Apples and Cherry Blossoms

by Archangel2401

Chance Meeting

The rest of his morning was spent galloping all over Ponyville, performing his crucial errands and enlisting as much aid as he could. Hiroki seriously hoped his ancestors were watching over any one of his other family members at that precise moment. He suspected that if they could see the hoops he was having to jump through, some of his more stringent and traditional kin would certainly have expected him to throw himself on his own sword to salvage his honor. And this was all for the sake of making dinner. But this wasn't just any dinner. This was royalty. A good impression had to be made.

Honor demanded it.

Hiroki was a blur of movement as he dashed through the streets of Ponyville, slowing to a canter long enough to get his bearings before speeding to a gallop. He was making a list of things he'd need and kept repeating them over and over in his head. Teppan. Bonbori. Hotaru. Nobori. Ringo. Ōku no ringo. At least he wouldn't have to worry about that last one, having sent Isamaru to barter with Applejack on his behest. That meant four other ponies he'd have to do business with... who would he ask to help him?

He needed lanterns. It was doubtful there was a shop dedicated for what he needed. What would be the next best thing? Light bulbs? No, that had no elegance. Balloons? This was royalty, not a child's birthday party. Some sort of party favors... Pinkie Pie. A slow sigh of exasperation escaped him at this particular realization. No time to lament, however.

If he could get lanterns he needed to light them. It was far too costly to use liquid fuels, not when hotaru could light them just as well. Who could help him get a hold of fireflies? Someone that worked with animals, perhaps Fluttershy might be able to point him in the right direction. Then again he might not need them It wouldn't matter if he couldn't secure the lanterns first.

Nobori. A banner. He needed something elaborate. Welcoming. Regal. Where could he get the appropriate material? It's not like he could go to his village silk weaver and ask for a length of... wait, was it that easy? Carousel Boutique was just across the river from his Red Apple Restaurant... Rarity.

The only thing he wasn't sure he could get was the teppan grill. His thoughts ran rampant as he galloped through the streets of Ponyville, deciding to make Ponyville Marketplace his first stop. Could he fashion a griddle himself? Where would he get the iron plate? How would he secure it to the table? How would he light it? No, his best hope would be to find a grill ready to use. Hiroki rounded a corner far too quickly and found himself face to face with Applejack.

Or more accurately, he ran headlong into Applejack. She let out a yelp of surprise and he grunted heavily as they both went crashing, their respective hats knocked free by the impact. Being hitched to her cart allowed the workhorse a lingering moment of stability as the samurai hit the ground first. Hiroki recovered quickly and sprang up onto all fours, putting a foreleg out and around her shoulder to catch Applejack before she'd joined him in the dirt. A swift kick was simultaneously sent to keep the cart from toppling over and taking her with it anyway.

"What in tarnation?! Why don't you watch-" Applejack shook her head vigorously, dazed from the abrupt collision when she found herself being held by a steel-gray foreleg. She looked up to see Hiroki bowing his head profusely and muttering what was likely an apology in his native tongue. When his head rose their eyes met. His deep viridian gaze lingered into her green eyes, followed up with a twinge of red as each blushed with embarrassment. The ire in her voice dissipated quickly. "- where you're goin'?"

"S-Sumimasen, forgiveness please..." Hiroki let go of Applejack instantly, his head whipping left and right to locate their fallen chapeaux. He grabbed a hat off the ground and placed it over her head, before kicking the second up off the ground to land on his own and bowed deeply in apology again. He had already started back towards the market when Applejack called out to him, causing him to remain still.

"Uh... partner?" The samurai's head drooped with shame as he slowly turned around to face the apple farmer, expecting to receive an earful.

After it didn't come Hiroki looked up finally to see Applejack staring at him with an expression of great amusement, shown by the grin tugging at her mouth from beneath his straw hat and one of her green eyes peering at him from a slight split in the rim. His jaw fell open slightly at the image of Applejack standing there wearing his hat with the morning sun beaming down on her. It made her coat sheen like honey, her golden mane and tail shining like sunlight. It was though she was on her way to the apple orchards or the rice fields back home... Applejack cleared her throat gently and he quickly snapped out of his enamored state. With a gesture up high it gave way to his own eyes rolling up to see her Stetson hat sitting up on his head, now realizing his mix up. Hiroki's embarrassment escalated tenfold in that moment, averting his gaze and letting his cerulean fringe shield him from having to make eye contact as he plucked her hat from his head.

"It's all right sugar cube, just slow down a bit. Where's the fire anyway?" Applejack snickered as she flipped the hat from her head and caught it between her teeth, swinging it to come to rest atop Hiroki's noggin where it belonged. He reciprocated the gesture and moved to place the Stetson hat to it's proper place on her head.

"Forgiveness please..." Hiroki repeated, keeping his head lowered so that the brim of his hat kept his eyes hidden. It did nothing to hide the rise of color in his cheeks. The samurai leaned away slightly, his body language suggesting he wanted to keep moving. "...much to do. Big evening."

