Chapter 1: A Vacation?

Wings open.

Hooves shoulder width apart.

Bend your knees.

Take a deep breath.

Now push off!

The light blue pegasus launched himself off the cloud he was standing on. He flapped his wings and went into an upward climb. Pointing his forehooves forward and extending his hind hooves back, he streamlined himself as his climb became vertical. Higher and higher he went, the air growing colder around him. When he saw his breath as fog coming from his nostrils, he took it as his signal.

He folded his wings, relishing the few seconds that his ascent slowed and he hung weightless in the air. He arched his back as gravity took over, putting himself into a nosedive. The wind whipped around him, his flight suit helping him cut through the air and his dark blue mane flowing.

Below him, the stack of grey, water –laden clouds and the single black thunderhead he had set up earlier began to get bigger and bigger. As he fell, he accelerated. His view of the sky became distorted as the sonic barrier began to form around him. If he broke the barrier, he would have done a sonic rainboom, but he wasn’t trying to break it. The clouds were lined up before him, three grey ones and then the thunderhead. He carefully judged the distance to the thunder head, adjusting his speed so that the barrier wouldn’t snap him back before he hit it.

He closed the distance and hit the first cloud, drenching himself and causing a small rainfall to follow him. He punched through the second and third clouds shortly thereafter; now for the thunderhead. He opened his wings and began flapping, pushing at the barrier. It began forming into a cone and he felt it push back, almost ready to slingshot him.

Almost there. Just a little bit farther.

The barrier pushed back at him harder and harder. He was getting closer and closer to the thunderhead.

Two hundred feet.

One hundred fifty.

One hundred.

Fifty feet.

He gave the barrier one final push as he hit the cloud.

Time stood still. He was in the middle of the thunderhead. He winced as the electrical energy in the cloud conducted through the water covering his body. The barrier snapped back, launching him out of the cloud. He straightened his body as he flew through the air like a rocket. The snap had been like a good kick in the middle of the cloud and its pent up energy was released. The energy connected between the water on his body, the droplets in the air, and the dissipating thunderhead itself, causing an artificial lightning bolt to arc behind him as he sailed away through the air. As he began to decelerate, he shot his wigs open, sending electrically charged water droplets everywhere and, for a split second, creating a webbing of mini electrical currents between his sides and his wings.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” he shouted, feelings of pure joy and elation soaring through his chest as he soared across the sky. The lightning dissipated and a rumble of thunder boomed, signaling the end of his trick. With a few flaps of his wings he slowed himself to a stop and floated over to a nearby cloud where another pegasus was waiting.

“Well, kid, waddya think?” he asked, landing on the cloud. “Do I know how to put on a show or what?”

The other pegasus, a blue mare with a white mane, just stood there, mouth agape, for several seconds. She shook her head and finally replied.

“That was amazing, sir! I’ve never seen anything like it! I wish I could do something like that.”

He waved a hoof dismissively. “Don’t worry; you’ll come up with your own signature trick someday. It’s a lot like getting your cutie mark. Just keep learning new tricks and then master your favorite ones. Now come on, I think that’s enough training for today. Let’s go hit the showers.”

The two took to the air and headed towards the Cloudsdale cloudiseum.

“By the way, sir,” the mare spoke up, “I’d just like to say thanks for helping me get these new tricks down pat.”

“No problem, kid.” Suddenly a thought crossed his mind and he reached up a hoof. “Hoof bump.”

The mare accepted the offer and bumped her hoof to his.

“Ow!” She flinched as she received a small shock from the left over electrical charge on him.

“Ha ha! That one never gets old.”

“Very funny, sir,” she said, letting a small smile on her face at his harmless prank.

“Oh, that’s another thing. Quit calling me sir. This isn’t the royal guard and I may have seniority but I’m not your superior; we’re teammates. Call me Soarin’.”

“Yes, sir- I mean Soarin’.”

The two eventually reached the cloudiseum and Soarin’ headed for the stallions’ showers. He walked down the rows of lockers until he reached his own. Opening his locker, he paused to glance at the various items inside. On the door were two pictures, one of him and a few other Wonderbolts making silly faces at the camera, the other of him standing next to his mom and holding up a letter of induction to the Wonderbolts. On the top shelf of the locker were a few of the little things he had collected over the years. On the second shelf was his spare uniform. Finally, resting at the bottom of the locker was a small, wooden box.

He slipped out of his uniform and tossed it in the locker. Turning, he made his way over to the shower, his hooves clicking on the tile floor as he went. He turned the handle and let out a contented sigh as the hot water cascaded down his skin.

He got the soap, lathered up, and began to wash himself, letting his mind wander. He had been a member of the Wonderbolts for about eight years and things were going great. He had recently been promoted to lieutenant, and had been given the job of helping to break in the new recruits. He still insisted on being treated like a teammate, but a couple of his friends teased him about his promotion by giving him exaggerated salutes and calling him ‘sir.’ He smiled at this, knowing it was only friendly teasing and that they still thought of him as their equal.

The door to the locker room suddenly creaked as it opened and a mare’s voice called for him.

“Hey, Soarin’, you in there?”

“Yeah, Spitfire, you need something?”

“Boss wants to see you in his office ASAP.”

He rolled his eyes. He knew exactly what this was about. It also didn’t surprise him that Spitfire was sent to get him. She had been promoted to Captain of the Wonderbolts about the same time he had gotten his promotion. She now spent somewhat less time on the field and more time planning what they did on it. It also meant that her office was right next to Boss’s and was that she was sometimes given tedious little jobs that Boss didn’t feel like doing.

“Alright, I’ll be out in a little while.”

He finished his shower, grabbed a towel and dried himself off. Tossing the towel in a hamper on his way out, he left the locker room through the door that led into the main building. He made his way over to the lobby. It was a large, open space with a huge chandelier and the Wonderbolts insignia on the floor underneath it. The ceiling went all the way up to the seventh floor, where Boss’s office was.

He smiled mischievously and flapped his wings, flying up to the seventh floor and alighting on the balcony that overlooked the lobby. Boss hated when he did that. He walked through the glass doors and into Boss’s office.

Eugene Boss was the Wonderbolts’ manager. A couple of the older members on the team had given him the nickname “no soul” because he didn’t seem to have one. The nearly bald, entirely gray pegasus always had a scowl on his face and nothing mattered to him other than the bottom line. Soarin’ was willing to bet that if Boss found a starving kitten in an alley, he would make a Wonderbolt hold it long enough for the cameras to take a cute picture and then he’d toss the critter right back.

Not even Boss’s office had any personality. The walls on either side were white and completely bare. At the back was a large window that overlooked the Wonderbolts practice field. In the middle of the room was a desk with a few papers on it and nothing else. Boss was sitting at the desk, reading some trivial paperwork.

“You wanted to see me, Boss?” asked Soarin’ as he approached the desk.

The gray pegasus didn’t even look up. “Your vacation starts tomorrow. Two weeks.”

Soarin’ rolled his eyes. “Boss, I told you. I don’t need a vacation.”

“Well, you’re getting one, he replied sternly. “Your contract states you get at least two weeks, twice a year as long as you don’t have a show coming up soon. Oh, and don’t let me catch you hanging around here or I’ll suspend you without pay.”

Soarin’ was about to challenge him, but thought better of it. Boss’s head was still looking down, but his beady eyes had glanced up at him and he knew better than to push it when Boss gave him that look. With a growl, he accepted defeat and left the office. Spitfire was leaning against the railing of the balcony when he came out.

“How’d it go?” she asked.

“Two week vacation,” he grumbled.

She gasped. “Oh no,” she said sarcastically, “he might as well have grounded you.”

He gave her a half-lidded stare. “I’m serious, Spits, I don’t want a vacation.”

“Wow, Soarin’,” she said, shaking her head and giving him a small smile, “you’re the only pony I know who doesn’t like vacations.”

“It’s not that I don’t like vacations, I just don’t need them. A vacation is something you do when you need a break from normal life, and I don’t need a break. I like my life, I like my job. What would I do on a vacation anyway? I’ve already seen most of Equestria doing shows with the team. The only thing to do is fly around, and I can get paid to do that here.”

“Or, y’know,” suggested Spitfire, “you could go relax in the sun on a beach somewhere.”

He shook his head. “I’m not doing that for two weeks.”

“Tell you what,” she said, removing herself from the railing, “how about if I talk to Boss about taking my vacation and I’ll show you how normal ponies have fun. I’ll find some stuff for us to do, just please promise me you’ll try to have a good time.”

He sighed. “Alright.”

They agreed to meet at Soarin’s house the next day and Spitfire went to talk to Boss. Soarin’ leapt off the balcony and plummeted to the bottom of the lobby. Opening his wings at the last minute he soared out the door and flew home.

The sun was beginning to set as he landed in front of his large cloud house. He walked inside and turned on the light. Looking around the room, he sighed to himself. This was another reason he didn’t like vacations.

Soarin’s house was in the upper-class part of Cloudsdale. The good part of this was that the paparazzi weren’t allowed near his house, so he didn’t have to deal with them if he didn’t want to. The bad part was that other ponies didn’t visit often. Soarin’ loved to interact with his fans. Sure, some of them were a little crazy, but most of them shared his genuine love of flying and he liked to feel that connection.

After a quick dinner, Soarin’ went upstairs and plopped on his puffy bed. Turning over on his back, he placed his hooves behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. He began thinking that maybe a vacation wouldn’t be so bad. After all, he’d get to hang out with Spitfire and the two of them hadn’t been able to just hang out outside of practice for quite some time. It would be nice to just hang out with his best friend since foalhood. He smiled to himself and fell asleep.

Chapter 2: PIE! and lots of it.

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Chapter 2: PIE! And lots of it!

Soarin’ awoke dark and early out of habit. Most ponies would have called it bright and early, but the sun wasn’t even up yet so it was anything but bright. He got out of bed, dropped to the floor and started doing pushups. Some of his teammates didn’t see the point of doing pushups with their hooves, but Soarin’ knew a few tricks that incorporated running and liked to keep himself in tip-top shape. After fifty pushups with his hooves he did fifty with his wings, followed by sit-ups and some stretches.

His morning warm-up out of the way, he went downstairs and out the door onto the part of cloud that qualified as his front porch. He walked around it to the eastern side of his house and laid down on his stomach. It was almost time for Celestia to raise the sun. There was a faint pink glow emanating from the horizon. As he sat and watched, the glow transitioned to orange and then to yellow as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. The few clouds floating lazily through the sky were painted a dull purple.

He smiled. He always enjoyed watching the sunrise. He didn’t like the sunrise on the day of the summer sun celebration as much; it passed by too quickly. When Celestia raised the sun on a normal day, she did it much more slowly, as there was no need to put on a show for anypony. It was just beauty for beauty’s sake.

As more of the sun came over the skyline, the colors began fading to sky blue. He stood up and walked to the very edge of the cloud. He lifted his head up slightly and closed his eyes, feeling the cool morning breeze against his coat and the first rays of sun warming his face. He took in a deep breath, smelling the crisp morning air and relishing in the promise of a new day.

He slowly leaned forward and fell off of the cloud. After falling for a few seconds he opened his wings and let the wind carry him. He flew into an updraft and slowly rose higher and higher, then let himself circle lazily down. He tried not to exert himself; he knew he could probably goad Spitfire into a race or an aerial contest and wanted to save his strength.

He’d been aimlessly drifting for about half an hour when he saw a bright yellow speck heading in the direction of his house. With a few flaps of his wings he flew in that direction as well and alighted on his porch in a matter of moments. Spitfire was standing there waiting for him.

“Hey,” she greeted him, “I brought you breakfast.”

She pulled a paper bag out of her saddlebags and hoofed it over to him.

“Thanks,” he said. “Come on in. We can leave as soon as I’ve eaten.”

“Um, actually,” she began as she sheepishly rubbed a hoof to the back of her head, “I can’t. Sorry, Boss wouldn’t give me the time off until later this week and even getting him that far was a challenge. I have to get to the field for practice. I’m really sorry, Soarin’.”

His ears drooped and he hung his head a little. “It’s okay, Spitfire. I’ll just have to find something to do with myself for a few days.”

“Actually, I think I can help you with that,” said Spitfire. She reached back into her saddlebag and pulled out a flyer. She placed it on the cloud for Soarin to see.

“’Come one, come all to the annual Ponyville Founders’ Day FUNraising Fair,’ ” he read. “Come help raise money for a worthy cause. This year all proceeds go to Ponyville Elementary.’

“A fair? That’s the awesome Spitfire’s idea of how normal ponies have fun? Knowing you, I was expecting something like a rock concert or a rave.”

“What can I say? I’ve just got a not-so-wild-but-still-cool side to me too. Just give the fair a try. You promised me you’d try to have fun during your vacation. Besides,” she began, an idea crossing her mind to get him interested, “where there’s a fair, there’s usually games and contests; specifically…,” she paused for effect, “…pie eating contests.”

Soarin’s eyes boggled and a wide smile spread across his face.

All pegasi have a naturally fast metabolism. They need it to get energy for flight to their bodies as quickly as possible. If a pegasus is particularly active, they require larger amounts of energy. This need for vast amounts of energy prompts one of two responses from individual pegasi; they will either take frequent naps to conserve energy, or they will eat food rich in calories or carbohydrates. Soarin’ typically chose the latter of these two options, and his favorite food of all time was pie. Any time the word pie was mentioned, Soarin’s mouth started to water. Be they blueberry, apple, cream, or any other flavor, he loved them. He would eat pies any time, day or night. Spitfire’s mention of a pie eating contest sent Soarin’s mind into a near catatonic state with only one thought and purpose: getting to the pie, wherever it was.

“Glad to see you’re interested,” said Spitfire with a smirk. “So are you going?”

He shook his head to rouse it from the dreams of pies. “Hmm, well I suppose,” he replied, feigning disappointment, as if she were forcing him to go, “but you owe me one.”

She rolled her eyes and took off. “Whatever. See you later this week.” With a flap of her wings, she was off in the direction of the Cloudiseum.

Soarin’ took the breakfast Spitfire had brought him into the house and put it in his fridge.

“I’ll eat that later. I need to save room for the pie.”

He went to his room, got some bits for the day and left the house. The flight to Ponyville didn’t take long and he arrived a while before the festivities began. Ponies were walking around setting up the last few things needed before the fair started. Tents were being erected all around the town center. Streamers, banners and signs displaying the names of games and events were being put up everywhere. The entire town seemed to have an air of joviality and merriment.

Soarin decided to discretely land near the edge of the festivities and approach on hoof. Without his uniform, he wasn’t as easily recognized as a Wonderbolt, but still thought it best to be as inconspicuous as possible. If he had to have a vacation, he was going to have fun, and avoiding paparazzi was not part of that.

As he was approaching the fairgrounds, he passed several ponies pulling at ropes to set up a large tent. They had the main tent pole up and were holding the ropes taut to keep it up. As he neared them, a grey stallion with a scruffy, charcoal mane and three, four-leaf clovers for a cutie mark waved to get his attention and tried to mumble something around the rope in his teeth.

“Coof roo cake gis fer a mimae?”

He looked at the stallion quizzically. “What?”

The stallion rolled his golden eyes then gave his head a couple of small jerks upward. “Cake ga wope.”

“Oh, you want me to take the rope?”

The stallion nodded. Soarin’ took the rope and the stallion let it go.

“Thanks pal,” said the stallion. His deep voice had the slightest hint of a southern drawl. “Now just keep it taut for a minute while I get the stakes.”

Soarin’ did as he was told and the stallion went to a nearby bag and pulled out a stake and a mallet. He came back over to Soarin’ and pounded the stake into the ground at an angle. Once that was done, he took the rope from Soarin’ and tied it to the stake.

“Thanks again, buddy,” said the stallion. “Do you mind helpin’ me put down all these stakes?”

“Sure.”

“Alright. There’s another mallet in the bag. Just put them in the ground at an angle and the ponies holdin’ the ropes will tie them good and tight.”

Soarin’ got the mallet and some stakes and began putting them in the ground. The ponies holding the ropes tied them up and soon the tent set up was done. The two stallions put their mallets away and stepped back to admire their work.

“Thanks for the help,” said the gray stallion, offering a hoof. “I’m Clover. Haven’t seen you around town before; you here for the fair?”

Soarin’ shook his hoof. “Yeah, I am.”

“Well, let me be the first to welcome you to Ponyville. Hope you have a good time.”

“Thanks.”

The stallions parted ways and Soarin’ walked around the fairgrounds for a little while longer. After about a half hour, ponies began making their way over to the town hall. He knew this meant the festivities would be getting underway soon and decided to follow the crowd.

The crowd soon reached town hall. There was a podium set up on a stage and a large red ribbon spanned from it to one of the hall’s support beams. After a few minutes, a sandy-coated mare with a frizzy gray mane and glasses stepped out to the podium on the stage. She cleared her throat and began to make a speech.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, welcome to Ponyville’s fifty fourth annual Founders’ Day FUNraising Fair. I would like to begin by sending out a special thank-you to all of the wonderful ponies who have volunteered their time and resources to make this event a success. Many of the local restaurants have donated food and our very own Sweet Apple Acres and Sugarcube Corner have donated the majority of the food that will be used in some of the games and contests, as well as donating proceeds from the sale of their own wares. Most of the other shops and stores around town will be open today and will be donating some of their proceeds as well. We have bulletin boards posted all around the fairgrounds announcing the times and locations of everything around the fair, so be sure to have a look at that.

“As I’m sure you know, this year all proceeds from the fair go to help Ponyville Elementary. We’re hoping to raise enough to purchase new books and desks and hopefully build a new playground.

“And now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Here to get the festivities underway is Ponyville Elementary’s very own school teacher, Ms. Cheerilee.”

The audience clapped their hooves and cheered as a fuchsia mare with a two-tone pink mane stepped onto the stage.

“Thank you everypony,” said the teacher. “Without further ado, I declare the fifty fourth Founders’ Day FUNraising Fair officially…” she took a pair of scissors and cut the ribbon “…open!”

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause before dispersing to enjoy the fair. Soarin’ made his way to one of the bulletin boards to find out where the pie-eating contest was. Whoever had set up the board had been a very organized pony. There was a map of the whole town explaining where everything was and detailed lists of all the games and events’ times, rules and entrance fees. Near the bottom of the board were two small boxes with pieces of paper in them. The first had a checklist of all the things you could do at the fair. The second had a checklist of things you could do at the places on the first checklist.

There were several pie eating contests taking place throughout the day. The first one started soon, so Soarin’s made his way over to the location near the town library. Upon arriving he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. It was the same tent that he had helped put up earlier that morning. He went around to the entrance and stepped inside.

The interior was a large, round area. On one end of the tent stood a long table on a raised platform for the contestants to eat at. To the side of this was a large cart filled with dozens of pies and a stand was set up near the door with even more pies. The smell of them wafted over to Soarin’s nose and he relished it, eliciting a growl from his stomach.

He walked up to the table near the entrance to register for the contest.

“Howdy, partner,” said the orange mare wearing a cowpony hat stationed at the table. “You hungry?”

“As a horse,” he replied. His stomach grumbled its agreement.

“Alright then, could Ah have yer name?”

“Soarin’.”

She wrote his name down on a piece of paper. “What kinda pie do ya want ta eat in the contest? We got blueberry, apple, pecan, rhubarb, coconut crème, and boysenberry.”

“Apple pie! That one’s my favorite.”

“Alright,” said the mare, writing his choice on the sign-in sheet. “It costs five bits to enter the contest.”

He took out the money and gave it to her. She placed it in a bin and gave him a bib with a picture of an apple on it.

“There ya go. That’ll let our runners know which kinda pie yer eatin’. Go on an’ take a seat at that table. The contest’ll start in a few minutes.”

“Thanks.” He slipped on the bib and made his way over to the table and sat down.

Ponies were trickling in and taking their places in the audience and a few were signing up for the contest. The first other contender was a small, purple and green dragon. He came in with a purple unicorn who kept worrying that he would get a stomachache, but eventually relented, paid his fee, and took her place in the audience. The dragon ordered the pecan pie and took his place near the other end of the table.

The next contestant to sit at the table was a slight surprise to Soarin’. It was a gray, roly-poly colt with a black mane and tail. Soarin’ couldn’t help but feel a slight admiration towards the colt. He had a lot of spunk to want to enter a pie eating contest at such a young age. But, judging by his cutie mark of a knife and fork, eating was probably his forte. He ordered the coconut crème pie.

Two white unicorns were next to enter the contest, a filly and a mare. The mare seemed to be extremely against the idea.

“But, Sweetie Belle, a pie eating contest is so…undignified. Not to mention that all those calories will go straight to my hips.”

“Aw, come on, Rarity,” pleaded the filly, “We did really good at the pie eating part of the sisterhooves social.”

“Well…yes, but I…that was…”

The filly looked up at the mare with a pleading smile. The mare only lasted a few moments before she caved.

“Oh, alright. Applejack, my sister and I would like to…” she shuddered, “enter the pie eating contest.”

The orange mare registered the two and they took their places at the table. The filly had ordered the blueberry pie and the mare, not wanting to stain her coat too badly, ordered the rhubarb.

The last contestant to register was Clover. He ordered the apple pie and took the seat next to Soarin’.

“Hey, it’s you,” he said as he approached. “You enjoyin’ the fair so far?”

“Well, I haven’t really done anything else, but yeah, so far I am.”

“Good to hear. I’m sorry, but I didn’t get your name before.”

“It’s Soarin’.”

“Well, Soarin’, good luck.”

“Thanks, you too.”

Just before the contest started, the orange mare and a pink earth pony mare took stacks of pie boxes from the cart and placed them behind the contestants. The pink mare started placing pies in front of the contestants and the orange mare stepped to the front of the stage and addressed the crowd.

“Fillies, gentlecolts, an’ foals of all ages, thanks fer comin’ to this here pie eatin’ contest. Ah’m gonna go over the rules fer the contestants real quick. Each of our contestants picked out what kinda pie they’re eatin’. Pinkie and Ah are gonna replace the pies on the table as the contestants eat ‘em. The contestant with the most empty pie tins after ten minutes is the winner.”

The mare stepped behind the table. “Alright, folks, on yer mark…”

Soarin’ placed his forehooves on either side of the pie tin in front of him, wings fluttering slightly in anticipation.

“Get set…”

He took a sniff of the pie. It smelled like it had the perfect blend of the most delicious apples and just the right amount of cinnamon. It was a pity he would be eating it too quickly to fully enjoy it.

“GO!”

Soarin’ brought the pie tin up and moved his face down to meet it. He began wolfing the pastry down in earnest and was soon at the bottom of the tin. He began working his way out and around. Within minutes the tin was empty and he had his face shoved into another one.

When he had finished his second pie, he chanced a look at the other contestants. The dragon was making good progress, but kept looking dreamily at the unicorn mare. The colt was about halfway through his second, but showed signs of slowing down. It looked like the filly had tried to flip the whole pie into her mouth and succeeded only in landing it atop her head, covering herself in blue from horn to hoof. She had started on another pie, but had opted to just shove her face in it. The mare was only part of the way through her first pie. She was using her magic to eat it in small, dainty bites while simultaneously trying to get some of the pie filling off of her sister with a napkin. Soarin’ turned to see Clover was matching him pie for pie. He realized he needed to kick it into high gear and began going at his third pie of the day.

The minutes ticked by and Soarin’ and Clover stayed neck and neck. The audience was cheering loudly and stamping their hooves. The clock wound down to only a few seconds and the audience counted down with it.

Ten…nine…eight…seven…

Soarin’s mouth kept working, trying to eat as much of his fourth pie as he could.

Six…five…four…

His lungs burned as his snout was too busy buried in the pastry to bother breathing.

Three…two…one…

DING DING DING

The contest ended and Soarin’ removed his muzzle from the tin, panting. His entire front was covered in pie filling; as was everypony at the table, save for the unicorn mare.

“YEEHAW!” cheered the orange cowpony. “That sure was a good contest everypony. Let’s tally up the pie plates and see who our winner is.”

The orange mare walked up to a chalkboard with everypony’s (and dragon’s) names on it. The pink mare started at the other end of the table and started counting off the pie tins.

“Alrighty here, first we have Spike with a total of one and a half pies eaten.”

The orange mare wrote Spike’s score next to his name on the board and the audience applauded politely.

“Next, we have Chowder with a total of two and five eighteenths of a pie inside his little tummy.”

The little colt beamed with pride at his accomplishment. Soarin’ was impressed. He didn’t think the little guy would get very far.

“Next we’ve got Sweetie Belle with a score of about thirteen sixteenths of a pie in her tummy and another one that doesn’t count on the rest of her. Wait a minute…Applejack, I think we might have given her the wrong pie. Blueberries are blue, and her face is most definitely NOT blue, it’s green. We didn’t even have any green pies.”

“Ugh,” groaned Sweetie Belle, holding her stomach, “I don’t feel very good.”

The mare continued down the line. “Now we have Rarity with a score of about a third of a pie. Lastly, but most definitely not leastly, we have Soarin’ and Clover, both tied with a score of three and most of a pie left.”

“Alright,” said Applejack, “looks like this contest has two winners-“

“Hold on, Applejack,” called the pink pony. She put her face extremely close to the leftovers of both Soarin’ and Clover’s pies. After a few tense moments, she turned to the audience.

“Soarin’ ate twenty seven sixty fourths of his fourth pie and Clover ate twenty four sixty sevenths of his. Soarin’ wins by two hundred and seventy three, four thousand two hundred eighty eighths of a pie!”

The crowd applauded. Soarin’ just stared at the pink mare incredulously for a few moments, not fully believing that anypony could possibly be that good at fractions. He snapped out of his reverie and waved to the crowd, flashing them the crooked, toothy smile he used when he made Wonderbolt appearances.

“Thanks for coming, everypony,” said Pinkie. “Don’t forget we’re also selling pies at that stand over there, so be sure to buy some and support the school. We’ll be having another contest in a few hours, so if you want to eat lots and lots of pie, come on down.”

Applejack began placing ribbons on the winners as ponies began filing out of the tent. She placed a yellow ribbon on Chowder and a blue one on Soarin’.

“Sorry, sweetie,” said Clover as she gave him a red ribbon. “I was hopin’ to take the blue ribbon home to put on the mantle.”

“Don’t you worry, sugarcube,” said the orange cowpony, giving him a loving smile. “Yer still a winner as far as Ah’m concerned.” She leaned in and gave him a little peck on the lips, getting pie filling on her face.

“Heh heh,” she chuckled, wiping it off, “come on, let’s get you folks cleaned up.”

She led the group over to a bucket of water and passed out some wet rags.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” said Clover as he finished wiping the gooey filling from his neck. “AJ, this is that stallion I was tellin’ you about that helped me put up the tent. Soarin’, this is my marefriend, Applejack.”

“Howdy,” said the cowpony, taking his hoof in a rather vigorous hoofshake.

“Hey,” said Soarin’, “uh, do you mind if I ask you something?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Could I eat the rest of that pie I didn’t finish?”

“Are you sure about this, Scootaloo?” asked Apple Bloom. The two of them were on the balcony of the library. Scootaloo was taking two tablecloths out of the saddlebags they brought with them.

“Of course I’m sure, Apple Bloom,” replied the orange pegasus. “Don’t worry; we just tie a corner of these tablecloths to each hoof, like this.” She began tying the tablecloth to her friend’s legs. “Then when we jump off, the tablecloth will slow our fall just like a parachute. We’ll have cutie marks in parachuting by the end of the day.”

Apple Bloom still wasn’t totally convinced. “Ah’m not sure. Don’t ya think we should at least wait fer Sweetie Belle?”

“Sweetie Belle’s doing the pie eating contest with Rarity,” said Scootaloo as she tied a tablecloth to her own legs. “Come on, Apple Bloom. You want to get your cutie mark, don’t you?”

“Of course Ah do.”

“Well then help me climb on the railing.”

Apple Bloom hesitated for a moment. Something about Scootaloo’s plan didn’t really sit well with her. But, then again, the orange pegasus had come up with some good plans before. None of them ever led to getting their cutie marks, but they were still pretty good plans. So, the little earth pony decided to go with it.

“Alright,” she said, helping her friend up on to the railing. Once she was up, Scootaloo gave her friend a helping hoof. The two of them stood on the railing, looking out over the fairgrounds.

“Ready?” said Scootaloo, her purple eyes gleaming in anticipation of the coming adrenaline rush.

“Yup,” replied the fellow crusader, even though she really wasn’t ready.

“Okay. On three. One…two…”

“APPLE BLOOM!!”

“THREE!”

A/N: Aren't cliffhanger endings annoying?

Please please comment. If you think the whole thing's crap then tell me, I might partially agree with you.

Chapter 3: A Change of Plans.

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Chapter 3: A change of plans

Having cleaned themselves up, Soarin’, Clover and Applejack exited the tent. It would be a few hours until Applejack had to be back for the next contest and Clover had insisted that the three of them enjoy the fair together. Soarin’ was hesitant at first, not wanting to be a third wheel, but the couple had insisted on showing him around Ponyville.

Soarin’ was also quite relieved that nopony had recognized him as a Wonderbolt yet. It felt good to just be a normal pony for a little while. Whenever he went anywhere as a Wonderbolt, ponies just wanted to talk to him because he was famous. He loved his adoring fans, especially when a foal would tell him they wanted to be just like him. Sometimes, though, all he wanted was for somepony that wanted to talk to Soarin’ the pony, not Soarin’ the Wonderbolt. He hoped he could keep his cover for the whole vacation.

“So, Soarin’, where ya from?” asked Applejack, breaking him from his reverie.

“I’m from Cloudsdale,” he replied.

“Really? Ah’ve been ta Cloudsdale. It’s a pretty nice place.”

“Yes it i- wait, you’ve been there?”

“Yep.”

“But, how? You’re not a pegasus.”

“Mah friend, Twilight, took a few of us up there and used a cloud walkin’ spell on us so we could watch our friend in a flyin’ competition.”

“Oh yeah,” said Clover, “you told me about that. Didn’t Rarity fall after her wings burnt up?”

“Wait a minute,” said Soarin’, realizing what they were talking about. “You mean you were at that competition? The Best Young Flyer’s Competition where the winner pulled off a Sonic Rainboom?”

“Yup. That was mah friend Rainbow Dash that did that, and mah friend Rarity was the one that fell. Were you there too?”

Soarin’ bit his lip. He couldn’t tell them what he was doing at the competition or he would blow his cover. “Uh, yeah, I was there. I went with some friends to watch the competition. The Wonderbolts were judging it and we’re all big fans of the Wonderbolts.”

“Now, I’m wonderin’ somthin’,” said Clover. “AJ was tellin’ me about how the Wonderbolts were at that show, and her friend Rainbow talks about them all the time.”

Soarin’ suddenly got nervous. Had his cover been blown already?

“Anyway,” Clover continued, “she was sayin’ that whenever she sees them, they do this thing where their tails leave a trail of smoke. I always wondered how they did that. Is it some kinda machine hidden in their tails or somethin’?”

Soarin’ breathed an inward sigh of relief, glad his cover was still intact. He could answer this question in detail. It was a fairly well known fact among the Cloudsdale populace. Whenever new cadets were initiated into the Wonderbolts, they held a ceremony. During the ceremony a unicorn hired by the team enchants the cadets’ tails. When flying, all a Wonderbolt has to do is click their back hooves together twice and their tail will start streaming smoke.

He was just opening his mouth to explain when Applejack looked up and shouted.

“APPLE BLOOM!!”

Soarin’ saw she was looking up at something and had a look of pure fear on her face. He looked where she was looking and could see why she was horrified. About a hundred feet away from them, two fillies were standing on the edge of the railing on a very high balcony. They had tied tablecloths to their legs and, as the three adults looked on in shock, they leapt forward off the balcony.

As the fillies hung in the air before being taken by gravity, they spread out their legs to increase the surface area of the tablecloths. Just before they began their downward decent, however, the orange filly was pulled back. Her tablecloth had caught on the railing and pulled her back while gravity pulled her down, leaving her hanging upside down from the railing of the balcony. The yellow filly, however, continued her decent. A look of fear overshadowed her face as she realized that the tablecloth had not been the best of choices for a parachute.

Before he even knew what he was doing, Soarin’s body kicked into high gear. His wings spread wide and his legs tensed as his brain sent a flood of adrenaline through his veins. With a push and flap, he was off and shooting towards the falling filly. He closed the distance and quickly snatched her in his forelegs.

“Gotcha!”

He had no time to revel in his victory, though, as he realized he was headed straight for the tree the fillies had jumped from. He quickly tilted his wings and veered to the left, narrowly avoiding a collision. This move, however, left him heading towards the ground, still at a high velocity. He tried to break, but immediately saw he wouldn’t be able to slow down in time. He had to improvise.

He jerked himself around so he was falling backwards, the little filly clutching tightly to his chest. He folded his wings around his front, doing his best to protect her and braced himself for impact. He hit the ground hard and dragged for a few feet before coming to a stop. The two earth ponies came running up to help.

“Apple Bloom!”

“Soarin’, are you alright?”

He looked down. The little filly was still clinging to his chest and crying in fear, but looked otherwise unharmed.

“Yeah, we’re okay,” he replied with a grunt.

Applejack scooped the little filly up and held her close.

“Consarn it, Apple Bloom. You coulda gotten hurt. What in Equestria ever gave you the idea to jump off that balcony?”

“A-Ah’m sorry, Applejack,” the filly cried. “We were tryin’ ta get our cutie marks in parachutin’.”

Clover extended a hoof to help Soarin’ up. As he went to fold his wings, he felt a sharp pain going through his left side.

“Ah!” he winced.

“You okay?” asked Clover.

“Yeah," he grimaced. "I think I might’ve sprained my wing, though.”

“Come on, Nurse Redheart set up a medical tent near the middle of the fair. We’ll go and have her take a look.”

“Hey!” called Scootaloo, still hanging upside down from the balcony. “Somepony get me down from here!”

The five ponies sat in the medical tent waiting to see Nurse Redheart. The tent had been divided into several rooms by using bed sheets draped over ropes. Clover had procured an ice pack and was helping Soarin’ hold it on his wing.

Apple Bloom’s bow was drooping almost to her back. She had apologized over and over as they made their way over to the tent. Soarin’ had repeatedly assured her that it was alright, but she still felt bad for being the reason he was hurt. The little filly didn’t know much about pegasus anatomy, and was really hoping that Soarin’ hadn’t lost his ability to fly.

Scootaloo had gushed and raved about how awesome Soarin’ rescuing Apple Bloom had been. About the time they reached the tent, though, she fell strangely quiet and was just staring at Soarin’ with a thoughtful look on her face.

The curtain to the room they occupied opened and a white earth pony mare with a pink mane stepped in.

“Hello, everypony,” she greeted in a pleasant voice, “what seems to be the problem?”

Before anyone could answer, Apple Bloom leapt forward and started pulling Nurse Redheart over to Soarin’ by the hoof. “Please, Nurse Redheart, ya gotta help him. Scoots and Ah were tryin’ ta get our cutie marks in parachutin’ and Ah was fallin’ and he saved me but then he crashed and now his wing’s hurt and he thinks it’s sprained and it might be really bad and if you don’t help him, he might not be able to fly again so you gotta help RIIIIIIIGHT NOOOOOW!!!”

“Alright, alright, Apple Bloom, calm down,” the nurse replied, patting her on the head. “Let’s have a look.”

She went to Soarin’s side and began examining his wing. She asked if he could move it. When he tried, he couldn’t extend it very far and it hurt even to extend it how little he could.

“Well, it’s definitely sprained, but it should heal in about a week. Until then, no flying whatsoever; I wouldn’t even recommend moving it.”

“But, he’ll be able ta fly after that, right?” asked Apple Bloom.

The nurse smiled down at the little filly. “Yes, Apple Bloom, he will.”

The little earth pony breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hang on,” said Soarin’, “I live in Cloudsdale. How am I supposed to get home?”

“You can stay with us,” said Apple Bloom, giving the Wonderbolt a big grin.

Applejack gave her sister a look. “’Scuse me, missy, but don’t Ah get a say in this?”

“Please, Applejack,” begged the filly, hugging her sister’s leg. “Ah’ll sleep in the barn and he can have mah room.”

The orange cowpony hugged the little filly. “That’s mighty generous of ya Apple Bloom, but we have a guest room he can use, so space ta put him ain’t the problem. We’re gonna need ta talk ta Big Macintosh and ask if he can stay.”

“Oh no,” said Soarin’, “I don’t want to impose. I’m sure I could just find a hotel.”

“No can do, sugarcube,” replied Applejack. “We Apples always help a pony that needs it. Besides, you saved mah sister from fallin’ off a buildin’ and A’m mighty grateful. Ah ain’t takin’ no fer an answer.” She turned to her little sister. “Go find Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom.”

“Alright,” said Apple Bloom. The red maned filly dashed off to go ask permission for Soarin’ to stay with them.

“Who’s Big Macintosh?” asked Soarin’.

“Big Macintosh is mah big brother. Don’t worry, he’ll most likely agree ta let you stay with us, he just needs ta know what’s goin’ on.”

“I’ll go get a sling to put your wing in so you don’t move it too much,” said Nurse Redheart. She left the room and the four remaining ponies sat in silence for a bit.

Throughout the whole conversation, Scootaloo had been staring at Soarin’ in a funny way and now Clover took notice.

“You okay there, Scoots?” he said, rubbing a hoof through the filly’s mane.

“Huh?” she replied, “oh yeah.” She turned back to staring at Soarin’. “What did you say your name was?”

“Soarin’,” he replied.

She stared at him for a few more moments and gasped, her eyes getting as big as dinner plates. “I’ve got it! I knew you looked familiar! You’re Soarin’ the Wond-mmmf.”

He quickly covered her mouth with his hoof. “Shh!”

“What the hay is wrong with you?” said Applejack, frowning as she pushed his hoof away from the filly’s mouth.

The two adult ponies in the room were staring at him and he knew there would be no way he could get out of this one without lying. Scootaloo, however, beat him to the punch.

“He’s a Wonderbolt!” she squealed.

“SHHH!!! Look, I’ll give you as many autographs as you want! Just please don’t say that so loudly! Okay?”

The filly bit her lip and nodded, bouncing with unbridled excitement.

“Is that true, Soarin’?” asked Clover.

He looked around to see if anypony was listening in. “Yes,” he said in a soft voice. “I’m a member of the Wonderbolts. I’m on my vacation and I would really appreciate it if you kept this quiet. I really don’t want to get hounded by a bunch of fans.”

“No problem, buddy,” said Clover, placing a reassuring hoof on Soarin’s withers. “We won’t tell a soul, Pinkie Promise.” He placed his hoof over his heart, waved it in the air and placed it over his eye.

“Huh?” said Soarin’, confused by the strange display.

Applejack explained. “It’s a very special kinda promise. If ya break it, ya face the wrath of Pinkie Pie.” Her face suddenly went a little bit pale. “Believe me, ya don’t want ta break it. A Pinkie Pie promise is kept-”

“FOREVER!!!” said a haunting voice behind them. Soarin’ turned to see who it was but nopony was there.

“But,” said Applejack, “we may hafta tell mah brother ‘bout you bein’ a Wonderbolt. Like Ah said, he needs to know what’s goin’ on.”

“Okay,” said Soarin’.

“Here you go,” said Nurse Redheart, returning with the sling and some bandages. A few moments later, she had Soarin’s wing wrapped and immobile.

“C’mon y’all,” said Applejack. “Let’s go see if A.B. found Big Macintosh.

The four left the tent, Scootaloo sticking very close to the Wonderbolt’s side and staring up at him with awe. They made their way across the fairgrounds and eventually saw Apple Bloom talking to a large red stallion. He was soaked from head to hoof, water dripping down his sides, his mane clinging to his face.

“What happened to ya, Mac?” asked Applejack as they approached.

The stallion turned to her with a stoic expression and explained. “Ah’m doin’ th’ dunk tank,” he drawled in deep voice, shifting the wheat stalk in his mouth.

Applejack frowned. “Do you mean ta tell me that while Ah was judgin’ a pie eatin’ contest, Ah coulda been here dunkin’ you?” she asked, sounding disappointed.

“Eyup,” said Macintosh, a sly grin crossing his face.

“Shoot!” She stamped a hoof in frustration. “Well anyway, did Apple Bloom tell ya about what happened?”

“Eyup,” replied her brother.

The added situation of Soarin’ being a Wonderbolt was explained to Macintosh. He didn’t show any reaction, other than the occasional nod and 'eyup'.

When it was all explained, Apple Bloom looked up at her brother. “Please, Macintosh, aren’tcha gonna let him stay? We can’t let none of those poppy-ratsees get ‘em.” She looked at him with wide eyes and the saddest look Soarin’ had ever seen. He didn’t know about Big Macintosh, but that look made the pegasus’s heart melt.

The big red stallion thought for a few moments, trying to avoid his sister’s gaze. Finally he smiled down at the little filly. “Eyup, he can stay.”

The filly ran up and hugged her brother’s leg. “Thank you, big brother.”

“It’s really okay Mr. Macintosh. I can just get a hotel. I don’t want to impose,” said Soarin’.

The stallion regarded him with a stoic stare. “Nope. Ya saved mah sister. We’d be happy ta have ya.”

Scootaloo fluttered a few inches off the ground in excitement. “Omigosh omigosh omigosh! Soarin’s staying at Apple Bloom’s house!”

“Well Soarin’,” said Clover, “we can take you home to rest for a while if you want or you’re welcome to stay with us and enjoy the fair.”

“Come on, Soarin’,” said Scootaloo, pulling his leg, “I want to show you around the fair.”

Soarin’ looked at the ponies gathered around him. He had never seen anypony display such hospitality. They barely knew him and yet were willing to take him into their home, despite not having any obligation to do so. He wouldn’t have been able to get many other ponies to be that hospitable without telling them he was a Wonderbolt. Yet the Apples had offered before they even knew, having nothing to gain from helping him. Soarin’ smiled; seeing that such kindness still existed in Equestria truly touched his heart. He promised himself he would find a way to pay them back.

He looked down at Scootaloo. “Lead the way then, Scoots.”

“Hold on just a minute,” said Applejack, “Ah have the opportunity here ta dunk mah brother and Ah ain’t gonna pass it up.”

The entire party laughed and a few moments later, they were gathered at the dunk tank booth. Soarin had to do a double take when he saw the pony tending it. It was a grey earth pony stallion that looked almost exactly like Clover. The only differences were the eyes and that this pony had his mane styled back, though it was still about as scruffy as Clover’s. The two had about the same build and this pony had blue eyes instead of Clover’s gold ones. Other than those differences, they looked exactly alike, right down to the cutie mark.

“Hey bro,” the earth pony greeted as they approached.

“Hey, Lucky,” Clover replied. “Soarin’ this is my twin brother Lucky.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Lucky greeted.

Before Soarin' could reply, Applejack walked up to the stand and placed two bits on the counter. “Lucky, give me a shot at dunkin’ mah brother.”

The grey stallion laughed. “I was wondering when you’d come by, Applejack.” He reached under the counter and pulled out three baseballs and passed them to her. “Here you go, just stand behind that white line over there and hit the target.”

“Much obliged,” said the orange cowpony, giving him a tip of her hat.

She took the baseballs and stood at the indicated line. Big Macintosh went and sat up on a platform above a large pool of water. Applejack’s eyes narrowed as she focused on her target. She held a baseball in her hoof and aimed. After a moment, she sent the ball sailing through the air.

*DING*

*SPLOOSH*

The platform dropped and Big Macintosh fell into the pool with a splash. Applejack stood proudly with her right legs crossed over her left ones.

“That’s how we do it on the farm.”

Big Macintosh surfaced and looked over the side of the pool, laughing a deep loud laugh.

“Mah turn, mah turn,” said Apple Bloom, hopping up and down. “Ah wanna dunk Big Macintosh.”

Applejack placed two more bits on the counter and Lucky gave Apple Bloom three baseballs.

“Here you are, Apple Bloom. Just stand behind the yellow line and take a shot.”

The filly nodded and stood behind the yellow line, which was a little closer to the target than the white one that Applejack had tossed from. She took a baseball in her hoof and tossed.

It fell about three feet short.

Frowning, Apple Bloom picked up her second ball and tried again. This time the ball went over and to the right of the target. The filly’s pink bow drooped a little and she picked up her last ball.

Clover walked up to her. “Here, Bloom, let me help you.” He held her leg up and gave her some tips about how to better throw the ball, taking her through a few practice motions. When he was done, he stepped back and she lined up her shot. Taking to mind what Clover had taught her, she threw.

*DING*

*SPLOOSH*

Apple Bloom laughed and jumped with glee as her brother fell from his perch and into the pool.

“Alright, Apple Bloom!” cried Scootaloo.

“Way ta go, sis,” said Applejack. “That was a good throw.”

“Eyup,” agreed Big Macintosh as he looked over the side of the pool.

“Thanks, Clover,” said Apple Bloom, running up and giving the grey stallion a hug.

“No problem, Bloom,” said Clover, returning her hug and tousling her mane. They broke the hug and he walked up to the counter, looking mischievously at Lucky. “I think it’s my turn now and I want a chance to dunk my brother.”

“Oh no,” said Lucky, backing away with a nervous expression on his face, “I just tend the counter.”

“Aw come on, Lucky,” urged Applejack, “Mah brother let me and Apple Bloom dunk him, let your brother try to dunk you.”

“Besides,” said Clover, that mischievous grin still plastered on his face, “I’m not as accurate at throwing as Applejack. I might not even hit the target.”

“Please, Lucky,” pleaded Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, “for the school.”

Lucky stared down at the fillies pleading faces for a few moments before he caved. “Well, alright; for the school.”

“YAY!”

Big Macintosh climbed down off the platform and Lucky went up and sat down. Clover paid his two bits and went up to the white line. He picked up his first ball and threw. The shot went wide, missing the target by a wide margin.

“Ha!” Lucky laughed, “you can’t hit the broad side of a-“

*DING*

“AHH!”

*SPLOOSH*

Everypony laughed as Clover's second shot hit the target. Lucky surfaced from the pool and after some sputtering and coughing, joined in their laughing at his expense.

“Ha ha. Alright, you got me,” he said, climbing out of the pool and shaking himself off. “Now I think Big Macintosh should get a turn. Don’t you think so, Applejack?”

All eyes looked mischievously at the orange cowpony, having realized what Lucky was suggesting.

“Oh no ya don’t,” said Applejack, backing away, “Ah ain’t bein’ roped in ta this.”

“Aw come on, AJ,” said Clover, giving his marefriend a sly look. “My brother let me dunk him, let your brother try to dunk you.”

She glared at him for turning her words around on her, but realized there was no way to wiggle out of it now.

Sighing, she relented. “Ah’m gonna get you fer this.”

She took off her hat, gave it to Clover, and begrudgingly took her place up on the platform. Macintosh took his place at the white line. Shifting the stalk of wheat in his mouth, he aimed his shot and threw.

*DING*

“Aw ponyfeathers.”

*SPLOOSH*

Everypony laughed as Applejack fell into the pool. Clover and Apple Bloom were rolling on the ground, clutching their sides. Applejack emerged and began climbing out of the pool. She looked at her brother and gave him a cheeky smile. She then turned to her coltfriend and her sister.

“Y’all know what this means, don’tcha?”

The two them calmed down, still lying on their backs.

“What?” asked Apple Bloom.

Applejack gave her brother another look, as if to communicate something via sibling telepathy. He nodded, telling her he understood.

“WET HUG!!” she shouted.

Applejack lunged forward and tackled Clover while Macintosh tackled Apple Bloom. The little filly squealed with glee as her brother grabbed her in the crook of his leg and squeezed her, making her yellow coat damp. He took his hoof and rubbed it in her mane, giving her a noogie. Tears of laugher came to her eyes as he gently placed her on the ground and started tickling her and blowing raspberries on her stomach.

Meanwhile, Clover and Applejack got into a wrestling match. She had just managed to sit on top of his chest and was about to declare victory when he pulled a surprise move. He rolled over, causing her to fall off him onto her back. Then he quickly got on top of her and pinned her hooves above her head with his own, bringing them face to face.

“I win,” he said.

“Not yet ya don’t.”

She lifted her head and planted a deep kiss on his lips, catching him by surprise. His hooves released and she rolled them both over so that she was now on top of him.

“Ah win,” she declared.

“That’s not fair,” he pouted.

She smiled down at him, leaned in and kissed him again, longer this time.

“Ewwwww,” said Scootaloo, grimacing.

The four earth ponies all got up, damp and laughing.

“Well, we’d better get goin’,” said Applejack. “Ah gotta be back at the pie tent in a little while.”

They all bid Big Macintosh and Lucky goodbye and headed in the direction of the library.

“Applejack,” asked Scootaloo, “can me and Apple Bloom take Soarin’ and go enjoy the fair?”

Applejack thought for a moment. “If it’s alright with Soarin’, Ah don’t mind.”

The two fillies looked up at Soarin’ with pleading faces.

“I don’t mind,” he said, “lead the way.”

“YAY!” shouted the fillies.

“I’ll come with you,” said Clover. “I’m not quite ready for another pie eating contest yet.”

“Just be sure ta come by the pie tent ta check in at lunch,” said Applejack.

“We promise,” said the fillies in unison.

The group began their journey to explore the fair, the fillies bounding ahead and then waiting for the adults to catch up. Soarin’ decided to try and make small talk with Clover.

“So, Clover, how long have you and Applejack been dating?”

“Well, let’s see,” he said, thinking, “I’m pretty sure we’re comin’ up on our three month anniversary.”

“That’s nice. How did you two meet?”

Clover smiled to himself. “Funny story actually. It was Winter Wrap-Up and my brother and I made a bet to see who could plow a row the fastest. The loser had to do whatever the winner said. Part way through the race, my plow got stuck and I lost. Lucky told me I had to ask the next mare I saw on a date. I think he just wanted to see me fail. I was never very good at talkin’ to mares. He had me close my eyes and spin around a few times. When I opened my eyes, I was lookin’ at Applejack and the rest is history.”

Soarin’ chuckled. “That’s certainly an interesting way to get a date.”

“So what about you?” asked Clover, “a big celebrity like you must’ve had your share of marefriends.”

Soarin’ nodded. “A few. I dated a cellist once, but it didn’t really work out.” He looked down at the ground forlornly. “Most of the rest of them turned out to be nothing more than fans looking for a night with a Wonderbolt.”

Clover remained silent for a moment before replying. “I’m sorry to hear that. It’s downright unfair of somepony to only look at what’s on the outside. But if you think about it, it’s kinda ironic.”

Soarin’ looked up at Clover quizzically. “How’s that?”

“Well, by wanting to be with a Wonderbolt, they missed out on being with a Wonderbolt.”

The blue pegasus smiled at that. “Yeah I guess it is kind of funny.”

The stallions shared a laugh, but were interrupted by the impatient calling of Apple Bloom.

“Why do y’all have ta walk so slow? Come on, we wanna get our cutie marks tryin’ ta play some games.”

The stallions quickened their pace and caught up to the fillies.

“So what do you girls want to do?” asked Clover.

Scootaloo was fluttering her wings excitedly. “I heard Twilight was going to be giving rides in her hot air balloon in the town square. Let’s go see.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Clover, leading the way to the town square.

“Hey Soarin’,” said Scootaloo excitedly, falling into step next to him, “Have you ever done a Buccaneer Blaze?”

The four of them laughed and enjoyed the fair for the rest of the day. Eventually, as the sun began to set on the horizon, Applejack and Big Macintosh rejoined them and they made their way to the Apple’s farm. By the time they got there, it was already dark and the fillies were asleep, Apple Bloom on Big Macintosh’s back and Scootaloo on Clover’s. Applejack kissed Clover goodnight and he left to take Scootaloo home. Macintosh took Apple Bloom up to bed and Applejack showed Soarin to the guest room.

The room was fairly small with only a few simple furnishings. It had a bed in one corner, a small dresser with a built in mirror, a small bedside table with a green lamp on it, and a closet. The furniture all looked as if it had been made by hoof and the room had the faint smell of Apple wood. The bed was made neatly and the bedspread had little pictures of apple pastries all over it.

Applejack wished Soarin’ goodnight and shut the door as she left. Soarin’ turned out the light and climbed into bed. He lay awake for a little while, thinking. So far, this had been the most unusual vacation he had ever been on. He’d won a pie-eating contest, made some new friends and sprained his wing all before lunchtime. He smiled to himself. He never dreamed that he would be thinking it, but he made a mental note to thank Boss when he got back. Maybe vacations weren’t such a bad thing after all.

Chapter 4: And on that farm there were some apples

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Sorry about the long wait. Now that I'm back on track and only doing one story at a time, I'm hoping I can get updates out more frequently. Please comment and critique. I love reading what you think and it's what helps me get better. If it's good then say so, if you think it was 'meh' then tell me what I can do to improve, if you think it's a piece of crap and I should go buy a gun, shoot my laptop and never write again then tell me. Thank you.

Chapter 4: And on that farm there were some apples

Soarin’ felt like he was going to explode. Every part of him twitched, begging, pleading just to taste the sky. His chest felt tight as he paced around the house for the umpteenth time that day, feeling antsier than he had ever felt before. The walls were closing in and he’d developed a severe case of vertigo.

He glanced at the clock. It had only been a few minutes since he last checked, but it felt like hours. He had woken up earlier than usual and couldn’t get back to sleep. The sky was still quite dark and he had come downstairs to go out for a flying session before he remembered that he couldn’t. He hadn’t done any flying since he saved Apple Bloom, almost eighteen hours ago, and already he was feeling claustrophobic. Soarin’ lived for the sky. He loved the feel of the wind against his coat and the thrill of flying. Now that it had been taken from him, he wanted it all the more.

He heard hoofsteps coming down the stairs and ceased his pacing. His hoof began anxiously tapping against the floor. He looked over to the stairs to see Applejack coming down, looking a little bleary eyed. She looked a little surprised to see him up this early.

“Mornin,’” she greeted, rubbing an eye. “What’re you doin’ up so early?”

“I, uh, I couldn’t sleep. Just feeling a little antsy,” He said as he fiddled with the sling strapped around him. His hoof continued tapping rapidly on the wooden floor.

She tilted her head and looked at him with the same caution one would use to look at someone in a straight jacket. “You okay, there?”

“Who? Me? Uh, yeah. Why do you ask?” He smiled, perhaps a little too big, but he was hoping she wouldn’t notice.

“Well, you seem mighty nervous about somethin,’ and yer hoof’s tappin’ more’n a centipede at a barn dance.”

He looked down and willfully tried to silence his hoof. “Sorry, just haven’t flown in a while and I’m going through…well, I guess you could call it withdrawal.”

Her eyes suddenly sparked with understanding. “Oh! Rainbow got that a couple times when she hurt herself. Feels like the walls‘ere closin’ in on ya, doesn’t it?”

He nodded rapidly. “Yep. Should pass in a while, though; if I don’t go insane first.”

“Come on,” she said, motioning him to follow her with a hoof. “You just need somethin’ ta keep ya busy. You can help me milk the cows.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Milk? Cows?”

She looked at him with a deadpan expression. “Don’t tell me ya didn’t know milk came from cows.”

“No, I knew. I just…” he held up a hoof and stared at it. “I just never thought about it before. How do you even…?”

“Come on, Ah’ll show ya.”

They left the house and stepped down off the porch. The sky was mostly still black, but there was a mild streak of color on the horizon. The sound of barking was heard and a brown and white dog came bounding around the other side of the house. It greeted Applejack with a tackle of loving licks to her face.

“Hey there, Winona,” the cowpony greeted, returning the affection of her dog with loving strokes of her head. Winona turned and walked up to Soarin’, sniffing him. He held out his hoof and she licked it a few times. Satisfied with her inspection of the newcomer, she resumed yipping, barking and bounding between the two as they walked to the barn.

“Well, Ah’ll be darned,” said Applejack in surprise. “Ah think she likes you. She didn’t warm up ta Clover nearly that fast.”

The three of them went out to the barn and over to the cows’ stalls. She showed him how to milk the cows with a special machine that they just attached to the cows’ udders. The two of them chatted with the cows and each other while they milked and he soon forgot about his flight withdrawal.

When the milking was done, they sealed off the tank the machine pumped the milk into. Somepony would come by later to drain the tank and take the milk to be pasteurized and distributed. Then they let the cows out to pasture and went back to the house to eat breakfast. The sweet aroma of freshly made pancakes filled Soarin’s nose the minute the door was open. Big Macintosh was standing at the stove heaping pancakes on a plate that Apple Bloom was carrying on her back. She then carried the plate to the dining room table where an elderly green mare with a white mane took it and set it on the table, next to a bowl of apples and a pitcher of orange juice.

“Soarin’!” shouted Apple Bloom when she saw the two of them enter. She bounded up to him and began pulling at his leg. “Come sit nexta me, Soarin’. Ah want ya ta meet mah Granny Smith.”

Soarin’ smiled and followed the little filly to the table. She took a seat next to the green mare who was at the head of the table and Soarin took the next seat down.

“Granny, this here is Soarin,’ He’s that stallion Ah was tellin’ you about.”

“What’s that deary,” the mare said, holding a hoof to her ear. “Pourin’? Ye want me ta start pourin’ ya some syrup? Ye should wait fer yer pancakes first. And who’s yer friend? Is he that stallion you was tellin’ me about?”

“Yes, Granny,” she replied, ignoring the mistake and making sure to speak clearly, “this is Soarin’.”

“Well pleased ta meet ya Mr. Soarin’. We’re glad ta have ye stayin’ with us. Ah’m Granny Smith.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Smith,” Soarin’ replied.

“Well, ain’t ye sweet. Ye can just call me Granny.”

“Soup’s on everypony,” said Applejack, walking into the room with another plate of pancakes, Big Macintosh in tow. Everyone grabbed plates and began eating.

“Whoa!” exclaimed Soarin’ upon taking his first bite. The pancakes were light, fluffy and cooked to perfection and the syrup was the best he’d ever tasted. “This is amazing!”

“It’s the syrup,” said Apple Bloom proudly, “it a secret Apple family recipe and Ah’m old enough ta help make it this year.”

Their meal was interrupted by a knock at the door. Applejack got up and went to the other room to answer it. Suddenly, she let out a small yelp followed by playful giggles and the sounds of kissing. Granny Smith rolled her eyes and shouted at her granddaughter.

“Tell that colt ta either get in here an’ eat er go outside and wait. Ah don’t appreciate y’all playin’ hanky panky in mah house.”

A few moments later, Applejack and Clover walked into the dining room. Applejack looked slightly irritated and Clover was trying unsuccessfully to hide his blushing face.

