After lunch, the CMC disappeared. Applejack dragged him into the front room and began his preparations. “Okay, whatever yah do, do not drink anything that yah can't identify. Especially if they're staring at you expectantly, yah got it?”
Aloe nodded. “You don't really think they'll do anything like ummm, potions, do you?”
“Appleblooms been workin' on all kinda potion stuff lately, ah dun wanna risk fallin' in love with yah.” She paused when his face fell. “Ah mean against mah own will. Fallin' in love with yah cause ah like yah is fine.”
He eeked. “S-so you think you might fall in love with me?”
“Yah are kinda adorable sometimes, but ah don't know, maybe. No pushin' it.”
“Yes ma'am!” he said, giddily hopping up and down in his seat. “So, what's next?”
“Jus' be careful. The kids mean well, but they have a tendency tah get a bit... outta control. Ah don't want tah see yah getting' hurt cause they decided tah do a lion tamin' show or somethin' silly like that.” She paled. “Ah buck, what if they're plannin' somethin' like that? Ah should probably get Fluttershy just in case.”
Aloe giggled. “I'm sure it will be fine. Your sister and her friends are delights, just filled with energy. I'm sure that no matter what they do, it will be wonderful.” He reached out to take her hooves. “Because you'll be there, I know no matter what it'll be the best date I've ever had.”
Applejack blushed and looked away. “Well, ah shucks. Yah Prench ponies certainly know how tah sweet talk a gal, don'tcha?”
“Only the most beautiful and marvelous ones.” He brought the hoof up and placed a soft kiss against it. “Now, you're so stressed, how about I help you relax? This couch is more than long enough, I could give you a nice massage?”
“Wouldn't yah have tah stand for that?”
“Not at all, I could straddle your back and... oh. I guess that, ummm, could be a bit... uncomfortable for you. I wouldn't want you to feel I was trying to take advantage.” Red flooded his cheeks.
She smiled and pat his head. “Nah, ah know yah wouldn't. Sure, why not? Let's see if yah can help me de-stress a bit.”
“Eeeee! See, you're going to find out the best thing about dating a spa pony!” he said before scooting to the side so she could lay down.
------
“Cutie mark crusader taxi service!” Echoed through the house as the three fillies barged into the house.
“What? Ah'm up!” Applejack yelled as her eyes opened and she sat up, sending Aloe flying through the air with a shriek. He crashed a moment later and let out a soft groan. “Yah okay?”
“I... I'm okay... ow. Please, l-let's not do that again,” he said with a soft whimper, laying on his back with his hooves in the air. “Please...”
“So what's yah all hollerin' about?” Applejack asked and moved to help the poor stallion get to his hooves. “Wakin' me up like that...”
“Your perfect, spectacular, amazing, definitely going to lead to love and getting Applebloom a new brother-in-law--” Sweetie started.
“Not to mention totally awesome,” Scootaloo said quickly.
“--Date is about to start! Your taxi awaits.” The three fillies moved besides the door and bowed.
“Hope you're ready for this,” Applejack whispered before slowly helping the stallion outside. She froze. “The hay?”
Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stood in the yard, a golden air-chariot strapped to their backs. The latter was smirking at them. “You two going to move it? We didn't borrow this so you could spend all night gawking at it!”
“What in tarnation are you two doing here? Where did you even get that? That's not one of the... oh, it is...” Applejack said with a soft groan.
“That... that's one of the royal chariots, isn't it?” Aloe asked, his mouth falling open. “How did... we're going to go to jail, aren't we?”
“Twilight let us borrow it!” Applebloom said quickly. “When we told 'er all about your date, she said she'd be happy tah help! She was really busy though, so we just asked to borrow one of them fancy chariots. Then we asked them if they'd be willing tah pull yah tah where everything's set up! Yah know, on account ah Aloe's bum leg.”
“My leg is not bum!” Aloe said quickly. “It's a cracked hoof, it's quite common! Not... to this extent, obviously, but it happens all the time. I... err... this is all quite... so we're not going to jail for grand theft chariot?”
