//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: Out of the frying pan, into the fire // Story: Soarin' with Apples // by Allonsbro //------------------------------// Chapter 13: Out of the frying pan, into the fire.   Soarin’s heart left the pounding of the paparazzi in the dust. Applejack’s question hung in the air, the mare herself glaring at him as she waited for her answer.   “What did you do to mah best friend?” she repeated. Tilting her head down a bit, she glared at him from just underneath the brim of her hat, making the glare more fear-inducing. Soarin’ gulped.   “I-I can explain,” he stammered nervously.   “You’d better,” she growled, stepping forward into his face so the brim of her hat pressed against his forehead. The pounding on the door didn’t abate and the farmer’s glare shifted to the door with such ferocity Soarin’ was surprised it didn’t burst into splinters. “What the hay is all that racket?!”   The orange mare yanked the door open and was greeted by the flashes of cameras. She grunted in surprise then growled. “The hay is yer problem?! Get outta here!”   The camera ponies continued throwing questions at her, a cacophony of voices all scrambling over each other to be heard. Applejack grew impatient and angrily swatted a few of the nearest cameras away.   “QUIET DOWN!” she bellowed, earning at least a somewhat quieter cacophony. “Ah ain’t in a real good mood right now. So ya’ll got til the count of three to get off mah farm before Ah get the shotgun.”   The reporters were silent until a brave, or perhaps very foolish, young stallion spoke up.   “Excuse me, can we get a quote from you abou-“   His question was cut short as Applejack grabbed him by the throat. “You’ll be getting’ more than a quote if you don’t hightail it outta here real quick, partner. You’ll be gettin’ a one-way ticket to marehood.”   The young buck’s back legs squeezed closer together and he gulped.   “One.”   The reporters farthest from the door started running, the ones closest to the door tumbled over each other in their attempt to do the same.   “Two.”   The pegasi of the group had taken to the air and were well ahead of their earth-bound brethren running down the path with their tails between their legs.   “Three!” Applejack shouted loudly enough for them to hear all the way down the path. The last few to make it to the gate put on a burst of speed, screaming for their very lives.   Soarin’ breathed a sigh of relief, only to have it die part of the way out as Applejack slammed the door and turned on him.   “You were explainin’?” she said, still glaring at him.   The blue stallion withered under her glare. “I…She…” He swallowed. “She, uh, tried to kiss me.”   The orange mare’s glaring eyes softened a little. “Then what?” she barked, still sounding cross.    “Nothing, I swear. Nothing happened. She told me she liked me, I tried to let her down gently and she flew off.” The blue stallion closed his eyes and braced himself for the orange mare’s wrath.   Several tense moments passed, but no wrath came. Cautiously, Soarin’ opened one eye. All of Applejack’s anger seemed to wither away in the face of his confession. The mare deflated, hanging her head so the brim of her hat obscured her face.   “Oh, poor Rainbow,” she said sadly. “This…this is all mah fault.”   Her statement threw him for a loop “What?”   The distraught mare seemed not to notice him. She stared at the floor, still hiding behind her hat. His nervousness dying down, Soarin’ mustered his courage and took a step toward her.   “AJ, how is this your fault?” he asked. When he didn’t receive a reply, he placed a hoof on her shoulder and asked again. Finally, her head slowly turned up to face him just in time for him to see a tear running down her cheek.   “Ah thought…” she sniffled, “Ah knew she liked you. She jus’ didn’t know how to tell you, so she asked me for advice. Ah thought you liked her too. Ah…Ah tried to help her. If Ah’d known you didn’t…Ah could’a done somethin’.”   That she was taking this so hard surprised Soarin’; even more so that she was blaming herself.  She’d had mood swings before and he was well acquainted with how weird she got when her hormones started acting up, but he couldn’t remember her getting this upset about anything before.   He gently placed a hoof on her shoulder and pulled her into a half-hug. “Hey,” he whispered, “what does Granny Smith always say about crying over spilled milk? You didn’t know. Neither of us could have known what would happen.”   “But Ah should have,” she insisted. “The both of you are mah best friends. Ah should have seen that you didn’t think of her like that.” She blinked and the trail of tears down her cheeks were renewed. “But after how things turned out with Clover…Ah guess Ah wanted so bad for things to work out right that Ah saw somethin’ between you that wasn’t there.”   He gave her a reassuring squeeze then lifted her chin to face him. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve always put the ponies you care about ahead of yourself. I’m not mad at you and I don’t think Rainbow will be either. You just did what you thought would make us happy. I’m kinda glad that you’re looking out for me like that. Just, y’know, let me worry about my love life, OK?”   She laughed and put her head on his shoulder, returning the hug. “You got a deal. Sorry about yellin’ at you and gettin’ so worked up.”   “S’all right.”   “Did you let Rainbow down easy?”   He sighed and broke the hug. “Gently as I could. I don’t think it helped very much. I should probably try to talk to her.”   “That’d be a good idea,” Applejack agreed. “You should give her a little time first, though, let her work stuff out. She usually talks to me or one of the other girls about things like this.”   Neither pony spoke or moved, the both of them deciding to sit and enjoy each other’s company.    “Ah’m kinda glad it was you she fell for,” Applejack said suddenly. “Rainbow’s like another sister to me. Coulda been some filthy varmint she got a crush on that would’a taken advantage of her. If it had been just about anypony else, Ah don’t thank Ah’d have been so encouragin’. Ah’m glad it was a good stallion like you, somepony Ah can trust.”   The weight of what she said descended on him like a heavy yoke. “R-really?”   “Yup. Yer always around to help us when we need you and everypony really appreciates that. Ah know that, no matter what, you’ve always got our best interests at heart. Ah trust you just as much as Ah trust mah own family or the girls.”   Soarin’s stomach felt heavier, like he had swallowed a boulder. She trusted him. The idea made his chest burn with guilt. She placed trust in him, and he had been lying to her. He had let her down.   He had to tell her. He had to make it right. It would probably cost him her trust, but he would rather rebuild a well-placed trust than keep the misplaced one.   He was startled out of his thoughts when three raps on the door were followed by its opening.   “Applejack?” Rarity called as she stepped in the door, laden with various white, frilly material. “I apologize for my tardiness, but I had to make an unscheduled trip to the spa due to-”   ‘Oh, well,’ Soarin’ thought. ‘Out of the frying pan….’   “YOU!” Rarity growled, her eyes narrowing in anger.   ‘…into the fire.’   -SWA-   One severe chewing out from the white mare later, Soarin’ went up to his room. Rarity’s verbal tirade had lasted quite a while before Applejack intervened. As recompense, Soarin’ would be helping to clean out the attic at Carousel Boutique during weekends.   Soarin’ wasn’t looking forward to how awkward the situation was going to be. But, on the bright side, it would give Rainbow a couple of days to think things through.   Tired, Soarin’ plopped on the bed, hoping that the next day would be better. As he slowly started to drift off, he heard the muffled sounds of Applejack and Rarity talking about decorations for…   The blue stallion’s eyes burst open. The party. In all the excitement he’d forgotten all about it. Getting up, he rushed to the door and opened it a little, listening to what the two mares were saying.   “Ah don’t know, Rarity. Ah think the lace and ribbons might be a bit much.”   “Oh, Applejack, that’s the whole point of a baby shower. You get help preparing for your little bundle of joy and you get to see all the cute little baby things. It must be as cute as possible. It is a shame, though. We could come up with a more specific theme if we knew the baby’s gender...”   “Sorry, Rarity. You’ll just have to wait and find out when Ah do.”   “But, but…oh, how am I supposed to make your son or daughter any cute little outfits?”   There was a moment of silence. Soarin’ imagined Applejack shrugging. “Dunno. Ah wasn’t really plannin’ on usin’ any baby clothes anyway. The foal’d grow out of ‘em before winter.”   Another moment of silence. “Applejack,” Rarity chided, her tone implying she had facehoofed. “Clothing isn’t always about practicality or Celestia knows I would have closed the boutique long ago…”   Soarin’ closed his door as Rarity continued her explanation in defense of her trade. Excited, he practically leapt across the room to the dresser. He glanced behind him to make sure the door was locked and his little secret would remain secret. Assured that he was alone, he dug to the back of the top drawer, behind various little trinkets he’d packed from his house.   The blue stallion smiled warmly as he gazed at the gift he had chosen to give her. It wasn’t exactly something for a baby shower, but he knew that Applejack’s birthday was fairly close and he had heard her talking to Pinkie about combining the two of them to reduce stress.   Carefully, he placed the gift in its little box and buried it back in the drawer.   “She’s going to love it,” he whispered to himself as he got back into bed.   -SWA-   The day of the party came and the Apple living room was babyfied. Pastel blue and pink ribbons, balloons, and confetti covered everything. Designs of baby-related things littered every available surface, ranging from teeny tiny teddy bears to bonny baby bows.   The girls arrived about the same time Macintosh returned from escorting several close family members from the train station. The red stallion quickly excused himself in time to avoid the cacophony of ‘ooh, how cute’s’ and ‘aren’t they just adorable’s’. Soarin’ quickly finished helping to set up and then followed Macintosh’s lead, thanking his lucky stars that Applejack had decided to have a smaller birthday half of the party later in the afternoon.   Before he left, the blue stallion tried to have a brief word with Rainbow, but only received a cold shoulder. He felt his heart sink, but refused to give up hope that he could somehow salvage their friendship just yet.   Knowing that worrying about it wouldn’t do any good, Soarin’ began the walk to the apple stand to start his shift. The mundane work of filling customers’ orders distracted him from his worries about Rainbow.   