> Rodeo Rumble
>  by HumanSVD
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Back in Appleloosa
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack smelled the hot, fresh air as she walked off the train. It had been several long hours as the train went unusually slower than the last trip. While Applejack wasn't one for fancy calculations, she figured it was due to the weight of the extra cars. Her last trip to Appleloosa barely had any passengers or cargo, which meant the train was faster. That was not the case this time, as the train was full of passengers, many of which were not native to Equestria. 

Some were creatures she had never seen, such as Camels and Llamas. Ever since discovering faraway lands called Foenum, travelers to Equestria and the other nations drastically increased. Rare goods, like salt, were now being traded for money and other goods, notably farming equipment. The Apple Family, both immediate and extended across Equestria, weren't too pleased with the rise in costs associated with their lively hood.

Big Macintosh wasn't too pleased with the extra week of waiting to receive a new plow. The order came through, sure enough, but the stallion had lost a valuable head start. It didn't help that the plow's cost was 30% more than the previous years. And that was just the start of it.

Her cousins, planting out near Fillydelphia, had to pay extra for new carts. Refurbished equipment or even decent used carts were no longer for sale, having been bought up. Due to increasing demand, Braeburn had to wait for fresh planting soil for the season. Most of it was due to being exported to the lands of Foenum, and it drove the native farmers up the wall. 

Nevertheless, the Apple family worked hard and continued to be fruitful in their honest profession. Walking away from the platform with her saddlebags on her back, Applejack walked through the town. It had more than doubled since her last visit, and many new buildings still had fresh coats of paint. Some were new businesses while others were hotels or homes. The older buildings were easily distinguished from the new ones, even if one had never visited the town.

"Ah gotta admit, this town has grown a mite bigger since the last time Ah was here. Ah'll bet Braeburn is excited about it."

As Applejack took in the new sights, she had to dodge and avoid the heavy traffic of ponies and new species walking through the center of the town. Surprisingly, Buffalos, Cows, and even a few Griffons were here. Many species in the town were the more farming or country type in Appleloosa, all of which were undoubtedly here for the International Rodeo Games. The country mare sized up many of what she assumed would be her potential competitors. 

Applejack primarily planned on doing the obstacle course, barrel run, and strength kicking contest but quickly realized a problem. There were too many potential competitors. The last time she joined the Equestria Rodeo, Wild Bull Hickok, and Calamity Mane quickly bested her. Those were only due to a hoof full of events, and she sat out several others, having not practiced or thought of even trying. 

Now with the Rodeo Games being on an international scale, Applejack resolved to try almost anything and everything to win money and first place blue ribbon. It certainly wouldn't hurt to win some fame and get free advertising for the Apple Family's Apple products. In any event, Applejack wouldn't leave empty-hooved, not without a fight at least. 

The country mare finally reached Braeburn's house, which opened suddenly before she could walk up to the door. Her cousin was standing in the doorway and bore a big smile on his face. He waved a hoof before greeting, "Well, how about that? My cousin is finally here. What took you so long?"

Hugging her cousin, Applejack smiled and replied, "Sorry, the train was a mite slower than normal. Ah think it was all them newcomers weighing the train town."

Braeburn nodded before holding a hoof out and gesturing for her saddlebags. Applejack nodded and hoofed over her bags for her cousin to set aside. 

"That makes sense; these trains have been dropping off new folk all day for the past week. Never had this place crowded before but Ah'm sure it's fine. Ah'll drop these in your room quickly, so go onto the back, and Ah'll meet you there. Ah gotta surprise for you!"

Applejack nodded as Braeburn went to the guest room and made her way to the back of the house. After walking through the living room, she quickly found the backdoor leading to the back porch. Opening the door, she was greeted by a newly built bullpen full of equipment one would encounter in the games. Applejack took off her stetson and whistled at the freshly made bullpen. 

"Well, Ah'll be; that's one fine setup. Ah can practice for all the events right here!"

"You certainly can; Braeburn had it made for you."

Applejack turned to her right and was surprised to see Little Strongheart. Applejack walked over to the Buffalo and hoof-bumped her. 

"Well, Ah'll be! What brings you around here? How's your family and tribe doing?"

Little Strongheart beamed with happiness and said, "Very well! The tribe has expanded almost double-fold, just like Appleloosa! We even discovered a freshwater spring and laid claim to it. Appleloosa officially recognized it as ours, and Braeburn even helped us lay markers and fences for our stomping grounds. We did have thieves and squatters bother us briefly, but Braeburn formed a posse and helped us remove them."

Applejack was surprised to hear thieves and squatters had made trespass, as such a problem was almost unheard of in Equestria. The mare wasn't surprised to hear that a family member was helping. If there was anything the Apple Family was known for, it was helping out a neighbor.

"Wow, didn't see that one comin'. Good to hear it got sorted out, though. And, wait a minute, why are you wearing that?"

Applejack pointed a hoof at Little Strongheart's chest. The young Buffalo wore a polished silver necklace chain with a golden ring. The ring had a gemstone that copied Braeburn's cutie mark. Applejack stepped back and said, "Wh-what? Wait, don't tell me you and my cousin are..."

Little Strongheart blushed and sheepishly smiled before saying, "Um...yeah. Your cousin and I are to be married."

Applejack's jaw dropped as her eyes widened. At this time, Braeburn walked out to the back and noticed the look on Applejack's face. He chuckled and asked his fiancée, "So, Ah take it you told her?"

The two nuzzled each other before Applejack shook herself out of her stupor. Once her mind finally comprehended the revelation, the country mare smiled and congratulated the two. 

"Well, that certainly is one heck of a surprise. Ah mighty happy for you both. When's the hitchin'?" asked Applejack.

"It will be a few months from now. We haven't sent the invitations yet, but they'll be out sometime after the Rodeo," said Little Strongheart.

"And speaking of the Rodeo, Ah'm sure you've noticed the pen. Since Ah'm organizing the Rodeo and working with the 
gaming officials, Ah got access to not only the list of events but also the folks you're going to compete against. "

Braeburn handed Applejack a paper scroll, who unfolded it and started reading the list of competitors. As she read the list, Applejack soon realized the road to victory would be more challenging than she thought. Wild Bull Hickock, Calamity Mane, and several other notable Rodeo folks were on the list. In addition to that, several new names she had never heard of before were on the list. 

Many of them were from Foenum, and from the sounds of their names and origin list, they sounded like the Cattlefolk from the lands of the Prairie. Her knowledge of the Prairie in Foenum was limited, but she felt they would be her biggest competition. Applejack snorted in discontent before wrapping up the list and handing it back to him.

"Well shucks, Ah got my work cut out for me. Got any recommendations of what Ah should practice on?"

Braeburn nodded and said, "Ah most certainly do. The barrel toss is going to be a big one that Ah recommend. And the kicking measurin' contest will be divided by weight category. You'll likely be separated into the light category, so you won't have to go against any other creature with an unfair advantage. And before you go on and say it, yes cousin, Ah know you're strong and could out buck a lot of these greenhorns. But Ah know you wanna win and get some prize money, so relax and focus on what you're good at."

As Applejack nodded when Little Stronghoof added, "Oh! There will also be a few lasso events and a buckin' contest."

Applejack grinned, hearing what the Buffalo said, as lasso and bucking were her bread and butter. If there was any event she could win, it was those two. And she had a few days before the rodeo games would begin the first events. A decent amount of time to practice and prepare to win. 

"Now that's more of mah speed. Now if that's all, Ah'm gonna get some practice. Ah'm done sitting down."

Braeburn nodded as Applejack took her cousin's spare lasso on the outside wall. As she walked off the porch, he added, "Oh, just one more thing; Ah hired a helping hand. He's been mighty good at getting this competition going and has lots of rodeo experience. He should be here to help you practice....right about now."

Applejack chuckled and dismissively replied, "Helping hand? You mean hoof, right? Anyway, Ah don't need no help-"

Before she could finish, the supply shed near the bullpen opened. Applejack wasn't prepared for what she saw. It was surprised as a human walked out, carrying a lasso and a rodeo saddle. Her jaw dropped again as the human was not only a man but a very fit and fine-looking one. He wore his cowboy hat, a yellow bandana around his neck, a brown homespun plaid shirt, faded blue jeans, and nice-looking boots. His eyes were blue, with shaggy brown hair and decent light-tanned skin. 

It was rare enough to see a new creature from around the world, but it was even more rare to see a human. Humans had long been considered a myth until a few years ago. Roughly 5000 were discovered scattered on a small unknown continent. It was theorized that a strange displacement event occurred, and it had brought them from another world. Equestria's scientists were unsure not only what could have been the cause but equally unsure why humans disappeared in the first place. 

Plenty of evidence suggests they once inhabited the planet Equis long ago. Unfortunately, there was no evidence of their disappearance. In any event, some humans eventually left the small continent and scattered to many nations across Equis. Many humans integrated with success, while some bad apples sadly existed. Humans appeared to have just as many faults as any other creature did.

And before Applejack was a man that gave her an impression of a hard-working, honest guy. As he walked into the pen, he turned his head and smiled at Applejack while locking eyes with her. Time seemed to stop as she met his gaze, unable to move. The confidence he was emitting almost seemed to challenge her own. Before she could say or do anything, the man said, "That's a mighty big claim to say you don't need no help, Missy. Wanna show me why?"

"OH NO, HE DIDN'T! That-that no good, big-headed varmint! He's going on and challengin' me!!"

Braeburn chuckled while Strongheart suppressed a giggle as Applejack's shocked expression slowly turned into one of a slight red-faced look of annoyance. 

"And just who do you think you are, mister? You questionin' mah rodeo skills?" demanded Applejack while stomping a hoof.

The man chuckled and ignored her while setting aside his lasso and putting the saddle down on a box. Braeburn then said, "Applejack, this is Mr. Clyde. He's the working hand Ah hired to help organize the Rodeo. He's been in Appleloosa for a long while and helped us get rid of thieves and squatters out on the Buffalo lands. He knows an awful lot about rodeos and the folks you'll be competin' against."

The cowboy removed his hat, and lightly bowed before saying, "It's all true, ma'am. Ah've been working with rodeo games since I was young boy. I've also worked the odd farmhand job here and there. Mah full name is Clyde Dallas Ford, but you can just call me Clyde."

Applejack snorted and said, "Clyde huh? Well, Ah'm Applejack and Ah don't need no help. Ah stand by what Ah said, and Ah'm gonna show you why."

Without any more words, Applejack grabbed her cousin's spare lasso and ran into the bullpen. As she shut the door, Clyde said mockingly, "Uh oh! Braeburn, Ah think your cousin means business. Looks like Ah'm in trouble."

"The nerve of this man! Time to humble him with mah rope."

"You ARE in trouble, mister! Ah challenge ya to roping! With YOU as the target."

"Ooooohh!" said Clyde, "Well then, missy, you know the rules. You got 1 minute to tie me down and-"

Applejack didn't even give Clyde a chance to finish as she grabbed the lasso and ran after the man. Braeburn started a count on his watch and kept track of Applejack's progress. The mare ran as fast as she could and spun the rope around, making a perfect circle. Clyde, for his part, just smiled and prepared for the perfect chance to dodge. 

Applejack thought to herself, "Shoot, Ah got this! Take that you-WHAT?!"

The country mare didn't even get close to the man as her lasso harmless missed him. The cowboy did some crazy tornado twirl and easily moved out of the way. With the rope in her mouth, Applejack cursed and said, "DAG NABBIT!"

"Not a bad try missy, for a school filly." taunted Clyde.

Applejack's face was beet red in embarrassment and anger as she recovered the rope. Clyde had made a decent amount of distance between her and himself, but not enough for her to expend more energy to get close to him. Taking another chance, Applejack quickly ran at the man and threw her lasso at him. Once again, he did some strange twirl and avoided the lasso. The mare snorted in anger while the man chuckled.

"You need to try something else because that runnin' and throwin' ain't cutting it." said Clyde.

"30 seconds left!" shouted Braeburn.

Applejack was shocked and knew she had to at least rope him before the clock ran out.

"Shoot! If this is how Ah'll be during the Rodeo, mah flanks will be toast!"

Applejack narrowed her eyes at the man and smirked. Her plan was to fake the same two moves and throw the rope at his likely escape path. Once again, Applejack took off sprinting and feigned a lasso throw. As predicted, the man did his twirl move, giving Applejack a chance to lasso him. Her aim struck true as the rope sailed over his body. Applejack quickly tied him up per regulations, not wasting another second as he fell to the ground.

"Yeah!" cheered Applejack, "How do you like THEM Apples!"

The mare turned around to face Braeburn and Strongheart to gloat, but her victory was cut short. Her cousin shouted, "One minute and 10 seconds! Disqualified!"

Her face turned to dismay and shock as Applejack sat on her haunches with ears downward. 

"Wh-what?! Ah...LOST?!"

"Sorry Ma'am, but you would've been disqualified even if you finished before the time was up." said Clyde.

She turned to find that the cowboy had somehow escaped her lasso tie. The round was no good if a target broke free in less than six seconds after being tied down. She'd be lucky to get a redo if allowed, and considering the stakes, it was unlikely she would.

"But-but...oh, all right fine. Ah guess Ah need help after all. Just how did you do it?" asked Applejack.

Clyde smiled and held a hand out to Applejack as she sat on the ground. She extended a hoof towards the man and Clyde pulled her back up. The feeling of his strong but safe grip stirred something inside of her. It felt like the butterflies were flying in her tummy, making the mare blush.

"Now, why am Ah feeling that way? It don't make no sense."

She looked up at the man, who gave her a reassuring smile. Clyde simply replied, "Ah'll show you, ma'am. Just follow mah lead."

For the next few minutes, Clyde showed her various tips, tricks, and strategies he learned from others and on the go. His directions were easy to follow, and he spoke to her with respect. Applejack did have to admit, it was nice spending time with a gentlecolt that wasn't a prissy fru-fru wuss and one that had similar interests to hers. After a few practice runs, Applejack had greatly improved in less than 30 minutes with Clyde's help. Her retry attempts to capture and hogtie Clyde succeeded, and her best time was ten seconds, from start to a clean and complete tie.

After untying Clyde, the man looked at the lowering sunset. He said, "Well, Ah gotta get going and prepare for tomorrow. Ah have to help set up the barrel toss pen. Once Ah'm done, Ah'm free to help you practice if you want to."

"He wants to help me again? Heck yeah, Ah want that!"

"Sure!" said Applejack, "Ah'd like that very much."

The man held out a fist, to which the mare replied by bumping it and shaking it. Human or not, Clyde clearly how hooved creatures greeted one another and said goodbye. This was another clue that Clyde wasn't the normal green-horned human she had heard stories of. 

"Good night y'all! See ya tomorrow morning."

Clyde tipped his hat toward everypony and casually walked off into the town. Applejack couldn't resist her mare-ly urges and looked at the man as he walked away. Clothes or not, she could tell he had fit physic and a rather nice "plot." Naughty images popped into her mind, which she quickly tried to shake away.

"Easy now, you ain't no school filly going through puberty. But dang, that's one fine plot he's got!"

Little Strongheart brought her back to reality as she moved her hoof before Applejack's face. The mare blushed as Strongheart asked, "You okay? We're about to have dinner. I doubt you want to stay out here all night."

Applejack blushed and said, "Ye-yeah, Ah'm just gonna go wash up and meet y'all for supper. See you in a few minutes."

As the country mare walked into the house, Braeburn said to his fiancée, "Well, that was fun to watch. And what did Ah tell ya?"

The Buffalo nodded and said, "You were right; he did have that effect on her. We will see if it continues but I'm hungry. So let's eat, and if you're lucky, you'll get something special later."

Braeburn turned to see Little Strongheart briefly flash him before running into the house. The country stallion grinned before walking into the house and saying to himself, "Things are gonna get might interesting around here. Just hope Ah can get mah special desert at least."

The stallion entered the house as the sun set on the western horizon. He was not disappointed at his special meal as midnight came.





The train ride was fun for Arizona but the same couldn't be said for her parents. While neither had ever ridden a train, Arizona enjoyed every second. The Prairie had no rail lines, and all the Cattlefolk traveled by hitching wagons and pulling all they owned. That was changing ever since trade had opened up to the rest of Equis. With the defeat of the predators, Texas organized the re-opening of the salt mine.

With salt being exported, the Cattlefolk were able to obtain money, farming equipment, fertilizer, and new supplies. This allowed towns to be made and farms to be formed. The quality of life grew exponentially, and life couldn't be better. Arizona's actions had not only saved Foenum but she brought fame and fortune to her kind. Her Ma and Pa couldn't have been more proud of their daughter.

And now they could afford trips to Equestria, hoping to build more trade partners. It just happened that news of the International Rodeo spread to Foenum, and the Young cow begged her parents to join. They enthusiastically said yes and wanted to come along with her. They also had received news that Minnesota's sister, Daisy-Jo, would be in Appleloosa with her husband. She also happened to be pregnant and was excited to be a mother like her sister.

While their spirits were high, Texas and Minnesota felt ill on the bumpy train ride. 

"Is this train almost there?" complained Texas, "I swear this contraption is taking forever."

The passenger car took a bump and stirred the passengers about as Minnesota said, "Oh my! That was a nasty bump, dontcha know?"

"Oh, c'mon! This is fun! Riding on a train and NOT having to walk forever to get to a place? Yeah, I'll take it."

"I'm sure it's almost over, Pa. That conductor feller said it would only be one more hour, almost an hour ago."

Sure enough, the train started to slow down to stop as it pulled into Appleloosa. Texas gave a sigh of relief and said, "Finally! I can wait to stretch my legs."

*Gurgle*

Minnesota giggled at her husband and said, "Hungry already? Well, I'll have to make you something after we get to my sister's house. Just control that noise of yours, ya hear?"

The older but still tough bull said, "Huh? That wasn't me, sugar."

Arizona blushed and lowered her ears as she said, "Sorry, ma. That was me."

As the passengers clogging the aisle to leave, Minnesota comforted her daughters. It said, "Oh, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. How's about some loaded cornbread and butter with honey for the both of y'all?"

"Cornbread? Oh yeah! Now that's my speed!"

"Hay, yeah! I like cornbread; I could eat that all day if I could." beamed Arizona.

"It's certainly a meal for good folk, I tell ya what," added Texas. 

Another five minutes and the car cleared for the cattle family to leave the train. After collecting their bags, they assembled their take-down cart. It was a new type of cart they had purchased and shipped from Equestria months before their boat trip across the sea. They were lucky to order before it sold out and it had been as sweet as bluegrass once they got it. As the family walked towards Daisy-Jo's home, they took in the sights of Appleloosa. While the sun was setting and getting dark, they were in awe at the country town. It was the model town that they had hoped to build back at the Prairie.

The town clearly showed that it was built with hard, honest work. To make a town in a hard place took guts and spirit, and Appleloosa had it all. While looking at the various shops and seeing the new species walking about, the family spotted the local watering hole. It simply had an image of Salt Shaker, but there was no mistaking what was inside. 

"Now that looks like something to check out." said Texas.

His wife would have none of it and put a stop to her husband's plans.

"Oh no, you don't! I'm not having you go in there and go crazy over them salt blocks and booze. We don't need you getting rowdy and getting into trouble."

Texas stomped the ground hard and snorted, "Dangit! I'm a full grown bull, and I can go where I want! Besides, you know I never start fights but finish them!"

Several ponies took notice and backed away from the impressively built bull. Even some nearby male buffalos were uneasy at the strong cattleman.

"That's my Pa! Ain't no creature stupid to take him on! But he does get a bit rowdy getting on the salt and booze sadly."

While Arizona was proud of her Pa, her Ma did have a point. All it took was some poor fool to push her Pa too far, and he'd make flattened grass out of them. No one, not even ponies, should mess with Texas and may harmony have mercy upon any creature that did.

"That may be, but if you want some good ol' Minnesota loving, you'll be on your best behavior, mister!"

And to drive the point home, Minnesota slapped her impressive Holstein-bred rump. It was enough to get Texas to reevaluate his priorities, and lovin' always won out over booze. The bull raised his eyebrow and said, "Hmm, as a free, strong, and independent bull, I choose to go home with you all the time."

Minnesota smirked and said, "Independent? Sure, my strong sugar bull. You made the right choice, dontcha know."

As the married couple nuzzled each other, Arizona was embarrassed at the display of affection. She used her red bandana to cover her blushing and said, "Ma, Pa! Stop that! It's embarrassing. You're making a scene."

The two adult cows laughed at Arizona's blushing as more ponies and other creatures looked at them. Many shrugged or shook their heads while a few mares nearby said, "Aww! Love is so wonderful!"

Arizona lowered her ears, grumbled, and whispered to herself, "Wonderful, my little cow heinie.."

Her mother quickly turned to her and said, "I heard that, missy! Now just relax, ya hear. Someday you'll find love of your own and you'll be acting like us in no time."

Texas snorted and said, "Sure, after I approve of him. My daughter ain't marrying some no good loser bull."

Arizona couldn't take it anymore and was blushing like a red beet. She said, "Can we drop this off and get to Aunt Jo's house? I'm still hungry and don't want to discuss finding a partner right now."

Her parents nodded as Minnesota said, "Sure thing, I just gotta find...Well, darn, I don't know where I'm going or where she lives."

Texas grinned and said, "No big deal, we'll ask around."

The big hulking bull turned to the nearest stallion wearing a stetson hat. Unfortunately, he stomped the ground a little too hard, spoke commandingly, and asked, "Excuse me! Do you know where-"

The stallion panicked and galloped off into the distance, leaving some dust in the air. Texas was perplexed and scratched his head, asking, "What's his problem? Just wanted to ask a question."

While trying to be nice, the big bull still intimidated the next few ponies that came across the cow family. Texas almost blew a gasket at the ponies' lack of courage and decency  to give simple directions. Fortunately, Arizona had a better idea and asked, "Pa, maybe I should try asking for directions."

Her father looked at her and sighed before nodding, "Go on ahead. Hopefully, you'll do better than me. Guess I'm too intimidating for my own good."

Just as Arizona was going to ask a pony, something caught her eye. A human wearing a stetson hat and clothes caught her attention. She had heard about humans months ago when their arrival caught the world's attention. A few newspapers made their way to the Prairie, and having little else to do after defeating the Predators, she read up on the humans. She was excited to see one and felt that if any creature would give her family a chance, it would be him.

Arizona did have to admit, she liked his bandana and hat and it was obvious he was a country creature just like her. The way he walked also emitted confidence, just like her and she wasted no time in catching his attention.

"HEY MISTER! CAN YOU HELP US OVER HERE!?" shouted Arizona while pointing a hoof at him.

Several ponies stared at her before walking away, but the man quickly turned to her. He smiled and wasted no time by jogging right over to Arizona. He smiled, tipped his hat towards her, and said, "Good evening, Ma'am. What can Ah help you with?"

"Finally! Some creature that ain't no yellow belly!"

Arizona smiled and said, "Hello, mister, my name is Arizona, and this is my Ma and Pa. We need directions."

Before she could continue, the man hoof-bumped Arizona and said, "Ah certainly can help you with that; the name's Clyde Dallas Ford. But you can just call me Clyde."

After giving her a solid hoof bump, the man did the same towards her mother. "Good Evening to you too, Ma'am. May Ah ask what your name is?"

Her mother replied, "My name is Minnesota. And thank you for helping us out, dearie. No creature here seems to be helpful at all."

Texas snorted and said, "Darn right. Can't understand how they can make a town out here and be so yellow-bellied."

Clyde turned and hoof-bumped Texas. Arizona was momentarily worried when the man and the bull locked eyes. It almost seemed as if the two were vying for dominance or if Texas was trying to see if Clyde was strong. What felt like all eternity, the two finished their hoof bump with her Pa smiling. Arizona was relieved and happy that her father approved of the man willing to help them. 

"If my Pa thinks he's a good feller, so do I. He's never been wrong about finding out the strong from the weak guys."

"Heh, nice to see a creature that ain't scared of my stature. The name's Texas, Mr. Clyde."

The man held a hand and said, "Please, y'all can just call me Clyde. I take you're trying to find Mrs. Daisy-Jo's house?"

Arizona, Minnesota, and Texas's ears perked up in surprise as they couldn't believe the man knew exactly what they needed. 

"How in all of Foenum could he have known that?" thought Arizona.

Clyde chuckled and said, "Before y'all ask, she and her husband are the only Cattlefolk living in Appleloosa. Ah've helped them out with a few jobs here and there. Also, you look too much like your sister. She told me about your visit a week ago and is mighty happy you're coming to see her. Just follow me, and you'll be there soon."

Before they could say anything further, the man grabbed the cart they had set down and hitched it to himself. Despite the heavyweight, he pulled it without problem and walked toward Daisy-Jo's house. Their jaws dropped at his knowledge and kindness in helping strangers. Arizona shook herself out of her stupor as her parents did the same. The cow family followed Clyde as he led them toward the other side of town.

As they followed him and passed the red clock tower, Arizona thought, "This man sure is mighty nice and helpful...and strong."

Arizona couldn't resist watching the man pull the cart as she looked closer at his body. The clothes failed to hide the outline of his lean but muscular physic. The weight of the cart was no issue to the man as his powerful legs moved. His jeans showed the outline of his muscular rump, which was incredibly enticing to the 19-year-old calf. Despite being a cow, Arizona had no issues dating outside her species. It was extremely rare for cattlekind to date outside their species, and the non-cow mate had to be of a really good character. They also had to receive the blessing of one's parents, especially the father.

Arizona was officially of age to court and be married, but her romance plans were put on hold as the Predators invaded Foenum. With that problem behind her, the idea of courting now popped into her head, seeing the strong man before her. She blushed as she tried to shake such thoughts from her mind.

"Okay, just relax, girl. He's only the first decent guy you've met. No need to go charging like a mad bull."

After another few minutes and they arrived at a very cute, country-looking home. The empty metal milk jugs used as flower pots and the Holstein-decorated mailbox gave it away that it was her Aunt's home. As Clyde set the cart down, he tipped his hat and said, "Before I go, are you going to partake in the Rodeo? Y'all look like the kind who has what it takes."

"Rodeo?! He knows about the Rodeo?!"

"Hay, yeah! I'm gonna join and make my Ma and Pa proud!" Arizona cheered excitedly as she stomped the ground.

Texas shook his head and said, "My youngin', you've already made us proud saving Foenum. Go win it for yourself; we'll be here for you no matter what."

Taking a spare hoof, Texas rustled the hair on Arizona's head, making the young cow blush. Clyde raised an eyebrow and asked, "Saved Foenum? Now that's a story Ah need to hear."

"He wants to hear my story of me being Champeen of the Prairie? And he knows about the Rodeo? I wonder..."

The young cow smiled and thought up a good idea to get to know the man better. Arizona figured he could help her register for the Rodeo and tell her story. 

