• Published 16th Mar 2015
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Stallions of Equestria: Adam's Apple - mr lovecolt



Adam moves in with the Apple Family to help with cider pressing season while his sister Amy goes on her honeymoon.

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Storm's Comin'

Chapter Three: Storm’s Comin’

Rarity sighed the moment she felt the morning sunlight on her fur. As she shuffled off of the bed, she removed her sleep mask, levitated it onto the nightstand and stretched out her hooves. She shuddered when she heard cracking noises.

“Perfect,” she grumbled, “now I’m starting to sound like Adam with those knuckles of his.”

Rarity’s frustration melted away when she opened the bedroom door and smelled the aroma of fresh coffee wafting up from the kitchen. She heard the sound of hay bacon sizzling in a pan and smiled. At least he’s up, she thought as she descended the stairs, he didn’t come home until late last night.

She turned the corner and saw Adam standing in front of the stove, bobbing his head and humming a tune as he cracked open a few eggs and dropped them into the pan. She stopped, however, when she turned to the table and noticed three place settings.

“Adam, dear,” she asked, “are we expecting company for breakfast?”

Adam stopped humming and turned to Rarity with a quirked eyebrow.

“It’s Sunday, Miss Rarity,” he replied with a smile, “Amy always—”

He paused. A moment passed and the smile disappeared.

“Right,” he added softly as he turned towards the table to pick up the setting usually reserved for Amy, “going to have to get used to that.”

“Let me get that. You just focus on finishing breakfast. It smells wonderful, by the way.”

“Thanks.”

Rarity’s horn glowed, and the plate along with its flatware floated through the air, landing in their respective places on the shelves and in the drawers. She picked up the cup of coffee and poured the contents into the sink before setting it to the side. As she settled into her seat, she tried to think of a subject to discuss. Finally, she remembered what happened at the reception.

“So you met Pokey Pierce,” she said as she picked up her own mug and blew the steam away, “he seemed quite taken with you.”

Rarity waited for him to turn around. Come on, she thought, I know you’re going to do it. She gave a knowing smirk the moment he turned to the table; his cheeks had already turned red. Knew it.

“He’s… nice,” Adam replied, not looking up from the pan he held in his grasp, “he runs a daycare.” He slid the eggs and hay bacon onto a plate and handed it to Rarity.

“Yes, I was aware of that.” Rarity waited for him to fill his own plate and sit down before she continued. “And he’s taking you to Epicurious.” She grinned and took a sip of coffee. “Did you confirm a date for this rendezvous?”

Adam’s eyes widened and he nearly spat out his coffee.

“It is not a rendezvous,” he replied, trying not to cough, “I wouldn’t even call it a date—he said it would be a chance to get to know some of the other ponies in town.” He glanced over at the empty seat next to him. “I guess it will be good for me.”

Rarity levitated her fork and took a bite of the egg, but stopped when she noticed Adam rubbing his shoulder.

“Darling, are you all right?”

“Yeah, I just think I used too much force last night when doing that lasso move.”

Hold on,” she replied as she pushed her chair back, “I’ll get you something.”

Adam waited until Rarity left the room before he turned once more to the empty place setting. He sighed, picked up the hay bacon, and took a few nibbles before setting it back down before Rarity reentered, levitating two small vials over and setting one in front of him as she sat back down. He picked it up and read the label.

“MantiCure?” he asked.

“This stuff is amazing,” Rarity said, “as it turns out, manticore venom, when processed into a salve, does wonders with muscle aches.” She took the other bottle and opened it, squeezed out a small amount of the salve, and applied it around her eyes. “It also does wonders with reducing the puffiness around ones eyes and getting rid of crow’s feet.”

“So that’s your secret?” Adam smiled.

“Adam, I do not need supplies to look this fabulous. It’s just a… beauty regimen.” She nodded to the bottle in Adam’s hand. “That one is yours, if you want it.”

Adam opened the bottle and held it up to his nose to smell it, jerking back slightly at how acidic the aroma was. He placed a few drops on his fingers and immediately felt it chill his skin, but as he rubbed it on his sore arm, he immediately felt the pain go away, replaced with a slight numbness.

