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[Ponyville's Countryside] Mixed Fruits and Veggies (Ended)


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"Cozy?" Applejack spoke softly to herself as Big Mac mentioned the relationship between her and Carrot. She didn't think she was getting 'cozy' with him. And though she feared that she might be leading on too much, she didn't want Carrot to think negatively about it at all either. Besides, this was a family gathering between two sets of ponies, both with vegetation and farming obsessions. There was actually a lot in common with most everypony at the dinner table. So, Applejack decided to shrug off the comment, figuring it was just another big brother jab. "Heh, heh, yup, we're all a bunch of peas in pods. Come ta think of it, ah don't think I've ever actually seen two peas in a pod, there's usually at least four or five."

Applejack helped herself to some of the salad. It was garnished with several layers of all different kinds of vegetables, but remarked heavily on the orange carrot confections. As she chewed and swallowed, she winked at Purple. "I saw a heap of fabulous confections in the kitchen. Did you make all of those by yourself!?" Applejack pealed for a response, but was interrupted by the sudden excitement for the love potion story.

As Apple Bloom told the story, and the lesson that followed, Applejack couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Heh heh, ha ha ha, ha, whoa buddy! I'd give my left hind leg to see Big Mac all lovey'd up in Cheerilee's eyes. Ah can't believe I missed it the first time." Applejack chuckled violently, and then calmed down a bit. "Well, it's probably cuz he was racing around town looking for a weddin' ring," Applejack stood up and did her best Big Macintosh impression complete with deep slow voice, "eeyup, dia-mond for mah sweetie pah." Applejack fell back onto her seat, laughing hysterically. She slammed her hoof down on the table a few times in her attempt to control her hilarity. After a few deep breathes, she finally maintained regular breathing habits. "But yeah, that love potion is nuttin' but trouble."

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, this was starting to get a little more than embarrassing - Applejack had even started to join in on the unfortunate stallions love-poison incident, which only led to a grimace on Macs muzzle...sure, it wasn't much more than a comedic memory anymore, but it was always one of those moments that Big Mac felt that hot prickling flush, followed by a few blurry memories of that particular day...most of which, Mac really wished he could forget!

" Awww, Shoot... " Mac says with a small groan as he raises a hoof to his forehead, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks much to the probable amusement of everypony present. " Now ya'all got AJ doin' it too...now ah'll never hear the end of it t'day! "

Of course, Mac did have a good humor about it and saw enough sense to laugh it off once he'd settled down again, but it was just the usual first few minutes of hazy memories he'd rather NOT immediately remember that made him not so fond of discussing it amongst ponies he barely knew - the prospect that one of his more unusual circumstances being made into such a casual conversation topic was something Mac wasn't always sure how to react to.

" App'Bloom an' her friends sure played a number on me that day, ah tell ya that much! " Macintosh says with a small nod, glancing around at the gathering of ponies.

" Ah learnt mah lesson that day...don't trust them Crusaders when they set ya'all up a picnic! "

He looks over at Applebloom and smirks a little. " Still, ah think she learnt her lesson too...ya jus' don't go messin' around with other ponies feelin's like that! "

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  • 2 weeks later...

Purple gave a bit of a sigh. That would have been so convenient! Just imagine. finally get her big brae talkin' to fillies right bonnie, no more bein' all stutterin' and havin' his mouth not workin' right. She wondered, what exactly would he sound like as a 'grade A goofball?' She followed Apple Bloom around the table, helping lay it out, and getting the food lined up *just so*.

Well, this was very exciting! She'd heard rumors that AJ was the best baker in all of Ponyville, sitting right here at her very own table! Purple Haze had been *especially* nervous with that sort of pressure on her ... but maybe she'd be able to share some recipes, learn some apple recipes she could convert over to new carrot dishes! "Oi just cannae wait tae see what ye brought, Applejack! Oi'm roit tickled tae trade some recipes!"

She turned back for one last look over the table and cried, "Dinnertime, everypony!" She settled down at her spot, right next to Apple Bloom, and rubbed at her chin a moment, then leaned over to Apple Bloom to murmur, "Aye, Apple Bloom! Ye think we could experiment with that love potion recipe t'fix it? Make it work right?"

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Carrot Fields chuckled at the short story little Applebloom told, imagining what that almost have looked like to them at the time. Still, while quite funny, it was also a bit disturbing that such a thing existed, easily accessible enough for foals to recreate. Then again, if his own sister shown anything, it was that foals could be really resourceful if they wanted to. "Aye, Cheerilee, that's the local school teacher, roit? Oi met her when takin' Purple tae school. At least this dinnae happen at the schoolhouse ... it didn't happen at the schoolhouse, roit?" Probably not, or Purple wouldn't be so surprised. "Oi hope yer lil' Twilight friend had her book of crazy potions taken away by her parents; how do ye lil' fillies find these things?"

He nodded to Big Macintosh, and the large red guest's statement. "Oi hope it dinnae cause ye any real problems afterwards. Ye and th' school teacher ever see each other now?" If it had been Carrot, he doubted he could ever have looked Purple's teacher in the face again he would have been so embarrassed. Or worse, if it had happened with somepony he had already liked. It was hard enough for him not to dissolve into embarrassed mumbling around some of the pretty fillies around here - which brought his mind right to Applejack. Don't get self-conscious, don't get self-conscious...

