Chapters Monday, 4:30am:
I awoke as my heart pounded in my chest. An alarm blared inside my home and drove my senses crazy. Sweat beaded down my face and chest. I gasped as I turned my attention to the origin of the sound. My alarm clock, which was blaring the alarm. I let out a deep breath before resting my hoof on the snooze button. My heart rate began to lower itself naturally as my body assured itself I wasn’t in any danger.
As I lay back in my bed, I felt my spine shiver as the damp wetness from my sheets sent cold sensations throughout my body. My breathing finally slowed itself as I reached over and turned off the alarm function on the clock.
I groaned regretfully as my hooves covered my face. “Ugh… Monday… I can’t keep doing this each week…” I muttered under my breath. I let out one final huff before slowly rising out of bed and flumping down onto the floor with a THUMP.
“Ugh… I guess I woke up on the wrong side of bed…” I groaned as I stood to all fours then proceeded to the washroom.
As the sink water ran I splashed cool water into my face to try and better wake myself. I slowly turned off the tap before setting my elbows on the counter and covering my vision with my right hoof while turning on the light with my left.
Somehow, despite my hoof covering my vision, I still cringed as the lights flickered on. My hoof slowly trailed away from my face then I creaked my eyelids open, but only briefly, before clenching them shut from the seemingly unbearable beams of light.
“Yeah… no.” I told myself as I turned off the lights again. I’d rather stay in the dark for the duration of the morning. Something about staying up past midnight reading books then waking up at four thirty to go to work the next morning, didn’t mix.
My legs stumbled along as I tossed on my favourite old brown duster coat then slipped on my black cowpony hat. Apparently the pegasus were planning to make it rain briefly then stay cold for the rest of the day.
I slipped out of my house then began trotting down the streets of Ponyville. Mist covered the ground along with an eerie fog that hid my hooves from view. It felt weird, I felt the ground beneath me but it was as if I was walking high above the clouds. Maybe this is what pegasus felt like.
I continued along the dark streets, only a few shops were open at this hour and the only other source of light were the seldom street lamps scattered around the town. I licked my lips as my stomach grumbled angrily, furious that I had neglected to eat breakfast again.
“Hmm… indeed…” I told myself before trotting over to a brightly lit fast food restaurant. There was a lit sign that read ‘Tim Horsetons’, then below the sign read ‘Always fresh, Always Tim Horsetons’. I had a brief chuckle from the catchy phrase before entering the shop.
There were no other ponies inside and only one mare was at the counter, taking orders.
“Good morning sir, may I take your order?” Asked the pretty cashier.
“Dozen doughnuts… please.” I said with courtesy in my voice. A rather long yawn escaped my lips shortly afterwards.
“Yes sir, that’ll be seven bits.” She told me. I nodded as I handed her eight. “Oh sir that’s eight bits, here…” She offered me back the extra bit but I shook my hoof.
“Oh no, you keep it.” I said with a wink. She blushed furiously then nodded as she operated the register then pulled out a flimsy cardboard box meant for putting doughnuts in.
“Assorted, or would you like to choose them?” She asked in a cute and squeaky voice.
“Assorted, please.” I replied. She nodded then quickly placed twelve doughnuts in the box and handed it to me. “Have a nice day ma’am.” I told her with a nod.
“You too.” She replied back. ‘Yeah, like my Monday is going to be a good day.’ I thought to myself as I exited the building. I looked to the horizon to see that the sun still hadn’t begun to rise.
I let out a tired groan as I began making my way to the farm.
* * *
Minutes later…
“Ech! Why the buck would she give me a maple dip?! No-pony even likes that kind…” I complained. I thought to myself about what to do with the doughnut, thinking maybe Applejack would want it, but then I remembered that she liked the fritters.
I clapped my hooves together as an idea came to mind. My whistle echoed in the silent morning air as I called out, “HERE WINONA, GOT A DOUGHNUT FER YAH!”. Moments later, the friendly mutt came racing around the corner of the barn and stopped in front of me with a fume of dust following her. She tilted her head to one side as she looked to the doughnut in my left hoof. It took a moment for her to realize what it was then her mouth opened and saliva drooled out as her tongue rolled out from her mouth.
She began panting happily then sat on her rump and began to whine as she begged for the morsel. “Okay Winona, gentle… gentle…” I said as I lowered my hoof and presented her with the maple dip doughnut.
Very slowly, she opened her mouth and gently took it from my hoof, making sure not to accidently bite my hoof in the process. After the rather distasteful doughnut was in her mouth, she scampered off to a corner in the barn and began devouring the parcel of food.
I chuckled to myself but then I heard a voice call out to me. “Hey hotshot… right on time, wanna come over here and give me a hoof fer a second?” Applejack asked.
