[Sweet Apple Acres] 100 Country Kisses (Closed. NO Kisses Left)

[Someone]

[colour=#ffffff]Heart blinked, his train of thought momentarily disrupted as he quickly did the maths behind the 'deal' Applejack had proposed. As he figured out that the deal was in fact just the normal price, he smirked, rather impressed with the verbal trick.[/colour]

[colour=#B58A73]"Definitely worth it. 30 bits is excellent, as far as I'm concerned."[/colour]

[colour=#ffffff]He paused for another moment, listening to how he could 'put them on reserve'. He just grinned in response; even if it took him a couple of trips, he'd happily come pick them up. Especially since it gave him to spend a bit more time in this quaint, little town.[/colour]

[colour=#ffffff]And then she mentioned the 'special', and once again Heart had to suppress more nerves. Now only what he could say in response to that which didn't make him look like a blathering idiot? As he quickly ran through options in his mind, he landed on one that might not be that useful...[/colour]

[colour=#B58A73]"Yeah... that's not the kind of thing that you can pick up later... or that I'd want to wait for, I suppose."[/colour]

​

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Applejack smirked back at the stallion. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Well, alright then, partner! Thirty bits."[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Behind her, Granny got her attention by whispering that they had found a basket of pears mixed in. "Wha-?" Applejack smiled gleefully at Heart, [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Um, I mean. You just count out those bits, and I'll be right back."[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Applejack went back to the bushel, and sure enough, a whole bushel of pears was there. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Consarnit. I must have accidentally bucked the fruit off of Pearywinkle again."[/colour][colour=#000000] Pearywinkle, a pear tree on the edge of the orchard, was accidentally grown when Applejack had invested in the wrong kind of seeds for future apple growth. She must have bucked these in haste when harvesting them, not realizing what they were. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Well, just put it to the side, but don't get rid of it. Maybe we can sell it separately on request."[/colour]

​

59 Kisses left!

[colour=#008080]Next up[/colour]

42. Heart Line

43. Wild Riot

44. Pocket Change

45. Cherry Berry

46. Luminous Charge

(If the line order is incorrect, please tell me in PM)

On hold:

Survey (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Savory Spell (inactive - PM me when ready)

Problems and rules log (please review):

-Characters that are inactive will be put on hold when they get to the front of the line. If you are going to be inactive, please PM me. No one is in trouble, and everyone is still being included in the story, should they want to continue. Just give me a heads up.

-If you need to speak out of character with an individual, try to do it in a private message. If you 'have' to do it in the thread, make sure it's at the end of your posts under a spoiler tag. If it is not, it will be reported for deletion.

-Line order is not a posting order, just the order in which they are lined up. If it is your turn in the line or if its coming up soon, feel free to post whenever you want to advance the story. Please refrain from posting too much if you are deep in the queue.

-Limit two characters for each player receiving kisses until further notice.

-Please keep in mind that a purchase gets your pony a kiss from AJ, not AJ gets a kiss from your pony. If you want to do something 'crazy' that involves AJ, please PM me for permission.

[colour=#FF8C00]Kissed[/colour]

1-10

1. Carrot Fields

2. Reno Golucky

3. Lore Weaver

4. Dunder Blust

5. Gentle Sol

6. Flam

7. Starburst

8. Astral

9. Flim

10. Silverbolt

11-20

11. Klondike

12. Lyra Heartstrings

13. Donut "Pony" Joe

14. Rarity

15. Pigpen

16. Cherry Jubilee

17. Misty Morning

18. Pathfinder

19. Earth Writer

20. Thorn

21-30

21. Metal Maker

22. Twilight Shine

23. Opal Shards

24. Bon Bon

25. Electric Vibe

26. Princess Luna

27. Guiding Light

28. Mythos Gray

29. Harrington Sleuth

30. Pumpkin Cake

31-40

31. Inkwell

32. Pinkie Pie

33. Star Storm

34. Master Mustang

35. Parhelion

36. Prime Meridian

37. Razor

38. Dr. Spin Tale

39. Professor Ashen Smirk

40. Quiet Harmony

41. Ice Storm

[Someone]

[colour=#ffffff]Heart paused, confused by Applejack's statement, before he figured out what it meant. As he 'counted out his bits', buying her some time, he pondered how he would exactly manage to handle a kiss from a mare he found attractive. As his mind merely threw errors, he knew he would have to improvise. And as such, he merely waited patiently for Ms. Applejack to finish what she had to do[/colour].

​

[tacobob]

“Well, if you believe so. I’d like to think it’s the other way around.”, the unicorn peered ahead of his line to see what the hold up was, “If you’re not keen about the whole thing, I wonder if it’s possible that I can have your kiss. Ooh.. Strike that.”, he grumbled, “I’m sure there’s a rule for that. Guess one kiss from a wingless angel will be enough for my heart.”, Pocket Change sighed dramatically as he waited for his turn. He did notice there was just two ponies in front of him at the moment. A unicorn that was a bit too good looking for his own good, and a rather silent pony who might be either sleeping or resting his eyes. He silently hoped they just might skip him once the other stallion was finished. Either way, it wouldn’t be much longer before he would receive a kiss from Lady Applejack.

And also a bag of apples.

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Applejack galloped back towards Heart Line, concerned for the amount of time it has taken to serve her customers. She would have to increase the pace to prevent customers from getting bored or disappointed. Almost rudely, she swiped the bits from Heart and stuffed them into her treasure chest. She then looked at Heart Line who looked as ready as would ever be at engaging in a kiss. Applejack wrapped a hoof around his neck, pulled him forward, and she stabbed his mouth with her lips. Applejack hummed the interaction for a few seconds before pulling away and smiling as she always does. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Sweetie, you come back to the farm whenever you're ready to pick those apples up. We'll have them ready."[/colour][colour=#000000] Applejack wrote a receipt for six bushels of apples for Heart Line.[/colour]

[colour=#ff0000]"Alright, who's next?"[/colour][colour=#000000] Applejack looked behind Heart and saw a pony sleeping in line. Oh dear. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Um, partner? Are you awake?"[/colour][colour=#000000] Nothing.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Applejack face-hoofed a carefully dragged the pony to the side, so that she could serve him when he awoke. She then turned to the next in line. She saw a white unicorn stallion, with a silver tail. He wore a cutie mark that appeared to be a bag of bits. Applejack smirked. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"You're next, buckaroo! You gonna buy all my apples?"[/colour][colour=#000000] Applejack batted her eyes playfully, and then retreated to behind her counter waiting for the customer's request.[/colour]

​

58 Kisses left!

[colour=#008080]Next up[/colour]

43. Pocket Change

44. Cherry Berry

45. Luminous Charge

(If the line order is incorrect, please tell me in PM)

On hold:

Wild Riot (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Survey (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Savory Spell (inactive - PM me when ready)

Problems and rules log (please review):

-Characters that are inactive will be put on hold when they get to the front of the line. If you are going to be inactive, please PM me. No one is in trouble, and everyone is still being included in the story, should they want to continue. Just give me a heads up.

