It was just before high noon when Apple Jack and AJ reached Sweet Apple Acres. AJ was delighted to see his old barn and home, but he still felt out of place. As they walked, the companions talked about their own homes. “...I could of sworn that that there windmill was on the opposite side of the barn,” elucidated AJ as he trotted along with Apple Jack.
“Well, don’t git your mind out of working AJ. Since your here, Big Mac doesn’t need to work as hard.” Apple Jack said coolly to her companion as she eyed him, occasionally, as they walked.
“Big who?”
“Big Macintosh, ya’know, my older brother,” she said bluntly as they reached the barn door.
“Older brother? Sorry Miss, but I only have two siblings, my older sis’ who...” his sonorous voice faded as he saw Big Macintosh walking up to them with a straw of hay out of his mouth.
“Who what?” asked Apple Jack. She then followed AJ’s vision to Big Mac, “Wait a stomping minute, are you telling me that your older sis’ looks like Macintosh?”
AJ couldn’t believe his thoughts either; Apple Jack’s brother did look like his sister (at least his color scheme and cutie mark). He shook his head to concentrate, “Well, I...I guess so. My lil’ brother, Apple Buck, looks different though.” Big Mac was stunned to find the conversation he had stumbled into, but he just looked at AJ coolly.
“So, ya kinda remind me of myself kid. Eeyup–you remember that time, AJ?” he directed the question in Apple Jack’s direction with a look at her.
“Which time?” Apple Jack said, raising an ear in confusion.
“Ya know, that time Twilight had Apple Bloom painted me from nose to tail, so I could look like you for that–”
“Oh yeah, for her ‘magic trick’ for Trixie?”
Big Mac nodded, “Eeyup.”
AJ looked at both of them as if they were crazy, his head was swimming from the conversation; he was utterly confused of someone named ‘Apple Bloom’, or a ‘trick for Trixie’. “Who was ‘Trixie’, anyway,” he thought. He gulped, then took his chances with speaking, “I know a Trixter, any relationship?”
Big Mac looked at AJ, Apple Jack noticed and intervened, “He’s new to these part, Macintosh.”
“He really looks a lot like you A.J., you sure he’s new,” Big Mac responded curiously.
“Yes, I’m sure. Now don’tcha need to go move some hay into town or somethin'?” Apple Jack said, doggedly, as she tried to send him packing. Big Mac got the hint and started to walk off.
“Right, need to go do that for Hearts and Hooves Day. I’ll catch you two later then.” He walked off in his similar fashion, his work harness moving from side to side as AJ’s own used to, when he wore it. Big Macintosh then strapped a wagon to his harness and was on his way into Ponyville.
When Big Macintosh vanished into the heart of the apple groove, on his way, AJ turned to Apple Jack. “So, ya needed me to git to work?”
“Later, right now, come inside to get some apple cider and tell me about your family.” Apple Jack trotted off to the house, bubbling with anticipation and wondering why she felt so giddy all of a sudden. AJ matched her pace and enter the home with his new company. When they entered, Apple Jack’s grandmother and Apple Bloom join the two newcomers at the door.
“Hey Apple Jack,” Apple Bloom said in her chipper tone, but fell silent when she saw AJ. “Who’s he?”
“The name’s AJ, Miss,” using his manners, he bowed to Apple Bloom and swept his hat before his other foreleg. Apple Bloom blushed a little, and so did the rest of the mares. AJ straightened up and put his hat on, “Well, you sort of remind me of my lil’ brother Apple Buck.”
“I do?” Apple Bloom said, curiously.
AJ nodded in response.
Out of embarrassment of such a kind gesture AJ had given her, Apple Bloom knew she had to get out of the house. “Hey, Apple Jack, where’s Big Mac?”
“He’s in town gittin’ some hay moved, and don’t ya need to be gettin’ to school?”
Apple Bloom realized that it was almost 12.30 and she was about to be late, so she rushed passed AJ and Apple Jack with a “See y’all later,” and raced down to the schoolhouse.
Apple Jack apologized to AJ for Apple Bloom’s behavior, but being the gentlecolt he was, AJ was kind enough not to mind; to AJ, Apple Bloom was not the only one that acted in such a way. The two mares, Apple Jack and Granny Smith, got AJ to sit down at the table, and got him some refreshments and instigated a conversation that got AJ to divulge details about himself.
“So, your from another dimension...and you look just like Apple Jack?” asked Granny Smith.
“It seems so ma’am.”
