Chapter 15: A long-awaited beginning
Ch 15: A long awaited beginning
Months later…
All was quiet at the apple household, a state of things that was not to be found often. Moments like these were few and far between amidst the long months of chaos brought on by a new baby and the Apples had learned, among other things, to take advantage of them when they came.
It was this lesson that prompted the less-than-traditional greeting Soarin’ would receive if he happened to visit during one of those peaceful moments.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming,” the stallion said cheerfully as he came in from the cold, wintery weather outside.
“Shhhhh!” Apple Bloom hushed.
“Easy, Apple Bloom,” Granny cautioned. “Ya almost spilled the apple sauce.”
“Ah just put Cobbler down for a nap,” Applejack explained to the pegasus from the counter where she stood making fritters. “Happy Hearth’s Warmin’.”
Soarin’ glanced in the direction of the stairs as he took off his hat, hoping he hadn’t woken the young foal. “Sorry I’m late,” he said in a more normal ‘indoor’ voice. “There’s a lot of snow coming over the next few days and the weather team needs to be ready. I had to leave right after dress rehearsal.”
“S’all right,” said Applejack. “How’s the play comin’? Apple Bloom says you’ve got a pretty good cast this year. Though Ah think you do a better Private Pansy than Blossomforth.”
Soarin’ chuckled. “I’m not too disappointed with not getting the part. At least I get to eat my helmet. Everpony else won’t get to eat until after the play. But my Private Pansy can’t hold a candle to Apple Bloom’s Smart Cookie. Applejack might have some competition if she tries out next year.”
The filly blushed.
“Do you have your lines all memorized for the show next week?” he asked her.
“Yup, all of ‘em!”
The stallion looked around the room for a moment, taking in the organized chaos of the kitchen. Boxes of apple products were piled in the corner, making the room a bit more cramped than usual. Big Mac, Granny and Apple Bloom had made the area around the table a sort of assembly line for applesauce. The big red stallion and his sister poured the sauce into jars while Granny sealed and labeled them. Applejack stood at the counter behind her grandmother, rolling apple fritters.
“Where do you want me?” Soarin’ asked.
“Ah’ll roll, you box?” Applejack suggested.
“Sounds like a plan.”
Soarin’ took a place at Applejack’s side, placing fritters in boxes and stacking the boxes with the rest when they were filled. Granny idly hummed a tune to herself, one of the many that so easily get stuck in ponies’ heads around Hearth’s Warming. Her granddaughter soon joined her, humming and moving her lips to the words that spoke of friendship and being with loved ones. Soon the whole kitchen was alive with song and camaraderie.
The group’s merriment was interrupted by the cries of an infant from upstairs. Applejack grabbed a rag and wiped her hooves of flour.
“Cobbler’s probably hungry,” she said as she tossed her apron on a hook on the wall. “Be right back.”
Granny chuckled as the orange mare left the room. “Boy’s growin’ faster’n a swarm of parasprites.”
The assembly lines rearranged themselves to adjust to Applejack’s temporary absence.
Granny passed Soarin’ sticks to make candy apples. “So how’re you likin’ the job with the weather team?”
“It’s good,” he replied, stabbing one of the fruits and passing it to Apple Bloom to coat it.
“Oh, before Ah forget, Ah put a little somethin’ together for you. It’s in the box over yonder by the door. Just some things to help you through your first winter in that new house.”
“There wouldn’t happen to be any pie in the box, would there?” he asked hopefully.
Granny’s eyes twinkled knowingly. “Might be.”
The stallion licked his lips, turning his head to try and see the box. He wondered what kind of pies they were. They would most assuredly be apple, but there was more than one kind of apple pie.
Granny lightly slapped his hoof. “Now don’t go eatin’ the lot of ‘em in one sittin’. Once those are gone, you’ll have to buy more.”
“Aw,” Soarin’ pouted as he went back to skewering apples.
“Don’t worry,” Apple Bloom chimed in. “We can probably give you the employee discount.”
He chuckled. “I’d appreciate that. Thanks.”
Applejack returned a short while later, a baby cloth still draped over her shoulder. She leaned against the door, smiling into the kitchen at her family.
Soarin’ couldn’t help but notice how tired she looked. “Is the little guy still not sleeping through the night?”
