Nice Thing Number Two
As Applejack gazed out over the horizon lit orchards, she felt her body rock with a heavy sigh. It was going to be a very hard day ahead, what with Thorny being home and Big Mac having running to do to the cities. Applebloom would be out crusading until later in the day, when her older sister had worked through most of the day's trees. Today she would be going back to a time when the once peaceful quiet would now only be lonely. At least the scorching summer had finally backed off to let fall take over.
"The tree's ain't gonna buck themselves, Applejack", she told herself. Disconsolately, she left the comfort of the porch. Usually, she'd look forward to getting to work. Today, however, Thorny wasn't going to show up. Even somepony as pigheaded as him couldn't possibly work with a sprained hoof.
She trotted down to the south orchard, ducking the occasional fruit bat that flew too low. Through the trees, she spotted where they left off the last day they worked. The wagon, buckets and harness were all there, and so was something else. "What in tarnation?"
At first, she thought the large pile of apples were a figment of morning drowsiness. After feeling them and even taking a bite out of one she decided they were as real as the hat atop her head. The only thing to figure out now was how they got there. In the distance came no sounds of bucking, so that ruled out Thorny getting there before her. There was absolutely nothing to suggest who or, at this point in her confused mind, what filled the apple wagon.
When she circled the wagon for more clues, she found one. Somepony nailed a note to it. In very scratchy hoofwriting, she read:
Applejack,
Take a load off.
-Thorny
For the life of her she couldn't figure out when and how he managed it, but it didn't matter. Now she had a day with nothing to do. Before meeting Thorny, she would have hated taking a break. The colt had since taught her the meaning of relaxation by pushing off a little laziness on her. "Sure was mighty nice of'im", she said to his note.
It swayed in the breeze, almost pointing her back to the house. Reckoning the apples would survive sitting for the day, she returned home. She thought along the way about how she should spend the blessing Thorny had bestowed upon her. It was getting too cold for the river, of which she was partly glad they didn't go the night before like Thorny had told her they would. Most of her friends were either working or enjoying the Sunday off, like she should have done originally instead of going out to catch the farm back up from the week she and Thorny used for training.
She didn't know whether or not to visit Thorny. He was probably sleeping in, and needed his rest anyways. She could save it for later when he would definitely be awake. She'd hate to have to drill him with questions regarding why he did what he did with the apples first thing in the morning. Once she made it back to the house, she sat on the swinging bench for a light nap. Maybe when the drowsy fog cleared from her head she would be able to regain decisiveness. Her body became heavy with sleep the moment her eyes closed. It was one of the types of sleep where she was still semi-conscious, so no dreams came to her. Not that they would have had any time to form for she was only napping for something going on two minutes before the front door shut loudly.
Applejack hit the ground with a startled cry. Looking up, she saw Granny Smith chuckling. "Sorry ta wake ya."
"Sure, Granny Smith", Applejack replied sarcastically.
"Ah take it ya found Thorny's late night work", her grandmother assumed.
"Late night work?"
"Mmhmm. He came here last night an' told me he was gonna get us caught back up so you could relax t'day", she explained.
"An' ya let him", Applejack questioned skeptically.
"Ah could see it in his eyes that he wasn' gonna let me say 'no'."
"Why?"
Granny Smith shrugged. "Ah don' know. He's jus' like that."
"Like what?"
"Nice an' all." Granny Smith smiled. "He's a lot like you, Applejack. Still upset that we hired'im?"
The younger mare shook her head honestly. "Ah'm glad ya did."
"Then why not go tell'im", she suggested.
"Why would Ah do that?"
"Oh, c'mon AJ", Granny Smith fussed, "Everypony an' their brother knows ya got yer eye on'im."
Red pools of hot blush broke the surface of Applejack's orange face. The worst part was she couldn't get mad. Granny Smith already knew that trick of getting out of a discussion. "So?" she mumbled.
"An' Ah'm not the smartest pony, but Ah think he likes ya back."
