Chapter 17: Awakening
Of the enjoyable sensations one can wake to, being smacked in the head with a mallet ranks fairly low. Had Applebloom been stronger, the blow would likely have dazed Big Macintosh from his slumber rather than simply raising a lump. Seeing her brother was once more conscious, she dropped the hammer in front of him and sat staring expectantly.
“Uh, yes it’s a hammer, an’ yes it hurts. Anythin’ else this mornin’?”
“Go fix Berry’s door,” she demanded, nudging the mallet closer.
“How did you even find out ‘bout that?”
“It don’t matter none. You break somethin’, ya fix it. Now go on, git goin’! And don’t come back without apologizin’ to Berry an’ Ruby fer actin like a moron.”
“You sounded just like Applejack right then.”
“Well, somepony ‘as to keep you in check, an’ ah can fill that role ‘til she wakes up. Now, any other clever comments?”
“Nnnope.”
“Ah’ll right, then,” she replied, hopping down and walking out of the room. Not bothering to shower, he grabbed the hammer and was intending to make his way to the shed before his door whipped open and something landed on his head. “Sorry, ah forgot the nails. There ya go,” Applebloom quipped before returning to her breakfast in the kitchen. Knowing he was likely to get an earful if he deviated from his assigned task in the slightest, he made straight for Berry Punch’s house, stopping outside and knocking on the door frame.
“Excuse me, is anypony home?”
“Aye, just the one. So, the brute returns to the scene of the crime, eh?”
“Who's talkin’?” Silent Gale stepped out from seemingly nowhere, walking into a shaft of light that was coming from the window behind him. “What’re you doin’ here?”
“Not to say I don’t trust anypony, and maybe I’m just a brigand through and through, but this house was just begging to be looted the way you left it. I was just makin’ sure nothing happened. Ye sure have a temper, bucko.”
“Eeeyup.”
“Judging by the hammer and nails, I’d say you’re here to fix the door. Hope you’re gonna fix things with Berry, too. Oh, and I believe you owe me an apology as well.” Gale chuckled as the stallion tried to figure out how what happened could possibly have affected the pegasus standing before him. “Ach, use yer head. Cloudburn weren’t too thrilled about having to spend the night alone. She’s an understandin’ lass, though. I’ll leave ye to it, then. Try not to break down any more doors, aye? It can get mighty cold at night.” His trained hooves made nearly no noise as he left the house, trotting towards the small house that he shared with Cloudburn. Big Macintosh got right to work, replacing the hinges and reattaching the door, with the only indication it had been broken being some minor splintering in the doorframe and two indentations from his hind legs.
“Applebloom’s gonna be sore with me if ah don’t apologize before comin’ back home, but if Berry ain’t here, then she probably at the tavern,” he murmured, turning and staring down the road. “Well, hopefully she’ll let me live if ah promise t’ say ah’m sorry later tonight.” Placing his hope in his sister’s benevolence, he started back towards the farm.
Unsatisfactory. Unacceptable. Entirely and inexcusably intolerable. While these words were, perhaps, outside her vocal capabilities, they perfectly described Dawn’s thoughts as she stared at her two dejected parents sitting on the couch. Sure, she gathered that something bad was happening, but they never, ever let her sulk this long, and she wasn’t about to let them break their own rules.
Taking care not to trip on her glorious, infuriatingly long hair, she trotted in circles, brainstorming what kinds of things made her happy. Food was always good, especially cupcakes. Books are fun too! With those funny squiggles and bright colors, they always found a way to make her smile. There were simpler things too, like hugs, kisses, building blocks, a clean diaper and syrup. Well, not so much the diaper thing anymore, she’d been free from that tyranny for a proud month now. Having become lost in thought, her mane swooped in for the kill, landing her face-down and studying the options from a slightly different vantage point.
Cerulean glanced up as the foal picked herself off the floor and darted into the kitchen. She emerged shortly thereafter, grabbing a parchment, a quill, and a couple of other odds and ends before retreating back to the dining area. He was contemplating checking to see what she was up to before Twilight lay down across his lap, closing her weary eyes and sighing.
“Are you still worrying about the dream you had?” Twilight nodded slowly.
“I may not know much about alchemy, but whatever he was doing is really dangerous. The substance that was that got on him had to hurt, the way it was slowly eating into his skin...”