“Wow,” he said, “it really works fast.”

“Anything for you, dear,” she replied with a wink, “after all, what sort of friend would I be if I didn’t do everything in my power to make sure that you looked perfect for your date with Mister Pierce?”

Both of them turned their heads when they heard a sudden knock at the door.

“Now who could that be?” Rarity wondered as she levitated the bottles once more, “I’ll put these up and put yours on your desk. Could you be a dear and see who it is?”

“Judging from the knock, it sounds like Spike.”

Adam and Rarity shared a small laugh, as though privy to a private joke. They left the kitchen; Adam made his way to the front door as Rarity made her way back up the staircase. Adam opened the front door and covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing when he saw Spike on one knee with his head bent to the ground as he held out a violet. Adam looked behind the drake and saw Twilight Sparkle, who saw that it wasn’t Rarity at the door and lifted a hoof to her muzzle to hold back a similar laugh.

“I saw this and immediately thought of you,” Spike said as sweetly as possible.

“Oh, Spikey, you shouldn’t have,” Adam said as he uncovered his mouth and took the flower, “but I’m more of a hibiscus man, myself.”

Spike’s head shot up and his eyes widened in fear. As the dragon’s spines wilted, Adam and Twilight Sparkle couldn’t hold back anymore and they both broke into a fit of laughter. Spike rolled his eyes and snatched the flower out of Adam’s hand before trudging through the doorway. Adam wiped a tear from his eye and looked to the pony.

“That was the most adorable thing I’ve seen in a while.”

“Argh!” Spike growled from inside, causing the two at the door to laugh once more.

Adam held out his arm and beckoned for Twilight Sparkle to enter. She nodded and made her way inside and looked around, and it was then that Adam noticed that she was carrying a saddlebag loaded with books.

“Have something for Miss Rarity?”

“Oh,” Twilight Sparkle replied as she levitated the books out of the saddlebag and floated them towards him, “no, we actually came here to see you.”

Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion until he noticed the books, sighing as he began to read them out loud.

“Dealing with Loss in Five Easy Steps… Everything Everypony Expects when Experiencing Emptiness?” He cocked his head when he read the last one. “Miss Sparkle, what is this?”

Adam noticed a patch of pink mane next to him and he couldn’t help but leap in surprise when he saw Pinkie Pie standing at his side with a smile plastered on her muzzle.

“I came up with a great idea, Adam!” Pinkie Pie shouted before calming herself down as much as she could, “I knew that you were going to be a Gloomy Gus when Amy left, so I talked to Twilight to get some books so we can help you,” she said with a gentle smile, “you see, according to the Curly-Horse model, there are five stages of grief—”

“I’m fine, I promise.” Adam said as he held the book out for Twilight Sparkle to take back.

“The first stage, of course, being denial.” Pinkie Pie nodded knowingly as she pushed Adam towards a nearby couch, ignoring the snickers from Spike, who watched the scene play out with his arms crossed.

“Miss Pie!” Adam shouted as he came to rest on the couch, “it is far too early in the morning for this!” He reached up and massaged his temples.

“Followed by anger,” Pinkie Pie continued as she flipped through the pages of the book. Out of the corner of his eye, Adam watched helplessly as Twilight Sparkle levitated a quill and scroll from her saddlebags. He then turned to the dragon.

“Spike, can you please get Rarity to stop this madness?”

“No way, Mister ‘I’m a hibiscus guy,’” Spike replied as his smile grew even wider.

“Spike, if you make her stop, I’ll—”

“Does that count as bargaining?” Pinkie Pie flipped through more pages. “Wow, we are just flying through these stages. Don’t worry, Adam, we’ll get through this together.”

She placed a hoof on Adam’s shoulder, who winced when he realized the pain from earlier had now spread to his other shoulder. As Pinkie Pie placed more weight on it, he let out a small cry.