-If you need to speak out of character with an individual, try to do it in a private message. If you 'have' to do it in the thread, make sure it's at the end of your posts under a spoiler tag. If it is not, it will be reported for deletion.

-Line order is not a posting order, just the order in which they are lined up. If it is your turn in the line or if its coming up soon, feel free to post whenever you want to advance the story. Please refrain from posting too much if you are deep in the queue.

-Limit two characters for each player receiving kisses until further notice.

-Please keep in mind that a purchase gets your pony a kiss from AJ, not AJ gets a kiss from your pony. If you want to do something 'crazy' that involves AJ, please PM me for permission.

[colour=#FF8C00]Kissed[/colour]

1-10

1. Carrot Fields

2. Reno Golucky

3. Lore Weaver

4. Dunder Blust

5. Gentle Sol

6. Flam

7. Starburst

8. Astral

9. Flim

10. Silverbolt

11-20

11. Klondike

12. Lyra Heartstrings

13. Donut "Pony" Joe

14. Rarity

15. Pigpen

16. Cherry Jubilee

17. Misty Morning

18. Pathfinder

19. Earth Writer

20. Thorn

21-30

21. Metal Maker

22. Twilight Shine

23. Opal Shards

24. Bon Bon

25. Electric Vibe

26. Princess Luna

27. Guiding Light

28. Mythos Gray

29. Harrington Sleuth

30. Pumpkin Cake

31-40

31. Inkwell

32. Pinkie Pie

33. Star Storm

34. Master Mustang

35. Parhelion

36. Prime Meridian

37. Razor

38. Dr. Spin Tale

39. Professor Ashen Smirk

40. Quiet Harmony

41-50

41. Ice Storm

42. Heart Line

[Mojo]

Hearing AppleJack's reply jogged Granny Smith's memory.

[colour=#00FF00]"Oh yeah! I shoudda knowed it! These here pears is from good ol' Pearywinkle!" [/colour]the elderly mare neighed.

[colour=#006400]"Pearyvinkle?" [/colour]Uncle Apple Strudel asked, [colour=#006400]"I don't tink I've ever met dat pony."[/colour]

[colour=#00FF00]"Pearywinkle ain't no pony, brother. It's a pear tree that out among our apple trees. Gotta admit, ol' Peary was sure scared at first, bein' around all them apple trees, but they welcomed him as part of the orchard family! Sure, we're all Apple folk on this farm, but that don't mean we can't allow other trees ta be here with us."[/colour]

[colour=#006400]"Dat is a vonderba story, mein sister! Maybe vee vill find somepony who vill vant to buy dem!"[/colour]

Apple Strudel pushed the bushel basket of pears aside and then brought more baskets of apples up for AppleJack to sell.

[tacobob]

Even knowing that his turn would be up soon, the stallion was still surprised when Applejack approached him. "Yes! I'll buy all the apples!", he yelped out as he slowly turned to face the pony of his dreams. "Er, I mean. No.", he tried to push away a blush, but it came anyways. "I'm sorry Lady Applejack, It would be fair to the others that I just purchase the proper amount of apples just to get the..ur..", he stammered, "Kiss. If that is alright with you.", he tried not to stare into her large green eyes as he quickly pondered what exactly a 'buckaroo' was. Thankfully, he had read a few westerns in his lifetime and remembered it was just a fancy way of saying 'cowboy'.

"A bushel will do. My cousin is baker here in Ponyville and she could use some fresh apples for baking, or at least to teach baking to her two kids, Salt and Peppa. I wandered out from the woods after an rather interesting encounter with a friend of yours. Saw the sign and though 'why the heck not'? Probably won't get a lot of chances to get a kiss from one of the most famous and beloved ponies from all of Equestria! So here's my bits.", his horn let out a light green glow as the coins floated from his pocket to the mare's counter. "I would also like to thank you and you friends for saving our flanks, at least, what was it? Six times? The ponies in Canterlot might not show it, but we do appreciate it.", he smiled at the pony as he waited for his kiss.

[Alar]

A sight at least slightly out of the ordinary came from the direction of Canterlot. Nearly a grown mare, though obviously not quite there yet, a young filly trotted along at a steady pace, small white saddle-bangs hanging just in front of her flanks. One of Moonstone's typical long walks had been a bit longer than usual, for she'd had permission to take a bit of a break from work, if only for a few days. She welcomed the chance to stretch her hooves farther than usual, and so with a slight smile she had set off with enough supplies to last her a good day or so...

Yet it had already been over a day. The grey-coated filly had slept on the side of the road at one point, nestled up in the warm grass underneath a shady tree mid-day yesterday. Since she'd gotten up, her walk had continued, and now she found herself dangerously low on supplies... particularly on food. As fate would have it, as the pony pondered her situation and whether or not she should head into town, one of the many flyers for the event down on the farm and fluttered through the air and smacked her in the face.

It managed to get her attention.

A gentle blue light shone from her horn before the paper was tugged away, allowing her to read it quickly. "[colour=#33ccff]Apples...? And a free kiss?[/colour]" Cocking her head to the side, the filly considered her options. She could go into town, or she could go right here! The farm was easily within sight, and the pony not yet a mare did enjoy experiencing new things...

With her mind made up, she trotted over into Sweet Apple Acres, eyes wide as she took in all the sights. It wasn't long before she managed to wind up at the back of the line, almost bumping into the pony in front of her, her horn still shimmering with light blue magic and the flyer floating beside her.

[SteelEagle]

Apple Bloom had spent her time relaxing, finding it a worthwhile investment of her time considering how busy she had been. Applejack had been kissin' ponies all day, but she had also just been standing in place. That was easy work! Maybe her mouth was tired, but that was that. Just standin' and kissin' and whole lot of looking cute, which is what she was super good at. Applejack was the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria, the nicest mare in all of Ponyville, and the greatest Apple to have ever lived- just ask Apple Bloom, she'd tell ya! Apple Bloom however had a busy day, fit fot a fit filly but at the end of the day a filly nonetheless. She had nearly limitless reserves of energy but they needed to be recharged through apple cider and rest.

