>when you first got to equestria, you wandered around not know where you were
>it wasn’t until you met the applejack and her friends that you first started getting a grasp of what this world was
>despite your initial shock and fear of them, they were able to talk you down and ask you what was going on
>”whoaahh there partner, slow it down a little, what’s goin on and why are you so antsy?”
>the orange one, who you later found out to be applejack was the first to properly speak to you
“I, I just, I don’t know where i am, and, and, I-”
>she gives you a look of concern
>”settle down now, what’s got you so worried and how can we help?”
>after calming down you explained everything that you understood to applejack about what happened to you
>the six of them listened patiently and the rest is history

>”ANON, get yer butt out here, need help splittin logs”
>when you came to ponyville, apple jack was quick to offer you a place to stay in exchange for helping with the chores
“On it AJ!”
>despite being the size you are compared to the ponies, the chores were not any easier
>”c’mon anon, put yer back into it!”
>your technique is awful
>you could never get the angle right
>guess your just a slow learner with this kind of stuff
“I’m sorry AJ, I ju-”
>”shucks, don’t sweat it anon, I know you’re still adjusting and all, but that don’t mean im gonna make it easy on ya forever”
>applejack was always playful, it’s one of the things that you really enjoyed about her
>”take your time, today’s work is pretty light so you go on and take it slow now”
>”and don’t you dare forget to take a water break mister!”
>applejack’s way of being kind is a bit odd, you could never find the words to describe it 
>but for whatever reason, her words always had an impact on you despite being nothing more than a simple reminder
>her words had a way of overwhelming you with joy
>you could never understand the feeling
>but it’s one you knew you never wanted to live without

>sweet apple acres has been pulling in far more income in recent times
>ever since the explosion in the price of zap apple jam, it’s become a sort of luxury sought after by nobles all across equestria
>with this sort of income, applejack insisted that you could be paid a decent wage 
>originally you declined since you were already being given a free place to stay and food as well
>but she was having none of it
>again, applejack’s kindness sure had an allure to it
>for months you used to just save it since you never really needed much of anything
>at first you planned on saving up for your own place 
>when discussing it with AJ she gave some big speech about you being just as much apart of the family as the rest of the apples
>”if you keep talkin crazy like that i might as well not pay you at all”
>though seemingly rude, AJ knows how much you like staying with her
>after knowing her awhile she became more comfortable expressing herself in that sort of way
>threatening you with kindness
>it was her special way of saying she wanted you to stick around

>without an outlet for your income it just kept pilling up
>you would often lay awake at night thinking about all of the cool things you wish you could have shown AJ and our friends
>partly because you find yourself thinking about earth a lot
>in some ways you really miss it
>that maybe things weren’t so bad there
>sure, you HATED it, but there’s this weird nostalgia to it that’s hard to explain
>it was miserable but it was also where you came from
>plus you fantasize about bringing cool tech to equestria
>just imagine all the fun things you would want to show AJ and the gang
>cars would have been the most fun
>imagining yourself driving around with AJ in the car and watching her excitement would have been amazing
>letting her stick her head out of the window
>i bet rainbow dash would have tried to race us too
>and you bet she would still win
…
>you wonder what you could conjure up around here
>you sure as hell didnt have an idea how stuff was made back on earth
>but your sure you could always tinker around with something
…
>that sounds really fun…
>sure, your not knowledgable on anything technology wise
>but whos to say you can’t try?
…
>you can’t think of anything
>every idea you have is super advanced 
>fucking hell a motor alone would be impossible let alone all the other shit that goes with it to make a vehicle function
…
>start small
>where do you even begin?
…
>christmas lights are cool
>you would really love to show AJ your version of hearthswarming with a proper christmas tree and the nice amber lights
…
>you cant do lights can you…
>at least not the way they’re supposed to be… 
…
>thinking back to your middle school days there were a lot of science projects that were decently cool
>making stuff fizz and all that was somewhat fun but nothing impressive or even worthwhile to do
…
>THE FIREWORKS PROJECT
>THATS PER-
>they wouldn’t have the materials for it would they
…
!highlight!>without any real idea of what to do you find your best bet is to fall asleep and check out what they have at the store
>maybe it will give you a better idea project wise
…
>you really want to do something special for AJ
…
>ever since she was so welcoming of you, you can’t shake the idea you're permanently in her debt
>you just wish you could finally show how thankful you are
…
>fireworks would have really been the perfect idea…
>i mean they have construction workers here
>it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that they would have stuff like an assortment of garage chemicals and all that
>maybe you're just getting your hopes up… 
…

