Beauty on the Beach

Beauty on the beach
Chapter 1: A what kind of beach???

"Last stop, Horseshoe Bay! All passengers to disembark!" The shrill voice of the conductor, combined with the screech of the brakes woke me up from my half slumber as the train pulled into the station. I got up, grumbling a little at the aches and pains in my legs and blinking to clear the sleep from my eyes. Everything outside the train was still shrouded in darkness; I was on the first train to the bay, which in reality had been the last train out of Ponyville the night before with a short layover in Canterlot where I had just wandered around the closed station for an hour or so.

My body protested all the way down to my feet. I had spent nearly all my budget for this trip on the accommodations at the hotel in Baltimare, and hadn't had anything left to spare to pay for a booth in the trains sleeper car. Looking back down at the seat I had passed the night it; one far too small to comfortably seat someone as large as I was for long, I grabbed my travel bag and walked down the aisle towards the carriage exit, popping joints and stretching muscles as I went. One or two other people followed me, variously grabbing bags or stretching as I passed them.

Planting season was over on the farm; AJ and I had busted our humps getting everything in before the seasons changed, but we got it done. Apple Bloom helped out where she could, and every little bit helped. Now that everything was over and done with, I was taking a well earned vacation to the seaside. A week's long break to recharge my batteries and just take some 'me' time. No one could say I didn't deserve it; always up before dawn and toiling in the fields until after sunset.

But all that was over now, and here I was, a free man out to get a little R&R. Truth be told, I didn't really know anything about where I was going. I had never been to Baltimare before, except for one very short stop at the train station while on my way to somewhere else. Really, the only reason I chose here for my holiday was because of my cousin, Braeburn.

Last time he was down for the Apple family reunion, we were playing cards and he asked me where it was I was planning to go this year. Last year I had come up to see him and his kin out at Appaloosa. When I had mentioned I was thinking about the coast, he had instantly recommended this place to me, saying that there was this great little beach just past Horseshoe Bay where I could get everything I wanted. Sun, fantastic sand, and some great scenery. He had put maybe just a little too much emphasis on the last point, but didn't elaborate on it. I figured that one beach was as good as any other, so I made my plans for Baltimare.

Climbing out of the train, I looked around at the sleepy little station. Horseshoe Bay had originally been a seaport; thanks to its design it was very sheltered from the wind and tides, and the water level was deep until quite close to the actual shoreline. The wide mouth of the bay could easily accommodate larger ships, and allow them to load or unload passengers and cargo in relative calm and safety. Over the years, as trains allowed for faster and more efficient transport of freight, the small seaport had developed in tandem with its neighbour city of Baltimare. Now the once small seaport was a thriving hive of activity; Industrial cranes serviced the ships, moving freight containers to the dock, while on the other side of the bay there were berths for passenger craft and personal yachts. Set back from the waterfront was a thin layer of urbanisation that had sprung up to maintain and service the port, and the tourism that came with it. Market stalls hawked fresh fish and local produce, hotels boasted of seaside views and comfortable beds, and restaurants offered breathtaking meals at affordable prices.

In the murky pre-dawn light, all of this was still nothing more than just a blur on the horizon to me. Twinkling lights out at sea showed the location of ships waiting to receive the port's authority to approach and unload, while nearer to the train, merchants were loading out their stalls with their goods for the day, much like we would do back home.

The couple of other people who got off the train with me headed down towards the docks or some other area of the station. Rather than join them, I headed up towards the top of the bluff that overlooked the bay. Braeburn had been rather specific about where it was that I was to go once I had gotten here, even going so far as to write down directions for me. The beach he had mentioned was over past the other side of the bay, and it was a walk of about half an hour or so. Plenty of time for me to shake off the effects of the sleep and stretch my legs out a little.

Nodding to a ticket attendant who appeared to still be half asleep as I walked past her, I made my way up towards to top of the cliff. It didn't take long to find what looked like a rough dirt path leading in the direction I wanted to go, and it meandered along for quite a distance.

I set off at a good pace, whistling to myself as I walked along the dirt road. There wasn't anyone else I could see on the path, so it was possible that I might even have the beach to myself for a little while; it was still far too early to expect anyone other than business holders to be up yet. I had been looking forward to this for a while now, and I really didn't want to end up sharing the beach with dozens or hundreds of other people. Not that I begrudged them anything, but I just wanted to have some alone time to start off with. A nice pre-dawn swim and then settle down to dry out and relax on the beach, maybe work on my tan for a while; that was the ticket.