She rubbed one of her eyes and shook her head. “Nope. He’s been gettin’ better, though. Only needs a feedin’ in the middle of the night every once in a while.”
“Yer more’n welcome to set down for a spell and have a nap,” Granny offered.
The orange mare smiled at the thought. “Ah will. In a bit. We still have a lot to do. Are all the fritter orders filled?”
“Eeyup,” her brother affirmed as he stacked the last box.
“We just need a few more boxes of candy apples,” Apple Bloom announced.
“Then Ah’ve got a couple extra pies to finish up,” said Granny as she pulled a wrapped lump of dough from the fridge.
Applejack nodded and moved to the table, taking some of the dough to start rolling flat. “When are you goin’ up to see your ma, Soarin’?” she asked, making conversation.
Soarin’ glanced behind him to reply as he continued skewering apples. “Actually, I’m not. She’s coming to see me. She wanted to see my new place. Pyro and Spitfire are coming for Hearth’s Warming Day, too.”
“Sounds like a pretty good holiday.”
“Yep. Are you guys still doing your big, family dinner with all the local relatives?”
Granny nodded and then smirked. “We sure are.”
“Granny’s been waitin’ forever to gloat about bein’ a great-granny before great aunt Apple Crumble,” Apple Bloom added.
The older mare frowned. “Now, Apple Bloom, what’ve Ah always said about bein’ a good sport? T’ain’t polite to be rubbin’ yer good fortunes in other ponies’ faces. It’s downright prideful and Ah won’t have none of it, thank you kindly.”
“So does that mean you won’t be carryin’ on about how much Cobbler’s been growin’ when Aunt Crumble starts braggin’ about her grandfoals, like she does every year?”
The Apple matron quietly picked up her rolling pin, silently beginning her work on the pies. “Well…Ah didn’t say that…”
The five ponies worked hard the next few hours, talking and laughing as they made the food that would be enjoyed by all of Ponyville during the time for being with loved ones. Soon it all was baked, cooled, boxed and being loaded into a cart for delivery. The family waved to usher Big Mac off as he pulled the cart to town.
When the red stallion was gone, the remaining four turned their attention to the kitchen, grabbing damp rags to begin the cleaning process. Applejack stifled a yawn, not unnoticed by Granny Smith.
“Careful now. Those things are…” She yawned. “Contagious.”
The orange mare chuckled. “Sorry.”
“Why don’t you go down for a nap?” Apple Bloom suggested. “We can finish here.”
Granny began making her way to her rocking chair. “Probably about time Ah went and got a little shut-eye. If you need anything, just give a holler.”
Applejack smiled with longing. “A nap does sound pretty good. Ah don’t really feel too sleepy, but Ah could just lie down for a bit.”
The filly gestured with a wave of her hoof. “Go on, sis. Get some rest.”
“All right,” Applejack conceded as she crossed into the living room and went upstairs.
As soon as she was up the stairs, the stallion and the filly turned to each other.
“Dibs on drying,” they called in unison.
Silence hung over the kitchen for a moment as the two ponies stared each other down. Apple Bloom eyed the table, then gave her opponent a challenging smirk.
“Hoof wrastlin’?” she challenged, raising a cocky eyebrow.
Soarin’, confident in his ability as an athlete, accepted. “Hoof wrestling.”
Several minutes later the house fell quiet. The only sounds heard were the sounds of cookware being washed. That is, aside from Soarin’s occasional grumblings regarding dirty tricks that adorable fillies played. He rinsed a freshly-washed pie tin and passed it to Apple Bloom, finding the sweet, innocent smile she gave him for the umpteenth time to be particularly irksome.
The pair finished with the washing and emptied the sink. Apple Bloom passed Soarin’ the towel to dry his hooves and grabbed a rag to wipe the table. The kitchen had been rendered spotless and its cleaners had started a game of checkers when the silence was broken by Cobbler’s cries.
Apple Bloom’s eyes darted to the stairs. “Uh-oh. We’d better get him. Let sis rest.”
Soarin’ nodded. “Good idea.”
The pegasus and the filly quietly ascended the stairs, taking care not to wake Applejack, and made their way to Cobbler’s room. The tawny foal stood up in his crib as they entered, reaching for his aunt.
“Hey, Cobbler,” Apple Bloom said cheerfully. “Did mah wittle nephew wake up from his nappy-wappy?”