“Hey there, Granny,” he said sheepishly.

“Mornin’, Clover,” the elderly mare replied. “Have some breakfast.”

“Thank you.”

The two of them sat down and breakfast continued without further interruption. When Big Macintosh had started his second helping, he began divvying out the chores for the day.

“AJ, yer on the red delicious trees t’day. Clover, you’re with me on the red gala. Apple Bloom…”

“Ah know,” said the filly in a monotone voice, as if she had heard it countless times before. “Collect the eggs from the chicken coop, feed the pigs and help Granny Smith before Ah go out crusadin’.”

The stallion nodded an affirmation to his sister. “And clean yer room.”

“Alright, big brother.”

Soarin’ waited a few moments, but spoke up when Big Macintosh didn’t continue. “Um, what do you want me to do?”

Granny Smith and Macintosh gave him a slightly surprised look.

“Yer our guest, Soarin’,” the red stallion replied. “You don’t hafta work if ya don’t want to.”

“I don’t mind working. I helped Applejack milk the cows earlier. I want to pay you back somehow for letting me stay here. Besides, working will keep my mind off not being able to fly.”

“Well, that’s mighty kind of ya,” said Granny, smiling. “Ye can work with Applejack if ya like.”

Breakfast was soon finished and everypony went outside to begin the day’s work. They went out to the barn and got baskets and carts to haul the apples in. Macintosh and Clover headed to the red gala trees and Applejack led Soarin’ to the red delicious. Once they got there, she explained the basic process of how to applebuck. His mouth gaped in surprise when he saw the entire tree’s crop fall into the baskets with one kick of her powerful legs. They picked up the apples that had missed and she told him to try.

He stood in front of the next tree at the appropriate distance. Bracing himself, he reared up his back legs and put all his muscle behind them and kicked. A grand total of about twelve apples fell. Frowning, he tried again and a few more fell.

“This is harder than it looks,” he said, looking over at Applejack, who had just finished bucking two of the trees surrounding his.

“Ya gotta hit the sweet spot,” she explained. Walking over, she pointed to a spot on the tree a few feet off the ground. “Right here.”

He prepared himself and tried again. This time most of the rest of the apples came down. With another kick the tree was bare. They loaded the baskets into the cart and hauled them to the barn, then returned for more.

The cycle repeated. It usually took Soarin’ two or three kicks to strip the tree of its fruit, but he made up for it by insisting to haul the cart to the barn. Soon they had done several rows and it was nearing noontime.

When they heard a clanging sound and Granny hollering, “Come an’ get it!” they put down their baskets and went back to the farmhouse. Granny and Apple Bloom had laid out a picnic blanket and it was covered with quite a spread. There was bread and some other things to make sandwiches, most of them apple based, as well as a few assorted apple pastries and freshly made apple juice.

“What’s all this for?” asked Applejack.

“It was such a nice day out, Ah thought we could have a picnic,” said Apple Bloom as she placed a plate of apple fritters on the blanket.

Big Macintosh and Clover soon joined them and they all sat down to eat.

“So Soarin’,” said Clover as Applejack sat down next to him. “You sore yet?”

“Not really,” he replied, reaching to grab an apple. "The applebucking works different muscles then I normally do, but it's not too bad."

Clover gave him a knowing smirk. “You will be by the end of the day. When I first started workin’ here, they had me buckin’ trees so hard I thought my legs’d fall off.”

Applejack gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “That’s only cause you were kickin’ the trees too hard an’ pulled a muscle.”

The entire Apple family laughed and Soarin’ made a mental note to not kick too hard. The six ponies continued their meal, talking, laughing and enjoying the sunny afternoon. Eventually, Apple Bloom’s friends came by to see if she could play. The three were about to leave when Scootaloo suggested that they stay and hang out with Soarin.’ At first the other two didn’t seem interested, but when the orange filly suggested they could get their cutie marks as celebrity interviewers, they agreed to give it a try.

Soarin’ gave Applejack a questioning look and she explained. “Mah sister and her friends call themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They go around doin’ all kinds’a crazy stuff ta try an’ get their cutie marks.”

“We even have a theme song,” said Scootaloo.

“Sweetie Belle wrote it,” Apple Bloom added.

The three fillies all cleared their throats and proudly sang their theme song.

“We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, on a quest to find out who we are.

And we will never stop the journey. Not until we have our cutie marks.”

The fillies received a round of applause. The group finished lunch and went back to their respective tasks. As they walked back, the three fillies began hounding Soarin’ with questions, most of them from Scootaloo.

“Is Rapidfire really as tall as he looks on the poster?”

"Who designed your outfits?"

“Have you met Rainbow Dash? She’s going to be a Wonderbolt someday.”

“Are clouds fluffy when ya step on ‘em?”

“Is Spitfire really as awesome as Rainbow Dash says she is?”

“I really like your mane.”

He answered all of their questions as best he could, though it was a bit distracting while he was trying to buck apples. On the way back to the barn to unload another cart of full baskets, Applejack decided to provide him relief.

“Simmer down girls. Soarin’s got work ta do. He can spend time with ya later.”

“AWWWWW,” they groaned.

“Okay, Applejack,” said Scootaloo, “but could he at least sign this for me?” She pulled out a rolled up Wonderbolts poster and a marker and laid them on the ground, looking up at him with a wide, pleading smile.

“No problem, kiddo.” He took the marker in his teeth and signed the poster with his signature and a little message.

“’To Scootaloo, let your dreams take you higher than the clouds,’” she read. A bright smile crossed her face; the kind of bright smile that made Soarin’s heart leap every time he saw it on the face of a fan, especially the younger ones. That grin made Soarin’ feel warmer than any fire or warm blanket could, like he could fly even without the use of his wings.

“Thanks, Soarin’,” the little filly said, hugging his legs.

“You’re welcome, Scoots.”

The young pegasus rolled up the poster, tucked it under her wing and she and her friends galloped off to go find their cutie marks.

“That was mighty nice of ya, Soarin’,” said Applejack as she watched the fillies run off.

“Thanks. Now come on. Let’s get these apples unloaded.”

The rest of the day proceeded without incident. Soarin’ and Applejack continued with applebucking until Granny called them in to wash up for dinner. Soarin' was again amazed. Dinner was apple-based, and more delicious than anything, save that morning's pancakes and the pies from yesterday, that he had ever eaten.

Soarin’ sat leaning against an apple tree at the top of a hill on the edge of the farm. The sun was beginning it descent below the horizon and he wanted to watch, having been too busy working to watch the sunrise. He looked down longingly at the sling holding his injured wing and wished more than anything that he could go and watch the sunset from a better vantage point in the clouds. He still felt the deep longing for the sky, but knew that now he was a day closer to when his wing would be better. He turned when he heard the sound of approaching hoofsteps.

“Hey,” he greeted Applejack as she climbed the hill, Winona following close behind.

“Howdy. Mind if Ah join you?”

He shook his head and scooted over to make room for her. Winona laid down by his side and Applejack sat next to her. Soarin’ began absent-mindedly stroking the dog’s back with a hoof. The three of them sat there, watching the sunset.

After a while, Applejack cleared her throat and hesitantly spoke.

“Listen,” she said as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, “Ah think Ah owe you an apology.”

He turned, giving her a quizzical look. “Why?”

“Ah think Ah misjudged you. Mah friend Rainbow talks about you Wonderbolts all the time. From a lotta the stuff she says, Ah got the impression that you folks were a lot like her. Now don’t get me wrong, Rainbow’s mah best friend and she’s the most loyal pony Ah know. But sometimes she can be a bit…fulla herself. Ah thought that you might be a bit fulla yerself a little too.”

She looked down at her hooves for a moment, then looked out at the sunset and continued.

“But then Ah saw how hard you worked today, even though you didn’t have to. You listened when Ah told ya what ta do and ya pulled the cart ta make up fer not buckin’ as many trees as Ah could. Then Ah saw how nice ya were ta the Crusaders, especially Scootaloo.”

She looked back at him, giving him a small smile. “Ah guess what Ah’m tryin’ ta say is that Ah’m sorry. Ah shouldn’t have judged ya like that before Ah knew ya. Ah did that once before and Ah know it ain’t a good thing ta do.”

Soarin’ was a little taken aback by her confession. He had been misjudged because of being a Wonderbolt before, but not in that sense. Ponies had never assumed he was haughty or self-centered, or if they did they never let on about it. The impression that he got had been that, because he was a Wonderbolt, ponies thought that he was the perfect guy. They thought he was an upstanding citizen.

He'd always tried to uphold that image, not because of what ponies thought, though. He had always tried his best to be his best because he knew that ponies looked up to him. This wasn’t something that made him feel arrogant or haughty; rather it gave him more of a sense of humility. Just knowing that he had ponies that looked up to him made him want to give them something good to look up to.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied, not really knowing what else to say. The two of them sat in awkward silence until Applejack changed the subject.

“Well, now ya’ve got a taste’a farm life, whatcha think? Not quite as fun as flyin’ up there in the clouds?”

He thought for a moment. “Actually, in a funny kind of way it’s a lot like what we do in the Wonderbolts.”

Now it was her turn to look quizzically at him. “How’s that?”

“Well, like you, we work hard towards a goal. You work towards the goal of a bountiful harvest so you can sell those apples or other apple products, right?”

She nodded.

“It’s a little bit like that with us. We work hard to put a show together. We train and we practice our tricks over and over. You could say our practice nurtures and grows the show. Then when we show everypony what we’ve done, it’s kind of like what harvest is for you.”

He smiled as he thought about what he had just said and chuckled. “Sorry, I know that sounded kind of silly.”

She chuckled as well. “Yeah, it was a might silly, but Ah think Ah get yer point.”

Another silence that was a bit more comfortable then the last hung in the air. They both reached down to pet Winona and pulled their hooves away when they brushed against each other. Applejack reached and scratched behind the dog’s ears while Soarin’ scratched her back.

“That pie Granny made for dessert was delicious,” said Soarin’, breaking the silence. “I’ll have to come back and buy more sometime.”

She chuckled. “Ah think she understood that ya liked ‘em. You ate about half of it. You really like pies don’tcha?”

“Yeah,” he replied, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

“Well we’re happy ta keep makin’ ‘em if ponies are willin’ ta keep eatin’ ‘em.” She frowned. “Ah know one place Ah ain’t gonna go sellin’ mah produce to again.”

“Where’s that?”

“The Grand Gallopin’ Gala. Ah took a cart there one year. Almost nothin’ sold. When Ah figured out they didn’t think mah food was fancy enough, Ah made an apple cake. But then things went a little crazy and the cake wound up all over the place, and all over mah friend Rarity.”

Soarin’ began laughing. “Ha ha, oh yeah, I was at that gala. Prince Blueblood got cake splattered all over him. I laughed so hard when I heard that pompous blowhard get what he deserved. ”

She chuckled. “Yeah, that was pretty funny. He didn’t treat Rarity right and he called mah food ‘common carnival fair’ so Ah’d be lyin’ if Ah said Ah wasn’t thinkin’ the same way. Still, Ah was disappointed that mah food didn’t sell. Ah only sold one pie all night. Come to think of it, the fella that bought the pie was one of you Wonderbolts.”

“I think that was me, actually,” said Soarin.’ “I always get hungry after a show and all they had at the buffet were these tiny little hors-devours that couldn’t even feed a bug. If it’s any consolation, your pie was delicious.”

“Well thanks. Ah still wish Ah coulda sold more, but Ah’m glad Ah had at least one satisfied customer.”

“Well, if you want, I could tell you why I think nopony bought anything.”

“Why’s that?”

“You didn’t make it snooty enough.”

Her eyebrows scrunched as she gave him a confused look. He decided to clarify.

“Most of the ponies that attend the gala are the Canterlot elite. Many of them are really rich and they like everypony else to see that they’re rich. If you dress your food up and make it exceedingly decadent, they’ll buy it.”

“That doesn’t make a lick’a sense.”

He shrugged. “I know, but that’s how they do it. I’ve had to go to a lot of fancy restaurants to do Wonderbolt appearances. All the food is expensive, tiny and looks like it should be put in an art museum. The ponies that buy your food will go and brag to other guests about how much it costs and how beautiful it looks. You’ll sell all of it in no time at a huge profit.”

She shook her head and looked back out at the now much darker horizon and muttered to herself. “And Ah thought Rarity was crazy.”

The sun had now set, so the two of them got up and went back to the house, Winona following close behind. Big Macintosh was sitting at the dining room table doing paperwork and Granny Smith had fallen asleep in her rocking chair in the living room. Apple Bloom invited them to play a board game. They played until Apple Bloom had to go to bed and then sat at the table and talked with Macintosh, who had finished his paperwork by then. Shortly thereafter they all decided to hit the hay.

Every day that week was similar to the first day. Soarin’ would get up and milk the cows with Applejack. Then after breakfast they would all go out and begin the tasks assigned to them. After lunch they would go back to work, and after dinner Soarin’ and Applejack would meet up under the tree on the hill and watch the sunset, sometimes joined by Clover. Soarin' and the two earth ponies soon became fast friends.

Sometimes Applejack would to go to town and run the apple cart or do something with Clover or her friends, and a few times Soarin’ got assigned to work with Clover or Big Macintosh. But for some reason he found that the work was far more enjoyable whenever he worked with Applejack.

When he saw her, he sometimes found himself staring, watching her work. If he was working alone he would look up whenever he heard the sound of a twig snapping or somepony approaching to see if it was her. He found his thoughts turning to her more frequently. Once he realized he was doing this, it struck him as quite odd. He’d never become such good friends with anypony that quickly before. He decided to just push it to the back of his mind and accept that he and Applejack just had a lot in common and just became friends more easily.

The week passed quickly and the day Nurse Redheart had said his wing would be better finally came. Soarin’ trotted down to the Ponyville Clinic that afternoon. After checking in, he was taken to one of the examining rooms. Nurse Redheart removed the sling and examined him. Finding nothing wrong, he was issued a clean bill of health.

He walked out the door of the clinic and stood on the street for a moment. Working on the farm had caused him to temporarily forget about his need to fly, but now it called out to him with a vengeance. He opened his wings and gave a few experimental flaps. Then, bending his legs, he pushed off and took to the sky.

The wind brushed across his coat and blew through his mane. He had truly missed flying and couldn’t help but let out a loud “Wahoo” at being able to fly again. He did a few loop-the-loops and some Aileron rolls and headed back to the farm.

As he flew over the orchard, he couldn’t help but notice how different it looked from above. The trees made a sea of green that was speckled with the various colors of the apples. As the wind blew, the trees gently swayed, making the similar appearance to a sea all the more noticeable.

A bright speck of orange caught his attention and he looked down to see Applejack bucking the pink lady trees. She was just going about collecting the baskets from the base of one of the trees and was carrying one on her back to the cart a short distance away. A mischievous smirk crossed Soarin's face as an idea came to him.

He descended and hovered above her as quietly as he could, slowly lowering himself down until he was just above her. Carefully, he reached down and lifted the basket off her back. She quickly spun around and looked in every direction for the missing basket. He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. She sat down and began scratching her head to try and figure out where the basket went. He lowered himself down again and carefully moved his muzzle to the back edge of her hat. He quickly nabbed the hat in his teeth and flew off down the row of trees.

“Hey!” she shouted, seeing him as he absconded with her headgear. “Get back here ya theivin’ varmint.” She took off running after him.

He flew over the cart and dropped the basket inside. Turning around, he hovered a few feet off the ground with her hat still dangling from his teeth. He tried pulling away at the last minute as she went to grab it, but he underestimated how high she could jump. She leapt up and grabbed the rim of her hat in her teeth. A brief tug of war ensued, but eventually Soarin’ released the cowpony’s hat, laughing and coming to rest on the ground nearby.

“What in the hay was that for?” she said, sounding angry and irritated as she replaced her hat on her head.

Soarin’ stopped laughing. He thought that maybe he had taken the joke too far if she was sounding that angry.

“Sorry, AJ,” he said, head hanging a little. “I’m a bit of a prankster and sometimes I take things a bit too far.”

Her look of irritation softened. “That’s alright. Ah don’t mind a little joke now and again. Rainbow and Pinkie play ‘em all the time." She reached up and gave the brim of her hat an affectionate rub. "It’s just that mah hat’s real special to me and Ah don’t like other ponies touchin’ it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have taken it if I knew it was special. Where did you get it?”

She remained silent for a moment. “Mah Pa.”

Soarin’ could tell from her tone that the subject made her sad and decided to not press the issue. A few moments of silence hung in the air until Applejack spoke up. “So, Ah see yer wings are all better. Guess that means you’ll be headin’ back ta Cloudsdale.”

Now it was Soarin’s turn to be silent for a few moments. He’d been so happy about being able to fly again that he had forgotten it meant he could leave the farm. He could leave and go finish his vacation by hanging out with Spitfire or doing whatever he wanted. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized he didn’t want to leave. He couldn’t quite put his hoof on why, but, looking at Applejack, he realized that this had been one of the best vacations he’d had so far.

“Actually I’ve still got a week left of my vacation. I’d really like to stay if that’s alright with you.”

The orange mare blinked in surprise. “You wanna stay and work on yer vacation?”

“Um, yeah, if you don’t mind.”

“Nah, Ah don’t mind at all. We can always use another hoof on the farm.”

“Great! Where do you want me, boss?” he said, giving a little salute. “Soarin’ the applebucker reporting for duty.”

She chuckled. “Come on, you can help me finish this row before sundown.”

The later hours of the next morning saw a bright yellow mare flying around the skies of Ponyville. Spitfire was on the first day of her vacation and had gone to Soarin’s house to hang out. When she found he wasn’t there she had begun to get worried. She began her search for him in Ponyville and was asking around if anypony had seen him. Suddenly she saw a face she recognized and flew over to see if she knew anything.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash right? How’s it going?”

The rainbow-maned pegasus leapt off the cloud she was lying on so fast it almost dissipated. “Sp-Spitfire?! Omigosh omigosh omigosh! What are you doing here?”

“I’m on vacation and I’m looking for Soarin.’ Last time I saw him, he was coming here for the fair last week.”

“Shoot!” Rainbow muttered under her breath. “Knew I shoulda gone to that stupid thing.”

“Have you seen him?”

“Nope, but I’ll help ya look,” Rainbow offered.

“Great! Let’s go.”

Spitfire turned and started flapping away. She smiled as she heard a loud squeal coming from behind her before Rainbow caught up.

The two of them asked around but still didn’t find Soarin’. They had just stopped above Sugarcube Corner and were deciding where to go next when a voice called up to them.

“Hey Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!”

They looked down and saw Scootaloo standing with her scooter and waving to them. They flew down and landed next to her.

“Hey, squirt.”

The little filly’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates when she saw who Rainbow Dash was with.

“Oh my gosh! Spitfire the Wonderbolt! ”

Spitfire smiled and patted the filly’s head. “Yep, that’s me. What’s your name?”

“Scootaloo,” she replied excitedly. “Can you do a sonic rainboom? Dash can. That’s how she got her cutie mark. She’s going to be a Wonderbolt someday and so am I. What are you doing here in Ponyville? Are the Wonderbolts doing a show?” Scootaloo began bombarding them with endless chatter and questions.

Spitfire looked at Rainbow Dash. She could clearly see that this little filly was enamored with Dash. She knew what having your first fan felt like and decided to give Rainbow a boost.

“Calm down, kid,” she said. “Breathe.” Scootaloo’s chatter ceased and she took a few breaths. Once she had calmed down, Spitfire answered her. “My friend Dash and I were just flying around Ponyville,” she said, putting a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulders. “We’re looking for another friend of ours, Soarin’.”

The orange pegasus’s jaw looked like it would fall off with how far it dropped. “You’re friends with Rainbow Dash?! AND you know Soarin’? This is so awesome! Two Wonderbolts in Ponyville and Dash knows both of them!”

The two mares looked at Scootaloo in surprise.

“Scoots, do you know where Soarin’ is?” asked Rainbow.

“Yeah. He’s been at Sweet Apple Acres helping all week.”

Rainbow’s eyebrows furrowed in anger. A Wonderbolt had been in Ponyville all week and she was just now hearing about it. Not to mention he was staying with her best friend. She had a bone to pick with a certain orange mare.

Chapter 5: Cider ponies nonpareil

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Ch 5: Cider ponies nonpareil

A/N: Sorry about the long time in updating. I came down with a case of procrastination and writers block. That, and chapter six is really long. Thank you all for your patience. School for me starts Sept. 5th, so that may slow me down some, but I’ll try my best to get stuff out without sacrificing my schoolwork.

*THUNK*

Soarin’ turned to see apples falling by the bushel from the tree he had just kicked. He had improved a lot since his first day on the farm one week ago. Inspecting the tree, he frowned as he noticed one last stubborn apple clinging to a branch. He flew up and tried to pull it, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Hey look, AJ,” he chuckled, “I found an apple that’s as stubborn as you are.”

“Very funny,” the orange mare deadpanned as she finished collecting a few stray apples and placing them in her baskets.

Soarin’ chuckled again and pulled a little harder on the fruit, detaching it from the branch. With a few flaps of his wings, he slowly floated down and placed the apple in one of the baskets surrounding the tree.

“That should do it,” he said with a note of satisfaction as he wiped the sweat off his face. They had just finished another section of apple trees and were just finishing what Applejack called applebuck season. She had explained that cider season started this week and they needed to gather as many apples as they could to make enough for everypony. They would buck the apples for the cider when they made it, but the apples they were bucking today were for the cider they sold in bottles and for making last-minute alterations to the mix, in case it was too sweet or too sour.

To increase productivity, the farmers took their jobs in shifts. Two would buck and collect the apples while the other two would follow with the carts, collecting the baskets and taking them to the barn. Applejack and Soarin’ were on bucking duty and Macintosh and Clover were collecting the baskets a few trees over.

“We’re done with this section, Big Macintosh,” Applejack called over to her brother. “Where do ya want us ta go next?”

“Almost dinner time,” the red stallion drawled, looking up at the sky. “We’ll move on after that.”

“You two go on ahead,” said Clover, “be sure to save some grub for me.”

“Fat chance of that, buddy,” said Soarin’ as he and Applejack started walking past the two stallions toward the house. “I’m hungry as a horse.”

“Yer always hungry as a horse,” Applejack teased. She paused as she walked past Clover and gave him a quick little kiss. “Ah’ll see ya in a bit, partner.”

“Love you, sweetheart.”

“Love you too.”

Applejack and Soarin’ began the short trek back to the barn. Soarin’ breathed the wonderfully fresh scent of the country air. He swore that he could live here for a thousand years and never get tired of that wonderful smell. It just made him feel so alive. Under normal circumstances, he would have flown the distance to the house, but now he just wanted to walk and enjoy the beautiful day.

“Bet it was nice working with Clover today,” he commented.

“Yeah, it was.”

“How come you don’t work with him more often? You only seem to work by yourself, or with me or Macintosh.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Granny doesn’t like us workin’ together by ourselves.”

“Why not? Doesn’t she like him?”

“No, she likes him. Ah just don’t think she wants us ta be alone in an empty apple orchard. Ah guess she thinks that we’ll be tempted ta pay more attention to each other than our work.”

“Oh,” he replied, blushing at the implication. “Uh, I see.”

She shrugged. “It ain’t so bad. Makes the time we do have together even more special.”

The two of them continued walking down the rows of apple trees and soon came to the clearing in front of the house. They were part of the way across it when they saw two pegasi flying towards them. As the visitors drew nearer, the two ponies on the ground smiled as they recognized them.

“Hey Spits!”

“Howdy Rainbow.”

“There you are!” said Spitfire, her voice dripping with relief. “When you weren’t at your house, I got worried. I’ve been looking for you all morning. What happened to you?”

“Sorry, Spits. I hurt my wing and I’ve been helping out around here all week.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him. “You’ve been here…working on a farm…on your vacation?” She reached a hoof up and felt his forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

He moved her hoof away. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m just paying the Apples back for letting me stay here while I was grounded. It’s actually not that bad. I’ve been milking cows and bucking apple trees. Oh, and Granny Smith makes the best food you’ve ever tasted. I might even come back on my next vacation,” he said, smirking.

She shook her head. “Soarin’, you are one weird stallion.”

He was about to reply when he noticed that Applejack and the other pegasus were in a heated, but whispered, argument. Looking at the pegasus, he recognized her from the previous times they had met.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash.”

The rainbow-maned pegasus immediately stopped her argument with the orange cowpony and gave Soarin’ a big smile. “Oh, h-hey, Soarin’! Glad we found you. So, um…how are you?”

“I’m great! Sorry I didn’t come and say hi. We’ve been pretty busy with cider season starting up. Maybe if I have time, the three of us can hang out.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “That’d be nice.” Her eyes glazed over and she seemed to not be all there for a few moments, her face bearing a slight blush.

“Are you okay, Dash?” asked Spitfire.

She snapped out of her reverie and shook her head. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine. Better than fine, I’m awesome!”

Applejack rolled her eyes, ignoring Rainbow’s strange behavior. “We were just goin’ ta have dinner. Y’all are welcome ta join us if ya want.”

The pegasus mares agreed and the four of them made their way to the house and into the dining room. Big Macintosh and Clover had finished collecting the apples by now and joined them a few moments later. They all gathered around the table and Spitfire was introduced to everypony while Granny brought out the food. Granny seemed to like the bright yellow mare, even when Spitfire tried to express how good the food was while her mouth was still full of it.

After their meal, Macintosh got started on his paperwork, Granny went to her rocking chair, Apple Bloom went up to her room to play, and the rest of them headed outside. Applejack and Soarin’ invited them all to watch the sunset and they all took places on the hill. Applejack cuddled up next to Clover, Spitfire sat back against a tree and Rainbow, very pointedly, sat down next to Soarin’.

“So, Soarin’,” asked Spitfire, “I still don’t get it. What’s so great about working on a farm?”

Applejack gave the yellow mare a frown. “’Excuse me?”

“No offense,” she replied, raising a hoof in defense. “I’ve known Soarin’ since we were kids and he just isn’t the farmer type.”

“I’m not sure, Spits,” Soarin’ replied. “There’s just something about being out here that I really like. The work is really hard, but when the day is over and I come up here, I get this…I don’t know what to call it. It’s like when we do a show and you hear the crowd roaring at the end. You just feel like you’re soaring through the sky, like nothing can stop you. You just look back at what you did and you think, ‘wow, I did that.’ It’s a lot like that, except it’s with apples.”

Spitfire chuckled. “I always called that feeling ‘soaring on the crowd.’ I guess in your case, it would be ‘soaring with apples.’”

The five of them broke out laughing.

“Yep,” said Rainbow. “I get that feeling all the time.”

Applejack frowned. “No ya don’t. Ah practically have ta beg ya ta help around the farm when Ah need it. The only time Ah find you over here is when yer takin’ a nap in the trees.”

“I meant with flying, AJ,” she replied with an irked tone, her face turning red.

The rest of them laughed a little at Rainbow’s expense. Eventually, as the sun dipped lower on the horizon, Clover got up, kissed Applejack goodnight and went home. A short while later, Rainbow bid them goodbye and flew off to her house. Applejack offered Spitfire a place to stay, but she declined, saying she had family in Canterlot that she wanted to visit. They invited her back for some cider later that week and she took off for Canterlot.

Applejack and Soarin’ continued to sit and watch the sunset. A few moments later, Applejack spoke up.

“Soarin’, you said you’d been to the gala a few times, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Did ya dance?”

He turned to look at her. “Sometimes. Why?”

She took off her hat and fiddled with it in her hooves. “Every year at the end of cider season we have a party. This year, the party is on the night of the three-month anniversary of when Clover and Ah started datin’. Ah wanna do somethin’ special for him and Ah was wonderin’ if…if you could teach me ta dance. Clover knows how, but all Ah ever learned ta do was square dance. Ah wanna surprise him and slow dance with him at the party.”

“Sure, AJ. Of course I’ll teach you.”

A delighted smile crossed her face. “Thanks. Come on, there’s a record player in the barn.”

They both got up and began making their way to the barn. The fireflies had come out and hundreds of little light specs floated up from the grass as they walked. One of the specs floated up right next to Soarin’ and he extended a wing out and caught it as it drifted down. The tiny insect sat on his wing, blinking its light for a few moments before it opened its wings and flew away.

The orange mare opened the barn door and let him in. Once inside, she closed the door behind them. The barn was lit with a combination of the dim yellow light from the last of the setting sun and the white light of the nearly full moon coming in from the hay loft.

“Just give me a minute ta set up,” she said. She went and lit a few of the lanterns hanging around the wall, making it bright enough to see well. Going over to a corner of the room, she pulled out a phonograph and set a record. As she turned it on, a slow tune on a guitar filled the barn.

“Okay,” Soarin’ began, “first we have to stand against each other.”

They both reared up and stood together on their hind legs. Soarin’ placed his right hoof on the small of Applejack’s back and held her right hoof in his left while she placed her left hoof on his shoulder.

“Good,” he said. “We’ll start with a basic waltz. Just let me lead. First, you step forward while I step back…OW!” he exclaimed as she brought her left hind leg forward and stepped on his right one.

“Oops, sorry. Are ya okay?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I should have mentioned that you step with your right hoof and I step with my left on most of the steps. Let’s try again….Good. Now we take a step to my left…Now you go back and I go forward…Good. Now we step to your left…Now we do it all again.”

They went through the steps again, making a little square as they stepped. Soarin’ got his hooves stepped on a few times, but with gentle encouragement, Applejack learned quickly. Once Applejack knew the steps, they did them while slowly rotating, moving in loops across the floor.

“Don’t look at your hooves, look at me,” he said when they had done a few rotations. “The dance will be a lot more romantic for Clover if he can look into those beautiful green eyes of yours.”

She blushed a little bit and made eye contact with him. They continued dancing and as the song came to an end, he spun her out and then back into him and dipped her. As he held her up, their eyes met again.

Time seemed to slow down for Soarin’. He felt his heart beat faster and he was soon wondering why the normally cool barn had suddenly grown warmer. As his green eyes gazed into hers, he couldn’t help but really notice how beautiful they were. As he gazed into those beautiful emerald orbs, he found himself lost in them and couldn’t look away.

“Uh, Soarin’,” she said after a few moments, breaking his reverie, “you can pull me up now.”

“Huh? Oh, sorry.”

He lifted her back up and they got down to all four hooves.

“Thanks,” said Applejack as she went to put the record player away. “That was fun. Ah think Ah can see why some mares find it romantic. Would ya mind meetin’ me here again tomorrow ta practice some more? Ah wanna make sure Ah can do it right.”

“Uh, yeah…s-sure,” he replied.

Applejack finished closing up the barn and the two of them went into the house. Apple Bloom was waiting at the door for them.

“What took ya so long?” she complained. “Me an’ Granny were playin’ checkers and she fell asleep. Ah was just about ta beat her, too.”

They looked into the living room and sure enough, Granny was asleep in her rocker. Soarin’ and Applejack tried to contain their giggling when they noticed that her chest seemed to be rising and falling a little too fast for her to be asleep.

Applejack gave her sister an affectionate rub of her red hair. “Ah think Ah can stand in and finish up yer game pretty quick. You wanna challenge whoever wins, Soarin’?”

Soarin’ shook his head. He would have loved to play with them, but he was still feeling awkward about what had happened a few moments ago. “No thanks, AJ. I think I’ll hit the hay. I’m kinda tired.”

“Well, alright then, see ya tomorrow.”

“G’night, Soarin’.”

“’Night, ladies.”

Soarin’ found sleep difficult to obtain that night. As he lay awake in bed, he couldn’t get his thoughts away from how he had lost himself in Applejack’s eyes. His mind dwelled on the memory of them, going over it again and again. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her beautiful green orbs staring back at him. He tossed and turned for hours into the night before finally falling into a fitful sleep.

Soarin’ groggily awoke to the sound of a hoof knocking on his door.

“Rise and shine, Soarin’,” said Clover through the door. Soarin’ looked around the room to see that it was quite well lit by the light coming through the window. He came to the conclusion that he must have overslept.

“Soarin’?” the grey stallion called through the door again. “You awake yet? Everypony’s already out makin’ cider. AJ said you were really tired last night, so we let you sleep in a while.”

“Coming,” he said as he got out of bed and shambled over to the door.

“Whoa,” exclaimed Clover in surprise once the door was opened. “You look awful. Are you feelin’ okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied, yawning and rubbing his eyes. “Just didn’t sleep well last night. I’ll be out in a little while.”

“Okay. We left some breakfast on the table for you. See you out by the front gate.” His message delivered, the gray stallion turned and went down the stairs.

Soarin’ walked down the hall to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. The sight that met him gave him cause to grimace. His mane and fur were an absolute mess and he had dark circles under his eyes. A tiny part of him wished that it was Nightmare Night so that he could go as a zombie without having to do anything.

After splashing some water on his face and brushing himself, he began to feel more awake. He went downstairs to find some toast with apple jam and a mug of coffee, which he was extremely grateful for. He ate quickly and made his way to the front gate of the farm, deciding to fly there in an attempt to get himself fully awake. As he neared the gate, his jaw dropped at the sight that greeted him. A long line of ponies stretched down the road leading to the farm. Applejack had said that cider season was a staple of the farm’s income, and Soarin’ now saw how true that was.

As he approached, he looked around at the small group of ponies and equipment that were being used to make the cider. Clover was bucking and a butter yellow pegasus was flying from tree to tree, knocking down apples by the bushel. Soarin’ recognized her as Applejack’s friend Fluttershy. She had stopped by the farm a few times over the week to give a few of the animals on the farm a checkup. Standing below the trees gathering apples in baskets on their backs stood Apple Bloom and the pink mare from the pie-eating contest, Pinkie Pie. Once their baskets were filled, they carried them over to Granny Smith and Applejack’s friend Rarity. The two mares appeared to be sorting the apples, throwing the bad ones in a pile and the good ones into the chute of a nearby machine. The machine was a long trough that had a large, round stone in it. Attached to the side was a large conveyer belt that, when run upon, spun the stone, smashing the apples. Big Macintosh and Rainbow Dash ran on the belt, keeping the machine going. Opposite the chute was a spout out of which poured the freshly made cider into a barrel. The barrel filled and was enveloped in the glow from a purple unicorn’s horn that secured the lid and placed the barrel in a stack near a stand by the gate. Applejack stood at the stand selling mugs of the Apples’ specialty drink to the masses. It looked like Soarin’ really had overslept by quite a bit, as there were already a fair amount of bits in the cash box.

“Mornin’, sleepy head,” Applejack greeted him as he landed. “Glad ya could join us.”

“Morning, AJ,” he replied. “Sorry I overslept. What do you want me to do?”

“That’s alright, partner. If ya wouldn’t mind, could ya bring some of the baskets from the barn out here. The cider’s a might on the sour side and we could use some of those sweeter apples ta remedy that.”

“On it,” he said, saluting and taking to the air to get back to the barn. He flew in through the hay loft, grabbed a basket of the Fuji apples and carried it back. He repeated the process a few times, bringing gala apples and some honeycrisp at Applejack’s suggestion. When Applejack was satisfied with the current mixture, she had Soarin’ help her at the stand.

Soarin’ quickly found that he could fall back on some of his experience making public appearances as a Wonderbolt. He gave the customers a charismatic smile as he sold them their drinks. A few of the customers recognized him and started getting excited, asking for pictures and autographs. Before he knew it, much of the line near the stand was murmuring excitedly to themselves about there being a Wonderbolt at Sweet Apple Acres.

Soarin’ was a little disappointed that he had been outed, but he only had five days left of his vacation, so he didn’t mind dealing with the publicity. Luckily, the crowd hadn’t heard that he was staying at the farm, so hopefully he wouldn’t be bothered too much. Besides, he rather liked interacting with his fans.

As he sold cider, he noticed that by the time the ponies in line were nearing the front, they were starting to get antsy. Maybe there was something he could do to remedy their boredom.

“Hey, AJ,” he said, “I’ve got an idea. Do you mind running the stand by yourself for a while?”

She gave him a quizzical look, but agreed. “Sure thing.”

“Thanks.”

He stepped out from behind the stand, took to the air and began doing loops and rolls above the crowd. His plan soon began having the desired effect and ponies in line began taking notice.

“Hey, it’s Soarin’ the Wonderbolt!”

“Hey everypony look! Soarin’s at Sweet Apple Acres!”

“I love you, Soarin’!”

He smiled and saluted to the crowd, then continued his little show. After a few more twists, loops and dives, he flew to the front of the line and extended his hoof down. The ponies reached out for it and he flew down the line, giving high hoof bumps as he went.

“Thanks for coming everypony,” he shouted as he flew back toward the front of the line. “Sweet Apple Acres really appreciates your business. I’ll be here all week helping the Apples sell their cider.” He flew back to the stand and landed next to Applejack.

“What was that?” she asked, a quizzical expression directed at him.

“Just keeping things entertaining,” he replied, giving her a mischievous grin. He then proceeded to take a place next to the stand. He stood there with his head held high and a dashing smile across his muzzle. As the ponies in line came to buy their cider, he shook hooves, signed autographs, and greeted the fans.

At the end of the day, Applejack closed up the bit box and everypony else packed up the equipment for tomorrow. Everypony helped to make dinner and they all sat down to eat. After dinner, Big Macintosh took the money and began to count it and Fluttershy volunteered to help. Applejack, Soarin’ and the rest of her friends all helped in putting the equipment away. When this was done, Pinkie, Twilight, and Rarity went home, wishing the rest a good evening.

“So…” Rainbow began, standing next to Soarin’ and pawing at the ground. “Do you wanna…I don’t know…maybe have a race around the farm?”

“Actually, Dash, I, uh…” He nervously looked to Applejack, not sure if she wanted anyone knowing about their dance lessons.

“Ah asked him ta teach me how ta dance,” said Applejack “Ah want ta surprise Clover at the party.”

“Oh,” Dash sighed, looking dejected.

“But,” Applejack added, noticing her friend’s disappointment, “we still got a few more days ta practice, so you two can go flyin’ if you want.”

Rainbow immediately perked up and smiled, giving her friend a silent thank you.

“Are you sure, AJ?” asked the Wonderbolt.

“Yep, don’t worry. We can practice some other time.”

“Okay.”

“Come on, Soarin’,” said Rainbow as she got a running start and took off. “Ready, set, go!”

“Hey!” he exclaimed, taking off after her. “No fair.”

The two of them sped around the farm, leaving a rainbow and a blue trail in their wake. When they had reached the front gate, Rainbow swerved to the left and began following the fence. Soarin’ got a pretty good idea of where the race was going to take them. He suspected that Rainbow meant for them to follow the fence around the farm, back to the front gate. With her smaller size, she definitely had the advantage in terms of speed. He, however, had bigger and stronger wings, which might make up for that. He stayed just behind Rainbow and waited for his opportunity to pass, using her wing drafts to save energy.

Soarin’ couldn’t help but think how much he had missed this. He loved the speed, the adrenaline, the sound of wind rushing in his ears and the feel of it whipping through his mane. He hadn’t done this kind of flying since the day before he left Cloudsdale and he relished it.

He let Rainbow lead until they were at the final turn in the fence. As they made the turn, he took the inside and used the momentum to slingshot himself ahead. A small smirk crossed his face when he saw Rainbow’s expression as he passed her. He gave her a wink and pushed ahead.

With the finish line in sight, both racers threw everything they had into their wings, pushing to finish first. Slowly, Rainbow managed to creep up next to Soarin’ and began to pass him. Soarin’s wings were beginning to ache, but as they neared the finish line, he gave one last push. It wasn't enough, however, and Rainbow crossed the finish line just before he did.

“I win!” Rainbow shouted, panting once they both crossed.

Soarin’ chuckled between breaths. “Ha ha. Good job, Rainbow. That was a pretty good race.”

“You wanna go again?”

“You bet. First one to that cloud wins.”

They continued racing well into the evening and eventually came to rest on a cloud drifting above the farm to watch the sunset. They talked and laughed, swapping jokes and stories of aerial exploits until Luna brought out the moon. When they realized what time it was, they bid each other a good night and went to their respective dwellings.

Cider season continued all through the week and everyday Soarin’ performed in front of the long line of ponies for a short while and stood and greeted them as they bought cider. On the third day, a group of finely dressed unicorns approached the stand.

“Hey there, Fancypants,” Soarin' greeted the stallion at the head of the group. “How are you doing today?”

“Hello, Soarin’. I’m doing quite well, thank you. And hello to you as well, Miss Applejack.”

Applejack greeted the stallion with a large grin. “Well hey there, Mr. Fancypants. What brings you all the way down here from Canterlot?”

“Your cider, actually. I had heard of it through the grapevine, but have never taken the opportunity to come down and sample it for myself. Might I purchase a glass?”

The entourage that was with the stallion nodded in agreement and each purchased a mug of the cider. Fancypants gave a toast and they all sipped their mugs.

“Goodness gracious!” exclaimed Fancypants as he brought up a hoofkerchief to wipe his mouth. “Miss Applejack, this is by far the best of any cider I have ever had the honor of sampling. Do you, perchance, sell it by the bottle?” Every other unicorn in the group voiced their agreement.

“We sure do.”

“Excellent. I would like to order a few. Non-alcoholic, of course. My wife and I are expecting our first foal.”

“Really?” said Soarin’, grinning at the news. “That’s great, Fancy!”

“Congratulations,” said Applejack, “you and Fleur’re gonna make great parents. Ah’ll put ya down fer a few bottles and send ‘em out to ya.”

“Thank you, Miss Applejack. Well, I had best be going. I have a meeting with Miss Rarity to discuss a commission for some maternity clothing. I hope to see you again soon.”

“See ya Mr. Fancypants.”

The unicorn took his leave followed by his entourage, who also ordered bottles of cider.

“How do you know Fancypants and his wife?” asked Soarin’.

“Mah friends and Ah met them at a garden party in Canterlot…right after we, uh, wrecked it,” she replied, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. “How ‘bout you?”

“They’re big sponsors of the Wonderbolts and they like to hang around after some of our shows and talk with us. I’ve been invited to some of their parties, too.”

The day went on and they sold lots and lots of cider. As supper time came near, they closed the stand and packed up, telling the remaining ponies in line to come back the next day. They all went inside and ate dinner together. Applejack noted that there were a lot more ponies that were turned away today than in previous days and in previous years. Her friends explained to Soarin’ that it used to just be the family that made the cider every year and a lot of ponies didn’t get any. Then a couple of salesponies had come with a fancy machine and nearly drove the farm out of business. It was only due to the help of Applejack’s friends that they managed to make enough cider to save the farm. Ever since then, her friends had helped to make the cider every year and fewer ponies had gone without at the end of the day.

After dinner, Soarin’ and Applejack went out to the barn to practice dancing. They practiced until Applejack thought she was good enough to dance with Clover at the party. They still had some time to kill so Applejack offered to show Soarin’ how to square dance. Learning and remembering what all the different steps were called and what the dancer did for each was the hardest part for Soarin’, but eventually he got the hang of it.

The last two days of the week went by about the same. Ponies lined up long before the day started, the stand was opened, Soarin’ flew around greeting ponies and helping sell the cider. At the end of the day, Applejack noticed that, again, there were a lot more ponies who didn’t get cider than in previous years.

On the day before the party, Applejack called a meeting before they opened the stand and told everyone to really work hard to make as much cider as possible that day. At the end of the day, they had a large stack of barrels. While everyone else was inside eating dinner, Applejack stayed at the stand selling cider until the line of ponies was gone and everypony got some.

She only had one barrel left, which she carried on her back after all the customers had gone. Soarin’ and Clover met her halfway between the gate and the farmhouse. They carried a tray of food, a pair of saddlebags, and a fold-up picnic table between them. Soarin’ was wearing a bowtie and had a small, fake mustache on his muzzle.

“Hey, AJ,” said Clover.

She regarded them with a quizzical stare. “What’s all this for?”

“Well,” said Clover as he and Soarin’ began setting up the table, “since the party is tomorrow, I thought we’d celebrate our three-month anniversary tonight.”

The two stallions finished setting up. When they were done, the picnic table had been decked with a red tablecloth, candles and place settings for two.

“Aw, Clover,” cooed Applejack, blushing. “You didn’t have ta go ta all this trouble fer me.”

“Yeah I did, ‘cause you’re worth it.”

Her blush intensified and she smiled at him. Setting the barrel down, she wrapped her forelegs around his neck and kissed him. He wrapped his forelegs around her back, pulling her close as he deepened the kiss. Soarin’ was feeling increasingly awkward, and decided to fulfill the role Clover had asked him to play in his planned night of romance.

Clearing his throat, he spoke using an accent. “Mademoiselle et monsieur, your table eez ready.”

The couple broke apart and took their seats.

“Wow,” said Applejack, playing along, “ya even got a fancy waiter all the way from Prance.”

Soarin’ took a showy bow. “I am ‘appy to be of service, mademoiselle.” He turned and brought two bowls over from the tray of food and placed them at the table. “Ze first course,” he announced, “eez a cheese and apple salad wiss walnuts and a bar-de-luc dressing.” He pulled a bottle out of the saddlebags and poured each of them a glass, saying, “and to drink we ‘ave a lovely two year old cider from zee orchards of Sweet Apple Acres.”

Clover and Applejack chuckled as Soarin’ left the table and they enjoyed their salads. When they were done, Soarin took two plates with coverings from the tray and set them on the table. He removed the coverings, revealing two plates of apple stir fry garnished with parsley. When they had finished this, he brought out dessert; two slices of apple pie drizzled with caramel and topped with whipped cream.

“Be sure ta give mah compliments to the chef,” she told Soarin’.

“I shall, mademoiselle,” he replied, still using the accent. Turning to Clover, he said, “ze lovely lady gives you ‘er compliments.”

“You can cut the act now. Ah know Clover didn’t do all this by himself.”

“Hey, give me some credit,” said Clover indignantly.

She gave him a deadpan look. “Ya barely know how ta boil water.”

The grey stallion blushed in embarrassed defeat. “Alright. Rarity made the salad dressin’, Granny and Macintosh made the food and Sweetie Belle put the garnish on the plate. But the idea was mine,” he added with a grin.

She came around to his side of the table and wrapped her forelegs around his neck again. “And it was one’a the best dates we’ve had.” She leaned in and kissed him.

When they broke the kiss, Clover gestured with his hoof in the direction of the orchard. “Come on, the night’s still young. Let’s go for a walk.”

“What about the…”

“Don’t worry,” said Soarin’, “I’ll clean up.”

“Thanks buddy. I owe you one.”

“No problem.”

The couple began a slow walk in the direction of the orchard, leaning against each other. Soarin’ blew out the candles on the table and, over the course of a few trips, took everything back to the house, barn, or cellar and put it away.

Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and the Crusaders were still at the house hanging out. Macintosh, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and the Crusaders were all seated around the table playing a game of Go Fish. Rarity was at the window watching for when Applejack returned. As soon as Soarin’ stepped in the front door, she began probing him for details about Applejack’s date. He told her what happened and she became irritated at the lack of detail in his description, complaining that stallions just didn’t get it.

By the time Applejack came back from her walk with Clover, Luna had raised the moon for the night. Clover dropped Applejack off and said goodbye at the front porch. After a kiss goodnight, he went home and Applejack came inside. She was smiling from ear to ear and looked like she could give a pegasus a run for their money in a floating contest. Rarity was at her side in an instant, looking like she had just spent a few days in the desert and Applejack had a bottle of water.

“Well?” the white mare probed.

“Well what?” said Applejack dreamily.

The unicorn rolled her eyes and groaned. She grabbed Applejack’s hoof and half-lead, half-dragged her into the living room. “Come on, darling, I want details!”

Applejack gave a dreamy sigh. “Ah think Ah can say it was the best date ever.”

A/N: Not really sure I like the ending. It seems to just end abruptly, but I can't think of a way to clean it up.

Chapter 6: A Quadruple Party with Fudge on Top

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Ch 6: A quadruple party with fudge on top

The next day was the day of the party and everyone on the farm had the day off, aside from the work needed to prepare for the festivities. After breakfast, Granny and Applejack set themselves to work in the kitchen making pies, fritters, caramel apples and a whole host of other apple treats. Big Macintosh busied himself doing work in the small vegetable garden out back. Apple Bloom and the Crusaders went to their clubhouse to think of new ways to crusade for their cutie marks.

The preparations didn’t take long and there weren’t that many of them, so Soarin’ was left to his own devices for the day. He walked out onto the front porch, feeling the gentle breeze against his skin. Stepping off the porch, he closed his eyes and reveled in the feel of the wind as it caressed his fur and the warmth of the sun’s touch.

“BOO!”

“GAH!”

His enjoyment was cut short as he was startled by a voice from above. Looking up, he saw Spitfire hovering over him, having a laugh at his expense.

“Ha ha! Soarin’, you should’ve seen your face. That was priceless,” said Spitfire as she landed next to him.

The stallion recovered and chuckled along with his friend. “Hey, Spits. What are you doing here?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to go for a fly. You still owe me some sky time.”

The blue stallion put a hoof to his chin in thought. “Well, I don’t know. Maybe I could-raceyoutothatcloudgo!”

In an instant, he launched himself into the air, zooming to a high up cloud with Spitfire nipping at his heels. The two raced for a while, practicing a few tricks to prepare for when Soarin’ had to go back to work on Monday. Their flight took them all over the farm and eventually they flew over a road near the edge of the property. Looking down, they saw Scootaloo practicing trick on her scooter in the road with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle chatting not far away. The little orange pegasus saw them approaching and waved them down.

“Hey Soarin’! Spitfire! Down here!”

The two flew down and landed next to her.

“What’s up, Scoots?” asked Soarin’.

“I’m figuring out a new trick on my scooter. Wanna see?”

“You bet. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The two older pegasi took places on the grass next to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo began her show. As she did tricks on her scooter, the two Wonderbolts talked with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, breaking conversation every so often to cheer for the orange pegasus.

“So, have you girls done anything interesting lately to get your cutie marks?” asked Soarin’.

“Not today,” replied Sweetie Belle dejectedly.

“We couldn’t think’a anything,” said Apple Bloom.

“Can you think of anything, Mr. Soarin’?”

Soarin’ thought for a moment. Glancing over at Spitfire, an idea came to him.

“Hey, Spits,” he said, making sure to say it loud enough for the crusaders to hear. “You know I’m gonna have to get you back for scaring me earlier, right?”

The fiery mare gave him a cocky smile. “I’d like to see you try.”

“Oh, I intend to,” he stated, his own confidence evident in his voice. “Using nothing but five words.”

“Bring it!”

“Okay. *ahem* Cutie Mark Crusader Wonderbolt Ticklers.”

He took a glance to see Scootaloo stop her scooter and turn her head. All three fillies now bore very mischievous grins. It was obvious they got his hint.

Spitfire looked confused. “Cutie mark wha-”

“YAY!!”

Before she could react, the yellow mare was pounced to the ground by three merciless ticklers. Immediately the clearing was filled with the sounds of Spitfire’s howling laughter as the fillies tickled her.

“Aha ha ha st-sto-ha-hap! Can’t ha ha breathe!” she cried between laughs. After a few moments, the crusaders let up, but still stayed piled on top of Spitfire as she calmed down.

“Ha ha. Wow. Thanks. I thought I would die laughing,” said Spitfire. “But aren’t you girls forgetting something?”

The three fillies looked at her quizzically.

“What?” asked Apple Bloom.

Spitfire turned and gave Soarin’ a devilish smile. “Soarin’ said Wonderbolt ticklers and there’s more than one Wonderbolt here.”

Immediately the three fillies had grins on their faces just as devilish as the one on Spitfire’s. Soarin’ silently cursed himself for such an oversight that allowed his plan to come back and bite him in the flank. Fearing the tickling to come, he did the only thing he could think to do; he took off running down the road.

He heard the sound of pursuing hoofsteps chasing him. After running for a few moments, he looked behind him to see how far ahead he was. He almost instantly wished he hadn’t. He had left Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle in the dust, but Scootaloo had grabbed her scooter and was quickly catching up.

‘Oh shoot’

The orange filly pulled alongside him and leapt from her scooter, tackling him and knocking him over onto his back, allowing her fellow crusaders to catch up. Immediately Soarin’ was reduced to helpless laughing and squirming as three pairs of little hooves tickled him mercilessly. Just when he thought he would die of laughter, he was rescued.

“Alright, girls, Ah think he’s had enough.”

His tickling tormentors relented and he opened his eyes to see an upside-down Applejack smiling down at him. She was standing with her head blocking the sun and it framed her face in an angelic glow. Again he saw her green eyes looking into his, and again was hypnotized.

“Need a hoof?” she asked, extending a limb to help him up.

He smiled back at her and accepted the help. “Thanks. And thanks for saving me, too.” He gave the crusaders a nervous glance. “Those fillies are merciless.”

The fillies in question gave him angelic, very disarming smiles.

“Yup,” Applejack replied. “Ah came out here ta tell the girls that lunch is almost ready. Apple Bloom learned how ta tickle from me an’ Macintosh, so Ah knew you’d need the help.” Applejack noticed Spitfire standing in the clearing. “Howdy Spitfire,” she waved. “You want some lunch? We have more’n enough and yer welcome to join us.”

Spitfire accepted and the group went back up to the farmhouse. They all sat around the table and Granny brought out a huge plate of grilled cheese sandwiches and bowls of fresh tomato soup.

When most of them had finished their first sandwich, Rainbow Dash came in.

“Hey AJ,” she called as she came in the house. “Look, I need your help with asking somepony on a d- Soarin!” she exclaimed, startled at seeing the light blue pegasus. “Uh, hey. How ya doin?”

“Hey Rainbow,” he replied after swallowing a bite of his sandwich.

Scootaloo excitedly jumped from her seat and ran over to her idol. “Hey, Rainbow Dash, I learned a new trick on my scooter!”

The rainbow pegasus mussed up the little filly’s mane, smiling. “That’s great, squirt. Maybe you can show me sometime.”

Though it didn’t seem possible, Scootaloo’s grin got even wider at hearing what Dash said. “You bet!”

Everypony at the table chuckled at Scootaloo’s excitement.

“You want some lunch, Rainbow?” Applejack asked her friend.

“Sure, thanks.” Rainbow grabbed a seat next to Soarin’ and helped herself to a couple of sandwiches.

“So, uh, Soarin’…” she began between bites. “Are you going to the party tonight?”

“Yeah I am. Sounds like it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”

“You can bet yer left hoof it’s gonna be fun,” Applejack assured him. “Music, dancin’ and all the food ya can eat, ‘specially pie.” Soarin’ grinned at that, Spitfire chuckled.

The conversation continued, one subject leading into another as conversations do. Spitfire had just finished telling a story about something that happened to her this one time at flight camp, when Sweetie Belle spoke up about something.

“Soarin’, how did you get your cutie mark?”

The other two crusaders looked up from their lunch, smiling at the prospect of a story that might help them get their own cutie marks.

“I was in my backyard playing,” he began, “when I saw this big rainbow explosion in the sky…”

The crusaders stared in wide-eyed wonder at where the story was heading. Rainbow just stared at the Wonderbolt, mouth agape.

He continued. “Of course, that was the year after I got my cutie mark.” Rainbow frowned and Applejack tried to hide her snickering by covering her mouth with her hoof.

“Sorry Rainbow,” Soarin’ chuckled. “AJ told me about how your sonic rainboom helped all of your friends get their cutie marks and I just had to mess with you a little.”

Applejack and Spitfire laughed, both having already known Soarin’s real cutie mark story.

Rainbow gave him a light punch on the shoulder and chuckled. “Eh heh, don’t worry about it. I like a little prank every now and again.”

“So how’d ya really get yer cutie mark, Soarin’?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Let’s see,” he began again. “I think it all started when my mom and I lived in Manehattan. My mom’s an earth pony and we didn’t really have any pegasi friends that could teach me how to fly. But that wasn’t the only reason that I hadn’t learned.”

“What was the other reason?” asked Rainbow.

“Well, don’t tell anypony about this, but when I was a colt…” he looked around and leaned in to whisper in her ear, not noticing her blush. The crusaders leaned in closer to listen. “…I was afraid of heights.”

“What!?” They all jumped back in surprise.

“But you’re one of the greatest flyers in Equestria,” said Scootaloo. “How can you be afraid of heights?”

“I’m not afraid of them anymore, and it wasn’t so much being up high that bothered me; I just didn’t like the thought of falling. I typically avoided going anywhere near the edge of anything more than a story above the ground. Since flying involved jumping off those kinds of surfaces, I was always scared to try.

“One weekend the Wonderbolts came and did a show at the Manehattan Aerodrome and Spitfire’s dad took us to see it. The tricks and stunts they did left me completely floored and I thought that if that was what flying was, then I wanted to do it.

“That summer, I convinced my mom to let me go to summer flight camp with Spitfire. Spits seemed to get the hang of flying right away, but I was still afraid of falling. The coaches at the camp helped me overcome my fear of falling and Spitfire and I got our cutie marks when we won a race against a couple of other students.”

“Cooooool,” said the fillies, filled with awe.

When lunch was finished, most of the Apple family went into the barn to finish setting up for the party in a couple of hours. Soarin’ offered his help, but Applejack adamantly insisted that they would be fine and Rainbow and Spitfire, equally adamant, egged Soarin’ into a race. The three of them raced around the edge of Ponyville and hung out until it was about time for the party to start. They had one last race to the front gate of the farm.

“I won!” proclaimed Rainbow as the three of them landed in front of the gate.

“No way, I won,” Spitfire countered.

Both mares frowned at each other and turned to Soarin’. “Soarin’, I won didn’t I?” they both said in unison.

“Uh…” Soarin’ suddenly grew very nervous. The next words out of his mouth could lead to certain disaster. “Well…” he started, choosing his words carefully. “Isn’t it more important that we all had fun? Y’know, good sportsponyship and stuff?” He hoped against all hope that that would work.

It didn’t. They both gave him a half-lidded stare. “Who won?!”

His first attempt failed, he wracked his brain to think of another solution without having the wrath of either of them aimed at him. “Uh…you both did?”

Both mares rolled their eyes, giving Soarin’ a ‘you’re hopeless’ look. He sighed in relief that he had managed to come out unscathed. The three of them walked up to the barn and Soarin’ moved to open the door…

“SURPRISE!!!!”

Soarin’ swore he felt his heart leap into his throat. He jumped up in surprise and landed on his back outside the barn door.

“Wh-what’s going on?” he asked of the many faces smiling at him from inside the barn. The entire interior of the building was bedecked with streamers, balloons, and confetti in a multitude of colors. All of Applejack’s friends and immediate family were gathered and staring at Soarin’ with the look someone gives you after they’ve just seen that they scared you out of your wits.