First she had spent a few hours helping set everything up, and that entailed a lot- stands, advertisement, finding a working mobile megaphone, and tons and tons of apples. Then she had to make sure the line had stayed in order and she had done that pretty well! Heck, she had even kissed a little colt, probably made his whole LIFE because she was a cutie little Apple seed. She helped out all over and finally had even helped show Princess Luna all across the farm. Why, after today she was sure to make the best impression on Equestrian royalty ever, even better than the olden Apples who got Celestia to give them a little parcel of land that would turn out to be the whole town of Ponyville. Maybe Apple Bloom could be made the Princess of the Apples?! High Heavens, that would be the greatest cutie mark to have EVER. She hummed her excitement in place next to her sister as the line sorta slowed down. Nice time to ask her big sis a question, eh?

[colour=#ff0000]"Applejack, how's yer mouth feelin'? How many kisses does it take to get to the center of an Applejack?"[/colour] She giggled, finishing off the glass of cider as she watched her big sis go about her work.

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Applejack listened to the stammers and flustered behavior in the stallion customer's voice. He was obviously a little nervous. Nothing new really. Yet, Applejack would still blush with him. She was never anyone to put ponies on the spot. She was more like Rarity today, able to make ponies flush with red while buying apples, as opposed to her normal agenda sales. But all the same, she could never uphold composure in a situation where she is literally sending kisses to all her customers one by one. It was almost as personal to her as it was her customers. Sometimes she wondered if her customers could finally feel the adrenaline she felt when successfully selling a large quantity of apples and the satisfaction of gaining long term repeat customers for them and their families all over Equestria. If Applejack wasn't so cool, she would faint constantly at the thought.

Applejack blushed even more when the stallion mentioned her as a heroine. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Aw shucks, Sugarcube. Most ponies don't even say anything. And they don't need to. We do it because its what we have to do. I bet a strong pony such as yourself would do the same in mah position. Right?"[/colour][colour=#000000] Applejack hinted as she took the bits and leaned in close to the customer. It seemed he was ready already so she went ahead and executed.

She pressed her lips against his as her hat tipped back due to contact with Pocket's horn. But when she pulled back, the hat fell back onto her blond mane squarely. Applejack continued to look at him and continued her previous thought. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Right?"[/colour][colour=#000000] She said, winking at the pony and then walking back towards a bushel of Granny Smith. An apple type that was perfect or baking. It wasn't too far away and was easily within an earshot of Pocket Change.

Applejack winked at Apple Bloom and her tease. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Mah mouth is fine, Sis. It would seem that my constant contact with mah customers today has kept mah mouth very hydrated. And I'm almost halfway and I still got a lot more in me."[/colour]

​

57 Kisses left!

[colour=#008080]Next up[/colour]

44. Cherry Berry

45. Luminous Charge

46. Moonstone II

(If the line order is incorrect, please tell me in PM)

On hold:

Wild Riot (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Survey (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Savory Spell (inactive - PM me when ready)

Problems and rules log (please review):

-Characters that are inactive will be put on hold when they get to the front of the line. If you are going to be inactive, please PM me. No one is in trouble, and everyone is still being included in the story, should they want to continue. Just give me a heads up.

-If you need to speak out of character with an individual, try to do it in a private message. If you 'have' to do it in the thread, make sure it's at the end of your posts under a spoiler tag. If it is not, it will be reported for deletion.

-Line order is not a posting order, just the order in which they are lined up. If it is your turn in the line or if its coming up soon, feel free to post whenever you want to advance the story. Please refrain from posting too much if you are deep in the queue.

-Limit two characters for each player receiving kisses until further notice.

-Please keep in mind that a purchase gets your pony a kiss from AJ, not AJ gets a kiss from your pony. If you want to do something 'crazy' that involves AJ, please PM me for permission.

[colour=#FF8C00]Kissed[/colour]

1-10

1. Carrot Fields

2. Reno Golucky

3. Lore Weaver

4. Dunder Blust

5. Gentle Sol

6. Flam

7. Starburst

8. Astral

9. Flim

10. Silverbolt

11-20

11. Klondike

12. Lyra Heartstrings

13. Donut "Pony" Joe

14. Rarity

15. Pigpen

16. Cherry Jubilee

17. Misty Morning

18. Pathfinder

19. Earth Writer

20. Thorn

21-30

21. Metal Maker

22. Twilight Shine

23. Opal Shards

24. Bon Bon

25. Electric Vibe

26. Princess Luna

27. Guiding Light

28. Mythos Gray

29. Harrington Sleuth

30. Pumpkin Cake

31-40

31. Inkwell

32. Pinkie Pie

33. Star Storm

34. Master Mustang

35. Parhelion

36. Prime Meridian

37. Razor

38. Dr. Spin Tale

39. Professor Ashen Smirk

40. Quiet Harmony

41-50

41. Ice Storm

42. Heart Line

43. Pocket Change

[Someone]

[colour=#ffffff]Heart was happy to receive the kiss; and he was fairly sure that was evident on his face both during and afterward - if anything, he was literally stunned by it. He didn't know how she felt about it, but he definitely did, even if it was a fairly standard kiss.[/colour]

[colour=#B58A73]"A... I... I'll just come to pick up those apples, ma'am."[/colour]

[colour=#ffffff]And with that, he slowly meandered off, making a promise that he would come back at least once more to visit her. Apples or no apples.[/colour]

​

[tacobob]

While Pocket Change did not expect anything beyond a friendly kiss, he was still pleasantly surprised when the genial mare planted a quick one directly onto his lips! Thankfully the quick thinking unicorn had placed his right hoof on his hat, knowing that any sort of smooch from the perfect-pony would have sent his hat flying. Once the deed was done, the stallion followed the earth pony and quickly scooped up the bushel with the aid of his telekinesis. After the apples were secured on his pack, the grateful pony added, "Thank you Lady Applejack. You are a true lady through and through!", he smiled, tipped his hat and cantered off....

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Sugar Rush had enjoyed his visit to Ponyville. He hadn't been here since his brother and him left for the island to start their adulthood. The town was much smaller than he remembered, but still had the fragrance that made him recollect all of the great memories he had in this village. With deep inhales, he walked around until he eventually spotted the many trees of the apple orchard. [/colour][colour=#800080]"Ah, Sweet Apple Acres. It hasn't changed a bit!"[/colour][colour=#000000] He yapped to himself as he trotted towards the path entrance into the farm. On the way there, he happened to notice a sign posted on a tree by the road. It said, "Applekiss: a free kiss when you buy a bushel of apples". [/colour][colour=#800080]Wow! [/colour][colour=#000000]Sugar Rush thought to himself.[/colour][colour=#800080] I wonder who I get to kiss. I wonder if it'll be some really beautiful mare. Maybe its that one pony I had a crush on when I was young.[/colour][colour=#000000] Sugar Rush started to gallop quickly towards the orchard until he found himself at the end of a very short line to purchase apples.[/colour]

​

[colour=#000000]It humored Applejack so much for her to be repeatedly called a lady, that she could only giggle and blush as the stallion walked away with his apples. She grabbed a bottle of apple juice that her little sister had put out for her and uncapped it with a single flick of her hoof. In a small amount of haste, she chugged the entire bottle and upon reaching the end of the beverage, gasped a relieved breath.

