Author's Note: By the time you're reading this it may be two or three days since my last update. We have just entered . . . THE TWILIGHT ZONE! DUN dun DUNNNN!

Chapter 3: Preparations

The next morning, Braeburn woke up as the train continued onward to Ponyville. He gazed out the dirty dusty windows on the other side of the car and sighed as his mind was still on the same thing. The reason he was travelling there in the first place.

"Soon you're gonna be there . . . you're gonna have to face her . . . what will she say? If she does go through with this what is your married life gonna be like?"

Braeburn sighed; thinking about it more and more just made him ten times as nervous. The train car was filled with the chill autumn air and yet he was sweating up a storm.

He ran a hoof through his butterscotch mane and that was when he realized he hadn't had a bath in nearly a week. Nearly everyone in Appaloosa bathed only once a week to conserve water . . . but he was really smelly and dirty. This made him begin to wonder what everyone was going to think.

He sighed and continued to stare out the window. He would be in Ponyville by sundown.

Applejack couldn't concentrate one bit on bucking the remaining apple trees in the orchard. After Granny Smith had contacted the rest of the Apple Family to tell them about the wedding, they dropped everything to come make it happen sooner. They helped clear out the rest of the apple orchard and buck the rest of the trees. With every pony helping out, the remnants of the orchard were in baskets and carried to wagons in no time.

By the time every pony left, it was going into late afternoon and Applejack had been given a thousand "Congratulations!" or at least it seemed like it. However, no pony asked her who she was marrying. She walked into her house to find Granny Smith with her huge glasses cooking up a storm and preserving apples at the same time. The kitchen looked like Pinkie Pie's doings when she made cupcakes.

Applejack knew what her Granny was doing. She was preparing for Braeburn's arrival although he wouldn't be there for a few hours. She sighed and decided to go take a bath to try and relax before everything became stressful.

Braeburn arrived at the train station in Ponyville and waited for awhile, wondering if anyone was coming to fetch him. After waiting a half an hour, he decided to head to Sweet Apple Acres himself. He picked up his light belongings and began to trot through Ponyville. At least until a certain pink pony spotted him . . .

She gasped like she was out of breath loudly and darted in front of him.

"Don't I know you?!" She yelled excitedly.

Braeburn quickly recognized her as one of Applejack's compadres, "Yes. I think you do, you made a trip to-"

He and Pinkie Pie made the same movement of kicking up their front hooves while shouting. "AAAPPPAAALLOOOSSSAA!"

She giggled and he chuckled then she looked at him questionably. "So why are you here in Ponyville? You haven't been around since . . . the bad time . . ."

Braeburn blushed, looking at his hooves, struggling to find the right words. "Well . . . it's kinda hard to explain . . . but I'm sure Applejack will tell you about it eventually . . ."

Pinkie Pie's eyes watered up. "No one died did they?!"

Braeburn laughed nervously. "No! Not at all . . ."

Pinkie Pie studied Braeburn and looked him over carefully as if she knew he was hiding something. Braeburn grew more and more uncomfortable as an awkward silence filled the air and she kept staring at him getting closer and closer until finally . . .

"OKAY! See ya later!" Pinkie Pie shouted, trotting off.

Braeburn stood there alone for a moment and pondered about what had just happened and continued on toward Sweet Apple Acres, keeping his head down so no one greeted him.

Finally, when he reached the big farm, he walked up to the old house and knocked on the door and Apple Bloom answered it wearing coveralls.

He smiled at Apple Bloom and before he said anything Apple Bloom yelled. "Granny Smith! Braeburn is here!"

Granny Smith came up to Braeburn as quickly as her hooves could carry her and smiled big, still wearing her huge glasses with thick lenses. Braeburn smiled at her.

Granny Smith began to sing rhythmically. "The groom is here! The groom is here! Make room and grab the broom because the groom is here!"

She then invited Braeburn in and yelled at the top of her lungs for Applejack to come down. She sat him down at the kitchen table, taking his light bag he had packed and tossed it to the side. She then served Braeburn a plate of food.

Braeburn looked toward the narrow staircase then began munching on his food, happy to get something to eat. This made him take his mind off everyone around him and he wolfed down the food like he hadn't eaten in weeks.

Applejack entered the kitchen and Granny Smith motioned for her to sit next to Braeburn and reluctantly, she did. By now, Braeburn had finished the plate of food that Granny Smith had served him and he looked over at Applejack. They both looked at each other nervously then ended up turning away.

Granny Smith sat down in front of them. "So where is this weddin' happenin'? Appaloosa er Ponyville?"

Applejack sighed; looking over at Braeburn, neither of them spoke, both feeling too awkward for words, more now than ever because they were in each other's presence. Granny Smith grumbled muttering something about youngsters under her breath.

"You two are betrothed an' this here weddin' is happening by golly! You know Grampie Smith an' me were betrothed an' we turned out jist fine! Love grows o'er time!" Granny Smith lectured.

Applejack and Braeburn looked at each other again and this time kept a gaze, staring into each other's green eyes as if they were just given more of a reassurance than a lecture then they turned back to Granny Smith.

"Well . . . since my friends are here an' so is most of the Apple family . . . I think we should do it here." Applejack stated looking to Braeburn to see if he disagreed. He just nodded and they went on.

It was decided. Their wedding would take place at the end of September which was in a week. Applejack had a list of things that had to be taken care of before the wedding and it was a rather large list. Their wedding would take place on Sweet Apple Acres.