Spitfire and Rainbow Dash, both laughing at his reaction, offered him a hoof to help him up.

“Were you two a part of this?” he asked.

“Yep,” said Spitfire. “Applejack asked me to keep you distracted after lunch until the party started. Plus, the opportunity to see you get spooked again was too much to resist.”

“I knew it,” he said, “you just like seeing me fall on my flank.”

He got to his hooves and was met with the blue eyes of Applejack’s friend Pinkie Pie.

“Hi, Soarin’! Were you surprised, ‘cause you looked surprised. But I guess it’s only natural to be surprised since this is a surprise party. Though it was supposed to be an end of cider season party but then Applejack asked if we could change it and we did. Now it’s an end of cider season, welcome to Ponyville, thanks for helping out, farewell party. It’s four parties all rolled into one. That’s a quadruple party! Plus, we have fudge, so that makes it a quadruple party with fudge on top!”

Almost as quickly as she had appeared, Pinkie was gone, tending to the food and partying and leaving Soarin’ still confused at the door.

“What was she…fudge…wha?” he stuttered, confused as he came into the barn to join the party.

“Howdy.”

He turned and saw Applejack and Clover coming towards him. Clover walked with one foreleg over Applejack’s shoulder and Applejack leaned against him.

“Hey,” Soarin’ replied. “Do you happen to know what Pinkie was saying? She talked so fast that I didn’t quite catch it.”

Applejack chuckled. “Yup, she does that sometimes. She was sayin’ that Ah had her change the party a bit this year. Normally we just celebrate the end’a cider season, but since you helped us so much and yer leavin’ tomorrow, Ah thought we’d throw you a party. When Ah ran the idea by Pinkie, she made it a welcomin’ party too ‘cause she didn’t throw ya one when ya first came here.”

He smiled at her. “AJ, you didn’t have to do all this for me.”

She waved a hoof dismissively. “Ponyfeathers. You’ve earned it. Now come on, Ah made a few pies with a different mix’a apples and Ah want yer honest opinion.”

“You two go on ahead,” said Clover. “I’ll go get us some cider.”

When Clover was out of earshot, Soarin’ whispered to Applejack. “When are you going to give Clover your surprise…”

His question trailed off as they neared a table by the wall loaded with various desserts and pastries. A large section at one end of the table had several pies and their delightful smell wafted up to his nose, intoxicating him.

Applejack noticed his sudden hypnotization with the food and chuckled to herself. “Eat up, partner. There’s plenty. Ah gotta go and get the party started. Be sure ta tell me what ya think.”

The orange mare walked away and Soarin’ continued staring intently at the pies. Just as he had decided which one to try first, Applejack got up on an old crate and called for everypony’s attention. Soarin’ carried his pie over to the gathering to listen to what his friend had to say.

“Thanks fer comin’ everypony,” Applejack began, “and thanks again fer helpin’ us out with cider season. Big Macintosh’s been keepin’ track’a sales and we’re about ta find out how well we did. Everypony cross yer hooves.”

The entire gathering waited with bated breath as Macintosh gave his sister a folded piece of paper that he held in his teeth. She slowly unfolded it, looked at what was written and gasped.

“You sure you got yer fancy mathematics right, big brother?”

“Eyup.”

The orange cowpony looked at the paper again for a long time, her eyes starting to get misty.

“Don’t keep us in suspense, Applejack,” said Rarity. “Have you sold enough cider to make it through the winter?”

“She looks like she’s crying,” said Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom ran up to the crate her sister was standing on and hugged her leg. “What’s wrong, Applejack? Are we gonna lose the farm?”

The orange cowpony smiled at her sister and hugged her. “No, Apple Bloom, we ain’t losin’ the farm.”

“Then why’re ya crying?”

“Sis, Ah’m cryin’ cause…” she lifted up the paper for her sister to see. “That’s how much we made sellin’ our cider.”

The yellow filly looked at the paper for a moment. “Is that a lot?”

Her sister nodded and looked to all the ponies present. “This year, our cider sales’re almost double what we usually sell!”

A series of gasps, oohs, and aahs was heard from every corner of the barn, followed by cheering and congratulations. Clover came over to the crate and hugged his marefriend, who then pulled her brother and sister in, making it a group hug.

“Do ya know what this means?” asked Applejack, tears still streaming down her face. “We can finally fix the roof, and do a whole mess’a other repairs around the farm! Thank you! Thank you so much fer helpin’ us everypony.”

“Let’s get this party started!” shouted Pinkie as she started passing out mugs of cider.

Applejack raised her mug to give a toast. “We’da never been able ta do this without y’all helpin’ us. You folks’re all our friends and, more importantly, our family. Ta family!”

“To family!” repeated all the guests, taking swigs from their mugs.

Soarin’ had been to a fair number of parties in his years as a Wonderbolt, but none could hold a candle to the one he was currently attending. The Apple siblings had each brought out a guitar, a violin, and a jug, respectively, and, accompanied by Twilight Sparkle’s assistant Spike on the piano, soon filled the barn with an upbeat country tune. Almost every guest was stamping their hooves madly to the tune the four musicians played and the cider flowed well into the afternoon and early evening.

About an hour or two into the party, the Apple siblings and the dragon pianist put away their instruments and a record player replaced the upbeat music with a slow tune. Applejack crossed the barn and offered Clover her hoof.

“Mind if Ah have this dance, partner?”

His eyes widened in surprise. “I thought you hated slow dancin’.”

“Ah wanted ta do somethin’ special fer our anniversary and Ah knew you liked it. So Ah asked Soarin’ ta teach me. Ah still prefer square dancin’, but this slow stuff ain’t so bad. Kinda grows on ya after a bit.”

He smiled, took her hoof and they helped each other up on their hind legs. She leaned her head against his chest and they began to dance, moving back and forth and slowly making their way across the barn.

Soarin’, having long ago finished two pies, was giving his stomach a rest when he and Rainbow decided that they wanted some more cider. The rainbow-maned pegasus had been hanging out with Soarin’ for the whole evening. At the cider barrel, they ran into Twilight and struck up a conversation. Twilight was explaining a scientific book that she just finished reading.

“So anyway, the author concluded that if you take an eleventh-dimensional matrix and fold it into a mechanical-” She paused in her explanation as she caught sight of the couple on the dance floor. “Awwww.”

Her conversational partners snapped out of the zoned stupor that her lecture had put them in and turned to see what had drawn her attention. Soarin’ smiled as he watched the couple dance. Clover whispered in Applejack’s ear, making her laugh, smile and blush as they swayed to the music. It felt really good for Soarin’, knowing that he had helped her do something special for the one that she loved.

As he watched them dance, Soarin’ couldn’t help but notice an odd feeling sprouting in his heart. He saw the way his two friends looked at each other and couldn’t help but feel a longing for something like that. He wasn’t jealous of them, but he could remember that giddy feeling in his chest whenever he locked eyes with a mare that he cared about. He let out an inaudible sigh, wishing he had somepony whom he could make feel the way that it looked like Clover made Applejack feel.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as Rainbow fidgeted and cleared her throat next to him. “So…” she began. “You, uh, wanna dance?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you danced, Rainbow.”

“Well…actually…” she replied, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. “I don’t. I’ve never really been into that sort of thing, but it kinda looks like fun.”

He smiled. “I’d be happy to teach you if you want.”

“Okay, I’d like that.”

They both reared up on their hind legs and Rainbow wrapped her hooves around his neck. This dancing position was a little more intimate that he had expected, but Soarin’ was nothing if not adaptable. He reached his hooves down and gently placed them on her hips.

*POMF*

He pulled both hooves back in surprise as Rainbow’s wings popped open. The two of them just stood there in awkward silence, Rainbow blushing profusely and Soarin’ wondering why she was opening her wings. Suddenly, he came to a realization.

“Uh, Rainbow…?”

“I’m sorry! I just-”

“Did you mean that you wanted to sky dance?”

She paused for a moment. “Uh…yes?”

“Well, why didn’t you say so? I should warn you though, I haven’t done it in a while, so I might be a little rusty.”

He unfurled his own wings, took her hoof and lead her into the air above the party. Normally, the dance would be done to traditional pegasi music, which involved a greater use of trumpets and drums, but the current melody that played was sufficient. The only pegasus dance that Soarin’ knew was a very old one that hailed from the days before the triumvirate when pegasi culture was more warrior-centered. The movements of the dance relied on physical strength and trust in your partner, as these things were very important to the pegasi warriors.

They danced for a while and then took a break, both landing to mingle and enjoy the party. Rainbow went to go get herself some cider and Soarin’, seeing Applejack and Clover sitting on a bench by the wall, went to talk with them.

“Hey,” he called.

“Hey,” said Clover. “You two looked pretty cool up there. Where’d you learn to dance like that?”

"The mayor of Cloudsdale is a history buff and hires the Wonderbolts to appear at parties. Did you two enjoy your dance?”

Applejack leaned closer to Clover and he wrapped a foreleg around her. “Yup. Thanks fer teachin’ me.”

“No problem,” he replied.

Another song started up and Applejack’s eyes sparked with recognition.

“Whoo doggy,” she exclaimed, pulling on Clover’s leg. “Ah love this song.”

“AJ, we’ve been dancin’ for an hour,” Clover complained. “I need a break.”

The orange cowpony looked a little disappointed and Soarin’ figured that he still had a couple of dances left in him.

“I’ll dance with you, AJ,” he offered, “that is if Clover doesn’t mind.”

“Nah. Go ahead, sweetie. I’ll get the next one.”

She leaned up and pressed her lips to Clover’s in a kiss that left him wide-eyed for a moment before he closed his eyes and pressed back. They broke the kiss and, in a mildly sultry voice, Applejack said, “See ya later, partner.”

Soarin’ offered her his hoof, she took it and they walked out to the dance floor.

“I hope I don’t look that goofy whenever I get kissed,” said Soarin’ as the two of them reared up and stood together, beginning to dance.

“Ah like it when Clover gets that look after Ah kiss him,” she replied. “Ah like makin’ him feel like that and Ah’d bet my bits that yer old girlfriends thought the same.”

“Hmm, I never thought of it like that.”

They continued dancing and talking for a few more songs. Soarin’ alternated between making eye contact with Applejack and watching the rest of the party guests. A few of Applejack’s friends had joined in the dancing as well. Twilight was dancing, rather badly, by herself and Pinkie Pie was doing one of the strangest versions of the chicken dance that Soarin’ had ever seen. The little dragon, Spike, had been hovering around Rarity the whole evening and looked like he was trying to get her to dance. Fluttershy and Macintosh had also joined the other ponies on the dance floor. Over by the food table, Spitfire was talking and Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were listening with rapt attention. Based on her body language, Soarin’ guessed that Spitfire was telling the story about her Wonderbolts audition.

Seeing Scootaloo brought a couple of questions to Soarin’s mind. Over the past two weeks, he’d seen how good she was on her scooter, but he realized that she had never flown. Most pegasi children took every opportunity to fly once they learned. The thought that she might not even be able to fly yet started niggling in his mind.

Being raised on the ground might have been a factor, but plenty of pegasi learned to fly being raised on the ground. He wondered why her parents hadn’t sent her to flight school. Tuition was a little on the expensive side, but there were quite a few scholarships available, many from the Wonderbolts themselves.

“Yer awful quiet,” said Applejack, breaking his reverie. “Everythin’ okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking.”

“What about?”

“Scootaloo. I was just wondering why I haven’t seen her flying yet. It’s probably none of my business, but most pegasus foals her age fly all over the place.”

Now it was his dance partner’s turn to fall silent. Applejack’s expression turned to one of contemplation, as if she were choosing her next words carefully. Soarin’ worried that he may have been too nosy and asked about something that he shouldn’t have.

“If it’s a touchy subject, you don’t have to say anything,” he assured her. “Like I said, it’s probably none of my business. I was just curious.”

“Nah, it ain’t a sore subject ‘er nuthin’, Ah guess Ah’m just not sure. Most’a what Ah know about Scoots is what Ah hear from Apple Bloom. Ah know she’s got an older brother ‘cuz Ah met him when he came ta pick her up a couple’a times. But now Ah’m thinkin’ about it and Ah can’t remember ever meetin’ her parents. Ah don’t think she really has anypony to teach her.”

Soarin’ turned his gaze again to where the three other pegasi were talking. Not being able to learn to fly was something he was familiar with and thnking that Scootaloo might not have been able to fly made him feel sorry for her.

As he watched the two mares and the filly talking and laughing and the way that Scoots was looking at Rainbow, he remembered something Applejack had told him the week prior.

That little filly is Rainbow’s biggest fan…

Suddenly, he was struck with an idea.

“Hey, AJ, I need to go take care of something. Do you mind if I cut our dance a little short?”

She seemed to see what he was thinking. “Nope, go on ahead.”

“Thanks.”

Soarin’ made his way across the floor to the trio of conversing pegasi. The three smiled at him as he approached.

“Hey, Soarin’,” they all greeted him simultaneously.

“Hey, girls. Are you enjoying the party?”

“Heck yeah,” said Rainbow. “It’s, like, at least twenty percent cooler than last year.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo agreed. “And Spitfire tells the best stories.”

“Cool,” said Soarin’, smiling at the filly. If his idea worked, then she would soon be telling flying stories of her own. “Hey, do you two mind if I borrow Rainbow for a bit? I need to talk to her about something.”

“Go right ahead, Soarin’,” said Spitfire, giving him a look somewhere between mischievous and encouraging. He ignored it and led Rainbow aside to talk privately for a moment.

“So, uh, listen. I kinda wanted to ask you something,” he started.

“Yeah?” she urged him to continue, her voice sounding hopeful.

“Yeah. And I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

“Oh?” Her face bore a quizzical expression one might wear if a surprising turn had just been taken.

“See…,” he rubbed the back of his head with a hoof, trying to form the words the right way. “We haven’t known each other very long, but from what I’ve seen, you’re a really good flyer. I was wondering if you’d like to…”

“Yes! Of course I’ll go-“

“…keep an eye on Scootaloo?”

“Huh?” The rainbow-maned pegasus looked at the Wonderbolt with a confused expression. Soarin’ thought that she may not have heard him. The party was a little loud after all.

“Would you mind keeping an eye on Scootaloo?” he repeated. “You know, hang out with her every now and again, show her some tricks. I’m not sure, but I don’t think she can fly yet and I think she’d really like it. Maybe you could even teach her if you’re up to it.”

Rainbow remained silent for a moment, mulling over his request. Soarin’ thought he saw a look of disappointment on her face and thought she might be trying to find a way to say no without hurting his feelings. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel forced into doing something she didn’t want to do.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he assured her. “I just thought it sounded like a good idea. She really looks up to you. If you can’t or don’t want to, I’ll understand.”

“What? No, I can totally do it. I…was just a little surprised that you asked me to do something like that.”

“Awesome! We’ll talk to AJ tomorrow and find out where Scootaloo lives. You should probably see if it’s okay with her parents. I’ll go with you tomorrow morning before I leave and vouch for you if you like.”

“Okay.”

They agreed to meet the next morning and rejoined the conversation with Scootaloo and Spitfire.

As the party continued long into the night, the younger party guests (and the oldest one) had increasing difficulty hiding how tired they were. Apple Bloom was placed on Granny’s back and the elder mare took her inside to put her to bed before going to bed herself. Likewise, Rarity and Twilight had Sweetie Belle and Spike placed on their backs respectively to take them home for some much-needed rest. Seeing how late it was, Fluttershy wished everypony good night. Big Macintosh put Scootaloo on his back to take her home and left with the yellow pegasus.

Soarin’, Spitfire, Rainbow, Applejack, Clover, and Pinkie Pie decided that they wanted to keep the party going for a little while longer. They talked and laughed until Luna’s moon was high on its path through the heavens.

Big Macintosh soon returned from walking Fluttershy home and dropping Scootaloo off. He poked his head into the barn, announcing that he was heading to bed as well. The group began taking down and putting away the decorations. When they were done, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow and Spitfire left for their respective dwellings. Clover volunteered to stay a little longer and finish cleaning the last of the decorations.

Soarin’ and Applejack went into the farm house and ascended the stairs to their respective rooms. Remembering something, Soarin’ turned and called out to Applejack in a soft voice as she was opening her door.

“Hey, Applejack?”

She turned and looked at him. “What’cha need, partner?”

“In all the excitement from the party, I forgot to say congratulations. You know, for doing so well with your sales. Also, thanks for the party, and for letting me stay here. These past couple weeks have been great and I just wanted to say thanks for letting me have this experience.”

She just stared at him, smiling for a moment before replying. “Yer welcome.”

He smiled back and turned to go into his bedroom. “’Night, AJ.”

“Soarin’?”

He turned around again to see that Applejack had stepped away from her door and was now much closer. She reached up and pulled him into a hug, which he gladly returned.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

A puzzled look crossed his face. “What are you thanking me for?”

She broke the hug and he noticed she had tears gathering in her eyes. “Ah’ve been too busy this week ta make it ta town, but the girls were tellin’ me that folks have been comin’ up to ‘em all week and askin’ about you. Then, last night when Ah was takin’ care’a the last customers while the rest of ya ate supper, almost everypony in line was askin’ where ya were.”

“Okay…,” said Soarin’, not quite sure what she was getting at.

“Don’tcha get it?” she asked, her smile widening. “We’ve done the same thing every year ta sell our cider ever since our run-in with those Flim-Flam brothers. The only thing different about this year is you. Havin’ you here was what got so many ponies ta come out and buy our cider. Ya even got those unicorns ta come all the way from Canterlot just ta buy our cider.” She blinked and a tear ran down her left cheek. “Thank you.”

Reaching her head up, she gave Soarin’ a light kiss on his right cheek. Immediately, his face felt like it was on fire.

“Yer a really good friend,” the orange mare said as she pulled him into another hug. “All yer help meant a lot ta me and-”

Suddenly a soft knocking on the door downstairs interrupted her.

“Hmm, that must be Clover,” she whispered. “Ah’d better go get that b’fore Granny wakes up. G’night,” she said as she made her way down the stairs.

“Uh…yeah, good night,” he replied, reaching a hoof to touch his cheek.

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Soarin’ awoke a bit later than usual, which was not surprising to him since the party the previous night had gone quite late. Looking out his window, he saw that the Ponyville early morning weather team had left a layer of grey clouds in the sky to prepare for a light rain scheduled for later in the evening. He was glad that he enjoyed the job he would be returning to the next day. The combination of the gloomy sky and the foreboding of going back to a job that one hated would, for lack of a better phrase, really really suck.

He turned from the window with a smile on his face, looking forward to the day. He had good news for Scootaloo and he couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when he and Rainbow told her that her hero would be teaching her to fly. With a ginger spring in his step, he trotted out of his room and down the stairs.

As he entered the dining room, Soarin’ couldn’t help but notice a deviation from the usual cheerfulness that was the atmosphere of the breakfast table. It seemed that most of the family had decided to sleep in and Applejack was the only member of the family present. Big Macintosh’s trademark yoke was missing from its hook on the wall, so the big stallion must have gone out already. Granny and Apple Bloom were probably still in bed.

It seemed that the only pony who chose not to sleep in was Clover, who had come over earlier than usual and was standing next to Applejack at the counter, helping her make breakfast. He whispered in her ear and gave her light kisses on her neck, making her giggle and playfully push him away so she could focus on the oatmeal cooking in the pot on the stove.

“Morning,” the Wonderbolt greeted the two of them as he entered the kitchen. They both jumped a little, having not heard him approach.

“Oh, uh, hey Soarin’,” Clover greeted him. The grey stallion must have come over in a hurry, because his mane looked like he had just gotten out of bed.

“Hey, Clover. What are you doing here so early?”

The stallion fidgeted. “Uh…just wanted to come over and see my special somepony. I, uh, thought I’d help her make breakfast.” Soarin’ didn’t notice that Applejack’s face had turned beet red.

The Wonderbolt asked them if they needed any help and they set him to work cutting some apples. The smell of oatmeal and cinnamon soon filled the house, rousing Granny and Apple Bloom and bringing them downstairs. Gathering the food, the three cooks set the table for breakfast.

“Did you hurt yourself last night, AJ?” Soarin’ asked as they made their way into the dining room. She was walking a little funny, almost like she was sore from something.

“Uh…” Applejack stopped in her tracks, almost spilling the oatmeal. Her eyes shifted side to side and her face reddened a little. “N-no, Ah don’t think so. Ah, uh, must’a…pulled a muscle with all that dancin’ last night.”

The group ate a hardy breakfast and set about beginning their chores. Soarin’ asked Applejack where Scootaloo lived and then went to meet up with Rainbow. The two of them met at Rainbow’s cloud house and took off to the area at the edge of Ponyville where Scootaloo lived.

The orange pegasus lived in a small, single-story grey house that looked like it could use some repair. The paint was cracking and a few of the shingles were peeling. The house was far from decrepit, but could have done with a little bit of TLC.

Upon knocking, a stallion answered. He introduced himself as Scootaloo’s brother. He invited them into the house, explaining that Scootaloo had gone to ride around on her scooter and their father was not available.

The stallion seemed to like the idea of Rainbow hanging out with Scootaloo and possibly teaching her to fly. He was Scootaloo’s legal guardian until their dad came back and it was more than okay by him. They soon agreed on a time when Rainbow and Scootaloo could get together that fit in with Rainbow’s schedule, and one that would work with Scootaloo’s schedule once school started. Rainbow would pick Scoots up from school a couple times a week to hang out and then bring her home.

With that taken care of, the two pegasi left Scootaloo’s house and made the trip back to the farm. The trip quickly became a race around town, making the time it took to get back that much longer. Soarin’ still had some time before he needed to get back to Cloudsdale and Apple Bloom and the crusaders, who were bored stiff after their idea for a cutie mark in barn demolition had been shot down, wanted to have another picnic for lunch. The rest of the family was hesitant with the grey clouds, but agreed when Rainbow assured them it wouldn’t rain until later. When lunchtime rolled around, they were all gathered on the front lawn eating sandwiches. When lunch was finished, it was time for Soarin’ to leave. Each of his new friends gathered around to wish him well.

“Do ya really have ta go Soarin’?” asked Apple Bloom, making her eyes wide and giving a little pout.

“Yeah,” agreed Sweetie Belle as she and Scootaloo added their own pouts to the mix. “Can’t you stay a little longer?”

Soarin’ reached down and ruffled their manes, breaking the adorable looks before he could give in. “Sorry, girls. I wish I could stay longer, but I have to go to work tomorrow.”

“Alright,” they sighed. Taking a step forward, they gave him a hug.

“Bye, Soarin’,” said Scootaloo.

Soarin’ extended his hoof, giving Scoots a hoof bump. “See ya, kid.”

“I wish you didn’t have to go. I was hoping to see you fly.”

“Tell you what,” he said, leaning down to the filly’s level. “How about if I send Rainbow some tickets to our next show and you two can go together.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Actually, better yet, why don’t I make them backstage passes instead? You two can come and meet the team after the show and we can show you around headquarters.”

The filly began jumping up and down, squealing and screaming with glee.

“Will she be okay?” asked Soarin’.

“Eventually,” said Sweetie Belle.

The group all laughed and Soarin’ turned to Rainbow. Her jaw looked like it was ready to fall off her face at any moment. A tap on her shoulder caught her attention.

“Thanks again for doing this for me, Rainbow. I’ll send all of you those passes soon.”

“Awesome!”

“See you around?”

“You bet!”

Soarin’ gave rainbow a hug they wished each other good luck.

Big Macintosh was next. The large stallion gave Soarin’ a very firm hoofshake, but said nothing. The look in his eyes, however, told Soarin’ enough. Instead of letting words get in the way, Soarin’ felt that just shaking the red stallion’s hoof was enough.

“See ya later, buddy,” said Clover, giving Soarin’ a hoofshake. “We’ll have to have another pie-eatin’ contest sometime.”

“You bet. I’d be happy to kick your flank again,” the pegasus replied jovially.

“Ooh! Ah almost fergot,” said Granny. She pulled out a box and held it by a string in her teeth. “Ah made you a pie ta take home with ya.” She placed the box on the ground and pulled Soarin’ into a hug. “Ya take care now an’ come back soon, alright, sonny.”

“I will,” he replied, returning the hug.

Finally the only pony left to say goodbye to was Applejack. The two of them just stood there for a few moments. Soarin’ decided to start with a hug.

“Thank you,” he said as he hugged her, “for everything.”

“Yer welcome,” she replied. Breaking the hug, she pulled out a small bag and gave it to him. “Here. Ah was gonna give ya this this mornin’ but it slipped mah mind.”

“What is it?” he asked, opening it up. Inside, the bag contained a number of bits.

“It’s what you earned workin’ for us.”

He frowned. “AJ, I can’t accept this.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Why not? You earned that fair and square.”

“Because, it wouldn’t be right. You took me into your home when I needed help, without even hesitating or asking for anything in return. You fed me the best food that I’ve ever had every day. But more than that, you made me feel like I was another member of the family. My mom always told me that you help your family because they’re your family, not because you stand to gain something.” He passed the bag back to her. “You don’t owe me anything.”

The apple mare reluctantly took the bag back. “Alright, Ah’m still gonna make you some pies the next time ya come around, no charge.”

“It’s a deal.” Soarin’ gave her another hug then turned in the direction of Cloudsdale. “Well, I’d better get going.” Picking up the box with his pie in it, he took to the sky and began the long flight back to Cloudsdale.

“Bye Soarin’,” waved the crusaders.

“See, you later, buddy.”

“Come back soon, ya hear?”

“Eeyup.”

“Bye Soarin’.”

“See ya ‘round, partner.”

He turned mid-flight and waved back at them. “Bye, guys. I’ll come back soon. That’s a Pinkie Promise.”

”Foreverrrrr,” whispered a nearby cloud.

Chapter 7: I Dream of AJ

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A/N: Normally, I wouldn’t release this until I was done with ch 8, but I now have a proofreader, and he managed to help me get this out faster.

Chapter 7: I dream of AJ

The wind whistled as it slowly blew through the surrounding foliage. The sun shone down on the orchard, enough to warm the skin but not enough to break a sweat. In the distance, a small bird sang a cheerful melody before taking off from where it had alighted on a small branch. The leaves rustled in the breeze, giving the ears something to keep them distracted while the mind wandered.

A lone stallion lay on his back, his left foreleg serving as a pillow for his head, the right splayed at his side. His eyes were closed, gazing at the sea of red behind his eyelids. He felt the cool, soft grass beneath him and his ear twitched as the blades tickled it. His muscled chest slowly rose and fell as he breathed the fresh, sweet smelling air. A small smile played across his lips and he let forth a contented sigh.

He swiveled his ear as he heard the sounds of approaching hoofsteps. Recognizing them, he tilted his head up and opened his eyes to greet her. His vision tinged the scene before him with blue as a result of the prolonged exposure to the red light behind his eyes, but he knew the true nature of the mare’s colors as she approached him.

The sunlight reflected off her yellow hair, making it shine like solid gold. It draped down her left shoulder, the end tied with a red band, her tail tied likewise. Her coat was a bright orange that would have made the fruit that shared its name with the color hide in shame at its own shortcoming. Underneath her skin lay well-toned muscles, the result of years of hard work, that flexed and rippled as she walked. Her eyes, shaded by the brim of the Stetson that she wore, had a look of pure honesty and willful determination. They glinted like the greenest of emeralds, emeralds that any dragon would face any threat to keep locked within their hoard.

He smiled to himself. Too bad for the dragons, she only had eyes for him.

She drew near to him as he admired her from where he lay on the grass. Without a word, she leaned her head down and pressed her lips to his. Electric tingles danced down his spine and his heart fluttered in his chest. He reached his hooves up to gently cradle her head and returned her affections. She wrapped her forelegs around his neck, bringing them chest-to-chest.

Kiss melted into kiss as the two lovers continued to make out under the afternoon sun. The stallion released a sigh into her mouth, telling her how content he was, how happy she made him.

Their lips separated, but just barely; just enough that he still felt her lips touch his own lips when she moved her mouth to speak.

“Ah love you.”

He kissed her again, more fervently this time. She, the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria, loved HIM. He felt like he wanted to climb the highest mountain and shout his reply so that the entire world could hear. But since the only ones present to hear him were the two of them, he made known his reply in a gentle whisper in her ear.

“I lo-“

“GAH!”

Soarin’ bolted up in his bed, sweating from the very vivid dream that he’d just had. He shook his head and looked around the room, confirming that it was, in fact, a dream.

“Woah,” he said as he wiped the sweat off his face, “that was …weird.”

He flopped back on the bed and tried to go back to sleep. When his efforts proved fruitless, he decided to just get an early start. He got out of bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. As the warm water cascaded down his back, his thoughts turned back to his dream, which was only the most recent of many Applejack-related thoughts.

The light blue pegasus had been thinking of Applejack quite frequently over the week since he had returned from his vacation. It started out with little things. He’d stop and do a double take whenever he saw a patch of orange in the corner of his eye, only to realize it was somepony else. Whenever he saw apples on a table or in a fruit bowl, there always seemed to be three of them in a very distinct pattern. He hadn’t been very concerned with it thus far, but now that he was dreaming of Applejack and Clover being intimate, he was starting to get worried.

He finished his shower, dried himself off, and went downstairs to get himself some breakfast. Upon opening his fridge, he was met with disappointment. The fridge was bare, save for the box of Hoof and Hammer baking soda he had left to rid it of the smell from the food that had gone bad during his vacation. He decided that he would get breakfast at work and went out to his front porch. After walking around to the eastern side of his house, he lay down and waited for the sun to come up.

The horizon soon began to change colors, heralding the arrival of Celestia’s bright star. As he watched it ascend into the sky, ushering in the new day, Soarin’ couldn’t help but notice that the habit he had partaken of for years felt hollow somehow. It just didn’t seem right to watch the spectacle by himself anymore. Something like this should be shared with somepony that you care about. Standing up, he took to the sky and began his early morning flight to work.

As he approached, he saw banners being put up announcing the Wonderbolts’ next show. The front walls of the office building and the cloudiseum now bore a poster with the profiles of three Wonderbolts with four more flying in the background and the Wonderbolts insignia on the bottom.

Soarin’ flew from the main office building to another building that he and his teammates referred to as ‘the Lounge.’ It had been an office building a long time ago, but then a newer, bigger one had been built and the old one had been converted into an area for the team to hang out and unwind. It had lots of couches, plenty of games and a large kitchen that was always stocked with plenty of food. There were even a couple of small rooms with beds in them so that the Wonderbolts could relax or take a nap when they weren’t training.

The blue pegasus made his way to the kitchen, made himself an omelet with cheese, potatoes and hot sauce and took a seat at the island table in the middle of the room. He was part of the way through his meal when he heard the sound of hoofsteps coming down the hall. The source of those hoofsteps came around the corner in the form of Spitfire and another member of the team, Fleetfoot.

“Hey Soarin,” the yellow pegasus greeted him.

“Hey Spits, hey Fleetfoot,” he replied. Turning to his fiery-maned friend, he asked, “how was your vacation?”

“Pretty good, actually. I spent some time at the beach and went to visit my parents.”

“How are they doing?”

Spitfire answered with a tone one might use to describe the weather. “My mom’s still enjoying Canterlot nobility and bugging me about settling down, my dad’s doing pretty good in Manehattan, and they both still hate each other’s guts.”

“Ah.” Soarin’ gave a curt nod in understanding and decided to change the subject. “How come you’re here so early?”

The yellow mare rolled her eyes in response. “Boss piled a major plot load of paperwork on me. I wanted to get an early start so I could get in some practice time for that show we have later this month,” she explained as she grabbed some carrots from the fridge. “How about you? You don’t usually come in for at least another hour or so. Do we have a new recruit or something?”

“No, I just couldn’t get back to sleep and I thought I might as well come in.”

Spitfire gave Soarin’ a funny look and was about to say something, but was interrupted by Fleetfoot.

“Ooh, Soarin’ didn’t do much sleeping,” she said in a suggestive tone, a sly grin on her muzzle, “were you ‘busy’ with the apples all night?” By the end of her question, her snickering had become uncontrollable and she broke into giggles, pounding the floor with her hoof.

Soarin’ let out an exasperated sigh. Like him, Fleetfoot liked jokes and pranks. Her focus, however, was on the jokes that were cruder in nature. When Soarin’ had told his teammates about his vacation, Fleetfoot made sure to point out the innuendo behind applebucking. She had also been using that joke at every opportunity and it was getting really old.

“No, Fleetfoot,” he groaned, “my relationship with my fruit is strictly platonic.”

Spitfire chuckled. “How long has she been using that one?”

Soarin’ reached a hoof up to rub his forehead. “All. Week. Long.”

“All week? Fleet, you really need to get some new material.”

The blue mare had calmed down from her laughing by this time and a frown crossed her face. “I would,” she replied, “but it seems like I’m the only one on this team that likes dirty jokes and I can’t think of any good ones. The ones I know and ‘that’s what he or she said’ jokes are all I’ve got.”

“Go talk to Rapidfire,” her teammate replied, waving a hoof. “I think he knows a few good ones.”

Fleetfoot, grinning at the possibility of learning a new joke, thanked Spitfire and left to go find Rapidfire.

Silence reigned for several minutes as the two remaining Wonderbolts munched their breakfast.

“So,” Spitfire asked at length, “what woke you up?”

Soarin’ looked up from his breakfast. “Huh?”

“You’re a pretty deep sleeper, Soarin’, so if something woke you up enough that you couldn’t get back to sleep, it must be worth mentioning.”

Soarin’ thought for a moment. On one hoof, this wasn’t exactly something that he wanted to talk about with anypony. He was, after all, having a romantic dream about a mare that was in a relationship with another stallion. On the other hoof, it was Spitfire he was talking to. They had been best friends since they were young and he knew that he could talk to her about anything. Still, it was an embarrassing subject and he wasn’t quite sure.

“I had a weird dream,” he replied, part of him hoping that she would drop it..

His friend didn’t say anything. She just looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

“It’s, uh…kinda embarrassing…”

Spitfire still didn’t say anything. The look on her face however, spoke volumes. Soarin’ knew that if he didn’t want to tell her, all he had to do was say so and she wouldn’t ask. But he really wanted to get this off his chest and he knew that the best one to trust with something like this was Spitfire.

He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts and explained. “OK. I had this dream last night and its got me kinda worried. There’s this really peaceful place. Y’know, sunny day, a nice cool breeze, that kind of thing.”

The yellow mare nodded.

“Anyway, there’s a stallion lying there in the grass and…this mare walks up. Then…” a light blush crept across his face, “…things start getting…intimate.”

Spitfire’s eyes widened.

“Nothing like that!” Soarin’ vehemently insisted, his blush intensifying and spreading to his ears. “Just, y’know…kissing and stuff.”

“Then what?” she asked.

“Well, the mare told the stallion she loved him and just when he was about to reply, I woke up.”

Spitfire put a hoof to her chin and hummed in thought for a moment. “Did you recognize either of them?”

Soarin’ suddenly became interested in staring at anything but the mare across from him. He mumbled something incoherent and Spitfire leaned in to listen, but didn’t catch it.

“What?”

“Yes,” he repeated, still mumbling, but loud enough to hear. “They’re friends of mine.”

“Oh,” was her reply.

“That’s not all of it,” he continued, placing his elbows on the table and holding his head in his hooves. “It’s not just the dream. I’ve been thinking about the mare a lot recently and I just can’t stop. It’s starting to creep me out a little.”

The orange-maned Wonderbolt reached a reassuring hoof across the table and patted Soarin’ on the shoulder. “Soarin’, I think I know what’s wrong with you.”

He looked up. “What?”

“Congratulations, buddy. You’re in love,” she replied matter-of-factly.

Soarin’ looked at her like she had just sprouted a second head. “What?”

“You’re in love,” she repeated. “You know, head over hooves, hit with cupid’s arrow, you’re twitterpated, your heart burns for her, …”

His friend continued listing off the various colloquialisms for being in love. Slowly a smile crept across Soarin’s face and within a few of the terms on Spitfire’s list, he had broken out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” the fiery mare asked, ceasing her listing and looking at him incredulously.

Soarin’ held his stomach as his laughter died down. “Ha ha…I gotta say you got me there, Spits. That’s a good one.” When he noticed the mare wasn’t smiling, his mirth died where it stood. “Wait, you’re serious?”

She gave him a look that said, “Uh, yeah. Duh.”

He scoffed. “Spitfire, I’m not in love with her. We’re just friends. Besides, she’s already got a boyfriend.”

Spitfire raised an eyebrow. “Wait, who are you dreaming about?”

He hesitated for a moment, deciding it would be best if he didn’t tell her who the subject of his dream was.

“Doesn’t matter.”

Spitfire sensed his hesitancy to divulge the information and backed off. “Well, then I don’t know what to tell you, Soarin’. Has it been a while since you saw her? Maybe you just miss her.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Spitfire smiled and looked up at the clock on the wall. “I’d better go get started on that paperwork. Sorry I couldn’t be of any help.”

“No, you did help. I feel better now that I’ve talked about it. I don’t know why I was worrying so much. Thanks.”

“No problem. See you later.”

The two hugged each other goodbye and Spitfire went up to her office. Soarin’ sat at the table finishing his breakfast for the next few minutes. After washing his dishes, he decided to sit and relax for a while. With nothing to distract his thoughts, they soon turned to Spitfire’s suggestion that he may be in love with Applejack. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his hooves across his chest, chuckling again at the ludicrous idea.

The more he thought about the idea, though, the more it wouldn’t go away. His smile slowly faded as he thought back to the dream. It had been Clover who was kissing Applejack, hadn’t it?

’Of course. Who else could it be?’

Soarin’ laughed at the fact that he was even giving this any consideration. Of course it had been Clover he was dreaming about kissing Applejack. The stallion in his dream hadn’t had any wings. That must have meant that it was an earth pony.

The clock on the wall chimed the hour, breaking his reverie. Glancing at it, he realized that he still had a few hours to kill before practice started. Having no desire to spend it by thinking further about the dream, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and went out to the practice field.

The Wonderbolt spent the next few hours flying around, losing himself in his flying. Eventually, a few of his fellow Wonderbolts made their way onto the field. Each donned their flight suits, but most had their goggles either strapped on above their eyes or hanging loosely from their necks. Soarin’ flew down the practice field to meet them.

“Hey, Soar,” a light yellow mare with a blue mane and tail with a light blue streak greeted him.

“Hey Soarin’,” said a stallion with a dark blue mane and a coat that was a few shades of blue darker than Soarin’s own.

The other two athletes with them, High Winds and Silver Lining were deep in conversation and paused for just a moment to wave before continuing.

“Hey, Misty, Wave Chill,” he replied.

“You’d better go get your suit on, bud,” said Wave Chill. “We’re gonna start practice soon and if Streak sees you here without-“

“ATTEN-TION!” boomed a loud voice across the field.

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear,” whispered Wave Chill.

“Shh!” Misty hissed. “Just line up.”

The five flyers all lined up and stood at attention as a stallion with an orange mane and tail marched toward them from across the field. Underneath his flight suit, he had a white coat and his goggles concealed a pair of eyes that his teammates knew to be deep orange. Tucked under his right wing was a clipboard with a small stack of papers on it.

“Afternoon, team,” he greeted his fellow pegasi, pulling out the clipboard and glancing down at it.

“Good afternoon, Major Fire Streak, sir,” they chanted in unison.

“At ease.”

The five performers each took a more relaxed stance.

“All right, I have the plans for the Autumnal Aerial performance from the choreographer.” He began walking down the line, passing a sheet from the clipboard to each performer. “It’s pretty routine stuff, but there are a few places where I need you on your ‘A’ game. Especially those of you who will be skywriti-“

The white stallion stopped when he reached the end of the line where Soarin’ stood. He stared the blue stallion down, his face masked by his flight suit and goggles.

“Lieutenant,” he said, calmly and evenly, but with enough force behind it that he may as well have been yelling.

Soarin’ immediately snapped to attention. “Yes sir?”

“Why the hell are you naked on my practice field?”

“Sir, I was flying before practice and I lost track of time, sir.”

“Well, as much as I’m sure some of our fans would love to see this much of you, I have no such desire. Get your bare flank into your flight suit. On the double!”

“Yes sir!”

About facing, the light blue pegasus began a swift trot across the field to the locker rooms. He tried to contain it, but a small smile played across his lips. He was glad that Fire Streak had been designated as their coach for the show. The white pegasus was stern and commanding, but refused to use his rank to demand respect. Outside of practice, he was approachable and very fun to be around.

“And while you’re at it,” he heard Fire Streak call after him, “see if you can get my cousin to tear herself away from her paperwork for a while and come to the practice she’s supposed to be at.”

“Yes sir.”

He made his way to the locker room and pulled an unused flight suit from his locker. After slipping the suit over his body, he stopped a moment before putting up the hood. Reaching into his locker, he affectionately rubbed the small, wooden box at the bottom of the locker. He took it out and held it in his forehooves for a moment before opening it, taking in the woody smell and feeling the smooth varnish.

He opened the box, revealing its contents. Inside was a length of black cord attached at both ends to a small, green stone. He slowly lifted the necklace out of the box and looked for a moment at the tear-shaped jewel. His mother had given it to him and he always wore it to practices and shows for good luck. After placing it around his neck under his flight suit, he lifted the hood over his face and put on his flight goggles, resting them on his forehead.

Soarin’ went to the office building and up to Spitfire’s office. Peeking in, he saw that the yellow mare was quietly dozing with her head resting on her desk. A tiny puddle of drool was pooling on her desk, staining the paperwork she had been filling out. Chuckling, he walked up to the desk as quietly as he could and poked her shoulder.

“Spits, you’re late for practice.”

His sleeping friend stirred and mumbled, but remained asleep. Soarin’ rolled his eyes and tried again, shaking her shoulder, exclaiming, “Spitfire, wake up!”

The yellow mare awoke with a start. “GAH! Whereto for, henceforth and hereto wit!”

Soarin’ laughed as the yellow mare spouted legalese in her startled state. “Have a nice nap?”

She gave him a glare that looked like she was about to give her name a literal meaning. “What do you want, Soarin’?”

He held up a hoof, assuring her he came in peace. “Streak sent me up to let you know that you’re late for practice.”

“Oh,” she replied dismissively, raising a hoof to her mouth as she yawned. “Tell him not to get his flight suit in a twist. I’ll be down in a minute.”

He nodded then left the room and made his way back down to the practice field. Fire Streak had already begun putting the team through their warm-ups. He groaned in exasperation at the further delay, and then put the team through a few laps around the track while they waited for his cousin.

“Glad you could finally join us,” he said sarcastically when Spitfire came out onto the practice field. He didn’t take his eyes off the clipboard he was staring at.

She tried to give him a dirty look, but the effect was lost by the smirk on her face. Her stride didn’t even falter as she sauntered past him to start warming up. As she went by, she gave him an affectionate bump on the shoulder.

“Good to see you too, Streaky.”

“Alright, team,” Fire Streak shouted over the field. “A couple more minutes of warm ups and we’ll get going.”

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Soarin’ came home late that night tired and sore. It was the kind of sore that he only got when he’d worked his hardest. A large contented smile was plastered on his face as he alighted on his porch.

The practice session had gone well. They had begun with blocking. Fire Streak told them what they would be doing in the show and where and when to do it. Then they practiced it in bits and pieces, helping each other, making sure it looked right. Over the next month until the show, they would go over all of it, not performing the whole thing until all the parts were perfect.

Soarin’ paused a moment before going in to look up at the night sky. The moon was bright and the stars twinkled beautifully against the deep midnight blue backdrop of the night. Stepping away from the door, he laid out on his back and gazed up at them for a while. He remembered a time long ago when he, Spitfire and the other foals would catch fireflies in his backyard. They’d lay out on the grass and count the stars (the count had gotten up to sixty-eleven when they gave up). The light blue stallion reached a hoof up, pointing out and tracing the constellations.

“One, two, three…” he counted as he moved his hoof from star to star.

They say that gazing up at the night sky can make you feel small and insignificant. For some reason, Soarin’ had never felt that way whenever he looked up at the stars. His mother had always taught him that each and every star was special and unique, just like ponies. Each star had a name and a role to play in the grand display that was the night sky.

“Thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five…”

Though he didn’t want them to, Soarin’ couldn’t keep his thoughts from returning to the dream. He chuckled to himself again. Maybe he had been over thinking it. Maybe Spitfire was right. He was probably just missing Applejack. He couldn’t be the stallion in the dream. His brain was probably just processing the memories from Applejack and Clover’s romantic evening the night before the party.

“Fifty-six…fifty-*yawn*seven…fifty-eight…”

He still found it a little weird that he was dreaming of a friend and her boyfriend being intimate, but found relief in that at least it hadn’t been him making out with Applejack in the dream. Soarin’ felt his eyes start to get heavy. Snuggling into the cloud, he brought his hoof down to his chest and continued counting.

“Sixty…sixty-one…sixty-two…”

He felt his mind slowly giving way to the exhaustion that the day had wrought. The Wonderbolts performed this show at the end of every summer for the city of Cloudsdale shortly before the ponies on the ground held the running of the leaves. Soarin’ had participated in the event every year since he first became a Wonderbolt and it was the reason why he enjoyed fall the most. The show was different from what they usually performed, but it was no less fun and exciting for him.

“Sixty-nine…sixty-ten…sixty-eleven…”

The tired Wonderbolt let his eyes close and fell asleep on the soft cloud of his front porch.

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The rest of that month flew by fairly quickly for Soarin’. Between practice flights for the upcoming show and his other duties as a Wonderbolts, he managed to keep busy. The dream didn’t bother him again, which was a huge relief and soon he stopped thinking about it entirely.

He did, at one point, have a dream where Applejack brought him the world’s biggest pie, which he then proceeded to dive inside and swim around in, but that was understandable. After all, he really liked pie and Applejack’s pies were the best.

Practice for the show was going quite well. When the team had gotten the blocking down, they started putting the show together and ironing out the kinks. Most of Soarin’s days ended with him coming home and plopping into his bed, exhausted but happy.

Soon the day before the big show came. The Wonderbolts lined up in front of their coach for his customary pep talk before the final practice session.

“Alright, team,” Fire Streak bellowed as he paced in front of the lined-up flyers. “This is it. This is what all our work comes down to. We’ve practiced this over so many times we can do it in our sleep, but we’ve only got today left to iron things out before we perform for the Autumnal Aerial tomorrow. So, I want this practice to be flawless and I will accept nothing less than perfection from you. Clear?”

“Sir, yes sir,” the team replied.

“Good. Take your positions.”

The flyers saluted and trotted out to the center of the field, where they arranged themselves in a large circle. They each looked to Spitfire, waiting for her signal. Speakers around the stadium blared to life with a slow tune. She gave a quick nod and they began flying in a circle. With two clicks of their back hooves, the flyers ignited the smoke streams from their tails. Simultaneously, they altered their flight path to an upward angle, causing them to leave a cylindrical smoky cloud in their wake.

The six pegasi continued ascending, making their cylinder taller the higher up they flew. When they reached the top, they began widening the circle as they ascended, making a bowl shape. At the top of the bowl, they began to close the circle as they continued spiraling up. As they went higher, the circle grew tighter and tighter until they were flying so close to one another that they had to fly tilted to the side so as not to bump one anothers’ wings. At that point, they turned off their smoke streams and veered up and away from the likeness of a tree that they had just created.

Soarin’ paused for a moment to admire the tree, then followed the other two Wonderbolt stallions into a backflip, diving down at an angle toward the ground to one side of the tree. The mares of the group did the same, going to the opposite side. When each team reached the bottom, they formed two smaller circles, turned on their smoke trails and began flying straight up.

Soarin’ spared a glance at Wave Chill and Silver Lining. This part had to be timed perfectly. If it wasn’t, the spectacle lost a great deal of its impressiveness. The three stallions made eye contact with one another, slightly nodding their heads as they counted the seconds. He brought his forehooves close to his body in preparation and they did likewise. When they were level with the widest part of the first tree, the three stallions reached their forehooves out, pressing them against one another. They were close enough that their legs were still bent and at the right moment, Soarin’ pushed against his teammates and they pushed back, sending the three moving away from one another. He leaned into the backward momentum, going into a dive that curved down and back in the direction of the three-stream pillar. Clicking his hooves again, he cut his stream and tilted to the left a few seconds before he hit the smoke.

Soarin’ cast a glance at the rest of the field. A big, dopey grin crossed his muzzle as he noticed that both halves of the squad had finished at the same time. The two teams moved ninety degrees clockwise around the middle tree and repeated the process, again timing it perfectly. When they finished, they regrouped above the display just as the music came to an end. The end result of their work was a large smoke tree surrounded on four sides by four smaller, more palm-tree-looking ones.

The six fliers descended to where their coach was standing. His face was unreadable as they stood at attention before him, awaiting his appraisal of their progress.

His stoic expression slowly formed into a small smile. He gave a small, almost imperceptible chuckle before ushering forth a single word that swelled the performers hearts with pride.

“Flawless.”

As one, the team let out a whooping celebratory cheer. Most did a leap in the air or a small backflip and gave each other hugs and hoof bumps. Fire Streak cleared his throat and they quickly fell back in line.

“However,” he continued. “I need to make sure you can do it flawlessly several times before I’ll be satisfied that you can do it flawlessly for the show tomorrow.”

A long groan resounded from the team and they took to the skies to clean up the smoke. Soarin’ lost count of how many times they made and remade the smoky trees that afternoon. He knew that he would sleep soundly that night.

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Speed. Agility. Heart-pounding adrenaline.

With these three things, he was in his element and today he had them in spades. The crowd roared as he soared through the air, their cheering drowned out by the wind screaming in his ear. He looped, twirled and dove, performing increasingly complex and dangerous stunts.

At last it was time for his finale. He flew straight up, going higher and higher so the audience had to crane their necks to see him. When he reached the proper altitude, he closed his wings, letting the hand of gravity pull him toward the stadium below. Tilting his wings, he corkscrewed as he went down, fighting dizziness as the ground below spun in his vision.

Faster and faster he fell, reaching terminal velocity. As he neared the ground, he pulled up at the last second, earning a loud ‘ooh’ from the crowd, followed by stamping hooves and cheering voices. From there he went into a series of tight loops through rings of fire, then a bout of dodging random streams of thick, gooey liquid rainbow that would cause him to fall if he was hit even once. His routine ended with his signature trick, falling at near sonic rainboom speeds into a thunderhead only to slingshot out by the force of the sound barrier.

He took a few bows and enjoyed the crowd’s applause for a few moments when his routine was finished. When the loudspeakers began announcing the next performer, he turned and went down the long, dark hall to the locker room.

As he got further down the hall, the cheers of the audience faded into silence. The walls also started getting darker and soon the only thing he could see was his own fur. He became filled with a sense of apprehension and hoped that he would come to the end of the hall soon

He heard a faint sound and his ears perked and swiveled, listening. Just when he started to think the darkness was playing tricks on him, he heard it again, a little louder. It sounded kind of like the sound of somepony crying.

“Hello?” he called out into the darkness. His only reply came when he heard the sound again. A chill ran through his heart as he found that he recognized who was crying.

“AJ?”

No sooner had he said her name, he whirled around at the sound of another sob and saw her standing off in the distance. Concerned, he galloped in that direction. Her face was covered by her right foreleg and tears were streaming down her cheeks.

“AJ, what’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer him. She only continued sobbing. Suddenly she stamped her hoof on the ground and cried out in anguish, then collapsed and fell over on her side. She was lying there in front of him, bawling her eyes out.

“Applejack, what’s wrong,” Soarin’ repeated, becoming more desperate. “Please, let me help.”

The orange mare’s crying subsided for a moment. Almost silently, she whispered, “please help me.”

In an instant, Soarin’ was kneeling at her side. “I’m here, AJ. I’ll help you. What’s wrong?”

No matter how much he tried to console her, she seemed not to hear him. He tried reaching out and touching her shoulder, but she didn’t react.

“*sob* Please…Ah can’t…Ah’m all alone and Ah can’t *sob* Ah can’t do this,” she repeated over and over, not speaking to anypony in particular.

Seeing her hurting like this and not being able to help broke Soarin’s heart. “You’re not alone, AJ,” he said, tears coming to his eyes as he desperately tried to help her. “You’ve got your family and Clover and all your friends. You’ve got me. Just please tell me what’s wrong. You don’t have to be alone!”

He didn’t know how it happened, but one minute he was lying there holding her and the next minute they were both falling through the void. Reflexively, the blue stallion unfurled his wings, catching himself and going into a hover. He saw Applejack fall past him, a look of terror on her face.

“AJ!”

As quickly as he could, he flew after her, desperately trying to catch her as she fell. His wings became a blur behind him. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments and he saw in them the sheer and utter terror that she was experiencing as she fell. Seeing that fear instilled an even greater fear in him and he pushed his wings harder, reaching his hooves out to grab her.

As he drew closer to her, it felt more and more like he was flying against the pull of gravity. He strained his wings and stretched out his hoof, bringing it within inches of hers. He continued straining and pushing himself to get that small distance closer, but the forces pushing him away from her were quickly becoming too strong and their hooves became farther and farther apart.

“No!” he shouted, redoubling his efforts. Hot tears streamed down his face as he realized that he might not be able to save her.

“Soarin’,” he heard her call out. Again their eyes met and he saw the desperation in them as she began to fall away. “Help me.”

Suddenly the blue pegasus felt himself being pulled away from the orange mare, watching hopelessly as she fell into oblivion.

“Applejaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!”

Soarin’ screamed as he shot up in bed, covered in a cold sweat and panting heavily. Looking around, he saw that he was in his own bedroom and it had all just been a bad dream. As images from the dream flashed again through his mind, Soarin’ shoved his head into his pillow and wept.

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Spitfire had never considered herself a morning pony. However, she did love mornings on the day of a performance. She didn’t have to come in to work until a couple of hours before the show, meaning she got some well-enjoyed extra time in bed. She could wake up and take a long, relaxing shower followed by a leisurely flight to work. It felt good to have a break from the usual hurried rush in the morning that led to the inevitable afternoon crash and she was going to enjoy it.

The yellow mare thought she would begin her day by warming up for the show in the stadium and then maybe ironing out the kinks in a couple of tricks that she would be doing for a show in a few months. As she entered the stadium, she saw that one of her other teammates had the same idea. A lone stallion donned in his uniform was flying in wide ascending circles in the middle of the stadium. He appeared to be practicing the routine that the team would be doing later that afternoon.

“You know there is such a thing as over-practicing, Soarin’,” she said when she had flown within hearing range of her teammate.

The blue stallion turned to give her his attention and the yellow mare’s smile fell. Even with his costume obscuring his face she could see the haggard and exhausted expression he wore.

“Sweet Celestia, Soarin’, you look awful.”

“Didn’t sleep well,” he replied. His words were monotone, his answer almost robotic.

“How come?”

He was silent for a moment. “Just couldn’t sleep.”

Spitfire sighed. “Come on,” she said, turning in the direction of the lounge. “You need to try and get some rest before the show.”

He was too tired to answer and if he did it would have been of no use, so he followed her to the lounge and into a darkened room with small cots lining the walls. Spitfire took a place on one of them and lay down.

“Come on,” she said, patting another cot next to hers.

“It’s not gonna help, Spits. I tried everything last night but I couldn’t sleep.”

“Well, then I guess we can just sit here and talk.”

Soarin’ groaned, knowing that there was no winning once Spitfire had made up her mind about something. He unzipped his flight suit and slowly slipped out of it. Tossing the garment aside, he took a place on the cot next to Spitfire’s and lay down. The yellow mare rested her head in her forehooves and, with her eyes gestured for him to do the same.

“What’s going on?”

He averted his gaze and said, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

She lifted her head and gave him a serious expression. “Normally I’d back off if you don’t want to talk about something, but I can’t this time. Whatever is going on with you is affecting your performance. That means you’re putting the team at risk and it’s my job as captain to make sure that the team stays safe. Now you can either tell me what’s going on or I’ll find somepony to sub for you in the show.”

Looking into Spitfire’s eyes, Soarin’ saw how serious she was and decided to relent.

He sighed. “OK, you remember how I had that dream about a month ago?”

After thinking for a few moments, she nodded. “Yeah, a friend of yours was kissing somepony, right?”

“Yeah. Well…I had another one about her last night.”

Spitfire laid her head back down in her forehooves, not saying anything and allowing him to continue as he was ready.

“I was flying in a show and when I was heading to the showers I saw her crying. She kept saying that…that she was all alone. She looked so sad and...and I couldn’t do anything. Then we were falling and I tried to catch her but I just couldn’t and then…she was gone.”

Spitfire remained silent for a moment, collecting her thoughts. “I think I already know, but do you want to tell me who your friend is.”

Soarin’ bit his lip but decided that he might feel better if he told her. “It’s…Applejack.”

The yellow mare gave a small nod. “Yeah, I figured.”

“What am I gonna do, Spits? I have feelings for another stallion’s mare. Does that make me a bad pony?”

She placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Soarin’, you’re being too hard on yourself. Having feelings for Applejack doesn’t make you a bad pony.” She gave him a small smile. “Frankly, I’m not surprised. I didn’t get to know her very well, but it seemed like you two hit it off even better than you and I did when we met.”

Soarin’ finally allowed Spitfire a small smile. He laid his head down rolled over onto his back, getting more comfortable on the cot. There was silence for a few more moments and Spitfire noticed that her teammate didn’t look any drowsier than he had been.

“There’s something else bothering you isn’t there?” she asked.

He turned his face to her. “You never know when to let up, do you?”

“Nope.”

He sighed and looked back up at the ceiling. “I’m not sure. Something about the way AJ was acting in the dream just rattled me.” He placed a hoof on his chest and idly toyed with the green jewel on the end of his mother’s necklace. “She seemed like she was in some kind of trouble. I know the dream wasn’t real, but I just can’t shake what I felt when she was there crying and asking for help. It feels like I’m still there next to her, trying to help her.”

“Sounds like it really shook you up.”

“Yeah, but it’s not just that. When I woke up, I realized it was only a dream, but that part just seemed more…real. When I go back and remember it, it’s almost like it’s an actual memory and not just a memory of a dream.”

Spitfire thought over his answer, but was at a loss about what to say. “I don’t know what to tell you, Soarin’. Maybe you’re just overtired. You’ve been working really hard lately.”

“Yeah, *yawn* you’re probably right. It just felt so real.”

The yellow mare smiled. “Getting sleepy?”

“Yeah,” he replied, snuggling into the cot. “Thanks, Spits. I always feel better after we have these talks.”

