//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11 
// Story: Small Stallion Is Small 
// by Fat1thatyoulove 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 11 – Looking on the brighter side

The new day has rolled by rather slow for me since Applejack left my house late last night. Mostly due to the fact my mind would not shut off; until I could come up with the perfect things to say, the perfect things to wear and the perfect gift to present to her.

But, even a night and morning of planning has really yielded no results as I tort though the shade tree covered path towards the farm's entrance with nothing but the fur on my back a nice bright tie around my neck. Worst still is what I bring to this supposed first date, which is a mouth full of giddy gibberish all the while with the gift of nothing more then my presents. Not because I have no bits to buy anything, but because running all over town to get sweaty did not really seem like the smart thing to do, especially seeing as how I have no idea what today entails.

My mind slowly starts to push out all the negative thoughts as I slowly being to come within hooves reach of the white picket fence opening. As I do this, I turn my gaze to the farm's yard, but I it is at this point I notice that there is no pony in sight.

I hold my gaze as I start to turn into the dirt yard of the farm that leads up to the red house in the center.

The sun beats hard on my fur with an above average warmth not usually know to early spring. However, this warmth does little to me as I just let it soak into my fur to help my burning mine decide whether or not to knock at the door or just continue to stand like a dummkopf.

Luckily though, my judgment is not needed as the sound of buckets crashing to the ground from the side of the house comes up.

My ear flicks to the noise as I start my trot around the corner of the house. The short trot only takes a few moments as my eyes land to a young pale light olive coated mare with bright reddish mane that almost blends in with the pink bow that pokes up from her mane.

She however, does not take notice to me as she quickly scrambles to try and pick up the few woven baskets that she had dropped, "Oh horse-feathers..."

I bring my voice up as I trot forward a little, all the while trying to recall the younger mare's name, "Hello Apple Bloom."

My voice slightly startles the mare as she quickly snaps her eyes to me, "O-oh hi um...."

"Stony."

The mare nods her head as she gives a little smile, "Oh right, well can't talk gotta get back the Zap Apples bloomed early this morning!"

Her words have almost no affect on me seeing as how it is only the second time I have heard them in my whole life, "Nice, is Applejack around?"

Apple Bloom blinks to my unchanged tone as she starts to balance the baskets to her back, "Mah sister?"

I give a simple nod to the mare as I wait for her to continue.

"Um...She is pick'n the trees a little more towards the Everfree Forest." Her hoof comes up to point towards the tree line of normal looking apples, "Its just a little past those trees, why?"

I give a little smile as I shrug, "Just wondering." My eyes take notice to the slightly sliding baskets on her back that was brought on by her three hoof stance, I spark my horn as I adjust the baskets a little more on her her.

"Thank you Apple Bloom." As the mare puts her hoof back to the ground she nods, but her confusion is still a little evident on her face.

But I do not hold my stances long enough for her to bring her voice up as I start my trot towards the thicket of picked apple trees.

My pace holds steady even as my hooves start to meet with the under brush of fallen leaves and twigs from the trees around me.

It takes a few moments of pushing my way through the slightly rolling ground of heavily packed plant droppings, which is definitely not something I want to do. Seeing as how every time I go down a slightly larger hill I start to lose sight of the farm's dirt yard...Sometimes being small sucks, a lot.

However my trot is quickly brought to an end as a sharp pain slams against my horn, which sends a shock wave through my body.

"OW!" I quickly rub my hoof to my head as I close an eye.

"OH dag nabbit, there goes a zap apple." The southern voice brings my head up as I stare to the orange mare coming off the wood ladder I must have missed.

However, despite who it is my voice comes up, "There goes an apple? That could have broke my horn off."

Applejack moves from the ladder as she adjust the hat on her head, "Sorry Stony, I didn't see ya down there and i'm kinda rushed seeing as how Big Mac ended up hurting himself. Help let me give you a hoof."

As her words come to an end her hoof comes to the apple that has lodged itself onto my horn. However, despite her strength the apple proves a little more formidable than I would assume she thought.

She brings both hooves to my horn as she pulls, "It's really on there huh?"

My eyes widen a little as I feel her pulling just to the horn, "Ow ow ow, my horn ow ow!"

"Just hold still Stony I think I got it." The slight sound of some kind of magical zap rings from my horn as the apple is pulled from my horn.

