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

[Mojo]

"FLIM!!!" Granny Smith roared as the true identity of 'Charliehorse Daniels' was discovered. "Shouldda known YOU was gonna be here too! I done kicked your bamboozlin' brother of yours to the moon, and YOUR NEXT!"

"Nein mein sister!" Apple Strudel shouted. "Dat dumbkoff is floating too high in dee air for you to reach!"

"We'll see about that!" the furious elderly mare yelled as she turned her back on the airborne unicorn and unleashed her best 'buck' kick... only to miss by several feet. "Dangnabbit! I need longer legs!"

Meanwhile, the galloping Pigpen finally reached Sweet Apple Acres. Immediately the shaggy, unkempt stallion spotted Flim being levitated above the crowd.

"That's Flim alright!" Pigpen yelled. "I knew I was right about him! But he's still a unicorn, so if he uses his magic, he could still escape! Gotta do something.... I GOT IT! My fly friends, go buzz around Flim's head! That should keep him too distracted to concentrate on any magic spells!"

Pigpen's 'loyal' flies quickly buzzed over and began flying circles around Flim's head, close to his eyes and nose, trying to be as annoying as they could. The smelly pony watched with delight as he stood at the end of the line.

[Hippo]

"Oh, no fret, Joe!" Applejack noticed how nervous and humiliated she might have made him. Correcting his mistake, and kicking him for no apparent reason. She hoped that maybe his purchases today would be enjoyable to pay him back for that. As he walked back, she admired Apple Bloom's tenacity in keeping the line in check.

Astral began talking, and it became apparent that Astral was just as reluctant to kiss a mare as she was. It was definitely a stalemate for them both. Astral said she would buy as many as she would let her have. Well Applejack couldn't just give her all the apples. How on earth was a mare, even a strong mare, going to carry all these apples? There had to be at least a few hundred bushels in the surplus. "Well jus tell me how much you need, Sugarcube. And uh," Applejack leaned forward to give Astral a peck on the cheek.

But before her lips could graze Astral's face-side, Applejack heard Survey, a green unicorn, exclaim that he wanted to buy a hundred bushels. Applejack jumped out of her kissing stance. "A hundred bushels!!?" Shortly after, her Rodeo acquaintance Cherry Jubilee responded as in auction that she would pay double the price. "DOUBLE THE PRICE!!!???" And then, following that, a short lecture to himself and others, Survey said that he would pay three times the price. "THREE TIMES THE PRICES FOR ONE HUNDRED BUSHELS!!!!!????"

Applejack was so happy. Applejack started dancing in place at the sheer joy and shock of such a possible sale. She grabbed one of Astral's front hoof and began swinging her around in a dosey doe. "Yeehaw! I'm gonna sell me some apples!" Applejack continued throwing Astral around in a country dance before finally squaring her up and kissing her on the lips. "There's yur kiss, ma'am. How many apples did you want now!?" Applejack was excited.

Except she just realized. She didn't have a hundred bushels. She had several hundred bushels. Was she really going to play along and pretend like this was an auction for these stale older apples that needed to be clearenced and for a kiss from her gracious lips? Applejack couldn't have that. "Um, actually, I have plenty for both of you, and as much as this lovely pony wants. You don't need to pay that much for these apples. Besides, how do you plan to get these apples hauled out of here anyway? I'd hate for them to go bad before you're able to take them home and eat 'em."

All of this sales pitching was keeping Applejack from realizing the next ruse in line, Flam's brother Flim. At least, for now.

92 Kisses left!

(This 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.)

Kissed

1. Carrot Fields

2. Reno Golucky

3. Lore Weaver

4. Dunder Blust

5. Gentle Sol

6. Flam

7. Starburst

8. Astral

Coming up

9. Charleyhorse Daniels (Flim)

10. Survey

11. Silverbolt

12. Klondike

13. Incognito (Lyra)

14. Pony Joe

15. Rarity

16. Starburst

17. Pigpen

18.

19.

[SilverSwirl]

Silverbolt chuckled at Flim and replied, "You should have thought of that before trying to come back." Looking down at the various angry ponies and seeing Granny Smith attempt to buck Flim, he smiled. Even Applebloom wanted a piece of Flim's flank to hit, which wasn't surprising considering what they had gone through and replied to them all, "You'll have to get in line, he tried to bribe me in exchange for keeping quiet about his identity! You will all get your shot at him!".

