Applejack and Big Mac were in Ponyville station, waiting for the arrival of the Friendship Express. They were very excited because their cousin, Apple Bushel, was coming from Appleloosa to come to take a hoof in the harvest.
With Big Mac busy helping Cherry Blossom taking care of Jonagold, the Apple family had to ask for help to one of its relatives to come to help and Bushel was the only one available.
The train arrived and stopped in front of Ponyville station. Once it stopped, the doors of the carriages opened and ponies began to get out. The two Apple siblings watched to see if they saw their cousin until Applejack saw him:
"Bushel, we're here!"
And Bushel approached their two cousins. He was a stallion with a size and built similar to Big Mac’s. His coat was brilliant amber with a bucket of apples in water as Cutie Mark, brilliant sap green and pistachio mane, oderate green eyes and very light yellow coatless hooves. He also had a cury hat and a scarf around the neck with dots. Once he got to them, Bushel gave a hug to Applejack, with her saying:
"It's so good tah have ya here."
"An’ it's good tah be here" Bushel answered, ending the hug. "It's always a pleasure tah help a family member who needs help."
He then turned to Big Mac and said to him, while the two bumped hooves:
"Big Mac, Ah don’t see ya since ya got marri’d. How are things with Cherry? Ah heard ya two have a son."
"Eyeup" Big Mac answered. "An’ he is a beautiful colt like his father."
Bushel giggled and then said:
"I'm sure he is."
"An’ what if we got back tah tha farm?" Applejack suggested. "After tha trip, ya must be tir’d, Bushel."
"Are ya kiddin’?" Bushel asked. "Tha last thin’ Ah want tah do is tah rest when Celestia barely rais’d tha sun. What Ah want tah do is tah exercise an’ Ah think Ah came ta help ya pickin’ apples, right? Come on!"
And he started heading to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack and Big Mac exchanged a look and then a laugh. Looks like their cousin hadn't changed anything.
They arrived at the farm and then they started to buck the trees to harvest apples. Bushel’s help facilitated things. After they stop to rest, Cherry Blossom appeared, bringing Jonagold.
"See who came to say hello" Cherry said, as they arrived.
Big Mac, with a big smile, received his son in his hooves and gave him a kiss on the forehead.
"So this is tha little Big Mac” Bushel said, seeing Jonagold. "Ya weren't kiddin’, Big Mac. He's
really like ya."
"Bushel, long time no see" Cherry said. "Your trip to Ponyville went well?"
"Everythin’ went smoothly" Bushel answered. "Now, Ah think Ah'm goin’ tah drink a glass of water. Big Mac, are ya comin’?"
"Eeyup" he replied.
And the two stallions headed to the farm home with Big Mac taking Jonagold. After they have gone, Applejack overheard somepony calling:
"Hello, Applejack!"
Recognizing that voice, Applejack turned, saying:
"Howdy, Pinkie…"
But, when she turned around, she didn't see anypony.
"Pinkie Pie?" she called.
"I'm here, silly" she said.
But Applejack, turning, still didn't see her.
"Where?" Applejack asked.
"Here!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"Applejack" Cherry said, pointing up.
Applejack looked and then she saw that Pinkie Pie was jumping on a pogo stick.
"Hello, Applejack, what are you doing?"
"That's what Ah should ask ya, Pinkie" Applejack said, while she saw Pinkie Pie jumping from up to down. "Where tha hay did ya get that?"
"My sister Maud gave it to me" Pinkie Pie said. "Isn't that amazing?!"
"Yeah" said Applejack, tired of watching Pinkie Pie jump. "But could ya stop jumpin’, Pinkie?"
"Why?" she asked, while jumping. "This... is… so… much… fun!"
"Because Ah don't have tah be movin’ mah head up and down fer me tah address tah ya" Applejack said.
"Oh..." Pinkie said, jumping. "Okie… dokie... lokie."
And, when she was in midair, Pinkie Pie released the pogo stick away and, inexplicably, landed on her feet.
"Better?" she asked to Applejack.
"A lot better" Applejack said. "Now, Pinkie, wha’cha doing here?"
"A friend told me that a friend told him that an acquaintance told her that one of your cousins arrived today and I came to meet him" Pinkie said.
"Pinkie, ya probably already know him, but it's likely that ya don't remember him" Applejack said.
"Nonsense, Applejack, I remember all the ponies of your family, although I don’t officially know all of them" Pinkie Pie said.