The matter-of-factly reply kick started Applejack's heart so hard she was now fully awake. "What? Really?"
"Yer either a foal or blind, Applejack", Granny Smith pointed out. "Even Applebloom can tell."
It was almost impossible to accept. Sure, a small portion of her wanted it to be true, but what now? She didn't know how to chase her feelings. That's when she remembered what Twilight said about doing something nice for him. The rodeo could hardly count since he didn't know what she tried to do, but maybe something to return the favor of his work in the orchard... "Ah gotta go, Granny Smith."
"Heheheh", chuckled the older mare, taking a seat on the swinging bench. "Jus' like'er mother…" She watched Applejack gallop away as fast as she could. She wondered just where she was she was going, but let it go to relax in the cool sunlight.
What am Ah gonna do? Applejack thought as she slowed to a less-crazy trot through Ponyville. There were plenty of places to shop for a gift, yet she trotted on, unsure if she would be able to even find something he would enjoy. The more she mulled it over, the harder it became to decide which of the infinite things she could do would be the one. Not even shopping for a Christmas shopping for Rarity was this hard.
Applejack stopped. She couldn't believe she was about to do it, but she turned and headed for the Carousel Boutique where maybe the tailor or at least her assistant would be able to help. She tried not to think of it on the way and focused on the gentle breezes and soft sunshine. It calmed her down, eventually reaching her pride and watering it somewhat too. She had practically forgotten where it was she was going and why. Then she reached the door.
This impasse with herself was much harder to break through. Celestia knew what would happen the second her hoof made contact with the wood. Diffidently, she raised her hoof to knock. She had only barely decided to finish the act when the door swung inwards. What lay behind it was a now-bewildered Rarity wearing a large bandana in the form of a bonnet. Her sunglasses were too dark for Applejack to see her blink in surprise, though the emotion was clearly evident in the sight of the unicorn's loosely hanging mouth.
"Applejack, what a surprise!" she greeted, turning her mouth up into a friendly grin. "Whatever have you come to visit me for?"
A reply didn't come in a hurry. From the blank, unsettled stare she was getting, Rarity felt there was something that Applejack needed to get off her chest. She stepped aside quickly. "Please, come right in, Applejack. Something is troubling you and I cannot simply stand idly by while you struggle with it."
Applejack couldn't even mutter a thanks. She stepped inside with the fuel of embarrassment somehow making her muscles contract. Rarity led her to the kitchen, where inside she took a seat at the table as her host put a pot for tea. She sat across from Applejack in the way she did when there was a heavy amount of gossip to be discussed: slow and nearly accusingly. "Sooo, what seems to have your tail in knots, dear?"
The farm mare hated it when Rarity talked like that. It was so…motherly. Regardless, she had a problem that, while probably more confidential had she just gone to Twilight, she could help with. Even though all roads ended at the same dead end, she chose her words carefully. "…Ah…Thorny stayed up late last night t' work so Ah could have a day off, an' Ah wanted t' do something nice fer him…but Ah don' know what…"
Rarity removed her glasses, revealing a twinkling pair of eyes. "Oh, you need that kind of help."
"It ain't like that!" protested Applejack, "Ah jus' wanna do somethin' nice fer him!"
"Oh, Applejack, there is nothing wrong with trying to win the affections of a stallion." A burning glare from her friend caused her to go on. "However, there is also nothing wrong with returning a favor. Luckily for you, Linen Fiber and Thorny Hopper are best friends, and wouldn't fate have it that Linen loves to discuss everything with me."
"Ah can't see why", Applejack muttered.
"From what I have been told", Rarity went on, "Thorny enjoys collecting things. Namely vintage bottle caps. I do know that he is also a gem enthusiast like myself."
"Anything else?"
Rarity put a hoof to her chin in thought. "Hmm…"
If she was only considering it earlier, Applejack was now certain coming to the Carousel Boutique was a bad idea. She sighed. The only positive side to this visit was Rarity knew more about Thorny than Twilight did. She absently listened to Rarity ramble on with things that didn't seem even remotely important.
