//------------------------------// // II: Afternoon Sunlight // Story: The Color of Apples // by Jet Howitzer //------------------------------// Loading the apples onto the cart was a simple job, compared to bucking them off of the trees. You just pulled the cart along, while Applejack put the buckets full of apples into the cart. She was quick enough about it to allow you to keep a slow pace, rather than starting and stopping. Soon enough the cart was full to capacity and the last of the buckets was balanced, precariously, atop the cart. Applejack turned towards the farmhouse, and you followed ponderously, the cart forcing you to take your time with the turn, lest the apples fall. The walk to the farmhouse wasn’t particularly long, but it let your mind wander once more. Nothing seemed to stick, though, and you flitted from topic to topic without a care in the world. Soon enough the farm came into view, and you angled yourself towards the barn, knowing that you would have to bring the cart there for unloading. As you got closer you could make out the massive form of Big Mac standing in front of the barn doors, waiting for you and Applejack to arrive with the load of apples. Less than a minute later and you brought the cart to a stop inside the barn. The three of you began unloading the cart, when you hear Granny Smith’s voice cut through the air. You can’t quite make out what she says, but both Big Mac and Applejack stop for a moment, and look at each other. “My turn, right Big Mac?” “Eeeyup.” Applejack nods and trots out of the barn, leaving you and Big Mac to take care of the apples. With only two ponies working, instead of three, the work takes longer, but you don’t mind. The two of you quickly work out a rhythm, and it leaves your mind free to wander once more. Again you find yourself thinking about the orange mare who you worked for. She was beautiful, of that you had no doubt. But what was it that really attracted you to her, you wondered? There were many mares in Ponyville that were just as beautiful as Applejack, and even a few that were more beautiful. It also wasn’t her intellect. She wasn’t stupid, you would never think of her as stupid, but she wasn’t the smartest pony in Ponyville. The more you thought about her, the more enamored you became with her. Perhaps it came from her fame? The Elements of Harmony were known throughout Equestria, and a good number of ponies came by from time to time just to meet the Elements. A tiny chuckle escapes your lips as you think of the last time some ponies came by to meet the Elements. They probably weren’t expecting to meet somepony as hard working as Applejack. No, that wasn’t it. The fame she experienced was shared by the other Elements, and you didn’t think much of the other five. They were all beautiful, and good friends, but you didn’t think of them the same way you thought of Applejack. Applejack never let the fact that she was famous affect her life in any way. She did the same thing now that she did before anypony knew she was the Element of Honesty. Your thoughts are interrupted by a solid smack, as a bucket of apples connects with the side of your head, sending you to the floor, along with the contents of the bucket. You hear a booming laugh echo through the barn, and you quickly recognize it as Big Mac. After a moment you join in; the massive stallion’s laughter being quite infectious. After a minute the laughter dies down, and the ache of the impact begins to leech its way into your thoughts. You slowly make your way to your hooves, and Big Mac just watches you. He’s got a curious look on his face, and you can’t help but feel like he’s scrutinizing you. At first you shy away, unwilling to face this massive stallion. But, after a moment, you turn to face him head on, unable to just stand there passively while he observes you. This continues for a full minute before anything happens. “I know you’ve got your eye on my sister.” You do your best to hide it, but you take a tiny step backwards at this, completely accurate, accusation. You don’t say anything, but clearly your facial expression is enough for Big Mac. “I don’t mind, since you seem an honest enough sort. But I’m telling you now; if you hurt my sister I’ll make sure that you never see her, or any mare, ever again.” You meet Big Mac’s hard stare with one of your own, and every nerve in your mind tells you to back down, you match his gaze. After a moment, Big Mac is the one to turn away. “I never thought I’d meet a stallion who could get me to back down.” He begins moving buckets once again, this time without your help, since you're still feeling a bit too shaken to offer a helping hoof. The last bucket is stored away, when Applejack reenters the barn, a smile on her face. You look at her, and the sunlight coming in through the barn door frames her, and you are lost in the moment. The slight sheen of her sweat makes her more beautiful than before, and the smile on her face makes you feel like you’re the only stallion in the world. You know that that’s not the kind of smile that she’s giving, but you can’t help but imagine, if only for a moment. “Right then. Y’all have finished up with the apples?” Both you and Big Mac nod, and the smile on Applejack’s face widens just a bit. “Well then it’s time for some lunch.” She turns and heads out of the barn, and you just stand there for a moment, still too stunned by what you saw to start moving right away. After a moment you hear a sharp snort, and you snap yourself out of your stupor. “Remember what I said.” Big Mac’s deep voice brings your gaze to his, and he’s got a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Now