Beneath a princess

by Aether Nexus

The train home

Applejack was lost.

Not literally, she was on the friendship express bound for Ponyville, but what would she find there?

Love?
Family?
Friends?
A home?

She’d found happiness, she’d been content. Then everything changed, and she’d lost everything. The fact that everything was her fault wasn’t even the worst part.

The worst part was that she would never even be able to say sorry.

********************

“You can rest when it's over Big Macintosh. Ride! Ride!”

*We’re not going to make it*. I thought to myself, I hadn’t been able to keep count of the difference, but them brothers were easily throwing out double the amount of barrels we are, perhaps triple?

I could hear the ponies talking, but ah couldn’t pay them any attention or I’d lose speed on the apple bucking. Mayor Mares voice though, her’s did cut through my racing heartbeat.

“Flim, Flam, would you object to honourary family members helping?”

“Are you kidding? We don’t care if the whole kingdom of Canterlor helps, it’s a lost cause” replied one of the brothers. I couldn’t help but stop. Honourary family members? There weren’t any other Apples in Ponyville, close or distant, who could it be? I saw a group of ponies approach and really, I should have known better than to wonder who it could have been.

Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash, my best friends, and of course, she was leading them. How could I not smile, together we’d faced terrible trials and gone on fantastic adventures, of course, there honourary Apples.

“I think I’d love ta have the rest of my, family helping out.”

In the end, it didn’t matter. We lost, but after tasting the cider made by those brothers, the ponies of Ponyville chased the varmints out of town. Of course, we had to have a cider party afterward, and with all of Ponyville in attendance, it was a good thing we had so much cider. Pinkie even opened a secret stash of apple cupcakes, that filly sure is strangely good at being prepared.

I walked past many ponies who congratulate me before they’d return to their previous conversations, but that was fine, there was only one pony I needed to speak with, fortunately, it wasn’t long before I found her speaking with Mayor Mare.

There had been something that had been on my mind for a while now, it wasn’t until I tried bucking the entire apple harvest on my own that I’d realised what I was starting to feel for the unicorn who’s once again come to my rescue. And here she was, saving my flank again, it was about time I was honest with myself and honest with Twilight Sparkle.

“Well Miss Sparkle, I shall leave you to your cider for now, and it would seem that Miss Applejack is coming over to speak to you. Until the next time.”

As Mayor Mare left, I quickly took her place.

“Hiya Twi, hope you’re enjoying the cider.”

“Of course Applejack, there's nothing better than your family's cider, thanks again by the way.”

“Way I see it sugarcube, if it weren’t for you, me and ma family would be packin our things round about now, you saved us ya know.”

Twilight was taken aback, she was so cute when she’d been caught off guard, “I didn’t really do that much, just a bit of magic, any unicorn could have done that.”

“But it was you who did Twi, though that’s not the full reason I’m thank’in ya for. What I wanted to thank ya for was for stickin' up for us, there were a lot of ponies in the crowd, most of Ponyville I’d wager, but not one of them tried to raise a hoof to help. But you stepped up, came to our rescue, and even got the girls working on the jobs they could help most with too. Sure we lost, but if it wasn’t for you, those snakes wouldn’t have kicked that contraption into overdrive, ruining their cider.”

Twilight blushed, I could hear my heart beating fast as my legs turned to jelly. Part of me wanted to turn heel and run, but if not now, then when would I say something?

“It was nothing AJ, I’m sure some pony would have stepped forward if I hadn’t.”

“An yet it was you who did. So you’re the pony getting the thanks.” Ah took a deep breath, now or never. “I was wonderin, would ya be willing to get some grub in town? Say tomorrow evening?”

I said it!

Twilight looked shocked, I hope I didn’t screw it up. “That's not necessary Applejack, knowing your family will be keeping the farm and this cider is enough thanks for me, you don’t need to do anymore.”

She said … did she think I was asking her for food as thanks for saving the farm? I should go with that! Save face and forget about this, but I don’t want to forget.

“I’m not askin' ya as thanks Twi.” Deep breath, don’t panic. “I err, been thinkin’ about this for a while now, about you. I have feelings for you Twilight Sparkle, so if you’re willin, I’d look to take you out, for a date.”

I SAID IT.

I could almost hear party streamers exploding in my mind, now, all that was left was to hear her answer. Though judging from the dumbfounded look on her adorable face, I’m startin’ to think I made a mistake., by Celestia I think my heart’s going to explode.

“Yes.”

Oh, she said yes.

********************

“Attention all passengers, we will be arriving in Ponyville in 5 minutes, there will be a 15-minute opportunity to get refreshments before we continue onwards to Baltimare.”

Baltimare? For a moment Applejack considered simply staying on the train, but that thought was quickly pushed out of her mind.

Her family would undoubtedly be worried after what happened in Appaloosa, and she needed to tell them about what transpired in Canterlot.

If only she'd wake up and realise this was all a bad dream.

Author's Note:

Ok, so I lied, 02:30 on a Tuesday is not Saturday ... I FORGOT TO HIT SUBMIT.

And this isn't a one-shot, I was driving myself a little bit mad so it's now in 3 pieces, but it's definitely 3, it's already 100% planned.

Comments

[Stahlseele]

Beneth

Really? In the Title?

[Luna MacArthur]

Fix yo title bro. It's spelled Beneath.

[Uzume Tennouboshi]

Title should be beneath. As for the short description:

Heading home after a fight with her ex-marefriend, Applejack reflects on her relatiopnship with Equestrias newest princess.[/quote

You misspelled relationship and are missing a comma. If this is your spelling ability, no one's going to read your fic.

Either level up your game, or vanish into the mists of time.

[Aether Nexus]

11661480
Thanks, this is why I shouldn't decide to upload at 2 am.

[Mystic Sunrise]

11661591
Ya think?

[Aether Nexus]

11662021

Lesson learned not the part about writing at 2am, it's that time again and I'm still writing/ editing.

But I'm going to give it a re-read at a more social time, and make sure to catch the stupid errors. No more putting 'my' instead of 'me'.

[zachary12]

nice