You shot up in bed with a start.
You had that exact same nightmare again. The only difference was that everything was amplified. The freezing cold, the strain on your body in the tsunami, everything. The pressure on your chest was absent, seeing as Applebloom wasn't pounding on you this time.
Wait, where was she? Looking out your window, you see the sun rising above the barn. It was definitely later than the usual 6 AM. Perhaps you really were getting a day off, seeing as a messenger wasn't sent to awaken you.
Rubbing your eyes, you slide out of the bed and head over to the mirror. With your mane being a horrid sight, you take a moment to both fix yourself up and reflect on yesterday.
After your little chat with Applebloom, you joined the family for yet another amazing meal. Apple turnovers, which were, once again, amazing. You're convinced that these ponies were the best cooks in Equestria. You wouldn't be surprised if they had medals lying around in this house somewhere. You wondered if they were breaking out all the stops to make the best meals they could just because they had company. It felt kind of nice, like you were royalty, or something.
After dinner was over, you opted not to go view the sunset like the previous day, and instead headed for bed early. You were slightly afraid of having to face AJ in her spot again, especially after the awkward air that surrounded your conversation.
Yet at the same time, you felt disappointed that you didn't face her after that. Was a small part of you anticipating your little chat with her in the sunset? Even after the hell she's put you through, you at least have SOME form of realistic connection with her. That, and you wanted someone to talk to. Someone to REALLY talk to, that is. Big Mac is cool, but he's not the chattiest pony.
When you finally managed to brush your mane into a presentable state, you waltz out the door and head for the kitchen. It was slowly becoming a routine. Passing the same doors, going down the same stairs, through the same living room, so on, so forth. The only difference today was the time you got up.
Walking into the kitchen you find....what, the hay? There are pink dots painted on, well, everything. Walls, floor, ceiling, furniture, literally everything in the kitchen was painted with dots.
Stepping forward, you accidentally place your hoof on a dot to find it is still very much wet. Looking at your new, pink hoof, you groan slightly. Looking over across the kitchen, you spot Granny Smith's hair sticking up just behind the table.
Trotting over to her, being careful to avoid the dots, you find her with a paintbrush in her mouth, painting the dots on everything. Had she lost her mind, or was this her idea of interior design?
"Uh, Ms. Smith..." you begin cautiously. "What is all this?"
"Oh! Mornin' sonny!" She stands up to face you on your level. Taking the brush out of her muzzle, she continues. "What's all what?"
You wave a hoof around, wondering why you would even need to indicate what you are talking about. "All this? The pink dots?"
She squints her eyes and looks around. You can't help but wonder why, it wouldn't be that hard to notice them. "Oh! Those! Well, for our Zap Apple Jam, of course! Turns out the jam likes pink polka dots!"
Convinced the mare must have lost her mind, you decide not to push it any further. "Ooookay then..."
"Oh, right!" She says, just before kneeling down to continue her painting. "Lil' Applebloom was lookin' fer ya! She went out front!"
"Alright, thanks." You say, as you start for the door.
"If yer hungry, we got some bagels over on th' counter!" She calls from her painting position.
"Another of your amazing morsels, I take it?." She let's out a hearty chuckle. You turn around and sure enough, next to the sink is a plate full of bagels. Trotting up to it, you take one in your hoof, and take a bite.
...Apple bagels? You think to yourself. That's new. The bagel was still warm from being freshly baked, and the bread was slightly chewy. There was a slight hint of apple in the flavor. You didn't know whether to have expected that or be surprised. In all honesty, they weren't the best thing you've had in your time here. But still, it was free food, courtesy of a slightly insane, old mare.
Taking a few moments, you finish off the rest of the bagel. Heading into the living room, you begin to walk toward the front door. As you walk, you hear hoofsteps coming down the stairs.
Sure enough, it was Applejack. Adjusting the hat on her head, she doesn't notice you until she turns around the banister at the bottom of the stairs.
"...Morning." She says, with a smile.
