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

[Mojo]

Granny Smith was busy at the back of the apple stand, counting the bits they had collected so far, so she didn't hear AppleJack's comment about her behavior (AJ would be thankful Granny didn't overhear it) but nearby, Uncle Apple Strudel heard it and gave out a light chuckle.

"Hay Strudel, whatcha laughin' at?" Granny Smith asked.

"Oh, it is nutin', mein sister, nutin' important at all," the bearded stallion answered back as he resumed his work. Glancing over in AppleBloom's direction, Apple Strudel noticed how the young filly seemed to be daydreaming outloud as she played with the apples around her.

"Fraulien AppleBloom!" the elderly stallion neighed in a soft, non-threatening tone. "I tink you are losing focus on our task. Vee have to have dees apples sorted und placed in baskets so your sister can sell dem. Please pay attention und keep your mind on your work. Maybe it vould help if vee sang a song together as vee sort dees apples! I know! Vee could sing a Germaney folk tune! I vill teach it to you, ja?"

Soon, the elderly stallion began to sing, in his usual off-key manner: O, du lieber Augustin, Augustin, Augustin, O, du lieber Augustin, alles ist hin. Geld ist weg, Mensch ist weg, Alles hin, Augustin. O, du lieber Augustin, Alles ist hin. Rock ist weg, Stock ist weg, Augustin liegt im Dreck, O, du lieber Augustin, Alles ist hin. Und selbst das reiche Wien, Hin ist's wie Augustin; Weint mit mir im gleichen Sinn, Alles ist hin! Jeder Tag war ein Fest, Und was jetzt? Pest, die Pest! Nur ein groß' Leichenfest, Das ist der Rest. Augustin, Augustin, Leg' nur ins Grab dich hin! O, du lieber Augustin, Alles ist hin!"

The song of the tone-deaf Uncle Apple Strudel abruptly stopped when he overheard a female voice in the line shout that Twilight was pregnant.

"ACK! UNEEMAL! PRINCESS TWILIGHT IS PREGNANT???"

The bearded stallion nearly fainted when he heard the apparent news. The old fashioned Germaney stallion was in total shock.

[SunsetSombra]

“YOU MEAN TWILIGHT IS PREGNANT???”

Well, upon her stars...Berry Punch just about keeled over when the shriek came from somewhere further down the line - oh Celestia, Berry was overwhelmed with the bustling going on in this like...so much was going on, and that last little callout had stirred up a proverbial bees nest of absolute reactions that berry could hear resonating right through dozens of ponies cores, and rightfully so - the librarian princess was a mare of some fame in the area, whomever had apparently partaken in the role of 'stallion' or whatever for Miss Sparkles current situation was going to wind up in quite a situation indeed.

Of course, the idea that the whole thing wasnt real or was something that had been created out of chinese whispers didn't really strike her whilst dealing with tantalising nuggets of neighbourly information - she was a simple mare who liked a little gossiping, she wasn't ashamed to admit that fact out loud to herself. The very idea that Twilight Sparkle, the most unexpected Princess Equestria had ever seen ascend, being given the most unexpected gift that a mare could have bestowed upon her...well, so long as the conditions were favourable...made Berry a little aflutter with a case of the D'awwwws!

" Oh, I MUST find her and congratulate her on this newfound event! " Berry resolves with herself, deciding that it was ONLY the best neighbourly thing anypony could do.

" She'll want lots of fresh fruits and juices! " she giggles into a hoof, positively glowing with the thought. " And lots of motherly advice from an experienced mare! "

Her mind reeled with absolutely dozens of things that she could say, do and present the alicorn Princess upon finding her - some of Pinchys old clothes, getting the young filly or foal into a school and arranging playdates and Celestia FORBID that she wouldn't find someway of getting involved in a babyshower at Ponyville. Whilst Berry wasn't really the MOST experienced at the entire affair - that particular honor, as far as she knew, went right to the Cakes and their twins - but she WAS an eager young mother who simply wanted to HELP a fellow mare out in a time of unexpected things!

Of course, all of this was clearly for absolutely nothing in reality, but the poor Oblivious mother that was Berry Punch was completely blind to the truth of the matter!

...She's such Silly mare!

[Blueblood]

The encyclopedic and instinctual mastery of social tides and trends had not deserted Prince Blueblood in this hour. By barely doing anything, he had managed to create a small rumor storm, surrounding the ephemeral pregnancy of Equestria's newest Princess.

Now, of course, came the tricky. The truth was going to come out eventually, so the unicorn had to establish plausible deniability. He did most certainly not want the most powerful magic user in the land after his hide, no ma'am! With that, he turned to the only sane pony present, the guard Silver Heart, and shrugged. "I didn't hear anything about it, and you didn't hear anything about it from me, until Princess Cadence shouted it out. Myself, I can neither confirm nor deny it. She might be, for all I know."

There, that should do it. It wasn't as if any of this was his fault, after all. Cadence should know to be more discreet, after all. And really, what could anypony expect him to do? When storms came up, whether on the sea or in society, you struck sails and rode it out. If you tried to fight it, you'd get capsized.

For now, Blueblood was content to watch things spiral slowly out of control...

[Slazer]

“YOU MEAN TWILIGHT IS PREGNANT???”

Memory Lane had been writing in his notebook when Princess Cadence's shout resounded throughout Sweet Apple Acres, and as soon as it processed in his mind, he snapped the tip of his quill against the parchment. What. That was news to him, and it left the stallion flabbergasted for a moment. When had the latest ascendant to the thrones of Equestria found the time to take a husband? Actually, he hadn't heard anything about a wedding since the disastrous event that Princess Cadence's own wedding turned into thanks to the Changelings, which meant...

A Princess of Equestria is having a foal out of wedlock. Oh, horseapples. While Memory Lane knew he had no right to judge Princess Twilight on what she did in her own private moments, he knew more than a few nobleponies who were not so forgiving, and some of them fueled the rumor mill at the School for Gifted Unicorns. If this got to them, then within hours it would be all over the school, guaranteed.

