Creo had been having a great time in Ponyville. Using the map Twilight gave him, he had gone around to several of the fun places she marked for him, meeting other ponies as he went around. Then, his map led him to Sweet Apple Acres, which was one of the last two places on the map he hadn't gone to yet. "My, what a pleasant-looking farm. I wonder what fun things there are to do around here?" As Creo walked onto the farm, he heard the sound of something being hit, and then what sounded like several objects falling to the ground. He followed the noise out beyond the front of the farm and into the apple orchard. As he walked through the trees, he heard the noise again. He followed it again to find Applejack, who was applebucking the trees. "Well, what do you know; I didn't think I'd meet Applejack here!" Creo walked over to Applejack, just as she was about to applebuck another tree, "Hey, Applejack!" he shouted, making her turn her head sharply towards Creo at the same time she kicked the apple tree, which made the apples fall out of the tree, and a bunch of them fell on her. Creo gasped and ran over to help Applejack up. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I shouldn’t have distracted you!”
“Oh, it’s all right,” Applejack said as she got up on her hooves. “It was just an accident, after all.”
“Well, I’m still sorry, Applejack,” Creo looked really down. “I feel like I should do something to make up for it.”
“Aww, shoot, there’s no need for that! I promise, it’s okay.”
Creo still didn’t feel satisfied. He looked at the apples that had fallen on Applejack, then his eyes sparked with the thought of a good idea. Creo used his magic to pick up all the apples on the ground and put them in the buckets. “How’s that, Applejack?” he said as he motioned his hoof over the buckets.
“You did a fine job, but ah still say you didn’t need to do anything.”
“Well, I still feel better for helping out,” Creo’s eyes then widened as he thought of another idea. “Actually, if you don’t mind, that is, I’d like to help you out with your apple harvesting.”
“You wanna help? Why?” Applejack asked, perplexed.
“Well,” Creo took out the map he got from Twilight. “My suggestion came from here,” he pointed at the circled Sweet Apple Acres on the map. “I asked Twilight to show me all the most fun places in Ponyville for me to visit, and Sweet Apple Acres was one of the places she circled.”
Applejack still looked a bit confused. “Why would Twilight choose mah farm as one of the ‘most fun places’ in Ponyville? Ah mean, I enjoy workin' here, but I didn't think she would like this place so much."
Creo pondered this thought. "Maybe she just thinks it's fun to harvest apples. I know I enjoyed helping you harvest those apples."
"Yah really think so?" Applejack asked, smiling.
"Certainly!" Creo replied enthusiastically. "In fact, I wouldn't mind spending some time helping you out with more of your harvesting!"
"Well, that's mighty kind of you, sugarcube!" Applejack cheerfully replied. "If yah think yah'll enjoy harvestin' apples with me, then let's git goin'!" Creo cheered optimistically, and the two of them went off to start collecting apples.
Creo was having a very enjoyable time collecting apples with Applejack, and Applejack was also enjoying collecting apples with Creo. When she saw Creo looking so happy, she felt happy herself for letting him ‘make up’ for the accident he caused before. "Yah sure look like yer enjoyin' yerself there, Creo!"
"I certainly am, Applejack!" Creo replied as he used his magic to take more apples off the trees. "In fact, I've just realized something," Applejack looked at Creo in an inquisitive way. "It's strange, actually. Doing all this work actually feels relaxing," he turned his head towards Applejack. "Doesn't that seem strange?"
"Actually, ah think it makes perfect sense," Applejack replied with a heartwarming tone. "Ah mean, ah don't harvest apples just to make money for the farm; Harvestin' apples gives me this feelin' of a sort of 'harmony'. I feel all relaxed and peaceful with everything when I'm applebucking just for enjoyment," Applejack sighed happily at this thought.
"My," Creo said, smiling with fascination at what Applejack said. "That sounds like such a beautiful thought There is obviously much more to you than anypony could guess, Applejack."
"Aww, shucks," Applejack replied in a modest tone. "I'm just as normal as the next pony."
"Well, I don't think so," Creo said as he walked up to Applejack. "There's more than one thing about you that makes you stand out amongst other ponies."
"Like what would you say makes me different?" Applejack asked, wondering what Creo would say.
