Applejack sat, rather irritated. A blind date? This was ridiculous. She didn't have no time for dates and the like. She needed to get home. Them apples weren't gonna pick themselves and Big Macintosh would be ready to chew her up and spit her out if he knew she was shultzin' her chores to go on a blind date. But the others had insisted.
“It'll help you make new friends.” said twilight.
“Ah already got friends. All of y'all!” she protested, but they would not have it.
“You must learn to enjoy yourself, darling. All work and no play has always been bad for a pony, you know.” said Rarity, tossing her mane regally.
“And when was the last time you took time off of work to go on a blind date?” rebutted Applejack.
Rarity said nothing. Applejack had smiled, knowing she had her there.
Pinkie Pie hopped around Applejack and said “Just think of it as a party! Just between you and him!”
“That don't help none.” said Applejack.
“Come on Applejack! We took a lot of time to actually get this guy to bother taking time off his own work to come and see you. Can't you just meet the guy?” said Rainbow Dash from her perch on a nearby cloud.
That was a point of interest and it was probably the only reason Applejack had let them talk her into meeting him. Whoever he was. Twilight had described him as “A tall gray pegasus with messy blonde hair.”
Applejack immediately thought of Derpy and snorted a little. If he was as clumsy as Derpy, she'd have a thing or two to say to the girls.
So there she sat, just outside of Sugarcube Corner, waiting for this mystery man. It had been almost twenty minutes since he was supposed to arrive. Applejack sighed in relief and walked into the store to buy herself a sweet. Ah, the feelin' of victory. The girls had been wrong. He was probably some high falutin' book worm, more of twilight's type. Time offa work. Hah!
After finishing her sweet, Applejack left the store with an air of somepony who had done something great. She was just about to head back home when she heard an awful ruckus coming from her right. She turned just in time to see a large gray pegasus speeding toward her. He yelled “LOOK OUT!”, and slammed right into her. They lay in a heap on the floor, groaning and squirming. The pegasus got up as quickly as he could and helped Applejack up. He was rambling in a thick southern accent. Applejack knew this pony. He worked in her orchard sometimes. He was a mighty good apple bucker too. As she looked him over, she realized he was a tall gray pegasus with messy blonde hair. She finally zoned in on what he was saying.
“...So sorry! I wasn't lookin' were I was goin'. I was late for my blind date that Rainbow Dash'd set me up on and I was hopin' I hadn't missed her!” he finished, looking around, obviously hoping he would see somepony that would catch his eye.
“Gray? You're the one they sent? Bu-but I thought you were workin' all day in the fields?” said Applejack, very confused. Is that why Big Macintosh was so upset about her going out for the day? Because he had been told by Gray that he would be cutting off work early as well?
Gray stared at her. “Wait.... You're my blind date? But Rainbow Dash said I din't know her.” he said, completely dumbfounded.
They looked at each other for a minute before Applejack pawed the ground nervously and said “Well... ya wanna.... do somethin'?”
Gray looked surprised for a second but then nodded and smiled as they began to walk down the road chatting about the orchard.
They spent the entire day getting into mischief. They would run through mud puddles, hide from each other and eat apples. They had a contest on who could slide the farthest in a mud patch which shortly became a mud fight. Several ponies who walked by looked at them curiously but just carried on. Applejack and Gray didn't care. They were having the time of their life. They had a contest to see which of them could buck more apples off a tree. They even went and walked through the edge of the Everfree forest, constantly trying to scare one another.
That Night, When Applejack and Gray returned to the orchard, covered in mud and laughing, Big Macintosh was waiting for them. They stood and took his berating. They acted guilty, hung their heads, and even apologized. The moment he went to bed, though. They burst into a fit of stifled laughter. They continued to talk as they hosed each other down to get the mud off and finally dried themselves.
"That was the most fun I've had in a long time." said Applejack, still giggling a little bit.
"Like wise," grinned Gray, "We should do this again some time."
"Yeah. Definitely."
They looked at each other for a second and Applejack blushed.
"Well. I'll, uh, see ya tomorrow." Applejack whispered.
Gray simply smiled and waved her off to bed as he flew off into the sky. Applejack didn't go to bed for a long time. She had never actually talked to Gray until today. How had she never known him?
Gray was having similar thoughts up in his house. He had worked at the orchard for several years now and not once had he actually taking time to talk to Applejack. He had always thought she was beautiful, but now she was the most wonderful mare he had ever met. He sat and began writing in his journal. He had never done much with the old thing but write a few pieces of poetry in it. Now he really had something to write. He wrote and wrote, and wrote some more until he looked at his clock and it revealed he would have a short night.
With a sigh, Gray set down his quill and shut his journal. His mind could only stay a few moments before it landed back on Applejack.
Applejack and Gray dreamed the same dream that night. They dreamed of what things would be like if they continued with what they had discovered. What they saw was wonderful.