She looked at her next customer in line. It was an adorable little filly unicorn, and a blank flank just like Apple Bloom. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Well hello, little one! Your parents sent you to buy some apples?"[/colour]

​

((UPDATE: Users are now allowed a maximum of four (4) characters in this thread to buy apples. Again, cast or original are both acceptable.))

57 Kisses left!

[colour=#008080]Next up[/colour]

44. Moonstone II

45. Sugar Rush

(If the line order is incorrect, please tell me in PM)

On hold:

Luminous Charge (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Cherry Berry (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Wild Riot (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Survey (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Savory Spell (inactive - PM me when ready)

Problems and rules log (please review):

UPDATE: Users are now allowed a maximum of four (4) characters in this thread to buy apples. Again, cast or original are both acceptable.

-Characters that are inactive will be put on hold when they get to the front of the line. If you are going to be inactive, please PM me. No one is in trouble, and everyone is still being included in the story, should they want to continue. Just give me a heads up.

-If you need to speak out of character with an individual, try to do it in a private message. If you 'have' to do it in the thread, make sure it's at the end of your posts under a spoiler tag. If it is not, it will be reported for deletion.

-Line order is not a posting order, just the order in which they are lined up. If it is your turn in the line or if its coming up soon, feel free to post whenever you want to advance the story. Please refrain from posting too much if you are deep in the queue.

-Limit two characters for each player receiving kisses until further notice. Maximum is now four (4).

-Please keep in mind that a purchase gets your pony a kiss from AJ, not AJ gets a kiss from your pony. If you want to do something 'crazy' that involves AJ, please PM me for permission.

[colour=#FF8C00]Kissed[/colour]

1-10

1. Carrot Fields

2. Reno Golucky

3. Lore Weaver

4. Dunder Blust

5. Gentle Sol

6. Flam

7. Starburst

8. Astral

9. Flim

10. Silverbolt

11-20

11. Klondike

12. Lyra Heartstrings

13. Donut "Pony" Joe

14. Rarity

15. Pigpen

16. Cherry Jubilee

17. Misty Morning

18. Pathfinder

19. Earth Writer

20. Thorn

21-30

21. Metal Maker

22. Twilight Shine

23. Opal Shards

24. Bon Bon

25. Electric Vibe

26. Princess Luna

27. Guiding Light

28. Mythos Gray

29. Harrington Sleuth

30. Pumpkin Cake

31-40

31. Inkwell

32. Pinkie Pie

33. Star Storm

34. Master Mustang

35. Parhelion

36. Prime Meridian

37. Razor

38. Dr. Spin Tale

39. Professor Ashen Smirk

40. Quiet Harmony

41-50

41. Ice Storm

42. Heart Line

43. Pocket Change

[SteelEagle]

Sweet Apple Acres was very much as Valen remembered it, which shouldn't have shocked anypony. As arrogant a thought as it was, he dared to dream that his memory was rock-solid and anything other than elastic in it's recall. It was crystal clear: Sweet Apple Acres was a byword for consistency, and was renown outside of the Apples. The Oranges looked to it as an example, something to hold their own successes and failures up to. It was a judge of more than just efficiency, but of teamwork, family, and spirit. You couldn't see those in the numbers, some believed. The Oranges believed otherwise, and to Valen's astonishment, they had an argument to make. Regardless of circumstances, whether that was the Flim Flam Incident or years of strife that took the Element of Honesty to solve, Sweet Apple Acres' output never dimmed. It would grow, it would stop growing, it would do everything but get worse and such a record was unmatched anywhere else by anypony else. It was special. The Oranges knew it would be foolish to believe they could ever match it, but it was a nice goal to have- besides, there were other ways to proft from the Apples' hard work.

The Orange Family Fair was one of the Orange family's most important events. It was a celebration of all their work, with oranges and their various byproducts being given out to the attendees who wandered in for the free food, stayed for the live entertainment, and were sold by the sales pitch. All in all, good times. This year the Oranges had a desire to showcase some Apple products at the fair and it appeared to be a win-win-win. The attendees got to enjoy the amazing apples. The Aples got free advertisement. The Oranges lured more unsuspecting fruit flies into the venus flytrap called the Orange Family Fair. They considered sending the offer professionally, but such things tended to get bogged down in red tape and delays and the Fair was in two weeks. Time was ticking and the chips were down, and all they could do now was rely on their ace up the sleeve. At least, all those gambling analogies were used in an effort to sell the idea of visiting his cousins up north a visit when a simple request would have sufficed. Some stallions and their obsessions.

And so Valen was sent and it was with no reservation. In fact, he was excited to return- he had discovered a sense of liberation that he had never thought possible, and the friendships he had forged in the fires of farm and familial hardship weren't dulled easily. And it was with joy that he noted that the whole orchard seemed to be the same as always, comforting and inviting and exciting all at once. He wouldn't be there long, but family was family and love was love and a second spent in such a glow was a second treasured. So happy was he with his own thoughts that he didn't really note the few changes that were around him as he took his place in line absentmindedly.

[Alar]

Moonstone was a bit astounded when she found herself at the front of the line so quickly, though with the number of ponies loitering about and eying the apples up ahead, she supposed it would make sense that the stands's purveyor would only want to keep things going. Stepping forward, she blinked for a moment as she stared up at Applejack, recognition suddenly flowing through her with the name and the face. She didn't even take offense to being called 'little one', for the way it came out was so warm and kind that any irritation was soothed away, and immediately forgotten at her revelation.

[colour=#33ccff]"Y-you're...! You're Applejack!"[/colour] The filly's voice was soft and a bit cultured, not all that unlike what a certain dress-making pony might've sounded like at a younger age. After a moment she gave herself a little shake, for that would be obvious to her, wouldn't it? Upon closer inspection, she wasn't really a blank flank, but her cutie mark very nearly blended in with the colour of her fur. Even so, she couldn't keep her excitement completely under control, and she gave a little front-legged hop, staring wide-eyed at the orange and yellow mare.

[colour=#33ccff]"Wow, I... it's an honor to meet you, Miss Applejack...! I've never had the chance to meet one of Equestria's Six Heroines in the flesh! I-"[/colour] The young filly not quite a mare stopped herself from ranting, immediately blushing and clearing her throat before she settled down, ducking her head shyly. [colour=#33ccff]"No Miss, I'm here on my own. I was taking a bit of a walk out of Canterlot and it got a _bit longer than I intended. When I um, saw one of your flyers, I decided it would be a good chance to stock up on some food for the trip back... but I don't know if I can kiss you, Miss Applejack! I've never kissed a famous person before! Is... is there someone else I could kiss, maybe...? Not that you aren't good enough!"[/colour]

She seemed to be a little flustered.