Looking back at Flim, Silverbolt whispered, "I am not gonna put you down yet, you are going on a flight with me.", he had an excited gleam in his eye as he pulled Flim higher into the air. "YOU ARE GOING TO NEVER FORGET THIS FLIGHT FLIM!", he shouted and began to do fly around the acres at high speed. Slaloming between the trees like a certain rainbow maned Pegasus he had met before, he asked, "Are you having fun? Because I am!".

[AlisonRose]

Astral in shock from that amazing kiss was trying to right herself as the blush smeared itself across her face hard.

"I, um, that, you..." She couldn't summon the words and thoughts to speak to Applejack.

"I'll only take one, but you can...take all these bits. I have no need for them." She nodded her head a few times and then just stood there next to Applejack and looked at her with unblinking eyes. She was now entranced by the farm pony and would surely want to come visit the farm again even if it wasn't for another kiss. She slowly turned her head and looked at the bit purse on the counter.

"I'm just glad to help the Apple Family." She giggled slowly and then noticed that she didn't even get to introduce herself yet.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself, I am Astral. I deal in herbs and flowers, most of my proprietors are zebra or chemists though." She looked on at the line and nodded her head a few more times.

"I'll...see you around Applejack, it was nice to meet you. If you would allow me to I would love to come visit the farm eventually if you are ever looking for some help or even just some company." She let out a soft giggle to herself and then started to trot away from the booth with a swish of her tail forgetting to even get her bushel of apples.

[Mojo]

Granny Smith continues to 'buck' at the floating Flim until she starts to exhaust herself.

"Can't... kick'm... gonna give it ONE more try," the determined elderly mare shouted as she gave out one more kick the very second Silverbolt 'flies' off with him. Her eyes grew huge as she watched the disguised unicorn ascending into the sky. "Whoa nelly! Don't even know my own strength! I didn't even think I hit'm!"

"Vell done, mein sister!" Apple Strudel shouted, waving an 'Apple Family' pennant in the air. The flies that had been buzzing around Flim's head returned to their master, Pigpen.

"Looks like Flim got his just desserts," the shaggy, smelly stallion said as his tummy began to roar loudly. "Oh my! I've been so busy today I haven't eaten yet. Well, as long as I'm here at Sweet Apple Acres, I'll buy me some sweet apples for lunch!"

The flies began to buzz extra loud as they circled Pigpen's head.

"Relax my friends! Of course I'll let you have all the apple cores!"

[RarityDash]

Rarity marveled at all the energy this was generating. Were ponies seriously trying to buy hundreds of bushels all on account of little kisses. Who knew Applejack was such a hot commodity. Rarity was beginning to wonder what a similar promotion might do for her business? Would that create a rush like this? Well, most of her customers were female... but as she looked toward the front of the line to see Applejack lock lips with a mare, she wondered if that really mattered.

"Howdy thar, Rarity! Y'all rearin' up ta get a kiss and some apples? Dontcha worry, ah won't tell any of tha stallions in town 'bout yer adventure out here."

The fashionable unicorn turned her head when Apple Bloom approached her for some words. She smiled at her sister's cute little friend and nodded. She wasn't entirely sure what the little filly meant with her words about not telling the stallions. She didn't care if anypony knew she came to Sweet Apple Acres anymore. Or wait, maybe the little filly was making presumptions about her lining up to kiss a mare? Well... that was maybe a little hard to explain, and probably would only really make sense to Rarity herself. She laughed.

"It's been a bit since ya came by, Rarity. Whatcha doin' thats got y'all away from us? Ah've got this great idea for a dress made out of apple sauce, if yer interested later."

Rarity smiled at the filly before giving her response. "It is good to see you again, Apple Bloom, darling. I've simply just been very busy with work these past few weeks, so I haven't had many chances to visit."

"As for your dress idea..." Rarity started, giving a weak laugh. "Yeah... it's creative, I suppose... but... I just don't think that would really work..."

[Boss_Hoss1]

the terrified Flim squirmed in Silverbolt's hooves, yanking his flank in the air to keep from being kicked by a flailing Granny Smith. "This is not funny, not in the least! Are you some sadistic beast?"

* I had better try to see if I can teleport. That delectible Twilight seems to do it with ease, right? * he thought.

Before he could concentrate on a nearby place to travel to, a swarm of flies buzzed at his face, ruining his concentration.

He gulped as the pegasus whispered nastily in his ear about a ride...

Before he could take a breath, he was suddenly whipping though the air, zooming in and out of the trees around the farm, screaming like a little filly.

