Lewis of Equestria

Chapter 7: Revelations of the Heart and Babysitting

Big Macintosh watched fascinated as smoke curled upward from Lewis' mouth into the cool night air. The small stick he held between his lips flared at each breath, mesmerizing the stallion. A 'cigarette,' he had called it. What purpose it served, he couldn't guess. The smell was strange, salty. Lewis inhaled the smoke and smiled like he was eating a good meal. "So what does it do?" asked Big Macintosh.

"Well, it helps keep me calm," said Lewis, "It’s relaxin' and enjoyable, the flavor is to mah likin' and it's one of mah favorite ways tah end a day." He let the smoke drift from him, forming wreath around his face. He wasn't a heavy smoker by any means, but he figured that just meant he enjoyed them more. His hand absently massaged the bruise on his chest where Big Macintosh had pressed his hoof, and the gesture did not go unnoticed.

"Ah'm sorry 'bout that," Big Mac said, "I shoulda known better than tah think so badly of yah."

"'S’okay," said Lewis with a shrug, "To be honest, you have every right to be mad. Some humans treat their horses like shit. Hell, some humans treat the whole world like shit."

This statement got Big Macintosh's attention. What species would be stupid enough to abuse the very world in which they lived? Even the most foolish and hard-hearted races of Equestria respected it. "How do ya mean?"

Lewis looked at Big Mac for a long minute, puffing on his cigarette and thinking of an answer. Finally, he simply said, "Humans have the gift and curse of being drawn to extremes. It is within every one of us to be the very best and very worst versions of ourselves. Part of it is choice, another part is upbringing, and I suppose genetics play a part too, as some seem to be born ornery. But it seems to me that, at least recently, my people have been displaying the very worst parts of themselves, and our world has suffered for it."

Lewis looked at Big Mac, and the stallion saw in him a weariness, barely hidden behind a thin venire of optimism. Beneath his smile and manners, there was a part of Lewis that was cynical and jaded in a way that shook him to his core. Something about the place he came from, something about the things that he had seen, had hardened Lewis in a way that Lewis himself didn't realize. Big Macintosh thought hard on how to help his friend. Lewis needed a chance to embrace the beauty of life. It wasn't as though the concept was forgotten in him, the fact that he could laugh and smile was proof of that. He just needed it to mean something again.

Big Macintosh smiled. "Hey Lewis, do yah think y’all could do me a favor tomorrow?"

The next day, Lewis found himself volunteered for a job with which he had no experience whatsoever: babysitting. Apple Bloom had been frightened the night before by her elder brother's outburst, but she knew that Lewis didn't hold any grudge over it, and that was fine by her. She liked the strange new member of her family, as she had quickly begun to think of him. He was nice, and since today she was off of school, and the rest of her family was too preoccupied with the day-to-day running of Sweet Apple Acres, she got to spend the whole day getting to know her new funny-looking older brother.

They were walking through the trees toward a clubhouse that belonged to a special organization that Apple Bloom belonged to, and she was quite keen on telling him all about it.

"The Cutie Mark Crusaders, eh?" Lewis chuckled at the name. He had been mightily surprised that the ponies in Equestria had a mark on their flank to let them know when they had found their life's passion. When Apple Bloom had told him about her friends, and their plan to pursue their marks together, he had found the idea rather admirable; three friends working together to discover meaning in their lives. He liked that.

"Yeah," said Apple Bloom, "Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are the best friends ah could ask for. We'll get those cutie marks, sooner or later. After all, everypony gets one at some point. . . ." She trailed off, looking at Lewis, whom seemed to be thinking on something. "What's yer's look like Mr. Lewis?"

"My what?" Lewis looked at Apple Bloom, confused.

"You know," said Apple Bloom, pointing towards his rump, "Yer cutie mark. Yer always wearin' clothes so I haven't seen it yet. Ah try tah make a point a askin' everypony how they got their cutie marks, hopin' to get ideas."

"Well actually," said Lewis with a wry grin, "I don't have one."

Apple Bloom gasped. A grown-up with no cutie mark? Impossible! "You mean you don't know what yer 'sposed tah do with yourself, even at your age?"

"Nah," said Lewis, "I figured that out a little while back. I know fer a fact ah was born to work on a ranch, and there ain't no mistake 'bout that. Humans don't get cutie marks." Apple Bloom looked at him skeptically, suspicious that he was teasing her.

"Well, if'n yall don't get cutie marks, how do y’all know when you've found yer special gift?"

"We have to figure it out for ourselves," he said ruefully, "Some of us never figure it out at all. Ah'm one of the lucky ones."