“What are friends for?” said Spitfire as she got up from her cot. “Night, Soarin’. I’ll come and wake you when the team starts doing warm-ups.”

“OK. ‘Night.”

By the time the yellow mare had reached the door, she could hear her teammate snoring softly. She stood in the doorway for a moment, watching the rise and fall of his chest and thinking about their conversation. She let out a sad sigh when her thoughts connected this new information with information she had picked up about a certain other pegasus on the night of the Apple’s party.

“Love triangles,” she said morosely to herself. “Somepony always gets their heart broke.”

Backing out of the entryway, she closed the door, sending the room into darkness.

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Soarin’ reveled in the cheers and shouts of the crowd as he and his team flashed smiles and posed for the cameras. Soarin’s nap had done him a world of good and he and the team had performed beautifully. As one, they made their way to the wings of the stadium as a few of Cloudsdale’s public officials flew out to begin their part of the show.

If a non-Cloudsdale resident were attending the event, they would have equated it to a cloudy version of the running of the leaves. The Cloudsdale ‘Running of the Leaves’ was more of a kick-off for one of the weather factory’s busiest seasons. Over the next few months, they would be stockpiling clouds in order to prepare for winter.

Soarin’ pulled down his hood and watched for a few moments as the mayor, the CEO of the weather factory, and the Cloudsdale city council had a race around the cloudy trees the Wonderbolts had made, the motion of their wings creating a draft that slowly dispersed the puffy foliage. Leaning against the wall, he thought he would stay and watch for a little while.

“There he is,” the blue stallion heard one of his teammates say from the end of the hall behind him. Hearing the scampering of little hooves, he turned just in time to be greeted by two familiar faces.

“Scoots?”

“Hey, Soarin’,” the little orange pegasus excitedly greeted him as she cantered to where he was standing. A blue and yellow backstage pass dangled from her neck on a lanyard that was a little too big for her. She reached a hoof up to bump his.

He returned the hoof bump and looked down the hall to see Rainbow Dash approaching. “Hey, Rainbow.”

“Hey,” the rainbow-maned pegasus replied, her own lanyard swinging back and forth as she walked.

“You guys were totally wicked out there,” Scootaloo gushed.

“Thanks, kid,” said Soarin’, tousling her mane. “So, how have you girls been lately?” he asked as the three of them began walking back down the hall to where the rest of the Wonderbolts were.

“Awesome!” said Scootaloo. “Rainbow’s been teaching me to fly. I’m not very good now, but I’ll get better when my wings are bigger.”

The blue stallion gave Rainbow a knowing smile. “That’s awesome, Scoots. Hey, do you girls want a tour? I can introduce you to the team if you like. They usually like to hang out in the lounge after a show.”

“AWESOME!” both girls squealed.

Soarin’ led the two other pegasi on a tour of the Wonderbolts headquarters. Scootaloo gawked and gushed, wanting to know what each and every building was for and asking question after question. When they were almost finished with the tour and heading in the direction of the lounge, Scootaloo’s questions subsided and Soarin’ took the opportunity to catch up with Rainbow.

“So, how come you and Scoots came up for this show? Those passes I sent you were good for any show, and I thought you would be participating in Ponyville’s running of the leaves.”

“I would have,” the prismatic pegasus replied, “but when AJ said she wasn’t running, the race just didn’t seem challenging enough. She’s the only one who can keep up with me, so racing without her was just gonna be lame.”

“Wait, AJ didn’t run?”

“Nope. Y’know it was weird. She almost never passes me up on a race.”

“Did she say why,” asked Soarin’, curious.

“No. Actually it was Apple Bloom that told me a couple days before the race after I asked her why I hadn’t seen AJ in a little while. Apple Bloom said she was just busy.”

Alarms sounded in Soarin’s head. Something was wrong. He and Applejack had talked about the running of the leaves and she had said that it was one of her favorite events of the year. He knew that she wouldn’t miss it for the world. Plus, it was fall and most of the apples would have been harvested by this time, so what did Applejack have to keep her busy enough to miss the race? A sinking feeling filled his chest as he remembered how real his dream had seemed.

“You OK?” asked Rainbow, breaking his reverie.

“Huh? Yeah, fine. Hey, listen. Do you mind if I introduce you to a few of the ‘bolts and go take care of something? It’s pretty urgent.”

The prismatic pegasus looked a little disappointed, but agreed. The three of them soon reached the lounge. Soarin’s teammates were all there, chatting, eating, playing games and congratulating themselves on a show well done. Soarin’ introduced Rainbow and Scootaloo to coach Fire Streak and excused himself to find Spitfire. He asked to speak with her in private and they moved to a secluded corner of the room.

“When’s our next show?” he asked quickly.

She quirked an eyebrow at how frantic for an answer he sounded. “Nightmare Night, I think. We might have to do a couple of parties between then and now, though. Why?”

“I might need to be away for a few days.”

The yellow mare’s eyes widened a little. “How come?”

“I…have to check up on something.”

His friend gave him a look that told him she wasn’t buying it for a second. “What’s going on, Soarin’?”

He sighed and relented. “I think AJ’s in trouble.”

Spitfire rolled her eyes. “Soarin’, it was just a bad dream. Stop worrying over nothing.”

“I can’t. Rainbow said that she wasn’t doing the running of the leaves and she hasn’t seen her in a while.”

“She’s probably just sick.”

“That’s not it.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do.”

Spitfire rubbed her temple with a hoof. “Do you realize how crazy you sound right now?”

Soarin’ couldn’t give her a response. He merely hung his head.

The fiery-maned mare sighed. “Look, Soarin’, I get it. Thinking she must be in trouble must be hard for you. I just don’t want to see you get hurt and if you go back now, I think that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Are you sure that this is a good idea?”

Soarin’ didn’t answer for a moment, then gave Spitfire the only answer he could. “No, I don’t. But what am I supposed to do, Spits? AJ means a lot to me and I just can’t shake this feeling that something’s wrong. I can’t just abandon her. Besides, I Pinkie promised that I’d come back to visit and now is as good a time as any.”

Spitfire was going to object, but realized that Soarin’ had made up his mind. “OK, I’ll cover for you. But Soarin? Please, be careful.”

“I will.”

The two of them left their little corner and rejoined the party.

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The next morning found Soarin’ making the long flight to Ponyville. As he flew, he tried unsuccessfully to quell the sense of dread in his chest. A small voice inside of him kept telling him that this was a bad idea and he was probably worrying over nothing. Part of him believed what the voice was saying. He knew seeing Applejack would probably be painful, but the feeling that something was wrong overpowered any hesitation he felt.

Soon enough, the rolling hills of Sweet Apple Acres came into view. Most of the trees in the orchard had yet to change, but slight tinges of the autumn colors could be seen if one were to look closely enough.

He landed by the gate and was greeted with the sound of barking as Winona came bounding up to him from the house.

“Hey, girl,” he greeted her as she playfully yipped and licked his face. “I missed you too. Where is everypony?”

The herding dog gave a few small whimpers, then bounded off into the orchard. Soarin’ shrugged off the dog’s strange behavior and took off again. Glancing at the sun’s position in the sky, the light blue pegasus guessed that Applejack would most likely be out in the fields. He flew over the rows of apple trees, scanning the areas with unbucked fruit and looking for a sign of the orange mare.

Spotting an orange speck in a clearing near the edge of the Apple’s property, he angled toward it. He chose to land a short distance away to buy himself some time to think of something to say.

His thoughts were lost, however, as he approached the orange mare. She was turned away from him with her head pressed against a single tree in the middle of the clearing. The trademark Stetson that normally adorned her head was absent and her golden mane looked frazzled and messy, but not in the way that it did when she was working. It looked more like she hadn’t brushed it in a while.

He was just working up the courage to greet her when he heard something unexpected; a small, almost imperceptible sniffle. Taking a few steps closer, he heard a few more and a realization came to him that broke his heart.

Applejack was crying.

Tentatively, he approached the orange mare and called softly when he was near enough.

“AJ?”

She gasped and whirled around to face him. Her face had wet streaks that she quickly tried to cover up by wiping off with her hoof. Dark circles surrounded her eyes and she looked like she hadn’t slept in a while. She took a few breaths before replying.

“Howdy, Soarin’,” she greeted, a hitch in her voice as she gave him a strained smile. “What, *sniff* What brings you here?”

“What’s wrong, AJ? Are you OK?” he asked, taking a step closer.

“Y-yup, Ah’m-,” she hiccupped, “Ah’m fine. Uh…Apple Bloom tells me that Rainbow and Scootaloo went to see your show. How’d that turn out?”

“Applejack,” he pleaded, ignoring her obvious attempt to change the subject. “You’re a terrible liar. Look, if you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. Just say the word and I won’t ask again. But I can tell that something’s bothering you and I want to help. What’s wrong?”

She just stared at him for minutes that seemed to pass like hours. Her face held a cornucopia of emotion and she couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye. He could see her trying with every ounce of strength that she possessed to hold back the wave of emotion threatening to overwhelm her. Her face concealed a mixture of utter sorrow, anguish and, something that broke the blue stallion’s heart, fear. Whatever was making her feel this way was terrifying her and Soarin’ hated seeing her like that.

He tried to comfort her, just wanting to be able to do something. Carefully, he placed a hoof on her shoulder. Then he moved his other hoof to her chin. She flinched a little, but didn’t stop him from turning her head so she was looking at him. He gave her a smile that he hoped was comforting despite how helpless he felt.

“Hey,” he whispered, “whatever it is, I’ll help you. It’ll be OK.”

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The dam of emotion broke and the orange mare leapt forward, burying her face in his chest. A fresh wave of hot tears flowed down her face, soaking into his fur as she sobbed uncontrollably.

“Ah don’t know what to do,” she cried, speaking rapidly between sobs. “Ah’ve never been so scared and I don’t know what to do.”

“Shh, it’s OK,” he whispered, gently stroking her back as she cried. Tears began building in his own eyes from seeing how torn up she was, but he held them back. He had to be strong for her.

She continued crying against him for a long while. Taking a few deep breaths, she pulled her face away from his chest and looked up at him. He didn’t say anything, allowing her to say whatever she wanted to when she was ready.

“Ah…Ah’m pregnant,” she whispered, almost choking to get the words out.

Soarin’ was speechless. His first instinct was to congratulate her, but he thought that probably wasn’t the response she was looking for. He tried to think of something to say to comfort her, but he knew nothing he could say would make what she was feeling go away. He held her close so she was crying against his chest again and unfurled his wings, wrapping them around her, just wishing he could take away how scared she was.

“Ah don’t know what to do!” she sobbed. “Ah ain’t even told mah family or Clover yet! Ah don’t know what they’re gonna think of me. What if Clover doesn’t want a foal? What if mah family disowns me?”

Soarin’ broke the hug and looked her in the eye. “Whoa, AJ, calm down. Your family won’t abandon you. You Apples are the most loving family I’ve ever met.” He reached a hoof up to wipe away one of the tears running down her cheek. They’d never leave you when you need them like this.”

The orange mare sniffled. “They’re still gonna be disappointed, though.”

He gave her another comforting rub on the back. “Maybe. Do you want me to come with you to tell them?”

She thought about it for several moments and then nodded.

“OK,” he said, “Do you want to go tell them now?”

Again Applejack was silent for a while. “Probably best to get it done with,” she murmured, wiping the rest of her tears off her face.

The two of them began making their way back to the farmhouse. The pace they took was slow, almost as if they were walking to an execution. The comparison was ludicrous, but that was the only thing Soarin’ could compare it to.

Applejack was obviously still terrified of telling her family of her predicament. The blue pegasus carefully extended a wing and placed it on her back, letting her know that he was there with her no matter what. She looked at him and gave a small smile, grateful for the assurance.

When they reached the farmhouse, Applejack stopped at the door, hesitant to continue.

“Hey,” Soarin’ whispered, “I’m right here. I’ll help you. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

Gathering her courage, the orange mare let out a nervous sigh and the two of them walked through the door.

Proofread by the grammatically awesome ACTASAP. Thanks buddy.

Chapter 8: Upside Down.

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Chapter 8: Upside-Down

The tension in the air was palpable as Soarin’, Applejack, Macintosh, and Granny Smith sat at the kitchen table. Applejack sat with her head on the table, a worried expression still on her face, her grandmother comforting her. The Apple matriarch’s expression was somber as she softly stroked her granddaughter’s back. Big Macintosh stood nearby, his normally stoic expression cracking at the seams as he tried to be strong for his sister.

When Applejack had told them the news, just as Soarin’ had predicted, they had been very understanding. Granny Smith had held her granddaughter as she cried, whispering to her that it was going to be OK. Soarin’ was beginning to wonder if he should excuse himself and let the family have their time together in peace. He went to get up, but a pleading look from Applejack stopped him and he turned the attempt into an excuse to bring her a glass of water. The orange mare gratefully took the water, giving him a small smile as she drank.

“Have ye told Clover yet?” Granny asked.

The sad look returned to Applejack’s face and she looked back down at the table.

“Ya need ta tell ‘im, honey.”

“Ah know,” she replied. “Ah’ll go over there later today. Best to get it over with sooner.”

Silence reigned for another long few minutes until it was broken by the front door opening.

“Hey, everypony, Ah’m home.”

Applejack stiffened as she heard her sister’s voice. The littlest Apple came bounding around the corner, her saddlebags bouncing against her sides.

Granny was the first to react. “Howdy there, youg’un,” she said, slowly rising from the table and giving her granddaughter a smile. “How was school?”

“Good. Ah got a A+ on mah book report.”

“Good job, sweetie. Why don’tcha go an’ hang that up on the fridge.”

Beaming with pride, the little filly dropped her bags, pulled out her report and made her way through the dining room. Upon noticing Soarin’s presence, she stopped, her report falling to the floor as she exclaimed cheerfully, “Soarin! What are you doin’ here?”

“Hey, Bloom,” the Wonderbolt replied, forcing a smile. “Thought I’d make good on that promise and stop by. How’ve you been?”

“Fine,” she said, picking her report off the floor and moving to put it on the fridge. When she returned, she paused in the doorway, noticing something was amiss. “What’s goin’ on?”

Applejack had turned her head, trying to hide her tear-streaked face from her sister. The filly saw right through her attempt and immediately bounded up onto a chair next to Applejack.

“What’s wrong, sis?” she asked. When she didn’t receive a reply, she looked to everypony gathered around the room. “What’s wrong with Applejack?”

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with her, honey,” said Granny, coming over and putting her hoof on the filly’s shoulder. “She just ain’t feelin’ well is all. How about you come in the kitchen and help me start dinner? Ah’m sure she’ll feel better when she gets somethin’ in her belly.”

“All right, Granny.” Turning back to her sister, the youngest Apple sibling gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t worry, sis. Me an’ Granny’ll make ya feel better.” She hopped down off the stool and went into the kitchen.

The matriarch gave Applejack an understanding smile. “How about if you go take a little walk,” the elder mare whispered once Apple Bloom was out of earshot. “That’ll give ya time ta clear yer head.”Applejack sniffed and nodded and Granny followed Apple Bloom into the kitchen.

The orange mare looked to the Wonderbolt and asked, “Would you come with me, Soarin’? Ah don’t really want to be alone right now.”

“Sure, AJ.”

Soarin’ held the door open for her and they went outside. No sooner had the door shut behind them, Applejack let out a sob and a fresh wave of tears flowed down her face. Soarin’ wrapped a wing around her, letting her know he was there for her.

“W-what am Ah gonna tell Apple Bloom?” she sobbed. “Ah’m supposed to be her big sister. Ah’m supposed to set a good example for her. What’s she gonna think’a me when she finds out?”

“She’ll probably be happy that she’s going to be an aunt. Apple Bloom loves you. Being pregnant won’t change that.”

“Ah know. Ah just feel like Ah’ve let her down.”

Soarin’ gave her a comforting squeeze with his wing. Silence fell as the two of them began their walk around the orchard. The sun was lowering in the sky, but still a fair distance from setting. Soarin’ kept his wing around Applejack for the duration of their walk. He tried to lift her spirits by telling her a couple of funny stories and eventually managed to get a small smile from her. When it was time for dinner, they went back to the house.

“Can you stay for dinner?” Applejack asked as they climbed the steps to the porch. Her tone suggested that she wasn’t asking if his schedule was free as much as she was hoping that he would stay a while longer.

He nodded. “I’ll stay however long you want me to.”

She smiled at his response and he felt a stirring in his chest. He’d hated seeing her so sad and was happy that she was smiling again. Her green eyes, which had until now lacked their former vibrance, shone anew and he smiled back at her, losing himself in those beautiful…

‘No. Stop it. She’s still with Clover. What’s more, she’s very vulnerable right now and she doesn’t need you throwing a wrench in the works.’

“Thanks,” said Applejack, “Ah really appreciate how supportive yer bein’.”

The two of them went inside and sat down to have dinner, a simple meal of steamed vegetables fresh from the Apples’ home garden. Conversations were minimal, but Apple Bloom was particularly talkative and her idle chatter about her day acted as a torch keeping away the awkward silences.

When the meal was concluded, Applejack donned her hat and left to go see Clover. Soarin’ offered to go with her, thinking he could help somehow. She declined, saying that this was something that she needed to do herself.

Time passed slowly as Soarin’ and the family waited for Applejack’s return. They took turns helping Apple Bloom with her homework and when she was done, they started a board game, then another. They were about half-way through a third when it was time for Apple Bloom to go to bed.

When Applejack finally came home, it was late and the moon was high in the sky. Her hooves dragged on the ground and her head hung low. Her face looked distraught as she walked through the door and she looked like a single word, either good or bad, could lift her high or send her crashing down. Soarin’ feared the worst.

“What happened?” he asked her.

There was a long silence and Applejack continued to stare at the floor, transfixed, as if the world outside didn’t exist. Granny Smith slowly approached her granddaughter and pulled her into a hug. The orange mare returned the hug, holding on to her grandmother.

“What’d he say?” the green mare asked.

Applejack broke the hug and cleared her throat. Her voice cracked as she tried to keep her composure. “He…he said he needed time to think.”

One of Macintosh’s forehooves stomped the ground. For the first time since Applejack had told the family of her pregnancy, he said something. “The hay is that supposed to mean?!”

Soarin’ cringed at the barely bridled anger hidden in the red stallion’s tone. Granny raised a hoof at her Grandson in a placative gesture.

“Macintosh, calm down.”

“No!” the stallion’s voice boomed. “He’s the father’a mah sister’s foal and he needs to pony up and accept his responsibility and do right by her.” The red stallion began heading for the door.

“Big Macintosh, where are you goin’?” asked Applejack.

“Ah’m gonna give that colt a talkin’ to.”

Applejack galloped over to her brother before he could reach the door and stood in front of him. “Big Macintosh, please.”

“Macintosh Apple,” Granny bellowed, “Ah don’t care if yer a grown stallion. So help me, if you open that door Ah’ll tan yer flank six ways ta Sunday!”

The eldest Apple child stopped dead in his tracks. “But, Granny…”

“But nuthin’! Ah’m not sayin’ yer wrong about that colt needin’ to accept his responsibility. But, it ain’t yer place to make him do that. Ah don’t care how good yer intentions are. ‘Sides, yer sister needs you right now. Don’t go startin’ trouble a’fore ya take care’a the trouble here.”

Big Macintosh hung his head and murmured, “Yes, ma’am.” He then turned to his sister. “Ah’m sorry, AJ. Yer hurtin’ right now and Ah should be supportin’ you.”

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her brother. The big stallion’s forelegs enveloped her as he returned the hug and he gently stroked her back, comforting her.

“And,” Granny continued in a softer voice, looking at Applejack, but speaking to both of her grandchildren, “Clover didn’t say he weren’t gonna do nuthin’. He just said he needed time ta think. Just give him time and Ah’m sure he’ll come around.”

Applejack nodded. “Thanks, Granny.”

The elder mare embraced her grandchildren. “Now head on up to bed, honey. You’d best get some shut eye.”

Applejack nodded and went upstairs to her bedroom.

“Mister Soarin’,” said Granny, turning to the Wonderbolt. “How’s about we get you set up in the guest room?”

Soarin’ silently obeyed, following Granny up the stairs and to the hall closet. The older mare took out a few extra blankets and led him to the guest room.

“Here ya go,” she said, placing the blankets on the bed, “just holler if you need anything.”

“Thank you. I’m…sorry if I’m being an imposition.”

“Ain’t no problem at all.” The old mare paused for a moment, looking him over. “You’ve been awful quiet this whole time. Got somethin’ on yer mind?”

Soarin’ looked at her in surprise. Ever since Applejack had told her family, a small persistent doubt had formed in the Wonderbolt’s mind.

“It’s nothing,” he said.

The green mare sat down on the bed. “Sonny, Ah’ve seen plenty’a ponies with nuthin’ on their mind and you ain’t one of ‘em. What’s troublin’ ya?”

Soarin’ sighed and joined Granny sitting on the bed. “It’s just…your family is really close-knit. And all day, I’ve been feeling kinda like an extra wheel. I guess part of me is wondering if this thing with AJ is a family thing and I should butt out.”

The old mare closed her eyes and pushed a stray lock of her white mane out of her face. The two of them sat in silence for a while like that and for a moment Soarin’ thought Granny had fallen asleep. This thought was dispelled when she opened her eyes and spoke.

“Sonny, Ah think yer right. This is a matter fer family. But to us Apple folk, family means somethin’ more than blood. Yer family celebrates with you in the good times and sticks with ya in the bad’uns. They’re the ponies at yer side when ya need ‘em. And Applejack needs her family right now more’n ever.”

The elderly mare placed her hoof on his shoulder and locked her eyes with his. “Ya ain’t been here long, but Ah think Applejack found a real friend in you. She’s gonna need that friendship more’n ever now.”

Soarin’ nodded, realizing that she was right. Slowly, Granny got down off the bed and made her way to the door, wishing him a good night as she softly closed it behind her. Soarin’ sighed and got under the covers of the bed, folding his hooves behind his head and staring up at the ceiling.

He thought about Applejack, specifically about his new found affection for her. As much as he hated to admit it, what he had said to Granny Smith hadn’t entirely been the truth. He wanted to help Applejack, but he couldn’t quell his worry that his feelings for her would make helping her difficult, especially now that she and Clover would be raising a foal together. The blue stallion uttered a groan and placed his hooves over his face, wishing that he wasn’t feeling this way and could just focus on helping Applejack.

As his mind wandered, evading sleep and thinking of his predicament, his thoughts were interrupted by a small creaking sound. His ears swiveled and just when he thought he was hearing things, he heard it again. It wasn’t the sound of the house settling. That sounded more like the screen door at the back of the house. Needing something to distract him, he got out of bed and looked out the window.

The moon was not quite full, its pale light shining down on the orchard. Soarin’ squinted and saw a shadow moving near the edge of the trees. He could just make out the form of a pony slowly walking along the rows of trees.

“Is that…AJ?” he said to himself. He opened his window to get a better look and his suspicions were confirmed. The orange mare turned and began making her way down one of the rows of apple trees.

Soarin’ shivered as the rapidly cooling night air blew through his window. Knowing Applejack would be just as cold, he quickly grabbed the comforter off of his bed and climbed out the window, taking to the air above the trees. He scanned the rows of the orchard until he found her. She had gotten a good distance down the row and seemed to be working her way towards a clearing near the back edge of the farm, the same one that Soarin’ had found her at earlier that day. When she reached the clearing, she stopped in front of the single tree in the middle and sat down. Soarin’ landed at the edge of the clearing and slowly walked up behind her, hoping he wouldn’t startle her.

“H-howdy ma, pa,” he heard her say, causing him to stop short. The Wonderbolt took a few steps back, realizing why Applejack was out this late and not wanting to disturb her. Applejack had never really mentioned her parents except for the time that she told him where she got her hat. Soarin’ had guessed that they had passed away, but seeing it confirmed made him feel just as sad for Applejack as if she had told him herself.

“Ah…Ah told Clover about…y’know,” she continued. “He…he got real mad and started yellin’. Then Ah started yellin’ and…” she sniffled and Soarin’ heard a small sob escape, “it was awful.”

She bent down so that she was on the ground with her legs tucked up underneath her. “We talked things over and he said he needed time to think and get his head straight.” She swallowed, holding back from breaking down into sobbing. “Ah’m real scared.”

She was silent for a while, only letting out the occasional sob or sniffle. Soarin’ knew that he probably shouldn’t be listening to her talk to her parents, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

“You shoulda seen Big Macintosh when Ah told ‘em what Clover said. Ah thought fer sure he’d go over and drag the two of us to the altar. Granny set him straight, though.”

She sat up and idly placed a hoof over her stomach. “Ah don’t know how me and Clover are gonna get through this, but no matter what Ah know Ah’ve got mah family…and mah friends to help.”

Soarin’ smiled as he felt all of his doubts fade away. Silently, he promised himself that he would do whatever it took to help Applejack. Dealing with how he felt about her would have to wait.

Deciding to let Applejack talk with her parents in private, he turned to leave. As he moved to walk back to the house, he accidentally stepped on an errant twig, snapping it. He froze.

Applejack gasped and whirled around. “Soarin’?”

“Um, yeah it’s me,” he replied stepping towards her “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you or eavesdrop or anything like that. But I saw you leaving the house and I thought you’d be cold.” He held the comforter out with his wing, keeping his head down and looking very much like a colt caught with his hoof in the cookie jar.

She gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”

Seeing her up close, he noticed she had removed her hair ties, letting her mane flow like rivers of pure gold down her shoulders, shimmering in the moonlight. He was taken aback for a moment, thinking that she looked even more beautiful than she had in his dream. Taking the comforter, he draped it around her shoulders.

“Won’t you be cold?” she asked.

“Nah. I’m from Cloudsdale. I’m used to the cold weather.”

Both ponies sat in awkward silence for a long time. Soarin’ scuffed his hoof on the ground and Applejack pulled the blanket closer around her.

“So, uh, how much of that didja hear?” asked Applejack, breaking the silence.

“Pretty much all of it. Sorry.”

“S’all right. Ah like to come out here every now and again and talk to them. Makes me feel safe, like they’re still watchin’ over me.”

Soarin’ nodded. Deciding to leave Applejack to talk with her parents in peace, he got up to leave.

“Wait,” Applejack called, raising a hoof to stop him. “Would…would you mind stayin’ here a little longer?”

The Wonderbolt wordlessly sat back down. Silence reigned on the hilltop once more, neither pony wanting or needing anything to be said.

Thinking about what Applejack said about her parents brought back memories of Soarin’s own mother. How long had it been since he’d dropped by to visit her? He visited her every Hearth’s Warming, and they wrote letters to each other often, but that was mostly it. He didn’t mean to fall out with her, but sometimes his job just kept him too busy to visit.

His ear twitched when he realized Applejack had said something.

“What was that?”

“Ah said thank you,” she replied a little louder, turning her head to give him a small smile. “Thanks for bein’ so supportive of me while Ah try to get through this. You were probably just plannin’ on spendin’ the day and goin’ back home and Ah appreciate you bein’ here for me.”

The blue pegasus wrapped a wing around her and returned her smile with one of his own. “I’ll always be here,” he said, “whenever you need me.”

He didn’t know why he said that. It just sort of came out, but the Wonderbolt realized that he had meant every word of it. He, like Applejack, had no idea what would happen. But he knew that no matter what happened, he would be there for her, no matter what it took. He might never be able to tell her how he felt about her. But, as long as he was there to help Applejack, he was OK with that.

“Equestria girls, we’re undeniable. Boots on hooves, bikinis on top.”

A few days after Soarin’ and Applejack’s meeting at her parents’ grave, the Apple’s upstairs bathroom filled with steam and the sound of Soarin’s voice as he sang a Sapphire Shores hit song that had gotten stuck in his head. Having finished using the shower brush on his back, he commenced using it as a microphone while scrubbing his chest with a washcloth.

“Furry coats so cute, we’ll blow your mi-ind. Ahh. Ahh. Ahh. Ahh. Ahhh. Ohh.”

His shower concert was unceremoniously interrupted with a knocking on the bathroom door. Startled, he cleared his throat and tried to cover up any embarrassment apparent in his voice.

“Uhh…occupied,” he stammered. Hearing no reply, he went back to his shower, hoping that whoever had knocked hadn’t heard him singing. He made a mental note to get more manly songs stuck in his head in the future.

A brief, almost filly-like scream came from the Wonderbolt as the door slammed open. The pegasus whipped his head around the curtain.

“Applejack! I’m in the middle of a shower! “What are you-”

“BLAUGH”

The stallion’s ears flattened against his skull as he heard the contents of the orange mare’s stomach emptying into the toilet.

“Oh.”

Applejack heaved a few more times then grabbed a tissue to wipe her mouth.

“Ugh,” she muttered. “Ah hate mornin’ sickness.” Throwing the tissue away and flushing her former breakfast, she turned to the wet-maned Wonderbolt. “Mornin’, how are you?”

Soarin’ pulled the curtain up to cover himself so just his head was poking out. “Just hunky-dorey. Couldn’t you have done that in the other bathroom?”

“Granny’s usin’ it. ‘Sides, you walk around naked all the time. What’s the difference?”

He ducked further behind the curtain, blushing fiercely. “It…it’s the principle of the thing.”

Applejack rolled her eyes and smirked. “All right, Ah’m goin’. Have fun singin’. Just don’t quit yer day job,” she called, giggling as she closed the door.

Soarin’s face turned beet red and the stallion let out an embarrassed groan.

Applejack chuckled a few more times just outside the bathroom, then made her way downstairs to have a second go at breakfast, singing to herself.

“…fast flyin’, fierce, we trot till we dro- Consarn it!”

Later that day found Soarin’ working in the south field with Big Macintosh. There were a few dead trees that needed pulling up to make room to plant new seedlings. Soarin was tasked with wrapping large chains around the trees and hooking them to the red stallion’s yoke. He suspected that his help wasn’t needed, but there wasn’t much to do and he wanted to help as much as he could.

The blue pegasus stood by and watched as Macintosh, newly chained to the tree, dug his hooves into the ground and started pulling. The big stallion grunted and grimaced in concentration. Slowly the eldest Apple pulled at the chains, making the dead tree start to bend. Soarin heard the creaking of the wood and the snapping of the smaller roots as the tree slowly came up out of the ground.

The Wonderbolt stared in wide-eyed amazement as the red stallion uprooted the tree, sending it crashing to the ground. A job like that should have taken at least three ponies, two if they were both earth ponies. The combination of what he had just witnessed and the memory of the altercation in the living room a few days prior gave the Wonderbolt a new sense of respect for Applejack’s brother and for Granny Smith, who had stopped her grandson from doing something he’d regret despite his anger at the time.

The tree having been pulled down, Macintosh sat down and wiped his forehead, looking back and admiring his work. Soarin’ helped him unhook the chains and the two of them picked up axes to start chopping the dead wood and load it onto a nearby cart. Soarin’ didn’t work as fast as Macintosh, being unaccustomed to putting his lips through such a vigorous exercise of endurance, so he tried to make up for it by carrying his wood and Macintosh’s to the cart. This meant that the red stallion could chop without breaking his rhythm and the two of them made short work of the tree in a little under an hour.

When all of the dead wood was loaded onto the cart, the two stallions sat down to take a short break. They sat in relative silence for a while. Soarin’ hadn’t gotten to talk with Macintosh very much and tried to start up a conversation.

“So…uh, is it all right if I call you Mac?”

“Nnope,” the eldest Apple replied, hardly even moving.

“Oh, you prefer Macintosh?”

“Eeyup.”

“OK.” An awkward silence fell before Soarin’ decided to try again. “Beautiful day, huh?”

“Eeyup.”

“What do you guys have left to do before winter?”

The red stallion thought for a moment. “Little harvestin’ and repair.”

Another silence.

“Well I’ll be happy to help with any of that if you need me.”

“Much appreciated.”

A longer silence.

“You’re not much for conversation, are you?”

“Nnope.”

“Rather let your actions do the talking?”

“Eeyup.”

Soarin’ nodded in understanding. “Welp,” he said, stretching. “I’m ready to get started on the next tree, how about you?”

The earth pony cricked his neck. “Eeyup.”

Both stallions worked in relative silence for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, stopping only for short breaks and to have the lunch that Macintosh had brought with them. The sun reached its zenith and began the downward trek across the sky when they were finishing the last tree.

“Hey, do you mind if I take off?” asked Soarin’. “Applejack asked me to take over selling apples for her while she picks Apple Bloom up from school.”

Big Macintosh set his ax down, leaning it against a recently felled trunk. “Nnope.”

“Thanks.”

Soarin’ opened his wings and took off, flying in the direction of Ponyville’s market square. He soon reached his destination, landing near the cart where Applejack sold her family’s wares.

“Hey.”

“Howdy. Thanks for doin’ this,” she said, removing her apron and giving it to him.

“No problem. Are you sure you’re OK with leaving me alone with the stand?”

“Sure Ah’m sure. You did good during cider season and this ain’t too different. ‘Sides, it might help business a little. Been kinda slow lately.” She was quiet for a moment, a contemplative frown overpowering her smile. “Ah’m gonna tell Apple Bloom today.”

Soarin’ placed a hoof on her shoulder, giving her a comforting smile. “Good luck.”

She returned the smile. “Thanks. Well, better get goin’. Have fun. Sell a lot’a apples.”

“You got it.”

The orange mare left in the direction of the schoolhouse and Soarin’ took a moment to stretch, relieving his sore muscles from working with Big Macintosh. Looking around the square, he took in the sight of the town. Ponies greeted each other and paused for a friendly chat as they went about their business, a sight not often seen in the larger cities like Cloudsdale or Manehattan. The blue stallion liked the small town charm of the place and hoped that he’d be able to spend some time looking around soon.

“Excuse me.”

Breaking from his reverie, Soarin’ smiled and greeted his first customer, a white pegasus with a light blue mane.”

“Good afternoon, ma’am. How can I help you today?”

“Are you Soarin’ the Wonderbolt?”

The stallion’s smile almost slipped. He’d forgotten that going out in public meant recognition as a Wonderbolt. “Uh, yes.”

The mare beamed. “Really? Wow! What are you doing here in Ponyville? Do the Wonderbolts have a show coming up?”

“No, I’m just here helping out a friend.”

“Oh, I see,” said the mare, nodding in understanding. “Hey, would you mind if I got an autograph? My son is a huge fan of yours.”

Soarin’ reached into a shelf in the cart and pulled out a pen. “Sure. Who’s it for?”

“Chip Mint.”

Soarin’ signed his name on a piece of paper and passed it to the mare. “There you go.”

“Thank you so much. Also, could I have some apples?”

Soarin’s smile widened. “Sure. What kind?”

“Uhh, some red delicious, a couple of honeysuckle, and maybe some golden delicious.” Four of each.”

“You got it.”

Soarin quickly assembled the fruit and put it in a bag. When he turned to give it to the mare, he saw several other ponies had lined up behind her. The mare gave him the required payment, thanked him again and made way for the next customer.

The next hour was more or less the same. Most of Soarin’s customers had noticed that a Wonderbolt was at the Apple’s stand and came to say hello or ask for an autograph. Soon a long line was forming in front of the stall. Soarin’ did his best to fill all their orders as quickly as possible, but the line never seemed to get any shorter. To make matters worse, a few paparazzi had appeared and began taking pictures. The Wonderbolt kept on an outward smile but inwardly wished that he were a unicorn so he could teleport away.

He felt a sense of hope as he saw a familiar cyan pegasus approaching. He waved her over.

“Hey, Rainbow,” he greeted, having to shout to be heard.

“Hey,” she shouted back. “What’s going on around here?”

“I took over running the stand for a bit and I got swarmed.”

The prismatic mare was about to reply when a nearby photographer’s flash bulb went off a little too close to her for her liking. She glared at the brown pegasus behind the luminary assault.

“Hey! What’s the big idea? Get that thing outta my face!”

“Sorry,” the stallion replied, “just trying to get some shots of Soarin’.” The camera flashed again, making Soarin’ and Rainbow blink.

“Yeah? Well maybe he doesn’t want you guys taking pictures of him,” she retorted, pushing the camera away. Her wings sprang up as she took a defensive stance.

Soarin’ quickly tried to diffuse the situation, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “It’s OK, Rainbow. Hey, could you help me sell apples? Don’t worry; they’ll leave soon when I tell them I’M NOT DOING INTERVIEWS.” He shouted the last part loud enough for them to hear. Several ponies standing nearby with notepads frowned, jotted down a few notes and began to trickle away.

Rainbow helped him fill customers’ orders and eventually the camera flashes died down and the ponies that weren’t in line to buy apples left.

“Why were those photographers such jerks?” asked Rainbow as she put a few granny smith apples into a bag for a customer. “Why didn’t you just tell ‘em to buzz off? They’re invading your privacy.”

Soarin’ sighed. “I’ve been a Wonderbolt for a long time. You learn pretty quickly that the press doesn’t really care whether or not you want your picture taken. Celebrities are big news and ponies want to know about them. I used to hate it when I first started, but now it’s easier to ignore. Makes me appreciate my personal time a lot more too.”

They continued selling fruit and slowly the supply in the baskets and the number of ponies in line began to dwindle. When the last apple had been sold, Soarin’ stepped away from the stand and just signed autographs until the last fan that wanted one had it.

“Is Applejack OK?” asked Rainbow, standing next to him as he started packing up the stand.

Soarin’ paused a moment, not sure if he should divulge Applejack’s current situation.

The rainbow mare seemed to sense what he was thinking. “It’s OK, she told me. Invited all the girls for lunch yesterday and spilled the beans.”

“Ah,” Soarin’ nodded; glad that Applejack’s friends had been brought up to speed. “Yeah, she’s fine.”

“Any word from Clover?”

The Wonderbolt shook his head. “Not yet. AJ’s pretty worried. She goes over to his house every day and they talk, but he says he still needs time to think about things. They’re having dinner tonight to talk some more.”

The cyan pegasus frowned. “What is that guy’s deal? It’s not like they’re getting married or anything. They’re just having a kid together.”

“Having a foal is a big thing, Rainbow,” he replied. “A lot of things change. It’s even worse when the pregnancy isn’t planned. I do agree with you a little, though, and I hope Clover makes up his mind soon. Going through this is going to be hard enough for Applejack without somepony by her side to help her.”

She quirked an eye at him. “How do you know so much about this?”

“Well, my-“

“Ah’m gonna be a aunt! Ah’m gonna be a aunt!” squealed a voice attached to a yellow blur blazing down the street.

Soarin’ felt the wind escape his lungs in a wheeze as he was tackled to the ground.

“Can ya believe it, Soarin’?” asked Apple Bloom as she stood on his chest, her eyes wide with excitement. “Applejack’s havin’ a baby and Ah’m gonna be a aunt!” Looking in the direction of Carousel Boutique, she exclaimed, “Ah gotta go tell Sweetie Belle and Scoots. Maybe we can be Cutie Mark Crusader Midwives.”

Soarin’ let out an ‘oof’ as the excited filly leapt off his chest and bolted away to tell her friends the news. Applejack approached the stand as Rainbow helped Soarin’ up.

“I see Apple Bloom took the news well,” he said.

“Uh-huh,” the orange mare replied. “She’s been tellin’ everypony she meets on the way from the school house. Reckon everypony in town knows by now.”

“Uh-oh.” Soarin’ suddenly became worried for Applejack. He knew that there was a certain stigma that came with unwed pregnancy.

She waved a hoof. “Don’t worry none. Everypony’d find out sooner or later. Might as well be sooner, when Ah can nip the rumors in the bud. Mah family’s got a good reputation ‘round here, so Ah don’t think anypony’ll think poorly of me. ‘Sides, long as Ah’ve got mah family, Ah don’t care what anypony else thinks.”

“Yeah,” said Rainbow, rising on her rear legs into a fighting stance. “Plus, anypony who’s got a problem with you is gonna have me to deal with.” She punched the air a few times with her forehooves to emphasize her point.

Applejack laughed. “Ah don’t reckon it’ll come to that, Rainbow, but thanks just the same. Could you do me a favor and head on over to Clover’s house and tell him Ah’ll be over once Ah close up the stand.”

Rainbow saluted. “Got it. Hey, Soarin’, once I’m done, do you maybe wanna hang out?”

“Sure thing, Rainbow.”

Rainbow grinned. “Yes! I mean, uh, cool. See you later.” With a flap of her wings, she was in the air and zooming in the direction of Clover’s house.

Soarin’ took off his apron and started helping Applejack put away the baskets and pack up her stall.

“Whoa,” she exclaimed as she hefted the cash box up to the counter. “Looks like you had a pretty good day.”

“Heh, yeah, ponies started recognizing me and asking for autographs. I guess waiting in line to meet a Wonderbolt makes a pony hungry.”

“Yeah, Ah reckon you’re right.”

When they had finished packing up the stand, Soarin’ got ready to start pushing it back to the farm. Turning to his friend, he realized that her mind had wandered somewhere else and she was staring off somewhere in the distance, a worried look on her face.

“Are you OK?” Soarin’ asked, breaking her from her reverie.

The orange mare continued to stare in the direction of Clover’s house for a moment, then turned to give her reply. “Yep, Ah am now. Ah’m still scared…” she placed a hoof on her stomach, “and Ah know that Ah’m nowhere near ready to have a foal, but Ah think that with a little bit’a help from Clover, Big Macintosh, Granny, Apple Bloom, mah friends…” She was silent for a moment, then looked up, locking her eyes with his, “…and you, Ah can make a pretty good run at it.”

“Are you kidding?” said Soarin’, giving her a crooked grin. “You’re gonna be the best mom in the world.”

She smiled. “Thanks. I-“

BOOM!

Pegasus and Earth Pony, as well as the entire market, jumped at the sound of an earth-shattering explosion and turned their eyes in the direction of the disturbance. The sight of the ring of colors spreading across the sky left no doubt as to the source.

“Holy horseapples!” exclaimed Soarin’. “I haven’t seen one of those in a while.”

They had no time to marvel further, however, as a rainbow trail streaked rapidly across the sky in their direction. The cause of the sonic rainboom skidded to a halt in front of them, a panicked look on her face.

“AJ! You gotta come quick!”

Applejack stiffened, a panicked look befalling her expression. Without another word, she began galloping in the direction of Clover’s house, with Rainbow and Soarin’ taking to the air and flying low to follow her.

They quickly came upon Clover’s house to find that the door had been left open. Applejack dashed inside without waiting while Soarin’ and Rainbow landed. The two pegasi went inside to see Applejack staring blankly at the living room. The entire place was in disarray and it appeared that some furniture was missing.

“The door was open when I got here,” said Rainbow. “I came in and I found it like this.”

“You think somepony broke in?” Soarin’ asked.

“Where’s Clover?” Applejack asked frantically. Her head jerking side to side as she scanned the room. She took off running down the hall to another part of the house. Soarin’ and Rainbow made their way through a door on the other side of the room.

They found themselves in the kitchen, which was in no better state than the living room. Several cupboards had been left open, devoid of their contents and a few appliances appeared to be missing. Something on the counter caught Soarin’s eye and he went to investigate.

“Find something?” asked Rainbow.

“A note,” he replied picking it up and opening it. His eyes scanned the paper, which had damp spots in several places. The writing was quite sloppy, but still legible. As he read, his face fell he felt an empathetic wave of grief wash over him.

Dear Applejack,
I’m not that good with words, so this is going to be kind of short. I’m a coward. I don’t really know any other way to say it. I’m scared to leave you, but I’m even more scared of staying. I’m just not ready for this and I just can’t ~~~
I’m so sorry. Maybe I’ll come back someday, if you can ever forgive me. I’m sorry.
I love you.
Clover

“What’s that?” came a voice from the door that, under any other circumstance, Soarin’ would have been glad to see. From the look on her face, she had probably guessed what the letter contained.

“Applejack…” He tried to say something to ease the worry on her face, but his voice just caught in his throat. He blinked a few times to try and hide the tears threatening to overflow. He wished with all his heart that he could tell Applejack something, anything to make the heartbroken sorrow apparent on her features to go away. He wished that this was all just a dream and in a moment consciousness would come and all would be forgotten. He didn’t even care if it was Applejack’s dream and, when she woke up, he’d fade into oblivion, never to be thought of again. She could wake up and it would all be OK. She’d be in bed, happy and safe. She could cuddle up to Clover and he’d hold her, cooing in her ear to calm her down and tell her it was all right and that he wasn’t going anywhere.

As much as the blue stallion wanted to tell her all those things, he knew he couldn’t. With a heavy heart and a single tear escaping the confines of his eye and running down his cheek, he said the only thing he could think to say.

“I’m so sorry.”

Soarin’ swore he heard the orange mare’s heart shatter. She rushed forward and snatched the note from his hoof, wiping her face to clear her vision to read it. As her eyes jumped back and forth on the page, a shadow of despondence fell darker and darker on her features. She let out several choked sobs, trying to hold off her emotions as long as possible. The weight of the wall of emotion crushing her quickly proved too much for her and she collapsed.

Soarin’ rushed forward and managed to catch her head before it hit the tiled floor. Her trademark Stetson fell from her head and she stared blankly at the wall in front of her, almost comatose.

“Oh, Celestia,” she whispered. “Please help me.”

Soarin’ felt her shaking and saw her chest heaving as she began hopelessly sobbing. His resolve finally broke and he let the well of tears begin flowing as he cried for the mare he cared about. He lied down next to her with his side against her back and draped his right wing over her. Rainbow lied down near Applejack’s head and draped her left wing over Soarin’s. The rainbow pegasus looked like she was trying to keep back an outburst of rage and sorrow the size of a tidal wave, but her stone mask was quickly showing signs of cracking. The two pegasi cried quietly while their friend wept on the floor.

“What…what am Ah gonna do now,” she wailed between sobs. “Ah can’t d-do this witho-out C-Clover. Ah can’t do this alone!”

Soarin’ bent his head down and rested his cheek on her neck. Softly, he whispered, “You will never be alone, Applejack.” He glanced up at Rainbow and she gave him a nod. “I promise you. Rainbow and I will be with you through every step.”

Dash rested her head on Applejack’s neck, just above Soarin’s. “Y-yeah,” she agreed, trying to keep her voice steady. “You know the girls’ll help, too. Plus, you got, like, a million aunts and uncles, so your Granny’s raised her share of kids. Between her and Twilight you’ll always know what to do. Pinkie or Fluttershy can foalsit.” She chuckled a little. “Rarity’ll probably make more baby clothes for the kid then it’ll ever be able to wear.” She sniffled. “Plus, with an aunt as awesome as me, that kid’s gonna be the best thing to happen to Ponyville since your Granny moved here.”

Applejack didn’t say anything. She lifted her right foreleg and placed it over her two friends’ heads, holding them in an awkward hug.

The three of them lied in silence for a long time. Finally, emotionally drained, Applejack fell asleep. The two pegasi stood up and Soarin’ wordlessly lifted Applejack onto his back and carried her into Clover’s bedroom. He gently laid her on the bed and pulled the covers over her. He stood by the bedside for a moment, watching her sleep, feeling a few more tears running down his own face. The sight of the wet streaks running across her face looked wrong to him. Somepony as wonderful as her didn’t deserve to be so sad. He touched her cheek with a hoof and gently wiped the offending streaks away.

Turning, he motioned for Rainbow to follow him out of the room and shut the door behind them.

“Can you stay with her while I go take care of something?”

“Where are you going?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back in a while to help take her home. She shouldn’t be here in Clover’s house when she wakes up. I’m going to head over to the farm and explain everything to Macintosh and Granny. There’s no need for her to relive this. It’d be better if they already know when she wakes up.”

Rainbow nodded. Soarin’ began to walk past her in the direction of the door when her iron resolve finally broke. She threw her hooves around his neck and softly cried into his shoulder. He lifted a hoof and gently placed it on her back, letting her get it all out.

“H-how could Clover do something like this?” she asked, a desperation in her voice that pleaded with him to give her an answer.

“I don’t know, Rainbow. I don’t know.”

They broke the hug and Rainbow wiped the tears from her eyes, retreating back behind the tough mask she wore. She quietly opened the bedroom door and went inside to look after Applejack.

Soarin’ left the house and softly closed the door behind him. Taking to the sky, he quickly made his way back to the farm, taking a brief detour into the farthest field. The area was not in use anymore, the Apples not having enough hooves to keep it running, so he knew he wouldn’t be disturbed. His hooves had barely landed on the ground when he whirled around and bucked a tree as hard as he could. His vision turned red at the edges as he felt his barely contained rage at Clover overflowing. He bucked the tree over and over again, leaving gashes in the bark. When his back hooves started feeling sore, he turned around and gave it a few punches with his front hooves.

When his anger had finally abated, he stopped, panting through clenched teeth, his head drooping to the ground.

“Clover,” he growled. “if I ever see you again, you’d better hope Applejack forgives you.”

A/N: And thus, the author has given you sad feels, then brought them back up only to send them crashing down again. Dance, my little puppets, dance. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

*Ahem*

Next chapter hopefully coming soon.

Chapter 9: A Choice is Made

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Chapter 9: A Choice is Made

All was quiet in the Apple household. When Soarin’ had carried Applejack home, it felt like a dark cloud had descended on the farm. Macintosh had gone outside when Soarin’ told him the news, saying he had to go visit someone named Tom. Each of Applejack’s friends had stopped by over the course of the day to see if she was OK and to do what they could to help. Fluttershy had been by and brought a meal and Pinkie had tried to cheer the orange mare up, but to no avail.

Applejack spent the next two days in her room. On the third day, she came down for breakfast, but only picked at her food. When she tried to go out and do her chores, Granny gave her the day off, but she insisted that she needed to do something besides cry.

The first task of the day was to tend to the vegetable garden. The Apples supplied the pumpkins for nightmare night, and the ones that were ready needed to be harvested and stored in the cellar. Any other vegetables that were ripe needed to be stored for winter.

Big Macintosh moved a cart to the edge of the garden and he and Applejack tended to the vegetables, placing ripe ones in burlap sacks and keeping an eye on the health of those not ready. Soarin’ weeded and hauled the burlap sacks to the cart when they were full, replacing them with empty ones as Applejack and Macintosh needed them.

The air held a tension that could be cut with a butter knife and the three ponies worked in silence. Soarin’ gave worried glances to Applejack every so often. The orange mare robotically went about her task, her body doing the work, but her mind elsewhere. Soarin’s heart ached whenever he saw her, wishing there was something he could do to make her feel better.

As noon approached, Macintosh and Soarin’ paused their work and started to go inside for lunch. Macintosh turned when he noticed that Applejack wasn’t following.

“Ain’t you comin’ fer lunch, AJ?” he asked.

Applejack’s pace never faltered and she didn’t so much as look up when she replied. “Ah’m not hungry.”

The big stallion slowly walked over to where his sister was trying unsuccessfully to pull a pumpkin free of its vine.

“Applejack…” he said softly.

“Ah’m fine,” she replied curtly, not meeting her brother’s gaze as she continued to wrestle with the vine.

“Nope ya ain’t. Ya hardly touched yer food this mornin’. Ya gotta eat somethin’, or at least take a rest.”

“Ah’ll take a break later.” Applejack’s voice had an angry edge to it as she began lightly kicking at the vine, attempting to dislodge it.

“AJ,” Macintosh pleaded, “please just-”

“AH SAID AH’M FINE! NOW LEAVE ME THE HAY ALONE!” she snapped, finally looking her brother in the eye. She gave Macintosh a glare that revealed a seething, boiling anger, barely contained. In her frustration, her leg hit the pumpkin, smashing it to bits.

The sound of the pumpkin smashing startled both Apple siblings. Applejack looked morosely at the mess she’d made and her tough outer visage began to crack. Big Macintosh placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder and she looked back at him, tears forming in her eyes.

“Big Macintosh, Ah’m-” she started to say, her voice cracking.

The big stallion interrupted her by pulling her into a hug, his large forelegs enveloping her. The last of her resolve broke and she hugged him back, softly crying into his chest. Her brother whispered soothing words in her ear and gently rubbed her back. When she had calmed down a little, he gently hoisted her onto his back and took her inside.

“You comin’?” the red stallion asked Soarin’ as he was heading for the door.

“Yeah,” Soarin’ replied softly, moving to pull the cart to the barn. “I’ll be there in a minute. I just want to get this load put away.”

Big Macintosh nodded and took his sister to the farmhouse. Soarin’ hitched himself to the wagon full of vegetables and began to pull it to the barn. As he pulled, he looked forlornly to the farmhouse and sighed. He wished there was something he could do to make Applejack feel better. He hated seeing her so hurt and hated feeling so helpless to do anything about it.

He also hated that his feelings for her had been interfering. He’d been trying to avoid it, but his mind kept thinking of things to do to get Applejack’s attention now that she was single. He knew that Applejack needed a friend right now and it was not the time to deal with his feelings for her, but the feelings were there all the same.

Part of Soarin’ also wondered if she could ever reciprocate his feelings someday. He’d had his share of break-ups, but Applejack and Clover’s relationship had been different from his. From what he’d seen, she cared about Clover, loved him even. She’d trusted him and had her heart broken. That was something that Soarin’ didn’t think anypony could ever get over.

Whenever Soarin’ saw the orange mare, he felt guilty for feeling the way he did about her. She’d had her heart broken and was in a vulnerable place. Soarin’ had to tread carefully, lest he hurt Applejack even more.

Once the cart had been put away in the barn, the blue stallion made his way back to the house and into the kitchen.

“Good afternoon, darling,” the posh, upper-class accent of a certain unicorn greeted him as he entered.

Soarin’ smiled back at the white mare. “Hey, Rarity.” He turned to the other mare in the kitchen. “Hey, Fluttershy. What are you two doing here?”

“Oh, we were just going for our weekly spa trip when Fluttershy suggested we come by and see how Applejack was faring.”

The yellow pegasus nodded as she placed a tray of sandwiches on the table in front of Macintosh. “Macintosh says that she hasn’t been eating lately. I made her a sandwich, but she said she wasn’t hungry.”

Soarin’ frowned again, the feeling of helplessness rising. He hated that feeling and decided that he was going to do something about it. He went up to the counter in the kitchen and pulled out a pot, and some vegetables.

“Can you help me make some soup?” he asked Fluttershy once he had filled the pot with water and put it on the stove. “I’ve never been much of a cook.”

She nodded and pulled out a recipe book along with a few other supplies. “Of course. Are you not hungry for sandwiches?”

“It’s not for me, it’s for Applejack.”

The canary pegasus looked at the Wonderbolt sadly, her ears laying flat against her head. “I already tried. She’s just not eating.”

Soarin’ nodded. “I know. I heard you.” He swallowed in an attempt to keep his voice from cracking. “But I have to try. I can’t stand around doing nothing. I hate seeing her like this and I have to do something or it’s going to kill me.”

A tense silence hung over the room for several moments, nopony quite sure how to reply.

“Put some peppers in there,” Big Macintosh drawled, breaking the silence. “She likes it kinda spicy.”

The blue stallion smiled and he and Fluttershy worked to make the soup. When it was done, Soarin’ carried it up the stairs and knocked on Applejack’s door.

“Hey,” he called softly. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” replied a voice through the door.

The Wonderbolt opened the door and softly stepped into the room. Tissues filled the area in and around the wastebasket and the room held an air of disorder. The curtains were closed and the lights off, leaving the room dim, the only light coming from the spaces between the curtains and from the door. The orange mare was lying on her side facing away from the door, several tissues and an empty box lying on the bed beside her. She’d pulled the covers up to her neck and appeared to be holding something underneath them.

“I made you some soup,” he said, trying to keep the positive tone in his voice as he placed the bowl on her nightstand. “Well, actually Fluttershy did most of it. I don’t actually know how to cook, but I helped.” Internally, he slapped himself, realizing how lame that sounded.

She didn’t move or answer him, so he decided to try again.

“Applejack,” he pleaded. “Please eat something. We’re all really worried about you.”

He waited just inside the doorway, hoping she would answer him or at least get up and eat the soup. As the silence continued, Soarin’ felt his hopefulness falling.

The smell of the soup wafted through the air, filling the room with its intoxicating bouquet. Soarin’s ear twitched as he heard the sound of Applejack’s stomach rumbling. Hearing the sound gave him some small hope that maybe she would eat later. He decided to leave Applejack alone again for a little while and turned to exit the room.

“He said he loved me,” Applejack whispered, stopping Soarin’ in his tracks. He turned to see that she had turned her head so she was staring at the ceiling. “That night, he said he loved me.”

Soarin’ stepped closer and sat down by the bed as Applejack rolled over onto her back. The covers slipped down to her chest, revealing the top of a picture frame that she clutched tightly to herself.

“He made me feel safe, like mah pa used to when Ah was little. Ah was startin’ to imagine mahself maybe gettin’ hitched someday. *sniff* Ah thought Ah was ready to be a ma. Ah didn’t know how I’d do it, but Ah knew that as long as he was there with me….Now…Ah don’t see how Ah’m gonna do this. Ah can’t help but think that maybe if Ah’d done something different he’d still be-”

“No!” Soarin’ interrupted her, tears coming to his eyes. He refused to let Applejack blame herself for any of this. “This is not your fault. It’s not your fault that this is happening. It’s not your fault that Clover made the choice he did.” He reached up and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “You’re going to be a great mom. You’ve saved Equestria multiple times. You’re one of the strongest, bravest, most wonderful mares I know. If you can do even half of the things that you told me about, you can do anything.”

He picked the bowl of soup off the table and offered her a spoonful. “But, you’re not going to be able to do anything for very long unless you eat.”

She opened her mouth to reply, but the only thing that was heard was a loud rumbling from her stomach. Soarin’ gave her an ‘I told you so’ look.

“All right,” Applejack finally admitted, wiping her cheeks with another tissue. “Ah’ll try to eat somethin’.”

Soarin’ held up the spoon and Applejack took a bite. Before he could even lower the utensil to get another spoonful, she had snatched it from him along with the bowl, almost taking his hoof with it. She began wolfing down the soup ravenously, barely keeping any from spilling. The bowl was empty and practically licked clean in a matter of minutes. Seeing the result of her ravenous hunger, the orange mare blushed and smiled sheepishly.

Soarin’ chuckled. “Come on, I think there’s more food downstairs.”

Applejack wiped her mouth and got down off the bed. Soarin’ paused as they went out into the hall.

“Applejack,” he said softly, making eye contact with her. “You know I’ll be here with you the whole way, don’t you? Every step. I promise.”

For a brief moment, Soarin’ saw a spark of hope return to Applejack’s eyes. “What about yer job? Ain’t you gonna have to go back?” she asked.