[Corsair]

As Fluttershy trotted toward Sweet Apple acres, she hummed to herself quietly. It was a really pretty day out, so she took her time approaching her friend's farm. It would be nice to see Applejack; Fluttershy had been helping a very sick little beaver, and had not had a chance to get out to see her friends for a few days. Now that little miss Slappy was feeling better, Fluttershy had some time to herself again. A trip to see Applejack served a double purpose; Fluttershy would be able to visit her friend, but she also needed a couple of bushels of apples. Her own supplies were a bit thin at the moment.

Her hooves trod the familiar path easily, not really needing to to told where to go. So when Fluttershy reached the gate to the farm and looked up, she was in for a shock. My goodness! What were all these ponies doing here??

There was a line of ponies all waiting at the farm. Several she recognized as being from around Ponyville, but two stood out over the crowd. Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance where here? What in Equestria was going on? At the head of the line, Fluttershy could see the whole Apple family set up at some kind of booth. She couldn't quite make out the signs from here, with all the ponies milling about. Was this some kind of sale? Fluttershy knew that the Apples had had a bumper crop this year. Applejack must have set up a special sale for her apples! That explained the line, but the fact that the Princesses were here was still a surprise.

Well, Fluttershy was disappointed that she probably wouldn't get to talk to Applejack much, but she did still need some apples. She slipped quietly to the end of the line. She would have spoken to Celestia and Cadance, but the Princesses seemed busy, and she didn't want to disturb them. Cadance was speaking to a striking white stallion that Fluttershy thought she recognized, but she couldn't quite remember a name...

At that moment, a sudden shout from Princess Cadance caught the attention of every pony around.

​
“YOU MEAN TWILIGHT IS PREGNANT???”

Fluttershy's eyes went wide in shock. Twilight Sparkle, pregnant?? That was ridiculous! Wasn't it? I mean, that couldn't be true! Twilight would have told them... wouldn't she? As far as Fluttershy knew, Twilight hadn't even been dating anypony. Unless she'd been keeping it a secret... but why would she have kept it secret from her friends? Fluttershy's mind spun in circles. She watched as that startling announcement went through the crowd. Then her eyes focused on the white unicorn stallion again. He had a smug little grin on his face. That's when Fluttershy made the connection: Prince Blueblood. She'd heard all about Rarity's disastrous evening with this stallion. She wondered if he had something to do with this...

But it was the shocked expression on Cadance's face that made Fluttershy act. She approached the alicorn and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Um, Princess Cadance?" she said, still feeling a little unsure. "If Twilight was pregnant, I'm sure she would have told us... I mean, I think she would have told us. She wouldn't keep something like this to herself... would she?"

​

[Hippo]

Fear and doubt crept over Applejack's face when the tension rose between the mares. A kiss was a kiss, and an apple sale was an apple sale. But Applejack's pelt would soon turn white should Carrot Top reveal a connection with another in the same profession of farming crops. But then another distraction. Cadance could be heard near the back of the group of ponies. Wow another princess, Applejack figured at first, but then reacted immediately to her shout. Twilight was pregnant? Th-that can be true. No, it isn't true. Applejack smiled and smirked a face at anypony who had her attention towards her, which not counting Applejack's loyal customer, was pretty much no pony. "Twilight's not pregnant, guys." Applejack shrugged. "Ah know how a pony's apetite changes when they got a bun in the oven, and I don't see the signs. Besides, me and Twilight are pretty close, I doubt she would have kept it from me. You know I love to keep fun secrets like that!" Applejack stated in confidence, not at all recognizing or hearing the small meek voice coming from the rear of the line that spoke before her.

And then another. "Hayseed? Oh good." Applejack didn't intend to, but her sigh of relief that Carrot Fields was not on Carrot Top's mind might have come off as misleading to a pony who can read body language well. "So, how mnay bushels of apples do you need?"

​

46 Kisses left!

Next up

55. Carrot Top

56. Presteza

57. Prince Blueblood

58. Princess Celestia

59. Ruby Pinch

60. Charming Masquerade

61. Memory Lane

62. Princess Cadance

63. Berry Punch

64. Silver Heart (might not buy)

65. Fluttershy

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

On hold:

Maple (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Brawny Boulder (On standby and may kiss at any time)

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.

Kissed

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

45. Moonstone II

46. Valen Orange

47. Mojo

48. Trixie

49. Princess Twilight Sparkle

50. Zelda

51-60

51. Curiosity Sparks

52. Flash Sentry

53. Gadget

54. Professor Clyde Krashkop

[Lux]

The news of the Princess's apparent pregnancy caused quite a stir among the crowd of ponies in line. Carrot didn't quite make out who said it first, relying on Princess Cadence's outburst as means to celebrate. She knew that if anypony would know it would be either Twilight's closest friends, the ones Carrot saw with the purple unicorn constantly in her passing through town, or a fellow Princess. Applejack however was quick to put the issue to rest and that was good enough for Carrot Top.

"Ah well, if anypony would know it would be one of Twilight's friends like you Applejack, besides of course hearing it straight from the pony's mouth. You're right that now that I think about it Twilight didn't look pregnant seeing her in town. And I'm sure that if she was, she'd be buying up my carrots and your apples by the hoof-full!"

Strangely the fellow farm pony selling apples breathed a clear sigh or relief at the fact that Carrot mentioned Hayseed as her special somepony. She wondered what the fuss was about, why Applejack was so concerned about who she liked with a worry of a child having their favorite toy taken away. Unless...

"Wait a minute, you thought that i fell in love with some other pony, right? Maybe somepony you like? Alright then, spill it. Which pony do you have your eyes fixed on? You have to tell me since I already told you who I liked. Oh, and as for apples, a bushel of red delicious and Macintosh please."

