Sweet and Simple
Outside Applejackâs barn were several tables with various cakes, cupcakes, and a moderately sized stack of gifts. Surrounding the tables were orange and pink balloons everywhere Applejack looked.
Such an odd color pairing, although Pinkie ainât exactly a normal earth pony.
Applejack smirked at the thought, and watched as a much taller Twilight Sparkle was feeling her hoof around Sugar Belleâs belly with Big Mac watching the two mares interact. Applejack felt her heart brightening with a glowing light inside of her as she took it all in. It had been almost two years since Equestria united against and defeated the Legion of Doom, and about five months since Sugar Belle announced that she was expecting Big Macâs foal. Applejack glanced over at Rainbow Dash, who had her wing wrapped around Fluttershy, and expected that her new roommate was going to move out before long.
Applejack smiled at the two pegasus mares, and for her brother and his wife, knowing that even without a partner, Applejack knew that all of these ponies were here for her and her birthday. As she walked over to the fold-in table closest to her, Applejack looked at the biggest cake that Pinkie had brought, a simple vanilla cream cake with vanilla frosting and a â2â and â5â candle together. Applejack heard somepony bounce up to her side, and knew who it was from the smell of strawberries and cream.
âHey P-Pinkie,â Applejack stammered. âEr, is this mah birthday cake?â
âIt sure is!â Pinkie hopped up and down. âIsnât it perfect?â
âYeah, ah guess ah just thought itâd be something more like an apple pie or cake,â Applejack shrugged.
âWell I did bring apple empanadas, apple fritters, caramel applesâŚâ Pinkie drifted off, and Applejack looked over and flinched at how wide Pinkieâs pupils were, like Applejack was all that existed in that very moment. âBut this cake is one of my favorite cakes, itâs a bestseller at the Sugarcube Corner.â
âHuh, ahâd thought youâd like somethinâ with fifty different candies on it,â Applejack laughed a little. âLike an explosion of sugar enough to get ya bouncinâ off the walls.â
âOh, donât get me wrong, those are pretty good too,â Pinkie explained. âAnd youâll try this cake soon enough, and I pinkie promise that youâll love it. Walk with me?â
âOh! Sure, why not sugarcube,â Applejack walked up the hill with Pinkie bouncing beside her, and felt the sun shining brighter on the trees as her eyes went up and down with each time Pinkie jumped towards the sky and landed back down on the grass. âSoâŚah heard Cheese Sandwich was back in town?â
âUm, yeah? He is,â Pinkie stopped bouncing up and down and gave a strained smile. âWeâve been hanging out a bit.â
âAnd do you see yourself with him?â Applejack spoke again as soon as she saw Pinkieâs smile fading. âHmm, ah figured as much.â
âDonât get me wrong, heâs really fun to hang out with!â Pinkie insisted. âBut do you remember how we treated each other when we first met? Competing to the point where I felt worthless as a party pony?â
âWait a secondâŚhe ainât going out of his way to make ya feel worthless, is he?â Applejack growled.
âNo! Not at all!â Pinkie gasped. âBut I donât want to feel like Iâm competing with my special somepony in the talent that I cherish most, youâŚsaw what that did to me.â
âAh understand,â Applejack nodded. âWhat about Princess Skystar? Ya got along with her pretty well.â
âShe is really cute,â Pinkie agreed. âBut she lives in Mount Aris. Plus, Iâve been thinking of somepony moreâŚdifferent than me.â
âSomepony more down to earth?â Applejack suggested, and flinched when Pinkie jumped in the air and grinned from ear to ear.
âYes! Exactly!â Pinkie exclaimed. âSomepony that can show me that thereâs more to life than my parties, that sometimesâŚbeauty is in the simple parts of life.â
âThat does make sense,â Applejack nodded. âAh swore that Rainbow Dash moved in to make a move, but ahâve been seeing her hanging out with Fluttershy more and more. Which is fine, but it wouldâve been nice to have a marefriend to be part of mah family.â
âFamily,â Pinkie nodded, staring deep into Applejackâs eyes as she clarified. âFamily is very important to me too.â
âHowâve they been, by the way?â Applejack asked. âYour other sisters find their special someponies?â
âNo, theyâve been taking care of the farm still,â Pinkie replied. âAlthough Iâve wanted them to move down here, thereâs so many more ponies to meet and talk to here, and I just donât want to see them just-â
âWaste away?â Applejack suggested, and noticed various strands of Pinkieâs mane straightening as she slowly nodded her head. The farm pony felt her head come up blank with what to do in this situation, and so she came closer and wrapped her foreleg around Pinkie. âItâs okay, Pinkie. Ahâm not quite sure how to help them without taking them away from the rock farm, but we can visit them and figure somethinâ out.â
âYou mean that?â Pinkie looked at Applejack, and their muzzles were centimeters apart as Applejack continued to hold Pinkie in an embrace.
âAh do,â Applejack whispered, and barely had time to gasp as Pinkie leaned forward, sealing the distance with a kiss that wasnât anything like Applejack had experienced before. All her life, it was taking care of apples by doing this or that, eat apple this or that, everything was about apples. But Pinkieâs words became crystal clear as Applejack tasted an entirely new flavor on her lips, a bright and sweet flavor, yet tame and simple at the same time.
Applejack couldnât put her hoof on the exact kind of flavor until she had returned to the party, her and Pinkie walking with their pelts pressed against one another as their friends rejoiced over the two mares getting together. Applejack then tried the cake, and tasted the exact same taste.
Sweet and simple.