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Applejack smiled wide and blushed at the presence of yet another pony who admired her heroism [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Oh stop that, it's no big deal, really. You just, what? You don't want to kiss me?"[/colour][colour=#000000] Applejack didn't find it offensive, but she wasn't sure which to go with this. She looked back and saw Big Mac, minding his own with pushing apple bushels forward, Granny Smith and Uncle Apple Strudel were yapping at each about random things and continuously not hearing each other, and Apple Bloom who was organizing a few apple juice refreshments and just generally being cute and giggling at the constant reality of this day's apple sale. Applejack looked back at Moonstone. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Ah know! How about mah Granny Smith gives you a kiss! Would you like that?"[/colour]

​

((UPDATE: Users are now allowed a maximum of four (4) characters in this thread to buy apples. Again, cast or original are both acceptable.))

57 Kisses left!

[colour=#008080]Next up[/colour]

44. Moonstone II

45. Sugar Rush

46. Valen Orange

(If the line order is incorrect, please tell me in PM)

On hold:

Luminous Charge (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Cherry Berry (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Wild Riot (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Survey (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Savory Spell (inactive - PM me when ready)

Problems and rules log (please review):

UPDATE: Users are now allowed a maximum of four (4) characters in this thread to buy apples. Again, cast or original are both acceptable.

-Characters that are inactive will be put on hold when they get to the front of the line. If you are going to be inactive, please PM me. No one is in trouble, and everyone is still being included in the story, should they want to continue. Just give me a heads up.

-If you need to speak out of character with an individual, try to do it in a private message. If you 'have' to do it in the thread, make sure it's at the end of your posts under a spoiler tag. If it is not, it will be reported for deletion.

-Line order is not a posting order, just the order in which they are lined up. If it is your turn in the line or if its coming up soon, feel free to post whenever you want to advance the story. Please refrain from posting too much if you are deep in the queue.

-Limit two characters for each player receiving kisses until further notice. Maximum is now four (4).

-Please keep in mind that a purchase gets your pony a kiss from AJ, not AJ gets a kiss from your pony. If you want to do something 'crazy' that involves AJ, please PM me for permission.

[colour=#FF8C00]Kissed[/colour]

1-10

1. Carrot Fields

2. Reno Golucky

3. Lore Weaver

4. Dunder Blust

5. Gentle Sol

6. Flam

7. Starburst

8. Astral

9. Flim

10. Silverbolt

11-20

11. Klondike

12. Lyra Heartstrings

13. Donut "Pony" Joe

14. Rarity

15. Pigpen

16. Cherry Jubilee

17. Misty Morning

18. Pathfinder

19. Earth Writer

20. Thorn

21-30

21. Metal Maker

22. Twilight Shine

23. Opal Shards

24. Bon Bon

25. Electric Vibe

26. Princess Luna

27. Guiding Light

28. Mythos Gray

29. Harrington Sleuth

30. Pumpkin Cake

31-40

31. Inkwell

32. Pinkie Pie

33. Star Storm

34. Master Mustang

35. Parhelion

36. Prime Meridian

37. Razor

38. Dr. Spin Tale

39. Professor Ashen Smirk

40. Quiet Harmony

41-50

41. Ice Storm

42. Heart Line

43. Pocket Change

[Alar]

[colour=#33ccff]"I don't think I'm brave enough...!"[/colour] She said in a rather soft voice, ducking her head and staring up at Applejack. The farm-mare was just so... incredible! It was almost like asking the filly from Canterlot to give Princess Luna a hug! Swallowing, she lifted her head and listened as Applejack offered another suggestion, causing Moonstone to frown a little and shake her head. [colour=#33ccff]"I already get kisses from my grandmother, so it wouldn't really feel that special..."[/colour]

Her eyes scanned what appeared to be Applejack's relatives and she blinked, pointing a hoof at Apple Bloom. [colour=#33ccff]"Is that your little sister...? What about her?"[/colour] Despite being related to one of the Six Heroines of Equestria, the cute yellow and red pony was even younger than Moonstone, and hadn't even gotten her cutie mark yet. Certainly less intimidating, though still close enough to her age to be a new experience. Kissing another pony... she shivered a little and her tail flicked from side to side.

[Mojo]

As Granny Smith and Uncle Apple Strudel continued their work bringing up more bushels of apples and taking the bits as payment, the elderly Apple matriarch spotted a familiar pony in the distance. He was someone who had helped work at Sweet Apple Acres when their barn was partially damaged by fire. He was a Paint stallion with brown mane and a peace sign cutie mark...

[colour=#8B4513]"Nothin' like a good ol' walk in the woods ta limber up the ol' legs," [/colour]the hippie brony said as he chanced to trot by the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres when he stopped long enough to read the sign. [colour=#8B4513]"Groovy! I would rather fancy some apples. And ta get a kiss from that gorgeous babe Applejack! She's quite a looker, though I doubt she'd consider goin' on a date with me. Sent out some real negative vibes last time I saw her. Oh well, I got me bits and some time, I'll step inta line and get me some apples, and get a kiss while doin' it!"[/colour]

As the Paint stallion walked over to enter the back of the line, Granny Smith got very excited.

[colour=#00FF00]"Thar he is! Thar he is! I knew that fancy talkin' feller;d show up here!"[/colour]

[colour=#006400]"Vhat fancy fellow are you talking about, mein sister?" [/colour]

[colour=#00FF00]"Why, Mojo of course! Always did like duh way that feller could sing and play guitar! And I'd betcha he'd make a dandy stallion fer our Applejack ta go courtin' with!"[/colour]

[colour=#006400]"Now Granny! It vould not be fair to push AppleJack into someting she doesn't vant..."[/colour]

[colour=#00FF00]"You let ME worry bout her, Strudel! I ain't gittin any younger and I sure wanna see mah Applejack git hitched before I go ta the great beyond."[/colour]

[colour=#00FF00][colour=#006400]"I do not like dis und I vill not help you!"[/colour][/colour]

[colour=#00FF00][colour=#00FF00]"I'm yur older sister and I outrank ya! We gotta find a way to git them two tagethur...."[/colour] [/colour]

[brianblackberry]

The Great and Powerful Trixie was on one of her many adventurous journeys through the great land of Equestria. In this particular case, the stunning azure coloured unicorn of magic was traveling from the lofty city of entertainment known as Las Pegasus to the mist covered Solstice Heights in order to meet up with her erstwhile companion in adventure, that eccentric nutcase of an earth pony, Doctor Whooves.