“There, there, Adam,” the mare whispered as the sound of the quill running across the scroll filled the room, “I’m here for you—we all are going to be here for you. It’s okay to feel depressed. You loved Amy, but she’s only going to be a few hours away.” She continued to hug him and then laughed. “It’s not like she’s being banished to the moon.”

Suddenly, a yell from upstairs pierced through the boutique.

“Adam Garnet!”

All creatures froze and slowly turned their gaze to the top of the stairs. Rarity stood over the railing, her nostrils flared and her eyes directed to Adam. Adam gasped when he saw what Rarity held in her telekinetic grasp. He turned back to Pinkie Pie, sighed, and then hunched his shoulders in defeat.

“Oh, I give up.”

“Um… acceptance?” Pinkie Pie asked with an awkward smile.

Rarity took a few deep breaths to control her anger, but even then she couldn’t stop her hooves from trembling as she slowly made her way down the stairs, her gaze never leaving Adam’s as each step echoed in the now silent boutique. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she noticed Spike standing in the corner trying desperately to hide something behind his back.

“Spikey,” Rarity said with as much calm as she could muster, “there are some fabrics downstairs that are in need of organizing. Could you be a dear and go down there and straighten them up, please?”

Spike nodded furiously and within moments had disappeared down the staircase to the basement, his claws clicking on each step. Using her magic, she hurled what she had been holding onto the floor at Adam’s feet. She then turned to the basement door and focused her magic, slamming the door shut.

“Mister Garnet, would you care to explain what that—that rag!” she shouted, “is doing in my boutique?”

She watched as both Adam and Twilight Sparkle looked down at the newspaper, but only the other mares gasped.

“Oh, would you look at that,” Pinkie Pie said as she glanced at Rarity’s and Twilight Sparkle’s angry faces, “I need to get things ready for the ‘Congratulations Adam for going so fast through the Stages of Grief’ party.”

Pinkie Pie disappeared, leaving behind only a puff of smoke that didn’t disappear until after the front door opened and slammed shut once more.

“Why would you have a subscription to the Tall Tale Times?” Rarity continued as she took another step towards him, not stopping when Adam took a step away and fell back onto the couch, “explain yourself!”

“It’s only a newspaper, Miss Rarity.”

“That’s a lie and you know it!”

“Rarity, let him explain—”

“Yes, please do, Adam.”

“It is important to read stories about what ponies in other places think of the human issue,” Adam replied as he ran his fingers through his hair. He clamped his hands together tightly and cracked his knuckles, the sound causing Rarity to grit her teeth.

“Adam, the Tall Tale Times is a well-known anti-humanist newspaper,” Twilight Sparkle explained as she levitated the front page in front of her and began to read it out loud, “‘I was scared for my life,’ said Salt Lick, owner of Saltie’s, where the incident took place, ‘the way they stared at me with their black eyes and snarled at me with their pointy teeth.’ I can’t believe this,” she muttered as she flipped the page, “the human males of Tall Tale are known for their aggressive tendencies, though it is common to their species, according to Doctor Chaser—oh that stallion is a quack and everypony knows it.”

Twilight Sparkle crumbled the newspaper and threw it onto the couch, where it fell onto Adam’s lap. Adam refused to speak, choosing instead to simply rub his sore and now trembling shoulder, his eyes darting across the crinkled newspaper page.

“Well,” Rarity asked, “have you anything to say?”

“I have to know what ponies really think of me—of us,” he quickly corrected himself, “we’ve only been here a year, Miss Rarity. I just want to know what other humans are doing wrong so that I don’t make the same mistakes.”

“Of all the—” Rarity stopped herself as she started pacing back and forth around the boutique. She stopped and then turned to Adam once more. “Tell me this is not the reason you have been so wary of getting to know the other ponies.” She galloped to Adam, who still hadn’t looked up from the article, and reached down to gently pulled his gaze up to meet hers. “Adam, I need you to tell me, right now, that—”

There was another knock at the door, and Rarity huffed and galloped back to the front door. Before she opened it, however, she turned around and levitated the newspaper with her magic and set it aflame.

