*plop plop plop!* went the apples falling from one of the trees in Applejack's orchard. Applejack slowly trotted to the spots they'd fallen and placed them one by one in her basket.
"Why do I have to be the one who can't find something ta do on today of all days!" she mumbled to herself as she worked. "Big Mac's out with Cherilee, Granny Smith went out with some of her girlfriends, and even Apple Bloom snatched a date of her own!"
She sighed, and reared up her hind legs to buck another tree. She kicked it a few times, and waited for the apples to fall to the ground around her.
KONK! Applejack had misjudged her position, and one of the apples fell straight on top of her head, and rolled to the ground beside her. Anger already bottled up inside of her, she was about to kick it as far as she could before she noticed something off about it. The apple was smiling at her.
Applejack stopped her leg milliseconds before it would have hit the apple, and leaned down to look at it closely. A small parabola-shaped crease had been made in the apple when it hit her head, and a joyful looking smile had appeared on the crisp, red face of the apple. Applejack couldn't help smiling herself when she saw just how happy it looked.
"Why, this has to be the cutest lil' apple I ever did see," Applejack giggled. "I forgive ya. In fact, I think I'll keep ya! I'll call ya...'Appley'!" she finished, laughing to herself. "Where do ya think we should be of to now, Appley? West Orchard? North Orchard?"
Appley just smiled.
"North Orchard it is, then!" Applejack laughed. She placed Appley safely under her hat, and started to gallop towards the North Orchard. Once she was there, she took Appley out from under her hat, and placed him on the edge of one of her baskets.
"Do you wanna learn how to applebuck, Appley?" Applejack said playfully. "It's simple. Ya just rear up..." she lifted her hind legs against a tree, "...an' kick!" and proceeded to kick the tree, a shower of apples raining down from above like rose petals being blown from the stem.
Appley just smiled.
"I suppose ya can't do much applebuckin', now, can ya Appley?" Applejack admitted. Acting as if it were a great tragedy, she flopped her ears down and looked at the ground sadly. After staying silent for several moments, she looked up and smiled at Appley. "I wouldn't want ya workin' out here anyway," she told him, with real concern. "Wouldn't want ya to get hurt any."
As if on cue, a stray vampire fruit bat sailed down from among the branches of a nearby tree, and set it's sights straight on Appley. In slow motion, Applejack realized the bat's intentions, and dived to cover Appley from harm. But she was too far, and all she could manage to do was knock over the basket Appley had been sitting on. Apples toppled from the basket, and Appley with them, creating a mass confusion for pony and bat alike. The bat, taken aback by the sudden action, didn't think fast enough and crashed into the ground before leveling off for a smooth landing.
This was Applejack's chance. She pounced on the fruit bat as it lay in a heap, and held it to the ground with a hoof. It struggled for a while, before realizing that it's efforts were hopeless.
"Now you listen here," Applejack started, on the verge of an attack. "You better clear outta here if ya know what's good for ya, and I don't want to ever see you back here again? Ya got that?"
The bat could sense Applejack's anger, and nodded slowly, it's eyes wide with fear.
"Alright..." Applejack conceded, and stepped off the bat. "Now get out!"
The bat wasted no time, and flew as fast as it's wings could carry it away from that farm, and out of Applejack's life forever.
But now, where was Appley?
Applejack panicked. The bucket had been perched right on the side of a steep hill, and all the apples had rolled down to the bottom.
"What if he's hurt?!" she thought to herself, sprinting down the side of the hill. "There's so many rocks on this hill, and I know he bruises so easily!" The bottom of the hill sped closer and closer, and Applejack could see the red blotches at the bottom, laying like fallen soldiers after a fight for freedom.
She reached the bottom, and frantically searched through the imposters for her new friend. "Where is he, where is he, where is he..." she mumbled to herself. She threw apple after apple over her shoulders, until finally she found him.