It was then that Big Mac and Bushel appeared, with the latter saying:
"We let li’l Jonagold with aunt Granny Smith, so…"
But he isn't finished, since he noticed Pinkie Pie. Seeing her, he felt her heart bumping faster. He had never seen such beautiful mare. All that pink just made the light that radiated from her even more beautiful.
"Pinkie Pie, this is..." Applejack started saying, ready to introduce his cousin, but Pinkie was faster.
She, using her unnatural speed, reached the edge of Bushel, while she shacked vigorously his hoof:
"Hello, Bushel, my name is Pinkie Pie. Probably you remember me at all times that Apple's family gathered. I'm a good friend of Applejack. By the way, how long will you stay? It will probably be until Big Mac managed to reconcile the work on the farm with his duties as a father. You know what, I'm going to prepare a welcome party for you. What is your favorite cake flavor: strawberry or chocolate? It's probably apples, just like whole your family. But don't worry about a thing, I take care of everything. By the way, the clock is ticking. I have to get everything ready for your party tonight, because tomorrow won’t be your first day in Ponyville, but the second. I better get going. Bye, bye."
And, having said that, she just walked away with the speed of a Pegasus flying. The way she had greeted Bushel left everypony stunned. Applejack said:
"Wow... She really knew who Bushel was."
"I wonder how she can memorize so much information" Cherry said. "And you, Big Mac?"
"Eeyup" he replied.
But Bushel was still standing in the same place, looking in the direction that Pinkie took, and then his eyes went to the hoof that she shook. A slight pinkish hue appeared on his face, something that has not been ignored by the other three.
"Bushel, are ya okay?" Applejack asked.
"Yes, I am..." he said. "Ah think Ah'm goin’ tah take care of the south orchard."
And he walked away and, after he was at a considerable distance, Cherry asked to Big Mac and Applejack:
"Did you just see how he was looking to Pinkie Pie?"
"Eeyup" Big Mac answered.
"It looks like our cousin has a little crush on our friend Pinkie Pie" Applejack said. "Poor fella. Little he does know that he’s not goin’ tah get anywhere with her. "
"Don't say that, Applejack" said Cherry. "So you're going to portend it."
"It's not like ya don't know Pinkie Pie, Cherry" Applejack said. "She'd rather go on a date with her party cannon than a stallion."
"I think everypony has a soul mate" Cherry said. "Even ponies like Pinkie Pie. And if her better half is Bushel, so we just have to help and support them."
"Of course Ah would support Bushel and Pinkie, but Ah know that nothin’ is goin’ tah happen between them, so let’s not give ourselves false expectations" Applejack said.
"You should be more romantic, Applejack" Cherry said, turning to her husband. "Don't ya agree, Big Mac?"
The red stallion stood when he heard his wife asking him that question, however, he tried to remain silent, since he knew by experience to not be between Cherry and Applejack when they had differing opinions.
"Ah think ya're follin’ yerself, Cherry" Applejack opined.
"And I thought Cloud Chaser had changed your perspective about the unlikely love" Cherry said.
That made Applejack blush and say:
"Ah'm not sayin’ that an unlikely relationship cannot exist. Ah'm just saying that Pinkie Pie jest see ponies as friends and will never raise her relationship with a stallion tah somethin’ more."
"Well, what if we made a bet" Cherry suggested.
Upon hearing that, Big Mac had a bad feeling.
"A bet?" Applejack asked.
"I bet Pinkie Pie and Bushel will end up together as a couple and you’ll bet the other way around" Cherry said.
"Very well" Applejack accepted. "But, if I win, you have to clean the stable for a week."
"Okay" Cherry said. "If you want to do things like this, I'm in. If I win, you will have to... kiss Cloud Chaser in the mouth in front of everypony."
Applejack didn't seem to have been very pleased to hear that. Although his relationship with Cloud Chaser was official, she didn't like to show affection in public. However, not wanting to show weakness, she said:
"It’s on."
And the two bumped their hooves.
Bushel was working in the south orchard, but his mind kept focus on Pinkie Pie. He just couldn't help it. He just couldn't forget her beauty and her contagious smile. He wondered what would happen if he asked her out. Would she accept it?
When started to get dark, Bushel returned to the farmhouse and, when he just entered, he encountered a lot of ponies, including his family, and with party decorations everywhere.
"SURPRISE!" everypony shouted.
"What tha..." Bushel started.
And Pinkie Pie appeared in front of him, saying:
"Hello, I hope you enjoyed. I told you I'd make you a welcome party. Since I didn't know what was the type of cake you'd like more, I decided to bring various kinds."