[Hippo]

As Carrot made her order, she interjected with an accusation of defense and slight denial. "What!? No! I don't have a secret crush on him. Him, I mean crush on Carrot Fields. I mean I don't like him. I mean I do like him, he's a cool guy, but I'm not swooning, ya know, not that he's a bad guy or anything, in fact I like ponies like him. But I'm not in love with him..." Applejack started sweating as she was unable to properly explain herself. She never considered herself a pony that easily swoons at another pony she admired. Her hooves were firmly on the ground at all times. But truth be told, Carrot Field was definitely a special pony. Combining the two words just wasn't something Applejack liked to do.

She changed the subject. "Uh, one bushel with Red Delicious and Big Macintosh, comin' right up." Applejack ran back and gathered apples, spilling half of two different bushels into one to complete the order. She walked back with the bushel and placed it next to Carrot Top. Awkwardness aside, it was time for Applejack to complete the order. And unfortunately, there wasn't much she could do but just say it. "That'll be five bits, please." Applejack then licked her lips, which were dried by her anxiety.

​

46 Kisses left!

Next up

55. Carrot Top

56. Presteza

57. Prince Blueblood

58. Princess Celestia

59. Ruby Pinch

60. Charming Masquerade

61. Memory Lane

62. Princess Cadance

63. Berry Punch

64. Silver Heart (might not buy)

65. Fluttershy

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

On hold:

Maple (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Brawny Boulder (On standby and may kiss at any time)

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.

Kissed

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

45. Moonstone II

46. Valen Orange

47. Mojo

48. Trixie

49. Princess Twilight Sparkle

50. Zelda

51-60

51. Curiosity Sparks

52. Flash Sentry

53. Gadget

54. Professor Clyde Krashkop

[Mojo]

Both Granny Smith and Uncle Apple Strudel were still in a state of shock over the apparent news of Twilight Sparkle's pregnancy until they both heard the denial by AppleJack.

"Whew!" the bearded stallion neighed with a sigh of relief, "I am glad it is not so!"

"Mah Applejack's the Pony of Honesty!" added Granny Smith, "If'n she says it ain't so then it ain't so! My granddaughter would NEVER tell a fib! Now let's git back ta work here, brother!"

"Javol!" Uncle Apple Strudel said as he brought forward the bushel that Carrot Top had requested. Granny Smith stood ready to collect the bits from the farm mare.

"Thar sure is a long line of ponies here waitin' on apples an' kisses, Strudel. Looks like we're gonna have ta work DOUBLE TIME!"

"Ja, mein sister!" the bearded stallion replied.

[starswirlthebearded]

The pink alicorn blushed hearing her Auntie Celestia’s wording of the situation. “Ehh, it’s nothing like that at all!” The embarrassed Crystal Princess tried explaining, her upper teeth sticking out at a rushed attempt at an assuring smile; “Goods can get to the Crystal Empire just fine! They just… tend to be a bit more expensive, that’s all.” That sounded a bit undignified, didn’t it?

Celestia smiled with a slight giggle at Cadence's reaction to her playfulness. "I have seen the crystal train, it seems rather robust and fast, is it that much more expensive to run?" Celestia inquired with a slightly playful tone. She knew what Cadence meant but her niece's reaction was rather fun, so she continued her ruse.

"Thank you, Princess. I will definitely take you advice and write a letter to your chefs. I'm sure once they try my carrots they'll want to buy more."

Celestia nodded at Carrot, who was in turn for some apples. "I look forward to trying some new recipes using your delicious produce. I'm certain the chefs in Canterlot Castle will be very excited to get some new produce."

"That's great! I'll have ta start work on that after this! This is gonna be the most amazin' portrait ever!"

Celestia was pleased by the passion of this young pony, she really wanted to help her as much as possible, however she knew that she could only do so much to get her into the door, and it would be up to her to make the arrangements with Canterlot Court. Miss Presteza seemed up to the task though. "I greatly look forward to seeing your name on my schedule in the near future for a portrait appointment Miss Presteza. I'm sure you will do a fantastic job," Celestia said with a warm, encouraging tone.

"Thank you, your Majesty."

"That she is, your highness. She -was- going to attend your school for talented unicorns but she decided to instead pursue her talent."

Celestia nodded at the guard pony. "You are welcome Lt. Silverheart. Feel free to relax, I do not think anything will happen during the short while here," Celestia instructed Silverheart. She really wasn't expecting an escort, but now that she had one, she'd rather he be relaxed and enjoying himself rather than tense waiting for something bad to happen, which would likely not occur. When she heard that she was correct about their familial relations, Celestia smiled and replied "You should be very proud of your sister then, Lieutenant. She has been keeping me company and rather entertained," Celestia turned to Presteza. "Isn't that right?" Celestia asked with a wink and a smirk. "And as for her not attending my school, that is perfectly fine. While I am sure we could have helped her to develop her special talent magic and even hone some finer magical abilities, sometimes it is better for ponies to follow their own path, and your sister seems to have grown into a fine young mare, even without my school's aide."

"Neither of you need to worry, I think we both know the Princess is perfectly capable of defending herself from... well whatever event comes to Ponyville on a regular basis. Thank you though ,your highness.By the way as much as I'd like to I don't see very much of Princess Luna."

Silverheart seemed to have great confidence in Celestia's abilities to protect herself and the kingdom. "I thank you for your trust and confidence, Silverheart. My sister and I do our best to protect Equestria, with the help of the REA like yourself." Celestia replied hearing that he wished to see more of Luna. "There are ways to see my sister if you really wished to. I'm certain you could see her in the mornings before she rests for the day."

“YOU MEAN TWILIGHT IS PREGNANT???”

"Um, Princess Cadance?" she said, still feeling a little unsure. "If Twilight was pregnant, I'm sure she would have told us... I mean, I think she would have told us. She wouldn't keep something like this to herself... would she?"