I nodded, “Sure Orange Beauty, whatever you want.” I replied, making her roll her eyes. I followed her out of the barn and to a wagon parked outside which had its front left wheel removed and the entire wagon was tilting to the side missing the wheel.
“Big Mac’s still asleep an ah didn’t want tah wake him, give me a lift would yah?” She asked. I grabbed her from behind and lifted her in the air playfully. “EH! Not that kinda lift , dopey.” She giggled in reply. I gently set her down before trotting over to the wagon. “Alright, you lift, and then ah’ll slip the wheel on.” She stated.
I balanced myself on my hindlegs while I grabbed the corner of the wagon with my front legs and heaved. I grunted briefly as my biceps flexed to their maximum size. Veins slowly formed and pushed out on my skin, making themselves apparent.
“Alright… just a moment… got it.” Applejack stated. I slowly set the wagon back down and wiped my forehead. Applejack nudged me in the shoulder with her own. “What’s wrong, losing your edge?” She laughed playfully. I brought up my right foreleg and flexed.
“Nah, just morning drowse… hey want a doughnut?” I asked as I made my way back towards the barn.
“Ah suppose one couldn’t hurt, but only if it’s an apple fritter.” She replied. I stepped into the barn with Applejack as I proceeded towards the goodies then my eyes went wide as I spotted a figure atop the box of doughnuts.
“WINONAAAAA!” I yelled and the figure stopped then swung its head towards us. Chocolate frosting was plastered around her lips. In a split second, her tongue sprang out and sloshed around her face, licking up the frosting in one slurp.
A wide grin splayed across her face as she bowed down and began to wag her tail playfully, her hind moving to and fro in corresponding motion with the wagging of her tail. “Winona…” I grumbled.
Winona barked happily before hopping off the wagon and dashing away. Applejack and I trotted over to inspect the damage. She had eaten every doughnut except half of a plain doughnut and an apple fritter.
I handed Applejack the fritter then gulped back the already chewed, half of a plain doughnut. “Thanks…” Applejack said as she slurped back the entire fritter in one gulp.
“You’re welcome… darn it Winona…” I grumbled to myself. Applejack sighed as she rested a hoof on my shoulder.
“Listen, ah won’t be around today but ah got muh friend Rainbow Dash comin tah help yah.” Applejack informed me.
“What? Why?” I asked in sudden curiosity.
“Got a date with Soarin, Dash introduced us.” She informed me. My heart seemed to stop. I had been trying for the last year and a half to hook up with AJ and she had always told me she wasn’t interested in a relationship for the time being.
“But AJ… I… you…” I stammered and she rested a hoof on my shoulder.
“Don’t worry, Dash may be a tad bit lazy but ah’m sure yah’ll get the work done today. Now excuse me fer a second, ah gotta get dressed up in something fancy fer muh date.” She said with a blush before trotting off.
I hopped up on the wagon and rested my face in the palm of my hooves. “Oh for buck sakes…” I muttered as my heart continued to lurch. How could she just do something like that?! I can’t believe she’d just…
A paw nudged at my dangling hindlegs. I looked up from my hooves to see Winona sitting there with a smug look on her face. She continued to nudge at my legs, begging for more food. “I don’t have any more food Winona…” I told her in a depressed voice.
She whined sadly as she began giving me puppy dog eyes. “I said, no food…” I told her again as I set my face back in my hooves. She continued to whine and nudge at my legs.
“GODDESS DAMMIT WINONA, GO BUG SOMEPONY WHO CARES!” I lashed out. I wasn’t really angry at her but it just sort of slipped out. She whimpered then scampered off. I sighed deeply as I set my face back into my hooves and muttered to myself, “I buckin hate Mondays.”
11:35am…
Without much effort, I bucked my hindlegs and kicked the tree. I didn’t pay attention but there was a crash behind me as the tree simply snapped from the force I put on it. I stepped up to another tree but a voice interrupted me as a cyan pegasus flew down. “Whoa, cool your jets! We’re harvesting apples… not making firewood.” Rainbow Dash gasped.
I looked behind myself to see that in my anger, I had outputted more strength than I had meant to, and in turn had knocked down dozens of trees. “Sorry… just got a little sidetracked…” I muttered, without really looking to her.
She smirked, “Yeah, you get sidetracked and manage to put out enough force to snap trees like they were twigs…” Rainbow Dash said with heavy sarcasm in her voice.
“It happens.” I told her as I bucked the tree behind me, but it too snapped from all the pent up emotional anger inside me.
“HEY! EASY!” Rainbow Dash gasped. I looked to see that I had knocked down yet another tree. I sighed regretfully as I flopped onto my haunches and buried my face into my hooves.
“It’s time for lunch…” I muttered and she fluttered down beside me.
