Pie for Two: CH2

A less than poofy ball of Pink lay on her bed. In her hooves she hugged her pillow, tightly, desperate almost. Although it had already been two days since her rejection, for Pinkie, it might as well have been years.

“Oh Pinkie... This is why I never ask anypony else out... I’m the party pony... everypony thinks you’re just that... No pony wants to see the other side of you.” A tear slid down the side of her cheek, slowly arriving at its final destination upon her already wet pillow as she pressed her nose into it, trying to hide the pain. “No pony wants to go out with the party animal...”

~~~~~
"Hey AJ!" Pinkie Pie eagerly waved her hoof in greeting.

"Hi Pinkie Pie." The farmer replied, taking off her hat as she entered Sugarcube Corner.

"Oh boy, I have the bestest day ever planned ahead!" The party pony bounced around her friend, full of energy.

"That's great to hear Pinkie. But what are Ya plannin' on today?" A light grin played across the farmers face as her eyes followed the rogue canon around the room.

“Well, I hope you brought some apples, because it’s baking! Then we get to go to lunch here and enjoy ourselves some more this afternoon coming up with some experimental dishes.”

“Well... Ah don’t have any apples on me right now Pinkie. But if ya like, Ah can go get some from th’ farm.”

“That would be super.” The party pony paused for a moment, nodding eagerly. “I can help too.”

“Ah guess...” Grinned the farmer. “It’ll be nice to hang out with ya’ some more and help out too.”

“Yep! I’ll help you and then we can have more fun together.” Pinkie was already out the door, bouncing eagerly down the road.

Still with a grin on her orange face, Applejack shook her head, closing the door behind her as she followed the ballistic mare.

The pair trotted through ponyville. Pinkie greeted everypony in sight, waving to all as she led her friend along.

“Ya’re in a grand mood today Pinkie.” Observed the orange earth pony as she walked.

“Of course I am. The sun is shining, I’m with one of my bestest best friends in all of Equestria and about to help you out, then do some baking and come up with some super duper recipes!” Pinkie grinned her big grin as her muzzle filled her friend’s face.

After a few moments she pulled away and continued to bounce happily along on her way, to the Apple family’s farm. It was a perfect day. Nothing could possibly go wrong on a wonderful day like this. “Come on AJ! We have work to do.”

“That we do.” The farmer easily kept pace with her crazy companion.

“Hey Pinks! Lets see how fast ya’ can bounce. Wanna race?”

“Ooooh!” A pair of small rocket boosters appeared on Pinkie’s back. “How’s this?”

“That would be cheating like Dash.” Orange hooves slowed their gallop as the unimpressed mare eased off her speed.

“Okie dokie lokie!” As quickly as they appeared, the rocket pack vanished and the pink mare took up a mock ready position, grinning in challenge. “Come on then Applejack.”

Applejack stood her ground in surprise as the pink mare wiggled her rear, tail waggling in the air as she grinned eagerly at the farmer.

“Last one there’s a rotten apple.” Added the cheeky pony, playfully prodding her friend with words.

Unable to back down from a challenge, Applejack strode to her friend’s side and with slow, measured hoof movements, drew a line in front of them. “Allrighty sugarcube... jus’ don’ blubber when Ah beat ya’.”

Her fluffy eager opponent giggled in response.

“Three, two... One. GO!” And with an explosive cry, the pink mare took off like a speeding bullet.

Leaving a large tail of dust clouds behind her, Applejack rushed off in pursuit, easily managing to sidle up beside the party pony.


-------

Two mares plonked themselves down under one of the large apple trees on the border of Applejack’s farm. Both bore wide grins and were breathing heavily from their session of apple bucking together.

The orange farmer glanced appreciably across at her companion. “That was a good haul there Sugarcube... Ya sure we’re gonna need all of these here apples?”

“Yup!” The reply of a supremely confident earth pony arrived so fast, Applejack had barely managed to finish her question.

“Well...okay then. But yer carryin’ half back.”

With a brief giggle, Pinkie stretched out happily under the tree next to her friend. “Okie dokie lokie.”

Peaceful moments passed in bliss. Both earth ponies slowly regaining their breath. The pink mare began to wriggle about as if trying to find a more comfortable spot. Her poofy mane bounced ridiculously around, cushioning her head with each toss and turn.