“Doesn't sound like it,” Applejack said with a sigh before pulling him towards it. “Come on, we'd best get goin'. Ah reckon we keep Rainbow grounded more than we have to, she'll try losin' us in the clouds.”
All five of them, including the fillies, climbed into the chariot. It was crowded, but Aloe didn't mind. It gave him a great excuse to lean against Applejack.
“Oh, and yah all gotta wear these,” Applebloom said before pointing towards a small package on the ground. “Rarity made 'em!”
Applejack picked up one of them and cocked an eye. “They're smaller than mah head an' compact. Yah sure Rarity made 'em? Ah don't even see any giant head pieces the size'a the moon.”
“Yep! She said it would be something simple but pretty!” Sweetie said with a squeal of delight. “Like you two!”
“She called us simple but pretty, eh?” Applejack asked with a sigh before pulling it out and opening hers. She let out a startled gasp as the rather fancy white cowpony hat, complete with orange feather, expanded to its full size. There was also a white gem studded neck bandana that sparkled in the light.
Aloe slowly opened his and gasped. His was a pearl coated headband and collar, just like the ones he wore at work. He slowly put them on, before cringing and patting his face. “I... I forgot to put my make up on, and my eyelashes and brush my mane!”
“Yah look fine,” Applejack said with a smile, before humming. She tried to think of what Rarity would like being called. “Yah look... radiant.”
“Y-you really think so?” he asked, perking up. His mane billowed in the wind, so he supposed brushing wouldn't have helped much. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“North orchard!” Applebloom said before the three fillies stood up in the back, peering out the edge. “Woo hoo!”
“Yah all didn't haveta go through all this for such a short distance, ah coulda carried him,” Applejack said with a chuckle, switching out to the new fancy hat and holding it down with a hoof. “Woulda been a lot easier an' less chance of air sickness.”
“Air sickness?” Aloe asked, before peering over the edge of the chariot. He paled and nearly toppled over the edge, barely being saved by Applejack.
“Easy sugar cube! What's wrong?”
“H-high...” he said with a soft whimper, wrapping his hooves tightly around her and shaking. They were soaring high over the trees, the tallest of which was too far to leap onto. “W-why are we s-so high?”
“Yah aren't scared ah heights, are yah?”
“Earth ponies aren't meant to fly! We're meant to be on the ground, s-safe and sound,” he said, still clutching to her tightly.
“Shh, don't worry. Rainbow an' Fluttershy would never let us fall. You're as safe up here as yah would be back at the farm. Okay?” Applejack said with a snicker.
He continued whimpering, clutching for dear life. She let out a sigh, before reaching out and gently brushing his mane, gently humming to him.
“D'awwwwww,” Applebloom and Sweetie said in unison. Scootaloo just rolled her eyes.
Aloe began to calm down, sighing softly and relaxing, just a little bit, against her. She continued to sooth him until they landed. A covered well, which now had a tablecloth over it, stood in the center of the clearing. “We're here. Yah feelin' better?”
“Y-yes. Sorry, I ummm, I'm not really... good with heights.”
“Ah understand. Jus' happy your sister showed me that lil trick ah hers. Calms yah down right quick,” the mare said with a chuckle. “Yah feel up for this?”
“Yes, sorta. I-I think I'll be okay now.” He hopped out from the chariot and let out a happy sigh.
Applejack turned to follow, but felt a nudge on her tail. Rainbow looked up at her. “You sure you want to do this? I mean, he's kinda... a wuss. Yah know?”
“Yeah, but he's pretty good with his hooves. Might jus' make up for it,” she said before hopping out from the chariot, chuckling at the wide eyed stare on the pegasus' face.
Two small chairs had been set up in front of the well, directly besides each other. The two took a seat and then there was a blur. Suddenly there was a lit candle in the middle of the table and the two pegasi and the three fillies were gone.