>the next morning is your day off
“Hey AJ, runnin' to the store need anything?”
>”naw, i don’t need nothin”
“Alright i’ll see you in a bi-”
>”now hold on just a minute”
>she kind of caught you off guard, you instinctively freeze up
“Uh-uhm, y-yeah AJ?”
>she sits down on the floor
>she tilts her head slightly and looks at you
>”ya need any spendin' money?”
…
>THIS FUCKING WOMAN
“AJ you’ve already been giving me spending money”
>”well yeah, but i mean if it’s a trip to the store i would hate for you to only have enough money to-”
>you immediately cut her off
“AJ look, I appreciate it and all but I'm worried about you”
“You always seem to want to give me money for no reason”
“It’s not that I'm not grateful, I'm just worried, don’t you need money to keep the business running?”
>”are you kidding me anon?”
>oh boy here we go
>”sweet apple acres has been pulling in more money this year than the last 2 years combined, i think you oughta have your fair share is all”
>AJ really is sweet in her own, odd and confusing way
“AJ i have been saving up all of my bits for the past few months”
“I haven't even spent a single bit yet because i never really needed anything”
“I need you to understand that you gave me a free place to stay, free food, and all i have to do are some simple chores that take less than 6 hours a day”
“I dont even have a concept of a ‘fair share’ since i never have a need for money anyways, everything is provided for me” 
“AJ, to be honest with you, i feel guilty about having everything provided for me like this without doing much of anything”
>she gives you a slightly nervous look
>her head tilts down a little
>shit you didn’t mean to make her feel bad or anything
“Look, i just feel like im not pulling my weight like the rest of you”
“And being constantly given money, i feel like a parasite more than anything”
“It’s not that im not grateful, it’s just that … i feel like i owe you a debt i could never pay back”
>she gives you a fierce look
>”now anon im not sure what’s goin through your head but i don’t wanna ever hear you talk like that again”
>”’a debt you could never pay back’? ‘Non you don’t owe me nothin, I like havin you around”
>”hay, compared to what sweet apple acres used to make, I feel pretty uncomfortable with all this money sittin around too”
>”that’s, uh, partly why I keep offerin ya bits so much…”
>”besides, there ain’t no price I wouldn’t pay to keep you around anyways, if you knew just how much I wanted you to stick around maybe you wouldn’t feel so bad about all this”
>her words always had a calming effect on you
>you turn towards her and sit on the floor
“AJ, that was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me”
>you feel your eyes water just slightly
>you really don’t want AJ to think you’re weird but those words just came out on their own
>”well, I’ll be sure to think a somethin even nicer soon”
>she gives you a smug grin
>and yet somehow it’s the warmest smile you’ve ever seen
>you sniffle slightly indicating you should head out before AJ sees just how much her words meant to you
>she REALLY has a way with words
>you wordlessly give her a small wave before heading to the store
>emotions concealed, mission accomplished

