//------------------------------// // We were both young, when I first saw you // Story: Enchanted // by DarthSylar12 //------------------------------// Part One: We were both young, when I first saw you… The tall buildings of Manehatten never appealed to Caramel. He would always try to glimpse the night sky but its bright majesty was always concealed by obnoxious billboards or dulled by the light of the bustling city. A sea of concrete teeming with carriages swimming through it rough current was all most ponies knew about the city, but Caramel knew of an island in the city where he was free to relax away from the watching eyes of other ponies and just be himself. The Great Mane Park of Manehatten had seen better days. The high building make delivering proper rainfall difficult and the city, despite being the most metropolitan of any in Equestria, lacked Earth ponies with the knowledge to protect it. Most ponies don’t even come to visit it, making a perfect place a colt to run off to be inspired. Strolling under the few remaining healthy trees allowed his mind to wander back to how he got his cutie mark. He’d been a tad more adventurous in his youth and bit off more than he could chew when he mouthed off with a group of tough colts messing with the fillys in his class. As it turns out his bark was worse than his bite as he was pursued by the obviously stronger colts after school. He bolted into the Park hoping they would give up, but his luck continued to run out. He ran a tense game of hide and seek against his aggressors, but he knew it was a matter of time before they caught him. He began to run towards a small hill, knowing that he was surrounded he closed his eyes. When suddenly he tripped over a small indentation in the ground covered it dust and leaves. Upon investigating it was small hatch to an abandoned maintenance tunnel. Seeking shelter, within his pursuers abandoned their hunt due this his disappearing act. Upon emerging from the safety of the tunnel he was shocked to find that he had discovered a trio of blue horseshoes on his flank. It was family tradition to have that mark. It meant luck. Though many of his fellow class mates laughed about how his mark should’ve been for cowardice Caramel was proud to carry his family distinctive mark, even though he felt that he sometimes got more bad luck than good. He still ventured back to that tunnel, having turned it into his own private oasis on his green island in the city. He usually would take off on weekends for extended alone time to just be lost in himself, rather than the stuffy conversations of his parents high society soirees. As he approached his little hollow, the newest Daring Do adventure tucked into his saddle bags, he heard a peculiar noise. It sounded like a huge crash against a tree. He looked and saw some leaves falling from a tree up the path. As he grew near the source, the sound grew louder and he could hear the sounds a labored grunts. As he turned the corner he was met by a beautiful sight. A small earth pony filly with radiant golden hair tied into simple tails. Her orange colored coat glistened with sweat. He watched as she pushed herself on to her forelegs and let forth a powerful kick shaking many leaves from the tree. He watched her do this a few moments entranced by her beauty and her raw power as she moved from tree to tree. Eventually he saw her sit down on her haunches panting, exhausted from the strenuous activity. Mustering his courage he quietly walked up to her. Usually he felt shy around other ponies, but something made him feel that she need somepony, like she was lonely or missing something. He stopped a good few feet away from her as she just looked longingly into the horizon obscured by the buildings. “Um, hello.” He spoke softly hoping not to spook the filly. She turned her head to face him. If she was beautiful afar then up close was heavenly. Cute freckles dotted her face, but what really caught his attention were her enormous emerald eyes. They simply drew him into her. She looked back him and extended a hoof. He reached out and met hers, and was gripped in a tight and vigorous hoofsake. He could tell she had strength in her back legs by the way she hit those trees, but the grip in her forehooves seemed just as strong once released she introduced herself. “Howdy! The name’s Applejack. What’s yer’s” She spoke with a thick country accent, only recognizable to Caramel from listening to The Lone Wrangler on the radio. He quickly regained his composer and relied. “Um, howdy?...um, my name is Caramel.” They held an awkward silence where the only sound was the soft rustling of leaves. “Do you, um, do you live here?” He mentally kicked himself for asking such a dumb question. “Eeyup, Ah live up here with mah Aunt and Uncle. But Ah’m new. Only been here a month or so. You?” “Uh, yeah. I’ve lived here my whole life.” The rustling of the leaves was all that kept the silence from becoming unbearable. “D’yah come her off’n.” She asked, snapping Caramel out of her emerald eyes. “Um, yes. I come here to think sometimes.” “It’s a mighty nice place to do that.” She said looking off into the tree line. Caramels eyes to the chance to look over the young filly. Her golden mane and tail were tied behind her. Her orange coat was wet with perspiration from whatever it was that she was doing with those trees. His eyes drifted to her flank discovering it was blank. This puzzled him as most of the foalts in his school already had their cutie marks. He was raised better to hold his gaze on a filly’s flank…but he didn’t mind the sight. “Beautiful sight ain’t it.” Her statement shocking him back into reality he trotted over and sat with her as she just looked off in the distance as the noon summer sun drifted down lazily. “It certainly is.” “It reminds me of home.” “Where are you from?” “Ponyville. It’s a small town, but ya’ll never find a more gentle place or kinder ponies than those in Ponyville.” She said a small sigh escaping her as she drifted into nostalgia. “You lived with your parents down there?” “Um, nope. Never really knew mah folks. Heard they were nice ponies. But Ah just lived with my Granny, my big brother and my baby sister on our farm.” “You worked on a farm.” “Yes sir. Finest Apple Orchard in Equestria. Sweet Apple Acres. Me and mah kin have been bucking the finest apples of the sturdiest apple trees for as long as most ponies can remember. “Bucking?” He blushed, having heard that word used by his uncle in a different context. He thought for a moment, remembering how she was knocking against the trees earlier. “Was that what you were doing over there?” Caramel asked, pointing at the trees he saw her at. She blushed lightly. “Yup. You wanna try?” “Uh, sure.” Caramel and Applejack spent the afternoon together. Despite this being Caramel’s free time away from family and school and usually preferred to spend it alone, he couldn’t be happier to spend it with this amazing filly. They played hide and seek amongst the old benches and statues in the park. He showed her around his secret hiding spot. She showed him how to buck trees like she did back home, resulting in him getting a nasty splinter one his legs. They talked about her time in the city and how different it was for her than her old life in Ponyville. As the sun began to sink the fast friends laid out on a hill under the shade of forgotten trees. “Applejack, Oh Applejaaaack!!!” a voice cried out down the path. “Uh oh. Ah’ve gotta git.” She said as she quickly rose to her feet. Caramel got up two, but was dismayed that his new friend was leaving him so quickly. “Okay. I guess. Nice meeting you.” He said pulling back against a feeling hard feeling in his gut. Suddenly he felt himself drawn into a tight hug. The tightness in his gut subsiding as he felt her against him and he cautiously returned the hug. The remained in each other arms for what felt like an eternity before disengaging. “It was a pleasure, Sugarcube.” She spoke softly as she rushed down the path following the setting sun. Caramel felt a warmth all over his body as he watched her leave. He quickly recomposed himself and hurriedly left the park to get back home. His family was expecting him home much earlier, but Caramel didn’t regret a single second of afternoon he spent with that beautiful filly. Applejack.