“Easy, Twilight. You already said that what you saw wasn’t enough to kill him, not even close. Let’s just wait and see what today brings, ok? We can try again tonight if things haven’t improved.” Dawn, who had missed the conversation entirely, emerged a few minutes later, covered in syrup and toting her masterpiece proudly, clearing her throat and offering the sticky mess to Cerulean. Twilight sat up as some syrup dripped into her ear, regarding the object with curiosity, fascination, and an utter lack of comprehension. “Translation, Twi?” Cerulean asked, smiling as he handed the object to Twilight for further investigation.
“Well, it appears to be an unused diaper covered in syrup with a drawing stuck to it. Let’s see now, there’s me, you, most of our friends, and Silver, by the look of it.” Noticing the weight, Twilight opened the diaper to reveal a payload of building blocks, which oozed out onto the floor. Dawn clapped her hooves together and giggled before standing on her hind hooves, leaning against the couch and looking up expectantly.
“Mam, dad, happy?” Twilight reached down and held the sugar coated filly close, beaming ear to ear.
“Thank you, Dawn. It was a wonderful gift. However,” she continued, looking down at the sticky bundle of smiles, “no mess next time, ok?” Cerulean was already getting to work cleaning the trail leading back to the kitchen, grinning as he wiped it up.
“No mess.”
“Glad we’ve got that settled. Come on, bath time.”
“No bath!” The filly was spared temporarily from her torturous scrubbing as a knock sounded at the door. Ignoring the fact that she herself was also now a syrupy mess, Twilight answered the door to find a very tired looking Rainbow Dash managing a cheerful grin.
“You really weren’t kidding when you said you need your sleep. What are you doing here? You should be in bed, Dash.”
“I just thought you should know that Silver is back in town.”
“Really? That’s great news, Rainbow Dash! Are you positive?”
“He stopped by the hospital last night. Applejack was still asleep, and I think seeing her like that shook him up pretty bad. But he’s back to his old self, I think.”
“Thank you for letting us know, Rainbow Dash. I’d go see him, but I’m on duty to watch Applejack at six. Fluttershy is with him now, I assume?”
“Yeah, I’m going to go get some shut eye. I’m beat.” She took off towards Grace and Quakehoof’s house, where Storm was surely already fast asleep.
“That’s one less thing to worry about.”
“I swear, that spell is more trouble than it’s worth.”
“It saved my life, so I still think it’s important.”
“You’re right,” Twilight said, drawing close and kneeling beside him. “You’d think I’d have learned to stay calm by now, with everything that’s happened.”
“Some lessons must be learned and relearned. For instance, our daughter still hasn’t figured out that bath time means that she’s getting a bath,” he whispered, stealing a quick glance at Dawn who was eyeing them cautiously. “Besides, when it’s not putting somepony in mortal peril, I think it’s rather adorable the way you freak out.”
“You really need to work on your compliments. Now, help me catch the Sugary Terror of the Ponyville Library?”
“Lessons must be learned, and all that. All right, Dawn, bath time!” Standing her ground in the face of an open declaration of war, the filly took one step forward and shouted her battle cry.
“No... bath!”
Quakehoof and Flying Grace looked up, hearing a single solid thump against the door followed by a stream of mutters. The knob slowly turned and a very tired, slightly peeved Rainbow Dash staggered in. Grace, while nearing the end of her term and about to give birth to her third child, hadn’t lost any of her personality, and thus couldn’t pass up the easy target that Rainbow Dash presented in her sleep deprived state.
“Rainbow Dash, what happened?”
“I forgot to turn the knob before trying to walk in, why?”
“You must have stayed up well into the night, to be in such a condition. No wonder Storm was so exhausted when he came home.” Not having the energy to even conjure a response, Dash simply groaned and trudged to Storm’s room. “Awww, it’s no fun when she doesn’t say anything.”
“Indeed. It must be difficult teasing somepony you’re secretly jealous of.”
“Don’t make it sound like you’re not in the same boat,” she countered, giving him a mock scowl before wincing as the contractions came.
“I must be quite the stallion if you can still think about that in your current state.”
“Or maybe I’m just...” she stopped, unable to think as the contractions continued.
“Very pregnant, yes.” She glanced at him and silently let him know that his comments were no longer necessary nor desired, and he responded in turn with a comforting embrace.
Twilight sent Cerulean and Dawn back home with a wave, stepping inside the clinic and making straight for Applejack’s room. Rarity glanced up from the dress design she was sketching as Twilight entered, making straight for the bedside.
“Still nothing?”
“I’m afraid not, Twilight. I haven’t heard a peep from her all afternoon. Discounting her need for a shower and a fair amount of grooming, she looks completely fine.”