“You let me worry about that. You just worry about getting ready for the newest little Apple. Just tell me what you need to do and I’ll get it done.” He stood at attention and lifted his left hoof to his temple in a salute. “Applebucker Soarin’ reporting for duty.”

She chuckled. “All right, then. Let’s get back to work.”

The sound of her stomach grumbling filled the hall.

“After lunch, that is,” she added. Soarin’ laughed.

-SWA-

The weather grew chillier around the farm as autumn set in. The leaves in the trees changed from green to yellow, orange and red as if a forest fire of color had swept over the farm. At one point the Cutie Mark Crusaders had tried to go for a yard work cutie mark by raking leaves into large piles, only for it to devolve into havoc as leaves were thrown and piles jumped into.

Soarin’ would occasionally pause in whatever work the Apples had him do to admire and take in the beautiful colors of the season. Often Apple Bloom and the other Crusaders would ask him to join them as they played in the leaves. He obliged them during brief breaks he took, letting them ride on his back and hold on for as long as they could while he tried to buck them off and into a nearby pile.

Soarin’ loved the fall. He loved the smells of burning leaf piles and the fiery colors in the trees. He loved the excitement in the air as foals realized that Hearth’s Warming was only a few months away. However, the joy that the beautiful reds, yellows and oranges brought him was all but forgotten whenever he saw a particular orange coat around the farm.

Applejack fared somewhat better as the days passed. Every now and again she would look off into the distance and sigh or get a little misty-eyed. A few times she cried, saying it was only mood swings and that she was fine. Soarin’ and the Apples didn’t make any further inquiries, instead wrapping Applejack in their love for her and just being there for her when she needed them.

As the family continued to prepare the farm for winter, it came time for the wheat harvest. The tall amber waves of grain in the field were cut, gleaned, and bundled to be prepared for separation. Soarin’ proved to be quite the adept at tossing the kernels in bowls balanced on his wings to separate the wheat from the chaff. When the grain had been separated, it was bagged and taken to the mill to be ground into flour.

Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Soarin’ walked down the road leading from the mill. Macintosh pulled a cart full of bags of flour while he chewed a fresh stalk. Applejack walked just to his left, laughing and chatting with the blue stallion as they walked. The Wonderbolt had been feeling anxious to get some flying done that day and hovered just above the Apple siblings as they walked, occasionally doing a lazy loop or roll during lulls in the conversation.

“So let me get this straight,” said Applejack at the conclusion of a story Soarin’ had finished telling. “You were on fire and you jumped into a pool of rainbow water?”

Soarin’ grinned sheepishly. “It was the only thing around. But believe me I’m never doing that again. It took a week for my fur to go back to normal and that stuff stings everywhere.”

Peals of laughter came from the orange mare. When her laughter had subsided, she looked off into the distance toward the farmhouse. “Hey, is that Spitfire?”

Soarin’ looked and saw that Spitfire was indeed standing on the front porch, dressed in her uniform with the hood pulled down. With a grin, he took off to greet her, covering the distance in mere seconds.

“Hey, Spits,” he greeted enthusiastically.

“Don’t you ‘hey Spits’ me,” she replied, scowling at him. “What the hay, Soarin’, I said I’d cover for you for a few days. It’s been a week and I’m sick of Boss and Fire Streak grilling me about where you are. You need to come back to work.”

Soarin’s ears flattened back against his skull and he looked apologetically at his teammate. “I’m sorry, Spits.” Turning, he saw the Apple siblings approaching. Not wanting them to hear what he had to say, he turned back to the fiery mare. “Can we go somewhere else to talk, please?”

Spitfire sighed and her anger deflated a little. “Fine. Meet me up at that cloud,” she said, pointing to a cloud in the distance.

Soarin’ nodded to his teammate as she took off and stepped off the porch to meet the two earth ponies.

“Everythin’ all right?” Applejack inquired.

“Yeah,” he replied, smiling. “Spitfire just wants to talk about some work stuff with me. We’re gonna fly around a bit and talk for a while.”

“All right, just don’t be late for supper. Granny’s makin’ a pie for dessert.”

Soarin’s eyes widened with delight. “Oh, you can bet your hat I’ll be there.”

Taking to the air, the blue pegasus quickly reached the appointed cloud to find Spitfire waiting for him.

“OK, spill it. What’s so important, Soarin’?”

“Is there any way that you can cover for me for a little longer?”

Spitfire rolled her eyes and sighed. “No, I can’t. But even if I could, how much longer than a week could you possibly need?”

Soarin’ twirled his hoof on the cloud, leaving a small, circular divot. “Uh…about ten or eleven months,” he mumbled.

The yellow mare’s eyebrows almost shot up to her mane. “Ten months! Soarin’ that is not a little more time. That’s a freaking leave of absence! What the buck is going on that you need ten months off?!”

Realizing there was no way to sugarcoat it, Soarin’ decided to tell Spitfire everything. “Applejack’s pregnant. Clover left her and I want to help.”

Silence fell over the little cloud. Soarin’ tried to gauge his best friend’s reaction, but could only read the empathic sadness his admission had brought her, nothing more.

“Soarin’, I-“

“She loved him, Spits,” the stallion continued, pleading his case. “They hadn’t even been dating that long, but she loved him.” Soarin’ couldn’t make eye contact with his teammate. He felt a seething hatred for the grey stallion rising. “She loved him and let him into her heart and that…that bastard left her when she needed him the most.” He looked off into the distance of the Apple house where the subject of their conversation was. “I can’t leave, she needs me.”

He turned when he felt the presence of Spitfire’s hoof on his shoulder. “Soarin’, I’m sorry about Applejack. I really am. But, does she really need you to be here? I’m no farmer, but it looks to me like they’re pretty much done for the season. She also has all her friends to help and support her. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

Soarin’s ears flattened against his head. “I know, I…just wanted to help.”

“I know, and I didn’t expect any less of you. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve always worn your heart on your sleeve. You’ve got a big heart and you have special place for every friend you make. I just think that your feelings for Applejack are clouding your judgment right now. You can’t just quit your job for a mare you just met two months ago.”

“You just don’t understand, Spits,” he replied, pushing her hoof off his shoulder and facing her directly. “She’s not just some mare. There’s something really special about her. She’s different than any mare I’ve ever met. I feel like I can be myself around her and not wear a mask.” He punctuated his point by lifting the fabric of his teammate’s hood then replacing it on her neck. “Ever since we met, she never let the fact that I’m a Wonderbolt change how she treats me. I feel like I’ve actually earned her friendship on my own, not just because I wear a suit.”

The blue stallion sighed, feeling a weight being lifted from his chest. “I’d forgotten how it felt to make a real friend like that. How I feel about her doesn’t matter right now. I want to make her feel like she made me feel. I want her to feel loved and cherished like she makes me feel.”

Spitfire smiled and shook her head. Sighing, she said, “OK, look. I’m not saying I like the idea of you going on a sabbatical or anything. But, if you feel this strongly about this-“

“I do.”

“OK. Maybe if you talk to Boss, he can give you some time off. He probably won’t, but it’s worth a shot.”

Soarin’s felt hope fluttering in his chest. “Thanks, Spits. Do you mind if I go back tomorrow? Granny’s making a pie and you know me.”

The yellow mare chuckled. “I sure do. Mind if I join you?”

“Sure. I’ll ask.”

The two pegasi flew down from their cloud and joined the Apple family for dinner. When the meal had been finished and Soarin’ had cleaned his plate of his third helping of pie, Spitfire bid the family farewell and left for Cloudsdale. Applejack and Soarin’ were assigned to dishwasher duty while the rest of the family was left to do homework or enjoy the evening.

“Everythin’ all right with the work stuff?” Applejack asked as she passed Soarin’ a plate to dry.

“Yeah. I just have to head back to Cloudsdale tomorrow and talk to my Boss,” he replied, putting on a smile that was less sincere than he would have liked. He didn’t want to make Applejack worry; he’d promised her that he would be there to help and he intended to do all he could to keep that promise.

“Y’know,” the orange mare assured him. “If you have to go back to work, Ah understand. Ah don’t want you gettin’ yourself in any trouble on mah account.”

“Don’t worry,” he replied. “I’ll just ask to be put on desk duty for a while and have all the paperwork and stuff sent here. No trouble at all.”

The orange mare ceased her washing to look directly at him. “Doesn’t that mean you’d have to give up flyin’ in shows?”

“Well. yeah, maybe for a while.”

Applejack looked at the blue stallion in silence for a moment, her expression filled with a sort of awe. “Soarin’ Ah can’t let you do that fer me. You’d be givin’ up what you love.”

“You’re my friend, AJ,” he replied. “I’ll do whatever you need me to. Whether I’m a Wonderbolt or an apple farmer, I’ll be here for you.”

Soarin’ looked back at her, noticing how pretty she looked with the darker yellow light from the lowering sun flooding the room through the window. He felt his heart dancing as he was pulled into her beautiful piercing eyes.

‘I’d do anything for you,’ he thought. He wanted so badly to tell her, to hold her and make everything better. He wanted her to know that she was loved. He wanted to make her feel as wonderful as she made him feel.

As much as he wanted to, he knew this wasn’t the time for any kind of romantic pursuit for her. She was still picking up the pieces from Clover and Soarin’ didn’t want to be the rebound guy. He could wait until she was ready, however long it took.

A small smile spread across Applejack’s face. “Aww, thanks, Soarin’, that’s mighty sweet of you.”

She wrapped her hooves around his neck, giving him a hug. Soarin’ returned the gesture, not caring that she was getting soap suds in his fur, just enjoying being near the orange mare.

When they broke the hug, Soarin’ gave her a smile of his own. “You should do that more often.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Hug you?”

“Smile. It…it looks really nice.” The blue stallion blushed, inwardly berating himself for the lame-sounding statement.

Applejack laughed, her grin getting wider with each convulsion of her diaphragm. “Thanks. Ah needed that. You always know just how to make me laugh.”

“Glad I could help.”

Soarin’ took the dishtowel and removed the soap suds from his neck. He was glad that he had given Applejack something to make her happy, even if only for a few moments.

“Soarin’,” Applejack asked as they were finishing the dishes. “Can Ah ask you somethin’?”

“Sure.”

“What’s your pa like?”

Soarin’ froze, the smile falling off his face. He remained silent for several moments, stacking plates in the cupboard.

“Ah don’t mean to pry or anythin’,” Applejack said softly. “You’ve just talked about your ma a lot, but you never said nothin’ about your pa. Ah’m sorry, Ah was just curious.”

“No, it’s OK,” he replied softly. “I just don’t like to talk about it because I don’t really have a dad.” When the orange mare gave him an inquisitive look, he clarified. “I mean. I know I’ve got one somewhere, I’ve just never met him.”

“Oh,” was Applejack’s only reply. “Ah’m sorry, Soarin’.”

The blue stallion shrugged. “No big deal. You can’t really miss what you never had. Besides, my mom did a pretty good job and she had a lot of other good ponies to help her.”

“Still, Ah can’t imagine growin’ up and not ever knowin’ yer pa. To be honest, Ah’m a might worried about what Ah’m gonna tell mah foal about Clover.”

Soarin’ placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder and the orange mare placed hers over it.

“What’d yer ma tell you?” she asked.

The blue stallion placed his hoof back on the floor. “She didn’t; my aunt did. I went over to Spitfire’s house a lot and did stuff with her and her dad. Eventually, I started wondering and asking questions about things like why Spitfire had two parents and I only had one. My mom tried to come up with something like saying he died or something, but my aunt never really believed in sugarcoating anything.”

Applejack hung on his every word. “Were you upset?”

Soarin’ suddenly realized the point behind her line of questioning. Giving her a soft smile, he said in a reassuring tone, “A little. But I knew that my mom loved me, more than enough for two. Plus, it’s not like I grew up completely fatherless. When I told Spitfire about it the next day, she offered to share her dad with me.”

The Pegasus and the earth pony both laughed at Soarin’s memory of foalhood innocence.

“Applejack,” Soarin’ continued. “My point is, don’t worry about it. When the time comes, you’ll know what to say. Until then, just love that foal as much as you can.”

The orange mare blinked, her eyes filling with tears. “Thanks, *sniff* Ah needed that.”

“Are you OK?”

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “Yup. Just feeling really sad all of a sudden. Must be havin’ a mood swing.”

Soarin’ gave her a hug and let her cry softly on his shoulder.

The Wonderbolt’s stomach fluttered with how nervous he was for most of the night. He had no idea what would happen when he gave Boss his request, but he was not expecting it to be good. Spitfire had said that she would be there to back him up if need be, but he feared that her word of influence would still not be enough.

He rolled over in his bed, looking in the direction of his door, the direction of Applejack’s room. As much as he didn’t want to think of it, he had to wonder what would happen if Boss said no. Would he still be able to help Applejack if he couldn’t physically be there for her? He could offer to pay to hire an extra worker or two, but he knew that effort would be shot down by the prideful mare.

The blue stallion rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He decided to just resign himself to his fate. Maybe Boss would say yes. The bureaucrat had to have a heart somewhere. Maybe he could find a way to appeal to it. Soarin’ smiled as he felt sleep take him. Maybe he’d catch Boss in a good mood.

-SWA-

“Are you out of your bucking mind?!”

Or maybe not.

Soarin’ suppressed a sigh as he addressed his fed-faced boss. “Look, chief, I-”

“No, that was a serious question. Are you out of your bucking mind? Because from what I just heard, you missed two practices because you went on an unapproved vacation and now you’re telling me to give you a bucking leave of absence!” The brown pegasus placed his hooves on his desk and leaned over it, becoming more menacing. “That sounds to me like a pony who’s been hit in the head one time too many.”

“Chief, your blood pressure,” Spitfire reminded him.

Boss gave her a glare that could burn down a forest. “Don’t even get me started on you. I should suspend both of you; him for being a moron and you for covering for him. The only reason that I don’t is because that would be basically be giving you what you want. Get out and get back to work!”

Spirfire turned to leave and Soarin’ went to follow her.

“Not you,” Boss said sternly, pointing at the blue stallion.

Spitfire gave her friend a pitying look and then shut the office door behind her. Soarin’ turned back to face Boss and accept his fate.

“I still want an answer,” the brown stallion growled. “What in the world gives you the gall to ask me for something as ridiculous as that? Are you sick or something?”

Soarin’ hung his head, knowing that the reason wouldn’t do him any good. “No. A…a friend of mine needs help. She’s pregnant and her boyfriend left her.”

A panicked look came over Boss’s face. “WHAT?! HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!”

The Wonderbolt looked at his boss quizzically before realizing what his statement had insinuated. “Whoa! No, no. It’s the boyfriend’s baby. I would just be staying and helping her and her family with their farm.”

Boss fell back in his chair, breathing a sigh of relief. “Oh thank Celestia. I thought it was something serious.” Reaching into his desk drawer, he pulled out a pill bottle and downed two of the pills in it. “Don’t ever scare me like that again. Heart medication is expensive and I can’t afford to be popping these things like candy.”

When he had taken a moment to recover, the brown stallion continued. “Anyway, so what? Let the redneck deal with her illegitimate child. You have bigger things to worry about; like the show next month.”

Soarin’ gritted his teeth, becoming more frustrated. “Look, can’t I just have desk duty for a while? Even if it’s just in a few months when she gets further along and can’t work anymore. This is really important to me and-”

“I don’t give a flying feather if it’s important to you!” Boss shouted, standing up to lean over his desk again. “What should be important to you is flying. That’s what brings in the bits that I pay you, not some filly who can’t keep her tail down. Now get out and get to practice.”

Soarin’ drew a sharp intake of breath. His vision went red at the edges and his wings flared open. He felt a blistering haze that made it hard to think clearly. He snorted and stood with his front hooves on Boss’s desk, meeting the brown stallion’s gaze.

The blue stallion didn’t consider himself to have very much of a temper, but Boss’s insult had managed to turn his frustration into a seething cauldron.

“Fine,” he growled. “You want flying, I’ll give you flying.”

He pushed off the desk with enough force to scoot it backwards and pushed himself into the air. His powerful wings barreled him through the doors, almost taking them off their hinges. Twisting and turning, he navigated the halls of the building, making his way to his office and bursting through the door, sending the few papers on his desk flying with the draft.

Still fuming, he grabbed his saddle bags and began shoving various belongings into them. Small trinkets and papers he deemed important were stuffed in with little care for their remaining unwrinkled. He then slung the bags on his back and took out paper and a pen. When he had finished writing, he stormed back to Boss’s office, meeting Spitfire part of the way there.

“Soarin’, what happened?” she asked.

He ignored her, flying straight into Boss’s office with the paper in his teeth. He zoomed across the room, landing on the desk in front of a very surprised Boss. The brown stallion recovered and gave the Wonderbolt an angry glare.

“I thought I told you to get back to prac-mmmf!”

His sentence was cut off when Soarin’ stuffed the paper in his mouth.

“That,” Soarin’ said gruffly, panting in his anger, “was flying. And it was the last flying you’ll see from me for a while, you insensitive jerk!”

By the time that Boss had spat out the hastily written and very brief letter of resignation, Soarin’ was out the door and flying to the locker room. Spitfire chased him through the hall, calling out and asking what was going on.

When Soarin’ entered the locker room, he was greeted by Wave Chill and Fire Streak, cleaning up after practice.

“Hey, dude, glad you’re back! Think you could give me some pointers on- Soarin’?”

Spitfire burst in a moment later and Wave Chill shrieked.

“Gah! Cap! This is the stallions’ locker room!”

“What the buck is wrong with you, Soarin’?!”

The lighter of the blue stallions ignored his teammates, instead going to his locker. He made several mistakes as he tried to open it in his angered state and slammed his hoof against the metal in frustration, leaving a dent in the door.

“Whoa, Soarin’! What’s wrong?” asked Wave Chill, startled by his teammate’s behavior.

Fire Streak watched the scene taking place with stoic observation.

Soarin’ didn’t answer, finally having worked the door open. He pulled out all his pictures, stuffing them into his bag with the things from his office. He stopped for a moment when he reached the small box in the bottom of the locker. Carefully, as if it were made of glass, he removed and opened it, taking out the necklace inside. He held the cord in his hoof, staring at the attached jewel.

What would his mother think about what he had just done? Would she approve? She had always taught him to do what he thought was right and this was what was right wasn’t it?

The now ex-Wonderbolt put the necklace on and held it to his chest. Taking a deep breath, he pushed every thought out of his head and asked himself a single question.

‘Is this the right thing to do?’

No pros and cons were compared. No opinion was asked of anypony else. The question was posed and Soarin’ felt only one completely obvious answer, unmarred by any shred of doubt.

‘Yes.’

Resolute in his decision, he packed the last of his belongings and turned to acknowledge his former teammates, a wide smile on his face.

“Guys, I’m not going to make the show next month.”

-SWA-

It was late when Soarin’ returned to the farm, weary and bogged down with a few belongings. His teammates had each reacted differently to his news.

Wave Chill had reacted with shock and surprise, telling the other stallion that he was crazy. In the end, though, he assured Soarin’ that he would do his best to help the team.

Fire Streak’s reaction had surprised Soarin’. The older stallion remained silent until Wave Chill had asked for confirmation that what Soarin’ was doing was in fact completely crazy. The off-white stallion then had taken Soarin’ aside to talk. Soarin’ never once expected the Major to side with him; in fact he had been expecting the older stallion to attempt to talk him out of it. But, in his usual, calm demeanor, Fire Streak had explained to Soarin’ the possible consequences of his actions, namely the fallout from the media. When the blue stallion continued to insist that this was what he wanted, Fire Streak had merely nodded and offered Soarin’ the best of luck and to help in any way he could to keep tabloid attention away from the farm.

Spitfire had reacted differently than Soarin’ had hoped. She was livid. She had shouted and chewed Soarin’ out for the majority of the time he packed his things and had even chased him to his cloud house to chew him out while he gathered some things there. Soarin’ was beginning to feel like one of the training camp recruits by the time his bag was half full. When the fiery mare had calmed down, she and Soarin’ had a long talk, the kind of talk that only two ponies who have been friends for a long time can have. When their talk was finished and Spitfire left to go home, she told Soarin’ that she would help Fire Streak keep Soarin’s retirement quiet, but she still thought that he was throwing his life away. As much as he hated to admit it, the blue stallion had to wonder if she was right.

Any further doubt had been obliterated the minute he touched down on the Apples’ front lawn and smelled the crisp chilly air. Closing his eyes, he felt the wind blowing through his mane and fur and rustling in the leaves that were still on the trees. The blue Pegasus released a sigh. This felt like home. He felt more welcomed and at home on the farm than almost anywhere else in the world and his heart told him that this was where he needed to be. Once again assured that what he was doing was the right thing, the blue stallion went inside.

Soarin’ heard voices as he passed Applejack’s room and decided to poke his head in and let her know that he was staying. The orange mare was sitting on her haunches on the bed, her eyes closed and a relaxed look on her face. Apple Bloom stood on her hind legs, her right forehoof on her sister’s shoulder to steady herself and a brush on her left hoof. The yellow filly gently brushed her sister’s mane, talking as she worked, mostly about her excitement about being an aunt, chattering about how she would help with the baby when it came.

“Wonder what it’s gonna be,” the filly thought aloud. “Will it be a filly or a colt? Do you think it’ll have green eyes like yours or gold ones like Clover’s? Have ya thought of any names yet?”

Applejack chuckled, her eyes opening slightly as she subconsciously placed a hoof over her soon-to-be-growing stomach. “Not really, sugar cube. Got any suggestions?”

The youngest Apple sibling thought for a moment as she passed the brush to her sister and sat down to have her own hair brushed. “Hmmm. How about Scarlet Gala or Candy Apple or Apple Spice or Apple Cream or Apple Cobbler?”

Applejack nodded. “Those are some pretty good ones. Ah might have to make a list and think on it some more.”

Apple Bloom tilted her head and nuzzled Applejack’s hoof that had been placed on her shoulder. “Ah’m glad you’re gonna be a mama, Applejack. You’ll be a good ma. Just as good as our ma was.”

The orange mare smiled and pulled her sister into a hug from behind. “Thanks, A.B.”

It was then that Applejack noticed Soarin’ standing just outside the door. “Hey there, partner.”

“Hey.”

“Everythin’ go OK at work?”

“Uh-huh. You’ll be seeing a lot more of me from now on.”

“You didn’t get in any trouble, did you?” Applejack asked worriedly. “Yer boss was OK with everythin’?”

“Well…” Soarin’ bit his lip for a moment. What would Applejack think if he told her what he’d done, how he’d put everything on the line just to stay and help her. She had told him not to get in trouble if it came to it and he had done the exact opposite.

A tremor of fear gripped the stallion’s heart. If he told Applejack that he’d quit the Wonderbolts, how would she react? What if she didn’t let him stay and help?

“Uh, yeah,” the blue stallion lied. “He was practically tickled pink.” Red was technically a dark shade of pink wasn’t it?

The orange mare breathed a sigh. “Really? Well wasn’t that nice of him. Is that stuff the work you have to do while you’re gone?”

Soarin’ shifted the bags on his back. “Uh, yeah.”

Apple Bloom let out an exasperated sigh. “Soarin’,” she groaned, “yer interruptin’ our sister time.”

“Calm down, Apple Bloom,” Applejack chided her sister. “He ain’t hurtin’ nothin’.”

“No, it’s OK,” Soarin’ replied. “I should be getting to bed anyway. We’re painting the barn tomorrow aren’t we?”

“Yup. G’night.”

“G’night, Soarin’.”

“Night, Bloom. ‘Night, AJ.”

When the door had been closed, the smile fell from Soarin’s face. He felt a pit rising in his stomach as he went to his room and closed the door behind him. Dropping his bags, he slumped back against the door and slid to the floor, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. When the sick feeling in his stomach had settled a little, he turned the light off and got into bed. With a heavy heart, the blue stallion tossed and turned for most of the night before finally falling into a fitful slumber.

Image: http://geomancing.deviantart.com/art/Letting-Your-Hair-Down-352286848

A/N: And now for a teaser. Most of the names that AB lists are other people’s OCs. I just grabbed all but one from a couple of artists and writers that I follow. All of them are OC children of one of the Apples. If anyone can guess where I got them, you win the free cookies. One of the names is the name that I am going to use for Applejack’s foal.

Chapter 10: A Wonderful Hearth's Warming (Part 1)

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Chapter 10: A Wonderful Hearth’s Warming (Part 1)

The Ponyville train station was alive with noise and activity. Passengers boarded and exited the train that had just stopped at the platform. The early December winds whipped and howled, causing Soarin’ and Applejack to bundle their respective green and red scarves tighter around themselves to preserve warmth. A few snowflakes drifted through the air, having nary any time to settle before being whipped away in the wind. Apple Bloom bounced excitedly, her orange eyes darting from sight to sight as Applejack tried to make sure her scarf and hat were on tightly enough.

“Is this Babs’ train from Manehattan?” the filly asked excitedly.

Applejack placed a hoof on her sister’s back in an attempt to keep her still. “Sorry, Apple Bloom, that train ain’t due for a little while yet. This is the train that Braeburn and the rest of the family from Appleoosa’s comin’ on.”

“Ooh,” the filly whined in frustration. “Ah hope it gets here soon. Ah wanna see Babs! Maybe she got her cutie mark since the last time Ah saw her.”

“Ah reckon she would’a written to you if she had,” Applejack replied, adjusting her own scarf again. “Ah’m sure you can both get some crusadin’ done while she’s here. Just remember to spend some time with yer other relatives at the Hearth’s Warmin’ get together, too. Oh! There they are!” She began waving to a group of ponies with cowpony hats. “Braeburn! Everypony! Over here!”

“Hey there, cuz,” an amber-maned stallion greeted as he approached, followed by at least a train car’s worth of other ponies. Applejack and Apple Bloom hugged and greeted their relatives and pointed them in the direction of the farm, telling them that Macintosh and Granny were waiting with hot cider. The only one to stay behind was the stallion that had first greeted them.

“Well shoot! Is that you, Apple Bloom?” the amber stallion asked. “I swear you’ll be bigger than me if you keep growin’ like that.”

“Howdy, cousin Braeburn. Welcome to Poooooonyville!” the filly exclaimed, rearing up on her hind legs and howling the greeting as loud as she could.

The amber-maned stallion laughed, a hearty laugh that can only be brought about by a really good joke, the corners of his eyes crinkling with how wide his grin became.

“Well, with a welcomin’ committee like that, I’m real happy to be here.” Braeburn smiled at Soarin. “Who’s your compadre, cousin Applejack?”

“This is Soarin’,” Applejack introduced.

“Hey,” the pegasus greeted Braeburn, offering a hoof.

Braeburn returned the gesture in a hoof bump.

“Why don’t you head on down to the farm, Braeburn?” asked Applejack. “We gotta wait for more of the family on the Manehattan train, but when we all get back to the farm, Ah’ll be sure to catch up with you.”

“I don’t mind waitin’ none,” the Appleoosan said. He gestured to the door of the train station. If they were going to wait, they might as well be warm.

“So, cousin,” Braeburn asked when they had taken a seat on a bench in the station. “What’s been happenin’ with you?”

Applejack proceeded to tell her cousin several stories about life on the farm. Braeburn exchanged these for stories about his life at the orchard in Appleoosa. The two cousins chatted and talked and eventually Soarin’s mind drifted away from their conversation. Noticing a newsstand nearby, he decided to look at the newspaper for any news of the Wonderbolts after his retirement.

His stomach still got a little queasy when he thought of his quitting as a retirement. It had been Spitfire’s idea to not officially announce his quitting to the public. Instead, Fire Streak had come up with the idea to explain Soarin’s absence as a sabbatical he was taking due to a family emergency, but only if the press actually asked. No one had been able to come up with a solution for what to say when Soarin’s sabbatical wouldn’t end, however. Spitfire had promised that she would talk to Boss and try to work something out, but Soarin’ didn’t find it very likely that her efforts would bear any fruit.

He glanced back over to Applejack, chatting and laughing with Braeburn. The thing that he hated most about this situation was lying to her. What would she say if she knew what he’d done? The last thing that he had wanted was to hurt her or betray her trust. He knew that he would have to tell her eventually. But, seeing as the papers and tabloids were more focused on pictures of the now visibly pregnant Fleur-de-Lis, he figured he had a little more time.

His perusal of the press was interrupted when he heard a joyous cry from Braeburn.

“You’re havin’ a baby?!”

Chuckling to himself, Soarin’ put the paper away and went back to the bench.

“Yup, that’s right, Braeburn,” Applejack confirmed. “Yer gonna be a second cousin.”

“Well, boy howdy, Applejack, if that ain’t the best news I’ve ever heard,” the gold stallion exclaimed. Noticing Soarin’s return to the bench, he grabbed the blue stallion’s hoof and vigorously shook it. “Congratulations, partner, looks like we’re gonna be cousins-in-law.”

Applejack sputtered. “Uh, Braeburn…”

“Do you know if it’s a filly or colt yet?” Braeburn continued, still shaking Soarin’s hoof. “Thought of any names? Is it a pegasus or an earth pony?”

“Braeburn.”

“When’s the weddin’? How did you propose? How did the two of you meet? Never had a pegasus in the family before…”

“Braeburn!” Applejack shouted.

“Yes, cuz?” the cowpony replied.

“He ain’t the father. Soarin’s just a friend who’s helpin’ out while Ah’m getting’ ready to foal.”

“Can I have my hoof back now?” Soarin’ asked sheepishly, feeling pain begin to flare up in the appendage.”

The frontier pony blushed and released Soarin’s hoof. “Oops. Sorry, Soarin’. Didn’t mean to embarrass you or nothin’. Well, you know what they say about assumin’ things.”

Soarin’ rubbed his hoof. “It’s OK, Braeburn.”

A tense silence fell over the bench area, only punctuated by Apple Bloom snickering and trying to hide it with a hoof over her mouth.

“Well, now that I’ve gone and made a fool of myself, am I gonna get to meet my future cousin-in-law?” Braeburn asked, breaking the tension.

Applejack looked sullenly down at the floor. “Braeburn…he…Ah…we…”

Her voice started to crack and her eyes moistened a little. Soarin’ placed a hoof on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. She looked back at him, smiling and blinking her tears away. Her confidence renewed, she morosely told Braeburn the story of the previous few months. As she told her story, her cousin’s ever-present smile slowly faded. When she had finished, he wordlessly pulled her into a hug. He looked straight into her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Applejack,” he said softly. “If I’d known, I would’ve come up here to help.”

The orange mare placed a hoof over his, which was still on her shoulder. “Don’t you worry none. Ah got plenty of help from mah friends and family already.”

The sound of a shrill train whistle echoed through the station and Apple Bloom leapt excitedly off the bench.

“She’s here! Babs is here!”

The three adults rushed to catch up to the filly as she bounded out the door and back onto the platform. Apple Bloom bounced from hoof to hoof excitedly as the train slowly came to a stop and its passengers made their departure. The three Apples scanned the faces of the bustling train passengers.

“There she is!” shouted Apple Bloom, dashing into the crowd and colliding in a tackle hug with a light brown earth filly.

“Aright, aright, ‘Bloom. I missed you too. Now would ya get offa me?”

Apple Bloom released her cousin and the two of them caught up while Braeburn and Applejack greeted relatives and introduced Soarin’. When the group had gathered their bags, they all began the short trek to the farm.

As the group walked down the path, Soarin’ stared up at the sky in surprise as a couple of dirigibles flew overhead and landed at the farm. From the look of things, the Apples had family coming from all around the world.

“Hey,” said a voice to his right. Breaking from his thoughts, he turned to acknowledge the mare that had greeted him. The names of all the relatives he had been introduced to started swimming together and he struggled to remember which one was hers.

“Hey, uh…”

She smiled as she fell into step alongside him. “Apple Leaves,” she reminded him, pushing a lock of her green and white mane behind her ear. “I’m Babs’ big sister.”

Soarin’ returned her smile. “Sorry. Applejack ran through the names pretty quick and they got a little jumbled.”

“That’s a’right,” the orange mare replied, her Manehattan accent sounding very much like her sister, her voice only a little higher. “I’ll reintroduce ya to everypony if ya like. So, how long ya been helpin’ on my cousin’s farm?”

“A few months,” Soarin’ replied, “but I started about four months ago when she let me stay because I’d hurt my wing and couldn’t fly back to Cloudsdale.”

“Well, I’m glad it all worked out. So you flew all the way here from Cloudsdale? You must be pretty strong,” she said, batting her eyelashes. Her eyes were green, much like Appejack’s but a little lighter and Soarin’ wondered if it was a family trait, much like the freckles adorning many of the Apple’s faces.

“Uh, sure I guess. I mean I have to do a lot of flying for the Wonderbolts, so flying long distances is pretty easy.” The blue stallion felt a feeling of uneasiness creep back up talking about his former career in the present tense.

“Well that must be exciting. Flying all over the place and- whoops!”

Apple Leaves’ right front hoof stumbled suddenly, and she fell into the dirt.

“Are you OK?” Soarin’ asked, offering a hoof to help her up.

“Yes, I’m fine. Darn, must’a tripped on a rock,” she said, blushing as she took the pegasus’ hoof and he helped her up.

Soarin’ looked at the part of the road where she had just been walking. While he didn’t see any rocks or pebbles, the road was a bit uneven. Maybe she had stepped on a patch of black ice or something.

“Oh wow,” the orange mare cooed as she got back on her hooves, looking at the contracting muscles in his foreleg. “You are strong.”

Soarin’ quirked an eyebrow at the mare’s strange reaction as they continued walking, Apple Leaves now much closer to him. Shrugging it off, he continued the conversation.

“So, where in Manehattan does the Manehattan branch of the Apple family come from?”

“Oh, we’re all ova’ Manehattan. My Aunt and Uncle Orange over there live in the upper district on the North side’a the city. Me and my family live near the bridge.”

“Do they still have the community center over there?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“I used to live in Manehattan and we went there a lot. My mom and I lived in an apartment building near the southeast docks.”

“A stallion of humble beginnings, huh?” Apple Leaves commented, her eyes half closed.

“Yep. My friends and I used to play hide and seek around the shipping crates. My mom always warned us to be careful or we’d get shipped off to Zebrabwe.”

Apple Leaves laughed daintily, covering her mouth with a hoof. She lightly touched Soarin’s shoulder. “You’re so funny.”

Soarin’ was about to make a reply when a multi-hued streak zipped past the company of ponies. The blue stallion grinned as the rainbow trail zipped ahead of them before slowly inclining until it went straight up and looped around back toward them. When it was directly above them, it stopped and began to plummet directly toward the group. Many of the Apples watched in awe, the awe beginning to become concern as the pony performing wasn’t pulling up.

“Look out!” shouted Apple Leaves, diving out of the way as the distance between the diving pony and the ground where she stood approached zero.

At the front and middle of the group, Applejack and Soarin’ both rolled their eyes.

At the last possible second, there was the sound of the ruffling of feathers and a stiff displacement of the cold air as two cyan wings were unfurled. Rainbow Dash landed just about where Apple Leaves had been standing, stuck out her chest and struck a pose as the small flurry of dust and snow from the road settled and many of the Apple family members stamped their hooves and cheered.

“Hey, Rainbow,” Soarin’ greeted her. “How are-”

“Rainbow!” Applejack chided, interrupting Soarin’s greeting.

“What?” the cyan pegasus asked in a somewhat irritated tone. “I thought your family might wanna see Ponyville’s most awesome stunt flyer in action.” She struck another pose, her wings wide open behind her. Several of Applejack’s family members smiled, murmuring their confirmation that Rainbow’s display had indeed been impressive.

“Ah’m sure they appreciated it. But you ‘bout gave Apple Leaves a heart attack.” Applejack’s glare at her friend remained unrelenting as she gestured to her cousin, who stood wide-eyed, gasping and coughing from the dust cloud Rainbow had kicked up.

Rainbow’s eyes guiltily glanced from side to side and her right forehoof rubbed her left front leg. “Uh, sorry. Didn’t see ya there.”

The green and white maned mare cleared her throat and began to dust herself off. “S’all right.”

“Awesome.” The pegasus turned suddenly to Soarin’. “Hey, you wanna hang out? I got the day off.”

“Uh, I was gonna spend the day helping Applejack with the reunion,” Soarin’ replied. Rainbow had dropped by the farm quite frequently over the past few months, usually to ask Soarin’ if he wanted to hang out. As much as Soarin’ wanted to, he knew Applejack would need help with the reunion more.

Rainbow gave Applejack a pleading look. The orange mare looked puzzled at her friend before a look of realization crossed her face.

“Oh! Uh, actually, Soarin’, you can go and hang out with Rainbow if ya want.”

Soarin’ quirked an eyebrow. “Are you sure, AJ? There’s gonna be a lot of ponies there. Won’t you need some help?”

She waved a dismissive hoof. “Nah. We’ve been doin’ reunions for years. Everypony in the family helps set up, so we should be fine.”

Rainbow returned to looking at Soarin’, giving him a pleading smile. “Come on, I’ll race ya.”

Soarin’ smiled, shook his head and sighed. “Fine.” He crouched into a more ready stance. “On your mark. Get set. Go!”

The two pegasi shot into the air, twin trails of rainbow and blue following them eastward. The earth ponies gathered on the ground watched them go and began to resume their walk to the reunion. Apple Leaves watched longer than her other relatives, sighing longingly.

“Ponyfeathers,” she cursed under her breath. “Why are the good ones always taken?”

-SWA-

Rainbow landed at Sweet Apple Acres’ front gate a good few seconds before Soarin’ did. The blue stallion didn’t even have the strength to fold his wings against himself and they drooped to the ground as he panted, trying to catch his breath, his gasps clearly seen in the steam his breath made in the cold air.

“Dude, you OK?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah,” he wheezed. He regretted pushing himself so hard, the minor chores around the farm not being anywhere near strenuous enough to keep him in shape. In addition he wasn’t flying as much and was quite well-fed by the Apples’ cooking. Glancing down, he noted with a scowl that he had gained a few pounds in his time on the farm. “Just gotta lay off the pie a little more.”

At the mention of food, Rainbow’s stomach rumbled. She chuckled. “Speaking of food, I’m starving. Come on. Applejack has a ton of food at the reunion. We can grab a quick bite and then I can kick your butt some more.”

“Sounds…sounds good,” Soarin’ replied, still heaving for breath.

The two pegasi walked up the front path of the farm amidst a throng of Apple relatives. The majority of the family was in the barn chatting, laughing and dancing with each other. In one corner, some of the foals were gathered in a circle playing duck-duck-goose. A large table was set up in the middle of the barn and piled high with enough apple desserts to put an army into a coma. Soarin’ couldn’t help but smile and marvel at such a scene.

The blue stallion turned to see that Rainbow had already made a beeline for the snack table and was munching away at an apple fritter. Soarin’ decided to look for Applejack before he dug into the food. Glancing around, he saw her talking to a pudgy, light brown mare with a green, curly mane tied at the end and some kind of apple dessert as a cutie mark.

“Hey. How’d your race go with Rainbow?” Applejack asked as he approached.

“She, uh, kicked my flank. Pretty bad, too.”

The mare Applejack had been talking to turned and beamed when she saw Soarin’. “Well, kick mah flank an’ call me a apple tree. You didn’t say nothin’ about Clover bein’ a pegasus, honey.”

The smile slowly fell from Applejack’s face and she cleared her throat. “This, uh, this ain’t Clover, Aunt Brown Betty. This here’s Soarin’. He’s been helpin’ around the farm while Ah’m getting’ ready ta have the baby.”

Soarin’ could almost hear the next question Applejack’s aunt would ask before it even crossed her lips. He could see that Applejack saw it coming too and saw how uncomfortable she was becoming.

“And it’s been the coolest job I’ve had so far,” he said, changing the subject before the question could be asked. “I’m hoping winter goes by fast so I can get some exercise, though. I think I’ve gained a few pounds with how well they feed me here.”

Brown Betty chuckled. “Yup, if there’s one thing we Apples are good at, it’s food. Have ya had a chance to try some of mah homemade apple brown betty, yet?” Turning, slightly, she glanced at the mark on her flank. “It’s mah specialty.”

“No, I haven’t, but I’ll make sure to grab some when I go over there.”

“Well, you be sure and let me know what you think of it.” Glancing to a corner of the barn, the brown mare excused herself. “It was real nice catchin’ up, Applejack.”

When her aunt had left, Applejack breathed a small sigh of relief.

“Whew. If Ah have to explain about Clover one more time... Thanks. All this tellin’ mah family about what’s goin’ on is makin’ me all nervous. It’s a good thing Ah ain’t showin’ yet or Ah’d have to deal with everypony rubbin’ me like Ah’m one’a them Chineighse statues, too.”

Soarin’ laughed at the image. “I’m guessing Braeburn told everypony?”

“Uh-huh. Ah told a few, but most of ‘em are comin’ up to me askin’ if what he told ‘em is true. Ah’m kinda glad, though. Now everypony knows and it’s all over, like rippin’ off a bandage.” She looked down sadly at the floor. “Wish they’d quit askin’ when the weddin’ is, though.”

The pegasus tried to cheer her up by changing the subject. “Hey, you hungry? Getting my flank kicked by Rainbow really worked up my appetite.”

Applejack looked around the barn. “Where is Rainbow anyway?”

“She was at the food table the last time I saw her,” Soarin’ replied, looking in that direction.

“C’mon. We can get some food and go look for her.”

They made their way to the food table, picking out a few things to eat as they went along. Soarin’, remembering to cut down on the sweets, grabbed a few apples and a plate of the apple brown betty that Applejack’s aunt had made, plus an apple turnover. Applejack went down the line of food as if she hadn’t eaten in weeks. Fritters, slices of pie, candy apples, none were spared as the orange mare piled her plate high with food. Much of it was eaten in whole or in part on its way to the plate. Soarin’ could only stare as Applejack packed the food away.

“Wha?” she said around a mouthful of food when she noticed him staring. “Ahm eeing fer phoo.” She swallowed and took another large bite out of a fritter, moaning. “Mmmmmm, oh vashs good.”

Soarin’ chuckled, then asked jokingly, “Do you want any onions on that?”

After swallowing, the orange mare replied. “Very funny. Actually Ah ain’t had much cravin’ for onions. Mostly A’ve been wantin’ spicy food. Though, a little while back Ah had some jalapeños in ice cream. That was pretty tasty.”

Soarin’ wrinkled his nose.

“Hey,” Applejack defended. “Don’t knock it till ya tried it. Oh look, there’s Rainbow.”

The pegasus and the earth pony moved to meet with their mutual friend, who had finished eating and was talking with Braeburn near where the older mares were quilting. From the look of things, Braeburn was telling a rather funny story.

“Then…then Princess Celestia went to greet Chief Thunderhooves,” the amber stallion said, telling his tale between bouts of laughter. “When she did, she kinda bend her head down, like she was givin’ him a little bow or somethin’. Well, he thought she was tryin’ ta give him a more traditional buffalo greetin’, so he headbutted her!”

Rainbow’s jaw dropped and her eyes boggled. “No way!”

“That ain’t the funniest part, though. His greetin’ caught her off guard a bit and she stumbled. Everypony watchin’ got real quiet, like they thought she was gonna send him to the moon or somethin’.”

“What happened?” asked Rainbow, completely enthralled with the story.

Braeburn snickered a few times before replying. “She headbutted him right back! I swear ‘bout half the crowd fainted.”

Rainbow burst out laughing. “Yeah, that sounds like the Princess!”

“Hey, cuz,” Braeburn greeted. “I was just tellin’ Miss Dash about the time the Princess came to welcome the buffalo to Equestria.”

Applejack chuckled. “Yeah, Ah remember readin’ your letter about it.”

Braeburn noticed Soarin’s plate. “Oh, hey, I see you grabbed one’a my ma’s turnovers. Would you mind doin’ me a favor and tellin’ her what you think of it? My little sister just left the house, so she’s been feelin’ a little depressed and I think that’d cheer her up.”

“Sure thing,” said Soarin’.

“Speakin’ of your family, Braeburn, how’s Promontory doin’? Ah haven’t seen him yet.”

“Big bro’s back at the orchard,” Braeburn replied. “We had lil’ bit’a root rot this season. He’s makin’ sure all the dead trees are taken care of so it doesn’t spread.”

Applejack looked concerned. “Ah’m sorry to hear that, Braeburn.”

“Aw, don’t you worry none, cuz. Other than the root rot, we’ve had us a fine year this year. We’ll even be plantin’ some saplin’s that came from Bloomburg in the spring.”

Applejack beamed. “Well ain’t that somethin’! Mah little Bloomburg’s a daddy!”

Soarin’ gave the Apple cousins a curious look. Rainbow leaned in and whispered in his ear.

“They really love their trees. Just roll with it.”

“We’ve had to hire some help this year, too,” Braeburn continued. “Hired a real nice mare named Maraschino. Lemme tell you, that mare is amazin’. She does just about everythin’. Got a little one of her own comin’ sometime next year, too.”

“Braeburn!” Applejack exclaimed angrily. “Yer makin’ a pregnant mare work out in the orchard for ya? For shame!”

“Now, now, calm down, AJ. I won’t have it said that I ain’t nothin’ but a gentlecolt. She just moved out there and didn’t have any work or a place to stay, so I offered her the guest house. I tried to find her a nice, easy job in town, but she wouldn’t have any of it. She was very…persuasive.”

Soarin’ chuckled, knowing what Braeburn was talking about after having been around Applejack the past few months. When the orange mare glared at him, he quickly turned it into a cough and then nonchalantly went back to munching one of his apples.

“Anyway, with her around, all Pro and I have to worry about is the orchard. Don’t worry, though, when she gets closer to her due date, I’ll make sure she slows down. And in the meantime, I make sure she gets plenty of time to rest.” The amber stallion smiled mischievously. “I think Sheriff Silverstar’s sweet on her. He seems to stop by askin’ about her more and more.”

“Sounds like a real nice mare, cuz. Maybe you can introduce me next time Ah come to visit.”

“Will do, AJ,” Braeburn replied with a nod of his head. “I think you’d really like her. Anyway, Miss Dash. You were about to tell me about how you fought off an army of changelings all by yourself.”

Applejack gave Rainbow a look. “Was she now? Go on, Rainbow. Ah’d love to hear that story.”

The rainbow mare began to sweat and stammer. “Well, uh, y’know my friends were there, too and they kinda helped. But it was definitely an army we fought! There must have been hundreds of them.” She wrapped a hoof over Applejack’s withers. “I even had to keep a few of them off some of the girls. It was brutal.”

Applejack shrugged her friend’s hoof off. “S’cuse me, Ah was handlin’ mahself just fine. Even without your hel-“

“Applejack,” called Granny from the quilting circle.

“What is it, Granny?” the orange mare replied, still glaring at Rainbow. “You need some more sewin’ supplies?”

“Naw. Ah was jus’ wonderin’ if you wanted to add a square to the quilt. We got plenty’a room,” the older mare replied, patting a spot next to her.

Applejack’s eyes widened and she turned to look at her grandmother. “B-but Ah’m not…Ah mean…”

“Go on, cuz,” Braeburn urged her.

“After all, yer gonna be a mother soon,” said Granny. “Trust me, ya might as well learn.”

The orange mare grinned like a foal that had just been given the keys to the candy store. She took a seat next to Granny and the mothers and grandmothers of the family began teaching her to quilt.

“Wow,” Braeburn breathed, watching his cousin. “Seems like just yesterday Applejack was learnin’ to change Apple Bloom’s diapers. And now she’s sittin’ in the sewin’ circle and about to be a ma herself.” He shook his head wistfully. “Amazing how the time’ll get away from ya.”

Rainbow quirked an eyebrow at him. “Um, it’s just sewing.”

Braeburn looked mildly offended. “It ain’t just sewin’, Miss Dash. Workin’ on the quilt is an Apple family tradition goin’ back since the first Apple reunion. The ma’s and granny’s get together to start a quilt at every reunion.”

“He’s right, Rainbow,” Soarin’ piped in, having heard about the tradition when he was helping the family prepare for the reunion. “It’s sort of like a rite of passage kind of thing, like your first flight with your parents.”

Braeburn nodded. “You hit the nail on the head there, amigo. They don’t usually finish the quilts, so somepony’ll just take it home to finish. My ma’s still workin’ on one for my sister’s hope chest.”

Soarin’ smiled. “Cool tradition, huh?”

The other pegasus shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so. Hey, you wanna head back out? I’ve got some tricks I want to show you.”

“OK,” Soarin’ replied. “We’ll see you later, Braeburn.”

The Appleoosan tipped his hat. “See ya round, partner.”

The pegasi left the reunion and took to the skies again, flying out over an open field at the edge of Ponyville. They alighted on a cloud and Rainbow demonstrated a series of tricks, asking for Soarin’ to give her his opinion.

It was nightfall when they returned to the farm. The snow that had been lightly falling all day had accumulated with what was already on the ground. This coupled with the wind made for quite a few snow drifts against the various walls of the farm’s buildings. The two pegasi landed at the front door and stepped inside.

“Everypony probably went to bed already,” Soarin’ observed. “Do you want something warm to drink, Rainbow?”

“Sure.”

Soarin’ prepared a couple of warm ciders for the two of them and they sat at the table to talk.

“Soarin’, can I ask you something?”

“Technically, you just did,” Soarin’ replied, giving Rainbow a playful smirk.

“I’m serious,” she said, trying not to chuckle.

“Sure. Shoot.”

The rainbow mare idly twirled a hoof around the rim of her mug for a few moments. “How come I haven’t gotten an audition invitation yet?”

Soarin’ sighed and hung his head. “Look, Rainbow, I’m sorry, but I can’t talk about that.”

“Why not? You said I was good. Why don’t they want me on the team?”

“It’s not that, Rainbow, I just can’t talk about it. Having somepony telling you those kind of things would give you an unfair advantage over other ponies that want to try out. Besides, I don’t really handle recruiting, so I wouldn’t be of much help to you.”

The rainbow mare gave an impatient sigh and leaned her head on a forehoof. “OK. But you can still help me with my routine, right?”

“To a certain extent, yes.”

She gave him a quizzical look, so he decided to clarify.

“I can tell you if a certain trick looked OK, but I can’t tell you what kinds of tricks would work better or look more impressive in your audition.”

“Oh,” she said, looking crestfallen.

“Don’t worry,” Soarin’ assured her, giving her an encouraging smile. I’m sure you’ll do awesome when your audition time comes.”

In an instant, all of the brashness the cyan mare possessed returned full force. “You bet I will,” she exclaimed, rather loudly.

Soarin’ put a hoof up to his lips. “Shh, don’t want to wake anypony up.”

“Too late for that, partner,” a tired voice called from the couch.

The two pegasi looked into the living room to see Braeburn getting up and coming into the kitchen. His hat and vest were absent, both having been hung on the arm of the couch not being occupied by his head. His amber mane was mussed up, rooster tails popping up every which way.

“Sorry,” Soarin’ whispered. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

The yellow stallion shrugged. “Nah, s’alright. I hadn’t really fallen asleep yet anyway.” Walking over to the stove, he poured himself a mug of cider and took the seat next to Rainbow, opposite Soarin’. “How’d the flyin’ go?”

“Only awesome!” Rainbow bragged. “My routine starts off with some skywriting to demonstrate my agility, then I do some totally wicked stunts and then I top it off with the Buccaneer Blaze.”

Braeburn whistled. “Wow! Sounds like a winner for sure.”

“You bet. Hey, how’s Little Strongheart?”

“She’s fine. She just goes by Strongheart now. Last time the tribe was in Appleoosa, they had this really neat ceremony, kinda a rite of passage or somethin’, so now the tribe considers her an adult.”

Rainbow’s face lit up. “Wow. Did she have to do something like walk across hot coals?”

“Nah, she just wore a pretty headdress. Most’a what they were sayin’ was in the buffalo language and I didn’t understand, but it sorta looked like a weddin’ or a graduation, except she was the only one there.”

Soarin’ slid his mug a little to his right and rested his head in his hooves to listen to the conversation.

“Cool,” said Rainbow. “How long does she stay in Appleoosa?”

“Usually only for a week or two in the summer when her tribe comes through on the stampede, but she’s stayin’ in town for the whole year this time.” He took another swig of his drink. “How about you, Miss Dash? AJ sent a letter tellin’ me you got into a flyin’ academy or somethin’ awhile back?”

“Not just any old flying academy, the Wonderbolts flying academy,” she proudly corrected him.

The amber stallion’s eyes widened. “Whoa, didn’t know I was in the presence’a two Wonderbolts.”

The rainbow mare deflated a little. “I’m not actually on the team yet. I’m waiting to get my invitation to try out for the team.” Her confidence and swagger returned as she continued. “But when I do, I’m gonna show ‘em my stuff and you’ll be looking at their newest member.”

Braeburn smiled and nodded, taking another sip of his cider. “Sounds like a real good plan you got there, Miss Dash. Just don’t forget about us little ponies when you’re a big star.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Are you kidding? I’d never leave my friends hanging. Besides, I’ve been helping Scoots learn to fly. No way I’m up and leaving her in the wind.”

Braeburn put a hoof over his mouth, unsuccessfully trying to stifle his laughter.

Rainbow looked at him indignantly. “Hey, I mean it. What kind of Element of Loyalty would I be if I-“

Braeburn raised a hoof in defense to state that he hadn’t been laughing at the rainbow mare. With his other hoof, he pointed across the table at Soarin’. The blue pegasus had dozed off and was lying with the side of his head on the table, mouth open as he softly snored.

Rainbow giggled. “Hey, you wanna draw on his face?”

The amber stallion frowned. “Miss Dash, I’m surprised at you. You claim to be the Element of Loyalty, but the minute your friend falls asleep your first thought’s to play a prank on him. No, Miss Dash, I’ll have no part of this foolishness.” He turned his nose up in a mock indignant gesture, facing away from her.

“He never told your mom what he thought of her apple turnover before we left,” Rainbow informed him.

“So? He probably just forgot.”

“He only ate half and threw the other half away when we took off.”

“I’ll get the markers.”

-SWA-

“Mail call,” Applejack hollered as she entered the kitchen and tossed a small stack of envelopes on the table. Grabbing a bowl, she served herself some of the soup the family was having for lunch.

Soarin’ ate his soup in silence, trying to think of a revenge prank to play on Rainbow for the mustache and monocle that still could be seen on his face after having washed it several times. The blue stallion glanced over at where Braeburn sat a little ways down the table. If he was lucky, maybe he could find a way to get both of them. He decided not to make playing a revenge prank a huge priority, though. No need to start a prank war with anypony. But, if an opportunity for a prank presented itself…

All activity in Soarin’s mind ceased as Applejack took the seat next to him. With the addition of Rainbow and Braeburn at the table for lunch, the seating became somewhat crowded. Soarin’ could feel the warmth coming off of the orange mare. Trying to contain his blush, he subtly shifted a little further over to the edge of the bench to avoid an awkward situation.

“Soarin’.”

“Guh!”

Startled by the object of his affection addressing him, Soarin’ toppled off the bench and onto the floor.

“You OK?”

“Uh, yeah,” he replied, getting back up and sitting down again.

“Could you pass the tabasco sauce?”

He passed her the bottle, feeling like an idiot for being so jumpy around her.

“You got a letter, Soarin’,” said Big Macintosh, sliding an envelope across the table.

“I did?” Taking the letter, he opened it and read, a warm smile falling over his face as his eyes scanned the paper.

Dear Soarin’,

I’m glad to hear that your friend in Ponyville is doing better. If you like, you can pass on my address to her and she can let me know if there is anything at all that she needs. Single motherhood is tough and I have more than enough resources to help if she needs it. Ask her if she needs any baby clothes. I think I still have some of yours lying around here. The pajamas with the little duckies were a particular favorite of mine. You were so adorable.

Is everything going well at work? Your last letter was rather vague. Pyro comes by to help around a lot these days and we talk about you and Spitfire quite a bit. I feel a little sorry for him, not being able to hear from his daughter as often as I hear from you. Would you mind seeing if you can get Spitfire to send him a letter every so often? I know he would appreciate it. If not, just let me know how she’s doing and I’ll pass it on.

I’m looking forward to your visit and I know everyone else is, as well. The foals always love it when you come by and I know you love it, too. Feel free to bring some friends if you like. It always gets busy this time of year.

I hope to hear from you soon. Tell all of your teammates I said hello.

Your loving mother.

“Who’s it from, Soarin’?” Applejack asked.

“My mom,” he replied as he folded the letter. He felt a pang of guilt at not telling his mom the whole truth about quitting the Wonderbolts. He felt bad enough lying to Applejack.

“What does she say?”

“Just the usual stuff. Asking how I am, looking forward to my visit and…”

Remembering what else his mother had written, Soarin’ came up with an idea.

“Applejack, how would you like to come to Manehattan and meet my mom?”

Chapter 11: A Wonderful Hearth's Warming (part 2)

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Ch 11: A Wonderful Hearth’s Warming (Part 2)

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Babs chatted excitedly as they walked at the front of the group down the busy Manehattan street. Behind them, Soarin’ and Applejack talked while they kept an eye on the foals, calling out for them to wait every so often.

“Thanks again for lettin’ the Crusaders come along,” said Applejack. She reached a hoof up to hold on to her hat as a cold gust of wind blew past. “They don’t get a lot of chances to see Babs and Ah know it means a lot to ‘em.”

“No problem. The more the merrier. We couldn’t have picked a better day to visit my mom, either.”

Applejack gave him an odd look, pulling the zipper on her coat up higher. “If you say so.”

Soarin’ laughed. “No, I didn’t mean in terms of the weather,” he clarified, pulling up the collar of his aviator jacket. “I meant that today’s a good day to visit because of what happens today.”

“What’s that?”

“Oh, you’ll see,” he replied with a cryptic twinkle in his eye.

The blue pegasus guided the group through the snowy streets. With Hearth’s Warming less than a week away, every store, stall and home they passed was bedecked with lights and decorations. Many stores’ windows were smudged by crusader hooves and noses as the foals gawked at the various displays.

The long walk through the city finally led the five ponies to an elementary school on the east side. Its windows were darkened, the school having been closed during winter break.

“What’a we doin’ at my school?” Babs asked.

“This is your school?” Sweetie asked. “It’s so big.”

“Yup. And we’re on vacation, so I really don’t wanna be spendin’ any time here.”

“Don’t worry, we won’t be here long,” Soarin’ assured her. “We just need to help somepony get some stuff before we head over to see my mom.”

“What kinda stuff?” asked Applejack.

“Oh, there he is,” Soarin’ exclaimed excitedly.