“This is not over, Mister Garnet.” Rarity took a deep breath and put on a smile before turning back to the door, and as it opened, she began her trademark introduction. “Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where—”

“Where’s Adam?” Applejack shouted as she galloped into the room, her eyes darting back and forth, “there you are.” She made her way to Adam’s side, his gaze widening with each step she took until she finally placed her hooves on his hands. “Adam, I don’t know what to do. I can’t find ‘em!”

“Can’t find what?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“Darling, what is the matter?”

“I can’t find her instructions anywhere!” Applejack shouted as she closed her eyes and threw her head back, “Amy said they’d be on the table, but when I looked, sure as shoot they weren't there!” She let go of Adam and started pacing. “And now, we got Tall Order at the farm, talkin’ ‘bout the land issue.”

“Wait, what land issue?” Twilight Sparkle asked as her wings ruffled.

“Which do you think?” Applejack replied, “he just started in on Sweet Apple Acres bein’ a barony and goin’ on ‘bout it as a tax issue, like he does every year.”

“Oh for the love of—” Twilight Sparkle spread her wings and stomped a hoof on the floor, “tax issue, my rump. Come on, girls, get near me.” She turned to Adam. “Adam, I expect you to be at Sweet Apple Acres soon. Rarity is right—this isn’t over.”

“What’s the matter with Adam?” Applejack asked.

“It’s nothing,” he replied and crossed his arms.

Adam watched the three mares disappear into a ball of light. I wish humans could interact with magic, he thought as he made his way to the front door, then I could have at least been able to teleport with them. He closed the door to the boutique and started the trek to Sweet Apple Acres. A few minutes later, the door to the basement opened and Spike emerged with a triumphant smile on his face.

“Fear not, Miss Rarity,” he said confidently as he held the violet in his claw, “for I have—”

He looked around the room, but when he saw that it was empty, his smile melted away. A single petal detached, fluttering to the floor before he kicked it away and made his way out of the boutique, shutting the door behind himself.

This ain’t happening.

“So you do see what I mean, Mister Apple?”

Big Macintosh narrowed his eyes at Tall Order, who was too busy adjusting his tie and glasses to notice the glare being received. Big Macintosh watched the stallion push a stack of papers across the table.

“Eeyup,” he replied, “just like you said last year.”

Big Macintosh let Tall Order tap his hoof impatiently on the table, though the look he gave eventually convinced the smaller stallion that to do so was not wise. Tall Order gulped and set his hoof back on the floor and instead turned to Granny Smith, but he realized that her glare was even more threatening, so he closed his eyes, sighing in frustration.

“I’ve tried to be reasonable,” he said, “truly, I have. But the fact of the matter is that since your land was given to you by Her Highness, there are certain—tax implications—which can no longer be ignored.”

“I can’t help but wonder why you’re bein’ so adamant about it now,” Granny Smith mused as she placed her hoof on her chin, “This don’t got nothin’ to do with Amy livin’ here, does it?”

“Oh please,” Tall Order scoffed as he took a step back. “The tax credits you received for housing the human has nothing to do with the miscategorization of your land.”

“She ain’t ‘the human’,” Granny Smith shouted as her hoof slammed against the table, “it’s Amy, and she’s my daughter-in—wait, she’s my niece…” She slammed her hoof again. “Dagnabbit, she’s an Apple, through and through.”

Big Macintosh looked through the paperwork. Funny, he thought, the stack of papers looks a lot bigger than last year’s. He went to stand, but the moment he did, he saw Tall Order’s eyes widen and his shoulders tremble, so Big Macintosh simply sighed and sat back down again.

“Please, look at it from our perspective, Mister Apple,” Tall Order pleaded, “don’t you find it a little unfair that all of the other ponies had to purchase their own farms and build them from the ground up?”

He turned back to Granny Smith and pointed a hoof at her.

“The fact that you were given this land has put your family at an unfair advantage for generations. Let me help you make this right—for the sake of harmony.”

The ponies all turned their heads at the sound of the front door opening, but when they didn’t see anypony, they looked down and saw a red bow poking out from the doorway.

“Apple Bloom, go upstairs,” Granny Smith said.