A few hours later, he closed the stand early and pulled the cart back to the farm. He smiled as the farmhouse came into view and looked forward to sitting down and relaxing for a bit while the baby shower wrapped up.   Thoughts of relaxing were pushed aside by a feeling of awkward tension when he saw the mare sitting in front of the house. She must have been taking a breather from all of the other mares’ fawning over baby things.   “Rainbow?”   The prismatic mare jumped, staring at him wide-eyed. She eyed the door and looked like she was about to bolt back inside away from him.    “Rainbow, wait!” he called, the cart rattling as he moved closer.   She froze and he slowly approached, stopping a short distance behind her when she didn’t turn to look at him.   He didn’t know how long he would have her attention and tried to say everything all at once. “Rainbow,” he said quickly. “I just want to say that I’m sorry. Applejack said to give you some time and it’s only been a few days, but I need to apologize. I didn’t mean to screw things up between us and I especially didn’t want to hurt you.”   Seeing that she wasn’t leaving, he took a breath and slowed down a little to get his words right while unhitching himself from the cart.  “I…I still want to be your friend. I really meant it when I said that.”   Still nothing. He sighed, deciding to try one last resort.   “She doesn’t know,” he said softly, taking a few steps closer so he was next to her and slightly back. “I’ve been trying to find a way to tell her for so long now, but I just can’t because…then I’d have to tell her about something else.”   Soarin’ turned his head away, staring down at the ground in shame. “I’ve been lying to her, Rainbow. When…when Clover left, she was so scared and she felt so alone it broke my heart. I wanted to do anything I could, so I told her that I’d stay. But, well, my boss had a thing or two to say about that and I got angry.”   He took a deep breath. No turning back now.   “So I resigned. And I told her I just went on leave. I’ve been lying to the pony I care about most for all this time. I want so badly to tell her how I feel, but I know that doing that might mean losing her.”   His confession concluded, he waited for a reaction. When all he got was silence, he looked at Rainbow again.   The athletic mare stared at him, her mouth agape and eyes wide in astonishment.   “You did…you did that?” she asked.   “Yes.”   “Why…” She cleared her throat. “Why are you telling me all of this?”   “Because you deserve an explanation. Because I value your friendship and I trust you,” he replied, smiling and relieved that she was at least talking to him. “And I know that you’ll have my back if I need you.”   Neither spoke for a few moments. Soarin’ waited, giving Rainbow time to process everything. He felt his heart pounding nervously. When the suspense became too much to bear, he spoke.   “Are we going to be OK?”   Rainbow sighed. “I wanna say yes, but no, we’re not OK. Not yet. This whole mess really hurt and I still need some time to think about things.”   Soarin’ dropped his head, feeling dejected. “I understand.”   “And…you’re lying to one of my best friends. We’re not OK until you tell Applejack the truth.”   He nodded. “Deal.”   Rainbow took a step closer, narrowing her eyes. “And if you hurt her, I’ll clobber you so hard you’ll be tasting what my hooves have touched for a week. If this house of cards comes falling down, I’m always gonna pick AJ’s side.”   Soarin’ nodded. “I didn’t expect any less of you.”   The rainbow mare sighed. “Look, I’m not gonna lie and say it won’t hurt seeing you going after AJ. But if it’s OK with her and it makes both of you happy, then I’ll deal with it. Plenty of other fish and all that stuff, y’know?”   He gave her a small smile. “I’ve had time to think too, Rainbow. I won’t do anything to hurt you. I’ll tell AJ the truth, but I’ll wait a little while before taking it any further. Knowing her, that’s the way she’ll want it, too.”   The front door suddenly burst open and out came Apple Bloom, shouting at the top of her lungs.   “Big Macintosh! Big Macintosh!” she bellowed. When she saw Soarin’, she ran up to him and started pulling his leg. Soarin’! Ya gotta come quick!”   “What’s wrong?” Soarin’ asked.   “Applejack’s havin’ con…con…”   The blue stallion’s eyes widened. “Contractions?!”   “What?!” Rainbow shouted in surprise.   “Yeah, those,” the filly confirmed. “She’s havin’ the baby! Ah gotta go get Macintosh. Where is he?”   Rainbow leapt into action. “I think he went that way. I’ll go get him. You two go inside and help AJ.”   Soarin’ nodded and dashed inside as Rainbow zoomed out over the orchard.   “Rainbow’s goin’ to get Big Macintosh,” Apple Bloom announced as she burst through the door. “He’ll be here any minute.”   Soarin’s mind was in overdrive as he initiated the plan that had been set up. When Macintosh received word that it was time, he would go around to the side of the house where an old cart was parked. He watched Apple Bloom for a moment to see that she was heading up to Applejack’s room and getting the overnight bag. All that remained was to get the soon-to-be mother to the front door.   The proceeding of the plan came to a stop as Soarin’ took in the scene occurring in the living room.   Pinkie Pie jumped excitedly around the room exclaiming ‘the baby’s coming, the baby’s coming’ over and over. A couch that Soarin’ didn’t remember ever being there before sat in the middle of the room, Rarity having fainted on top of it.   Applejack was already halfway to the door, a deadpan expression on her face as her other two friends fretted over her, one on either side.   “Ohmygoodnessohmygoodnessohmygoodness,” Fluttershy squeaked.   “And don’t forget your breathing,” Twilight worriedly reminded her friend as she proceeded to demonstrate the breathing exercises. “Huh hee huh hee huh hee fphooooo. Breathing is important. Right, Fluttershy?”   “Ohmygoodnessohmygoodnessohmygoodness,” was the yellow pegasus’ reply.   “Oh! And we should get you some water to keep you hydrated.”   “Ohmygoodnessohmygoodnessohmygoodness.”   “Girls,” Applejack interrupted. “Ah’m fine. Let’s just get to the hospital. Apple Bloom, you got the bag?”   “Right here,” the filly shouted from the top of the stairs.   Soarin’ held the door open as the orange mare waddled to the cart her brother had pulled to the door. After helping her sister in, the pregnant mare hoisted herself into the cart and lied down. Then with a spin of his legs Macintosh took off, carrying his sister down the road to motherhood.   The other girls joined them in the hospital waiting room shortly after Applejack had been checked in. Most waited in chairs. Rainbow paced the floor, Apple Bloom doing likewise until Pinkie offered to play a game with her. Even Big Macintosh seemed nervous, tapping his hoof and fidgeting a little more than anypony was used to seeing him do.   A doctor stepped into the room and Apple Bloom zipped up to him so fast her bow almost came off.   “Is mah sister OK?” she asked, standing up against the doctor’s legs.   “Ah’m fine, Apple Bloom,” a voice behind him said.   Applejack came through the doors looking rather disappointed. Her friends and family gathered around her.   “What happened?” they all tried to ask at once.   “Where’s the baby?” asked Apple Bloom.   Pinkie tilted her head, quizzically looking at the orange mare’s still distended belly. “Did they put it back?”   The doctor chuckled. “No, just a false alarm, I’m afraid. She was just having Buckston Hicks contractions. It’s just her body getting ready to deliver the foal.”   “Thanks, doc,” said Applejack, sounding a little disheartened.   Pinkie giggled. “Wow, the little guy played a prank! It even got me! That was a good one.”   “Hey, girls, Ah’m kinda tuckered. You mind if we did birthday stuff tomorrow?” Applejack asked.     “Not at all,” Rarity assured her, the rest murmuring or nodding their agreement.   The girls bid their goodbyes and everypony went home. Applejack got into the cart at her sister’s behest. She stared off into space as her brother slowly pulled the cart home. The journey passed in relative silence, save for Apple Bloom’s idle chatter as she snuggled up to her sister.   Big Macintosh dropped them off at the door and then went to put the cart away while Apple Bloom ran off to get a little more crusading done with her friends. Soarin’ put Applejack’s overnight bag back in her room and returned to find her rifling through the fridge. She moved somewhat sluggishly and didn’t seem to be paying attention to what she was pulling out. Soarin’ thought that either she was getting an exceedingly odd craving or she had something on her mind.   “You OK?” Soarin’ asked her.   She gave a small smile, breaking from her reverie a little. Sighing, she replied, “Yup. Just a little disappointed.”   She plopped down in one of the chairs and Soarin’ followed suit.   He smiled at her. “At least the plan that we put in place worked. Now when it really is time, we know that we’re ready.”   “That’s just it,” the orange mare replied. “Ah’m not ready. Ah was just about as scared as the girls when Ah felt those contractions. Ah couldn’t even remember what to do when everypony started yellin’ in all the chaos.” Her eyes sparkled with excess water and her voice became shaky. “All that preparin’ and Ah was still just as scared as the day Ah found out Ah was pregnant.”   “I don’t blame you,” Soarin’ said, placing a hoof on hers comfortingly. “Having a baby is some scary stuff. And that’s coming from a guy who the used to play ‘chicken’ with his squad mates.”   The orange mare smiled a little.   The pegasus got up from his seat. “Wait there. I have something that might help you.   He left the room and returned a moment later with a small box wrapped in a blue ribbon.    “Here. I know you wanted to wait until tomorrow for the birthday presents, but I think you could use this now.”   He set the box down on the table. “Happy birthday.”   Applejack wiped her eyes and pulled at the ribbon until it unraveled from the box. When the top half had been separated from the bottom, she looked inside quizzically.   “A necklace?” she asked, pulling the contents out. The black cord draped over her hoof had a green teardrop jewel at the end that glinted in the kitchen light.   “It can be if you want it to be. It started out as a set of earrings, but the pony that gave it to me lost the other one. It can be a necklace or you could use it as a hair tie or whatever.  I’ve worn that ever since my first show with the Wonderbolts. It’s been kind of like a good luck charm. Maybe it’ll help you find the courage you need.”   Applejack smiled. “That sounds like it means a lot to you. Are you sure you want me to have it?”   “Yes. It’ll do you more good than me. I don’t really need it anymore. Besides…” he moved behind her, gently placing the necklace around her neck. Then, returning to his seat next to her, he said, “it brings out those pretty eyes of yours.”   The orange mare laughed. “Oh, quit tryin’ to butter me up, sweet talker. Save that for when you get a marefriend.” She held the jewel in her hoof, admiring it for a moment. She smiled. “Thank you, Soarin’. This was mighty sweet of you.”   