I kept up the brisk pace I had set off on, and it only took me twenty minutes to walk about the edge of Horseshoe Bay and look down over the sides of the cliff. In the distance, I could just make out a medium sized beach, effectively a miniature sized version of the bay I had just left. Protected on three sides and open only to the water, it was isolated and well sheltered; you could only really see it if you were directly in front of the opening, or up higher on the cliffs as I was. I figured that the path would lead to a opening that would allow for each access; the cliffs around it were fairly sheer and didn't offer easy access to the sand.

Heading towards the start of the path down, I passed by a small sign hammered into the ground next to the road. Most likely it would just contain the normal set of rules that one found on most beaches; things like dogs on leashes, no diving off the rocks, beware of rips, etc. Things that you would find at any beach in all of Equestria and beyond. I did see one thing a little different though. Right at the top of the sign, in big bold letters, the sign proclaimed 'Naturist Beach. Please be respectful of each others privacy. No photography permitted.'

Naturist Beach? What's that? Some kind of wildlife preserve, I guess I thought to myself as I passed the sign and headed down towards the beach itself. Another could of minutes later on and I was at the bottom and just about to step onto the sand. Before me the horizon was ablaze with orange; the sun was just about to peak over the top of the sea. Reaching down, I grabbed a handful of the sand and rubbed it between my fingers. It was so fine and smooth; it barely even felt like sand.

Compared to the dirt and grit we have on the farm, this was heavenly. I quickly flicked off both shoes and let my feet sink into the sand, wiggling my toes around until they were covered. Something this nice deserved to be enjoyed. I just stood there, lapping up everything the beach had to offer when the sun crested the waves. Like a curtain rising up, everything around me was lit up in glorious colour. The warmth of the sun washed over me, contrasting with the cool breeze coming in off the ocean. The beach looked like a little slice of paradise.

Guess Braeburn was right about this place I figured as I stepped fully out onto the beach and walked down towards the waters edge. There was no one else around so I just picked what looked like a good spot and dumped my bag on the ground, unzipped it and pulled out a large beach towel. Setting it flat on the sand and weighing it down against the breeze, I stripped off my shirt and pants, revealing an aging pair of swimming trunks under them.

I had had these trunks for years now, and there were getting a little beyond their lifespan. The stitching was fraying and they had faded in several spots, but there were still good enough for me. I figured that I would get another pair once I got back to Ponyville, but these trunks deserved one final send off. I replaced my clothes in my bag and strode down towards the water. The rhythmic pulsing of the waves was intoxicating and I wanted to get wet as soon as possible. I wasn't really worried about leaving my bag alone; Equestria had very little crime, and theft almost never happened. In addition, there just wasn't anything in the bag worth stealing. A couple of changes of clothing, some fruit to have for lunch, My wallet maybe, but even that only had enough money for today in it. The plan was to visit the bank in Baltimare once I had settled in to the hotel if I needed more.

Stopping just short of the water, I paused for a moment to take in the ambience of the place. Everything was so quiet, so peaceful, that I just wanted a second to let time stop around me. There was only the sound of the waves around me, the chirping of some far way birds waking up with the sun, and the cool breeze on my chest. It was exactly what I had come out here to find. Taking a deep breath, I strode forward and plunged my feet into the water.

The cold of the water was so strong, my feet almost hurt, but I had been out in far worse, so I strode forward regardless, quickly entering the water up to my knees, and then to my waist and finally to halfway up my chest. As soon as I felt there was enough water between me and the sandy floor, I dived forward and sank under the waves.

Far more effective than any shower, the cold water served to fully wake me up, and when I surfaced again, shaking droplets of water from my hair and out of my eyes, I was a totally different person to the one who had walked in only moments ago. The clean air and cold water; so different to the heat and sweat of working on the farm.

Diving under again, I started swimming off in any direction I chose, only surfacing long enough to take in another lungful of air. My body, toned and heavily muscled from a lifetime of planting and harvesting cut through the waves with ease, powering me forward with speed and clarity. Wherever I wanted to go, I just went there, arms and legs sending me there with powerful strokes and graceful kicks.

After about half an hour, I started to tire of swimming, so I headed back in towards the shore, not realising just how far out I had swum. By the time I got back to the beach, my arms and legs were burning with the exertion of having carried me so far, and I was breathing heavily. It was time for me to have a short rest on my towel and work on that tan I promised myself I would acquire.

