she pelted Rainbow with a mud ball before she laughed.
"Wow, sounds barbaric." Fluttershy said as she, Twilight and Rarity, the only ponies not in the mud pit, watch on.
"Yes, you never catch me doing something barb..." Rarity was cut off as a mud ball hit her in the face. She narrows her eyes, "Oh...it...is...on." Then, with a battle cry, the white unicorn jumped into the mud pit, joining the mud fight.
"Hoo boy, this is getting muddy." Twilight said in concern.
Suddenly, Big Macintosh pops out, laughing as he pulls Twilight and Fluttershy into the mud pit.
"WHOA!" The two ponies exclaimed as they fell into the mud pit.
"Well, guess we're now in." Fluttershy, covered in mud, said meekly.
"MUD FIGHT," Pinkie laughs as she fires mud at Twilight and Fluttershy.
"Hey!" Twilight shouted as she was hit by mud.
The ponies laugh as they throw mud at one another. Tough laughs, "Mud fighting, another fave sport o' mine..."
Tough yelps as a pig throws mud at him, oinking while laughing a bit.
"Oh, yew're gonna regret it, ya little rascal!" Tough said while grinning devilishly.
And then, he pounced on the pig, and the two began wrestling each other. Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow were watching this with smiles.
"Even though it's really messy, it's nice to see Tough Apple have fun." Rarity remarked.
"Yeah, especially introducing this sport to us," Rainbow laughed.
Twilight giggled as she remarked, "It just can't get any more fun."
"SURPRISE," Some voices shouted as Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow found themselves dog-piled into the mud by three familiar foals.
Spike rushed to the mud pit, breathing in and out, saying, "Sorry! I tried to look after them like I was told to and...hey, what's going on here?"
"Ooh, Nyx, you naughty little pony!" Twilight glared at her daughter before she leaned towards her with a devilish grin, "Now you're gonna get it! Come here, you!" As she said the last three words, she grabbed Nyx and started tickling her while they were rolling around in the mud.
"Okay, did I miss something..." Spike begins to say.
"Shut up!" Tough laughs as he throws a mud ball at Spike, knocking him in. "Wanna make revenge fer 'dat, short stuff?"
Spike wiped the mud off his face before he glared at the purple stallion with a playful smirk. "Okay, Toughy, you asked for it!" The purple dragon then lunged towards Tough Apple with a scream.
---------------
Granny Smith was busy humming while working on putting the jars for the berries down. The old mare is wondering where her grandchildren and Tough are at. To her surprise, here they come, along with their friends, covered in mud.
"Sam Hill; Whatcha been doing?" Granny Smith asks the group in surprise and disbelief.
"Pig Wrestling...an' fighting 'wit' mud," Tough Apple explains to Granny Smith.
"Shucks, yew should've been there." Apple Bloom said with a smile as Applejack help get the mud out of her mane. "It was fun."
"Yes, even when I loathe the idea of being in the mud...that was something else." Rarity said with a proud smile.
Granny Smith blinks a bit then smiles a bit. She said, "Shucks, glad to see you're all doing fine. Applejack, you and your siblings better clean yourselves off before dinner. No need to track mud in the house more than you already have."
"I think we better clean ourselves up too." Rainbow said with a slight chuckle. "Man, the Spa Ponies are going to have a field day cleaning us up."
"Don't I know it," Spike said with a smile as he shakes the mud of himself, "Still cute as a button."
"Thank you for the good time, Tough Apple." Fluttershy said meekly. "For someone who was dangerous, you are like a big brother I never have."
"Yeah, yew probably is right on 'de tick." Tough Apple said with a smile. Fluttershy reminds him of a sister that he never has. For the first time, his heart is warmth even further.
The Mane Six and the CMC thanks Tough and the Apples for a good time before heading on to the spa or home to get cleaned up; the stallion sighs a bit. He needs to be somewhere for a moment, to be with his thoughts...of her.
"Hey, after dinner, all right if Ah done be at 'de lake?" Tough Apple asks his family hopefully.
"Sure, take yer time." Applejack said as she pat her cousin on the back. "Ah done have a feeling yew are doing better now."
"Eeyup," Big Macintosh exclaims in approval. Tough Apple gave a big smile; Looks like for the first time in years, he has gained the respect and caring of his family again.
Now he just got to keep it.
-----------------------
The scene shows a quiet lake side, but there was a music being played that sounded gentle, soft, sweet, and loving melody. The owner appears to be Tough Apple, playing on his banjo Joe, sitting on a log. He had his eyes shut as if imagining something from his mind...and his heart. Then suddenly, he begins to sing.
Tough Apple: Oh...oh...
Feathermay
Tough Apple sang the name of someone within his heart as he serenades more.
Flowing red mane, slender legs
Then a picture of Feathermay appears as if looking very lovely and in her pride moment within Tough Apple's mind.
With one glance...
I cannot forget that day
Then it looked like Tough Apple floating in the middle of this illusionary scene to grip himself across his chest from feeling something since he laid eyes on this pony.