Soarin’ raised an eyebrow. Baby talk was one thing, but he’d always thought Apple Bloom overdid it a bit, mispronouncing the ‘r’ sounds of her words so they sounded like ‘w’s.
“Hey, buddy,” he greeted, his voice rising slightly in pitch in his own style of baby talk.
Apple Bloom, still not quite tall enough to lift the foal from his crib, waited at its side, smiling and playing with her nephew. Soarin’ lifted the foal out, the youngster quiet and content now that attention was being paid to him.
“Did you just want somepony to come and talk to you?” the stallion asked.
A repugnant odor answered him. Cobbler cooed happily.
“Somepony needs to be changed.”
The smiles and silly faces Apple Bloom was making vanished.
“Not it!” she quickly called, dashing from the room.
“Apple Bloom!” Soarin’ called too late.
Cobbler burbled. “Bah. Bada buh.”
“You said it, buddy.”
Soarin’ took the infant to the changing table. Soon the soiled diaper was gone, replaced with a fresh new one.
“There we go. All better,” he said as he lifted the foal up again. “You’re probably not going back to sleep for a while, are you?”
Cobbler babbled and reached to grab Soarin’s nose.
“Thought not. Well, we can play for a while until dinner, I guess.”
He set the foal down and got a few of his toys out then got down on his stomach beside him. The arrangement didn’t last long. Cobbler was on his hooves toddling around the room in a matter of minutes. The room was small, and since Cobbler just wandered around the room from toy to toy, not going to the door, Soarin’ kept an eye on him from the wall near the doorway. A warm smile affixed to the stallion’s face as he watched the foal play.
Cobbler looked up from what he was doing and babbled happily at Soarin’.
The stallion smiled even wider. “Hey Cobbler, can you say ‘uncle Soarin’ yet?”
“Aaah ba ba ba da,” the colt answered.
Soarin’ tried again, elongating the words. “Un-cle Soar-in’.”
Apple Cobbler clacked two of his blocks together. “Ba da ba buh da.”
Soarin’ chuckled. “Not yet, huh? Well, can you say ‘mama’?”
“Ma ma ma.” The foal repeated happily.
“Good job,” the stallion said. Soarin’ looked at the closed door, thinking about the mare in one of the rooms beyond. “Your mama’s pretty great isn’t she?” he asked wistfully.
The stallion rolled over on his back, looking at the foal upside down. “You think if I asked her out for coffee, she’d say yes?”
Cobbler blew a raspberry.
Soarin’ rolled over and stood up. “So that’s how you’re gonna play it, huh?” He playfully crouched like a jungle cat about to pounce on its prey. He crawled across the floor toward the foal. “Duh nuh…duh nuh,” he sang, using the tune from an old shark movie to add an air of ominousness to his approach.
Cobbler had been privy to the game before and grinned as Soarin’ got closer.
“Duh nuh. Duh nuh. Duhnuh duhnuh duhnuhraaaaaa!”
When he was close enough, the stallion pounced, scooping Cobbler up and going straight for his belly. The little colt’s peals of laughter filled the room as his stomach was bombarded with raspberries.
When the stallion let up, he waited a moment for the foal to calm down.
“Y’know, Cobbler, I think we’re both pretty lucky guys,” he said. “Not a lot of foals get to have a mom as awesome as yours. Or a…friend as awesome as mine.”
Soarin’ had been happy knowing he could still call her that. As the weeks and months had passed, though, it became harder and harder to shake the question lingering in the background. He loved being one of the ponies that Applejack counted as a friend. He loved chatting and laughing over a game of cards. He loved being a part of the farm, a part of her life.
But could there be more?
“Your mom’s pretty special,” he said. He gave Cobbler his hoof to grab at. “Like, really special.” He chuckled. “Hey, think you can put in a good word for me?”
He held the foal up and gave him a light toss in the air. Apple Cobbler grinned and giggled. Soarin’ smiled and made silly faces, encouraging more laughter.
“Heh. Look at me,” he said to himself. “Been wanting to ask her out for ages now and all I can do is talk about her with you. Pretty pathetic, isn’t it?”
Cobbler burbled.
Soarin’ lied down on the floor and rolled on to his back, holding the foal above him. Cobbler grinned, his little hooves dangling down.
