Swingby TheGentlemanCreeperChaptersPrologueChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5EpiloguePrologue“Are you sure ya can handle the farm while I’m gone?” Applejack asked as she closed her suitcase. “Applejack, I’ve been running this farm since you were in diapers! Of course I can handle it!” Granny Smith yelled. “But what about yer back? Isn’t it still bothering you?” Granny Smith grabbed hold of Applejack’s suitcase and flung it onto her back in one fluid motion. “Does that answer yer question?” she says with a chuckle “The doc did a follow up and says I’m all better. Bed rest did the trick.” Applejack doesn’t look completely convinced, but doesn’t push the subject. “But won’t you be short hoofed with me gone?” “Oh don’t worry about that! Big Macintosh hired a farm hand from town to take over your chores while yer gone. Really eager to work, that one.” “But-” Granny Smith put a hoof over Applejack’s mouth. “We can handle ourselves while you’re on yer vacation. The whole farm ain’t gonna fall apart the minute you get on that boat.” “Yer right... I really should get going.” Applejack said as she grabbed she suitcase from Granny Smith. Just as Applejack made her way for the door, Granny Smith stopped her. “Hey. Do me a favor?” “Anything for you, Granny.” “Enjoy yourself.” Applejack walked up to Granny Smith and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I will, I promise.” “Good, now get outta here before you miss yer ride.” Applejack glanced at the clock and gasped aloud. “Oh horse feathers, I gotta go!” galloping out the door, Applejack made her way for Ponyville. “Bye Granny Smith, bye Big Macintosh, bye Apple Bloom! Take care while I’m gone!” * * * * * * * Applejack was tossing her bag into the back of the carriage when she heard the sound of hoofbeats behind her. Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie had all made it. “Really, this is great. Thanks everyone for seeing me off ‘fore I go. It means a lot.” “Well, we aren’t going to see you for like a week!” Dash yelled “And it would be downright rude if we didn’t say bon voyage before you left.” Rarity added. “Are you sure you have everything?” Twilight asked. “Yup, got my ticket and some spending bits. I’m taking the carriage to Gotland Bay and from there, it’s a straight cruise to Summerset Keys.” Applejack said as she pulled a white slip of paper out of the brim of her hat. “I can’t help but be a little jealous...” Fluttershy said above a whisper “There’s supposed to be all sorts of rare and exotic creatures in Summerset Keys and I’d love to see them..” “Oh, don’t you worry none, ‘shy. I’ll pick up a camera along the way and take plenty a photos.” “Thank you.” “Oooh, I’m gonna miss you!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she wrapped her hooves around Applejack’s neck and hugged her tightly “It’s not going to be the same with you gone!” “I’m gonna miss you too.” Applejack says through a forced wheeze. Prying Pinkie Pie’s off of herself, Applejack takes a deep breath and turns to her friends. “All of ya. I mean, I know it’s just a week, but we haven’t been apart since we met.” Climbing into the carriage, Applejack waves goodbye as the carriage trots of and couldn’t help but smile when her friends started shouting goodbye until they were out of sight. “Summerset Keys, eh?” the driver asked nonchalantly “Quite the place. Romantic, too. Nothing beats watching Luna’s moon rise over the ocean with somepony you love.” Applejack slumped down in her seat a bit and stared out the window. “Yeah... Somepony you love...” Chapter 1The sky passed lazily over head as you lay adrift in the great, big sea. You let the water move your hooves as it pleased and rock you with each passing wave. I could fall asleep like this... you think as you stifle a yawn. It was another perfect day on Summerset Keys, where the only thing on the agenda was to have fun, where there wasn’t a care in the world, where- “Hang in there, I’ve gotch’ya!” “Wha-” was all you could make out before you felt something wrap around your chest and start yanking on you, causing an errant splash of water catches you in the eyes and blinds you. Panicking, you begin to flail your hooves around in some attempt to pull away from your captor, but whatever was on the other end was much stronger. Your heart races as you began to imagine what exactly was pulling you in whatever direction it pleased. Octopus? Giant jellyfish? Kraken? You kick and flail with all your might, but you still couldn’t wrest yourself free. “Don’t worry, I got you!” You stop flailing when you hear the rough, female voice and calm down a bit when you feel yourself being dragged up onto the sandy beach. “Are you okay, sugarcube? Can you breathe?” the voice asks. Sitting up on your haunches, you rub at your stinging eyes. “Yeah, I can breathe! What was that all about?” Blinking a few times, your vision finally comes back to you. Looking up, you find yourself staring at an orange earth pony with a blond mane tied back in a ponytail that sat under a brown stetson. She was talking quite fast as she got the vine she apparently used to drag you to shore off. “I called out to ya, but you didn’t say nothin’, so I thought you drowned!” You couldn’t help but feel insulted. “Me? Drown? Unlikely! I mean, seriously! A lifeguard, drown?” The pony cocked her head to the side, obviously confused. “Lifeguard?” Turning around, you unfurl your wings and reveal the yellow word “Lifegaurd” over a cross on your red tank top. “Yeah, I’m one of the lifeguards here at Summerset Keys. I wouldn’t be where I am if I wasn’t a pro swimmer.” “Rightly sorry,” she says as she helps you to your hooves “What were you doing out there anyway?” “I’m on break, so I thought I’d come out to my secret spot,” that’s when it hits you “How did you find this place, anyway?” “Shucks, I just wandered away from the hotel. You know, getta feel for the place?” A small smiles starts to creep across your face “Oh wow, you just got off the boat, didn’t you?” “Well, yeah,” she says as she kicks at the ground “how’dya know?” “You kinda stick out like a sore hoof. But hey, it’s not a bad thing. I like tourists! They’re always a laugh and a half.” you say with a playful push “So, what’s your name?” “I’m Applejack,” she says as she shakes your hoof rather vigorously “and I’m supposed to be on vacation.” “I figured that much out. How are you enjoying it so far?” “Well... I don’t know. I’m sorta overwhelmed. I don’t even know what to do first.” You can’t help but feel your heart go out to her. “Well then, we’ll have to fix that! Come on, lemme show you around!” Grabbing Applejack’s hoof, you begin to drag her away. “Girl, just where the hay are you taking me?!?” she yells. “I’m taking you to have some fun!” * * * * * * * “This is the best juice bar in Summerset Keys,” you say as you walk up to the counter “It has an awesome view of the beach and serves the best pineapple smoothie in all of Equestria!” Applejack gives you an odd look “Pine...Apple? What the hay is a pineapple?” “Oh man, are you missing out! Hey Blendy!” you call out to the pony behind the counter “Two pineapple smoothies and put it on my tab!” The earth pony turns to you, smiling from ear to ear. A pair of black sunglasses sat on his nose and had his mane done in dreadlocks. “Shore thin, life mare! Comin’ righ’ up!” he says in a rather broken and choppy accent. “Uhh... What’s wrong with his voice?” she asks above a whisper. “Oh, he’s one of the locals here.” you say nonchalantly. “Locals?” On cue, the tan colored earth pony comes up to you two and places two hollowed out pineapples in front of you, each holding a thick yellowish liquid and sporting a straw and tiny umbrella. “Aye, Summerset Keys iz home ta all sots of ponies who luv good time. You ponies from across da sea jus make it better! Now enjoy yerself, girlie!” he says before moving to the next customer at the bar. You take a sip of the smoothie and relish the sweet and tart flavor of the fruit. Turning to Applejack, you can’t help but giggle as you watch her sniff and scrutinize every inch of the drink. “Oh come on! It won’t bite!” Sheepishly, she wraps her lips around the straw and takes a small sip, only to have her eyes light up. “Wow, that’s good! I didn’t think anythin’ so spiny looking could be so tasty!” she says before taking a deep drink from the smoothie. “Don’t drink too fast or-” Too late. Applejack reels back from the drink and grips the sides of her head. “OW OW OW OW!” “You’ll get brainfreeze.” you say with a chuckle. “Thanks for the warnin’.” she says as she continues to rub her head. “So, where ya from AJ? You don’t mind if I call you that, do ya?” “Not at all, sugar cube. And I’m from Ponyville. It’s a little town away from it all.” she says rather fondly. “Oh, I think I’ve heard of Ponyville. I’m from Fillydelphia, myself. Moved here to get away from the whole city life thing. Now all I do is swim all day and watch the ocean” you say with a content sigh “What do you do for a living, AJ?” “I’m an apple farmer, myself. Me and my family run Sweet Apple Acres, an apple farm outside of Ponyville. Though work has left me a might frazzled. Kinda why I need this vacation.” “Hey, I know the feeling. Every job has its ups and downs.” Applejack opens her mouth to say something, but stops when two earth ponies walk up to the bar and sit besides you. “And there’s one of them...” you say under your breath. The stallion to your right had his brown mane slicked back and his yellow coat was dripping wet with water. “Why hello there ladies...” he said as he put a hoof around your shoulder. You push the hoof off from you and stare daggers at the stallion. “What do you want Klein?” “What, I can’t say hi to two beautiful mares?” “You can’t when Blendy said you aren’t welcome here anymore. And when I said I was going to get a restraining order against you if you keep harassing me.” “Oh come on baby, I thought you were kidding.” Placing two hooves on Klein, you give him a push and send him stumbling backwards. “Does it look like I’m kidding?” “Whatever. You’re not worth it, anyway.” he says with a scowl. Turning to Applejack, he puts on a plastic smile and walks up to her. “Come on, why don’t we ditch her and head back to my place?” “Why do I get the feelin' I'm not gonna like you?" She says, tensing as Klein begins to circle her. "Oh come now, you should really get to know me first. I can be really rather nice if you give me a chance." Klein replies, pausing behind her, the orange earth pony tilting her head just slightly to keep one eye on him. "You're quite the piece, you know that?" In one quick motion, Klein brings a hoof down and slaps her flank. "Big mistake!" Like a spring uncoiled, Applejack suddenly rears forward, bringing her hind hooves up and bucking Klein hard, sending him crashing out of the bar in an unceremonious heap. You can only stare on in disbelief as Klein moans aloud in pain as he tries to get to his hooves. Applejack seems to admire her work as you walk up to her side, mouth agape. “Wow...” you say breathlessly “You just put him right through that wall.” “That I did. Years of apple buckin’ have made me a real-” she stops when the reality of what just happened sinks in and looks to everyone around the room in panic. “Oh gosh darnit, I’m sorry! I just don’t know my own strength sometimes and he well... and I...” “I mean, he just sailed right through it! That was awesome!” you say giddily. “Beg pardon?” “He scum who ain’t allowed here no more!” Blendy cries as Klein limps off, supported by his buddy “He always harrasin’ ma female customers and puttin’ his hooves were dey don’t belong.” “Yeah, if you ask me, you should of sent him through a palm tree or something,” a patron says “He deserves worse.” “So... You all ain’t mad?” Applejack asks “And ya ain’t gonna call the cops?” “I didn’t see anything.” you say, matter-of-fact. “Nor I.” Blendy says as he goes back to serving drinks. The rest of the crowd shake their head and offer the same story; they didn’t see anything happen. “Wow... Quite friendly folk.” Applejack says as she takes a seat at the juice bar again. “Either that or they really don’t like Klein.” you say with a laugh. “Who was that guy anyway?” “Klein, ugh,” the mere mention of his name didn’t feel right on your tongue “he’s one of the other lifeguards here, along with Violet... How he ever got the job is beyond me. Not only is he a total perv, but he’s totally inexperienced. Part of me thinks all he’s wants from this job is to cop a feel of unconscious mares. “I hate those kinda stallions. Think they own ya... Makes me sick.” “Don’t let it get to you, AJ. Not everypony in Summerset Keys is a huge an ass as Klein. Come on, let’s go play some volleyball.” “Sure, I’m game!” she says rather excited. * * * * * * * Tossing the ball up into the air, you ready yourself. “Serve up!” You hit the ball with a quick jab, sending it over the net, right towards Applejack. The day was coming to an end and almost everypony else had left for more nighttime activities. Except for you and Applejack. You had a score to settle. Three hours and a winner still hadn’t been decided. And neither one of you were giving up. “Is that the best ya got?” she taunts. Applejack easily intercepts the ball and sends it right back at you. “Far from it!” Leaping into the air, you bring a hoof down and spike the ball right at her. Surprisingly, she doesn’t flinch away and instead goes right for it and bounces it right back at you. “Oh s-” was about all you could say before the volleyball hit you square in the face, making you crash down to earth. “Sugarcube, are you okay?!?” Applejack cries as you hold your face. Bringing your hoofs away from your face, you begin to panic when all you see is blood. “Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh!” you yell. “Wait right here, I’ll go getta first aid kit!” Applejack runs off, leaving you to hold your bloody, and quite possibly, broken nose. Stupid AJ, hitting me like that... Everything is going to smell like blood for a week... She probably planned this... Just as you begin to really steam, Applejack gallops over, carrying a first aid kit in her mouth. “Okay, okay, I got this. I got this.” she says to herself, seeming shaken. Applejack opens the first aid kit and turns to you. “Yer gonna have to take yer hooves off your nose so I can look at it.” Gingerly, you pull your hooves away and stifle a scream when blood starts to drip down onto the sandy beaches. Quickly, Applejack takes a piece of gauze in her mouth and presses it against your snout. In that instant, all pain seems to melt away with the rest of the world. A rolling wave of heat begins to make its way up your neck until your entire face is beat red. Oh no, am I going into shock? Am I going to pass out? You don’t feel dizzy or lightheaded. Instead, you feel more awake than ever; and more aware. Especially about the mare who was just a hair away from touching your lips. Her big, green eyes stared directly into yours; you feel like you could get lost in them. A shiver goes up your spine every time she breathes onto you. Just when you think your senses were going to be overloaded, she pulls away. “There. It stopped bleeding. Looks like it just got split open, not broken.” she says as she applies a bandage to your nose. “Oh...Okay...” you say dreamily. “Are you okay?” she asks as she gives you a once over. “Yeah.” “Nothing else is hurt? You took quite a tumble.” “No.” “A...Are you mad at me?” she asks nervously. You snap yourself out of your daze and look to her. “No! No! Of course not. It was an accident, after all.” Applejack lets out sigh of relief and smile. “Thank goodness. I’d rather not lose a friend I just made.” Getting to her hooves, Applejack points towards the Summerset Hotel. “It’s gettin’ late and I’m bushed. I think I’m going to hit the hay.” You nod dumbly as you sit in the sand, reliving the sensation you just felt. Just as Applejack leaves, she stops and faces you. “By the way, y’might wanna get yer check yer wings. They're kinda..." She motions vaguely in place of more helpful words, shrugging as she leaves. “Huh?” Craning your neck around, you take a look at your wings and gasp aloud. They were completely flared. Taking back control of your body, you tuck them in and feel yourself blush again. Oh gosh, oh gosh... I popped a wingie in front of her! B-But why? Why- You bring a hoof to your mouth as you begin to put the pieces together. “Oh...” Chapter 2Here on your cloud perch, you could see the entire beach and the waters below. You were supposed to be keeping an eye on all the beach-going ponies, but you couldn’t focus on your job. Your mind kept wandering. Why did that feel so weird? I mean… She wasn’t trying to kiss me. She was stopping the bleeding… Your reasoning didn’t stop you from blushing when you remembered how warm her breath was against your face. You try to shake the feeling out of your head and bury your face in the cloud. I am not interested in Applejack! So what if she’s strong? And her accent is so adorable? And she’s super talented? And cute? And strong? And… And… “Oh dear Celestia…” you mumble into the cloud “I’ve got a crush on her...” You could feel the blood rush to your face as you finally accept the fact; you were in love with another mare. Rolling onto your back, you look up to the sky, wondering what do next. Okay, so I’m interested in AJ. But what now? I mean, she didn’t seem like she was into girls… But then again I didn’t think I was... Maybe I should ask her. Playing back what you just thought you put a hoof to your face and sigh heavily, just now realizing just how complicated things could get. And how am I supposed to find out? ‘Hey AJ, do you like candy va-‘ You’re cut off mid-thought by a high pitched screaming, immediately setting off alarm bells. You scan the waters quickly and find the source of the screaming; a little pink filly had drifted too far out and got caught up in the current. Jumping off from your cloud, you dive towards her as fast as you can. Halfway into your dive bomb, the filly’s head goes under the water. Prepared for this kind of situation, you tuck your wings in, streamline your body, and brace for impact with the water. The water breaks and allows you passage with ease. It only takes a second for you to find your bearings and catch a glimpse of the tiny unicorn flailing to get back to the surface. Reaching a hoof out, you just barely grab a hold of her and begin to drag her to the surface. You falter for a second when her flailing causes a hoof to connect with your chest, almost making you breathe in saltwater. Finally breaking the surface, you take a deep breath and turn to the filly. “Calm down kid, I got you! I got you!” The filly stops splashing and looks to you in wild eyed terror. “DON’T LET ME GO! DON’T LET ME GO!” she cries as she wraps her hooves around your neck. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” you sputter out, her grip just a bit too tight. Paddling to shore, you see the sight that made this job all worthwhile: the mother and father of the little filly, holding each other in tears of happiness. As soon as you touch sand, the filly lets go and rushes to her parents, who are just overjoyed to see their child safe. “Oh thank you!” the mother cries. “You were off like a shot at the first sign of trouble! We can never repay you!” the father says as he shakes your hoof. “It’s no trouble at all, really,” you say bashfully “it’s my job, after all.” You wave goodbye as the parents and child take off towards the Coco Cabana Hotel. “Still one heck of a job, sugarcube! How’d you learn to swim like that?” All at once, that familiar southern drawl makes you melt and lose every once of social grace you had. “O-oh! AJ! Hi! Y-You saw that, huh? I-It’s nothing special, really. I-I just sort of taught myself as I went along,” you say as you look down and away, feeling your face go flush at the praise. “That’s really somethin’!” Applejack says as she creeps on you. You take a tentative step back, hoping she didn’t notice your blush. “Well...Yeah, I guess it is.” “So uhh... Can I ask you for a favor?” she asks with a nervous smile. “W-What kind of favor?” By now, your heart is beating in your chest and a lump is forming in your throat. “W-Well... It’s kinda embarrassing, actually... I... I never learned how to swim,” she says, sounding quite ashamed. Your ears perk up and you manage to regain your composure. “Oh really? Well, we can’t have that now, can we? I could teach you.” Applejack’s eyes light up “Would’ya please? Big Macintosh has always teased me how I never learned and it'd be sweet payback if I could show him up next time we’re at the swimmin’ hole.” “Sure, I’d be happy to!” you say ecstatically “Meet me at my secret spot in like half an hour! I need to grab something.” “Alright-y then! I’ll see ya there!” Springing yourself into the sky, you make your way towards your own little grass hut, grinning from ear to ear. Oh boy, oh boy! This is great! I can spend some quality time with her, one on one! And I know the perfect way to find out if she’s interested... Landing on your doorstep, you burst in and rush towards your dresser and fling open your special drawer. “Where did I put it... Where... A HA!” Holding up the piece of clothing, you couldn’t help but smile. If she’s interested... She’ll look * * * * * * * Hovering over your secret spot, you try your best to contain giddiness when you see Applejack approach from the forest. “Oh, hey Applejack~” you say as you touch down in front of her. Applejack doesn’t notice you as she hangs her hat up on a nearby branch. “Oh hey-” she stops dead in her tracks when she finally gets a look of what you’re wearing; your old athletic swimsuit. It was just a single blue one piece suit that covered your torso and had two holes in the back for your wings. You’ve grown a bit since you last put it on and it’s become quite a tight fit, but that was the point. It hugged and clung to just the right places to drive the boys wild. And maybe even her wild. “What do you think AJ? I managed to find my old bathing suit I wore in swim-school and what do you know? It still fits.” “Are you sure it’s not a little...tight?” Applejack asks as you walk by her, making sure your tail just barely touches her chin. Is she looking? Oh, I don’t want to look back and catch her looking or it could get really awkward. “Oh no, not at all.” you say as you tug at the hem of the swimsuit. Truth be told, it was a tad tight, but you couldn’t back out now “So! How about those swimming lessons?” “Sure! Where do we start?” With a flick of the tail, you toss Applejack a pair of goggles. “First, put these on.” She looks at the goggles quizzically, then to you. “What are these fer?” “The sea has salt in it and can really hurt your eyes. The goggles help.” you say as you snap on your own pair. “Make sense.” she says as she puts them on. “Alright, now that’s out of the way, how strong a swimmer are you? Can you horsie paddle?” Applejack shakes her head “I’m ‘fraid not. Truth be told, getting in water above ma head sort of freaks me out...” “Well, we’ll have to start right at the beginning then; floating.” climbing into the water, you start to wade out into deeper waters, but stop when the water comes up to your withers. “Come on in, the water is fine!” Applejack slowly makes her way into the water and wades up in front of you. “Okay... This ain’t so bad.” “Well, we haven’t even gotten into the good stuff yet. Grab a hold of me.” “Beg pardon?” she asks, raising an eyebrow. “You gotta get the feel for floating first. Just put your hoofs on my shoulders.” “I...I don’t know about all this...” she says, glancing back towards shore. Putting a hoof on Applejack’s cheek, you bring her to face yours. “Do you trust me?” Applejack opens her mouth to say something, but instead closes it and draws close to you. Slowly, she puts her hoofs on your shoulders and gives you a nod. Taking a deep breath, you unfurl your wings and beat them under the water. Slowly, you begin to move Applejack into deeper waters, much to her displeasure. “W-What happens if I can’t keep ma head above water?” she asks nervously. “You’re less than a foot away from a lifeguard, you'll be fine. ” Applejack lets out a nervous laugh as soon as she realizes she isn’t touching bottom anymore. “Promise?” “I promise.” You and Applejack float like that in silence for a few moments, until you finally speak up. “Are you ready to go under?” Applejack’s jaw almost unhinges. “U-U-Under? As in, under the water?” “Where else? You ready? One...” “Listen sugarcube, I’m starting to have second thoughts about all this and-” “Two...” Applejack enters full freak-out mode at this moment. “Wait! Wait! Lemme just-” “Three! Drawing your wings back in, you’re no longer buoyant enough to support yourself and Applejack, causing you and her to dip underneath the water. Only after a second under the water, you unfurl your wings again and kick your hind legs, bringing you and Applejack back to the surface. “W-Wh*cough*Why did ya do that?” “To get you used to being below the water. You ready this time? We’re going deeper.” Applejack starts to protest, but before she can, you take her below the water again, this time for two seconds. You repeat this process until you’re under for so long, you and Applejack touch bottom. Looking to her, you hoped she would enjoy the beauty of undersea life as much as you did. As soon as she opened her eyes. She must haven’t been too keen about being at least ten feet beneath the water. You start tapping her on the shoulder until she finally opens her eyes and looks around her. The light filtering from above was more than enough to illuminate the ocean floor and all of its wonders. Applejack stared on in amazement as a school of brightly colored school of fish swam around you, occasionally stopping to inspect you before swimming off. Tapping her shoulder again, you point up and she finally notices the sea turtle swimming over head. A strained look comes across Applejack’s face and she begins pointing for the surface. You forget that not everypony had the lung capacity you do and begin to make your way to the surface with her. As soon as you hit air, she takes a deep breath and laughs. “That was amazing! I mean, there were fishes and turtles and all these weird plants! It’s like a whole ‘nother world down there!” “I take it deep water doesn’t freak you out as much anymore?” “Not at all! What do we do next?” Applejack asks enthusiastically. “You do know what the horsie-paddle is, right?” “Just kicking your hooves, right?” “Good!” you say as you grab a hold of her front hooves “Just start kicking.” “W-wait, what are you doing?!?” Slowly, but surely, you push yourself away from Applejack and towards shore. “Come on, you can do it! Just kick your hooves!” Applejack starts to flail violently as she learns she no long has anything supporting her. “Wait! Wait! Th-Th-” Her head goes under water for a second, making your heart skip a beat. “Are you okay?!?” “Yeah! Yeah! I think I’m gettin’ the hang of it!” she says as her kicks start to become less frantic. You started to smile proudly as Applejack slowly, but surely gets the hang of the horsie paddle. Some called this kind of teaching cruel, but it was the most effective. Every creature naturally knows how to swim; it’s the threat of drowning that teaches them. “Hey, this is actually fun!” Applejack says as she begins to paddle around you. “Congratulations AJ, you can swim now!” Applejack stops paddling when the realization hits her, causing her to sink for second. “Well shoot, yer right! I didn’t even notice. Just feels so natural, ya know?” “Yeah... It does, doesn’t it?” you say as you switch to floating on your back. Applejack watches you do this and attempts it herself, only to get a snout full of water when her face goes below the water. You do your best to stifle a laugh. “You okay?” “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine... But I think I’m done fer today.” she says as she makes her way towards shore. Your heart sinks a bit. You really did enjoy your time with her today. “You comin’?” Applejack asks as she shakes herself dry. Your ears ears perk up. “Uh... Where?” “Well, I’m hungry now and feel like hittin’ up someplace fer some grub. I hoped you’d join me.” You start grinning from ear to ear and hop out of the water. “Sure! I know of this awesome outdoor bar and grill that sells these kabobs that are to die for!” “Sounds good, sugarcube!” “Oh and we definitely need to get a mojito while we’re there!” “Sure, whatever those are.” * * * * * * * Applejack tries to stop giggling as she tells her story, but she just can’t. “And flying her upside down, me still tiny, me and Rainbow crash through Zecora’s front door and tore through her house! I mean, I still feel awfully bad for treatin’ her like I did ‘fore I got to know her, but I still crack up when I think of what it must of looked like to see a pegasus flying upside down around your home and an inch high pony tryin’ to wrestle yer ear!” You stifle a laugh as you swallow what’s left of your grilled veggie kabob. “Glad there’s no poison joke around here... Or parasprites. That would definitely put a damper on all this summertime fun.” The bar was mostly empty, being just a little too early for the usual crowd. “That it would. Mighty peaceful ‘round here... Hey, what’ya call this thing again?” she asked as she held up her empty glass. “Mojito. It’s white rum, sugar cane juice, lime juice, sparkling water and mint.” “Not bad, not bad... I gotta remember that when I get back home. ‘Cept hard cider instead’a rum.” You droop a bit in your seat at the mention of AJ leaving. It’s only been a couple days and she was already thinking about home. “Yeah... Ho-ow many of those have you had, AJ?” “Oh, not that much. Three... Maybe four.” she says with a giggle. Upon closer inspection, you begin to notice she looked just a little tipsy. “Uh, Applejack? I think it’s time we head out...” You reach for your purse to pay the bill, but find it absent. Oh no, I didn’t grab it because this swimsuit doesn’t have pockets. “Uh, just put it on my tab, okay?” The barman gives you a nod. “Sure, sweetheart. I know you’re good for it.” “Thanks.” You reach a hoof out towards Applejack for support. “Lemme take you back to the hotel.” “Aw horsefeathers!” she says as she gets off of the barstool “I’m fi-” As soon as her hooves touch solid ground, she topples down in a heap, cursing under her breath. Helping her up, you don’t say anything and settle for just a stern look. Applejack just stares back, but finally lets out a defeated sigh. “Fine, fine. Let’s go back.” The sun sets as you walk along the dirt road to the hotel. At first, you’re walking by her side, but when Applejack almost stumbles into a palm tree, you figure the best way to stop this is to fly directly above her and guide her when she veered off course. It took twenty minutes more than it usually takes to get back to the Coco Cabana Hotel. As soon as you get to the entrance, you let her go and watch to make sure she makes it inside. Applejack stumbles towards the front door of the hotel, but stops and walks back towards you. “Thanks sugarcube... Fer everything. You’ve been real sweet to me. So in case I ain’t said it already, thanks.” You watch on in surprise as Applejack draws closer to you and plants a kiss on your cheek, making you blush deeply. Applejack doesn’t seem to notice in her drunken haze and makes her way back to her hotel room. “Goodnight!” She yells as she walks into the lobby. “Goodnight...” Just as you turn around, you find yourself face to face with a bluish-purple unicorn, who was looking at you sternly. “Oh! Uh, hi Violet.” “Hi,” she says flatly “how was your break?” “My break? Oh, it was-” you realize in all of a moment that you walked off from your post without a word. “OHMYGOSH VIOLET, I’M SO SORRY, IT’S JUST MY NEW FRIEND AJ WANTED ME TO TEACH HER TO SWIM AND I DID AND THEN WE WENT OUT FOR SOME FOOD AND DRINKS AND I AM SO SORRY!” Violet chuckles at your panicked display and puts a hoof on your shoulder. “It’s no biggie. I can’t stay mad at you. If you wanted the day off, you could have at least said so.” “Oh Violet, I’m so sorry. You had to cover mine and your shift! That must have been brutal! I gotta make it up to you! I’ll cover your shift tomorrow so you can have the day off. Fair is fair.” “Great! Just as long as we got everything squared away.” Violet says happily “You heading home?” “Yeah.” “Mind if I walk with you?” “Sure.” You and Violet walk back the way you came for around five minutes in silence, leaving you to relive Applejack’s sweet goodnight kiss. That is, until Violet speaks up. “So, that Applejack seems like a great pony.” “Yeah... She is.” “You know, there’s supposed to be a concert featuring that band you always go on about... Maybe you could take her on a date.” Your jaw hangs slack at the news. “Sublime is here in Summerset Keys?!? When?!?” “Tomorrow night. You should get some rest. You’ve got a big day ahead of you. See ya later.” And with that, Violet takes her leave. “Oh my gosh Sublime! This is going to be awesome and I can take Applejack on a date and-” Glancing at the direction Violet went, it finally dawned on you. “How did she know?” Chapter 3“Where is she?” you asked aloud. Earlier today, you asked Blendy to tell Violet that she had left some of her things here last night and that you would give them to her before your shift started. Truth be told, Violet had left nothing behind and was supposed to be enjoying her day off today; but you needed to know. What did she mean when she said I could take Applejack out on a date? Like, a date between friends or a date between…well… more? This was the tenth time you’ve paced the girl’s locker-room. The stress of it all was getting to you and tying your stomach into knots as your thoughts shifted back to Violet. What if she knows I’m interested in another mare? Will she be okay with it or at least not care or will she start calling me a filly fooler or- Turning around, you find yourself face to face with Violet. Her sudden presence startles you, making you shout aloud and jump into the air out of fright. “Are you okay?” she asks with a chuckle. “Y-yeah! Yeah! Fine!” you say as you try to regain your composure “just startled, is all.” “Okay then… Blendy said you had some of my stuff?” “Umm… About that…” taking a deep breath, you do your best to calm yourself “I lied. I kinda wanted to talk to you real quick before I punched in. You know, about last night?” Violet doesn’t look all that surprised by your confession. “I figured there was something else to this… Seeing as though my locker is empty right now,” she says as she nods to her open and quite barren locker. Steeling yourself, you gather your wits and courage. “What did you mean when you said I could take Applejack on a date when we were walking last night?” Violet’s smile slowly turns into a frown as you lean in and face her eye to eye. “I… Well…” she starts, obviously not prepared for this conversation. “I…I…Oh I’m sorry! I saw you walking Applejack back to the hotel and I followed, because I wanted to talk to you about ditching work yesterday and then I saw her kiss you and…and…” “And what?” you ask sharply. “Umm… You sort of… Poomph’d.” It takes a minute for you to register what she meant. In all of an instant, your eyes widen in horror as you realize what she was saying, making you blush heavily and burry your face in your hooves. “OH MY GOSH, I POPPED A WINGIE IN FRONT OF TWO FRIENDS NOW!” you cry aloud. You feel a comforting hoof on your shoulder, making you glance up at Violet, who was giving you a comforting smile. “It’s okay. You’re just… sensitive, is all. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” “R-Really?” you ask as you sniffle back tears. “Yes, it’s-wait, two friends? Who’s the other?” “A-Applejack… I got hit in the face with a volleyball and she was putting the bandage on and… and I don’t know what came over me…” “What did she say?” “I don’t think she knew what was going on… She just said for me to get my wings looked at, too. She might have thought I strained them, I don’t know… Why did you say I should take AJ on a date, anyway?” Violet takes a few steps forward and puts a hoof on your shoulder. “Well, I wanted you to be happy. It’s a little weird to find out the friend who used to peep in the boy’s locker room with me when we were teenagers is now interested in mares, but it doesn’t bother me.” You let out a sigh of relief. “Really? Oh my gosh, that’s a load off of my mind… I thought things were going to be weird between us now.” “Of course not, you silly filly,” she says as she wraps her hooves around your neck “you’re my best friend and that will never change.” Hugging her back, you can’t help but feel loved. “Thanks. I’ve been feeling so weird lately and freaking out over how to talk to AJ about this and what will everyone think and just… Thanks.” Letting you go, Violet makes her way to the locker-room door. “Don’t mention it. Now get out there, your shift starts in like five minutes.” “I will! Have a good one, Violet!” With renewed vigor, you grab your lifeguard vest before bolting out the door past Violet, ready to start the day. * * * * * * * Unsurprisingly, the day was going by at a snail’s pace. Your shift had already come and gone and you just started in on Violet’s. Nothing interesting was happening, save for a kid scrapping his knee and needing a bandage, but that was about it. The only thing to do was to watch the fish swim around, without much real direction. Feeling your cloud perch drift idly through the air, you stir as it almost rocks you to sleep. You stretch yourself and let out a long yawn before rolling onto your stomach. “Huh? Where did all the fish go?” you ask aloud. Just a minute ago, there had to have been hundreds of them swimming around. Now, you couldn’t find a single one. “Did something spook them?” Something was off; you begin scanning the bay, looking for something, anything to explain what was going on. That’s when you see it and you feel all the blood drain from your face. You say it first under your breath, like you couldn’t believe it. Its body was long sleek, with a fin on its back just coming out of the water. “Shark…” This time, you scream it. “SHARK! SHARK!” Everypony on the beach looks up to you, bewildered. “SHARK! EVERYPONY OUT OF THE WATER! SHARK!” They all seem to understand the situation they were now in. You watch on as everypony scrambles for shore, yelling and screaming to their friends and loved ones, trying to find out if they were safe. Flying down, you do your best to help the elderly and children out of the water. Just when you think everypony was out of the water, a high pitched scream sends a chill up your spine. Looking towards the open water, you look in horror as four kids, three fillies and one colt, were swimming for all their worth towards a stretch of beach opposite of you. The earth pony leads the four, with the colt right behind her. “SWIM FASTER!” she yells. “Don’t worry kids, I’m coming!” you cry. Before you can take off, you feel a hoof wrap around your shoulder and pull you. “Wha-” You’re at a loss for words as you stare nose to nose at a grizzled old sailor, eye patch, peg leg, and all. “You don’t have much time. If you want to save those kids, you gotta show the shark whose boss. Buck it in the snout to establish superiority.” “I-” “DON’T QUESTION, JUST DO IT!” he cries. Spurred by his words, you take off in a flash and barrel towards the shark, who was closing in fast on the four. The unicorn was doing her best to keep up with the others, but she wasn’t a strong swimmer; she was falling behind. Gaining more altitude, you do your best to prepare yourself for the task at hoof. Buck it in the snout… No problem. Swallowing the last of your fears, you start dive-bombing towards the shark. The pegasus grabs a hold of the unicorn, obviously scared for the safety of her friend. “COME ON SWEETIE, YOU CAN MAKE IT!” The world whizzes by as the adrenaline rush kicks in. You point your forelegs down, aiming right for the beast below. Your hooves connect with something hard and you feel it thrash underneath you. The shark rears up and out of the water, snapping its jaws in vain; you were just out of reach. Jumping into the air, you bring all four of your hooves down on its head. Instead of trying to hit it again, you push off from it and using it like a springboard; catapulting yourself into the air. You prepare yourself for another round with the great white, but stop when it starts to slink off towards deeper waters, away from everypony. “Hey, you kids al-” Turning around, you find the four absent. There was no trace of them, except for their hoof prints in the sand, heading towards the tree line. “Are you okay?!?” you yell, hoping they were just spooked by the whole thing. There was no answer. You make your way towards the beach and look to the other ponies, who were staring at you wide-eyed as you touch down “Hey, do any of you know those kid’s parents? They-” In all of a sudden, the crowd of ponies descends upon you and hoists you into the air, cheering your name. “THAT WAS AMAZING!” you hear somepony yell. “YOU KICKED THAT SHARK RIGHT IN THE FACE LIKE IT WAS NOTHING!” “YOU’RE A HERO!” “Wait, wait, WAIT!” you cry. Everypony stops and looks to you bewildered. “Lemme down!” “What are ya talking about? The shark is gone, we need to celebrate!” a mare yelled aloud. “But what about the kids? They ran into the forest! We gotta do something!” The other ponies must have completely missed that last part, because they immediately set you down. “Oh my gosh, what do we do?” “Did anyone get a good look at them?” you ask “I can’t really remember what they look like. I guess the adrenaline was really going when I…” It suddenly hits you: You just kicked a shark. You were less than a foot away from a set of razor sharp teeth that could have torn you apart without a second thought. Your legs feel like they’re going to buckle out from underneath you. To avoid falling over, you slump down and sit on your bottom. The crowd of ponies falls silent as they look to each other, hoping someone would speak up. “O-Okay, no problem, no problem. I’ll put out an APB to keep an eye out for them. But for now, t-the beach is closed.” “Awww, how come?” a stallion asked aloud. You shoot him a tired look. “Do you wanna go back into the same water a shark was in not too long ago?” “Oh… Uh, no. Sorry I asked.” “Okay ponies, break it up and head on out. There’s more to Summerset Keys than the beach, so enjoy yourself. I promise the beach will be opened again as soon as possible.” The crowd of ponies slowly departs and it isn’t until the last one is out of sight do you collapse into the sand, your heart beating out of your chest. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh… I took on a freaking shark! I could have been hurt or…or worse…” You lay there for longest time until you hear a set of hoof beats behind you. “Listen, I’m sorry, but the beach is closed for the time being...” “Aw horsefeathers, how come?” Your ears perk up at the familiar voice. “Applejack?” you ask as you turn around. “The one an’ only.” she says with a smile. Her smile disappears when she sees how ragged and tired you look. “What happened to ya, sugarcube? Ya look like death run over twice. No offense.” “Applejack… Could you please help me? I… I can’t get up.” A flash of panic goes across Applejack’s face as she runs to your side. “What’s wrong? Ya hurt? Need a doctor?” “No, no, no… Just sort of in shock…” Applejack offers you a hoof and helps you to your feet. “Care ta tell me what’s happenin’?” You uneasily get to your hooves and do your best to stay standing. “It’s a long story…” you say as you begin to shuffle towards the lifeguard station. Applejack starts walking by your side and offers a hoof whenever you begin to stumble. “I always got time fer a friend. Lay it on me.” You take a deep breath and do your best to remain calm. “Th-There was a shark coming into the beach and it was heading right for these kids… I went in and bucked it without even thinking about my own skin. I know I did the right thing and saved them, but I’m still freaked out about the whole thing.” “You…You bucked a shark?” You nod. “Like, a little one? One of them Makos you can see at the aquarium not too far from here?” “No… It was a great white. And it had to be like ten feet long.” Applejack stops dead in her tracks and stares at you. “W-wow… That’s mighty brave of ya…” You feel yourself blush at the praise. Knowing that it impressed Applejack did wonders for your nerves. “I was only trying to do the right thing,” you say with a bashful smile. Your blush grows when you feel Applejack draw you in for a hug. “You’re one crazy filly, but yer heart’s in the right place. I’m proud of ya. Not just any pony woulda jumped into that water.” You start to feel your wings twitch from Applejack’s embrace, making you panic. “Thanks AJ, I’m feeling a lot better.” You say you as break the hug, as nice as it was. “I gotta take care of some things. Write a report, send out some carrier pigeons, you know; work stuff?” Slowly, you inch yourself away, focusing on anything except for Applejack’s touch. “Oh… alright-y then. I guess I’ll see ya later.” Applejack says, rather dejected. Just as she begins to leave, you remember the concert and stop her. “Hey, there’s this concert tonight out by Sunset Beach. Do you want to come with me?” “Concert?” “Yeah, Sublime is playing.” “Never heard of ‘em. What kinda music they play?” “It’s hard for me to give them like a single genre. I mean, even the band themselves reject any labels someone tries to put on them. Not only that, but their music reminds me of home. It’s sad and it’s sweet and well… It’s awesome!” you say with enthusiasm. “Sure, why not? I’m more a country kinda girl myself, but I’m all fer new things. When should we meet up?” Checking your waterlogged watch, you figure the concert started at around sunset in three hours and your shift ended in two. “How about 7:30? I’ll pick you up around then at the hotel.” “Alright-y honey-bun, I’ll see ya then.” “See you, too.” You and Applejack part ways for now and you make your way to the lifeguard station, when it finally dawns on you as you take your seat at the desk. Honey-bun? What happened to sugarcube? Putting pet names aside, you manage to buckle down and get to work, putting out the necessary announcements and filling in the right reports. There was a set of protocols that you needed to follow when you closed down a beach. While Summerset Keys was quite the paradise, it had its problems. Jellyfish, stingrays, and Celestia forbid, sharks have found their way into beach waters and have caused problems. Luckily, no pony has been hurt yet, but the mayor didn’t want to risk it. So, each beach was given the ability to close their door and forbid anyone from swimming the waters for twenty-four hours while special teams did sweeps for anymore signs of danger. You finish filing your report about the day’s incidents, starting with the scraped knee and working your way into the shark. “I hate this part of my job,” you grumble under your breath. Paperwork was your least favorite activity and always put you in a bad mood. The only thing stopping you from storming out and doing it another day was the fact that this was Violet’s shift and therefore, she was responsible for it. The last thing you wanted to do was put her in a tough spot because you didn’t like the idea of writing. With the last page written, you move onto the bulletin. Taking out a small strip of paper, you put the pencil to it, only to stop. Was it dot dot dash or dash dot dash? Morse code has always confused you and the last time you tried to guess your way through it, you put the whole beach into the panic with “DRAGON MIGRATION” instead of what was supposed to be “JELLYFISH MIGRATION”. To this day, you still don’t know how you managed that. You have yet to cause that sort of problem again, thanks to a copy of “The Idiot’s Guide to Morse Code” that Violet bought you shortly after. With the message complete, you reach into one of the pigeon cages to complete the day’s work. “Come here you little… I just need you tOW!” you yell, retracting your now sore hoof “OH SO THAT’S HOW YOU WANT TO PLAY? WELL I’M GONNA-” Before you can finish your threat, the door to the lifeguard station opens and Violet walks in and past you, looking quite irritated. “Is there a problem?” she asks curtly as she slips into her vest. “Uhh… Just trying to get the pigeon to-” Before you can finish your sentence, the unicorn picks up the bird and note with her magic, attaches the note to its leg and almost throws it out the window. “See? Not that hard.” “Uhh… Are you okay?” you ask as you take a step towards her. “It’s that stupid Klein again!” she yells “This was supposed to be my day off, but I got a call from the boss saying that Klein called in sick and they need someone to cover my shift, but I’d bet my bottom dollar that he’s out there getting wasted with his buddy Calvin and trolling the bars for some unlucky mare.” “Oh. Well, don’t worry about it. Beach is closed,” you say idly. “I mean, it’s bad enough that-wait. The beach is closed? What happened? Jellyfish sting somepony?” she asks with a dry chuckle. “A shark found its way into the beach.” Violet’s smile disappears when she hears the word ‘shark’. “Oh my gosh, what happened? Is everypony okay?” “Oh yeah, they’re all fine. Well, some kids ran into the forest after I kicked it in the face.” Her jaw drops this time. “You…You kicked a shark?” “Well I wasn’t going to kick the kids” you say with a laugh as you file away the report. “How are you so calm about this?” “Well, I was freaked out about it at first. But then Applejack came around when things calmed down and helped me out. She said I was brave… and that she was proud of me.” Violet lets out a haggard sigh. “You’re lovesick alright. You need to be to take on a shark… Just promise me you won’t do anything stupid? I don’t want you to end up in the hospital with a broken leg… or heart…” Your ears perk up at that last part. “What did you just say?” “Nothing, nothing at all” she says as she walks towards the exit. You reach a hoof out and grab a hold of Violet before she can go any further. “What do you mean?” Violet looks to you as a parent would to a child. “Just… Don’t get your hopes up, okay? You’re putting your heart out there for her and she might not accept it… I just don’t want to see you get hurt, okay?” You slowly let go of you as the realization kicks on. “I…I… I never even thought about that… W-Wh-What if she says she hates me?!?” you cry aloud. Tears started to well up in your eyes of losing Applejack entirely. “W-What if she says she never wants to see me again?!? I love her! She’s funny and cute and strong and I don’t want to lose her!” You were hyperventilating now. “W-W-What if she says she’s g-got a b-b-boyfriend and doesn’t w-want to hang out with a f-filly fooler or-” Before you can go any further, Violet shoves her hoof in your mouth. “CALM. DOWN. DEEP. BREATH.” She retracts her hoof and waits for you to catch your breath “I wasn’t trying to scare you. I have no idea what’s going to happen between you two. All I’m saying is that you should be careful, okay?” You manage to clam yourself down and wipe away the tears. “O…Okay. Thanks Violet,” reaching out, you give her a tight hug “you’re a great friend.” You continue to hold her while you sniffle back more tears until she finally speaks up. “Should you be getting ready for the concert?” Your eyes widen in horror. “Oh horseapples you’re right! I gotta go! Thanks again Violet!” Before she can even say anything, you’re flying off towards your house. I am not going to lose AJ you think as the world whizzes by but I’m not giving up. * * * * * * * The radio blared as you slipped your special t-shirt on. The one with Sublime’s sun logo on it and the wing holes cut in the back. You got your mane permed… You got your red dress on, Screamin’ that second dance was such a turn on… You’ve only put on makeup for a few special occasions and this felt like one of those times. “A little rouge…” and the fog formin’ on my window tells me that the morning’s here “A little eyeliner…” and you’ll be gone before too long… “A little lipstick and…” who taught you those new tricks? Damn, I shouldn’t start that talk… “Perfect.” You were quite the sight to behold. You would definitely be turning heads tonight. “Just gotta to go pick up AJ and-” A knock at the door interrupts your thoughts. Letting out an irritated groan, you rush to the door. “Now who can that be?” As you open the door, you find yourself face to face with Applejack, causing your heart to skip a beat. “W-what are you doing here?” you ask nervously. And the answers always waiting at the liquor store, 40oz to freedom “Well shoot, I was bored and started to wander around when I heard the music. I just followed it and… What are you wearing?” “Oh, this?” you ask as you rear up and show her your shirt “it’s Sublime’s symbol. You see, they originally started in Coltifornia and started to show Equestria the other side to the happy and laid back city. See the genie offering temptation? And the devil, too? The maggot, the skeleton, the switchblade? Altogether, this stuff forms a sun over Colti that seems just as depressed as the populous. Just scratch the surface and all is not well.” It seems like your explanation went over her head, because she’s looking at you quite confused. “Well now, that’s quite somethin’… But I was referrin’ to your face.” Luckily, your rouge hides your rising blush. “Oh! Uh… Well… Is there something wrong with it?” “Oh no! No! Not at all. Looks nice on ya. I just didn’t know we had to get all dolled up for this concert.” “You don’t have to, I just felt like it. I hope that’s okay.” Applejack shakes her head from side to side. “Nah, no problem at all. Now let’s git. I’m itching to hear this band of yers now.” “Sure, it’s right this way!” you yell excitedly as you grab a hold of her. You did your best to hide your giddiness, but there was only one thought on your mind. Tonight is going to be AWESOME! * * * * * * * “What do you mean we can’t get in?!?” This was a nightmare. You and Applejack stood outside the Sunset Beach Concert Hall, only a few to go before the show starts and the only thing stopping you from having a wonderful night with the mare of your dreams was a single bouncer. “Come on, there’s gotta be some way you could let us in!” The bouncer shook his head. “No can do little lady. We did a headcount and we’re full to capacity.” “But I bought tickets this morning! You gotta let us in, please!” The bouncer gives you a pained look. “I’m really sorry. There aren’t any seats left.” “So?” Applejack asked “Why not just let us stand in the back?” The bouncer thinks this over for second. “I mean… Yeah, you could…” “I’ll hoofwrestle ya for it.” “Excuse me?” he asks with a chuckle “Did I just hear you right little lady? You wanna hoofwrestle me to get in?” Applejack nods quickly. “Yeah. I win, we get in.” “And if I win?” Stepping in front of Applejack, you put on your best seductive smile. “I’ll go on a date with you.” “Deal.” The bouncer says rather quickly. Applejack grabs a hold of you and brings you close enough for her to whisper, her voice filled with worry. “Are ya sure about this, honey-bun? This guy looks… greasy.” “What’s there to worry about? I know you’ll win,” you say aloud confidently. Moved by your words of encouragement, Applejack smiles and walks over to one of the nearby tables and places her elbow on it. The bouncer trots over slowly and joins her; quite certain this was going to be an easy score. “On the count of three,” he says as he grabs a hold of Applejack’s hoof “one…two…THREE-” As soon as she heard it, Applejack threw all she had into her hoof and slams the bouncer’s down on the table, making him cry out in a mix of pain and surprise. “Ow! Ow!” he yelled as he shook his bruised hoof “How in the world did you do that?” Before she can answer, you jump onto her back and wrap your hooves around her neck. “Because she’s a power packed dynamo, that’s how! AJ, you’re so awesome!” “Oh, it ain’t nothin’…” she says bashfully “Now, about our little arrangement?” The bouncer lets out a haggard sigh and opens the door. “Just don’t tell anyone how you got in, okay?” Jumping off of Applejack, you run for the open door “Oh, we won’t! Promise! Come on AJ!” “Thanks again, partner!” she calls out the bouncer as you make your into the hall. The stage was set, the seats were packed, but the stage was strangely empty. “Eh? Where’s the band?” Applejack asks aloud. You were wondering the same exact thing. “I have no idea... Let’s go find a spot where we can chill.” You look back to Applejack as you ascend the stairs leading to the upper balconies. “Maybe the band got lost or something, Summerset Keys is pretty bi-” In an instant, you feel something tackle you to the ground and begin to lick your face. “Hey! Get offa her!” you here Applejack yell at the mysterious attacker. You try to open your eyes, but the relentless licking stops you from getting a good look at whatever was on top of you. A high pitched whistle goes out, making the roar of the crowd die down and the licking stop. “Louie! Get over here!” you hear a voice call out. Finally getting a chance to open your eyes, you find yourself staring at a large Dalmatian standing over you, its saliva still fresh on your face. The Dalmatian jumps off of you and runs towards the voice. “Oh hey, I’m sorry about that. Lou-Dog’s cool and all, but he likes to run around and the ponies here were getting bitchy about it. You okay?” Applejack helps you to your hooves and offers a handkerchief for the slobber. “Yeah, I’m-” You didn’t recognize the voice at first, but now you were doing your best to control your inner fangirl once you got a look at the unicorn with the fish-skeleton cutie mark who owned the Dalmatian. “Ohmygosh! Bradley Ponywell! Iamsuchahugefan!” The unicorn chuckles at your outburst. “Well alright. Why don’t you two take your seats? The show can start now that we got Lou-Dog under control.” “It would help if we had seats in the first place…” Applejack grumbled. Bradley’s ears perk up. “No seats? What happened?” “We got turned down because all the seats were filled, even though she bought tickets.” Bradley laughs under his breath and puts a hoof around yours and Applejack’s shoulders. “How would you two lovely ladies like backstage passes? Free of charge?” Your only response to this question was a high pitched fangirl squeal. “I’ll take that as a yes. Come on, follow me.” As you, Bradley, and Applejack descend the stairs with Lou-Dog in tow, you couldn’t help but notice the jealous stares from all the other ponies in the stands. Especially from Klein and Calvin, who happened to be sitting in the seats you purchased this morning. You wave to both of them as you get onto the stage. “See you at the after party!” * * * * * * * “Ohmygosh, this is so awesome! They even got you a t-shirt! And they signed it!” “Yeah, it is pretty nice.” Applejack says as she admires her new duds. Bradley brought you back stage to meet the rest of the band and some of the roadies. When Applejack brought up she was a tourist, they said she needed a souvenir for when she heads back home. “Oooh! Oooh! They’re starting!” One by one, the band members of Sublime take the stage, starting with Bradley Ponywell, Bud Gryphon, and Eric Flyson. Bradley walks up to the mic and looks to his band mates. Bud was sitting at his drumset and Eric was getting his bass ready while Bardley counted wordlessly into the microphone. 1… 2… 3… Slowly, Bud and Eric start up a steady bassline which soon had you bobbing your head and tapping your hoof. Being such a huge fan, you knew what song they were going to play. Licking his lips, Bradley takes a deep breath and coos into the microphone. [On the East Side… That's where I met my Rapona“ I wanna go to a party” That's what she said; Lonely, that's what I've been Here's my telephone number, call me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8fhyBbkzOg) And to a party, a house party Whole lotta people, just rally' 'round me And love, she sent a message of love She said “I LOVE UP THE WAY YOU MOVE I LOVE THE WAY YOU WRAP!” Bo! Bo! Rapona, please step back Now she's my ruca I'm barely waiting for my heina She moved from Long Beach down to C.A. Right now she's selling oranges by the free way I wanna know… “Rapona, am I the only one, tell me” And she said "You're not the only one But you're the best, Bradley" Bo! Bo! And now I'm waiting for my ruca And I barely put up with my heina I know tonight I'll be behind her Don't fuck around with my heina… The crowd goes to clap, but immediately stops when they shift from their mellow, calm song into something stronger. Bradley’s horn lit up and a guitar from off stage floated into the air, just above his head. Taking a deep breath, he yells into microphone this time. [Early pony walked away As modern pony took control! Their minds weren't all the same And to conquer was their goal! So she built her great empire And she slaughtered her own kind! She died a confused mare And killed himself in her own mind!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-pz8OdkDHI) Early pony walked away As modern pony took control! Their mind's weren't all the same And to conquer was their goal! So she built her great empire And she slaughtered her own kind! She died a confused mare And killed herself in her own mind, Let's go! The music starts to break as Eric walks up to the mic and moves Bradley to the side. His words seem to echo with the mood of the music. “Punks are running wild in the streets and nobody anywhere seems to know what to do and there's no end to it. It’s like everything everywhere is going crazy so we don’t go out anymore, we sit in the house-” Bud jumps off of his drumset as Eric backs off and seems to pick up and finish his sentence. “-and slowly the world we're living in is getting smaller and all we say is please and please leave us alone in our living rooms, just leave us alone. Well I’m not going to leave you alone." Bradley grabs the microphone and smiles. "There's gotta be something different" Early pony walked away As modern pony took control There mind's weren't all the same And to conquer was their goal So she built her great empire And she slaughtered her own kind She died a confused mare And killed herself in her own mind, Let's go! Early pony walked away As modernpony took control Their mind's weren't all the same And to conquer was their goal So she built her great empire And she slaughtered her own kind She died a confused mare And killed herself in her own mind, Let's go! We're only gonna die for our own arrogance, that's why we might as well take our time… The band stops their playing and lets the audience applaud this time, their screams echoing through the concert hall. Bud holds up five talons and leaves the stage with the rest of the band. “Wow…” Applejack says breathlessly “Is Coltifornia really that bad?” “Yeah…” you say with remorse “I grew up in Colti, so I’ve seen it all. It’s not as bad as it was, but it’s not perfect. There are still gangs, drug dealers, and corrupt politicans like Mayor Julia Mane. There were times I was afraid to leave the house… Kinda why my parents and I moved away…” “Oh, sorry for digging at old wounds honey-bun.” Applejack says as she puts a comforting hoof on your shoulder. “No, don’t be sorry. I still miss my old friends from my neighborhood, but it was for the best.” “Shit, girl… I’ve been there.” The sudden presence of another voice startles both you and Applejack. The burly gryphon towered over both you, his eyes hidden by a pair of black sunglasses and a white baseball cap with a black rim sat on his head. “Beg pardon?” Applejack asks as she eyes up Bud. “I came to Coltifornia from the Gryphon Mountains, hoping to find something better to do than military shit. First day there, I was almost stabbed by an addict tweaking on something hard. I hated everyone in Coltifornia until Bradley offered me a place to stay and showed me not everyone’s bad.” “Dang, Colti sounds like an unhappy place. Not like Ponyville at all.” Bud cocks his head to the side. “Ponyville? Where’s that?” “It’s a ways across the sea, past Manehattan. It’s a small place, but its home. I run Sweet Apple Acres with ma family and we manage to keep ourselves busy.” “Nothing interesting ever happen?” he asks with a dry laugh. “Well now, I didn’t say that…” she says with a sly smile “Parasprites, a dragon, an Ursa Minor… I’ve seen it all.” Bud blinks a few times before bursting out laughing. “You two are alright! Hey, how would you like to come onto stage? You know, put on a show while we wrap up here?” “Really? Are you serious?!?” you ask excitedly “Come on AJ, we have to do it!” “Oh… Alright. What do we need to do?” “Dance, maybe. Hold on-HEY BRADLEY!” “WHAT?” “CAN THESE TWO HEINAS COME ON STAGE WITH US?” “YOU MEAN THOSE TWO LOUIE RAN TO?” “YEAH!” “WHY THE FUCK NOT?” Bud turns back to you and gives you thumbs up. “Good to go. Just do what feels right, okay?” You couldn’t say anything. You were too excited. You, Applejack, and the band step out onto stage and receive a combination of whispers and applause. You expected Bud to get back onto his drums, but instead grabs a microphone stand and sets up next to Bradley. Eric was on bass again and Bradley still had his guitar, so you couldn’t help but wonder what they were doing. “Now, normally, I’m the only one on drums, but we got someone else tonight; a friend of a friend,” Bud said as he motioned towards the gray and white earth pony who was now on drums. “This way we can try out a new little number. Hit it!” The earth pony starts hitting the drums frantically, surprising everyone, including Sublime before stopping abruptly and turning it into a strong, but steady beat. Bradley is the first to start singing. Yesterday I saw a whore looking out my door While she makes my body aches but I walk in and I say: Looking to Applejack, you find her sashaying to the music, enjoying yourself. You do the same, but add a little flair with a jump and midair flip. Bud moves in starts where Bradley stops. I'm on the mic doin things you like The name is ras B.G. and Imma treat you right Cause all the ladies and me you see we both agree that I'm going down in world history It continues like this, going back and forth between the two. Oh she makes my body ache and you know I live for more I won't flake or perpetrate I won't front no funky whore Don't get me wrong I'm just singing my song I'm just like you I like to ball my freaks all night long Not only do rhy-rhyme, I also cut so nice And all the fightin, perpetratin DJ's want my slice In all of a sudden, Bradley starts singing or rapping at an incredible speed, using what sounds like two different languages mashed together. The best you can make out is a word here and there, but it doesn’t diminish the quality of the song. GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! Bradley’s horn grows a little brighter as he begins an intense solo that seems to echo through your bones. Looking to Applejack, you couldn’t help smile with her as she finally gets into the music, but her good mood disappears when Bradley stops his guitar solo and shoves the microphone into her face. “Come on, sing something!” “I…I…I can’t…” the sudden spotlight seems to put Applejack edge, so you do your best to help her. “Come on, you can do it!” you cheer on. She takes a deep breath and speaks into the microphone. My name is AJ and I’ve got nothing to say, Cause I am not a flippin’ dee-jay An’ if you wanna come talk to me, Ya gotta talk to my gal, honey~! You feel yourself smile bashfully and laugh with the rest of the band who look like they enjoyed the impromptu verse. Uh-uh elected, my rhymes will be perfected. The mighty MC's will be dissected and rejected I am the most impressive- aspective and progressive- Motivating, innovating, chillin and digested It's obvious as ever it will be specialized If you’re trying to proclaim-uh- can't be compromised I am a fresh MC As you can plainly see You won't regret a DJ fresh I’m sure you'll soon agree So take a seat n' feel the beat of course it is OK, Uh-Uh Bradley once again busts out into another rhyme, but if the last one was fast, this one was ridiculous, making you stop dancing and stare on and only snap out of it when he starts to bid the crowd farewell. “Five thousand G, we outta here. Peace, love, unity.” Once the band disperses, you and Applejack hop off the stage, laughing. “WOO-WEE! Now that was fun!” “TOTALLY!” you yell as you did an excited flip into the air “Hey! We should go see if Bradley will sign my shirt, too!” you suggest giddily. “Ya think he’d mind?” “He let us in backstage and on the stage. He won’t mind one little autograph before we leave.” Climbing back onto the stage, you and Applejack wander backstage and towards the dressing room. Without even thinking, you swing the door open. “Hey Bradley I-” The unicorn let out a startled scream as you barge in and drops a glass container on the ground he had been levitating in the air. He watches in horror as the clear liquid seeps into the carpet. “Oh… Uh… Sorry… I didn’t…” “You dumb BITCH!” His words cut through you like a knife, making you shrink back in fright. “That was my last of my poppy juice! That was my fucking muse!” You felt yourself start to crumble as your idol tore into. “I-I-I’m sorry I-” “Sorry? Sorry ain’t going to cut it! I spent-” “NOW WAIT JUST A COTTON PICKIN’ MINUTE!” Applejack yelled. You sniffle back tears as Applejack comes in-between you and Bradley. “Now lookee here, you were sayin’ somethin’ about peace n’ love at the end of yer show and what I’m seeing is NOT peace n’ love.” You couldn’t believe it. Not only was Applejack tearing into the unicorn, she was winning. “But-” “Don’t ya ‘but’ me! Look at her! You’re so mad you didn’t even see how sorry she was! Ask yerself this: is breaking the heart of somepony who looks up to ya worth what’s in that stupid vial?!?” Bradley’s stares at you, as if he just noticed your running mascara and wild eyed terror. “Oh shit…” He takes his eyes off of you and looks to the shattered remains of the glass container. “Oh shit…Y-You’re right. This shit’s getting to me… I gotta stop this… Same shit happened to Bud…” Bradley starts to walk towards the exit in a daze, but stops as he passes you. “If it means anything, I’m sorry. I… I gotta go.” You watch as Bradley wanders off into the night as if he had the entire world on his shoulders. “Why…Why did you do that?” you ask as you wipe off your ruined makeup. “Cause I don’t like to see ya cry,” she says as she wipes off a bit of mascara you missed “Now come on… Let’s get outta here.” “Actually… Do you want to go for a swim? I mean, I know it’s almost midnight, but Sunset Beach is always open.” “Sure. I wanted to go for a swim earlier today, but because of the whole shark thing.” “Great,” you say shakily “a dive will really help calm my nerves…” * * * * * * * “Uh, honey-bun? I’m starting ta have second thoughts.” “Oh come on! You said the water was cold and I said the quickest way to get used to it was to dive right in!” “Yeah… But do we have to do it from so high?” Holding Applejack with your front hooves, you and her flew over the water, at least ten feet up. “Oh come on, this is nothing. I do like one-hundred times this on a normal day. It only hurts if you let it.” “B-But how do I stop it from hurtin’?” “Just point your back legs down, fold your front legs over your chest and hold your breath.” Applejack shakes her head. “I don’t think-” “Don’t think, just do it!” Before she can say anymore, you let go of Applejack and let her fall into the water. Just flails momentarily before taking your advice and entering the dive position. As soon as she touches down, you dive in after her. Once bellow the water, you let yourself sink into the dark depths, hoping the water would wash away your troubles. After a minute, you resurface and find Applejack paddling around, calling your name. She doesn’t seem to notice you, so you take this opportunity to sneak up behind her. “Come on, honey-bun! This ain’t funny no more!” “But I’m right here!” you yell as you grab a hold of her sides. Applejack shrieks and stops paddling for a moment, almost causing her to almost sink below the water, if it wasn’t for you. “GEEZE! YA SCARED THE LIVIN’ DAYLIGHTS OUTTA ME!” “Well excuse me for having a little fun.” you say teasingly. “Ya, well excuse me too, then.” Applejack says with a sly grin. “For wh-” Quick as a flash, Applejack grabs a hold of your head and dunks you underneath the water, something you didn’t expect. Instead of panicking, you simply stay below the water and wait there for a minute.. Then two. By the three minute mark, your lungs feel strained and you force your way up and take a deep breath of fresh air. “How’d I do?” you ask as you push your mane out of your eyes. Applejack stared at you, completely bewildered. “Now how in the world did ya do that?!?” “Do what?” you asked as you rolled onto your back. “Hold yer breath for that long. I mean, I took my hooves offa yer head and yer still floatin’ down there.” “If I was ready, I could have gone longer. I’m just really good at holding my breath. But enough worrying about me! I’m going to show you how to do the breast stroke.” “Uh… The ‘what’ stroke?” Applejack asks uncertainly. “The breast stroke. Watch.” You start swimming around Applejack, kicking your hind legs and pointing your forelegs forward before swinging them around to your side, swimming with quite some speed; much faster than the horsey paddle. “Do you understand?” “Oh, uh yeah. I just thought it meant somethin’ different.” “What did you think it means?” you ask curiously. “Uh... Nevermind… So, it’s just using ma front and back legs, but fer different things instead a just kicking?” “Yeah. Give it a shot.” Applejack is quite the fast learner as she starts to copy what she just saw and begins swimming back and forth. At first, her strokes were slow and paced as she made sure that she was doing it right before breaking into a much faster pace. “See, ya got it!” She continues to swim like this for a few minutes before heading to shore, out of breath. “Well that was fun and all, but I really think we should get going here. The waters mighty cold and I think I’m startin’ to cramp.” “Oh, alright then, I’ll-” You stop yourself as a wicked, but adventurous idea starts to form. “How about a deep body massage?” Applejack looks at you with a cocked eyebrow. “Like the stuff they do at spa?” You nod. “Yeah! Athletes do it so they don’t cramp up after too much exercise. It really helps, trust me. Just lie down in the sand.” Your heart raced as Applejack plopped herself down on her stomach and looked back to you. “Well alright. Go ahead.” You walk up to Applejack and kneel down by her side. Your heart was beating in your ears now. “I’m going to start on your back.” First one hoof and then the other, you knead and massage her back in circles, making sure to put enough pressure down to really loosen the muscles. A heat rose into your face as you felt her strong, dense muscles that felt like rocks underneath your hooves. It’s no wonder how she put Klein through a wall or whooped that bouncer… She’s so… “You don’t mind going a little lower, do ya?” You face went bright red at the question. “L-Lower?” “Yeah, like ma flanks and back legs. They’re pretty sore.” Your throat dried out and you only managed to squeak out two words: “No problem.” Slowly, your hooves moved down her back and stop at her flanks. Grabbing a hold of them, you rub in circles, eliciting a sigh of relief from her. Your breathing went shallow as your hooves meandered away from her cutie mark. Oh my gosh, I’m almost touching it… You snap yourself out of your daze and move away from her flanks to her lower legs. They were so large and powerful, that you needed to grab one leg with both hooves to massage it properly. You couldn’t help but enjoy her little squeaks and sighs as you really worked the muscle. You let out a content sigh. Oh my gosh, she feels so nice… “Hey, are you okay?” Applejack’s sudden question snaps you out of your trance. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” “Are ya sure? Your wings don’t hurt being at all like that?” Your heart feels like it was about to jump out of your throat as you slowly looked behind you. Your wings were so flared that you only just now notice that it was actually painful. “Lemme return the favor.” With one quick spin, Applejack jumps on top of you and sits on your back. “N-No! It’s fine, really!” “Non-sense! Fair is fair. You do me, I do you.” You try to squeak out some sort of protest, but it falls on deaf ears. As soon as Applejack grabs a hold of your wing, a surge of pleasure travels up your spine. The only thing that was stopping you from screaming out in pleasure was the fact that you were now biting on your tongue. “How’s that?” Applejack asks idly as she kneads your wing, sending your whole body into shivers. “Good,” you say through clenched teeth. “And how about this?” Applejack grabs a hold of both of your wings and pushes them down before rubbing them vigorously. With this act, you finally succumb to your body and let your mind cloud over from the assault. Applejack continues rubbing your wings like this for minutes until she finally lets go and steps off from your back. “So, how was-” You don’t know what came over you. In a state of primal lust, you fling yourself at Applejack and plant your lips on hers and begin kissing her roughly and greedily. Just as you try to push your tongue into her mouth, you feel two hooves plant themselves on your chest and push you back. It was all you needed to snap you back into clear thinking. Applejack stared at you in a mix of shock and confusion as you sat there panting. You bring your hooves up to your mouth as you realize what just happened. “AJ, I-” Applejack got to her hooves quickly and began walking away. “I-I gotta go.” “AJ, wait!” She simply shakes her head and now starts to run. “I GOTTA GO!” As Applejack disappeared into the night, you felt your heart go with her in a few more pieces than it originally came in. You curl into a ball and cry under the moonlit night saying one word again and again. “Wait…” Chapter 4As the sun set over the ocean, you couldn’t help but think how beautiful it looked. Almost as beautiful as the mare you’re curled up to right now. “Hey Applejack?” “Yeah honey-bun?” “What’s your favorite part of the sunset?” Applejack rubs her chin with her hoof for a few seconds as she got lost in thought. Finally, a small smile creeps across her face. “Guess.” You wrack your brain for all the things that you love about sunsets and begin naming them off. “Hmm… Is it the way the water sparkles?” She shakes her head. “Nope.” “What about the stars just starting to shine?” The smile on her face begins to grow wider. “Guess again.” “…I give up. What is it?” In one smooth motion, Applejack puts a hoof around your shoulder and draws you closer to her. “It’s sharin’ it with you. Now come’re and gimmie some sugar.” * * * * * * * A stray sunbeam from an open window hits you in the face and stirs you from your sleep. You begin to smile as you contemplate how perfect your life really was. That is, until you realize it was all a dream and the events that took place last night were very much real. Burying your face into the pillow, you scream aloud. You couldn’t cry anymore. Celestia knows you’ve tried, but the tears just wouldn’t flow anymore. “I’m so stupid…” you mumble “Stupid, stupid, stupid…” When Applejack ran away, you laid there on the beach until the sun came up, sobbing into the sand. Everything else didn’t matter. All you wanted was to see Applejack again and tell her you were sorry. You didn’t even think about getting up until the sun rose and Violet found you. Not only did she literally drag you home, but she’s been checking in on you every so often. So it didn’t surprise you when you heard a knock at the door for the fifth time today. “Come in…” Slowly, you hear your front door open. For a while, there’s no other sound until a single voice speaks up. “Hey… How are you doing?” Picking your head off from the pillow, you look to Violet. Your mane was knotted and had clumps of sand in it, your eyes were red and puffy from an entire night of crying, your wings drooped by your side and you were still wearing your Sublime t-shirt from last night. The look on Violet’s face said it all. “I look like a mess, don’t I?” you say with a ragged sigh. “No! Not really… I mean, all you need is a shower.” You flop back down onto the bed and burry your face into your pillow again. “I don’t wanna.” “I dragged your butt here and I’ll drag you to the shower. Now come on.” You dig yourself into the bed and do your best to ignore Violet’s pleas. “Oh come on! How long are you go mope around? You haven’t breakfast or lunch and it’s creeping up on dinner!” “I’m not hungry.” All of a sudden, you feel a pair of hooves on your face and find yourself staring at Violet, who was looking at you with much worry. “Please… Don’t do this to yourself.” “What do you mean?” you ask sharply. “You’re torturing yourself over this.” You look away from her, disgusted with yourself. “I had something great, Violet. And I ruined it because I was too stupid. I bet Applejack doesn’t even want to look at me, much less hear from me.” Violet wraps her hooves around your neck and hugs you tightly. “You don’t know that. You made a mistake, sure. Everybody makes mistakes. And if Applejack is really the friend you think she is, then she’ll be willing to forgive you.” A glimmer of hope starts to shine as you take in Violet’s words. “Y…You really think so?” “Of course,” Violet assures as she lets go “now come on, why don’t you take a shower and then we’ll go get something to eat. And afterwards, I’ll help you find Applejack so you can straighten this all out.” “Thanks Violet…” you say as you hop off of your bed for the first time in hours. You stagger towards the bathroom, your legs feeling numb from lack of movement. Before you close the door, you turn back to Violet. “You’re a real great friend.” Shutting the bathroom door behind you, you pry your sand-caked t-shirt off and toss it to the floor. Even though your spirits had been lifted, you were still feeling low. You don’t climb into the shower and instead fall into it. You hear Violet yell through the door when she hears the heavy thud. “Are you alright in there?” “Yeah… I’m fine,” you say as you turn the hot water on. As the water washes over you, you feel it carry away some of your anguish. Maybe… Maybe things will be alright… * * * * * * * “You know, Violet, I’m actually starting to feel a little better.” It was amazing how a hot shower and a good meal could take the weight of the world off of your shoulders. You were done feeling sorry for yourself. All you needed to do was psyche yourself up for the task at hand. “That’s great to hear. How do you feel about talking to Applejack?” The very mention of that name makes your stomach twist into knots. “… Not too well…” “Don’t worry, I’m sure-” You and Violet stop in your tracks when you find your path blocked by Klein, Calvin, and three other stallions' that you didn’t recognize. “Do you have a moment?” Klein asks curtly as he steps forward. Undeterred, you begin to push your way through them. “Get out of our way Klein. I’m not in the mood to play your stupid games.” They offer little resistance at first, but you’re shocked when you feel Klein grab a hold of you and toss you backwards. “Klein, what the hell has gotten into you?” Violet yells as you hit the ground. Klein Scoffs at the question. “Are you telling me you actually care for this filly-fooler?” Your stomach drops into your hooves at the word. “W-What are you talking about?” “Don’t pretend! Me and Cal saw what you and her were doing at the beach after the concert. That’s just wrong!” You can’t find anything to say and instead start shrinking back in fright. Your whole illusion of normality was gone and they were picking you apart, piece by piece. “So what if she likes girls? There’s nothing wrong-” Violet says as she gets in-between you and Klein. “Nothin’ wrong?” Calvin asks as he steps forward “It ain’t natural! Gays don’t belong on our beach!” You never knew you’d be attacked so violently over this. “Th...That’s just...” “Yeah, get outta here, you queer!” one stallion yells. “Damned filly-fooler!” “Lesbo!” All you can do is watch in horror as the Klein and Calvin’s group descends on you, hurling insult after insult at you, chipping away at your resolve until you collapse in a heap and bury your face into your hooves. You hear Violet calling your name as the group of stallions circle you, pointing and laughing as the insults get harsher. Just as you begin wishing that Princess Celestia would send you to the moon, far away from all the teasing, you hear a gallop approaching. Fast. You open your eyes just in time to see an orange blur run right through half of the stallions, knocking them all down. “What the-” Was about all Klein got out before the orange blur hit him broadside and sent him flying into a nearby palm tree. “JUST WHAT ARE-” You knew that orange blur. It was Applejack and she was bringing a hoof down on Klein’s neck, making him sputter and choke aloud. The two that held violet let go and rush to Klein’s side. “YOU DYKE, I’LL-” Applejack pushes her hoof harder into Klein’s throat, her face contorted in rage. “YOU’LL WHAT?” she yells “YOU’LL SICK YER BOYS ON ME?” she asks as she glances towards the stallions who were moving around her and Klein skittishly. “I DARE ‘EM TO TRY SOMETHIN’!” “Well what are you all waiting for?!?” Klein chokes out “DO SOMETHING!” His orders fall on deaf ears as they move back from the two, leaving Klein to watch on in horror. “Now listen here…” Applejack says firmly “If you ever make her cry again or even say one nasty thing again, I swear to Goddess above I will beat you down and use you as fertilizer, do I make myself clear?!?” Applejack waits for some sort of reply, but gets no sort of response. Only a dirty glare from the stallion underhoof. “DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?” she screams this time. Klein nods quickly She takes her hoof off Klein’s throat before giving him a swift buck. “Now get outta here!” Klein needs no further encouragement and runs away from Applejack as fast as possible without a word. Looking to the remaining stallions, Applejack slams her hooves down again, getting their attention. “You should all be ashamed of yerselves! She risks her life everyday to save other ponies and even jumped into the water with a shark! And you’re gonna bring her to tears just because of this?!?” The group of stallions look away from you and Applejack, apparently realizing what they just did. “Git outta here ‘fore I lose my temper.” That was all the encouragement they needed. Calvin and the rest take off like a bolt of lightning, running in the same direction Klein did. When the dust finally settles, Applejack lets out a sigh of relief. “You two alright?” “Yeah… I’m fine,” Violet says as she dusts herself off “but you should really be asking her that.” Applejack’s attention shifts from Violet to you. “Are ya okay? He didn’t hurt ya none, did he?” You turn away from her bashfully. It was hard to face her and you didn’t want her to see you crying. Suddenly, you feel her nuzzle up to your cheek, making your heart beat a little faster. “Honey-bun?” That did it. That little name was all it took to break the dams. You let your tears flow once more, but not in sorrow, but gratitude as you wrap your hooves around her neck and cry into her shoulder. “Thank you, thank you, thank you…” you say into her coat. You feel her run a hoof through your mine while she rocks you back and forth, much like a mother would a child. “It’s okay… It’s okay…” You and Applejack stay like this for a few moments before you hear Violet speak up. “Klein has pulled a lot stunts over the years but this… This was just… I’m going to talk with the boss. I think it’s time Klein packed his bags.” “Okay... I’m gonna take her back to the hotel so she can calm down. I’m in room 213. Just tell the bell-keep fella that yer a friend” Violet nods. “Alright. It’s going to take a while anyway. I got a lot to talk about.” “Yeah... So do we...” You try to hold her tighter when you hear the word ‘talk’. You begin mumbling two words again and again into Applejack’s shoulder. “Don’t leave…” * * * * * * * The walk to the hotel was as bad as you thought it would be. An awkward silence hung in there air as Applejack led you to the Coco Cabana, a quaint little two story hotel with an indoor pool and continental breakfast. You have never been more terrified of a hotel in your life. Applejack wasn’t making it any easier on you, either. Every so often, she’d adjust her hat so you couldn’t see her eyes and kept looking away from you. Eventually, you decided it would be easier if you followed from behind. On the outside, it looked like two friends going somewhere who didn’t have much to talk about. But on the inside, you were fighting the urge to just break down and start crying again. The whole experience was way too much. As you walk into the hotel lobby, you hope the air conditioning would take away your blush and some of your anxiety. The stallion at the front desk continues to look through his magazine; like he didn’t even hear you enter. You walk over to the elevator and push the button, only to hear Applejack call out to you. “Ya comin’?” she asked at the base of the stairs. “Uh… Yeah.” As you and her climb the stairs, you feel your curiosity get the better of you. “Why didn’t you want to take the elevator?” “Too slow for ma tastes.” “Oh.” That’s the extent of the conversation for the rest of the climb. Your heart begins to race when you reach the top of the stairs and make your way out of the stairwell and towards room 213. Applejack opens up the door for you and nods towards the bed. “Sit down.” You trot quickly over to the bed and sit down, your heart now on the verge of bursting. “W-W-What did you want to talk about?” Applejack sighs heavily as she hangs her hat up on the rack. “Us. But first, I need a drink. Steady my nerves…” “Yeah… Me too…” You watch as she walks over to the mini-fridge in the corner and pull out two bottles of hard cider and toss you one. She grabs a hold of the cap with her teeth and yanks it off in one quick motion before taking a long swig. You eye your bottle suspiciously before attempting the same trick yourself, only to have it slip out and make you yelp out in pain. “Here, lemme do that.” Applejack grabs a hold of the bottle and rips the cap off in the same fashion as before. “Thanks…” you say as you take the bottle from her. You take a small sip and grimace. How can she drink something so strong? “So… What did you want to talk about?” you ask sheepishly. “Hold on… Just trying to gather ma wits,” she says as she takes another swig of the bottle. Within a matter of moments, she’s finished the bottle and tosses it in the trash. “Okay… Now I’m ready.” Applejack takes a deep breath and looks you right in the eyes. “I…” she stops “Before I get all this stuff off ma chest, I gotta ask. Are you okay?” “Yeah, I’m fine… I’m just glad you showed up when you did.” Applejack nods. “Alright. I don’t wanna do this if yer not feelin’ well.” Oh dear Celestia, she’s going to dump me… you think with increasing worry. “I… I wasn’t expectin’ you ta pull a stunt like that last night… But I’m not surprised.” “Y…You knew?” you ask bashfully. She nods slowly. “Part a me did. I just tried to play it off as nothin’ but all the signs were there. I guess I kept ignoring them into... well… You sorta opened my eyes.” “I want to say this: I ain’t mad at ya. I’m more disappointed in how I handled the situation. I ran off and started wanderin’ around the island, tryin’ to clear ma head. I was… confused.” “Because you’ve never thought about a mare loving another mare?” you ask curiously. Applejack hangs her head. “I… I… Can… Can I ask ya a question?” “Of course.” “When did ya know you…you know… liked mares?” “Umm…A little bit after I met you.” Applejack looks at you quite surprised. “Well I sure wasn’t expectin’ that… It was a little different for me.” It was your time to be surprised. Instead of asking a million different questions, you simply listen. “There was this friend of mine… Ball a fire, that one. This girl didn’t like ta lose, so when I whooped her butt at horseshoes, she challenged me to a contest of sorts. ‘Iron Pony Competition’ is what she called it. We both butted heads and in the end, she won. Well, only because she used her wings,” she adds bitterly “So I challenged her to a rematch. A race across town called the Runnin’ of the Leaves. It’s somethin’ Ponyville has to do every year and we turned it into a competition. To make a long story short, we tied.” “For first?” Applejack shakes her head with a chuckle. “Fer last. We were so busy fightin’ that we didn’t even notice all the other ponies that passed us. So in the end, we set aside our differences and we ran the track again, this time as friends. But…” her eyes seem to tear up a bit as she tells the story “I… I don’t know what came over me. Just me and her runnin’ through the fallin’ leaves, laughing and havin’ a good time I… I guess I fell fer her. I wanted to say somethin’ to her, talk to her about it… But I was too nervous,” she says as she takes a seat on the bed besides you. “and by the time I worked up the courage to face her, I found out she got herself a boyfriend. Doctor fella. Now don’t get me wrong, he’s perfect for her and really loves her it’s just… I got my heart broke,” she says dryly. “and then you come along and you remind me so much of her and then ya kissed me and my heart soared so high and fell so much farther. I thought I was over that heartache, but it’s just… just…” You couldn’t believe it. Applejack was the one who was crying now and it was your turn to comfort her. You draw her into your chest and stroke her hair ever so slightly as she let it all out. “It’s okay… I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you.” “T-Thanks honey-bun…” she says as she breaks the hug and dries her eyes. “To be honest… I was so scared. I honestly thought you were taking me up here to dump me… tell me that you never want to see me again.” Applejack sniffles back some tears before grabbing you and bringing you closer for a tight hug. “I’ll always be there for ya, if yer there for me.” You hug her back tightly, smiling as you do. “That’s just what I wanted to hear.” You and Applejack fall back onto the bed, still holding each other, staring up at the ceiling. “Hey… AJ?” you finally ask after a few minutes. “Yeah?” “You’re not… mad about the whole surprise kiss thing, are you?” She shakes her head. “Naw, not at all. I kinda liked it.” “Well then…” you coo into her ear “if you wanna do it again… or anything else, I’m all yours.” You feel her heart race inside her chest at your words. “Y… You’re not pullin’ ma chain or nothin’, are ya?” she asks nervously. Instead of answering, you begin planting kisses up and down her neck, eliciting giggles and gasps from her every so often. “Of course not.” “I gotta warn ya… I ain’t got that much experience.” she says with a dry chuckle. You run a hoof up and down her chest, smiling as you feel her shiver from your touch. “Show me what ya got, cowgirl.” In a flash, Applejack rolls over and stands over you, her breathing shallow and her face flushed. You couldn’t help but smile; you pressed all of the right buttons and now the fun began. Slowly, she leans down and plants a soft kiss on your cheek. She moves back slowly and hovers over your lips for a second before pressing her lips tightly against yours and kisses you greedily. You let out a soft moan, prompting her to stick her tongue into your mouth, which you gladly allow entry. You surrender yourself to the orange mare and let her have her way with you. Her kisses were inexperienced and she was kissing for more of her pleasure than yours; experimenting, almost playing with you. And you gladly surrendered yourself for her, just to make her happy. You shift uncomfortably when you feel your wings unfurl and fully spread, but you make no attempt at hiding it. She had become your lover and she had every right to see. When your wings reach their apex however, she stops and looks at them with a puzzled look on her face. “Why are they doin’ that?” she asks. You blink a few times. “You’re joking, right?” She shakes her head. “No, I ain’t. Why are your wings doin’ that again?” “You silly-filly…” you muse under your breath “Applejack, the wings of the pegasus are the most sensitive areas on their body second only to… you know.” Applejack shoots you a strange look. “Waitaminute… They’re sensitive? So uh… When I was rubbin’ them on the beach before I-” “You kinda sent me over the edge…” Applejack’s cheeks go bright red as she silently repeats what you just said. “I… I didn’t… Wow. You mean I…” You nod slowly. A sly grin starts to form on Applejack’s face and before you can ask her what she was going to do, she makes her move and plants her lips on yours once more, but her hoofs wrap around your wing and begin massaging them vigorously, making you cry aloud in pleasure. “You weren’t kiddin’. They really are sensitive,” she teases as she stops her attack for a moment. With this reprieve, you take a chance and reach down and grab Applejack’s tail and give it a sharp tug. While she might have not been entirely familiar with a pegasus’ sensitive areas, you were familiar with an earth pony’s. Applejack pants aloud and groans as you pull her tail taught. She doesn’t give up her own attack and kisses you deeply again before grabbing a hold of your wings. You and her embrace like this, giggling or moaning occasionally and sometimes rolling around on the bed and switching who was on top. But no matter what, Applejack always found her way on top. Just when you think you’d never let her go, a knock on the door makes you and her freeze up. “Just a minute!” Applejack says as she steps off the bed, straightening herself off as she does. Applejack walks over to the door and opens it just a hair. “C-Can I help you?” A gruff, but familiar voice answers her. “You must be the tourist Violet was talking about. I’m Micky.” You hop off of the bed this time and prepare yourself as you walk towards the door, conjuring as many sad mental images as possible. By the time you reach the door and move Applejack to the side, you were in tears. “H...Hi Micky...” you say meekly. The blue earth pony looks at you with a tender smile and rubs the side of your head. “Hey there... How ya feelin’?” “I’m... kinda in a bad place right now. Klein’s said a lot of things over the years but this was just cruel... Micky sighs heavily. “You don’t have to say anything, Violet told me all about it. I’ve given him way too much leeway. Effective immediately, he’s fired.” “Thank you so much, Micky. If you don’t mind, I don’t think I’ll be in tomorrow.” “I understand. Take some time off. After what’s been going on, you deserve it.” “Thanks again, Micky,” you say as you close the door “for everything.” You put your ear to the door and listen. When you hear the Micky’s hoofsteps fade, you turn to Applejack and let out a sigh of relief. “Okay then...” you say as you walk over to the bed “where were we?” Chapter 5Your eyes slowly flutter open as you feel something run across your mane. The fog from your mind clears up as you realize that it Applejack who was touching you. But oddly, she wasn’t smiling. She was looking off into the distance with a pained look on her face. “What’s wrong?” Applejack stops stroking your mane and smiles as she looks to you. “Nothin’, nothin’ at all.” She leans forward starts kissing you with more experience than before, moving her hooves across you body before pushing her tongue into your mouth. You gladly meet it with yours and moan aloud, simply because she liked it when you were vocal. Applejack breaks the kiss for a moment and moves down to your neck before nipping at it ever so gently, making you gasp aloud. “So… What’s the plan for today?” she asks as before sticking her tongue behind your ear, making you shiver in delight. “W…Well I-I waAH!” You cry it in surprise as Applejack nips at your ear, making your mind go to mush. “I…I was th…inking we… we… could go take… shower before…” Applejack stops her attack and looks to you with a devilish grin on her face. “Together?” She took the words right out of your mouth. Tensing up every muscle in your body, you glance towards the bathroom door. “Race ya!” You give Applejack no time to react and bolt towards the bathroom as fast as you can. “Why ya sneaky….GIT BACK HERE!” she yells as she rockets after you. As you cross the bathroom threshold, you turn to her with a smug look on your face “I wi-” It was at that moment that Applejack barreled into you, sending both of you crashing into the bathtub. You groan aloud in pain as you pick yourself up. “Ow…” She laughs nervously as she collects herself and helps you up. “Sorry ‘bout that… I kinda tripped.” “I figured that much out,” you say as you rub your back “I’m twisted into knots back here.” Applejack moves around in the tub and positions herself so she’s sitting behind you. “Here, lemme make it up to ya.” Flicking open the valve, the tubs slowly starts to fill with warm water. “What are you-” Before you can get another word out, Applejack places her hooves on your back and starts kneading in circular motions, making you sigh aloud in pleasure. “That feels nice…” you say as she starts to work the knots out of your back. “Yeah? What about this?” Applejack stops working your back and instead begins running her hooves up and down your chest before burying her face into the base of your wings, nipping at them ever so gently. Oh dear Celestia… You gasp aloud as her tongue works its way up and down each wing, sending your whole body into spasms and making your wings flare. Applejack notices this and begins working her way towards them. She grabs one with each hoof before massaging them quickly, making you squeak aloud. Your wings were extremely sensitive at this point and all you wanted was for her to keep going. That’s why you were extremely disappointed when she stopped abruptly. “Awww! Why’d you stop?” “I wanna know…” she asks skittishly “Do ya really love me? I mean, like really love me?” You don’t hesitate for even a second “Of course I do. You’re like the first pony I’ve ever felt this way for. I love you with all my heart and more.” For the longest time, she doesn’t say anything. The only sound in the entire room was that of the running water falling into the tub. “AJ, are-” Before you can even get another word out, Applejack picks up where she left up, only with much more passion. Her hooves hit all the right places and make you melt right into the water as she pays special and close to attention to each wing. When the strain on your wings fades, you let out a deep sigh of relief and roll over onto your stomach and curl up to her. “That was just… Thanks… I needed that…” you gasp out. Applejack smiles smugly. “Anytime, honey-bun.” “I believe… I should return the favor.” “What did ya have in mind?” You smile deviously at her as you slowly start to dip beneath the water. “I’m going to show you how long I can really hold my breath for.” Applejack’s entire face goes crimson as your head disappears below the waters. You let a little air out of your lungs so you can lie on the bottom of the bathtub with no problem. Wrapping your hooves around her hind legs, you move in slowly, but before you feel her grab a hold of your head and bring you to the surface before you can go any further. “What? I-” With a loud click, Applejack finally turns off the water. You look at the tub water and finally notice that it was completely full and in fact had spilled at least a gallon or two onto the bathroom floor. “Ah think we should clean this up first.” “Aww… Just when we were getting to the good part.” * * * * * * * It didn’t take as long as you thought to clean up the water, but by the time you were done, both yours and Applejack’s stomachs were growling and bath time fun was put on the back burner. For now, at least… you think with a chuckle. As you and Applejack descend down the stairs, you feel your stomach grumble again. “How’s the breakfast here? Any good?” “Eh, it’s so-so. Sometimes, but they dropped the ball the last few days.” “How so?” “The things that all the food were in to keep it warm or cold broke, so everythin’ tasted funny. The salad I had was all mushy and the fruit yogurt was warm.” The idea of eating a spoiled breakfast almost makes you gag as you reach the bottom of the stairs. “Ew… Maybe we should go eat somewhere else.” “Yeah, maybe we-” You and Applejack stop dead in your tracks at the sight before you. There had to be over a half-dozen tables lined up in the dining hall, with each carrying something that made your mouth water. Decorative fruit sculptures, a bowl of melted chocolate, parfaits, veggie kabobs, and what looked like an entire table covered with donuts. You half expected to see a rainbow end at that last table. Applejack nudges your shoulder and points to a sign hanging up on the wall. “Well what’dya know…Due ta the technical malfunction of our continental breakfast buffet, we humbly offer our sincerest apologies and offer our guests a completely redone buffet.” It only takes a second for you to make up your mind. “We should eat here.” Applejack nods slowly as she looks over the tables. “Uh-huh…” Quick as a flash, you grab a plate and descend upon the buffet before you, grabbing a little bit of everything until the pile of food on your plate threatens to topple over. It wasn’t too hard to find an empty table and by the looks of it, Applejack had the same idea you had and had a pile of food on her plate, equally high. You throw your face into the food and take a gigantic bite, ending with a mouthful of strawberries, grilled squash, and what tasted like a jelly doughnut. All and all, it didn’t taste half bad. “How’s your breakfast?” you ask before taking another bite. Looking to Applejack, you notice her staring at you intently as you eat, making you slightly uncomfortable. “What?” She doesn’t say anything and continues to stare at you, making you incredibly uneasy. “AJ, seriously. What’s up? You’re freaking me out over here.” Applejack seems to snap out of her trance and smiles weakly at you. “N-Nothin’. Just thinkin’ is all…” She said the same thing this morning… you think uneasily. You reach out and put your hoof on hers. “AJ, if there’s something wrong, just say it. You don’t have to hide anything from me.” You try to look her in the eyes, but she shifts away and looks towards the floor. Sighing heavily, you go back to your meal and take another bite. “I have to leave tomorrow morning.” Your first reaction is to gasp aloud, but you only manage to get a mouthful of food stuck in your throat. You choke and sputter as you grab at your throat, alarming everyone around you. Applejack is quick to react and you soon find her doing the Heimlich maneuver on you. You hear someone yell aloud as you start to turn blue in color “SOMEONE CALL 911!” With one final push, the clump of doughnut and pineapple dislodge them self from your throat and skitters across the table before coming to a rest a few inches away from your plate. The entire room is quiet as they watch you catch your breath. “I’m good…” you pant “I’m good…” Turning to Applejack, you try to offer her some sort of thank you, but you couldn’t find it. Instead, you grab a hold of her and begin to drag her. “You alright? Where we goin’?” she asks nervously. “Bathroom. And yeah, I’m fine. But we need to talk.” She visibly cringes at the words, just as you did last night. You drag her to the mare’s bathroom and lock the door behind you. You were feeling hurt. Hurt and used. You turn away from Applejack and begin pacing back and forth. So many questions raced through your mind and the prospect of each one made you want to breakdown and cry. But you steel yourself and find your words. “Why didn’t you tell me you had to leave tomorrow?!?” Applejack rears back, startled by your outburst. “I… I didn’t… Darn-it, I dunno what I wanted… To be happy? Maybe pretend that everythin’ was fine and I could be with you forever? I didn’t mean to make you mad…” “That’s not why I’m mad…. Tell me, honest truth. Did you mean all those things you said last night?” She almost looks hurt by your question. “Of course I did, and I still do,” she says as she puts a hoof around your shoulder “I love you, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.” You try to stifle a giggle as she nuzzles up to you. “So… So I wasn’t some sort of cheap fu-” “Is that what you’re freakin’ out about?!? Honey-bun, I’d never do that to anypony, especially one I love. I just… didn’t think this through enough.” Almost all of your worries disappear with that. All except for one. “So... What do we do now?” Applejack shakes her head “That’s what I’ve been tryin’ ta figure out all this time.” “You can’t... You know, just stay longer?” “Thoughta that. My ship leaves tomorrow and if I miss it, I won’t have enough money for another ticket to get home.” “And I doubt you could just stay here...” you say sullenly. She shakes her head “Naw, I couldn’t do that to my family and friends.” You bite your lower lip in frustration. “What if I go with you?” Applejack simply shakes her head again. “You can’t do that either. You got friends and a responsibility here. Lotta ponies look up to you and need you.” You hated to admit it, but she was right. You couldn’t just disappear into the night with your new-found love without some sort of warning. “We’ll... We’ll make it work. Maybe not today, maybe not next week, but we’ll make it work,” you reach out and hold her tightly “I love you and we’ll make this work because you love me.” “Yeah... We will.” You gasp aloud as a thought enters your head. “AJ, we’re going to make your last day here awesome!” Applejack cocks her head to the side. “How?” “You know about the Summerset Boardwalk Amusement Park? You know; the one by the pier?” Her eyes seem to light up at the question. “Heck yeah, I do! I saw that place from the boat and I’ve been itchin’ to check it out!” “That’s great, because I got a friend whose buddies with the park manager and he lets me and a friend or two in for free since I saved his sister from drowning,” you say as you and Applejack step out of the bathroom “I gotta go get Violet and see if she’s cool with it. I’ll meet you here in like an hour, ‘kay?” “Yeah, I’ll just- whoa.” “Wha-” You stop just in time and find yourself face to face with a crowd of ponies who were looking at you worriedly. In the back, you could see a paramedic with a first aid bag in his mouth. “Uh, guys? I’m fine… really. You can put that away.” “Are you sure?” a uniformed mare asked “I’d like you to at least check into a hospital. You know, to make sure you’re okay?” You assumed she was the manager. “No, I’m totally fine. You can relax. So… Yeah. Go enjoy your breakfast.” “You heard the gal, break it up,” Applejack said as she tried to disperse the crowd. It takes a little coaxing, but the crowd takes the hint and leaves you and Applejack alone finally. You take a few steps towards the exit as you turn towards Applejack. “Alright… I’ll just-” Your growling stomach stops you in your tracks as you realize you didn’t finish your plate. “Finish eatin’ before ya make any plans?” Applejack asks with a chuckle. You sit down bashfully at the table. “Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t get ahead of myself just yet.” “Good, now at least-hey… Where did that bit a food ya choke on go?” You give her a shrug before swallowing audibly. “I dunno.” Applejack grimaces as she begins to put two and two together. “You… You really didn’t just eat that again, did ya?” “What?” you say defensively “Food is food and I made sure to chew it this time!” She runs a hoof down her face as she lets out a dry laugh. “Ya make me worry, girl.” “What I do?” * * * * * * * You depart from the Coco Cabana with a full belly, leaving Applejack to her own devices while you tried to convince Violet to let you go down to the park with Applejack. Normally, you and her would go every weekend and today was Saturday. You just hoped she’d be fine with it and understood what was going on. I hope she isn’t mad or anything about breaking our night off… you think as you walk up to her front step. You reach out and knock on the door. “Hey Violet? It’s me. I was wonder-” The door flies open and you find yourself assaulted by a million different question. “Oh my gosh, are you okay? What happened? What did you say? What did she say? Where were you last night? How-” “Violet! Calm down!” She stops her assault and looks you over. “You’re not crying… Are you okay?” You realize that you never got a hold of Violet and she had no idea what happened in-between the time that you left with Applejack and now. “Yeah, I’m good. We talked it out.” “And?” Guiding Violet inside, you let out ragged sigh “And I have a lot to tell you…” * * * * * * * “She’s truly means it when she says she loves you?” This was the fifth time that you answered this question. “Yes, and I mean it when I say I love her.” Violet finally looks convinced this time. “Alright… But are you sure you want to try this whole long distance relationship thing? They never end well.” You’re undeterred by Violet’s words. “I’m sure. Applejack wants to make this happen and so do I.” Violet’s eyes drift towards the floor. “So you’re going to leave here, huh?” You feel a pang of guilt as you realize just how this was going to affect everyone. “…Yeah. Violet, I’m s-” In an instant, Violet throws her hooves around your neck and hugs you tightly. “V…Violet?” “Don’t apologize. You deserve to be with her. I’ll admit that it makes me sad to know that there will be a day when I don’t see that goofy smile of yours or hear that wonderful laugh… But if she makes you happy, then I’m happy.” You let Violet hold you for a few more minutes before speaking up. “My smile is goofy?” Violet laughs aloud at your question. “Yeah… But it’s one of the things I like about you…” You hug Violet back. “And I like how you’re always looking out for me. What did I do to deserve a friend like you?” “You challenged me to a race around the beach for an ice cream sandwich.” A grin forms on your face as you remember that day. “Oh yeah… It was my first day on Summerset Keys and it was like a million degrees and all I wanted was that ice cream.” Violet giggles under her breath. “You still gave me half, even though you won.” “Yeah, I’m awesome like that.” “Even though you cheated and used your wings.” “Well you never said I couldn’t!” you yell curtly. “Well I never said you could!” Violet snarls. You both move forward and butt heads, staring at each other, unblinking, before breaking down in laughter. “Oh wow… We haven’t done that in years,” she wheezes. “Yeah… Good times…” you say with a content sigh “So, Violet?” “Hm?” “You don’t mind if I take Applejack down to the park? You know, as a last hurrah before she sails off?” “Sure, I don’t mind. You and I can always go next week.” “Thanks Violet,” you say as you give her another hug. “Anytime.” You let go of Violet and take a few tentative steps towards the door. “I mean it. Thanks for everything.” * * * * * * * You circle above The Coco Cabana in boredom, waiting for any signs of Applejack. “Come on, where is she?” you groan aloud. You stopped