//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Farm Life // Story: Love For All // by Derpyforever //------------------------------// Chapter 4: Farm Life Two days after seeing him, Rarity had told the other three about Seazon at Sweet Apple Acers "Good fer you, Rarity," Applejack smiled, "Getting a coltfriend right off the back." "Thanks," Rarity nodded, "Anyways, I'm suppose to meet with him at his shop today, so I wish you girls the best of luck. Bye" "Bye," the three replied as she left Sweet Apple's barn. "I can't believe Rarity was the first to get a coltfriend," Rainbow groaned once she was out of ear shot, "I'm the cool one around here." "Ah, don't sweat it Rainbow," Applejack assured, "we still got about a week and a half." "Yeah, I guess your right," Rainbow replied, "Well, I guess I'll get back to looking. Sure you don't want to be my wing gal, AJ?" "I wish I could," Applejack said, then gestured out to a stack off wood outside, "But Big Mac and I have to build a bigger storage unit for the apples, so I'll be busy for the next three days." "Alright, suit yourself," Rainbow said then took off. "Guess I better go too," Pinkie added, "bye." "Bye," Applejack nodded as she watched to two leave the farm before turning and walking to her house. "Alright Big Mac," Applejack called as she walked inside, "time ta start bucking some tre-..." Applejack stopped when she saw a brown earth pony conversing with Granny Smith. She starred at his black mane that curved just above his green eyes that was accompanied by a deep farm accent. "Hello there, Applejack," Granny Smith said, snapping Applejack out of her trance, "so glad you could come by and meet your help." "My help," Applejack questioned. "Yes," Granny replied, "this here is Barn Raiser." "Howdy," he tipping his cowcolt hat. "He helped build Appleloosa's buildings and whatnots, so I figured he'd be perfect for helping you and Big Mac with the Apple Storage." "Oh," Applejack said, "well, we're not suppose to start working on it till later this afternoon. Right now, Big Mac and I was going to buck some trees." "Eeyup," Big Mac said as he came downstairs with Applebloom. "And I was going to help," She exclaimed happily as she bounced down the steps "Well," Granny continued, "It never hurts to have an extra pair of hooves." "Alright," Applejack sighed, knowing that she should never argue with Granny Smith, "Come on Barn Raiser, I'll show you how we do it around here." Big Mac took Applebloom to the West side of the Farm while Applejack and Barn Raiser took the East. Applebloom tried to kick the tree as hard as she could, but of course, the lack of experience only made a few apples fall at a time, so Big Mac finished whatever she couldn't. Meanwhile, Applejack showed Barn Raiser exactly where and how to kick, giving a demonstration that made every apple fall into the set buckets. "Now you try," Applejack said, nodding over to a nearby tree. "Alright," Barn replied. He bent down and wind up his hind legs, once he was sure where to kick, he let loose a powerful hit that shook the tree of it's apples and even knocking some apples off of some nearby trees. "Well I'll be," Applejack gaped, "I've never seen anypony buck a tree that hard." "Well, when there was no more stores to build, I had to help with the harvest; and ya learn real quick that if ya can harvest more than one tree at a time, ya get done a lot quicker," Barn replied then rubbed his leg a little, "but I think I did it a little too hard, it's been a while since I've done it." "Well we got a lot of apples to harvest so you might want to get your legs warmed up again," Applejack said. "Don't worry," Barn beamed, "A couple of more trees and I'll be good." As the day went on, Applejack and Barn were clearing trees faster than Sweet Apple Acers has ever seen. As the sun started reaching for it's peak, Applejack and Barn were covered in sweat... however, Applejack would catch herself staring at Barn at times. 'He sure is strong,' Applejack thought, 'And not too hard on the eyes... No, focus Applejack. You have too much to do than worry about the handsome stallion right next to you... Augh!' Applejack shook her head and tried to focus on her work, but still would glance up at him every now and then. It came to a point to were she had completely forgotten about the tree and would barley even touch it... "You tired, Applejack," Barn asked, making Applejack shake her head to refocus. "A little bit," she admitted as she sat down and leaned up against the tree she's been trying to buck for the past ten minutes. "I guess it is time for a break," Barn added, sitting next to her. "Yeah," Applejack slightly blushed, "I guess it is." Barn and Applejack sat there staring up at the sky. Applejack could feel her heart pounding... and she knew it wasn't from working hard. "You know," Barn said, "Back in Appleloosa, I'd watch the clouds as they floated by. Guessing what shape the formed." "I used to do that as a filly," Applejack said. "Like that one," Barn pointed to a cloud, "It kind of looks like a... like a hat." "Really," Applejack asked, "I see a... a hoof ball." "It's obviously a hat," Barn grinned. "Ok," Applejack chuckled and point her hoof up, "How about that one? it looks like a..." Applejack didn't get to say what it was, for when she put her hoof down, she accidently touched Barn's hoof. They both looked at it, then at each other, blushing. They continued to just stare at each other as neither retracted their hoof... No, quite the opposite in fact, for the two hooves held each other without them realizing it until they looked down for a second than back at each other, prompting them to blush harder. "This is a bit weird," Barn stated, "but... nice." "Yeah," Applejack nervously smiled. "Should we get back to harvesting the apples," Barn asked, not wanting to get Applejack in trouble. "We did harvest a lot," Applejack grinned, "And we do need a break... a long break." "Yeah," Barn chuckled as Applejack leaned up against him, "a long break." Barn let go of Applejack hoof so he could wrap it around Applejack as she snuggled up closer. The two stayed like that for the rest of the morning until the sound of a bell came from the house. "Lunch time kiddos," Granny Smith's voice echoed throughout the farm. "Already," Applejack sighed. "No worries," Barn grinned, "We can hold hooves under the table." "Well then," Applejack cooed, "what are we waiting for?" The two raced their way back to the house while the cloud Applejack pointed out still hung out over the farm... and the cloud just so happens to be the shape of a heart. (To Be Continued...)