“Did... did you see that?” Aloe asked.
“No. Ah blinked. The h-- EEK!” Applejack nearly toppled backwards as a pair of plates seemed to spring into being in front of them. A second later it held small tiny bite sized cucumber sandwiches. “Pinkie? Is that-- Yikes!”
Suddenly a pink mare with a wild, pink mane was behind Applejack and squeezing her cheeks. “Shhhh, you'll break the magic if you acknowledge my existence!” Then she disappeared in another blur.
“How the heck does she do that?” Aloe asked, his mouth open.
“Ah got no idea. Just Pinkie bein' Pinkie ah suppose. I hope the others are okay, they disappeared awfully quick. Hope she was gentle.”
“Ah dang it, I'm covered in sap!” Rainbow called out from the trees.
“Not again!” Scootaloo whined.
“I think they're fine,” Aloe said with a snicker. “So, ummm, we're here. Is there... anything you wanted to talk about?” He gently reached out a hoof to touch hers. Once they did, soft music filled the air as birds began to gently sing their melody.
“And there's Fluttershy's other contribution,” Applejack said with a grin, before popping one of the sandwiches into her mouth. “Ah'm guessin' Rarity made these. Lil cutesy appetizers got her name all over 'em. Dessert should be a real treat if Pinkie's behind it.”
“Your sister and her friends found an excellent way to celebrate our first date, didn't they?” Aloe asked, mentally cheering as she didn't pull her hoof away.
“Gettin' all mah friends tah help was a bit interestin', ah'll say. Ah may have underestimated them.” She smiled to him and then glanced down at his hoof on hers. She gave it a little squeeze. “Ah... would like tah know one thing. You're from Prance, right? What made yah come down here all the way from there?”
He sighed and lowered his gaze. “I... I don't have many happy memories of my home. To be honest, I don't think Lotus did either. Our father had... many problems trying to deal with us, after the incident.”
“Oh no. He didn't send yah back to that school did he?”
Aloe groaned and shook his head. “Oh, no. After that, he knew better than to... well, he became accepting of me. Kind of. The guilt seemed to eat away at him after I... I had a bit of a breakdown after that. He took us from that school and... tried to understand me. Unfortunately, he misunderstood the kind of pony I was.”
“What, he keep tryin' tah get you tah be all manly?”
“Oh, no. The opposite. He tried to get me a sex change operation.”
Applejack choked on the cucumber sandwich. Aloe started pounding on her back as a glass of water miraculously seemed to materialize in front of them. “You okay?”
“Y-yeah,” she said, coughing weakly. “Come again? He tried tah get you a... a what now?”
“Tried to turn me into a girl.” He quickly raised his hooves and shook his head. “N-not forcefully! It's just, it's what he thought I wanted! I mean, I liked... dressing up, and make up, and... and all those filly things. Well, what he saw as filly things. He thought I... wanted to be a girl.”
“Err, yah didn't? Yah don't? Ah thought for sure yah were goin' for that.”
“Well, ummm... not really,” he said with a soft smile. “I like... being pretty, dolls, all those things mares tend to like. But I don't really want to be a mare.” He gently gulped. “I just... like those things. Most ponies don't find it acceptable for a stallion to like those kinds of things though, so I just pretended to be a girl. Not to mention, the outfit lines for mares tends to be a lot more varied than stallions. I just hate suits soooo much. I mean...” He paused as he tried to think of a suitable example that wasn't Applejack. “Well, look at Rainbow Dash. She likes rough housing and getting... well, a lot of stallion things. Doesn't mean she wants to be a stallion, does it?” He then paused for a moment. “Wait, she doesn't, does she? Because--”
“Ah don't think she does. Though right now ah imagine she wishes she was a bit less sappy. So, uhhh, how did all that work out?”
“Very confusingly. I still don't think my dad understands what it was I was telling him,” he said with a smile. “Once my sister and I finished school and saved some money, we decided to move someplace where they wouldn't know my past. Celestia had a number of incentives to business starting ponies at the time, so we ended up moving down here.”