“But Granny, Twi—”

“I said now, young filly.”

They watched as Apple Bloom appeared from behind the doorway, her face crestfallen and her shoulders slumped. She walked quietly through the hall, and they waited until they heard the sound of her hooves reach the upstairs landing before they turned back to one another.

“So, what are the numbers gonna be this year, Mister Order?” Granny Smith asked, shaking her head when she saw the stallion’s eyes dart back and forth between the two Apples.

“If you want to bring everything up to equal hoof with the other families, then it would be a one-time payment of thirty-thousand bits—”

“Thirty… thousand?” Big Macintosh asked, his jaw dropping.

“Or you could just do eighteen-thousand this year and eighteen thousand next year.” Tall Order replied hopefully.

“That is a very steep interest rate, Mister Order,” came a voice from the porch.

Big Macintosh looked up in time to see a lavender aura surround the screen door and push it open, revealing Twilight Sparkle in the doorway with Applejack and Rarity by her side. The moment he saw Rarity, however, he looked past them to see if Adam was with them. He moved further back as Twilight Sparkle trotted into the room and tried hide his smile when he saw Tall Order bow to the floor.

“An additional six-thousand bits of interest for one year?” she asked, but when Tall Order refused to straighten back up, she groaned, “Mister Order, please rise.” She waited for him to stand up again. “Do we really need to have another debate about the amendment to Tax Code three-hundred thirty-seven section seventeen subsection twelve?”

“Your Highness, please,” Tall Order replied as his gaze turned to each pony in the room, one by one, “don’t make me out to be the villain.” His gaze stopped at Big Macintosh and he shivered again. “I didn’t even want to come out here. You have no idea how much pressure I am getting from the other cantons about this single issue.”

Tall Order waited for somepony else to speak, but when the room remained silent, he hung his head and trotted slowly to the door. He paused when he reached Twilight Sparkle, but then turned away, stopping only when his hoof was on the latch.

“Mayor Mare can’t keep pushing it off, either. The mayors of Dodge Junction, Tall Tale, and Appleloosa have petitioned The Royal Court to intervene, and—”

“Cousin Brae would never do such a thing!” Applejack shouted.

“I have said what I came here to say regarding the matter, Miss Apple,” Tall Order said with a snort, “I cannot speak for Mayor Apple’s intentions, but I am sure that he feels, just as the other mayors do, that it is unfair for the Apple Family to continue to have such… connections.” He looked at Twilight Sparkle once more. “Good night, everypony.”

The door slammed shut and the sound of hooves faded. The assembled ponies, however, remained frozen in place, though their expressions showed clearly what they thought. Big Macintosh flipped to the last page of the document, which contained the letter that the other mayors had signed. There, at the bottom, was Braeburn’s signature.

“Twilight, surely there is something—” Rarity began, only to be cut off by Twilight Sparkle.

“He’s right,” Twilight Sparkle said as she levitated the document to get a closer look, “especially with how many families have taken in humans for the tax credits, it only makes sense that it would reach a tipping point sooner or later.”

“Why would Braeburn even sign such a thing?” Applejack asked as she leaned onto the table, “and after he was here just last night.”

“I’m sure he has his reasons, Applejack,” Granny Smith replied as she placed her hoof next to her granddaughter’s, “the way Mister Order put it, Ah wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t even have a say in the matter.”

“He wanted Amy to have her perfect day.”

The mares turned to the corner of the room, where they saw Big Macintosh staring down at the table. He never looked up, even as the others leaned in and waited for him to continued. Finally, Applejack spoke up in his stead.

“After all she’s done for us this year, Ah imagine it was the least he could do.” Applejack made her way to the living room. “Amy didn’t need to have no part of this.” She sighed and then turned to the group. “We can make this work, Ah know it.”

“And don’t forget,” Rarity added, “with how many barrels of apples you have stored, this year’s cider season will be your most successful yet.”

“Shoot,” Applejack said as she placed a hoof to her cheek, “I plum forgot about that. Where’s Adam?” she asked as she looked through the screen door. “Ain’t that far from Carousel Boutique. If this plan’s gonna work, he’s gotta figure out a way to get here, pronto.”

