An Apple A Day

by Esle Ynopemos

24: To Be an Apple [Romance]

((Prompt: The Cutie Mark switch only changed how they saw themselves for a while, but it changed how they saw each other forever.))

Her chores done for the day, Applejack found herself a nice comfortable seat beneath a shady apple tree. It wouldn't be long before it was time for dinner, but she could catch a moment's rest, at least. She tipped her hat forward to cover her eyes and leaned back, sighing in relief as the bark scratched against her sore back. Little moments like this made the whole day worthwhile, leaning against one of her favorite trees satisfied with a job well done.

“Applejack! I need you to marry me!”

Applejack tipped her hat back, blinking. Pinkie Pie stood before her, earnestness in her eyes. A little impatient tremor ran from her ears to her hooves and back again.

“I, uh... beg your pardon?”

Pinkie hopped from one hoof to the other. “You're right, I should have brought a ring. You're supposed to have a ring for this. I've always wondered about that... where are earth ponies like us supposed to put the ring? It's not like it'd fit on your hoof, unless you have really tiny hooves.”

Applejack sighed. “Pinkie...”

“But if we can figure the rings out, Rarity can make the dresses. Oh!” She gasped and clapped her hooves. “And Twilight's a princess now, she can totally perform the ceremony!”

“Pinkie, I think you're missin' a step,” said Applejack, shaking her head.

Pinkie bounced. “You're right! We need to plan the bachelorette parties! Should we have two of them, because there's two of us, or could we fold them together into a mega-bachelorette party?”

“Pinkie!” Applejack covered Pinkie's mouth with her hoof. It was only mildly effective in halting the stream of babble. “How about you back up and tell me why it is you suddenly decided you wanna marry me?”

Pinkie momentarily stilled her bouncing. “Okay. You remember when our cutie marks got switched around, right?”

Applejack nodded. She was still finding needles and mismatched scraps of cloth in her saddlebags.

“I had your cutie mark, so I was here, doing chores and being really bad at farming.” Pinkie raised her hoof to halt a denial before Applejack could voice it. “I was. It was awful. Farming is really hard work, fixing things and planting things and watering things, and there's never any time for fun, and it's really, really boring!”

Applejack flexed her jaw. “So far I ain't hearin' a real strong argument in favor of gettin' hitched, sugarcube.”

“But the work wasn't the only thing,” said Pinkie. “While I had your cutie mark, I was an Apple. And, well... I already knew before that Apple Bloom and Big Mac and Granny Smith were super awesome ponies, but getting to spend time with them as a family was just a whole other thing! Apple Bloom is really adorable, and she's really clever for her age. Big Mac doesn't talk much, but he works hard and is real nice. And then Granny Smith is pretty much the most fantastic lady in the history of ever!”

Applejack chuckled. “That she is.”

Pinkie grinned. “Coming home to all of them at the end of the day is totally worth all the hard work and the boringness and the stubbing my hoof on that drainage pipe over and over again. And when I got my own cutie mark back, well of course I was happy, because I get to be fun and make everypony smile again, but I was maybe just a little bit disappointed that I wasn't an Apple anymore.”

Applejack nodded. “I think I see where you're goin' with this...”

“I can't ask you to give me your cutie mark back, because one, you're using it, and two, I don't think you can do that,” Pinkie said. “So I thought to myself, 'Pinkie, how can you be an Apple without taking Applejack's cutie mark?'”

“An' marriage was naturally what ya came up with,” Applejack said, tapping her hoof on her knee.

Pinkie began bouncing again. “Apple Bloom's too young, Big Mac is busy, and let's face it, I don't have a chance with Granny Smith; she's way out of my league. So I need you to marry me, so I can be an Apple and spend time with your awesome family again!”

Applejack took a deep breath. “Well, I reckon I've heard of worse reasons to wanna tie the knot. But maybe you oughta slow down a bit. If you want, maybe a date or two would be a nice start, an' then we can see how we feel from there.” Her ear flicked as she heard Granny Smith ring the dinner bell. A smile spread across her lips. “An' in the meantime, ya don't need to marry nopony to spend time around here. Would ya like to stay for dinner, sweetheart?”

Author's Note:

Look, see? I can write happy Apple Pie once in a while, too!

Comments

[Midnight herald]

Granny Smith is actually Ponyville's hottest babe. I love this.

[Brakyo]

This is all that comes to my mind:

'Nuff said.

[Themaskedferret]

Pinkie began bouncing again. “Apple Bloom's too young, Big Mac is busy, and let's face it, I don't have a chance with Granny Smith; she's way out of my league.

The Granny Smith line absolutely killed me. Bravo.

[Soldierpony]

Hhhhng... Apple pie hurts...
Need. Rainbow pie therapy.

Hnnngggg....

[uselesstaco]

3209923 yEs

[MeadowRosePony]

umm

[Yonder Strange Things]

A happy ApplePie pick?

Are you the real Esie? Or did you swap places with the real one?

[Butterscotch Moonglow]

Wow, this is...beautiful. However, I need to be That One Person^TM....
You remember that Pinkie Pie is already an-at least-honorary Apple, right?