“I see. Thanks, Rarity, I’ll take over now. Will you be going to the tavern tonight?”
“No, not tonight. I’ve gotten quite behind on my orders, so I’m going to head back to the boutique and work for a while. If you get the chance, give my regards to Silver and wish him well, could you?”
“Certainly.” The white unicorn gathered her things and left the room, though a small bag under the chair she was sitting upon escaped their notice. Twilight turned back to her friend in the bed, watching her chest rise and fall in sync with her quiet snores. “Applejack, the nurse says that you should have awoken by now, but you’re still asleep. I know... it’s probably safer wherever you are, but please come back.” Twilight crawled in beside her slumbering friend and drew her close, holding Applejack’s head to her chest as she would her child. She ignored the sound of the opening door, not the slightest bit worried about being seen until Rarity’s voice came from behind her.
"Twilight, as much as I dislike Cerulean, that kind of behavior should be reserved only for him. And, if I may add, I do believe Applejack would prefer SIlver in her bed rather than you."
How could she even be thinking things like that, at time like this? Drawing upon the patience she had been culturing since motherhood, she managed to keep her voice from rising to an enraged howl. Instead, she spoke quietly, lacing her words with disappointment. "Rarity, the fact that your mind is even going there only speaks of the lust within your own heart, whether you choose to indulge it or not." Rarity’s mouth fell open as she stopped breathing for a few moments. The indignant mare gave a sharp gasp as her lungs resumed functionality, grabbed her forgotten bag and left without a word. Twilight shook her head and lay it back down, closing her eyes and squeezing a little tighter.
“What a thing t’ wake up to...”
“Applejack?”
“Ah knew Rarity had somethin’ she was hidin’, and it’s that dirty mind o’ hers.” Rarity stopped in her tracks as Twilight’s elated cries of joy reached her ears, causing her white cheeks to flush and prompting her to gallop away with all haste as the mental images came flooding in. “Easy there, yer crushin’ mah lungs, Twi.” She immediately eased her grasp and looked into the mare’s eyes.
“I’m so glad you finally woke up, Applejack. We were all getting really worried.”
“Worried? What’s wrong with having a nap after a good drink?”
“Applejack, you were out for two days.”
“Hmmm, ah guess that explains why ah don’t have a hangover. Ah sure feel weak, though,” she muttered, attempting to raise a hoof before letting it fall to her side. “At least Berry has t’ fergive me now. What happened after I passed out? Come t’ think o’ it, why am ah in the hospital in the first place?” Applejack was listening quietly until she caught wind of what her brother had done, at which point she immediately leapt from bed and crumpled on the floor. “That buckin’ melonhead, what the hay was he thinkin’? I’ll flay ‘im alive!”
“Easy, Applejack, you shouldn’t try to move yet. Cerulean stopped him before anything drastic happened,” Twilight explained, levitating her back into bed.
“Drastic? Did anypony get hurt?”
“Well, yes. Cerulean’s forelegs got fractured, but...”
“That stallion is so dead. He’s lucky ah’m bedridden, or he’d be in a world o’ hurt.” Twilight stood by as the mare muttered up a storm, an inordinate number of profanities lacing the stream of threats. “Tell me, is there anythin’ good that happened while I was out?”
“Silver came back.” Twilight met her friends wide eyes with a grin.
“Are... are you serious, Twilight? He’s back?”
“Yes, he’s probably at the tavern right now. Would you like to go see him?” Applejack hesitated, overwhelmed by the indecipherable flood of emotion that filled her heart at the idea of seeing him again.
“Ah... ah do, Twilight, just... not yet.”
“Applejack, I think he would really like to see you. I won’t force it, though.”
“Ah’ll see him tonight, but ah don’t want him t’ see me like this. Ah can’t even stand on my own right now.”
“Do you really think that’s going to matter to him?”
“An’ what about mah mane? Ah’m a mess...”
“Ugh, for the love of...” Applejack blinked as a bright violet flash blinded her. When her vision came back, she found herself in Twilight’s bathroom, more specifically the shower. “All right, here’s how it’s going to go down. You’re going to shoot your pathetic excuses my way, and I’m going to destroy them. Let’s start with the easy one.” With that, Twilight switched on the shower to max and began giving a very embarrassed Applejack a thorough grooming.
“Twi, this is a little...”
