Applejack's Vow
Applejack always knew she'd have a wedding in the spring. While her other friends would quietly dream about their wedding days, or if they would have wedding days, Applejack knew her day would be in the spring, among the pink and white apple blossoms that rained down from her trees. That cool, westerly wind that played with the edges of her mane with a playfulness of a child. Applejack thought it silly to lean into the wind, but as she opened her eyes, she saw the mare standing across from her was taking the moment to enjoy it just as much as she had. The cool wind could do nothing to her warmness in her heart, and she allowed herself a greedy moment to look out into the gathered crowd.
A sea of familiar faces greeted her, all shining and giving her the biggest smiles they could muster. Some were in tears already, and she hadn't said a word yet. The silence after Mayor Mare had asked her if she would speak her vows hung over the crowd, and Applejack simply absorbed the moment's silence. It was too perfect, and she hadn't the gall to stop the tear that rolled down her face. Facing Fluttershy, she was rewarded to see those wonderful sapphires looking back at her. Too perfect.
“Ah don’t quite remember it happening, ta be completely honest," Applejack started, addressing the entire crowd. "Growing up around these here parts, Ah used ta hear all the other fillies gossipin’ about this or that, talking about boys or some nonsense." A chuckle rolled across the assembly as the joke took hold, painting Applejack's cheeks with a faint shade of red. "Well. Ah guess Ah can’t say Ah was immune to it, either. I’ve had my fair share of boys around the farm, and Granny Smith always made sure to keep my face red ‘cause of it!" An unexpected whoop came from the Grandmother in the front row, as well as some unintelligible twittering between her and the other Apple matrons. "The way Ah used to chase my brother’s friends... ‘Course, Ah’m sure if just one of them had let me catch ‘em, my life might be different right about now." Applejack brought herself back to Fluttershy, clad in one of Rarity's best works. The way the fabric fell loosely from her body gave the pegasus the illusion of a dream, the tails of the dress just barely gliding across the ground as the wind caressed her body. "Can’t say better, though. Never could say better." Applejack couldn't help herself as she brought a hoof up to cradle her love's cheek. She felt the pressure as Fluttershy closed her eyes and leaned into her hoof, sighing contentedly. "Not now. Not ever."
They stayed like that for what Applejack was sure Rarity would say was an unorthodox amount of time. Still, she had to give herself this. Letting her hoof drop, Applejack's eyes dropped with it, a guilty smile accompanying her stare. "Ah do remember when it first hurt though. That ache at the pit of my heart." Applejack chuckled, hey eyes catching sight of Pinkie Pie in her Bridles' Maid dress and holding her stomach. "See, Ah never quite understood why most ponies say that pit is at your stomach. Ah’ve had plenty of summers and winters where Ah had a full and an empty stomach and let me tell you right now, that sort of ache don’t come anywhere close to where Ah felt." Her eyes were once more on the crowd, scanning for her relatives. "Saw her talkin’, real nice– with my brother of all ponies! Can y'all believe that?" Applejack cracked a smile as she caught sight of Big Mac, blushing a real furious red in his Best Man's outfit. "Couldn’t understand for the life of me where that mare got the courage to speak to the biggest stallion in all of Ponyville," Applejack's expression softened as she patted her brother on the back, "but maybe she heard about what a gentle giant he is." Big Mac gave an appreciative smile towards his little sister, who decided to break ceremony and give him a big hug. It was her day, she'd do as she pleased.
Breaking the hug, Applejack sniffed. She returned her attention back on her captive audience. "Sure enough, anypony’d be lucky to have my brother’s heart," she said, bringing herself back on track. She sent Fluttershy a sidelong glance. "But her? No, Ah couldn’t stand to even look at it." She closed her eyes, her hoof pawing at the wood beneath her feet. "Shameful thing is Ah didn’t know why Ah suddenly felt this... indescribable hurt. Like a piece just went and fell out of me, right there on the ground where Ah’ve planted my seeds."
There was a silence now. Applejack looked over to Fluttershy, catching not confusion but curiosity in her eyes. Those understanding eyes. "Ah never said nothin’, though," she admitted. "Couldn’t. Mare ain’t supposed to feel that way ‘bout another mare, ‘least that’s what Ah’ve been told all these years, thick headed numbskull that Ah am." A few smiled returned to the faces of the assembled ponies as Applejack shared her life experiences. "Ah guess that’s how Ah knew it t’weren’t hunger neither, ‘cause Ah packed away an entire pie that day, trying to fill that void she made me feel." Applejack laughed heartily, which was joined by Rainbow Dash behind Fluttershy. "Ah blamed it on Apple Bloom, too. Most dishonest Ah’ve ever been in my life. Sorry Sis." A look of dawning appeared on her little sisters face as she very nearly dropped the flowers she had been tasked to hold. She knew Apple Bloom would give her words for it later. "‘Course, there was nothing going on there, ‘twixt the two of them. And Ah knew it." She finally looked back at her bride-to-be, a pained smile on her face. "My heart just didn’t rightly care about any of that. Big Macintosh would came home same as always, never like when he spoke to a mare he got all flustered for." Applejack closed her eyes and shook her head. "Ah could tell you stories. Hoowee, could Ah tell you stories about how that big ol’ softy would cut up apples just so whenever some mare from school would come around. Had to be just perfect. Ma ‘n Pa always would help him do it, too. This was before Apple Bloom was born, of course, when Pa still tended to the north fields." She let that set on the congregation. Her parents had to be a part of this day somehow, and Applejack knew she was the one to do it. A good memory, a happy memory, was just the way. "Ah shouldn’t make too much fun, though. Ah’m guilty of just the same thing. Ah blame him, though. Little sisters are mighty impressionable." She cast a knowing wink to her little sister. "Guess that’s where Ah got my fancy for mares. If they’re good enough for my brother... Heh. Ah suppose Fluttershy was too good for him." Applejack felt herself take a step closer, just close enough where she could smell Fluttershy. Her mind took in that familiar scent, masked only by whatever fiddly smell Rarity thought would be best, and she savored it. "Maybe she is, ‘cause she’s way too good for me. Ah can’t even imagine why, when Ah look into those beautiful blue eyes, she ever chose a down home farmer like me."
Applejack brought a hoof up to her chest, rubbing against the fabric over her heart. "You ended that hurt, sugarcube. You ended that tugging of the soul when you just know something ain’t right. When the world doesn’t make the amount of sense it’s supposed to. Ah’ve known you for so many years now. When you moved to Ponyville. Moved into your home. Our home. Ah love the animals there. Reminds me always to go home and give Winona just that little bit more of attention." Applejack sniffed loudly, a few tears falling unabashedly to the ground. "Ah remember when Granny Smith first brought Winona home, shortly after Apple Bloom was born. Back when a fresh hurt was still new. Ah remember how you came by, shy as you are, to help me look after her. She was such a small puppy. But... Ah’m going off on another yarn again. Ah’m sorry, wastin’ your time up here, waxing nostalgic. Ah feel like Ah just have all the time in the world left with you."
Applejack sighed through her nose, her eyes looking straight on into Fluttershy's. Raising her voice, she made her declaration to her audience. "And Ah know, standing here today, that an eternity still wouldn’t be enough time with this mare.”