“Uhm… if you haven’t been paying much attention… in less than two hours, you’ve somehow managed to harvest a day’s worth of apples.” She told me. I hadn’t been picking the apples but that’s when I noticed that she had the wagon and had been picking up after me.
“Huh… guess that’s a day…” I muttered with heavy depression in my voice.
“Jeeze… are you okay? You sound worse than that time Pinkie Pie had a case of the blues on her birthday.” Dash asked. I nodded.
“I’ll be fine… I think I just need to be alone for a while.” I told her. She scratched the back of her head then shrugged before leaving, giving me some alone time. I’d get the wagon of apples on my way back but right now, there was somewhere more reclusive I wanted to be.
* * *
Wind threatened to knock my body off the edge of the cliff as I stood on my hindlegs, facing the opposite direction of the cliff’s edge. My hindlegs felt as if they would buckle from underneath me as I breathed deeply to try and calm my nerves. I came here lots, but only seldom did I come to the edge, and that was for good reasons.
If Celestia had meant for ponies to fly, she’d have given us wings. Pegasus are exempt from that rule. I felt the cool wind tuff the duster coat flaps and I held the black cowpony hat tight to my head.
I gulped deeply as I let my body fall back, off the edge of the cliff. For a moment, it felt as if there were butterflies in my stomach. I felt as if I was flying. Then, ever so slowly, the weight of gravity, and the fear of dangerous heights, made my heart race.
Wind resistance thrashed against me as I fell. My heart thumped inside my chest as I began to free-fall, but I quickly gained control and sent my body careening into numerous midair flips.
I straightened my body and held my forelegs forwards, like Superstallion, as I looked to the deep trenches of the lake below. I remember the first time I did this, I was twelve years old.
When I was six I had fallen head over heels for a mare named Velvet. She was astonishingly cute and I couldn’t keep my feelings for her at bay. When I was twelve she asked me to be her special somepony, ME! To be her special somepony! But three days later she broke up with me and said it was just a bet she wanted to win with her friends.
I had been so heart stricken that I came out here and lept off the cliff, but about halfway down I really thought about what I had done. Stupidity had bewildered me into jumping but once I was falling, I wanted to turn back.
I screamed for help, hoping that somepony would hear my cries and save me. Of course it was already too late. Then it happened. I slammed into the water depths below. I hadn’t looked before I lept but I guess fate had planned other things for me.
That moment proved a turning point in my life, the one where I got such a rush from near death that I told myself I didn’t need love, only exhilarating fun. But when I was seventeen, fate again, planned otherwise, and I met Applejack. Once again I fell head over heels for some mare that didn’t share my feelings.
And once again my heart was broken, but at least this time I didn’t have the impending fear of death scarring the living hay out of me… but it still got my heart racing fast enough that adrenalin was pumping through my veins like wildfire. It was probably a hundred hoof drop, from top to bottom.
My body slammed against the surface with great force, it would probably kill a pony if they didn’t land right, despite being just water. My body was quickly weighted down as water soaked into my fur and coat. The weight began to pull my body down and I allowed the force of gravity to drag me down to the lake bottom, which was probably 20 to 25 hooves deep.
I just… was there, at the bottom. I opened my eyes and fresh water blurred my vision painfully as I looked to the dark gloomy depths of what could’ve been my grave. But I guess I was too good for this kind of death. After again eluding death, I began to casually swim to the surface.
I surfaced with a splash as I whipped my head back, splashing my mane out of my face. I heard a clapping from the shoreline and looked to see Rainbow Dash laughing as she clapped her hooves together.
“Hey, that was really cool. For a moment there, I thought you might have been drowning!” Dash said cheerily. I silently groaned to myself, I had kind of wanted to be alone but I guess things wouldn’t be so.
I slowly swam to shore and as my legs touched bottom, I stood to my hindlegs and walked to the shore before sliding off my jacket and tossing it aside. My hat floated along in the water but I’d get that later.
I flopped down to my haunches, sitting beside Dash as I sighed to myself. She looked to me with a look of curiosity. “So what’s really wrong? And don’t say you got distracted. Nopony gets distracted and falls off a cliff… well maybe Twilight, but she’s exempt from this.” Dash looked into my eyes before I looked away.
“Why does it matter?” I asked and she shrugged.
“Because I want to know… and when I want something, I usually get it.” She told me. I looked over to her with a smirk.
“Oh really?... well I guess in that case I’ll make you work for it.” I said slyly. Her eyes went narrow as her lips turned into a devilishly playful grin.
“Oh, it’s on!” She said as she tackled me onto my back and began to tickle me with her hooves. I began bursting out in laughter as she got all my most venerable points.