Of course transversing such a long and arduous journey would require a great deal of preparation to stave off inevitable hunger and Trixie, of course, planned accordingly. She had adequate food, but through absolutely no fault of her own, Trixie lost her provisions through a chance happenstance involving a corkscrew, a firework, and a chicken. However, it was better not to dwell on the details of the past, only that now the emaciated and weary Trixie needed to find something to eat and quickly.

Unfortunately, her current situation was made worse by the only nearby town being that bane of her existence, Ponyville. Nothing but terrible misfortune had befallen Trixie in her dealings with that place. Okay, the amulet bit, that was sort of her fault, but other than that it was all just terrible circumstances beyond her control! Circumstances that caused the upstanding mare to have an entirely unfair poor reputation there. How else was she to get something to eat though?

Fortunately it looked like Celestia was smiling upon the magician that day after all, as Trixie stumbled upon a flyer advertising bushels of apples on sale at the nearby orchard. Sure the place was undoubtedly connected with Ponyville but at least Trixie didn't have to enter the actual town, and that was what was important. With a gallop the azure unicorn quickly made it to her destination… Sweet Apple Acres.

The setup and stand were appropriately… quaint. What stood out though was the pony in the center of it all, one of those associates of that.. Twilight Sparkle. What was her name again? Applejack? Still, Trixie handled her before with aplomb, surely she could again, and it was just purchasing some apples, no big deal, right?

That is until Trixie finally manage to read the foalishly written, nearly illegible text about receiving a free kiss from the mare as well. Trixie was suddenly bemused, [colour=#6699cc]"whaa.. Really?" [/colour] That certainly made this whole situation far more interesting, maybe Trixie would enjoy this after all, that is if the line she found herself at the end of ever moved!

[tacobob]

"Here we are.", a black furred griffon muttered to herself once she caught sight of Ponyville as she soared through the air. Zelda had scheduled the entire weekend to spend with a good friend of hers, but after finding a rather large cloud to park herself on, she quickly discovered that she still had a few hours to kill before she were to meet her companion at the nearby spa. She slid her small watch back into the pocket of her bright red hooded sweat-shirt as she surveyed the little village from her vantage point. Beyond a few stores and and an café, there wasn't a good deal of places to visit and while the idea of just taking a quick nap slowly made its way into her stream of thought, the griffoness quickly pushed it aside as she remembered what she did during her last visit to Ponyville. She had caught sight of a rather strapping young stallion who was busy tending to the large apple orchid that took up a good deal of space in Ponyville. Knowing she could easily burn through an hour just watching the crimson pony do his stuff, the blacksmith returned to the sky and headed towards the farm which she would later know as 'Sweet Apple Acres'.

It didn't take the griffon long before she was back on her feet and walking towards the farm. A large banner caught her eye, which she read. Apparently they were having some sort of event. If she were to purchase an bushel of apples, she would receive a kiss. A crude, but cute painting on the banner showed who would be giving out the kisses, and the griffon grumbled as it apparently wasn't the stallion who would be handing out the smooches, but a mare instead. Still, she had time to waste and it would be fun just to watch the whole thing enfold in front of her. She wasn't sure what she would do with the apples, but the kiss would probably brighten up her day. She got behind a blue coated mare and patiently waited for her turn. She silently hoped the 'crimson hunk' would at least stop by during her stay.

[SteelEagle]

Apple Bloom had been minding her business, giggling at the absurd nature of the day while pouring drinks and setting up other refreshments for the thirsty customers. The only thing worse than dry mouth was probably kissing with or being kissed by a dry mouth. Well, probably. She had never been kissed on the lips, just a lot of kisses on the cheek by friends and family and she didn't really think that related to what Applejack was doing at all. That and that one colt near the start- her kissing experience was awfully limited, but she was determined to help out any way she could. That became more pertinent a thought when the shy filly who had come up request Apple Bloom of all ponies, which threw her for a loop for a second. She finished the glass of apple juice she had and hoofed one over to Applejack and another to the filly, exhaling deeply as she licked off all the delicious juice.

It was sorta weird to think that she'd be anypony's selection. She was just a little blank flank, not tall and strong and beautiful like her sister. True, she was a heroine and some ponies could be intimidated by that, but why? Applejack was still Applejack. If anything, ponies needed to be intimidated by how incredible she was at just about anything, as long as that thing didn't include math. Or a rodeo outside of town, unless you were shooting for second best in which case her big sister was the second best in practically everything, which made her better than anypony else. Super well rounded, and the perfect kissing buddy for anypony. Still, Apple Bloom wasn't one to deny somepony else's desire.

[colour=#ff0000]"Err, sure, Ah guess. Ah kissed that colt a while ago, so Ah seee no reason not ta. Applejack, that sound alright with you?"[/colour] Apple Bloom asked, not wanting to steal the decision making thunder from her big sister.

[Alar]

Moonstone smiled brightly as she heard the other young filly approach and respond to the question that had been on her mind. Obviously it would be easier to accept a kiss from the little Apple rather than her heroic sister! It was like imagining getting a dress from the famous Rarity, or having a party thrown for her by Pinkie Pie... only way more personal than that. A kiss, while something typically reserved for special someponies, was something she'd never done before... and that made it even more momentous.

[colour=#33ccff]"Oh, thank you... Oh! And I guess I'd like one of those too."[/colour] She waved her hoof towards one of the variety bushels.

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]As Apple Bloom walked up aside Applejack and gave favour to the customer's idea, Applejack thought it was strange at first for a request from her little sister to be locking lips with another filly perhaps only slightly older than her. But she quickly shrugged it off, assuming no harm could possibly come from it. In fact, instead of begging to question the reasons and moralities as to why a non-normal public action like that would be considered a bad idea, she reminded her sister immediately of all the right social tools a great Apple family sales-pony should carry. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Alright Apple Bloom, just make sure you stand up straight, make her feel comfortable, and remember, the customer is always right!"[/colour][colour=#000000] Applejack slapped her sister lightly on the flank to give attention to her sister's posture, alerting her to stand up straight, and then followed the lesson with a signature Applejack wink. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"I'll go ahead and help the next customer while you're helping her."[/colour]

[colour=#ff0000]"Howdy, stallion. What can I do you for?"[/colour]

​

[colour=#800080]"What can you do me for? Well, I grew up in Ponyville, but live in the Gallopocous Islands. Coming back, I couldn't help but try a bushel of apples from the same orchard that's been selling them here, for years!"[/colour][colour=#000000] Sugar held a nice smile, but then leaned forward a little and smugly said, [/colour][colour=#800080]"And I read that I will get a kiss from a beautiful mare, heh heh."[/colour][colour=#000000] Sugar wiggled his eyebrows, as the just-barely-adult pony acted his age.[/colour]