come on, it’s time for some grub.” The two of you exit the barn, and you look around, at the farm around you, and you feel at ease. Unlike your old home, there was such a thing as peace and quiet. Soon enough you were seated at a small table on the porch of the farmhouse, and a plate of apple pancakes was sitting before you. You waited until everypony was seated, and had a plate in front of them before you started eating. Lunch was almost always a silent affair at Sweet Apple Acres, and you knew that you weren’t going to be the one to break such a tradition. Instead you took the time to contemplate your feelings for the mare seated at the table next to you. You risked a quick glance at her, and you felt your heart flutter a tiny bit. Her beauty was in her whole form, you realize. There was no one part to this mare that made her so beautiful. It was the whole mare that made her beautiful. If any one part of her changed, she’d lose her beauty. You allowed your thoughts to wander even further from the table at which you sat, to the town of Ponyville, which you now called home. It was a quaint little town, often filled with more activity than one would expect for a town of this size. You knew that the Elements of Harmony were responsible for this. They were known all across Equestria, and so many ponies would come to see them. And then there were the usual random events that could happen to any town, but still somehow seemed to find Ponyville more often than anyplace else. The first instance your mind jumps to is the arrival of Cerberus in Ponyville. It hadn’t been a long, ordeal, from what you’d heard. Twilight, the local librarian, had swiftly dealt with that problem, and then things had returned to normal for most ponies. Normal… Most ponies here live their lives without really knowing just how normal, and privileged, they were. You hadn’t been so lucky. Growing up in Manehattan had been both a dream, and a nightmare. The city offered so much to experience, and so many different possibilities that you had never wanted for excitement, or something to do. The schools were some of the best, save for the schools in Canterlot. Your parents had been moderately wealthy, and so you got to experience the occasional taste of upper-class living, even though it was infrequent. You had even made a few good friends. The type of ponies that you could spend hours with, and feel as though it had only been minutes. But those were your early years, when you still thought that life was like a dream, and nothing could go wrong. When you were thirteen, and you had just finished up with another year of school, your parents asked you to start keeping journals, to give you something to look back on, and share with your own children when the time came. As you expect any pony would do in your situation, you ignored your parents, instead using the books they provided for drawings, and doodling. Just a few months later, though, everything about your life had changed. You were no longer young and innocent. The police said that it was an accident, and that nopony could be blamed for what had happened. Not much comes through clearly when you think back to those days. Even the few journal entries you made didn’t make much sense, when you read them over. And then there was your sister. She was a beacon of stability through those treacherous times, but even she started to change. She- “You okay there, partner?” Applejack’s voice rings through your mind, shattering your mental explorations, and you look up quickly, to see both Big Mac and Applejack staring at you, concern written clearly on their faces. “You were just sitting there, grimacin’ like somepony was draggin’ their hooves on a chalkboard.” “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking about my parents. Again.” They both knew that your parents were dead. You couldn’t hide something like that, even if you wanted to. It’d be too great an insult to their memories if you denied them like that. You hadn’t told them, or anypony for that matter, the truth about what happened. And it was likely that you never would. “Well, if you’re sure.” “I am,” you answered quickly. A quick glance passed between brother and sister, and then they both relaxed for a moment, before Big Mac stood up, and began walking towards the barn. You risked a glance at Applejack, and she looked back at you, concern still written on her face. “Well, with that section of the orchard bucked, we’re done for the day. Y’all can head home now, if you like.” You give a small nod, but you don’t stand to go. Applejack continues to watch you, and you begin to feel self-conscious. “Is something wrong, AJ?” “I’m just wonderin’ what you could’ve been thinking that woulda made ya grimace like that. I know a thing or two about losing yer parents, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a look on my face quite like that.” “Well, there’s a bit more to it than just losing my parents, but I don’t want to bore you with all the details. Anyway, the parts that aren’t boring aren’t exactly heartwarming, so I don’t want you to feel bad on my account.” Applejack opens her mouth to speak, but she quickly closes it. A few moments of awkward silence pass before she tries again, this time avoiding the topic of parents entirely. “Well than how about we just go and enjoy the afternoon sun some? It’s a beautiful day, and we can just take a walk. Maybe even run a little race, and make a proper wager, unlike earlier.” This gets a small laugh from you. “I doubt you could beat me in a race, considering you can’t even outbuck me.” “We’ll see, partner. We’ll see.”