“Ahh, ooh, okay, I give, I give… bwahahahaha, I give… please, I surrender!” I laughed, unable to control myself. She stopped for a moment, still sitting on me to make sure I didn’t escape.
“Well?” She asked. I smiled as I quickly shifted my body then rolled, placing my body on top of hers and began to tickle her back.
“Revenge is a dish best served… with tickles!” I laughed. She began laughing uncontrollably as her face turned bright cherry red and she clenched her eyes shut as laughter riddled her body.
“AHH, OKAY I GIVE… I SUBMIT TO YOU… GAHHH… IT TICKLES!” Dash laughed. I stopped but kept myself playfully on guard. We were both panting heavily as we looked into each other’s eyes. Her rainbow mane was all scraggly but I suppose mine was probably straight from the soaking wet water that still dampened my entire body.
“Well?” She asked and I tilted my head to one side.
“Well nothing, you gave up.” I teased but suddenly she rolled our bodies again, placing her on top. But rather than tickle me half to death, she just sat there, starring dreamily into my eyes. She rested her hooves against my chest then sighed.
“So… what happened?” She asked. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply.
“Applejack went on a date with Soarin…” I replied regretfully. For a moment it looked as if Dash was going to burst into laughter but then she realized I was serious.
“Okay… so what?” She asked.
“Sooo… for the last year and a half I’ve been trying to hook up with AJ but… she kept saying she didn’t want a relationship and now… well you know…” I told her.
“Forget her!” Dash exclaimed and I was taken aback by her sudden outburst. “Hey, so what if you’re not her type! If she doesn’t want you than it’s her loss and she can go mess around with Soarin all she wants… that guy isn’t all that great either, he’s a real mood killer. It’s why Spitfire broke up with him in the first place.” Dash told me.
He words of kindness helped me out a little and I felt better, in an emotional kind of way. “Thanks Dash… it means a lot.” I said with a smile. She laughed briefly then kissed me on the cheek.
“Just don’t get all mushy for me. You’re a nice stallion and all, but you’re not my type. I like my stallions to be less athletic than me so it isn’t such a challenge for me to show them who’s the boss.” She said with a wink
“That’s okay, you’re not really my type either…” I said slyly and her wings puffed out.
“What!? Are you kidding me?! You were all mushy for me just a second ago!” She gasped. I shook my head with a shrug.
“No I wasn’t.” I told her and she lightly hit my chest with her hoof.
“You SOOOO were, you were probably about to fall for me too!” She countered.
“In your dreams.” I laughed playfully. Her eyes went narrow again as her lips grinned deviously.
“Oh… it is on.” She laughed and I smirked.
“What is on? Your love for me, or is that just the tension in the air?” I taunted. She suddenly zipped into the air, flying high into the sky. I looked up and watched her as she became a speckle in the air.
She was one competitive mare, I could say that. I waited for a moment as her body started coming back towards the ground at an accelerating pace. My smile soon turned into an expression of worry as she continued to pick up speed.
There was a large boom in the air as she broke the sonic barrier. A flash of rainbow stardust followed her trail as a spectrum of light flashed across the sky. So this was the legendary Sonic Rainboom.
I gulped as she slammed into the water. There was a moment’s pause before the water backlashed against the force, creating an enormous tidal wave. I looked dozens of yards into the air as the massive wave loomed over me.
I yipped in anxious fear as I covered my face with my hooves. The feeling of the tidal wave crashed against my body as it slammed into me and pulled me along through its course.
I floated along inside the wave with several bits of lake undergrowth and fishes… and a racoon. I swirled around in the water until it finally dispersed, leaving me lying on the ground.
I coughed up some water as I looked to the sky. My view of the sky was soon impeded by that of Rainbow Dash as she loomed over me. “So… am I still not your type?” She asked playfully.
I had a blank expression as I replied to her question. “I think that’s enough fun for one day…”
Late evening…
I had a slight chuckle as I finally pulled the last wagon into the barn. Dash and I had sort of lost track of time and in the end admitted that we were definitely too different for each other. It was alright by me though, right now I’d rather a good friend than risk falling for another mare.
Dash had left for home about an hour ago, leaving me to finish up around the farm before I too resided for the night. As I slide the door shut on the barn, I rolled my front shoulders to try and ease some tension that had been built up during the day.
I grunted as my muscles continued to feel tensed up. I let out a deep sigh then muttered to myself, “Oh well… maybe Lotus or Aloe can help me… maybe tomorrow though…” as I began to pace away with sway in my trot.
I stopped abruptly as I heard a faint sniffling coming from behind the barn. I let my senses become adept to try and figure out who it was…
It was Applejack… no it couldn’t be, she almost never cries. But it had to be her, I could hear her cursing…
“That stupid… no gooder… mean ol stallion… how could he just… and then…” She continued to sniffle.