outside her window not too long ago, but there wasn’t any sign of her. Not even a note. You grab yourself a nearby cloud and curl up expecting a long wait. “Honey-bun?” “Oh hey! There you are!” you yell as you dive off the cloud “I was getting tired of waiting so I was going to take a nap.” You slow your descent and touch down in front of her. “What were yo….you….” You find yourself stumbling over your words as you stare at her. “W…Wha… Oh…. Oh wow….” “What?” she asks nervously “You don’t like it, do you?” You shake your head quickly. “No! No. It’s just… Wow.” Applejack’s mane was done up in pigtails with a small red bow tied in each one. Her tail was braided in the same fashion and she was still wearing her trademark hat. “You look so… cute,” you say with an increasing blush. She kicks at the ground bashfully. “Turns out they have a spa in the hotel and well… I… I never really get dolled up, unless it’s fer a special occasion… Or fer someone who means a lot to me. So, what do you think?” “It’s nice. Thanks,” you say as you give her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek “Now if only we can get you in one of those school-filly’s outfits…” Applejack gives you a stern look “Girl, now yer pushin’ it.” “…Or you know, I could wear it. I bet I’d look good in one of those little mini-skirts with some thigh high stockings,” you say with a tease. You think that you broke her for a moment as Applejack stares off into the distance, her face growing redder by the second. You walk by and give her a flick on the nose with your tail. “And here I thought I was the only one with my head in the clouds. Come on, we’re burning daylight!” Applejack shakes her head quickly and snaps out of her daze. “Uh, sure! I’m comin’!” * * * * * * * “Oh boy, this is gonna be good!” Applejack says as she jogs alongside you. “Totally! Just remember, all you have to do is flash the wristband and you can get on any ride in the park for free.” “Alright-y then, so where do we-” Applejack starts to slow down and comes to a complete stop as she starts to take in everything around her “…Whoa.” You couldn’t help but snicker at Applejack’s dumbstruck look. She was staring at every ride and every attraction in slack-jawed awe. She was especially hypnotized by the Park’s main attraction. “Woo-wee… I ain’t never seen anythin’ like that before…” “Yeah, the Summerset Ferris Wheel has that effect on ponies,” you say as you stare up at it. The ride stood at least 80 feet tall and towered above the entire park. You remember being just as awe-struck as Applejack when you first saw it, as if it was trying to command the attention of everyone who entered the fair grounds. “Let’s save that for later, though. Let’s go on the Tilt-a-Whirl!” Applejack gives you a puzzled look. “What’s a Tilt-a-Whirl?” she asks as you lead the way. “It’s this awesome ride that spins all over the place!” You lead Applejack through the crowd until you finally find it. Just as you and Applejack get up to the Tilt-a-Whirl, the stallion operating the ride closes the gate. “Aw, darn it! We gotta wait for the next one.” The stallion turns to you and smiles. His face was covered in white and black face paint, much like a clown’s, except for the fact that it was done in more harsh designs. “Oh boy! With you two, we got a full house!” he says with a laugh. He turns towards the Tilt-a-Whirl and yells to someone who was busy strapping ponies in. “Hey JD! We got a full house now!” he says as he lets you in. The other pony turns to you and Applejack, wearing the same kind of face makeup. As you step into the tilt-a-whirl, he smiles as wide as the other stallion did and started to sing. All at once, something clicked and things started to make a little more sense. Step right up now, strap ‘em in! Lock it tight under your chin! Clamp your arms down to your side! It’s gonna be a hell-y ride! JD leads you to two empty seats and motions you in. You rear up on your hind legs and grab onto the two bars by your side for support before JD starts buckling all sorts of safety straps going across your waist and legs. Applejack follows suit and watches on nervously as the last of the straps are put into place. “Oh boy…” you say shakily “This is going to be intense.” Applejack shoots you a nervous look. “What’dya mean? “I didn’t recognize them at first, but that’s Zay and JD. They’re fans of Insane Clown Ponies and run some of the rides here and-” the ride jerks violently and starts spinning slowly. “And they what?” “And well… They sometimes go a little overboard.” Applejack goes to open her mouth, but the Tilt-a-Whirl suddenly picks up in speed, going faster and faster. You weren’t worried about the ride going fast, oh no. Speed was no problem. You were worried about their ‘tricks’. Zay and JD were able to pull off all sorts of insane and dangerous stunts using carnival rides, from making the roller coaster go backwards to putting the bumper cars in overdrive. And while all these seemed fun to you, all you could think of was how Applejack was going to handle it. You look over and watch her eyes widen as the hydraulics push the ride and have spin at an angle. “IT’S OKAY!” you yell “THEY KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING!” “THEN WHY IS HE JUMPIN’?” she yells. Pushing past the g-force, you crane your head towards the operating booth. JD was jumping up and down repeatedly and was saying something to Zay, who was pulling and messing with all the controls frantically. “I DON’T-” In all of an instant, the entire ride jumps into the air, eliciting cries and screams from all of the riders. All except for you. You were too busy laughing. “THAT WAS AWESOME! DO IT AGAIN!” Zay gives you a mock salute and makes the Tilt-a-whirl jump again. And again and again. Just when you think the ride was going to tip over from all the jumps, it begins to slow down and straighten itself out. Everypony fumbles for the straps and manages to undo them before staggering out of the ride. Some were happy, others looked green. Applejack fell into the second category. “I… I don’t feel so good…” she said as she slumped in the straps. You manage to slip out of yours and make your way for her. “It’s alright; you’re just a little shaken up. It’ll pass. All you need-” Just as you get the final strap off, Applejack’s cheeks puff out and she begins scrambling for the exit of the ride. You chase after her through the crowd and into a nearby bathroom. She doesn’t so much run into the door of the stall as barrel through it. Acting quickly, you grab a hold of her hair and turn your head to the side. As you expected, the chunks started flying and everything Applejack must have eaten today was now resting in the toilet. Slumping down to the floor she shivers in disgust before spitting unceremoniously. “… I don’t think I like spinny rides…” she says before spitting again. “I-I’m sorry Applejack, we should have gone on something a little more tame. I had no idea you got motion sick.” She shakes her head “Naw… It ain’t that… It was just the jumpin’ that got to me. Felt like I was in one of Rarity’s rock tumblers…” “Maybe we should just play it safe and skip out on all the other intense rides.” Applejack gets to her hooves shakily. “Heck no, I came here ta have fun with ya and I’m going to have fun and no ride is gonna stop me!” she asserts, having regained her composure. “Oh, well that’s good. So you don’t mind going on the Silver Streak?” “Sure, whatever that is,” she says as she rinses her mouth out. * * * * * * * “Uh… H-Honey-bun? I’m-I’m havin’ second thoughts here…” Applejack says as she tugs at her restraints. “Why, what’s wrong?” “It’s just that I’m just a good fifty feet above the ground in some sort of crazy contraption!” You couldn’t help but laugh. Applejack wasn’t as enthusiastic of the Silver Streak as you were. It was one of your favorite rides in the amusement park. The Silver Streak was one of those rollercoaster where you lie down on your stomach through the entire ride. Most ponies that spent their lives on the ground compare it to flying, but to a pegasus like you, it was more like being thrown. Even so, it was still a rush to barrel through the air at that speed. “Oh come on AJ! It’s gonna be awesome!” “I… I don’t know…Maybe I should… I’m-” You reach out and grab Applejack’s hoof in comfort. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.” She gives you a soft smile. “I feel better. ThaaaAAHH!” Thanks to that touching moment, she failed to notice that rollercoaster reached its apex and was now speeding down the track. You let out a loud laugh as the coaster banks hard starts spiraling downwards. Looking over, you see Applejack staring forward, her eyes the size of dinner plates as the coaster makes another hard turn. “YOU OKAY?!?” you yell over the noise of the wind rushing by. A small smile starts to creep across her face. “IT’S… IT’S LIKE I’M FLYIN’!” she yells as her smile grows even wider “I’M FLYIN WITH YOU!” She sticks out her other hoof as if she was really gliding through the air and laughs with you as the track spirals, sending you spinning through the air. Applejack was onto something. It did feel like you were flying with her, in an odd sort of way. You snap out of your thoughts as your favorite part of the ride came up. “HERE COMES THE LOOP!” you yell giddily. Applejack shoots you a puzzled look “WAIT, THE WHA-AAHAHAH!” Applejack cackles as the rollercoaster goes into not one, but two loop de loops before reaching the straightaway and slowing down to a stop. Once the coaster comes to a complete stop, the harnesses come up. You and Applejack hop out without a word and make your way to the exit before breaking down with a case of the giggles. “That was AMAZIN’!” she yells as she tries to catch her breath. “I told you it was awesome!” “What’dya wanta do next?” she asks excitedly “’cause personally, I’m itchin’ fer another go on the rolley coaster!” “Hold up there, dare-pony. I was wondering if there was something around here we could do, you know, together?” Applejack takes a deep breath and nods. “Oh sure, what’dya got in mind?” You shrug. “Whatever you feel up for.” “Hmm…” walking over to a nearby kiosk, she takes a map of the park and begins looking through it. Her eyes light up and she shows you what she found. “’is un,” she says as she holds the map in her mouth. “Huh. Why not?” you ask with a shrug. * * * * * * * You let your hoof hang over the edge of the inner-tube and splash it idly in the water. “Lazy-River is right… I feel pretty relaxed…” you say as you snuggle up to Applejack. She puts a hoof around your shoulder and smiles. “Feels pretty nice just driftin’along, not a care in the world.” “If only we had a wooden raft. Then it would be like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Applejack chuckles a bit under her breath. “Will one of us have to dress up as a boy ta sneak through town? “Yeah, and then we’ll meet the Duke of Bilgewater and the King of France.” She laughs even harder this time. “Oh wow, I forgot all about… My pappy used to read that book every night…” she says fondly. “I used to read stuff like that before bed, too. What’s your favorite book?” Applejack bites her lip for a moment before smiling “Lord of the Flies.” You blink a few times, surprised. “Lord of the Flies? I’ve never read it, but isn’t it supposed to be pretty dark?” She waves it off. “Aw, it’s not all bad. It just shows us how close we are ta going feral. As civilized as we like ta think we are, we’re not all that far from the other animals.” “Hmm…. Well, I’m a fan of science fiction. My favorite is Stranger in a Strange Land.” She gives you an odd look. “You don’t strike me as the sci-fi kinda type. My friend Twi’ likes ‘em, but I can never get into one. What’s it about?” “It’s about this family that goes to the moon to explore it and have a foal during the mission. Something goes wrong and the parents don’t make it, but the child survives and is taken in by a bunch of moon ponies. After a bunch of years, another bunch of ponies go to find out what happened to the last ones and find the colt and take him back to Equestria. It’s all about what it means to be an Equestrian and what really defines us.” Applejack looks a little overwhelmed by your description. “I don’t know… Feels like that might go over ma head a bit…” “Well, maybe you and I can curl up one night in bed and you can read Lord of the Flies and then I can read you Stranger in a Strange Land.” “Yeah… That’d be-” From behind, you hear frantic paddling, followed by a tell-tale cat-call. “Well hello ladies~” Swimming up to you was a well-built golden stallion who puts a hoof on your inner-tube and stops your drift down the Lazy-River. “Are you two veterinarians? Cause I got some sick pythons,” he says as he flexes his muscles. You do your best to stifle a laugh, but you can’t help it. “So cheesy…” you say under your breath. Applejack turns her nose up to the stallion. “Not interested.” The stallion almost looked hurt. “Oh come on now, baby. I can bench-press like 320. Interested now?” Applejack shoots the stallion a tired look. “Does this answer your question?” In one swift motion, she grabs the back of your head for a kiss and puts her all into it, even letting out a low groan halfway. At the end she, she pulls back ever so slightly and pushes her tongue out, which you gladly meet with yours. When Applejack finishes, she gives the stallion a smug look as he stands there, jaw agape, completely gobsmacked. “Sorry there, big boy,” you say as you lick the stray saliva off of your lips “she’s spoken for.” The stallion simply stands there in the shallow water as you drift away, mouth still hanging agape. “I think we broke him.” Applejack says with a giggle “Good, I’ve never liked brainless jocks like that-Hey!” you exclaim as you feel yourself bump into something. “What’s your prob-” Your heart nearly jumps out of your throat as you find yourself staring at your boss, who was staring back at you with a puzzled look on his face. “Oh! Uh… Boss! W…What are you doing here?” “I could ask you the same thing,” he says as he steps out of his inner-tube and onto dry land. You awkwardly fumble out of the inner-tube and not so much walk onto the landing, but fall. “Uh, Boss? I can explain. You see, I-” “Don’t,” Micky says as he holds up a hoof. Taking a deep breath, he turns to Applejack. “Miss, why don’t you grab something at one the concession stands around here for us, my treat?” Micky takes the pouch of bits off of his neck and tosses a few her way. Applejack barely catches them and remains silent, looking to Micky and back to you for some sort of direction. “I like funnel-cakes. There’s a stall that sells them a little ways back. Near the Tilt-a-whirl; we passed it, remember?” Applejack nods slowly. “Alright honey-bun, I understand.” Good girl you think as she begins walking away. Turning back to Micky, you sigh heavily, knowing full well this would bite you in the ass sooner or later. You just wished it wouldn’t be this soon. “Boss, I know you’re short-hoofed and need everypony you can get to watch the beach with Klein gone, but I-” “Stop,” he says sharply “just stop. You’re not in trouble, so you can calm down. I didn’t need you or Violet today. I closed the beach because we’d only have one good life-guard out there for the whole day.” You find yourself a bit calmer then when you started, but you were definitely more confused. “If… If you weren’t going to chew me out for…well… lying about not being able to work, then why are you here?” Micky runs a hoof down his face, as if he was trying to find the right words. “…I asked Violet what was going on between you and that tourist you’ve been hanging out with lately. She didn’t want to say anything at first, but I pressured her into it and she told me the entire story. I came to see if she was telling the truth.” A newfound sense of hostility bubbled up from out of nowhere and directed itself at your boss for forcing his way into your life like this. “Why?” you ask curtly “You better not give me any shit just because I like mares.” Micky blinks a few times in shock before laughing under his breath. “Now where did this come from? I wasn’t going to say anything about it,” he says as he guides you over to a nearby picnic table. “You see, Klein is doing everything he can to avoid a pink slip, except for telling me why he did what he did. I needed a motive to fill out on the form and that’s why I went to Violet.” You feel yourself calm down a bit as everything begins to make sense. “Okay then… So… What now?” “You two enjoy yourselves,” he says as he gets to his hooves “I’m sure you’ll have many good times to come.” You cringe when reminded of the impending time-limit. “At least until tomorrow…” you say sullenly. Micky stops mid-stride and turns back around. “Why? What’s happening tomorrow?” “Applejack has to come back home to Ponyville tomorrow… We’re trying to figure out how to do this whole ‘long-distance-relationship’ thing…” you say as you glance to the ground. Micky puts a hoof under your chin and makes you look him in the eyes. “Do you really love her?” “I-” “I mean really love her? I’ve seen ponies kiss like that before just to prove a point.” You feel your face go completely red when you realize your boss saw that little scene. “Y-You saw? I mean, I-I…” you try to calm down and take a deep breath “I love her,” you finally say “a lot. I want to be with her for the rest of my life.” Micky stares at you intently as you saw this, never once blinking. Just before it starts to get uncomfortable, he lets out a heavy sigh and mumbles something under his breath. “What? What’s wrong?” you ask as he walks away again. “I just realized I got some work I got to take care of. I’ll see ya later.” Just as Micky walks out of site, Applejack returns with three funnel-cakes balanced precariously on her back. “Here we are, three-Hey. Where’d yer boss go?” “He had to leave, but I’ll take his funnel-cake,” you say as you grab the two plates off of her back. You take a seat at the picnic-table again and dig in. Applejack snickers aloud as you take a giant bite out of your first funnel-cake. “What?” “Yer gonna get pudgy if you keep eatin’ like that.” “Well, that just means that there’ll more of me to love.” Applejack laughs under her breath at the statement before taking a bite of her own funnel-cake. “So, what’s next on the agenda?” You swallow the last of your first funnel-cake and open your mouth to suggest going on another ride when a loud buzzer goes off, making you and Applejack turn your heads to a stand with a blue mare behind it, shaking her head slightly. “Oh, too bad, so sad! Not everyone’s a winner, but if you fancy yourself one, then step right up!” “Over there!” you yell as you grab a hold of Applejack, who does her best to stuff the last bit of funnel-cake in her mouth. The mare running the stall sees you coming towards her and smiles. “Step right up! Step right up! Don’t be shy! It’s easy as can be! Knock the milk bottles over and win a prize! Knock over all three and win the grand-prize!” she yells as she points to the plush toys of all sizes. Grabbing a hold of her, you smile from ear to ear. “Win me a teddy bear? Pleeeeease?” “Oh alright then,” Applejack says with an indifferent shrug. “3 bits, 3 balls!” the mare states as she holds out an open hoof. Applejack reaches for her wallet, but you beat her to it and lay out your own money. “Make it count, sweetie,” you say as you give her a quick peck on the cheek. Applejack picks up one of the balls and inspects it. “So I just gotta knock the bottles over, that’s it?” “May not be as simple as you think, ‘sweetie’,” the mare says as she steps to the side. “Alright-y then, lemme just take a few steps back here…” You give her a puzzled look. “Step back? Why?” She doesn’t answer and instead tosses the balls into the air and spins around quickly. Using one hind leg, she hits the balls as they come down in rapid succession, sending them flying right into each of the pyramid of bottles. As each hits, you count aloud. *CRASH* “One!” *CRASH* “Two!” *THUD* “TH-” The final tower of milk bottles makes a different sound then the others, making you wonder what just happened. You approach slowly with Applejack on your heels and look over the side of the counter at the final tower of bottles, stuck together on the ground in the same position they were set up in. The mare rushes over and hides the tower of bottles behind her back “W-WE HAVE A WINNER!” she exclaims shakily “CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!” Applejack’s face seems to twist into a mix of disgust and anger. “Why ya no good, two timin’-” Reaching up, you grab one of the large red bears with a white heart on its stomach. “Thank you AJ,” you say before giving her a big hug. “But I-She-” “Lighten up, all these games are rigged,” you whisper into her ear as you guide her away. “All of ‘em?” she asks surprisingly. “Yeah, but I knew you’d win.” “Why?” You nuzzle up to Applejack, making her giggle. “Because you’re awesome, that’s why. How did you do that?” “Years of apple-buckin’,” she says proudly “gotta hit trees just right ta make ‘em fall in the baskets.” Applejack’s gaze turns to the setting sun, its presence wiping away the smile on her face. “It’s gettin’ late…” she says sullenly. “Yeah…” You couldn’t believe how fast the day was coming to an end. “Think we should be headin’ out now?” A flame ignites in your heart. There was something you had to do to make this night perfect. “No, not just yet. We still gotta do one last thing.” Grabbing a hold of Applejack, you pull her frantically, trying to get her to move faster. “Wait, where are we goin’?” she asks. You don’t say a word and continue leading her through the crowd of ponies until you reach the Ferris Wheel. Running up to the stallion behind the controls, you flash your wristband. “Two,” you say as you guide Applejack into the cabin. Before stepping in, you grab a hold of the stallion and draw him close. The pimple-faced pony looks at you shocked and opens his mouth to say something. “Wha-” You put a hoof on his lips and stare him dead in the eyes. “Stop it at the top.” Giving him no chance to reply, you jump into the cabin and sit next to Applejack before throwing the teddy-bear into the seat across from you. “Here we go…” you say as the Ferris Wheel slowly started to turn. Applejack looks out the window as the cart climbs higher and higher. “Woo-wee… This is amazing. Honey-bun check out thi-” Without any warning, you jump on top of Applejack and surprise her with a deep and greedy kiss. Applejack pushes back slightly and looks at you with a confused look. “Honey-bun, what’s gotten inta you?” “I want you to never forget this night,” you say as you start to plant kisses up and down her chest “when you’re back home and feeling lonely, I want you to remember what we did here and know I’ll be with you soon.” Applejack stares up at you with a growing blush on her face. “I-I’m all for foolin’ around but we’re in public. What if someone sees?” You trace your tongue up her throat, making her shiver and moan aloud. “Then let’s give them a show, sweetie.” You continue to kiss Applejack as the Ferris Wheel goes around and around. Applejack seemed more into it than before, and you couldn’t help but tease her for it. “Is the idea that somepony watching us making you excited, AJ?” Applejack’s entire face turns red, letting you know all that you needed to know. “You naughty girl,” you whisper into her ear before nibbling it, making her squeal aloud. You grab a hold of her tail and pull it taught, making her eyes roll into the back of her head as you continue licking and biting at her neck. The assault on her senses seems too much for her and she’s soon panting heavily. “Oh… Oh horse-apples that feels…Go-” All of a sudden, the cabin jerks violently, causing you and Applejack to fall off of the bench and onto the floor of the cabin. However, Applejack was the one on top this time and you were pinned underneath her. You’re both surprised by this change of pace, but you can’t help but smile. “I’m okay with this,” you say before planting a quick kiss on her lips. Applejack grins devilishly before grabbing a hold of both of your wings, making you writhe in pleasure. “Same.” She starts to work on your wings, but stops abruptly. “Naw… Let’s try somethin’ a little different…” “Huh? What do you-” Before you can get any further, Applejack grabs a hold of your flanks, making you gasp aloud as she begins to rub them in circular motions. “I’m always playin’ with yer wings,” she says as she brings her face down to one of your flanks “I wanna do somethin’ new.” You bite your lower lip to stifle a loud moan as Applejack traces her tongue all about, making you visibly writhe in bliss. “Oh my… Oh my gosh…” Applejack moves away from your flank and looks over you, smiling. “Looks like I found another of yer weak spots.” You don’t know why, but this declaration embarrasses you to no end. “I…I… It’s not my fault, I’m just, you know… Just really sensitive, is all…” Your coy nature makes Applejack laugh aloud. “Oh honey-bun, it ain’t a bad thing…” she says as she brings her face to yours “I think it’s cute.” Wordlessly, she moves in for another kiss and you gladly move to accept it, but stop short when you hear the cabin door slowly open. Acting quickly, you both get to your hooves and take a seat next to each other and do your best to act as nonchalant as possible. “Did you enjoy your ride?” the pimply faced stallion asks as he opens the cabin door. “Yeah, I enjoyed her-” Applejack blushes as she catches her Freudian slip “I mean it. I enjoyed it very much. Thank ya kindly.” You giggle aloud as you notice the stallion’s face go red as he pieces it all together. His face was almost as red as Applejack’s. “Oh come on sweetie. No harm, no foul,” you say as you push at her side. “Yeah… I guess you’re right,” Applejack says with a nervous giggle. You couldn’t help but push her buttons. “I’m all for wearing a saddle, if you really want to ride me.” Applejack’s eyes go wide. “I… I uh… Really?” she asks skittishly. You do your best to stifle a laugh as you put a wing around her shoulder and draw her close. “Come on, you horn-dog. Let’s go back to the hotel so we can snuggle.” “Read my mind…” she says as she nuzzles up to you. * * * * * * * During the walk to the dock with Applejack, you were reminded of a theory about time travel by Asimov Or was it Wells? Either way, all you could wonder where the last eight hours went. You and Applejack held each other as you slept and only awoke when the alarm went off, signaling her final hours on Summerset Keys. All you could do now was help carry her bags to the docks and see her off. Just looking at the ship made your eyes wet. “Honey-bun... I really wish we could make this work… But we’re gonna need time,” she says as she wipes away your tears “ya gotta be strong. For the both of us.” Throwing your hooves around her neck, you hug her tightly. “I promise. I-I’ll be strong. And the next time I see you, I’m going to hold you just like this and never let go.” A loud whistle from the boat makes your heart sink into your hooves. “ALL-ABOARD FOR GOTLAND BAY!” Applejack gives you a kiss on the cheek before slowly breaking the hug. “I gotta go… I’ll miss ya sugar-cube,” she says with a sniffle. You slump down on your haunches as she makes her way up the gangplank, never once looking away from you. You knew this would happen when you found out she had to leave, but it didn’t make the hurt any less painful as tears streaked down your face. The boat slowly starts to chug off from the port, taking your one true love with it. From the deck of the boat, you see Applejack waving to you, crying just as openly as you. You wave back to her, doing the best to force a smile. “WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?!?” Whipping around, you see Micky, Blendy, and a group of ponies running towards you. Micky was leading him and looked completely shocked. “What? What do you mean?” Micky grabs a hold of you and shakes you violently. “DIDN’T YOU GET THE NOTE ON THE DOOR?!?” “What note?!?” “This note!” you hear Violet yell as she pushes her way through the crowd. She opens an envelope she’s levitating in the air and practically shoves it in your face. “I-” “READ IT!” Micky yells frantically. You shut your mouth and read the note as quickly as you can. The gang and I were talking it over and we all decided to chip in and give you a little piece of happiness. Inside is a ticket to Gotland Bay and two Express Coach tickets for Ponyville. We all hope she makes you as happy as you made us happy over the years. Signed, Micky, your ex-boss You look up to the group of ponies with a dumbstruck look. “What about all my stuff?” “We loaded it up on the boat!” Violet yells. “But what about all my money?” “It’s on the boat!” a mare from the crowd cries. “I… I…” what they were doing for you hit you like a ton of bricks “Guys, I don’t know what to say.” “You better stop saying stuff and get on that boat or you’ll be homeless and penniless!” Micky cries as he shoves the ticket into your hooves. The realization hit you like a ton of bricks. Everything you owned was on that boat. “Oh crap, you’re right!” you yell as you tense up all your muscles for take-off “I gotta-” you stop midway before turning back to your friends. “I gotta say goodbye first.” Running towards them, you throw your hooves around them and bring them all in for a great big hug. “I’ll miss all of you guys and I’ll never forget what you did here. Thank you for everything.” “No prob’em life-mare. Is wat friends do.” “We’ll miss you!” “Thanks for everything you’ve done here!” Turning to Violet, you grab a hold of her tightly, making her gasp aloud in surprise. “I promise I’ll be back to see you. All of you.” Micky looks like he’s trying to enjoy this heart-felt moment, but he looks way too distressed. “You’ve got to hurry up and fly! The boat is already way out there!” Letting go of Violet you make your way to the end of the dock before giving them one final wave goodbye. You make sure the tickets are securely in your mouth before tensing yourself up completely again. In one powerful motion, you take off into the air and fly barely an inch above the water, your wings beating fiercely to catch up with the boat. The boat was a little ways away, but your wings were already starting to tire. In a flash of inspiration, you tuck your wings in and streamline your body before going beneath the water for a split second, only to come right back up and glide. You repeat this process as you’ve seen the flying fish do, gaining speed by using your powerful legs beneath the water and a few wing flaps above. Once the boat is close enough, you surface and go up high, before dive-bombing the deck. It didn’t take long for you to pick Applejack out of the crowd and the only warning she got of your imminent approach was the startled cries of the other passengers as you closed in. “What in the-” You tackle Applejack and hug her closely, panting in exhaustion. “I… I MADE IT!” you yell through clenched teeth. She finally realizes just who was holding her and looks at you completely shocked. “WHAT IN TARNATION ARE YOU-” Applejack stops as she notices the soaking wet tickets you held. You open your mouth and let them fall into your lap before smiling. “I told you I’d hold you like this the next time I see you.” Applejack opens her mouth a few times and closes it before just shaking her head. How you did it doesn’t seem to matter anymore and she simply holds you back. “And I’m never letting go.” Epilogue“Uh, Applejack? A-Are you sure this is a good idea?” you ask nervously. “Honey-bun, we both agreed that doin’ it when everyone is present and accounted for was the best idea.” “Well now I’m nervous!” you cry as you stamp your hoof down “They all think I’m some tourist you met on the boat home who lives here in Ponyville! Why did you even tell them that?” Applejack gives you a stern look. “You told them that the minute you got out of the carriage. I was gonna tell them straight up then and there.” “Oh,” you say bashfully “sorry...” Applejack sighs heavily and opens the door. “Just go take a seat at the table. I’ll be right behind you.” You feel all eyes go on you the minute you walk into the room, making you sweat. You were wearing your mane in braids and may have gone a little overboard on the blush and lipstick. Sitting down, you take a deep breath and remind yourself of each pony’s name so you didn’t stumble across your words when you talked to them. Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Big Mac, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy... The group quickly returns to their previous conversation, so you do your best to focus on it, but can’t help but feel a little lost. “...said he was going to ‘hang out with the boys’ while we were at dinner,” Rainbow Dash says as she nudges at her plate idly “I wonder what they’re doing right now.” “Oh!” Pinkie Pie cries “I know! My hubby was saying how they were just gonna sit around and smoke cigars while playing poker.” Rarity nods. “Yes, mein Schatz says that it’s a good bonding experience for them and it would help them become as good friends as we are.” “Umm ...‘mein Schatz’? What’s that?” “Oh, sorry Fluttershy. It’s just a little pet name I call him. Just how I’m his little fräulein,” Rarity says with a giggle. “He hasn’t given me a pet name...” Twilight says sullenly. “SOUP’S ON EVERYPONY!” Applejack declares as she bursts through the door, carrying a silver tray on her back. Apple Pies, fritters, dumplings, and what looked like apple-kabobs drizzled in caramel were all laid out on the table. “Wow, this all looks so good.” Rainbow Dash says as she grabs one of the kabobs. “Darling, you must tell me where you learned to make this excellent drink!” Rarity declares as she takes another sip “What did you call it again?” “Apple-hito. It’s sort like a mohito, only with hard cider. Still really good. Honey-bun here showed me how to mix it.” “Uh... Who’s honey-bun?” Twilight asks as she puts her fritter down. Your heart races as you realize the cat was out of the bag. Applejack takes a deep breath and goes to stand up, but you beat her to it. “I... Kinda lied when I first met you. I wasn’t a tourist who met Applejack on the boat... And I don’t live here in Ponyville. Truth is, I met AJ a little after she got off of the boat.” “I thought she drowned when I first met her, but it turned out she was the lifeguard there.” Applejack says as she moves to your side. The words weren’t as easy to find as you thought. “We kinda... Well... The thing is...” It was equally hard for Applejack as her own Grandmother stared intently at her. “We’re kinda... Sorta...” All at once, you both find your nerve and speak up at the same time. “We’re in love.” The table was completely silent as they stared on in disbelief. “Uh... Wow,” Twilight says finally “I wasn’t expecting that.” “Me neither,” Rarity says, particularly stunned. “Wow AJ, I pegged you for a ‘ma barn door don’t swing that way’ kinda mare.” Rainbow Dash says with a tease. A blush starts to creep across Fluttershy’s face. “Oh my...” “Oh wowie wow wow!” Pinkie Pie cries “I didn’t know you were gay!” Rainbow Dash swats the back of Pinkie’s head. “Hey! Lay off, Pinks!” “What?!?” Pinkie yells in defense “It’s just that if I’d known, I woulda taken a swing at her myself.” Rarity looks at Pinkie in surprise. “Pinkie, I didn’t know you were...” “I’m not,” she says as she takes a bite out of her slice of pie. “Then why did-” Pinkie shrugs. “What can I say? I’ve always been curious.” Big Macintosh was the next to speak up. “Well uh... Gotta say this took me by surprise... But it’s fine by me.” “Oh wow... I had no idea everyone would take this so well,” you say with a half-hearted giggle. All of a sudden, you feel someone grab a hold of your head and force you to look to your left. It was Granny Smith, and she was scrutinizing every inch of you. “So you were a life-guard, eh?” “Uh... Yes ma’am,” you say uneasily. “Do anythin’ exciting in that line of work?” “I kicked a shark.” Granny Smith is taken aback by your frankness of the statement, as is everypony else at the table. “What? It was just a great white.” Granny Smith laughs aloud now as she pats your back heavily. “I LIKE THIS ONE!” Applejack smiles from ear to ear, so you take this as a good thing. “So... I really don’t have anywhere to stay. It’s kinda why I’ve been sleeping here... You don’t mind if I... Move in?” “Sweet-heart, you’re more than welcome to stay,” Granny Smith says with a warm smile. You do your best to hold back your tears in front of all of Applejack’s friends, but you find it increasingly difficult. “Thanks everyone... I had no idea you’d make me feel so welcome.” “No problem!” Rainbow Dash says as she puts a hoof around your shoulder “So, life-guard, huh?” “Yeah, one of the best on the beach, or so I was told.” “Well, we don’t really have any beaches, but we gotta lake.” Your ears perk up at this revelation. “Oh?” “Yeah!” Twilight declares “If you’re as good a swimmer as you say you are, then you could teach some of the kids here all the basics! Maybe even CPR classes for the adults!” “Oh my gosh, that’s a great idea!” you say giddily “I gotta go down to the lake and check it out!” You turn to Applejack and put your hooves on her shoulders. “I’m gonna need some help getting that all set up. Can you lend me a hoof?” “Why certainly, honey-bun,” Applejack says, her embarrassed blush finally dying down. You plant a quick kiss on her lips, making her entire face go red again. “Thanks sweetie.” Taking a seat back down, the festivities commence again, in higher spirits this time. Just as you are about to dig into your plate, you feel someone tug at your side. Looking down, you see Apple Bloom staring up at you. “Uh... Yes?” you ask as you crane your neck down. Unexpectedly, Apple Bloom grabs a hold of your neck and holds you tight. “Thank you,” she says above a whisper. “For what?” “Oh! Uh... You know...” she says uneasily “Fer makin’ my sister happy. Yeah, that’s it.” “Oh... Okay. She makes me happy too, so it’s a fair trade.” “Do... Do I have to call you ‘big sis’ now too? Or...” You shake your head. “No, not really. I mean, if you want to, I’m fine with it.” Apple Bloom extends a hoof. “Well then ‘big sis’, lemme be the first to officially welcome you ta Ponyville; yer new home.” You shake her hoof, smiling all the while. “Thanks, Apple Bloom. I really do feel like I’m... home now,” you say as you grab a hold of Applejack and hug her tightly. I’m home, you think with a content sigh I’m home and I’m loved.