This idea frightened Apple Bloom. Somepony with nothing special about them? That was just awful! She refused to believe it. Still, Lewis didn't strike her as the lying type. She could tell, in the way that children sometimes can, that he was sometimes sad on the inside even when he smiled, but he still spoke honestly. They were both quiet for a long moment, walking with their thoughts as the afternoon sun warmed them.

"Mr. Lewis?" Apple Bloom said, jarring him from his thoughts.

"Yeah Apple Bloom?"

"Are you gonna stay here with us from now on?" She asked this looking up at him with what he could only describe as puppy-dog/Jedi-mind-trick eyes, a love of Star Wars being one of the few popular culture interests he had acquired at college. He wasn't sure how to respond at first.

"Well Apple Bloom, I sure would like to, but tomorrow Princess Luna is coming, and then she'll probably decide what happens after that, so it's really not my choice. Besides, don't you think your family might get tired of having me hanging around after a while?"

"NO!" Apple Bloom cried, "Y’all got it backwards! Big Macintosh barely talks to anypony, but you and him get on real well and he likes havin' ya 'round! And Applejack REALLY likes you!"

Lewis did a double take at the latter part of that statement. "Um, Apple Bloom, how do ya mean, she REALLY likes me? When we're workin' together, she'll barely talk tah me."

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "She's the Element of Honesty, not real good at lyin' even when she ain't talkin' at all. She's probably worried what Granny Smith er Big Macintosh would think, which is kinda dumb 'cause I know they wouldn't mind none, but the fact is," and for a moment, she giggled into her hoof before continuing, "the fact is, she wants to be your MAREFRIEND!" Apple Bloom gave up suppressing her laughter, chuckling heartily, missing the thunderstruck expression on Lewis' face. He shook it off quickly, not wanting to offend.

"In any case," he told Apple Bloom, "we'll see what the Princess has to say. She probably knows more about what is happening than we do."

"There it is," Apple Bloom said excitedly several minutes of walking later, pointing toward the club house as it came into view, which Lewis marveled at as he had never seen anything quite like it. No gross compilation of scrap metal and two-by-fours was this, but a well built, cleverly designed structure made to in all particulars resemble nothing less than a small house that had settled in the limbs of a tree. A narrow ramp was the only indication that it actually belonged there. The details were neat and the windows even had glass in them.

The interior was equally impressive, tidy and well stocked with whatever three fillies would likely need in their pursuits. "So," said Lewis, "What would you like to do now?"

"Well," said Apple Bloom, opening a drawer and withdrawing a piece of parchment, "Cutie mark or not, you've already figured out what y’all wanna do with yer life." She opened the parchment and laid it flat before him. It was a list, entitled Cutie mark ideas #150-175. "Ah figure that means yah got the time tah help me find mine."

Lewis started reading the list, and felt his heart fall into his stomach.

Bourbon awoke as the mid-afternoon sun reached its highest point. He lifted his head from the soft pillow on which it had rested, and sniffed the air. It smelled of mating. At last, the memory of where he was returned to him, as Fluttershy shifted beside him, pressing her face against his chest with a contented sigh. He smiled down at her, happy in where he was. Happy, except that something was missing. Someone was missing. "Lewis," he murmured. He still had to find his other, his friend. And here he was, lying about.

He tried to leave the bed without waking Fluttershy, but to no avail. "Where are you going?" she asked, feeling hurt that he was sneaking out. He didn't seem to realize that he had offended.

"I still need to find Lewis, and the day will not last forever," he explained. He turned to go out.

"Wait." He stopped and turned to see Fluttershy following. "I'll go with you," she said.

"Why?" He wasn't trying to be mean, it was an honest question. He could tell by how she moved she was tired and sore, and he didn't know how far he would have to go. The journey could take a very long time, and he wasn't sure she was up to the task. So, when she burst into tears, he had no idea why.

Fluttershy, meanwhile, had completely misinterpreted his intentions. To her, the stallion to whom she had given herself had just rejected her without batting an eye. It was unbearable. She berated herself for allowing him to get so close, for letting herself feel anything for him. Stupid, stupid Fluttershy, the phrase repeated in her mind again and again. She tried to hold back the tears but they would not be held, and so the flood unleashed itself full force.

"Fluttershy," said Bourbons voice. She tried to look up at him through eyes still full of tears. "I don't know what happened to make you unhappy. If it hurts so much to stand, you should get back into bed. I just want to make sure you are well. I can tell you are tired."

Comprehension of the misunderstanding hit Fluttershy. "Oh-sniff- I thought that y-you were . . . I thought maybe you didn't care . . . ." Bourbon raised an eyebrow at this.

"Fluttershy," he said again, and this time his voice carried something that Fluttershy recognized, having heard it in her own voice before; love. "I have mated often before. I have enjoyed it. Never like with you. You are special; my first since I became whatever it is I am now. I am going to find Lewis . . . and then I'm coming straight back." She kissed him before he could say another word. She kissed him long and hard. He could feel himself becoming aroused again, but now was not the time. He pulled away. "I have to go."