The fillies and the pregnant mare looked in the direction Soarin’ was pointing to see a pegasus stallion coming up the school’s front walk. His yellow-tinged, off-white coat was partially covered by a leather flight jacket, the wooly collar pulled up to protect his neck. He regarded the group with a confused stare as he approached, but his confusion faded to recognition when he saw Soarin’ waving to him.

“Son of a one-eyed Cerberus. The prodigal son returns,” he bellowed, the crows’ feet around his eyes lengthening with his grin.

“Hey, Pyro,” Soarin’ greeted, walking up and giving the older stallion a hoof bump. Turning, he introduced the others. “I want you to meet some friends of mine. This is Applejack, her sister Apple Bloom, her cousin Babs, and her friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.”

The females each greeted Pyro in kind, Applejack and Apple Bloom waving, Scootaloo and Babs nodding and Sweetie giving a little curtsy.

“Girls, this is Pyro, Spitfire’s dad.”

The older stallion rolled his eyes. “Spitfire’s dad,” he repeated, the resonant bass of his voice taking a begrudging tone. He ran a hoof through his flaming orange and red mane. “Seems like that’s the only thing anypony has to say about me these days. ‘Hey aren’t you Spitfire’s old stallion?’, they always ask me. Gets a little irritating after a while.”

“Don’t worry,” Soarin’ assured him. “I’m sure a stallion with your many…many, many loooong years of experience has plenty of good things ponies can say about him.”

Pyro glared. “Watch it, boy. I may be getting on in years, but my guard training is still as sharp as ever. I can whip your fancy fly-boy Wonderbolt butt any time, any place.”

“At least the ‘Bolts have fashion sense,” Soarin’ jibed playfully in return. “The Guard just walks around in a tin can. We’re more photogenic than you stone-faces, too.”

“What’s photo…genic,” Apple Bloom asked.

Sweetie Belle perked up. “It means that somepony looks good in a photograph.”

Pyro shrugged. “Bah. I’ve always noticed that mares like a stallion in any kind of uniform. Am I right, Applejack?” He gave her a crooked grin and winked at her.

The orange mare shrugged in return. “Eh, Ah never really cared much about stuff like that.”

“My sister does,” Sweetie piped up. “She says a uniform can emphasize all the right places. Whenever a stallion comes in for a suit, she makes sure to take measurements all over him.”

An awkward silence followed, eventually broken when Pyro cleared his throat.

“So, um, do you have anything fun planned with the ladies today, Soarin’?”

“Actually, that’s why I brought them here. I was wondering if you needed any help for your show today.”

The off-white stallion grinned. “Do I ever! No one could make it today, so I thought I’d have to do it all on my own.”

“Well you’ve got some help now.” The blue stallion gave a meek salute, his posture slightly cowered and spoke in a timid voice. “P-private Pansy reporting for d-duty, sir.”

The older stallion laughed. “How about you girls? Want to be the founders of Equestria and pass out some toys.”

The four cutie mark crusaders voiced their approval in a cacophony of jumps and cheering squeals.

“Can I be Princess Platinum?” Sweetie squeaked.

“I wanna be Commander Hurricane!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

Pyro chuckled. “Sorry, kid,” he said, tussling the filly’s mane. “I do Commander Hurricane every year.”

“Awww.”

“Tell you what, Scoots. You can be the narrator if you want,” Soarin’ offered.

The orange pegasus smiled again. “OK!”

“Ah can be Chancellor Puddin’ head.” Apple Bloom shouted, bouncing in place. “And Babs can be Smart Cookie.”

“Guess that leaves me as Clover the Clever,” said Applejack. “Hope you got a fake horn Ah can use.”

Pyro laughed. “Come on, let’s go inside out of the cold and see what our costume situation is like.”

The off-white pegasus fished a set of keys from the pocket of his coat and unlocked the school doors. The group followed him through the long, dark hallways to the school theatre.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo gaped in awe. “Whoa.”

“This is your school theatre, Babs?” Apple Bloom asked.

Scootaloo galloped up one of the isles to the higher-level seats. “It’s huge!”

“You even have an orchestra pit,” Sweetie shouted from over by the stage, looking down into the pit.

The group went to a room backstage filled with costumes. The fillies ohh’ed and ahh’d, looking through the racks of clothes until they found the ones they liked for their respective parts.

Soarin’ and Pyro both found matching sets of plastic armor and Applejack went with a burlap hood and found a fake horn. Sweetie Belle found a beautiful pink dress and tiara and then helped Scootaloo with her costume. The orange filly didn’t like the idea of wearing puffy sleeves and a funny hat like Spike did when he played the narrator, so Sweetie helped her find an outfit that she liked that wouldn’t stand out too much from the other costumes. When they were done, Scootaloo had a light brown tailcoat with matching fedora and a white dress shirt.

When the six of them had their costumes assembled, Pyro grabbed some scripts and led the group to where a large cart was stored in the school carriage garage.

“What’s this for?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“This,” Pyro explained as he put the scripts in the back, “is a bunch of old toys and clothes that the school’s been collecting.”

Babs gasped. “Aw yeah. Me and my sista gave away some of our old dolls and stuff that didn’t fit us anymore.”

“Are we takin’ it somewhere?” asked Apple Bloom as she hopped up in the front and looked in.

Soarin’ interrupted before Pyro had a chance to explain. “You’ll see,” he said in a sing-song voice, the mischievous look coming back to his eye.

“Aw come on, Soarin’, you’ve been saying that all day,” Scootaloo whined, her wings twitching in agitation. “Just tell us where we’re going.”

“Just trust me, Scoots, it’s much better if you see it.”

Relenting, the fillies and Applejack piled into the front of the cart and Soarin’ and Pyro pulled it through the streets of Manehattan toward the southeast docks.

They soon came upon a large brick building at the end of a route that took them down several side streets. The structure looked old and was decorated with a mish-mash of slightly used decorations that looked like they had come from several different houses.

“What is this place, Soarin’?” Sweetie asked.

The pegasus stallions pulled the cart to the front of the building and Pyro unhitched himself to go inside for a moment. Soarin’ gestured his hoof in an encompassing arc covering the building. “Ladies, welcome to the Evergreen Homeless Shelter.”

Before any of the cart’s passengers could offer a reaction, Pyro bolted out the door shouting, “Here they come!”

Apple Bloom leaned over the edge of the cart. “What’s goin’ on?”

“All right, everypony, you’re the founders of Equestria. Remember to act like your character. And don’t forget to smile!” Soarin’ announced, unhitching himself.

Just then the front doors of the building burst open, releasing a tidal wave of about thirty or forty cheering foals that ran over to the cart. They hollered and cheered as they gathered around the cart, looks of joy and elation on their faces as they eyed the cart’s contents. Behind them a group of a dozen or so adults slowly exited the building, some carrying smaller foals on their backs, all watching the scene with warm smiles.

A few of the foals ignored the cart altogether, instead setting their sights on Pyro. They tackled the stallion to the ground, pinning him. He playfully struggled against them, managing to get up and gently shake a few off, but eventually he was overcome and reduced to raucous laughter as the foals wrestled him to the ground.

A few of the older foals beamed even brighter when they saw Soarin’, waving and shouting for his attention. The blue stallion took to the air, doing circles around the cart as a few foals chased him, some of the young pegasi buzzing their wings and hovering or flying to try and catch him.

The Crusaders and Applejack gaped in awe at the swarm of youngsters. A few of the younger fillies waved enthusiastically at Sweetie Belle, excited to see Princess Platinum. The white filly immediately fell into character, waving her hoof daintily like she had seen the Princesses do. The others took her cue and followed along, waving and greeting the foals in whatever way they thought their character would.

“ATTEN-TION!” Pyro’s voice boomed over the cacophony. The older foals stopped what they were doing and stood straight, offering a mix of sloppy and wrong-hoofed salutes. The younger ones continued to run and yell and cheer, slowly quieting down as the off-white stallion continued. “At ease, troops. Hail and well met. My companions and I have traveled long and far looking for a place to leave the vast wealth of toys and clothes we have in yonder cart. Know where we can take it?”

The foals erupted into cheering and waving, the overwhelming opinion being that they should have the contents of the cart.

Pyro pressed a hoof to his chin thoughtfully. “Hmmm. I’m not sure, Private Pansy. I think they’re telling us to dump it off the docks.”

The foals shouted louder, insisting that was not what they said and pleading the cart not be dumped.

“I think you’re right, Commander,” Soarin’ said. “Are you sayin’ we should throw it in the ocean?” he asked the group.

The foals shouted even louder, some of the adults good-naturedly joining in the insistence that the cart not be disposed of.

“Oh, for heaven sakes, you two,” shouted a light blue mare as she weaved her way to the cart. “Stop teasing them so. They’ve been waiting on the edge of their hooves all day for you. Oliver,” she addressed one of the older colts, placing a hoof on his withers. “Why don’t you gather a few of the others and help carry those goodies inside.”

“Yes, Gramma,” the youngster replied, gesturing to a few other fillies and colts and heading toward the wagon. A small number of the adults followed behind and began to help with unloading bags and boxes.

“Now don’t you go opening any of those yet,” the blue mare shouted after them. “The grown-ups need to make sure that everypony will get something that they want.” She ran a hoof through her mane, which was a navy blue so dark it almost looked black and streaked with silver near her ears, sighing wistfully.

Turning, she regarded the two stallions with a warm smile and gave Soarin’ a hug. “Mmmm. Hello, Soarin’.”

The blue stallion returned the hug, reveling in the warmth and closeness with the mare. “Hey, mom.”

“How have you been?” she asked, breaking the hug. “Let me look at you.” Looking her son up and down, the mare chuckled softly.

“What?” Soarin’ asked, oblivious.

“Oh, nothing. You just always look so silly in that plastic armor.”

Soarin’ laughed. “Yeah. Too bad Private Pansy wasn’t a Wonderbolt, huh?”

The blue mare laughed in reply. “Yes, quite a pity.”

She looked past her son to where the Crusaders and Applejack were helping to unload the last of the donations. “Is this Applejack?”

The orange mare perked her ears at hearing her name. “Yes, ma’am. Miss, uh…”

The other mare waved a dismissive hoof. “Mercy, honey. But some ponies call me Gramma. Why, you’re even prettier than I pictured you from Soarin’s description.”

“Soarin’ wrote to you about me?”

“Of course. He’s mentioned you in all his letters. I feel like I know you already.”

Soarin’, in a perfect embodiment of the character he was dressed as, let out an embarrassed ‘eep’, his face turning redder than a tomato.

“And you must be Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo,” the mare continued.

“Yes ma’m,” Sweetie Belle proudly confirmed. “And this is Apple Bloom’s cousin Babs.”

“Well, I’m very pleased to meet all of you.”

“Hey, Sweetie,” Scootaloo called from Mercy’s side, pointing at the round bread cut into three pieces emblazoned on her flank. “Maybe she can help us get a flatbread-baking cutie mark.”

“Didn’t we try fer that one last month?” Apple Bloom wondered.

“No, no,” the orange filly shook her head. “Those were pancakes.”

“Well, at least they were supposed to be,” Sweetie added. “I think we made a mistake somewhere between adding the frosting and using the wire sponge.”

Mercy laughed. “Well, that sounds like an interesting story. Though, flatbread isn’t quite what my cutie mark means. But there will be plenty of time to talk about that later. Come along inside, all of you. We can chat while I make dinner.”

“You mean while we help you make dinner,” Pyro corrected her.

The earth pony sighed and rolled her eyes. “Oh, all right. While we make dinner.”

The group went through the doors to the homeless shelter and into a large area with tiled flooring. Long tables and benches were lined up in three rows that spanned the length of the room and an opening on one wall looked into a kitchen area.

“Where’d all the foals go?” asked Apple Bloom, noting the lack of most of the youngsters that had been outside. Some of the adults were chatting in small groups at the tables or helping to stack and organize bags and boxes of donations, but the foals were nowhere to be found.

“We’ve got a big, empty lot out back,” Mercy explained. “The foals like to run around and play in it.” She looked at the crusaders. “The four of you are more than welcome to go out and play with them if you like.”

The four crusaders simultaneously unleashed their most pleading and adorable faces upon Applejack. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom’s grins spread across their faces. Sweetie Belle opted for more of a pouty look, her big doe eyes sparkling as her lower lip jutted out. Babs had more of a frowny face look than Sweetie’s, but no less adorable.

The orange mare waved a hoof towards the back door. “Go on.”

The four fillies cheered and began to gallop outside.

“Don’t get your costumes dirty,” Pyro shouted after them. “We’re doing the play later this evening.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Pyro. I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Mercy assured him with a pat on the shoulder. “Come on now. We’ve got hungry ponies to feed.”

A few volunteers were already working to make dinner in the kitchen. Mercy set everyone to a task. The blue mare was a blur as she dashed around the kitchen, stirring the four pots of stew on the stove, dicing vegetables and dashing out into the main area every so often to see to some other task.

“How come there are so many foals here, Mercy?” Applejack asked as she crossed the room to the pantry.

“Not all of their parents are here at the moment. We watch a lot of the foals while their parents are out working or looking for work.”

Applejack opened the pantry door and gawked in the open doorway for a few seconds, staring at the shelves overstuffed with all manner of dry and canned goods. “Whoa, nelly.”

Mercy smiled as she passed on her way to cut a few carrots. “We were very fortunate this year. The ponies of Manehattan really came through for us.”

“Ah guess,” Applejack agreed. “This pantry’s stuffed fuller’n Big Macintosh after Hearth’s Warmin’ dinner. Was all of this donated?”

“Most of it,” the blue mare replied. “Some is bought with proceeds from the thrift shop that we run over on Bridle Street. Oh, could you grab one of those bags of oranges, dear? We’ll be having some with dinner.”

Applejack obeyed, grinning when she saw the label on the bag. “Hey, these are from mah Aunt and Uncle Orange’s farm.”

Mercy’s eyes widened. “Really? Julius and Clementine Orange are your Aunt and Uncle?”

“Yup,” the orange mare confirmed proudly.

Mercy’s smile grew. “You make sure and give those two a big hug next time you see them for me, ‘kay? They’re responsible for almost all of the fruit you see in that pantry. A lot of ponies have been helped because of them.”

Applejack smiled and went back to her place slicing bread on the counter next to the stove. “How do you keep a big place like this runnin’ on just donations all by yourself?”

“Oh please, dear, I only coordinate things. We have a lot of good ponies that-“

“Bull hockey,” Pyro interrupted as he took the bag of oranges to the counter on Mercy’s other side and pulled out an orange peeler. “Don’t believe a word she says, Applejack. The only reason this place is still standing is because of Mercy’s hard work.”

The other volunteers in the room murmured their agreement.

Mercy blushed, moving to stir the stew and staring down into the pot as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. “Oh, stop it.”

“You know I’m right,” Pyro said, following her and placing a wing on her shoulder. “You’re an amazing mare and you deserve at least some credit for-“

“Pyro, would you mind tasting this?” she said, quickly shoving a spoonful of the stew in his mouth. The off-white stallion made a few muffled ‘mmmph’ sounds of protest, then fell silent, humming in content at how the stew tasted.

Soarin’ chuckled, watching the scene play out. His mother had always been modest about what she did.

“Stir,” the light blue mare ordered Pyro, moving to grab the oranges herself. Setting them on the counter next to Applejack, she set herself to peeling them. “So, honey, Soarin’ tells me you’re going to be a mother.”

Applejack’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh he did, did he?” She gave Soarin’ a mild glare.

The blue stallion grinned sheepishly. “What? I tell her everything.”

“Don’t worry, dear,” Mercy assured her. “I would have known anyway even if he hadn’t told me. Being a mother myself, you learn to pick up on these things. Why, you’re practically glowing. How far along are you?”

“Few months,” Applejack murmured, keeping her eyes on the bread.

“Have you thought of any names yet?”

“A couple,” the orange mare replied. “Got a whole heap’a suggestions from the family, but not many are really stickin’ out.”

The other mare nodded. “Picking names is always hard. Don’t worry, though. You’ve still got some time.” She placed a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder, turning to look the other mare in the eye. “You know, if you need anything, I’d be more than happy to help.”

Applejack smiled. “Ah know. Soarin’ mentioned your offer. Ah think Ah’m good in terms of a crib, since Ah can use Apple Bloom’s old one. Might need things like bottles, though.”

“Actually, I was talking about needing somepony to talk to,” Mercy clarified. “What you’re going through is a very hard thing and no pony should have to do it alone. If you ever want to talk or if you have any questions, just drop me a line.”

The farmer nodded, then leaned in close and whispered, “Got any pictures’a Soarin’ in those ducky pajamas?”

Mercy giggled and nodded. “Yes I do.”

“And you won’t be seeing them,” Soarin’ barked from the other counter.

Both mares giggled and Mercy leaned closer so Soarin’ wouldn’t hear.

“Don’t worry, I’ll show you later.”

-SWA-

A warm, festive glow fell from windows and freshly-lit street lamps as the hustle and bustle of the work day tucked itself in to make way for the dazzling night. A light snow fell, the flakes dancing in little circles before nestling into their places on the ground or on rooftops for the night.

Soarin’ walked at the edge of the sidewalk closest to the street, allowing room for the other three ponies walking on his right.

“That was so much fun!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, wobbling on Soarin’s back for a moment as she raised her front hooves into the air excitedly. She regained her balance after a moment. “Those foals looked so happy watching us perform.”

“Ah know,” Apple Bloom agreed, sitting on Pyro’s back at the other side of the group.

“How about you, Babs?” said Soarin, looking to the filly sitting behind Apple Bloom. “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah,” Babs replied, sounding like she was far off, deep in thought.

“What’s wrong?” Sweetie asked her.

“Nothin’. Just…a lotta those kids…I’ve seen ‘em at my school. I didn’t know they were…ya’know.”

Mercy slowed her pace next to Pyro so she could look the brown filly in the eye. “It’s not a dirty word, sweetheart,” she said, a soft smile on her face. “Nor does it change who they really are. They’re still the same foals that you see walking around at school. Some of them could even be really good friends if you gave them the chance.”

“Hey, that’s a great idea, Mercy,” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Babs, you can ask some of ‘em if they wanna be Crusaders.”

Sweetie Belle gasped. “That’s a really good idea, right Scootaloo?”

The orange filly mumbled something from where she dozed behind the white filly on Soarin’s back.

Sweetie Belle giggled. “I think that’s a ‘yes.”

As the group continued down the street, one by one, the four fillies riding Pyro and Soarin’ grew more bleary-eyed. Eventually, the stallions’ swaying motion lulled the fillies to sleep. The adults walked on, making light conversation as they went for a little while until Mercy struck up a conversation with Applejack.

“You’re rather quiet, dear. Something wrong?”

The orange mare shook her head. “Nah, just thinkin’.”

The other earth pony nodded. “You’re worried about the baby.”

Applejack gave her a quizzical look. “Yeah. How’d you guess?”

“It was all I ever thought about,” Mercy replied. “Having a baby changes everything and you can never really go back to how things used to be. It feels like you’re being thrust into a whole new world and you’ll never be able to see the old one again.”

Applejack watched the other mare with rapt attention, a slight hint of fear in her eyes.

“I can tell you that it will get better, though,” Mercy assured her. “Especially if you have a strong support system of other ponies to help you.”

Applejack let out a soft smile. “Ah got no shortage’a that.”

“Good. That support can make all the difference in the world.”

The orange mare’s smile widened a little more. “It sure can. Mah family’s always been there to weather through any storm with me. And the girls and me have been together for years.”

The group soon reached the Orange’s apartment suite. Applejack had wanted to visit with them and made arrangements for herself and the crusaders to spend the night. Soon the crusaders were in bed and Applejack and her Aunt and Uncle were bidding Mercy, Pyro, and Soarin’ good night. Soarin’ agreed to meet Applejack and the Crusaders the next morning to head back to Ponyville.

After another long walk through the cold Manehattan streets, the three ponies arrived at Mercy’s apartment. Soarin’ went inside to hang his coat up and Mercy bid Pyro goodbye at the door.

Soarin’ took a seat on the couch in his mother’s living room, knowing she would want to talk and catch up for a while before going to bed. He ran over different ways to broach the subject of quitting his job in his head, nothing sounding quite right.

His thoughts were broken as his mother entered the room, a warm smile on her muzzle. Her eyes had a slightly glazed and out of it look to them and Soarin’ wondered if she would just want to go to bed.

The light blue mare shook her head, however, snapping herself out of her daze and making her way over to the kitchen.

“Would you like some hot cocoa, honey?” she asked.

“Sure,” he replied.

Silence reigned as she put the kettle on the stove and took a seat on the sofa next to him.

“So, what’s been going on with you?” she asked. “How are things going at work?”

“They’re, uh, good. I mean, that is to say…uh…” he stammered. His mind raced as he tried to find a way to talk to her.

“Mom,” he began, “what do you think of Applejack?”

“Oh, I think she’s just wonderful, Soarin’,” Mercy replied, pretending she didn’t notice the subject change.

“Yeah,” he replied glancing out the window on the other side of the room. “Yeah, she is.”

“Though I am curious. If you like her so much, why have you not asked her out yet?”

Soarin’ sputtered. “Mom!”

“What?”

“How…how did?” he stammered.

The mare gave her son a loving smile and patted him on the cheek. “I’m your mother. I know everything. It’s plainly obvious you’re interested.”

“It…it is?”

“Mmm hmmm. You’ve been giving her looks all evening. That and, well…”

“What?”

“When she used that lovely upper city accent to play the part of Clover the Clever, your wings looked like they were going to pull a muscle.”

“Mooooooom!” Soarin’ whined, hiding his burning face in his hooves.

She chuckled, then her tone went a little more serious. “But really, I’ve never seen you act like that around a mare. You’ve always been mister confident. Why the change? It looked to me like you were walking on eggshells around her.”

Soarin’ sighed and looked his mother in the eye. He smiled, thanking his lucky stars that she was always so supportive. All his doubts and worries about telling her faded away, knowing that she would be there for him no matter what.

Taking another deep breath, the former Wonderbolt told her everything. He told her about meeting Applejack, how she accepted him for who he was, not what he was right off the bat. He told her how Clover had left Applejack and how angry it had made him, how he had gotten angry and frustrated and quit when he couldn’t get the time off to help her. She listened to every word, not interrupting or saying anything until he had finished telling his story.

“Well,” she said when he was done. “That’s quite the predicament.”

The kettle began to whistle and Mercy got up to make the cocoa.

Soarin’ got up and followed her. “Did I do the right thing, mom?”

“Soarin’,” she replied softly, “if you’re asking me to confirm your life choices for you, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed.” She paused to pour the hot water into two mugs. “Only you can decide if what you’re doing is the right thing. I can’t do that for you. But I will say that I am very proud of you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. While it was rather rash, you did what you thought was right.” She stirred a few spoonfuls of mix into the water and dropped a few marshmallows in each, then handed him one of the mugs. “Only time will tell if you’ve made the right choice.”

The two of them moved back over to the couch and sat down, blowing on their drinks to cool them.

“Did Applejack take the news well or have you not told her?” Mercy asked.

Soarin’ stared down into his mug, watching the marshmallows bob in the hot liquid. “No, I didn’t tell her yet. I’ve been trying to find the right time.”

Mercy dared a sip of her hot chocolate, finding it still just a little too hot. “You’ve been staying with her for a few months now, Soarin’. If the right moment hasn’t come along, you’re going to have to make your own moment. The mare needs to know. If you want a relationship with her to work, you need to start with being honest or it won’t go very far.”

“I know. Don’t worry, I’ll tell her, I promise.” he replied, taking a swig from his drink.

“Good. And speaking of honesty, I would have appreciated a little more from you.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I should have told you about all of this sooner.”

“Not just that. If you were worried about me, you should have said something instead of sending Pyro.”

Soarin’s eyes widened slightly despite his attempts to keep a poker face. “What do you mean?”

His mother gave him a half-lidded stare. “Please, Soarin’, I may be getting old, but I’m far from senile just yet. You asked Pyro to spy on me didn’t you?”

The blue stallion nervously tapped on his mug. “Well, y’know, not exactly. I mean, I may have mentioned that I was a little worried about you being all by yourself out here and asked him to stop by, maybe help you at the shelter every now and again. But he definitely wasn’t supposed to spy!”

Mercy chuckled. “Well, thank you for your concern. Truth be told, I’m actually quite happy that he’s been coming around to visit. He’s been very helpful at the shelter and even here around the apartment. He fixed that squeaky spot over by the stove and that leaky faucet in the bathroom.”

“So, you’re not mad?”

“No. Just please stop worrying about me. I’m the one who’s supposed to worry about you.” She poked him in the chest to emphasize her point. “You just worry about wooing Applejack.”

The blue stallion laughed. “OK, mom.”

They both sipped at their drinks for a while, chatting about this and that. When both mugs were empty they got up to go get ready for bed

“Hey, mom? Thanks. Y’know for always being so supportive and being there when I need you. I feel a lot better about all this stuff with Applejack.”

“Happy to help, dear,” she replied. “I just want you to be happy.”

“I am,” he whispered, wrapping a hoof around her and pulling her into a hug.

“Besides,” she whispered as she returned the hug, “if the two of you do wind up together, I’ll get the two-for-one-special of a daughter and a grandchild, and you know how much I love a good bargain.”

Both ponies burst out laughing.

Chapter 12: Hitting the Fan

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SWA 12: Hitting the Fan

“Looks like he’s dead.”

“Dead tired’s more like it. He worked his flank off yesterday.”

“Heh. More like played it off. You’d think he’d never kicked a cloud before. It was like a colt that got the keys to the candy store. He was bucking clouds almost as fast as me.”

“No wonder Winter Wrap-Up seemed a might shorter. He even awake yet?”

There was a firm prodding at his side and Soarin’ groaned. Everything was pain. The world was made of burning agony. He hurt all over from the tips of his primaries to the frogs of his hooves. He felt sore in places he didn’t know he had. Groaning again, he slowly rolled over and swatted near where the offending poke had come from.

“Yep. Hey, Soarin’. Y’alright?”

Slowly the blue stallion opened his eyes, just the minimum amount to see by. Applejack and Rainbow smiled at him.

“Well,” he said, giving them a small smile in return, “not every mornin’ I wake up with pretty mares at my bedside.”

Applejack nudged a blushing Rainbow with her elbow. “Least his sense of humor’s healthy, huh? Too bad his sense’a time’s gone.”

Soarin’ opened his eyes a little more and yawned. “Huh?”

“It’s almost half-past one in the afternoon.”

“Oh,” he replied with no more regard than one would give a blade of grass. Yawning again, he started to roll back over. “Guess I’m early for an afternoon siesta.”

“Oh no you don’t,” Rainbow chided as she grabbed one of his hooves. “Come on, you promised me we’d go flying today.”

“Uuuuugh. Don’ wanna,” Soarin’ whined.

Applejack grabbed his other hoof. “Come on, Soarin’, the fresh spring air’ll do you some good.”

The two mares tugged and pulled but only managed to get the blue stallion to sit up. Whenever they let go, he would plop back down in the bed. Eventually they grunted in frustration.

“Well, looks like he ain’t gettin’ up, Rainbow,” Applejack declared. “We’ll just have to let ‘im be.”

“What?” Rainbow asked, bewildered. “No way! He owes me sky time and I-“

She was cut off as Applejack elbowed her side. The orange mare gestured to the door with her eyes and tapped her head.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Too bad, I guess I’ll just go flying by myself.”

The mares left the room and Soarin’ smirked in victory. Finding a more comfortable position, he snuggled into his pillow and closed his eyes.

Just as he was drifting off the edge of consciousness, a terrible foreboding came over him, like something catastrophic was about to occur.

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS WAKE UP CALL!!!!”

The stallion’s brain was ripped kicking and screaming into the waking world as three fillies leapt on to his bed. Scootaloo found a place near his head and commenced banging the pot and wooden spoon she had brought with her. Sweetie Belle was bouncing on the mattress as soon as her hooves had landed on it. Apple Bloom, meanwhile, had misjudged her jump and landed right on his stomach, the perfect position to begin tickling him senseless.

“All right, all right, I’m up, I’m up,” Soarin’ shouted between bouts of laughter. Propping himself up on his elbows, he blew a lock of his bed-headed mane out of his face. “Ugh. Why did the first day of spring have to be on the weekend this year?”

The three fillies grinned at him.

After a quick shower and brushing, Soarin’ wolfed down a late lunch and went outside to meet Rainbow to go flying. He found her in the front yard showing Scootaloo a few simple tricks.

“Hey, ready to go?” she asked when she saw him. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve been cooped up all winter I’m itching for some stratosphere.”

“Sure. I should probably warm up first. I’m still feeling pretty sore.”

“OK.” The prismatic mare took a seat while Soarin’ started stretching. Scootaloo took a seat next to her, content to be near her idol.

“You were killer on sky clearing yesterday,” Rainbow complimented him.

Soarin’ blushed. “Yeah, I kinda got carried away. Sorry, I’ve never done Winter Wrap-Up before.”

“What?” Scootaloo squeaked in disbelief. “How have you never done Winter Wrap-Up before?”

“Manehattan uses magic to change the seasons just like Canterlot does,” he explained. “And Cloudsdale doesn’t really have much of a winter to speak of; it just gets colder.” He grunted as he switched positions to stretch a different group of muscles.

Rainbow and Scootaloo chatted about this and that for the next few minutes while Soarin’ warmed up. The subject of their conversation eventually switched to the Wonderbolts.

“Hey,” Scootaloo suddenly exclaimed. “When’s your next show, Soarin’? Do you have one during summer break that me and Rainbow Dash can make it to?”

The blue stallion paused in the middle of stretching to reach the grass just beyond where his back left hoof lay. “Uh, I’m not really sure about that, Scoots.”

Focusing on the grass, he didn’t notice the excited twinkle in the filly’s eye. “Well hurry and find out so we can get tickets.”

“Relax, squirt,” said Rainbow, tussling the filly’s mane. “He hasn’t had a chance to get back to Cloudsdale yet.”

“Exactly,” Soarin’ confirmed. “Well, I’m done warming up. Should we get flying?”

“You bet. You wanna come, Scoots? We can leave this slowpoke in the dust.”

“Hey!”

“Thanks, Dash,” the orange filly replied, “but I promised Sweetie and Apple Bloom that I’d help clean up the treehouse today.”

The prismatic pegasus tussled the filly’s mane. “All right, we’ll hang out some other time. Catch ya later.”

The filly grinned and ran off to join her friends.

“You two seem to be doin’ OK,” Soarin’ commented.

“Yeah, she’s a cool kid. So, you ready for another round of flank-kicking courtesy of Equestria’s number one flyer?”

“Aw, come on, Dash.”

Rainbow smirked. “You want some cheese with that whine?”

“Can’t we just fly around, no racing?”

“No way. You’ve been cooped up in that farmhouse all winter and I’ve been cooped up in my house. If I don’t get some racing done soon, I’m gonna go stir-crazy. Besides…” She poked his side. “You need the exercise if you’re gonna stay in top form for the team.”

Soarin’ moved away from her prodding hoof. “Hey, I am not fat. There’s…just a little bit more’a me to love. And you can do plenty of fast flyin’ without havin’ a race.”

Rainbow gave him a funny look. “Wow. You were cooped up longer than I thought. You’re even starting to sound like the Apples.”

Soarin’ sighed, realizing there was no point in arguing. “Fine. Just give me a minute to go some wing curl- raceyoutothatcloudreadysetgo!”

“Hey!” Rainbow yelled, taking off after him. “No fair!”

The two pegasi raced from cloud to cloud and did laps around town for hours. As they flew, Soarin’ felt himself feeling a lot better. He’d been on the ground for quite a while and it was good to feel the sky again.

The end of their last race found them both touching down on the clouds that made up Rainbow’s porch.

“Dang,” Soarin’ cursed. “Almost had you that time.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow panted. “Not sure about you, but I really worked up an appetite.” Opening the door, the pegasus mare stepped into her house and gestured with her left wing. “Just crash on the couch for a minute and I’ll see if I’ve got anything.”

Soarin’ nodded and plopped down on the couch. Seeing the most recent issue of Equestrian Sports Monthly on the coffee table, he began to leaf through it. A few pages in, he spotted an article announcing the starting lineup for the Wonderbolts’ first show of the season. He smiled as he read the names, nodding his approval and feeling a sense of pride at seeing how each member was put in the perfect place to showcase their strengths. The smile fell from his face as he turned his head to look at the next page.

Can you spot the missing Wonderbolt?

With last week’s announcement of the starting lineup for the Wonderbolts, many fans and commentators were shocked to find that Soarin’ hadn’t made the cut. The Lieutenant has been a key part of the first show of the season ever since the year after his induction. When asked about the reasoning for Soarin’s omission, Captain Spitfire had this to say: “Soarin’ has taken a leave of absence for the time being due to a family emergency.”

The captain gave no more of an explanation when asked for further comment and Soarin’ himself has not been seen or heard from since just before the end of last season…

Soarin’ put the magazine back on the table and ran a hoof through his hair, not bothering to read the rest. He sighed. It looked like the media had noticed his disappearance. If they should come and find him in Ponyville…

He shook his head, not wanting to dwell on that idea. This did, however add a sense of urgency to needing to tell Applejack about what was going on. The last thing he wanted was to get her involved in a media frenzy. If any media did come, he would just have to do damage control.

“Looks like I don’t have much,” said Rainbow as she plopped down on the couch next to him. He jerked a little, startled out of his thoughts.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” she chuckled. She glanced down at the open magazine on the table. “What’cha reading?”

Her eyes moved back and forth as she perused the article he had read. A scowl grew with each line and she picked up the magazine, glaring at it.

“The nerve of those guys,” she said angrily as she reached the end of the article. “They make it sound like you’re off having an affair or something.”

Soarin’ shrugged. “Don’t worry about it, Rainbow. They’ll probably forget about it in a week or two.” At least he hoped they would. “A lot of reporters do that. Makes the story a little juicier so they sell more issues.”

The cyan mare crossed her hooves over her chest. “Still think it sucks,” she muttered.

“Yeah, it kinda does. But, you know, we used to have a little fun with it.”

“How?”

“Well, this one time, somepony wrote an article about how High Winds and I were twins separated at birth.”

Rainbow laughed. “What? She’s like five years older than you.”

“I know. Anyway, for a few days after we read the article, we pretended it was real. We’d say stuff like ‘hi, sis,’ or ‘hi, bro’ or ‘how’s mom doing?’ It became kind of a little joke between us. It kinda even brought us closer together as teammates.”

“Huh, cool,” Rainbow replied. “So what would you do for something like this article?”

“Probably think of funny reasons for why I ‘disappeared.’ Like, maybe I’m a secret agent or something.”

Rainbow chuckled. “Maybe you’re on a top secret mission for the princesses. Oh! Or Daring Do.”

“Hey, that’s it, you got me. I’m Daring Do’s assistant and we’re going to explore an ancient Haywaiian temple.”

The mare next to him snickered. “Yeah, can’t wait to read the book about that.”

They both leaned against the back of the couch, laughing. When the laughs had died down, they sat in silence for a little while. A rumbling sound drew their attention to Soarin’s stomach, eliciting a few more small chuckles.

“Weren’t you saying something about food earlier?” he asked.

“Yeah, sorry, I don’t have much. I’ve kinda been putting off grocery shopping. There’s this little sandwich joint in town we could go to. Got an ‘e’ on the end of the word ‘shop’ and everything.”

“Sounds good,” Soarin’ replied, getting off of the couch.

“Yep. Loser buys. GO!” The mare shouted as she dashed off, rainbow trail in her wake.

“Aw, come on!”

“Turnabout’s fair play,” she shouted as the trail disappeared out the door, Soarin’ hurrying to catch it.

Afternoon transitioned to evening, the sun lowering as the first day of spring came to a close. The Ponyville streets and houses took on an orange hue as the sun went lower in the sky.

The two pegasi landed in the middle of town, having completed another race. Looking around, Soarin’ spotted Applejack at her stand with Apple Bloom and cantered over to meet her.

“Hey, AJ.”

Apple Bloom beamed at him. “Howdy, Soarin’,” she hollered, running to meet him part way.

“Howdy,” Applejack added to her sister’s greeting.

“How was business?” Soarin’ asked, tussling Apple Bloom’s hair.

The orange mare gestured to the empty baskets on the cart. “’Bout as good as it is every year on the first day of spring. Sometimes Ah think half the town under-stored and ran out.” She went to reach into the cart for the box of bits to emphasize her point.

“Ah got it, sis,” said Apple Bloom, running to preempt her sister and blocking access to the box.

Applejack gave an exasperated sigh. “Ah appreciate it, Apple Bloom, but Ah can-“

“The doctor said ya shouldn’t over work yerself,” the filly reminded her while giving her a glare, using a tone that sounded like she was reciting an old adage.

Her older sister rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she groaned, moving to give the yellow filly more room and mumbling something about not taking her along on doctor’s appointments.

The young filly pulled at the box, grunting and heaving to get it out from the cart.

“Let me get that, Apple Bloom,” Soarin’ offered. Reaching over the filly, he hefted the box from its shelf and on to the top of the cart.

“Thanks, Soarin’.”

“Feels like you’ve got a lot in here,” the stallion commented. “Want some help getting it back to the farm?”

Applejack shared a nervous look with Rainbow. “Uh, nah. Ah think we can do it. You two should go and-”

“Yes,” Apple Bloom interrupted. “Soarin’ can take the cart back so you won’t overwork yerself, Applejack.”

“No, really. Ah can-“

“It would be my pleasure, ladies,” said Soarin’, moving to pull the apple cart back to the farm.

The orange mare gave Rainbow an apologetic look and sighed. “Well, if yer really sure. You, uh, comin’, Rainbow?”

The rainbow mare rubbed her left foreleg with her right one. “Nah. I, uh, need to get an early start for work tomorrow. Catch you later, Soarin’.”

The other three ponies waved goodbye as Rainbow took off, then turned to begin making their way back to the farm.

As they walked, Soarin’ heard Apple Bloom yawn. He realized she must have been working extra hard to help Applejack all day. He gave a little chuckle, drawing her attention.

“Hop on,” he commanded with a jerk of his head.

She smiled and he stopped walking and bent down a little to allow her to clamber on his back.

“So how was yer day with Rainbow?” Applejack asked as they continued forward.

“Pretty good. Though I think she’s made it her personal mission to whip me back into shape. We must have flown around town at least a dozen times between all the races.”

The orange mare laughed. “That sure sounds like her.”

“So, how about you? How was your day?”

“Pretty good. Ah had a nice breakfast with the girls then went to mah doctor’s appointment after you left and they did an ultrasound. Baby’s nice and healthy and everything’s lookin’ good.”

“Ooh, show him the picture, Applejack. Show him what the baby looks like,” Apple Bloom squealed excitedly.

Applejack reached into the cart and pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to Soarin’. Apple Bloom scrambled higher on his back, balancing herself with her front hooves on his head.

“Look! See! There’s its hooves right there,” she said, pointing at the picture. “And that’s the head, and that little bit right there is where its eye is.”

“Wow. It’s so tiny. Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl yet?”

“No,” Apple Bloom grunted. “The doctor said he could tell her, but Applejack didn’t wanna know.”

“Ah want it to be a surprise. Ah think it’s more fun that way.”

“Well Ah don’t,” the filly pouted, sitting back down on Soarin’s back and crossing her forelegs. “Ah wanna know if Ah’m gettin’ a niece or a nephew.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll find out when the baby’s born. As soon as Ah find out, you’ll be the first one Ah tell,” Applejack assured her.

Apple Bloom’s pouty face started to fade. “Promise?”

“Promise,” her sister assured her, giving her a head rub.

The filly giggled. “OK, Ah’ll wait.”

The trio made a turn down the road that would take them back to the farm, talking more about how well their first day of spring had gone. They passed many other ponies on the path, stopping briefly every so often to chat.

During the conversation with the third or fourth pony they stopped to chat with, Soarin’ noticed that everypony was a part of it. Before, he had always gotten the feeling that ponies just talked to him to talk to a Wonderbolt. Now they were talking to him like he was actually a friend, somepony who was part of the town. The feeling that he had become a part of Ponyville gave him an extra little spring in his step.

“What’s got you so happy all of the sudden?” Applejack asked as they walked.

He gave her a shrug. “Just happy I guess. You know, I might decide to buy a house, stop free loadin’ off of you.”

Applejack looked at him like he’d just stated that Princess Celestia had pink fur. “OooooK, what brought that outta the wild blue yonder?”

“I dunno,” the blue stallion proclaimed. “Guess it’s just the fresh spring air. You were right, I guess it really did do me a world of good. I feel like I could take on the world.”

Apple Bloom gripped his neck tighter as he did a little jump, unfurling his wings triumphantly and shaking the apple cart.

Applejack laughed. “Well, OK then. You can look in the newspaper when we get back if you want. But Ah think that goin’ from here to Cloudsdale’s gonna be mighty long commute.”

Soarin’s good mood crumbled at his hooves. He’d forgotten for a moment that she didn’t know he wasn’t going back to Cloudsdale. “Uh yeah, r-right.”

“Me and the crusaders can help!” Apple Bloom declared. “We can be Cutie Mark Crusader Real Estate Agents.”

“Ah’m sure he’ll give you a call if he needs you, Apple Bloom.”

They walked in silence for a while, passing fewer and fewer ponies the farther out they got.

“Hey!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “With Hearts and Hooves Day comin’ up, maybe Soarin’ should get a marefriend, too.”

Now it was Soarin’s turn to give somepony a funny look. “What? What brought that up?”

“Ah heard Applejack talkin’ about it with-“

“Apple Bloom! What have Ah told you about listnin’ on other ponies’ conversations?”

The blue stallion quirked an eyebrow, asking for an explanation without coming off as angry or offended.

Applejack fidgeted. “Look, Ah can explain.”

“OK,” said Soarin’, letting her continue.

“Ah was talkin’ to…a friend of mine and eventually we got to talkin’ about you and how you’ve been cooped up at the farm all the time. Ah made a comment about how it’d be nice if you had somethin’ to take you off the farm for a bit. Maybe some nice pegasus filly to fly around with.

She looked to the ground. “Ah’m just a might worried about you, Soarin’. All you do is stay at the farm workin’. Ah appreciate that you took time off to help, and the whole family appreciates how hard you work. Ah just don’t want you missin’ out on anything on mah account.”

He smiled at her. “Applejack, you’re not making me miss out on anything. I’m happy to be helping you. I like working on the farm.”

“Ah know ya do. Ah just don’t want you to think that you should help because you have to. There’s plenty of other stuff to do in your time off other’n doin’ more chores.” She smiled and said in a sing-sing voice, “If yer interested, Ah could point you to a nice filly who’s got her eye on you.”

Soarin’ laughed. “No, that’s OK.” He raised an eyebrow. “What’s up with the sudden interest in my love life? I didn’t think you cared about that kind of stuff.”

The orange mare averted her eyes. “Oh, no reason.”

“OK,” Soarin’ said, deciding not to press the issue. “Well, if it really worries you, I’ll try to get out a little more.”

“You can come crusadin’ with me and the girls,” Apple Bloom suggested, standing up against his neck again, almost on top of his head.

He closed an eye as her hoof almost went over it. With his other eye, he glanced up and smiled at her. “It’s a date.”

Turning to Applejack, his grin turned smug. “How’s that for suave?”

The farmer laughed. “OK then, Mr. Smooth, just be sure to have her back in time for supper.”

-SWA-

The next few days were a flurry of activity on the farm. The newly planted crops needed tending, trees needed to be pruned and dead trees needed to be taken out and have new ones planted in their place. In addition there was a bit of repair work to be done as a result of damage done by the snow and ice.

Work and chores kept Soarin’ busy much of the time, especially since Applejack was limited with what she could do. He didn’t mind in the least, but the orange mare always had a few choice words for her brother when he delegated her the simpler, easier chores every morning at breakfast.

True to his word, Soarin’ spent his evenings doing non-farm related things, usually hanging out with Rainbow. The two pegasi racked up the flight hours racing around town.

On one particular day, however, they raced through town out of sheer terror. An ill-timed prank intended for a certain pink mare of Sugarcube Corner had instead been unleashed on a certain purple coiffured friend of hers, visiting the bakery at the time. Rarity galloped after the retreating pegasi, pulling globs of whipped cream from her mane and hurling them with her magic, all the while shouting a maelstrom of angry threats that were most unladylike indeed.

Rounding a corner, they quickly landed on the roof of a building, glancing down at the street cautiously over the roof’s peak. As much as they knew they were in trouble, it was hard not to laugh and be quiet while Rarity fumed below them. The fashionista’s hooves stamped furiously as she went from pony to pony, asking angrily if they knew where Soarin’ and Rainbow were and scaring more than a few of them in the process. After a few minutes, her anger seemed to abate and she took a few deep breaths to regain her composure, then went in the direction of the spa.

Soarin’ and Rainbow waited until she had rounded the corner before they rolled over and started laughing.

“Oh, wow, that was priceless,” Rainbow guffawed. “Seriously, I couldn’t have planned that prank any better if I tried.”

“Yeah,” Soarin’ replied. “Too bad we probably aren’t going to live to enjoy the memory for very long. I don’t think we can avoid Rarity forever.”

Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively. “Pfft, don’t worry. It’s not like this is the first time Rares has been mad at me for a prank. We just need to stay away from her for a day or two, maybe do her a solid as a peace offering, just to be safe.”

“OK,” he replied, shifting to a more relaxed position. “What should we do in the mean time?”

She glanced at the sky, pondering his question. “Hmm, probably not a good idea to be anywhere Rarity will see us. We gotta lay low for a little while.”

A rumbling rang out from the rooftop, prompting them both to glance at Soarin’s stomach.

Rainbow chuckled, poking him in the side. “Heh, good idea. I think I know just the place.”

Following Rainbow’s lead, Soarin’ slid down the roof and dropped into the alley below. He followed her as they walked in the opposite direction Rarity had gone, keeping on the ground to avoid the chance of her seeing them.

Eventually the most wonderful of smells reached Soarin’s nose. The air was thick with it, making his mouth water and his stomach cry all the louder for nourishment, specifically craving the thing that he was smelling. He had always thought that the cooks at certain restaurants unleashed the smell of cooking hay fries just for that purpose.

Not that he was complaining.

Another few trots and the two pegasi had reached a tiny eatery surrounded by little tables. The place was practically a dive, but that didn’t seem to matter to the small line of ponies gathered at the window to place their order.

“This place is perfect,” Rainbow proclaimed. “They have, like, the best hay fries in the world,” she pointed to a sign above the building that said ‘best hay fries in the world’ to prove her point, “and Rarity never comes here. Thinks she’ll gain weight from just smelling the food or something. C’mon, I’m buying.”

The food was served in a plastic red baskets with a sheet of crinkly paper in it and was absolutely delicious in the way that only deep fried food can be.

Soarin’ leaned back and patted his stomach. “You were right. Best hay fries in the world.”

“Ha! Told ya.”

As the two pegasi were leaving the eatery, they heard a commotion from down the street.

“What’s goin’ on over there?” Soarin’ wondered.

As they approached the commotion, Soarin’ craned his head to see what it was. The cause appeared to be a group wandering down Stirrup Street. They walked with purpose like a bloodhound hot on the trail of a fox. The members that composed the group jostled each other, vying for position at the head of the pack. Their heads turned in jerky movements, eyes darting everywhere, scanning everything in the hunt for their quarry.

A chill ran down the blue stallion’s spine and he stopped cold as his brain realized too late what he was seeing. His brow became damp with sweat and he felt a tingly sensation like a thunder cloud in his chest as his fight or flight responses revved up.

“Uh, Rainbow…”

He’d seen these creatures before, faced them on his own and with his fellow Wonderbolts. Spitfire had always called them the three-eyed piranhas. He shuddered as he glanced at the boxes hung around their necks, those third eyes lying dormant but ready to heed their masters’ bidding with a flash at a moment’s notice.

“What?” the other pegasus replied.

One of the creatures’ probing eyes turned at that precise moment, spotting the two pegasi. It grinned in a predatory way, showing off its teeth. Its companions, seeming to sense that their quarry had been spotted, followed their companion’s eyes, grins of success written upon their faces.

Soarin’ gulped.

“There he is!” one of the creatures bellowed, unleashing a flurry of battle cries from the rest, all of them fighting to be the first to sink their teeth into him.

“Soarin’, would you care to comment on Spitfire’s choices for the season opener?”

“What is your response to the rumors that you’re going to pose for Covermare?”

“Is it true you’ve been in rehab?”

“Run!” Soarin’ shouted, turning tail and taking to the sky. After glancing to make sure Rainbow was following him, he put it into high gear, flying higher and faster as hard as he could.

“Soarin’, what’s wrong?” Rainbow shouted, coming up next to him. “Why are we running?”

The blue stallion poured all the dread that his heart contained of the creatures into the word as he gave their name to Rainbow.

“Paparazzi.”

The eyes of the prismatic pegasus grew to the size of dinner plates, remembering her friend Fluttershy’s run in with the creatures during her stint as a supermodel.

“Mother of Celestia.”

The two pegasi flew for all they were worth, leaving a good portion of the blinking camera eyes behind them. Some reporters flew after them, trying to go higher in an attempt to cut them off.

Rainbow suddenly poured on speed, gaining distance ahead of him and their pursuers.

“Come on!” she shouted.

Following her lead, Soarin’ pumped his wings harder, following the speeding mare in the direction of town hall. He lost sight of her when she zoomed around the building and panicked a little when she wasn’t waiting for him on the other side. A hoof grabbed him and pulled him close to the building, just underneath the roof overhang right as the photographers rushed past.

Rainbow pulled Soarin’ around the building in the opposite direction they had gone. “Hurry. Before they come back.”

She led him back in the direction they had come. Looking behind them, Soarin’ saw that the ground-bound reporters had caught up with their pegasus comrades, who were circling the town hall looking for their lost prey. The group started spreading out, hunting.

Soarin’ and Rainbow reached a cloud not far away. The rainbow-maned mare quickly opened it with a zipping sound. Reaching in, she pushed and scraped at the puffy material, hollowing the cloud out.

“Get in.”

Needing no further prompting, the blue stallion slipped inside, Rainbow followed and, after peeking outside to make sure no pony saw them, zipped the opening closed.

Soarin’ grunted. “Uh, Rainbow you’re on my hoof.”

“Oh. Sorry. Here, let me, uh…”

She shifted around slowly, trying not to touch the sides of the cloud too much lest part of her poke out and give them away. There wasn’t a lot of space, making her slow turn to face him take what seemed like a lifetime. Finally she had turned a full one hundred eighty degrees, bringing them face to face. With nowhere to comfortably put her hooves, she awkwardly placed them on his chest.

“Sorry,” she said softly, her face taking a very flattering shade of pink. “Not a lot of room to move in here.”

“It’s OK,” he replied. “So, what now?”

Rainbow fidgeted nervously. “I-I, uh…well, I didn’t really think that far ahead. I just thought it’d be a good idea to hide out in here until the coast is clear.”

Soarin’ nodded, shifting back and forth on his hooves a little to get comfortable. Rainbow shuffled a little as well, shifting her wings slightly on her back. Silence enveloped them. It was dark inside their little cramped cloud cocoon, just barely enough light filtering through that they could see each other. Soarin’ suspected that if the cloud were much bigger and they were farther apart, they might not see each other at all.

They stayed still and silent in the cloud for a long time. The air began to become close and stuffy. Soarin’ carefully reached a hoof to his forehead, wiping away a sheen of perspiration. Rainbow’s hair started clinging to the back of her neck. Her face was getting pinker by the minute and he felt her hot breath on his neck.

Finally she spoke, not quite making eye contact. “H-hey, you think anypony can hear us in here?”

He thought for a moment. “Probably not unless they get really close.”

She made a noncommittal murmur and they stood in silence for another few minutes.

“Uh, hey listen. I…kinda wanted to tell you something.”

“OK.”

She still couldn’t look him in the eye and idly tapped her hooves on his chest. “You, uh, you remember how we met?”

He thought back for a moment. “After you won the Best Young Fliers’ Competition? Yeah, I remember.”

“Well, I, uh, j-just wanted to say thanks. Y’know for showing me the ropes.”

He quirked an eyebrow quizzically. “Um, all of us did that.”

“Well, yeah,” she acknowledged. “But, well, with you it was different. You talked to me after the show like I was an old flying buddy and you and Spitfire remembered me, even at the gala.”

He reached up and flicked her bangs. “Well, you’re not exactly easy to forget.”

The rainbow mare frowned and gave him an irritated punch. “I’m being serious! Would you just let me say what I’m trying to say?”

He raised his hooves as much as the cramped space allowed him. “OK, OK. Sorry.”

Rainbow averted her eyes again and collected her thoughts. “Y’know it meant a lot to me.” She fidgeted, scooting a little closer to him. Her hot breath tickled at his chin and he could feel her heart pumping furiously in her chest. The small space they occupied felt all the more close and the air all the more thick.

“To me, it really felt like you thought it was more than just a day you had to spend with a fan,” she continued. “Even when there weren’t any cameras around, you acted like you wanted to be there. I just…”

She finally looked him directly in the eyes. He’d always known her eyes were magenta, but he’d never seen them up this close. All the brashness and boastfulness in them had melted away, leaving behind a mare who was unsure of herself in area she didn’t have a lot of experience in.

Apprehension wrought the blue stallion to his core as the gravity of his situation finally sunk in.

“R-Rainbow…”

Her breath was hot on his nose now, only a few inches separating them. He could smell the hay fries that she’d eaten for lunch and the sweat that beaded on her face. All either of them had to do was lean a little and the distance would be closed.

Rainbow pushed a damp lock of hair away from her forehead. “I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated that.”

Soarin’ gulped. “N-no problem.”

She reached a hoof up to his shoulder, gaining a little more confidence. “But, more than that. Hanging out with you since you got here…I, I’ve really liked that too. It’s been, uh, y’know, awesome and…”

Her head tilted forward ever so slightly. Fractions of a second became minutes and Soarin’s eyes widened as her lips pursed. The butterflies in his stomach decided to start a knot-tying school. He tilted his head back, pressing harder into the wall and wishing it could swallow him up.

Rainbow’s lips drew nearer and nearer to his face, finally finding contact.

The knots double tied themselves in his gut as he prepared for her reaction when she realized he’d turned his head at the last moment.

The mare slowly opened her eyes as her lips broke contact with his left cheek. She averted her eyes as she widened the space between them.

“W-well…,” Rainbow began, “now I-I guess you know.”

The cloud was silent for what felt like ages, neither pony making eye contact. Soarin’ glanced at Rainbow out of the corner of his eye. He wished he could say something, anything to alleviate the pain that what he knew he would have to say would cause her.

“Do you, uh, think it’s safe to leave the cloud? It’s kinda stuffy in here,” he said. He was stalling the inevitable, he knew.

She nodded and, after peeking out to make sure the coast was clear, opened the cloud. They both went out into the cool spring air and stood on the outside of their puffy hiding place.

Rainbow shuffled a back hoof on the cloud. “Please say something.”

What could he say? Hindsight being twenty/twenty, he probably should have seen this coming.

It was weird, he thought, that most residents of Equestria walked around without any clothes on, but he had never seen her naked before. She had opened her heart to him and he was unsure if he could return it to her unharmed.

He would just have to let her down gently.

“Rainbow…,” he began.

He sighed, wishing he could be anywhere else but in this situation.

“Rainbow, you’re…you’re a really great flyer. And I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you, too. I’m glad that you spent it with me and I wouldn’t change your friendship for anything. But…”

The corners of her mouth quivered and he knew that she could see the end of what he had to say before he even said it.

“But that’s…that’s as far as it can ever go.”

She flinched as if struck, slapped across the face by an unforgiving hoof. He could see the great heaving burden of tears in her eyes, held back by nothing more than her will to not show weakness. Her breath came interrupted by a few short gasps as she tried to maintain her composure.

“H-how come?” she asked. “Is it because of your job?”

For all of a moment, the blue stallion was tempted to use her question as an escape. It would be so easy to hide behind the Wonderbolts’ ‘no dating teammates’ policy. He could tell her that that was the real reason. It would hurt her less than hearing the real reason.

The temptation died a moment later. Eventually she would find out the truth. She would find out that he wasn’t on the Wonderbolts anymore. She would realize that he’d lied to her.

How much more would that hurt her?

Honesty. The word came up in his mind unbidden. He had to be honest with her. It was harder and it would hurt more now, but it was what was best in the long run.

“No,” he replied. “It’s not because of the Wonderbolts.”

“Then, why?” she asked.

Completely honest.

The words fought hard to the edge of his lips, begging him not to let them leave.

“There’s…there’s someone else.”

Her eyes widened and she took a step back, almost like he’d snapped a puppy’s neck in front of her.

“Wh-who is it?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Soarin’ found himself unable to make eye contact with her, instead looking down at his hooves. “Please don’t ask me that.”

Rainbow plopped down to a sitting position and Soarin’ followed suit. Neither spoke for a long time.

In an effort to do something, the blue stallion attempted to speak. “Rainbow, I…I’m so sorry, I never meant to-”

“To what?” she snapped, suddenly glaring at him angrily, her voice cracking with every word she spoke. “You never meant to get stuck in this dinky little town? Never meant to spend time with me? For me to fall head over hooves for you?”

She paced back and forth, still going on her tirade of anger. “I mean what the heck! I’ve been trying so hard all this time to get a message through your stupid thick skull that I might as well have started a signal fire in front of your room at the farm. Even if I had done that, you probably wouldn’t have got it. All you ever wanted to do was stay on the farm and do stupid applebu-”

A sudden look of horrified realization came over her and her rant stopped in a single, choking sob. “It’s…it’s Applejack, isn’t it?”

Soarin’s eyes widened and a fearful tremor ran through him. “I-it, um…”

“I knew it!” she shouted, both anger and tears returning two fold. “Guh, how could I be so stupid?! Of course it’s Applejack! How couldn’t it be? You’ve spent all your time on that stupid farm ever since…” She stopped cold, staring blankly at a bit of cloud at her hooves. Slowly, she turned her head, a mixture of rage and betrayal in her eyes. “I bet the kid’s yours, isn’t it?”

“No!” he shouted. No matter what happened he refused to let Applejack’s reputation be sullied. “Come on, Rainbow, you know her better than that. AJ’s foal is hers and Clover’s.” He took a deep breath, then went a step closer to her. There had to be a way to salvage their friendship. “I…I started having feelings for her a while after I left. I came back to see if the feelings were real. When she told me she was pregnant I…she was so scared. I had to do something.”