The tall unicorn's straw hat came spinning out of the air to plop on Applebloom's head as Flim's voice blurred by "....Iyyyy waaantt myyyy moommmyyyyyy!......"

[Hippo]

Applejack smiled big at her sales. She was rolling in it, or so she thought. She watched as Astral walked away, leaving with her purse left on the counter, and without any apples on her hide. "Hay. Ma'am! You forgot yur- You forgot your purse! Ma'am!" It was no use. Astral had seemed to walk away from Applejack's voice. She might have been able to project her voice farther had there not been so much noise over on this side of the line. "What in tarnation?"

Applejack looked up and she saw a blue pegasus flying around her farm, carrying what looked to be an innocent stallion at first. But once the country hat fell off and she saw the bright yellow horn, she knew exactly who it was. "Wha- What! Flim, is that you!? Come right down here this instant!" Applejack stomped her hoof. "You there! The pegasus flying him around. Stop that nonsense right now and drop that pony right here in front of me!" Applejack was so tired of the nonsense. This scene was horrible for business. She didn't want to make ponies sign insurance wavers just so they can visit the farm. And even though she was disgusted by the ruse of Flam and Flim, she wanted to deal with them once and for all.

92 Kisses left!

(This 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.)

Kissed

1. Carrot Fields

2. Reno Golucky

3. Lore Weaver

4. Dunder Blust

5. Gentle Sol

6. Flam

7. Starburst

8. Astral

Coming up

9. Charleyhorse Daniels (Flim)

10. Survey

11. Silverbolt

12. Klondike

13. Incognito (Lyra)

14. Pony Joe

15. Rarity

16. Starburst

17. Pigpen

18.

19.

[Hurricane]

Cherry nodded at the amusing little colt that seemed so determined to outbuy her. "Why, ah sure did cutie, y'all heard me right!," she said coyly, turning back to the line and the chaos that was so besetting the sweet apple acres. "Be sure ta keep an eye on the confectioners, cos Sweet Apples an Dodge Cherries are gunna be togetha soon!" She said with a flourish. Taking Applejack's words in, she smiled. "Looks ike we both get our apples," she said with a smile.

"Applejack! Ah'm still serious about mah offer. Ah still owe ya fer tha work y'all put in fer me. Ah take ah'll just hafta take mah place at th' back o this lil line," she said. The elegant pony brushed her mane aside as she turned, and trotted back along the line, pausing at the white and purple unicorn, arching an eyebrow at her presence. "Why, if it ain't Miss Rarity! It is good ta know y'all ain't above linin' up an waitin' like ev'ry otha pony," she said with a chuckle. From what she had seen of the well groomed pony, she seemed a little too highly strung. But then, she had also entirely not seemed like a pony who would queue up for a kiss from a mare.

"Although... it is also good ta know y'all got an open mind," she said, smiling graciously, flittering her eyelids at her before pacing on to the back of the queue. She glanced back down along it, not recognising any other pony in the lineup. "Seems a shame that none other of Applejack's lil' friends are here, ah'd like ta see them again, thank them fer their help in mah orchards. An fer cleanin' it afterwards," she said to herself with a chuckle.

[RoyalDice]

The colt grunted, and glared at Cherry again for a short moment before easing up. '' Uhm.. yes, nevermind..'' he says, smiling at her gently. ''.. sorry?'' he muttered, and chuckled. Boy, was he overreacting! He just wanted those apples, but he was being too pushy once again. He then heard a rather excited voice coming from the stall where the kisses and apples were being sold. ''Hmm-?'' he stopped himself before even being able to say anything and just looked funny at the mare behind the stall.. who seemed to be dancing. ''.. Did we just make her.. dance.. of.. happiness?'' he asks Cherry, and tilted his head at the odd sighting. It did make him feel kinda good, as.. when somepony has to sell kisses just to get more apples sold, kinda needs the bits!

''Oh, that's great!'' he said, in response to the fact that there were more than enough bushels for the both of them. He did turn back to the mare that tried to best his offer. ''.. Uhm.. you did say Apple Cherry Pies, did you not?'' he asks, and smiles broadly. ''I love those!'' he says, excitedly. ''I had a bunch of those when i was in Appleloosa! They were great! ..Are you the.. uhm.. '' he tapped his chin. ''.. the.. boss of .. the place they are from?'' he asks, chuckling awkwardly.