The tea kettle began to whistle fiercely. Rarity rose to finish making it, providing Applejack with a little silence. It was very short lived. No sooner did Rarity finish pouring the hot water into cups, did her mouth resume excessive movement. Applejack sipped her tea, sometimes catching the odd word from Rarity. It wasn't until she mentioned something about Thorny's want for a pet did she actually start to cash in her attention tokens.
"What?"
"He is looking for a new puppy. Yes, I recall Linen mentioning something about how he has been looking all over for a rare breed. I'm not a canine's pony, but I think the breed is a 'New Whinny Singing Dog'."
"'Singin' Dog?'"
Rarity shrugged. "There is also the possibility of his second choice, the 'Equestrian Vallhund'."
"Ah heard o' that one", Applejack commented, "His brother had one." She stood up. "Thank ya kindly, Rarity. Ah know what Ah wanna do now."
"No problems, Applejack", Rarity replied happily just before adding slyly, "It's always a pleasure assisting my friends with colt problems."
Applejack pretended she didn't hear. She would just cause more problems making a hassle about it. Ponyville surprisingly didn't change much in the metaphorical days Applejack spent trapped within the walls of Rarity's home. The good thing was she got results. She couldn't believe she didn't think of it herself. You just couldn't live in Ponyville without a pet.
Now all remained was just one more problem. She had no idea where to get those breeds of dogs. To make it worse, they were rare breeds. She had a friend in the Equestrian Domestic Pet Organization. Sometimes they dealt with rare animals. The odds weren't in her favor, but it was her only lead, so she headed to the EDPO outpost in Ponyville. It was on the other side of town, leaving her with plenty of time to enjoy the warming weather of the advancing day.
Looking around, she saw that it was a lazy day. Most ponies were idly walking by with no specific destinations in mind. The odd couple trotted by, laughing at a joke or sharing words Applejack prayed she would never say to Thorny. Fillies and colts played games of tag and hide-and-seek. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were trying their luck at receiving their Cutie Marks through tree trimming. Applejack was just in time to see the seven hit the ground followed shortly by a large glop of extra-sticky tree sap. A futile headshake later, Applejack found herself clearing the library.
It was only a few blocks now. The EDPO building was easy for somepony to happen by and not see it, unless said somepony was looking specifically for a boring gray building bearing the words, Equestrian Domestic Pet Organization in a horribly painted black font next to its worn door. It was sad how they were under-funded, really. Applejack always felt pity for them, but was very impressed with how they never lost one single animal. Unlike some of the other poorly-funded outposts, Ponyville's believed in using the money to provide their animals with care and food rather than making their exterior lavish with self-advertisements.
She pushed through the door only to have to get through a wall of animal sounds and freezing air right after. A light tan pony approached her. "Hey, Applejack! What brings ya by?"
"Lookin' fer a dog, Wish", she shivered.
"Got those!" he laughed, "Anything in mind?"
"New Whinny Singing Dog."
He whistled in revelation. "Now that's a dog hard to come by."
"So Ah heard."
"Hmm…And to think I was just wishing how our new female's litter would became available for adoption."
That was her cue to smile with relief. Whenever he wished something, he just so happened to have or make happen what it was. Everypony knew he did it just to tease, though. He nodded to a kennel in the back. "She's pretty docile, now. You can go ahead and have a look."
"Thank ya so much, Wish", she said, tipping her hat to him.
"Anytime, Applejack. Anytime." He turned back to feeding a cage full of hungry hamsters.
Applejack wondered what the dogs looked like, having never even heard of them until only a few minutes ago. She rounded the corner, where instantly seven heads turned in curiosity. The brown pups eyed her from the protection of their light caramel mother. She leaned over the low gate for a better look. One of them bravely strutted up to her. He got down into attack stance with a growl.
"Ain't you cute?"
"Owooo!" she howled.
"Owooo!" copied her brothers, sisters, and mother.