A long moment of silence passed between them. Soarin’ looked sullenly at the puffy white material he was standing on, feeling lower than he could ever remember feeling.

It was Rainbow who broke the silence this time.

“I…I gotta go,” he heard her say before receiving a gust of air to the face as she zipped off.

He considered following her, considered trying harder to get her to see how sorry he was. He opened his wings, thinking maybe he could catch her if he pushed hard enough.

But what good would it do? Even if he could catch her, the only thing he would be able to do was apologize. He’d already done that and doing it again probably would not fare any better. The best thing at the moment, he realized, was to give Rainbow some time. He could only hope that they could somehow still be friends.

The stallion hung his head and slowly fluttered down to the ground, deciding to walk back to the farm.

Just as the farm’s front gate was in view, Soarin’ paused and lifted an ear higher into the air, thinking he heard something. Looking up, he didn’t see any dark clouds in the sky. Funny, there wasn’t a storm scheduled and the sky was clear, yet he had sworn that he heard…

“There! Found him!”

The thundering sound he had thought he heard intensified, the voices of reporters shouting questions soon joining the racket.

Soarin’s body reacted before he could even tell himself to move and he galloped off down the path, making for the safe haven of the farmhouse. He made it across the front lawn and took the steps up onto the porch in a single leap. Slamming the door shut behind him, he locked the bolt and pressed his back against it just as the paparazzi reached the porch. He heard them outside, trying to peek in and pounding on the door.

The lights of the cameras flashed through the windows, creating strange specters and shadows on the floor. The blue stallion tried to make himself as small as possible, not wanting them to even catch a glimpse of him from the window.

His ears perked as he heard the sound of the back door closing and his pupils shrunk to the size of pinpricks. They must have found a way through the back. Hoofsteps approached from the kitchen and the ex-Wonderbolt closed his eyes and prepared for his whole world to unravel around him.

Things couldn’t possibly get any worse.

“What happened?”

Applejack’s question floated to his ears like it was spoken by the voice of a guardian angel. Opening one eye, he saw the orange mare coming in to the living room. He’d always heard that pregnancy made mares more beautiful, that the increase of estrogen gave their skin a sort of glow. This was no less true for the object of his admiration. She shone like the glow of a warm campfire, a warm, inviting shelter from the storm.

“Oh, thank goodness,” he breathed in relief. “AJ you gotta help me barricade the door. These psychotic shutterbugs just came out of nowhere.”

She approached him from across the room, looking less like an angel and more like she was going to rip his head off.

“Ah just saw Rainbow zoom past me in tears,” she growled. “What did you do?!”

Soarin’ gulped. Maybe he would be safer with the photographers.

Chapter 13: Out of the frying pan, into the fire

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Chapter 13:

Out of the frying pan, into the fire.

Soarin’s heart left the pounding of the paparazzi in the dust. Applejack’s question hung in the air, the mare herself glaring at him as she waited for her answer.

“What did you do to mah best friend?” she repeated. Tilting her head down a bit, she glared at him from just underneath the brim of her hat, making the glare more fear-inducing. Soarin’ gulped.

“I-I can explain,” he stammered nervously.

“You’d better,” she growled, stepping forward into his face so the brim of her hat pressed against his forehead. The pounding on the door didn’t abate and the farmer’s glare shifted to the door with such ferocity Soarin’ was surprised it didn’t burst into splinters. “What the hay is all that racket?!”

The orange mare yanked the door open and was greeted by the flashes of cameras. She grunted in surprise then growled. “The hay is yer problem?! Get outta here!”

The camera ponies continued throwing questions at her, a cacophony of voices all scrambling over each other to be heard. Applejack grew impatient and angrily swatted a few of the nearest cameras away.

“QUIET DOWN!” she bellowed, earning at least a somewhat quieter cacophony. “Ah ain’t in a real good mood right now. So ya’ll got til the count of three to get off mah farm before Ah get the shotgun.”

The reporters were silent until a brave, or perhaps very foolish, young stallion spoke up.

“Excuse me, can we get a quote from you abou-“

His question was cut short as Applejack grabbed him by the throat. “You’ll be getting’ more than a quote if you don’t hightail it outta here real quick, partner. You’ll be gettin’ a one-way ticket to marehood.”

The young buck’s back legs squeezed closer together and he gulped.

“One.”

The reporters farthest from the door started running, the ones closest to the door tumbled over each other in their attempt to do the same.

“Two.”

The pegasi of the group had taken to the air and were well ahead of their earth-bound brethren running down the path with their tails between their legs.

“Three!” Applejack shouted loudly enough for them to hear all the way down the path. The last few to make it to the gate put on a burst of speed, screaming for their very lives.

Soarin’ breathed a sigh of relief, only to have it die part of the way out as Applejack slammed the door and turned on him.

“You were explainin’?” she said, still glaring at him.

The blue stallion withered under her glare. “I…She…” He swallowed. “She, uh, tried to kiss me.”

The orange mare’s glaring eyes softened a little. “Then what?” she barked, still sounding cross.

“Nothing, I swear. Nothing happened. She told me she liked me, I tried to let her down gently and she flew off.” The blue stallion closed his eyes and braced himself for the orange mare’s wrath.

Several tense moments passed, but no wrath came. Cautiously, Soarin’ opened one eye. All of Applejack’s anger seemed to wither away in the face of his confession. The mare deflated, hanging her head so the brim of her hat obscured her face.

“Oh, poor Rainbow,” she said sadly. “This…this is all mah fault.”

Her statement threw him for a loop “What?”

The distraught mare seemed not to notice him. She stared at the floor, still hiding behind her hat. His nervousness dying down, Soarin’ mustered his courage and took a step toward her.

“AJ, how is this your fault?” he asked. When he didn’t receive a reply, he placed a hoof on her shoulder and asked again. Finally, her head slowly turned up to face him just in time for him to see a tear running down her cheek.

“Ah thought…” she sniffled, “Ah knew she liked you. She jus’ didn’t know how to tell you, so she asked me for advice. Ah thought you liked her too. Ah…Ah tried to help her. If Ah’d known you didn’t…Ah could’a done somethin’.”

That she was taking this so hard surprised Soarin’; even more so that she was blaming herself. She’d had mood swings before and he was well acquainted with how weird she got when her hormones started acting up, but he couldn’t remember her getting this upset about anything before.

He gently placed a hoof on her shoulder and pulled her into a half-hug. “Hey,” he whispered, “what does Granny Smith always say about crying over spilled milk? You didn’t know. Neither of us could have known what would happen.”

“But Ah should have,” she insisted. “The both of you are mah best friends. Ah should have seen that you didn’t think of her like that.” She blinked and the trail of tears down her cheeks were renewed. “But after how things turned out with Clover…Ah guess Ah wanted so bad for things to work out right that Ah saw somethin’ between you that wasn’t there.”

He gave her a reassuring squeeze then lifted her chin to face him. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve always put the ponies you care about ahead of yourself. I’m not mad at you and I don’t think Rainbow will be either. You just did what you thought would make us happy. I’m kinda glad that you’re looking out for me like that. Just, y’know, let me worry about my love life, OK?”

She laughed and put her head on his shoulder, returning the hug. “You got a deal. Sorry about yellin’ at you and gettin’ so worked up.”

“S’all right.”

“Did you let Rainbow down easy?”

He sighed and broke the hug. “Gently as I could. I don’t think it helped very much. I should probably try to talk to her.”

“That’d be a good idea,” Applejack agreed. “You should give her a little time first, though, let her work stuff out. She usually talks to me or one of the other girls about things like this.”

Neither pony spoke or moved, the both of them deciding to sit and enjoy each other’s company.

“Ah’m kinda glad it was you she fell for,” Applejack said suddenly. “Rainbow’s like another sister to me. Coulda been some filthy varmint she got a crush on that would’a taken advantage of her. If it had been just about anypony else, Ah don’t thank Ah’d have been so encouragin’. Ah’m glad it was a good stallion like you, somepony Ah can trust.”

The weight of what she said descended on him like a heavy yoke. “R-really?”

“Yup. Yer always around to help us when we need you and everypony really appreciates that. Ah know that, no matter what, you’ve always got our best interests at heart. Ah trust you just as much as Ah trust mah own family or the girls.”

Soarin’s stomach felt heavier, like he had swallowed a boulder. She trusted him. The idea made his chest burn with guilt. She placed trust in him, and he had been lying to her. He had let her down.

He had to tell her. He had to make it right. It would probably cost him her trust, but he would rather rebuild a well-placed trust than keep the misplaced one.

He was startled out of his thoughts when three raps on the door were followed by its opening.

“Applejack?” Rarity called as she stepped in the door, laden with various white, frilly material. “I apologize for my tardiness, but I had to make an unscheduled trip to the spa due to-”

‘Oh, well,’ Soarin’ thought. ‘Out of the frying pan….’

“YOU!” Rarity growled, her eyes narrowing in anger.

‘…into the fire.’

-SWA-

One severe chewing out from the white mare later, Soarin’ went up to his room. Rarity’s verbal tirade had lasted quite a while before Applejack intervened. As recompense, Soarin’ would be helping to clean out the attic at Carousel Boutique during weekends.

Soarin’ wasn’t looking forward to how awkward the situation was going to be. But, on the bright side, it would give Rainbow a couple of days to think things through.

Tired, Soarin’ plopped on the bed, hoping that the next day would be better. As he slowly started to drift off, he heard the muffled sounds of Applejack and Rarity talking about decorations for…

The blue stallion’s eyes burst open. The party. In all the excitement he’d forgotten all about it. Getting up, he rushed to the door and opened it a little, listening to what the two mares were saying.

“Ah don’t know, Rarity. Ah think the lace and ribbons might be a bit much.”

“Oh, Applejack, that’s the whole point of a baby shower. You get help preparing for your little bundle of joy and you get to see all the cute little baby things. It must be as cute as possible. It is a shame, though. We could come up with a more specific theme if we knew the baby’s gender...”

“Sorry, Rarity. You’ll just have to wait and find out when Ah do.”

“But, but…oh, how am I supposed to make your son or daughter any cute little outfits?”

There was a moment of silence. Soarin’ imagined Applejack shrugging. “Dunno. Ah wasn’t really plannin’ on usin’ any baby clothes anyway. The foal’d grow out of ‘em before winter.”

Another moment of silence. “Applejack,” Rarity chided, her tone implying she had facehoofed. “Clothing isn’t always about practicality or Celestia knows I would have closed the boutique long ago…”

Soarin’ closed his door as Rarity continued her explanation in defense of her trade. Excited, he practically leapt across the room to the dresser. He glanced behind him to make sure the door was locked and his little secret would remain secret. Assured that he was alone, he dug to the back of the top drawer, behind various little trinkets he’d packed from his house.

The blue stallion smiled warmly as he gazed at the gift he had chosen to give her. It wasn’t exactly something for a baby shower, but he knew that Applejack’s birthday was fairly close and he had heard her talking to Pinkie about combining the two of them to reduce stress.

Carefully, he placed the gift in its little box and buried it back in the drawer.

“She’s going to love it,” he whispered to himself as he got back into bed.

-SWA-

The day of the party came and the Apple living room was babyfied. Pastel blue and pink ribbons, balloons, and confetti covered everything. Designs of baby-related things littered every available surface, ranging from teeny tiny teddy bears to bonny baby bows.

The girls arrived about the same time Macintosh returned from escorting several close family members from the train station. The red stallion quickly excused himself in time to avoid the cacophony of ‘ooh, how cute’s’ and ‘aren’t they just adorable’s’. Soarin’ quickly finished helping to set up and then followed Macintosh’s lead, thanking his lucky stars that Applejack had decided to have a smaller birthday half of the party later in the afternoon.

Before he left, the blue stallion tried to have a brief word with Rainbow, but only received a cold shoulder. He felt his heart sink, but refused to give up hope that he could somehow salvage their friendship just yet.

Knowing that worrying about it wouldn’t do any good, Soarin’ began the walk to the apple stand to start his shift. The mundane work of filling customers’ orders distracted him from his worries about Rainbow.

A few hours later, he closed the stand early and pulled the cart back to the farm. He smiled as the farmhouse came into view and looked forward to sitting down and relaxing for a bit while the baby shower wrapped up.

Thoughts of relaxing were pushed aside by a feeling of awkward tension when he saw the mare sitting in front of the house. She must have been taking a breather from all of the other mares’ fawning over baby things.

“Rainbow?”

The prismatic mare jumped, staring at him wide-eyed. She eyed the door and looked like she was about to bolt back inside away from him.

“Rainbow, wait!” he called, the cart rattling as he moved closer.

She froze and he slowly approached, stopping a short distance behind her when she didn’t turn to look at him.

He didn’t know how long he would have her attention and tried to say everything all at once. “Rainbow,” he said quickly. “I just want to say that I’m sorry. Applejack said to give you some time and it’s only been a few days, but I need to apologize. I didn’t mean to screw things up between us and I especially didn’t want to hurt you.”

Seeing that she wasn’t leaving, he took a breath and slowed down a little to get his words right while unhitching himself from the cart. “I…I still want to be your friend. I really meant it when I said that.”

Still nothing. He sighed, deciding to try one last resort.

“She doesn’t know,” he said softly, taking a few steps closer so he was next to her and slightly back. “I’ve been trying to find a way to tell her for so long now, but I just can’t because…then I’d have to tell her about something else.”

Soarin’ turned his head away, staring down at the ground in shame. “I’ve been lying to her, Rainbow. When…when Clover left, she was so scared and she felt so alone it broke my heart. I wanted to do anything I could, so I told her that I’d stay. But, well, my boss had a thing or two to say about that and I got angry.”

He took a deep breath. No turning back now.

“So I resigned. And I told her I just went on leave. I’ve been lying to the pony I care about most for all this time. I want so badly to tell her how I feel, but I know that doing that might mean losing her.”

His confession concluded, he waited for a reaction. When all he got was silence, he looked at Rainbow again.

The athletic mare stared at him, her mouth agape and eyes wide in astonishment.

“You did…you did that?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Why…” She cleared her throat. “Why are you telling me all of this?”

“Because you deserve an explanation. Because I value your friendship and I trust you,” he replied, smiling and relieved that she was at least talking to him. “And I know that you’ll have my back if I need you.”

Neither spoke for a few moments. Soarin’ waited, giving Rainbow time to process everything. He felt his heart pounding nervously. When the suspense became too much to bear, he spoke.

“Are we going to be OK?”

Rainbow sighed. “I wanna say yes, but no, we’re not OK. Not yet. This whole mess really hurt and I still need some time to think about things.”

Soarin’ dropped his head, feeling dejected. “I understand.”

“And…you’re lying to one of my best friends. We’re not OK until you tell Applejack the truth.”

He nodded. “Deal.”

Rainbow took a step closer, narrowing her eyes. “And if you hurt her, I’ll clobber you so hard you’ll be tasting what my hooves have touched for a week. If this house of cards comes falling down, I’m always gonna pick AJ’s side.”

Soarin’ nodded. “I didn’t expect any less of you.”

The rainbow mare sighed. “Look, I’m not gonna lie and say it won’t hurt seeing you going after AJ. But if it’s OK with her and it makes both of you happy, then I’ll deal with it. Plenty of other fish and all that stuff, y’know?”

He gave her a small smile. “I’ve had time to think too, Rainbow. I won’t do anything to hurt you. I’ll tell AJ the truth, but I’ll wait a little while before taking it any further. Knowing her, that’s the way she’ll want it, too.”

The front door suddenly burst open and out came Apple Bloom, shouting at the top of her lungs.

“Big Macintosh! Big Macintosh!” she bellowed. When she saw Soarin’, she ran up to him and started pulling his leg. Soarin’! Ya gotta come quick!”

“What’s wrong?” Soarin’ asked.

“Applejack’s havin’ con…con…”

The blue stallion’s eyes widened. “Contractions?!”

“What?!” Rainbow shouted in surprise.

“Yeah, those,” the filly confirmed. “She’s havin’ the baby! Ah gotta go get Macintosh. Where is he?”

Rainbow leapt into action. “I think he went that way. I’ll go get him. You two go inside and help AJ.”

Soarin’ nodded and dashed inside as Rainbow zoomed out over the orchard.

“Rainbow’s goin’ to get Big Macintosh,” Apple Bloom announced as she burst through the door. “He’ll be here any minute.”

Soarin’s mind was in overdrive as he initiated the plan that had been set up. When Macintosh received word that it was time, he would go around to the side of the house where an old cart was parked. He watched Apple Bloom for a moment to see that she was heading up to Applejack’s room and getting the overnight bag. All that remained was to get the soon-to-be mother to the front door.

The proceeding of the plan came to a stop as Soarin’ took in the scene occurring in the living room.

Pinkie Pie jumped excitedly around the room exclaiming ‘the baby’s coming, the baby’s coming’ over and over. A couch that Soarin’ didn’t remember ever being there before sat in the middle of the room, Rarity having fainted on top of it.

Applejack was already halfway to the door, a deadpan expression on her face as her other two friends fretted over her, one on either side.

“Ohmygoodnessohmygoodnessohmygoodness,” Fluttershy squeaked.

“And don’t forget your breathing,” Twilight worriedly reminded her friend as she proceeded to demonstrate the breathing exercises. “Huh hee huh hee huh hee fphooooo. Breathing is important. Right, Fluttershy?”

“Ohmygoodnessohmygoodnessohmygoodness,” was the yellow pegasus’ reply.

“Oh! And we should get you some water to keep you hydrated.”

“Ohmygoodnessohmygoodnessohmygoodness.”

“Girls,” Applejack interrupted. “Ah’m fine. Let’s just get to the hospital. Apple Bloom, you got the bag?”

“Right here,” the filly shouted from the top of the stairs.

Soarin’ held the door open as the orange mare waddled to the cart her brother had pulled to the door. After helping her sister in, the pregnant mare hoisted herself into the cart and lied down. Then with a spin of his legs Macintosh took off, carrying his sister down the road to motherhood.

The other girls joined them in the hospital waiting room shortly after Applejack had been checked in. Most waited in chairs. Rainbow paced the floor, Apple Bloom doing likewise until Pinkie offered to play a game with her. Even Big Macintosh seemed nervous, tapping his hoof and fidgeting a little more than anypony was used to seeing him do.

A doctor stepped into the room and Apple Bloom zipped up to him so fast her bow almost came off.

“Is mah sister OK?” she asked, standing up against the doctor’s legs.

“Ah’m fine, Apple Bloom,” a voice behind him said.

Applejack came through the doors looking rather disappointed. Her friends and family gathered around her.

“What happened?” they all tried to ask at once.

“Where’s the baby?” asked Apple Bloom.

Pinkie tilted her head, quizzically looking at the orange mare’s still distended belly. “Did they put it back?”

The doctor chuckled. “No, just a false alarm, I’m afraid. She was just having Buckston Hicks contractions. It’s just her body getting ready to deliver the foal.”

“Thanks, doc,” said Applejack, sounding a little disheartened.

Pinkie giggled. “Wow, the little guy played a prank! It even got me! That was a good one.”

“Hey, girls, Ah’m kinda tuckered. You mind if we did birthday stuff tomorrow?” Applejack asked.

“Not at all,” Rarity assured her, the rest murmuring or nodding their agreement.

The girls bid their goodbyes and everypony went home. Applejack got into the cart at her sister’s behest. She stared off into space as her brother slowly pulled the cart home. The journey passed in relative silence, save for Apple Bloom’s idle chatter as she snuggled up to her sister.

Big Macintosh dropped them off at the door and then went to put the cart away while Apple Bloom ran off to get a little more crusading done with her friends. Soarin’ put Applejack’s overnight bag back in her room and returned to find her rifling through the fridge. She moved somewhat sluggishly and didn’t seem to be paying attention to what she was pulling out. Soarin’ thought that either she was getting an exceedingly odd craving or she had something on her mind.

“You OK?” Soarin’ asked her.

She gave a small smile, breaking from her reverie a little. Sighing, she replied, “Yup. Just a little disappointed.”

She plopped down in one of the chairs and Soarin’ followed suit.

He smiled at her. “At least the plan that we put in place worked. Now when it really is time, we know that we’re ready.”

“That’s just it,” the orange mare replied. “Ah’m not ready. Ah was just about as scared as the girls when Ah felt those contractions. Ah couldn’t even remember what to do when everypony started yellin’ in all the chaos.” Her eyes sparkled with excess water and her voice became shaky. “All that preparin’ and Ah was still just as scared as the day Ah found out Ah was pregnant.”

“I don’t blame you,” Soarin’ said, placing a hoof on hers comfortingly. “Having a baby is some scary stuff. And that’s coming from a guy who the used to play ‘chicken’ with his squad mates.”

The orange mare smiled a little.

The pegasus got up from his seat. “Wait there. I have something that might help you.

He left the room and returned a moment later with a small box wrapped in a blue ribbon.

“Here. I know you wanted to wait until tomorrow for the birthday presents, but I think you could use this now.”

He set the box down on the table. “Happy birthday.”

Applejack wiped her eyes and pulled at the ribbon until it unraveled from the box. When the top half had been separated from the bottom, she looked inside quizzically.

“A necklace?” she asked, pulling the contents out. The black cord draped over her hoof had a green teardrop jewel at the end that glinted in the kitchen light.

“It can be if you want it to be. It started out as a set of earrings, but the pony that gave it to me lost the other one. It can be a necklace or you could use it as a hair tie or whatever. I’ve worn that ever since my first show with the Wonderbolts. It’s been kind of like a good luck charm. Maybe it’ll help you find the courage you need.”

Applejack smiled. “That sounds like it means a lot to you. Are you sure you want me to have it?”

“Yes. It’ll do you more good than me. I don’t really need it anymore. Besides…” he moved behind her, gently placing the necklace around her neck. Then, returning to his seat next to her, he said, “it brings out those pretty eyes of yours.”

The orange mare laughed. “Oh, quit tryin’ to butter me up, sweet talker. Save that for when you get a marefriend.” She held the jewel in her hoof, admiring it for a moment. She smiled. “Thank you, Soarin’. This was mighty sweet of you.”

Soarin’ felt his heart warming as the orange mare across from him smiled. “You’re welcome.”

-SWA-

“Gah-ah-ah-pchooo.”

“Gesundheit.”

Soarin’ sniffed. “Thanks.”

“Hmmm,” Rarity hummed to herself as she rooted around in another box. “I think this can go,” she muttered.

Soarin’ picked the box up and put it near the attic door with the other things that had a one-way ticket to the trash heap.

The white mare shuddered. “I can’t believe I ever allowed myself to even consider using paisley.”

The bell on the front door of the shop rang and she startled a little.

“I’m home, Rarity,” A small, squeaky voice called that Soarin’ guessed was Sweetie Belle.

“Goodness, is it that late already?” Rarity asked. Taking a look around the room, she thought for a moment. “Well, I suppose we’ve done enough for today. You can go home if you like.”

Soarin’ smiled and stretched a little. “Thanks, Rarity. I’ll see you next week. Same time?”

The white mare shook her head. “I believe I can take it from here. The debt for your offense has been repaid.”

Soarin’ smiled. “Thanks. Don’t worry, it won’t ever happen again.”

Taking his leave, the blue stallion meandered down the streets, not in any particular hurry. Spending a few hours in a dusty attic over the past several weeks had given him a whole new appreciation for the value of fresh late-spring air. He idly extended his wings out on either side of him, giving them a stretch.

One good thing he had to say about Rarity’s attic, though, was that the air was drier. The last spring rainstorm the night before had left an invigorating clean smell in the air. But as it reached afternoon, the air became humid and muggy.

He was just starting to feel sweat begin to collect on the back of his neck when he was suddenly overshadowed. He didn’t need to look up to know who had moved the grey cloud over him.

“Have you told her yet?” Rainbow asked, peeking over the edge.

Soarin’ sighed. “No. It hasn’t come up yet.”

The prismatic mare rolled her eyes. “Dude, the only way something like that will ever come up is if you make it. You’ve been stalling forever. Just tell her.”

“Shouldn’t you be the last pony on earth to be wanting this to happen?” Soarin’ asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

Rainbow was quiet for a moment. “I just want you to be honest with her. If…if you guys start…if you wind up together, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

Soarin’ decided to change the subject. “What should I say when I tell her? There isn’t exactly a Haymark card for something like this.”

Rainbow leaned over the edge of the cloud to look him in the eye. “Dunno. But if you don’t tell her soon, I have storm clouds and I’m not afraid to use ‘em.” She patted the cloud she rested on for emphasis.

Soarin’ sighed again. “Duly noted.”

Rainbow hugged her cloud and pulled it back up into the sky as the Acres came into view.

“Hello?” Soarin’ called into the house as he went in. “Anypony home?”

“In here,” Applejack’s voice called from the kitchen.

Soarin’ heard shuffling and clinking sounds mixed with other sounds of Applejack grunting and the occasional less than ladylike word spoken under her breath. He went through the kitchen door and startled at the sight that greeted him.

Applejack was just pulling her head out from under the sink, but for a brief second, he caught a glimpse of her rump sticking in the air and pointed in his direction.

The blue stallion blushed and looked away, trying to regain his composure as the orange mare turned. Her appearance was what Soarin’ could only describe as ragged. Her mussed up mane was exposed, trademark hat absent from her head. Her tail braid, which she had started wearing as her due date approached, was coming apart, leaving several strands of hair dangling freely. Her face and neck glistened with a sheen of perspiration and the mare looked like the only thing she wanted to do was plop down and take a nap.

“Hey,” she grunted. “Think you can help me fix the sink?”

Soarin’ cleared his throat in an attempt to eliminate the awkwardness. “Should, uh, should you be doing that?”

Applejack frowned. “Oh, fer Pete’s sake, not you too.”

Soarin’ took a step back, surprised by her hostility. “What?”

“Ah’m sick of everypony treatin’ me like Ah’m made’a glass!” Her voice increased in pitch, mimicking what other ponies said. “’Do you need to lie down, Applejack?’, ‘Can Ah get you anything?’, ‘Oh here, let me carry that for you.’ Ah’m pregnant, not feeble. Ah can still be useful and Ah can still do mah part around here.”

Soarin’ stared at her wide-eyed, waiting for her to calm down.

The mare panted to catch her breath and sighed apologetically. “Ah’m sorry for snappin’ at you. Ah know it ain’t your fault. The heat and these blasted hormones are just makin’ me cranky, not to mention hot and bothered.”

Soarin’ nodded. “What can I do?”

Applejack gave him a funny look. “About me bein’ hot and bothered?”

Soarin’s eyes widened and he sputtered. “No! Y-you said you needed help with the sink. I can, uh,” he pointed to the cupboard Applejack’s head had just been under. “y’know, help and…do sink stuff.”

“Oh, right. Well, Ah know what needs doin’, Ah just can’t get down in there to do it. Think you can do that?”

“No problem,” he replied, still embarrassed.

The orange mare smiled and picked up a small bucket in her teeth.

“Hrrm,” she grunted, angling it toward him. The stallion’s efforts to rid his face of its red tint fell to naught. Carefully, he bit the opposite edge of the bucket. His eyes widened slightly as they met hers at the same time the two ponies’ noses touched.

It took all of his willpower, but the blue stallion managed to not drop the bucket as he stood frozen in place, his eyes locked with hers as the moment that they both held the bucket flowed with all the speed of cold caramel.

He wasn’t aware of exactly when Applejack pulled away, but the next thing he knew she was talking again.

“Now,” she instructed. “Yer gonna need to lie down to get at it. Just put the bucket underneath the pipe there.”

Soarin’ blinked as his rational mind caught up with current events. “Uh, r-right, got it.”

The blue stallion got under the cupboard and placed the bucket beneath the pipe in question. Carefully, he got down on his stomach and took a few deep breaths to try and alleviate the heat in his cheeks.

Applejack bent her head down to peek in after him. “You ever cleaned a sink trap before?” she asked.

“No,” Soarin’ replied.

“Well don’t worry, it ain’t too hard. Ah’ll walk you through it.”

The mare passed him a set of pliers and talked him through taking the trap off, letting the gunk inside drain into the bucket and then washing the pipe out and replacing it.

“Nice job,” Applejack commented, admiring his work as he came out of the cupboard.

“No problem,” the stallion replied.

“Think you can help me with a few other things?” she asked. “Ah need to get some heavy liftin’ done and you seem to be the stallion for the job.”

“I’m your guy.”

They put the plumbing tools away and Applejack led him outside to the barn. As they went, Soarin’ thought about what Rainbow had said about needing to make the right time to tell Applejack. Though loath to admit it, he knew that she was right; he’d been stalling and delaying when he should have told her on the night he quit.

“Applejack?” he began, as she led them up a set of stairs to the loft.

“Hmm?” The orange mare pushed open one of the hayloft doors to let in more light.

Soarin’ pushed the other one. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

The loft, true to its name was filled with piles of straw. Interspersed amongst the straw were boxes and bags of various odds and ends, stacked and arranged tightly together, leaving only enough room to move around, if very little.

“Careful where you step,” the orange mare cautioned. “Apple Bloom and her friends play up here sometimes and there might be somethin’ pokin’ outta the hay. What’s on yer mind?”

Soarin’ thought carefully, trying to find the right way to break the news. “I’ve, um, really liked working here on the farm.”

Applejack smiled as she started reading the labels of various boxes stacked in a corner. “And we’ve enjoyed havin’ you.”

“I’m…also really grateful for how nice you were when we first met. I’d never been treated like that before by anypony and I’m really glad that we ran into each other that day.”

The orange mare opened a nearby box and started to rifle through it. “Ah am, too. Ah’ll be sorry to see you go when the time comes. The whole family will.” Frowning, she pushed the box aside, revealing it to be full of rusty old hoof tools.

Soarin’s ears flattened against his skull as he eyed the easily throwable items. His nervousness increased as he tried to continue. “Well, y’know it’s not like I’ll be gone forever. I’ve been thinking about it and maybe I could have a second home here, something to come home to in the off-season or when I retire.”

Another box was pushed aside as Applejack continued her search. “Sounds like a pretty good idea.” She pointed at a box stacked on top of another one. “Would you mind grabbin’ that and pullin’ it down? Ah need to get at this one underneath it.”

“Sure.”

Soarin’ stepped through the small gap between Applejack and the box she was standing next to, trying to hide his blush as the feathers of his right wing brushed against her side. He lifted the rather heavy box off the top of the stack and set it down nearby. Idly, he read the label stating that the box held spare pruning shears.

The stallion gulped and decided to scoot the box a little farther away from his friend, turning the label so it couldn’t be seen.

“A-anyway,” he continued, “What I, uh, wanted to tell you was, um, that is to say…What would you think if I-”

The orange mare pulled a long scythe out of the corner.

“Oh, come on!” Soarin’ exclaimed. Seriously, how many sharp and possibly murderous implements did the Apples have?

Applejack raised an eyebrow quizzically. “What?”

“Uh, nothing.”

The mare shrugged and then put the scythe down. She scowled and looked around the loft again. “Where is that gosh darn thing?” she muttered. She glanced out the opening in the loft and sighed. “It’s gettin’ kinda late. How about we sit down for a minute and take a break?”

Soarin’ didn’t feel like he needed a break, but knew it would be good for Applejack to get off her hooves. “OK. What are we looking for anyway?” he asked as he jumped plot first into a hay pile.

KLONG.

Soarin’ went cross-eyed as he felt his rump collide with something hard in the hay. Limply, he fell sideways into a softer pile of hay and groaned in pain.

Applejack grimaced. “You all right?”

“Ooooooh, my tailbone,” he groaned. “What was that?”

The mare dug through the hay and grinned. “Looks like you found what we were lookin’ for.” She brushed the hay aside to reveal a large black pot, the kind stereotypically associated with making potions.

“Ow, glad I could help,” he said, rubbing his flank to relieve the pain.

Applejack took a spot nearby to lie down on her side. “Ahhhh. Phew. Been on mah hooves fer too long.” She started rubbing one of her fore hooves with the other in little circles, humming in contentment as the tension was relieved.

“Do you want me to give you a back rub?”

Inwardly, a part of Soarin’ panicked and chastised him. How could he have asked her that? She’d just told him how frustrating being asked things like that was. Not to mention that what he’d just asked was usually something done with somepony closer and more intimate than he was with her. The stallion prepared himself for admonishment.

Applejack’s eyes widened like she’d been hit with a burst of inspiration. “Y’know, that might be just the ticket. Thanks.”

She turned so her back was facing him and nestled into the hay to get more comfortable. Soarin’ almost dropped his jaw on the floor. He had hugged her before, but this felt completely different, like a line that he didn’t feel he had any right to cross. Deciding it was too late to back out, he took the plunge.

Gently, he pressed a hoof into the middle of her back. He felt he’d never really known what the sensation of warmth was like until he felt her body heat against his hoof. His face took a pink tint to it as he slowly rolled his hoof, pressing the edge gently into her skin.

“Is this OK?” he asked.

“Mmmm,” she murmured. “Uh-huh. You could press a little harder if you want to.”

The blue stallion obliged, pressing his hoof into her back more firmly and moving in little circles. When a few rotations had been made, he moved his hoof a little higher and to the left.

Applejack closed her eyes and groaned. “Ooohhhh, that feels real nice.”

Applejack’s back rub continued, each contented sigh, moan and groan adding to Soarin’s confidence reserves. Soon both of his hooves were pressed against her, relieving tension and undoing the knots in her muscles as they moved ever so slowly up her back. When he reached her withers, he glanced down at her and smiled.

The late afternoon sunbeams streaming through the loft doors caressed her body with their warm and gentle touch. The orange mare’s eyes were closed peacefully and her chest rose and fell slowly. She wore a small, contented smile, still softly humming as he continued his ministrations.

She was so wonderful, Soarin’ thought to himself. The stallion cursed himself and his cowardice for withholding the truth from her for this long, let alone for any time at all. He leaned in a little closer as his hooves moved down to work on her shoulders. She looked so lovely as she rested, Soarin’ thought he might mistake her for a dream.

Funny, he thought, if he were dreaming, he might be able to finally tell her the truth, if not about what he had done for her then about how he felt about her. The truth could finally be given light without the fear of losing somepony so important to him.

The stallion leaned a little closer. This was it, he realized. This was how he would tell her. Actions spoke louder than words and certain actions, namely a kiss on the cheek, would proclaim how he felt for her in the loudest way possible.

The stallion felt his heart quiver in anticipation as his lips prepared to lightly touch her face. He felt no nervousness, no fear clouding his mind as he prepared to make his message heard.

After all, this was only a dream.

Irony can be a funny thing. Two seemingly separate events have a single similarity that can be found funny or amusing to some. A kiss tucked away inside a little pocket of cloud had been ended prematurely by the abrupt moving of a head. Ironically, the intended target of a kiss was altered by the same circumstance in a sunlit hayloft on a warm day at the edge of spring and summer.

The dream cracked and gave way to reality as two sets of lips softly met on a pile of hay in the barn. Soarin’s mind spun, not believing that the orange mare could have lifted her head to meet his in just the right way.

But even more so, he didn’t believe that it hadn’t abruptly ended. The orange mare’s eyes were still closed and despite not being able to see it, he knew she was smiling. He was still kissing her and she was still kissing him. His heart surged and fireworks exploded in a chorus of ecstasy as his eyes fluttered closed, giving in to bliss.

Applejack suddenly gasped and reality reared its other, far uglier head as the kiss was broken. The farmer pulled back, her mouth falling open in shock and embarrassment.

“Ah…Ah…A-ah’m sorry,” she stammered. Her face took the shade of a radish as she quickly tried to get up, encumbered by her pregnancy. Finally she made it to her hooves and stood frozen like a deer in the headlights, only able to stammer out apologies before making a rush to the stairs.

Soarin’ felt like the barn was collapsing around him. He rushed after her. “Applejack, wait. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”

She stopped but didn’t move from her position standing on top of the stairs. “Soarin’, Ah-”

“No, wait, I need to say this now or I might not be able to,” he interrupted. He took a deep breath to gather his courage. “I’ve been meaning to tell you for so long, but I was scared. I wanted so badly to tell you how I feel about you, but I didn’t want to risk losing your friendship.”

He swallowed and continued. “I’m crazy about you. Crazier than I’ve ever been about anypony I ever met before. My time here on the farm with you has been one of the happiest in my life. For the longest time, the only thing that anypony cared about me was that I was what I was. But you were different. You let me earn your friendship and respect on my own merits. You let me, a total stranger, into your home when I needed help and never asked for anything in return.”

The stallion licked his lips. He felt a pit of uncertainty open in his chest. “I just had to tell you. I don’t expect this to change anything between us and I’m not asking anything of you. I just wanted you to know.”

Silence filled the room as Soarin’s confession hung in the air. Applejack remained still where she had stopped, not facing him. The pit became a chasm that Soarin’ thought would swallow him whole and he wondered if he should just leave.

“I’m sorry for kissing you,” he said, turning toward the window. “It won’t happen again.”

“That’d be a shame,” the orange mare’s voice cracked. “You’re pretty good at kissin’.”

Soarin’ whirled around in surprise, not believing that she’d said what he thought she had.

“Sorry,” Applejack apologized. “Thought Ah’d take a page from yer book and try to make a joke.” She had turned when he had and they faced each other across the loft.

The mare fidgeted. “Look, Soarin’, Ah’m flattered that you feel that way about me. Honestly, Ah had a little bit of a hunch you felt that way after Ah found out what happened with Rainbow.”

“You did?”

She nodded. “Rainbow mentioned that you liked somepony else. Ain’t that many other mares you spend much time with around here.”

“Oh.” The stallion smiled sheepishly. “Heh.”

The mare continued. “But, we can’t-”

“I know,” Soarin’ interrupted, feeling his heart sink. “Nothing more than friends. I understand. I never expected telling you how I felt to lead to a relationship. If you don’t feel the way that I do, that’s OK.”

Applejack smiled at him. “That ain’t it. Ah don’t feel the same way that you do, but that don’t mean Ah’m not interested.”

The stallion had just enough time to sputter before his jaw dropped. “Y-you mean?”

The mare held up a hoof. “Hold your horses, sugarcube. Ah’m not sayin’ right now. Ah’m sayin’ maybe someday.

“Preparin’ for this baby’s made me think about a lot of things. Despite what happened with Clover, Ah still think that there’s some nice fella out there that’d make a pretty good pa for mah foal, and Ah wanna find him. Ah’d be lyin’ if Ah said Ah hadn’t thought of the possibility it’s you. You’re good with foals, you ain’t afraid to get your hooves dirty, you’re a real hard worker, and those are all things that Ah appreciate.

The smile faded and her eyes roved to another corner of the barn. “But Ah can’t start anythin’ right now. There’s too much hurt that needs healin’.”

“Clover?”

Again, she nodded. “And Rainbow. She’s good at hidin’ it, but Ah know that what happened between you still hurts. Ah wouldn’t want to be part of somethin’ that hurt her any more.”

Soarin’ smiled. “I thought you’d feel that way. Like I said, I understand. I won’t ask you to do anything that you’re not ready for. Just knowing that you’ve considered it was more than I was expecting to happen. If you want to, and if you’re still interested when the time comes, then I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

Applejack bit the corner of her lip, looking unsure of herself. “But what if Ah’m never ready?”

Soarin’ smiled. “Then I’ve got a really long wait, don’t I? Don’t worry, though. I’ll be around.”

The orange mare became morose. “In the off-season, maybe.”

“And maybe for a little longer.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, looking quizzically at him. “The show circuit runs from spring to fall.”

Once again, the stallion mustered his courage. As long as things were being confessed...“When I came back, when you told me what had happened…you’re the strongest, bravest mare I know and I saw you terrified. I couldn’t stand seeing you so hurt. I wanted to do whatever I could to take that away. I wanted so badly to see you happy.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “What did you do?”

“When I went back to HQ to ask for the time off…my boss didn’t like the idea. He…he said…things about you. I got frustrated, angry. I had to help you through and he was blocking me.”

“What did you do?” she asked more forcefully.

The blue stallion smiled across the loft at the orange mare. A silence filled the barn saying more to her and filling in blanks more than real words could.

“You didn’t,” she stated in disbelief. She took three steps forward, halving the distance between them.

“I did,” he affirmed.

Applejack’s eyes filled with tears. “So…so all this time’s been a lie. Y-you…you lied right to mah face all this time.”

He reached out to place a hoof on her shoulder. “I-”

“Don’t touch me!” she shouted, swatting his hoof away.

The stallion took a step back. “OK. I meant to tell you,” he explained. “But I didn’t know how. I was afraid that you’d send me away.”

“You’re darn right Ah would!” she shouted, seething. “Ah told you Ah understood that you had to go back. What in the world gave you the idea to do somethin’ so stupid?”

The mare took a few deep breaths to calm herself. “Ah…Ah have to go. Ah don’t wanna say somethin’ Ah’ll regret.” Turning, she started going back down the stairs.

“A-Applejack,” Soarin’ called after her. He rushed to the top of the steps as she made it to the bottom. He wracked his mind for something, anything to say that would fix what he’d done.

“I’m sorry,” was all that came.

Chapter 14: Making Up

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Chapter 14: Making Up

Clang Clang Clang

“The timberwolves ‘ere a-howlin’!!!”

Bang Clang Clang Bang Crash.

Soarin’ shot up in bed, startled from slumber with no idea of what was going on.

“Hit the deck!” he shouted in his delirium. “Call for hatches! Batten down the reinforcements! Everypony to their- Waugh!”

Tangled in his sheets, the blue stallion fell out of bed and landed firmly on the floor. He groaned and, after several tries, managed to free himself from the blanket prison. Now more awake and alert, he flew out his window and over the house to see what the commotion was.

Granny Smith ran back and forth across the yard, several pots and pans hanging from her neck. The old mare banged them together, creating a very loud racket and shouting at the top of her lungs.

“It’s the first sign!” she exclaimed. “The zap apples ‘ere comin’.”

“Yaaahooooo!” Soarin’ heard the Apple siblings shout. He descended down the other side of the house until he was level with Applejack’s window.

“Ain’t it excitin’, Soarin’?” Apple Bloom asked him, jumping a little in excitement as she held on to the window sill. “The zap apples are comin’!”

“I heard,” the stallion assured her, rubbing his eyes. “If that jam’s as good as you make it out to be, I can’t wait to try it.”

“It’ll be the best thing you ever tasted! Right, Applejack?”

“Ah guess so,” her sister replied. “Ah’m gonna go and take stock of our ingredients so you and Granny know what to get on your shoppin’ trip.”

The mare lumbered out her bedroom door without another word. Soarin’ felt a pang of guilt and regret, the umpteenth one since his confession. Applejack had barely said two words to him since he told her about how he had quit his job. In fact, she had been outright avoiding him most of the time. The mare could really hold a grudge.

Deciding that dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything, he tried to direct his thoughts elsewhere.

“So, AB, what do we have to do to get ready for the zap apples?”

-SWA-

“This is ridiculous,” Soarin’ groaned.

Apple Bloom and the crusaders skipped back and forth from the spigot, filling watering cans and placing them in a circle.

“Ah know it’s kinda strange,” the yellow filly said, the ears on her blue bunny suit wiggling when she moved her head, “but it’s what we gotta do or we won’t get as many zap apples and that means we might run outta jam.”

“But…bunny suits?” Soarin’ questioned, tugging at the chest of the pastel yellow one he was wearing.

Scootaloo shrugged as she put on a blue pair of bunny ears. “Magic just has its funny ways,” she explained.

“And it’s fun!” Sweetie Belle squeaked, a green pair adorning her head.

Soarin’ sighed. “Well, OK, let’s get this over with.”

“We’re not ready yet.” Apple Bloom turned and shouted to the house. “Granny Smith, the water’s ready.”

The old mare hollered a reply and emerged from the house, wearing a bunny suit of pastel purple. Applejack followed behind her, complaining.

“But, Granny,” she pleaded. “If Ah’m not out helpin’ Big Macintosh get ready, we might not be able to collect all the zap apples.”

“Yer brother’s more’n able to get done what needs doin’,” Granny countered. “’Sides, Ah’m sendin’ Mister Soarin’ out to lend a hoof since Apple Bloom’s friends are here to help with the water.”

“Yes!” the stallion exclaimed, wasting no time in unzipping and discarding his childish garment.

Applejack glared at him.

“I mean, uh, yes ma’am,” he corrected himself sheepishly as he shook the suit off his back legs.

“Now move yer caboose!” Granny commanded her granddaughter. “Ah got a special job for ya in the harvest this year.”

The orange mare seemed to perk up a little at the idea of a special job. “What do Ah do?”

Granny pointed to the middle of the circle of watering cans. “Just take a seat right over yonder.”

Applejack went from encouraged to disheartened. “That’s it?”

Her grandmother placed a gentle hoof on Applejack’s stomach. “Yer a mare that’s creatin’ life. There’s a real special kinda magic about that. And there’s magic in the bond a ma has with her foals. The years where one’a us was about to have a foal were some’a the best harvests the farm’s ever had.”

The green mare’s eyes twinkled with fond memories. “Why, Ah remember yer ma sittin’ there fer hours when she was expectin’ all three’a you, jes’ talkin’ to ya and tellin’ stories and sayin’ she couldn’t wait to meet ya.”

Applejack listened to her grandmother with rapt attention. A smile grew on her face, slowly getting wider as she neared the end. Wordlessly, she sat down in the middle of the circle.

“Howdy there, lil apple,” she whispered lovingly, slowly running a hoof over her stomach.

Granny poked Soarin’ in the side. “Git goin’ ya lazy daisy. There’s work to be done.”

Soarin’ nodded and started flying in the direction of the zap apple orchard, listening to Applejack talking to her foal until he was too far away to hear.

“How’d you like to hear a story your grampy told me? Once upon a time, there lived a little apple tree…”

The afternoon brought a flurry of activity for the farm. Baskets needed to be placed around all of the zap apple trees and each and every tree needed watering. Soarin’ went back and forth, taking baskets or watering cans from carts and administering them to the trees as needed. As the sun neared the end of its downward trek, the stallion swore he’d drop dead if he didn’t rest soon.

“Hey Big Macintosh,” he called, panting. “Mind if I…take a break?”

He glanced over to see how Big Macintosh was faring and his jaw dropped. The red stallion didn’t appear to be straining himself at all. Aside from his slightly sweat-dampened mane, he looked like he’d only been working a short while.

The big fellow looked like he was going to make a reply when the wind picked up. Normally, this would not have been of any consequence, but there was something different about this gust in particular. It was cold, colder than it should have been for a summer day. A feeling of ominous foreboding settled in Soarin’s gut as the wind chilled him to his bones. Dark clouds gathered in the sky and for a moment Soarin’ wondered if they came from the Everfree forest.

The cold feeling developed into a shiver down the blue stallion’s spine. His coat stood on end and he recognized the familiar feel of ions in the air, like a thundercloud about to unleash. He saw a spark and his jaw dropped as arcs of electricity danced along the bare trees around him. The tip of each branch acted like a lightning rod, catching the current as it was passed along over the trees. When the sparks settled, Soarin’ leapt back with a cry of surprise as dark green leaves suddenly appeared on the branches from nowhere. The new foliage sparked a little and then the trees and the wind were still again.

“Whoa,” Soarin’ breathed, astonished. “Hey, Macintosh, did you see that?”

“Eeyup,” the red stallion replied, nonchalantly getting back to work.

“That was awesome!” Soarin’ exclaimed. “What was that?”

“The second sign,” Mac replied.

Cautiously, the stallion fluttered up to look closely at the new leaves. They seemed benign enough. Their shape was like many other typical apple leaves and their color was a little bit darker. Soarin’ lifted a hoof and glanced between it and a leaf then slowly moved it closer and closer.

“What are you doing?”

Just as he was about to touch it, he jolted.

“Gah!” the stallion shouted in surprise, faltering in his hover. He took a breath to recover and then glared. “Jeez, Rainbow, don’t sneak up on me like that!”

The prismatic mare chuckled. “I didn’t sneak, you just didn’t hear me. I even asked Mac where Applejack was before I noticed you taking up leaf watching.”

Soarin’ decided to spare himself further embarrassment and change the subject. “What did you need to see Applejack about?”

“She came over yesterday and wanted to talk, but I was kinda busy.” She looked around and added, “but I guess she’s busy now with zap apples and everything.”

Soarin’ had a feeling as to what she had wanted to talk about. “She probably wanted to talk about me,” he said morosely.

“Huh?” Seeing the look on his face, Rainbow realized what he meant. “Oh. You finally told her, huh?”

He nodded. “She’s barely said a word to me since.”

“Can ya blame her?” Rainbow cringed, regretting what she’d said. “Sorry. That was kinda harsh. But seriously, Soarin’, what’d you expect. You lied to the freaking Element of Honesty. For months. How did you expect it to turn out?”

“Honestly,” the stallion replied, “I thought she’d kick me out and never want to see me again.” Glancing to the left, he noticed Big Mac pass by for the umpteenth time and figured he should be getting back to work. He began a slow walk to the cart to get a watering can. “But I’m starting to think that this is worse.” He sighed. “Part of me is wondering if I should just leave. Not seeing her sounds better than her not talking to me again.”

“Whoa, hey,” Rainbow shouted in surprise. Two flaps of her wings moved her in his path, facing him. “C’mon, don’t throw in the towel yet. Yeah, what you did was stupid, but AJ’s gonna come around. Not even she’s that stubborn. Just let me talk to her, OK?”

Soarin’ took a small step back, surprised at his friend’s conviction. “How can you be so sure? And why are you so eager for this to happen?”

“I’ve had AJ mad at me before. Honesty is definitely her thing, but she’s pretty loyal, too. Eventually she remembers that friendship is, like, way more important than whatever we argue about.” The prismatic mare suddenly went from convicted to sheepish, scuffing the ground with her hoof.

“And my other question?” Soarin’ pressed.

Rainbow stuttered. “Well…it’s…I- AUGH! I hate all this stupid waiting, OK! I just want to put all this dumb, romantic, crushy stuff behind me and get back to just being friends. Being around you is, like, really awkward now ever since…y’know. We used to just have fun together and I want this stupid mistake to just go away so we can get back to that.

“And there’s AJ, too,” the mare continued. “I’m not really into the whole mushy-gushy, lovey-dovey junk. It’s just not, y’know, cool and stuff. That stuff’s more for ponies like Rarity. I didn’t think AJ was into it either, until she was with Clover. Then when he left, it was like she got ripped up on the inside. Having you around made her happier. I think that you’re good for her and you won’t let her down.”

Soarin’ frowned and passed her to get back to his work. “Rainbow, I already did let her down.”

The other pegasus followed him. “Well…yeah, but you also did what needed to be done when she needed you to support her. When she remembers that, maybe she’ll forgive you.”

Rainbow Dash took off as Soarin’ reached the cart and hovered nearby. “Listen, I gotta go. But don’t give up, OK. AJ will come around and start talking to you again. Just give her some time.”

Soarin’ allowed himself a small smile. “Thanks. Oh, and Rainbow?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to hang out some time next week? As friends?”

The prismatic mare grinned. “Heck yeah!”

-SWA-

The next two days were the same as the first. The trees were watered and baskets were placed, along with other activities to prepare for the coming harvest.

Soarin’ had never seen the farm so strange. From weird, isolated changes in weather patterns to Granny suddenly giving Pinkie a run for her bits in randomness. He learned quickly that, much like with the pink mare herself, it was best to just take it all in stride. So, when the sky went dark over the zap apple orchard and a huge murder of crows flew overhead making apple shapes, he marveled at the new zap apple flowers and then got back to work. And when he saw Granny talking politely with the bees, shouting at jars, or painting the kitchen walls with purple polka dots, he offered his assistance or went about some other chore that needed doing.

Despite the family’s best efforts, though, the last day before harvest arrived and they were still behind schedule. The pegasus and the earth ponies worked their tails off all day long to try and gain a little ground.

As he slowly made his way back to the house at the end of the day, the blue stallion’s wings drooped. Exhaustion pulled at him like lead. The only thing he thought as he approached the front door was going into a coma when his head hit the pillow.

That thought diverted when he opened the front door to the smell of fresh-baked apple pastry. Maybe he could take a quick little detour through the kitchen on his way to bed.

He entered the room to find Applejack sitting at the table with a fresh batch of apple fritters. Seeing that she was gobbling the pastries up like she was in an eating contest, Soarin’ guessed that she must have had another craving. He gulped and prepared for an awkward, non-acknowledged passing through the room to get a snack.

Applejack stood up, her mouth still half-full of fritter. After several grunts and other noises to get his attention, she quickly swallowed, wiping crumbs from her mouth. “There you are,” she said. “Ah wanted to talk to you.”

The blue stallion froze, stunned in mixed feelings of surprise and relief. Finally, she was at least talking to him. He counted that as a good sign. Maybe he could finally find a way to fix things.

“Really?” he asked, the idea sounding too good to be true.

“Yes,” she replied, stepping to the other side of the table. “Ah wanted to tell you how sorry Ah am.”

Again, the mare threw him for a loop. He shook his head to make sure the hard work all week hadn’t made him crack. “Whoa, wait. You’re sorry?”

“Yes,” she confirmed, nodding. “Ah’m sorry that Ah’ve been treatin’ you so poorly. That wasn’t fair to you. Ah just let mah anger get the best of me and Ah hope you can forgive me.”

Soarin’ shook his head. “There’s nothing to forgive. You were right. It’s me who’s sorry. I should have told you the truth a long time ago.”

“Yes, you should have. But Ah’m still sorry for getting’ so upset-”

“You had every right to be upset,” Soarin’ insisted.

“Let me finish,” the mare said tersely. “But Ah should have talked with you about it sooner. It wasn’t fair of me to let it sit for so long. Can you forgive me?”

“Do you want me to leave?” the stallion suddenly asked.

Now it was her turn to be thrown for a loop. “What?”

“Should I find some other place to stay? I’ve been thinking a lot about how much I hurt you and I can’t help but wonder if my being here is going to be too hard for you. Do you think it would be best if I moved out?”

The orange mare was silent for a long time before she answered.

“It ain’t none of mah business what you do now that you ain’t a Wonderbolt. But Ah’ve really appreciated havin’ you around. If you want to stay on after the foal comes, we can hire you for when we really need the extra help. And Ah’d be happy to give you a recommendation for a job if you need it.”

Soarin’ frowned. “That, uh, didn’t exactly answer my question.”

“You didn’t answer mine, either,” Applejack retorted, shrugging.

“Oh,” he realized. “Yes, I forgive you.”

The orange mare smiled, sighing in relief. “Thank you. And Ah forgive you, too.”

Hearing her say it felt like cutting sandbags he had carried for a long time, but the blue stallion knew there would have to be more to it than that. Their friendship had a long way to go before it would be anything like what it was. It would take more than just being forgiven to earn her trust back.

“What can I do to make it up to you?” he asked. “How can I fix this?”

The pregnant mare sighed, this time sadly. “Ah don’t know,” she replied. “Ah want to go back to the way things were just as much as you do. But lyin’ for all this time ain’t exactly easy to fix. Ah’m…Ah’m not even sure it really can be fixed, not completely. Maybe it would’ve been better if you’d just gone back and stayed a Wonderbolt.”

Soarin’ felt his heart sinking. “Is…is that really what you think? You think it would have been better if I’d never come here?”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “No! No, sugarcube, that ain’t what Ah mean at all. Ah’m glad for the time you were here on the farm. Ah just can’t understand why you’d throw your life away to be here.

“This farm is mah whole life,” she explained. It’s what Ah was born to do.” She nodded to the mark on her flank. “Ah’ve spent mah life here and it’s all Ah know. If Ah ever had to give it up for anything, Ah’d be downright miserable. There’s a whole lotta things Ah’d lose before Ah lost this farm.

“And that’s what Ah can’t understand. You’ve told me stories about how flyin’ was all you ever wanted. How you were the youngest stallion to ever get into the Wonderbolts.” Her voice cracked. “Ah just can’t understand why…why you would give somethin’ like that up. Why did you throw your life away just for…just for me?”

“Applejack,” the pegasus explained. “If I could go back to the day you told me you were pregnant, I’d quit all over again in a heartbeat and never look back. Being a Wonderbolt was one of the best things I’ve ever done. And over my career, I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices, more than one of them being friends or relationships. There’ve been several times that I wanted to quit. The only reason I didn’t quit before was because the thing I wanted to quit for didn’t seem as important as flying. Sometimes it was a pretty close call, but flying was always what I chose.”

He smiled softly at her. “But then I met you. And flying didn’t seem so important anymore. I’m OK with getting up at sunrise and working my tail off until sunset if it means making life better for the farm. I don’t care that it’s been months since I’ve flown high enough to see my breath in the air on a summer day. You’re worth it. You’re worth not flying. I’ve run my decision over and over in my head so much since I left Cloudsdale that it made me dizzy. What I did was stupid and rash and bull-headed and …and stupid and…” he realized he’d said stupid twice, but elected to ignore it. “But I’d do it all over again. I’d relive every last minute on this farm and not change a single thing.”

Silence filled the kitchen for several long, tense moments. Soarin’ felt like he had a bright light shining on him, like millions of ponies staring him down as he waited for her to answer.

“Except the part about lying,” he quickly clarified. “That, I would definitely change.”

The orange mare gave a small smile. “Ah’m glad to hear that. And you’re right…”

“I am?”

“Uh-huh. Quittin’ your job was pretty stupid.”

Soarin’s ears drooped.

“But,” Applejack continued. “Your heart was in the right place. Ah still feel guilty for bein’ part of the reason, but Ah’m glad to have a friend like you.”

A delighted, coltish grin spread across the stallion’s muzzle. He felt his mood do a one-eighty and shoot like a rocket in the other direction. More sandbags fell to the ground at her acknowledgement of the one relationship he’d been most concerned about preserving, friendship.

But, could it be more? The question wormed its way into his skull. Soarin’ tossed it aside. How could he be so selfish? He’d almost given up hope that Applejack wouldn’t sever all ties with him and had just begun the road to repairing their friendship. Wasn’t that enough?

Deciding that, yes, just being friends was enough, at least for the time being, the stallion mentally shook the question away.

“Thank you for giving me another chance to be your friend, Applejack. You have no idea what that means to me.” He raised his right hoof. “I promise, from now on, no more lying. And I’ll do whatever I can to regain your trust.”

The front door creaked open and Granny called from the living room. “C’mon, ya’ll. The fourth sign’s appeared. Hurry or ye’ll miss it.”

Applejack’s eyes brightened. “C’mon, you have to see this.”

She led him out the front door to the lawn where the rest of the family was already sitting to view the spectacle. Out over the zap apple orchard, great sparkling balls of light fell from the sky. Soarin’ squinted, seeing something weird about the trees. The bright blue petals of the flowers fell and the middle seemed to turn a dull grey before sagging lower on its branch.