‘Aww crap… I’m in trouble, I just know it…’ I thought to myself as I slowly crept towards the sniffling. As I rounded the corner I saw that it was indeed AJ and she was crying.
“Uhm… AJ… are you okay?” I asked, rather softly and almost too quiet to even be heard. She immediately gasped and spun towards me.
“Gah… what are yah doin here?! Ah thought yah was gone home already!” She gasped, obviously shocked that I was still around.
“I was uhm… finishing up. I still had to put the wagon away…” I replied rather quietly, not wanting to anger or agitate her in any possible way.
“But… it’s late… ah figured yah’d at least be done by… well seven err somethin.” She replied back and I shrugged.
“Well… let’s just say that Ms. Dash is very… how should I put this? Adept at finding places to sleep.” I tried to add some humor to the situation and it worked. Applejack smiled and had a small laugh that was interrupted by a quiet sniffle. “So… what’s wrong?” I asked cautiously.
“That no good, rotten, stinkin…” She began to huff in frustration then broke down into quiet sniffles again as she tossed her fore hooves into the air. “Soarin was never interested in me… he acted like it tah make me fall fer him then just… just… he only wanted me tah get Spitfire jealous then hooked back up with her…” AJ informed me, though her speech was stifled with sniffles.
I let out a groan. “Hot damn… well… I don’t really know what to say…” I replied as I stroked my forehead. The day had been too long to try and think about things now. “Uhm… well if it’s any consolation you deserve better than that bum.” I said with a smile and she literally hopped onto me and hugged me tightly.
“Why couldn’t he have been nicer… an kinder… an more thoughtful?” She whispered through a quiet sob. I returned her hug as I shrugged.
“Because… most stallions aren’t all that.” I told her then soon yawned as drowsiness began to overwhelm me. I yawned once more then leaned back so I could look into her teary eyes. “Don’t worry Orange… you’ll find you’re special somepony.” I assured her with a smile.
Generally most guys would die for a moment like this. The mare who’ve they’ve always wanted to hook up with, melting in their arms like butter and then they could probably just rebound her. But I wasn’t like that, it might be too hard on her.
“Well… listen, try not to dwell on it… I uhh… I gotta go home, it’s late.” I said with a smile. She smiled sadly then nodded.
“Come back soon.” She whispered and I chuckled.
“Well… yeah. I have to come back to work tomorrow morning yah know.” I added a chuckle at the end and she joined with a quiet laugh. “See you tomorrow Orange.” I said before turning and pacing away towards Ponyville.
* * *
The next morning…
My mind buzzed as an alarm blared inside my room. I began gasping in shock as I couldn’t figure out for the life of me, what was going on. It sounded like alarms were blaring all over.
I grasped my head and tried to block out the seemingly ear-piercing noise. I quickly came to my senses and noticed my alarm clock blaring. “Shut up!” I gasped, thinking that it would just listen to my voice.
It kept blaring. “Shut up…” I gasped as I began staggering over to it. My back stung in several spots where my muscles were rather tense. “Gah!” I gasped as I tried to stretch to get rid of the tension, but to no avail.
The alarm clock continued to blare out its annoying tone. I slammed my hoof down on the clock and the noise simply died. I let out a long and silent exhale as I closed my still sleepy eyes. “Thank you…” I thanked the now quiet clock.
I quickly got myself together and did my morning routine, minus breakfast. This time however, on my way out the door, I didn’t grab my duster. Dash had informed me that today, she had been ordered to make clear skies so the sun could beat down on us.
As I paced along down the streets, my stomach grumbled. “Okay… quickly…” I muttered and rushed into Tim Horsetons. The same mare from yesterday was there today.
“Hello sir, how may I serve you today?” She asked.
“Dozen doughnuts please, assorted.” I replied. She nodded then proceeded to place twelve doughnuts into a box then hand them over to me. I gave her eight bits then gave the gesture as if I tipped my hat. “Have a nice day ma’am.” I said and she smiled.
“You too sir.” She replied back as I left through the doors. I quickly scurried my way over to the farm. Today I was hoping to get done early so I could hit the spa and get these goddess awful knots outta my back.
As I approached the barn, I took notice that nopony was out yet. Perhaps it was still really early, I had gotten here earlier than usual. I stepped into the barn and opened the box of doughnuts. I let out a disgusted grunt as I saw that today, there was not one, but two maple dip doughnuts.
“WHAT THE BUCK! Seriously, who the hay even likes these doughnuts?” I asked aloud then a smirk crept up on the right side of my lips. “Hey Winona… Winonaaaa, I got a treat for yah… Winona?” I called then became curious. She usually always zips out to try and steal my treats.