Soarin’ felt his heart warming as the orange mare across from him smiled. “You’re welcome.”   -SWA-   “Gah-ah-ah-pchooo.”   “Gesundheit.”   Soarin’ sniffed. “Thanks.”   “Hmmm,” Rarity hummed to herself as she rooted around in another box. “I think this can go,” she muttered.   Soarin’ picked the box up and put it near the attic door with the other things that had a one-way ticket to the trash heap.   The white mare shuddered. “I can’t believe I ever allowed myself to even consider using paisley.”   The bell on the front door of the shop rang and she startled a little.   “I’m home, Rarity,” A small, squeaky voice called that Soarin’ guessed was Sweetie Belle.   “Goodness, is it that late already?” Rarity asked. Taking a look around the room, she thought for a moment. “Well, I suppose we’ve done enough for today. You can go home if you like.”   Soarin’ smiled and stretched a little. “Thanks, Rarity. I’ll see you next week. Same time?”   The white mare shook her head. “I believe I can take it from here. The debt for your offense has been repaid.”   Soarin’ smiled. “Thanks. Don’t worry, it won’t ever happen again.”   Taking his leave, the blue stallion meandered down the streets, not in any particular hurry. Spending a few hours in a dusty attic over the past several weeks had given him a whole new appreciation for the value of fresh late-spring air. He idly extended his wings out on either side of him, giving them a stretch.   One good thing he had to say about Rarity’s attic, though, was that the air was drier. The last spring rainstorm the night before had left an invigorating clean smell in the air. But as it reached afternoon, the air became humid and muggy.   He was just starting to feel sweat begin to collect on the back of his neck when he was suddenly overshadowed. He didn’t need to look up to know who had moved the grey cloud over him.   “Have you told her yet?” Rainbow asked, peeking over the edge.   Soarin’ sighed. “No. It hasn’t come up yet.”   The prismatic mare rolled her eyes. “Dude, the only way something like that will ever come up is if you make it. You’ve been stalling forever. Just tell her.”   “Shouldn’t you be the last pony on earth to be wanting this to happen?” Soarin’ asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow.   Rainbow was quiet for a moment. “I just want you to be honest with her. If…if you guys start…if you wind up together, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”   Soarin’ decided to change the subject. “What should I say when I tell her? There isn’t exactly a Haymark card for something like this.”   Rainbow leaned over the edge of the cloud to look him in the eye. “Dunno. But if you don’t tell her soon, I have storm clouds and I’m not afraid to use ‘em.” She patted the cloud she rested on for emphasis.   Soarin’ sighed again. “Duly noted.”   Rainbow hugged her cloud and pulled it back up into the sky as the Acres came into view.   “Hello?” Soarin’ called into the house as he went in. “Anypony home?”   “In here,” Applejack’s voice called from the kitchen.   Soarin’ heard shuffling and clinking sounds mixed with other sounds of Applejack grunting and the occasional less than ladylike word spoken under her breath. He went through the kitchen door and startled at the sight that greeted him.   Applejack was just pulling her head out from under the sink, but for a brief second, he caught a glimpse of her rump sticking in the air and pointed in his direction.   The blue stallion blushed and looked away, trying to regain his composure as the orange mare turned. Her appearance was what Soarin’ could only describe as ragged. Her mussed up mane was exposed, trademark hat absent from her head. Her tail braid, which she had started wearing as her due date approached, was coming apart, leaving several strands of hair dangling freely. Her face and neck glistened with a sheen of perspiration and the mare looked like the only thing she wanted to do was plop down and take a nap.   “Hey,” she grunted. “Think you can help me fix the sink?”   Soarin’ cleared his throat in an attempt to eliminate the awkwardness. “Should, uh, should you be doing that?”   Applejack frowned. “Oh, fer Pete’s sake, not you too.”   Soarin’ took a step back, surprised by her hostility. “What?”   “Ah’m sick of everypony treatin’ me like Ah’m made’a glass!” Her voice increased in pitch, mimicking what other ponies said. “’Do you need to lie down, Applejack?’, ‘Can Ah get you anything?’, ‘Oh here, let me carry that for you.’ Ah’m pregnant, not feeble. Ah can still be useful and Ah can still do mah part around here.”   Soarin’ stared at her wide-eyed, waiting for her to calm down.   The mare panted to catch her breath and sighed apologetically. “Ah’m sorry for snappin’ at you. Ah know it ain’t your fault. The heat and these blasted hormones are just makin’ me cranky, not to mention hot and bothered.”   Soarin’ nodded. “What can I do?”   Applejack gave him a funny look. “About me bein’ hot and bothered?”   Soarin’s eyes widened and he sputtered. “No! Y-you said you needed help with the sink. I can, uh,” he pointed to the cupboard Applejack’s head had just been under. “y’know, help and…do sink stuff.”   “Oh, right. Well, Ah know what needs doin’, Ah just can’t get down in there to do it. Think you can do that?”   “No problem,” he replied, still embarrassed.   The orange mare smiled and picked up a small bucket in her teeth.   “Hrrm,” she grunted, angling it toward him. The stallion’s efforts to rid his face of its red tint fell to naught. Carefully, he bit the opposite edge of the bucket. His eyes widened slightly as they met hers at the same time the two ponies’ noses touched.   It took all of his willpower, but the blue stallion managed to not drop the bucket as he stood frozen in place, his eyes locked with hers as the moment that they both held the bucket flowed with all the speed of cold caramel.   He wasn’t aware of exactly when Applejack pulled away, but the next thing he knew she was talking again.   “Now,” she instructed. “Yer gonna need to lie down to get at it. Just put the bucket underneath the pipe there.”   Soarin’ blinked as his rational mind caught up with current events. “Uh, r-right, got it.”   The blue stallion got under the cupboard and placed the bucket beneath the pipe in question. Carefully, he got down on his stomach and took a few deep breaths to try and alleviate the heat in his cheeks.   Applejack bent her head down to peek in after him. “You ever cleaned a sink trap before?” she asked.   “No,” Soarin’ replied.   “Well don’t worry, it ain’t too hard. Ah’ll walk you through it.”   The mare passed him a set of pliers and talked him through taking the trap off, letting the gunk inside drain into the bucket and then washing the pipe out and replacing it.   “Nice job,” Applejack commented, admiring his work as he came out of the cupboard.   “No problem,” the stallion replied.   “Think you can help me with a few other things?” she asked. “Ah need to get some heavy liftin’ done and you seem to be the stallion for the job.”   “I’m your guy.”   They put the plumbing tools away and Applejack led him outside to the barn. As they went, Soarin’ thought about what Rainbow had said about needing to make the right time to tell Applejack. Though loath to admit it, he knew that she was right; he’d been stalling and delaying when he should have told her on the night he quit.   “Applejack?” he began, as she led them up a set of stairs to the loft.   “Hmm?” The orange mare pushed open one of the hayloft doors to let in more light.   Soarin’ pushed the other one. “There’s something I need to tell you.”   The loft, true to its name was filled with piles of straw. Interspersed amongst the straw were boxes and bags of various odds and ends, stacked and arranged tightly together, leaving only enough room to move around, if very little.   “Careful where you step,” the orange mare cautioned. “Apple Bloom and her friends play up here sometimes and there might be somethin’ pokin’ outta the hay. What’s on yer mind?”   Soarin’ thought carefully, trying to find the right way to break the news. “I’ve, um, really liked working here on the farm.”   Applejack smiled as she started reading the labels of various boxes stacked in a corner. “And we’ve enjoyed havin’ you.”   “I’m…also really grateful for how nice you were when we first met. I’d never been treated like that before by anypony and I’m really glad that we ran into each other that day.”   The orange mare opened a nearby box and started to rifle through it. “Ah am, too. Ah’ll be sorry to see you go when the time comes. The whole family will.” Frowning, she pushed the box aside, revealing it to be full of rusty old hoof tools.   Soarin’s ears flattened against his skull as he eyed the easily throwable items. His nervousness increased as he tried to continue. “Well, y’know it’s not like I’ll be gone forever. I’ve been thinking about it and maybe I could have a second home here, something to come home to in the off-season or when I retire.”   Another box was pushed aside as Applejack continued her search. “Sounds like a pretty good idea.” She pointed at a box stacked on top of another one. “Would you mind grabbin’ that and pullin’ it down? Ah need to get at this one underneath it.”   “Sure.”   Soarin’ stepped through the small gap between Applejack and the box she was standing next to, trying to hide his blush as the feathers of his right wing brushed against her side. He lifted the rather heavy box off the top of the stack and set it down nearby. Idly, he read the label stating that the box held spare pruning shears.   The stallion gulped and decided to scoot the box a little farther away from his friend, turning the label so it couldn’t be seen.   “A-anyway,” he continued, “What I, uh, wanted to tell you was, um, that is to say…What would you think if I-”   The orange mare pulled a long scythe out of the corner.   “Oh, come on!” Soarin’ exclaimed. Seriously, how many sharp and possibly murderous implements did the Apples have?   Applejack raised an eyebrow quizzically. “What?”   “Uh, nothing.”   The mare shrugged and then put the scythe down. She scowled and looked around the loft again. “Where is that gosh darn thing?” she muttered. She glanced out the opening in the loft and sighed. “It’s gettin’ kinda late. How about we sit down for a minute and take a break?”   Soarin’ didn’t feel like he needed a break, but knew it would be good for Applejack to get off her hooves. “OK. What are we looking for anyway?” he asked as he jumped plot first into a hay pile.   KLONG.   Soarin’ went cross-eyed as he felt his rump collide with something hard in the hay. Limply, he fell sideways into a softer pile of hay and groaned in pain.   Applejack grimaced. “You all right?”   “Ooooooh, my tailbone,” he groaned. “What was that?”   The mare dug through the hay and grinned. “Looks like you found what we were lookin’ for.” She brushed the hay aside to reveal a large black pot, the kind stereotypically associated with making potions.   “Ow, glad I could help,” he said, rubbing his flank to relieve the pain.   Applejack took a spot nearby to lie down on her side. “Ahhhh. Phew. Been on mah hooves fer too long.” She started rubbing one of her fore hooves with the other in little circles, humming in contentment as the tension was relieved.   “Do you want me to give you a back rub?”   Inwardly, a part of Soarin’ panicked and chastised him. How could he have asked her that? She’d just told him how frustrating being asked things like that was. Not to mention that what he’d just asked was usually something done with somepony closer and more intimate than he was with her. The stallion prepared himself for admonishment.   Applejack’s eyes widened like she’d been hit with a burst of inspiration. “Y’know, that might be just the ticket. Thanks.”   She turned so her back was facing him and nestled into the hay to get more comfortable. Soarin’ almost dropped his jaw on the floor. He had hugged her before, but this felt completely different, like a line that he didn’t feel he had any right to cross. Deciding it was too late to back out, he took the plunge.   Gently, he pressed a hoof into the middle of her back. He felt he’d never really known what the sensation of warmth was like until he felt her body heat against his hoof. His face took a pink tint to it as he slowly rolled his hoof, pressing the edge gently into her skin.   “Is this OK?” he asked.   “Mmmm,” she murmured. “Uh-huh. You could press a little harder if you want to.”   The blue stallion obliged, pressing his hoof into her back more firmly and moving in little circles. When a few rotations had been made, he moved his hoof a little higher and to the left.   Applejack closed her eyes and groaned. “Ooohhhh, that feels real nice.”   Applejack’s back rub continued, each contented sigh, moan and groan adding to Soarin’s confidence reserves. Soon both of his hooves were pressed against her, relieving tension and undoing the knots in her muscles as they moved ever so slowly up her back. When he reached her withers, he glanced down at her and smiled.   The late afternoon sunbeams streaming through the loft doors caressed her body with their warm and gentle touch. The orange mare’s eyes were closed peacefully and her chest rose and fell slowly. She wore a small, contented smile, still softly humming as he continued his ministrations.   She was so wonderful, Soarin’ thought to himself. The stallion cursed himself and his cowardice for withholding the truth from her for this long, let alone for any time at all. He leaned in a little closer as his hooves moved down to work on her shoulders. She looked so lovely as she rested, Soarin’ thought he might mistake her for a dream.   Funny, he thought, if he were dreaming, he might be able to finally tell her the truth, if not about what he had done for her then about how he felt about her. The truth could finally be given light without the fear of losing somepony so important to him.   The stallion leaned a little closer. This was it, he realized. This was how he would tell her. Actions spoke louder than words and certain actions, namely a kiss on the cheek, would proclaim how he felt for her in the loudest way possible.   The stallion felt his heart quiver in anticipation as his lips prepared to lightly touch her face. He felt no nervousness, no fear clouding his mind as he prepared to make his message heard.   After all, this was only a dream.   Irony can be a funny thing. Two seemingly separate events have a single similarity that can be found funny or amusing to some. A kiss tucked away inside a little pocket of cloud had been ended prematurely by the abrupt moving of a head. Ironically, the intended target of a kiss was altered by the same circumstance in a sunlit hayloft on a warm day at the edge of spring and summer.    The dream cracked and gave way to reality as two sets of lips softly met on a pile of hay in the barn. Soarin’s mind spun, not believing that the orange mare could have lifted her head to meet his in just the right way.   But even more so, he didn’t believe that it hadn’t abruptly ended. The orange mare’s eyes were still closed and despite not being able to see it, he knew she was smiling. He was still kissing her and she was still kissing him. His heart surged and fireworks exploded in a chorus of ecstasy as his eyes fluttered closed, giving in to bliss.   Applejack suddenly gasped and reality reared its other, far uglier head as the kiss was broken. The farmer pulled back, her mouth falling open in shock and embarrassment.   “Ah…Ah…A-ah’m sorry,” she stammered. Her face took the shade of a radish as she quickly tried to get up, encumbered by her pregnancy. Finally she made it to her hooves and stood frozen like a deer in the headlights, only able to stammer out apologies before making a rush to the stairs.   Soarin’ felt like the barn was collapsing around him. He rushed after her. “Applejack, wait. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”   She stopped but didn’t move from her position standing on top of the stairs. “Soarin’, Ah-”   “No, wait, I need to say this now or I might not be able to,” he interrupted. He took a deep breath to gather his courage. “I’ve been meaning to tell you for so long, but I was scared. I wanted so badly to tell you how I feel about you, but I didn’t want to risk losing your friendship.”   