"...Hey." You reply, somewhat curious.
Looking down, she sees your pink hoof. "I take it Granny has already started gettin' ready for makin' Zap Apple Jam?"
"Uh, yeah. Why does she-"
"Don't ask."
"Okay." Quite frankly, you weren't sure you wanted to know why. A short silence passes between the two of you.
"So," the mare starts. "Applebloom tells me your spendin' the day with her?"
"Unless you have some task for me, herr boss." You say, teasing.
She actually laughs slightly, and looks down to the floor. "Nah, I ain't ready ta put you back to work. Besides, today's Sunday. We don't work on Sundays around here."
"Well, from what your sister has told me, there is one pony who does." You tell her.
"Oh, that..." She looks a little distraught. "Ever since Hearts and Hooves day, Big Mac has been working non-stop. He even takes small jobs around town. I don't know what's gotten into him..."
"Hmm..." You were genuinely curious. While you didn't know exactly why the big fella would do that, you knew one thing; he was neglecting his little sister, and you wouldn't stand for that. "Don't worry about him. I've got it covered."
"If you can reason with him, be my guest. I've been trying to get him to take a break forever." She lets out a sigh, and begins to walk towards the kitchen. "I'm helping Granny with the Zap Apple Jam today, so you can just have fun with Applebloom."
"So, you're cool with me being around her now? Whatever caused you to trust me like that?" You ask, trying to prod her.
She turns around to face you. "I saw you and her talking yesterday. I don't know what you said to her, but I haven't seen her face light up like that in ages." She walks up to you and lowers her voice. "Ya may be a thief, but...I reckon ya cain't be that bad of a guy."
You didn't know how to respond. Was she genuinely growing to trust you? With how harshly she lashed out at you for talking with her sister a couple of days ago, she was suddenly becoming much friendlier about it. What could have caused that?
"Uh, thank you?" You say, slightly confused.
She simply turns and walks towards the kitchen. "Well? Run along now, she's waitin' for ya. And don't go runnin' off now either!"
"Still don't trust me that much, I see?" She simply smirks and walks out of sight into the kitchen.
It was hard to imagine that you were actually becoming a somewhat accepted part of the household. Sure, Granny and Applebloom liked you, but they didn't know any better. Big Macintosh seems to have set that little incident aside, which was for the better. You shudder to think about what your treatment would be like here if he HADN'T been that kind.
But Applejack...she was a mix of differing amounts of care. On one hoof, she had to care about you. If she didn't, her grandmother would be all over her case. On another hoof, she still held resentment in her heart towards you for, well, obvious reasons.
Yet there was another side. One that was confusing to figure out. It seemed like she genuinely cared about you, but there was another factor behind it. Is it because she saw how happy you apparently made her sister? You weren't sure, but there was definitely another piece to the puzzle.
You figured the answer would come with time. Turning towards the door, you head out to greet your playmate.
~*~*~
"Heads up!"
You run backwards, and prepare to clasp the disc flying at you in your hooves. For a small filly, Applebloom had a surprisingly strong throw. She managed to toss the Frisbee quite a distance.
The disc was now starting to descend, and you were directly in it's path. Deciding to impress the filly, you jump up the rest of the distance, and catch the disc in the crook of your hoof.
Upon landing, you hear her call out. "Nice catch! You're real good at this!"
"Ah, it's nothing. Just had practice, is all..." You yell back. "Get ready, here it comes!"
Rearing your foreleg back, you see she's taken a preparatory stance. Feeling like you've gotten a good position, you swing your foreleg forward and let loose. The disc flies about ten feet above the ground, and cruises through the air at a relatively fast pace.
Applebloom begins to back up to catch it. She picks up speed when she realizes she won't be in a good spot to make her mark. The sight of the filly backpedaling so quickly makes you chuckle slightly. She has a slight look of fear on her face, as if she's afraid she won't make it.
The look is quickly lost as the disc starts to droop. With a sudden burst of confidence in her features, she gets ready. Not one to be outdone, she leaps up in the air, and catches it in her teeth. This had been how she had caught it every time.