“Get over it. I’m a mother, and you’re acting like a foal. Now close your eyes or this is gonna sting,” Twilight commanded as she lathered a generous amount of shampoo into the the blushing mare’s tangled mane. Applejack instinctively cleared her eyes after the rinse and gave a yelp as she spied Cerulean standing in the doorway, just as embarrassed as his mind drank in the scene like a dying pony would the waters of an oasis.
“Twi, your...” Applejack started before Twilight shushed her.
“Would you sit still?” Twilight commanded as she tried to point a hoof towards the door. “I swear, you’re just as bad as Dawn.”
“Ajack bath!” Dawn took in her mother’s bathing of the full grown mare with gut wrenching jubilation, teleporting from her perch down to the floor so she’d have space to roll as she giggled up a storm. The noise caused Twilight to turn, staring at a very guilty looking blue stallion who couldn’t seem to find the strength to avert his gaze.
“Cerulean, you have about five seconds to take yourself and that horn of yours downstairs before I rip it off. 1... 2...” Fear of personal harm overcame his unexpected arousal and he fled the scene, leaving Dawn to fend for herself.
“Twilight, are you ok?”
“Let’s focus on you for now, shall we?”
“If I’m gonna let you give me a shower, ah think the least you could do is talk t’ me.”
“Wait a second, I’m doing you the favor,” Twilight laughed, trailing off as Applejack gave her the “you ain’t bein’ honest” look. She shut off the flow and began toweling her off stopping once before continuing again. “Cerulean... really likes your mane. More than mine, I think.”
“That’s what you’re upset about? Twi, that stallion is head over hooves fer you, an’ you know it.”
“Then how come everytime he sees the two of us together his horn starts glowing? It never does that when he’s just looking at me.” Applejack heaved a sigh, shaking her head.
“It’s because there’s two mares, not ‘cause he likes mah mane better than yours.” The towel was suddenly cast aside as Twilight took off, and Applejack cringed as Twilight set her patience on the back burner.
“Are you really that aroused by fillyfooling, Cerulean? Huh? Are you?”
“Well Dawn, I apologize. You may not ‘ave a father shortly.” The little filly hastily made room as her irate mother swept back into the bathroom, drying furiously and muttering under her breath. “If it makes ya feel any better, ah’d guess well over half of all stallions are that way.”
“Applejack, could you kindly stop talking?” She nodded and let Twilight continue, standing shakily and finishing the job herself. Eager to stretch her legs, she slowly made her way to Twilight’s bed and sat down, letting Twilight begin the long process of detangling her hair. After fifteen minutes of silence, Twilight spoke once more in a hushed tone. “It was both, you know.”
“Ah gotta give him some credit, bein’ honest about somethin’ like that must ‘ave been hard t’ do.” Twilight said nothing, trying not to think and focusing on the task at hoof. “Twilight, ah have two things t’ say, an’ then ah’ll leave it be. That stallion has been through more than anypony I know, an’ it was all fer you. Attraction ain’t something that can be helped, but his love fer you runs much deeper, sugarcube. Second, if he like mah mane so much, why don’t you just brush yers like mine?” Twilight finished with her mane and moved to the tail, pondering Applejack’s words. The clock read eight before the job was finally finished, and Twilight supported her as she eased herself off of the bed. “Mah legs are gettin’ stronger, ah’ll be buckin’ trees in no time.”
“That’s good. Are you ready to go?”
“Ah’m walkin’, Twilight. An’ you’re stayin’.”
“But...”
“I ain’t takin’ no fer an answer. Figure things out with Cerulean, an’ then the two of you can come check on me an’ Silver.” They descended the stairs together, but Twilight stopped as she saw Cerulean sitting on the couch, staring at the floor. “If ah patch things up with Silver faster than you two, you’re both in trouble, ya hear?” With that, she left the two ponies alone and made for the tavern.
“Cerulean?” He looked up to find Twilight still poised on the lower steps. Dawn was too deeply entrenched in her studies to pay much attention to what was going on. “Can you come talk to me upstairs, please?” He nodded and followed her up, sitting down on the bed beside her and resuming his staring match with the floor.
“Twilight, don’t ask me anything you don’t want to know the answer to, because I refuse to lie to you.” Unfortunately for Twilight, that covered just about everything in her head, but she had to know.
“Would you... love me more if I changed how I wore my mane?”
“No.” His answer was immediate and without hesitation. “Storm Blitz once said to Dash, ‘You’ve already impressed me enough, and you’re beautiful no matter what your condition.’ She was covered head to hoof in mud when he said that, and her mane was nothing short of a monumental disaster. That’s how I feel about you.“
“But you think I could do better.”