Food was a safe topic, though - especially since the focus would be on Purple instead. "Aye, moi lil' sis is a genius in the kitchen. These salads and carrots, jes th' leaves o' th' carrot! Wait til ye try the main courses! Ye'll be in love with carrots in no time!" Wait, he didn't mean for it sound like he was down-playing their devotion to apples! Or, suddenly realizing what else it sounded like ... to be taken as something more personal! With a quick, awkward smile, Carrot tried to explain and defuse things. "Umm, Oi mean, ye'll love our food ... an we'll love yers! What delicious meals did ye bring?"

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Apple Bloom had learned well the lessons given to her that day. Of course they weren't all the lessons that the older ponies may wish she had learned, seeing as not trusting Twilight's literature was probably something they would have opposed normally. Still, she had learned that messing with the internal feelings of other ponies wasn't something she should be doing. Well, not until she had a special somepony because that seemed to be about par for the course for special someponies. She also learned that if something seemed too simple and easy, it was needlessly complicated and likely to be full of all sorts of holes. She figured as a whole these were all very important lessons.

Then she was hit by a veritable barrage of easily answerable questions and as a filly, she was more than happy to answer all of them in turn. She leaned in to answer Purple's leaning, which left them mere centimeters apart. Why she felt the need to whisper this particular answer she couldn't readily identify. Maybe she liked conspiracy.

"Ah don't think that sorta magic is meant ta be played with, Purple. It required rainbow colors and pegasi feathers and all sortsa odd ingr'dients. Not sure what Ah'd even try ta do ta make it not turn ponies into love zombies, ta be honest wit' ya," Apple Bloom whispered as she laid eyes on the bounty in front of her, taking note of what food to attack first. There were many juicy looking targets. She then turned to look at Carrot before continuing on to feast with her eyes.

"Nah, it'snt at tha school, got them at a picnic. Not a bad idea at the time. And Twilight ain't no filly, silly! She's the town librarian- and ain't she like Celestia's top student, or somethin'? Real nice unicorn but kinda'f an odd duck at times. Ain't her fault, though. Had to raise a dragon and Ah bet that took a whole lotta work when she shoulda been playin'," Apple Bloom presented her flawless to a filly logic, at this stage not paying a whole lotta attention to Carrot's fumbling and fawning over her sister. She'd have plenty of time to investigate that during dinner itself; for now, she was content to let her eyes go large over the food in front of her.

"This looks just delicious! Why, Ah can't remember the last time somepony else 'sides from an Apple made such a fine lookin' feast. Has anypony, Applejack?" Apple Bloom's face took a quizzical look about it as she dutifully gazed up at her sister with sincere wonder.

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"Oh, I got some apples, and lots of them." Applejack wasn't insecure with herself at all in terms of the confections that arose from the apple farm. Everything was made of apples. And that was just alright. Naturally, she would start with the base. She pointed down next to the table, "I got this big heapin' basket full of our freshest Red Delicious Apples. These things are our most demanded kind and sells for the most bits per bushel, too. I brought plenty from everyone to dive into." With her mouth, she grabbed apples one by one, and threw them onto the plates that sat in front of everypony.

"I also brought some of our signature zap apple jam. We keep about a dozen jars of it to keep through out the year to have some when it's not zap apple season. And I thought this occasion certainly called for it!" Applejack placed the very large jar on top of the table. It was big enough for it to obstruct the site looking to the other side of the table. "I didn't bring anything to spread it on though, I figured we could be creative with whatever you guys brought. You guys have any sort of bread?" Applejack sparked. "I know! We should try to use the jam to frost a carrot cake. You guys make carrot cake, right?" Applejack felt stupid to assume. Even she made carrot cake with her small amount of carrot crops. But if they didn't do traditional cakes with the orange vegetable, then she would have put them into a tough position. She regretted saying it. "Or we can put it on something else."

Applejack wanted to give Purple the chance to boast on her own creations. After all, she would be providing the mane course, and Applejack was hungry. She had just finished her salad when she asked Purple, "I agree with Abby, this display is magnificent! Care to tell us what ya'll all got out on the table?"

Applejack peaked over at Carrot Fields, who was on the other side of a large jar of jam. "Oh silly, I already love carrots! And apples, too!" Applejack winked at him. She was starting to understand him a bit more now, and realized that he was just easily flustered, if not from other ponies, then all by himself. She tried to speak his language, in an attempt to try to get him to a level where he could talk without feeling like he had to impress. "You know what I love most about carrots, uh, Carrot?"

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mac gave a small visible grin when applebloom mentioned her thoughts about the love potion - clearly the events of Hearts and Hooves had been quite the learnt lesson for the youngster...not least of all because of the amount of chaos that had been wrought once her well intended idea had somewhat lead to a rather unexpected turn of events. Of course, everything had been straightened out in the end - Macintosh and Cheerilee had parted on mutual terms knowing that the day itself had been nothing more than the misunderstanding of a rather curious and impetuous filly with a penchant for mischief all in the name of acquiring her cutie mark.

Still, there was a look of interest in her story from one Carrot Fields, which brought about a small raised eyebrow from the red stallion - it wasn't often he saw visible awkwardness towards his sister, and he couldn't help but be partly amused by the fact that this one pony was clearly trying not to let them show despite doing something of a poor job of it - Mac chuckled mentally, deciding to simply observe this for the time being.

it was roughly a few moments later that Applejack brought out the Zap apple jam, which was from the stocks they'd made since the last Zap apple harvest - they'd worked particularly hard during that period of time, and had pulled in a pretty impressive overall haul. Mac agreed that if any event deserved to have a jar of that brought out for use, it'd be one like this - a cosy meal between the Carrots and the Apples!