“Guess I’m just silly, huh?” Soarin’ baby talked. He tossed the youngster in the air.
The baby giggled.
The pegasus tossed him again. “Who’s a silly pony?”
The young earth pony laughed even harder as he sailed through the air. Soarin’ made silly faces as he brought Cobbler closer, readying for another launch.
“Uncle Soarin’ is. Uncle Soarin’s a silly, silly pony.”
Cobbler was squealing with laughter, his golden yellow eyes shining with glee. Soarin’ tossed him again and couldn’t help but join in the foal’s contagious laughter.
“Havin’ fun?” said a voice from the door.
Soarin’ caught Cobbler. “Applejack!”
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” She switched to her baby voice. “Ah jus’ wanted to see how mah wittle applebucker was.” She poked Cobbler with her hoof, tickling and playing with him.
Soarin’ passed the foal to his mother and got up.
“Did you have fun wif Uncle Soawin’?” she asked the foal, smiling and using baby talk. She checked his diaper. “Oh, and he changed your diaper, too. How nice of him.”
“Happy to help.”
The mare chuckled and held her son. “Thanks so much. He just loves playin’ with you. Ah don’t know how you do it.”
“Practice,” the pegasus replied. “Had to be good with kids in my former line of work.”
She nodded her understanding and headed for the door. “Well, dinner’s just about ready. S’pose we should get down there.”
“Yeah, I guess we should.”
Cobbler looked over his mother’s shoulder at Soarin’, smiling
The pegasus followed her into the hallway, making faces at Cobbler as he went.
“Uh hey, AJ?” he asked about halfway down the hall.
“Hmmm?”
“Do you…maybe want to get some coffee sometime?” He was right, he realized. Why not just ask. The worst she could say was no.
The mare stopped and looked back at him. “Coffee?”
No going back now. His smile faltered slightly and his cheeks felt warm. “Uh, yeah. Coffee.”
Applejack shifted Cobbler in her grip as she turned to fully face the pegasus. “Like a date?” she asked, raising an eyebrow quizzically.
Soarin’ couldn’t tell if she liked the idea, didn’t believe it, or was irritated. He rubbed the back of his head with a hoof. “Well…yeah. I mean, it doesn’t have to be. It could just be two friends going out for coffee and hanging out. That is, unless you want it to be a date…”
His fishing garnered no reaction. She just started making a slight bouncing motion when Cobbler started burbling.
The stallion felt himself start to sweat through the awkward silence. Applejack cracked the slightest of smiles, trying her hardest to hide it in vain. He suddenly realized what she was doing.
“You’re…you’re messing with me, aren’t you?”
No longer needing to hide it, Applejack smiled and chuckled. “Just a little. You’ve been walkin’ on eggshells around me since zap apple season. Been expectin’ this for a while now and Ah was wonderin’ when you’d ask.”
Soarin’ felt his hope rekindle. “So it’s a yes?”
Her smile turned serious. “Well…sorry, sugarcube, but no, it ain’t. At least…maybe not yet.”
The stallion felt his heart sink. “AJ, please don’t toy with me.”
She frowned. “Ah ain’t! Ah wouldn’t do that. This ain’t me tryin’ to string you along. Ah’m just tryin’ to be careful. Ah’ve got Cobbler now, and Ah need to think about what’s best for him.” She booped her son on the nose to emphasize her point, giving him a loving smile.
“Look,” she continued. “We agreed to be honest, so that’s what Ah’m doin’. It ain’t fair of me to keep you waitin’. Right now, Ah need to focus on bein’ a mother. And that means that havin’ a special somepony just ain’t in the cards right now. And it ain’t fair of me to keep you...’reserved’, if that’s the way to put it.”
The stallion regarded her with confusion. “Reserved?”
“Sorry, Ah’m not very good at this. But, do you see what I’m tryin’ to say at least?”
He thought a moment. “Yeah, I think I do. And I understand you wanting to wait. It’s the reason it took me this long to ask you out. The last thing I would ever want is to pressure you into something you aren’t ready for. But what I said last spring is still true; I still have feelings for you. And one day, if you want to, I think we could have something special. But only when you’re ready.”