However the sound brings a slight laugh from Applejack as she looks over the apple in her hoof, "Huh, well what do you know these things really do bind to magic like Twi says." Her smile slightly fades a little as she looks back to me.

Her gaze only makes me tighten my back legs as I try to hide the strange erection that slightly formed from her pulling on my horn. Truthfully I am not sure as to why being held down or somepony pulling on my horn would do this to me...But for the moment my mind is held from its thoughts as I clear my throat, "Yes."

Applejack cocks her head as she speaks up, "You alright? That apple wasn't too hard was it?"

A slight laugh comes from me as I shake my head, "It was just an apple."

My laugh brings a little giggle from the mare as she wiggles the apple towards me, "Ya and it put up a fight." She tosses the apple to the ground as she speaks up, "What brings ya by?"

I blink to the comment as I regain control of my body, "Our date?"

Applejack takes her head back as she straightens her posture, "I'm mighty sorry Stony, but the zap apples came in today and with Big Mac hurt I can't really leave the farm anytime soon."

I nod to the words as I speak up, "Big Mac hurt himself?"

The mare blows to the comment as she starts to pull the ladder to the next tree, "Ya he tripped on the stairs this morning because he was walking half asleep." She shakes her head as she continues, "Ah told him not to worry."

She rolls her eyes as she moves the ladder into position.

However as she does this I tilt my head down the vast row of trees that still sit just in this row, "Y-you are doing this alone?"

Applejack starts back towards the half filled baskets as she speak up, "Well Big mac and Apple Bloom are working together on the other side, but ya I got these here."

I blink to the comment as I shake my head, "All this by yourself?"

The mare just shrugs the words off as she places the baskets down, "Well usually I have mah friends help, but Twi is busy with the family, Pinkie and Rainbow can't help today and Rarity and Fluttershy are not really the best of help."

"Not the best of help." The correction that just rolled from my mouth falls under my radar as I continue, "Maybe I can help."

Applejack blinks to me as she gives a loud laugh.

However as she realizes me just staring back to her she brings her voice back up, "Y-you're serious?"

I nod as I puff my chest out a little, "Yes."

Applejack wiggles her hoof to the comment as she smiles, "Ah can't ask you to do that Stony."

I spark my horn up as I start to already pick a few apples from the tree, "Well I don't have work today so why not?"

My words hold the mare's gaze as she watches the rainbow colored apples float into the baskets. However she slowly brings her voice out as she shrugs, "W-well I guess I could use the help."
The words bring a quick response from me as I nod my head and spark my magic up a little more, "Alright."

- - -
(A long and hot half a day later)

The sun's constant beating on my back has started to turn into weight as I feel my shorter legs starting to buckle. Worst still is that fact that Applejack has me pulling along the small cart full of zap apple baskets.

I have no idea how long I have been out here, all I know is that I am sweaty and tired. Luckily I was able to tie the bright tie around my head to keep the sweat out of my eyes.

"Come on Stony one last tree."

The mare's chipper voice brings me to pull a little harder on the cart as I shoot a panting response back, "Y-yay?"

A slight laugh rings up from the mare as she slows her trot and looks back to me, "Come on Stony, it helps build muscle."

A wheezing chuckle rolls from my throat as I speak up, "A-a dead pony's rib cage puts up little fight...I don't need muscles for my job."

The comment slightly flicks the mare's ears as she speaks up, "Uh Stony..."

"Too much information?"

The mare nods to my words as I continue "...Fair enough."

Applejack cocks a slight smile as she turns her eyes to the last zap apple tree on the very back most part of the farm, "Alright, last one."

I stare to the larger tree as my mouth drops a little, "T-this one is bigger?!"

My comment brings a happy response from Applejack as she nods, "Yep, we call her Bessie, it was the first tree Granny Smith planted when she got the seeds from the Everfree Forest."

I slowly move from the cart of heavy apples as I try to stretch my legs, "Alright...Let's do this."

"Yep." Applejack wiggles her hoof towards the tree as she speaks up, "Just float them apples down, it's a lot easier then use'n the ladder."

I groan a little to the comment as I spark my weaker magic up to my horn, for a moment nothing happens. But my low magic wraps to the apples in clumps as I start to pull them from the tree and then into the baskets.