"Oh, you'll wanna hear it, alright. But I'll tell you my story if you can help me get into the Rodeo. I'm unsure exactly where to go or who to talk to."

Clyde smiled and replied, "No problem; Ah'm one of the organizers of the Rodeo, and Ah know the pony you need to meet to get signed up. Just meet me here around...let's say, 9 AM? That ain't too early for you?"

Arizona stomped and cheered, "Heck no, that ain't too early! I'll see you tomorrow morning, Clyde."

The man smiled and winked at the young cow, which made her tummy flutter briefly. She suppressed a loving smile and waved back at him.

"Good night, y'all! Hope y'all get a good night's sleep and say hello to Daisy-jo for me."

As the man walked off, Minnesota and Texas took their belongings and walked to the front door, leaving Arizona in the street. She could hear her parents talk about Clyde, and listened.

"Well, that young man certainly was nice to help us Cattlefolk." said  Minnesota.

Texas nodded and replied, "That he was, Minnie. I can tell he's a decent feller, I tell ya what."

"My parents approve of his character? Well, now that's just plain awesome!"

Just as Clyde walked around the corner and out of eyesight, Arizona whispered to herself, "I'm gonna find out more about that hunk of a fella...and impress the hay out of him."

Arizona blushed and smiled before walking to her Aunt's front door. She slept well as she dreamt about winning the Rodeo and spending time with Clyde.
> Mornin' and a breakfast.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night came and went light a thief in the night, except all was well and right. The sun shined through the window and awoke Applejack as she got out of bed. With a quick yawn and making her bed, Applejack walked downstairs and met her cousin and Little Strongheart, who was cooking breakfast. A cup of coffee was ready for Applejack, who gladly took it while Braeburn and Strongheart smiled at each other.

And the country mare knew why. She heard her cousin and his fiancée having some "Lovin" throughout the night. Applejack did her best to ignore it, but fortunately, it didn't last long. Knowing his parents would disapprove of any activity before marriage; she decided to keep her muzzle shut. The glowing look the two gave each other made her feel slightly jealous. She felt guilty about it briefly but realized it was something she wanted for herself.

She had put off looking for a husband for too long and never bothered with casual dating. There may have been many whorses in Manehatten that were into that, but Applejack knew romance and her body were nothing to mistreat. As she pondered the subject, the thought of Clyde came into her mind. She liked his confidence, fitness, and willingness to challenge her. He might have pushed her buttons, but Applejack couldn't deny that she liked it.

And he was right to challenge her because her Rodeo skills needed improvement. Fortunately, Braeburn's foresight to have Clyde help her was a good call. Applejack found herself eager to see the smile on Clyde's face again. Strongheart passed a plate of pancakes to her, and she quickly ate them up. The engaged couple raised eyebrows at each other before Braeburn asked, "Are you alright, cousin? You're eating faster than a hog in a hurry."

"Shoot, Ah am eating fast and all. Ah guess Ah wanna get out of the house and find Clyde-No! Practice mah skills. Eeyup, that's it and nothing else."

"Ah'm fine. Ah just got the Rodeo on my mind. Ah want Clyde to help me get a head start on the practice and all." said Applejack.

The mare ate her last pancake and set the plate on the sink. She quickly rinsed it and grabbed her lasso before heading out the back door. The mare took her stetson on the wall hook as well before saying,

"Ah'm gonna get a head start on the practice until Clyde arrives. Let me know if you need mah help with anything."

Braeburn said as the back door closed, "Dang, he really must have got her all smitten. Ah know mah cousin very well, and that's her distracted thinking acting out. She plowed right through that breakfast."

Little Strongheart giggled before saying, "I guess you were right. If there were any guy that would get that stubborn mare's attention, it would be him. I'm still unsure they'll court each other, though."

The stallion chuckled before eating his pancakes. He deviously smiled and said, "So, after breakfast...you wanna shower together?"

Little Strongheart stopped before she ate a bite and asked, "Do I smell? I'm certain that I don't...Oh...OH! Yes, I do."

The two gave each other a knowing look before eating their breakfast. Once they were done, they made sure each other was "clean." It also worked out because Applejack was too busy focusing on winning the Rodeo with Clyde's help. Once they finished their meals, the buffalo and the stallion ran upstairs to the bathroom.

They didn't get interrupted. 





Arizona woke in her guest bed and yawned as the sun beamed into her window. She almost returned to bed before Minnesota opened the door and said, "Rise and shine, Missy. Don't forget Clyde will be here in about an hour."

The motherly cow closed the door and walked back down the hallway, leaving the calf alone. Arizona put the cover back over her head and closed her eyes. It didn't last long as she whispered, "Mornin' schmornin'. I'm too sleepy...WAIT!" 

Arizona's eyes opened wide as she threw the covers off her and got out of bed. 

"Shoot! Clyde will be here in an hour! Dangit, girl! You almost slept the mornin' away."

After making her bed, the young cow entered the bathroom and checked herself in the mirror. Her hair was messy, and her teeth needed a good brushing. She also smelled like a stinky cow and quickly took a shower. After drying herself and adjusting her hair, she was satisfied. Her breath smelled awful, but she realized it would have to wait until after breakfast.

Arizona entered the dining room and met her family, who sat on the pillow mats before the table. An excellent breakfast of pancakes, biscuits, and hay hashbrowns was on the table. It took her to suppress her cow-ly urges to avoid digging in without saying thanks to the host and when ordered.

"Wow!" said Arizona, "That sure looks mighty tasty. Thanks, Aunt Jo."

Her Aunt nodded before turning to her husband, Dakota, and Texas. 

"Would the heads of the families begin the thanks and take the first serving?"

Dakota and Texas nodded before saying thanks for the food and filling their plate. The bull was the head of the family and deserved the first serving. With certain exceptions for birthdays and Mother's Day, the bull would always get the first bite. This was right due to having to protect the family and work hard in harsh conditions. After Texas and Dakota got their portions, the food was passed to the rest of the family. 

And just as expected, the food was hearty, with no disappointment to be found. No proper heifer would be caught dead without having the ability to cook a good meal. As Arizona ate her food, she realized a big problem.

"Oh dung! I don't know how to cook! I've never done it! I got to be able to cook Clyde meal or something."

Fortunately for the young cow, she knew the solution to her problem; ask her mother and Aunt.

"So, Ma, I was wondering if I could ask you a question."

Minnesota turned her attention to her daughter and replied, "Well, go on and ask. I'm trying to eat, dontcha know."

She slightly blushed before asking, "C-can you teach me how to cook? I don't know how. This food is mighty good, but I want to know how to do it myself...because I'm a girl and all."

Daisy-Jo smiled and cheered, "Well, lookie there! Your calf is growing up, and she's ready to learn housewife skills."

Minnesota beamed with happiness and used her front hooves to clap in celebration. 

"My daughter wants to cook! Oh goodie, now that's just something, ain't it dearie?"

Texas was too busy eating a biscuit to care and simply grunted, "M-hm. That's nice, honey."

Daisy-Jo rolled her eyes while Minnesota snorted in disapproval before turning back to Arizona. 

"I'll show you how to cook dinner tonight and a special, easy treat too. Once you're done getting signed up for the Rodeo and your practice out of the way, you'll be learning to cook in no time."

Arizona clapped her front hooves with happiness and imagined Clyde taking a meal from her. He would be sitting with her at the dinner table, dressed up nicely. She would have flowers in her hair and a nice neck gown, ready to give him his well-deserved meal. After he was done, he'd give her a kiss with plenty of cuddles on a couch in a nice little cozy home. The feeling of butterflies returned to her stomach once before she was snapped out of her daydream.

"You know Arizona, if you don't eat that, someone else will," said Texas as he eyed up her uneaten food.

"Not to mention that nice man will be here, and you won't be ready at all," added Minnesota. 

This caught Dakota's attention, who asked, "Wait, are you talking about Clyde? Now that's a fine feller for sure. Why is he meeting you here?"

Minnesota answered before Arizona could, "Oh, he's going to help her get signed up for the Rodeo and help her practice for some of those events."

Dakota nodded and said, "I'm not surprised; he's one of the most generous, helpful folk I've ever come across on. He helped install the plumbing for our house and fixed a couple of leaks...which were entirely my fault. I was a salt blockhead, but he fixed them up alright."

"Wait," thought Arizona, "He knows how to fix stuff too? That's mighty nice."

As Arizona imagined Clyde working on a broken pipe, Texas asked, "What else has this guy done. He sure seems well-rounded."

Before he could answer, Dakota took a large bite of a pancake and went, "Nom nom nom" before belching loudly. Daisy-Jo chided his poor manners while Arizona laughed. A quick disapproving stare from her Minnesota quickly stopped that laughing as the calf went back to eating. She listened intently to her uncle, who continued talking about Clyde.

"He helped us with our Dairy store a couple of times. Mostly manning the register and moving some things here and there. He showed us a way to make milk last longer. And by longer, I don't mean no week; I'm talking up to a month if kept cooled just right."

That got the table silent as the cows couldn't believe what they heard. Fresh raw milk, when stored properly, only could last about a week, ten days tops. But hearing that milk could last up to a month? That was a big deal to Cattlefolk, and it surprised and impressed Arizona. Minnesota asked her sister, "Is that true?"

Daisy-Jo nodded and replied, "Eeyup. Yes, siree! Ponies have given us a mighty amount of Bits because of Clyde. It's how we got this house faster than most of these ponies ever do. He's a good feller for this town, that's for certain. And- OH MY!"

The table turned their attention to Daisy-Jo as she held her stomach. She was later in her pregnancy, and it was possible her baby calf could come in the next few days. After breathing and sighing, the cow said, "Don't worry y'all. It was just some kicking is all."

The room was relieved that Daisy-Jo was just fine, and Arizona asked, "Sounds like a fighter, just like me. Must like kicking, stomping, and kicking too!"

Dakota chuckled and said, "We can only hope. A strong calf is always something to love."

Texas asked, "How much longer til the youngin' comes a calling?"

Daisy-Jo answered before taking a fresh biscuit and putting honey on it. 

"Oh, I'd say almost any day now. I'm hoping the baby will come out after the Rodeo is over. We don't need the other folks tying up the Doctor's time."

"I hope so too; we don't need problems. I want my Aunt's calf to be okay. Now I wonder what Clyde thinks about babies..."

The rest of the conversation at the table turned to normal talk. Dakota talking about his work, Texas sharing the trade deals he was brokering for the Prairie, and the Sisters talking about lady stuff. Arizona finished her breakfast and cleaned the plates before walking to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth well and used mouth rinse. She made sure her breath didn't smell like a dead vulture, as her dad used to say.

She wrapped a clean red bandana around her and sprayed some sweet desert rose perfume. Arizona was sure her Aunt wouldn't mind at all her borrowing some. Satisfied, she grabbed the lasso and told her parents she would wait outside for Clyde. Her family nodded, and just before she could walk out the door, Texas said, "If that Clyde feller messes with you or is too rough during your practice, you let me know, and I'll straighten him out! You hear?!"

"Dangit! My dad is still protective. I hope he won't come to check up on me or something. Does he know I'm trying to get Clyde's attention? Is the perfume too much? Better play it cool."

"You got it, Pa! I'll kick them good for you if he does. See y'all later!" shouted Arizona back.

Closing the door behind her, Arizona walked down to the street and waited for Clyde. True to his word, he walked right around the corner at 9 am. This time he was wearing a green homespun plaid shirt with a silver belt buckle. The bandana was still a clean yellow color, and his face appeared to be freshly shaven. The man looked clean and perfect as if he was trying to look his best for her. Arizona blushed and smiled seeing Clyde walk up to her and wave to him.

The man returned a smile, tipped his hat, and greeted, "Mornin' Arizona. Hope you slept well last night."

"I don't know why, but he's just making me feel all funny in my tummy. I like it!"

"I did, thanks. So are we going to get me signed up?" asked Arizona.

Clyde nodded and pointed towards the other side of Appleloosa and said, "Yes, ma'am. The Rodeo is going to be on that side of town. The pony we need to meet is already there, taking folks' names. Just follow me, and you'll get in before you know it. After that, I'll take you to one of the spare pens and show you some tips and tricks for the beginning events. Good thing you brought your own lasso too."

As he winked at Arizona, Clyde turned around and motioned for her to follow him. She quickly ran up to his side and kept her distance close, not knowing she gave an appearance that they were together. Just as the duo walked away, a pair of eyes were spying on them through a window.

"Hmm." said Texas, "I might have to keep an eye on those two after all."

He kept his stare until they turned around a corner and left his sight. He resolved to ensure Arizona would be treated right, even if he had to make sure himself.

It was going to be a long day.
> Sizing up the competition.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack continued to kick the "High Striker" plate and consistently hit the bell every time. This particular one was taller than the one used between her and Rainbow Dash during their Iron Pony contest. Even to this day, Applejack is still adamant that her best friend cheated, but it wasn't worth ruining their friendship over a competition. 

Things were different this time, and Applejack would push herself to the limits. She would win at least one blue ribbon and some money by heck or high water. Despite her goals, she couldn't stop thinking about Clyde. With another kick to the striker plate, the weight sailed upwards and hit the bell very loudly. Applejack stopped and took a break as she fanned herself with her stetson.

Sitting on her haunches, she said, "Dang, it's getting hot out here. Ah think Ah'm done with the High Striker for now. Ah wonder what time it is."

Braeburn's clock could be seen through an open window and showed it was 11:30 am. Applejack was surprised at how much time she spent doing solo practice. Remembering Clyde was an organizer of the Rodeo, she wiped the sweat from her head and walked off to find him. She took her lasso with her in case they would do more roping practice. About 20 minutes of walking later and dodging many ponies and creatures on the road, Applejack reached her destination.

The Rodeo grounds were more extensive than her last visit to  Appleloosa. Many bullpens were full of contestants or were in the process of being built. She could see some were set up for an obstacle course, others for barrel tossing or weaving, and another for clown rodeo acts. Applejack could tell because Troubleshoes was happily practicing jumping into a barrel. 

Despite his size, he quickly jumped into the barrel as any rodeo clown would. The country mare walked over and asked for directions to Clyde's location. Just as the massive stallion jumped back out, Applejack said, "Well, howdy there, Troubleshoes! Gettin' ready for the event Ah take it?"

The stallion turned and smiled before replying, "Eeyup, just practicing mah jumps. Ah expected you'd show up, considering your cousin said so."

As she nodded, Applejack asked, "Well, is that so? Ah hope Ah do well since it seems this will be a big event. How have you been?"

The massive stallion picked up a barrel and put it on his back. Walking over to set it aside, he answered, "Been doing well. Mah luck still ain't great, but the folks have been mighty nice to me. After Ah found mah callin', not a lot has kept me down. And Ah intend on keepin' it that way."

"Well, Ah'll be; that's a mighty good attitude he has. Ah'm proud Apple Bloom and her friends helped him last time we were here."

Applejack felt a slight pang of guilt remembering how Troubleshoes was treated many years ago. The town had blamed him for taking the Cutie Mark Crusaders when the truth was quite the opposite. Many of the towns ponies eventually apologized and did their best to welcome him. And she was happy to see that a wrong was made right, considering how cheerful the stallion was. Remembering her main reason for showing up, Applejack asked, "You wouldn't happen to know where Ah can find Clyde? He said he'd help me get ready and signed up."

Troubleshoes nodded and pointed a hoof toward the direction of Clyde. "He's over yonder and has a bullpen he's been using. The register pony ain't far from him, so you'll find them both no problem."

Tipping her stetson, Applejack gave her thanks, "Appreciate it, Troubleshoes. Hope you do well in the Rodeo clown events."

He smiled before pulling a make-up kit from a saddle bag on the bullpen fence. As he began putting on a clown face with the make-up, he replied, "Ah hope so. It's just mah luck that so many other folks signed up for the clown events. You take care now, you hear."

Waving goodbye, Applejack held back her laughter at seeing the massive stallion putting on a clown face. Walking for a few more minutes, she found the sign-up tent near where Troubleshoes said it would be. She added her name to several events, ones she felt were reasonable for her abilities. The older stallion manning the tent had a bowler hat and a silly mustache, and he was bored and didn't want to be there. Applejack didn't want to waste his time before asking, "Do you know where Clyde is?"

The gray-coated, faded yellow manned stallion raised an eyebrow and asked, "You too? Oh well, he's behind the tent in a pen. So get in line, missy; he's busy now."

"Geez, what's got up his plot? Crankier than...well, Cranky Doodle."

Nodding, Applejack walked around the tent and found the bullpen with Clyde inside it. She was happy to see the man again, and once more, she felt the butterflies in her tummy. Applejack blushed and mentally scolded herself, "Them butterfly feelings again? Do Ah have a silly filly crush on that man?... Ah guess Ah do. Ah can't deny it, and...WHO IS THAT?!"

As Applejack realized she had a crush on the man, she spotted another creature inside the bullpen. It was a girl cow-calf, roughly Applejack's height and build. Both of them were practicing for the roping event, and she was doing a better job than Applejack had yesterday evening. Her lasso throws were more accurate, and she tied Clyde up faster. After a timer buzzed, Clyde said, "Time! The total was 13.34 seconds. You're a natural!"

The cow beamed happily and giggled with a small tap dance on all four of her hooves. She was acting like a silly school filly hearing the man's praises, which made Applejack jealous. Despite feeling guilty, she couldn't help herself as she narrowed her eyes at the cow. Neither of them noticed Applejack as the cow went over and untied Clyde. As the man dusted himself off, he noticed Applejack and her unhappy expression. 

He waved to her and said, "Howdy, Applejack. Glad you're here; Ah was wondering when you'd show up."

The mare forced a smile before nodding back to Clyde. The cow turned her attention to the mare and waved to her, saying, "Howdy, partner!"

Not wanting to be rude, she waved back to the cow. Setting her lasso on the fence post. Applejack opened the pen door and walked inside. Making her way to the cow, she held a hoof and said, "Howdy, Ah'm Applejack. You joining the Rodeo Ah take it?"

The cow smiled and returned the hoof bump before saying, "Yup! My name is Arizona, and I came all the way from Foenum. I plan on kicking and stomping the competition! Well...as best as I can. My Pa said I have what it takes, but between you and me, these other folks that I've seen ain't no joke."

If there was one thing Applejack could agree with the cow, it was the competition. She would be lucky to walk away with a single blue ribbon with the number of participants she was facing. Arizona seemed to have just as much as a keen as Applejack, which made her ask, "You got that right. Ah know some of these folks, and they don't play around. This your first time in a Rodeo?"

The cow blushed with her ears splayed down before saying, "Yeah...This is my first time, but I've overcome worse. I'm certain I'll walk away with at least one blue ribbon and some money for my folks. My Ma and Pa said they're already proud of me, but I wanna let them see me win. Ya hear me?"

That struck Applejack's heart and made her feel sad. Her parents were long gone and the thought of her own Ma and Pa watching Applejack and cheer her on was a dream she could only wish for. While Applejack knew Arizona didn't mean any harm and didn't know, it still hurt the mare that she couldn't see them. Applejack sighed and said, "Ah wish, my Parents ain't with me no more."

Arizona's happy demeanor shifted into sadness; she frowned and downward splayed her ears. The cow softly spoke, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"

Applejack interrupted Arizona and said, "Ah know you didn't mean anything. And it's fine, happened long ago. But if it means anything, Ah don't think your parents are lying. Ah would do your best in the Rodeo and not worry about anything."

Arizona nodded and hoof-bumped her once again. A show of respect of displayed between the two, and Applejack's jealousy disappeared. The cow before her deserved respect, and Applejack returned it in kind. After breaking the hoof bump, Applejack's attitude relaxed before she thought to herself,

"This girl ain't so bad after all. Must be my imagination; she's acting all silly filly towards Clyde."

The cow turned to Clyde and said more femininely, "I gotta go take care of some stuff, Clyde. Thanks for your help, and I guess I'll see you later this evening?"

Applejack's eyes widened as she heard Arizona's tone. There was no mistaking it, even if Clyde was a typical, oblivious guy. Arizona fancied him, just as Applejack fancied him. While the mare didn't want to believe it, the signs were there. The tone, how she looked at him, and how she smelled pointed to the obvious. There was perfume from the cow, which smelled like a typical desert rose, a very common perfume for country folk.

Applejack had to be calm and collected, or she would look like a crazy mare. Clyde tipped his hat towards Arizona and said, "Sure thing, Arizona. Just remember what Ah taught you today. The competition will start in three days, so get ready for it. If you need any more advice, just ask me."

That last phrase stirred up a twister in Applejack and kept twirling her feelings of jealousy. Applejack knew she would have to make excuses to see Clyde as much as possible and to eat up his time. Applejack realized she could win over his heart by making him dinner and baking him the best Apple pie he'd ever have. If all went well, and she dressed up nicely for him, she'd have Clyde eating out of her hooves and, hopefully, more than that.

She would have to figure out how to keep Arizona away from him, which would be a problem. Applejack could tell Arizona wasn't the type who believed in quitting and would be stubborn not unlike herself. 

"More advice, huh? Well, Ah guess Ah'll just keep taking his "advice" and time for mah own."

"Sure thing, Clyde. See you later!" said Arizona.

The cow took her lasso and happily trotted out of the bullpen. Applejack could smell the perfume even stronger and heard the cow hum a typical romantic country tune as she disappeared into the distance. This did nothing but confirm to Applejack that the cow had ulterior motives towards Clyde. Fortunately, Arizona hadn't picked up on Applejack's feelings, and the poker face she had acquired playing cards with her brother had paid off. As she turned her attention back to Clyde, the man asked, "Is something bothering you? Looks like you got something on your mind."

Applejack didn't want to lie but instead avoided talking about it. Not only was she a terrible liar, but Applejack was certain an honest man like Clyde would pick up on it. And if caught in a lie, it would quickly spiral out of control as it usually had when the country mare lied. Applejack looked at the man with pleading eyes and said, "Yes, but Ah don't want to talk about it. Ah really wanna practice for the Rodeo, and Ah'd appreciate it if you'd help me."

Clyde looked into her eyes, and Applejack felt uncomfortable. She knew he was trying to see if she was serious, but fortunately for her, Clyde dropped the question and sighed, "Alright then, Ah can do that. Ah already showed you the roping, so Ah want you to show me your kicking skills since the High Striker will be the first event. And don't hold back now, you hear."

Applejack smiled after he gave her a challenging grin before pulling out a high striker meter from the bullpen corner. It was much taller than Braeburn's, and she could tell it had a heavier weight on the pole. She whistled at the new meter and said, "Dang, now that's new. Ah tell ya what."

After setting the meter down and checking the kick plate, Clyde replied, "It certainly is. They updated the thing for all the new creatures joining the Rodeo by compensatin' for the different weight classes. No sense in making different ones for when they can make one for all."

After he bent down to check something, Applejack fully viewed the man's plot. The mare enjoyed the heavenly sigh of his plot cheeks stretching as the jeans covered the contour of his glutes. It took almost her willpower to resist spanking that wonderful juicy human stallion plot. Any good stallion deserved to be flattered by a mare, and if there was one that needed it, it was Clyde. 

"Hang on just a few seconds, Applejack. There's something loose here. Ah just need to tighten it." said an innocent Clyde.

"Oh, there's something that's gonna get tight, alright."

"Take your time, mister. Gotta get things right and ready, ya know," said Applejack as she licked her lips. 

A few more seconds went by as Applejack tried to control herself. Her tail started to rise, and Applejack had to control her urges. Clyde eventually fixed the issue on the meter and stepped back, giving her space to kick.

"Okay, it's ready. Now show me what you got," said Clyde. 

He gave her a thumbs up and a smile, which made Applejack grin. The mare simply replied, "Clyde, Ah wanna introduce to my legs. Bucky McGilibuddy and Kicks McGee."

Before he could say a witty one-liner, Applejack charged at the High Striker meter. She made solid contact with the striker plate, sending the weight upwards.

Clyde had never seen a kick so powerful before in his life. It was just the beginning of what Applejack could show him.
> Supper plans.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arizona was in a cheerful mood after spending time with Clyde. He helped her get signed up for the Rodeo. The pony handling the tent was a grumpy jerk who looked hungover and angry with his life. Thankfully, Clyde straightened out the pony and got her on the list.

After that, Clyde asked to see her lasso skills by doing a practice run for the roping event. While she was confident, Clyde proved to be crafty in dodging her throws. Eventually, he showed her some tricks and tips, which proved very useful. After some more practice runs, Arizona had got her skills down and lowered her times.

And best of all, she got to spend more time with Clyde. Every time she managed to rope him and tie him up, she would catch a quick sniff of his scent. She felt practically like a hussy heifer but couldn’t resist the opportunity. And it was worth it, as his scent was wonderfully masculine and intoxicating.

She wasn’t caught and continued to practice with Clyde. They also practiced barrel weaving since it would be one of the first events. It was perfect until a pony came by and interrupted them. Arizona wanted to continue spending time with Clyde, but she could tell the pony needed Clyde for something.

Arizona sighed and thought, ”Oh, it was nice while it lasted. I wonder what kind of relationship that pony has with Clyde?”

The young heifer briefly wondered if Applejack was Clyde’s marefriend. She had shortly noticed the mare appeared irritated when practicing with Clyde. Arionza had learned while fighting the Predators that paying extra close attention to your side view was important. As Applejack approached the pen, Arizona saw the mare briefly stare at her.

And it wasn’t a flattering look at all. Arizona quickly shrugged it off as nothing and just her imagination.

”Naw, she couldn’t have been his marefriend. She was probably irritated her friend was helping out a fellow competitor. Yeah, that has to be it; she’s threatened by me. I still feel bad about her parents, though.”

None of that mattered to Arizona as she needed to learn how to cook with her Ma. Arizona had asked Clyde to come by her Aunt’s house in the evening to give him a gift. She had planned on baking him a treat to take home as thanks for his help and kindness. The young cow looked around town and took in the sights along the way home.

Another train rolled in and unloaded its passengers and cargo, presumably for the Rodeo. A more diverse group of creatures left the train and dispersed among the town, making it more packed than yesterday. That meant shops would be busier, and Arizona hoped her mother and Aunt had plenty of baking supplies. Shopping would be a more significant chore than necessary if they needed to purchase more.

It was times like this Arizona had wished she had her own money. Salt blocks were still the currency of Foenum, with Bits used for major group purchases, usually import and export trade. Arizona had a couple of salt blocks in her saddlebag, but she knew her parents would disapprove of trading them for Bits unless necessary. She snorted in frustration as she walked back home and wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking.

As she lamented being unable to buy stuff alone, she ran into a creature. She fell backwards and sat on her rump while shaking her head and getting her bearings. Standing before Arizona was her dad, who sported an expression of being caught red-hoofed. The cow got back up and said, “Pa! I didn’t expect to see you so soon. I thought you’d be back home talking with Dakota.”