A Ruby shinning with light
The scene then changed to the two actually running along a beach of sand, laughing and smiling like they are having fun with one trying to catch the other.
Ohhh-ohhh...Feathermay
Become my property!
Tough Apple sang from when the scene showed the two now looking to the other by the scene of the sun setting, as it looked like the two were going in for...the kiss.
But like all love serenade moments, things are cut short when Tough Apple stops playing and singing for some reason.
----------------
The ponies were doing something near the lake, even the Mane Six who clean themselves off, doing some activities, not expecting something that's about to happen.
Suddenly, there was a melody in the air from a familiar banjo being played. As many ears are listening in, they go into the direction of the lake area Tough was seen at before.
These feelings...
I give it all to you
From the far distance, those that were searching the forest heard Tough Apple singing and was curious to what this might mean. So from behind a bush, they saw their chance to peek at what's happening before them.
There is, no doubt
And when this group peeked over the bush, they pretty much gasp in surprise, as they were seeing something...unlikely and unusual at the same time.
This love alone is the truth
Those watching saw Tough Apple sitting on a log, as he was serenading a song with his banjo, Joe's help. And from his closed eyes and happy expression, he was fantasizing the moment.
"Amazing the second time," Time Turner said in amazement.
"It's like he has a soul underneath that monster form." Derpy said while Tough's singing is only a voice in the wind.
Bon-Bon asks, "Is that a serenade?"
Pinkie exclaims this with wide eyes of joy, "Oh, who would have guessed it? The big loose-temper Tough Apple would be crushing over Feathermay!"
Rainbow exclaims with a dry doubt, "No way, that can't be!" Of course, what she saw next surprises her as a familiar Pegasus pony lands near Tough Apple. "Whoa!"
Feathermay, who was exploring nearby, overheard the song, came over and saw Tough Apple playing. She smiles to him softly. His singing is even more wonderful. Of course, the stallion saw
Soon at this moment, Tough Apple didn't know what to do or to say, so instead, he choose to play his banjo after sitting down. The familiar serenade was being played as the melody seems to apply to the mare listening to this. The girl even looks over the lake, seeing the greenery, the butterflies and the ducks swimming in the lake.
"What a beautiful forest." Feathermay exclaim with a heart filled tone in admiring the scenery of nature.
"Well, it's mah & 'de Apple Family's property." Tough Apple exclaim with a blush on his face, seeing the mare was enjoying the sights. Then without a second delay, this stallion quickly broke into a song.
The summer wind...
It brings love with it
Tough Apple manage to sing a nice, soft, peaceful serenade while the mare near him listened closely.
As well as your sigh...
Even from bush corners, some rabbit heard the serenade and he blush red from feeling a joyful feeling inside.
It smells of the fragrance of roses
Even two nearby squirrels look to each other and smile to lean to the other as male and female feeling the blushing feeling of love.
Near my ear...
As Feathermay listen, the mare let off a sign giggle in how Tough Apple was singing this for her.
...it whispers into it
Tough Apple happily plays and sings in feeling that the atmosphere was having an effect for the two ponies.
While those that watched this action take place watch with much curiosity.
"Oh...I'm entranced." Rarity blush to hold her cheeks in seeing this scene go on.
"Boy howdy, Ah am seeing mah cousin' in a new light!" Applejack exclaim with a smile of joy, seeing how much Tough Apple is doing this and is not losing his cool, it's almost too good to be true.
"Right and I think Feathermay is liking this." Firecracker said with a smile.
"Oh, looks like they're about to get together now," Roseluck said pleased.
Soon, the serenade was slowly closing as the two ponies in question stared to the other. It felt like time froze for them like nothing could spoil this moment.
That is until Feathermay look away, saying, "I gotta get back to work. My break is over. Bye!" She quickly flew off.
"Awwwwwww," The ponies groan a bit, in disbelief and annoyance while Tough. So close.
"Ugh, Feathermay blew it." Cherry Pie said with a sigh.
"She and Tough needs some help." Twilight said in determination. "And it's up to do so."
--------------------
"Stupid blank flanks, stupid...blank flanks!" Diamond Tiara scowls to Silver Spoon in a fume. "They all should be extinct, every last one of them!"
Silver Spoon in concern said, "Diamond, death is not something to joke about."
Diamond scoffs, saying, "Nopony's died in my family. But right now, I'm still ticked off by what Apple Bloom's cousin did to us the other day!"
"Well, we did make fun of them along with Apple Bloom's friends, so we asked for it."
"No one makes a fool out of Diamond Tiara and does that to me! No one! Those ponies are going to need a reminder as to why that creep shouldn't be here in Ponyville."
Silver Spoon sighs, "I don't know. Tough Apple seems to be doing better lately. Yes, he lost his temper a few times...but he is making good friends with the folks of Ponyville from what I heard."
"Well...I believe one rampage is the thing we need...both for revenge and for humiliation of his own." Diamond said with an evil smirk on her face.
Silver Spoon looks worried; she doesn't like the look on Diamond's face. These are one of the few things that the bully wonders what she hangs around the tiara Earth pony in the first place.