[AlisonRose]

Misty Morning had been in Ponyville for some time recently as a promotional thing for the Wonderbolts. She was still wearing her Wonderbolts uniform but had the face mask pulled down to show off her face as well as her goggles resting around her neck allowing her to wander around with showing her eyes. The world was hazy to her but that meant nothing other then it was another challenge for her to overcome. She heard a loud commotion coming from over at Sweet Apple Acres and she walked over only to bump into Pigpen.

"Oh....Um...very sorry...I guess...I should try to pay more attention so that I stop walking into ponies." She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh as she tried to make out the shape of the pony. To her he seemed to be a very strong, handsome pony. Of course he needed a bath badly but you can't win them all. She shook her head to get her mane positioned properly around her face unlike how it was normally spiked back thanks to the uniform. She spoke in her soft voice trying to figure out what all the racket was going on near the front of the line. "Pardon me sir, but can you happen to be able to tell me what this line is for?" She giggled softly to herself and then thought about the fact that she was standing in a line and could easily just put her goggles on and look about with their corrective lenses but she really only used them for when she was preforming or practicing for the Wonderbolts. It would take her some time to actually get herself oriented with the layout of Ponyville and to be quite honest she had almost no idea where she was other then in a line of ponies who were waiting for something that must have been very special and well worth it.

[BaconofChaos]

"Say..."

Lyra froze in place as the stallion ahead of her began scrutinizing her. Just her luck that she would run into somepony she knew. A bead of sweat formed on her brow.

"Excuse me, but you look awfully familiar from somewhere... Have we met? Sorry, I don't usually forget a face, or for that matter, I don't usually realize I forgot a face. Actually, how would a pony know they forgot something if they forgot it in the first place? Or for that matter..."

Shoot, shoot, shoot! Of course this was going to happen. Ponyville wasn't that large of a town. She was bound to meet somepony who would recognise her.

"Ah, well, um, I do not think that we have met before." she spoke, with a quickly made-up accent that sounded vaguely Stalliongrad-ish. "You must be-" she went to continue, only to see that Klondike appeared to be staring at a point somewhere in the distance behind her head, his eyes unfocused. "-not listening to me." she finished, lamely.

"Well, I doubt pears would sell as good but that is aside the point... Hi! Sorry, name's Klondike and you look awfully familiar."

Whatever train of thought had gone on in the blue stallion's head was inscrutible to Lyra, but it seemed that it may have distracted him long enough for her disguise to work. Well... maybe. It was hard to ignore the fact that the ever deceitful Flim Flam Brothers had tried to infiltrate the apple orchard in disguise, though to what end, Lyra had no idea. The pair had already been unmasked and humiliated in front of the growing line of ponies. And the fashion pony that had been making her bridesmaid dress for the big Canterlot wedding had just arrived too. Another drop of sweat dripped down the side of the aquamarine unicorn's neck.

"Ah, yes, is pleasure to meet you." she said, trying to mask her voice by making it deeper. "I am Incognito, pony from Stalliongrad. We have not met before. I am here to buy Ponyville apples." said continued. Her eyes darted back and forth beneath her sunglasses, and she pulled the largest grin she could. Please fall for it! she thought to herself.

[Chonico]

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you Incognito!” Klondike suddenly grabbed the pony’s hoof and began to shake it vigorously as he smiled at her. His right ear though still twitched furiously at her, as if trying to get its owner to realize the truth. He eventually stopped shaking her hoof and continued to smile at her.

“You’ve come to the right place for apples! Miss Applejack grows the best ones around. Maybe the best in the whole of Equestria.” He quickly paused and brought up a hoof to tap his chin.

“Well, actually, never been to the whole of Equestria. I should travel more…” At that moment, his gaze shifted upwards and away from Incognito/Lyra as if trying to focus on something off in the distance. There was a slight glazed look forming in his eyes before he finally snapped out of it.

“… No, a traveling repair shop wouldn’t work.” He finished his thought process as he began to look back towards the pony from Stalliongrad.

“So tell me Miss Incognito, how are you liking Ponyville? How did you hear about Miss Applejack’s apples?”

[Mojo]

When Silverbolt brought the revealed Flim back and hovered with him over next to AppleJack, Granny Smith became infuriated.

"HAY! When I kicks'm, they don't NEVER come back! Hold'm still so I kin give it to'm agin'!" the gray maned mare shouted.

"Nein, mein sister!" Apple Strudel neighed as he stepped in between Granny and the floating Flam. "Applejack vishes to speak vith dis dumkoff und vee must respect dat!"

"Well, reckon yur right, Strudel," Granny Smith said calmly before turning her face towards Flim. "Once my AppleJack is done jawin' with ya, THEN yur gotta GIT IT like I done before!"