Looking around and sweating, Texas came up with a lie and said, “Yeah, well...I needed to take a walk and see the town. Besides, he’s busy taking care of your Aunt. She wasn’t feeling well after breakfast and was resting when I left. Did you get signed up?”

Arizona ignored her dad’s out-of-character behavior and smiled and answered, “I sure did, Pa! Clyde helped me out. Some pony was being a rump, but Clyde straightened him out. He also let me practice ropin’ on him.”

That caught Texas’ attention, and he quickly focused on his daughter’s statement. Arizona innocently smiled as if she said nothing wrong, but her smile quickly evaporated when her dad asked, “Practice ropin’? You better start explanin’, missy.”

She snapped out of her memories of spending time with Clyde and realized what she had said. Arizona sheepishly smiled and said, “I mean, he helped me train for the Ropin’ event. I had to catch him with my lasso, tie him up, and get timed. That’s all.”

As she nervously smiled at her Pa, Texas stared into her daughter’s eyes.

“I see...” said Texas. “So you were the one doing the ropin’? And not him?”

Arizona quickly nodded while starting to sweat. Texas continued, “And how’d you do?”

Arizona regained her confidence and bragged, “I got 13.34 seconds! He said I was a natural and that these slowpokes ain’t gonna know what hit’em!”

Texas stared at his daughter for five seconds, trying his best to see if her confidence would falter. Satisfied his daughter was telling the truth, Texas smiled and said, “Darn right, they ain’t gonna know what hit’em! That’s my girl!”

Arizona sighed in relief that her dad was satisfied nothing improper had happened. Despite being Champion of the Prairie and facing many dangerous opponents, a father was still a father. Arizona spotted something just as she was about to continue talking about the Rodeo. Her father had salt granules on his chin, which were tall tale signs of him being at the bar.

Arizona asked her father, “Pa, why do you have salt on your face?”

Texas tried to think of a reasonable response but knew he was caught. He sighed and said, “You caught me. Your Aunt was feeling under the weather, and your mother was taking care of her with your Uncle's help. So I went out to the watering hole with nothing to do. Please don’t tell your mother.”

Arizona smiled and realized she had a golden opportunity. She knew her dad had some Bits and wanted to look nice for Clyde this evening. Rubbing her front hooves together, Arizona asked, “Well, I could keep quiet if you do me a favor.”

Texas raised an eyebrow and asked, “A favor? Now just what that might be?”

Looking at an equine clothing store nearby, Arizona asked, “There’s something I wanna get for this evening. I don’t ask much, but I’d mighty appreciate it, Pa.”

Texas looked at the store and sighed, “Okay, Arizona. You win but don’t go crazy on the Bits, ya hear?”

The young cow beamed and said, “Thanks, Pa! I promise I’ll keep your secret. Are you going back to the watering hole?”

The massive bull looked at the bar across the street and said, “I think I’ll waste some time for a few more hours but only to get a sasparilla. If I come back smellin’ like a whiskey barrel, your Ma will chew me out. You don’t stay out too long. I’m certain your mother will need your help with dinner tonight.”

The young cow clapped her hooves and said, “Thanks, Pa! I’m going to go home right after I get what I want. Have fun!”

She nuzzled her father before trotting into the store. Texas shook his head and started making his way toward the bar. He sighed before saying to himself, “So my daughter has takin’ a fancy to that Clyde feller. Makes sense she wants to cook and get all prettied up. She had to grow up at some point...I need a drink.”

The old but tough bull made his way towards the “Salt Block” bar, with many creatures making way for the lamenting father. He hoped to get a decent shot of whiskey and play a few rounds of poker before going home. His daughter was growing into a fine lady cow, and he could do nothing.

Except there was one thing, and he thought to himself, ”If he does take a fancy to her and wants to court her while we are here, then Clyde better be the best damn gentleman in the world. Or else I’m gonna have a talkin’ with him, and I’ll be all out of words.”

Texas got himself a shot of whiskey, and a sasparilla to drown out his sorrows. He could only hope his daughter didn’t go overboard with whatever she had planned this evening.





Applejack enjoyed seeing the look on Clyde’s face when she kicked the striker plate. Despite the weight being heavier than normal, it sailed upwards toward the bell and rang out loud. Clyde’s jaw dropped that Applejack had passed with flying colors so easily, and she loved every second of it.

The man shook his head and said, “Well...dang. Ah guess you don’t really need much practice for that. Ah have no doubt you’ll do fine for the lightweight division for the kickin’ event. You might even be able to advance to the midweight.”

That made the mare smile as she was confident she’d be going away with at least one blue ribbon and the money associated with it.

”And if Ah could at least get a healthy helping of a human hubby to go along with it, this whole trip would be worth it.”

As she walked over to Clyde, the country mare asked, “Wanna get it set up for midweight? Or should Ah just move on to something else?”

Clyde pondered for a moment before deciding to go with a different route. He picked up the high striker and set it aside before saying, “Nah, Ah think you’ll blow the kickin’ out of the watering hole. You got the lightweight division locked down. Ah haven’t seen that many impressive folks running for this event, so Ah think the barrel weaving practice will do you good.”

The mare nodded as the man set up a few empty barrels in order. The pattern was slightly different and more difficult than she was expecting. Considering this was an international rodeo, the difficulty was to be expected. Applejack narrowed her eyes at the pattern that Clyde had set up and resolved to impress him.

After Clyde got out of the way, he grabbed a stopwatch. Resetting the timer, he motioned for the mare to take her position. Applejack did so and set aside her stetson. She didn’t want any wind to drag her time down, and she knew her hat would likely do so. She correctly guessed her decision as Clyde said, “That’s smart. This competition will be measured in hundredths. You don’t need nothing draggin’ your time down.”

She smiled before stretching her legs and pawing the ground in anticipation of Clyde’s signal. After getting ready, Applejack said, “Ah’m ready!”

Clyde held up the watch and said the rules out loud, “You got one minute to complete the barrel weave race. The first event will be a straight run. The next runs will be a set pattern, and if you get it wrong, it will result in a “no-run.” You’ll get one redo but only one redo for your entire event. The penalty for kickin’ a barrel is 7 seconds.”

Applejack’s jaw dropped as she heard the penalty. Normal penalties were 5 seconds for hitting a barrel, but 7 was a big deal. With how competitive the other creatures would be, Applejack had very little room for error. She complained by saying, “Land sakes! A 7-second penalty?! That’s just plain harsh.”

Clyde shrugged his shoulders and said, “What can Ah say, ma’am? Those are the rules; Ah didn’t make them. The Equestrian Rodeo Association did since it’s international, and they want clear winners this time. Ah think you’ll do fine, Applejack. You got this.”

With a wink and handsome smile, Applejack blushed at the confidence-building compliment from Clyde. She shook her worries away and said, “Okay, Ah’m ready!”

Clyde said with a click on the timer, “GO!”.

Applejack took off with all of her energy and ran through the barrels flawlessly. After she reached the end, Clyde stopped the timer. Applejack walked over to Clyde and saw the timer. He smiled as he said, “Congrats, 12.323. The average is 24.234. You blew right through that, no problem.”

She jumped in the air and shouted, “Yee-haw!” before taking her stetson back. Applejack looked at Clyde, who was resetting the clock. The sun shone at the right angle to show his handsome cowboy looks. Applejack knew she had to take a chance with him and asked, “So Clyde, what are you doing this evening?”

”Please say nothing! Please let what Arizona said about seeing him this evening mean nothing.”

The mare got her answer as he replied, “Ah got to pick up something later. Arizona said she has something for me to pick up. Not sure what it is, figured it’s a thank-you gift for helping her Aunt, Daisy-Jo.”

Applejack’s ears perked up the mention of Daisy-Jo, as she remembered the dairy cow used to live at a farm down the road of Sweet Apple Acres. She was one of several cows that were spooked by a snake sighting and nearly trampled Ponyville.

”Huh, she must have moved here then. Explains why I haven’t seen her in a long while.”

“What a coincidence; Ah know Daisy-Jo from when she lived in Ponyville. So that Arizona is her niece? Small world, ain’t it?”

Clyde nodded as he set the watch back in his pocket and said, “It would seem like it. Ah helped her and her husband out with a few jobs before. They kept telling me they’d make something for me one day, but since she’s having a youngin’ of her own, the baby comes before me. As it should.”

This was even more news for Applejack; hearing Daisy-Jo having a baby brought up another thought. And that thought was foals.

”Ah wonder what he thinks of foals...would he even want to be a father someday? Can’t marry no partner without having youngins, whether natural or adopted.”

She tried her best to ask the man about babies carefully and said, “Oh, she has a calf on the way, huh? What do you think about that? Babies an all?”

Applejack face hooved herself and mentally scolded herself.

”Smooth move AJ. Now you have gone and done make yourself look all-”

She didn’t get to finish her thought as he answered, “Ah think babies are wonderful. Hard work? Sure, but then again, anything worthwhile is never easy. Back where Ah’m from, mah sister had a few babies, and Ah helped watch them occasionally. It’s like holding pure innocence and a certain feeling that Ah can’t quite describe. Maybe one day, that’ll be my baby in my arms. But hey, it will happen if it’s meant to, Ah suppose.”

The country mare’s butterflies in her tummy were now in overdrive. Applejack got her answer and knew she had to try and win him over by any means necessary. Clyde had just made himself a prime candidate for being her husband, and he didn’t even know it. The country mare smiled as she said, “Ah don’t think Ah could have said it any better. Ah agree with you; babies are a miracle. Ah hope to have my own someday, too.”

The two just smiled and stared at each other before breaking eye contact. The man and the mare blushed before Clyde adjusted his hat and said, “Well, if that’s all, Ah gotta go set up  bullmore pens and talk to the officials. Work never ends, you know.”

Just as he was leaving, Applejack asked, “If you’re free sometime, Ah’d like to make you some supper.”

The man stopped and turned around, hearing the word “supper.” She smiled, knowing she had gotten his attention. Applejack continued, “You know, to give thanks for helping me out and all.”

He grinned and said, “Now, that would be nice. Ah still got to pick up whatever it is from Arizona, but Ah’ll be free after that. Is 7 pm too late for you?”

She shook her head and replied, “Nope. That’s around the time my cousin and Ah usually eat. So I guess you'll be over tonight?"

He nodded and replied, “Sure will. See you tonight, Applejack.”

He tipped his hat toward the mare as he left the bullpen. The mare stared at the man’s plot and enjoyed the view as he confidently walked away. Applejack threw her hat in the air and cheered that she had scored a dinner date with Clyde. After grabbing her hat, she ran off to the general store to grab a few things. She wanted to cook a meal fit for a cowboy and look nice for him.

Usually, she wasn’t one for getting fancied up, but this was the occasion, if there was one.

”Ah’ll pick up a nice perfume, better than that lame desert rose one. Then get me a nice set of clothes and make him one heck of a mean meal! Ah might as well get my mane all clean and prettied up too. Ah’m gonna get mah girliness on!”

The mare was on a mission, and nothing was going to get in her way of winning Clyde over. Arizona or not, she was going make him a meal and win his heart, one way or another. She had no clue how hard that would be as Applejack ran off into town.

The day was far from over.
> Gettin' ready for the man.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The kitchen was busy with Arizona and Minnesota cooking dinner and Clyde’s dessert present. For the past two hours, Arizona had learned a lot from her mother about cooking. Temperature times, recipes, and meals fit for humans were taught by her mother. When knowledge of humans being omnivores was known, it rubbed many herbivores the wrong way.

But with the existence of Griffons and other hybrid diet-eating creatures, most Cattlefolk got over it. Arizona was surprised to learn from her mother that humans couldn’t eat hay and was sad she couldn’t make him hay hash. The family hay hash was a family favorite made on the skillet with cooking oil and many other tasty ingredients any creature would enjoy. Fortunately, potatoes were a good substitute for humans, and Arizona modified the recipe for making Clyde dinner tomorrow. With a few scrambled eggs and homemade biscuits, she figured he wouldn’t be able to resist her meal, even if it lacked meat.

She was pleased to hear that many vegetables were safe for humans. She made a mental note for bell peppers, onions for the skillet hash, and homemade cheese. After successfully making a hay hash for the family, Arizona beamed with happiness at the skills she had learned from her mother. Aunt Daisy-Jo still felt rough under the weather and sat on the large couch built for Cattlefolk. Dakota was by her side, comforting her and getting anything she required, like a proper dutiful husband.

Arizona briefly looked at her extended family and saw the love and care for her Aunt and Uncle. Some of her wished she would get the same thing with a guy worthy of her. She briefly imagined that she and Clyde were together on the couch before returning her attention to making cornbread batter. The young cow blushed at the small daydream and continued to focus on making dinner for the family.

” It might be a small silly dream, but it’s mine. I hope he’ll notice my special gift for him.” 

Her devotion to her task did not go unnoticed as her mother watched her calf continue cooking. The older cow was proud to see her daughter embrace her more feminine side and was proud of her work ethic. Arizona didn’t complain and paid attention to every step taught to her. The food she made showed she was a natural, and Minnesota had no doubt the food would be great. As Arizona finished putting the cornbread batter in the skillet, her mother said, “Okay, dearie, just put it in the oven for 30 minutes. It’s already pre-heated, and the timer clock is on the counter.”

Arizona saw the timer and properly set it to 30 minutes. Once dinner was mostly finished, she turned to her mother and said, “Okay, Ma. I’m ready to make Clyde’s dessert.”

Minnesota giggled, which confused Arizona. The young cow asked, “Ma, what’s so funny?”

The motherly cow waved a hoof dismissively and said, “Oh nothing, my little heifer; it’s just you’re so focused on baking Clyde a dessert. This must be really important for you.”

Her mother sported a grin that sent a chill down Arizona’s spine. The young cow feared that her intentions toward Clyde were discovered, and she didn’t know how to respond.

”Oh no! She knows...what do I say? What gave me away?!” 

The young cow’s fear was put at ease when Minnesota continued, “Don’t worry, it’s alright, Arizona. Neither I nor your Pa mind that you’ve fancied Clyde. We just want to make sure you’re treated right since he’s trying to court you.”

While Arizona was relieved to hear her mother’s reassurance, she was a little embarrassed her feelings were that transparent. Curious about how her parents knew, she asked, “I’m happy to hear that, Ma. But how’d y’all figure out my feelings for Clyde?”

Her mother laughed hearing the question, which made Arizona annoyed. Once she was done laughing, Minnesota answered, “Oh, my little sugar booger! Your Pa and I aren’t new to this game. You did exactly the same thing I did when I took a liking to your Pa. I watched his every move, smiling a little too much, offered him food for the most minor help. Plus, neither you nor your Pa is the subtle kind. He never picked up on my feelings until I just plain went over and told him how I felt. I baked him a mighty nice treat, and he was hooked on me ever since.”

The young cow was surprised to hear what her mother told her. She never knew how they got together and was amazed at how simple it was for her mother. She took charge and went for the bull that she wanted. And more importantly, she succeeded.

“Dang.” said Arizona, “I guess I’m too transparent for my own good.”

Arizona pawed the kitchen floor in embarrassment before receiving a nuzzle from her mother.

“And that’s a good thing. It means you’re not a liar or a deceiver. Just poor at hiding your cards, like me when I play Poker with your Pa!”

Both cows laughed as Minnesota was a terrible card player. Whenever they played card games, her mother was always the first to lose, especially if it was social Poker. She was too easy to read and couldn’t bluff to save her life. As the two stopped laughing, Arizona revealed, “Well, he ain’t the one trying to court me. I’m the one trying to court him. I figured a nice dessert and dressing up for him would get him to notice me.”

The motherly cow froze before backing up. She looked at her daughter and asked, “Wait, you mean to tell me he hasn’t noticed you? And that you’re the one trying to get his attention?”

She nodded and gave a sheepish smile before saying, “Yes, Ma. I was gonna hoof over his desert gift and dress all nice for him. And if possible, offer him dinner while we’re here. That’s if Aunt Daisy-Jo, Uncle Dakota, and of course, Pa doesn’t mind.”

Her mother froze once again as if she was busy thinking. After a few seconds, Minnesota said, “And so history repeats.”

As the mother gave her daughter a wink, Minnesota walked over to the oven. She pulled out a new baking pan, mixing bowl, and ingredients needed for Clyde’s special gift. She motioned for Arizona to watch and said, “I’m certain your Aunt and Uncle won’t mind having him over dinner tomorrow. Your Pa won’t be happy you’re growing up, but if he can get over you being Champion of the Prairie, he’ll get over you courtin’ Clyde. Now pay attention, my little heifer, we’re going to make a desert loaf.”

”Dessert Loaf? What in Foenum is that?” 

As her mother started preparing the ingredients, Arizona asked, “Ma, what’s dessert loaf? Is it some kind of bread?”

Her mother laughed as she said, “It is what it is, dearie. It’s a bread loaf that looks plain, but it’s loaded with sweet fixins’, a little bit of milk cream in the batter, plus a small amount of cinnamon. And when it’s done baking, it’ll be topped off with a salted butter coating. That’ll make any creature drool over it, human or not. It’s just an honest-to-goodness treat any country folk would love. Clyde will be begging to join you for dinner once he gets a taste of it.”

Arizona beamed with happiness and sported a large smile. She daydreamed of Clyde taking a bite of the Dessert Loaf and singing praises to her. Clyde would then pick her up off her hooves and give her a kiss. It was an absurd and silly dream, but Arizona didn’t care. She wanted to see him happy, and she wasn’t going give anything but her best in baking the treat. After Minnesota finished organizing everything, the mother cow stepped out of the way and pointed to where she was previously standing.

Her mother commanded, “Okay now, just follow my directions to the letter, and you’ll be baking a delicious loaf for your man in no time.”

As Arizona walked toward the counter, she turned to her mother and said, “Thanks Ma, thank you very much.”

Minnesota smiled and said, “You’re welcome. Now, grab the flour and the water.”

For the next hour, Arizona did exactly as her mother told her. Her progress was steady, and when the loaf batter was just right, it was put in the pan and into the oven. With the time set, the mother and daughter checked up on Daisy-Jo, who was still feeling under the weather. After reassurances from Dakota that everything was fine, the two continued to the bathroom. Minnesota helped brush and style Arizona’s hair. Her horns were also polished and coated with a thin clear pearl gloss enamel.

Her mother pulled out from her saddle bag a stronger, more pleasant perfume called “Sunset Surprise.” It was better than the standard Desert Rose she used earlier in the day. A simple white powder to prevent her facial coat from oiling up was gently applied to her face. Her eyelashes were brushed, and once completed, it was time to get her dressed up. Arizona showed her Ma the clothes she purchased, which elicited some questions about how she bought the clothes.

Arizona blushed and merely told her that Texas lent her some money. Minnesota knew there was more to the story but let it go as the money was spent for a good purpose. After getting her dress ready, she put a small flower in her hair, and a ribbon to her tail. Arizona looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was very happy with how she looked and felt truly feminine.

She quickly danced with excitement before hugging her Ma. The mother cow was very happy to see her daughter grow up into a fine cow and hoped she was successful in getting Clyde’s attention. With only a few minutes left for the loaf, the mother and daughter walked back into the living room. Daisy-Jo and Dakota spotted Arizona all dressed up. The Aunt and Uncle gave praise to how Arizona looked.

“Boy, howdy!” said Dakota, “Now, what got you all motivated to get dressed up? You’re gonna turn some bull’s head being dressed like that.”

Daisy-Jo cheered at how Arizona was dressed up and said, “Now that’s what I call a nice get-up. You’re a model heifer! Reminds me back to our old days, doesn’t it, honey?”

Dakota nuzzled his wife and said, “Sure does; I still remember how pretty you looked in that dress. Now you’re carryin’ my calf and prettier than ever before.”

Daisy-Jo kissed Dakota and said, “Aw shucks, mister. Getting me all worked up.”

After the married couple stopped giving each other affection, Daisy-Jo asked, “So, who’s the lucky guy you’re trying to attract? Your mother didn’t mention you were courtin’ anyone.”

Minnesota turned to Arizona and said, “Well, why dontcha tell them? Who’s the lucky guy you fancy.”

Arizona blushed beet red and innocently smiled before answering, “Well...you all know him, and he’s a fine feller.”

The Aunt and Uncle looked at each other and asked, “Who?”

 “Don’t be a shy girl! Just tell ’em already! You can’t be afraid to tell them you fancy Clyde but have no problem fighting them Predator jerks.” 

Before Arizona could answer, a new voice spoke up.

“Yes.” said the voice. “Do tell. I wanna know who this feller is you want to court.”

Arizona froze before slowly turning to face her father. The massive fatherly bull was standing in the living room and eyeing up his daughter’s new appearance. He was not amused at her fancy, pretty get-up despite having an idea what she was going to buy. Arizona nervously laughed before saying, “Umm...hi, Pa!”

“Arizona...” said Texas with a stern voice. “Who are you dressin’ up for? I want to know his name...NOW!”

Minnesota gave Texas a stern look but the bull wasn’t phased at all. This worried Arizona as her mother usually kept him in check, but her father apparently was seeing red. That meant he wasn’t going to back down, and every Cattlefolk knew an alpha like Texas was not to be messed with.

 “Stand up to him, girl! Fight for the man you wanna court!” 

Resolving herself, Arizona took a deep breath and stared at her father, and answered, “Pa, I’ve taken a liking to Clyde. He’s a good man, a gentleman at that, and he’s as honest as the grass we grow. He hasn’t mistreated me, nor has he made a move on me without your permission. He’s not even aware I fancy him! And I would never go off disrespecting you without getting your permission to go to court. But I’m growing into a lady, Pa; I want to start searching for my husband. I can’t be your little calf forever.”

It took a lot of willpower for Arizona to stand up to Texas, but the cowgirl managed to do it. She stared at her father with conviction and said, “Pa, I want to pursue Clyde. I know he’s not a cow, but he has what I’m looking for. And that’s the truth.”

Texas stared back at her as the father and daughter were locked into a star down. For 10 long seconds, the room was silent. Not even Minnesota dared to interrupt and tread over her husband’s territory. It was a father’s duty to make sure his daughter wasn’t pursuing not only an idiot but a character with a bad heart. Once the 10 seconds were over, Texas broke the stare and looked at the floor.

“Alright, my little heifer. If you want to pursue Clyde, I won’t get in the way unless he mistreats you.”

The tension in the room melted and was replaced with joy as Minnesota, Dakota, and Daisy-Jo cheered, “YEE-HAW!”. Arizona teared up and hugged Texas, who returned the hug and nuzzled his daughter. Feeling his daughter tremble with happiness, Texas said, “It’s okay, Arizona. I’m just glad you came clean to me and told me you were taking this seriously. Now that I know you really do want Clyde, he’d be a fool not to take your hoof and court you.”

Arizona’s eyes widened when she realized what her father had said.

 “Wait, he already KNOWS I wanted him?!” 

She broke her father’s hug and saw that Minnesota, Dakota, and Daisy-Jo had the same reaction. All were shocked that he knew from the very beginning that Arizona fancied Clyde. Texas, noticing all eyes were on him, simply shrugged and asked, “What? What did I say?”

“Dad...” said Arizona, “You said that you were glad I “came clean.” Now just how in all of Foenum did you know? I literally just told Mom an hour ago.”

The large bull realized he had given himself away and sheepishly smiled before saying, “Well, it was obvious the moment Clyde arrived this morning that you were all excited to see him. I’ve never seen you do that before. So I followed you and watched you from afar while you were practicing with Clyde.”

Arizona huffed and pouted before saying, “You were FOLLOWING me?! But Pa, I did what I said I was gonna do and-”

The bull held up a hoof to his daughter and to Minnesota, who was ready to give him an earful of her own.

“Let me finish. I might have been oblivious when I was younger, but your Ma straightened me out. I learned about how heifers show their emotions the hard way. I’m just lucky that all the stars over the Praire lined up and guided your mother to just say it to my face. After you were born, I knew I had to pay attention to when you grew up in a proper cow to make sure you courted the right way. And just as I suspected, you were fancying him during the ropin’ practice.”

The blood on Arizona’s face started to drain and made her look almost like a ghost. She was mortified to learn that someone was watching her giggle, stare, and sniff Clyde like a pervy cow. The cow wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and not come out due to shame. Now it was Minnesota’s turn to look at Arizona and ask, “Fancying him during practice? What’s your father talking about, missy?”

Daisy-Jo and Dakota just sat on the couch and enjoyed the spectacle a little too much. Texas raised an eyebrow at his daughter, who lowered her head in embarrassment and said, “She was sniffing him while he wasn’t noticing. She took in his scent, and she’s placed her sights on him.”

Arizona, with her head, lowered, whispered, “Please kill me.”

Minnesota was shocked at her daughter’s action of sniffing Clyde. It was unladylike for a cow to sniff a potential mate up close, especially out in public. That type of action was reserved for cows in a proper, official relationship. It was acceptable from a distance, but doing so upclose was a no-no.

Minnesota stared at her daughter and said, “Well, it’s a good thing Clyde didn’t notice, and only your father saw it. The last thing we need is gossip spreading and poor gentlemen being caught unaware. You best control your urges a little better, ya hear?”

Arizona nodded as her head was lowered in shame, but a fire stirred in her chest. She wasn’t going to be the only one getting caught and smirked when she raised her head up. She turned to her mother and revealed, “Well, it’s true I did that, and I’m sorry for not behavin’ properly. But I’m not the only one who's been misbehavin'.”

 “Sorry, Pa, but you sold me out.” 

Arizona pointed a hoof at Texas and said, “He was at the Salt Block! Eeyup, caught him red-hoofed. So he gave me money to go buy the dress and ribbon.”

It was now Texas’ turn to sweat bullets as Minnesota turned her disapproving stare at her husband. The bull sighed and confessed, “Yeah, I did do that. After I saw how Arizona was acting, I was depressed that my little heifer had grown up. So I went to the watering hole, got a few shots of whiskey, had some salt, and went to head home. But Arizona bumped into me and caught me. So I gave her some Bits so she could go shopping. I damn well knew what she was planning, so I wanted her to get what she needed, and I’m glad she had good taste in clothes.”

Arizona teared up hearing what Texas was confessing. Her father easily could have just yelled at her and told her to go home. But in the end, he didn’t and respected what his daughter wanted.

“After she went shopping, I got another shot of whiskey, a sarsaparilla drink, and played some gamblin’ free poker to pass the time. I didn’t expect you to get all dressed up tonight though, much less bake something that smells so good.”

Just as Texas finished his confession, the time went off and Minnesota went and got the special treat. Once she pulled out the dinner and Clyde’s dessert loaf, Minnesota added, “Needs some time to cool off. Now...”