"I gaw' ih!" She says, her voice muffled by the plastic. She takes it out and repeats. "I got it!"
"Nice one, kid!" You call back. You notice she starts to rub her mouth a bit. "Something wrong?"
"It just kinda hurts catchin' it like that. But I can't catch it with one hoof..." She says, sounding a tad embarrassed.
"Ah, it's easy." It doesn't seem to reassure her, though. "Tell ya what, I'll help ya catch it with your hooves."
"How?" She asks, a pondering look on her face.
"Simple, you use the pancake technique." She has a skeptical look on her face. "Here, let me see the Frisbee. When I toss it, catch it by putting both hooves on each side. Kinda like you're clapping your hooves around the Frisbee. Got it?"
Nodding, she hands the Frisbee to you, and you backpedal a bit to give her some space. Rearing up once again, you bring your foreleg around, and swing it forward, letting loose. You threw it a bit easier this time, to give her a little more time to prepare.
Again, she takes on that look of slight fear. Probably because she's about to try a new technique. Of course, it was out of your hooves now, and she had to get this right on her own. She begins to back up slightly, and when she's in position, she stops.
Taking a moment to steel her nerves, she prepares for the incoming projectile. Pushing herself onto her hind legs, she lifts her front legs into position, closes her eyes, and...
"You got it!" You yell out. Opening her eyes, she sees that she managed to use the 'technique' successfully.
Suddenly, she starts bounding around like, well, a school-filly. Having dropped the Frisbee on the ground, she jumps around, cheering.
"I got it! I've never caught it with my hooves before! Now Scootaloo can't make fun of me for that no more!" She says, completely ecstatic about the otherwise small achievement.
"See? It ain't that hard." You say, trotting up to the little champion. She suddenly hugs your forelegs.
"Thanks! You have no idea how much she bugged me for that. I'll show her next time we're playing!" She sounded so triumphant. It managed to make your heart melt a little.
"Ah, it was nothing." Patting the filly's head, you look off into the distance. Through the trees, you see Big Macintosh baling hay again. Seriously? Is that all he does? You think to yourself. "Hey, ya thirsty?"
"Hay yeah! All this catchin' is hard work!" She says, sounding very confident.
"Hey now, don't get brash. I'll go fetch us some water." You say, excusing yourself.
She nods, and you begin to walk towards the red stallion. The brother works, while the farmhand plays with his little sister? You intended to fix this odd scenario.
As you walked, you started to think. Why exactly were you doing this? You have no true ties to either of these ponies. It's not like they were family to you or anything. Sure, Applebloom treated you like it, but that's just her little innocence kicking in. She didn't know any better.
There was just something tearing you apart. Seeing Applebloom so distraught about her big brother abandoning her was something you couldn't stand.
You had to fix it.
You approach where Big Mac was working. He was finishing a tie on the newest bale of hay. He didn't seem to notice you approaching. You set your elbows on the bale and lean forward.
"All work and no play makes Mac a dull colt, y'know." You say.
His head shoots up and bears a surprised look on his face. It's probably the most emotion you've seen from him at one point.
"Heh, ya surprised me..." He replies, rubbing his eyes.
"I hear you're quite the workaholic." You say.
"Er, well, I have been doin' a lot, lately. I have ta take care of the work around here, ya know..."
"Sure, but AJ tells me you've been taking small jobs for other ponies as well." He visibly flinches at this. "Tell me Mac, do ya need to take care of their work, too?"
"Ah..." He seems to be having trouble finding his words.
"I hear that you started putting in all this overtime after a certain Hearts and Hooves Day...?" You ask, pushing for information.
"W-Well, I..."
"Tell me Mac, did you happen to meet somepony on that day?"
He merely stares at you wide-eyed. This is the first time you've been this forward with him.
"I would bet my career that you've been taking all these jobs for payment, haven't you?" He doesn't respond. "Payment, for a mare..."