" Ah wonder... " Mac says with a small curious smile on his muzzle as he pondered aloud. " How 'bout somepony try some Carrot sticks dipped in th' jam? "

of course, it wasn't really a proper suggestion as such - but hay...he'd try it himself if nopony else wanted to give it a shot!

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Purple Haze's breath caught when she saw the rainbow-colored jelly, her eyes wide and eager, already having forgotten about the idea of a love potion. That was it ... she hadn't dared hope for it. The Rich Marketplace scattered it all over Equestria, but it was so expensive, her family'd never been able to buy a jar ... and when she came to Ponyville, she'd *heard* of it even more ... and yet ... she still had never tried it. And now, here it was! Zap Apple Jam!

"Oh, um ... Aye, Oi did make some carrot cake, but Oi already put th' frosting on it an' everything. But Oi also have some carrot bread, an' we kin put it on that! It's roit juicy an' it'll be a real treat! Oi'm right excited tae try yer famous jam! Oi've never had a chance tae try it afore, but Oi've heard th' stories! Oi'll be right back!"

She hurried off into the kitchen, and was back in a flash, more carefully carrying a big wooden cutting board with a knife and a loaf of carrot bread on it. It also had a nice little dish of soft cream cheese on the board, in case anyone wanted to spread it on the bread, but ... zap apple jam! Yay! She slid it off onto the table, and looked up to her brother. "Big Brae, would ye loik tae cut th' bread for us, then?" She hurried around the table and sat down, sitting up nice and straight and proud at her place next to Apple Bloom, trying not to wriggle in eagerness *too* much!

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Carrot Fields felt a little silly. Of course, the town librarian. How could he have not yet gone to the town library, anyway? Entirely too busy with the new farm, alas. Had barely had a free moment to himself. Now he wondered how many books on astronomy they had, or history! And how cute was the librarian? He wasn't going to ask THAT, though, especially not with the stunning neighbor filly here! "aye, sounds like yer library has a whole heap of rare an' wonderful books! Oi'll have tae visit her, er, it sometime!" Nuts and shoes, Carrot, ye cannae say anythin' today wi'out puttin' yer hoof in it!

Fortunately, it appeared their guests were willing to brush off without comment every nervous gaff he made, which was such a relief; they really were wonderful farmer folk. Of course, the conversation moved to the "safe" subject of food, with their guests bringing out the legendary Zap Apple jam. Everypony knew what Zap Apples were and everypony also knew how rare and thus expensive they were, given there was only one farm in all of Equestria with an orchard! He had actually got to try it once as a foal at a large fair in Baltimare, but he still remembered how amazing it was.

He looked to Applejack and tried to answer her, "because ... they're orange?" Great. The awkward metere was back up to eleven! What kind of dumbtail answer was that? He just couldn't think what with what his brain did to the question. "Ach, Oi mean, because they are hard, er crisp, er ... Oi dinnae ken tae it, Oi'll jes listen fer ye tae spill it." He felt like such a goof. He quickly grabbed up the knife and started to cut the bread, glad to have something to do that kept his mouth from making noise.

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This was a lunch filled with mind-blowing revelations. First off, Apple Bloom knew for certain that Carrot Fields was a decidedly silly stallion who seemed to fumble over even the simplest of sentences, his nascent attraction to Applejack making every word out of his mouth more awkward than the last. It was wonderful entertainment, watching him sit here and interact with her. She was planning on adding onto that certain attraction. Secondly, Purple Haze could cook and boy, was it a sure-fire hit. The way her cooking smelled was better than some fancy-shmancy restaurants she'd been to. Blossoming ideas in her head centered around her and Purple teaming up to sell her juice and make some ponies happy- the bits'd be nice too, as would a cutie mark. It couldn't hurt to try, at least.

Apple Bloom couldn't wait not a second longer. She reached out and took a piece of the carrot bread as it was being sliced and didn't regret it at all- it felt so soft and moist, freshly made and the smell was to die for. Yes, these were orchard ponies who knew a thing or two about making the very best of their situation in life and Apple Bloom was deliriously happy to know them. She took her peace of bread and slathered it in Zap Apple Jam, an almost overwhelming amount of it. She then took some carrots and put them on top and crumpled the bread around it, effectively creating a zap apple and carrot sandwich on carrot bread. It looked yummy and by golly she wasn't gonna wait one second longer.

"To tha Carrots!" She offered up a toast of zap apple goodness, stuffing half of it in her mouth. Her eyes lit up- they told the whole story.

"Ta zhap-ahhple jham!"

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As Carrot spoke his foolishness and began cutting the carrot bread into slices, Applejack gladly responded. She held up a carrot in her hoof as she preached. "Because carrots are a symbol to fertility. My Granny always said that where ever carrots grow wild, you can grow most anything. They paved the way for other fruits and vegetables to make their home. And legend has it that eating carrots lets you dream better and helps you focus on the true purpose of your life. Mah friend Twilight also said that carrots are good for your eyes, and help you see better, which is probably why none o' you wear any eye spectacles. And," Applejack started chewing on the carrot she had in her possession, spewing unfavorable carrot crumbs from her mouth as she chewed and talked at the same time. "Mosht carrochs are oranche, an' oranche is mah favorite color!" She swallowed. "However, not all carrots are orange, but of course you know that, don'tcha hon?" Applejack coughed as she embarrassed herself by realizing she referred to Carrot as 'hon'. She wasn't sure why she did it, and she tried to correct herself. "Buddy."