Prologue“Are you sure ya can handle the farm while I’m gone?” Applejack asked as she closed her suitcase. “Applejack, I’ve been running this farm since you were in diapers! Of course I can handle it!” Granny Smith yelled. “But what about yer back? Isn’t it still bothering you?” Granny Smith grabbed hold of Applejack’s suitcase and flung it onto her back in one fluid motion. “Does that answer yer question?” she says with a chuckle “The doc did a follow up and says I’m all better. Bed rest did the trick.” Applejack doesn’t look completely convinced, but doesn’t push the subject. “But won’t you be short hoofed with me gone?” “Oh don’t worry about that! Big Macintosh hired a farm hand from town to take over your chores while yer gone. Really eager to work, that one.” “But-” Granny Smith put a hoof over Applejack’s mouth. “We can handle ourselves while you’re on yer vacation. The whole farm ain’t gonna fall apart the minute you get on that boat.” “Yer right... I really should get going.” Applejack said as she grabbed she suitcase from Granny Smith. Just as Applejack made her way for the door, Granny Smith stopped her. “Hey. Do me a favor?” “Anything for you, Granny.” “Enjoy yourself.” Applejack walked up to Granny Smith and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I will, I promise.” “Good, now get outta here before you miss yer ride.” Applejack glanced at the clock and gasped aloud. “Oh horse feathers, I gotta go!” galloping out the door, Applejack made her way for Ponyville. “Bye Granny Smith, bye Big Macintosh, bye Apple Bloom! Take care while I’m gone!” * * * * * * * Applejack was tossing her bag into the back of the carriage when she heard the sound of hoofbeats behind her. Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie had all made it. “Really, this is great. Thanks everyone for seeing me off ‘fore I go. It means a lot.” “Well, we aren’t going to see you for like a week!” Dash yelled “And it would be downright rude if we didn’t say bon voyage before you left.” Rarity added. “Are you sure you have everything?” Twilight asked. “Yup, got my ticket and some spending bits. I’m taking the carriage to Gotland Bay and from there, it’s a straight cruise to Summerset Keys.” Applejack said as she pulled a white slip of paper out of the brim of her hat. “I can’t help but be a little jealous...” Fluttershy said above a whisper “There’s supposed to be all sorts of rare and exotic creatures in Summerset Keys and I’d love to see them..” “Oh, don’t you worry none, ‘shy. I’ll pick up a camera along the way and take plenty a photos.” “Thank you.” “Oooh, I’m gonna miss you!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she wrapped her hooves around Applejack’s neck and hugged her tightly “It’s not going to be the same with you gone!” “I’m gonna miss you too.” Applejack says through a forced wheeze. Prying Pinkie Pie’s off of herself, Applejack takes a deep breath and turns to her friends. “All of ya. I mean, I know it’s just a week, but we haven’t been apart since we met.” Climbing into the carriage, Applejack waves goodbye as the carriage trots of and couldn’t help but smile when her friends started shouting goodbye until they were out of sight. “Summerset Keys, eh?” the driver asked nonchalantly “Quite the place. Romantic, too. Nothing beats watching Luna’s moon rise over the ocean with somepony you love.” Applejack slumped down in her seat a bit and stared out the window. “Yeah... Somepony you love...”
Chapter 1The sky passed lazily over head as you lay adrift in the great, big sea. You let the water move your hooves as it pleased and rock you with each passing wave. I could fall asleep like this... you think as you stifle a yawn. It was another perfect day on Summerset Keys, where the only thing on the agenda was to have fun, where there wasn’t a care in the world, where- “Hang in there, I’ve gotch’ya!” “Wha-” was all you could make out before you felt something wrap around your chest and start yanking on you, causing an errant splash of water catches you in the eyes and blinds you. Panicking, you begin to flail your hooves around in some attempt to pull away from your captor, but whatever was on the other end was much stronger. Your heart races as you began to imagine what exactly was pulling you in whatever direction it pleased. Octopus? Giant jellyfish? Kraken? You kick and flail with all your might, but you still couldn’t wrest yourself free. “Don’t worry, I got you!” You stop flailing when you hear the rough, female voice and calm down a bit when you feel yourself being dragged up onto the sandy beach. “Are you okay, sugarcube? Can you breathe?” the voice asks. Sitting up on your haunches, you rub at your stinging eyes. “Yeah, I can breathe! What was that all about?” Blinking a few times, your vision finally comes back to you. Looking up, you find yourself staring at an orange earth pony with a blond mane tied back in a ponytail that sat under a brown stetson. She was talking quite fast as she got the vine she apparently used to drag you to shore off. “I called out to ya, but you didn’t say nothin’, so I thought you drowned!” You couldn’t help but feel insulted. “Me? Drown? Unlikely! I mean, seriously! A lifeguard, drown?” The pony cocked her head to the side, obviously confused. “Lifeguard?” Turning around, you unfurl your wings and reveal the yellow word “Lifegaurd” over a cross on your red tank top. “Yeah, I’m one of the lifeguards here at Summerset Keys. I wouldn’t be where I am if I wasn’t a pro swimmer.” “Rightly sorry,” she says as she helps you to your hooves “What were you doing out there anyway?” “I’m on break, so I thought I’d come out to my secret spot,” that’s when it hits you “How did you find this place, anyway?” “Shucks, I just wandered away from the hotel. You know, getta feel for the place?” A small smiles starts to creep across your face “Oh wow, you just got off the boat, didn’t you?” “Well, yeah,” she says as she kicks at the ground “how’dya know?” “You kinda stick out like a sore hoof. But hey, it’s not a bad thing. I like tourists! They’re always a laugh and a half.” you say with a playful push “So, what’s your name?” “I’m Applejack,” she says as she shakes your hoof rather vigorously “and I’m supposed to be on vacation.” “I figured that much out. How are you enjoying it so far?” “Well... I don’t know. I’m sorta overwhelmed. I don’t even know what to do first.” You can’t help but feel your heart go out to her. “Well then, we’ll have to fix that! Come on, lemme show you around!” Grabbing Applejack’s hoof, you begin to drag her away. “Girl, just where the hay are you taking me?!?” she yells. “I’m taking you to have some fun!” * * * * * * * “This is the best juice bar in Summerset Keys,” you say as you walk up to the counter “It has an awesome view of the beach and serves the best pineapple smoothie in all of Equestria!” Applejack gives you an odd look “Pine...Apple? What the hay is a pineapple?” “Oh man, are you missing out! Hey Blendy!” you call out to the pony behind the counter “Two pineapple smoothies and put it on my tab!” The earth pony turns to you, smiling from ear to ear. A pair of black sunglasses sat on his nose and had his mane done in dreadlocks. “Shore thin, life mare! Comin’ righ’ up!” he says in a rather broken and choppy accent. “Uhh... What’s wrong with his voice?” she asks above a whisper. “Oh, he’s one of the locals here.” you say nonchalantly. “Locals?” On cue, the tan colored earth pony comes up to you two and places two hollowed out pineapples in front of you, each holding a thick yellowish liquid and sporting a straw and tiny umbrella. “Aye, Summerset Keys iz home ta all sots of ponies who luv good time. You ponies from across da sea jus make it better! Now enjoy yerself, girlie!” he says before moving to the next customer at the bar. You take a sip of the smoothie and relish the sweet and tart flavor of the fruit. Turning to Applejack, you can’t help but giggle as you watch her sniff and scrutinize every inch of the drink. “Oh come on! It won’t bite!” Sheepishly, she wraps her lips around the straw and takes a small sip, only to have her eyes light up. “Wow, that’s good! I didn’t think anythin’ so spiny looking could be so tasty!” she says before taking a deep drink from the smoothie. “Don’t drink too fast or-” Too late. Applejack reels back from the drink and grips the sides of her head. “OW OW OW OW!” “You’ll get brainfreeze.” you say with a chuckle. “Thanks for the warnin’.” she says as she continues to rub her head. “So, where ya from AJ? You don’t mind if I call you that, do ya?” “Not at all, sugar cube. And I’m from Ponyville. It’s a little town away from it all.” she says rather fondly. “Oh, I think I’ve heard of Ponyville. I’m from Fillydelphia, myself. Moved here to get away from the whole city life thing. Now all I do is swim all day and watch the ocean” you say with a content sigh “What do you do for a living, AJ?” “I’m an apple farmer, myself. Me and my family run Sweet Apple Acres, an apple farm outside of Ponyville. Though work has left me a might frazzled. Kinda why I need this vacation.” “Hey, I know the feeling. Every job has its ups and downs.” Applejack opens her mouth to say something, but stops when two earth ponies walk up to the bar and sit besides you. “And there’s one of them...” you say under your breath. The stallion to your right had his brown mane slicked back and his yellow coat was dripping wet with water. “Why hello there ladies...” he said as he put a hoof around your shoulder. You push the hoof off from you and stare daggers at the stallion. “What do you want Klein?” “What, I can’t say hi to two beautiful mares?” “You can’t when Blendy said you aren’t welcome here anymore. And when I said I was going to get a restraining order against you if you keep harassing me.” “Oh come on baby, I thought you were kidding.” Placing two hooves on Klein, you give him a push and send him stumbling backwards. “Does it look like I’m kidding?” “Whatever. You’re not worth it, anyway.” he says with a scowl. Turning to Applejack, he puts on a plastic smile and walks up to her. “Come on, why don’t we ditch her and head back to my place?” “Why do I get the feelin' I'm not gonna like you?" She says, tensing as Klein begins to circle her. "Oh come now, you should really get to know me first. I can be really rather nice if you give me a chance." Klein replies, pausing behind her, the orange earth pony tilting her head just slightly to keep one eye on him. "You're quite the piece, you know that?" In one quick motion, Klein brings a hoof down and slaps her flank. "Big mistake!" Like a spring uncoiled, Applejack suddenly rears forward, bringing her hind hooves up and bucking Klein hard, sending him crashing out of the bar in an unceremonious heap. You can only stare on in disbelief as Klein moans aloud in pain as he tries to get to his hooves. Applejack seems to admire her work as you walk up to her side, mouth agape. “Wow...” you say breathlessly “You just put him right through that wall.” “That I did. Years of apple buckin’ have made me a real-” she stops when the reality of what just happened sinks in and looks to everyone around the room in panic. “Oh gosh darnit, I’m sorry! I just don’t know my own strength sometimes and he well... and I...” “I mean, he just sailed right through it! That was awesome!” you say giddily. “Beg pardon?” “He scum who ain’t allowed here no more!” Blendy cries as Klein limps off, supported by his buddy “He always harrasin’ ma female customers and puttin’ his hooves were dey don’t belong.” “Yeah, if you ask me, you should of sent him through a palm tree or something,” a patron says “He deserves worse.” “So... You all ain’t mad?” Applejack asks “And ya ain’t gonna call the cops?” “I didn’t see anything.” you say, matter-of-fact. “Nor I.” Blendy says as he goes back to serving drinks. The rest of the crowd shake their head and offer the same story; they didn’t see anything happen. “Wow... Quite friendly folk.” Applejack says as she takes a seat at the juice bar again. “Either that or they really don’t like Klein.” you say with a laugh. “Who was that guy anyway?” “Klein, ugh,” the mere mention of his name didn’t feel right on your tongue “he’s one of the other lifeguards here, along with Violet... How he ever got the job is beyond me. Not only is he a total perv, but he’s totally inexperienced. Part of me thinks all he’s wants from this job is to cop a feel of unconscious mares. “I hate those kinda stallions. Think they own ya... Makes me sick.” “Don’t let it get to you, AJ. Not everypony in Summerset Keys is a huge an ass as Klein. Come on, let’s go play some volleyball.” “Sure, I’m game!” she says rather excited. * * * * * * * Tossing the ball up into the air, you ready yourself. “Serve up!” You hit the ball with a quick jab, sending it over the net, right towards Applejack. The day was coming to an end and almost everypony else had left for more nighttime activities. Except for you and Applejack. You had a score to settle. Three hours and a winner still hadn’t been decided. And neither one of you were giving up. “Is that the best ya got?” she taunts. Applejack easily intercepts the ball and sends it right back at you. “Far from it!” Leaping into the air, you bring a hoof down and spike the ball right at her. Surprisingly, she doesn’t flinch away and instead goes right for it and bounces it right back at you. “Oh s-” was about all you could say before the volleyball hit you square in the face, making you crash down to earth. “Sugarcube, are you okay?!?” Applejack cries as you hold your face. Bringing your hoofs away from your face, you begin to panic when all you see is blood. “Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh!” you yell. “Wait right here, I’ll go getta first aid kit!” Applejack runs off, leaving you to hold your bloody, and quite possibly, broken nose. Stupid AJ, hitting me like that... Everything is going to smell like blood for a week... She probably planned this... Just as you begin to really steam, Applejack gallops over, carrying a first aid kit in her mouth. “Okay, okay, I got this. I got this.” she says to herself, seeming shaken. Applejack opens the first aid kit and turns to you. “Yer gonna have to take yer hooves off your nose so I can look at it.” Gingerly, you pull your hooves away and stifle a scream when blood starts to drip down onto the sandy beaches. Quickly, Applejack takes a piece of gauze in her mouth and presses it against your snout. In that instant, all pain seems to melt away with the rest of the world. A rolling wave of heat begins to make its way up your neck until your entire face is beat red. Oh no, am I going into shock? Am I going to pass out? You don’t feel dizzy or lightheaded. Instead, you feel more awake than ever; and more aware. Especially about the mare who was just a hair away from touching your lips. Her big, green eyes stared directly into yours; you feel like you could get lost in them. A shiver goes up your spine every time she breathes onto you. Just when you think your senses were going to be overloaded, she pulls away. “There. It stopped bleeding. Looks like it just got split open, not broken.” she says as she applies a bandage to your nose. “Oh...Okay...” you say dreamily. “Are you okay?” she asks as she gives you a once over. “Yeah.” “Nothing else is hurt? You took quite a tumble.” “No.” “A...Are you mad at me?” she asks nervously. You snap yourself out of your daze and look to her. “No! No! Of course not. It was an accident, after all.” Applejack lets out sigh of relief and smile. “Thank goodness. I’d rather not lose a friend I just made.” Getting to her hooves, Applejack points towards the Summerset Hotel. “It’s gettin’ late and I’m bushed. I think I’m going to hit the hay.” You nod dumbly as you sit in the sand, reliving the sensation you just felt. Just as Applejack leaves, she stops and faces you. “By the way, y’might wanna get yer check yer wings. They're kinda..." She motions vaguely in place of more helpful words, shrugging as she leaves. “Huh?” Craning your neck around, you take a look at your wings and gasp aloud. They were completely flared. Taking back control of your body, you tuck them in and feel yourself blush again. Oh gosh, oh gosh... I popped a wingie in front of her! B-But why? Why- You bring a hoof to your mouth as you begin to put the pieces together. “Oh...”
Chapter 2Here on your cloud perch, you could see the entire beach and the waters below. You were supposed to be keeping an eye on all the beach-going ponies, but you couldn’t focus on your job. Your mind kept wandering. Why did that feel so weird? I mean… She wasn’t trying to kiss me. She was stopping the bleeding… Your reasoning didn’t stop you from blushing when you remembered how warm her breath was against your face. You try to shake the feeling out of your head and bury your face in the cloud. I am not interested in Applejack! So what if she’s strong? And her accent is so adorable? And she’s super talented? And cute? And strong? And… And… “Oh dear Celestia…” you mumble into the cloud “I’ve got a crush on her...” You could feel the blood rush to your face as you finally accept the fact; you were in love with another mare. Rolling onto your back, you look up to the sky, wondering what do next. Okay, so I’m interested in AJ. But what now? I mean, she didn’t seem like she was into girls… But then again I didn’t think I was... Maybe I should ask her. Playing back what you just thought you put a hoof to your face and sigh heavily, just now realizing just how complicated things could get. And how am I supposed to find out? ‘Hey AJ, do you like candy va-‘ You’re cut off mid-thought by a high pitched screaming, immediately setting off alarm bells. You scan the waters quickly and find the source of the screaming; a little pink filly had drifted too far out and got caught up in the current. Jumping off from your cloud, you dive towards her as fast as you can. Halfway into your dive bomb, the filly’s head goes under the water. Prepared for this kind of situation, you tuck your wings in, streamline your body, and brace for impact with the water. The water breaks and allows you passage with ease. It only takes a second for you to find your bearings and catch a glimpse of the tiny unicorn flailing to get back to the surface. Reaching a hoof out, you just barely grab a hold of her and begin to drag her to the surface. You falter for a second when her flailing causes a hoof to connect with your chest, almost making you breathe in saltwater. Finally breaking the surface, you take a deep breath and turn to the filly. “Calm down kid, I got you! I got you!” The filly stops splashing and looks to you in wild eyed terror. “DON’T LET ME GO! DON’T LET ME GO!” she cries as she wraps her hooves around your neck. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” you sputter out, her grip just a bit too tight. Paddling to shore, you see the sight that made this job all worthwhile: the mother and father of the little filly, holding each other in tears of happiness. As soon as you touch sand, the filly lets go and rushes to her parents, who are just overjoyed to see their child safe. “Oh thank you!” the mother cries. “You were off like a shot at the first sign of trouble! We can never repay you!” the father says as he shakes your hoof. “It’s no trouble at all, really,” you say bashfully “it’s my job, after all.” You wave goodbye as the parents and child take off towards the Coco Cabana Hotel. “Still one heck of a job, sugarcube! How’d you learn to swim like that?” All at once, that familiar southern drawl makes you melt and lose every once of social grace you had. “O-oh! AJ! Hi! Y-You saw that, huh? I-It’s nothing special, really. I-I just sort of taught myself as I went along,” you say as you look down and away, feeling your face go flush at the praise. “That’s really somethin’!” Applejack says as she creeps on you. You take a tentative step back, hoping she didn’t notice your blush. “Well...Yeah, I guess it is.” “So uhh... Can I ask you for a favor?” she asks with a nervous smile. “W-What kind of favor?” By now, your heart is beating in your chest and a lump is forming in your throat. “W-Well... It’s kinda embarrassing, actually... I... I never learned how to swim,” she says, sounding quite ashamed. Your ears perk up and you manage to regain your composure. “Oh really? Well, we can’t have that now, can we? I could teach you.” Applejack’s eyes light up “Would’ya please? Big Macintosh has always teased me how I never learned and it'd be sweet payback if I could show him up next time we’re at the swimmin’ hole.” “Sure, I’d be happy to!” you say ecstatically “Meet me at my secret spot in like half an hour! I need to grab something.” “Alright-y then! I’ll see ya there!” Springing yourself into the sky, you make your way towards your own little grass hut, grinning from ear to ear. Oh boy, oh boy! This is great! I can spend some quality time with her, one on one! And I know the perfect way to find out if she’s interested... Landing on your doorstep, you burst in and rush towards your dresser and fling open your special drawer. “Where did I put it... Where... A HA!” Holding up the piece of clothing, you couldn’t help but smile. If she’s interested... She’ll look * * * * * * * Hovering over your secret spot, you try your best to contain giddiness when you see Applejack approach from the forest. “Oh, hey Applejack~” you say as you touch down in front of her. Applejack doesn’t notice you as she hangs her hat up on a nearby branch. “Oh hey-” she stops dead in her tracks when she finally gets a look of what you’re wearing; your old athletic swimsuit. It was just a single blue one piece suit that covered your torso and had two holes in the back for your wings. You’ve grown a bit since you last put it on and it’s become quite a tight fit, but that was the point. It hugged and clung to just the right places to drive the boys wild. And maybe even her wild. “What do you think AJ? I managed to find my old bathing suit I wore in swim-school and what do you know? It still fits.” “Are you sure it’s not a little...tight?” Applejack asks as you walk by her, making sure your tail just barely touches her chin. Is she looking? Oh, I don’t want to look back and catch her looking or it could get really awkward. “Oh no, not at all.” you say as you tug at the hem of the swimsuit. Truth be told, it was a tad tight, but you couldn’t back out now “So! How about those swimming lessons?” “Sure! Where do we start?” With a flick of the tail, you toss Applejack a pair of goggles. “First, put these on.” She looks at the goggles quizzically, then to you. “What are these fer?” “The sea has salt in it and can really hurt your eyes. The goggles help.” you say as you snap on your own pair. “Make sense.” she says as she puts them on. “Alright, now that’s out of the way, how strong a swimmer are you? Can you horsie paddle?” Applejack shakes her head “I’m ‘fraid not. Truth be told, getting in water above ma head sort of freaks me out...” “Well, we’ll have to start right at the beginning then; floating.” climbing into the water, you start to wade out into deeper waters, but stop when the water comes up to your withers. “Come on in, the water is fine!” Applejack slowly makes her way into the water and wades up in front of you. “Okay... This ain’t so bad.” “Well, we haven’t even gotten into the good stuff yet. Grab a hold of me.” “Beg pardon?” she asks, raising an eyebrow. “You gotta get the feel for floating first. Just put your hoofs on my shoulders.” “I...I don’t know about all this...” she says, glancing back towards shore. Putting a hoof on Applejack’s cheek, you bring her to face yours. “Do you trust me?” Applejack opens her mouth to say something, but instead closes it and draws close to you. Slowly, she puts her hoofs on your shoulders and gives you a nod. Taking a deep breath, you unfurl your wings and beat them under the water. Slowly, you begin to move Applejack into deeper waters, much to her displeasure. “W-What happens if I can’t keep ma head above water?” she asks nervously. “You’re less than a foot away from a lifeguard, you'll be fine. ” Applejack lets out a nervous laugh as soon as she realizes she isn’t touching bottom anymore. “Promise?” “I promise.” You and Applejack float like that in silence for a few moments, until you finally speak up. “Are you ready to go under?” Applejack’s jaw almost unhinges. “U-U-Under? As in, under the water?” “Where else? You ready? One...” “Listen sugarcube, I’m starting to have second thoughts about all this and-” “Two...” Applejack enters full freak-out mode at this moment. “Wait! Wait! Lemme just-” “Three! Drawing your wings back in, you’re no longer buoyant enough to support yourself and Applejack, causing you and her to dip underneath the water. Only after a second under the water, you unfurl your wings again and kick your hind legs, bringing you and Applejack back to the surface. “W-Wh*cough*Why did ya do that?” “To get you used to being below the water. You ready this time? We’re going deeper.” Applejack starts to protest, but before she can, you take her below the water again, this time for two seconds. You repeat this process until you’re under for so long, you and Applejack touch bottom. Looking to her, you hoped she would enjoy the beauty of undersea life as much as you did. As soon as she opened her eyes. She must haven’t been too keen about being at least ten feet beneath the water. You start tapping her on the shoulder until she finally opens her eyes and looks around her. The light filtering from above was more than enough to illuminate the ocean floor and all of its wonders. Applejack stared on in amazement as a school of brightly colored school of fish swam around you, occasionally stopping to inspect you before swimming off. Tapping her shoulder again, you point up and she finally notices the sea turtle swimming over head. A strained look comes across Applejack’s face and she begins pointing for the surface. You forget that not everypony had the lung capacity you do and begin to make your way to the surface with her. As soon as you hit air, she takes a deep breath and laughs. “That was amazing! I mean, there were fishes and turtles and all these weird plants! It’s like a whole ‘nother world down there!” “I take it deep water doesn’t freak you out as much anymore?” “Not at all! What do we do next?” Applejack asks enthusiastically. “You do know what the horsie-paddle is, right?” “Just kicking your hooves, right?” “Good!” you say as you grab a hold of her front hooves “Just start kicking.” “W-wait, what are you doing?!?” Slowly, but surely, you push yourself away from Applejack and towards shore. “Come on, you can do it! Just kick your hooves!” Applejack starts to flail violently as she learns she no long has anything supporting her. “Wait! Wait! Th-Th-” Her head goes under water for a second, making your heart skip a beat. “Are you okay?!?” “Yeah! Yeah! I think I’m gettin’ the hang of it!” she says as her kicks start to become less frantic. You started to smile proudly as Applejack slowly, but surely gets the hang of the horsie paddle. Some called this kind of teaching cruel, but it was the most effective. Every creature naturally knows how to swim; it’s the threat of drowning that teaches them. “Hey, this is actually fun!” Applejack says as she begins to paddle around you. “Congratulations AJ, you can swim now!” Applejack stops paddling when the realization hits her, causing her to sink for second. “Well shoot, yer right! I didn’t even notice. Just feels so natural, ya know?” “Yeah... It does, doesn’t it?” you say as you switch to floating on your back. Applejack watches you do this and attempts it herself, only to get a snout full of water when her face goes below the water. You do your best to stifle a laugh. “You okay?” “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine... But I think I’m done fer today.” she says as she makes her way towards shore. Your heart sinks a bit. You really did enjoy your time with her today. “You comin’?” Applejack asks as she shakes herself dry. Your ears ears perk up. “Uh... Where?” “Well, I’m hungry now and feel like hittin’ up someplace fer some grub. I hoped you’d join me.” You start grinning from ear to ear and hop out of the water. “Sure! I know of this awesome outdoor bar and grill that sells these kabobs that are to die for!” “Sounds good, sugarcube!” “Oh and we definitely need to get a mojito while we’re there!” “Sure, whatever those are.” * * * * * * * Applejack tries to stop giggling as she tells her story, but she just can’t. “And flying her upside down, me still tiny, me and Rainbow crash through Zecora’s front door and tore through her house! I mean, I still feel awfully bad for treatin’ her like I did ‘fore I got to know her, but I still crack up when I think of what it must of looked like to see a pegasus flying upside down around your home and an inch high pony tryin’ to wrestle yer ear!” You stifle a laugh as you swallow what’s left of your grilled veggie kabob. “Glad there’s no poison joke around here... Or parasprites. That would definitely put a damper on all this summertime fun.” The bar was mostly empty, being just a little too early for the usual crowd. “That it would. Mighty peaceful ‘round here... Hey, what’ya call this thing again?” she asked as she held up her empty glass. “Mojito. It’s white rum, sugar cane juice, lime juice, sparkling water and mint.” “Not bad, not bad... I gotta remember that when I get back home. ‘Cept hard cider instead’a rum.” You droop a bit in your seat at the mention of AJ leaving. It’s only been a couple days and she was already thinking about home. “Yeah... Ho-ow many of those have you had, AJ?” “Oh, not that much. Three... Maybe four.” she says with a giggle. Upon closer inspection, you begin to notice she looked just a little tipsy. “Uh, Applejack? I think it’s time we head out...” You reach for your purse to pay the bill, but find it absent. Oh no, I didn’t grab it because this swimsuit doesn’t have pockets. “Uh, just put it on my tab, okay?” The barman gives you a nod. “Sure, sweetheart. I know you’re good for it.” “Thanks.” You reach a hoof out towards Applejack for support. “Lemme take you back to the hotel.” “Aw horsefeathers!” she says as she gets off of the barstool “I’m fi-” As soon as her hooves touch solid ground, she topples down in a heap, cursing under her breath. Helping her up, you don’t say anything and settle for just a stern look. Applejack just stares back, but finally lets out a defeated sigh. “Fine, fine. Let’s go back.” The sun sets as you walk along the dirt road to the hotel. At first, you’re walking by her side, but when Applejack almost stumbles into a palm tree, you figure the best way to stop this is to fly directly above her and guide her when she veered off course. It took twenty minutes more than it usually takes to get back to the Coco Cabana Hotel. As soon as you get to the entrance, you let her go and watch to make sure she makes it inside. Applejack stumbles towards the front door of the hotel, but stops and walks back towards you. “Thanks sugarcube... Fer everything. You’ve been real sweet to me. So in case I ain’t said it already, thanks.” You watch on in surprise as Applejack draws closer to you and plants a kiss on your cheek, making you blush deeply. Applejack doesn’t seem to notice in her drunken haze and makes her way back to her hotel room. “Goodnight!” She yells as she walks into the lobby. “Goodnight...” Just as you turn around, you find yourself face to face with a bluish-purple unicorn, who was looking at you sternly. “Oh! Uh, hi Violet.” “Hi,” she says flatly “how was your break?” “My break? Oh, it was-” you realize in all of a moment that you walked off from your post without a word. “OHMYGOSH VIOLET, I’M SO SORRY, IT’S JUST MY NEW FRIEND AJ WANTED ME TO TEACH HER TO SWIM AND I DID AND THEN WE WENT OUT FOR SOME FOOD AND DRINKS AND I AM SO SORRY!” Violet chuckles at your panicked display and puts a hoof on your shoulder. “It’s no biggie. I can’t stay mad at you. If you wanted the day off, you could have at least said so.” “Oh Violet, I’m so sorry. You had to cover mine and your shift! That must have been brutal! I gotta make it up to you! I’ll cover your shift tomorrow so you can have the day off. Fair is fair.” “Great! Just as long as we got everything squared away.” Violet says happily “You heading home?” “Yeah.” “Mind if I walk with you?” “Sure.” You and Violet walk back the way you came for around five minutes in silence, leaving you to relive Applejack’s sweet goodnight kiss. That is, until Violet speaks up. “So, that Applejack seems like a great pony.” “Yeah... She is.” “You know, there’s supposed to be a concert featuring that band you always go on about... Maybe you could take her on a date.” Your jaw hangs slack at the news. “Sublime is here in Summerset Keys?!? When?!?” “Tomorrow night. You should get some rest. You’ve got a big day ahead of you. See ya later.” And with that, Violet takes her leave. “Oh my gosh Sublime! This is going to be awesome and I can take Applejack on a date and-” Glancing at the direction Violet went, it finally dawned on you. “How did she know?”