“The zap apples have appeared,” Apple Bloom exclaimed, getting up on her hind legs to see better. Without a word, her brother hoisted her up on his back and she stood up against his neck for a better view.

“They sure have, pickle-pear,” Granny agreed. “And tomorrow starts the harvest an’ then the zap apple jammin’.”

“Are you sure Ah can’t help, Granny?” Applejack asked. “There must be somthin’ Ah can do.”

“Nnnnope.”

The orange mare gave her brother a glare. “Ah don’t recall askin’ you.”

Apple Bloom nodded her agreement with the red stallion. “Big Mac’s right, Applejack. You don’t have much longer til the baby gets here. You shouldn’t be doin’ any applebuckin’.”

“Ah still got two or three weeks before mah due date,” her sister replied irritably. “And Ah didn’t say anything about applebuckin’. Ah just meant-”

“Simmer down, young’un,” Granny said, placating her granddaughter ordered. “Ah’m sure you can help me in the kitchen with the jam when the time comes.”

“But what about tomorrow? Everypony’s gonna be busy harvestin’ all day and makin’ the jam doesn’t start until the day after.”

“No, but we still got plenty to do. You can help me with makin’ sure the others get plenty’a water.”

The orange mare sighed. “All right. If Ah can do anything to help get us back on track, Ah will.”

“Are you really that worried about it?” Soarin’ asked.

She nodded emphatically. “The zap apples disappear if we don’t buck ‘em in one day. That means that we only have one shot at this. We need this harvest to go well if we want to get ahead. And not bein’ able to do anything just has me feelin’ so helpless and frustrated.”

Granny Smith wrapped her granddaughter in a comforting hug. “Now, young’un, have faith. Even if harvest don’t go perfectly, we’ll be all right, long as we stick together.”

“Eeeyup.”

“And Ah’ll be helpin’ Big Mac with the buckin’,” Apple Bloom stated proudly. “Soarin’, too. We can get it all done. In a couple days, we’ll have enough to put away for the foal’s future.”

Soarin’ nodded his agreement, smiling up at the yellow filly. It amazed him how much Apple Bloom had been maturing in the time he’d known her. She’d taken on the task of helping her sister in addition to her own responsibilities without so much as a single complaint. She would make a wonderful aunt when the foal finally arrived.

Applejack smiled at each member of her family in turn. She didn’t say anything, but Soarin’ had the impression that nothing needed to be said; a silent word of gratitude spoken between family members.

The gathered ponies were silent for a long time, enjoying the view of the sunset as the day came to an end. As the last of the sun’s glow slid below the horizon, they collectively went inside to relax or prepare for bed and the next day’s events.

-SWA-

Everypony was up bright and early the next morning, busy as worker bees getting everything ready. A sort of tension resonated around the farm, like they were all waiting for the splattering of applesauce after an apple was tossed up to the fan. Everypony sat down to a heaping smorgasbord of a breakfast and dispersed to go make final preparations for the harvest day.

Soarin’ put the last of the dishes away as he finished his turn for dishwasher duty. After drying his hooves, he meandered into the living room. He heard a creaking sound as he rounded the corner.

He smiled at Applejack as he entered the room. She slowly rocked back and forth in Granny’s rocking chair, supporting her head on one hoof.

“You were awfully quiet at breakfast this morning. Haypenny for your thoughts?”

She looked at him, and he saw the tiredness in her eyes. “What else do Ah think about these days?”

“You didn’t sleep well,” he said, stating it more as an observation than a question. “Was it nightmares?”

She shook her head with a small smile. “No. Ah was too darn excited. Ah guess it’s finally startin’ to really sink in,” she confessed. “In a couple weeks, Ah’m gonna be a ma.”

Her smile grew and she rubbed her stomach. “Ah’m gonna be a ma,” she repeated, sounding happier and even more excited.

Soarin’ grinned back at her. “Yes. Yes you are.”

She slowly rose from the chair, still grinning like a maniac. “Yes Ah am! Ah don’t have any idea what kind of mom Ah’ll be or if mah foal will love me or not or how Ah’ll ever explain about Clover if the foal ever asks…”

Soarin’ smile fell slightly as Applejack drew a breath.

Her eyes sparkled with a wildly excited look to them, like a pony who had such wonderful, life-changing news they were exploding to tell somepony.

“But, for the first time, Ah’m not worried sick over it.” She closed her eyes blissfully. “Ah can see Big Mac teachin’ him or her how to applebuck, or Apple Bloom tellin’ ‘em it’s all right if they ain’t got their cutie mark yet. Ah can see ‘em fallin’ asleep in Granny’s lap as she reads a bedtime story out loud like she did for me.” She opened her eyes again, the green pools sparkling like stars. “Ah can see all of it! It scares the ever livin’ daylights outta me sometimes, but…”

Her doubt and fear fell into the void as she grinned like she’d just won the lottery. “Ah’m gonna be a ma.”

Soarin’ let out a little hum of empathic happiness. “Thought of all that in one night, did you?”

She nodded. “A lot of the things you all were sayin’ last night really hit home.”

“I’m glad. Do you know what you’re going to name the foal yet?”

She nodded. “Apple Cobbler for a colt and Apple Dumplin’ if it’s a filly.”

Soarin’ chuckled. “I’m assuming those are family names.”

Applejack smiled knowingly. “Yeah Ah know, Apple family names are a little predictable. We just like namin’ folks after each other. For example, Apple Dumplin’ was mah great great granny on mah pa’s-”

She stopped midsentence, grunting and turning her head away. She placed a hoof on her stomach and hissed in pain through her teeth.

“What’s wrong?” Soarin’ asked.

She took a breath and sighed. “Nothin’. Sorry, the little apple bucker just kicked.” She smiled. “Woo. Definitely an Apple.”

“Are you OK?”

She nodded. “It’d probably do me some good to stretch mah legs. The zap apples should be gettin’ ripe any minute now. We should head on out there.”

No sooner had she said it, and no sooner had they gotten out the door did Apple Bloom come bounding across the lawn.

“It’s startin’, it’s startin’,” she hollered as she skidded to a halt, almost crashing into Soarin’s chest. She took several deep breaths before relaying the full message. “The zap apples are ready!”

The older ponies looked out to the field from which the filly had just come. Dark clouds had gathered over the orchard, sending down a drizzling shower. They sparked and the sound of thunder was heard.

Applejack let out a whoop. “C’mon, we’d better hustle.”

The three of them cantered towards the clouds and the orchard. As they approached, rainbow light stretched between the trees, leaving behind spots of color spectrum standing out in the greenery. The light faded just as they reached the tree line. Big Mac stood waiting for them, looking approvingly at the newly ripened fruit. The apples were larger than their formerly grey appearance, bigger too. They had more of a square shape as well. But the thing that struck Soarin’ the most was the colors. Each fruit had stripes of every color of the rainbow spiraling around them.

“Whoa,” he breathed in astonishment. “I’ve heard of zap apple jam, but I’ve never seen one of the apples up close before.” He flew up and picked a fruit from the tree, wondering what it tasted like.

Something bopped his head a moment later and he cried out, more in surprise than pain. The apple sailed from his grip, landing perfectly in a nearby basket the same time one of the tennis balls from Granny’s walker hit the ground and started rolling down the slope back to the green mare.

The elder returned the ball to its place. “There’ll be time fer eatin’ later. It’s bad luck to eat the apples before they’re off the trees. Now move yer caboose, young’uns! We’s got a lotta work to do before sundown.”

Big Mac and Apple Bloom nodded and set to work. Soarin’ rubbed his temple and then followed suit.

Hours passed, apples fell, and basket after basket filled with the multicolored fruit. Soarin’ lost track of time, barely even having a moment to pause before moving to the next tree. As the hours passed, the stallion began to tire. His hooves ached and his legs felt heavier and heavier with each tree he bucked.

Applejack and Granny made rounds bringing water to the applebuckers. The refreshing liquid kept Soarin’ going and gave him an excuse to rest for a moment.

About noon, they each took turns to stop and sit down to a quick lunch. Apple Bloom went first and then tagged Soarin’ to go next when she had finished. The blue stallion plopped down on the blanket set up in the middle of the zap apple trees.

Applejack smiled at him from the corner where she reclined, near the picnic basket. Without a word, she pulled a bottle of apple juice and a sandwich from the basket and tossed them to him.

The stallion tore into the sandwich almost before he’d managed to get the paper off.

“Easy there, sugarcube. Don’t give yourself the hiccups,” Applejack cautioned.

“Mmmm. Shfoory,” he apologized. He swallowed and sipped at the apple juice. “I’m starving. The pace you guys set during applebuck season isn’t quite as rigorous.”

“You sayin’ you can’t handle it?” the mare challenged.

“No, I can handle it. I just might die in the process,” he replied, going for another bite of his sandwich.

The orange mare laughed for a moment before she grimaced.

“Kicking again?” the stallion asked as he swallowed. He noticed the mare biting her lip and realized it was something else before she could reply. “Wait, you’re not having contractions, are you?”

What little Applejack had of a poker face shattered. “Ah, uh..”

“You have! How many? How far apart are they?”

“Shh!” Applejack hushed, looking around for anypony else in earshot. When the coast had been confirmed clear, she spoke in hushed tones. “Calm down, all right. I’ve only had a couple and they’re still really far apart. No need to give everypony more to worry about. It might even be another false alarm for all we know.”

“But what if it isn’t?” Soarin’ asked. “Maybe you should go in and have them check.”

She shook her head. “They’d probably just send me home or have me go for a walk. Ah’m more useful here with mah family.”

“But-”

“Come on, buster,” Granny shouted from where she had emerged from the tree line a few trees down. “Move yer caboose. Big Macintosh still needs his lunch and we got a lotta buckin’ to do.”

The blue stallion went to work finishing his meal lest he face the elderly mare’s wrath. “OK,” he said between bites. “But if they shtart geddin’ mo’ fwequent, you’re goin’ to the hoshpital.”

“Of course,” she agreed.

“Shorry,” he apologized, finishing his food. “I don’ mean t’be annoying, I jush worry about you shumtimes.”

She smiled. “Ah know, and Ah’m glad for it. But don’t. Just worry about getting’ those trees bucked, OK?”

He nodded. “Deal.”

“Me or Granny’ll be by in while with water. Please don’t tell no pony.”

Soarin’ returned to work, the feeling of fatigue joined by a feeling of uneasiness.

More of the zap apples fell into their baskets as the afternoon rolled on. Tree after tree was bucked bare only for there to be another one after it. And then another one after that.

The cycle repeated. Buck the apples, collect any stray ones into the baskets, move to the next tree, lather, rinse, repeat. Meanwhile the endless parade of trees prevailed against the stallion’s less than limitless energy.

Soarin’ only saving grace was when Applejack or Granny brought him water, when he could pause for a minute to catch his breath. Whenever he felt exhausted or tired, one of them would be there. And with their smiles, Applejack’s in particular, he was encouraged.

“Doin’ all right?” the orange mare asked, passing him a canteen.

She smiled as the strap left her neck and he took the container.

“Yeah, I am now.”

She took a seat a little ways away from him. “Go ahead and keep workin’, Ah just need to rest my hooves a minute.”

When the cool liquid had quenched his thirst, he placed the canteen on the grass and moved to the next tree.

THUNK

He watched the orange mare out of the corner of his eye as he placed stray fruit into the basket. He saw the worry in her eyes as she glanced at the position of the sun, almost halfway down to the horizon from its zenith. Her hoof twitched as she glanced up and down the row at the trees that had been done and the trees that had yet to be done and she sighed.

“Stop worrying,” he told her in a sing-song voice.

“Ah’m not!” she insisted. “Well, OK maybe a little.”

The stallion smirked as he moved to the next tree.

“Ah can’t help it, though. Not bein’ able to do somethin’ when mah family needs me makes me feel so helpless.”

THUNK

The boughs shook and zap apples fell. Soarin’ began to pick up the ones that had missed. “You are helping,” he said.

“You know what Ah mean,” she retorted.

“Yes I do. And I still stand by my statement. Don’t sell yourself short. You’re helping a lot more than you know.”

The mare shrugged, glancing down the rows again. “It’s just water.”

“Water’s pretty important. Without it, I think we’d all be in pretty big trouble.”

“Y’all could just carry canteens,” she countered. “Bringin’ water just gives me somethin’ to do. It ain’t really more than busywork.” She spat the last word like a foal eating brussel sprouts.

THUNK

“Maybe.” He smiled back at her. “But you bringing the water does more than a canteen could. You stop and smile and talk with us. It helps pass the time and, personally, I find it just as refreshing as the drink break.”

The orange mare stood up and moved farther down the row to catch up with him.

“You’re kind of a morale boost too, I guess,” Soarin’ continued. “Y’know? Kind of a reminder of what we’re all working for.” He picked up a stray apple off the ground, holding it front of her for emphasis. “Each apple we get is money in the bank for the Apple in the oven.” He tossed the apple into the nearest basket. “The more we get, the better. You’ve done so much for us, it’s good that we can give some of that back.”

She smiled warmly. “’We’, huh?”

He returned her smile with a sheepish one. “Well, mostly me. But I’m sure that Big Mac and Apple Bloom feel-”

She grimaced again, this time gritting her teeth for several seconds and groaning.

“AJ!” Soarin’ exclaimed, rushing to her side.

“It’s fine,” she said, irritably repeating what she’d been saying all day. “Ah’m fine.”

This time the stallion didn’t buy it. “There’s a reason that the saying doesn’t say ‘fool me three times, I’m an idiot.’” He wrapped a hoof around her shoulder. “Come on, you’re going to the doctor.”

The orange mare shook him off. “No, it’s fine. Ah don’t need to go just yet. The contractions are only about ten minutes apart. Ah’ve still got time.”

“Ten minutes?!” the pegasus exclaimed. “Applejack…”

“We can finish,” she pleaded with him, sitting back down. “Ah just need to stay still. Y’all only have a couple rows left and then it’s off to the hospital.”

Soarin’ seethed, taking out his frustration on the nearest tree.

THWACK

“Why do you have to be so stubborn?” he asked.

“Ah ain’t bein’ stubborn,” she retorted. “The doctor said to wait ‘til the contractions were around six minutes apart.”

Gritting his teeth, Soarin’ kept his mouth shut, knowing nothing could be done when Applejack’s mind was made up. Instead, he tried to focus on finishing as fast as possible and getting the orange mare to hospital. He moved from tree to tree, bucking apples as quickly as he could and never straying too far from her.

As he made another pass down the next row over, he noticed her grimace as another contraction came. Worry spiked in his chest. How far apart were they now? Silently, he counted the seconds in his head.

One…two… three…

Slowly the seconds ticked by as he watched her for the next contraction. His work slowed as the seconds counted up, his mind focusing more and more on the orange mare. He passed fifty seconds, then one hundred. He started tossing zap apples in a nearby basket every ten seconds so his count wouldn’t slow down as the number got higher.

Six…seven…eight…

Applejack’s mouth dropped open, her cheeks puffing slightly as she took several deep breaths, clearly in pain from another contraction.

Soarin’ scrambled to count the apples he’d been using to keep track of time, finding there to be thirty two in total.

‘Almost five and a half minutes,’ he thought. “Time to go.”

“What was that?” the orange mare questioned as the stallion skidded to a halt in front of her.

“Time to go,” he said frantically. “Come on, you’re at five and a half minutes. We need to hustle.”

“Y-you’re supposed to be buckin’, not timin’ mah contractions,” she said, trying to dodge the subject.

He ignored her, grabbing one of her hooves and trying to help her up. “Come on. Less than six minutes. Hospital. Baby. Here we go!”

Slowly, she rose. “B-but there’s still a lot of apples on the trees. A-Ah can hold out for another couple minutes.”

“AJ!” he shouted. He stopped himself, taking a deep breath to try and stay calm. “If you wait any longer, the baby’s going to fall into one of the baskets with the zap apples. Now come on.”

“Ah told you Ah’m fi-”

The words died in her throat as she felt the warmth of liquid running down her leg.

“What’s wrong?” Soarin’ asked.

The mare stared ahead like her life was flashing in front of her eyes. “Mah…mah water just broke.”

Both ponies stared at each other in wide-eyed shock for several seconds.

“Don’t just stand there,” the now-in-labor mare shouted. “Go get Granny!”

“Right!” he agreed, snapping into action and taking off as fast as his wings could carry him.

The stallion spotted the elderly mare with Apple Bloom and was on the ground beside them in seconds.

“Applejack’s water just broke!” he told them.

Apple Bloom gasped. “Ah’ll get the bag!”

The filly started to take off towards the house.

Granny grabbed the young one’s tail, stopping her in her tracks. “Hold it, young’un.” The mare’s voice remained calm and even. “How far are her contractions?” she asked.

Soarin’ half marveled and half hated how the green mare could stay so calm. “About five minutes or so.”

Granny shook her head. “Applejack, ya darn fool,” she muttered. She turned to Apple Bloom. “Go get yer brother, hun. He’s over yonder a couple rows down. Have him run to the house and get the bag and cart and meet us back here. Be quick now!”

The yellow filly took off running as fast as her legs could carry her.

“C’mon, sonny. Time’s a-waistin’,” the old mare called behind her, already moving through the trees to get to her granddaughter.

They met Applejack in a clearing in the middle of the zap apple field.

“Ah’m sorry, Granny,” she apologized.

The green mare wrapped a hoof around her, barely even breaking her stride as she turned the both of them in the direction to meet Mac. “Ain’t nothin’ to be sorry for.”

“But, the apples-“

“Ain’t as important as makin’ sure the young’un makes it safe inta the world, honey,” Granny interrupted, waving to get Big Mac’s attention as he galloped with the cart, Apple Bloom clinging to his back.

The big stallion skidded to a halt in front of them and Soarin’ helped Applejack into the cart and then Granny.

“All right, they’re in. Go Mac!” Apple Bloom shouted.

“Hold on now, sapling,” said Granny. “Sorry, but Ah need you and Soarin’ to stay here.”

The filly looked sadly at her grandmother. “Stay? But what about the baby?”

“The baby’ll be fine,” Granny assured her. “But the zap apples ain’t done yet. Ah know you wanted to be there for when the baby was born, but Ah need ponies Ah can count on to finish bringin’ it in. Can Ah please have you do this?”

The filly looked torn for a moment, looking between Granny and her sister.

“Please, Apple Bloom,” Applejack asked. “Ah know it’s askin’ for a lot, but- AAAAAH!” She was interrupted by another contraction.

The filly squared her jaw and leapt down off her brother. “You can count on me, sis.”

Big Macintosh gave his sister a proud smile as he began to pull the wagon away.

Granny turned and smiled as well. “Ah’ll send Big Mac back when we get there.”

“Ah’m first to hold the baby when we finish and meet you there,” the filly shouted.

They watched as Big Mac pulled the cart to the front gate and then down the road, disappearing over the hill.

Soarin’ wrapped a hoof around the filly’s neck, giving her a side hug. “Hey, for what it’s worth, I’m proud of you.”

She sighed. “Thanks.” Then, with a stamp of her hooves, she turned to the orchard with the most serious, battle ready look she could muster. “C’mon, you start over there, Ah’ll start down here.”

The stallion saluted. “Ma’am, yes ma’am.”

Work began again at an even more fevered pace by both ponies. The race to beat the clock was on as the sun fell lower and lower. Big Macintosh joined them some time later, bringing with him news that Applejack had been admitted and her contractions were two and a half minutes apart when he had left.

The sun sank closer to the horizon, the three applebuckers running on their last bits of strength. There were only a hooffull of trees to go when the glowing orb of daylight finally kissed the horizon.

Soarin’ squinted as the trees flashed like each apple was a camera bulb going off. The air smelled of ionized apples and tingling magic as any zap apples that had yet to be harvested popped out of existence.

The stallion flopped to the ground, looking down the rows of bare trees with baskets of apples beneath them. Reaching a hoof up, he wiped his forehead and pushed his sweat-drenched mane back. His body felt exhausted, but his heart soared with triumph.

“We did…,” he panted. “We did it, AJ.”

“Soarin’,” he heard his name being called. Apple Bloom galloped toward him, her bow half undone and drooping from her sweat-drenched mane. “C’mon,” she said, pulling at his hoof. “If we hurry, we can make it to the hospital.”

Reluctantly, the blue stallion rose to his hooves. He uncorked his canteen to take a swig, draining it of the last of the water it had. “What about the baskets?” he asked.

“Mac’s collectin’ ‘em.” She gave his hoof another pull. “C’mon!”

Soarin’ looked to see the big stallion already going from tree to tree and loading baskets into a cart. Big Macintosh saw the two of them looking his direction and gave a jerk of his head to the front gate, smiling.

Soarin’ returned a nod. “OK, Bloom, hop on,” he ordered the filly. She obeyed and he took off, flying in the direction of the hospital.

Applejack’s friends and the other Crusaders were already in the waiting room when they came up.

Apple Bloom began firing off questions before she was even on the floor “Where‘s Applejack? Can Ah see her? How is she? Is the baby here yet? Is Granny with them? When can Ah see mah niece or nephew?”

Pinkie Pie bounced into the fray, firing off answers. “In there. Not yet. Good. No. Yes. Really soon. Cookie or cupcake?”

“Wha?”

“You look hungry,” the pink mare explained. She reached into a nearby basket sitting underneath a bundle of balloons thinker than a rainforest canopy and pulled out a cookie and a cupcake. “Cookie? Or cupcake?” she asked again.

Apple Bloom smiled. “Cookie,” she answered, taking the proffered treat.

Soarin’, meanwhile, took a seat next to Rainbow.

“How’d the harvest go?” the rainbow mare asked, looking up from the magazine she was reading.

The stallion gave a half-nod, staring at the door Pinkie had pointed to. “Good.”

Rainbow looked between him and the door. “She’s gonna be OK, y’know.”

Again, he nodded. “I know. I’m still pretty worried, though.”

“Did you talk to her?”

“Yeah. We made up last night,” he answered.

Rainbow smirked triumphantly. “Told ya.”

The door opened as a nurse took a cart into the room, letting out the sounds from inside.

“AAAAUUUUGGGGHHH!!!! If Ah ever see that low-down son of a Cerberus again Ah’m gonna buck him in the face so hard, he’ll be able ta taste his own sh-AAAAUUUUGGGHHH!!!”

Soarin’ shot up out of the chair before he could stop himself. He stood, staring as the door to the next room closed. He’d never heard the sound of Applejack in pain like that before. He trembled, feeling helpless as the orange mare went through agony.

“Soarin’.” Rainbow called, tapping his shoulder. “Soarin’!”

He looked at the other pegasus and she returned the look with sympathy. “I’m worried, too. But she’ll be fine.”

Pulling at his shoulder, she led him back to the chair and they both sat down.

“So you two made up, huh?” she probed, trying to keep his mind off things. “Where ya planning your first date?”

The stallion blushed. “Not like that. She’s talking to me. And she forgives me for hiding the truth from her. That’s more than I expected to happen and I’m leaving the rest up in the air until things cool down.”

Rainbow nodded. “OK. What are you gonna do in the meantime?”

He shifted in his seat so he was lying on his side and yawned. “Not really sure. I’ll need to get another job. And somewhere to stay. I can’t keep crashing at AJ’s house. Beyond that, I’ll just need to figure things out as they come.”

“So you’re staying in Ponyville?” The other pegasus asked, sounding somewhat surprised.

Soarin’ smiled up at her challengingly. “Try and stop me.”

She smiled back. “I’ll put in good word for you with the weather department.”

“Hey, Rainbow Dash,” called Scootaloo from where she sat. “Got any cool stories to help keep Apple Bloom distracted? She’s wearing a groove in the floor.”

Sure enough, the yellow filly was pacing worriedly back and forth in front of where her friend was sitting. Sweetie Belle stood nearby, offering what comfort she could.

“Sure thing. C’mon over here, squirt.”

The fillies gathered round and Soarin’ got more comfortable as the prismatic pegasus told her tale. The stallion soon found that his eyes felt heavy and the chair was surprisingly comfortable. He listened for as long as he could before his exhaustion caught up with him and he fell fast asleep.

-SWA-

Soarin’ woke back up when Rainbow poked him. He groggily looked around the room to find it being emptied. Granny held the door to Applejack’s room open, smiling warmly. The stallion shook himself awake.

“Hey, Apple Bloom,” he whispered as he noticed the filly had fallen asleep next to him. “Apple Bloom, wake up.”

The filly was slower to rouse than Soarin’. “Hmmm? Whassat?” she mumbled, still keeping her eyes closed.

Granny Smith ambled over and gently shook the filly awake. “C’mon, half-pint. There’s somepony in there that wants to meet you.”

Apple Bloom shot up, now wide awake, and leapt off the chair, her hooves slipping on the tile as she tried to move faster than her body could respond.

All of Applejack’s friends and family filed quietly in to her room.

The orange mare smiled at them. “Hey, y’all.”

“Lemme see! Lemme see!” Apple Bloom demanded as she hopped up on the bed.

Everypony gathered around the bed, clamoring around each other to see the little bundle the orange mare had clutched close to her chest.

She sat up a little and moved the blanket her foal was wrapped in so her friends could see. A collective ‘awwwww’ resounded as a tiny tawny-colored face with a dark grey mane made its debut.

Applejack beamed, her voice cracking on the edge of tears. “Everypony, Ah’d like you to meet mah son, Apple Cobbler.”

Apple Bloom smiled.

“Hey there, lil’ feller.”

Chapter 15: A long-awaited beginning

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Ch 15: A long awaited beginning

Months later…

All was quiet at the apple household, a state of things that was not to be found often. Moments like these were few and far between amidst the long months of chaos brought on by a new baby and the Apples had learned, among other things, to take advantage of them when they came.

It was this lesson that prompted the less-than-traditional greeting Soarin’ would receive if he happened to visit during one of those peaceful moments.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming,” the stallion said cheerfully as he came in from the cold, wintery weather outside.

“Shhhhh!” Apple Bloom hushed.

“Easy, Apple Bloom,” Granny cautioned. “Ya almost spilled the apple sauce.”

“Ah just put Cobbler down for a nap,” Applejack explained to the pegasus from the counter where she stood making fritters. “Happy Hearth’s Warmin’.”

Soarin’ glanced in the direction of the stairs as he took off his hat, hoping he hadn’t woken the young foal. “Sorry I’m late,” he said in a more normal ‘indoor’ voice. “There’s a lot of snow coming over the next few days and the weather team needs to be ready. I had to leave right after dress rehearsal.”

“S’all right,” said Applejack. “How’s the play comin’? Apple Bloom says you’ve got a pretty good cast this year. Though Ah think you do a better Private Pansy than Blossomforth.”

Soarin’ chuckled. “I’m not too disappointed with not getting the part. At least I get to eat my helmet. Everpony else won’t get to eat until after the play. But my Private Pansy can’t hold a candle to Apple Bloom’s Smart Cookie. Applejack might have some competition if she tries out next year.”

The filly blushed.

“Do you have your lines all memorized for the show next week?” he asked her.

“Yup, all of ‘em!”

The stallion looked around the room for a moment, taking in the organized chaos of the kitchen. Boxes of apple products were piled in the corner, making the room a bit more cramped than usual. Big Mac, Granny and Apple Bloom had made the area around the table a sort of assembly line for applesauce. The big red stallion and his sister poured the sauce into jars while Granny sealed and labeled them. Applejack stood at the counter behind her grandmother, rolling apple fritters.

“Where do you want me?” Soarin’ asked.

“Ah’ll roll, you box?” Applejack suggested.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Soarin’ took a place at Applejack’s side, placing fritters in boxes and stacking the boxes with the rest when they were filled. Granny idly hummed a tune to herself, one of the many that so easily get stuck in ponies’ heads around Hearth’s Warming. Her granddaughter soon joined her, humming and moving her lips to the words that spoke of friendship and being with loved ones. Soon the whole kitchen was alive with song and camaraderie.

The group’s merriment was interrupted by the cries of an infant from upstairs. Applejack grabbed a rag and wiped her hooves of flour.

“Cobbler’s probably hungry,” she said as she tossed her apron on a hook on the wall. “Be right back.”

Granny chuckled as the orange mare left the room. “Boy’s growin’ faster’n a swarm of parasprites.”

The assembly lines rearranged themselves to adjust to Applejack’s temporary absence.

Granny passed Soarin’ sticks to make candy apples. “So how’re you likin’ the job with the weather team?”

“It’s good,” he replied, stabbing one of the fruits and passing it to Apple Bloom to coat it.

“Oh, before Ah forget, Ah put a little somethin’ together for you. It’s in the box over yonder by the door. Just some things to help you through your first winter in that new house.”

“There wouldn’t happen to be any pie in the box, would there?” he asked hopefully.

Granny’s eyes twinkled knowingly. “Might be.”

The stallion licked his lips, turning his head to try and see the box. He wondered what kind of pies they were. They would most assuredly be apple, but there was more than one kind of apple pie.

Granny lightly slapped his hoof. “Now don’t go eatin’ the lot of ‘em in one sittin’. Once those are gone, you’ll have to buy more.”

“Aw,” Soarin’ pouted as he went back to skewering apples.

“Don’t worry,” Apple Bloom chimed in. “We can probably give you the employee discount.”

He chuckled. “I’d appreciate that. Thanks.”

Applejack returned a short while later, a baby cloth still draped over her shoulder. She leaned against the door, smiling into the kitchen at her family.

Soarin’ couldn’t help but notice how tired she looked. “Is the little guy still not sleeping through the night?”

She rubbed one of her eyes and shook her head. “Nope. He’s been gettin’ better, though. Only needs a feedin’ in the middle of the night every once in a while.”

“Yer more’n welcome to set down for a spell and have a nap,” Granny offered.

The orange mare smiled at the thought. “Ah will. In a bit. We still have a lot to do. Are all the fritter orders filled?”

“Eeyup,” her brother affirmed as he stacked the last box.

“We just need a few more boxes of candy apples,” Apple Bloom announced.

“Then Ah’ve got a couple extra pies to finish up,” said Granny as she pulled a wrapped lump of dough from the fridge.

Applejack nodded and moved to the table, taking some of the dough to start rolling flat. “When are you goin’ up to see your ma, Soarin’?” she asked, making conversation.

Soarin’ glanced behind him to reply as he continued skewering apples. “Actually, I’m not. She’s coming to see me. She wanted to see my new place. Pyro and Spitfire are coming for Hearth’s Warming Day, too.”

“Sounds like a pretty good holiday.”

“Yep. Are you guys still doing your big, family dinner with all the local relatives?”

Granny nodded and then smirked. “We sure are.”

“Granny’s been waitin’ forever to gloat about bein’ a great-granny before great aunt Apple Crumble,” Apple Bloom added.

The older mare frowned. “Now, Apple Bloom, what’ve Ah always said about bein’ a good sport? T’ain’t polite to be rubbin’ yer good fortunes in other ponies’ faces. It’s downright prideful and Ah won’t have none of it, thank you kindly.”

“So does that mean you won’t be carryin’ on about how much Cobbler’s been growin’ when Aunt Crumble starts braggin’ about her grandfoals, like she does every year?”

The Apple matron quietly picked up her rolling pin, silently beginning her work on the pies. “Well…Ah didn’t say that…”

The five ponies worked hard the next few hours, talking and laughing as they made the food that would be enjoyed by all of Ponyville during the time for being with loved ones. Soon it all was baked, cooled, boxed and being loaded into a cart for delivery. The family waved to usher Big Mac off as he pulled the cart to town.

When the red stallion was gone, the remaining four turned their attention to the kitchen, grabbing damp rags to begin the cleaning process. Applejack stifled a yawn, not unnoticed by Granny Smith.

“Careful now. Those things are…” She yawned. “Contagious.”

The orange mare chuckled. “Sorry.”

“Why don’t you go down for a nap?” Apple Bloom suggested. “We can finish here.”

Granny began making her way to her rocking chair. “Probably about time Ah went and got a little shut-eye. If you need anything, just give a holler.”

Applejack smiled with longing. “A nap does sound pretty good. Ah don’t really feel too sleepy, but Ah could just lie down for a bit.”

The filly gestured with a wave of her hoof. “Go on, sis. Get some rest.”

“All right,” Applejack conceded as she crossed into the living room and went upstairs.

As soon as she was up the stairs, the stallion and the filly turned to each other.

“Dibs on drying,” they called in unison.

Silence hung over the kitchen for a moment as the two ponies stared each other down. Apple Bloom eyed the table, then gave her opponent a challenging smirk.

“Hoof wrastlin’?” she challenged, raising a cocky eyebrow.

Soarin’, confident in his ability as an athlete, accepted. “Hoof wrestling.”

Several minutes later the house fell quiet. The only sounds heard were the sounds of cookware being washed. That is, aside from Soarin’s occasional grumblings regarding dirty tricks that adorable fillies played. He rinsed a freshly-washed pie tin and passed it to Apple Bloom, finding the sweet, innocent smile she gave him for the umpteenth time to be particularly irksome.

The pair finished with the washing and emptied the sink. Apple Bloom passed Soarin’ the towel to dry his hooves and grabbed a rag to wipe the table. The kitchen had been rendered spotless and its cleaners had started a game of checkers when the silence was broken by Cobbler’s cries.

Apple Bloom’s eyes darted to the stairs. “Uh-oh. We’d better get him. Let sis rest.”

Soarin’ nodded. “Good idea.”

The pegasus and the filly quietly ascended the stairs, taking care not to wake Applejack, and made their way to Cobbler’s room. The tawny foal stood up in his crib as they entered, reaching for his aunt.

“Hey, Cobbler,” Apple Bloom said cheerfully. “Did mah wittle nephew wake up from his nappy-wappy?”

Soarin’ raised an eyebrow. Baby talk was one thing, but he’d always thought Apple Bloom overdid it a bit, mispronouncing the ‘r’ sounds of her words so they sounded like ‘w’s.

“Hey, buddy,” he greeted, his voice rising slightly in pitch in his own style of baby talk.

Apple Bloom, still not quite tall enough to lift the foal from his crib, waited at its side, smiling and playing with her nephew. Soarin’ lifted the foal out, the youngster quiet and content now that attention was being paid to him.

“Did you just want somepony to come and talk to you?” the stallion asked.

A repugnant odor answered him. Cobbler cooed happily.

“Somepony needs to be changed.”

The smiles and silly faces Apple Bloom was making vanished.

“Not it!” she quickly called, dashing from the room.

“Apple Bloom!” Soarin’ called too late.

Cobbler burbled. “Bah. Bada buh.”

“You said it, buddy.”

Soarin’ took the infant to the changing table. Soon the soiled diaper was gone, replaced with a fresh new one.

“There we go. All better,” he said as he lifted the foal up again. “You’re probably not going back to sleep for a while, are you?”

Cobbler babbled and reached to grab Soarin’s nose.

“Thought not. Well, we can play for a while until dinner, I guess.”

He set the foal down and got a few of his toys out then got down on his stomach beside him. The arrangement didn’t last long. Cobbler was on his hooves toddling around the room in a matter of minutes. The room was small, and since Cobbler just wandered around the room from toy to toy, not going to the door, Soarin’ kept an eye on him from the wall near the doorway. A warm smile affixed to the stallion’s face as he watched the foal play.

Cobbler looked up from what he was doing and babbled happily at Soarin’.

The stallion smiled even wider. “Hey Cobbler, can you say ‘uncle Soarin’ yet?”

“Aaah ba ba ba da,” the colt answered.

Soarin’ tried again, elongating the words. “Un-cle Soar-in’.”

Apple Cobbler clacked two of his blocks together. “Ba da ba buh da.”

Soarin’ chuckled. “Not yet, huh? Well, can you say ‘mama’?”

“Ma ma ma.” The foal repeated happily.

“Good job,” the stallion said. Soarin’ looked at the closed door, thinking about the mare in one of the rooms beyond. “Your mama’s pretty great isn’t she?” he asked wistfully.

The stallion rolled over on his back, looking at the foal upside down. “You think if I asked her out for coffee, she’d say yes?”

Cobbler blew a raspberry.

Soarin’ rolled over and stood up. “So that’s how you’re gonna play it, huh?” He playfully crouched like a jungle cat about to pounce on its prey. He crawled across the floor toward the foal. “Duh nuh…duh nuh,” he sang, using the tune from an old shark movie to add an air of ominousness to his approach.

Cobbler had been privy to the game before and grinned as Soarin’ got closer.

“Duh nuh. Duh nuh. Duhnuh duhnuh duhnuhraaaaaa!”

When he was close enough, the stallion pounced, scooping Cobbler up and going straight for his belly. The little colt’s peals of laughter filled the room as his stomach was bombarded with raspberries.

When the stallion let up, he waited a moment for the foal to calm down.

“Y’know, Cobbler, I think we’re both pretty lucky guys,” he said. “Not a lot of foals get to have a mom as awesome as yours. Or a…friend as awesome as mine.”

Soarin’ had been happy knowing he could still call her that. As the weeks and months had passed, though, it became harder and harder to shake the question lingering in the background. He loved being one of the ponies that Applejack counted as a friend. He loved chatting and laughing over a game of cards. He loved being a part of the farm, a part of her life.

But could there be more?

“Your mom’s pretty special,” he said. He gave Cobbler his hoof to grab at. “Like, really special.” He chuckled. “Hey, think you can put in a good word for me?”

He held the foal up and gave him a light toss in the air. Apple Cobbler grinned and giggled. Soarin’ smiled and made silly faces, encouraging more laughter.

“Heh. Look at me,” he said to himself. “Been wanting to ask her out for ages now and all I can do is talk about her with you. Pretty pathetic, isn’t it?”

Cobbler burbled.

Soarin’ lied down on the floor and rolled on to his back, holding the foal above him. Cobbler grinned, his little hooves dangling down.

“Guess I’m just silly, huh?” Soarin’ baby talked. He tossed the youngster in the air.

The baby giggled.

The pegasus tossed him again. “Who’s a silly pony?”

The young earth pony laughed even harder as he sailed through the air. Soarin’ made silly faces as he brought Cobbler closer, readying for another launch.

“Uncle Soarin’ is. Uncle Soarin’s a silly, silly pony.”

Cobbler was squealing with laughter, his golden yellow eyes shining with glee. Soarin’ tossed him again and couldn’t help but join in the foal’s contagious laughter.

“Havin’ fun?” said a voice from the door.

Soarin’ caught Cobbler. “Applejack!”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” She switched to her baby voice. “Ah jus’ wanted to see how mah wittle applebucker was.” She poked Cobbler with her hoof, tickling and playing with him.

Soarin’ passed the foal to his mother and got up.

“Did you have fun wif Uncle Soawin’?” she asked the foal, smiling and using baby talk. She checked his diaper. “Oh, and he changed your diaper, too. How nice of him.”

“Happy to help.”

The mare chuckled and held her son. “Thanks so much. He just loves playin’ with you. Ah don’t know how you do it.”

“Practice,” the pegasus replied. “Had to be good with kids in my former line of work.”

She nodded her understanding and headed for the door. “Well, dinner’s just about ready. S’pose we should get down there.”

“Yeah, I guess we should.”

Cobbler looked over his mother’s shoulder at Soarin’, smiling

The pegasus followed her into the hallway, making faces at Cobbler as he went.

“Uh hey, AJ?” he asked about halfway down the hall.

“Hmmm?”

“Do you…maybe want to get some coffee sometime?” He was right, he realized. Why not just ask. The worst she could say was no.

The mare stopped and looked back at him. “Coffee?”

No going back now. His smile faltered slightly and his cheeks felt warm. “Uh, yeah. Coffee.”

Applejack shifted Cobbler in her grip as she turned to fully face the pegasus. “Like a date?” she asked, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

Soarin’ couldn’t tell if she liked the idea, didn’t believe it, or was irritated. He rubbed the back of his head with a hoof. “Well…yeah. I mean, it doesn’t have to be. It could just be two friends going out for coffee and hanging out. That is, unless you want it to be a date…”

His fishing garnered no reaction. She just started making a slight bouncing motion when Cobbler started burbling.

The stallion felt himself start to sweat through the awkward silence. Applejack cracked the slightest of smiles, trying her hardest to hide it in vain. He suddenly realized what she was doing.

“You’re…you’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

No longer needing to hide it, Applejack smiled and chuckled. “Just a little. You’ve been walkin’ on eggshells around me since zap apple season. Been expectin’ this for a while now and Ah was wonderin’ when you’d ask.”

Soarin’ felt his hope rekindle. “So it’s a yes?”

Her smile turned serious. “Well…sorry, sugarcube, but no, it ain’t. At least…maybe not yet.”

The stallion felt his heart sink. “AJ, please don’t toy with me.”

She frowned. “Ah ain’t! Ah wouldn’t do that. This ain’t me tryin’ to string you along. Ah’m just tryin’ to be careful. Ah’ve got Cobbler now, and Ah need to think about what’s best for him.” She booped her son on the nose to emphasize her point, giving him a loving smile.

“Look,” she continued. “We agreed to be honest, so that’s what Ah’m doin’. It ain’t fair of me to keep you waitin’. Right now, Ah need to focus on bein’ a mother. And that means that havin’ a special somepony just ain’t in the cards right now. And it ain’t fair of me to keep you...’reserved’, if that’s the way to put it.”

The stallion regarded her with confusion. “Reserved?”

“Sorry, Ah’m not very good at this. But, do you see what I’m tryin’ to say at least?”

He thought a moment. “Yeah, I think I do. And I understand you wanting to wait. It’s the reason it took me this long to ask you out. The last thing I would ever want is to pressure you into something you aren’t ready for. But what I said last spring is still true; I still have feelings for you. And one day, if you want to, I think we could have something special. But only when you’re ready.”

The orange mare was silent for a moment. “And…and what if that doesn’t happen? What then? Will you just keep waitin’ for me?” She stamped her hoof. “No. Ah ain’t gonna live with bein’ the cause of you not bein’ happy and don’t you dare make me the one to decide that.”

Soarin’ took a step back, stunned by her outburst. “Whoa, easy. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound like that. This isn’t an ultimatum. All I’m asking is for you think about it. You did tell me you might be interested.”

Applejack shifted Cobbler over to rest her other leg as she thought about what he said. “Ah did say that. And Ah still am.” She gave her son an affectionate squeeze. “Ah’d really like our little family to be whole again. But, Ah think it might be a while before Ah’m ready to go lookin’ for the pony to fill that spot.”

Soarin’ smiled. “That’s why I’m willing to wait. If it means getting a shot at making you happy, I’ll wait however long you need me to.”

The mare frowned. “But what about you bein’ happy, Soarin’? What if some nice mare comes along that could make you happy and you pass her up? What if you miss a chance at happiness because you were too busy waitin’ for me?”

The stallion shook his head. “Don’t worry about that. You just focus on what’s best for you and the little guy. If somepony else comes along, I’ll make that choice for myself. OK?”

She nodded. “All right. Sorry, Ah just can’t help but worry about you.”

“I’ll consider that a good thing,” Soarin’ replied. “So, my offer still stands. Would you, maybe someday, like to go out with me?”

“Yes,” Applejack replied. “Yes Ah would. When Ah feel ready, we can go on a date.”

Soarin’s heart did somersaults. “Yes!” he exclaimed, barely stopping himself from pumping a hoof in the air. “Thank you.”

“But,” the mare continued. “Ah think we should lay down some ground rules until then. First, no romantic gestures. No flowers or love notes or little gifts.”

“Oh, come on!” Soarin’ whined. “How am I supposed to win you over if you’re taking away my arsenal?”

“Because that’s the point,” the farmer explained. “Ah don’t need somepony pursuin’ mah affection; Ah need a friend. So, while we have this little arrangement, that’s all we are. Friends.”

Soarin’ groaned, fidgeting back on forth on his hooves. “Can I at least get a couple of romantic gestures, like on Hearts and Hooves Day or your birthday? Please?”

Applejack’s mouth scrunched to one side of her face. “Hmmm. Well…”

Soarin’ pressed his hooves together. “Please.”

Applejack sighed. “Oh, all right. Small ones. Nothin’ big or showy.”

Soarin’ smiled. “Thank you.”

“Also, if somepony decides to ask you out, can you promise me you won’t turn ‘em down on mah account? You don’t have to say yes if you don’t want to, but don’t say no because you’re waitin’ for me.”

Soarin’ sighed. “You really aren’t going to let that go, are you? OK, fine. If somepony asks me out, I’ll consider it. But you can’t set any dates up for me, either. This is my choice and I don’t want any outside ‘help.’”

The orange mare nodded. “Ah can agree to that.”

“Good.”

After an awkward silence, the stallion scuffed his hoof on the ground. “So…you think we should kiss on it?”

“Soarin’…” Applejack warned.

“Kidding. I’m just kidding. Should we head down for dinner?”

Applejack nodded and they descended the stairs, only to find Granny, Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh waiting in the family room. The pegasus and the earth pony eyed the looks they were receiving suspiciously.

“Hey, uh, what’s going on?” Soarin’ asked.

Applejack groaned. “All right, how much of that did y’all hear?”

“Most of it,” her sister admitted, grinning impishly.

Soarin’s face shifted beet red and he covered it with a foreleg.

Applejack frowned. “Whatever happened to private conversations in this house?”

“Ain’t exactly private if yer out in the hall for all to hear, hon,” Granny said. She walked up to her granddaughter and took Cobbler, then began to walk to the kitchen. “’Bout darn time those two got down to business,” she muttered to the foal.

“Bah!”

“And how,” Apple Bloom agreed, following the green mare.

“Eeyup.”

Applejack blushed.

“Was…was it really that obvious?” Soarin’ whispered.

“Guess so.”

-SWA-

Three and a half years later…

Wind whistled as it slowly blew through the surrounding foliage. The sun shone down on the orchard, enough to warm the skin but not enough to break a sweat. In the distance, a small bird sang a cheerful melody before taking off from where it had alighted on a small branch. The leaves rustled in the breeze, giving the ears something to keep them distracted while the mind wandered.

His ears swiveled as he heard the sounds of approaching hoofsteps, galloping rapidly down the hill he reclined on. As they got close, the stallion turned his head away, clamping his jaw shut and trying his best not to smile or laugh and betray that his visitor’s approach had been heard.

The galloping slowed to a patter. Soarin’ heard the newcomer carefully step closer in the grass, trying in vain to avoid detection. The stallion’s composure was almost lost when he heard a little suppressed giggle. He braced himself as the hoofsteps stopped.

“Raaaaaaaarrrr!”

Soarin’ faked panic as Cobbler pounced on him, draping over his chest to pin the stallion down.

“Aaaaahhh! You got me! Noooooo! Ugh.” Sticking his tongue out, the pegasus played dead.

Cobbler giggled at his antics. As the stallion continued to lie still, the youngster shifted to straddle Soarin’s chest. He scooted himself closer to the stallion’s head and poked at his cheek.

“Ah know you’re fakin,” he proclaimed, mispronouncing the ‘r’, so it sounded like a ‘w’

Soarin’ opened one eye. “Oh really? And how would you know that?”

“’Cause you’re talkin’,” the foal replied.

“Ah. Well, you’re pretty smart. But you forgot something.”

The foal cocked his head, one ear going down and the other up. “What?”

The little guy looked so adorable, Soarin’s mask of mystery almost broke. Almost.

“You forgot that I was only faking because this is a trap!”

“Eeeeeeee!” Cobbler squealed as Soarin’ grabbed him in a bear hug.

The colt and stallion play-wrestled, rolling around in the grass. Their laughter soared, filling the air on the hillside. Cobbler eventually got a hold of Soarin’s left front leg, wrapping all four of his legs around it.

“Ah gotcha!” he said between giggles, proclaiming triumph.

“Oh yeah?” the stallion challenged. He took a few steps forward, but the little colt held tight, laughing as the pegasus’ leg carried him. Soarin’ stood still. “Wow, you really have a good grip there. But I’m not quite pinned yet.”

Seeing an opportunity, the colt grabbed Soarin’s other leg, holding them together. “How ‘bout now?”

Soarin’ widened his stance with his back legs to keep his balance. “Awww, ponyfeathers, now I can’t walk,” he fake-whined.

Apple Cobbler grinned. “Do you give up?”

The stallion pretended to struggle a little, then conceded. “Oh, OK. I give up.”

Cobbler let go, plopping down on his rump in the grass with a giggle.

Soarin’ lied down next to him. “Wow. You’re getting pretty strong there, bud.”

“Uh-huh. Ah’ve been eatin’ all mah vegebles,” the colt proclaimed. He flexed a front leg. “See?”

“I do,” Soarin’ replied. “If you get any stronger, pretty soon, you’ll be stronger than your Uncle Mac.”

“Will I be even stronger than you?” the colt asked, gold eyes wide and wondering.

Soarin’ laughed, tussling the youngster’s mane. “You bet, bud.”

Cobbler giggled, then jumped, draping himself over Soarin’s back.

“Can you fly me?” he said.

“Sorry, bud. Can’t.”

The foal pouted. “How come?”

“Because your mom said no flying until you’re older.”

“You’ve done it before,” the foal argued.

“Yes, and then your mom said I couldn’t, so I can’t. But I can give you a piggy back ride if you want.”

The pout faded slightly. “Can we go fast?”

“Fast as you want.”

The colt smiled. “OK.”

Once the young foal was on and had a good grip, Soarin’ took off running. Trees with full apple baskets beneath them zipped past and the wind blew in his face. Cobbler’s laughter filled the air as they bounded across the orchard.

Applejack smiled warmly as the pegasus came in the door with her son.

“Ah found him, mama,” Cobbler shouted as they came in the house. “He was sleepin’ in the grass.”

“Was he?” the orange mare asked, giving Soarin’ a look. “Lyin’ down on the job, are we?”

“N-no,” the stallion stammered. “Just taking a break from applebucking. I got all the apples you wanted for dinner.”

“Then where are they?” she asked, her teasing smile never once fading.

“They’re…uh, in the orchard.” He set Cobbler down. “Be right back,” he said as he took off. He returned a few moments later, a bag bulging with apples on his back. “See? Got ‘em all. Enough for everypony that’s coming over for the Summer Sun Celebration.”

Applejack nodded her appreciation. “Thank you. Come on, young’un. We need to get your room cleaned before everypony gets here. Then Ah need two big strong stallions to help me get ready for the party. Can you and Soarin’ be mah helpers?”

“OK, mama.”

“Thank you.” She turned to Soarin’. “Can you get those ready? Just slice ‘em up and put ‘em on a platter.”

He nodded. “Gotcha covered.”

“Race ya!” Cobbler challenged.

“Last one done gets a noogie.”

“Go!”

With the extra incentive, the tawny colt bounded up the stairs. Applejack smiled at the pegasus and followed her son to his room.

Soarin’ chuckled. Cobbler never could resist a race. He took the bag and deposited it in the kitchen, on the counter near the sink. Removing the apples one by one, he washed them. He was just finishing up when the front door opened.

“Anypony here?”

“In here, Rainbow,” Soarin’ called.

He heard the door closing and looked behind him to see the rainbow mare enter the room.

“You’re here early,” she commented.

“I work here, remember.”

“Yeah, I just thought you’d be getting ready.” She reached into his mane and pulled out a blade of grass. “Maybe cleaning up before the party.”

The stallion shrugged. “It’s just the Summer Sun Celebration. I’ll probably just borrow one of the Apples’ brushes before everypony gets here; straighten up my mane a bit. Glad you could make it, but aren’t you performing later?”

“Nah. Got the day off. I get to watch the show with everypony else.” Rainbow looked around the kitchen. “Where is everypony?”

“Applejack’s upstairs helping Cobbler clean his room. I think everypony else is out getting ready.” The stallion pulled out a cutting board and moved to the table to start slicing the apples. “I’m done washing, Cobbler,” he called.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

“We’re racing,” he explained, slicing an apple in half.

She smiled. “You and him are pretty close.”

Soarin’ cut a wedge out of one half of the apple. “Yeah. He’s a really great kid.”

Rainbow eyed the apple he was working with, noticing the odd way he’d been slicing it. “What are you doing again?”

“Making swans,” he explained. “AJ did them for the gala and I thought it’d be a nice touch for the snacks. See, I just make a couple more wedges…” He staggered the wedges inside each other. “…and done. We have a wing.”

“Cool.”

When the other wing was finished, Soarin’ did the head.

“Then we just put these two seeds here for eyes,” he said, holding up the finished product.

Rainbow munched on one of the leftover slices. “That’s pretty awesome.”

Clattering hoofsteps echoed through the house as Apple Cobbler clambered down the stairs. “Ah’m done! Ah’m done! Did Ah win?”

Soarin’ spritzed the swan with lemon juice. “Well, I only managed to finish the centerpiece, so I guess you do win.”

The colt did a little hop. “Yes!”

Cobbler jumped up, grabbing at Soarin’s neck. The stallion bent down and the foal hooked one hoof over his neck and rubbed his hair with the other. Prize claimed, he acknowledged the other pegasus in the room.

“Hi, aunt Rainbow.”

“Hey there, squirt.”

“Howdy, Rainbow,” Applejack greeted. “Mind helpin’ get ready for the party?”

“Sure.”

Soarin’ passed the mare a knife to slice apples.

“Just what Ah would suggest,” Applejack affirmed.

“What can Ah do, mama?”

The orange mare glanced around the kitchen, muttering under her breath. “Hmm. Let’s see. There’s the snacks…Granny and Apple Bloom are…do we have enough …Oh! Can you run out and tell your Uncle Mac to run down to Barnyard Bargains and get the ice? Two bags should be enough. You can go with him if you want or come back here and Ah’ll give you another job.”

The colt dashed out the front door, his little hooves galloping as fast as they could for his uncle.

“Kid sure can run,” Rainbow commented.

“Yep,” Applejack concurred, taking a seat at the table. She grabbed a knife for herself and started slicing an apple. “Sometimes Ah can’t keep him still long enough to get a good look at him. He’s growin’ like a weed, too.”

Rainbow sliced into another apple. “I’ll bet. Hey, how’d you date go last week?”

The room fell silent. Applejack’s eyes went wide and Soarin’ raised an eyebrow.

“Uh, date?” the stallion asked.

The orange mare glared at her friend, hissing through gritted teeth. “Ah hadn’t told him yet.”

Rainbow glanced between the two ponies and put two and two together, her own eyes widening at her blunder. “Oh. Sorry. Well, uh, I guess that’s my cue to leave.” She got up and shuffled slowly to the door. “I’ll just, uh, yeah bye.”

Just before she zipped out the door, she came back and punched Soarin’s shoulder.

“Ow, what was-”

“Tell you later. For now, you just watch it, buster,” she warned, giving him a death glare. A rainbow streak and a stiff breeze were all that was left as the cyan mare zipped away. “Hey, Cobbler, wait up!”

Applejack leaned back in her seat, not making eye contact with Soarin’. “Well, Ah guess the cat’s outta the bag.”

“What was she talking about?” he asked, rubbing his assaulted appendage.

“Ah was gonna wait until later tonight to tell you…”Applejack said, tapping her hooves together awkwardly.

Apprehension settled in the stallion’s stomach. “Tell me what? Did somepony ask you on a date?”

“No, no,” she replied. “Ah was just wonderin’ if maybe you wanted to talk.”

Confusion replaced apprehension. “Um, aren’t we talking now?”

Applejack pursed her lips nervously. “Ah meant later, at the party. Maybe tonight, on the hill at sunset?”

“OK,” Soarin’ replied, still a little slow on the uptake. “Wait, this wouldn’t happen to be that hill that looks over the whole orchard would it?”

She nodded, giving him a little smile. “That’s the one.”

The pieces began to click. “So, you’re asking me to watch the sunset from one of the most romantic sunset watching spots in Ponyville with you.”

“Yes. Yes Ah am.”

The stallion returned her smile with one of his own. “You aren’t trying to seduce me are you?”

She giggled. “Maybe.”

The stallion felt his heart do a backflip. “Really? Are you sure? I mean, you think you’re ready?”

She placed her hoof over his. “Yes. You and Cobbler get along so well. He just plain adores you. And Ah’ve become pretty fond of havin’ you around these few years.”

“It was the romantic gestures, wasn’t it?” Soarin’ asked, giving her a flirty look. “C’mon, you know you loved it when I stood outside your window and serenaded you last Hearts and Hooves Day.”

The mare chuckled. “Ah do admit, despite bein’ a little more elaborate then Ah would have allowed, it was mighty sweet. But more than that, it made me laugh. You made me laugh. And you were there for me all this time. You’ve proven over and over again that Ah can depend on you. You don’t know how much that means to me. So, if you still want-“

“I do. More than anything,” he said, placing his other hoof over hers. Part of him was still in denial, thinking this might be a dream. “Is there…do I need to ask somepony for permission or something?”

Applejack quirked an eyebrow. “Um, you could ask Big Mac or Granny if you like. Ah’m sure Granny’d appreciate the gesture, but Mac knows enough not to tell me who Ah can and can’t date. So, Ah guess the only pony whose permission you need is mine.”

“Oh. OK.”

The orange mare stared at him expectantly. “So…go ahead. Ask me.”

“Oh, right.” He lifted both her hooves from the table, holding them tenderly. “Sorry. If I’d been able to prepare, I would have gotten some flowers or something.”

“It’s fine,” Applejack assured him.

Soarin’ smiled, already planning to dash out before the party and grab some anyway. “Applejack,” he asked, “will you be my special somepony?”

She pressed her lips together. “Before Ah answer, Ah wanna lay out two things right now. First, we take it slow.”

The stallion nodded. “Done.”

“Second. This is for the long haul. That means that Ah expect a proposal and a ring when the time comes. You think you can handle that?”

His eyes locked with hers and he gave his answer with every ounce of sincerity he had.

“Sign me up.”

The orange mare smiled, wide enough to melt his heart. Slowly she leaned in and pecked him on the cheek, affirming her approval.

“Just sealin’ it with a kiss.”

Soarin' with Apples

by Allonsbro

Chapter 1: A Vacation?

Chapter 2: PIE! and lots of it.

Chapter 3: A Change of Plans.

Chapter 4: And on that farm there were some apples

Chapter 5: Cider ponies nonpareil

Chapter 6: A Quadruple Party with Fudge on Top

Chapter 7: I Dream of AJ

Chapter 8: Upside Down.

Chapter 9: A Choice is Made

Chapter 10: A Wonderful Hearth's Warming (Part 1)

Chapter 11: A Wonderful Hearth's Warming (part 2)

Chapter 12: Hitting the Fan

Chapter 13: Out of the frying pan, into the fire

Chapter 14: Making Up

Chapter 15: A long-awaited beginning