The orange mare was silent for a moment. “And…and what if that doesn’t happen? What then? Will you just keep waitin’ for me?” She stamped her hoof. “No. Ah ain’t gonna live with bein’ the cause of you not bein’ happy and don’t you dare make me the one to decide that.”
Soarin’ took a step back, stunned by her outburst. “Whoa, easy. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound like that. This isn’t an ultimatum. All I’m asking is for you think about it. You did tell me you might be interested.”
Applejack shifted Cobbler over to rest her other leg as she thought about what he said. “Ah did say that. And Ah still am.” She gave her son an affectionate squeeze. “Ah’d really like our little family to be whole again. But, Ah think it might be a while before Ah’m ready to go lookin’ for the pony to fill that spot.”
Soarin’ smiled. “That’s why I’m willing to wait. If it means getting a shot at making you happy, I’ll wait however long you need me to.”
The mare frowned. “But what about you bein’ happy, Soarin’? What if some nice mare comes along that could make you happy and you pass her up? What if you miss a chance at happiness because you were too busy waitin’ for me?”
The stallion shook his head. “Don’t worry about that. You just focus on what’s best for you and the little guy. If somepony else comes along, I’ll make that choice for myself. OK?”
She nodded. “All right. Sorry, Ah just can’t help but worry about you.”
“I’ll consider that a good thing,” Soarin’ replied. “So, my offer still stands. Would you, maybe someday, like to go out with me?”
“Yes,” Applejack replied. “Yes Ah would. When Ah feel ready, we can go on a date.”
Soarin’s heart did somersaults. “Yes!” he exclaimed, barely stopping himself from pumping a hoof in the air. “Thank you.”
“But,” the mare continued. “Ah think we should lay down some ground rules until then. First, no romantic gestures. No flowers or love notes or little gifts.”
“Oh, come on!” Soarin’ whined. “How am I supposed to win you over if you’re taking away my arsenal?”
“Because that’s the point,” the farmer explained. “Ah don’t need somepony pursuin’ mah affection; Ah need a friend. So, while we have this little arrangement, that’s all we are. Friends.”
Soarin’ groaned, fidgeting back on forth on his hooves. “Can I at least get a couple of romantic gestures, like on Hearts and Hooves Day or your birthday? Please?”
Applejack’s mouth scrunched to one side of her face. “Hmmm. Well…”
Soarin’ pressed his hooves together. “Please.”
Applejack sighed. “Oh, all right. Small ones. Nothin’ big or showy.”
Soarin’ smiled. “Thank you.”
“Also, if somepony decides to ask you out, can you promise me you won’t turn ‘em down on mah account? You don’t have to say yes if you don’t want to, but don’t say no because you’re waitin’ for me.”
Soarin’ sighed. “You really aren’t going to let that go, are you? OK, fine. If somepony asks me out, I’ll consider it. But you can’t set any dates up for me, either. This is my choice and I don’t want any outside ‘help.’”
The orange mare nodded. “Ah can agree to that.”
“Good.”
After an awkward silence, the stallion scuffed his hoof on the ground. “So…you think we should kiss on it?”
“Soarin’…” Applejack warned.
“Kidding. I’m just kidding. Should we head down for dinner?”
Applejack nodded and they descended the stairs, only to find Granny, Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh waiting in the family room. The pegasus and the earth pony eyed the looks they were receiving suspiciously.
“Hey, uh, what’s going on?” Soarin’ asked.
Applejack groaned. “All right, how much of that did y’all hear?”
“Most of it,” her sister admitted, grinning impishly.
Soarin’s face shifted beet red and he covered it with a foreleg.
Applejack frowned. “Whatever happened to private conversations in this house?”
“Ain’t exactly private if yer out in the hall for all to hear, hon,” Granny said. She walked up to her granddaughter and took Cobbler, then began to walk to the kitchen. “’Bout darn time those two got down to business,” she muttered to the foal.
“Bah!”
“And how,” Apple Bloom agreed, following the green mare.
“Eeyup.”
Applejack blushed.
“Was…was it really that obvious?” Soarin’ whispered.
“Guess so.”
Three and a half years later…
Wind whistled as it slowly blew through the surrounding foliage. The sun shone down on the orchard, enough to warm the skin but not enough to break a sweat. In the distance, a small bird sang a cheerful melody before taking off from where it had alighted on a small branch. The leaves rustled in the breeze, giving the ears something to keep them distracted while the mind wandered.