She spotted Apple Bloom who volunteered first to combine the magic of zap apple jam with the delicious crunch of carrots and bread. Apparently, it was very good. "A carrot and zap apple jam sammich on carrot bread. Not bad, but it could be better." Applejack grabbed and apple and a nearby butter knife, and began cutting an apple into slices. She then made herself a sandwich, made with three carrots, eight apple slices, and a generous helping of zap apple jam all between two slices of carrot bread. Seconds after putting it together, she looked at it with watery eyes and admired her work. "An honest to apples sandwich for an honest to apples pony. Don't mind if I do!" She stretched her mouth wide enough to scale the entire height of the creation. Biting down, she cleared off half of the item with a few chews and a swallow, and then cleared the rest with a second set of chews and a swallow. Within a few moments later, Applejack belched very aggressively. She giggled and politely added, "Heh. Pardon."

She slid the jar of zap apple jam towards Purple. "Try it, Purple! You wont believe your taste buds."

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mac was quietly enjoying his own side of the meal - seeing as everyone was already quite engaged enough with conversation, it gave him a chance to simply relax and enjoy what was in front of him...taking a few carrots, dipping them a little in the pool of ZapJam on his plate and giving a rather satisfied 'Mmmm' and a smack of the lips...yes, it did still hit him even now just how great granny smiths Jam was, and just how lucky the apples really were to have the things that they did.

He paused, looking around at the group for a moment as they were all also tucking in to the delicious food before them, he cleared his throat a little...deciding to wash it down with a swig of juice before speaking out loud - afterall, seeing as how what he'd just struck upon hadn't really been brought up this whole trip, he felt it was something that might just have been wort mentioning.

" Y'know...AJ, Applebloom! " he starts, giving a small coy smile before looking to the carrots whom they were currently visiting. " Ah reck'n tha' we should return 'em the favour back with a picnic on Sweet Apple Acres - they can see all 'bout how things there are, an' maybe even get granny smith t'cook one o'her famous home meals...Ah think they'd enjoy that"

He left the sentiment hanging for a moment, as he resumed eatin' whatever was on his plate...feeling accomplished for bringing up an idea that had bubbled at the back of his mind. Considering that the carrots had been so generous here, Mac felt that the sentiment was well worth returning, Apple family style!

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Purple Haze quivered with excitement as her brother cut the bread and passed it out, and patiently waited as was proper for everypony else to have a couple of slices before she reached out and snagged a pair for herself. With careful determination, she dipped the knife into the Zap Apple Jam, and spread it on the juicy carrot bread. Every bit of the food process fascinated her - the soft bread was still steaming, so fresh was it from the oven, and she watched how the rainbow colors of the jam half-melted over the bread ... carefully she laid out the crisp apples and carrot sticks, just as Applejack had suggested, lining them up carefully so that every bite would have the same amount of apples and carrots as every other bite ... then laid another steaming slice of bread over the top.

Her mouth was watering as she lifted it up before her ... oh, the anticipation, that moment that almost nothing could live up to, where you were about to try something you've never tried before! She salivated over that moment, inhaling, just trying to guess what it'd be like from the smell ... and then her mouth opened wide, and she took one, slow bite ...

She paused, her eyes sparkling ... and then she realized. She'd never made anything this tasty. Slowly, she chewed, emotions warring in her little filly heart. She loved it. She absolutely loved it. It was like ... like music in her mouth, orchestral music with this big, rich, wonderful sound, but also full of energy, like a lightning bolt had been harnessed to power the flavor. But it wasn't spicy, it was just ... *tingly* ... effervescent ... it danced on her tongue ...

If there were magic apples this delicious, then by golly, there must be magic carrots that were even more delicious! And by golly, she'd go hunting in that Everfree Forest till she found them! If she hadn't already had her cutie mark, she'd have gotten it now!

She swallowed, and turned to Applejack and Big Mac, very calm, even though her eyes danced with energy. "Oi've ne'er had a bite loik't!" she declared, solemnly. "Ye're a roit full-on, ye are! Oi'm a have tae step up me game tae keep up wi' that, Oi kin see! Oi'll have tae see what Oi kin get together by th' picnic, cause that's a roit bonnie idea!" Ooo, wait... a picnic. Picnics could be romantic, right? She'd have to make sure her big brae didn't mess up this opportunity! She grinned over at him. "Oi know me big brae loves picnics! And AJ could give him a tour of th' Apple Orchard, jes loik me brae gave her a tour ah his workshop!"

And slowly she took her second bite. Oh goodness, it was just as good. No, better. Her eyes half lidded and a contented little smile came over her face as she pondered what her ultimate magic carrot dishes might do with a taste this amazing.

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Carrot Fields was attentive to Applejack's explanation – aside from her wonderful twang of an accent, she was his guest! For some inexplicable reason “symbol of fertility” stuck with him through it all, making his cheeks pinken. Ultimately, he could just smile shyly and nod, “Well, true, they are all sorts of colors, but orange is the prettiest.” Oh, Luna, that sounded pretty lame as a response, no wonder she decided to call him “buddy.”