Meanwhile, near the back of the line, Pigpen stood patiently, humming a happy tune until his loyal buzzing flies began to buzz louder as they circled his head.

"No no, my friends," the smelly shaggy stallion said. "I don't want you to go buzz around Flim's head again. I have a feeling he needs to hear what AppleJack is about to tell him."

As he was still speaking, Pigpen felt a slight bump from behind. The shaggy stallion turned and was shocked to see a mare in a Wonderbolt costume! He smiled in acknowledgement to her apology and smiled even wider when she asked what this line was for.

"The Apple Family's selling apples today and it must be one great deal for so many to be waiting in line. I had heard rumor from a very UNRELIABLE unicorn that AppleJack is offering kisses as part of the deal. I wouldn't believe if THAT unicorn Flam said it was raining until I got hit with the raindrops! Oh, where are my manners, my name's Pigpen. Which of the famous Wonderbolt team are you?"

[AlisonRose]

Misty giggled to herself as the pony informed her of what the line was for and with a slight blush at the part about getting a kiss from Applejack. She had heard of Applejack from Spitfire and Soarin but it was different to actually meet her in person. She swished her mane back as the tall stallion asked her which of the Wonderbolts she was.

"Misty, Misty Morning, but most ponies just call me Misty." She nodded her head a few times and then shook her mane lose again and let it fall down to frame her face how she liked it. She tried to get a better look at the pony but her nose scrutched up as she caught a good whif of him and the sound of the flies buzzing around him was distracting her. Her ears clearly tracking their sound as she just looked on into nothing. She tilted her head to the side a touch and tried to pinpoint where all the yelling was coming from. She let out a small cough as she was still sick from her last run through the rain but that was what she got for being so in love with rain. She was a bit wobbly and it was clear that she wasn't feeling a hundred percent but it wasn't as if she was that sick to pass out or be in any danger.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Pigpen, if I may ask how do you know about the Wonderbolts or what do you do for a living?" She giggled as she asked an obvious question, everypony who was anypony knew about the Wonderbolts.

[SteelEagle]

The fevered bidding that took place between Cherry Jubilee and Survey had excited Apple Bloom a little too much, her bouncing up and down on the table sending it wobbling until she missed the stand altogether and tumbled to the ground. She got up and blushed wide as her sister took control, watching her work her sales pitch while also wielding her honesty like a club with which to very charmingly batter her customers into blissful submission. Eventually, they all seemed to back away from the insanity that would have been paying three times as much for apples, but the original offers of purchasing hundreds of bushels were still on the table. The sheer thought of it could drive somepony made: How in the hay were you supposed to eat so any apples. Even an Apple family pony had to eat something different at some point but a hundred bushels would go bad long before they could be used.

Luckily, her mind had been saved by the Flim situation, which was made even more dramatic when Applejack rose behind her and demanded that the brother be placed on the ground. Apple Bloom perked back up and stomped her back hooves on the ground in a manner meant to be intimidating, but there was little that was scary about the very tiny puffs of dirt that arose from her impact marks.

"Yeah, git'em down 'ere so we can kick all the way back ta Canterlot!" Apple Bloom said as she nudged her sister in excitement. She'd never seen Applejack buck somepony before and if Granny Smith had sent the first one flying so far, then this poor fella might get real acquainted with Celestia's sun. Real intimately.

Apple Bloom turned to the crowd od ponies who were all gibbering and jabbering away with one another, being real friendly and generally polite. Generally, at least, would serve her for now.

"Hey y'all! Look't what we do with doin'-nah-gooders around 'ere!" She bellowed through the bullhorn before she reared up and leapt away from Applejack, revealing her like she was some sort of showpony.

Pathfinder was not a pony noted for her patience, but even one who did have a patient personality would say that starving was a horrible thing to be subjected to. They would also say that Pathfinder thinking dramatically to herself that this was the very last day on Earth for her was way over-the-top and out of line, but she didn't really care what other ponies said unless they said it to her face. And they could rarely do that because she had wings and didn't believe she was obligated to listen to somepony complain and whine about something she was doing. It was the best thing about being a pegasi: Earth pony giving you the what-for? Fly away and go spelunking in a cave for a few days. Pegasi didn't have to deal with stupid ponies unless they were also pegasi, but, well, nopony was perfect. Though pegasi came close.