A lone stallion lay on his back, his left foreleg serving as a pillow for his head, the right splayed at his side. His eyes were closed, gazing at the sea of red behind his eyelids. He felt the cool, soft grass beneath him and his ear twitched as the blades tickled it. His muscled chest slowly rose and fell as he breathed the fresh, sweet smelling air. A small smile played across his lips and he let forth a contented sigh.
His ears swiveled as he heard the sounds of approaching hoofsteps, galloping rapidly down the hill he reclined on. As they got close, the stallion turned his head away, clamping his jaw shut and trying his best not to smile or laugh and betray that his visitor’s approach had been heard.
The galloping slowed to a patter. Soarin’ heard the newcomer carefully step closer in the grass, trying in vain to avoid detection. The stallion’s composure was almost lost when he heard a little suppressed giggle. He braced himself as the hoofsteps stopped.
“Raaaaaaaarrrr!”
Soarin’ faked panic as Cobbler pounced on him, draping over his chest to pin the stallion down.
“Aaaaahhh! You got me! Noooooo! Ugh.” Sticking his tongue out, the pegasus played dead.
Cobbler giggled at his antics. As the stallion continued to lie still, the youngster shifted to straddle Soarin’s chest. He scooted himself closer to the stallion’s head and poked at his cheek.
“Ah know you’re fakin,” he proclaimed, mispronouncing the ‘r’, so it sounded like a ‘w’
Soarin’ opened one eye. “Oh really? And how would you know that?”
“’Cause you’re talkin’,” the foal replied.
“Ah. Well, you’re pretty smart. But you forgot something.”
The foal cocked his head, one ear going down and the other up. “What?”
The little guy looked so adorable, Soarin’s mask of mystery almost broke. Almost.
“You forgot that I was only faking because this is a trap!”
“Eeeeeeee!” Cobbler squealed as Soarin’ grabbed him in a bear hug.
The colt and stallion play-wrestled, rolling around in the grass. Their laughter soared, filling the air on the hillside. Cobbler eventually got a hold of Soarin’s left front leg, wrapping all four of his legs around it.
“Ah gotcha!” he said between giggles, proclaiming triumph.
“Oh yeah?” the stallion challenged. He took a few steps forward, but the little colt held tight, laughing as the pegasus’ leg carried him. Soarin’ stood still. “Wow, you really have a good grip there. But I’m not quite pinned yet.”
Seeing an opportunity, the colt grabbed Soarin’s other leg, holding them together. “How ‘bout now?”
Soarin’ widened his stance with his back legs to keep his balance. “Awww, ponyfeathers, now I can’t walk,” he fake-whined.
Apple Cobbler grinned. “Do you give up?”
The stallion pretended to struggle a little, then conceded. “Oh, OK. I give up.”
Cobbler let go, plopping down on his rump in the grass with a giggle.
Soarin’ lied down next to him. “Wow. You’re getting pretty strong there, bud.”
“Uh-huh. Ah’ve been eatin’ all mah vegebles,” the colt proclaimed. He flexed a front leg. “See?”
“I do,” Soarin’ replied. “If you get any stronger, pretty soon, you’ll be stronger than your Uncle Mac.”
“Will I be even stronger than you?” the colt asked, gold eyes wide and wondering.
Soarin’ laughed, tussling the youngster’s mane. “You bet, bud.”
Cobbler giggled, then jumped, draping himself over Soarin’s back.
“Can you fly me?” he said.
“Sorry, bud. Can’t.”
The foal pouted. “How come?”
“Because your mom said no flying until you’re older.”
“You’ve done it before,” the foal argued.
“Yes, and then your mom said I couldn’t, so I can’t. But I can give you a piggy back ride if you want.”
The pout faded slightly. “Can we go fast?”
“Fast as you want.”
The colt smiled. “OK.”
Once the young foal was on and had a good grip, Soarin’ took off running. Trees with full apple baskets beneath them zipped past and the wind blew in his face. Cobbler’s laughter filled the air as they bounded across the orchard.
Applejack smiled warmly as the pegasus came in the door with her son.
“Ah found him, mama,” Cobbler shouted as they came in the house. “He was sleepin’ in the grass.”
“Was he?” the orange mare asked, giving Soarin’ a look. “Lyin’ down on the job, are we?”