By the time they had finished doing what little planning they did, everyone was ready to go to bed and so they did.

Braeburn was set up in Big Macintosh's room and given subtle goodnights. He couldn't help but feel like he was being given the cold shoulder by Applejack. He lay in Big Mac's bed for awhile and then finally got up and went to Applejack's room knocking on the door as softly as he could.

The knock startled Applejack and caused her to jump from her bed. She wasn't asleep. She couldn't sleep. She went up to the door opening it and looking over Braeburn, beginning to blush.

Braeburn put on a serious face, choking back his nervousness. "We should probably . . . uh . . . talk."

"Yeah . . . I think so too." Applejack said, looking at her hooves.

"So, we're being forced into a weddin'? Do you even wanna get married?" Braeburn asked, not being able to look her in the eyes.

"Well I . . . I jus' think it's kinda weird an' that it's so soon. I had no clue we were betrothed . . ." Applejack admitted.

"I meant . . . do you wanna get married . . . ta me?" Braeburn blushed biting his lower lip.

Applejack sighed heavily, blushing harder and gazing in Braeburn's eyes. "Braeburn . . . I . . . this may sound weird but . . . well . . . I've kinda had a crush on you since we were little ponies."

Braeburn looked up at her, shocked. "Really?"

Applejack nodded and hid behind her mane. "If I had to be betrothed to anyone . . . I'm glad it's you. I mean-"

Braeburn couldn't help himself. He pressed his lips against hers enveloping her into a sweet kiss. They both blushed intensely and eventually he pulled back, smiling but hiding behind his butterscotch mane.

Applejack blushed and stumbled backward into her room, that having been her first kiss. Braeburn felt a little awkward when she didn't say anything and just shut her door and headed back to Big Mac's room.

Applejack lay back down in bed and curled up in her blankets, not believing what happened. "He kissed me . . . he cares about me . . . maybe this won't be too bad . . . no . . . the bad part will be the strange gazes from all of the guests and my friends."

She sighed and fell asleep after talking herself out of the thought that everything might go okay.

Braeburn lay in his borrowed bed thinking about what just happened as well and smiled knowing everything was going to be okay.

The next day, Applejack and Braeburn headed out through Ponyville to take care of everything that was needed to be done. They first went to Rarity who was very glad to see Applejack.

Rarity gasped. "Oh thank goodness Applejack! I never thought you were going to stop by so I could finish your dress!" She ignored Braeburn and pulled Applejack into her sewing room.

"Rarity listen I-" Applejack began.

"No time to listen! The Grand Galloping Gala is in a month. A MONTH! And I've barely gotten to touch your dress but I need you for a fitting right now!" Rarity exclaimed, forcing Applejack into a dress.

"I'm getting married in a week!" Applejack shouted at the top of her lungs.

Rarity looked shocked. "W-what?"

Braeburn kicked his boots at the carpet in Rarity's sewing room and exited quickly after getting mud that was caked into his boots onto it. Applejack watched him exit then looked back at Rarity sighing.

"But Applejack . . . who in the world are you marrying?! And why didn't you tell me?! You had a special somepony?!"

Applejack sighed. "I didn't have a special somepony . . . Granny Smith was diggin' through old papers an' I reckon she found papers that say me n' Braeburn are betrothed."

"Betrothed!?" Rarity gasped. "But he's your cousin! That's almost like Gone with the Wind!"

Applejack ignored her comment. "Yes . . . I know he's my cousin but I don't have a choice. Granny Smith is makin' us follow through with it because she says it'll bring happiness to the family. I came to you because . . . well . . . I need a dress."

Rarity gave Applejack a sympathetic look and hugged her tight. "Will you let me do your hair on your wedding day?"

Applejack frowned. "Fine . . . as long as you don't make it too frou-frou . . . I wanted to ask ya if y'all would be one of my bridesmaids."

Rarity smiled and hugged her tighter. "Of course! I would be honored."

They both exchanged a shared smile and began to work on her dress and agreed on a design.

"So you'll have it done by Friday?" Applejack asked.

"Applejack, I'll have it done by Wednesday! And when you see Braeburn, tell him to come see me tomorrow-Oh Braeburn! There you are!" Rarity gasped, seeing Braeburn come through the door.

Braeburn smiled nervously and kicked his boots against her carpet keeping his eyes off the dirt he had knocked into the carpet.

"Braeburn, I need you to come see me tomorrow so that you can get fitted for a tuxedo!"

"Alright, Miss uh . . ." Braeburn struggled.

"Rarity." She announced as if she was a princess entering a magnificent ball.

He nodded as he and Applejack left to go take care of the other things on the list. Just as he left, Rarity noticed the dirt in her carpet and huffed angrily.

The rest of the day and the week were spent preparing for the wedding. That was the talk of Ponyville; the marriage of the two cousins in the Apple family. They weren't mocked, nor were they teased; they were just taken for business.

All of Applejack's friends had a role in help planning the wedding, just as they did in their reactions. All of them had the same shocked reaction but supported their friend no matter what. Twilight Sparkle was helping with organization and even got Princess Celestia to promise to say a few words for Applejack and Braeburn. Rarity was working on attire, Fluttershy's job was music, Pinkie Pie was in charge of the cake and the reception and Rainbow Dash was to perform a sonic rain boom like she did for the royal wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor.

By Friday, everything was ready for the wedding to take place the next day . . . Braeburn and Applejack went to bed that evening with the worst pre-wedding "jitters" in the world.