Fortunately, the sandwiches with the Zap Apple jam occupied everypony with its amazing taste while Carrot gathered his thoughts. I need to stop trying so hard to impress. Just act natural, that is what my dam always said. Then again, his sire always said to never act like himself cause who'd care about a dumbtail like him? He watched politely as everypony else took their turn, glad that the mix of carrots, apples, and jam was working out so well; even Purple was excited by the flavor. His own sandwich was much more sloppy, with carrot sticks and apple slices just mushed into the jam on one slice with extra jam on the other - lumpy and overflowing when he finally put the two slices together. Jam oozed from the side when he finally took a bite. He stopped and looked down at the sandwich in amazement. It tasted like what he imagined a rainbow would taste like! Light and sweet and with all sorts of different flavors!

Things were going great and the main course wasn't even out yet. Big Mac mentioned having the Carrots visit as guests, which made Carrot smile until Purple had to interject her own ideas into it. He blushed, but instead of shushing her he kept smiling, “well ... Oi … winnae mean tae impose. Only if th' lass wanted to ... Umm, annnyway. Sports! Are any of ye intae sports?!“

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Carrot Fields must have been a fan of rainbows, seeing as his face seemed to always be changing colors. Was that a normal response from stallions or was he just some sort of kooky farmer? If it was the latter, no wonder she hadn't seen much of him. He was sane enough to realize how kooky he was and didn't want to freak anypony out with his multi-colored facial expressions. That was likely untrue but it was the best possible explanation beyond him just having the flutters around Applejack, which while supported by his incredibly lame response had been debunked by all parties involved earlier. It was a sweet little thought to entertain though, as evidenced by Purple's thankfully fading glee regarding the possibility.

Speaking of, Apple Bloom had to giggle and chortle at Purple's reaction to the zap apple jam. Maybe she had been dulled to its deliciousness because she had an abundance of experience with it but it was always nice to see a new pony get introduced to the deliciousness. It was hard to not eat zap apple jam all the time, every day, which meant that the relative scarcity of it was a gift to her health. Purple Haze's eyes glittered and spun in place like the stars when she took in the jam, the joy she felt amplified in expression by the wild and untamed gallop it did through her eyes. She was having one heck of a good time and when she spoke, Apple Bloom had a clear understanding of why her little heart was so enraptured with it. Purple viewed it in some way as delightful competition and spoke a bunch of baloney about needing to step her game up.

Whatever worked for her- Apple Bloom wasn't about to stop her from trying her best to make something scrumptious- worked for her, but everypony who knew anything about anything knew that apples were the greatest of all the food. Nothing would change that, and trying to beat an Apple family apple dish emboldened by magic was as foolish as sticking your tail in a manticore's maw, and that was a pretty foolish thing to do. But it would be poor manners for a guest to cut down the dreams of the host, no matter how foolish those were. Apple Bloom smiled and patted Purple on the back.

"Well, Ah reckon that yer gonna hafta step yer game up ta levels Ah'm not sure any carrot can reach! Doesn't mean ya can't try. Ah'm sure that just as there are enchanted apples, there's some sort of enchanted carrot somewhere! As for that there picnic, Ah'd love ta have y'all over! Sweet Apple Acres is always ready ta have guests, an' we always have so many apples just waitin' for ya!" Apple Bloom offered with a smile and a nod to Applejack, whose decadent apple slice sandwich set the bar for gluttony at this event. Apple Bloom had a healthy appetite herself but wasn't about to compete with that; she threw in the towel and allowed her sister the title of most delicious and gluttonous sandwich of the day. She was also shocked to hear that of all ponies it was her big brother who suggested it. She was so used to him being silent and stoic that seeing the warmness of his heart being poured out for others was charming and delightful.

Apple Bloom got her glass of juice and raised it up in a toast.

"Ta tha Apples and tha Carrots!"

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Applejack licked her lips as she tried to wipe herself of any excess food in the most informal way possible. And then she watched as the little dark green pelted filly became overwhelmed by the taste and aroma of the zap apple effects. Applejack watched eagerly, as she remembers her first chance to try zap apple jam. The first time was always the best time.

Applejack's brother Big Mac suggested a return favor, a picnic on the farm, maybe even a tour. Purple and Apple Bloom seemed to agree. Applejack looked at Carrot, who had been able to maintain a decent amount composure, but he waited for some sort of response. It was clear he was in favor as well. Well what was the orange mare to do? Would she agree? "A picnic on the farm? Nah." Applejack gave a slight frown and shook her head convincingly. But then smirked and exploded into a huge smile. "We oughta just go campin'! We already got a setup of campin' equipment in the Gala section of the farm. We can spend a whole weekend hangin' out 'nd tellin' stories, and eatin' marshmallows, we'd have a great time!"

Carrot asked about sports. "Sports? Sure! Me and Abby play competitive apple tossin' all the time. And sometimes we wrestle in the grapes. I got second place in this year's iron pony competition, and got a score of 45 on the cloud diving. You ever hear of the Iron Pony Competition, Carrot?" Applejack grabbed a carrot on the table and tossed it up on her nose pointed side down, balancing it from falling. "We apple ponies love to strut our stuff when we can. We're usually stronger than most pony folk, but we're not tryin' to show off, just trying to have some fun." Applejack propelled the carrot in the air and caught it with her mouth and then started eating it, with the leaves of the carrot sticking out of her mouth. The rotation of her mouth compensated to her comments. "You lichke Schportchs, Carrok? Schu wanna challenche me to a grape wreshtle?" Applejack angle her eyes and gave a teasing grin.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Big Mac watched as the youngster bit into the bread smothered with the viscous colourful substance, the delicious miracle that was the apple family specialty Zapp Apple Jam - and as he did so, Macintosh couldn't deny that the sight of a young'un experiencing the intense deliciousness for the first time...it took him back to his childhood when his own tastebuds practically burst with delight as he took a tentative lick of Granny Smiths ladleful of freshly made jam, straight from a jar.