​

[colour=#ff0000]"Heh, thats right! So just one bushel? How about some Golden Delicious?"[/colour][colour=#000000] Presumptuously, since the green stallion didn't seem to be as interested in the kind of apples as much as the kind of kiss, she shoved a bushel of the light green apples towards the pony. [/colour][colour=#ff0000] "Only five bits."[/colour]

​

[colour=#000000]Sugar Rush slapped five bits on the table, and grew his smile to goofy immature proportions. He giggled out loud in excitement for his prize. He wondered what she looked like. Maybe she had a pink pelt, with a beautiful purple mane. And she the best lips and facial profile of all the mares in Equestria.[/colour]

​

[colour=#000000]Applejack should have blushed. But at this point, the blood cells were tired of flaming up. This lucky stallion was about to get a treat indeed, and Applejack was happy to give it to him, no matter how immature he would be, because it was about apples, not kisses. Yes. Apples. Applejack leaned forward towards Sugar slightly.[/colour]

​

[colour=#800080]"So where is she?"[/colour]

​

[colour=#000000]Applejack stepped back. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Where's who?"[/colour]

​

[colour=#800080]"The beautiful mare I get to kiss."[/colour]

​

[colour=#000000]Applejack's jaw dropped. The stallion's remark was so carelessly spilled across the dialog that she didn't even have the materials inside of her to comprehend what that meant. She didn't even have the time to be offended.[/colour] [colour=#ff0000]"Um, sir that's me..."[/colour]

​

[colour=#000000]Sugar Rush looked at the orange mare puzzled, but then giggled and busted a loud laugh for a few seconds. [/colour] [colour=#800080]"Ha Ha Ha, heh, haha, ho, ho, hokay, okay. Seriously, where is she?"[/colour]

​

[colour=#ff0000]"I AM her!"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Applejack raised her voice and raised her head above the stallion's.[/colour]

​

[colour=#000000]Sugar shrank to the size of a moderate colt, sweat his head a little and smiled apologetically. [/colour][colour=#800080]"Oh! Um. Sorry."[/colour][colour=#000000] Sugar reluctantly leaned forward to get his kiss, hoping the mare would not kick him.[/colour]

​

[colour=#000000]Applejack, grumpy face and all, met Sugar halfway and gave him a kiss, on the lips as it were, although she didn't care to aim at this point.[/colour]

​

[colour=#000000]Sugar pulled a reed of sugar cane out of his bag and gave it to Applejack. [/colour][colour=#800080]"Sorry for the misunderstandings. Here take a reed of sugar cane, straight from the farm of the Sugar brothers from Gallopocous. It's delicious. You just chew on it and spit the reed out when you're done sucking on the sugary goodness."[/colour][colour=#000000] After placing the reed, he also took out one for himself, chewed on it, and placed the bushel on his back. Within a few seconds, Sugar Rush's eyes became dilated and his mood became more happier and energetic. His whole body started shaking up and down with the vibrations in his brain. [/colour][colour=#800080]"THANKS!"[/colour][colour=#000000] He yelled enthusiastically as fast as he could. And with a zip, his entire body disappeared into the horizon.[/colour]

​

[colour=#000000]Applejack picked the reed up and was about to take a bite. But upon seeing the affects it had on her most recent customer, she set it down in refusal.

She looked ahead to see her next customer. It was Valen! She was happy to see him, but was also not expecting his visit. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Valen! Hey little cuz, what'er you doin' here?"[/colour]

​

((UPDATE: Users are now allowed a maximum of four (4) characters in this thread to buy apples. Again, cast or original are both acceptable.))

56 Kisses left!

[colour=#008080]Next up[/colour]

45. Moonstone II

46. Valen Orange

47. Mojo

48. Trixie

49. Zelda

(If the line order is incorrect, please tell me in PM)

On hold:

Luminous Charge (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Cherry Berry (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Wild Riot (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Survey (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Savory Spell (inactive - PM me when ready)

Problems and rules log (please review):

UPDATE: Users are now allowed a maximum of four (4) characters in this thread to buy apples. Again, cast or original are both acceptable.

-Characters that are inactive will be put on hold when they get to the front of the line. If you are going to be inactive, please PM me. No one is in trouble, and everyone is still being included in the story, should they want to continue. Just give me a heads up.

-If you need to speak out of character with an individual, try to do it in a private message. If you 'have' to do it in the thread, make sure it's at the end of your posts under a spoiler tag. If it is not, it will be reported for deletion.

-Line order is not a posting order, just the order in which they are lined up. If it is your turn in the line or if its coming up soon, feel free to post whenever you want to advance the story. Please refrain from posting too much if you are deep in the queue.

-Limit two characters for each player receiving kisses until further notice. Maximum is now four (4).

-Please keep in mind that a purchase gets your pony a kiss from AJ, not AJ gets a kiss from your pony. If you want to do something 'crazy' that involves AJ, please PM me for permission.

Questions? Post your questions and suggestions in the out of character thread here.

[colour=#FF8C00]Kissed[/colour]

1-10

1. Carrot Fields

2. Reno Golucky

3. Lore Weaver

4. Dunder Blust

5. Gentle Sol

6. Flam

7. Starburst

8. Astral

9. Flim

10. Silverbolt

11-20

11. Klondike

12. Lyra Heartstrings

13. Donut "Pony" Joe

14. Rarity

15. Pigpen

16. Cherry Jubilee

17. Misty Morning

18. Pathfinder

19. Earth Writer

20. Thorn

21-30

21. Metal Maker

22. Twilight Shine

23. Opal Shards

24. Bon Bon

25. Electric Vibe

26. Princess Luna

27. Guiding Light

28. Mythos Gray

29. Harrington Sleuth

30. Pumpkin Cake

31-40

31. Inkwell

32. Pinkie Pie

33. Star Storm

34. Master Mustang

35. Parhelion

36. Prime Meridian

37. Razor

38. Dr. Spin Tale

39. Professor Ashen Smirk

40. Quiet Harmony

41-50

41. Ice Storm

42. Heart Line

43. Pocket Change

44. Sugar Rush

[Mojo]

As the Apple matriarch began to daydream about doing some 'matchmaking,' she happened to glance to the front of the line as Sugar Rush placed his bits on the top of the apple stand. As she collected the bits, the elderly lime green mare heard every word of the conversation between him and Applejack. The longer she listened, the angrier Granny Smith got with the purple maned stallion.

[colour=#00FF00]"NOW SEE HERE, SONNY!" [/colour]Granny Smith managed to blurt out before Uncle Apple Strudel pull her away from the apple stand.