The mother cow turned to her husband and scolded him for his drinking.

“I’m disappointed you chose to drink instead of coming to me. If you’re upset, I’m here to listen to you. You don’t need to always put up a tough front, bucko. I know opening up your feelings is hard but we've been through a lot together, you should trust me. But I am happy you gave Arizona the chance to pursue Clyde. Now that we’re all on the same patch of grass, let’s get dinner ready, get Clyde’s dessert prepared, and help Arizona win her man over."

The entire family, except Arizona, cheered once again by shouting, “YEE-HAW!” before getting ready for supper. The young cow wiped a tear and said, “Thanks, Ma and Pa. I just hope he’ll like what I baked, and I hope he’ll give me a chance.”

Daisy-Jo gave her some words of encouragement and said, “Even if he doesn’t give you a chance, there’s plenty of others all over Equis. It won’t mean you ain’t good enough for him; it just means he wasn’t right for you. It took me a while before I found Dakota, so don’t let it bring you down. Even if it might hurt for a short time.”

Dakota gave his wife a kiss and a nuzzle before Arizona nodded to her Aunt. Texas couldn’t help but take a peak at the smell coming from the kitchen. The sight of the Dessert Loaf took him by surprise, as he hadn’t seen the delicious dessert in many years. He turned back to Arizona and asked, “Did you bake that?”

Arizona happily nodded while wiping away another tear from being overwhelmed with emotion. Texas smiled and gave his daughter a compliment by saying, “Arizona, that’s a fine treat any real bull would love. If Clyde doesn’t like what you baked, then he has a crappy taste and you’d best forget about him. He’s a fool if he don’t appreciate what you’re doing and a bigger loser for not wanting you.”

Arizona laughed before saying, “Thanks Pa, I really appreciate it.”

Minnesota then added, “Well, it’s time for supper and time to finish the loaf. Just put the sweet butter on top and finish it with a few salt sprinkles. And when Clyde answers the door, you tell him to wait outside. Then you’ll bring it to him and present it. Once he has a taste, then make your move! Be blunt with him if he doesn’t get the hint.”

Texas chuckled and said, “Believe me, bluntness works when all else fails.”

 “I’m so happy my family loves me. I just hope Clyde will like what he sees. Okay, girl, time to get ready.” 

Arizona replied, “Got it, Pa. Be blunt if he don’t catch on.”

She took a deep breath to calm down before putting the final touches on Clyde’s dessert. It was put on a nicely decorated cake plate that Daisy-Jo had in a China cabinet. After the final touches were made, the family sat down for dinner. They talked about random things and old memories as time went by. They even talked about the upcoming Rodeo and how they hoped Arizona would show the other competitors a thing or two.

While the meal was great and the company was wonderful, all Arizona could think about was Clyde. It wouldn’t be too long after dinner until a knock on the door was heard. The entire room fell silent before all eyes focused on Arizona. The young heifer took a deep breath and said, “Wish me luck, folks.”

 “It’s okay, girl, you got this.” 

As she walked into the kitchen and grabbed Clyde’s Dessert Loaf, she quickly inspected it. It was perfect, exactly how her mother described it. She could even smell the wonderful, enticing scent emanating from the golden brown sweet loaf. She had to resist her cow urges and avoid licking the bread. As she held the dish with one hoof, she carefully walked with her free three legs and made it to the door.

She took one more deep breath before opening it and was greeted by the sight of Clyde. He had changed shirts to a clean, homespun red plaid shirt with a large brass belt buckle. Even his pants were clean and appeared to be brand new with a deeper shade of blue denim. He was also sporting brand-new cowboy boots with a clean mirror shine. His hat was clean, and instead of being pressed in, it was immaculately displayed with a clean red ribbon wrapped around the crown. He was wearing a bolo tie with a golden polished brass bit holding the ropes together.

And to top it off, his face was perfectly clean with a musky scent that shouted, “I am male; hear me roar!” Arizona wasn’t sure what cologne it was, only that she wanted to grab the man and sniff him until the end of time. It took all of her willpower to not throw the dessert on the ground and pounce on him. Instead, she looked into his eyes and said in her best feminine voice, “Good evening, Clyde.”

He tipped his hat and smiled back at her before saying, “Good evening to you, too, Arizona. Ah have to confess, you’re looking mighty pretty tonight. I like the dress, and those horns look nice and shiny.”

 “He noticed my horns?! EEEEEE!! He thinks I’m pretty! Okay, girl, calm down.” 

She blushed and said, “Th-thank you, Clyde. That means a lot to me.”

Before she could say anything, she heard her mother whisper, “Pst! Go outside! Get a-movin’!”

Clyde’s attention turned down the hallway, but he couldn’t tell what the voice was saying or even what he heard.

“Did you hear something? Is someone there?” asked Clyde.

Arizona quickly took her mother’s advice and said, “It's nothing; let’s talk for a minute.”

Clyde shrugged his shoulders before stepping away from the doorway and letting Arizona come outside with the loaf in the hoof. Once the door was closed, Arizona turned her attention back to Clyde. It took even more willpower to collect herself as she stood closer to the man. Taking a deep breath, the cow said, “I...I uh made you this. It’s a dessert, and it’s...umm sweet and nice?”

 “Dangit!! C’mon, girl! Have some backbone!” 

The man chuckled and said, “Ah can see that. It almost looks like a simple bread loaf...Is that salt and butter?”

Arizona was now starting to worry that the man might now like such a simple dessert. Her fear of rejection was rising before he continued, “Well, Ah’ll be, it certainly is. That’s a weakness of mine, and there’s no way Ah can turn this down. It even smells so dang good.”

The man took the dish and appreciated its presentation. He smiled and said, “Arizona, this looks mighty delicious, and Ah’m gonna have a hard time NOT eating this in one sitting. Thank you very much. Ah really like this. Damn, it looks so good!”

It was Clyde’s turn to blush as he said, “Pardon my language, Ma’am. That was ungentlemanly of me.”

Arizona held a hoof to her muzzle and stifled a laugh. She then gave Clyde a fake look of indignation and said, “Hmpf, yes, it was, and I’m offended. You’ll have to make it up to me.”

The cowboy raised an eyebrow before grinning and asked, “Oh really? How can Ah make it up to a wonderful lady like yourself?”

 “Here it is! This is your chance Arizona! GO FOR IT!”

Taking a deep breath, Arizona asked, “Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow? I was planning on making-”

She didn’t get a chance as a scream came from the living room. It was loud enough that the thick wooden door failed to muffle its sound. Arizona and Clyde were alarmed at the sound before the man asked, “Who is that?! What’s going on in there?”

The cow was shocked as it was Daisy-Jo’s voice, and it sounded like she was in great pain. Arizona exclaimed, “That’s my Aunt! She must be hurt!”

Without delay, Clyde opened the door and ran inside to help her Aunt. Arizona followed close behind and met Clyde and the rest of her family in the living room. Her Aunt was on the floor and crying, “AAAAAAAHHH! It hurts! Make it stop!”

“What’s going on?!” asked Clyde.

Dakota noticed Clyde and shouted, “It’s the baby! It’s coming now! Someone go get the Doctor!”

Texas didn’t waste time and said, “I’ll go get the Doctor! I was playing Poker with him earlier. Arizona, you stay with your mother.”

The massive bull said nothing else and ran out the front door, leaving it wide open. As Arizona stood by, scared and worried about her Aunt and unborn cousin, Clyde rolled his sleeves, set his hat aside, and said, “Ma’am, your baby is coming, and Ah ain’t got no faith the Doctor will get here in time. You’re having this baby NOW! Dakota, go get towels from the bathroom. Minnesota, help her get into position, we don’t have much room for mistakes.”

“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!! Please help! AAHHHHH!” screamed Daisy-Jo.

“Arizona!” shouted Clyde, “Follow mah instructions and do as Ah say.”

The young cow turned to the man and nodded, with resolve replacing her worries. With Clyde by her side, Arizona felt confident they would tackle anything that stood before them. Setting the dessert loaf on a table, she got close to Clyde and was ready to help in any way she would.

The night was far from over and had only just begun.
> Supper's a spoilin' with no man in sight.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The afternoon went by without any issues as Applejack went shopping. Despite many ponies and visiting creatures roaming through town, she managed to buy everything she needed. She was happy to have found an outfit fit for a country mare, along with country perfume called “Honest Honeysuckle.” It smelled beautiful and much better than Arizona’s Desert Rose perfume. Applejack even went through the trouble of finding a Griffon Food Dealer. While meat was frowned upon in Equestria for food, it wasn’t illegal. Plenty of omnivores lived in Equestria, enough that it was necessary to make meat consumption legal.

That more or less left it up to market forces to decide prices and demand. The exception is that meat sold must not be from a talking, fully sapient living being. This meant only chicken, fish, and other seafood were legal. Applejack would have bought fish as it was the least socially frowned upon meat, but Appleloosa’s location made it impossible. Nevertheless, Applejack learned how to cook chicken after a brief lesson from the Griffon seller. He even threw in seasonings and a recipe for free because he was amused that a pony bought meat from him.

Once the meat was purchased, along with vegetables and baking ingredients, Applejack was satisfied and returned home. She spent hours in the kitchen making Clyde the best chicken meal possible, along with mashed potatoes, seasoned green beans, and biscuits. She even purchased craft beer from the Salt Block along the way home. She would have given the man some Apple family liquor from home, but Braeburn was out. He apologized for not making some and said he was too busy with the Rodeo.

It was typical of the entire Apple Family across Equestria to have either Apple liquor or a fruit-based liquor of some variety. Even Aunt and Uncle Orange had their homemade liquor with oranges as the key ingredient. Applejack had briefly visited them in Manehatten last year to see how they were doing and had partaken in some of their orange-based brandy. City folk or not, they still had their roots in fruit farming, and their liquor was just as good as any Apple Family liquor.

While dinner for Clyde was more or less done, she made food for Braeburn, Strongheart, and herself, seeing how they couldn’t eat meat. She made a seasoned hay loaf, along with the mashed food the Buffalo tribe ate, albeit with some seasoning enhancements. Satisfied the food was all done, Applejack quickly prepared the table and showered. Once her shower was done, she prepared her mane and tail in the same pattern she used during the Grand Galloping Gala. After putting on some makeup and perfume and getting dressed in her country evening outfit, Applejack was happy at her work.

She looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and said, “Dang, Ah look good! Feels nice to get prettied up! He’s gonna love what Ah have to offer.”

With her spirits high, the country mare walked downstairs and looked at the clock. It was 20 minutes until 7 pm, and Clyde would arrive soon. With Braeburn and Strongheart cleaned up, who Applejack no doubt had “fun” together earlier, Applejack started bringing the food to the table. The stallion and the buffalo were surprised to see how far Applejack was willing to go for Clyde. The country mare spotted her cousin and his fiancée exchanging amused looks and holding back laughter.

Applejack lightly blushed as she realized how obvious her crush on Clyde was. Some of her wondered if Braeburn knew  Clyde would catch her fancy and that the practice was a cover to nudge her in the right direction.

” Should Ah ask him if he’s setting me up? Might as well Ah suppose.” 

The dressed-up country mare set the biscuits on the table before turning to her cousin and asked, “Braeburn, Ah see you and Strongheart making faces over there. Ah suppose it’s obvious what Ah’m doing.”

Braeburn smiled and nodded before answering, “Eeyup. It’s as obvious as the sun in the sky. Since Clyde came into town a while back, shortly after the humans were found, he’s been pretty much a model country guy. Since Granny Smith sent me a letter asking me to find you a hubby, Ah knew he’d be perfect for you, even if he ain’t a pony. And with the International Rodeo going on, Ah figured your competitive spirit would jump at the chance to bring in more fame and Bits for Sweet Apple Acres. T’was the perfect opportunity to get you out here.”

Strongheart nuzzled Braeburn, adding, “It was a great idea, my love. She did exactly as you said she would.”

Applejack blushed but smiled, knowing her family was looking for her happiness. For many years, she had lost a lot of opportunities to find a hubby. With Granny Smith aging every year and her brother taking care of his own family, a disproportionate amount of responsibilities were placed on her back. While helpful on the farm, Apple Bloom was busy with Twilight Sparkle’s School of Friendship as a teacher. The school had expanded over the recent years, and more students were added with the discovery of humans.

Another reason Applejack was open to dating a human was that Lyra Heartstrings, the local human fan filly and eccentric mare extraordinaire, was happily married to a man. The man not only fulfilled her human fantasies but was a genuinely decent guy that calmed her down. While still her best friend, Bon Bon was happy that the mare had moved out and calmed down considerably. And an even greater surprise was that humans and ponies could have offspring, provided they got a medical screening and a cross-breeding potion.

She had a human son and a filly daughter, both inheriting traits from both parents. The possibility of having Clyde’s foals existed, and adoption was still an option if it wasn’t possible for some reason. Applejack sighed and admitted, “And you’re right. Ah fancy that man; he drives me crazy, and Ah can’t stop thinking about him. Ah figured a good meal and honest talking to would be a good way to let him know how Ah feel. Ah’m not sure if he’ll give me a chance, but Ah gotta try either way.”

Braeburn took a glass of lemonade and raised the glass. Strongheart did the same as Braeburn said, “And may he be smart enough to see what’s in front of him. And if not, go rope ’em and git’er done!”

The stallion and the buffalo used their rear legs to stomp the floor in a hoof clapping to cheer Applejack. The mare raised a glass in return as all three took a sip of lemonade. The clock was now chiming as it struck 7 pm, alerting the two ponies and buffalo. Applejack said, “Shoot! He’s gonna be here any minute now. Alright, wish me luck!”

After giving Applejack a round of good luck wishes, the three sat at the table, waiting for Clyde to knock on the door. What were 5 minutes turned into 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, time flew by and turned into an hour, with the three eating their food. After one hour and 20 minutes, Clyde’s food was cold, and Applejack began sobbing. Even the apple pie she baked went cold and sat on the kitchen countertop.

She had apparently been stood up, with her confidence crushed, efforts wasted, and nothing but sadness to show. Braeburn told Applejack not to worry about the dishes and began to put away Clyde’s food. Strongheart consoled Applejack as best as she could before helping Braeburn clean the dishes. Just as Applejack stopped sobbing, her sadness was replaced with anger.

” That bucking plothole better have a damn good reason why he stood me up! Ah’m gonna give him a piece of my mind!” 

Applejack grabbed her lasso, just in case she needed it and walked to the front door. His hooves were stomping the floorboard angrily as she shouted, “Braeburn, Ah’ll be back in a little while. Ah, got a damn plothead to kick where the sun don’t shine!”

As she slammed the door, both Braeburn and Strongheart stopped what they were doing. Both had worried looks on their faces before turning to one another. Strongheart asked, “Should we follow her? I’m worried she’ll do something rash.”

Braeburn nodded his head and grabbed his spare lasso. The last thing he needed was to get his cousin out of jail for disorderly conduct and assault. He was going to bring her back home by force if needed. Afterward, he would have a stallion to stallion talk with the man. It was very uncharacteristic for Clyde not to carry out his word, and the country stallion knew in his gut that something was very wrong.

In any event, he would be there to support his family member, even if she was overreacting. Once he was ready, he told his fiancée, “Ah’m going after her, you can come if you want, but if Ah tell you to leave or get the Sheriff, do it.”

With a determined look, the buffalo girl nodded, and out the door, the two went. They could only hope Applejack would not have done any permanent damage, whether to her reputation or Clyde’s body.





“C’mon Daisy-Jo! Push!” yelled Clyde as he reached inwards to find the baby calf’s head.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!” screamed Daisy-Jo.

Clyde and Arizona had been trying their best to help her Aunt for the past hour. Dakota stayed by her side and gave her moral support while hoofing over anything Clyde needed. The baby was stuck and they were racing against the clock to get the poor baby out. To make matters worse, the Doctor still had not arrived yet, and the poor mother had to give birth without painkillers or potions. And it scared Arizona in many ways.

Before her was a glimpse of what real motherhood entailed, and it gave her newfound respect for the process of giving life. While she wanted to be a mother one day, it was no easy feat. It was hard work and a painful one with struggles to boot. There was no way she was going to be able to tackle the work without the support of a loving husband. She could see the worry but love coming from her Uncle Dakota. He was staying by her side for better or worse; while it was worsening, Arizona could only hope it would improve.

Grabbing another towel, Arizona set it on the floor and made bedding for the baby when it came out. And just went she was worried the baby might be lost, Clyde shouted, “I see a head! Keep pushing Daisy-Jo!”

“You hear that, honey? Our calf is almost here! You got this!”

With another loud scream, more bodily water fluid came out, with a calf head protruding. Clyde’s shirt was splashed with a decent amount, along with some blood. Arizona was worried the baby was hurt, but Clyde noticed Arizona’s reaction and said, “That’s normal, don’t worry about that blood.”

 “Okay...good. Well, not good, but still.” 

As Arizona refocused, the man said, “Okay, Arizona, Ah’m gonna need you to wrap up the baby in a minute. Three more pushes, Daisy-Jo. Now git’er done!”

In less than a minute, the cow did as told by the man and gave three powerful pushes. Each push, while painful, further removed the baby from her body. The man slid a couple of fingers and pushed her vaginal walls apart to get a better grip on the baby. The calf’s head soon turned into a head with a torso and legs with the umbilical cord attached. Securely grabbing the baby, Arizona wrapped it up in a clean towel. Clyde handed sharp scissors to Dakota and said, “Mister, you have the honors.”

As Daisy-Jo breathed a sigh of relief, the new father bull took the hoof-friendly scissors and made a clean cut. Arizona was shocked by the entire sight and couldn’t believe what had happened. The man of her desires took charge and helped deliver her Aunt’s baby when the Doctor was absent. Because of the man, Daisy-Jo had her baby without permanent harm. Minnesota quickly removed fluid and gray meconium remnants from her sister’s baby. Minnesota then took a quick peak and said, “Sis, Dakota...Congratulations! You have a baby girl!”

 “A girl! My cousin is a baby heifer! Oh, my lucky stars, I have a cousin!” 

Her Aunt and Uncle teared up as Clyde handed over the wrapped-up baby calf. The new parents both teared up as the baby began to cry. The entire room was emotional, with tears of joy as the parents nuzzled their newborn baby. The door suddenly opened, and the Equestrian Doctor and Texas followed behind. The stallion Doctor started apologizing, “I’m very sorry for the delay! Two stallions got in a fight on the other side of town. I came as soon as I could, and...Oh, I missed the birth, it seems.”

Taking his bag off his back, the Doctor immediately began to examine the mother and the baby. While this was happening, Texas walked over and asked, “So, everything went okay? As far as births go?”

Minnesota nuzzled her husband and said, “It sure did. Clyde and Arizona helped out ol’ Daisy-Jo. We got ourselves a niece.”

The large bull’s jaw dropped as he looked at the crying, healthy-looking baby cow. Sure enough, it was a light brown coated, Holstein-patterned baby heifer with light blue eyes and black horns. Texas couldn’t believe that all went well, despite a Doctor not being around to help. While Texas and Minnesota were watching the newborn baby, the Doctor said, “Good news, everyone! The baby is perfectly healthy. I detect a strong heartbeat and no issues. I imagine the mother would like some pain relievers, if I’m not mistaken.”

The tired Daisy-Jo looked at the Doctor and said, “Give me those pain pills. I’ve been through enough, dontcha know?”
The Doctor nodded, administered a quick syringe of pain medicine, and hoofed over a few pain pills. The Doctor then pulled out a birth certificate application and said, “I need the father to help fill out these forms. I’m going to need a name too. Have you both a name for the little lady?”

With Daisy-Jo’s pain subsiding and Dakota taking the forms with a pen in his mouth, the two parents looked at each other. Dakota winked at his wife, giving her a verbal nod to name the baby how she wished. After a few seconds, Daisy-Jo said, “Her name is Kansas. Kansas Dallas Jo.”

As her husband began to fill the birth certificate form out, Clyde stopped cleaning up the mess. He couldn’t believe what he had heard and neither could Arizona.

 “They’re giving her his middle name? Wow, what an honor!” 

“Pardon me, but did you say Kansas Dallas-Jo? You’re giving her mah middle name?” asked the man.

The parents nodded as Daisy-Jo said, “Clyde, you’ve helped my husband and me so many times, and you helped us when we needed help. I can’t imagine what might have happened if you weren’t here. We owe you a debt of gratitude, and so does our little Kansas. It would be our honor if she took your middle name.”

The man held back a tear before saying, “That’s mighty generous of you, Ma’am. Ah certainly appreciate it.”

As the two parents looked at each other, they smiled before Dakota asked, “Would you like to hold her for a minute? You did help her, after all. Why not say hello?”

The man looked at everyone in the room, unsure what to say. Arizona giggled before saying, “Go on. Go say hello to my little cousin.”

The young cow began gently nudging the shy man, who walked forward and carefully took the baby cow. The baby had stopped crying and carefully opened her eyes. The baby’s attention was now focused on the man intently. All Clyde did was simply talk to her as if she could understand.

“Hello there little youngin’, and welcome to the world. My name’s Clyde, but you won’t remember that. Just know you’ve got your whole life ahead of you, but it won’t always be easy. Just remember to make the most of it and listen to your parents. They’re gonna have your best interests at heart. Give them proper respect, and they’ll guide you till it’s time for you to make your own mark on this world. Kansas Dallas-Jo, welcome to life. Ah, pray you’ll have a good one.”

The entire room smiled, seeing Clyde holding the baby and the words he spoke to the little baby heifer. Time froze in place for Arizona as she stared at Clyde with her baby cousin in his arms. If there was anything more powerful than the feeling of butterflies in her tummy, it was the fire burning in her heart. Arizona knew right then and there that she had to win Clyde’s heart at nearly any cost. Before anyone could say anything, the baby sneezed at Clyde. A mist of small nasal discharge hit the man’s already stained shirt.

In a playful reply, the man said, “Or you could just sneeze on me. It’s all good.”

The room erupted into laughter at the silly scene before Clyde handed Kansas back over to her mother. As the Doctor talked with the parents, Clyde said, “Well, Ah’m late for mah appointment. Ah gotta get going; glad to help y’all. And thanks for the dessert Arizona.”

The still-dressed-up heifer snapped out of her love trance and looked toward her parents, who waved her off. Texas gave his daughter a look of approval while Minnesota mouthed a silent, “Go get ’em.” Arizona nodded and asked Clyde, “Mind if I talk with you for a minute? Outside”

As the man gathered up his desert after having tried to clean himself up, he said, “Sure thing Arizona, but Ah really need to get going, so you got a minute, Ah’m afraid.”

 “You asked him once before your cousin interrupted you. You got this girl! Go get your man!” 

As the man and the heifer walked outside to the street, Arizona checked herself once more. Satisfied she still looked nice, the two reach the street, standing in front of her Aunt and Uncle’s house. The man turned around and said, “Dang, now this is what Ah called a crazy night. At least Ah got to hold a baby and get a dessert from a pretty lady.”

Arizona blushed and smiled at the compliment before saying, “Well, it was worth it, right?”

Clyde smiled and nodded, “It sure was Arizona. It sure was. Now, what was it that you wanted to ask me? Ah think you said something about dinner, but Ah can’t remember.”

Taking another deep breath, Arizona looked into his eyes and asked, “Clyde, that was amazing and wonderful what you did for my Aunt. I don’t think I can really show you how grateful I am. With that said, would you like to join my family and me for dinner tomorrow? I want to cook you a family recipe I think you’ll love.”

The man’s eyes lit up, and a grin formed on his face. Before he could reply, a new voice shouted across the street.

“CLYDE DALLAS FORD! YOU GOT SOME S’PLAINING TO DO!!!”

Both Clyde and Arizona turned to see a dressed-up Applejack with a lasso in her mouth. The angry country mare was galloping toward Clyde with fire in her eyes. Before Clyde could do anything, Arizona took a fighting stance between him and Applejack. She had no idea what was going on, but no one, not even Applejack, was going to lay a hoof on her man.

 “Bring it on, whorse!”  thought Arizona.

And just like that, the night continued to carry on without a moment to spare.
> The lines are drawn.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The country mare was furious and was out for answers. Her marely dignity was affronted, and all her efforts to please the man she fancied were wasted. He had never bothered to show up, and the food went cold. The only thing Applejack could think of was why Clyde never showed up was Arizona.

 “She probably figured out what Ah was up to! That no good hussy hooker heifer!”  thought Applejack.

The mare knew the young cow was somehow behind it because there was no other reason she could think of. All Apple Family members looked out for each other, even the extended family members she didn’t see often. Applejack knew Braeburn wouldn’t have bothered introducing the two. Even her cousins Golden Delicious and Apple Fritter, whom she barely got to see anymore, would never introduce a stallion of lousy character to her. Applejack cooking meat made her very uncomfortable, but she did it to see the look of satisfaction on Clyde’s face.

 “And what do Ah get for mah troubles? Nothing! Not a darn thing! He’s probably at Daisy-Jo’s house! Ah gotta look for a house that cow would live at.” 

Applejack began to search the residential part of Appleloosa, narrowing down the homes based on the mailbox names and other clues. Sure enough, she spotted a house with signs of a Holstein-cow pattern decoration. And to top it off, Applejack saw the man she was searching for. Clyde looked like his clothes were a mess like he had done something hectic. Worries about Clyde having made love were flashing into her mind. And to top it all off, she saw her rival, looking at Clyde with emotion that screamed love.

”Arizona...no, sh-she, Ah mean they couldn’t have!”

“No.” whispered Applejack, “They couldn’t have done what Ah’m thinking.”

To make matters worse, she was clearly dressed up for the evening. She wore a nice red country dress with a red silk ribbon, an Equestria Western region flower in her mane, carefully brushed eyelashes, and light anti-oil power makeup. She looked as if she could rival any pretty mare in all the west of Equestria. Thoughts of the man and the cow rutting hardcore played in her mind and lit her heart in a fire of fury.

Taking her lasso out, Applejack shouted, “CLYDE DALLAS FORD! YOU GOT SOME S’PLAINING TO DO!!!”

Her furious and loud battle cry caught their attention. What happened next angered and confused Applejack. Clyde froze and looked confused, like a cornered critter who knew no better. Seeing Applejack advance with a lasso in her mouth, Arizona took a battle stance between her and Clyde. The mare and the heifer locked eyes with each other, and an unspoken language was exchanged between the two.

And that was, “He’s mine, and you’re going to have to go through me to get him.”

The lines were drawn, and both intentions of the mare and heifer were now known. Any confusion or ignorance between the two disappeared in an instant, and neither country girl was going down without a tumble. Clyde, for his part, looked apologetic and stared at the ground. Before he could say anything, Applejack reached Arizona, which blocked the mare from getting any closer to the man. Applejack put the lasso in her dominant right foreleg and asked, “And just where the hay have you been?! Do you know the hours and effort Ah put into making you the best home-cooked meal Ah could make?! Ah made you chicken for crying out loud! Do you know how expensive and uncomfortable that was for me?!”