“I think I may have a remedy for that.”

Everypony turned to Rarity, who was currently tapping her hoof against her chin.

“But first,” she continued, “let me make some tea. This event has been quite taxing on all of us, and this will give Adam a chance to arrive.” She gestured to the living room. “Until then, let us try to regain our bearings.”

The ponies nodded and they trotted into the living room as Rarity levitated a kettle into the sink and lit the fire on the stove. As the kettle filled with water, she gazed out into the orchard, noting how the limbs of the trees reached out towards one another, barely touching.

This is for your own good, Adam, she thought as she set the now full kettle onto the stove and watched the water as it slowly came to a boil.

Adam shivered as he made his way down the main road towards Sweet Apple Acres, stopping every few steps when he heard the sound of a twig snapping in the orchard or a strange noise coming from the forest. Thank God Amy’s wedding was yesterday, Adam thought as he looked up at the clouds, she would have probably smacked Rainbow Dash if it had been this cloudy and dark. Adam looked down at his watch, surprised to see that it was only just past noon.

“Seriously?’ he muttered, “I can’t believe I’m this tired.” He looked up and down the road but could see neither Ponyville nor Sweet Apple Acres. “How did Amy do this every Sunday?”

Adam stopped once again when he heard the sound of hooves approaching, and as he focused, he noticed a thin, grey stallion trotting towards him. He stepped to the side and waited, but was surprised when the stallion went out of his way to continue on the other side of the road, as far away from him as possible. Adam waved to him, but winced when the stallion simply huffed and continued on his way. As the stallion’s hoofsteps faded, Adam reached the top of the hill and sighed in relief when he saw the chimney of the homestead of the farm. He squinted and could just make out the form of Rarity’s white fur in the front window, levitating a tea kettle into the air.

Though he was able to see the farmhouse, it still took him a few more minutes to get to the front porch. He grabbed the door handle to let himself in, but stopped when he heard his name.

“Have Adam move in here to help with organizin’?” he heard Applejack ask.

Adam let go of the handle and waited on the front porch as the wind picked up around him. Rarity would have a fit if she found out you were eavesdropping, he thought, though the thought alone couldn’t keep him from wanting to listen.

“Yes,” Rarity replied, “I feel Adam could use the change of scenery.”

“Rarity,” Twilight Sparkle said, “is this about the paper?”

“Of course not. I have simply come to the realization that having Adam at my side has hindered his willingness to get to know more ponies.”

Adam heard the kettle whistle and ducked out of sight the moment he saw Rarity re-enter the kitchen to take it off of the stove.

“Besides,” Rarity continued, “I’m certain he would love it out here. He can’t possibly be taking well to the fact that Amy is gone.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Adam heard Granny Smith ask, the words causing him to furrow his brow, “he ain’t like Amy.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Rarity asked.

“Well…” Adam heard Granny Smith cough as the room went silent. “Adam don’t seem as hearty as his sister.”

“Granny’s right,” Applejack added, “bless his heart, but I need to hire a farmhoof for cider pressin’ season. I don’t think Adam’s cut out for farm work.”

Adam’s eyes narrowed.

“I think this could be a good opportunity for Adam,” Twilight Sparkle said, “he needs to get to know more ponies. Besides, family is important, right, Applejack?”

“Big Mac, what do you think?”

At the mention of Big Macintosh’s name, Adam felt his chest tighten. He reached out again to grab the latch, but fought himself from opening it to reveal that he had arrived. Adam held his breath as the seconds passed. Finally, he heard Big Macintosh sigh.

“Nope.”

Big Macintosh held the teacup in his hooves and struggled to keep himself from breaking it. He turned to Granny Smith as she read through the amended documents through her thick bifocals. He then turned to Twilight Sparkle, her wings fluttering as though they had a mind of their own until she rolled her eyes and willed them back into a prone position. His sister, for her part, simply batted Twilight’s errant wings away from her muzzle while struggling to maintain her composure.