"Twilight's not pregnant, guys." Applejack shrugged. "Ah know how a pony's apetite changes when they got a bun in the oven, and I don't see the signs. Besides, me and Twilight are pretty close, I doubt she would have kept it from me. You know I love to keep fun secrets like that!"

Celestia almost let out a full fledged laugh at Princess Cadence's misunderstanding of Blueblood's words, but managed to just let out a light chuckle. Though she couldn't be 100% sure, she was almost certain that he meant that Cadence was acting more like herself (more like his aunt that is). "Princess Cadence, I must agree with Fluttershy and Applejack. I am certain that Twilight is not pregnant." Celestia concurred with two of Twilight's best friends. "Also, I'm fairly certain that you would be one of the first to find out, along with her best friends, since her brother is your husband."

Celestia turned to Fluttershy to greet her. "Greetings Fluttershy, it is a pleasure to see you again."

[Blueblood]

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Prince Blueblood had enjoyed seeing the shocked expressions crossing all the ponies waiting in line, and the freakouts of some of the Apple family. Still, it seemed that actual seller, and kisser, was much more level headed, and Celestia's words in confirmation would probably calm down most of the ponies present. Also as a plus, no blame or trouble was likely to fall on his head over this business.

"Well, I shouldn't know either way. We don't talk much, Twilight and I." He shrugged off the business, without much regret. It was not quite a proud admission that one wasn't on the best of terms with fellow-royalty, but it was true. Besides, they really wouldn't have much to talk about to each other. The Prince merely settled back down in line, awaiting his turn, and chance to, perhaps, at least smooth things over with one of her famous friends.

[Lux]

Carrot Top watched as Applejack fretted and nervously tried to explain her situation. To the orange manned mare's surprise, she heard Applejack utter a familiar name.

"Carrot Fields? You have a crush on my second cousin? Wow Applejack, you have quite a catch there if I do say so myself. He is a really nice pony, and I think he might be a good match for you. I guess it makes sense a farm pony liking a farm pony, just like I like Hayseed. But wait a minute, did you think that I was dating my second cousin? That's kind of... weird."

She nodded in recognition to Princess Celestia's comment behind her as she fumbled her coin purse for the five bits for her apples. Then she waited, albeit a bit nervously to see about the kissing part. While she waited, she tried picturing an image of Carrot Fields and Applejack together perhaps running across the fields or sitting under an apple tree.

Having spoken with Brian Blackberry (owner of Carrot Fields) we decided to make Carrot Fields and Carrot Top as second cousins. Close enough to be kin but not very closely related.

[Hippo]

Carrot Top wasn't fooled at all. Should this conversation continue, Applejack feared she might say something she regrets that either draws her into a city-wide rumor about Applejack's private life or perhaps a widely known secret that Applejack's statements about not liking Carrot Fields at all held true to her own word. And honestly, who would question the integrity of her? So to dissolve the conversation and to promote new business, Applejack did her task.

Applejack grabbed Carrot semi-violently and kissed her on the lips. Not being able to prevent the thought, Applejack imagined the connection kissing her had with kissing her second cousin, whereas any pony ever would have never felt or experienced the similarities. She pulled away. "And that's that." Applejack couldn't remember if Carrot Top knew if getting the kiss constituted the main attraction for the sale of apples today, and if she didn't, then Applejack was prepared to face the awkward reaction she would have having just been embraced after such a conversation. Applejack would then have to defend her sanity.

While waiting for a reply, Applejack decided to wave down her next customer. It was a yellow unicorn wearing a straw hat. "Hey partner, I don't think I've ever seen you around these parts."

​

45 Kisses left!

Next up

56. Presteza

57. Prince Blueblood

58. Princess Celestia

59. Ruby Pinch

60. Charming Masquerade

61. Memory Lane

62. Princess Cadance

63. Berry Punch

64. Silver Heart (might not buy)

65. Fluttershy

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

On hold:

Maple (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Brawny Boulder (On standby and may kiss at any time)

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.

Kissed

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

45. Moonstone II

46. Valen Orange

47. Mojo

48. Trixie

49. Princess Twilight Sparkle

50. Zelda

51-60

51. Curiosity Sparks

52. Flash Sentry

53. Gadget

54. Professor Clyde Krashkop

55. Carrot Top

[Mojo]

Granny Smith prepared to receive Carrot Top's bits as Uncle Apple Strudel brought up her bushel of apples. As the bearded stallion looked up and then at the head of the line, he noticed Princess Celestia there.

"Look mein sister, it's Princess Celestia!" Uncle Apple Strudel neighed. "I must get a photo of her today!"

"Furgit it, Strudel!" Granny Smith protested, "that durn big ol' camera of yurs caused a lotta trouble when ya tried ta take Princess Luna's picture! I ain't gonna let ya do that agin!"

"But Granny Smith, how many opportunities vill vee get like dis? Besides dat, I know vhat vent wrong last time. It vas an accident vith dee flash powder und I vill not make dat same mistake tvice."

"No way, brother! Yur gonna stay right here an' do yur job!"

"Look over dere, mein sister! Is dat Professor Krashkop flying by?"

"WHERE? WHERE'S HE AT?" Granny shouted as the elderly mare looked up into the sky. As she continued looking upward, Uncle Apple Strudel snuck away long enough to retrieve his huge old time tripod box camera and supplies. The bearded stallion managed to hide all his camera gear behind the apple stand just as a frustrated Granny Smith turned her head back towards him.

"I don't see'm, Strudel! Whar was he at?"

"I tink I vas mistaken, forgive me, mein sister."

"Maybe ya need yur eyes checked! Yur gitt'n too old! Ya ain't young and spry like ME!" Granny neighed as she started to move around and jump, only to stop when there was a loud 'cracking' sound coming from her hips. "CHARLIE HORSE! CHARLIE HORSE!"

In response, Apple Strudel grabbed her uplifted hind leg and pushed it back down quickly, causing another cracking sound.

"Ah! Thanks, Strudel, I needed that!"

"Now, vhat vas dat you vere saying about being young und spry?"