The man turned up his head and stared at Applejack. Regret was as clear as the starry night sky, showing through his expressive face that he was sorry. Arizona was shocked to hear that Applejack made Clyde a meat meal for the man. Clyde didn’t get a chance to speak as Arizona jumped in and said, “Hey! He’s been here with my family and me. He’s done nothing wrong to deserve your yellin’! SO BACK OFF!”

Before Applejack could react, Arizona butted heads with the angry mare and started a head-pushing struggle ensure. The mare was very much surprised at the strength the cow was presenting, and Applejack wasn’t sure if she could match the strength of the young heifer. It also did not help the fact that cows had a natural weapon, which was their horns. And the horns were not blunt; they appeared to have been used regularly. Another thing Applejack noticed was the opalescent shine the night sky cast on her horns.

 “She even decorated her horns?! She’s out for mah man! Ah knew it!” 

Before the situation could escalate, a hand was placed on Applejack’s head. The distance between the two rival country ladies was forcibly increased, making them the mare and heifer confused. Both Applejack and Arizona stopped their standoff and looked at a disappointed but serious man. The level of authority he was exuding stopped both ladies in their tracks. The man looked at Applejack and said, “Miss Applejack, you need to calm down. Ah have a good reason why Ah missed your dinner. But Ah’m gonna need you to calm down and put away that lasso right now.”

His stern, but pleading eyes told exactly what Applejack needed to hear. He wanted a chance and told her with unspoken authority that she better do as told. Such an assertion coming from him was strange but familiar. Applejack wasn’t sure if it was due to him being just as strong as any dominant stallion or if he was some kind of living being naturally dominant to a pony. Regardless of the reason, she heeded his words and nodded before tying her lasso to her side. Once the lasso was tied to a dress loop, a feature unique to a country dress, the mare turned her attention back to the serious stare of Clyde.

Arizona, for her part, was giving Applejack a death stare and was ready for any wrong move made by the country mare. Applejack could tell by the power stance the heifer had taken and knew a wrong move would result in lights out. The country mare sighed and said, “Clyde, please be honest and tell me why you never showed up. Ah really wanted you to have a good meal...for helping me.”

The last part of Applejack’s sentence was a lie, and Arizona saw right through it. Within the corner of Applejack’s vision, the mare could see a blood vessel pulsate in anger on the heifer’s face, along with an angry, teeth-bared expression. Applejack thought,  “She knows that Ah knows she wants him. And that Ah knows that she knows that Ah wants him too. My advantage is all gone now.” 

Clyde broke the silence and said, “Applejack, Miss Arizona went through the trouble of baking me a dessert to help her prepare for the Rodeo. Ah didn’t think nothin’ of it since Ah’d help anyone for this upcoming competition.”

That made Applejack’s eyes go wide and even gave her more worries about Arizona. The cow had the same idea and baked him a dessert. She could even smell the treat coming from the plate he held in his arms. It looked like a simple bread loaf, but it smelled anything but simple. She had no idea what it could be but was certain her family Apple Pie would beat it.

Clyde continued, “Just as Ah was leaving, her Aunt entered labor. With no Doctor around, Ah stayed and helped deliver her baby. All is well and the little youngin’ is a healthy girl. My clothes are dirty from the birth, but Ah don’t care. Her Aunt and cousin are safe and sound. Ah’m sorry Ah missed your meal, but an innocent baby comes before a meal.”

Applejack’s anger all but evaporated, and shame crept in. The mare sat on her haunches as she took Clyde’s words. Arizona smugly looked at Applejack and relaxed her stance slightly, but not much. Her rival had made herself look like an ignorant fool. The young heifer felt confident she appeared as the reasonable lady of the two. Applejack stared at the ground in shame. She looked at Clyde and said, “Clyde, Ah’m sorry. Ah thought Ah was stood up, but Ah was wrong. Ah’m glad you did the right thing and helped a mother in need. You’ll always have mah respect. Ah should have given you the benefit of the doubt.”

Arizona snorted and said, “Darn right, you should have!’

Applejack ignored the cow and locked eyes with the man. Clyde sighed before saying, “Yeah, you should have, but it’s okay. The youngin’ and her Ma are doing just fine. Ah can come by another time Ah suppose, or Ah can take some home another time. Mighty thoughtful of you to make me chicken. Ah appreciate it.”

Arizona’s smug satisfaction disappeared when Clyde mentioned he appreciated Applejack’s cooking. The mare knew the cow felt threatened to hear that Applejack cooked meat for the man. This gave Applejack hope that she still had some cards in her hooves that Arizona did not. Applejack held back a smug smile before turning her attention back to Clyde.

“Now, with that said, Ah’m gonna hit the hay. If you wanna bring me some of the dinner tomorrow around noon near the Rodeo grounds, Ah’d appreciate it.”

Applejack nodded and said, “Consider it done. Ah’ll bring it tomorrow for your lunch. Ah think you’ll like it.”

The country mare looked smug while the country heifer started to sweat bullets. Arizona started looking back and forth between the mare and the man before saying, “But Clyde, what about having dinner with me tomorrow evening?”

Applejack stared at Arizona, knowing full well her intentions. The young cow confirmed exactly that she had the same plans as Applejack. This made the mare realize she’d have to devise a new plan to win Clyde over. The problem Applejack faced was that her rival was a country girl, and country girls had similar patterns and traditions. The mare secretly wished her friends were with her to help with new ideas to win Clyde over.

Unfortunately, they were not with her, and she’d have to think outside the box. Applejack turned her attention to Clyde as he answered, “Ah’m afraid that’s gonna have to be on the back burner.”

 “HA! Take that, you hussy heifer!” 

The cow’s ears splayed downward as she frowned before he continued, “Ah really would love to enjoy your cooking, but your Aunt is gonna need all the attention she can get on account of the baby. Ah can’t intrude while your family attends to your Aunt and cousin. It wouldn’t be proper, at least for three days. And the Rodeo begins 4 days from now; you’ll need time to practice and rest. That’s not gonna be easy with a newborn baby under a shared roof an’ all..”

Arizona was now frowning and trying to hide a tear, but Applejack enjoyed it with a small amount of guilt. However, her luck wasn’t all that great either.

“Same goes with you, Applejack. Ah want you to do your best in the Rodeo as Ah hope for Arizona. Ah’m gonna be very busy the next few days since we’re running behind setting up the events. We haven’t even got the little youngins’ playpen set up. We also have to construct the audience stands, and Ah’m one of the folks responsible for making sure it’s sturdy. That’s gonna make me plum-tuckered the next few days. Once the first events you two are signed up for are over, Ah can spend time having dinner with both of y’all, separately, of course. Ah know y’all wanna be good friends with me and are thankful of my help, so y’all just have to wait.”

Applejack and Arizona were now frowning with disappointment, and ears splayed downward. They had heard the dreaded “F” word that nopony or lady creature ever wanted to hear from their desired mate. And that was the “friendship” word. Anyone in their right mind knows friendship isn’t possible if one romantically desires the other.

 “F-friends?! Ah’m getting friend-zoned?! Nah, it can’t be! He just doesn’t know how Ah feels yet." thought Applejack as she was in denial.

“Now, with that behind us, Arizona,” said Clyde.

The young heifer turned to look at Clyde, who continued, “If ya wanna cook dinner still, let me know when Daisy-Jo has recovered. If she and Dakota have no objections, and the first round of events are done, Ah’ll be over for supper. Early tomorrow morning at 8 am, Ah’ll be free for the Barrel Weave practice but nothing else, sadly. Ain’t got no time after that since Ah got to set up for the other first-round events.”

The young cow forced a smile before saying, “No problem, Clyde. Let me know how the loaf turned out. See you tomorrow morning.”

The cowboy nodded before turning to Applejack, “And Ah’ll be seeing you tomorrow as well. Braeburn is supposed to meet me in the afternoon with the officials, so you can meet me for lunch and some practice if you want. Same practice as before, just the Barrel Weave."

Applejack frowned but nodded before saying, “Okay, see you tomorrow afternoon. Ah’ll bring you lunch.”

The man tipped his hat to Arizona and Applejack before heading home. As Clyde turned around the corner and left their view, Applejack faced Arizona and said, “Ah know what yer doing! Ah laid eyes on him first, so keep your hooves off mah man!”

The cow’s attention quickly refocused on the mare before she angrily returned words of warning of her own.

“Your man?! You don’t deserve him! You blamed him for a wrong doing simply because he was late to your dinner. And he was wonderful in helping my family in their time of need. I saw what a great man he is; a whorse like you doesn’t deserve him! He’s mine, I tell ya, so back off!”

The cow took her fighting stance again, which prompted Applejack to do the same. The mare narrowed her eyes as she said, “Whorse?! Ah’m a real mare, you hussy heifer! Go back to your stupid Prairie, and search for grass since y’all are too stupid to grow your own!”

A fire was lit in Arizona’s eyes as she snorted hot air from her nostrils. Applejack knew how to fight, and unlike Arizona, she had a lasso to stop her. Applejack knew how to corral critters and had confidence she could immobilize the heifer. As Applejack took a fighting stance, Arizona dished out some insults of her own, “Go back home and search for grass? Nah, I got a better idea. I’m gonna not only beat you in every Rodeo event, but I’m gonna win Clyde’s heart. Then I’m gonna take that prize money, buy myself a cross-breeding potion, and have as many babies with that hunk of a man as possible. We’ll build a home on the Prairie and farm ourselves a nice bit of crops, whatever we can grow with all the soil and equipment we can get our hooves on.”

 “She wants his babies!? BUCK THAT! Ah’m carrying his foals! Mah womb is worthy of him!” 

Applejack was shocked to hear that statement coming from Arizona’s mouth. She knew that the Cattlefolk of the Foenum Prairie were mostly nomadic and constantly moved around searching for grass. Applejack always assumed it was due to tradition that they were used to moving from place to place in an inhospitable environment and had no experience in terra-forming land. Her cousin Braeburn and other ponies built something on a land similar to the place that Arizona came from.

Excluding the Buffalo Tribe in the lands outside of town, they were the ones who built something out of nothing in a harsh land. Applejack assumed the Cattlefolk were many hoof steps behind the progress of the Equestrian ponies regarding country life. And now she was proven wrong, and her disdain for the Cattlefolk increased. Her kind were the reasons why equipment, soil, and other supplies were rising while her family across Equestria suffered. The Cattlefolk were building their homes and planning to settle on the Prairie instead of roaming it.

Before Applejack could continue, Arizona added, “Yeah, that’s right. I’m taking everything because I can. I didn’t defeat the Predators just to lose to some mare spoiled by the successes of her family’s farm. I saw first hoof what great father he’ll be. I already have my parents blessing to pursue him. I doubt you have yours...Oh wait! You don’t, because you can't!”

It was Applejack’s turn to be as furious as the sun’s burning surface. It was bad enough that the heifer taunted her with her plans to carry Clyde’s babies; it was another to use the fact that her parents were deceased against her. Applejack got into a fighting position and replied, “You...you stinking, lowlife hussy heifer! Ah’m gonna kick yer plot all the way back to Foenum! Then Ah’m gonna take Clyde’s seed and plant it in mah womb! Ah’ll give him more foals than your lame baby maker can spit out!”

Arizona snorted again and pawed the ground, ready to strike. She retaliated by saying, “Please, foals from you would be weak. Us Cattlefolk know how to make ’em strong! If you don’t get outta here, you’re in for a hurtin’!

“That’s it! Ah’m gonna end her right here and now!” 

“Hooker Heifer!” shouted Applejack.

Arizona snorted once more and readied herself before saying, “Whorsey Mare!”

“Cattle cunt!” shouted Applejack.

“Broodmare Bitch!” yelled Arizona.

“That’s it! Ah’m stompin’ her fucking face in!” 

Before Applejack and Arizona could fight, a lasso was roped around the country mare. She was yanked back and tied up before she could react. Her vision was all over the place before she noticed her cousin Braeburn with a lasso in his mouth. She couldn’t protest very long as he took care of that issue.

“What in tarnation is going-MHMHPF!”, said Applejack before she was cut off with a tied rag to her mouth.

Arizona was seeing red like any bull in a fight and tried to take advantage of Applejack’s restrained state. Before she could charge at the vulnerable mare, she too felt a lasso wrap around her body and was yanked back. And by yanked back, she was yanked back hard...very hard. She practically sailed through the air like a ragdoll and was tied up in no time by her father of all creatures.

“Pa! I had her! She was tryin’ to take Clyde and-MPMHPMHF!”

Her father stuffed a rag into her mouth and tied it so she couldn’t spit it out. While Arizona was a strong heifer for her size, she could not break free from the massive bull. It was almost impossible because Arizona had learned from Texas how to use a lasso. And despite his older age, his memory was as strong as ever.

“Sorry, my little heifer, but you’re seeing red. I can’t let you go for a while, not until you’ve calmed down."

While Applejack and Arizona were restrained, the stallion and the bull looked at each other. Both were embarrassed by their respective family members’ actions and tried to apologize. Braeburn first spoke up, saying, “Mister, Ah’m awfully sorry for how mah cousin acted. She’s taken a fancy to Clyde, and Ah’m afraid she ain’t backing down. Whatever my cousin said, Ah formally apologize.”

The bull was taken aback and surprised at the apology. He was glad that country manners and honor existed, even among the ponies. Texas nodded his head and said, “Thanks, Mister...”

“Braeburn.” said the pony, “Mah name’s Braeburn. Ah’m not the mayor, but Ah’m the mayor’s assistant. Clyde and Ah have been trying to organize the Rodeo and get it going since the beginning. Ah’m the one that introduced mah cousin and him, and Ah didn’t think she’d go to these lengths to court him. Especially slingin’ nasty insults and ruining our family reputation!”

As Braeburn directed his irritation at Applejack, the mare thought, “Mah cousin ain’t supporting me! The nerve! He’s gonna let Arizona take Clyde!”

Applejack’s fears were eased as Texas said, “I can’t accept your apology because you’ve done nothing wrong. My daughter is just as guilty of being UNLADYLIKE as your cousin. She’s also taking a fancy to him, and I’m afraid she ain’t gonna back down, sadly.”

Texas’ reply was clearly directed at Arizona and showed he was just as embarrassed as Braeburn was. The two sighed before Texas asked, “I know the likely answer, but I don’t suppose you can’t convince your cousin to drop her pursuit of Clyde? I really want my daughter to be happy.”

The stallion shook his head before saying, “Ah’m afraid Ah can’t do that. She’s my family, just as Arizona is yours. The only thing Ah can do is keep her under control and stop her from harming your daughter. You hear that, cousin!?”

While Applejack was happy Braeburn wasn’t going to force her to quit her pursuit of the man, she wasn’t thrilled he would stop her from taking out Arizona. Her anger toward the young cow was still burning, and she wanted to get even after being called a “Broodmare Bitch.”

Texas sighed and said, “Then your position is the same as mine. I want my daughter to be happy with Clyde and I will keep her from acting like a buckin’ rumphead towards your cousin. A shame that man doesn’t have a twin. Wouldn’t that solve our problems?”

The stallion and the bull had a hearty chuckle before Braeburn held out a hoof. The large bull took it and returned a solid hoof bump. An agreement was made, and both honorable country folks would keep it. Before Applejack knew it, Little Strongheart threw Applejack on her back and began walking back home with Braeburn following.

Texas did the same with Arizona and walked towards Daisy-Jo’s home. Despite being tied up and carried away, the mare and the heifer clearly viewed each other. The two locked eyes and solidified their resolve. Applejack and Arizona knew the lines were drawn, and the battle for Clyde’s heart had only begun. Before Applejack turned around the corner while being carried on Little Strongheart’s back, and with Arizona just about to enter her Aunt’s house on her father’s back, she thought to herself,

 “Ah’m gonna stomp that turf twat's plot into the ground like a spit apple seed. Then Ah’ll rut Clyde in front of her...even if it’s the last thing Ah do.”

The lines for Clyde’s heart were now officially drawn.
> Cooling down with the ZZZs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arizona was carried into her Aunt and Uncle’s house and fumed while tied up. Using his left rear leg, Texas carefully closed the door behind him. Daisy-Jo and Dakota looked confused as their niece was hogtied while gagged. Before either could ask a question, Texas said, “Some pony took a fancy to Clyde and almost got into a fight with Arizona. Had to stop her from making a bad decision. She’s fuming now and needs to cool her head in the guest room.”

In a surprised tone, Daisy-Jo and Dakota said, “Oh!” before returning their attention to the baby. Once Minnesota saw her daughter and heard her husband’s explanation, the motherly cow shook her head. She said, “I’m disappointed in you, my little heifer. There’s a time and a place to give ‘em the horns. But fighting over a Gent ain’t one of them, dontcha know? You gotta act like a lady if you’re gonna be dressed as one.”

The young cow snorted in anger, hearing her mother’s words, and thought, ”It’s not fair! They ain’t supporting me! It was that stupid whorse that came at me!”

As Arizona huffed some more, Minnesota asked, “What happened to the pony? I’m surprised our daughter didn’t kick and stomp the poor but foolish mare.”

Texas replied, “That mare honestly looked like she could have stood a chance against Arizona. She came armed with a lasso too. Good thing her cousin, Mr. Braeburn, tied her up as well. He apologized for her behavior but said she ain’t gonna let go of Clyde. He said he’ll keep her in check, but it’ll be up to Clyde to choose. I agreed to keep Arizona reigned in but nothing further.”

Dakota turned his head towards Texas, surprised to hear Braeburn’s name.

“Mr. Braeburn? His cousin acting out? Dang, that’s a surprise. Braeburn is a stand-up stallion, and I believe he’s tellin’ the truth. His family helped with founding the town, and he’s organizing the Rodeo with Clyde. He probably introduced the two, and that mare, Applejack, is known for being pretty stubborn. He’s complained about her stubbornness before when he came in our dairy supply store.”

Dakota nuzzled his wife and baby before walking over to the fridge. He pulled out a milk bottle that was no ordinary bottle. It was a deep blue glass milk bottle with a paper label. The label had several “ZZZ” letters scribbled on it, and Arizona became anxious as she knew what it was.

”They’re gonna give me sleepin' blue milk?! I don’t wanna get put to bed! I wanna kick Applejack’s rump!”

Still seeing red, she tried to squirm her way out of the rope but failed. Texas scolded his daughter, “Woah there, missy. You need to calm down for tomorrow. I know you’re still mad, but it won’t do you any good if you can’t get some sleep. You’re gonna see Clyde tomorrow morning, right?”

Arizona’s ears perked up hearing Clyde’s name, and she realized her father was right. She still had a chance to see Clyde in the morning for Rodeo practice. That meant she could spend time with him and win him over. The young cow had the advantage of meeting him before Applejack and found the prospect of taking blue milk not so bad. Swallowing her pride, Arizona relaxed as the rag was taken off. Her uncle said, “I know this makes you feel like you’re a little calf again, but it’s for your own good.”

She didn’t say anything but nodded before taking a full dose from the liquid syringe. The blue milk was swallowed, and the young cow felt its effects already working. Her heartbeat started to calm, and her eyelids closed, causing the heifer to relax. Satisfied Arizona took enough blue milk, Texas said to Dakota, “Thanks, she needed that.”

The bull nodded and said, “Don’t we all? This has been one heck of a night.”

Daisy-Jo gently shook her baby and said, “I think we all need to get some sleep. I certainly do.”

As Minnesota helped her sister and niece get to their room, Dakota began to pick up the place. Texas began walking to Arizona’s room and placed her on the bed. His daughter was already asleep, and satisfied his daughter wasn’t faking it, he untied her and put the covers over her. He kissed his daughter’s forehead and said, “As long as you fight for what you want right, you’ll come out on top. I love you and believe in you, Arizona. Goodnight, my little heifer.”

The fatherly bull turned the oil lamp off as he took the lasso and roped it back into a bundle. He carefully closed the door and left her to sleep. Arizona opened one eyelid before letting sleep take her to a dream rest.

“Love you too, Pa.” whispered Arizona, “I’ll win your heart Clyde Dallas Ford, and be the best wife you deserve.”

The young heifer let her worries go and slowly drifted off to sleep. She dreamt of holding Clyde in a loving embrace as they lay on the Prairie grass together. Only time would tell if that dream would become a reality.

Arizona never had a more peaceful night of sleep.





Applejack tried to break free of Braeburn’s hogtie and failed. His lasso skills were sadly on par with her own, and she could not escape. As she continued to squirm in vain, Braeburn scolded his cousin, “Dangit, Applejack! Ah know he didn’t show up for supper, but that was uncalled for! You’re lucky Clyde didn’t see what you tried to do. It would’ve disgusted him, Ah tell you what!”

The mare ignored his scolding and thought to herself, ”Stop wasting mah time, Braeburn, and let me go! Ah got a cow to beat the snot out of!”

Little Strongheart held Applejack steady on her back before the two made it home. As the stallion opened the door, the young buffalo said, “Braeburn, she’s not calming down. We must try something, or else we can’t untie her.”

As Little Strongheart closed the door behind her with her back leg, Braeburn thought up an idea. Whenever he was stressed out, his fiancée would make a bowl of some incense. He asked, “Do you have any more of that calming hay? If so, can you burn it? It might do her some good.”

Little Strongheart smiled and said, “Certainly! I have just enough for the occasion. Take her upstairs, and I’ll prepare it.”

”What in tarnation are they talking about? Burning grass when the only thing that needs a burning is that stinkin’ heifer! thought Applejack.

Braeburn set the pair of lassos on the hook and took his cousin upstairs to bed. She still stirred to squirm but failed. Braeburn sighed and said, “What a mess have you gotten yourself in! Look, if you wanna have a shot at Clyde, you must be on your best behavior. Don’t worry about that rival of yours; worry about how you’re gonna win Clyde’s heart. That’s your real obstacle, but for now, you need a good night’s rest.”

His cousin snorted defiantly as she was set down on the bed. A few minutes later, Little Strongheart entered the room with a bowl of burning hay. It was emitting a strange but calming smell. As she was bound up, Applejack had no choice but to smell the strange smoke. A few minutes later, she felt her body relaxing and her eyelids lowering. Another 4 minutes and Applejack began to drift off to sleep. Satisfied she wasn’t going anywhere, Braeburn untied his cousin and put her to bed. With the covers warming her up, Braeburn sighed and sat on a chair near the bed.

He took his hat off and began to talk to Applejack. Braeburn said, “Applejack, Ah know you’re upset and worried about a lot of things. But Ah promise no matter what, it’ll all work out. Ah heard some of the things that heifer said, and it went a mite too far. I know your Ma and Pa ain’t around, but they’re watchin’ over you and love you. No matter how near or far we might be, we’re always family, and Ah wanna see you happy as much they do. So get some sleep and tomorrow morning, be yourself and show Clyde what a great mare you are.”

As he took his hat off the nightstand, Braeburn made his way to the door. He opened it, and just before leaving the room, he turned around and said, “Goodnight, Applejack. Love you always, Cousin.”

The door made an audible click as it closed, letting Applejack know she was alone. His words were ringing in her head, and she took them to heart. A few small tears fell from her eyes as she drifted off to sleep.

Before falling asleep, she whispered, ”Ma, Pa, Ah dun goofed and acted really bad tonight. Ah’m sorry for actin’ shameful an’ all. Ah’m missing ya’ll a lot right now and wish you were here. Ah found a nice feller, and think you’d approve of him. Ah love y’all and hope Ah’m making you proud.”

A few sniffles, a light sobbing, and more tears escaped from the mare before sleep finally took hold. The room was now silent and peaceful, with no more sounds of sadness emanating from the sleeping mare. Applejack dreamt of being on a peaceful and bright Apple farm holding Clyde’s hand while introducing him to her parents. She never felt more at peace than ever before and hoped her dream would come true.

Time would be the true judge of her dreams, and the clock had just begun.





Clyde’s walk home was uneventful, and he was grateful for it. He felt very guilty for missing Applejack’s supper and was surprised she made him chicken. The past few years of being placed in this strange new world were stressful for the former cattle rancher. One minute he was out in the western fields of Oklahoma with other ranch hands, and the next minute he awoke in the field. He didn’t even remember falling asleep and couldn’t recall what had happened to the others or the cattle he was watching.

He wandered the fields until finding a strange town he’d never heard of. Clyde was equally alarmed at how 19th century it looked, with many people dressed in different attire. Fortunately, most of them spoke English, and after talking to a random woman, he got answers.

He was taken to a Police Station and was told he wasn’t in trouble but that they needed to ask questions about where he was from. Clyde told them the truth, and who in return told him the bad news after an hour. Humans from North America and Europe were taken randomly and placed in an unknown world. A small settlement formed over time with all humans working together. The news shook Clyde and made him want to get “drunker than a skunk.”

The best explanation his fellow humans could think of was an unknown phenomenon was responsible. It was theorized random portal pockets naturally formed on Earth and were linked to another planet. It was dubbed “The Bermuda Effect” by a British Professor who disappeared sailing off the coast of Bermuda on his holiday. He was enjoying his afternoon sailing in the Atlantic, only to wake up on his boat with lost time and bearings.

The poor guy eventually realized he was off the coast of “Not Bermuda” and was surprised when another boat told him to dock immediately. He too, had a “bit of a tizzy” before trying to get drunk at any pub he could find. Upon learning who he was, the settlement chose him to educate the newly displaced humans. He had a dark but very good sense of humor that British people were known for, or at least on television or in movies.

When Clyde took the Professor’s “Welcome to the New World” class, the cowboy said he wished he was taken by Aliens instead. Clyde’s reasoning was that at least he’d see face-to-face who or what was responsible for taking him away from home. The Professor quickly quipped, “Well, no, your arsehole would be facing the Aliens. Literally and figuratively, I’m afraid. "

The classroom erupted in laughter, and while Clyde was far from home, he was happy to know he wasn’t the only person with his problem. Unfortunately, talking species eventually discovered the small continent when a ship of talking colorful ponies came to the shore. After a mass hysteria, a channel between the leaders was made. The next few years of learning about the new races of living beings and interacting with them forced Clyde to reshape his sense of reality.

Eventually, he made peace that he would never go back to Earth and sought to find his own place on the planet Equis. During his visit to Equestria, the man had to hold in fits of anger, frustration, and laughter. The names of the towns alone made him want to be drunk 24/7. After doing a few odd jobs in Fillydelphia and getting stared at by ponies in public, Clyde learned about Appleloosa. Seeing a job offer in a local newspaper, the man packed his small amount of belongings and left for the frontier town.