“N-no,” the stallion stammered. “Just taking a break from applebucking. I got all the apples you wanted for dinner.”
“Then where are they?” she asked, her teasing smile never once fading.
“They’re…uh, in the orchard.” He set Cobbler down. “Be right back,” he said as he took off. He returned a few moments later, a bag bulging with apples on his back. “See? Got ‘em all. Enough for everypony that’s coming over for the Summer Sun Celebration.”
Applejack nodded her appreciation. “Thank you. Come on, young’un. We need to get your room cleaned before everypony gets here. Then Ah need two big strong stallions to help me get ready for the party. Can you and Soarin’ be mah helpers?”
“OK, mama.”
“Thank you.” She turned to Soarin’. “Can you get those ready? Just slice ‘em up and put ‘em on a platter.”
He nodded. “Gotcha covered.”
“Race ya!” Cobbler challenged.
“Last one done gets a noogie.”
“Go!”
With the extra incentive, the tawny colt bounded up the stairs. Applejack smiled at the pegasus and followed her son to his room.
Soarin’ chuckled. Cobbler never could resist a race. He took the bag and deposited it in the kitchen, on the counter near the sink. Removing the apples one by one, he washed them. He was just finishing up when the front door opened.
“Anypony here?”
“In here, Rainbow,” Soarin’ called.
He heard the door closing and looked behind him to see the rainbow mare enter the room.
“You’re here early,” she commented.
“I work here, remember.”
“Yeah, I just thought you’d be getting ready.” She reached into his mane and pulled out a blade of grass. “Maybe cleaning up before the party.”
The stallion shrugged. “It’s just the Summer Sun Celebration. I’ll probably just borrow one of the Apples’ brushes before everypony gets here; straighten up my mane a bit. Glad you could make it, but aren’t you performing later?”
“Nah. Got the day off. I get to watch the show with everypony else.” Rainbow looked around the kitchen. “Where is everypony?”
“Applejack’s upstairs helping Cobbler clean his room. I think everypony else is out getting ready.” The stallion pulled out a cutting board and moved to the table to start slicing the apples. “I’m done washing, Cobbler,” he called.
Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
“We’re racing,” he explained, slicing an apple in half.
She smiled. “You and him are pretty close.”
Soarin’ cut a wedge out of one half of the apple. “Yeah. He’s a really great kid.”
Rainbow eyed the apple he was working with, noticing the odd way he’d been slicing it. “What are you doing again?”
“Making swans,” he explained. “AJ did them for the gala and I thought it’d be a nice touch for the snacks. See, I just make a couple more wedges…” He staggered the wedges inside each other. “…and done. We have a wing.”
“Cool.”
When the other wing was finished, Soarin’ did the head.
“Then we just put these two seeds here for eyes,” he said, holding up the finished product.
Rainbow munched on one of the leftover slices. “That’s pretty awesome.”
Clattering hoofsteps echoed through the house as Apple Cobbler clambered down the stairs. “Ah’m done! Ah’m done! Did Ah win?”
Soarin’ spritzed the swan with lemon juice. “Well, I only managed to finish the centerpiece, so I guess you do win.”
The colt did a little hop. “Yes!”
Cobbler jumped up, grabbing at Soarin’s neck. The stallion bent down and the foal hooked one hoof over his neck and rubbed his hair with the other. Prize claimed, he acknowledged the other pegasus in the room.
“Hi, aunt Rainbow.”
“Hey there, squirt.”
“Howdy, Rainbow,” Applejack greeted. “Mind helpin’ get ready for the party?”
“Sure.”
Soarin’ passed the mare a knife to slice apples.
“Just what Ah would suggest,” Applejack affirmed.
“What can Ah do, mama?”
The orange mare glanced around the kitchen, muttering under her breath. “Hmm. Let’s see. There’s the snacks…Granny and Apple Bloom are…do we have enough …Oh! Can you run out and tell your Uncle Mac to run down to Barnyard Bargains and get the ice? Two bags should be enough. You can go with him if you want or come back here and Ah’ll give you another job.”
The colt dashed out the front door, his little hooves galloping as fast as they could for his uncle.
“Kid sure can run,” Rainbow commented.