"Hush up and bring up some more apples!"

"Javol, mein sister," Strudel said with a giggle.

[Bellosh]

OOC: Don’t feel bad if I ignore your post this time. I just can’t respond to every single thing right now.

 

 

"I have seen the crystal train, it seems rather robust and fast, is it that much more expensive to run?"

 

“That’s not what I-” Princess Cadence’s awkward smile turned into a frustrated sigh; “And that’s my personal royal train! It’s not intended to be used for-” Catching herself unnecessarily sounding like part of the upper crust, the pink alicorn covered her mouth in a rush; “That is to say, that has nothing to do with why merchants charge more when selling goods in the Empire. Oh,” Cadence raised her head up to save some face; “I’m glad you approve of the Crystal Train, Princess Celestia. The locomotive designers back in the Empire are really proud of it.”

 

"I didn't say that. You didn't hear it from me."

 

"Princess Cadence, I must agree with Fluttershy and Applejack. I am certain that Twilight is not pregnant. Also, I'm fairly certain that you would be one of the first to find out, along with her best friends, since her brother is your husband."

 

Gosh, this was all just too much to handle! Oh, why did Prince Blueblood kept his mouth open and make Cadence look even more of a fool? And with Auntie and two of her friends around to boot? So much for earning praise from her beloved mentor; now Cadence found her humiliating outburst destined for inclusion in Celestia’s dinnertime stories for the next two weeks, or so the alicorn imagined. And who knows what Twilight would do knowing about her sister-in-law’s antics?

 

Utterly defeated, the Crystal Princess gave off a long sigh; “I suppose all of you are right. I sounded pretty ridiculous, didn’t I?” There was no use turning Blueblood into a scapegoat; he technically did not actually make any specific claims about the pregnancy matter, even if he neglected to correct anything for Cadence. With the brief apology finished, the pink princess weakly greeted the new pegasus on the scene; “Hello there, Fluttershy.”

[Pretzelparty]

"I didn't hear anything about it, and you didn't hear anything about it from me, until Princess Cadence shouted it out. Myself, I can neither confirm nor deny it. She might be, for all I know."

It seemed the event must have been a misunderstanding on pretty much everypony's part due to a jump to a conclusion by the princess of love. After a few attestations from Princess Twlight's closest friends it seemed the debate over the princess' pretend pregnancy was cleared up. The marish looking stallion turned to Blueblood and chuckled, "Perhaps it was the way you phrased it." he said before looking back to the princess.

"You should be very proud of your sister then, Lieutenant. She has been keeping me company and rather entertained," Celestia turned to Presteza. "Isn't that right? And as for her not attending my school, that is perfectly fine. While I am sure we could have helped her to develop her special talent magic and even hone some finer magical abilities, sometimes it is better for ponies to follow their own path, and your sister seems to have grown into a fine young mare, even without my school's aide."

Silverheart nodded, "She sure can be very entertaining... if a bit of a hoof-full, especially when she was a filly." Despite what the stallion said about his sister his voice still had a tinge of pride for his little sister. She was indeed growing up into a great pony that he was sure would make her family proud... even if she still did have quite a bit of growing left to do. "Little sisters can be quite a trying presence on occasion though. Wouldn't you agree, Princess? I mean when I was traveling with her she'd always say whatever was on her mind whether or not it lead to trouble... and even then she'd still play tricks on me." The stallion probably would have gone on and on if Celestia had not told him of her appreciation of his confidence in her and the other princesses.

"I thank you for your trust and confidence, Silverheart. My sister and I do our best to protect Equestria, with the help of the REA like yourself. There are ways to see my sister if you really wished to. I'm certain you could see her in the mornings before she rests for the day."

The stallion blushed a bit and bowed reflexively towards the princess, "Th-there's no need to mention it, Your highness. I only state the obvious." the guard said with a bit of a stammer at the beginning before continuing. "I suppose I could say Hello to Princess Luna in the mornings... Some of the guards have been saying she can be a bit... grumpy in the morning though."

"I greatly look forward to seeing your name on my schedule in the near future for a portrait appointment Miss Presteza. I'm sure you will do a fantastic job. Greetings Fluttershy, it is a pleasure to see you again."

It was all she could do not to rear back and whinny in excitement, just hearing the princess' support of her dreams was incredible enough to make her overjoyed. the next occurence was only icing on the cake; Fluttershy had appeared!

Waving her hoof to the pink maned pegasus, presteza gave a happy greeting to the shy mare, "Heya, Fluttershy! Thanks again for introducin' me ta Fresco, E's doin' great! Are the other animals at the shelter doin' okay?"

Presteza had previously met Fluttershy during her animal adoption event, where she had met her little traveling companion Fresco, the little fruit-bat who at this very moment was resting in the painter's saddlebag. Speaking of the little Fruit-bat it seemed the clever little creature noticed the mention of Fluttershy's name and poked his head out of the mare's saddlebag to give Flutershy and everypony else a hello squeak. Before Presteza could do anything to prevent it, the little flying mammal flew out of her bag and towards the Sun princess. After circling her head a few times the little creature eventually perched on her muzzle, right on her nose, before giving her a happy little squeak.

The painter looked towards her pet and sighed before looking to Fluttershy again,"Still as energetic as always as ya can see!" Stepping towards the princess once more she smiled slightly awkwardly,"Sorry about Fresco, Yer highness. He's a sociable little fella."

The silver maned mare perked up a moment as she spotted the waving motion from Applejack in her peripheral vision. It seemed that at this point Celestia's plan to get her to relax a bit had worked... maybe a tad too well as she made a slightly odd request of both the princess and her brother, "Could you two take care o' the li'l guy fer a sec while I buy some apples." Her brother just stared at her with a flat expression of disbelief but before he could object his sister just went ahead and took her closer place closer to Carrot.

"Hey partner, I don't think I've ever seen you around these parts."