He wasn’t disappointed as he fit right in. It was just pure luck that he found Braeburn; the rest was history. Clyde’s experience of being a cowboy paid off in many ways, and he quickly rose to prominence with the ponies. Their similar American Western attitudes made him feel at home and no longer a stranger. When the Buffalo Tribe needed help with thieves and squatters, the human cowboy joined Sheriff Silverstar’s posse without hesitation. The lowlife creatures were gone in a matter of days, and Clyde won newfound respect amongst the Ponies and Buffalo.

Never in his life did Clyde ever think he’d be in a fantasy world, but life always threw a curveball. And tonight’s curveball was helping a cow give birth to a baby. While the act wasn’t new to him, having done it many times on Earth, it was the fact a walking, talking sapient cow was the one giving birth. And the cows, both in size and faces, were completely different and looked better than Earth cows. Clyde simply shrugged and reasoned that they were just people in different bodies.

But unlike the cattle on Earth, he liked the Cattlefolk of Equis and saw them as decent folk. A sense of accomplishment and pride was felt helping a little baby cow come into the world. It was as if it were no different than any other baby on Earth, and he was happy to have been in the right place to help Daisy-Jo and Dakota.

Halfway down the street, Clyde looked at the Dessert Loaf and smelled the good scent of the treat. He still found it amusing that it looked like a simple bread loaf with butter and salt, but he couldn’t wait to try it. Never had a woman on Earth offered to make him dinner or bake him a dessert, which made this day special. He considered himself lucky that a Mare and Cow made him food, a sign that his efforts in helping others were appreciated.

With the Rodeo coming up and the competition expected to be fierce, he figured the young ladies were just happy someone took the time to help them. It was clear both Arizona and Applejack were raised with good manners like any respectable country, or western woman would be. He wasn’t surprised that Applejack would be upset he was late, but surprised she would hunt him down over it.

Clyde made a mental note to keep his manners in check whenever around the ladies, as Equestria was not modern-day America. He couldn’t just simply get into a car and let things blow over. Actions have consequences, and Equis had funny ways of reminding him. He was equally surprised that Arizona would defend him from a perceived threat. He was also amused that the young heifer lady was like cow defending her calf from a predator back on Earth.

Spotting the similarities of animal traits in the native beings of Equis was amusing and weird at the same time. Ultimately, he was glad a misunderstanding was stopped, and that a fight between the two ladies was avoided. He respected the Mare and the Heifer more than many other women he met on Earth, aside from his mother, sisters, and other female family members. As Clyde walked near the Salt Block bar, he frowned as he was reminded there weren’t many women in Equis. Most were taken or married back on the small settlement, and the dating scene was insanely fierce.

While the cowboy was used to being alone, Clyde knew he would want a companion eventually. He long ago resigned that he may have to give a non-human a chance. Clyde prayed to God for forgiveness if dating a talking, non-human girl was a sin. He had faith that, in the end, all would be sorted out, and he’d live the best life possible. As Clyde thought about teaching Applejack and Arizona some new tips and tricks for the Rodeo, he bumped into a creature.

“Whoa! Sorry about that partner,” said Clyde in an apologetic tone.

As Clyde regained his bearings, a large gray bull with shiny black longhorns and fierce, angry eyes stared at Clyde. The male bull turned around and gave the man a death glare. This put Clyde on edge as his instincts were shouting that something was wrong. Clyde had been around angry bulls before back on Earth, and while they looked different and essentially were people, some similarities were universal. Clyde could tell the bull was debating whether to fight, challenge the man to something, or simply walk away.

Just as he had dealt with bulls back on Earth, Clyde stood his ground and stared back at the bull. For another few seconds, the stranger snorted before chuckling. The bull had decided not to start a fight, and while Clyde was glad, he still wasn’t letting his guard down.

The bull said, “No harm done, human. I’m just going to get booze and salt before hitting the hay. I suggest you get some rest too. Gonna be a big day tomorrow.”

Confused at what the cow was talking about, Clyde thought, ”Is he gonna join the Rodeo? Is he gonna be one of those braggers and put on a pre-Rodeo show or something? Ah need to keep an eye on this one, he’s trouble. Ah can just tell he is.”

The man asked, "Big day? You gonna join the Rodeo? Or put up a pre-Rodeo show?"

The bull licked his lips and replied in a ominous tone, "Something like that. You'll see."

"Ah gotta get away from this guy. Ain't got my weapons on me."

Clyde nodded before walking away and could feel the staring from the bull behind his back. Just as he was about to turn the corner, the bull shouted, “I hope yer woman don’t know you’ve been deep in Cattle Coochie! She might hit ya with a skillet if she found out you had a bastard calf with a hooker heifer and brought her loaf back home to boot! AHAHAHAHAHA!”

Clyde turned around and gave him a death glare to the bull. The male cow apparently could tell the scent of a heifer giving birth and chose to be a jerk toward the man. As Clyde held the loaf, he used his free right to flip off the bull. The gray bull grinned at the man before walking into the Salt Block. As the bull disappeared, Clyde muttered several swear words from Earth before returning home. He was lucky most ponies and visiting creatures were asleep, as he didn’t want to make a scene.

Whether it was Ponies, Cows, or Griffons, Clyde was reminded that bad apples existed in Equis, just as they did on Earth. The man made a mental note to carry his buck knife, brass knuckles, and steel boots with him for the next few days. He also had another special weapon if needed, but he prayed it wouldn’t come to that. He needed to speak quickly with Sheriff Silverstar in the morning before meeting Arizona for practice.

Taking another sigh, the man made it to his small one-bedroom home and took his clothes off. He set Arizona's Dessert Loaf aside and covered it up for the morning. Clyde went to bed wearing only his boxers and relaxed as the day ended. Just as sleep hit him, he wondered, ”This is gonna be a long week; hope nothing else goes wrong.”

As Clyde fell asleep, he dreamt that two strange ladies stood before him. He couldn’t determine what they looked like or if they were human. As he walked forward, the two ladies disappeared. The dream was strange but otherwise harmless. He slept well, which was a good thing for Clyde, as the week had just begun, and it wouldn’t give him mercy until it was over.
> New beginnings, new troubles.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arizona woke up from her sleep after Minnesota gently nuzzled her. The motherly cow said softly, “Wake up, my little heifer. You gotta get ready to see Clyde, dontcha know?”

The young heifer’s eyes opened wide, and she took notice of her mother’s words. Arizona quickly thanked Minnesota before changing out of her dress. She went to the bathroom, removed all the makeup, and checked her face. The horn polish was removed with gloss remover, and Arizona brushed her hair to her usual style. With some light body mist spray, Arizona went to the kitchen and quickly ate her breakfast. Her mother had made her biscuits with honey, a fried hay patty, and a side of fresh leafy spinach. With a cup of coffee and sweat cream added, the heifer hoped that Clyde enjoyed her dessert.

As much as she wanted to run to the bullpen, and grab Clyde before Applejack did anything rash, Arizona remembered her parent’s advice. The young heifer needed to be on her best behavior and show Clyde her true self. A heifer needed to be a good gal, and no self-respecting guy would ever take a cow of poor character for a wife. A part of Arizona wondered if she could be just as pretty as a pony and if she had a chance.

Clyde had spent a lot of time with ponies, and the cow was worried if he preferred their company. Arizona had never felt insecure before in her life until she met Applejack. The cow asked her mother, who was still cooking for the rest of the family, “Ma, am I pretty?”

Minnesota stopped what she was doing and turned around to sit next to her daughter. The motherly cow asked, “Arizona, why are you asking that? Of course, you’re pretty! And I’m not saying that just because I’m your mother.”

Arizona frowned with her ears splaying downward and thought of Applejack. The cowpony mare looked very pretty with her bright orange coat, blonde mane, and tail. Meanwhile, she had a brown spotted coat, which wasn’t as pretty as Applejack. The mare’s muzzle was smaller and shaped perfectly, unlike Arizona’s larger cow muzzle snout. The heifer felt Applejack outclassed her in every way.

To top it off, Arizona didn’t have much to offer him back at the Prairie. Even if Clyde would marry her, they’d have to build a home, and the settlement Texas and the elder bulls had planned. She doubted the man would want to work to build something new when he likely had built his life in Appleloosa. Arizona told her mother why she felt she wasn’t good enough for Clyde, Minnesota said, “My little dearie, nothing in life is ever guaranteed. While we’re trying to change our ways for a more stable life instead of roaming for grass, there’s no telling if we’ll succeed. And you know what? I highly doubt these ponies knew they would succeed in making this town. But they pressed on and did just fine. Just like you will.”

The young heifer shook her head, not understanding and asked, “Ma, what are you trying to say?”

The motherly cow continued, “You don’t know what Clyde prefers. You haven’t tried to find out, and you hardly know him! But that’s the point of courtin’, to get to know him! Every creature has their preferences, and nothing can be done about that. But you can show them the best version of yourself. You aren’t an ugly cow, Arizona. Far from it, and you’re in great shape and your body ain’t much different from these mares walkin’ about. Looks ain’t the only thing, Arizona. Clyde already respects you for cryin’ out loud! You were ready to defend him from harm, and don’t you think he noticed that?? Your father and I can tell he respects you. That mare going on and yelling at him did her no favors. So what I’m saying is.”

Her mother got up and walked over to the counter, taking a coffee of her own and rejoining her daughter. Taking a sip, Minnesota finished, “You have everything you need to succeed, my little heifer. Be a lady; show Clyde who you are not just in words but in actions too. If he’s got a lick of sense, he’ll give you a chance if you ask him. And if not? As Daisy-Jo said, he wasn’t cut out for you.”

Arizona pondered her mother’s words and took them to heart. Even though she had heard some of it last night, her anger didn’t give her much time to contemplate. Arizona now fully understood and nodded before saying, “Thanks, Ma. I’m gonna do my best today. Wish me luck.”

Minnesota nuzzled her daughter and said, “You’ll do great, dontcha know?”

As her mother went back to cooking, Arizona walked past her parents’ room and saw the door open. The bull was still sleeping, drooling out his mouth, making her giggle. She whispered, “Love you, Pa.” before walking to the bathroom and brushing her teeth. After putting on a clean red bandana, the young heifer walked out the door and approached the Rodeo grounds. The town was bustling with ponies and other creatures going about their day, making Arizona dodge through traffic.

As she approached the Rodeo grounds, she felt her heartbeat pick up. Arizona was getting anxious about meeting Clyde once more and hoped she could impress him with the barrel weave. She had only done it a few times back on the Prairie when she was young, but not much more. Constantly moving from one place to another in search of grass meant she couldn’t stay in one place very long. That meant few barrels to play with, among other games.

The young cow hoped their settlement plans would usher in a new era while maintaining their pride as Cattlefolk. And she hoped to start a family with a guy she loved since it was the perfect time to do so. Taking another deep breath, the cow made her way to the Rodeo grounds and searched the area for Clyde. Several ponies and other participants were in formerly empty bullpens preparing for their events.

She spotted a few doing the Ropin’ event, others doing rodeo clown acts, and others practicing the high striker kicking. Arizona knew her kicks weren’t a joke, but she had to wonder if she was up to par compared to the others. She wanted to beat Applejack at a minimum, even if she couldn’t win first place. Arizona hoped to also win 1st place in a single event simply for her coin bag and bragging rights. Impressing Clyde would be a bonus to her and another tool to win his attention and, hopefully, a chance to court him.

Eventually, she found the right bullpen and spotted Clyde drinking coffee from a tin cup and leaning against the bullpen fence. The cowboy wore a different colored scarf, which was a dark blue, along with a simple unbleached t-shirt. He replaced his brass buckle with a worn bronze buckle, and his jeans were more worn than the pair he had worn last night. This made sense as Clyde had mentioned he’d be working most of the day and chose not to wear his nicer clothing. Arizona wondered if she should change her usual scarf color for something nice.

As she made a mental note about her potential clothing choices, Arizona walked over to the man who seemed worried. This disturbed Arizona as she had never seen Clyde unsure about anything. Although they had only spent little together, she could read him like an open book. This meant he wasn’t deceptive, making Arizona even more confident he was honest. Clyde turned his attention to Arizona, replacing his worried look with a genuine smile.

Arizona’s heart fluttered as she locked eyes with him and blushed. She smiled and asked, “Hey, partner, what’s on your mind? You want to talk about it?”

Clyde frowned slightly before returning to his smile. Arizona was not deeply concerned because she could tell he wanted to choose not to share. The cowboy took another sip and said, “Ah don’t want to talk about it now. Maybe...well, let’s get you ready for the barrel weave, then we’ll talk if we have time. The officials told me the barrel weave would be the first event. So Ah wanna see how you can do.”

"Darn, he didn’t tell me anything. Hopefully, he will because I never wanna see him upset.”

After another sip, Clyde put his coffee down and set up the barrel weave. While Clyde’s attention was turned away, Arizona was curious how the man took his coffee. She was surprised to see it was ordinary black coffee. No creamer, milk, nor sugar was present in the coffee after smelling and inspecting it. Clyde noticed what Arizona was doing and said, “Ah got a spare cup over on that barrel. Pour yourself coffee if you want.”

Arizona blushed before pouring herself a cup. Sadly, he didn’t have any creamer or milk, but she chose to drink it anyway. She had to admit, the blend was very good, better than the one she had drunk earlier. Curious, Arizona asked, “Clyde, why don’t you use cream or milk in your coffee? Is that how you prefer it?”

The man set the last barrel down and pondered for a moment. He shrugged and said, “Ah, guess it’s how Ah always took mah coffee. Ah was always working outside, and since Ah was always away from town, it was easier to go without. Can’t have milk or creamer if it spoils real quick. I certainly don’t mind it in my coffee though.”

Arizona beamed happy and knew she had to make him a special flavored cream coffee. It was a very rare treat for the Cattlefolk due to a lack of refrigeration and therefore had to be made fresh to order. She was certain her Aunt or Mother had a special recipe and would be thrilled to make him a cup. This also reminded Arizona about her dessert loaf; she wondered if he had a piece.

“Clyde, did you have my dessert loaf by chance? And if so, did you like it?”

As Clyde approached, he genuinely seemed happy and said, “Hell yes, Ah did! Ah didn’t know something so simple could taste so darn good! Ah don’t think it’s gonna last more than a few days if I keep eating it. I had a slice with some scrambled eggs with onion and peppers. A good start to the day, if Ah say so mahself.”

”He loved it! By my lucky sweet bluegrass, he loves it!”

The young heifer couldn’t help resist hoof clapping and femininely cheered with joy. The man smiled while pouring a cup of coffee for the cow and gave it to her. She took it and locked eyes with the man, who did so in return. The two smiled at each other, with neither breaking it for anything. Arizona felt her heart beat faster as she took in the handsome man’s features. She loved seeing his blue eyes and could smell a faint cologne coming from him.

The moment didn’t last long as Clyde looked at his coffee and said, “Yeah, it was really good. How’s your little cousin Kansas doing?”

The two talked for the next few minutes and simply enjoyed the morning together. She found out a little bit more about Clyde and was happy to learn more details. He was the only son of a family of three sisters from a place called “The United States of America.” And the territory he was from was called Oklahoma. Arizona thought it was a nice name and found out he worked on a few farms and fields doing various jobs, though he didn't specify what the field work was about. She also found out Clyde briefly worked in construction and had luck learning a lot from other men.

The man was used to working with his hands and working outside and hated being locked inside for too long. Arizona felt the same way and loved what she learned about Clyde. After 25 minutes of talking, Clyde checked his watch and said, “Shoot, we’ve done a lot of talking, and you’re missing out on your practice. Let’s get you started.”

Arizona frowned, her ears splayed downward, but she refocused on the barrel weave. She got into position and waited for Clyde to give her the signal. Clyde gave her the rules and was surprised to hear about the 7-second penalty. The man could only give her an apologetic look as he said, “Sorry, it’s higher stakes this time. But this is practice, so don’t sweat it.”

Out of curiosity, the young heifer asked the cowboy, “What was Applejack’s time? Just wondering, for reference, the time I need to beat.”

Clyde tapped his chin, clearly trying his best to remember. He snapped his fingers and replied, “12.234 seconds. She had no penalties. Darn good time, but remember, this is just a straight pattern. It increases in difficulty by patterns, and you can’t get out of order. You also get only one redo for the entire event, so don’t use them if you have to.”

The cow narrowed her eyes at the barrels and focused on beating Applejack. She imagined the mare standing at the end of the barrels, mocking her Cattlefolk’s ways. She snorted before grinning with confidence and pawed the ground before saying, “Ready!”

Clyde held up the watch, clicked the start button, and said, “GO!”. With a blur, the cow ran as fast as she could and weaved through the barrels with ease. She imagined herself being surrounded by predators and dodging every one of them. The time she spent fighting enemies in salt mines, in ruins, and across all of Foenum had given her honed dodging skills. It showed that Arizona possessed an edge most creatures never would achieve. After clearing the last barrel, she imagined a shocked Applejack who couldn’t believe a cow beat her.

Clyde shouted, “Time!” as she passed the finish line. Arizona dug up some of the dirt as she stopped and tried to catch her breath. She approached Clyde and asked, “How did Ah do?”.

The man looked at her and frowned, making Arizona worried. A look of worry was plastered on her face as she asked, “Well, how did I do? Was it bad? Did I hit a barrel? I’ll do it again if I have to.”

Clyde removed his hat and said, “Ah’m afraid so, sadly. Ah ain’t ever seen anything like it.”

The cowboy shook his head, and Arizona continued, “How bad?! Am I even going to be able to win a ribbon? Oh no, what will I tell Ma and Pa?! Clyde, please help me get better; I just want-”

The man laughed as he showed her the time and said, “Ah’m afraid you’re gonna have to do it again to beat the top record. Because yours is the best Ah’ve seen so far.”

Arizona’s fears were washed away as she saw the stopwatch. It showed 10.573 seconds, nearly 2 seconds better than Applejack’s time. And since she didn’t hit a barrel, that meant the cow didn’t hit a barrel either. The young heifer cheered in a high-pitched girly scream before grabbing Clyde and hugging him. This took the man by surprise, but Clyde didn’t mind it at all. He returned the hug and said, “Ah take it you’re happy?”

She only hugged him tighter and didn’t want to let go. The man started rubbing her hair and she felt like she was in paradise. Eventually, she had to let go, and Arizona was blushing. The cowboy asked, “Well, feel good about your time?”

”Oh dear, I got carried away. But dang, that was the best moment of my love life so far!”

She rubbed the back of her head with a hoof and said, “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting to do so well. I kinda got carried away.”

Clyde chuckled and said, “No harm, Ma’am. No harm at all. Ah want you to do a couple more so we can get an average going.”

The young heifer nodded and said, “Okay, no problem.”

As she trotted back to the starting point, Arizona skipped a few steps and hummed a happy tune. Clyde just shook his head before resetting the clock. Once she was back in position, Arizona shouted, “Ready!”

Clyde held the watch in the air and shouted, “GO!”

”This event is mine Applejack. Your apples ain’t got nothin’ on me!”

Arizona ran as fast as she could and would not stop until her time improved. She had never felt more confident since being chosen as the Champion of the Prairie. And nothing would stop her, because if it tried to, it would get the horns.





Applejack awoke and enjoyed her breakfast that Braeburn and Little Strongheart had made. Her dreams last night eased her fears and helped her refocus her efforts on being a better mare. Applejack hadn’t felt so much shame in a long while and was saddened by how she acted last night. Life threw a complete curveball at her, and she failed it miserably.

”If Ah had just walked calmly to Clyde and not said a word to Arizona, Ah could have avoided making mahself look stupid. Ah hope he won’t be cold to me when Ah see him. If he is, then Ah know Ah’m toast.”

“Feeling better, cousin?” asked Braeburn.

Applejack nodded and said, “Ah am. Thank you both for being there for me and stopping me from doing something worse than Ah already did.”

The engaged couple beamed with happiness before returning to their breakfast. Applejack spent the morning talking to both of them and enjoying their company. It was another reminder that family mattered and that she could always rely on them. Once the clock was 15 minutes til noon, Applejack grabbed her stetson hat and took Clyde’s leftovers in containers. The two wished her luck before closing the door. The day was busy, and many ponies and creatures were moving about. Most likely buying food, supplies, and hotel rooms for the Rodeo.

Applejack smiled that the town was flourishing and wished it would continue to do so. Even though she had only been gone for two days, Applejack missed her family back at the farm. She knew Big Macintosh, Sugar Belle, and Apple Bloom were doing fine without her but felt guilty for not helping out. Granny Smith had little time left, but the mare was tough and wanted to live as long as possible.

The country mare laughed and figured that’s how she inherited her stubbornness. The temperature wasn’t hot, and a cool breeze flew through the town. Even a few families were out and about, enjoying the day together. Applejack hoped to one day walk with her foals and husband as a family. She imagined being married to Clyde and having two foals follow them around. It was a silly fantasy that might never happen unless he married her and bought the expensive cross-breeding potion.

As she refocused back to reality, the country mare saw the Rodeo grounds ahead. Her anticipation of seeing Clyde again started to rise just as she heard a voice.

“Well, if it ain’t Applejack, the Element of Honesty herself. Been a long time comin’, wouldn’t you say?”

Applejack froze in place as she felt her blood turn to ice. Her heart started beating faster as the voice registered in her head. She knew exactly who it was and slowly turned to confirm it. And to her fear, the voice matched who she was afraid it belonged to. Facing Applejack was an enemy she had hoped to never see again, but luck wasn’t on her side.

“King Longhorn.” said Applejack.

The bull laughed loudly and caught the attention of ponies and other creatures walking by. Some started backing away from the two standing against each in the middle of the street, while others carried on. That didn’t remain long as they figured out what was happening, and the town quickly emptied the streets. The bull grinned at Applejack and said, “Ah, so you remember. Did you think I would forget about you and simply just move on with my life? Must’ve thought that, but it makes no difference to me.”

Applejack put Clyde’s food on the ground and said, “Yeah, Ah expected you would because Ah didn’t think you’d be stupid to continue your ways. They let you out on parole, didn’t they?”

King Longhorn nodded and said, “Yeah, they did, and they shouldn’t have. But you ponies are too damn soft and weak. And when I’m done stompin’ you into the ground, Princess Celestia will cry her heart out and have a difficult time replacing you. I knew you couldn’t resist showing up to a Rodeo and I was right. So easy to predict.”

As the bull started to advance, Applejack got into a fighting stance. King Longhorn seemed amused and further added insults, “Ha! Is that supposed to scare me? I think you remember the last time we wrestled.”

”He’s gonna charge me. Ah gotta-”

Her thoughts were cut short as the bull charged as predicted. Applejack was prepared and easily dodged out of the way. The same couldn’t be said about Clyde’s food as King Longhorn kicked and stomped the containers out of pettiness. He laughed and taunted, “Whoops! Made a mess of your lunch, didn’t I? Wait...is this meat? Oh...you’re dating one of them bird cats, ain’t you? Against tradition, isn’t it? What would your Ma and Pa say? Oh, they’re dead, I forgot.”

”You’re dead, you beef bitch!”

Applejack snorted in anger and charged. King Longhorn didn’t see it coming as the country mare sprinted with a speed that could rival Rainbow Dash. He took a solid hit to the snout, and recoiled. Applejack ran by, and regained safe distance between her and her enemy. King Longhorn wiped the blood off his nose and snorted before saying, “Well, looks like this will be fun! Enough blabbing, now die!”

”Buck! Where the hay is the Sheriff!? Ah gotta get Clyde or Braeburn to help. I can’t take him on alone unless I get a lucky hit!”

Applejack prepared herself and mentally scolded herself for not having her lasso. If she could rope him, she’d be able to beat him to death or at least make him crippled for life. This wasn’t an ordinary brawl but a fight to the death. King Longhorn charged again, and Applejack reacted.

She had never had to fight harder for her life before and wished she wasn’t alone.
> Tusslin' in the town.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack barely dodged King Longhorn’s attack as she rolled to the side. The bull was quick to recover his miss and made another run. Applejack gave King Longhorn a quick buck to the face, which he took full force. He staggered backward, which left an opening for the country mare.

Without wasting time, the mare landed a fury of quick hoof jabs and a kick to his jaw. Not wanting to lose the initiative, she jumped on the bull’s head and landed a series of stomps. After a 10-hit combo, the bull recovered and ran away from Applejack as she attempted to land another stomp. Her momentum landed her straight on the ground, and she had little time to react. The bull charged and hit her head on and sent her back flying.

She hit a nearby building, leaving cracks on the wooden wall from her impact. King Longhorn attempted to run and land a rear kick, but Applejack recovered and moved out of the way. A large hole in the wall was left as the kick was powerful and the wood was weak. The same family of ponies Applejack saw earlier were in the building. It was a stallion covering his wife and two little fillies. King Longhorn grinned and said, “Hey, partner, nice wife you got there. Mind if I have a turn with her after I kill this one?”

The mare cried and held her fillies before the stallion narrowed his eyes and threw a skillet at the bull. King Longhorn dodged it and said, “Even better, I like it when I don’t have permission.”

While disgusted at what she witnessed, Applejack saw an opening and ran forward. As she charged at the bull, she thought, ”Longhorn can’t ever be let out again! He’s gonna rape that poor mare! Well, better give a hurting to his goods.”

The mare did that as she landed a power buck on King Longhorn’s nether regions. The bull let out a loud crying roar and staggered back before Applejack landed several more kicks and combos. The stallion in the room shouted, “Serves ya right!” before picking up a shovel nearby, just in case King Longhorn came back.

The bull moaned in pain as the mare kept landing blows on him. Unfortunately for Applejack, he was more resilient. With seething anger, he spun around and delivered a smack to the country mare’s face. Her stetson was knocked off and flew to the side of the ground. As she staggered, the bull snorted and charged. He delivered a series of foreleg jabs and kicks, which sent Applejack to the ground.

Seeing his opportunity to stomp on her head, King Longhorn put all his weight down on the mare with his front hooves. She moved out of the way and attempted to run off. King Longhorn shouted, “Like bucking dung, you’re gonna skedaddle on me! Git back here and die, missy!”

The bull ran after the fleeing mare, who weaved through several barrels in her way. King Longhorn simply knocked them out of the way as he ran after Applejack. The mare started to panic as she thought, ”Ah gotta get help! He’s too tough, and Ah don’t have no weapons! Ah need you, Clyde!”

Applejack attempted to run into the Rodeo grounds, which King Longhorn knew was trouble for him if she went for help. He had seen some of the ponies and other creatures practicing for the events and knew many would be able to give him a run for his money. If his instincts about Applejack being drawn to Rodeos were correct, it made sense she had friends as well. Using all his steam, King Longhorn ran fast and caught up to Applejack.