“Oh yeah. Ah remember those, it's why Rarity went an' opened the boutique. Was a great year for us, we used our incentives tah buy a whole slew ah new equipment. Mosta it still works. Like that plow.”
“Yep, they were quite nice. I doubt we'd have made it without them.”
“Was awfully nice ah your sister tah come with yah. Looks like yah got a real strong family bond there.”
“We... we do. I don't know what I'd do without her, I know I could never run the shop without her.” He paused for a moment and smiled. “In fact, she reminds me of you. Strong, caring and an amazing sister.”
Applejack blushed and shook it off with a hoof. “Ah, now yah jus' doin' that flattery thing again, yah silver tongued scoundrel.”
Aloe giggled and then gave her hoof another squeeze. “So, I told my story to you, I think it's time I got to ask you a question.”
“Sounds fair, whaddaya wanna know?” She popped another sandwich in her mouth.
“What... what is it like, being one of the elements of harmony? I mean, it must be really stressful, but I'd love to hear about it.”
She sighed and shook her head. “Well, ah'm sorry tah disappoint, but there ain't a lot to it. Heck, most ponies didn't realize any of us were the elements when we still had 'em. They just knew there were six'a us, somewhere in Equestria. Even in Ponyville some ponies don't know. Only one of us is recognize regularly, is Twilight. An' that was more because she was Celestia's student before hoof. Now they know her cause she's a princess an' all.”
“Oh...” He gave her hoof another squeeze. “So there's nothing else? Come on, please?”
She sighed. “Well, ah'll be honest. It's almost all Twilight. If she had met jus' about any other pony, ah'm sure they'd be the element ah honesty now an' ah'd jus' be a farmer.”
“What? That can't be true, I mean, you're one of the most honest--”
“Ah got mah element for tellin' her tah fall, cause ah knew the others would catch her. It wasn't some great feat ah honesty, ah just knew she'd be fine, so ah told her tah let go. Pretty much any pony else coulda done it. Tah be honest, ah wonder all the time what woulda happened if there had been any pony else who'd gone with 'em instead ah me. Maybe if Big Mac had been the one tah be in charge ah all that grub, he'd be the element'a honesty now.”
“That can't be right. I mean, you're one of the most honest ponies ever! And... and you talk. He never does that.”
She snorted. “Ah know. But like it or not, in the end it all comes down tah Twilight. She was the one destined for greatness an' all that, the rest ah us are jus' here tah help her. Which is fine, don't get me wrong! Don't think ah'm complainin' or nothin'. Ah'm happy bein' the element ah honesty an' ah wouldn't give it up for the world. Jus', sometimes ah wonder if there isn't some other pony out there, more deserving.”
Aloe frowned and then sighed. “Well... I'm going to be honest. I think you like that. There probably is.” He cringed as the frown creased her brow. “But hear me out! Individually, there might be a pony more deserving. But it's not about who's more deserving. It's about who has that whole... friendship thing. Even before Twilight came, you were friends with all of them, right?” She nodded. “And you always make time for them? Even if there are ponies out there, who are more honest, that doesn't mean you're not worthy of it. I mean, what other pony would be that honest, have such a wide assortment of friends and be willing to go to the scariest place in Equestria with some random unicorn you'd met in one day? It wasn't just your honesty that got you your element.”
She snorted. “Ah suppose. Tah be fair, it was less scary than the alternative. Not give Rainbow something tah do so she'd end up chargin' the castle herself. Probably got the whole town blown up.”
“So, ummm, the Equestrian games are in a month. Do you, err, have tickets? I mean, are you going with any pony?”
Applejack chuckled, and nodded. “Ah am. We're all goin' up with Twilight. She has a big fancy royal princess thing goin' on right after so we all agreed tah be their for support.”
“That's really nice of you. Do you plan on... missing all that work?”