At last, he hangs his head in shame and sighs. "Yeah...Cheerilee is her name..."
"Applebloom's teacher?" You ask.
He nods. "Applebloom n' her little friends gave us a potion that made us fall in love. The effects wore off later on, but then we tried a relationship for real, and..." He looks away. "Well, it's kinda gotten far..."
"So you've been taking jobs all around town to keep up with her?"
"It ain't like she's demandin', or nothin'. I just wanna make sure she's happy." He says. "I've been working overtime here ta make sure I can at least spend some time with her during the off season, and I've been taking jobs around town ta make some money fer, well...our time together..."
"Well, that's quite noble of you, Mac." You trot around the bale and wrap an foreleg around his shoulder. "But do you think she'd be happy knowing you were neglecting one of her favorite students?"
"What do ya mean?" He asks, eyebrow raised.
"Look over there." You point a hoof towards Applebloom, who was just visible enough to see through the trees. She was tossing the Frisbee up and down, catching it with both hooves. An adorable sight. "That little filly has been pretty upset lately. Know why?" He shakes his head. "Because her big bro has been working himself to death, never able to spend some time with her."
"Wha...really?" He asks, genuine concern in his voice.
"Mhmm. She's pretty torn up over it." You stand up. "Why don't you run along and give her her fill? I'll take care of this."
"You would do that?" You simply nod. "I...I never knew she was that upset...thank you fer tellin' me."
"Think nothing of it." You dismissively wave a hoof. "Now go on, she's waiting on ya."
With a smile on his face, he stands up, and begins to trot off in Applebloom's direction. As he walks, he stops, and turns towards you. "Y'know, maybe ya weren't as bad as I thought."
"I'm deeply flattered by your gracious compliment!" You say sarcastically. Big Mac merely smiles and continues walking towards his little sister.
At this point, you were feeling unusually good. You managed to help mend a slightly shattered relationship between two siblings. You only hoped Big Mac would take your words to heart, and make sure to prevent this in the future.
Considering how kind Big Mac had been to you in your time here, you figured you owed it to the guy to be a little caring. You couldn't stand to see a broken relationship between siblings. Trust and love like that was one of the most important things in the world to you. A value you've held ever since you were young.
Kneeling down, you prepare to finish the tie Big Mac was working on.
"Well I'll be...ya actually managed to convince him."
A familiar voice behind you catches your attention. You turn around to find Applejack leaning on a bale of hay. She begins to trot towards you.
"I didn't think you could do it. I've been trying to get him to take it easy for weeks." She bears a very surprised look on her face as she talks. "How'd ya manage to do that?"
"He may be big and tough, but even he has to have a soft spot for his little sis, right?" You reply.
"Yeah, he does care about her a lot...I was just worried he got carried away to the point where he forgot about her." She turns to you. "Did he tell you why he's workin' so much, by the way?"
You were about to spill the beans, but decided not to. If Big Macintosh hadn't told his family about his little girlfriend by now, he must really want it to be secret. Instead, you decide to hold off on it. "I'm sure you'll find out in due time."
"Well, whatever you did...thank you." She looked truly pleased and thankful for your work.
"It's nothing, really." You look off in the distance towards the now setting sun. "Just something I needed to do..."
"What do ya mean?" She asks.
"...Nothing." You reply, pushing the memories from your mind. You look back to Applejack, and she looks slightly concerned. Not wanting to cause any strife, you change subjects. "So, how did the Zap Apple Jam making go?"
"Oh, we got plenty of batches made! And we got quite a few goodies up there too! Wanna come and try some?" She asks, seemingly tranquil about your presence here for once.
"I will later, I'm just gonna go relax for a bit." You say, as you begin to trot away. "Tell Granny to save a few goodies for me."
"Can do." AJ says, tipping her hat.
The two of you begin to go your separate ways. Her to the house, and you to the hill you viewed the sunset from the other day.
On your way there, you saw two ponies. A stallion and a filly, laughing together.