"Well," Creo said as he and Applejack started walking off together. "One of the biggest things about you is that you're such a hard worker. I'm sure you've heard that from ponies before, but for me personally I don't think I've seen anypony so dedicated to working hard just so you can help your home and family. That also shows that you are a very considerate and loving pony, doing so much just to make the lives of others better. I really admire that about you, Applejack," Creo smiled.
Applejack blushed a tiny bit, but then she stopped. “Hmm,” Applejack murmured as she looked down. Creo looked at Applejack, and he could see there was something on her mind. "Yah know, Creo," Applejack started to say. "Plenty of ponies have told me how hard a worker ah am, and it made me feel good to hear that," she turned her head towards Creo. "But when I heard yah say it, it made me feel different than when anypony else said it," Creo raised his eyelid in slight bewilderment. "Ah mean, they called me a hard worker, sure, but that was mostly it. They didn't say so much extra about me bein' a hard worker as you did. It really made me feel like an especially hard worker and a great pony altogether when you said what you said," Applejack smiled, and then she and Creo stopped walking. "I'm really thankful for yah saying that, Creo."
“You’re very welcome, Applejack,” Creo smiled back at her. “I’m glad I could make you feel so special. After all, you are very talented for an Earth pony.”
Applejack chuckled a tiny bit and also blushed a tiny bit. "Shucks, Creo, you're way too kind with your sweet talkin'."
"But I really think it's true!" The two of them stopped walking again. "Seeing you work so hard showed me something; you don't need any special abilities to be great. You are already great in the talents you have made for yourself. Sure, unicorns can use magic, and pegasi can fly, but it takes a truly special pony like yourself to show that you can be more unique than normal unicorns and pegasi, if not more."
Applejack had been blushing more than before, and she couldn't seem to stop. Never before had anypony touched her in such a way. Applejack felt a bit confused; she'd never felt these kinds of feelings before, so she wasn't sure how to react. When Applejack looked at Creo, and saw him smiling at her, she smiled back, having a very warm feeling in her heart.
Creo then looked up at the sun. "Oh my! Look at the time!" he panicked. "There's still one more place I want to go before the day is over!" Creo then turned to Applejack. "But first, I wanted to thank you, Applejack, for the very wonderful time I had collecting apples with you. I felt honored that you would make time for me, and I'm very grateful," he bowed his head in reverence.
Applejack blushed again, also having a look of surprise on her face. "Well...Ah'm glad you were able to enjoy yourself so much, sugarcube," she then sadly looked down at the ground. "Ah just wish we could've spent some more time together."
Creo lifted his head back up. "Well, if you have time tomorrow, I'd be more than happy to come back!"
"Ah'm sure I could make some time for yah," she replied, smiling contently.
"Glad to hear it," Creo smiled, and then he started walking back to the entrance to the farm. "See you later, Applejack!" he shouted back as he left.
"See yah, Sugar Creo!" Applejack shouted back as she waved. Her face suddenly became full of shock at what she said and she covered her mouth with her hoof.
Creo then stopped walking and turned his head back towards Applejack. "What did you say?" he asked, puzzled.
"Uhh...ah said 'sugarcube'! Yeah! That's what ah said!" Applejack smiled big so as to not look suspicious.
Creo looked a bit bewildered. "Well...if you say so. Bye again!" Creo started walking off again. He felt a bit suspicious at first, but then he decided that it wasn't something he should worry about.
"Yeah! Bye!" Applejack shouted back, but not as loud as before. After Creo was out of sight, Applejack started rubbing her hoof on her face, trying to clear her head. "Ah can't believe what ah said..." Applejack took her hoof off her face and had a look of concern on her face. "Why would ah say that? it's almost like ah'm...ah'm..." Applejack's face then become froze with shock. "Ah think ah may be...fallin' fer Creo..." Applejack was still unsure if her feelings for Creo were really love and not just the same feelings she had with her other friends. Applejack sat and started thinking about this. She knew she enjoyed spending time with Creo, she liked how he made her feel so special for being a hard worker and being a talented earth pony. "It still seems weird to me; probably because ah never thought it would happen to me," she then thought of Creo one more time, and she made a heartwarming smile. "But ah think ah may be willin' to give it a try," Applejack said as she smiled, now accepting of her feelings for Creo.