The tannish yellow pony smiled at Applejack, "Nope This is my first time in Ponyville, but I'm jus' stoppin' by fer a while before I get back ta travelin'! It's awesome ta meet one o' Equestria's heroes... let alone 'ave a chance ta kiss one!" she said ina slightly cheeky tone.

[Lux]

Carrot Top stood by with a sly grin, waiting to hear Applejack's reply as to whether she indeed liked her second cousin. The orange manned pony knew of the apple farmer's almost legendary honesty, sometimes being as blunt as a boulder when telling the truth about something. But the way she blundered when trying to explain her relationship with Carrot Fields raised a red flag of suspicion in Carrot's mind.

Before she could wait for long, Applejack grabbed her and gave her a kiss. Her eyes went wide at the momentary lapse of remembering that buying apples came with a kiss. But just as quick as it started it ended, leaving the cream colored pony in shock for a few minutes. She wondered if when kissing her Applejack thought about kissing Carrot Fields, especially due to the intensity of the kiss that Carrot experienced.

"Wow... that was... wow. I've never been kissed by a mare before, but that was one of the best kisses I've had. Then again you must have practice with all these other ponies."

Before collecting her apples, she leaned towards Applejack so as not to let others hear out of fear of sparking a rumor that would spread through Ponyville like a wildfire.

"You know," she whispered, "If you kiss like that with my second cousin, then I think you'll keep him around."

With a smile and a wink Carrot collected her apples purchased and waving goodbye to the apple farmer made her way back home.

Exit Carrot Top. Thanks for the fun!

[Hippo]

Applejack's face flushed red as Carrot Top complimented her kissing, and even more when she suggested that the quality would be 'acceptable' for her cousin. Applejack sunk a bit behind her booth until her redness went a way a little. She couldn't be any less obvious than a pink plum.

Presteza responded with a very full confidence. Applejack raised an eyebrow. This one seemed competitive and it reminded her of Rainbow Dash a little. "Oh yes well, trust me these apples are way better than mah kisses." Applejack started straightening up her booth, cleaning it off of old sales notes and loose bit coins. "So we got all the typical varieties of apples. Which kind would you like, miss?" Applejack leaned forward on her left leg against the wooden sales booth, angling her eyes to mirror the competitive personality the yellow unicorn presented. Almost like it was a challenge of personality.

​

45 Kisses left!

Next up

56. Presteza

57. Prince Blueblood

58. Princess Celestia

59. Ruby Pinch

60. Charming Masquerade

61. Memory Lane

62. Princess Cadance

63. Berry Punch

64. Silver Heart (might not buy)

65. Fluttershy

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

On hold:

Maple (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Brawny Boulder (On standby and may kiss at any time)

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.

Kissed

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

45. Moonstone II

46. Valen Orange

47. Mojo

48. Trixie

49. Princess Twilight Sparkle

50. Zelda

51-60

51. Curiosity Sparks

52. Flash Sentry

53. Gadget

54. Professor Clyde Krashkop

55. Carrot Top

[SunsetSombra]

Berry was finding herself in a confused collection of ponies - they were all still chattering and rumoring about the Princess Twilight news....although it seemed that, for the most part, the Apple Farmer mare and Celestia had doused the enthusiastic news somewhat with a firm hosing of reality. She rubs her head and gives a small utterance of frustration as she simply stands in line and shrugs her shoulders, deciding that clearly this was just going to wind up being a non-thing and not worth even giving any further thought about.

Still, the rest of her surrounding ponies were sure interesting folks...romance, drama, a little intrigue - there was no shame in taking interest in those who were in the immediate area, and Berry was certainly trying to pay as much attention to those closest that she could. It wasn't like she really knew a great many of them, so it probably hardly mattered in the long run. Besides, she was a little bored, and clearly just looking for something to get her mind off of the fact she was stood in a line with a whole herd of ponies she didn't know all the names to!

Berry rolls her eyes and stretches slightly - for such a still day, it was surprisingly hot...which was not helping her curently restless state at all!

[Corsair]

Fluttershy began to relax as first Applejack and Princess Celestia both agreed that there was no way that Twilight could be pregnant. The girls spent much of their time around the new Princess, and there was no way that they wouldn't know if Twilight even had a colt-friend. Why, Rarity would probably be ecstatic if Twilight even showed interest in a stallion! Fluttershy dismissed her earlier doubts as just nerves.

Princess Cadence was looking rather embarrassed about her outburst, and Fluttershy kept a hoof on her shoulder as she comforted the alicorn. "Its OK, Cadence, I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding." At that moment, Fluttershy suddenly remembered who she was speaking to. While she considered Cadence a friend, and she was well familiar with Celestia, they were both princesses. The pegasus stepped back, giving each of the alicorns a quick but respectful bow. "Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence!" she said in belated greeting. "This is rather unexpected! What brings both of you to Ponyville?"

When a pale yellow unicorn approached her, Fluttershy's eyes lit up in recognition. "Hello, Miss Presteza!" she said, brightly. The artist pony had been one who had adopted a pet from her during her adoption fair. She had also painted a picture of her and 2 of her other customers in a remarkably short time. When the unicorn greeted her, a brightly colored fruit bat fluttered up out of her saddle bags. Fluttershy put up a hoof for the bat to land on. "And hello to you too, Fresco!" the greeted the little creature. Turning back to Presteza, Fluttershy told her, "Oh, everything at the shelter is wonderful! A nest of milk snakes just hatched, and they are the cutest little things!" Looking at the little bat, Fluttershy asked her "Well Fresco, are you having fun with Presteza?"

​

[Pretzelparty]

"Hello, Miss Presteza! ...And hello to you too, Fresco! Oh, everything at the shelter is wonderful! A nest of milk snakes just hatched, and they are the cutest little things!" Looking at the little bat, Fluttershy asked her "Well Fresco, are you having fun with Presteza?"