These were silly and distracting thoughts, bringing her attention away from her rumbling stomach. It had been a long walk from the Everfree to this town and she had misallocated resources somewhere around the time she had been half-stoned by a Cockatrice. That would prove an awesome chapter in her fanfiction about Daring Do trekking through the Everfree to meet the love of her life, but she believed that 'a little stomach ache' was a poor follow-up. No, she was starving as far as she was concerned and the whole world waited with baited breath to learn her fate. At least they would when they turned the page.

And that page was Ponyville. She had traveled through here on a small number of occasions and found it a quaint place that was wholly unexceptional. Those towns always held the best stories though, and she had it marked on a map as one of the places she would go to mine for more information regarding adventures. Today the only thing she would mine were apples for her stomach. Then again she didn't have to mine them, more lick pick them from their trees in the dead of the night and this time not even that, just pay for them. Legally. This time, at least. She had the bits which certainly changed affairs, as usually she had to get by on the kindness of strangers- whether they knew or approved it or not. It was adventurous!

She trotted through the city, only analyzing the fliers for the words 'wanted' and 'reward' but found the experience, for lack of a better term, very unrewarding. Something about kissing mares and bestest sisters and blah blah blah. It wasn't interesting and was disregarded like so much trash, which must have been a serious problem in Ponyville if the sheer number of fliers floating around lazily and stuck against buildings was any indication. maybe they were afraid to take the trash out in this town because of some local superstition? One that involved magical orbs somehow? She hoped so, because helping a town become presentable and habitable again while also achieving awesome feats of adventuring was a two-for-one deal that only came around once a month or two.

She trotted towards Sweet Apple Acres aggressively. She knew what the score was there; anypony who was anypony knew who was there. Mostly because the Apple family was the largest in the land and could be found in any part of the country(and dear Celestia could Pathfinder attest to that) and Sweet Apple Acres was the largest farm of its type in the known world. There was a line and a flash of brilliance connected the very simple dots; the signs, the fliers, it all led to her like some cosmic force had guided her to this very spot. Or she had just come in on a random day and been lucky to see such a silly event take place but an adventurer knew that nothing in the world was random. The mare chuckled as she took her place at the end of the line, fully expecting to scamper away with legally pay for all of the her one bushel of apples. Pathfinder shook her head violently.

"Come on, brain! Quit with the stinkin' thinkin'!" She said, knocking her hoof against her head three times for good measure, since doing so twice no longer seemed to have an effect.

[Blueblood]

Some streets down from the end of the line, a unicorn emerged into the sunlight of mid-morning, and immediately sneezed. He sniffed as he shook the dust out of his mane. *That's the last box, at least. Just in time, too; my train leaves tomorrow.* Earth Writer, as he was called, stretched his legs and shook all over to loosen the muscles which he'd kept idle during his packing, before walking out, looking over all the buildings of his foalhood home as he went nowhere in particular.

He'd come down to pick up the last of his books that he'd left with his family before he went back to Canterlot; his move from a school dormitory to a small apartment had left him enough room to bring his stuff back up. Plus, it gave him an excuse to visit, and show off his new degree to his parents. They'd been so proud of him; he'd finally picked up his Geographic accredation! It was what he'd been striving to get ever since he'd aquired his cutie mark, a globe with a quill pen over it, showing his abiding interest in the subject. Other than that, his tan coat was unmarked, though his muzzle was as black as his mane.

He came back from his reverie with a jolt; some filly was yelling into a megaphone, something about showing a "niegh-er do well" something? She sounded angry, whatever it was about. The noise was coming from Sweet Apple Acres, it sounded like. Earth Writer decided to go see what was up. Might be a good show, you never knew.

Turning a corner, the unicorn could see the back of a line stretching to a booth where the proprietors of the Apple Farm were holdign some kind of promotion, but that wasn't what brought him up short. *No way, it couldn't be...* A brown pegasus mare, grey mane and tail, dressed like an explorer... he rushed up to her, only stopping when he got a closer look at her own cutie mark.

"Oh, I beg your pardon!" He said to the mare. "For a moment, well," he rubbed the side of his neck self-consciously with a forehoof, "For a moment I thought you were Daring Do in the flesh." He gave a sheepish smile, before pointing towards the front of the line. "Any idea what's going on up there?"