He bit her tail and yanked her back. The mare screamed as she was flown back and landed on her side very hard. The wind was knocked out of her, but she had enough energy to see King Longhorn pawing the ground for another attack. She quickly got up but not without using more power and ran towards the Salt Block Bar. She had hoped to be able to run into the bar and retrieve an empty bottle as a weapon.

She got to the porch but could hear King Longhorn right behind her. Applejack attempted to pull a move that she had seen Rainbow Dash perform in her karate lesson and did her best to perform a backflip. She succeeded and took the bull by surprise. Applejack landed on Kong Longhorn’s back and stomped and kicked his back. He recoiled in pain and attempted to buck her off but to no success as she landed a 15-hit combo on his back.

Her luck didn’t last as King Longhorn roared and bucked her off his back. As she flew in the air, the bull managed to land a sickening rear kick to her stomach. Applejack lost her breath as she fell back and couldn’t move anymore. The bull turned around and wiped the blood from his snout, and cupped a hoof to one of his eyes. Applejack apparently landed a hit to his eye in her desperate fight and he began to nurse it. As he walked forward using three legs, King Longhorn spoke, “I have to admit, this was harder than I thought it would be. I’m lucky you had no weapons, but it wouldn’t have mattered. You’re gonna die, and I’m gonna go to Sweet Apples Acres and give your family a nice greetin’.”

Applejack’s heart froze in fear as the mare heard the bull’s threatening promise. King Long Horn had apparently figured out where her family lived and appeared ready to bring harm upon them. Applejack started to tear up, thinking about King Longhorn hurting her family. The thought of Big Macintosh being beaten up, Apple Bloom and Sugar Belle being violated, and Granny Smith cowering in a corner at her family’s suffering broke Applejack. The mare pleaded with the bull with hot tears flowing out of her eyes as she said, “No...Please, leave them out of it. This is between you and me. If you wanna kill me, so be it. They ain’t wronged you, King Longhorn.”

”Ah don’t want mah family hurt! Oh, by the harmony, please spare them!”

The bull laughed maniacally before coughing up blood. Applejack had given King Longhorn a decent beating, despite being smaller and having no weapons. It wasn’t enough as the bull limped towards her and said, “Oh, they done wronged me alright. They had the crime of being your kin. Now do me a favor, lay on the ground, and don’t move. I don’t want to miss.”

”Ma, Pa, Ah’m coming to join y’all. Sorry Ah let you down.”

Applejack tried in vain to escape, but a new scream escaped King Longhorn. He clutched his front right leg as blood began to flow from a cut that wasn’t there before. He was also sporting a nasty bruise on the face. As the bull turned his attention away from Applejack, it was directed to a newcomer.

“Get your bitch bull ass outta here, and Ah’ll forget what Ah heard. If not, Ah’m a give you a country ass whoppin’. Or worse, Ah’ll just plain kill you. What’s it gonna be?”

Applejack’s eyes widened as she realized who the voice belonged to. Clyde the Cowboy was standing off to her right, holding a very large knife she had never seen before. Fresh blood from King Longhorn was dripping off of it, and that wasn’t the only thing he was equipped with. He had a lasso, a bloody brass ring that looked almost like knuckles, and something in this belt she couldn’t quite identify. The bull turned to the man and said, “Oh, so this is the one you were cheatin’ on with that cow of yours? You got a funny way of showing how much you love your little whorsey. But no matter, you’ll be planted in the ground just like her!”

The bull, despite being wounded, pawed the ground and snorted, ready to attack the man. Clyde, for his part, took the lasso out and said, “You brought this on yourself, partner.”

King Longhorn charged him, but it didn’t do the bull any good. The man simply did his signature tornado twirl dodge and easily got out of the way. He quickly spun his lasso and roped the wounded bull by his neck. King Longhorn tried his best to resist but failed as the man pulled him ever close to him. Clyde ran and jumped on the bull’s back and yanked his head upwards. The man said, “You gonna give up now and go to jail? Or you gonna be a fool?”

“BUCK YOU, HUMAN!” shouted King Longhorn.

The angry bull tried his best to buck the man off, but the Cowboy easily held on. This made Applejack wonder about Clyde as she thought, ”Dang, he sure is riding that bull like an expert. Has he gotten into fights a lot? Boy howdy! He’s doing great!”

While Clyde and King Longhorn were fighting, Applejack took advantage to escape the two guys locked in mortal combat. Applejack looked around and saw through many buildings that creatures of all races were watching the death battle. The country mare couldn’t help but wonder why nopony or no creature was helping them. If the town had banded together, King Longhorn would have been dealt with immediately. Once Applejack got to a safe distance and groaned from her wounds, she watched as the fight continued,

King Longhorn kept trying to buck the man off his back, but Clyde stabbed him with his big knife every second. After every bucking attempt, Clyde would stab the King Longhorn with his big knife and repeatedly say, “Stop hurtin’ yourself, stop hurtin’ yourself.”

Applejack chuckled at the dark but humorous sight before her. Under normal circumstances, she would be appalled by such a  thing. But after having her body assaulted and life threatened, in addition to your family being threatened by criminals like King Longhorn, it was just plain funny to the country gal. King Longhorn began to tire and, eventually, stopped and collapsed from pain and exhaustion. The man jumped off his back and took the lasso in his hand and yanked it backward.

The bull’s head was pulled upward and forced to face the man holding it. As King Longhorn sat on the ground, Clyde asked, “Well, how about it? Are you gonna give up and take your punishment like a real bull? Or are you gonna take the bitch way out?”

Applejack had no clue what Clyde was talking about until it became obvious from King Longhorn’s answer. The bull chuckled before laughing manically and said, “So, this is how it all ends, huh? So be it; I’ll take my chances into my own hooves. Besides, your knife ain’t going end me in one go. Enjoy my horns!”

With one last battle cry, the bull yanked the rope out of Clyde’s hands and charged at the man standing 10 feet away. What happened next was quick, and Applejack barely had enough time to process it. As King Longhorn made a final charge toward the man, Clyde pulled out a strange device and held it in his right hand. A very loud noise rang through the town, and a puff of smoke obscured her vision of King Longhorn and Clyde.

As the smoke cleared, what Applejack witnessed next would be burned into her mind forever. King Longhorn stood still, with Clyde still pointing the strange metal and wood device at him. King Longhorn had this very strange look of shock on his face as if he was dumb and couldn’t believe what he saw before him. Blood started pouring out of the new hole between his eyes, and by pouring, it was very rapid.

The bull stumbled sideways and collapsed, with a snorting sound escaping his mouth. King Longhorn’s body turned completely lifeless after a minute. With King Longhorn no longer moving, Clyde put away his weapons and walked over to the bull. He sighed and said, “You just had to be a dummy, didn’t ya?”

Ponies, Buffalos, Griffons, and other visiting creatures came out of their homes and buildings to see the fight’s aftermath. Applejack made her way over to the man, and as she met with him, Clyde said, “Sorry you had to see that, Ma’am. He won’t bother you no more.”

Applejack grabbed Clyde in a tight hug after looking at the dead King Longhorn. As the man returned the hug, Applejack started to cry. Tears flowed out of her eyes as the man rubbed his fingers through her mane. Clyde did his best to calm her by saying, “Shhh, it’s okay, Applejack. It’s alright.”

As Applejack poured her heart out, Sheriff Silverstar arrived with several tough-looking stallion deputies, all armed with crossbows. The law enforcement ponies were surprised to see a dead bull on the ground, with cuts, bruises, and a strange hole wound from his forehead. The Sheriff took one good look at the bull and recognized the face.

“Well, I’ll be.” said the Sheriff, “King Longhorn must’ve got out on parole. Afraid this was gonna happen one day. If only Canterlot would’ve listened to my letter.”

The Sheriff ordered his deputies to remove the body and ask questions to anypony for witness statements. The Sheriff slung his crossbow on his back, picked up Applejack’s stetson, and walked over to Clyde and Applejack, hoofing over the hat. The stallion asked, “Well, Clyde, you were right about this feller. Surprised at the short work you did for him. I take it you both were in fear for your lives?”

Clyde nodded as he held Applejack and said, “Yessir, he was gonna murder Applejack if Ah hadn’t stepped in. Gave him plenty of times to surrender, but he wouldn’t listen.”

The nodded and said, “That’s all I need to hear. I will need you to come by and make a written statement this afternoon. Just a formality, but this is a clear case of self-defense and defense of others. Go on and take Miss Applejack to Braeburn’s home, I’ll send the Doctor right on over.”

Tipping his hat to Clyde, Sheriff Silverstar returned to the dead bull and put a cover over it. Several deputies were getting witness statements, including the family that King Longhorn threatened.

As Applejack still held onto Clyde, the man picked her up and held her. This surprised the country mare, but she didn’t complain and stared into his eyes. Clyde looked back at her as he carried her to Braeburn’s home with a smile. The Cowboy comforted her, saying, “It’s best if Ah take you home. Ah don’t know how bad that feller hurt you, so don’t need you to make it worse by walking."

A tear escaped from her eye as her heart beat faster, staring into Clyde’s eyes. The man smiled back before staring forward and focused on getting Applejack home. The mare relaxed into his arms and enjoyed the comforting hold. It wasn’t long until they reached Braeburn’s house and were greeted by the stallion. His cheery smile turned upside down as he saw Applejack being carried by Clyde and started asking questions.

Little Strongheart saw Applejack was hurt and helped the mare up the porch steps. Applejack turned around as the mare was being helped up and said, “Thank you, Clyde. Ah owe you mah life.”

He tipped his hat towards her and said, “Don’t worry about it, Applejack. You just get some rest for now, ya hear?”

Another tear escaped from her eyes before she nodded and went inside. Braeburn and Clyde started talking about the events of the fight and what had happened as Applejack went upstairs into the house. Just as Little Strongheart set her down in the guest bedroom and went to fetch some first aid supplies, Applejack whispered, “Ah’m gonna marry that man someday.”

She closed her eyes and began to rest, dreaming happy thoughts of marrying Clyde at Sweet Apple Acres. It was a dream she hoped would come true. But there were many challenges ahead, and she had just begun.
> A little nudge...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The walk back to the Sheriff’s station was dreadful, even if he knew he wouldn’t be legally in trouble. Clyde was still processing what had happened in a short amount of time. One minute, he took a break from completing the playpen for the youngins, then fought a crazed bull hell-bent on killing. For Clyde, putting down an animal wasn’t new for him.

More than a few times, he was forced to kill a raging bull or coyote that threatened his employer’s cattle herd. He always carried a revolver with him just in case it was needed. He was already making black powder rifle cartridges for the rifle he bought in the new settlement. He was very lucky to have rounds for his revolver. The gun wasn’t on the level of a modern firearm, but it was deadly regardless. Clyde thanked God he kept his weapons from Earth and knew they’d come in handy one day.

Sadly, that day came sooner than he hoped, and he wished he was never forced to take a life. The bull he snuffed out of existence was no ordinary bull, but a living and talking being. The look of the bull’s shocked and dumbfounded face was forever burned into his mind, and all the whisky on Equis wouldn’t be enough for him to forget it. He didn’t regret killing the guy, but it weighed heavily on his mind. He had killed a man for all intents and purposes, and it weighed on his mind.

After making it near the crime scene, the town was full of talking and gossip. Many ponies and creatures were near the Salt Block, looking at where the Bull was killed. The body was gone, and the blood on the sand was cleaned up. The town’s undertaker likely cleaned up the mess in a quick manner. It didn’t take long before all eyes rested upon Clyde as he walked passed the scene.

Without warning, the town erupted in cheering with hoots and hollering. Several hats were thrown in the air, along with numerous hoof stomping. The cowboy was taken aback by the celebration and unsure how to respond. Erring on caution, he waved and tipped his hat before walking to the Sheriff’s Station. As he walked into the station, Clyde wondered, ”Why did they cheer me killing that bull? Is he known around these parts?”

Clyde opened the door and saw Sheriff Silverstar sitting in a chair on his haunches. He was writing something on a paper scroll with a pencil in his mouth. Years prior, he’d have found a pony writing with a pencil amusing. But with his adaptation to his new life, it was as boring as anything mundane back on Earth. Behind the Sheriff were the many crossbows he and his deputies were armed with no more than an hour ago.

Clyde did have to admit they certainly looked deadly. The crossbows looked brand new, with heavy poundage to back up the bolt projectile. The cowboy had tagged a few coyotes and deer back on Earth with a crossbow, albeit with more modern and capable models. He was surprised the ponies did not have even primitive firearms, despite their ships having canons.

”Only a matter of time before they get the idea of copying our guns. Oh well, they don’t look like the warlike folks, though.”

Before Clyde could say anything, the Sheriff said, “Go and take that seat there, Sonny. This won’t take long.”

Clyde did as ordered and sat on the chair on the other side of his desk. After another few seconds of writing, the stallion put the pencil down and took out a bottle of apple-flavored bourbon. The cowboy was surprised to see it but didn’t complain as the Sheriff poured shots into two shot glasses. The stallion pushed it toward the man with a hoof and said, “Go on and relax; I can tell yer nerves are still a stirrin’.”

”Am Ah that obvious? Guess so.”

The cowboy took the shot and took it in one gulp. The Sheriff did so as well, and both the stallion and the man shook their heads as the apple-flavored liquor burned their esophagus. The cowboy enjoyed the flavorful but powerful drink and said, “Dang, it has been a long time since Ah had a drink like that.”

As the stallion put his shot glass back down, he replied, “Same for me. I don’t drink that often, but today called for it.”

The stallion held out a hoof for the man to bump, and Clyde was confused about why. He bumped it back and asked, “You seem awfully happy Ah’m sitting here before you. May Ah ask why?”

The stallion sat back in his chair and took his hat off. That meant the stallion was serious, and Clyde took his hat off in kind. The Sheriff continued, “You just got rid of a blight on Equestria, especially to these folks. That bull is called King Longhorn and he terrorized another set of towns Canter Creek and Rancho Bronco. Canter Creek was founded by more of the Apple folks, just like Appleloosa.”

Hearing that news answered a lot of questions for the cowboy. While pony families and names were slightly odd to understand, the word “Apple .” Braeburn was part of the Apple Family, which the stallion had eagerly told Clyde as much when they first met. And if Applejack was part of that family, the bull had the proverbial “beef” with the country mare. But that didn’t explain why King Longhorn had it out specifically for Applejack.

“So, is that why that Longhorn feller went after Applejack? Just because she’s a member of the same family of the towns he terrorized?” asked Clyde.

The stallion shook his head before pouring more of the apple liquor. He continued, “King Longhorn was arrested by Applejack’s friend, Twilight Sparkle, on the authority of Princess Celestia. Before his arrest, Applejack tumbled with him and drove him out of town a few times. And since he attempted to murder the young mare, this was probably just pure petty revenge.”

”Personal...nothing Ah could have done would have got him to stop. Don’t care about killing him now.”

The two drank before the stallion continued, “I even sent a letter protesting his parole. He wasn’t supposed to return to the western territories, but of course, a no-good plot head bastard like him never did anything right.”

The cowboy relaxed hearing the news that the bull was nothing of value lost. The man felt the liquor putting him at ease and relaxed in the chair as the Sheriff wrote a few more things on the paper. The Sheriff then brought up more details and continued, “We talked to plenty of folks that witnessed the fight. You did short work of the plothead, though; what did you kill him with? The whole town heard some small explosion.”

”Damn, now Ah gotta talk about mah gun. Ah hope he don’t take it from me.”

This was something Clyde wasn’t keen on showing ponies, and not without good reason. His first and foremost worry was theft or confiscation. Equestria didn’t have as many crazy laws as America did back on Earth. Another was the fact that humans didn’t have many countermeasures against magic. When magic was demonstrated before the New Start settlers, the first thing everybody thought of was, “I can’t believe this is real, and how do I defend against it?!”

Firearms already existed in many makes, models, and calibers for the settlers of New Start. Most guns were carried by people who happened to have them on their persons while being transported to Equis. The small continent had very few predators and was quickly put under control. Still, the arrival of the Equestrians sparked humanity’s fear of being conquered. An arms race ensued, with firearms and other bladed weaponry being produced.

What was surprising was the ponies’ lack of understanding or even awareness of what was happening behind New Start’s closed doors. Clyde was certain in a decade or two, weaponry would evolve back up to WW2 levels. He also wouldn’t be surprised what little scientists they had would likely be sent to Equestria to study magic, mostly for ways to counter it. Only time would tell if humanity would succeed in ensuring a proper defense or if a balance of power would be created to keep humanity of Equis alive.

Clyde handed over his cowboy-styled revolver and ensured the hammer was in an empty chamber. The Sheriff looked at it with enquiring eyes and said, “Is this some kind of cannon, do-dad?”

Clyde suppressed a chuckle but explained, “It’s my revolver; the cylinder revolves cartridges for the gun to fire. Shoots a projectile like a canon. This one is a close-range weapon, but mah people have other types. Ah've had this one back from Earth, and Ah’ve killed a couple of wild coyotes with it. Ah shot King Longhorn between the eyes, and he never saw it coming.”

Clyde set the weapon on the table, and Sheriff Longhorn quickly inspected it before returning it. He nodded and said, “Positively deadly I gotta admit. Wished we had some of our own, but our bolt slingers are good enough. Brand new models, so no more Bits to spend. This sort of thing doesn’t happen that often, but ever since our spat with the Buffalos years ago, I figured we needed something with more kick.”

The man returned the weapon and asked, “Pardon me, sir, but what took ya so long? The fight went on for a few good minutes.”

The Sheriff nodded and answered, “We went to investigate a breakin’ and entering with a mugging on the other side of town. The poor old stallion didn’t see it comin’ as he was hit from behind. His house was a mess too. Of course, the fight happened just as we responded to the scene. My deputies think it was a distraction to get to Applejack. Would’ve worked if you hadn’t been nearby.”

”He planned this from the beginning. Mah instincts were right; he was bad news. Fuck him.”

The Sheriff sighed and said, “Alright, let’s get your statement into the books, and this matter will be closed. I’ll be at the Salt Block for some gamblin’ free poker later; you can join me if you want. If not, I’m sure Miss Applejack would love to see ya again if you catch my meaning.”

The Sheriff gave the man a wink, and Clyde took a few seconds to understand.

”He ain’t thinking...no, he IS thinking about that. Ah doubt Miss Applejack sees me that way.”

Clyde blushed a bit before saying, “Ah'll go check on her tomorrow after she’s gotten some rest. As for Poker? Probably some other time.”

The stallion shrugged and said, “Suit yourself. Though, she IS single. Saving her life just gave you an opening. Wouldn’t be a good stallion if I didn’t give you a nudge.”

As Clyde blushed, he quickly read the statement document and signed it. It was pretty straightforward; it was nothing more than a report detailing the attempted murder of Applejack and how Clyde intervened and killed the bull. Another page had signatures of sworn witness statements backing up the report. It ended with the Sheriff detailing the killing as justifiable and per the self-defense and preservation of innocent life laws by the Crown of the Royal Sisters. There was no trickery of confession that Clyde was several certain governments on Earth would pull.

Clyde signed his full name below Sheriff Silverstar’s signature. The stallion quickly pulled the report away and put it in the desk drawer. He put his hat back on and said, “That’s it, Sunny. Go out and enjoy the rest of your day.”

Clyde tipped his hat to the Sheriff, saying, “Hope nothing like this ever happens again.”

The Sheriff nodded before taking another shot of bourbon and relaxing in his chair. As Clyde left the station, the town was still busy despite the sun setting in the day. As he walked back towards the Rodeo grounds to finish his work, the stallion’s words continued to ring in his mind.

”So Applejack’s single...does she really fancy me? No, she was just mighty glad Ah helped her out with practicing. Now she’ll be really grateful AH saved her. There’s no way mare would fancy a man...would she?”

Clyde’s mind was busy thinking if Applejack’s reaction to him hanging with Arizona meant something more. Her outfit, her stressing of how important to making his dinner was to her, and the fact she cooked him meat of all things said a strong message. Then again, she was dressed up nicely, as was expected for a dinner with guests. She was as much of a country gal as he was a countryman. It was unlikely it was anything more than that.

Shaking such thoughts from Clyde’s mind, he found the last bullpen that needed to be completed and quickly went to work. He didn’t get much done as a new voice interrupted him.

“Need help there, Partner?”

Turning around was another bull and a very large one at that. And Clyde knew exactly who it was, Arizona’s father. The man  put his hammer down and greeted, “Mr. Texas.”

The bull laughed before saying, “Mister Texas? That’s nice a young man like you has manners, but you can call me Texas from now on. I see you’re trying to make up for lost time and all. Especially with that killing, you did.”

”Shoot, did I upset the Cattlefolk? Better hear what he has to say.”

Seeing the man tense up, Texas put him at ease and said, “No need to worry or get upset, sonny. I heard what that stupid steer tried to do. Us Cattlefolk don’t claim a dung head like him. You did everyone a favor, even to that mare you saved.”

The man sighed in relief and lay against one of the sturdy fence posts. Clyde looked at the elder bull and said, “Everyone keeps saying that, but it’s weighin’ heavily on mah mind Ah took a life. Ah’ve killed dangerous predators before but never a feller that can talk and think.”

Texas sighed before walking over and taking a hammer with one of his forelegs. Seeing a bull taking a tool before hammering down a nail the man missed amazed the man. Texas continued, “That just means you have a soul and sense of right and wrong. Completely normal no matter what you are or where you’re from. No shame since you did it for a just reason. I can see why my daughter respects you.”

”Arizona? Respects me? All Ah’ve done is be nice and help her for the Rodeo.”

“Respect me? That’s nice, but all Ah’ve done is-”

Texas laughed as he picked up another hammer and nailed down a latch bracket for the gate door. Cldye no longer cared about the irony of a bull helping him build a pen designed to contain cattle. He was no longer on Earth, and the many strange and ironic sights he had seen for the past few years got old. The cowboy was simply grateful he was getting help, as Clyde wished the day to be over already.

Texas continued to talk while nailing down the door latch, “You don’t need to be humble. You’ve done quite a bit around these parts and should be proud. I can’t say I know what killing is like, but I have given a whooping to others who deserved it. What I’m trying to say is, don’t be ashamed or guilty. It’s okay to be proud of your accomplishments. You already know not to let things go to your head; I certainly can tell that about you. My daughter’s done stuff similar to you, in a way, that is.”

Clyde picked up the door, with the hinges ready to be put into place. He aligned it with the fence hinges while Texas hammered the bars into place. After several loud clanging, the door was in place and given a quick dab of grease. Texas tested the door and closed it on the latch. Clyde was happy to have Texas help him finish the pen with the door, which was the most annoying part. The cowboy then asked the bull, “Similar to what Ah’ve done? What has Arizona done that’s so similar?”

Texas then said, “Predators. Foenum got invaded by sharp tooth predators from another world. Arizona helped seal them back away for good. I didn’t want her to be one of the Champions the counsel summoned, but my wife overrode my wishes. Good thing too, because she succeeded. Speaking of which...”

Texas put the hammer down and said, “We’re having dinner tonight as a family, and it would make my daughter very happy if you joined us.”

Clyde’s jaw dropped as he asked, “But what about Daisy-Jo and Dakota? Ain’t they needing their restin’ with the baby?”

Texas grinned before saying, “Ever so considerate, that’s good. But they’re doing just fine and they’re on board too. Us Cattlefolk are tougher than you think. A cattle mother doesn’t need a whole lot of rest. Besides, she had the best sleep in the world last night, and is wide awake with lot's of energy; espescially little Kansas. It isn’t a bother to us at all.”

”Ah’m gonna have dinner with cows...fuck it, Ah don’t care anymore.”

Clyde smiled before saying, “Ah’d certainly appreciate it. What time do you want me to head over?”

Texas grinned and said, “We’re gonna eat a little bit earlier, around 6 pm. Dress nicely if you can.”

The cowboy nodded before looking around the Rodeo grounds. Everything was almost completed for the day, and Clyde was ready to nap before getting dinner tonight. The cowboy wasn’t sure why, but he was excited to have dinner with Arizona and her family. He tipped the bull and said, “Ah gotta put these tools away and get ready for later. Thanks for the help, partner. See you later.”

Texas nodded as he watched the man walk off with the tools. The bull grinned as he was satisfied with his mission to help out his daughter. Just before returning to the house, Texas said, “A little nudge in the right direction wouldn’t hurt. Don’t worry, Arizona; you ain’t alone in this fight. Pa is gonna watch out for you.”

The bull was in such a good mood he didn’t even bother stopping at the Salt Block.
> Time to cook!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arizona helped Minnesota clean the dishes and laundry for most of the day. Her practice with Clyde was enjoyable, but the man seemed worried about something. She never did find out before leaving; the young heifer loved every second of his encouragement. He even showed her the barrel weave patterns likely to pop up for the later rounds. 

The training Clyde gave Arizona was invaluable, and I appreciated every second of it. With the times she was achieving, a blue ribbon for the Barrel Weave was all but assured. The only thing that worried Arizona was the High Striker event. She hadn't received a lot of practice, but her kicks were no joke. The young heifer was certain she'd at least win over her rival. After setting up the laundry on the outside clothing rack, Arizona and Minnesota walked back into the house and were greeted by Texas. 

The bull had a look of satisfaction before sitting in the living room. Her Aunt and Uncle were already sitting on the large couch and enjoying holding a very awake and active Kansas. Her father said, "Ah, my lovely ladies, I'm glad y'all are back. I got something for you, my little heifer. Go on and take a seat."

This made Arizona wonder why her father was in such a good mood. The young heifer turned to her mother and verbally showed her confusion. Her mother just nuzzled her as if non-verbally telling her, "Don't worry." Arizona found a spot on another couch, while Minnesota found a spot next to her. Her Aunt and Uncle gave each other knowing looks and suppressed their smiles. This made Arizona suspicious that something was up, and she could only hope it wasn't something bad or embarrassing. 

"Just what in Foenum are they up to? I hope it ain't nothing bad."

After the family was situated, Arizona braced for what her father was about to say. The father bull cleared his throat before saying, "So, since you've wanted to court Clyde but haven't had the chance to invite him over for dinner...."

Arizona's fears started to melt away and were slowly replaced with hope. The young heifer listened intently while her Mother, Aunt, and Uncle watched her entertaining reaction. As Arizona waited, Texas continued, "I went over to have a talk, guy to guy. He had a crazy day today, which I'm sure he will tell you later. So, long story short..."

Texas stared at Arizona and said, "He's coming over for dinner. I believe you need to get ready, cooking and dressin' up."

"Dontcha know?" added Minnesota before winking at her daughter. 

Her Aunt and Uncle were smiling as they joyfully watched their niece jump from the couch. The heifer ran over and hugged her father strongly, and said, "Thank you, Pa! Thank you, thank you! I'm so happy!"