​

Fresco shifted on the princess' nose and soon took flight off of it and landed on Fluttershy's outstretched hoof. In response to The pink maned pegasus' query the creature let out a series of squeaks in Fluttershy's ear. If Fluttershy listened the little creature would say that he was being treated wonderfully. After looking back in the princess's direction the little creatures asked who exaclty she was and why she was so tall... fresco wasn't the most knowledgeable of his kind.

"Oh yes well, trust me these apples are way better than mah kisses." Applejack started straightening up her booth, cleaning it off of old sales notes and loose bit coins. "So we got all the typical varieties of apples. Which kind would you like, miss?" Applejack leaned forward on her left leg against the wooden sales booth, angling her eyes to mirror the competitive personality the yellow unicorn presented. Almost like it was a challenge of personality.

​

Presteza couldn't help but notice Applejack's change of posture and those angled eyes, as an artist she had to have a keen eye for such a detail especially when painting ponies. She remembered some of the other mare's of the upper class in Canterlot and Trottingham would give her mother a somewhat similar look before having a few subtle jabs at eachother. Obviously the young painter had no intention of causing any sort of confrontation with the Apple mare but she couldn't help but return the gesture for a moment as she looked through some of the apples that were on display. Looking at the several apples she noticed once particular name that sounded really tasty; Honeycrisp.

Pointing her hoof to the box bearing the sign with 'honeycrisps' on it and said rather proudly, "I think I'll take... two- no three Bushels o' those... actually, Fresco may want more than 'is own bushel. Just a sec please." Turning around she raised her voice and yelled to the fruit-bat currently resting on the princess's nose, "Fresco! raise a wing fer each bushel ya want!" almost immediately the little creature stretched out a single wing. Seeing her little flying friend's response, the silver maned mare gave a nod and looked back to Applejack, "Yea, Three Bushels o' Honeycrisps if ya would! I can carry 'em myself."

After stating the amount of apples she intended to eat she returned to this unspoken challenge of personality and slightly narrowed her eyes at the mare in the stetson, staring with her icy blue eyes right into Applejack's own bright green eyes. For any bystanders watching, one could practically see sparks flying between the two spirited ponies as they conversed, "So... if I buy three bushels I get three kisses. is that 'ow this works?"

[Hippo]

It was a smug look battle between Applejack and Presteza as Applejack carried out her order. She slapped three bushels of honeycrisp apples down by the mare's side one by one, and when the mare said she could lift them herself, her smug look intensified. "Heh, are you sure?" Applejack realized how confident this pony was. There was no way Applejack would deny her the ability to lead the conversation though.

"Nope." Applejack popped an answer to the customers question. "Ya get one for everything. Nice trah though!" Applejack winked at the unicorn, as if to say, 'I won this round.' "That'll be fifteen bits!"

​

45 Kisses left!

Next up

56. Presteza

57. Prince Blueblood

58. Princess Celestia

59. Ruby Pinch

60. Charming Masquerade

61. Memory Lane

62. Princess Cadance

63. Berry Punch

64. Silver Heart (might not buy)

65. Fluttershy

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

On hold:

Maple (On standby and may kiss at any time)

Brawny Boulder (On standby and may kiss at any time)

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.

Kissed

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

45. Moonstone II

46. Valen Orange

47. Mojo

48. Trixie

49. Princess Twilight Sparkle

50. Zelda

51-60

51. Curiosity Sparks

52. Flash Sentry

53. Gadget

54. Professor Clyde Krashkop

55. Carrot Top

[starswirlthebearded]

“That’s not what I-” Princess Cadence’s awkward smile turned into a frustrated sigh; “And that’s my personal royal train! It’s not intended to be used for-” Catching herself unnecessarily sounding like part of the upper crust, the pink alicorn covered her mouth in a rush; “That is to say, that has nothing to do with why merchants charge more when selling goods in the Empire. Oh,” Cadence raised her head up to save some face; “I’m glad you approve of the Crystal Train, Princess Celestia. The locomotive designers back in the Empire are really proud of it.”

Princess Celestia never figured it would be this easy to tease her niece. Much like her nephew and sister, they were both quite well aware of her antics especially in relaxed situations such as this. In fact the tizzy that Celestia got Cadence into was more entertaining to her than the exchange she had with Presteza previously. Rather than continue the dialogue about the price of produce in the Empire, Celestia decided to forgo it and go along with Cadence's play off to save face. Still, the sun princess could not help but giggle as she did. "As well they should be Princess Cadence. I look forward to see what they design for mass transit for the general public for the Equestria Games. I'm sure it will be nothing less than magnificent." Celestia said smiling, still entertained by how Cadence reacted. Though now, another pony opened themselves up for a bit of mischievous fun.

Silverheart nodded, "She sure can be very entertaining... if a bit of a hoof-full, especially when she was a filly." Despite what the stallion said about his sister his voice still had a tinge of pride for his little sister. She was indeed growing up into a great pony that he was sure would make her family proud... even if she still did have quite a bit of growing left to do. "Little sisters can be quite a trying presence on occasion though. Wouldn't you agree, Princess? I mean when I was traveling with her she'd always say whatever was on her mind whether or not it lead to trouble... and even then she'd still play tricks on me." The stallion probably would have gone on and on if Celestia had not told him of her appreciation of his confidence in her and the other princesses.

"Th-there's no need to mention it, Your highness. I only state the obvious." the guard said with a bit of a stammer at the beginning before continuing. "I suppose I could say Hello to Princess Luna in the mornings... Some of the guards have been saying she can be a bit... grumpy in the morning though."

Lt. Silverheart unwittingly set himself up, much in the same way his sister did earlier. "I did not think she was a hoofful at all Lieutenant. In fact she was perfectly proper." Celestia replied to the guardstallion's opening statement, the next opened him up for the fun. Celestia widened her eyes, as if to show surprise to what he said, slowly switching to a sad remorseful look. "I do not think I can speak of such things. The last time my dear sister was a 'trying presence' was the last time I saw her for a thousand years. She, unfortunately forced me to banish her. I always remember the good before that, and I choose not to remember the bad. I truly wish she had been around to play tricks on me, Lieutenant." Celestia said with a hint of sad reflection in her voice. She knew what he meant, but still the opportunity was far too good to pass up.