Applejack just watches for a moment as she starts to trot towards the cart she had me pull.

I do not watch to see what she is doing as I clump all of the apples from the tree into one big ball of magic.

As I get them all together my horn's magic start to falter, but i'm able to drop most of them into the baskets as I pant hard and flop to the ground to exhausted to continue.

My heavy panting rings though my throat as the sound of my heart beats to my ears.

However, the thumping of my heart is quickly replaced as the southern voice comes up again, "Alright Stony, we've earn ourselves a break."

My ear flicks to the comment as I sit up a little from the ground, "B-break? We're not done?"

No response comes from the mare standing next to the wooden cart as she just smiles.

I immediately flop back to the cool grass as I pant, "I think this is the worst date I have been on..."

A little laugh comes up from the mare as the sound of her hooves crunching against the grass gets a little louder, "Come on Stony, you didn't really help me because you thought this was a date right?"

For a moment i'm silent, but I shake my head as I close my eyes to steady my breathing, "No."

"Good, now get up cause the rest of the zap apples won't be ready till tomorrow." Applejack's words bring a sigh of relief from me as I now enjoy where I lay.

But my relaxation is brought to an end as a cool liquid splashes onto my face. I quickly sit up as I open my eyes wide to the mare.

However before I can speak up the mare holds out a jug of water as she speaks up, "Here drink something."

I wiggle my hoof to the comment as I flop back to the ground, "No thanks, i'm too tired to drink anything."

The mare squint to the comment as she shrugs and torts back towards the cart, "Whatever Stony."

A little sigh comes from me as I continue to just lay on the ground, but like before the mare's voice comes up as she trot back over to me, "You should at least get out of the sun."

"Mmhmm...Too tired to move."

"You really are lazy aren't you?" The mare's voice brings a little chuckle from me as I speak up, "Maybe..-Hey what are you doing?!"

My eyes fly open as I feel a hoof pulling my back legs as the mare drags me towards the shade of the tree with ease.

As her hoof moves from my legs I roll over onto my stomach as I speak up, "I would have moved."

The mare cocks an eye to me as she adjust the hat on her head, "Well then you should have moved sooner." She nods her head down a little as she speaks up, "Not very neighborly for a stallion to just lay all out you know."

I blink to the comment as my eyes widen a little, "Why are you looking?"

Applejack just rolls her eyes a little as she speaks up, "Never said I was." As her words come to an end she start to bring herself down as she eases her back against the tree's bark, "Now if ya'll excuse me, I'm gonna take me a little nap."

I watch her for a moment until she brings her hat to cover face, however as she does this I roll my self over onto my back as I ease myself towards the tree's base.

Just as my back comes to the tree I start to close my eyes as I try to invite a little rest in.

- - -
(A little later)

The blissful little rest is quickly brought to an end as a hoof knocking against my bottom legs shoots my eyes open.

I now stare to a big red stallion whose figure is a little obscured from the lower sun's position in the distance. However I can clearly see the stallion's face as I start to raise my head, but it is at this point I realize that my head was slightly resting on the mare who still cat naps beside me.

The absent weight of my head though slowly starts to stir the mare as she brings a hoof to her hat and looks to the stallion with a little yawn, "Hey Big Mac, all done?"

"Eeyup."

Applejack continues as she starts to bring herself from the tree, "Time to sort the good'ns from the bad?"

Again the stallion repeat his one word sentence, "Eeyup."

"Alright, i'll meet you back at the barn." The mare's words turn the stallion's eyes as he starts to turn, but he stops as he gives me a little look.

The look start to bring my legs into a motion as I roll myself onto my stomach and then quickly up onto my hooves.

Big Mac now turns his eyes as he start to trot back down the path he came.

To the absent stallion Applejack brings her voice up, "So Stony what did you have in mind with our date?"

I shrug to the mare as I speak up, "Maybe a lunch or something."

Applejack gives a little smile as she shrugs, "Didn't sound like a bad idea. Sorry that didn't happen Stony."

A slight chuckle comes up from me as I wave my hoof, "It's fine, maybe some other time. But right now I think i'm going to go get cleaned up."

The mare gives a little laugh as she looks over my dirty coat, "Yep, bye Stony."

"Bye Applejack." As my words ring out I start my trot up.

End of chapter 11