Chapter 3“Where is she?” you asked aloud. Earlier today, you asked Blendy to tell Violet that she had left some of her things here last night and that you would give them to her before your shift started. Truth be told, Violet had left nothing behind and was supposed to be enjoying her day off today; but you needed to know. What did she mean when she said I could take Applejack out on a date? Like, a date between friends or a date between…well… more? This was the tenth time you’ve paced the girl’s locker-room. The stress of it all was getting to you and tying your stomach into knots as your thoughts shifted back to Violet. What if she knows I’m interested in another mare? Will she be okay with it or at least not care or will she start calling me a filly fooler or- Turning around, you find yourself face to face with Violet. Her sudden presence startles you, making you shout aloud and jump into the air out of fright. “Are you okay?” she asks with a chuckle. “Y-yeah! Yeah! Fine!” you say as you try to regain your composure “just startled, is all.” “Okay then… Blendy said you had some of my stuff?” “Umm… About that…” taking a deep breath, you do your best to calm yourself “I lied. I kinda wanted to talk to you real quick before I punched in. You know, about last night?” Violet doesn’t look all that surprised by your confession. “I figured there was something else to this… Seeing as though my locker is empty right now,” she says as she nods to her open and quite barren locker. Steeling yourself, you gather your wits and courage. “What did you mean when you said I could take Applejack on a date when we were walking last night?” Violet’s smile slowly turns into a frown as you lean in and face her eye to eye. “I… Well…” she starts, obviously not prepared for this conversation. “I…I…Oh I’m sorry! I saw you walking Applejack back to the hotel and I followed, because I wanted to talk to you about ditching work yesterday and then I saw her kiss you and…and…” “And what?” you ask sharply. “Umm… You sort of… Poomph’d.” It takes a minute for you to register what she meant. In all of an instant, your eyes widen in horror as you realize what she was saying, making you blush heavily and burry your face in your hooves. “OH MY GOSH, I POPPED A WINGIE IN FRONT OF TWO FRIENDS NOW!” you cry aloud. You feel a comforting hoof on your shoulder, making you glance up at Violet, who was giving you a comforting smile. “It’s okay. You’re just… sensitive, is all. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” “R-Really?” you ask as you sniffle back tears. “Yes, it’s-wait, two friends? Who’s the other?” “A-Applejack… I got hit in the face with a volleyball and she was putting the bandage on and… and I don’t know what came over me…” “What did she say?” “I don’t think she knew what was going on… She just said for me to get my wings looked at, too. She might have thought I strained them, I don’t know… Why did you say I should take AJ on a date, anyway?” Violet takes a few steps forward and puts a hoof on your shoulder. “Well, I wanted you to be happy. It’s a little weird to find out the friend who used to peep in the boy’s locker room with me when we were teenagers is now interested in mares, but it doesn’t bother me.” You let out a sigh of relief. “Really? Oh my gosh, that’s a load off of my mind… I thought things were going to be weird between us now.” “Of course not, you silly filly,” she says as she wraps her hooves around your neck “you’re my best friend and that will never change.” Hugging her back, you can’t help but feel loved. “Thanks. I’ve been feeling so weird lately and freaking out over how to talk to AJ about this and what will everyone think and just… Thanks.” Letting you go, Violet makes her way to the locker-room door. “Don’t mention it. Now get out there, your shift starts in like five minutes.” “I will! Have a good one, Violet!” With renewed vigor, you grab your lifeguard vest before bolting out the door past Violet, ready to start the day. * * * * * * * Unsurprisingly, the day was going by at a snail’s pace. Your shift had already come and gone and you just started in on Violet’s. Nothing interesting was happening, save for a kid scrapping his knee and needing a bandage, but that was about it. The only thing to do was to watch the fish swim around, without much real direction. Feeling your cloud perch drift idly through the air, you stir as it almost rocks you to sleep. You stretch yourself and let out a long yawn before rolling onto your stomach. “Huh? Where did all the fish go?” you ask aloud. Just a minute ago, there had to have been hundreds of them swimming around. Now, you couldn’t find a single one. “Did something spook them?” Something was off; you begin scanning the bay, looking for something, anything to explain what was going on. That’s when you see it and you feel all the blood drain from your face. You say it first under your breath, like you couldn’t believe it. Its body was long sleek, with a fin on its back just coming out of the water. “Shark…” This time, you scream it. “SHARK! SHARK!” Everypony on the beach looks up to you, bewildered. “SHARK! EVERYPONY OUT OF THE WATER! SHARK!” They all seem to understand the situation they were now in. You watch on as everypony scrambles for shore, yelling and screaming to their friends and loved ones, trying to find out if they were safe. Flying down, you do your best to help the elderly and children out of the water. Just when you think everypony was out of the water, a high pitched scream sends a chill up your spine. Looking towards the open water, you look in horror as four kids, three fillies and one colt, were swimming for all their worth towards a stretch of beach opposite of you. The earth pony leads the four, with the colt right behind her. “SWIM FASTER!” she yells. “Don’t worry kids, I’m coming!” you cry. Before you can take off, you feel a hoof wrap around your shoulder and pull you. “Wha-” You’re at a loss for words as you stare nose to nose at a grizzled old sailor, eye patch, peg leg, and all. “You don’t have much time. If you want to save those kids, you gotta show the shark whose boss. Buck it in the snout to establish superiority.” “I-” “DON’T QUESTION, JUST DO IT!” he cries. Spurred by his words, you take off in a flash and barrel towards the shark, who was closing in fast on the four. The unicorn was doing her best to keep up with the others, but she wasn’t a strong swimmer; she was falling behind. Gaining more altitude, you do your best to prepare yourself for the task at hoof. Buck it in the snout… No problem. Swallowing the last of your fears, you start dive-bombing towards the shark. The pegasus grabs a hold of the unicorn, obviously scared for the safety of her friend. “COME ON SWEETIE, YOU CAN MAKE IT!” The world whizzes by as the adrenaline rush kicks in. You point your forelegs down, aiming right for the beast below. Your hooves connect with something hard and you feel it thrash underneath you. The shark rears up and out of the water, snapping its jaws in vain; you were just out of reach. Jumping into the air, you bring all four of your hooves down on its head. Instead of trying to hit it again, you push off from it and using it like a springboard; catapulting yourself into the air. You prepare yourself for another round with the great white, but stop when it starts to slink off towards deeper waters, away from everypony. “Hey, you kids al-” Turning around, you find the four absent. There was no trace of them, except for their hoof prints in the sand, heading towards the tree line. “Are you okay?!?” you yell, hoping they were just spooked by the whole thing. There was no answer. You make your way towards the beach and look to the other ponies, who were staring at you wide-eyed as you touch down “Hey, do any of you know those kid’s parents? They-” In all of a sudden, the crowd of ponies descends upon you and hoists you into the air, cheering your name. “THAT WAS AMAZING!” you hear somepony yell. “YOU KICKED THAT SHARK RIGHT IN THE FACE LIKE IT WAS NOTHING!” “YOU’RE A HERO!” “Wait, wait, WAIT!” you cry. Everypony stops and looks to you bewildered. “Lemme down!” “What are ya talking about? The shark is gone, we need to celebrate!” a mare yelled aloud. “But what about the kids? They ran into the forest! We gotta do something!” The other ponies must have completely missed that last part, because they immediately set you down. “Oh my gosh, what do we do?” “Did anyone get a good look at them?” you ask “I can’t really remember what they look like. I guess the adrenaline was really going when I…” It suddenly hits you: You just kicked a shark. You were less than a foot away from a set of razor sharp teeth that could have torn you apart without a second thought. Your legs feel like they’re going to buckle out from underneath you. To avoid falling over, you slump down and sit on your bottom. The crowd of ponies falls silent as they look to each other, hoping someone would speak up. “O-Okay, no problem, no problem. I’ll put out an APB to keep an eye out for them. But for now, t-the beach is closed.” “Awww, how come?” a stallion asked aloud. You shoot him a tired look. “Do you wanna go back into the same water a shark was in not too long ago?” “Oh… Uh, no. Sorry I asked.” “Okay ponies, break it up and head on out. There’s more to Summerset Keys than the beach, so enjoy yourself. I promise the beach will be opened again as soon as possible.” The crowd of ponies slowly departs and it isn’t until the last one is out of sight do you collapse into the sand, your heart beating out of your chest. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh… I took on a freaking shark! I could have been hurt or…or worse…” You lay there for longest time until you hear a set of hoof beats behind you. “Listen, I’m sorry, but the beach is closed for the time being...” “Aw horsefeathers, how come?” Your ears perk up at the familiar voice. “Applejack?” you ask as you turn around. “The one an’ only.” she says with a smile. Her smile disappears when she sees how ragged and tired you look. “What happened to ya, sugarcube? Ya look like death run over twice. No offense.” “Applejack… Could you please help me? I… I can’t get up.” A flash of panic goes across Applejack’s face as she runs to your side. “What’s wrong? Ya hurt? Need a doctor?” “No, no, no… Just sort of in shock…” Applejack offers you a hoof and helps you to your feet. “Care ta tell me what’s happenin’?” You uneasily get to your hooves and do your best to stay standing. “It’s a long story…” you say as you begin to shuffle towards the lifeguard station. Applejack starts walking by your side and offers a hoof whenever you begin to stumble. “I always got time fer a friend. Lay it on me.” You take a deep breath and do your best to remain calm. “Th-There was a shark coming into the beach and it was heading right for these kids… I went in and bucked it without even thinking about my own skin. I know I did the right thing and saved them, but I’m still freaked out about the whole thing.” “You…You bucked a shark?” You nod. “Like, a little one? One of them Makos you can see at the aquarium not too far from here?” “No… It was a great white. And it had to be like ten feet long.” Applejack stops dead in her tracks and stares at you. “W-wow… That’s mighty brave of ya…” You feel yourself blush at the praise. Knowing that it impressed Applejack did wonders for your nerves. “I was only trying to do the right thing,” you say with a bashful smile. Your blush grows when you feel Applejack draw you in for a hug. “You’re one crazy filly, but yer heart’s in the right place. I’m proud of ya. Not just any pony woulda jumped into that water.” You start to feel your wings twitch from Applejack’s embrace, making you panic. “Thanks AJ, I’m feeling a lot better.” You say you as break the hug, as nice as it was. “I gotta take care of some things. Write a report, send out some carrier pigeons, you know; work stuff?” Slowly, you inch yourself away, focusing on anything except for Applejack’s touch. “Oh… alright-y then. I guess I’ll see ya later.” Applejack says, rather dejected. Just as she begins to leave, you remember the concert and stop her. “Hey, there’s this concert tonight out by Sunset Beach. Do you want to come with me?” “Concert?” “Yeah, Sublime is playing.” “Never heard of ‘em. What kinda music they play?” “It’s hard for me to give them like a single genre. I mean, even the band themselves reject any labels someone tries to put on them. Not only that, but their music reminds me of home. It’s sad and it’s sweet and well… It’s awesome!” you say with enthusiasm. “Sure, why not? I’m more a country kinda girl myself, but I’m all fer new things. When should we meet up?” Checking your waterlogged watch, you figure the concert started at around sunset in three hours and your shift ended in two. “How about 7:30? I’ll pick you up around then at the hotel.” “Alright-y honey-bun, I’ll see ya then.” “See you, too.” You and Applejack part ways for now and you make your way to the lifeguard station, when it finally dawns on you as you take your seat at the desk. Honey-bun? What happened to sugarcube? Putting pet names aside, you manage to buckle down and get to work, putting out the necessary announcements and filling in the right reports. There was a set of protocols that you needed to follow when you closed down a beach. While Summerset Keys was quite the paradise, it had its problems. Jellyfish, stingrays, and Celestia forbid, sharks have found their way into beach waters and have caused problems. Luckily, no pony has been hurt yet, but the mayor didn’t want to risk it. So, each beach was given the ability to close their door and forbid anyone from swimming the waters for twenty-four hours while special teams did sweeps for anymore signs of danger. You finish filing your report about the day’s incidents, starting with the scraped knee and working your way into the shark. “I hate this part of my job,” you grumble under your breath. Paperwork was your least favorite activity and always put you in a bad mood. The only thing stopping you from storming out and doing it another day was the fact that this was Violet’s shift and therefore, she was responsible for it. The last thing you wanted to do was put her in a tough spot because you didn’t like the idea of writing. With the last page written, you move onto the bulletin. Taking out a small strip of paper, you put the pencil to it, only to stop. Was it dot dot dash or dash dot dash? Morse code has always confused you and the last time you tried to guess your way through it, you put the whole beach into the panic with “DRAGON MIGRATION” instead of what was supposed to be “JELLYFISH MIGRATION”. To this day, you still don’t know how you managed that. You have yet to cause that sort of problem again, thanks to a copy of “The Idiot’s Guide to Morse Code” that Violet bought you shortly after. With the message complete, you reach into one of the pigeon cages to complete the day’s work. “Come here you little… I just need you tOW!” you yell, retracting your now sore hoof “OH SO THAT’S HOW YOU WANT TO PLAY? WELL I’M GONNA-” Before you can finish your threat, the door to the lifeguard station opens and Violet walks in and past you, looking quite irritated. “Is there a problem?” she asks curtly as she slips into her vest. “Uhh… Just trying to get the pigeon to-” Before you can finish your sentence, the unicorn picks up the bird and note with her magic, attaches the note to its leg and almost throws it out the window. “See? Not that hard.” “Uhh… Are you okay?” you ask as you take a step towards her. “It’s that stupid Klein again!” she yells “This was supposed to be my day off, but I got a call from the boss saying that Klein called in sick and they need someone to cover my shift, but I’d bet my bottom dollar that he’s out there getting wasted with his buddy Calvin and trolling the bars for some unlucky mare.” “Oh. Well, don’t worry about it. Beach is closed,” you say idly. “I mean, it’s bad enough that-wait. The beach is closed? What happened? Jellyfish sting somepony?” she asks with a dry chuckle. “A shark found its way into the beach.” Violet’s smile disappears when she hears the word ‘shark’. “Oh my gosh, what happened? Is everypony okay?” “Oh yeah, they’re all fine. Well, some kids ran into the forest after I kicked it in the face.” Her jaw drops this time. “You…You kicked a shark?” “Well I wasn’t going to kick the kids” you say with a laugh as you file away the report. “How are you so calm about this?” “Well, I was freaked out about it at first. But then Applejack came around when things calmed down and helped me out. She said I was brave… and that she was proud of me.” Violet lets out a haggard sigh. “You’re lovesick alright. You need to be to take on a shark… Just promise me you won’t do anything stupid? I don’t want you to end up in the hospital with a broken leg… or heart…” Your ears perk up at that last part. “What did you just say?” “Nothing, nothing at all” she says as she walks towards the exit. You reach a hoof out and grab a hold of Violet before she can go any further. “What do you mean?” Violet looks to you as a parent would to a child. “Just… Don’t get your hopes up, okay? You’re putting your heart out there for her and she might not accept it… I just don’t want to see you get hurt, okay?” You slowly let go of you as the realization kicks on. “I…I… I never even thought about that… W-Wh-What if she says she hates me?!?” you cry aloud. Tears started to well up in your eyes of losing Applejack entirely. “W-What if she says she never wants to see me again?!? I love her! She’s funny and cute and strong and I don’t want to lose her!” You were hyperventilating now. “W-W-What if she says she’s g-got a b-b-boyfriend and doesn’t w-want to hang out with a f-filly fooler or-” Before you can go any further, Violet shoves her hoof in your mouth. “CALM. DOWN. DEEP. BREATH.” She retracts her hoof and waits for you to catch your breath “I wasn’t trying to scare you. I have no idea what’s going to happen between you two. All I’m saying is that you should be careful, okay?” You manage to clam yourself down and wipe away the tears. “O…Okay. Thanks Violet,” reaching out, you give her a tight hug “you’re a great friend.” You continue to hold her while you sniffle back more tears until she finally speaks up. “Should you be getting ready for the concert?” Your eyes widen in horror. “Oh horseapples you’re right! I gotta go! Thanks again Violet!” Before she can even say anything, you’re flying off towards your house. I am not going to lose AJ you think as the world whizzes by but I’m not giving up. * * * * * * * The radio blared as you slipped your special t-shirt on. The one with Sublime’s sun logo on it and the wing holes cut in the back. You got your mane permed… You got your red dress on, Screamin’ that second dance was such a turn on… You’ve only put on makeup for a few special occasions and this felt like one of those times. “A little rouge…” and the fog formin’ on my window tells me that the morning’s here “A little eyeliner…” and you’ll be gone before too long… “A little lipstick and…” who taught you those new tricks? Damn, I shouldn’t start that talk… “Perfect.” You were quite the sight to behold. You would definitely be turning heads tonight. “Just gotta to go pick up AJ and-” A knock at the door interrupts your thoughts. Letting out an irritated groan, you rush to the door. “Now who can that be?” As you open the door, you find yourself face to face with Applejack, causing your heart to skip a beat. “W-what are you doing here?” you ask nervously. And the answers always waiting at the liquor store, 40oz to freedom “Well shoot, I was bored and started to wander around when I heard the music. I just followed it and… What are you wearing?” “Oh, this?” you ask as you rear up and show her your shirt “it’s Sublime’s symbol. You see, they originally started in Coltifornia and started to show Equestria the other side to the happy and laid back city. See the genie offering temptation? And the devil, too? The maggot, the skeleton, the switchblade? Altogether, this stuff forms a sun over Colti that seems just as depressed as the populous. Just scratch the surface and all is not well.” It seems like your explanation went over her head, because she’s looking at you quite confused. “Well now, that’s quite somethin’… But I was referrin’ to your face.” Luckily, your rouge hides your rising blush. “Oh! Uh… Well… Is there something wrong with it?” “Oh no! No! Not at all. Looks nice on ya. I just didn’t know we had to get all dolled up for this concert.” “You don’t have to, I just felt like it. I hope that’s okay.” Applejack shakes her head from side to side. “Nah, no problem at all. Now let’s git. I’m itching to hear this band of yers now.” “Sure, it’s right this way!” you yell excitedly as you grab a hold of her. You did your best to hide your giddiness, but there was only one thought on your mind. Tonight is going to be AWESOME! * * * * * * * “What do you mean we can’t get in?!?” This was a nightmare. You and Applejack stood outside the Sunset Beach Concert Hall, only a few to go before the show starts and the only thing stopping you from having a wonderful night with the mare of your dreams was a single bouncer. “Come on, there’s gotta be some way you could let us in!” The bouncer shook his head. “No can do little lady. We did a headcount and we’re full to capacity.” “But I bought tickets this morning! You gotta let us in, please!” The bouncer gives you a pained look. “I’m really sorry. There aren’t any seats left.” “So?” Applejack asked “Why not just let us stand in the back?” The bouncer thinks this over for second. “I mean… Yeah, you could…” “I’ll hoofwrestle ya for it.” “Excuse me?” he asks with a chuckle “Did I just hear you right little lady? You wanna hoofwrestle me to get in?” Applejack nods quickly. “Yeah. I win, we get in.” “And if I win?” Stepping in front of Applejack, you put on your best seductive smile. “I’ll go on a date with you.” “Deal.” The bouncer says rather quickly. Applejack grabs a hold of you and brings you close enough for her to whisper, her voice filled with worry. “Are ya sure about this, honey-bun? This guy looks… greasy.” “What’s there to worry about? I know you’ll win,” you say aloud confidently. Moved by your words of encouragement, Applejack smiles and walks over to one of the nearby tables and places her elbow on it. The bouncer trots over slowly and joins her; quite certain this was going to be an easy score. “On the count of three,” he says as he grabs a hold of Applejack’s hoof “one…two…THREE-” As soon as she heard it, Applejack threw all she had into her hoof and slams the bouncer’s down on the table, making him cry out in a mix of pain and surprise. “Ow! Ow!” he yelled as he shook his bruised hoof “How in the world did you do that?” Before she can answer, you jump onto her back and wrap your hooves around her neck. “Because she’s a power packed dynamo, that’s how! AJ, you’re so awesome!” “Oh, it ain’t nothin’…” she says bashfully “Now, about our little arrangement?” The bouncer lets out a haggard sigh and opens the door. “Just don’t tell anyone how you got in, okay?” Jumping off of Applejack, you run for the open door “Oh, we won’t! Promise! Come on AJ!” “Thanks again, partner!” she calls out the bouncer as you make your into the hall. The stage was set, the seats were packed, but the stage was strangely empty. “Eh? Where’s the band?” Applejack asks aloud. You were wondering the same exact thing. “I have no idea... Let’s go find a spot where we can chill.” You look back to Applejack as you ascend the stairs leading to the upper balconies. “Maybe the band got lost or something, Summerset Keys is pretty bi-” In an instant, you feel something tackle you to the ground and begin to lick your face. “Hey! Get offa her!” you here Applejack yell at the mysterious attacker. You try to open your eyes, but the relentless licking stops you from getting a good look at whatever was on top of you. A high pitched whistle goes out, making the roar of the crowd die down and the licking stop. “Louie! Get over here!” you hear a voice call out. Finally getting a chance to open your eyes, you find yourself staring at a large Dalmatian standing over you, its saliva still fresh on your face. The Dalmatian jumps off of you and runs towards the voice. “Oh hey, I’m sorry about that. Lou-Dog’s cool and all, but he likes to run around and the ponies here were getting bitchy about it. You okay?” Applejack helps you to your hooves and offers a handkerchief for the slobber. “Yeah, I’m-” You didn’t recognize the voice at first, but now you were doing your best to control your inner fangirl once you got a look at the unicorn with the fish-skeleton cutie mark who owned the Dalmatian. “Ohmygosh! Bradley Ponywell! Iamsuchahugefan!” The unicorn chuckles at your outburst. “Well alright. Why don’t you two take your seats? The show can start now that we got Lou-Dog under control.” “It would help if we had seats in the first place…” Applejack grumbled. Bradley’s ears perk up. “No seats? What happened?” “We got turned down because all the seats were filled, even though she bought tickets.” Bradley laughs under his breath and puts a hoof around yours and Applejack’s shoulders. “How would you two lovely ladies like backstage passes? Free of charge?” Your only response to this question was a high pitched fangirl squeal. “I’ll take that as a yes. Come on, follow me.” As you, Bradley, and Applejack descend the stairs with Lou-Dog in tow, you couldn’t help but notice the jealous stares from all the other ponies in the stands. Especially from Klein and Calvin, who happened to be sitting in the seats you purchased this morning. You wave to both of them as you get onto the stage. “See you at the after party!” * * * * * * * “Ohmygosh, this is so awesome! They even got you a t-shirt! And they signed it!” “Yeah, it is pretty nice.” Applejack says as she admires her new duds. Bradley brought you back stage to meet the rest of the band and some of the roadies. When Applejack brought up she was a tourist, they said she needed a souvenir for when she heads back home. “Oooh! Oooh! They’re starting!” One by one, the band members of Sublime take the stage, starting with Bradley Ponywell, Bud Gryphon, and Eric Flyson. Bradley walks up to the mic and looks to his band mates. Bud was sitting at his drumset and Eric was getting his bass ready while Bardley counted wordlessly into the microphone. 1… 2… 3… Slowly, Bud and Eric start up a steady bassline which soon had you bobbing your head and tapping your hoof. Being such a huge fan, you knew what song they were going to play. Licking his lips, Bradley takes a deep breath and coos into the microphone. [On the East Side… That's where I met my Rapona“ I wanna go to a party” That's what she said; Lonely, that's what I've been Here's my telephone number, call me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8fhyBbkzOg) And to a party, a house party Whole lotta people, just rally' 'round me And love, she sent a message of love She said “I LOVE UP THE WAY YOU MOVE I LOVE THE WAY YOU WRAP!” Bo! Bo! Rapona, please step back Now she's my ruca I'm barely waiting for my heina She moved from Long Beach down to C.A. Right now she's selling oranges by the free way I wanna know… “Rapona, am I the only one, tell me” And she said "You're not the only one But you're the best, Bradley" Bo! Bo! And now I'm waiting for my ruca And I barely put up with my heina I know tonight I'll be behind her Don't fuck around with my heina… The crowd goes to clap, but immediately stops when they shift from their mellow, calm song into something stronger. Bradley’s horn lit up and a guitar from off stage floated into the air, just above his head. Taking a deep breath, he yells into microphone this time. [Early pony walked away As modern pony took control! Their minds weren't all the same And to conquer was their goal! So she built her great empire And she slaughtered her own kind! She died a confused mare And killed himself in her own mind!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-pz8OdkDHI) Early pony walked away As modern pony took control! Their mind's weren't all the same And to conquer was their goal! So she built her great empire And she slaughtered her own kind! She died a confused mare And killed herself in her own mind, Let's go! The music starts to break as Eric walks up to the mic and moves Bradley to the side. His words seem to echo with the mood of the music. “Punks are running wild in the streets and nobody anywhere seems to know what to do and there's no end to it. It’s like everything everywhere is going crazy so we don’t go out anymore, we sit in the house-” Bud jumps off of his drumset as Eric backs off and seems to pick up and finish his sentence. “-and slowly the world we're living in is getting smaller and all we say is please and please leave us alone in our living rooms, just leave us alone. Well I’m not going to leave you alone." Bradley grabs the microphone and smiles. "There's gotta be something different" Early pony walked away As modern pony took control There mind's weren't all the same And to conquer was their goal So she built her great empire And she slaughtered her own kind She died a confused mare And killed herself in her own mind, Let's go! Early pony walked away As modernpony took control Their mind's weren't all the same And to conquer was their goal So she built her great empire And she slaughtered her own kind She died a confused mare And killed herself in her own mind, Let's go! We're only gonna die for our own arrogance, that's why we might as well take our time… The band stops their playing and lets the audience applaud this time, their screams echoing through the concert hall. Bud holds up five talons and leaves the stage with the rest of the band. “Wow…” Applejack says breathlessly “Is Coltifornia really that bad?” “Yeah…” you say with remorse “I grew up in Colti, so I’ve seen it all. It’s not as bad as it was, but it’s not perfect. There are still gangs, drug dealers, and corrupt politicans like Mayor Julia Mane. There were times I was afraid to leave the house… Kinda why my parents and I moved away…” “Oh, sorry for digging at old wounds honey-bun.” Applejack says as she puts a comforting hoof on your shoulder. “No, don’t be sorry. I still miss my old friends from my neighborhood, but it was for the best.” “Shit, girl… I’ve been there.” The sudden presence of another voice startles both you and Applejack. The burly gryphon towered over both you, his eyes hidden by a pair of black sunglasses and a white baseball cap with a black rim sat on his head. “Beg pardon?” Applejack asks as she eyes up Bud. “I came to Coltifornia from the Gryphon Mountains, hoping to find something better to do than military shit. First day there, I was almost stabbed by an addict tweaking on something hard. I hated everyone in Coltifornia until Bradley offered me a place to stay and showed me not everyone’s bad.” “Dang, Colti sounds like an unhappy place. Not like Ponyville at all.” Bud cocks his head to the side. “Ponyville? Where’s that?” “It’s a ways across the sea, past Manehattan. It’s a small place, but its home. I run Sweet Apple Acres with ma family and we manage to keep ourselves busy.” “Nothing interesting ever happen?” he asks with a dry laugh. “Well now, I didn’t say that…” she says with a sly smile “Parasprites, a dragon, an Ursa Minor… I’ve seen it all.” Bud blinks a few times before bursting out laughing. “You two are alright! Hey, how would you like to come onto stage? You know, put on a show while we wrap up here?” “Really? Are you serious?!?” you ask excitedly “Come on AJ, we have to do it!” “Oh… Alright. What do we need to do?” “Dance, maybe. Hold on-HEY BRADLEY!” “WHAT?” “CAN THESE TWO HEINAS COME ON STAGE WITH US?” “YOU MEAN THOSE TWO LOUIE RAN TO?” “YEAH!” “WHY THE FUCK NOT?” Bud turns back to you and gives you thumbs up. “Good to go. Just do what feels right, okay?” You couldn’t say anything. You were too excited. You, Applejack, and the band step out onto stage and receive a combination of whispers and applause. You expected Bud to get back onto his drums, but instead grabs a microphone stand and sets up next to Bradley. Eric was on bass again and Bradley still had his guitar, so you couldn’t help but wonder what they were doing. “Now, normally, I’m the only one on drums, but we got someone else tonight; a friend of a friend,” Bud said as he motioned towards the gray and white earth pony who was now on drums. “This way we can try out a new little number. Hit it!” The earth pony starts hitting the drums frantically, surprising everyone, including Sublime before stopping abruptly and turning it into a strong, but steady beat. Bradley is the first to start singing. Yesterday I saw a whore looking out my door While she makes my body aches but I walk in and I say: Looking to Applejack, you find her sashaying to the music, enjoying yourself. You do the same, but add a little flair with a jump and midair flip. Bud moves in starts where Bradley stops. I'm on the mic doin things you like The name is ras B.G. and Imma treat you right Cause all the ladies and me you see we both agree that I'm going down in world history It continues like this, going back and forth between the two. Oh she makes my body ache and you know I live for more I won't flake or perpetrate I won't front no funky whore Don't get me wrong I'm just singing my song I'm just like you I like to ball my freaks all night long Not only do rhy-rhyme, I also cut so nice And all the fightin, perpetratin DJ's want my slice In all of a sudden, Bradley starts singing or rapping at an incredible speed, using what sounds like two different languages mashed together. The best you can make out is a word here and there, but it doesn’t diminish the quality of the song. GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! Bradley’s horn grows a little brighter as he begins an intense solo that seems to echo through your bones. Looking to Applejack, you couldn’t help smile with her as she finally gets into the music, but her good mood disappears when Bradley stops his guitar solo and shoves the microphone into her face. “Come on, sing something!” “I…I…I can’t…” the sudden spotlight seems to put Applejack edge, so you do your best to help her. “Come on, you can do it!” you cheer on. She takes a deep breath and speaks into the microphone. My name is AJ and I’ve got nothing to say, Cause I am not a flippin’ dee-jay An’ if you wanna come talk to me, Ya gotta talk to my gal, honey~! You feel yourself smile bashfully and laugh with the rest of the band who look like they enjoyed the impromptu verse. Uh-uh elected, my rhymes will be perfected. The mighty MC's will be dissected and rejected I am the most impressive- aspective and progressive- Motivating, innovating, chillin and digested It's obvious as ever it will be specialized If you’re trying to proclaim-uh- can't be compromised I am a fresh MC As you can plainly see You won't regret a DJ fresh I’m sure you'll soon agree So take a seat n' feel the beat of course it is OK, Uh-Uh Bradley once again busts out into another rhyme, but if the last one was fast, this one was ridiculous, making you stop dancing and stare on and only snap out of it when he starts to bid the crowd farewell. “Five thousand G, we outta here. Peace, love, unity.” Once the band disperses, you and Applejack hop off the stage, laughing. “WOO-WEE! Now that was fun!” “TOTALLY!” you yell as you did an excited flip into the air “Hey! We should go see if Bradley will sign my shirt, too!” you suggest giddily. “Ya think he’d mind?” “He let us in backstage and on the stage. He won’t mind one little autograph before we leave.” Climbing back onto the stage, you and Applejack wander backstage and towards the dressing room. Without even thinking, you swing the door open. “Hey Bradley I-” The unicorn let out a startled scream as you barge in and drops a glass container on the ground he had been levitating in the air. He watches in horror as the clear liquid seeps into the carpet. “Oh… Uh… Sorry… I didn’t…” “You dumb BITCH!” His words cut through you like a knife, making you shrink back in fright. “That was my last of my poppy juice! That was my fucking muse!” You felt yourself start to crumble as your idol tore into. “I-I-I’m sorry I-” “Sorry? Sorry ain’t going to cut it! I spent-” “NOW WAIT JUST A COTTON PICKIN’ MINUTE!” Applejack yelled. You sniffle back tears as Applejack comes in-between you and Bradley. “Now lookee here, you were sayin’ somethin’ about peace n’ love at the end of yer show and what I’m seeing is NOT peace n’ love.” You couldn’t believe it. Not only was Applejack tearing into the unicorn, she was winning. “But-” “Don’t ya ‘but’ me! Look at her! You’re so mad you didn’t even see how sorry she was! Ask yerself this: is breaking the heart of somepony who looks up to ya worth what’s in that stupid vial?!?” Bradley’s stares at you, as if he just noticed your running mascara and wild eyed terror. “Oh shit…” He takes his eyes off of you and looks to the shattered remains of the glass container. “Oh shit…Y-You’re right. This shit’s getting to me… I gotta stop this… Same shit happened to Bud…” Bradley starts to walk towards the exit in a daze, but stops as he passes you. “If it means anything, I’m sorry. I… I gotta go.” You watch as Bradley wanders off into the night as if he had the entire world on his shoulders. “Why…Why did you do that?” you ask as you wipe off your ruined makeup. “Cause I don’t like to see ya cry,” she says as she wipes off a bit of mascara you missed “Now come on… Let’s get outta here.” “Actually… Do you want to go for a swim? I mean, I know it’s almost midnight, but Sunset Beach is always open.” “Sure. I wanted to go for a swim earlier today, but because of the whole shark thing.” “Great,” you say shakily “a dive will really help calm my nerves…” * * * * * * * “Uh, honey-bun? I’m starting ta have second thoughts.” “Oh come on! You said the water was cold and I said the quickest way to get used to it was to dive right in!” “Yeah… But do we have to do it from so high?” Holding Applejack with your front hooves, you and her flew over the water, at least ten feet up. “Oh come on, this is nothing. I do like one-hundred times this on a normal day. It only hurts if you let it.” “B-But how do I stop it from hurtin’?” “Just point your back legs down, fold your front legs over your chest and hold your breath.” Applejack shakes her head. “I don’t think-” “Don’t think, just do it!” Before she can say anymore, you let go of Applejack and let her fall into the water. Just flails momentarily before taking your advice and entering the dive position. As soon as she touches down, you dive in after her. Once bellow the water, you let yourself sink into the dark depths, hoping the water would wash away your troubles. After a minute, you resurface and find Applejack paddling around, calling your name. She doesn’t seem to notice you, so you take this opportunity to sneak up behind her. “Come on, honey-bun! This ain’t funny no more!” “But I’m right here!” you yell as you grab a hold of her sides. Applejack shrieks and stops paddling for a moment, almost causing her to almost sink below the water, if it wasn’t for you. “GEEZE! YA SCARED THE LIVIN’ DAYLIGHTS OUTTA ME!” “Well excuse me for having a little fun.” you say teasingly. “Ya, well excuse me too, then.” Applejack says with a sly grin. “For wh-” Quick as a flash, Applejack grabs a hold of your head and dunks you underneath the water, something you didn’t expect. Instead of panicking, you simply stay below the water and wait there for a minute.. Then two. By the three minute mark, your lungs feel strained and you force your way up and take a deep breath of fresh air. “How’d I do?” you ask as you push your mane out of your eyes. Applejack stared at you, completely bewildered. “Now how in the world did ya do that?!?” “Do what?” you asked as you rolled onto your back. “Hold yer breath for that long. I mean, I took my hooves offa yer head and yer still floatin’ down there.” “If I was ready, I could have gone longer. I’m just really good at holding my breath. But enough worrying about me! I’m going to show you how to do the breast stroke.” “Uh… The ‘what’ stroke?” Applejack asks uncertainly. “The breast stroke. Watch.” You start swimming around Applejack, kicking your hind legs and pointing your forelegs forward before swinging them around to your side, swimming with quite some speed; much faster than the horsey paddle. “Do you understand?” “Oh, uh yeah. I just thought it meant somethin’ different.” “What did you think it means?” you ask curiously. “Uh... Nevermind… So, it’s just using ma front and back legs, but fer different things instead a just kicking?” “Yeah. Give it a shot.” Applejack is quite the fast learner as she starts to copy what she just saw and begins swimming back and forth. At first, her strokes were slow and paced as she made sure that she was doing it right before breaking into a much faster pace. “See, ya got it!” She continues to swim like this for a few minutes before heading to shore, out of breath. “Well that was fun and all, but I really think we should get going here. The waters mighty cold and I think I’m startin’ to cramp.” “Oh, alright then, I’ll-” You stop yourself as a wicked, but adventurous idea starts to form. “How about a deep body massage?” Applejack looks at you with a cocked eyebrow. “Like the stuff they do at spa?” You nod. “Yeah! Athletes do it so they don’t cramp up after too much exercise. It really helps, trust me. Just lie down in the sand.” Your heart raced as Applejack plopped herself down on her stomach and looked back to you. “Well alright. Go ahead.” You walk up to Applejack and kneel down by her side. Your heart was beating in your ears now. “I’m going to start on your back.” First one hoof and then the other, you knead and massage her back in circles, making sure to put enough pressure down to really loosen the muscles. A heat rose into your face as you felt her strong, dense muscles that felt like rocks underneath your hooves. It’s no wonder how she put Klein through a wall or whooped that bouncer… She’s so… “You don’t mind going a little lower, do ya?” You face went bright red at the question. “L-Lower?” “Yeah, like ma flanks and back legs. They’re pretty sore.” Your throat dried out and you only managed to squeak out two words: “No problem.” Slowly, your hooves moved down her back and stop at her flanks. Grabbing a hold of them, you rub in circles, eliciting a sigh of relief from her. Your breathing went shallow as your hooves meandered away from her cutie mark. Oh my gosh, I’m almost touching it… You snap yourself out of your daze and move away from her flanks to her lower legs. They were so large and powerful, that you needed to grab one leg with both hooves to massage it properly. You couldn’t help but enjoy her little squeaks and sighs as you really worked the muscle. You let out a content sigh. Oh my gosh, she feels so nice… “Hey, are you okay?” Applejack’s sudden question snaps you out of your trance. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” “Are ya sure? Your wings don’t hurt being at all like that?” Your heart feels like it was about to jump out of your throat as you slowly looked behind you. Your wings were so flared that you only just now notice that it was actually painful. “Lemme return the favor.” With one quick spin, Applejack jumps on top of you and sits on your back. “N-No! It’s fine, really!” “Non-sense! Fair is fair. You do me, I do you.” You try to squeak out some sort of protest, but it falls on deaf ears. As soon as Applejack grabs a hold of your wing, a surge of pleasure travels up your spine. The only thing that was stopping you from screaming out in pleasure was the fact that you were now biting on your tongue. “How’s that?” Applejack asks idly as she kneads your wing, sending your whole body into shivers. “Good,” you say through clenched teeth. “And how about this?” Applejack grabs a hold of both of your wings and pushes them down before rubbing them vigorously. With this act, you finally succumb to your body and let your mind cloud over from the assault. Applejack continues rubbing your wings like this for minutes until she finally lets go and steps off from your back. “So, how was-” You don’t know what came over you. In a state of primal lust, you fling yourself at Applejack and plant your lips on hers and begin kissing her roughly and greedily. Just as you try to push your tongue into her mouth, you feel two hooves plant themselves on your chest and push you back. It was all you needed to snap you back into clear thinking. Applejack stared at you in a mix of shock and confusion as you sat there panting. You bring your hooves up to your mouth as you realize what just happened. “AJ, I-” Applejack got to her hooves quickly and began walking away. “I-I gotta go.” “AJ, wait!” She simply shakes her head and now starts to run. “I GOTTA GO!” As Applejack disappeared into the night, you felt your heart go with her in a few more pieces than it originally came in. You curl into a ball and cry under the moonlit night saying one word again and again. “Wait…”