“How did ya git–” Apple Jack was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Now who could that be...Maybe it’s Derpy with my order,” she got up from her seat and walked over to the door.
“Derpy?” AJ thought, he was surprised at the thought that his Dopey had been able to come to this dimension too. But then, he grimaced at the poignant thought that it must not be. His second thought was true; he found the truth when Apple Jack opened the door to a slender, blond-maned, mare that looked almost like his own Dopey.
“Hiay Apple Jack!” exclaimed Derpy in her cheerful mood; she walked in past Apple Jack as she folded her wings. “Here’s your order,” said Derpy as she put her snout into her saddle bags and procured a nicely wrapped plate with muffins on it.
“Thanks Derpy, just set it down on the table,” Apple Jack insisted as she slammed the door, a little angry at the fact that Derpy had just marched right in. When Derpy turned the corner to enter the kitchen, she placed the platter on the table, then she notice a buffer looking Apple Jack at the table. “How’d you get here so quickly...wait–”
AJ stood up in his courteous manner, “Sorry Miss, I don’t think I’m the one you’re looking for.”
Apple Jack walked in, noticing why AJ was standing, she starts to feel giddy inside, again.
“So, who are you then?” Derpy inquired.
“The name’s AJ Miss...”
“Derpy Hooves is her name, AJ,” Apple Jack barked, starting to remember her annoyance with Derpy. Derpy noticed Apple Jack’s temper rising and started to slink away, out of the kitchen; AJ noticed and stepped in front of Apple Jack, bowing to Derpy and sweeping his hat in front of him, “Sorry madam, she didn’t mean anythin’ by it.”
“It’s okay, I got to go anyway,” Derpy answered as she flattened her ears in embarrassment. She then readjusted her saddlebags on her sides, opened the front door, and galloped out.
Apple Jack was now convinced that AJ was quite the gentlecolt. When he stood up again, from his bowed position, and put on his hat, he accidentally bumped into Apple Jack. She blushed and pulled her hat down, over her eyes and her now red tipped ears, as she stepped back from AJ; AJ noticed her reaction and quickly turned to face her, wearing his best smile to try and impress her. Both colt and mare locked eyes and both mused about the other. Granny Smith got the notion about the two and showed her way out of the house to give them there space, smiling to herself as she thought of them getting together.
As the two look-alikes looked at each other, lost in each other’s eyes and their own thoughts, Apple Jack realized that she needed to go pick some apples for dinner. She quickly grabbed a work harness from the wall and fitted it onto AJ, who didn't mind, and then she stepped back, "He does look like Big Mac with that on," she thought to herself.
"So, what's this for Miss?" AJ asked as he adjusted the harness on himself.
"It's so you can pull the wagon while I git the apples for dinner," Apple Jack elucidated as she quickly trotted passes AJ, and out of the house, trying to hide her reddened cheeks from him; AJ quickly followed, carrying the harness as if casual attire. Apple Jack got over her flustered state, enough to stop blushing, and deftly got a wagon ready for AJ, in the barn. AJ swiftly trotted in, behind Apple Jack, just as she was grabbing the straps to latch onto AJ's harness.
"I got it from here, Sugarcube," AJ said, with a smile, as he reached Apple Jack's side. Apple Jack strapped AJ to the wagon, hesitating to not slip up, but stayed calm on the outside. As for AJ, he may have looked calm as Apple Jack strapped him up, but he kept having to tug on the harness for he was getting "hot" from Apple Jack touch. When she was done strapping the wagon to AJ, Apple Jack stepped in front of AJ to admire her work (and maybe AJ too).
“Shall we git to work, Sugarcube?” AJ asked as he admired the mare standing in front of him. Apple Jack lowered her ears a little, noticing him looking at her, and then she walked to AJ’s side.
“I bet we should, AJ,” Apple Jack said as she brushed up against him. AJ blushed a little himself, then he mustered up the courage to ask her a direct question. Apple Jack must have wanted to ask a question too, in reaction to AJ’s nudge back, because when AJ turned his head to her, she had also raised hers to look at him; there was a long silence as their noses touched, but the pause between them relayed emotion, not awkwardness. They stared into each other’s eyes softly for a long while, then AJ went for it, and kissed her. Apple Jack was taken aback, her eyes widening as he kissed her, but after a few seconds she succumbed to the kiss and enjoyed the moment along with AJ.
After a short kiss the two ponies walked alongside each other to the orchard, with Apple Jack leaning against AJ dreamily and the wagon bumping along behind them.