Applejack's Love Bug

by Applefai

Chores and Choices

Pix Sprite went to bed shortly after Applejack, he knew something was off and he knew it had something to do with Rainbow Dash, he knew that Applejack had told him not to worry about it but he couldn't help it.

He lays in his bed looking up at the ceiling, wondering how he could help fix this, 'I could invite Rainbow Dash and Applejack to the same location, or maybe…no,' he thinks to himself as he contemplates silently.

He tosses and turns in his bed, trying not to think about it, eventually falling asleep after a few hours.

The alarm sounds four hours later, waking him up. He groans slightly as he dismisses the alarm and gets out of bed.

He groggily heads downstairs, noticing that everypony else is still asleep. ''Hmm, I forgot I set the alarm ten minutes early," Pix said to himself as he headed out the door and started doing the daily chores.

He had been living with the Apples for a few months now and had grown accustomed to farm life, he quickly and effectively milks the cows, feeds all the livestock, and even harvests the ripe apples all before anypony else wakes up. 'I'll have to make sure not to make this a habit, though the evening chores will come around,' he thinks to himself as he places the apples in the barn and the milk in bottles.

When Pix Sprite returns inside he opens the fridge and gets out hay bacon, eggs, and milk, he gets out the pancake mix and starts making breakfast for the Apples, when he grips the cast iron skillet with his hoof however, it slightly burns him causing him to wince in pain.

He grits his teeth as he prepares breakfast, he starts cooking the hay bacon, making sure to get it crispy. As he cooks, the smell of the food drifts through the air, making its way to the rooms of the Apple family.

Applejack is the first to wake up and head downstairs to see Pix Sprite finishing up.

"Morning, Sweetie," Pix says as he notices her, putting the final egg on the plate.

"Morning, Pix you didn't have to do this," Applejack says as she comes up and hugs him.

Pix embraces the hug with his burnt hood. "I know, but I wanted to," he replies as he hands Applejack her plate.

Applejack went to grab the plate when she noticed his burn and gasped. "Pixie, are you ok, you burned yourself?" Applejack asked as she put her plate on the table before examining Pix's hoof.

"Yeah I'm ok," Pix replied as Applejack looked at his burn.

"Did you burn yourself?" The orange mare asked as she looked at Pix with concern in her eyes.

"Yeah, but it's ok, it'll heal," Pix said as he placed hay bacon, eggs, and some pancakes on Applejack's plate before pouring her a glass of milk.

Applejack couldn't help but to look at the burn, "I can help you doctor that if ya want," Applejack offered. "Gotta be careful, that skillet gets pretty hot," Applejack said as she waited for the others to get downstairs.

"The pan wasn't hot at the time I got this burn," Pix replied, confusing Applejack as Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith, came in and sat down.

"What do you mean, Pixie?" AppleJack asked.

"I'll tell ya later," Pix said as he served the rest of the family.

"Hmmmmm, this smells pretty good, Pix Sprite, you sure know your way around an oven," Granny Smith said as she bowed her head and led the family in grace.

"Thank ya," Pix replied after Granny finished saying grace. "I'll admit, it's not bad for my first time by myself," Pix said while smiling.

"Yeah, you did do good, I remember teaching you before we left for town that one day," Applejack replied as Pix smiled.

"You'd make a good teacher," Pix replied, making Applejack blush.

"It really is good, Pix, the first time I cooked I ended up burning everythin'," Big Mac said as he dug in.

"Yeah, it's really good, Pix, maybe you and Applejack can teach my friend, Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom replied as she went back to eating.

"Well, I'm glad you all like it, I made it with love," Pix replied, making them all snicker a bit.

Hearing them snicker made Pix smile. "It's true though, us changelings can cook and make with the love we consume," he admitted.

The revelation shocked the family, but they still ate breakfast knowing that it was willfully given love. "So that's what love tastes like," Granny said as she looked at Pix. "Does love ever have a different flavor?" She asked as Pix sat by Applejack and ate his breakfast.

"Yes actually, depending on the circumstance, the passion, and the type of love. For example, Trixie's love will taste like bruised fruit or those brown spots on bananas," Pix said as Apple Bloom gagged at the thought.

"Oh, I hate those spots," she replied as Pix smiled.

"Pix, really, how did you get that burn from a cold skillet?" Applejack asked, changing the subject.

Pix Sprite sighed as he knew he couldn't hide it. "It's because I'm a changeling," Pix said as all the family looked at him.

"I know it sounds weird, but cast iron or iron, in general, burns us changelings, because of our fairylike anatomy," Pix replied.

"So like vampires and garlic?" Applejack asked.

"Precisely," Pix replied. "We can still eat iron-rich foods, though," Pix continued

"Maybe we can find different skillets so you can cook if you want to," Applejack said as Pix shook his head.

"Nah, it's ok, I don't mind a little burn, it heals fast anyway," Pix says as he finishes his plate

"Well, I want to Pixie, I wouldn't feel right if we ignored that," Applejack said as Pix nodded.

"Ok Aj," Pix said as he gathered the plates and started doing dishes.

Applejack stayed in the kitchen while the rest of the family left to do what little chores were left. "I'm really glad we found each other, Pix," Applejack said as she helped him dry the plates and put them in the rack.

"I am too, I'm just really sorry that it caused a rift between you and your friend," Pix said as Applejack looked down.

"Really hun, don't worry about it, if she can't accept you and be civil, I don't want to be around her," Applejack replied as she put the last dish in the rack.

"I'm gonna see what I can do around the farm, you go on and take the rest of the day off," Applejack said as she planted a kiss on Pix's cheek. "You earned it," she said as she left the kitchen.