[colour=#006400]"Nein! Don't do dis, mein sister," [/colour]the bearded stallion said in hushed tones. [colour=#006400]"Vee cannot sell dees extra apple if you get combative vith our customers."[/colour]

[colour=#00FF00]"Ya heard how that young feller was insultin' my granddaughter! Let me go so I kin giv'm a piece o' my mind!"[/colour]

[colour=#006400]"Please Granny Smith, refrain for dis course of action! You could scare off all dee other ponies vaiting in line!"[/colour]

[colour=#00FF00]"Nutin' doin' Strudel! I'ma gonna knock some sense inta that whippersnapper's noggin! Ain't nuttin' y'all kin say is gonna stop me!"[/colour]

As the two elderly sibling Earth ponies struggled together, Mojo moved up closer in line as Sugar Rush departed.

[colour=#8B4513]"Hay Granny Smith!" [/colour]the Paint Earth stallion called out, [colour=#8B4513]"fancy meetin' ya here, doll!"[/colour]

Hearing the soothing voice of the Pony of Peace instantly quelled Granny Smith's rage. The elderly mare bolted loose from her brother's grip and rushed up beside him, knocking Uncle Apple Strudel down to the grass in the process.

[colour=#00FF00]"Howdy agin, Mojo! Good ta see ya! You orta come by here more often, an' bring that thar fancy guitar with ya too!"[/colour]

[colour=#8B4513]"Sounds groovy, chicky baby! Wish I could crash a while at yur pad, but I gotta split as soon as I lay down mah bread an' pack me apples with me, you dig?"[/colour]

[colour=#00FF00]"What's that, sonny?" [/colour]Granny Smith asked with a very confused look on her face as her brother walked up to them.

[colour=#006400]"I tink vhat Herr Mojo is saying is dat he cannot stay und vill be leaving after he buys his apples, ja?"[/colour]

[colour=#8B4513]"Far out! The bearded daddy-o gets it!" [/colour]Mojo neighed.

[colour=#00FF00]"Well, that's jist too bad, young feller, cause there's a certain mare who'd LOVE ta spend more time with ya and..."[/colour] Granny muttered until Apple Strudel interrupted her.

[colour=#006400]"Und vee are all very pleased to see you here at Sveet Apple Acres! Mein name is Uncle Apple Strudel! Vonderba! You are next in line!"[/colour]

[colour=#8B4513]"Right-o cool cat, catch ya on the flipside, Unck!" [/colour]Mojo neighed, exchanging a 'high hoof' with the bearded stallion before stepping back in line. A furious Granny Smith bonked her brother over the head with her left front hoof.

[colour=#00FF00]"Why'd ya interrupt me like that, brother! I was tryin' ta sell that fancy singin' goomer ta Applejack!"[/colour]

[colour=#006400]"Und dat is vhy I did stop you! If dose two are meant to be together, it vill happen on it's own. If you try to force dem into romance, it vill end in disaster! You know I'm right, mein sister."[/colour]

[colour=#00FF00]"Enough Strudel, ya gotta stop confusin' me with the facts, ok?" [/colour]Granny said as she spotted Valen and waved to him.

[colour=#00FF00]"Howdy Valen! Good ta see ya agin! How ya been since last I saw ya?"[/colour]

[SteelEagle]

Apple Bloom was happy to get the go-ahead, lest the customer be completely bummed out and walk away with nary an apple or a kiss to share. It was one of the most important rules of business beyond the customer being always right was satisfaction guaranteed. Of all the things she had learned in her short career as a salespony, it was that leaving a good impression on the customers was probably the most important skill to develop, weaving your way into their heart and mind and planting seeds for the future deep inside. You used the truth and good nature to do so, and she was a witness to it's almost unceasing success over the years and by golly Apple Bloom would imitate both success and the greatest sister in all of Equestria, and bully to those who thought otherwise. (Even ponies with sisters were not exempt- they had to admit that Applejack was the best sister ever.)

[colour=#ff0000]"Ah know how ta kiss a pony, Applejack,"[/colour] Apple Bloom protested meekly as her bottom was slapped a little, which struck Apple Bloom odd considering she had to get up on the table and lean down anyway to even reach the filly on the other side. Not everypony was a towering statuesque example of Equestrian physique. Not yet, anyway. One day Apple Bloom would be like that and she wouldn't have tp jump on tables for nopony no how, but that was then and this was now. Apple Bloom jumped up and the table and set upon moving towards her quickly and leaving a large kiss on her cheek, the pelt around it ever slight deformed for a second to make do with the suction effect she had applied to it. She then smiled and pushed a bushel of apples to Moonstone with her hind legs.

[colour=#ff0000]"Ah hope ya liked yer kiss! Ah ain't an expert like mah big sis Applejack here, but Ah reckon Ah'm pretty good anyway. That'lll be five bits for the bushel!"[/colour]

****

Valen had been lost in thought, considering how wonderfully aromatic the air was. Heavy with the scene of apples, the byproduct of the Apple family's toils in the sun day after day the lifeblood of this small town. How great things grow from the smallest begginings, a homestead from a hope, an orchard from a homstead, a town from an orchard, a foal to a mare or stallion under the same sky and sun as those before. Sweet Apple Acres was the definition of Equestrian success without the blatantly offensive excess that accompanied it in many ways, and in such ways they were an inspiration to many others whom they would never meet. That was maybe the true power of an ideal so closely held to the bosom of a family, a life of it's own that became the cornerstone of all efforts. Love, honesty, devotion, honor and respect to family and friends alike had created bonds that few understood who did not experience it. That was wat he smelled- the success of family. Of ideals! Ahhh, Sweet Apple Acres, where the heart and mind trotted about without cause or destination, where-

[colour=#8b4513]"Oh well, I got me bits and some time, I'll step inta line and get me some apples, and get a kiss while doin' it!"[/colour]

- [colour=#3366cc]"Wait, what?"[/colour] Valen finished his thought out, head snapping to the hippy behind him who smelled oddly of elderberries and herbal tea as Applejack called him forward, Valen answering the call with some pensive steps as he started to become aware of the signs and situation around him. The first annual Apple kiss? It all clicked rather ominously as Applejack greeted him, the colt finally realizing why there had been a line at all, and why he didn't have to go into town for it. Regardless, he had a mission, and he decided to try and focus on that.

[colour=#3366cc]"Hello Applejack! Nice to see you too. I'm here because of the Orange Fair, and the family wants to sell and promote the products of their Apple brothers and sisters. I'm here to see if you want to do that, buy the produce, and arrange for shipping. Uhh, so, what's going on here?"[/colour] He finished, decidedly less confident than he had started off. He then nodded towards the elder Apple Granny Smith, whose warm kiss introduction had started his previous Sweet Apple Acres journey off on a good hoof. He waved to her.

[colour=#3366cc]"Hello Granny Smith! So nice to see you again. I've been well, educating myself and being an Orange. How have you been, and, uhh, what's happening?"[/colour]