[SilverSwirl]

Silverbolt ignored Flim's whining and screaming and glided back to the stand with Flim in tow. Coming to a gentle stop, he gently placed him on the ground in front of Applejack at her and Granny Smith's request. He felt absolutely disgusted with himself at his recent behavior and stood there silently, not making eye contact with Applejack. He was worried that she would refuse to serve him when his turn came up and that he would have to go hungry as his stomach rumbled again. He tried to keep that feeling hidden but failed miserably, looking at the bushels of apples with hungry eyes as he said to the Apple family ponies in attendance, "I'm very sorry about my behavior, it was improper and probably not good for business. It's just that HE tried to buy my silence about his true identity. I was absolutely, positively, INFURIATED by his offer and kinda lost my cool. If you don't want to sell me any apples today, I will accept that as it is what I deserve for being so foalish.", with a genuinely contrite tone. Then he dropped a bombshell, "I'll try to make it, although my cupboards are bare... And I'm starving from carrying him around."

[Boss_Hoss1]

The Fabulous Flim Was definitely not feeling fabulous as the terrifying ride ended and he was laid on the ground at Applejack's hooves.

he was pale as death, covered with sweat, and his eyes were wild spinning spirals.

He had yet to notice his hat had landed squarely on Applebloom's head as she was doing her part as a carnival barker pointing him out as what happens to bad ponies.

Flim closed his eyes and moaned weekly 'I..I surrender! I give up! I give in! Kamerad! Uncle! Just cease the planet from spinning..g..gg... *Ulp*'

He turned a sickly green for a moment, but managed to keep it down.

"I do not know what you plan to do to me but I probably deserve it, fair and beautious Applejack.."

[RarityDash]

Rarity stood in the line waiting. My, was this line noisy. All sort of ponies were chattering back and forth at each other; ponies were even flying up and around with each other and such. Were they really getting so worked up about Applejack? Rarity was surprised. AJ did have an admitted amount of charm, but Rarity had never figured her to be the type who was super popular with the stallions (and mares as well, apparently). If this was a line to kiss Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash even, Rarity would have understood instantly but for this buzz to be surrounding Applejack wasn't something she would have expected.

Though it was busy, not many ponies were paying her much mind. Apple Bloom went along her way after expressing her silly applesauce dress idea, and most of the ponies around her were fairly quiet. One pony did approach her though, a somewhat familiar face, the cherry farmer from Dodge Junction. Rarity smiled as she called out to her.

"Oh, don't worry, darling. As fabulous as I may be, I'm not the sort to expect special treatment for myself," she said in an even voice, smiling.

She laughed when the cherry farmer mentioned the others. "Perhaps the rest of our little group may stop by. We'll see. Though in the case of most of them, the idea might prove just a touch awkward."

[Hurricane]

Cherry let out a soft giggle at the colt's comments. "Well, ah shure ain't from Appleoosa, but Dodge Cherries're famous all ova this fine land of Equestria! Ah ain't made Cherry Apple Pies fer donkies years, though. Ah dun fancy yer had anythin' as good as these, shugah," she said with a smile and a wink, her trademark drawl seeming even thicker than usual. She had discovered a potential new soruce of income, and was doing her best to exploit it to the best of everyone's desires.

She turned to the ice-white pony once again, and let out another giggle. "Shucks, ah reckon there ain't a filly among ya that'd turn down an offer like this! T'ain't evry day ya get ta take home a bushel of the finest apples around AND steal a kiss from that fabulous mare's lips," she said, having noticed all the murmurings around her about the offer of the kiss. "Though, Ah will admit y'all got a dainty charm to yerself too," she said, flittering her eyelids at the unicorn.

Ponies were coming and going by the handful as the mare watched, taking in the rather hyperactive young filly and her grandmother, wondering if this was the Applebloom and Granny Smith that Applejack had mentionned in passing. Tapping her hoof to her chin, she mused upon this a little while longer, before returning to her ponywatching.

[Hippo]

Applejack was an honest pony. And if she could be honest about the situation, everypony was starting to get on her nerves. She normally wouldn't let it soak so deep as to keep her from losing her composure though. However, the fact that she was offering seconds of lip time to purchasing ponies probably kept the stress a little higher than usual. Applejack saw Silverbolt drop Flim. She didn't really know who the pegasus was, and at the moment she didn't really care. She was entirely focused on the yellow unicorn. The con pony. The swindler. The lack of integrity could be smelled by Applejack's unexplainable senses, and it disgusted her.