I shrugged, figuring she’d probably just eat them all as soon as I began to start getting things together. I grabbed a sugar powdered jelly doughnut and began eating it as I started getting things ready for the day.
However, no sooner had I started putting things together, than Applejack came racing into the barn with an extremely worried look on her face.
“Yahdidn’tseeApplebloomthismorninyetdidyah?!” She raced her words so fast that I couldn’t understand anything she had just said.
“What?” I asked, stunned at her abruptness. She let out a quick exhale and spoke again, but faster. “No… AJ… I can’t understand what you’re saying. Take a moment, slow down.” I replied.
“Ahcan’tslowdown. Applebloom’smissinannopnyknowswheresheis!” She spat out, again so quickly I couldn’t understand what she had just said. I stood to my hindlegs and held her by the shoulders.
“Orange, I’d like to help you, but I can’t understand a thing you’re saying.” I told her. She let out a long exhale then took in a small inhale.
“Applebloom wasn’t home last night, so naturally we thought she might be over at Sweetiebell’s or maybe with Scootaloo… but she ain’t, an nopony knows where she is an then this mornin… we found this in her room…” Applejack handed me a scrap of paper with writing, which quite frankly, looked like chicken scratch.
It was almost illegible, but I made out most of the words. ‘Winona was whimpering as she was walking away with her tail between her legs, I tried to see what was wrong but she raced off. I’m going to follow her, AB’. I groaned as my head drooped.
“Ahhhh shoot… I uhm… might know what’s wrong.” I muttered and Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Try not to be angry…”
Author's Note
Okay, I'm REALLY sorry for the long wait. My F250 is in the shop getting her brakes tuned and an aerosol can exploded in my car and blew out the back window so it wasn't legal to drive so for the last week I was getting a ride home from work with either my boss or one of my coworkers, just so you know... it was so awesome when the can exploded in the car. I come back to my car after lunch and the window's just... crack and a big hole is at the bottom. I looked to see shrapnel and stuff everywhere then remembered that my grandma likes to keep stupid spray cans in the car cause she says that I make the car smell bad and she doesn't like driving with me to town when she needs stuff.....
The entire Apple Family, minus AB, store at me with a semi fueled anger in their eyes. I coughed to try and break the silence. “So yeah… that’s it…” I had told them the entire story, minus the part about me getting angry at Applejack for going out with Soarin, I figured that wasn’t really important.
“Did yah even think about what could happen?!” Applejack asked. I let my head drop as I sighed.
“Listen, I’ll go find them. They can’t have gone far, I mean…” I trailed off my sentence as I realized they could be in Dodge for all I knew. Applejack set an irritated hoof on my shoulder.
“When this is over… yah’ve got some real explaining tah do.” She told me with fury in her eyes. I nodded then gulped.
“Let’s ask your friends and around town first, maybe somepony has seen them.” I offered.
* * *
Hours later…
We continued trotting through the Everfree. It seemed that, just as we were beginning to lose hope, we had bumped into Fluttershy and she had told us that she spotted Applebloom and Winona heading into the Everfree early this morning but when she went to stop them, she couldn’t pick up their trail and had been looking for us all morning.
We quickly rushed to where she had last seen them and I quickly picked up their trail. Guess I’m still good for something. Fluttershy however, needed to get back to her house to tend to the animals, leaving only AJ and myself.
“Ah still can’t believe yah’d just say that…” Applejack muttered and I started to become agitated. Like she was one to talk.
“Yeah… coming from you that’s hilarious…” I snapped. She gasped as she stopped and looked to me with a seriously angered face. I returned her glare with a blunt expression. “What?” I asked blankly.
“Don’t use that tone with me!” Applejack hissed. I shrugged then continued following the trail. “What the hay was that supposed to mean anyway?” She asked as she began following me.
“It meant exactly what it sounded like. You saying that… is hilarious.” I stated with a rudely sarcastic laugh. She grabbed me by the shoulder and spun me around.
“Hey! Ah said, don’t take that tone with me. Yer already in enough trouble as it is. What the hay’s gotten into yah anyway. Yer not yourself… yer not being kind lately.” She asked.
“Oh, so all of a sudden it’s all my fault.” I replied as I turned and pulled away from her. I heard her scowl as she tried to stop me but I was simply stronger and her pulling against me didn’t even deter my direction.
She lept in front of my path and stood against me. “Now yah just stay right there and tell me what the hay’s the matter!” She ordered. I stopped as my barrier finally broke down in anger.