"When will I see you again?" Fluttershy asked.

"I don't know," he said, "I only know which way to go, not how far. But I will come back."

Fluttershy looked thoughtful. "You're going to need to take food. Here," she said, putting some saddlebags on his back, "and I will come with you for a little of the way. I know a good place to get some food for your journey."

"Where?"

"A place where a friend of mine lives. It's called Sweet Apple Acres."

"Okay, what number was that?" asked Lewis once he was able to breathe again.

"That was a hundred sixty-two, extreme bubble-blowing stunts," said Apple Bloom as she heaved a disappointed sigh. "Ah guess that one ain't it."

"Guess not," said Lewis as he painfully coughed up a stream of bubbles, and gingerly checked several bruises on his legs. He prayed that she would try something simple next, like catching butterflies or something, but he refused to let on that he was anything but game for another round, "What else ya got?"

"Actually," said Apple Bloom, "most of the work on this next one is already done. A hundred sixty-three, raft building and sailing. Me and the girls already built the raft, but we didn't get a chance to sail it yet, 'cause we ain't strong enough to shove it off ourselves. But yer pretty strong, so this should be no problem. Ah kinda figured ya could use a break from the stunts."

Lewis offered quiet thanks to all things holy for the mercy in the hearts of young fillies. "Sure," he said, "A quiet ride on a raft sounds perfect. Where?"

"There's a creek that runs through this corner of the farm. It's not too deep and the current ain't strong, so we should be able to drift down it just a little ways without leaving the property, long enough to test it an' make sure it floats."

Lewis nodded his agreement. Here was something he was familiar with, having made a few rafts of his own to float on the creek back home. It was a relaxing way to spend an afternoon, and shoving off was never that difficult for him.

"Okay," he said, "let's go test a boat."

It took a while longer than he had anticipated getting the raft in position and ready. It had been built well away from the water, in case of flash flooding, and even using a few logs as rollers, it was slow going with just the two of them. Nevertheless, they had a good few hours left before sundown once they were set. "I'll get on alone first," said Apple Bloom, "We'll see if it will handle my weight. Then, if that works, we'll see if it'll take you too."

Lewis nodded his assent, too weary to refuse. He was having fun, but he was also finding that looking after a little tomboy-filly presented plenty of taxing challenges all on its own. Nevertheless, he was determined to finish what he started. Just as they were about to push off the raft, Applejack and Big Macintosh trotted into sight. "Hey there yall! Trying to float that raft today Apple Bloom?"

"Sure am!" she replied gleefully, "Lewis has been a great big help today! I got through more than half the new list!" Applejack chuckled at Lewis' bedraggled appearance.

"Ah can see that," she said, "Well, since Lewis is so dog-tired, why don't Big Mac and I give ya the final shove?"

Apple Bloom gladly agreed, and with both her elder siblings working together, the raft quickly found its way onto the water, the filly safely on board. The current was lazy, and the adults followed on shore as the raft began to drift downstream. While they walked, Lewis talked to them about his day with Apple Bloom. He was careful to watch Applejack, and saw that she frequently glanced at him, only to look away if she felt he was observing her, other times staring without shame. "Holy shit," he muttered quietly to himself.

"You say somethin'?" asked Big Mac.

"Naw, did you?"

"Naw," said Applejack.

"Then what's that sound?" They could feel it now, starting as a low rumble and building as the ground beneath them began to shake. Lewis looked around for the source, then spun at last to look upstream as the coin dropped. "Flash flood!" he yelled, but it was too late. A wall of white water surged down the stream bed, and within second, overtook the raft.

"HEEEEEELP!" Apple Bloom wailed as she was carried away rather suddenly. Lewis leapt into action, pelting down the bank after his little friend, Applejack and Big Macintosh in hot pursuit. They tried desperately to keep up with Applebloom, but she began to gain ground on them. As they burst through the tree line, they emerged onto the main road, and Big Macintosh ran face first into the pure-white flank of the very first pony he had ever seen that was bigger than him.

Bourbon and Lewis looked at each other.

"Bourbon?"

"Lewis?"

"Talking?"

"Yes!"

Lewis shook himself. "Explain later, time for work." Bourbon knew that phrase. If Lewis said "time for work," he really meant, "Start running really, really fast."

Lewis swung himself up, surprised to find it easier than usual. "Did you shrink?" Bourbon's ears flattened against his skull in irritation. "Right, later. Now RIDE!" Fluttershy, Big Macintosh, and Applejack watched in astonishment as Lewis rode downstream on an enormous pale pony's back at a pace that all three knew there was no way they could match.