“We got a coupla workers tah help out while ah'm gone. Twilight's helped me out enough times on the farm that ah can afford tah miss a few days. Won't be any big deal.”
“Unless another threat to Equestria pops up, right?” he asked in a joking tone.
“Now don't you go temptin' fate,” she said with a chuckle, then glanced down at his plate. “Yah've barely touched your food, why not?”
“Well, ummm... it's silly...” Aloe said with a soft giggle. “But, I uhhh... well... to be honest.” He nervously poked his hooves together. “If I eat them faster, it'll mean the date ends quicker and I don't want that to happen.”
She snorted and shook her head. “Oh, yah don't have tah worry about that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. If yah don't hurry up an' start eatin' your food, ah'll eat 'em for yah. Sides, ah don't plan tah be out here all night so we can finish eatin'. An' ah'm sure my sister has somethin' else in mind for us once we're done eatin'. So hurry up, you'll need your strength.”
He giggled and popped one of the sandwiches into his mouth. “I hope whatever they have in store for us isn't as scary as the flight here.”
------
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Aloe screamed, caught his breath, then started screaming again. “AHHHHHHH!”
“Yee hawwww!” Applejack yelled, holding onto her hat as the two zip lined down the trees. Aloe was holding on as tight as he could, his yells echoing through the trees. “Yah should open your eyes, the view is great!”
“I'm gonna die I'm gonna die I'm gonna die!”
“You're yelling in Prench again! Wait, how do we stop these things?” Applejack asked, worry beginning to go through her when she saw the end coming up. A large branch sticking out where the end of the line was attached. “Ah buck. Ah knew saying yes was a bad idea.”
“AHHHHHHHHHHH!” Aloe screamed again, until they hit the end and the line stopped. Unfortunately, their rope didn't and they were flung up and around the tree branch again and again, until eventually the two came to a stop, now tightly bound to the branch.
Applejack glanced down to the stallion, now trapped to her chest. “Ugh, yah all okay?”
“Mmphhhh... mmfffll, whimper.”
“Yeah, ah'm startin' tah think we shoulda said no too. Yah really gotta work up your resistance to that filly stare. It's powerful, but they're jus' going to keep using it on you if yah don't fight back. Especially if yah keep lookin' straight at it like that.”
“Mmmff.”
“Don't worry, we're still alive, we--” There was a loud crack as the branch began to groan. “--we'll be down in a second.” The branch collapsed, dropping them in a tied heap on the ground. Applejack spent a few seconds unbundling them, finally getting the stallion off her when the others arrived.
“That! Was! AWESOME!” Rainbow yelled, a wide grin on her face. “I never thought I'd say this, but you two really flew! I wanna go next!”
“Ah think we broke it,” Applejack said with a groan. “Aloe?” She gave him a little nudge, but he didn't respond. She rolled him onto his back and let out a little gasp. “Ah think it mighta been a bit too much for him.”
He didn't stir, his eyes little swirls.
“Awwww,” Scootaloo said with a whine. “We didn't even get to try bungee jumping or the fighting for your honor!”
“Come again?” Applejack asked with a cocked eye.
“Yeah, we were going to have him fight Rainbow for your honor, it was going to be romantic!” Sweetie said with a sigh. “We even set up some jousting equipment, just like the crystal ponies used. Well, kinda like those ones.”
“Uh huh... Rainbow, yah didn't agree tah any of this, did yah?” Applejack asked with a sigh.
“Nope. Though jousting would be an awesome way to spend a date. You two should do that next!”
“It was going to be a surprise!” Applebloom said quickly.
“Yeah, ah'm gonna get Aloe here back to the farm. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, can yah take the kids home?” Applejack asked before lifting the now barely conscious stallion onto her back.
“But big sis!” Applebloom asked, giving the filly eyes.
“I'll... I'll do whatever you say...” a dazed Aloe said with a groan, caught once again in the gaze's power.