It wasn’t until he looked at Rarity that he felt himself stiffen; the look she now gave was the same look she gave when she had asked him to let Fluttershy to perform one more time in his stead as the bass singer for the Pony Tones. He thought about how he had seen Adam the night before as he stared into the night sky in the direction of Amy’s dirigible. He turned back to his sister and imagined how Adam must have felt, his mind continuing to wander, until it reached the memory of him standing at the gate of Sweet Apple Acres as his sister trotted away to head for Manehatten. He immediately felt his heart drop into his stomach.

But Adam’s just so... little, he thought as the memory of the human cowering in the corner of the boutique burned itself into his mind once more, he wouldn’t last a day out here. He took a breath and set his cup down.

“Nope.”

“Do not underestimate Adam, Mister Macintosh,” Rarity said, “he isn’t as—” Rarity stopped herself when the sound of footsteps on the porch thudded through the air and into the house.

All ponies turned to the entry and watched the screen door open and Adam entered. Big Macintosh noted Adam’s form as he stood in the doorway; the way he instinctively reached up to straighten his tousled hair, the manner in which he quickly brushed away the dust from his shirt, and how, the moment Adam’s eyes met his own, the human quickly turned away.

“I can’t believe that Amy used to walk all the way to Carousel Boutique every Sunday just to have breakfast with me,” Adam said, though Big Macintosh couldn’t help but feel that it was said in a rehearsed tone, “then again, I suppose it is good exercise.”

“Oh good, you’re here,” Rarity said, “we were just about to discuss how to fix the issue that Amy inadvertently left.”

“Oh?” Adam asked.

Big Macintosh turned to Applejack the moment he heard the way Adam ask the question and hummed to himself when he saw that Applejack’s eyebrow was raised.

“Yes,” Applejack replied, “we were just talkin’ ‘bout you.”

“What were you talking about?”

Applejack paused, and when Big Macintosh turned to find out why, he noticed the look she was giving Adam and could tell that she knew he was hiding something. It wasn’t until Adam’s eyes finally met his that he finally could see what it was the human was holding back. Why does he look so hurt, Big Macintosh wondered and he shifted uneasily on the couch, but when he turned to the kitchen and noticed the window was open, his eyes widened.

“Adam, we were wonderin’ if you could come stay on the farm to help figure out this whole barn situation,” Applejack said.

“The assumption, of course, being that if anypony could figure out what was going through Amy’s mind when she organized the barn, it would be you,” Rarity added as she took a sip of tea.

“But it’d be a lot of hard work,” Granny Smith said, “We need all hooves and fingers workin’ to make sure the other chores get done, too.”

Big Macintosh looked down at Adam’s lap and noticed that he was wringing his hands again. He looked over at the table in front of him and saw the kettle sitting next to an unused cup.

“You want some tea?” he asked, smiling when he saw that when Adam looked back up, his hands had stopped shaking.

“Yes, please,” he replied, and when he reached out to take the cup, Big Macintosh felt Adam’s fingers graze his hoof.

For a moment, the house reverted back into an unsettled silence. Granny Smith finally set aside the paperwork onto a nearby table, while on the other side of the room, Twilight Sparkle mumbled tax codes to herself as she brushed away a few pieces of dust from her feathers. Applejack looked at the pictures on the wall, her gaze stopping at the new ones that included Amy towering a foot over the other members of the Apple Family, the only pony coming close to the top of her chest being Big Macintosh himself.

Rarity simply looked on in interest at how Adam and Big Macintosh kept just missing eye contact with one another. With each missed glance, Adam’s gaze grew more narrow and Big Macintosh’s frown grew larger. She cleared her throat and set down her cup.

“Adam, the decision is yours to make,” she said, “but we are caught up at the boutique with regards to work, so you don’t have to worry about me.”

“So long as you think you can handle the work,” Applejack said.

“I can—” Adam began.

“It ain’t that we think you’re weak or nothin',” Big Macintosh blurted out, interrupting him, “we just don’t wanna see you gettin’ yourself hurt is all.”