"Ah guess that's why they call ya singin' dogs", Applejack chuckled. The howls started out high in pitch, lasted for about two seconds before faltering at the end.
"That's called a chorus howl", explained Wishing Star, appearing next to her.
"Bark!" the brave one objected to the new pony.
"That one", Applejack chose. There was no doubt Thorny would love her.
He leaned over and scooped her up. He hoofed her to Applejack. "Since I already have you down as a previous adopter, you don't need any paperwork. I'll just put her down under your name."
"She ain't exactly fer me", Applejack said, "Ah'm gettin' her fer mah friend Thorn Hopper."
"That's a different story", he said, "I wish there was a way out of wasting trees. Oh, wait a minute, there is! I'll just list her as 'gift'."
"Thanks", chuckled Applejack.
"No problem." He grabbed a saddle carrier from a nearby hook. "Here. Free of charge."
If she didn't have her hooves full with the squirming puppy, Applejack would have objected to the hoofout. Wish threw it over her back and settled the puppy into it. She was so small that he didn't even need to zip it closed. "Alright. I'll see ya later."
"Ah owe ya a free barrel of cider fer this", Applejack called over her shoulder.
"I'm going to remember that!"
Outside for the third time, Applejack glanced at the whining puppy in the side of the saddle bag. "Don' worry, girl, Ah gotcha a real good home on the way."
The mare reflected on her luck from the past two days. First, she does something nice for Thorny. In the process, she learned where he lived. Then Thorny does something nice back. And now she was about to do something so nice he was sure to love her for it. She froze upon that last thought. Is that really what she wanted? She turned her head back a second time to see the puppy clawing at the mesh wall. What else would giving him a pet only she was able to find help achieve?
Continuing on her way left her with little time to think about it; Thorny's house was closer than she recalled. For some odd reason, she was now determined to finally conquer her nervousness. She walked right up to the door and firmly knocked. "Ah'm comin'!" called Thorny from what sounded like the other side of the house. He opened the door smiling almost as wildly as Applejack. She stepped to the side to conceal what she got him.
"Applejack! What are ya doin' on this side o' Ponyville?" he asked.
Cursing herself for failing to rehearse anything she wanted to say, she responded, "Ah jus' wanted t' come by an' thank ya fer whatcha did last night."
He chuckled, "C'mon Applejack, Ah didn't mind."
"Ya saved me a day's work. Ah can't thank ya enough fer it", she sighed honestly, "So…Ah gotcha somethin'."
He straightened up. "Really, now?"
She nodded. Whatever was suppressing her feelings was doing a terrific job. She felt no nervousness, hope, nor embarrassment. She happily turned to the side to present Thorny with his new friend. His eyes widened in utter disbelief. The puppy barked at him, so he figured it was indeed real. "Applejack…"
T
"Ya shoulda seen the look on his face!" declared Applejack sometime later to Twilight. "Ah ain't never seen him so surprised before!" She paced with the excess energy of excitement.
Twilight smiled upon hearing what Applejack had done so far in her day. "I'm sure you made him real happy."
"An' the best part was Ah didn' get nervous or nothin'! Ah don' feel weird no more either!"
"I think you've finally accepted your feelings, Applejack", Twilight assumed from her reading couch.
"Say what?"
"Well, you were in such heavy denial that your subconscious must have been trying to convince you of your feelings this whole time."
Applejack pondered this for a moment. She didn't understand it completely, but figured that secretly to even herself, she liked Thorny and was trying to convince herself that she did all the while she insisted she didn't. It didn't make her mad that Twilight said it, because she knew it was true. Thorny was by far the nicest stallion she had ever met. He respected her, complimented her even if it meant downing himself, and did everything he could to make her life better. Who knew all it would take for her to finally wake up and smell the coffee would be getting him a dog?
"Do you know what you want to do now?" Twilight inquired.
"Yeah", Applejack replied, "Ah think Ah'm goin t' the meteor shower with him t' morrow an' tellin'im."