Chapter 4As the sun set over the ocean, you couldn’t help but think how beautiful it looked. Almost as beautiful as the mare you’re curled up to right now. “Hey Applejack?” “Yeah honey-bun?” “What’s your favorite part of the sunset?” Applejack rubs her chin with her hoof for a few seconds as she got lost in thought. Finally, a small smile creeps across her face. “Guess.” You wrack your brain for all the things that you love about sunsets and begin naming them off. “Hmm… Is it the way the water sparkles?” She shakes her head. “Nope.” “What about the stars just starting to shine?” The smile on her face begins to grow wider. “Guess again.” “…I give up. What is it?” In one smooth motion, Applejack puts a hoof around your shoulder and draws you closer to her. “It’s sharin’ it with you. Now come’re and gimmie some sugar.” * * * * * * * A stray sunbeam from an open window hits you in the face and stirs you from your sleep. You begin to smile as you contemplate how perfect your life really was. That is, until you realize it was all a dream and the events that took place last night were very much real. Burying your face into the pillow, you scream aloud. You couldn’t cry anymore. Celestia knows you’ve tried, but the tears just wouldn’t flow anymore. “I’m so stupid…” you mumble “Stupid, stupid, stupid…” When Applejack ran away, you laid there on the beach until the sun came up, sobbing into the sand. Everything else didn’t matter. All you wanted was to see Applejack again and tell her you were sorry. You didn’t even think about getting up until the sun rose and Violet found you. Not only did she literally drag you home, but she’s been checking in on you every so often. So it didn’t surprise you when you heard a knock at the door for the fifth time today. “Come in…” Slowly, you hear your front door open. For a while, there’s no other sound until a single voice speaks up. “Hey… How are you doing?” Picking your head off from the pillow, you look to Violet. Your mane was knotted and had clumps of sand in it, your eyes were red and puffy from an entire night of crying, your wings drooped by your side and you were still wearing your Sublime t-shirt from last night. The look on Violet’s face said it all. “I look like a mess, don’t I?” you say with a ragged sigh. “No! Not really… I mean, all you need is a shower.” You flop back down onto the bed and burry your face into your pillow again. “I don’t wanna.” “I dragged your butt here and I’ll drag you to the shower. Now come on.” You dig yourself into the bed and do your best to ignore Violet’s pleas. “Oh come on! How long are you go mope around? You haven’t breakfast or lunch and it’s creeping up on dinner!” “I’m not hungry.” All of a sudden, you feel a pair of hooves on your face and find yourself staring at Violet, who was looking at you with much worry. “Please… Don’t do this to yourself.” “What do you mean?” you ask sharply. “You’re torturing yourself over this.” You look away from her, disgusted with yourself. “I had something great, Violet. And I ruined it because I was too stupid. I bet Applejack doesn’t even want to look at me, much less hear from me.” Violet wraps her hooves around your neck and hugs you tightly. “You don’t know that. You made a mistake, sure. Everybody makes mistakes. And if Applejack is really the friend you think she is, then she’ll be willing to forgive you.” A glimmer of hope starts to shine as you take in Violet’s words. “Y…You really think so?” “Of course,” Violet assures as she lets go “now come on, why don’t you take a shower and then we’ll go get something to eat. And afterwards, I’ll help you find Applejack so you can straighten this all out.” “Thanks Violet…” you say as you hop off of your bed for the first time in hours. You stagger towards the bathroom, your legs feeling numb from lack of movement. Before you close the door, you turn back to Violet. “You’re a real great friend.” Shutting the bathroom door behind you, you pry your sand-caked t-shirt off and toss it to the floor. Even though your spirits had been lifted, you were still feeling low. You don’t climb into the shower and instead fall into it. You hear Violet yell through the door when she hears the heavy thud. “Are you alright in there?” “Yeah… I’m fine,” you say as you turn the hot water on. As the water washes over you, you feel it carry away some of your anguish. Maybe… Maybe things will be alright… * * * * * * * “You know, Violet, I’m actually starting to feel a little better.” It was amazing how a hot shower and a good meal could take the weight of the world off of your shoulders. You were done feeling sorry for yourself. All you needed to do was psyche yourself up for the task at hand. “That’s great to hear. How do you feel about talking to Applejack?” The very mention of that name makes your stomach twist into knots. “… Not too well…” “Don’t worry, I’m sure-” You and Violet stop in your tracks when you find your path blocked by Klein, Calvin, and three other stallions' that you didn’t recognize. “Do you have a moment?” Klein asks curtly as he steps forward. Undeterred, you begin to push your way through them. “Get out of our way Klein. I’m not in the mood to play your stupid games.” They offer little resistance at first, but you’re shocked when you feel Klein grab a hold of you and toss you backwards. “Klein, what the hell has gotten into you?” Violet yells as you hit the ground. Klein Scoffs at the question. “Are you telling me you actually care for this filly-fooler?” Your stomach drops into your hooves at the word. “W-What are you talking about?” “Don’t pretend! Me and Cal saw what you and her were doing at the beach after the concert. That’s just wrong!” You can’t find anything to say and instead start shrinking back in fright. Your whole illusion of normality was gone and they were picking you apart, piece by piece. “So what if she likes girls? There’s nothing wrong-” Violet says as she gets in-between you and Klein. “Nothin’ wrong?” Calvin asks as he steps forward “It ain’t natural! Gays don’t belong on our beach!” You never knew you’d be attacked so violently over this. “Th...That’s just...” “Yeah, get outta here, you queer!” one stallion yells. “Damned filly-fooler!” “Lesbo!” All you can do is watch in horror as the Klein and Calvin’s group descends on you, hurling insult after insult at you, chipping away at your resolve until you collapse in a heap and bury your face into your hooves. You hear Violet calling your name as the group of stallions circle you, pointing and laughing as the insults get harsher. Just as you begin wishing that Princess Celestia would send you to the moon, far away from all the teasing, you hear a gallop approaching. Fast. You open your eyes just in time to see an orange blur run right through half of the stallions, knocking them all down. “What the-” Was about all Klein got out before the orange blur hit him broadside and sent him flying into a nearby palm tree. “JUST WHAT ARE-” You knew that orange blur. It was Applejack and she was bringing a hoof down on Klein’s neck, making him sputter and choke aloud. The two that held violet let go and rush to Klein’s side. “YOU DYKE, I’LL-” Applejack pushes her hoof harder into Klein’s throat, her face contorted in rage. “YOU’LL WHAT?” she yells “YOU’LL SICK YER BOYS ON ME?” she asks as she glances towards the stallions who were moving around her and Klein skittishly. “I DARE ‘EM TO TRY SOMETHIN’!” “Well what are you all waiting for?!?” Klein chokes out “DO SOMETHING!” His orders fall on deaf ears as they move back from the two, leaving Klein to watch on in horror. “Now listen here…” Applejack says firmly “If you ever make her cry again or even say one nasty thing again, I swear to Goddess above I will beat you down and use you as fertilizer, do I make myself clear?!?” Applejack waits for some sort of reply, but gets no sort of response. Only a dirty glare from the stallion underhoof. “DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?” she screams this time. Klein nods quickly She takes her hoof off Klein’s throat before giving him a swift buck. “Now get outta here!” Klein needs no further encouragement and runs away from Applejack as fast as possible without a word. Looking to the remaining stallions, Applejack slams her hooves down again, getting their attention. “You should all be ashamed of yerselves! She risks her life everyday to save other ponies and even jumped into the water with a shark! And you’re gonna bring her to tears just because of this?!?” The group of stallions look away from you and Applejack, apparently realizing what they just did. “Git outta here ‘fore I lose my temper.” That was all the encouragement they needed. Calvin and the rest take off like a bolt of lightning, running in the same direction Klein did. When the dust finally settles, Applejack lets out a sigh of relief. “You two alright?” “Yeah… I’m fine,” Violet says as she dusts herself off “but you should really be asking her that.” Applejack’s attention shifts from Violet to you. “Are ya okay? He didn’t hurt ya none, did he?” You turn away from her bashfully. It was hard to face her and you didn’t want her to see you crying. Suddenly, you feel her nuzzle up to your cheek, making your heart beat a little faster. “Honey-bun?” That did it. That little name was all it took to break the dams. You let your tears flow once more, but not in sorrow, but gratitude as you wrap your hooves around her neck and cry into her shoulder. “Thank you, thank you, thank you…” you say into her coat. You feel her run a hoof through your mine while she rocks you back and forth, much like a mother would a child. “It’s okay… It’s okay…” You and Applejack stay like this for a few moments before you hear Violet speak up. “Klein has pulled a lot stunts over the years but this… This was just… I’m going to talk with the boss. I think it’s time Klein packed his bags.” “Okay... I’m gonna take her back to the hotel so she can calm down. I’m in room 213. Just tell the bell-keep fella that yer a friend” Violet nods. “Alright. It’s going to take a while anyway. I got a lot to talk about.” “Yeah... So do we...” You try to hold her tighter when you hear the word ‘talk’. You begin mumbling two words again and again into Applejack’s shoulder. “Don’t leave…” * * * * * * * The walk to the hotel was as bad as you thought it would be. An awkward silence hung in there air as Applejack led you to the Coco Cabana, a quaint little two story hotel with an indoor pool and continental breakfast. You have never been more terrified of a hotel in your life. Applejack wasn’t making it any easier on you, either. Every so often, she’d adjust her hat so you couldn’t see her eyes and kept looking away from you. Eventually, you decided it would be easier if you followed from behind. On the outside, it looked like two friends going somewhere who didn’t have much to talk about. But on the inside, you were fighting the urge to just break down and start crying again. The whole experience was way too much. As you walk into the hotel lobby, you hope the air conditioning would take away your blush and some of your anxiety. The stallion at the front desk continues to look through his magazine; like he didn’t even hear you enter. You walk over to the elevator and push the button, only to hear Applejack call out to you. “Ya comin’?” she asked at the base of the stairs. “Uh… Yeah.” As you and her climb the stairs, you feel your curiosity get the better of you. “Why didn’t you want to take the elevator?” “Too slow for ma tastes.” “Oh.” That’s the extent of the conversation for the rest of the climb. Your heart begins to race when you reach the top of the stairs and make your way out of the stairwell and towards room 213. Applejack opens up the door for you and nods towards the bed. “Sit down.” You trot quickly over to the bed and sit down, your heart now on the verge of bursting. “W-W-What did you want to talk about?” Applejack sighs heavily as she hangs her hat up on the rack. “Us. But first, I need a drink. Steady my nerves…” “Yeah… Me too…” You watch as she walks over to the mini-fridge in the corner and pull out two bottles of hard cider and toss you one. She grabs a hold of the cap with her teeth and yanks it off in one quick motion before taking a long swig. You eye your bottle suspiciously before attempting the same trick yourself, only to have it slip out and make you yelp out in pain. “Here, lemme do that.” Applejack grabs a hold of the bottle and rips the cap off in the same fashion as before. “Thanks…” you say as you take the bottle from her. You take a small sip and grimace. How can she drink something so strong? “So… What did you want to talk about?” you ask sheepishly. “Hold on… Just trying to gather ma wits,” she says as she takes another swig of the bottle. Within a matter of moments, she’s finished the bottle and tosses it in the trash. “Okay… Now I’m ready.” Applejack takes a deep breath and looks you right in the eyes. “I…” she stops “Before I get all this stuff off ma chest, I gotta ask. Are you okay?” “Yeah, I’m fine… I’m just glad you showed up when you did.” Applejack nods. “Alright. I don’t wanna do this if yer not feelin’ well.” Oh dear Celestia, she’s going to dump me… you think with increasing worry. “I… I wasn’t expectin’ you ta pull a stunt like that last night… But I’m not surprised.” “Y…You knew?” you ask bashfully. She nods slowly. “Part a me did. I just tried to play it off as nothin’ but all the signs were there. I guess I kept ignoring them into... well… You sorta opened my eyes.” “I want to say this: I ain’t mad at ya. I’m more disappointed in how I handled the situation. I ran off and started wanderin’ around the island, tryin’ to clear ma head. I was… confused.” “Because you’ve never thought about a mare loving another mare?” you ask curiously. Applejack hangs her head. “I… I… Can… Can I ask ya a question?” “Of course.” “When did ya know you…you know… liked mares?” “Umm…A little bit after I met you.” Applejack looks at you quite surprised. “Well I sure wasn’t expectin’ that… It was a little different for me.” It was your time to be surprised. Instead of asking a million different questions, you simply listen. “There was this friend of mine… Ball a fire, that one. This girl didn’t like ta lose, so when I whooped her butt at horseshoes, she challenged me to a contest of sorts. ‘Iron Pony Competition’ is what she called it. We both butted heads and in the end, she won. Well, only because she used her wings,” she adds bitterly “So I challenged her to a rematch. A race across town called the Runnin’ of the Leaves. It’s somethin’ Ponyville has to do every year and we turned it into a competition. To make a long story short, we tied.” “For first?” Applejack shakes her head with a chuckle. “Fer last. We were so busy fightin’ that we didn’t even notice all the other ponies that passed us. So in the end, we set aside our differences and we ran the track again, this time as friends. But…” her eyes seem to tear up a bit as she tells the story “I… I don’t know what came over me. Just me and her runnin’ through the fallin’ leaves, laughing and havin’ a good time I… I guess I fell fer her. I wanted to say somethin’ to her, talk to her about it… But I was too nervous,” she says as she takes a seat on the bed besides you. “and by the time I worked up the courage to face her, I found out she got herself a boyfriend. Doctor fella. Now don’t get me wrong, he’s perfect for her and really loves her it’s just… I got my heart broke,” she says dryly. “and then you come along and you remind me so much of her and then ya kissed me and my heart soared so high and fell so much farther. I thought I was over that heartache, but it’s just… just…” You couldn’t believe it. Applejack was the one who was crying now and it was your turn to comfort her. You draw her into your chest and stroke her hair ever so slightly as she let it all out. “It’s okay… I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you.” “T-Thanks honey-bun…” she says as she breaks the hug and dries her eyes. “To be honest… I was so scared. I honestly thought you were taking me up here to dump me… tell me that you never want to see me again.” Applejack sniffles back some tears before grabbing you and bringing you closer for a tight hug. “I’ll always be there for ya, if yer there for me.” You hug her back tightly, smiling as you do. “That’s just what I wanted to hear.” You and Applejack fall back onto the bed, still holding each other, staring up at the ceiling. “Hey… AJ?” you finally ask after a few minutes. “Yeah?” “You’re not… mad about the whole surprise kiss thing, are you?” She shakes her head. “Naw, not at all. I kinda liked it.” “Well then…” you coo into her ear “if you wanna do it again… or anything else, I’m all yours.” You feel her heart race inside her chest at your words. “Y… You’re not pullin’ ma chain or nothin’, are ya?” she asks nervously. Instead of answering, you begin planting kisses up and down her neck, eliciting giggles and gasps from her every so often. “Of course not.” “I gotta warn ya… I ain’t got that much experience.” she says with a dry chuckle. You run a hoof up and down her chest, smiling as you feel her shiver from your touch. “Show me what ya got, cowgirl.” In a flash, Applejack rolls over and stands over you, her breathing shallow and her face flushed. You couldn’t help but smile; you pressed all of the right buttons and now the fun began. Slowly, she leans down and plants a soft kiss on your cheek. She moves back slowly and hovers over your lips for a second before pressing her lips tightly against yours and kisses you greedily. You let out a soft moan, prompting her to stick her tongue into your mouth, which you gladly allow entry. You surrender yourself to the orange mare and let her have her way with you. Her kisses were inexperienced and she was kissing for more of her pleasure than yours; experimenting, almost playing with you. And you gladly surrendered yourself for her, just to make her happy. You shift uncomfortably when you feel your wings unfurl and fully spread, but you make no attempt at hiding it. She had become your lover and she had every right to see. When your wings reach their apex however, she stops and looks at them with a puzzled look on her face. “Why are they doin’ that?” she asks. You blink a few times. “You’re joking, right?” She shakes her head. “No, I ain’t. Why are your wings doin’ that again?” “You silly-filly…” you muse under your breath “Applejack, the wings of the pegasus are the most sensitive areas on their body second only to… you know.” Applejack shoots you a strange look. “Waitaminute… They’re sensitive? So uh… When I was rubbin’ them on the beach before I-” “You kinda sent me over the edge…” Applejack’s cheeks go bright red as she silently repeats what you just said. “I… I didn’t… Wow. You mean I…” You nod slowly. A sly grin starts to form on Applejack’s face and before you can ask her what she was going to do, she makes her move and plants her lips on yours once more, but her hoofs wrap around your wing and begin massaging them vigorously, making you cry aloud in pleasure. “You weren’t kiddin’. They really are sensitive,” she teases as she stops her attack for a moment. With this reprieve, you take a chance and reach down and grab Applejack’s tail and give it a sharp tug. While she might have not been entirely familiar with a pegasus’ sensitive areas, you were familiar with an earth pony’s. Applejack pants aloud and groans as you pull her tail taught. She doesn’t give up her own attack and kisses you deeply again before grabbing a hold of your wings. You and her embrace like this, giggling or moaning occasionally and sometimes rolling around on the bed and switching who was on top. But no matter what, Applejack always found her way on top. Just when you think you’d never let her go, a knock on the door makes you and her freeze up. “Just a minute!” Applejack says as she steps off the bed, straightening herself off as she does. Applejack walks over to the door and opens it just a hair. “C-Can I help you?” A gruff, but familiar voice answers her. “You must be the tourist Violet was talking about. I’m Micky.” You hop off of the bed this time and prepare yourself as you walk towards the door, conjuring as many sad mental images as possible. By the time you reach the door and move Applejack to the side, you were in tears. “H...Hi Micky...” you say meekly. The blue earth pony looks at you with a tender smile and rubs the side of your head. “Hey there... How ya feelin’?” “I’m... kinda in a bad place right now. Klein’s said a lot of things over the years but this was just cruel... Micky sighs heavily. “You don’t have to say anything, Violet told me all about it. I’ve given him way too much leeway. Effective immediately, he’s fired.” “Thank you so much, Micky. If you don’t mind, I don’t think I’ll be in tomorrow.” “I understand. Take some time off. After what’s been going on, you deserve it.” “Thanks again, Micky,” you say as you close the door “for everything.” You put your ear to the door and listen. When you hear the Micky’s hoofsteps fade, you turn to Applejack and let out a sigh of relief. “Okay then...” you say as you walk over to the bed “where were we?”
Chapter 5Your eyes slowly flutter open as you feel something run across your mane. The fog from your mind clears up as you realize that it Applejack who was touching you. But oddly, she wasn’t smiling. She was looking off into the distance with a pained look on her face. “What’s wrong?” Applejack stops stroking your mane and smiles as she looks to you. “Nothin’, nothin’ at all.” She leans forward starts kissing you with more experience than before, moving her hooves across you body before pushing her tongue into your mouth. You gladly meet it with yours and moan aloud, simply because she liked it when you were vocal. Applejack breaks the kiss for a moment and moves down to your neck before nipping at it ever so gently, making you gasp aloud. “So… What’s the plan for today?” she asks as before sticking her tongue behind your ear, making you shiver in delight. “W…Well I-I waAH!” You cry it in surprise as Applejack nips at your ear, making your mind go to mush. “I…I was th…inking we… we… could go take… shower before…” Applejack stops her attack and looks to you with a devilish grin on her face. “Together?” She took the words right out of your mouth. Tensing up every muscle in your body, you glance towards the bathroom door. “Race ya!” You give Applejack no time to react and bolt towards the bathroom as fast as you can. “Why ya sneaky….GIT BACK HERE!” she yells as she rockets after you. As you cross the bathroom threshold, you turn to her with a smug look on your face “I wi-” It was at that moment that Applejack barreled into you, sending both of you crashing into the bathtub. You groan aloud in pain as you pick yourself up. “Ow…” She laughs nervously as she collects herself and helps you up. “Sorry ‘bout that… I kinda tripped.” “I figured that much out,” you say as you rub your back “I’m twisted into knots back here.” Applejack moves around in the tub and positions herself so she’s sitting behind you. “Here, lemme make it up to ya.” Flicking open the valve, the tubs slowly starts to fill with warm water. “What are you-” Before you can get another word out, Applejack places her hooves on your back and starts kneading in circular motions, making you sigh aloud in pleasure. “That feels nice…” you say as she starts to work the knots out of your back. “Yeah? What about this?” Applejack stops working your back and instead begins running her hooves up and down your chest before burying her face into the base of your wings, nipping at them ever so gently. Oh dear Celestia… You gasp aloud as her tongue works its way up and down each wing, sending your whole body into spasms and making your wings flare. Applejack notices this and begins working her way towards them. She grabs one with each hoof before massaging them quickly, making you squeak aloud. Your wings were extremely sensitive at this point and all you wanted was for her to keep going. That’s why you were extremely disappointed when she stopped abruptly. “Awww! Why’d you stop?” “I wanna know…” she asks skittishly “Do ya really love me? I mean, like really love me?” You don’t hesitate for even a second “Of course I do. You’re like the first pony I’ve ever felt this way for. I love you with all my heart and more.” For the longest time, she doesn’t say anything. The only sound in the entire room was that of the running water falling into the tub. “AJ, are-” Before you can even get another word out, Applejack picks up where she left up, only with much more passion. Her hooves hit all the right places and make you melt right into the water as she pays special and close to attention to each wing. When the strain on your wings fades, you let out a deep sigh of relief and roll over onto your stomach and curl up to her. “That was just… Thanks… I needed that…” you gasp out. Applejack smiles smugly. “Anytime, honey-bun.” “I believe… I should return the favor.” “What did ya have in mind?” You smile deviously at her as you slowly start to dip beneath the water. “I’m going to show you how long I can really hold my breath for.” Applejack’s entire face goes crimson as your head disappears below the waters. You let a little air out of your lungs so you can lie on the bottom of the bathtub with no problem. Wrapping your hooves around her hind legs, you move in slowly, but before you feel her grab a hold of your head and bring you to the surface before you can go any further. “What? I-” With a loud click, Applejack finally turns off the water. You look at the tub water and finally notice that it was completely full and in fact had spilled at least a gallon or two onto the bathroom floor. “Ah think we should clean this up first.” “Aww… Just when we were getting to the good part.” * * * * * * * It didn’t take as long as you thought to clean up the water, but by the time you were done, both yours and Applejack’s stomachs were growling and bath time fun was put on the back burner. For now, at least… you think with a chuckle. As you and Applejack descend down the stairs, you feel your stomach grumble again. “How’s the breakfast here? Any good?” “Eh, it’s so-so. Sometimes, but they dropped the ball the last few days.” “How so?” “The things that all the food were in to keep it warm or cold broke, so everythin’ tasted funny. The salad I had was all mushy and the fruit yogurt was warm.” The idea of eating a spoiled breakfast almost makes you gag as you reach the bottom of the stairs. “Ew… Maybe we should go eat somewhere else.” “Yeah, maybe we-” You and Applejack stop dead in your tracks at the sight before you. There had to be over a half-dozen tables lined up in the dining hall, with each carrying something that made your mouth water. Decorative fruit sculptures, a bowl of melted chocolate, parfaits, veggie kabobs, and what looked like an entire table covered with donuts. You half expected to see a rainbow end at that last table. Applejack nudges your shoulder and points to a sign hanging up on the wall. “Well what’dya know…Due ta the technical malfunction of our continental breakfast buffet, we humbly offer our sincerest apologies and offer our guests a completely redone buffet.” It only takes a second for you to make up your mind. “We should eat here.” Applejack nods slowly as she looks over the tables. “Uh-huh…” Quick as a flash, you grab a plate and descend upon the buffet before you, grabbing a little bit of everything until the pile of food on your plate threatens to topple over. It wasn’t too hard to find an empty table and by the looks of it, Applejack had the same idea you had and had a pile of food on her plate, equally high. You throw your face into the food and take a gigantic bite, ending with a mouthful of strawberries, grilled squash, and what tasted like a jelly doughnut. All and all, it didn’t taste half bad. “How’s your breakfast?” you ask before taking another bite. Looking to Applejack, you notice her staring at you intently as you eat, making you slightly uncomfortable. “What?” She doesn’t say anything and continues to stare at you, making you incredibly uneasy. “AJ, seriously. What’s up? You’re freaking me out over here.” Applejack seems to snap out of her trance and smiles weakly at you. “N-Nothin’. Just thinkin’ is all…” She said the same thing this morning… you think uneasily. You reach out and put your hoof on hers. “AJ, if there’s something wrong, just say it. You don’t have to hide anything from me.” You try to look her in the eyes, but she shifts away and looks towards the floor. Sighing heavily, you go back to your meal and take another bite. “I have to leave tomorrow morning.” Your first reaction is to gasp aloud, but you only manage to get a mouthful of food stuck in your throat. You choke and sputter as you grab at your throat, alarming everyone around you. Applejack is quick to react and you soon find her doing the Heimlich maneuver on you. You hear someone yell aloud as you start to turn blue in color “SOMEONE CALL 911!” With one final push, the clump of doughnut and pineapple dislodge them self from your throat and skitters across the table before coming to a rest a few inches away from your plate. The entire room is quiet as they watch you catch your breath. “I’m good…” you pant “I’m good…” Turning to Applejack, you try to offer her some sort of thank you, but you couldn’t find it. Instead, you grab a hold of her and begin to drag her. “You alright? Where we goin’?” she asks nervously. “Bathroom. And yeah, I’m fine. But we need to talk.” She visibly cringes at the words, just as you did last night. You drag her to the mare’s bathroom and lock the door behind you. You were feeling hurt. Hurt and used. You turn away from Applejack and begin pacing back and forth. So many questions raced through your mind and the prospect of each one made you want to breakdown and cry. But you steel yourself and find your words. “Why didn’t you tell me you had to leave tomorrow?!?” Applejack rears back, startled by your outburst. “I… I didn’t… Darn-it, I dunno what I wanted… To be happy? Maybe pretend that everythin’ was fine and I could be with you forever? I didn’t mean to make you mad…” “That’s not why I’m mad…. Tell me, honest truth. Did you mean all those things you said last night?” She almost looks hurt by your question. “Of course I did, and I still do,” she says as she puts a hoof around your shoulder “I love you, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.” You try to stifle a giggle as she nuzzles up to you. “So… So I wasn’t some sort of cheap fu-” “Is that what you’re freakin’ out about?!? Honey-bun, I’d never do that to anypony, especially one I love. I just… didn’t think this through enough.” Almost all of your worries disappear with that. All except for one. “So... What do we do now?” Applejack shakes her head “That’s what I’ve been tryin’ ta figure out all this time.” “You can’t... You know, just stay longer?” “Thoughta that. My ship leaves tomorrow and if I miss it, I won’t have enough money for another ticket to get home.” “And I doubt you could just stay here...” you say sullenly. She shakes her head “Naw, I couldn’t do that to my family and friends.” You bite your lower lip in frustration. “What if I go with you?” Applejack simply shakes her head again. “You can’t do that either. You got friends and a responsibility here. Lotta ponies look up to you and need you.” You hated to admit it, but she was right. You couldn’t just disappear into the night with your new-found love without some sort of warning. “We’ll... We’ll make it work. Maybe not today, maybe not next week, but we’ll make it work,” you reach out and hold her tightly “I love you and we’ll make this work because you love me.” “Yeah... We will.” You gasp aloud as a thought enters your head. “AJ, we’re going to make your last day here awesome!” Applejack cocks her head to the side. “How?” “You know about the Summerset Boardwalk Amusement Park? You know; the one by the pier?” Her eyes seem to light up at the question. “Heck yeah, I do! I saw that place from the boat and I’ve been itchin’ to check it out!” “That’s great, because I got a friend whose buddies with the park manager and he lets me and a friend or two in for free since I saved his sister from drowning,” you say as you and Applejack step out of the bathroom “I gotta go get Violet and see if she’s cool with it. I’ll meet you here in like an hour, ‘kay?” “Yeah, I’ll just- whoa.” “Wha-” You stop just in time and find yourself face to face with a crowd of ponies who were looking at you worriedly. In the back, you could see a paramedic with a first aid bag in his mouth. “Uh, guys? I’m fine… really. You can put that away.” “Are you sure?” a uniformed mare asked “I’d like you to at least check into a hospital. You know, to make sure you’re okay?” You assumed she was the manager. “No, I’m totally fine. You can relax. So… Yeah. Go enjoy your breakfast.” “You heard the gal, break it up,” Applejack said as she tried to disperse the crowd. It takes a little coaxing, but the crowd takes the hint and leaves you and Applejack alone finally. You take a few steps towards the exit as you turn towards Applejack. “Alright… I’ll just-” Your growling stomach stops you in your tracks as you realize you didn’t finish your plate. “Finish eatin’ before ya make any plans?” Applejack asks with a chuckle. You sit down bashfully at the table. “Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t get ahead of myself just yet.” “Good, now at least-hey… Where did that bit a food ya choke on go?” You give her a shrug before swallowing audibly. “I dunno.” Applejack grimaces as she begins to put two and two together. “You… You really didn’t just eat that again, did ya?” “What?” you say defensively “Food is food and I made sure to chew it this time!” She runs a hoof down her face as she lets out a dry laugh. “Ya make me worry, girl.” “What I do?” * * * * * * * You depart from the Coco Cabana with a full belly, leaving Applejack to her own devices while you tried to convince Violet to let you go down to the park with Applejack. Normally, you and her would go every weekend and today was Saturday. You just hoped she’d be fine with it and understood what was going on. I hope she isn’t mad or anything about breaking our night off… you think as you walk up to her front step. You reach out and knock on the door. “Hey Violet? It’s me. I was wonder-” The door flies open and you find yourself assaulted by a million different question. “Oh my gosh, are you okay? What happened? What did you say? What did she say? Where were you last night? How-” “Violet! Calm down!” She stops her assault and looks you over. “You’re not crying… Are you okay?” You realize that you never got a hold of Violet and she had no idea what happened in-between the time that you left with Applejack and now. “Yeah, I’m good. We talked it out.” “And?” Guiding Violet inside, you let out ragged sigh “And I have a lot to tell you…” * * * * * * * “She’s truly means it when she says she loves you?” This was the fifth time that you answered this question. “Yes, and I mean it when I say I love her.” Violet finally looks convinced this time. “Alright… But are you sure you want to try this whole long distance relationship thing? They never end well.” You’re undeterred by Violet’s words. “I’m sure. Applejack wants to make this happen and so do I.” Violet’s eyes drift towards the floor. “So you’re going to leave here, huh?” You feel a pang of guilt as you realize just how this was going to affect everyone. “…Yeah. Violet, I’m s-” In an instant, Violet