"Oh..." Bushel said, blushing, not knowing what to say next. "Thank you, Pinkie."
In the distance, Applejack and Cherry observed Bushel and Pinkie. Cherry said, with a smile:
"It looks like those two are getting on rather well, Applejack."
"That's ‘cause Pinkie Pie gets along with almost everypony, Cherry" Applejack reminded.
"Maybe, but I think that the relationship between them will be the ending that I predict" Cherry said.
The party continued, with everypony talking joyously. Bushel ate a slice of apple cake and then his eyes fell on Pinkie, who talked to Rarity and Shadow Claw. He felt an overwhelming desire to go up there and tell her what I felt. But, as any stallion who was in love, she was afraid of rejection. However, he knew he would win anything if he didn't risk and confess to Pinkie Pie that he felt. Then, he decided what he had to do.
He approached Pinkie after she finished speaking with Rarity and Shadow Claw. She greeted him:
"Hello, Bushel. Are you enjoying the party?"
"Yeah, it's very nice" Bushel said. "Ya're really good at this."
"Well, that's what I do best," said Pinkie Pie. "There's nothing I love more than put a smile on my friends’ faces."
It was now. Bushel had to do it before he lost courage. He took a deep breath and said:
"Pinkie Pie, Ah have somethin’ tah ask ya."
"Let me guess" Pinkie Pie said. "You fell in love with me as soon as you saw me, you started to think about how you should react to all that and now you want to ask me to go out with you on a date."
"Yes..." Bushel said, realizing then what Pinkie Pie had said. "Wait, how do ya know? Was Ah so obvious?"
"No, it was my Pinkie sense" she replied. "I'm very good at predicting things. If I wasn't a party planner, I bet I would be a great seer. Wait, and I am a seer. I forgot about the Madame Pinkie’s place."
"So, what's yer answer, Pinkie?" Bushel asked. "Do ya want tah go on a date with me."
"Sure" she replied.
"Great!" Bushel exclaimed. "What? Seriously? "
"Yes, why not?" asked Pinkie. "You're cute, sweet and funny. Besides, you're Applejack’s cousin. You know, I have to tell you something. The ponies here think I just have friends, but there's a lot about me that they don't know. "
"Well, Ah'm dyin’ tah know what they don’t know" Bushel said.
“Well, I hope not, otherwise we couldn’t date” Pinkie Pie answered.
And they laughed.
Applejack and Cherry saw Pinkie Pie and Bushel talking excitedly and the last said:
"It looks like they are doing very well."
"Ah jest want tah know what they're talkin’ about" Applejack said.
"Then let's find out" Cherry said.
The two approached and Cherry asked:
"So it's all good here."
"Sure" Pinkie replied. "Girls, you won't believe. Bushel just asked me to go out with him."
Pretending to look surprised, Cherry and Applejack said:
"Seriously?"
"Yes, you know, I really liked Pinkie when I saw her" Bushel said.
"And what did ya say, Pinkie?" Applejack asked, while she and Cherry were waiting eagerly for Pinkie Pie’s answer to know who had won the bet.
"Of course I said yes!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed happily.
That left Cherry immensely happy.
"What?!" Applejack asked, not wanting to believe.
"I know, I know, I'm not the type to accept these kind of requests, but seeing all of you falling in love, it made me curious about" Pinkie Pie said.
Applejack couldn't believe it. Pinkie Pie had agreed to go on a date with Bushel, so that meant...
"You know what that means, don't you, Applejack?" Cherry asked. "It means you lost the bet."
"What bet?" Bushel asked.
"They are talking about the bet they made about whether I would go on a date with you or not" Pinkie said. "Cherry thought I'd accept, but Applejack, who believed that I only accept a pony as a friend, said that I would’t."
"Wow, Pinky, you're right" Cherry said. "Let me guess. Pinkie sense?"
"How else could I know of things that a normal pony would never know unless she had heard from another pony or had heard herself?" Pinkie asked. "So, what do you have to do, Applejack?"
"You'll see" Cherry said, repairing in Cloud Chaser. "Look, Applejack. Cloud Chaser is there. Don't you have something important to tell him? You know, with your lips."
Applejack made her a surly look and then sighed. After all, a bet is a bet and Applejack had to comply with Cherry’s terms. So, she advanced to her coltfriend and, upon arriving on his edge, she kissed him. The ponies who were near were surprised to see Applejack demonstrating affections with a stallion in front of everypony.
"I don't know why, but she'll go to thank me later" Cherry said.
"Yeah…” Pinkie Pie said. “You wanna bet?”
And so the party continued.