"Oh yeah?" She wouldn't stall him, but Applejack figured a little curiosity was a fair trade after nearly being run over.

"Dinner. For you." He was so distracted the implication didn't set in that Isamaru must not have found her yet. Hiroki nodded quickly, adding hastily upon seeing the expression of surprise on Applejack's face. "A-and your friends. And the Princesses. Please excuse, much to do. Sayōnara." The samurai bowed his head deeply with his farewell, giving Applejack a small smile before spinning on hoof, charging up into the market and leaving her snickering gently.

"Dinner? Well that's mighty sweet of him..." Applejack allowed herself a grin. Then it began to sank in and her moment of girlish glee evaporated.

"Wait, what now? The Princesses? Does he mean Princess Celestia and Princess Luna? They're comin' here?! Tonight?!?! Oh horse apples... I hope that means I don't gotta get all gussied up..." Applejack sighed and shook her head, feeling both excited and now nervous with anticipation as she turned to haul her empty cart away. "I suppose I better go talk to Twilight..."

- - - - - - - - - -

His head whipped left and right as Hiroki slowed to a trot, scanning the vendors present for his desired bounty. He wasn't holding his breath however as there were plenty of things he could use, but not what he needed. Passing a stall selling fresh avocados made him linger, staring longingly at the ample fruit. The stall next to it had was bearing cucumbers and heads of lettuce. No, this would have to wait. He shook his head quickly and continued on. He paced up and down the rows of stalls, carts, vendors and passed soaps, decorative ceramics, even book seller. Hiroki was beginning to think his endeavor was doomed to failure and just as he was about to move on towards his next stop, a gleam of light caught the corner of his eyes.

Having stopped at the stall there was an elderly Unicorn with a pale yellow coat and a graying mane, sitting behind a weathered metal table. The cutie mark on his rump looked like a basket of fries. The gleam he'd seen were rays of the morning sun reflecting off ancient and battered looking utensils that lined the surface of his stall. Side by side with a ladle were several spatulas, three different sized spoons, a beaten set of measuring cups, and even a dented cast iron skillet. It was all second-hoof and used none-too-gently, but as a chef himself he knew that's what made them special. They had experience. Been used for cooking. The elderly Unicorn smiled and touched a hoof to the table.

"See anything ya' like friend?" Hiroki bowed his head politely, moving his viridian gaze across the weathered utensils. He glanced to the Unicorn's hoof and realized that the surface beneath it was actually steel... a lot of steel.

"Kore wa gurirudesu ka? Ah... is this... a grill?"

"Hm? Ohhh, yessir! Good eye. Only the finest quality stainless steel right here, with a nice chrome plating over the griddle. Used it over at the Hay Burger, flipped a looooot of burgers on this puppy." The old fry cook chuckled, giving the grill a few adoring pats.

"Ikura? How much?"

"Hold up there sonny, this thing hasn't grilled in ages. I've just been usin' it as my stall table. It hasn't even got a heating element-"

"Kaimasu." The aging Unicorn raised one of his bushy eyebrows and Hiroki corrected himself as he thrust a drawstring pouch filled with bits into the vendor's hoof. "I'll take it."

"Hah, if you say so- Whoa, hang on just a minute! What about your change...?" Hiroki waved one hoof dismissively as if to say it was his to keep, already moving to one side of the grill so he could begin to push it. The Unicorn chuckled and his horn glimmered with magic, clearing off the rest of his ancient cooking utensils and calling after the samurai. "Careful, you don't wanna throw your back out!"

"Arigatōgozaimasu." Hiroki replied back to the elderly pony, now too focused on moving this hefty steel appliance to thank him in a language he was sure to understand. He needed to get this thing back and cleaned up. Looking to the position of the sun he guessed he'd lost about thirty minutes, give or take. There was still so much to do and time was not working with him. The evening may be important, but the afternoon still had to be business as usual.

He still had to open his shop for lunch.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Author's Note:

Translations:

Teppanyaki - A kind of Japanese cuisine using an iron griddle to cook. Often known in Western culture as 'hibachi'.
Bonbori - A style of Japanese paper lamp.
Hotaru - Fireflies.
Nobori - A large banner used by samurai to denote units of an army. Today more widely used as advertising outside of businesses.
Ringo. Ōku no ringo. - Apples. Lots of apples.
Sayōnara - Good bye!
(Hiroki translates for himself during his interaction with the fry cook pony.)

Comments

[Moongaze14]

Gotta say that his encounter with AJ was sweet.

[Noctus Umbra]

If they do not end up together by the end of this fic and have little Sakuras running around:
encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSx3WOwXZMYgQ7W-HdFcnPSM1jfsVY1FmXHC_87NU0R-SzWa3Np

[DualKitsune]

.....I am Not shipping. I did not start shipping when I saw the title, and the shipping has most certainly NOT intensified.