"Winter wrap up, Winter wrap up, lets end our holiday cheer, Winter wrap up, Winter Wrap up, cause tomorrow spring is here, tomorrow spring is here.
"Winter wrap up, Winter wrap up" Applejack hummed to herself checking that the last of the seeds had been planted correctly. The ground beneath her flank was frosty and damp; only one of a few reminders of the Winter that had been very much in its prime only five hours ago, Winter's wrap up had been very successful this year thanks to a certain purple Princess, a title she still had trouble associating with her friend; she still hadn't got used to the wings and the crown, not to mention the paparazzi. She remembered clearly the time when Twilight had been chased all around Ponyville by some school yard fillies; the orange mare chuckled at her friend expense. Winter wrap up this year had taken less than twenty-four hours; Mayor Mare had been delighted.
Suddenly she heard someone calling her name. The orange mare turned her head to see her friend, the all teams organiser, galloping over to her. Twilight was panting and sweaty, as if she'd run from Canterlot or similar.
"Are y'all right sugarcube?" Applejack asked, concerned, as her friend began to turn a deeper-than-normal shade of purple.
"I jus-st r-ran aall the wway fr-from the cen-centre of town t-to find youu." Twilight wheezed.
"Why, for some fitness lessons?" Applejack often did that particular run for a light warm up before one of Rainbow's Daring Dare Challenges. Twilight shot her 'friend' a death glare but soon regained her placid demeanour, Twilight, for the life of her, couldn't hold a grudge that petty.
"No," she continued, "but I do need to know how long you think it'll be until you've finished planting the last of the flowers."
"Oh well I'm all done, just gotta take these bags of compost to the barn, jump in bed and hit the hay".
"Ahhhh" Twilight joined in the yawn. "I best get to sleep as well; I'm exhausted." Applejack nodded in agreement.
"Oh and don't tell Pinkie Pie about the record breaking: she'd have a party up and running before you could say 'Apple-strudel'." AJ whispered, eyes darting about; their friend could be anywhere at any time. She could be invisible, she could have super pony hearing or she could be flying above them in that crazy flying mobile of hers, there was just no telling what their bouncing friend could do. Twilight, in her state, could do nothing more than nod and she did so before trotting off towards her shiny new castle. She sighed wishing for her library back.
Applejack was all alone again under the twinkling stars, the night was always stunningly beautiful since she and her friends had washed the evil from Nightmare moon two years ago. Luna had put all her heart into every night since in an effort never to be unappreciated again. Not to mention the wacky new dream walking abilities. Luna had come into the farm mare's dreams many times before: once to persuade her to ask for her friends help in harvesting apples and another to stop the 'stupid competitions' with Rainbow Dash that one day one of them was going to kill themselves in; the latter she hadn't really paid much attention too, but hey it was her life. Applejack lifted a sack of compost onto the wheel barrow and turned away from the field.
She had only been trotting a moment when a streak of electric pink flashed down the hill bouncing and rolling into every nook and cranny and skidding to halt beside Applejack. She had experienced similar events before however, and didn't bat an eyelash. "Hey, Pinkie." said Applejack.
"Hey ya, Applejack" Pinkie squealed, beaming. "You know what my ammmmazing maths skills just worked out?"
Applejack's eyes began to dart from left to right, rapidly. She didn't want to lie, and she was plum awful at it, but if this conversation continued along this line then she might just run out of options. "What?" she mumbled, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
"I just realised that we broke our Ponyville all time Winter wrap up record and without our super fabulous friend Twilight being the all teams thingy what'sit we wouldn't have done it so we have to throw her a party!" She then broke of it to song, which Aj toned out to as she really wasn't in the mood for Pinkie antics but she belived it was a reprise of a song she sung a few years ago, Celestia knew how she still remembered it.
"Pinkie" Applejack sighed "Twilight said we- uh, should set a party for tomorrow ...umm tomorrow umm tomorrow afternoon?" Applejack hazarded, eyes shifting in all directions. Celesitia, how she hated lying, especially to her friends, Pinkie was eyeing her up and down.
"Okay dokey lokey." Pinkie said slowly, voice practically dripping with suspicion. The lying mare nodded vigorously.
"So Pinkie what are you planning for Twilight's party?" Applejack said, swiftly changing the conversation to something safer.
"Oooo balloons, steamers, candy, cake, dancing, songs, punch." Pinkie paused for a second to think, "Oh, and cherry pie; don't you just love saying "cherrychanga, cherrychanga, chimicherrychanga?" Applejack groaned, internally. "Oooo I'll bake cupcakes, I wonder if Rainbow Dash wants one." She gave a little laugh that made Applejack jump, and with that she was galloping off leaving Applejack alone again in (peaceful) silence.
When she finally arrived in back at the farmhouse, Applejack dumped the bag of compost in the shed and was just doing one last scout of the farm for those little rascals Fluttershy called 'Cutie bunny rabbits' when she heard a soft voice from behind her.
"Hey, Applejack" Applejack turned to see two round blue eyes starring back at her.
"Howdy C-Caramel" She stammered. What in the hay was wrong with her? Caramel was her friend and suddenly she could barley say howdy.
What a beautiful mare! Her mane glistened under Luna's stars like liquid gold, her eyes shone like emeralds cutting through the night, her coat bright orange making the dimly lit orchard feel as bright as noon, her flank- whoa cool it, Caramel. He darted his eyes away from that particular feature before Applejack noticed, but it was damn difficult to stop them wandering; he'd had a crush on her for longer than he could remember and wasn't going away because of one little fumble like that. "Howdy" he muttered, desperately trying to think of something to say. Perhaps he should have just carried on walking "Um," he began, "So Winter Wrap up was quick this year. "
"Yeah you could say that." Awkward silence. "Uh, anyway I should head of home: Big Mac might be worried." Applejack was almost certainly lying, again, Macintosh wasn't half as protective as she was. Nevertheless, she galloped off and Caramel scolded himself for watching her flanks as she left.
"Some pony got crush on Caramel?" her sister, Apple Bloom, chimed as she walked through the front door.
"What? I don't have a crush, who has a crush? Shouldn't you be in bed? Big Mac?" She look at her brother, but he was lounging in the kitchen, and he looked just as amused as his sister.
"Big Mac, has Applejack got a crush?" Applebloom asked.
"Eeyup."
"You have crush!" Applebloom laughed. "Caramel & AJ Sitting in a Tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G, First Comes Love Then Come Marriage Then Comes a Little Foal in a Golden Carriage!"
"Ah'm tellin' ya. I don't have a crush!"
But her siblings only laughed. She frowned, then, pouting, made her way up to bed.
Applejack lay in the darkness listening to the ticking of her clock. Her body was exhausted but her mind was buzzing and one particular stallion was in forefront of it. It was only recently that she had started to grow feelings for Caramel but she already felt like she could get lost in his deep blue eyes, be soothed by his calming, caring voice or swoon over his deep masculine laugh. However, it couldn't be: he had a marefriend after all and she had too much work on the farm, plus they had known each other since they were foals. He probably thought of her as a sister at best. She knew she was making excuses but she just wasn't wasn't ready and she didn't have the time.
She closed her eyes, and tried to force herself to sleep. Everything should look better in the morning.