“Come ‘ere fer a moment jiggly.” Chided the farmer, wrapping a orange foreleg around her spastic companion, doing her best calm her. “Jus’ lie wit’ me for a moment and enjoy things. It can be nice to watch the word go by after a hard days work.”

Pinkie froze for a moment before relaxing into her companion’s grip with a nervous giggle. “You’re right Applejack. ...And I do. Just looking out...imagining all the super cool parties I can create...” She trailed off for a few moments in bliss, happy to be held by the mare who was both her friend and secret crush.

“Then I get to have fun making them happen for my friends.” Her signature super wide smile that only Pinkie Pie could ever wear, decorated her face as she threw her forehooves wide open to help further illustrate her point.

Before a moment of silence was able to take over, Pinkie just had to speedily add a final point to her small ramble. “Of course there’s also always things like pranking.” A mischievous smile overtook her features as she gazed into her friend’s eyes.

“Yea. An’ its nice to jus’ sit ‘ere, in the shade an’ relax.” The blond-maned mare tilted her hat over her eyes and rested her forehooves behind her head. “Jus’ don’t go prankin’ anypony like me. It’ll ruin mah wonderful day.”

The seemingly abandoned pink earth pony simply nestled up against her companion, inhaling the salty scent of the mare who had held her. There was no way she was about to play pranks on somepony as special as Applejack. Maybe one of the other towns ponies, but never AJ.

Her mind began to wander. What would it feel like to hold her back? To kiss her, to show the strong farmer that she was loved and not just as a friend. Just as her impulsive side was about to allow her to reach up and plant a kiss on the orange cheek that was so tantalizingly close, she restrained herself. ‘Remember what Rarity said... AJ might freak out! I can’t be too random... That would be bad, it would ruin all my hard work and then there would be no best-friends-turned-marefriends party like I threw for Dashie and Fluttershy.’

The pink mare fell into an ever so slightly brooding silence. Thinking, wondering what she should do. She stole a glance up at her companion, confirming that the hat was still firmly over the orange mare’s eyes.

But as she was Pinkie Pie, such a silence didn’t go unnoticed for long. “Ya’re bein’ mighty silent over there Pinks. Somethin’ on ya mind?”

This jolted Pinkie out of her thoughtful stupor. ‘I wonder... Should I just tell her now instead?’

“Applejack... um...”

“What’s up Pinks?” Strong orange hooves reached out and slid the hat from her eyes.

“Well um...” Her mile-a-minute speech faded into contemplative silence. ‘What if she says no? What if now’s not the best time? Maybe I should just wait till later when we are back at Sugarcube corner and I surprise her with the bestest surprise then?’ A sudden smile lit the pink mare’s face and she felt like randomly hopping around for joy. Yes, later would work. As hard as being patient was, it would be sure to turn out for the best.

“Ya’ were about ta say somethin’?” The southern drawl once more cut into the party pony’s train of thought, returning it closer to Equestria once more.

Shining blue met deep green as Pinkie gazed into the eyes of her crush. “How about we go back now? Baking to do, fun to be had. I also want to show you something later. Something that’s a secret almost like a Pinkie promise secret but isn’t. Then we can party!”

Pinkie Pie lept up, hoping to chase her own nerves away with action. Action was good, action was easy. She could get away with doing things out of the blue when she was on the move.

The farmer nodded, correcting her hat as she stood. “Okay. But how about we save th’ party for later.”

A massive hopeful grin lit up the spastic mare’s face and she zoomed up to her friend. “Like tonight? I can invite all our friends over too.”

“Ah guess... Ah don’t see what’s wrong wit’ tonight...”

“Yipperoonie! Come on AJ!” The explosive mare rapidly gathered her pack, stuffing as many apples as she could into it before standing at the ready before her friend and crush. She gave a mock military salute. “Ready and waiting captain.”

A light-heated chuckle escaped the beholder of the silly display. “Ya never cease to crack me up. Come on. I ain’t yer captain.” Applejack pulled on her saddle bags and briefly made sure her load was secure before turning to the now bouncing pony in front of her. “Lead on Pinkie.”

And with much brimming enthusiasm, Pinkie Pie obliged. ‘It’s working, it’s working, it’s working... We’re going to have apple pie tonight!’