“Yep,” Applejack concurred, taking a seat at the table. She grabbed a knife for herself and started slicing an apple. “Sometimes Ah can’t keep him still long enough to get a good look at him. He’s growin’ like a weed, too.”
Rainbow sliced into another apple. “I’ll bet. Hey, how’d you date go last week?”
The room fell silent. Applejack’s eyes went wide and Soarin’ raised an eyebrow.
“Uh, date?” the stallion asked.
The orange mare glared at her friend, hissing through gritted teeth. “Ah hadn’t told him yet.”
Rainbow glanced between the two ponies and put two and two together, her own eyes widening at her blunder. “Oh. Sorry. Well, uh, I guess that’s my cue to leave.” She got up and shuffled slowly to the door. “I’ll just, uh, yeah bye.”
Just before she zipped out the door, she came back and punched Soarin’s shoulder.
“Ow, what was-”
“Tell you later. For now, you just watch it, buster,” she warned, giving him a death glare. A rainbow streak and a stiff breeze were all that was left as the cyan mare zipped away. “Hey, Cobbler, wait up!”
Applejack leaned back in her seat, not making eye contact with Soarin’. “Well, Ah guess the cat’s outta the bag.”
“What was she talking about?” he asked, rubbing his assaulted appendage.
“Ah was gonna wait until later tonight to tell you…”Applejack said, tapping her hooves together awkwardly.
Apprehension settled in the stallion’s stomach. “Tell me what? Did somepony ask you on a date?”
“No, no,” she replied. “Ah was just wonderin’ if maybe you wanted to talk.”
Confusion replaced apprehension. “Um, aren’t we talking now?”
Applejack pursed her lips nervously. “Ah meant later, at the party. Maybe tonight, on the hill at sunset?”
“OK,” Soarin’ replied, still a little slow on the uptake. “Wait, this wouldn’t happen to be that hill that looks over the whole orchard would it?”
She nodded, giving him a little smile. “That’s the one.”
The pieces began to click. “So, you’re asking me to watch the sunset from one of the most romantic sunset watching spots in Ponyville with you.”
“Yes. Yes Ah am.”
The stallion returned her smile with one of his own. “You aren’t trying to seduce me are you?”
She giggled. “Maybe.”
The stallion felt his heart do a backflip. “Really? Are you sure? I mean, you think you’re ready?”
She placed her hoof over his. “Yes. You and Cobbler get along so well. He just plain adores you. And Ah’ve become pretty fond of havin’ you around these few years.”
“It was the romantic gestures, wasn’t it?” Soarin’ asked, giving her a flirty look. “C’mon, you know you loved it when I stood outside your window and serenaded you last Hearts and Hooves Day.”
The mare chuckled. “Ah do admit, despite bein’ a little more elaborate then Ah would have allowed, it was mighty sweet. But more than that, it made me laugh. You made me laugh. And you were there for me all this time. You’ve proven over and over again that Ah can depend on you. You don’t know how much that means to me. So, if you still want-“
“I do. More than anything,” he said, placing his other hoof over hers. Part of him was still in denial, thinking this might be a dream. “Is there…do I need to ask somepony for permission or something?”
Applejack quirked an eyebrow. “Um, you could ask Big Mac or Granny if you like. Ah’m sure Granny’d appreciate the gesture, but Mac knows enough not to tell me who Ah can and can’t date. So, Ah guess the only pony whose permission you need is mine.”
“Oh. OK.”
The orange mare stared at him expectantly. “So…go ahead. Ask me.”
“Oh, right.” He lifted both her hooves from the table, holding them tenderly. “Sorry. If I’d been able to prepare, I would have gotten some flowers or something.”
“It’s fine,” Applejack assured him.
Soarin’ smiled, already planning to dash out before the party and grab some anyway. “Applejack,” he asked, “will you be my special somepony?”
She pressed her lips together. “Before Ah answer, Ah wanna lay out two things right now. First, we take it slow.”
The stallion nodded. “Done.”
“Second. This is for the long haul. That means that Ah expect a proposal and a ring when the time comes. You think you can handle that?”
His eyes locked with hers and he gave his answer with every ounce of sincerity he had.
“Sign me up.”
The orange mare smiled, wide enough to melt his heart. Slowly she leaned in and pecked him on the cheek, affirming her approval.
“Just sealin’ it with a kiss.”