An Unexpected Apple

by Autum Breeze

Chapter 1

Applejack reared back, bucking the tree behind her with all her might. Her reward was a cascade of delicious, ripe Granny Smith apples come down and landing in the bushels she’d set up around the tree.

“Phew,” she said, standing up straight and wiping her brow with a forehoof. “One more tree done. How many more left?”

Before she could ascertain the answer to her own question, her stomach gave a loud, impatient growl. Looking up at the sun’s position in the sky, Applejack could see it was well past noon.

“Whelp, guessin’ Ah best get some grub,” she said to herself.

She placed the bushels she’d already filled into the wagon, hitched herself into the harness and started off towards the barn. As she left it and turned to head into the farm house, she saw Big Mac standing on the porch, his head turning as if looking for something.

From his expression, Applejack could tell he wasn’t pleased about something, though the expression seemed to be waring with a few others that made it a confusing mess.

“Uh, hey, Big Mac,” she said as she neared him.

At once his head turned in her direction. He just looked at her as she came closer, until she was right up next to him.

“Uh, have Ah done somethin’?”

“Eeyep.”

“I’m guessin’ there’s no chance it ain’t me and yer just makin' a mistake?” she asked, smiling sheepishly.

“Eenope.”

Frowning slightly, Applejack walked inside, her brother following right behind. As she entered, she could hear Granny Smith talking with somepony.

When she entered the dining room, where the gathering was, she felt herself freeze in place. Granny Smith was sitting at the table, a mixture of a grim expression and a cheerful one on her face.

Apple Bloom was sitting next to Granny, wearing a puzzled look, her muzzle scrunched up and her eyes turned upwards, as if trying to figure something out.

However, it was the third being that had Applejack’s full attention. She was an equine with black and white stripes, was wearing golden rings around her neck and hooves and had a sun outline-like Cutie Mark.

“Z-Z-Zecora?” Applejack stuttered, her voice going a lot higher than usual at the sight of the zebra.

At once, both Granny and Zecora turned to look at the orange mare, both with difference expressions. Granny’s was the same grim, yet happy expression from before, while Zecora’s was uncertain and sheepish.

“Good day, dear Applejack. I was just conversing with your grandmother over a snack,” she said, not quite meeting the farm mare’s eyes, a blush forming on her muzzle.

Applejack looked from Zecora to Granny, gulping. “Uh, Granny, wh-what has she told you?”

The old mare closed her eyes, shaking her head. “Ah never woulda thunk it, AJ. Ah honestly didn’t.”

“Didn’t... what?” Applejack asked, feeling herself starting to sweat.

Zecora scratched her leg, still not meeting the farm mare’s gaze. “Applejack, do you remember several weeks ago that night, when I gave you quite a fright?”

Applejack paled. “Y-yeah,” she said, shuddering. “Ah-Ah do.”

The zebra nodded, her blush seeming to grow deeper. “I must apologize for not letting you sooner retreat. I very much wanted to ride your meat.”

A loud cough from Big Mac made Zecora go no further in that explanation, all four of them quickly glancing at Apple Bloom, who, thankfully, didn’t notice due to her still looking up, trying to figure out whatever it was she had been when Applejack had first come in.

“Y-yeah,” Applejack coughed, looking away, before muttering, “Ah don’t mean to be rude, but I kinda wish she’d not talk in rhyme about that.”

Zecora blinked, staring at Applejack for a moment, causing her to fear she’d just insulted her zebra friend, before Zecora gave a gentle smile.

“Very well, Applejack. I shall not speak in rhyme again unless I desire to.”

There was silence as everypony waited for her to finish that sentence, even Apple Bloom returned from her inner reverie to look at her.

When it became very obvious she was not going to finish that with a rhyme, all four Apples stared at her in shock.

“Zecora?!” Apple Bloom cried, getting up, slamming her forehooves on the tabletop. “Why ain’t ya rhyming?”

The zebra merely chuckled, those her blush and sheepish grin had returned. “In my tribe, those who sired the foal of a zebra mare have the right to tell them not to rhyme.”

“Oh,” the yellow filly said, frowning slightly. “Um... okay?”

“Wait a minute! Sired the foal?” Applejack cried, her eyes widening. “Zecora, are ya’ll tellin’ me yer pregnant?”

The zebra nodded, placing a hoof to her stomach. “I went to the doctor’s a few days ago. I just wasn’t sure how to tell you that you’re the father.”

“Ah’m WHAT?!” Applejack’s eyes bulged as she looked at the other mare.

“Ah still don’ get it,” Apple Bloom said, shaking her head. “AJ’s a mare. How did she get ya pregnant, Zecora?”

“Well, dear Apple Bloom,” Zecora said, turning to the young pony, “let us just say I gave your sister a potion several weeks but that gave the... ability to do so. Though, if I may say, I did not intend to get pregnant in this way. In answer to that other question, in my tribe, both female and male zebras are raised to speak in rhyme. However, if a male sires the foal of a female, they can tell or ask her not to do so all the time, allowing the female to speak as normal pony folk. This I do not kid, it is no joke.”

“B-b-but how?” Applejack stuttered, taking a step back. “I-it ain’t heat season yet. Ya couldn’a been in the estrus cycle!”

Zecora’s blush returned as she looked down. “One of the potions I took... wasn’t what I thought it was,” she said, giving an uncertain chuckle. “Turns out, in the heat of our nineteenth round, I grabbed one that induces an artificial estrus and caused me to ovulate and... well...”

Applejack just stared at Zecora, more specifically, her abdomen. Growing inside the zebra was a new life... a new life she herself was responsible for helping to create.

“Ah knew ya’ll weren’t inta stallions, AJ, but Ah never woulda guessed you’d be a daddy,” Big Mac said, sounding both annoyed and as if he was trying not to laugh.

Granny merely sighed, shaking her head. “Whelp, looks like we’ve got two new attentions to the Apple Family. When’s the weddin’, AJ.”

Applejack fell to the floor and fainted.