“I appreciate the concern, Mister Macintosh,” Adam replied, “but I am not as fragile as I obviously appear.”

Big Macintosh didn’t have to be the element of honesty to read the truth that Adam said through his eyes as his gaze turned to each pony in the room. As Adam continued, Big Macintosh’s ear twitched at the sound of certain words that were emphasized.

“I grew up on the same farm as Amy. I may not look as heart—as strong as Amy, but I can work. Besides, I haven’t been given the chance to get to know other ponies. The change of… pace, will be a welcome vacation. It is peaceful out here.” He paused and took a sip of tea. “Besides, with all that you’ve done for Amy, you all have made her so happy. I just want to do what I can to help.”

Big Macintosh placed a hoof on his chin, giving Adam a thoughtful expression. He smiled, trotted to the chair that Adam was seated in, and then offered his hoof. Adam returned the smile as his fingers wrapped around and brushed against his fetlocks.

“You’re hired,” Big Macintosh said, eliciting a giggle from Applejack as Adam simply rolled his eyes, “we expect you first thing in the mornin’,”

“Oh dear,” Adam said as he let go of Big Macintosh’s hoof and leaped out of the chair, “that doesn’t give us much time to pack.” He turned to his current employer. “Miss Rarity? Care to come back and help me?”

“A week’s worth of wardrobes? That won’t be a problem,” Rarity replied.

“Beg pardon?” Applejack asked.

“Well,” Adam explained, “you have your morning work outfit, your afternoon lazing about outfit—”

“Ah yes,” Rarity mused, “the ‘lazing about-fit.”

“The evening going outfit,” he continued to list, “not to mention the emergency outfit and the sleepwear. And then you simply multiply it by seven.”

“Oh, Mister Garnet,” Rarity said as she wiped a tear from her eye, “why aren’t there any stallions like you out there?”

“That’s—” Applejack said, her eyes widened in disbelief, “a lot of baggage.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure we can get Spikey to help us—”

“Oh no! Spike!”

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes widened and her wings flared out. Her horn glowed, and a moment later, she was gone in a flash of light. The remaining ponies headed to the porch, stopping only when Granny Smith noticed a bow poking out from the top of the stairs. She coughed, and Apple Bloom began to hop down the steps.

“Is Uncle Adam stayin’ with us?”

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh replied.

Adam stared out towards the barn in the distance. If anyone can figure this out, it’s you, he thought back to what the others said. Rarity and Big Macintosh stood on either side of him as Applejack leaned out from the porch and lowered her stetson. It was only late afternoon, but the clouds had grown darker and the wind began to pick up.

“Storm’s comin’,” Big Macintosh said.

“It was originally going to be two days,” Rarity said, “but Amy… convinced… Rainbow Dash to push a two-day storm into one larger one this evening.”

“Amy threatened her, didn’t she?” Adam asked, though he knew the answer.

“It is as though she doesn’t care at all what ponies think of her,” Rarity replied as she leaned in to Adam, “speaking of which, there is still the matter of the paper to discuss.”

“I understand. Let’s head back before the storm starts.”

As the two began to head back to the boutique, Adam felt a hoof brush against his side. He looked over and saw Big Macintosh staring up at him.

“You sure you’re gonna be okay comin’ out here?” he asked.

“Don’t you worry about me,” Adam replied with a smile, “I know Apples may be strong, but a Garnet is made out of tough stuff, as well.”

Rarity chuckled at the pun. The two waved goodbye. Applejack waved her hat in the air, but Big Macintosh simply stood in the yard and watched as Adam and Rarity’s figures grew smaller and smaller until they finally disappeared behind the hill going towards Ponyville.

“Hope they get back to the boutique in time,” Applejack said from behind, “I don’t care how tough he claims to be, I can only imagine whose shrieks would be louder if those two got caught in the rain.”

Big Macintosh heard the door behind him slam. He looked up once more to the sky as the wind threw his mane back and forth and he watched as a few pegasi flew quickly through the clouds, pushing the stratus together to form them into cumulous. He waited for a moment, shook his head, and then headed back inside.