Applejack stared at the now surrendered pony. After a moment, she walked back to the bushels area, grabbed a bushel, threw it on his back and took 5 bits out of Flim's barber shop vest that was hidden under his pathetic excuse for a country outfit. She threw the bits over to Granny and helped Flim up. She did all of this while frowning an angled expression. She looked at Flim and kissed him halfheartedly on the cheek. "Ok. You got mah apples, I got your bits, and you got mah kiss. I don't know what nerve you and your brother had to come here to today and dress up like ya did, but if you ever do it again, just remember that Ah'm the only thing keeping mah Granny from kicking you to the moon." Applejack pointed over to Granny who was huffing and puffing like a restrained angry bull. Certainly anyone in their right mind would not want to be dealing with her angry side.

Applejack looked back at Flim and stared him right in the eye, her expression angry, but kind as she could crack. Her mouth pointed east and west with her flattened emotion. "Now get the buck off our farm."

Applejack turned back to the kiss stand upon seeing Flim retreat to whence he came. Her expression still flattened from the incident, she noticed that the green pony who was next had moved back in his detail conversation with Cherry. Cherry sure was good at striking up conversation. It was several hours that Applejack carried on with her during the last visit to Canterlot's rodeo. But next in line was the blue Pegasus who flew Flim around was next in line it seemed, and he was down with emotion as his wings and eyes could reveal. Applejack tried to be nice, but all she could muster was a neutral, "What'dyou want?"

91 Kisses left!

(This 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.)

Kissed

1. Carrot Fields

2. Reno Golucky

3. Lore Weaver

4. Dunder Blust

5. Gentle Sol

6. Flam

7. Starburst

8. Astral

9. Flim

Coming up

10. Silverbolt

11. Klondike

12. Incognito (Lyra)

13. Pony Joe

14. Rarity

15. Starburst

16. Pigpen

17. Survey (as per RoyalDice, moved back next to Cherry in line)

18. Cherry Jubilee

19. Misty Morning

20. Pathfinder

21. Earth Winter

22.

23.

[SilverSwirl]

He looked up at Applejack and at the sight of her expression and the tone of her question made him feel even worse, his wings drooping to the ground. His face an expression of pure remorse and desperate hunger, he replied to her query, "I am really sorry for what I have done. He tried to bribe me to stay silent and I lost my cool. I was and still am extremely hungry with bare cupboards at home. I hope you can forgive my foalishness, my name is Silverbolt and I believe you met my mother, Ponyville's dentist, Sunrise Wisp. I need 2 bushels of apples, please." Weaving on his hooves, he felt faint from hunger and was just waiting for Applejack to say no and buck him into the moon.

[sevofthesands]

(IM BAAACK)

Windy Daze had seen all that happened from his Air balloon and had decided to join in on the fun. he like apples he liked kisses so he calmly drifted down from his perch to the back of the line.

[Boss_Hoss1]

The smooth lipped half of the World Famous Flim Flam Brothers gulped as the angry mare stood over him.

He would not have minded if Luna had opened the earth under him at that moment facing that angry glare.

Flim gasped in surprise as Applejack turned away from him and instead of bucking him into next week, returned with a bushel of apples which she promptly dropped on his back.

The unicorn watched, amazed, as Applejack reached into his vest and extracted the price of a bushel of apples.

At a loss for words for the first time in his career as a con.. sales pony, he finally found his voice. "A-after all we did...why?...."

His mind was sent reeling when she gave him a lukewarm kiss on the cheek.

The angry mare told him off but good and ordered him to leave, which he did, galloping quickly in the direction he could feel his brother was.

It suddenly hit him; She was Honesty and Integrity itself... was that what it meant?

He didnt' know what was worse; that their perfume business would continue on the benefit of something the Brothers considered something for suckers they could drop at their convenience, "honesty"... or the memory of the honest kiss that would surely fill his dreams for weeks... "Why... why could we not have tried this honesty when we met her..."

-----Meanwhile------

Thorn the donkey, currently wearing a derby and string tie, had been traveling to visit his parents in Canterlot for a few days, when there was a layover in Ponyville waiting for the Friendship Express.

His eyes widened as he read the flyers. A great hero mare, one of those that had even come to Appleoosa, and made it safe for Madam Bistro and him to come and open her B&B Bistro. One who had even worked for Cherry Jubilee over in Dodge Junction for a couple weeks before her friends came and got her back in a tussle still being talked about in the salt lick bars in Dodge Junction and Appleoosa. "Apples and a kiss? I do believe my parents deserve some Sweet Apple Acre apples, and how often does a donkey get to kiss a pony? And a Heroine of Equestria at that?"

Thorn smiled and the russet donkey trotted to Sweet Apple Acres, following the directions and soon arrived at the end of the line as a face that had plagued Appleoosa galloped by in fear "Was that one of the Flim Flam Brothers?"