“Eeenope. Come on, fella. Yah need tah get back to the farm an' get some rest. Yah had a big day,” Applejack said. Her friends got to work, getting the chariot ready. She shook her head. “Jus' take them home an' give it back tah Twilight. Ah think a nice walk in the orchard will be nice for him.” She then turned and trotted through the trees.
“Sorry...” Aloe mumbled, laying limp on her back. “I've never... gone zip lining before...”
“It's fine, sugar cube. Ah hope yah had fun.”
“I certainly did.”
“Yah learn your lesson?”
“I-I can't help it. I just look into those wide, adorable eyes. It's hypnosis, I swear.”
“They do got mighty powerful eyes.”
Aloe sighed and watched the ground go by. After a few moments he looked up. “Ummm... did you? I mean... well...” He poked his hooves together. “Did... did the worst possible thing happen?”
“Yah don't have anything else broken, as far as ah can tell, so ah'd say no.”
“I mean... do you still want to... date me?”
Applejack stopped, looking around the trees for a few moments. The two were completely alone. “Well...” She let the word hang in the air.
“Y-yes? N-no?”
“Ah see no reason tah break up with yah. This was actually a nice night. Mostly. Ah'll might need tah toughen yah up a lil bit, but ah think it wouldn't be the worst thing ever tah stay with yah. 'Sides, you're kind cute.”
“Eeeeeee!” Aloe squealed with delight, waving his hooves around in delight. Applejack cringed and decided investing in some ear plugs wouldn't be the worst investment.
------
Twilight, the purple alicorn princess, groaned from her position at her desk in the Ponyville Library. A book laid in front of her, its words illuminated by the weak candlelight. She reached a hoof up to stifle a yawn, before letting out a shriek when she realized it wasn't her hoof she way yawning into. “AHHHH! Discord!”
“Hello princess, all is well I hope?” the creature asked before pulling his talons away, disappearing, then reappearing on her desk standing only a few inches tall. “You really shouldn't stay up so late, it can't be good for your eyes.”
“What do you want, Discord?” she asked, shaking her head to clear her mind. “I'm tired and not in the mood.”
“Me? Want anything? I'm just merely paying you a visit! That is what friends do, is it not?” He grinned up at her with an innocent smile.
“Discord, I'm not buying it. What do you want?”
“Just curious if you've read the paper lately?”
Twilight cringed, her wings locking up. “Why... yes. I have. I assume you mean the Discord times?” she asked through gritted teeth. She wished she could yell at the monster, but without the elements to seal the beast away in stone, there was very little she could do to truly punish him. Like a child immune to groundings, he knew it and abused it.
“Yes, yes. Dreadful business that. However, Fluttershy says I really must apologize, who knew that helping a friend could be so tricky?” he asked, shaking his head in mock sadness.
“I know you didn't come here just to tell me this. Discord, what do you want?” Twilight asked with a low growl, struggling to hold back her temper.
“Why, I've merely come to ask your advice. You are the expert, are you not? However can I possibly make it up to this poor, damaged pony?”
Twilight sighed and took a deep breath. She was too tired for this. “I don't know if you can. Try apologizing. A lot. I don't know, some grand gesture to show you learned your lesson, that you truly are sorry for what you did. Something--”
“Grand gesture, got it,” he said before disappearing with a wicked chuckle.
The princess groaned and face hoofed. “Bucking...” She pulled out a quill and scroll. “Dear Princess Celestia, I regret to inform I am going to be unable to attend tomorrow, as I will be too busy trying to stop...”
------
A unicorn stallion snuggled into his bed, sighing contently as he dreamed of his wonderful marefriend, Rosering. He was suddenly jarred awake by something smacking into his bed. “H-huh? Wha?” he said with a groan, before looking around. It was too dark to see anything, so he flipped on the light switch.
In his room stood Aloe, a brick in his face. The boy could see the lamp behind the pink pony, through him. The light flickered for a moment and the earth pony was gone.
The unicorn stared in horror, before letting out a scream.