“Fine! You wanna know what’s wrong? You really need to know so badly that we have to stop looking for your sister?” I snapped at her. “Well where to begin? Hmm, how about, for the last… oh I don’t know, almost two years I’ve had a crush on the most beautiful mare in all Equestria but every time I tried to express myself to her, she’d always say she didn’t want a relationship. Oh, then maybe she’ll just up and go out with some good for nothing just because she feels like it. Why? Who the hay knows, maybe because he’s better looking than me! Then, trying to cope with myself, I find that her dog has eaten my breakfast, again, and then tries to beg for food I don’t have. So I snap then all of a sudden I’m the bad guy but it’s okay because…” I trailed off my sentence as my lips curled in anger and I threw my hooves up into the air in frustration.
“OH BUCK IT! I DON’T EVEN BUCKIN CARE ANYMORE!” I yelled at the top of my lung capacity then pushed past Applejack and continued on the trail, leaving her speechless. I stopped at a fork in the road and observed the tracks. It looked like they had gone in both directions.
I looked closer. They had probably gone one way, then came back, trying to find the way out but had accidentally gone the wrong way. A hoof rested on my shoulder. “Ah…” She began but I cut her off.
“Just don’t…” I snarled, too angry to think properly. Her hoof slowly retracted from my shoulder. I observed the right path to see paw and hoof prints go down the path then come back, but with larger paw prints following them. The tracks then went down the left path.
I gulped as I picked up a twig and sniffed it. It still had the rancid after smell of Timber wolf. I groaned. “A Timber wolf is after them… actually… there’s a pack…” I muttered as I realized that there was more than one.
I looked back to AJ to see that she had tears in her eyes from my outbreak, but now she was frightful of her sister and pet’s well-being. “Well… what the buck are we standing around for?” I asked then we both dashed off.
* * *
Minutes later…
Applebloom staggered back but could go no further. The rocky cliff behind her dropped dangerously far below. “Ohh… why can’t ah have wings like Scootaloo… or maybe a horn tah cast a spell like Sweetiebell…” Applebloom whined to herself.
Several Timberwolves quarrels around her as drool dripped from their lips. Green gases escaped from their mouths and filled the air with a horrid smell that could be smelt for over a mile.
Suddenly Winona lept in between the group of feral wolves, and the young filly. The comparably smaller dog began growling and snarling angrily, trying to make the wolves back down.
The wolves simply let out ghastly howls and moved in for the kill. Applebloom gulped in fear as the first wolf pounced through the air. Winona lept to intercept it but was simply brushed aside from the wolf’s massive frame.
Just as the wolf was about to land it’s strike, a massive kinetic force collided with the side of its head, sending it shattering into debris. Applebloom gasped as a large brown earth stallion landed before her, a tuff a dust getting puffed up as he landed. The wind soon blew the dust away as he stood tall before the wolf pack.
The wolves all snarled as he chuckled boldly. “Maybe you should pick on somepony your own size… like me…” He snarled coldly. A hoof reached out and snatched up Applebloom but before she could scream, a hoof went over her mouth.
“Sssh, it’s me. Come on, let’s go.” Applejack whispered to her sister before looking to the brave stallion who separated them from the hungry wolves. “Hey… come on!” She called to her friend but he glanced back briefly then shook his head.
“Get Winona and get as far away from here as you can… I’ll hold them off.” He told them. Applejack was about to interject but he looked back to her with a rather cold look. She nodded then scooped up Winona and began to leave.
Suddenly a Timber wolf pounced out and blocked her path. “HEY!” The stallion roared as he flew through the air and delivered a powerful kick to the side of its head, sending it too into pieces.
Applejack staggered back as more quarreled around them. “Oh… it is on.” The stallion chuckled. One wolf lept out and the brown earth stallion spun in a complete 360, delivering a powerful spin kick that sent pieces of wooden debris flying through the air. “Come on, it’s game time.” He taunted as two more charged at him.
Just as the right wolf got into range, he lept to his right, grabbed the wolf by its head and spun their bodies around in a counter clockwise motion before releasing the wolf, sending it crashing into the other’s body and shattering them both apart.
“Is that the best you got?” He taunted just as he spun and collided a punch with a wolf’s snout, sending it whimpering back. “Cat got you tongue? No, I got your tongue!” The stallion snarled as he lept up and delivered a flying roundhouse kick to the side of its head.
The wolves all deterred back as the stallion broke them down into kindling. He chuckled as they stood at bay. “Orange… now would be the time to be getting outta here.” He told her. Suddenly all the wolves fell apart. “Guess that’s their way of saying that they surrender…” The stallion said with a hearty laugh.
However, all the wooden debris collected together in an ominous green glow then pieced together in one massively large Timber wolf. “Oh… buck me…” The brown stallion muttered.
“RUUUUUUN-GOOOOO-GET TO THE FARM!” The brown stallion roared, just before a massive paw swiped down and swatted him away. His body was sent careening through the air and he tumbled violently along the ground.