>on your way to the store you see rainbow and fluttershy walking by
>”well well well, if it isn’t anonymous the ’biped’”
>you should have never told rainbow that word
>it’s all she ever calls you now and she thinks it’s the funniest thing ever
>”hello anon, how's applejack been?”
>you give rainbow dash a jokingly mean look before responding to fluttershy
“She’s been great, what are you guys up to?”
>”oh, you know jus-”
>rainbow interjects
>”JUST GETTING THE MOST AWESOME SEQUEL TO THE DARING DO SERIES!!!”
>fluttershy shoots rainbow a slightly stern look before speaking again
>”we better get going before it’s sold out anon, sorry we couldn’t talk longer”
“That’s alright fluttershy, see you later”
>”later mister BIPED”
>rainbow giggles like a maniac as the two of them walk away
>rainbow sure has a ‘way’ with words…
>you know spike walks on two legs too
>why doesn’t rainbow call him a biped?
…
>she probably doesn't even know what biped means
…

>The trip to the store was pretty uneventful after that
>you sure hope they have at least something useful at the store
>equestria isn’t really backwards technologically but they sure don’t have as much as earth
>probably because of their reliance on magic

>finally you made it there
>looking up and down all the aisles it seems that most of their stuff is basic kids craft stuff
>even the big project stuff has nothing that jogs your mind
>sad to say there’s nothi-
>hold on
>that’s fucking-
“Stump remover?”
>THATS EXACTLY THE STUFF YOU NEED
>you remember exactly how to make those rockets from science class back in middle school
>the teacher would go on and on about how there were different results based on the ratios of the mixture of charcoal, fertilizer powder, and stump remover
>and something about how each ingredient works
>but everyone just wanted to see fire and that sort of thing
>science class is only fun when something bubbles or explodes
>with a suspicious amount of ingredients bought all you needed to do was hit up a garden store and head home
>after grabbing a few more necessary supplies you have everything you need for the project except one thing
>fireworks are now back on the table…

>a quick trip to sugar cube corner was in order
>you asked pinkie where you could get powdered sugar from she just up and offered you a few bags
>apparently sugar cube corner is apocalypse stocked with baking supplies
>despite trying to offer payment pinkie was insistent on letting you take it
>”nonny I know that look of yours, you got a plan of some sort dontcha”
>”and I wanna see what it is”
>she gives you this mischievous grin as if she could read your mind
>hell she might actually BE reading your mind considering the look on her face
“Um, sort of, just don’t tell anyone till I finish”
“It’s, uh, a secret”
>shit, you forgot how bad pinkie is at keeping secrets
>better finish this project fast before she breaks the news
>”you know nonners, it isn’t a real secret if I don’t really know what it is”
>you breathe a hefty sigh of relief
> your secret plan should be safe
>and with that your set to begin the experiment

>https://youtu.be/G6HGpr5CAKs (the plan is coming together)

>with a nearly endless supply of all the materials you need you shouldn’t have to worry about using them all
>besides, you’ve got money to spare if you need 
>with everything in order it’s best to start out with the basics
>you need to find the perfect mixture of charcoal, fertilizer, and stump remover
>your best considering your memory of this stuff is still there but very loose on the specifics is to trial and error the living hell out of this
>all you know is that it’s 3/4 stump remover and some charcoal powder and then a smaller portion of that specialty fertilizer
>through an obscene amount of trial and error you find the perfect ratio for all the black powder
>everything has to be perfect for when you show applejack

>the rocket part was easier
>the only 2 important ingredients were powdered sugar and stump remover
>the trial and error with that one was pretty easy
>with only 2 ingredients the process was far quicker than with black powder
>after all that was done you made a little case for it and jam-packed it exactly how you remembered it being done in class
>with that out of the way you could move on to the easiest part