throws her hooves around your neck and hugs you tightly. “V…Violet?” “Don’t apologize. You deserve to be with her. I’ll admit that it makes me sad to know that there will be a day when I don’t see that goofy smile of yours or hear that wonderful laugh… But if she makes you happy, then I’m happy.” You let Violet hold you for a few more minutes before speaking up. “My smile is goofy?” Violet laughs aloud at your question. “Yeah… But it’s one of the things I like about you…” You hug Violet back. “And I like how you’re always looking out for me. What did I do to deserve a friend like you?” “You challenged me to a race around the beach for an ice cream sandwich.” A grin forms on your face as you remember that day. “Oh yeah… It was my first day on Summerset Keys and it was like a million degrees and all I wanted was that ice cream.” Violet giggles under her breath. “You still gave me half, even though you won.” “Yeah, I’m awesome like that.” “Even though you cheated and used your wings.” “Well you never said I couldn’t!” you yell curtly. “Well I never said you could!” Violet snarls. You both move forward and butt heads, staring at each other, unblinking, before breaking down in laughter. “Oh wow… We haven’t done that in years,” she wheezes. “Yeah… Good times…” you say with a content sigh “So, Violet?” “Hm?” “You don’t mind if I take Applejack down to the park? You know, as a last hurrah before she sails off?” “Sure, I don’t mind. You and I can always go next week.” “Thanks Violet,” you say as you give her another hug. “Anytime.” You let go of Violet and take a few tentative steps towards the door. “I mean it. Thanks for everything.” * * * * * * * You circle above The Coco Cabana in boredom, waiting for any signs of Applejack. “Come on, where is she?” you groan aloud. You stopped outside her window not too long ago, but there wasn’t any sign of her. Not even a note. You grab yourself a nearby cloud and curl up expecting a long wait. “Honey-bun?” “Oh hey! There you are!” you yell as you dive off the cloud “I was getting tired of waiting so I was going to take a nap.” You slow your descent and touch down in front of her. “What were yo….you….” You find yourself stumbling over your words as you stare at her. “W…Wha… Oh…. Oh wow….” “What?” she asks nervously “You don’t like it, do you?” You shake your head quickly. “No! No. It’s just… Wow.” Applejack’s mane was done up in pigtails with a small red bow tied in each one. Her tail was braided in the same fashion and she was still wearing her trademark hat. “You look so… cute,” you say with an increasing blush. She kicks at the ground bashfully. “Turns out they have a spa in the hotel and well… I… I never really get dolled up, unless it’s fer a special occasion… Or fer someone who means a lot to me. So, what do you think?” “It’s nice. Thanks,” you say as you give her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek “Now if only we can get you in one of those school-filly’s outfits…” Applejack gives you a stern look “Girl, now yer pushin’ it.” “…Or you know, I could wear it. I bet I’d look good in one of those little mini-skirts with some thigh high stockings,” you say with a tease. You think that you broke her for a moment as Applejack stares off into the distance, her face growing redder by the second. You walk by and give her a flick on the nose with your tail. “And here I thought I was the only one with my head in the clouds. Come on, we’re burning daylight!” Applejack shakes her head quickly and snaps out of her daze. “Uh, sure! I’m comin’!” * * * * * * * “Oh boy, this is gonna be good!” Applejack says as she jogs alongside you. “Totally! Just remember, all you have to do is flash the wristband and you can get on any ride in the park for free.” “Alright-y then, so where do we-” Applejack starts to slow down and comes to a complete stop as she starts to take in everything around her “…Whoa.” You couldn’t help but snicker at Applejack’s dumbstruck look. She was staring at every ride and every attraction in slack-jawed awe. She was especially hypnotized by the Park’s main attraction. “Woo-wee… I ain’t never seen anythin’ like that before…” “Yeah, the Summerset Ferris Wheel has that effect on ponies,” you say as you stare up at it. The ride stood at least 80 feet tall and towered above the entire park. You remember being just as awe-struck as Applejack when you first saw it, as if it was trying to command the attention of everyone who entered the fair grounds. “Let’s save that for later, though. Let’s go on the Tilt-a-Whirl!” Applejack gives you a puzzled look. “What’s a Tilt-a-Whirl?” she asks as you lead the way. “It’s this awesome ride that spins all over the place!” You lead Applejack through the crowd until you finally find it. Just as you and Applejack get up to the Tilt-a-Whirl, the stallion operating the ride closes the gate. “Aw, darn it! We gotta wait for the next one.” The stallion turns to you and smiles. His face was covered in white and black face paint, much like a clown’s, except for the fact that it was done in more harsh designs. “Oh boy! With you two, we got a full house!” he says with a laugh. He turns towards the Tilt-a-Whirl and yells to someone who was busy strapping ponies in. “Hey JD! We got a full house now!” he says as he lets you in. The other pony turns to you and Applejack, wearing the same kind of face makeup. As you step into the tilt-a-whirl, he smiles as wide as the other stallion did and started to sing. All at once, something clicked and things started to make a little more sense. Step right up now, strap ‘em in! Lock it tight under your chin! Clamp your arms down to your side! It’s gonna be a hell-y ride! JD leads you to two empty seats and motions you in. You rear up on your hind legs and grab onto the two bars by your side for support before JD starts buckling all sorts of safety straps going across your waist and legs. Applejack follows suit and watches on nervously as the last of the straps are put into place. “Oh boy…” you say shakily “This is going to be intense.” Applejack shoots you a nervous look. “What’dya mean? “I didn’t recognize them at first, but that’s Zay and JD. They’re fans of Insane Clown Ponies and run some of the rides here and-” the ride jerks violently and starts spinning slowly. “And they what?” “And well… They sometimes go a little overboard.” Applejack goes to open her mouth, but the Tilt-a-Whirl suddenly picks up in speed, going faster and faster. You weren’t worried about the ride going fast, oh no. Speed was no problem. You were worried about their ‘tricks’. Zay and JD were able to pull off all sorts of insane and dangerous stunts using carnival rides, from making the roller coaster go backwards to putting the bumper cars in overdrive. And while all these seemed fun to you, all you could think of was how Applejack was going to handle it. You look over and watch her eyes widen as the hydraulics push the ride and have spin at an angle. “IT’S OKAY!” you yell “THEY KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING!” “THEN WHY IS HE JUMPIN’?” she yells. Pushing past the g-force, you crane your head towards the operating booth. JD was jumping up and down repeatedly and was saying something to Zay, who was pulling and messing with all the controls frantically. “I DON’T-” In all of an instant, the entire ride jumps into the air, eliciting cries and screams from all of the riders. All except for you. You were too busy laughing. “THAT WAS AWESOME! DO IT AGAIN!” Zay gives you a mock salute and makes the Tilt-a-whirl jump again. And again and again. Just when you think the ride was going to tip over from all the jumps, it begins to slow down and straighten itself out. Everypony fumbles for the straps and manages to undo them before staggering out of the ride. Some were happy, others looked green. Applejack fell into the second category. “I… I don’t feel so good…” she said as she slumped in the straps. You manage to slip out of yours and make your way for her. “It’s alright; you’re just a little shaken up. It’ll pass. All you need-” Just as you get the final strap off, Applejack’s cheeks puff out and she begins scrambling for the exit of the ride. You chase after her through the crowd and into a nearby bathroom. She doesn’t so much run into the door of the stall as barrel through it. Acting quickly, you grab a hold of her hair and turn your head to the side. As you expected, the chunks started flying and everything Applejack must have eaten today was now resting in the toilet. Slumping down to the floor she shivers in disgust before spitting unceremoniously. “… I don’t think I like spinny rides…” she says before spitting again. “I-I’m sorry Applejack, we should have gone on something a little more tame. I had no idea you got motion sick.” She shakes her head “Naw… It ain’t that… It was just the jumpin’ that got to me. Felt like I was in one of Rarity’s rock tumblers…” “Maybe we should just play it safe and skip out on all the other intense rides.” Applejack gets to her hooves shakily. “Heck no, I came here ta have fun with ya and I’m going to have fun and no ride is gonna stop me!” she asserts, having regained her composure. “Oh, well that’s good. So you don’t mind going on the Silver Streak?” “Sure, whatever that is,” she says as she rinses her mouth out. * * * * * * * “Uh… H-Honey-bun? I’m-I’m havin’ second thoughts here…” Applejack says as she tugs at her restraints. “Why, what’s wrong?” “It’s just that I’m just a good fifty feet above the ground in some sort of crazy contraption!” You couldn’t help but laugh. Applejack wasn’t as enthusiastic of the Silver Streak as you were. It was one of your favorite rides in the amusement park. The Silver Streak was one of those rollercoaster where you lie down on your stomach through the entire ride. Most ponies that spent their lives on the ground compare it to flying, but to a pegasus like you, it was more like being thrown. Even so, it was still a rush to barrel through the air at that speed. “Oh come on AJ! It’s gonna be awesome!” “I… I don’t know…Maybe I should… I’m-” You reach out and grab Applejack’s hoof in comfort. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.” She gives you a soft smile. “I feel better. ThaaaAAHH!” Thanks to that touching moment, she failed to notice that rollercoaster reached its apex and was now speeding down the track. You let out a loud laugh as the coaster banks hard starts spiraling downwards. Looking over, you see Applejack staring forward, her eyes the size of dinner plates as the coaster makes another hard turn. “YOU OKAY?!?” you yell over the noise of the wind rushing by. A small smile starts to creep across her face. “IT’S… IT’S LIKE I’M FLYIN’!” she yells as her smile grows even wider “I’M FLYIN WITH YOU!” She sticks out her other hoof as if she was really gliding through the air and laughs with you as the track spirals, sending you spinning through the air. Applejack was onto something. It did feel like you were flying with her, in an odd sort of way. You snap out of your thoughts as your favorite part of the ride came up. “HERE COMES THE LOOP!” you yell giddily. Applejack shoots you a puzzled look “WAIT, THE WHA-AAHAHAH!” Applejack cackles as the rollercoaster goes into not one, but two loop de loops before reaching the straightaway and slowing down to a stop. Once the coaster comes to a complete stop, the harnesses come up. You and Applejack hop out without a word and make your way to the exit before breaking down with a case of the giggles. “That was AMAZIN’!” she yells as she tries to catch her breath. “I told you it was awesome!” “What’dya wanta do next?” she asks excitedly “’cause personally, I’m itchin’ fer another go on the rolley coaster!” “Hold up there, dare-pony. I was wondering if there was something around here we could do, you know, together?” Applejack takes a deep breath and nods. “Oh sure, what’dya got in mind?” You shrug. “Whatever you feel up for.” “Hmm…” walking over to a nearby kiosk, she takes a map of the park and begins looking through it. Her eyes light up and she shows you what she found. “’is un,” she says as she holds the map in her mouth. “Huh. Why not?” you ask with a shrug. * * * * * * * You let your hoof hang over the edge of the inner-tube and splash it idly in the water. “Lazy-River is right… I feel pretty relaxed…” you say as you snuggle up to Applejack. She puts a hoof around your shoulder and smiles. “Feels pretty nice just driftin’along, not a care in the world.” “If only we had a wooden raft. Then it would be like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Applejack chuckles a bit under her breath. “Will one of us have to dress up as a boy ta sneak through town? “Yeah, and then we’ll meet the Duke of Bilgewater and the King of France.” She laughs even harder this time. “Oh wow, I forgot all about… My pappy used to read that book every night…” she says fondly. “I used to read stuff like that before bed, too. What’s your favorite book?” Applejack bites her lip for a moment before smiling “Lord of the Flies.” You blink a few times, surprised. “Lord of the Flies? I’ve never read it, but isn’t it supposed to be pretty dark?” She waves it off. “Aw, it’s not all bad. It just shows us how close we are ta going feral. As civilized as we like ta think we are, we’re not all that far from the other animals.” “Hmm…. Well, I’m a fan of science fiction. My favorite is Stranger in a Strange Land.” She gives you an odd look. “You don’t strike me as the sci-fi kinda type. My friend Twi’ likes ‘em, but I can never get into one. What’s it about?” “It’s about this family that goes to the moon to explore it and have a foal during the mission. Something goes wrong and the parents don’t make it, but the child survives and is taken in by a bunch of moon ponies. After a bunch of years, another bunch of ponies go to find out what happened to the last ones and find the colt and take him back to Equestria. It’s all about what it means to be an Equestrian and what really defines us.” Applejack looks a little overwhelmed by your description. “I don’t know… Feels like that might go over ma head a bit…” “Well, maybe you and I can curl up one night in bed and you can read Lord of the Flies and then I can read you Stranger in a Strange Land.” “Yeah… That’d be-” From behind, you hear frantic paddling, followed by a tell-tale cat-call. “Well hello ladies~” Swimming up to you was a well-built golden stallion who puts a hoof on your inner-tube and stops your drift down the Lazy-River. “Are you two veterinarians? Cause I got some sick pythons,” he says as he flexes his muscles. You do your best to stifle a laugh, but you can’t help it. “So cheesy…” you say under your breath. Applejack turns her nose up to the stallion. “Not interested.” The stallion almost looked hurt. “Oh come on now, baby. I can bench-press like 320. Interested now?” Applejack shoots the stallion a tired look. “Does this answer your question?” In one swift motion, she grabs the back of your head for a kiss and puts her all into it, even letting out a low groan halfway. At the end she, she pulls back ever so slightly and pushes her tongue out, which you gladly meet with yours. When Applejack finishes, she gives the stallion a smug look as he stands there, jaw agape, completely gobsmacked. “Sorry there, big boy,” you say as you lick the stray saliva off of your lips “she’s spoken for.” The stallion simply stands there in the shallow water as you drift away, mouth still hanging agape. “I think we broke him.” Applejack says with a giggle “Good, I’ve never liked brainless jocks like that-Hey!” you exclaim as you feel yourself bump into something. “What’s your prob-” Your heart nearly jumps out of your throat as you find yourself staring at your boss, who was staring back at you with a puzzled look on his face. “Oh! Uh… Boss! W…What are you doing here?” “I could ask you the same thing,” he says as he steps out of his inner-tube and onto dry land. You awkwardly fumble out of the inner-tube and not so much walk onto the landing, but fall. “Uh, Boss? I can explain. You see, I-” “Don’t,” Micky says as he holds up a hoof. Taking a deep breath, he turns to Applejack. “Miss, why don’t you grab something at one the concession stands around here for us, my treat?” Micky takes the pouch of bits off of his neck and tosses a few her way. Applejack barely catches them and remains silent, looking to Micky and back to you for some sort of direction. “I like funnel-cakes. There’s a stall that sells them a little ways back. Near the Tilt-a-whirl; we passed it, remember?” Applejack nods slowly. “Alright honey-bun, I understand.” Good girl you think as she begins walking away. Turning back to Micky, you sigh heavily, knowing full well this would bite you in the ass sooner or later. You just wished it wouldn’t be this soon. “Boss, I know you’re short-hoofed and need everypony you can get to watch the beach with Klein gone, but I-” “Stop,” he says sharply “just stop. You’re not in trouble, so you can calm down. I didn’t need you or Violet today. I closed the beach because we’d only have one good life-guard out there for the whole day.” You find yourself a bit calmer then when you started, but you were definitely more confused. “If… If you weren’t going to chew me out for…well… lying about not being able to work, then why are you here?” Micky runs a hoof down his face, as if he was trying to find the right words. “…I asked Violet what was going on between you and that tourist you’ve been hanging out with lately. She didn’t want to say anything at first, but I pressured her into it and she told me the entire story. I came to see if she was telling the truth.” A newfound sense of hostility bubbled up from out of nowhere and directed itself at your boss for forcing his way into your life like this. “Why?” you ask curtly “You better not give me any shit just because I like mares.” Micky blinks a few times in shock before laughing under his breath. “Now where did this come from? I wasn’t going to say anything about it,” he says as he guides you over to a nearby picnic table. “You see, Klein is doing everything he can to avoid a pink slip, except for telling me why he did what he did. I needed a motive to fill out on the form and that’s why I went to Violet.” You feel yourself calm down a bit as everything begins to make sense. “Okay then… So… What now?” “You two enjoy yourselves,” he says as he gets to his hooves “I’m sure you’ll have many good times to come.” You cringe when reminded of the impending time-limit. “At least until tomorrow…” you say sullenly. Micky stops mid-stride and turns back around. “Why? What’s happening tomorrow?” “Applejack has to come back home to Ponyville tomorrow… We’re trying to figure out how to do this whole ‘long-distance-relationship’ thing…” you say as you glance to the ground. Micky puts a hoof under your chin and makes you look him in the eyes. “Do you really love her?” “I-” “I mean really love her? I’ve seen ponies kiss like that before just to prove a point.” You feel your face go completely red when you realize your boss saw that little scene. “Y-You saw? I mean, I-I…” you try to calm down and take a deep breath “I love her,” you finally say “a lot. I want to be with her for the rest of my life.” Micky stares at you intently as you saw this, never once blinking. Just before it starts to get uncomfortable, he lets out a heavy sigh and mumbles something under his breath. “What? What’s wrong?” you ask as he walks away again. “I just realized I got some work I got to take care of. I’ll see ya later.” Just as Micky walks out of site, Applejack returns with three funnel-cakes balanced precariously on her back. “Here we are, three-Hey. Where’d yer boss go?” “He had to leave, but I’ll take his funnel-cake,” you say as you grab the two plates off of her back. You take a seat at the picnic-table again and dig in. Applejack snickers aloud as you take a giant bite out of your first funnel-cake. “What?” “Yer gonna get pudgy if you keep eatin’ like that.” “Well, that just means that there’ll more of me to love.” Applejack laughs under her breath at the statement before taking a bite of her own funnel-cake. “So, what’s next on the agenda?” You swallow the last of your first funnel-cake and open your mouth to suggest going on another ride when a loud buzzer goes off, making you and Applejack turn your heads to a stand with a blue mare behind it, shaking her head slightly. “Oh, too bad, so sad! Not everyone’s a winner, but if you fancy yourself one, then step right up!” “Over there!” you yell as you grab a hold of Applejack, who does her best to stuff the last bit of funnel-cake in her mouth. The mare running the stall sees you coming towards her and smiles. “Step right up! Step right up! Don’t be shy! It’s easy as can be! Knock the milk bottles over and win a prize! Knock over all three and win the grand-prize!” she yells as she points to the plush toys of all sizes. Grabbing a hold of her, you smile from ear to ear. “Win me a teddy bear? Pleeeeease?” “Oh alright then,” Applejack says with an indifferent shrug. “3 bits, 3 balls!” the mare states as she holds out an open hoof. Applejack reaches for her wallet, but you beat her to it and lay out your own money. “Make it count, sweetie,” you say as you give her a quick peck on the cheek. Applejack picks up one of the balls and inspects it. “So I just gotta knock the bottles over, that’s it?” “May not be as simple as you think, ‘sweetie’,” the mare says as she steps to the side. “Alright-y then, lemme just take a few steps back here…” You give her a puzzled look. “Step back? Why?” She doesn’t answer and instead tosses the balls into the air and spins around quickly. Using one hind leg, she hits the balls as they come down in rapid succession, sending them flying right into each of the pyramid of bottles. As each hits, you count aloud. *CRASH* “One!” *CRASH* “Two!” *THUD* “TH-” The final tower of milk bottles makes a different sound then the others, making you wonder what just happened. You approach slowly with Applejack on your heels and look over the side of the counter at the final tower of bottles, stuck together on the ground in the same position they were set up in. The mare rushes over and hides the tower of bottles behind her back “W-WE HAVE A WINNER!” she exclaims shakily “CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!” Applejack’s face seems to twist into a mix of disgust and anger. “Why ya no good, two timin’-” Reaching up, you grab one of the large red bears with a white heart on its stomach. “Thank you AJ,” you say before giving her a big hug. “But I-She-” “Lighten up, all these games are rigged,” you whisper into her ear as you guide her away. “All of ‘em?” she asks surprisingly. “Yeah, but I knew you’d win.” “Why?” You nuzzle up to Applejack, making her giggle. “Because you’re awesome, that’s why. How did you do that?” “Years of apple-buckin’,” she says proudly “gotta hit trees just right ta make ‘em fall in the baskets.” Applejack’s gaze turns to the setting sun, its presence wiping away the smile on her face. “It’s gettin’ late…” she says sullenly. “Yeah…” You couldn’t believe how fast the day was coming to an end. “Think we should be headin’ out now?” A flame ignites in your heart. There was something you had to do to make this night perfect. “No, not just yet. We still gotta do one last thing.” Grabbing a hold of Applejack, you pull her frantically, trying to get her to move faster. “Wait, where are we goin’?” she asks. You don’t say a word and continue leading her through the crowd of ponies until you reach the Ferris Wheel. Running up to the stallion behind the controls, you flash your wristband. “Two,” you say as you guide Applejack into the cabin. Before stepping in, you grab a hold of the stallion and draw him close. The pimple-faced pony looks at you shocked and opens his mouth to say something. “Wha-” You put a hoof on his lips and stare him dead in the eyes. “Stop it at the top.” Giving him no chance to reply, you jump into the cabin and sit next to Applejack before throwing the teddy-bear into the seat across from you. “Here we go…” you say as the Ferris Wheel slowly started to turn. Applejack looks out the window as the cart climbs higher and higher. “Woo-wee… This is amazing. Honey-bun check out thi-” Without any warning, you jump on top of Applejack and surprise her with a deep and greedy kiss. Applejack pushes back slightly and looks at you with a confused look. “Honey-bun, what’s gotten inta you?” “I want you to never forget this night,” you say as you start to plant kisses up and down her chest “when you’re back home and feeling lonely, I want you to remember what we did here and know I’ll be with you soon.” Applejack stares up at you with a growing blush on her face. “I-I’m all for foolin’ around but we’re in public. What if someone sees?” You trace your tongue up her throat, making her shiver and moan aloud. “Then let’s give them a show, sweetie.” You continue to kiss Applejack as the Ferris Wheel goes around and around. Applejack seemed more into it than before, and you couldn’t help but tease her for it. “Is the idea that somepony watching us making you excited, AJ?” Applejack’s entire face turns red, letting you know all that you needed to know. “You naughty girl,” you whisper into her ear before nibbling it, making her squeal aloud. You grab a hold of her tail and pull it taught, making her eyes roll into the back of her head as you continue licking and biting at her neck. The assault on her senses seems too much for her and she’s soon panting heavily. “Oh… Oh horse-apples that feels…Go-” All of a sudden, the cabin jerks violently, causing you and Applejack to fall off of the bench and onto the floor of the cabin. However, Applejack was the one on top this time and you were pinned underneath her. You’re both surprised by this change of pace, but you can’t help but smile. “I’m okay with this,” you say before planting a quick kiss on her lips. Applejack grins devilishly before grabbing a hold of both of your wings, making you writhe in pleasure. “Same.” She starts to work on your wings, but stops abruptly. “Naw… Let’s try somethin’ a little different…” “Huh? What do you-” Before you can get any further, Applejack grabs a hold of your flanks, making you gasp aloud as she begins to rub them in circular motions. “I’m always playin’ with yer wings,” she says as she brings her face down to one of your flanks “I wanna do somethin’ new.” You bite your lower lip to stifle a loud moan as Applejack traces her tongue all about, making you visibly writhe in bliss. “Oh my… Oh my gosh…” Applejack moves away from your flank and looks over you, smiling. “Looks like I found another of yer weak spots.” You don’t know why, but this declaration embarrasses you to no end. “I…I… It’s not my fault, I’m just, you know… Just really sensitive, is all…” Your coy nature makes Applejack laugh aloud. “Oh honey-bun, it ain’t a bad thing…” she says as she brings her face to yours “I think it’s cute.” Wordlessly, she moves in for another kiss and you gladly move to accept it, but stop short when you hear the cabin door slowly open. Acting quickly, you both get to your hooves and take a seat next to each other and do your best to act as nonchalant as possible. “Did you enjoy your ride?” the pimply faced stallion asks as he opens the cabin door. “Yeah, I enjoyed her-” Applejack blushes as she catches her Freudian slip “I mean it. I enjoyed it very much. Thank ya kindly.” You giggle aloud as you notice the stallion’s face go red as he pieces it all together. His face was almost as red as Applejack’s. “Oh come on sweetie. No harm, no foul,” you say as you push at her side. “Yeah… I guess you’re right,” Applejack says with a nervous giggle. You couldn’t help but push her buttons. “I’m all for wearing a saddle, if you really want to ride me.” Applejack’s eyes go wide. “I… I uh… Really?” she asks skittishly. You do your best to stifle a laugh as you put a wing around her shoulder and draw her close. “Come on, you horn-dog. Let’s go back to the hotel so we can snuggle.” “Read my mind…” she says as she nuzzles up to you. * * * * * * * During the walk to the dock with Applejack, you were reminded of a theory about time travel by Asimov Or was it Wells? Either way, all you could wonder where the last eight hours went. You and Applejack held each other as you slept and only awoke when the alarm went off, signaling her final hours on Summerset Keys. All you could do now was help carry her bags to the docks and see her off. Just looking at the ship made your eyes wet. “Honey-bun... I really wish we could make this work… But we’re gonna need time,” she says as she wipes away your tears “ya gotta be strong. For the both of us.” Throwing your hooves around her neck, you hug her tightly. “I promise. I-I’ll be strong. And the next time I see you, I’m going to hold you just like this and never let go.” A loud whistle from the boat makes your heart sink into your hooves. “ALL-ABOARD FOR GOTLAND BAY!” Applejack gives you a kiss on the cheek before slowly breaking the hug. “I gotta go… I’ll miss ya sugar-cube,” she says with a sniffle. You slump down on your haunches as she makes her way up the gangplank, never once looking away from you. You knew this would happen when you found out she had to leave, but it didn’t make the hurt any less painful as tears streaked down your face. The boat slowly starts to chug off from the port, taking your one true love with it. From the deck of the boat, you see Applejack waving to you, crying just as openly as you. You wave back to her, doing the best to force a smile. “WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?!?” Whipping around, you see Micky, Blendy, and a group of ponies running towards you. Micky was leading him and looked completely shocked. “What? What do you mean?” Micky grabs a hold of you and shakes you violently. “DIDN’T YOU GET THE NOTE ON THE DOOR?!?” “What note?!?” “This note!” you hear Violet yell as she pushes her way through the crowd. She opens an envelope she’s levitating in the air and practically shoves it in your face. “I-” “READ IT!” Micky yells frantically. You shut your mouth and read the note as quickly as you can. The gang and I were talking it over and we all decided to chip in and give you a little piece of happiness. Inside is a ticket to Gotland Bay and two Express Coach tickets for Ponyville. We all hope she makes you as happy as you made us happy over the years. Signed, Micky, your ex-boss You look up to the group of ponies with a dumbstruck look. “What about all my stuff?” “We loaded it up on the boat!” Violet yells. “But what about all my money?” “It’s on the boat!” a mare from the crowd cries. “I… I…” what they were doing for you hit you like a ton of bricks “Guys, I don’t know what to say.” “You better stop saying stuff and get on that boat or you’ll be homeless and penniless!” Micky cries as he shoves the ticket into your hooves. The realization hit you like a ton of bricks. Everything you owned was on that boat. “Oh crap, you’re right!” you yell as you tense up all your muscles for take-off “I gotta-” you stop midway before turning back to your friends. “I gotta say goodbye first.” Running towards them, you throw your hooves around them and bring them all in for a great big hug. “I’ll miss all of you guys and I’ll never forget what you did here. Thank you for everything.” “No prob’em life-mare. Is wat friends do.” “We’ll miss you!” “Thanks for everything you’ve done here!” Turning to Violet, you grab a hold of her tightly, making her gasp aloud in surprise. “I promise I’ll be back to see you. All of you.” Micky looks like he’s trying to enjoy this heart-felt moment, but he looks way too distressed. “You’ve got to hurry up and fly! The boat is already way out there!” Letting go of Violet you make your way to the end of the dock before giving them one final wave goodbye. You make sure the tickets are securely in your mouth before tensing yourself up completely again. In one powerful motion, you take off into the air and fly barely an inch above the water, your wings beating fiercely to catch up with the boat. The boat was a little ways away, but your wings were already starting to tire. In a flash of inspiration, you tuck your wings in and streamline your body before going beneath the water for a split second, only to come right back up and glide. You repeat this process as you’ve seen the flying fish do, gaining speed by using your powerful legs beneath the water and a few wing flaps above. Once the boat is close enough, you surface and go up high, before dive-bombing the deck. It didn’t take long for you to pick Applejack out of the crowd and the only warning she got of your imminent approach was the startled cries of the other passengers as you closed in. “What in the-” You tackle Applejack and hug her closely, panting in exhaustion. “I… I MADE IT!” you yell through clenched teeth. She finally realizes just who was holding her and looks at you completely shocked. “WHAT IN TARNATION ARE YOU-” Applejack stops as she notices the soaking wet tickets you held. You open your mouth and let them fall into your lap before smiling. “I told you I’d hold you like this the next time I see you.” Applejack opens her mouth a few times and closes it before just shaking her head. How you did it doesn’t seem to matter anymore and she simply holds you back. “And I’m never letting go.”
Epilogue“Uh, Applejack? A-Are you sure this is a good idea?” you ask nervously. “Honey-bun, we both agreed that doin’ it when everyone is present and accounted for was the best idea.” “Well now I’m nervous!” you cry as you stamp your hoof down “They all think I’m some tourist you met on the boat home who lives here in Ponyville! Why did you even tell them that?” Applejack gives you a stern look. “You told them that the minute you got out of the carriage. I was gonna tell them straight up then and there.” “Oh,” you say bashfully “sorry...” Applejack sighs heavily and opens the door. “Just go take a seat at the table. I’ll be right behind you.” You feel all eyes go on you the minute you walk into the room, making you sweat. You were wearing your mane in braids and may have gone a little overboard on the blush and lipstick. Sitting down, you take a deep breath and remind yourself of each pony’s name so you didn’t stumble across your words when you talked to them. Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Big Mac, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy... The group quickly returns to their previous conversation, so you do your best to focus on it, but can’t help but feel a little lost. “...said he was going to ‘hang out with the boys’ while we were at dinner,” Rainbow Dash says as she nudges at her plate idly “I wonder what they’re doing right now.” “Oh!” Pinkie Pie cries “I know! My hubby was saying how they were just gonna sit around and smoke cigars while playing poker.” Rarity nods. “Yes, mein Schatz says that it’s a good bonding experience for them and it would help them become as good friends as we are.” “Umm ...‘mein Schatz’? What’s that?” “Oh, sorry Fluttershy. It’s just a little pet name I call him. Just how I’m his little fräulein,” Rarity says with a giggle. “He hasn’t given me a pet name...” Twilight says sullenly. “SOUP’S ON EVERYPONY!” Applejack declares as she bursts through the door, carrying a silver tray on her back. Apple Pies, fritters, dumplings, and what looked like apple-kabobs drizzled in caramel were all laid out on the table. “Wow, this all looks so good.” Rainbow Dash says as she grabs one of the kabobs. “Darling, you must tell me where you learned to make this excellent drink!” Rarity declares as she takes another sip “What did you call it again?” “Apple-hito. It’s sort like a mohito, only with hard cider. Still really good. Honey-bun here showed me how to mix it.” “Uh... Who’s honey-bun?” Twilight asks as she puts her fritter down. Your heart races as you realize the cat was out of the bag. Applejack takes a deep breath and goes to stand up, but you beat her to it. “I... Kinda lied when I first met you. I wasn’t a tourist who met Applejack on the boat... And I don’t live here in Ponyville. Truth is, I met AJ a little after she got off of the boat.” “I thought she drowned when I first met her, but it turned out she was the lifeguard there.” Applejack says as she moves to your side. The words weren’t as easy to find as you thought. “We kinda... Well... The thing is...” It was equally hard for Applejack as her own Grandmother stared intently at her. “We’re kinda... Sorta...” All at once, you both find your nerve and speak up at the same time. “We’re in love.” The table was completely silent as they stared on in disbelief. “Uh... Wow,” Twilight says finally “I wasn’t expecting that.” “Me neither,” Rarity says, particularly stunned. “Wow AJ, I pegged you for a ‘ma barn door don’t swing that way’ kinda mare.” Rainbow Dash says with a tease. A blush starts to creep across Fluttershy’s face. “Oh my...” “Oh wowie wow wow!” Pinkie Pie cries “I didn’t know you were gay!” Rainbow Dash swats the back of Pinkie’s head. “Hey! Lay off, Pinks!” “What?!?” Pinkie yells in defense “It’s just that if I’d known, I woulda taken a swing at her myself.” Rarity looks at Pinkie in surprise. “Pinkie, I didn’t know you were...” “I’m not,” she says as she takes a bite out of her slice of pie. “Then why did-” Pinkie shrugs. “What can I say? I’ve always been curious.” Big Macintosh was the next to speak up. “Well uh... Gotta say this took me by surprise... But it’s fine by me.” “Oh wow... I had no idea everyone would take this so well,” you say with a half-hearted giggle. All of a sudden, you feel someone grab a hold of your head and force you to look to your left. It was Granny Smith, and she was scrutinizing every inch of you. “So you were a life-guard, eh?” “Uh... Yes ma’am,” you say uneasily. “Do anythin’ exciting in that line of work?” “I kicked a shark.” Granny Smith is taken aback by your frankness of the statement, as is everypony else at the table. “What? It was just a great white.” Granny Smith laughs aloud now as she pats your back heavily. “I LIKE THIS ONE!” Applejack smiles from ear to ear, so you take this as a good thing. “So... I really don’t have anywhere to stay. It’s kinda why I’ve been sleeping here... You don’t mind if I... Move in?” “Sweet-heart, you’re more than welcome to stay,” Granny Smith says with a warm smile. You do your best to hold back your tears in front of all of Applejack’s friends, but you find it increasingly difficult. “Thanks everyone... I had no idea you’d make me feel so welcome.” “No problem!” Rainbow Dash says as she puts a hoof around your shoulder “So, life-guard, huh?” “Yeah, one of the best on the beach, or so I was told.” “Well, we don’t really have any beaches, but we gotta lake.” Your ears perk up at this revelation. “Oh?” “Yeah!” Twilight declares “If you’re as good a swimmer as you say you are, then you could teach some of the kids here all the basics! Maybe even CPR classes for the adults!” “Oh my gosh, that’s a great idea!” you say giddily “I gotta go down to the lake and check it out!” You turn to Applejack and put your hooves on her shoulders. “I’m gonna need some help getting that all set up. Can you lend me a hoof?” “Why certainly, honey-bun,” Applejack says, her embarrassed blush finally dying down. You plant a quick kiss on her lips, making her entire face go red again. “Thanks sweetie.” Taking a seat back down, the festivities commence again, in higher spirits this time. Just as you are about to dig into your plate, you feel someone tug at your side. Looking down, you see Apple Bloom staring up at you. “Uh... Yes?” you ask as you crane your neck down. Unexpectedly, Apple Bloom grabs a hold of your neck and holds you tight. “Thank you,” she says above a whisper. “For what?” “Oh! Uh... You know...” she says uneasily “Fer makin’ my sister happy. Yeah, that’s it.” “Oh... Okay. She makes me happy too, so it’s a fair trade.” “Do... Do I have to call you ‘big sis’ now too? Or...” You shake your head. “No, not really. I mean, if you want to, I’m fine with it.” Apple Bloom extends a hoof. “Well then ‘big sis’, lemme be the first to officially welcome you ta Ponyville; yer new home.” You shake her hoof, smiling all the while. “Thanks, Apple Bloom. I really do feel like I’m... home now,” you say as you grab a hold of Applejack and hug her tightly. I’m home, you think with a content sigh I’m home and I’m loved.