He swallowed and continued. “I’m crazy about you. Crazier than I’ve ever been about anypony I ever met before. My time here on the farm with you has been one of the happiest in my life. For the longest time, the only thing that anypony cared about me was that I was what I was. But you were different. You let me earn your friendship and respect on my own merits. You let me, a total stranger, into your home when I needed help and never asked for anything in return.”   The stallion licked his lips. He felt a pit of uncertainty open in his chest. “I just had to tell you. I don’t expect this to change anything between us and I’m not asking anything of you. I just wanted you to know.”   Silence filled the room as Soarin’s confession hung in the air. Applejack remained still where she had stopped, not facing him. The pit became a chasm that Soarin’ thought would swallow him whole and he wondered if he should just leave.   “I’m sorry for kissing you,” he said, turning toward the window. “It won’t happen again.”   “That’d be a shame,” the orange mare’s voice cracked. “You’re pretty good at kissin’.”   Soarin’ whirled around in surprise, not believing that she’d said what he thought she had.   “Sorry,” Applejack apologized. “Thought Ah’d take a page from yer book and try to make a joke.” She had turned when he had and they faced each other across the loft.   The mare fidgeted. “Look, Soarin’, Ah’m flattered that you feel that way about me. Honestly, Ah had a little bit of a hunch you felt that way after Ah found out what happened with Rainbow.”   “You did?”   She nodded. “Rainbow mentioned that you liked somepony else. Ain’t that many other mares you spend much time with around here.”   “Oh.” The stallion smiled sheepishly. “Heh.”   The mare continued. “But, we can’t-”   “I know,” Soarin’ interrupted, feeling his heart sink. “Nothing more than friends. I understand. I never expected telling you how I felt to lead to a relationship. If you don’t feel the way that I do, that’s OK.”   Applejack smiled at him. “That ain’t it. Ah don’t feel the same way that you do, but that don’t mean Ah’m not interested.”   The stallion had just enough time to sputter before his jaw dropped. “Y-you mean?”   The mare held up a hoof. “Hold your horses, sugarcube. Ah’m not sayin’ right now. Ah’m sayin’ maybe someday.   “Preparin’ for this baby’s made me think about a lot of things. Despite what happened with Clover, Ah still think that there’s some nice fella out there that’d make a pretty good pa for mah foal, and Ah wanna find him. Ah’d be lyin’ if Ah said Ah hadn’t thought of the possibility it’s you. You’re good with foals, you ain’t afraid to get your hooves dirty, you’re a real hard worker, and those are all things that Ah appreciate.   The smile faded and her eyes roved to another corner of the barn. “But Ah can’t start anythin’ right now. There’s too much hurt that needs healin’.”   “Clover?”   Again, she nodded. “And Rainbow. She’s good at hidin’ it, but Ah know that what happened between you still hurts. Ah wouldn’t want to be part of somethin’ that hurt her any more.”   Soarin’ smiled. “I thought you’d feel that way. Like I said, I understand. I won’t ask you to do anything that you’re not ready for. Just knowing that you’ve considered it was more than I was expecting to happen. If you want to, and if you’re still interested when the time comes, then I’ll wait until you’re ready.”   Applejack bit the corner of her lip, looking unsure of herself. “But what if Ah’m never ready?”   Soarin’ smiled. “Then I’ve got a really long wait, don’t I? Don’t worry, though. I’ll be around.”   The orange mare became morose. “In the off-season, maybe.”   “And maybe for a little longer.”   “What do you mean?” she asked, looking quizzically at him. “The show circuit runs from spring to fall.”   Once again, the stallion mustered his courage. As long as things were being confessed...“When I came back, when you told me what had happened…you’re the strongest, bravest mare I know and I saw you terrified. I couldn’t stand seeing you so hurt. I wanted to do whatever I could to take that away. I wanted so badly to see you happy.”   Her eyes widened slightly. “What did you do?”   “When I went back to HQ to ask for the time off…my boss didn’t like the idea. He…he said…things about you. I got frustrated, angry. I had to help you through and he was blocking me.”   “What did you do?” she asked more forcefully.   The blue stallion smiled across the loft at the orange mare. A silence filled the barn saying more to her and filling in blanks more than real words could.   “You didn’t,” she stated in disbelief. She took three steps forward, halving the distance between them.   “I did,” he affirmed.   Applejack’s eyes filled with tears. “So…so all this time’s been a lie. Y-you…you lied right to mah face all this time.”   He reached out to place a hoof on her shoulder. “I-”   “Don’t touch me!” she shouted, swatting his hoof away.   The stallion took a step back. “OK. I meant to tell you,” he explained. “But I didn’t know how. I was afraid that you’d send me away.”   “You’re darn right Ah would!” she shouted, seething. “Ah told you Ah understood that you had to go back. What in the world gave you the idea to do somethin’ so stupid?”   The mare took a few deep breaths to calm herself. “Ah…Ah have to go. Ah don’t wanna say somethin’ Ah’ll regret.” Turning, she started going back down the stairs.   “A-Applejack,” Soarin’ called after her. He rushed to the top of the steps as she made it to the bottom. He wracked his mind for something, anything to say that would fix what he’d done.   “I’m sorry,” was all that came.