"Oh, Appley!" Applejack embraced Appley in a warm hug. "I thought I'd lost ya!" Suddenly, she grew serious. "I don't want ya ever comin' back round here, okay? Who knows when something like that could happen again!" She held Appley out in front of her, and couldn't help but crack a smile. "Now come on, let's get back home 'fore the sun goes down."
Applejack gave Appley a quick peck on the side of his face, and placed him under her hat again for the trip home.
Appley just smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Applejack opened up the front door to the Apple Family home with a flourish, and removed Appley from under her hat.
"This here, Appley, is where you'll be stayin' from now on! I know it ain't much, but we call it home," she said as she showed Appley the main living room, as well as the kitchen, dining room, and other places on the downstairs floor. Applejack looked at the clock after the tour was over. "7:30," she thought. "Apple Bloom should be getting home soon."
Applejack walked into the kitchen, placed Appley on the counter, and began to make dinner for herself and Apple Bloom when she got home. Granny Smith usually stayed out late with her friends, despite their age, and Big Mac would probably be out all night, so she needn't worry about them.
About a half hour later, Apple Bloom trotted through the front door, giving one last parting goodbye to Rumble, her date for that night. As soon as the door was closed, Applejack bombarded her with questions.
"How'd it go? Was he nice? Did he get you flowers? Or chocolates? Did you meet his parents? Tell me everything!" she spoke at a mile a minute.
"Whoa-ho there big sis! Calm down, will ya?" Apple Bloom said indignantly.
"How can I calm down? My little sis went on a date, on Hearts and Hooves Day no less!"
"Stop! You're embarrassin' me..."
"In front of who? The furniture? Ya can't be embarrassed in front of inanimate objects, ya know."
Apple Bloom just frowned at the floor.
"Ah, lighten up, I got dinner ready inside," Applejack said with a smile, and trotted into the kitchen. Apple Bloom tried to wait as long as she could, but couldn't help but follow her sister inside.
Sitting on the table inside were two hayseed and petunia sandwiches waiting for them, along with Appley sitting near Applejack's place on the table. Apple Bloom noticed Appley and cocked her head at him.
"Whatcha got there sis? An apple?" she examined him closer. "A bruised one at that."
Applejack responded without thinking. "Oh that there's Appley, I found him out applebuckin' today." She left the conversation at that and took a bite of her sandwich.
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Uh, found him? And ya named it?"
Only upon hearing this did Applejack realize how ridiculous this notion must sound to other ponies. Quickly she thought up a reason. "Uh...yeah, I, uh, thought I could try a new method I've been workin' on. Yeah, I thought I could try to save some of the apples that get bruised when falling by...treating them like family?" Applejack hoped this would work.
"Uh-huh..." Apple Bloom didn't lower her eyebrow for several moments as she stared at Applejack, who blushed a deep red. "Can't be embarrassed in from of inanimate objects, huh?" she mumbled, a slight sneer on her face, before looking back at her sandwich and taking a bite.
"Phew," Applejack wiped her forehead as she thought to herself. "Bullet dodged there. Maybe I should just keep him upstairs." She looked toward where Appley was set on the table facing her, and smiled.
After they had finished their meals, Apple Bloom bid Applejack goodnight, and headed upstairs to bed. Hearing the *click* of her door, she tip-hoofed into the kitchen and retrieved Appley from a drawer she had placed him in to alleviate any suspicion.
"Oh Appley," she whispered, holding him close to her face. "You really did help me pull through today, and there's somethin' I...kinda wanted to give you." A hush fell over the room, and Applejack brought Appley up to her lips, kissing him passionately. She pulled him away from her face, smiling warmly, and Appley's smile seemed to grow a few millimeters wider.
"I suppose it's time we head to bed too," she whispered to him. "We got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."
Applejack left a light on downstairs for Granny Smith, and the door unlocked, then made her way to her room, carrying Appley in one of her fore-hooves. She opened the door to her room, and hung her hat over the bedpost, and placed Appley on her bedside table. She turned out the light, and rolled over in her bed to face Appley.
"Oh Appley," she whispered. "I love you."
Appley just smiled.