" Heh - ya'all remind me of mah own first bite! " Mac muses, looking over at Purple with a small chuckle, taking a small bite of the bread he himself had picked out - the interesting combination of carrot-tang and Fizzy, sweet and unique deliciousness of zapp apple jam blended together to create the most interesting sweet and sour yet overly delightful flavours...he'd had no idea how a simple piece of carrot bread could add such a different level of texture and taste to the already hugely flavorful zapp apple jam.

Taking a moment to savour the last moments of flavor on his palette, Mac then looks over towards Carrot after hearing him say something about to intrude, which wasa silly notion to the red stallion, as he and AJ had literally offered a welcoming hoof to the silly pony - his shy and withdrawn nature seemed to be even stronger than Macs stoic and reflective side...which kinda tickled him a little, as there really seemed to be no reason why a pony such as Carrot needed to act in such a way.

Just as he was pondering on saying something to help try and lift the Carrot pony's spirits, it seemed as though Applebloom had already taken such a step and boldly proclaimed a toast, to which mac wholeheartedly went along with - raising his own half-full glass. " Eeeeyup - T'alla us hard workin' farmin' ponies! " - It was a rare privilege for the apples to share a moment with a different farm family, given that he couldn't think of many of them off the top of his head...and as such, a moment like this where it was all about the concept of family, and the free exchange of good times, food and ingredients.

Even if it was only to last for a little while, it almost felt like an extended family coming together and sharing a good time...something that reminded Big Mac of the recent apple reunion, which gave him a warm internal smile as he simply watched the other ponies make their own toasts, quietly enjoying this warm little moment.

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Purple Haze gave a grin to Apple Bloom, her Carrot Family pride stirred somewhat strongly. "Oi reckon Oi dinnae need tae much! Roit easy tae make a tasty Carrot dish! A fancy-colored carrot or two an' we'll be good! But Oi'll be glad tae lend ye some recipes, aye?" She gives an impish grin, so very glad to have a proper challenge. Cooking was great ... but she'd never before had someone to *compete* with in cooking! Suddenly there was a new spice in the mix that made the game taste great!

But ... ooo, Camping? "Aye, Camping's a great idea! Ye an' me big Brae kin share a tent! An' me an' Apple Bloom kin take a tent! An' Big Mac's big enough fer a tent hisself! It sounds loik a hoot! Oi know some great campin' games! An' we kin tell ghost stories, an' allt hat sort ah stuff!"

She lifted her glass up to the toast. "Work hard, play hard, live true!" she said happily, grinning out over the two families. "Oi'm likin' this new place, Big Brae!"

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Carrot Fields smiled to the enthusiastic little Apple Bloom, raising his glass in response to the toast. "Aye!" he agreed, then lifted the glass.

"You lichke Schportchs, Carrok? Schu wanna challenche me to a grape wreshtle?" Applejack angle her eyes and gave a teasing grin.

Carrot sprayed Purple Haze's delicious carrot juice out into Applejack's face. He coughed and wheezed, beating his hoof on his chest, his eyes water. Grape Wrestling? In a vat of grapes? Was that even a thing? "Ach! Oi'm sorrae! Oi dinnae mean tae do that!" He grabbed up a hooffull of napkins and dabbed at her face and her chest, his eyes wide. Way to impress, Carrot, you dumbtail! "Oi'm sorrae! Ach, jes ... jes ha' a tickle theah. Course Oi'll challenge ye!" Even if his own family pride wouldn't have allowed him to back down ... well ... he could hardly back down now, after having sprayed her like that!

He coughed a little more, and took a deep gulp of his juice, both to sooth the coughing fit and to give himself time to recover himself.

"Ach, aye, the Iron Pony competition. dinnae have th' chance tae sign up fer that, this year, wot wi' the farm an' all, and we dinnae have those back in Fet Loch. We had th' Highland Games, though, which were roit close! Used tae participate back as a colt before the REA! We dinnae have grape wrestlin' or Cloud Divin - that sounds a pegasus sport, actually - but we hae caber buckin', an' Maide Leisg, an' weight buckin', an' all th' classics!"

"Aye, Camping's a great idea! Ye an' me big Brae kin share a tent!"

Carrot coughed into his drink and sprayed juice again - but this it hit into the glass and sprayed back into his own face, leaving him just as soaked with the juice as Applejack was.

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Apple Bloom felt a small tinge of disappointment sweep over her initially when her sister opposed the picnic idea, but excitement blossomed in her heart immediately after Applejack suggested that they camp together. The entire idea was so pitch perfect and beautiful that she wondered why they didn't do all day, every day. Probably because then they couldn't be very effective apple farmers but still, the idea was pretty awesome. Her eyes lit up as she imagined the whole group together under the shade of some apple trees and the starry sky above, telling ghost stories and eating delicious marshmallows next to the fire. She was so lost in this glorious imagining of a certain future event that she was slow on the take when Carrot Fields forgot how to drink not once, but twice, and showered both Applejack and himself in juice.

Apple Bloom snapped to alertness as the two sat there in their joint wetness. Apple Bloom should have felt many things, but the only thing that escaped was a series of hearty giggles and laughs as she behald Carrot's eternally charming screwup continue. He may have been a stallion, but the way he responded to any situation that made him even slightly nervous made him out to be a colt. From this distance it was endearing and made him seem especially vulnerable and silly, though from Applejack's point of view there was likely something slightly sinister about all this. Well, maybe not sinister, likely just wet as they were wet in carrot's juice which he had sprayed in every which direction.