“Is that what you want to hear?” She said nothing, not entirely sure why she was still digging. “I’m sure that you’ve seen Rainbow Dash do her hair up fancy occasionally since she’s been with Storm, right?”
“Yes, I have. It’s quite becoming on her, I will admit.”
“Going out of one’s way to spruce up their appearance for a pony they care for isn’t the same thing as wanting them to change. I admit, it would... be nice to see you make the effort every now and then, but that doesn’t mean I want you to change. Twilight, who you are right now is who I love. Does that make sense?” Cerulean suddenly found himself on his back as Twilight wrapped her hooves around his neck, and while he thought the motion was one of joy, he knew that this wasn’t the case as the mare began to shake softly.
“Why do I doubt you so easily?”
“It’s the things we love the most that we fear losing.” Twilight pulled away as he sat up, not knowing what to say. “Twilight.” The sudden seriousness of his voice commanded her complete attention and drew her eyes to his, which, contrary to his tone of voice, were full of compassion. Placing one hoof on the necklace he had given her and one on her wedding band, he closed his eyes and pressed his horn to hers, whispering softly. “‘To the mare that has given me more than she could ever know, I give all that I am. Thank you, Twilight.’ Remember?” In response, she gently moved his hoof to her side and pressed him onto his back with a passionate kiss, pulling away for just a moment, long enough to whisper her response.
“‘Everything I have, I give to you.’ I remember.”
Applejack forced herself to take a breather outside the entrance to the tavern, resting her head against the door as she tried to regulate her breathing. Her legs, while they had felt strong enough when she had left Twilight’s house, now felt like she had just competed in the Running of the Leaves several times over. Having caught her breath, she entered the room and was immediately assailed by a rousing cheer for her victory in Berry’s challenge. She was planning on surprising Silver by slipping in for a drink, but that was no longer possible as the ponies cried out her name, along with their congratulations.
“Everypony, quiet down!” she shouted, the last few cheers petering out as she motioned for silence. “Come on, y’all, where are your manners? Ah just woke up from a rather long nap, an’ I don’t need anypony shoutin’ in mah ears.” Allowing herself a slight grin at the room wide laughter, she made her way over to where Silver was watching expectantly from behind the counter. Even despite the roomful of ponies singing her praise and the brimming confidence in her chest, the sight of the stallion she had longed for and put through so much stole it away. There were so many things she wanted to say, but the only thing that should managed wasn’t anywhere close to what she had in mind. “Ah’m... a tad parched.”
Applejack... I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I am that you didn’t come to harm. I’m still hurting inside, but I... I know what I believe. The question is... do you? “I think I can fix that, sweetheart.” Filling two mugs to the top with cider, he motioned for her to follow and led her up to the roof, whereupon he began to remove his clothes, setting them aside and turning to face the mare.
“Silver, is that scar there new?” He glanced down at the newest to his collection of disfiguration, attempting a chuckle but having it only escape as a snort.
“It’s not a scar yet, but it will be. And yes.” He leveled his gaze and looked into her eyes, setting down a mug and pushing it towards her.
“Thank you.” Dang it, why am ah so hesitant? Ah’ve wanted t’ see him fer what feels like ages, an’ now ah can barely talk to ‘im... How am ah ever gonna get things off my chest? “Silver, ah... ah just wanted... what ah meant t’ say is...” Ah’m a babbling buffoon that can’t make an apology to save her life.
“You’re still confused, aren’t you.” She didn’t bother trying to look surprised, nodding miserably before raising her eyes as he sifted through his clothes, pulling out a vial of a colorless fluid. “Here, put this in your drink.”
“What is it?”
“Just trust me. I think you owe me that much at least.”
“You’re right. Can’t be any worse than yer Dragon Liquor.” Applejack tilted the mug back and drank deeply, finishing the cup in one long drought. Her emotions started to shift and separate, aligning themselves as if being catalogued and prioritized, putting confusion to flight and leaving order to rule. “What... what did I just drink?”
“Something I’ve been trying to perfect for years. I call it the Elixir of Truth, as it renders anypony unable to lie for a time.”
“Why would you want to make something like that?”
“So ponies would stop using alcohol to manipulate others, especially mares.” There was a brief pause as he cast an eye over his scars before returning his attention to the mare in front of him. “Applejack, before I ask this, I want you to know that... whatever your reasons, your motives... I’ve forgiven you for what you’ve done. It still hurts every time I think about it, but you’ve... you’ve suffered too, and some of it is because of me. Still, I want to know. Why... did you do what you did to me?” Applejack had thought about the answer to the question many times, but as the pieces aligned in her head she began to speak, compelled by some unseen force. Where once she had fought for an answer to that very question, now that she had the answer she didn’t want to speak for fear of what he might think, regardless of what he had just said.