Then he spoke of Luna being 'grumpy' in the morning, which Celestia had never seen of her sister. In fact, Celestia often found that her sister was often rather chipper in the morning, telling her stories of what she had done the previous night. However once again, this allowed for a perfect segue. Straightening up and becoming more stern. "It is obvious why you think that. I too would be 'grumpy' if that is what my trusted officers decided to talk about. Such things are a sore subject for both my sister and I. If those are the things you would choose to say to her, then perhaps you would do well to avoid her in the mornings." Celestia replied with almost a chilling sternness, which, though was merely in jest, was still broken by his sister's pet fruitbat which landed on her muzzle.

"Oh my! Hello there little one." Celestia said looking at the small fruitbat, almost cross eyed perched on her nose, with a smile she could not help but produce.

"Sorry about Fresco, Yer highness. He's a sociable little fella." "Could you two take care o' the li'l guy fer a sec while I buy some apples."

Celestia smiled, though still planning on enjoying the exchange with her brother, "It is alright, Philomena, my pet pheonix, is also rather energetic, though she has not perched on my muzzle since she was a fledgling." Celestia said with a smile, almost regretting not bringing along her dear pet and friend. Though before she could even reply to the request to looking after the fruitbat, Fluttershy called him over and landed on her outstretched hoof.

"Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence!" she said in belated greeting. "This is rather unexpected! What brings both of you to Ponyville?"

The princess smiled at Fluttershy. "I have heard there was a rather good sale on apples from Sweet Apple Acres, which Princess Twilight Sparkle has spoke highly of. So I took the opportunity to get some fresh produce myself for the castle." Though her reason was more to keep an eye on Blueblood, Fluttershy needn't know that, also it is always good to get out of the castle sometimes and get some fresh air.

[Mojo]

As Granny Smith waited to collect Presteza's money, Uncle Apple Strudel carefully snuck his big, bulky camera out and set it on it's tripod.

"I VILL not repeat mein mistakes dee last time I used dis camera," the elderly bearded stallion thought to himself, "I must get photos of Princess Celestia und Princess Cadance! How often vill dee ever come to Sveet Apple Acres?"

As he set up the flash bar and prepared to aim the camera, Granny Smith whispered to her granddaughter.

"We got more royalty a comin' through the line, AppleJack. Best put yur best face forward."

Meanwhile, Uncle Apple Strudel started pouring out the flash powder, trying not to use too much this time around.

[Pretzelparty]

"Heh, are you sure?"

"Nope. Ya get one for everything. Nice trah though!" Applejack winked at the unicorn, as if to say, 'I won this round.' "That'll be fifteen bits!"

​

The golden tan mare scoffed lightly but let a smile spread over her face shortly after. As the bags were set at her side she couldn't help notice an interesting inflection in Applejack's voice, she could have sworn that was the tone of skepticism. Taking off one the saddlebags she bore on her she laid it down and put a bushel in both bags with the intent of draping the last one over her back when she was ready to take her leave. looking through one of the smaller pockets on her bags she eventually pulled out a small sack that made a faint jingling sound as she moved it.

"Oh I'm positive. I'm a lot stronger than I look y'know!" she stated proudly while returning to the stand for the promised kiss and to provide the promised payment. Dropping the pouch on the table she opened it up and slide fifteen bits forward under her hoof, "I'm pretty fast too... in fact I'm gonna join in the runnin' o' the leaves this year and I betcha I'll win!"

Looking in at her bit pouch she smirked a bit as she saw she had a few more bits left inside, "Hmmm... if I really like the kiss, could I pay a li'l extra... a sorta tip as it were?" she asked playfully.

"I did not think she was a hoofful at all Lieutenant. In fact she was perfectly proper."

For a moment it looked like the lieutenant was going to let out a sigh of relief, "I see... maybe her time on the road has improved her manners a bit. I guess she is growin' up... doesn't stop me from worrying about her though."

"I do not think I can speak of such things. The last time my dear sister was a 'trying presence' was the last time I saw her for a thousand years. She, unfortunately forced me to banish her. I always remember the good before that, and I choose not to remember the bad. I truly wish she had been around to play tricks on me, Lieutenant."

As the princess' expresion grew sad the lieutenant's own expression fell. Seems in his desire to embrace this opportunity to relax and drop his typical formal attitude he had pretty much forgotten the detail of exactly who he was talking to! How could he forget the ... complicated... relationship between the royal sisters and not watch what he said?! The marish stallion gulped and bowed nervously, "I-I'm sorry, you highness. I meant no disrepect... I simply assumed... I-I ... actually don't know what I assumed to be honest."he admitted as he hung his head forlornly.

As his gaze met the ground, similar to his sister's actions earlier... although not as intense he began to doubt whether he really belonged in the royal guard now. If he couldn't show proper respect to the princesses in even a casual setting, how could he be expected to be a trustworthy guard for them and their kingdom? his doubts were only heaped upon each other more-so with the princess' next words in regards to his reference to what other guards had said.

"It is obvious why you think that. I too would be 'grumpy' if that is what my trusted officers decided to talk about. Such things are a sore subject for both my sister and I. If those are the things you would choose to say to her, then perhaps you would do well to avoid her in the mornings."

Why did he have to bring up stupid rumors that circulated the barracks when he honestly had no way knowing whether or not they were true? stupid, stupid guardpony! As he stared at the dirt below his face he had sudden, inexplicable urge to bury his head in it as if to escape his self inflicted embarrassment. As he tried to speak it sounded as if his voice was almost shrinking," I-I'm sorry, Princess. I'll T-try and tell those under my command to stop spreading baseless rumors as soon as I return... that is unless you don't wish me back..."