Apple Bloom fell over laughing, not even registering the dull thud of pain that came with her head smacking the ground.

[colour=#ff0000]"Ahhahhhahahaha, oh golly, yeah, thay'd need ta grape wrestle all right- in the tub![/colour]" She laugh for a moment before turning to Purple Haze, [colour=#ff0000]"You know, on account of 'em needin' ta clean up,"[/colour] She calmed down a little and pulled herself back up, but this was a momentary victory,[colour=#ff0000] "And naw thay hafta share a tent, 'cause nopony else wants ta smell like carrot's spit!"[/colour] To Apple Bloom, the idea of spit shampoo all around Equestria was so disgusting and silly that she had to laugh some more. She once again fell to the ground in a fit of laughter. It took a few more minutes, but she once again worked up the courage to stand back up.

[colour=#ff0000]"Oooh, ooooh golly, that's just tha bee's knees, a dandy idea. We can have all sortsa fun campin'! Why Applejack, tell'm all about that time we went campin' bah tha Gallopin' Glades!"[/colour]

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[colour=#ff6600]Applejack swallowed her bite after asking Carrot if he wanted to grape wrestle. Just then, Carrot spewed carrot juice all over Applejack's face. Carrot, a nervous wreck, started grabbing towels and clean Applejack's face up. Applejack's face was a little shocked and frustrated. But after the carrot juice was cleaned off for the most part, she smirked and then chuckled. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Heh heh, Carrot, you need to drink better, heh hah heh."[/colour]

[colour=#ff6600]As Carrot started apologetically continuing the conversation talking about athletic competitions he's been in and such, Applejack grabbed another carrot and chewed it as she listened. He seemed interested in the subject, and even seemed to be serious about the grape wrestling proposal. And then, Purple replied to Applejack's theme of camping, suggesting that Applejack and Carrot should share a tent. Carrot sprayer again, but this time all over himself. Applejack smiled a laugh as she watched the nervous stallion tear himself apart over a little fillies suggestion.

Apple Bloom interjected. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Ahhahhhahahaha, oh golly, yeah, thay'd need ta grape wrestle all right- in the tub!"[/colour]

[colour=#ff6600]Applejack giggled. [/colour][colour=#ff0000] "Heh heh, yeah. We do! Heh heh, now calm down Apple Bloom."[/colour]

[colour=#ff0000]"You know, on account of 'em needin' ta clean up."[/colour]

[colour=#ff0000]"Ok, Apple Bloom, I think that's enough, heh." [/colour][colour=#ff6600] Applejack pointed away suggesting to change the subject.[/colour]

[colour=#ff0000]"And naw thay hafta share a tent, 'cause nopony else wants ta smell like carrot's spit!"[/colour]

[colour=#ff0000]"Apple Bloom! That's enough!"[/colour][colour=#ff6600] Applejack looked around and noticed the no need to get mad. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"I mean calm down, Abby, it wasn't that funny."[/colour]

[colour=#ff6600]Applejack let her sister recover and suggest Applejack talk about the galloping glades. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Oh yeah, just last week Apple Bloom, Big Mac and I spent a night in the Whitetail Wood Galloping Glade just North of the Rearing Ravine. It was a great time, wasn't it Big Mac?"[/colour]

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[colour=#FF0000]"Oh yeah, just last week Apple Bloom, Big Mac and I spent a night in the Whitetail Wood Galloping Glade just North of the Rearing Ravine. It was a great time, wasn't it Big Mac?"[/colour]

Macintosh glanced over at his sister with a small nod, finishing his mouthful of delicious food before giving a resounding 'Eeeeyup' - the trip itself had been a real nice little brother/sister bonding time, and was one of those things that himself and applejack were thankful that they'd had time for at that particular time.

" [colour=#b22222]Well, what can ah say[/colour]? " He says, rubbing his muzzle in light thought as he tries to think back to what himself and his sister had done during that little camping outing. " [colour=#b22222]T'was a pretty time out, ah'll say that fer sure[/colour]! "

they'd had a good camping trip that included all of the typical activities - Building a fire, gathering materials and fruits for camp-side sweet treats and such, made lunch from what they'd brought with them, hiked in the woods, shared stories at the campfire, and even discussed many things that perhaps they rarely had much of a chance to, ranging from anything in the way of Ponyvilles market scene to the many varying opinions about the mayor - along with every other topic inbetween.

"[colour=#b22222] Ah gotta say, AJ, sounds like a mighty good idea for us all t'be havin' a dual family campout like this[/colour]! " he says, looking back over at his sister with a small grin. "[colour=#b22222] Finally ah'll have folks t'share alla the goofy tales about how you were such a silly filly way back when...ah'm sure there's a few things applebloom'd even learn from 'em, too[/colour]! "

Oh, he was enjoying a little gentle ribbing of his sister - she was good humored enough to take it and dish it back at least, and he knew enough to only ever make mention of things that he knew she'd really be okay with, even if it was a little likely to leave her a little red-faced afterwards.

He also knew that the apple mare would no doubt have some of her own tales of his unfortunately mishandled exploits, and was willing to take a little bit of ego bruising if it meant that everypony would have a good fun time out of it - after all, there was no real harm in showing a little slip-up here or there, was there?