“Ah’m scared, Silver. The last pony ah fell for was taken. It didn’t stop the feelins’ ah had; they just kept growin’ even after he was promised t’ be married. Ah knew ah couldn’t keep going, so ah forced mahself to let go, but it broke me inside.”
“What does that have to do with,” he started before the mare slammed a hoof down, knocking over the mug and shattering the tranquility of the night.
“Because ah wanted to let you in!” Tears of frustration slowly began to fall as the mare finally found a way to say what she’d had trapped inside all along. “After lettin’ somepony in for the first time only to have it ripped away, ah was terrified o’ lettin’ anypony else ‘ave a place in mah heart, even when ah knew it’s what ah wanted most. Ah felt somethin’ the first time ah saw you, but I didn’t want t’ be hurt again, so ah found reasons t’ be mad. Ah found reasons not t’ trust you, an’ it was all lies!” Silver’s heart broke with the mare as she was forced to confront the depth of her weakness, the proud earth pony that sat trembling before him a mere shadow of her usual self. “Me, the Element of Honesty, lyin’ to mahself...” She brought a hoof to her chest and pressed it lightly over her heart, before slowly lifting her gaze to meet Silver’s. “This is who ah am, Silver. That’s why ah’m afraid,” she whispered, closing her eyes and turning away. “What kind of pony would ever want a broken mess like mahself...”
A sudden warmth around her shoulders caused her to open her eyes as Silver drew her close, holding the mare as her tears changed course, trickling down his chest as she found no strength to fight the tides. With her fears and barricades removed, she yielded willingly, pressing against his chest and returning the embrace while he placed a hoof on the back of her head.
“Broken or not, you’re the only mare that I’ve ever wanted, Applejack.” A slight pressure against his hoof bid him to release her, and she pulled back just enough to be able to look at his face as he spoke. “I’ve never been as hurt as I was that night, Applejack. But I’ve also never felt such excitement at simply being with another pony. It was hard enough to find good friends in the city, much less a decent mare.”
Does that mean... he thinks ah’m decent? “They are kind o’ prissy in Manehatten, aren’t they.”
“Applejack, prissy hardly begins to describe it.” His heart leapt as the mare gave a half-hearted attempt at a laugh. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. “I moved to Ponyville because I wanted to get away from all of that, and maybe...” he paused, blushing slightly as he gazed into her green eyes. “I also wanted to find a mare to settle down with.”
Please, tell me that means what ah hope it does. “Silver? Are... are you sure you wanna be with me?” Some questions are answered with words, but for this, no words were necessary. Silver slowly lowered his muzzle gently to Applejack’s as a torrent of emotions and sensations threatened to overload his mind. It was something different, something new, something that seemed to light him on fire from the inside out. Applejack found the sensation to be entirely different from the kiss she had shared with Cerulean. It was mutual, and it was something she had secretly wished for, even if she couldn’t consciously recognize it. She slowly reached up and placed a hoof gently on Silver’s cheek, allowing the passion she had buried so deeply to burn freely. As he pulled away, a desire for reassurance sparked a question in Applejack’s mind.
“So... was that a yes?”
“Yes, Applejack, it was.” She took a moment to dry her eyes and pull her hair out of her face so she could see the stallion clearly. His eyes were distant, being deep in thought about something. Applejack had just opened her mouth to speak when he posed his question, faltering at first. “Applejack, the... the real question is do you really want to be with... this,” he said softly, motioning to his scars that Applejack had all but forgotten about.
She sat up and stared the stallion in the eyes for a moment before reaching out to him. The warmth in his chest flared once more as Applejack gently placed a hoof on one of the deeper scars, bringing her lips to his chest and kissing gently beside it. Gratitude manifested itself once more, beading at the corners of Silver’s eyes and trickling down as he found acceptance in her, the only mare that he had ever desired it from. Applejack wiped the tears away and gave him a winning smile before adopting a serious expression and shaking a hoof at him.
“Ah’ll right, then. Ask me proper.” Silver chuckled as he took the mare’s hoof in his own, looking her in the eyes and adopting a formal tone.
“Miss Applejack, would you allow me the pleasure of being your coltfriend?”
“Ah would.” She smiled a moment before blushing and turning away. “Can... can ah have another ‘yes?’”