Texas hugged and nuzzled Arizona as tears of joy escaped her eyes. Daisy-Jo and Dakota smiled at each other, happy to see their niece getting a shot to court Clyde. Kansas simply stared blankly before putting a hoof in her mouth and slobbering over it. Minnesota got up from her seat and walked towards Arizona as she broke the hug. The mother cow put a hoof on her shoulder and said, "Looks like you gotta get ready prepping dinner. The ingredients are already set in the fridge. Now you'll have extra time to get all prettied up again. So get ready and don't dilly dally, you hear?"

Arizona wiped a tear before saying, "Yes, Ma. I won't waste time."

She turned to her Aunt and Uncle and asked, "Are y'all sure you don't mind?"

Daisy-Jo nodded and replied, "Of course, we don't mind. A mamma cow is a force to be reckoned with, and I'm doing just fine from yesterday. Also helps the Doctor gave me extra strength pain pills."

The family laughed before gags and coughing ensured. A nasty, foul-smelling scent permeated the living room. And it didn't take long to figure out the source. The baby started fussing, which prompted Dakota to take his daughter to their room. The bull sniffed the diaper before recoiling and saying, "Dang, now that's dung, I tell ya what. Time to change the diaper. You relax, my sweet cream. I'll take care of this mess."

Texas waved a hoof before saying, "You're not joking. I'll open up the window and go get ready Arizona. Clyde is gonna be dressed up nicely too."

"He will?! Okay, girl, you got this. You only have an opportunity to impress the man you've wanted, is all."

Not wasting any time, the young heifer walked into the kitchen and took out the ingredients from the refrigerator. Arizona couldn't help but marvel at such a useful appliance and wished her family had one back at the Prairie. Setting the ingredients on the countertop, she noticed the cookware was pre-set as if her parents had planned everything. Arizona smiled as she went about cooking a favorite family meal for Clyde. 

"I love my family. They've been watchin' my back for a long time. I hope Clyde will give me a chance, and hopefully, he'll want to be a part of my family...as my husband."

While Arizona joyfully cooked dinner for Clyde, Minnesota smiled as she checked on her daughter's progress. The motherly cow walked over to her husband and kissed him. Texas wasn't expecting to receive love from Minnesota but kissed and nuzzled his wife in return. The motherly cow said, "You're a great father, dontcha know?"

Texas replied as he checked Arizona's cooking before replying, "I do now, Minnie."

As the parents were happy for their daughter's chance to win a man's heart, Dakota returned with Kansas. She was hoofed to Daisy-Jo with the baby cow wearing a fresh diaper. As Kansas lay comfortably in her mother's forelegs, Dakota, said, "You best take your time growing up. I do not want you to get any guy's attention anytime soon."

The baby stared before sneezing into her father's face and making adorable baby cow noises. As the bull wiped the nasal discharge from his face, he replied, "Just as Clyde said, you can sneeze in my face instead." 

The room erupted into laughter as the bull made a mocking, angry face before laughing himself. The spirit of the family was high, and supper was around the corner.
> Good eatin' with the cattlefolks.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The kitchen was busy, and Arizona wasn’t stopping for anything in all Foenum or Equis. The young heifer remembered all the directions and tips her mother had taught her, which served Arizona well. The cow had decided to make a hefty potato hash for Clyde and loaded it with a hearty portion of ingredients. She cooked scrambled eggs with homemade cheese and chopped green onions, adding her Aunt’s Western seasonings to accompany them.

Her mother had the kindness to make flour tortillas ahead of time to spare her the effort. Adding that side would allow Clyde to roll the hash and eggs together if he wanted. Dessert would be cinnamon rolls, and Arizona was also grateful there were enough ingredients for the entire family, including Clyde. Arizona thought to herself, ”Making breakfast for dinner? What would I call it? Brinner? Oh well, it’s good eatin’, and I don’t think he’ll mind.”

Once the hash was finished in the skillet, she set it aside to cool off, allowing it’s flavors to mend. She made the remaining hay for her family, a tangible embodiment of her commitment and skill. Once completed, she separated the two dinners off to the side. The dessert baking went without a hitch, and the finished product made Arizona feel a sense of accomplishment. With literally no assistance, she made a meal fit for any hardworking honest family. Not only did the food smell good, but it looked good too.

After setting the meals aside and organizing everything, Arizona turned off the stove and efficiently tidied up the remnants of the mess. With the remnants of chaos tidied away, she stepped back and surveyed her hoofiwork. A soft, self-assured whisper escaped her lips, “I did... I actually did it.”

“That you did, my little sugar booger. That you did,” a voice chimed in.

Turning around, Arizona met her mother’s gaze, finding an expression brimming with pride. It was clear that the motherly cow had borne witness to her young heifer growth, observing her evolve into a more seasoned and capable heifer. Approaching her daughter and inspecting the food with a discerning eye, Minnesota whistled appreciatively, “Now that there is a food fit for country folk! Clyde has no idea how much he’ll love it. Except there’s one more thing you need to do.”

“One more thing?” What in all of Foenum could she be talking about?”

“What did I forget, Ma?” she inquired, her curiosity piqued.

Minnesota placed a hoof on Arizona head, rubbing her slightly disheveled and damp hair before advising, “You need to get cleaned and get dressed up. Now go on and git, my youngin’!”

Arizona wasted no time as she made her way to the bathroom. After a quick shower, the young heifer dried herself and prettied herself. Satisfied that she looked good, she returned to her room and put on her evening dress. After applying her perfume, Arizona inspected herself once more. Her heart raced with a blend of nervous anticipation and excitement as she thought about seeing Clyde. Summoning her courage, the young cow tried her hoof at a few pickup lines, like, “Evening, partner. You come around here often?” and another, “You hungry, big bull?”

The cow froze as she gazed at her own reflection before bursting into laughter.

“Oh my goodness! Those are some terrible lines. I can’t believe I even said those things.”

She smiled, then took a deep breath and said out loud, “Relax, Arizona, you’ve got this.”

Satisfied, Arizona walked out into the hallway and noticed that Minnesota was setting up the table. Texas was arranging a chair for Clyde, while Dakota was helping his wife and daughter get comfortable. After the table was set, the family spotted Arizona’s return. Minnesota smiled and said, “Well, you’re all dolled up again! You better be on your best behavior this time.”

The young cow lowered her ears in shame and said, “Yeah, sorry about my past behavior. It wasn’t lady-like of me.”

Texas chimed in, offering reassurance, “At least you’ve learned your lesson, Arizona. You be the best lady you can be, and he’ll see you for the amazing heifer you are. If not, then he needs glasses.”

“Or a kick to the butt,” Dakota interjected playfully.

The fathers shared a good chuckle while the mothers rolled their eyes. Baby Kansas watched her surroundings, captivated by the laughter. This helped raise Arizona’s spirits and made her feel hopeful as she imagined having a baby of her own in the future. Texas then asked, “Now why do those ponies call butts ‘plots’? I heard them say it at the bar. Really took me for a loop.”

Dakota chuckled before answering, “It means ‘Plot of Land’; hence, you ‘plow’ it. Cause it’s-”

Minnesota looked disgusted with the crude language, while Daisy-Jo interrupted her husband, “Stop that nasty talk! It’s not appropriate in the company of ladies, especially our little baby.”

Dakota rolled his eyes, but Daisy-Jo wasn’t having any of it. She persisted, “Don’t you dare roll your eyes at me! If you ever want to work on this ‘plot o’ land’ again, you’ll cut it out.”

Letting out a resigned sigh, the bull eventually nodded in agreement. Daisy-Jo grinned, satisfied that she had made her point. Minnesota turned her attention to Arizona and offered a lighthearted lesson, “You see, my little sugar booger? You’ve got to keep these bulls in line, or they’ll get all rowdy. Don’t let Clyde act out now.”

Texas snorted and chimed in, “And remember no plowing unless you two tie the knot.”

Minnesota playfully swatted her husband’s front leg, giving him a scolding look. Meanwhile arizona stood there, her face flushed crimson, ears drooping with embarrassment. She facehooved, and thought to herself, “This is my family. Please don’t act like this when Clyde arrives!”

“Someone please put me out of my misery,” Arizona uttered.

Her family burst into laughter, and Texas responded, “Oh, come on, Arizona! If your man can’t handle your family, he ain’t the right one for you. Now hold your head up high. Your momma and I didn’t raise no sloucher.”

Before Arizona could say anything else, a knock echoed from the front door. The family fell silent, turning their attention towards Arizona. Minnesota prompted her daughter, “Well, don’t keep him waiting.”

With her heart racing and breath quickening in anticipation, Arizona prepared herself to meet Clyde. Every step felt heavy as she made her way to the front door. Opening it, she saw Clyde standing there, clean-shaven and dressed in a fresh red homespun shirt, a gleaming belt buckle, crisp pants, and polished brown boots. Surprisingly, his hat was missing, and his hair looked neatly combed. Clyde took note of Arizona’s appearance and smoothly remarked, “Good evening, Ma’am. You’re looking mighty nice tonight.”

Suppressing the urge to squeal in delight, Arizona reminded herself, [!] “Control yourself, girl! Act like a lady and accept the compliment with grace.”[!]

Meeting Clyde’s gaze, a light blush tinting her cheeks, Arizona responded, “Thank you kindly, Mr. Ford. You look nice as well. Please, come this way. Dinner is ready.”

The young cow led the young man to the dinner table as he closed the door behind him. Arizona sensed Clyde’s gaze on her, subtly adding a gentle sway to her rear end hoping he would enjoy the view. As they turned the corner, she halted her little performance, knowing they were about to join the rest of the family.

”Please don’t embarrass me, please.” Arizona silently wished.

Before Clyde could exchange greetings with the family, Texas and Dakota exchanged knowing glances, their mischievous grins revealing their intentions. Arizona’s stomach churned with anxiety as Texas asked, “Clyde, do humans understand the meaning of the word ‘plot’?”

This prompted sharp glares from Minnesota and Daisy-Jo, who pouted at her husband. Clyde appeared puzzled and questioned, “Yeah, it means a piece of land. Why do you ask?”

Dakota chuckled and playfully hoofing a single Equestria Bit to Texas, commenting, “Well, you’ve won that one.” Arizona grumbled quietly, while Minnesota swiftly intervened, “No need to worry about it, Mr. Clyde. Come, take a seat, both of you. Dinner is ready.”

Clyde shrugged nonchalantly and gracefully took the spare chair. Arizona followed suit, taking the seat beside him, and discreetly mouthed to her father, “Don’t ruin this” Texas rolled his eyes in response, settling down as the two newcomers took their places. Texas expressed gratitude to the host and welcomed the guest to the table. Once the formalities were over, dinner was served. While typically the host would serve non-family guests first, Daisy-Jo signaled for Arizona to take charge. The young heifer gladly took on the role of serving Clyde’s dinner, skillfully ensuring that Clyde’s plate was generously filled.

As the man eagerly received his generous plate, the rest of the family exchanged knowing smiles amongst themselves. Oblivious to the subtle glances exchanged by the other cows, the man’s attention was fixed on the scrumptious meal before him. Once everything was in place, Arizona hoofed it over to Clyde. The man’s eyes lit up at the sight of the food, unmistakably pleased with what he saw. Clyde’s voice carried a touch of nostalgia as he remarked, “A nice country skillet meal. Ah haven’t had one in a very long time. Reminds me of home.”

Arizona’s ears perked up, hearing about Clyde’s home and her food being a good choice. Seizing the opportunity, she started a conversation, “Reminds you of home? I’m glad you like the food I made. I hope it tastes just as good.”

He turned to the young heifer and asked, “You made this?”

“That she did! My little lady heifer did a great job,” Minnesota chimed in proudly,

Texan and Dakota weren’t wasting any time eating their dinner, and both bulls nodded in unison. Smiling at Arizona, Clyde said, “Well, that’s certainly mighty nice.”

The young cow blushed before saying, “I also made some tortillas. I hope you like them too.”

The young cowboy redirected his attention back to the homemade meal. He took a fresh tortilla and rolled it up with the skillet food. While Clyde was engrossed in the food, all the family’s eyes were fixed on him. Beads of sweat started forming on Arizona’s head as her heart beat fast with nervousness. Her cooking skills were about to be judged by her amorous target, and a cow’s cooking skill was a significant deal to a potential husband. Even the rest of the family was on edge, except for Kansas, who chose to start putting her hoof in her mouth while staring off in a random direction.

Clyde finally took a bite of the food and slowly chewed the skillet roll-up. His eyes opened in surprise, causing the young heifer to feel alarmed.

”Oh no! Did I cook it poorly? He doesn’t like it. I’m doomed! Doo-”

What occurred next caught the family off guard; the man placed the food down on the plate and turned to the young cow. Instead of a look of disgust, he had a genuine expression of gratitude. Clyde placed a hand on her hoof and said, “Arizona, this food reminds me of my mom’s cooking. Ah’ve been away from home for many years now and miss them very much. For a brief moment, Ah felt like Ah was home again. Thank you kindly.”

After he gently, but firmly squeezed her hoof, Clyde turned back to his dinner. The man did not notice the young heifer’s reddened blushing face, nor her family’s reactions. And their reactions were varied, mostly approving. Her mother and aunt were beaming with happiness, her uncle gave her a wink, and her father gave her an “I’ll still be watching you two” look before nodding in approval. Arizona now had butterflies in her stomach, pleased she had pleased the man of her heart. She did her best not to stutter and replied, “I-I’m glad you like it, Clyde. Glad to make you feel at home.”

Dakota wasted no time, devouring their food at an impressive pace. Daisy-Jo scolded her husband’s rapid eating, but eventually gave up when he paid her no mind, preoccupied as she tended to the fussing Kansas. Daisy-Jo, conceding defeat, fetched a fresh milk bottle and began feeding Kansas. The table remained mostly silent for the next several minutes as everyone ate. However, conversation gradually rekindled as their appetites were mostly sated. Texas was the first to speak up and asked Clyde, “So... Where ya from, Clyde? I figured you weren’t always from around these here parts.”

Clyde paused his meal and replied, “Well, Ah’m from a very far place. So far you wouldn’t be able to reach it.”

Baffled, Texas pressed further, “Son, that’s a mite confusing to me and doesn’t answer the question. I know there’s a place over east far away where you humans are from. Are you trying to say you ain’t from there?”

Clyde adjusted his collar, clearly uncomfortable with the question. Arizona was irritated that her father asked him uncomfortable questions, but realized it was something she would have asked. And it wasn’t an unreasonable question either, which made her reassure him, “It’s okay, Clyde. We’re just curious to know more about you, that’s all.”

“Oh, Ah know that. Ah’m just not sure how Ah can answer it in a way y’all would understand,” said Clyde as he took a sip from his water glass.

“Well, go on and give it a try. Don’t keep us waitin’, dontcha know?” said Minnesota.

Clyde took a relaxing breath and said, “Well, since y’all insistin’ and such, Ah’m from another planet. My people ain’t from around this planet either.”

The table went silent as the man dropped the fact he wasn’t from Equis. Confusion was swirling in Arizona’s mind as Clyde sighed and said, “Ah figured y’all’d react that way. Look, Ah ain’t some space alien or something. Ah’m from a different planet, but mah people on Equis came through random portals. All of us were just going about our lives, then found ourselves here. Practically every damn one of us is separated from our families. Some in New Start have intact families, but those are rare. The remaining families are from marriages formed after their displacement.”

The man frowned while looking down at his glass, tightening his grip.

“Ah miss my family every day. Sure, Ah’ve adapted just fine, but it’s not being able to talk to them that hurts the most. Ah didn’t even get to say goodbye. Ah fell asleep in the field doing... Field work. Then Ah woke up not knowing where Ah was. That was three years ago, but this planet ain’t bad, it's just a mite strange. And y’all have been nice to me too. That said, Ah sure do miss mah home.”

As Clyde took another sip of water, Arizona placed a reassuring hoof on his free hand. Surprised, Clyde turned to see Arizona’s sympathetic gaze. The young heifer’s voice was filled with empathy as she spoke, “I’m so sorry, Clyde. I didn’t know any of that. I’m sorry you miss your family. If there’s anything I or my family can do, just let us know.”

Minnesota chimed in, reinforcing the support, Absolutely, Mr. Ford. We understand the power of family connections. Your mother must be longing for you. Just remember, we’re here for you whenever you need us.”

As Clyde looked around the room, he saw the faces of not cows, but people who knew what the importance of family meant. His melancholy expression gradually gave way to a small, yet genuine smile. Turning back to Arizona, he said, “Thank you kindly, Arizona. I really appreciate that.”

His fingers gripped her hoof and firmly, but gently squeezed it. It was right there; Arizona knew she had passed a very important test, which was to support her loved one when he was feeling down. After what felt like an eternity, the man let go and that made Arizona frown for a split second. Clyde returned back to his water and drank some more before Texas asked, “Well, that was quite a revelation. I gotta admit, you got me more curious about the place itself. What was the planet called? Anything else you can tell us about? You can’t leave us in the pasture all alone.”

Clyde’s chuckle echoed in response to her father’s statement, leaving Arizona baffled by the cryptic amusement. Whether it was something he said, she’d likely never find out. However, the information Clyde would reveal was about to blow her mind.

As he finished his drink, Clyde’s voice resumed, “Yes sir, Ah can but try to keep yer hooves planted for this. Ya’ll are named for states in my country, the United States of America. Except for Mrs. Daisy-Jo.”

Arizona put her hooves to her face in shock, while Minnesota could only say, “Oh, goodness gracious!” Dakota merely replied, “My name is a state? As in a country? Well, how about that! Guess them humans have good taste after all, just like you do, my sweet Jo.”

Daisy-Jo playfully swatted her husband with a hoof on his foreleg, making him chuckle. Texas, who raised an eyebrow, asked, “Now tell me, son, which of these states is the biggest?”

The bull’s demeanor changed into a serious tone, and Clyde just let out a hearty laugh. He relaxed before saying, “Well, that would be Texas. I’m not joking. You’re named after the biggest state in the union.”

The large fatherly bull erupted in a cheer, “YEEHAW! Damn right! Texas is the biggest!”

Minnesota playfully tapped her husband’s head before scolding him, “Don’t upset the little one, okay?”

Texas rolled his eyes and retorted, “Oh, the little calf is just fine. She’s practically bored.”

Right on cue, Kansas babbled in an adorable voice, then sucked on her tiny hoof. Everyone either cooed or laughed at the baby’s babbling. Arizona then inquired, “Clyde, does that mean I’m named after a state too?”

Clyde’s smile grew as he nodded, and she playfully continued, “Really? Well, I’ll be a rowdy tumbleweed. Which state are you from?”

Clyde nonchalantly responded, “I’m from the state of Oklahoma. Ah usually live in the western parts of that state, since that’s where my work was located. My family lives in southern central Oklahoma, though.”

“Oklahoma...” Arizona pondered.

”I like that name, Oklahoma. I’ll remember that for later,” Arizona thought to herself.

“Well, it’s a fine name. Anyway, I’m real pleased to have you here, Clyde. Now, are you fixin’ to indulge in some dessert?” Arizona asked with a grin.

As soon as Clyde nodded, Minnesota sprang into action and got onto her hooves, saying, “Don’t you worry, young’uns. I’ll bring it to you. Y’all just keep on talking.”

The following hour proved captivating for the cow family as Clyde delved deeper into his homeland, shared snippets of human history, and offered insights into his family. Apparently, tornadoes were a yearly thing his people dealt with, and Arizona couldn’t fathom having to deal with that. Foenum rarely, if ever, got them due to the lack of cold fronts but they weren't impossible. The ones that did occur usually happened near the east coast and away from any cattlefolk herds.

Once dessert was finished, Clyde thanked the family for having him over. Arizona took the opportunity to escort him outside for a goodbye. She intended to seize the opportunity to ask him for courtship, and her heart raced in anticipation. As his back was turned to them, Arizona looked back and saw the rest of the family giving her encouraging looks. She nodded before walking outside the home, alone with Clyde once again.

Cautiously, she glanced around, half-expecting to spot Applejack nearby. She wasn’t keen on a repeat of the other night. With the streets relatively deserted, save for the occasional passerby, she addressed Clyde, “Did you enjoy the dinner? I’m happy you joined us tonight.”

The man turned around and smiled before speaking, “Ah sure did. Ah haven’t had a meal like that since Ah’ve been here. Thanks again.”

The two stood in silence for a brief moment before Clyde inquired, “Is there something else you need? If not, Ah’m gonna go hit the hay.”

”This is your moment, Arizona! Ask him! Reign him in and make him your bull!”

Her cowly instincts urged her to take the leap, but Arizona’s courage wavered. As her heart raced, she managed to ask, “Yeah...um, do you travel often?”

”Oh, good one, girl. Ask him that of all things.”

The man scratched his head in confusion before answering, “Yes, Ah travel where the money pays. So far it’s been paying nicely here. Ah’m almost settled in here, but haven’t made up my mind if this is where Ah wanna live permanently.”

”That’s what I’m talking about! You got a chance to pull him from this pony place! Now, ask him, girl!”

With her legs trembling, Arizona gathered her resolve and inquired, “Well...you see, Foenum is growing, and we need good folks to help build it up. We’re trying to do something on the same level as Appleloosa, just not ‘apple-ly’ themed if you understand me.”

The man nodded before stating, “Ah sure do. And Ah think you’re asking if Ah’m interested in going to help out.”

The cow blushed and stammered, “Y-yeah, sort of. Details are still being discussed, but I just wanted to let you know.”

The man touched his chin with his fingers, appearing to contemplate the idea. Arizona’s heart raced as she mustered up the courage to consider asking him out. While she had never found any bull worthy of her heart before, the possibility of rejection now scared her. This unfamiliar territory left her unsure how to proceed.

The man eventually responded, saying, “If the pay is good and there’s a decent amount of food Ah can eat, Ah guess. Ah can't eat grass and Ah do need to eat meat, sadly. Ah know that's sore subject for some but fish or chicken is always good for me. Ah basically need protein as a part of my diet and Ah can't avoid that. Those eggs you made were really good, by the way. But Ah’d need to know more details about what needs to be done. Can’t be no deadweight to any folk.”

”Okay, so he is open to the idea of moving. Now ask him, you coward!” Arizona thought.

Taking a deep breath, the cow finally spoke up, “Clyde, there’s something else I need to ask.”

The man nodded and encouraged, “Ah’m listening.”

She gazed into his eyes and stammered, “C-could...could you talk with me after the Rodeo is over? There’s something else Ah wanna ask, but Ah think it should wait until I win an event in the Rodeo.”

The man appeared puzzled and inquired, “Why wait? Is it related to building up Foenum?”

”Just ask him, you coward!” Arizona thought.

Taking another deep breath, she turned her head to the side, a faint blush gracing her cheeks, as she admitted, “Yes, but...I’m not comfortable asking that just yet. I suppose I need to earn some Bits and stuff.”

Clyde merely shrugged, remarking, “Suit yourself. Ah’ll be at the Rodeo the whole time, so you won’t miss me. I’ll be occupied though, so if you see me hustlin’ around and I don’t stop for a chat, it’s just the job. Once the events wrap up, I’ll be free.”

As Clyde strolled along the narrow pathway and onto the street, he waved, “Goodnight, Miss Arizona! Loved the dinner and the dress!”

”You weeny wussy, indecisive heifer! He was right there for the taking! You better muster some courage and do it next time.” Arizona thought.

The cow knew she had blown her chance to ask him, but she didn’t know why. Her brain recognized it was the best moment to ask, yet her heart told her it wasn’t quite right. She felt the need to prove to him that she was capable of being a fit cow, one who could be strong for him and stand by his side. If she could win a few events, her confidence would be built up, allowing her to show she was a tough country cow, fit for a country man.

Arizona watched as the man walked down the street and disappeared from sight. She also admired his tight-fitting jeans and enjoyed the view of his masculine form. Arizona blushed and went back inside. Upon opening the door, her family stood in the hallway, eager to hear the good news. The heifer gulped and thought, *”Damn, time to face the music.”*

“So, is he your boyfriend or what?” asked Texas.

“Yeah... About that,” said Arizona, her face reddening in embarrassment.

She didn’t get a chance to explain as everyone groaned in disappointment. Daisy-Jo shook her head, saying, “You let him slip through the lasso.”

“And you didn’t even tie him up well. A real shame,” said Dakota as he headed to the kitchen for a drink of milk.

Minnesota then asked, “My little heifer, you didn’t ask him, did you?”

Arizona rubbed the back of her head and said, “N-not really, no. I asked if he was open to moving Foenum to help us build it up.”

Texas facehoofed and said, “Now, why did you go and do that? Why would he want to move all the way over to Foenum without a damn good reason? Sure, we’ve got money now, but we still need more, and we need more tools. The other elder Cattlefolk are already in Equestria gathering resources, and we came here to gain recognition for our new nation. At best, we’d be able to pay him a fraction of what he’d be getting here, but that ain’t enough to make a cow move.”

Arizona lowered her head and sighed, “Y-You’re right, Pa. I turned tail and wimped out. I’ve never asked a bull to be mine. I’m sorry.”

Minnesota and Texas looked at each other before Texas said, “Sorry? There ain’t nothing to apologize for. He’s your crush, and it’s your life. We just want you to be happy. You already know how to take what you want by the reins and get it!”

Minnesota put a hoof on her daughter’s head and rubbed her hair before saying, “It took me a lot of courage to ask your father out. I was afraid of rejection too, but I wasn’t going to let a prize like him stomp across the prairie without me. I hate to say this, but it’s now or never if you want him.”

In a flash, the thought of Clyde getting hitched to Applejack, or worse, just plain disappearing, popped into her mind. There was no way in all of Foenum or Equestria would she just let him go, not without a fight. She was now determined to ask him bluntly if he would date her. Once the Rodeo started, she figured asking him after winning the first event would be enough to build her courage up to get her man.

Arizona nodded and said, “Y’all are right! I’m gonna get him at the Rodeo. I’ll make all of y’all proud.”

Happy to see Arizona having a plan, the rest of the family started making their way to their bedrooms for the night. Just as Dakota walked out the kitchen door, the bull asked, “Wait, what about that, what’s her name? Apple-something? Ain’t you worried about her?”

Arizona snorted and laughed before saying, “Nah, she’s weak. She ain’t got what I have, and I’m gonna show Clyde what I’m made of.”

The uncle bull shrugged and said, “If you say so, but I wouldn’t let your guard down. I’ve seen these mares do crazy things around these parts.”

As the family cleared the hallway, Arizona stood there, still in her dress. A brief worry popped into her mind before she dismissed it.

“Nah, I got this one in the saddlebag.”

She made her way to her bedroom, changed out of her dress, and went to bed. Arizona fell asleep thinking of nothing but Clyde’s fit, manly figure, especially his butt. The next day, however, would still prove that the fight was only beginning.