>the fuse was nothing more than yarn covered in the black powder
>works exactly like a normal firework fuse but is pretty fragile and not very waterproof
>the firework part of the whole fireworks project was a lot more confusing
>having little memory of how this part worked back when you were doing this project in school it was definitely the most tedious part of the whole project
>an insane amount of fucking around and finding out later you figured out how to rig this thing to make a decent firework effect
>all of the tests being small scale of course
>couldn’t risk loud noises and all that
>normally fireworks go off with a loud bang
>something like that could spook AJ and you would hate for your surprise to scare her like that
>especially since it wouldn’t be a surprise if you explained there was going to be a big explosion
>hell, explaining it like that might just make it worse
>with some modification, you could make the fireworks more quiet
>it won’t be as extravagant but it will sizzle in the sky in an equally impressive way
>it should look just as good without a startling bang 
>besides, loud fireworks are for rednecks
>instead of making it one big explosion, by making multiple smaller ones inside the same firework you can get the same amount of firework spread without a startling bang
>even after testing it on the ground the sound is negligible yet the spread was perfect
>at least as perfect as a firework on the ground can be
>you want these to be more a work of art than anything
>and every work of art needs to have its color
>with everything being functional the only experiment left is to add a bit of color to it
>you remember from class that the colors come from different chemicals
>all you know is that if you can get your hands on a new chemical 
>it will be tested

>after days of testing and retesting an absurd amount of combinations and multiple trips to multiple stores your final designs are finished
>after weeks of rigorous work towards this whole project you finally have every piece of information needed to recreate any sort of firework you need
>tons of designs you know AJ will love
>the sound is nothing more than a mild pop 
>almost the equivalent of bubble wrap
>there’s no chance it would wake up anyone in ponyville
>you’ve never been so proud of your work before
>finally, you get to give AJ a gift she truly deserves

>https://youtu.be/7FF7yjGx6oY (I will do anything for you)

>you approach AJ in a slow and methodical way
“Hey AJ, can I show you something”
>the words are barely a whisper but enough for her to understand
>applejack adopts your volume
>“Of course anon, whadya have in mind?”
“Just follow me”
>”alright, lead the way”
>the two of you stroll out to the edge of sweet apple acres where there is a perfect view of the night sky
>”well, what is it?”
“Just stay here a moment”
>once you make your way toward the fireworks you set up before, you light the fuse 
>your idea to connect all the fireworks to one fuse each at different lengths to have them fire at different time 
>this allowed you the opportunity to sit with applejack while you watched the fireworks show too
>you swiftly light the fuse and make your way back to her
>the fuse is long enough to let you tell her something before it all starts
>”anon, what’s going on?”
“Applejack, I wanted to show you just how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me”
“Everything you’ve done means the world to me, I can’t even begin to imagine where I would be without you”
“Even after this is over, I want you to know its nothing compared to what you’ve given me”
>you end your quiet speech to her by taking your seat
>before applejack can even speak the show starts
>quiet glistening light stretches across the sky and outshines all the stars behind it
>the beauty of the lights in the sky is a monument of your gratitude
>the varied colors
>blue
>green
>red
>and every other color imaginable is so rich it even astonishes you
>every variation, combination, shape, and all that comes with it leaves applejack in awe
>her eyes glisten as every soft explosion of light reflects off them 
>her eyes fill with tears of joy
>her chest swells with emotion, hardly able to contain it all
>you can hear muffled sniffles as applejack turns to you
>”a-anon... This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me…”
>”I-I don’t even know how I will e-ever thank y-you…”
>she presses her head against you looking downwards
>tears freely fall down her muzzle as she can lets out everything she held back mere moments ago
>recognizing the last few of the fireworks you gently guide her head to face the scene one last time
>she lets your hand guide her effortlessly 
>as she rests her head on your hand the final burst of light appears
>her cutie mark, in all its glory, spread across the sky in the most mesmerizing way
>her feelings pour out after witnessing her gift
>as the light from it all fades away she gently lifts her face from the comfort of your hands and turns to give you the warmest hug in the whole world
>”I-IT WAS AMAZING”
>her words envelop you with joy
>as much as you’ve tried, your feelings are let out
>together, your embrace is showered with tears
>you finally feel like you can let go
>there is nothing that ties you to earth anymore
>no regrets, what ifs, or wants
>you have finally moved on and feel that, truly, this is your home, forever
>and nothing will ever stop you from feeling that way