Applejack gasped as she held her sister tight. The massive monster began lumbering towards them, with a hunger so great that even they might not suffice. AJ squeezed her sister tight as she whispered soothingly into her sister’s ear. “Hush now… everything’s going to be fine.” Applejack semi lied. She didn’t know how they’d get out of this, but she had a feeling that somehow they would.
The Timber wolf let out a terrifying roar as it swung its paw back to strike the mares and the small dog. AJ gulped but just before it could swing, the brown stallion flew through the air with a mighty war cry.
He connected a kick with its head that was so powerful, it sent the mighty creature staggering away. “RUN!” The brown stallion yelled. Applejack nodded and began to run away but stopped as she head rock and stone crumbling from around the edge of the cliff. She swiveled around to see the cliff edge crack and crumble underneath the weight of the nightmarish creature.
The brown stallion lept off the head of the creature and landed just at the edge of the cliff. The cliff side continued to crumble away as he scampered to his hooves and lept for safety but landed just a few inches short.
Holding only the edge of the rocky cliff, he scurried his hindlegs for something to grip, only to find an expanse of nothingness beneath him. “This is the time… that I wish I was a pegasus…” He muttered.
Applejack lept to the ground and grabbed his forelegs just as the cliff began to crack again. “HOLD ON!” Applejack yelled. She tried with all her effort to lift him but couldn’t manage to lift his weight. “JEEZ, WHATTA YAH BEEN EATIN?! CEMENT?!” Applejack gasped as she pulled with all her might, but to no avail.
The rocks began to turn to dust and fall to the deathly expanse below that was a deep dark crevice. “Kid… let go…” The brown stallion warned. Applejack gasped at his request.
“No way! We can get yah up, I know it!” Applejack gasped. He shook his head.
“Not with what time we have… kid, just let go… I won’t blame you.” He told her. She would never let go of a dear friend. “Hey… Orange… I love you… I’m sorry for snapping earlier, I didn’t mean it… just… know that I’ll always love you…” He said then released his hold with her and fell.
“NO!” Applejack screamed as his body plummeted to the dark depths below. The rock continued to crumble out from underneath her and she scampered back just in time to avoid falling.
She sat at the edge of the cliff, wide eyed as tears began flowing into her eyes. “No… he can’t be gone… he just can’t be gone…” She whimpered then broke down into a full out sob.
Applebloom and Winona slowly walked up to the heart broken mare and the young filly rested her hoof on the shoulder of Applejack. “Ah’m sorry Applejack… it’s all my fault…” Applebloom whispered sadly. Applejack shook her head.
“No it ain’t… it’s mine… I shoulda known but ah… ah always thought he was just messin around…” Applejack sobbed. There was a deep and low rumbling that began to shake the ground beneath them. Applejack gulped in fear of what it could be but suddenly, a huge water spout shot out, spraying hundreds of feet into the air, dozens of meters wide and misting the entire area with cool spring water.
The eruption was followed by a loud scream as a brown figure was tossed into the air a feet dozen feet then came crashing down into a puddle. Applejack gasped as she rushed over to the body.
Winona and Applebloom were close behind. “Are yah okay?!” AJ gasped and the brown stallion groaned.
“I think…” He gasped painfully then twitched. “That got the knots outta my back.” He comically retorted, resulting in Applejack slamming a hoof into his chest. “GAH!” He gasped then Applejack grasped him into a tight hug.
Through the hug he looked to the young filly known as Applebloom. “Hey squirt… yah feelin okay?” and Applebloom nodded. “That’s good…” He trailed off and looked to Winona. “Hey mutt… sorry about earlier… I uhm… didn’t mean what I said. I was just… being stupid, like always… whatta yah say Winona, let bygones be bygones?” He asked.
Winona lept up to her hindlegs and placed her front paws on his side so that she could lick his face while he was still sitting. He chuckled and smiled. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He said before turning to the near heartbroken mare holding him.
“So that’s it then.” He stated and she pulled back from the hug.
“WHAT?!” She gasped. “Whatta yah mean that’s it?! Yah give them a speech but nothin fer me?!” She gasped. He shrugged.
“Words can’t express how I feel…” He trailed off and leaned forwards, embracing in a rather romantic kiss with the mare of his dreams.
Applebloom got a look of disgust that plastered across her face. “Eww… gross…” She gagged as she saw her sister kissing the stallion. Winona barked playfully as she pranced around in the misty rain created from the lifesaving water eruption. A rainbow was created from the sun rays that gleamed into the mist.
The stallion pulled back from his kiss with Applejack then smirked. “Oh yeah… hey Winona… there’s still some doughnuts back at the barn…”
Author's Note
Well... that's a very... touching ending. Hope you all liked it and as always, thanks for reading. Have a nice weekend