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Purple Haze dropped her face into her hoof as her big brae went being all clumsy and goofy again. What *was* it with him? She tried to help him as much as she could, as she obvious knew much better than he how to handle just about any situation ... but then he went and did stuff like that! She couldn't take him anywhere!

Ah well. Best thing to do would be to just pretend it hadn't happened, and continue on with the conversation.

[colour=#006400]"Well, Oi dinnae know th' area round here too well jes' yet. Oi'm nae sure jes' where th' whitetail glade or th' galloping ravine is! We'll have tae take a noice hike first, go ramblin' so ye kin give us a proper tour!"[/colour]

She hopped up, then, having polished off her makeshift sandwich. [colour=#006400]"All right! Time fer me tae get me next course! Oi'll be roit back!"[/colour] She hurried off into the kitchen, and came back carrying a platter in her mouth with a heat mitt. She set it down on the table, and shook the heat mitt away - just in time, that was getting uncomfortably hot! [colour=#006400]"Oiv'e nae figgered out what tae call 'em yet, but they're carrot chimichangas wi' a spicy southwest ranch sauce! Oi modiifed a recipe fer th' sauce from some a th' clan out at the O'Carrot Corral." [/colour]She trailed off, thoughtfully, to herself, just mumbling. [colour=#006400]"Carrotchangas? Chimicharrot? Nah."[/colour]

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Carrot Fields felt really embaressed as he cleaned himself off, and Applebloom's constant laughing wasn't helping. He wanted to slink down a hole somewhere and die of shame, but Applejack's disarming and cheerful response definately made him feel more at ease. Maybe the situtaion wasn't a big deal after all. Carrot started to chuckle,[colour=#ff8c00] "Ach aye, Oi guess Oi'm a real klutz sometimes, heh, but aye, campin' soonds loch a roit stoatin idea!"[/colour] He didn't have much else to add, caught up in her wonderful smile.

Her brother seemed to take this all in stride too, even ribbing his sister some. They sure were a lot like Purple and he, always bantering, but it was obvious even to the most casual of observer that they loved each other. [colour=#ff8c00]"We ne'er bin tae th' Whitetail, ay coorse e'en it in yer orchard woods be great. Oi've nae gain campin' fur fin since afair Oi was in th' REA, sae nae since Oi were a colt. Oi ken we bin busy wi' th' new farm tae think abit th' idea again until noo. Oi'll teel ye thocht, it was an adventure talkin' wee Purple alang back 'en, she'd gie intae everythin' a wee foal coods fin'!"[/colour]

Like on cue though Purple had returned with her latest creation. It was time to impress. Sure, Zap Apples were legendary, and both he and Purple were pretty impressed, but Purple was the best cook he knew! No legends, perhaps, but more than enough delicious surprises that nopony could not love! Maybe that was just brotherly pride talking, but he sincerely believed it! [colour=#ff8c00]"Oi'm sure yoo'll come up wi' a guid nam fur them, ur perhaps uir guests will ance they gie them a try."[/colour]

Carrot started to feel a bit more relaxed now. Perhaps the camping idea would be great. Even the talk of sports worked out well; oh wait, did he agree to grape wrestle with her?

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Seeing Applejack progress from a bit nervous if still friendly and happy to downright annoyed was an easy thing. A little sister knew every button to press in order to get their older siblings hot underneath the mane and the scary thing was that it eventually became nearly subconscious. Especially this time, as her needling was wholly incidental; she hadn't meant to upset her big sister, at least not this time. The images had just rolled into her mind and she shared them with everypony else because if it was funny to her, surely it would be funny to them. Sadly, Applejack's buttons were so large, at least to Apple Bloom, that they had been pressed without intent. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, yet decided to bow to her sister's wishes, even if it was as funny as she thought it was.

The mood brightened immediately however as they talked about the camping trip. Trips with her family were always the most fun one could imagine, no work, all play, with ample food and drink coupled with the beautiful outdoors. It was a hard day's trot getting to the galloping glade, hours and hours of hoofstomping were needed to get deep enough into the Whitetail to find it. Laid out as clear as a hole at a miniature golf course, the Galloping Glades were worth the trek. Several days of playing in streams and enjoying the great outdoors were supplemented with the sort of discussions and talks that only a trip so removed from the day to day could accomplish. Once you returned from it, everything normal seemed to be energized. So what better way to share the Apple family with their new ound friends than with camping? Besides, Big Mac and Applejack trying to out-embarass one another was always a treat.

Plus, it would be the most fun way to familiarize both Purple and Carrot with the geography. That would probably come in handly later on one of the many adventures that they would inevitably find themselves involved in.

[colour=#ff0000]"Well, we can show ya campin' and then y'all know all 'bout tha Whitetail Woods, from the Galloping Glade ta Bubbling Brook!" [/colour]Apple Bloom offered with great pep in her voice just as Purple Haze returned with her treat, which seemed to have a certain zest to it's smell that made sense once Purple started to explain how it was made. It sure smelled pretty.

Apple Bloom swiftly grabbed a bite and-

-Immediately regretted it, as it was still far too hot. Her eyes watered, steam shot out of her ears, and her attempt at speech was cut off as a miniature burst of flame shot out. Apple Bloom quickly drank one glass of juice, two, three, four, five, six glasses of juice, a whole carton of juice. She felt herself cool down momentarily. Then the spice kicked in and her face turned a dark, terrible yellow, verging on brown.

[colour=#ff0000]"Waaaaattteeeerrrrrrrrrr,"[/colour] she squeaked out slowly and high pitched.

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