Settling down on the towel, I stretched out, arms behind my head and closed my eyes. The sun, now well above the horizon was warm on my skin and quickly began to dry me out. Not yet hot enough to worry about burning; I took my time lounging in the light, turning over once or twice to let the sun bathe my back for a while.

I'm not sure how long I lay there, but eventually I heard voices coming from the direction of the path leading down to the beach. Idly I glanced up, hoping to get a look at the new arrivals. I knew that it was unlikely that I would remain alone on the beach for the entire day, but one could always hope.

Four women in bikinis were just getting off the path and were headed towards me. I hoped that they didn't settle down too close to me; they had the whole beach to choose from and just me around. There were unwritten rules of etiquette on things like this.

As they got closer, I got a good look at them, and sat bolt upright when I realised who they were. Dressed in decidedly skimpy bikini that showed off a generous amount of pale flesh was Roseluck, a flower grower I knew from Ponyville. Behind her were her two friends, Daisy and Lilly, garbed in equally revealing swimsuits that seemed to serve only to highlight just how little they were wearing. Collectively they made up the bulk of Ponyville's flower market, with each one specialising in a particular type of flower. Occasionally we would hire them, along with Carrot Top to help out with planting or harvesting, but mostly we just existed alongside each other; they sold flowers, we sold fruits and vegetables.

Behind them though was someone I knew far better. Someone whom I had once almost had the pleasure of being married to.

"Cheerilee?" I said, not quite believing my eyes. Compared with the others, she was wearing a rather conservative purple two piece bikini. Even still, there was plenty of cleavage on display, with slight bumps in the centre of each cup hinting at the nipple covered beneath.

Cheerilee, and the trio all looked up at me, realising for the first time who I was.

"Big Macintosh?" Cheerilee said, clearly just as surprised to see me here as I was to see her. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah'm jus' here for a holiday. Plantin' season's over," I said, pleased to see her. "You?"

"It's just about the end of school vacation, and these three," Cheerilee indicated Roseluck and the others, "mentioned that they were coming here today. I asked if I could tag along. I didn't think I would be meeting anyone I knew though."

I noticed that Cheerilee seemed to be blushing as she spoke, especially when she mentioned meeting someone she knew. I knew how she felt; we had always been a bit hesitant with each other ever since Apple Bloom and her friends had tricked us into drinking that punch and had woken up at the bottom of a pit, with her in a wedding veil and me with an engagement ring the size of a grapefruit. Since that day, we had been doing our best to skirt around that incident; never quite able to talk about it, but also not able to move on from it.

"Whatever, you two," Daisy interrupted, throwing an ornate towel down on the sand a little distance away from me. "I'm not here to catch up. Let's get sunbaking already."

There was a general murmur of consensus from the other two, and before I could ask them anything else, Lilly and Daisy casually unhooked their bikini tops and dropped them down to the ground next to them before going for the string knots that held their bottoms up. Roseluck followed suit, and in a few moments all three were stark naked and settling down on towels.

Shock at what they were doing must have shown on my face, and Cheerilee, who was about to do the same as the trio, stopped a moment before she would have pulled her own top off. "Mac, what's the matter?"

I pointed to Roseluck and the others, apparently totally unconcerned about the fact they had just removed every last scrap of clothing. Their breasts were exposed for all to see as they passed around a tube of tanning butter and took turns to rub it into their skin or into each other's backs.

Cheerilee seemed to understand what I meant, and nodded back up to the top of the path, to where I had passed the sign earlier. "Mac, you do know what this place is, right?"

"It's ahh, ahh, wildlife beach, right?" I said, remembering what the sign had said.

Cheerilee shook her head, "not quite. Mac, this is a naturist beach, or as most people prefer to call it, a nudist beach. Clothing is optional here." She pointed to her companions, who were all now rubbing the butter into their tits, apparently taking great pains to make sure that the lather was even everywhere.

I looked from her to them and back to her again, Braeburn's words when he described this place coming back all too clearly. Great scenery he had said, but it was only now that I realised that he hadn't been talking about the landscape. The warnings about privacy and cameras all made sense now.

Cheerilee's cheeks flushed as she went on. "I used to come to places like this quite often while I was doing my teaching degree. Whenever the weather was nice and I had the time. There's just something so...free about not having to wear clothes all the time. All the people who say that it's immoral have clearly never tried it."

She stopped and looked over to Roseluck and the others. They were either finished or were just rubbing in the last few squirts of tanning butter. Daisy had already lain back on her towel, eyes closed and clearly settling in for the long haul. A small windup clock had been stuck in the dirt next to her, idly ticking away the seconds until they would have to turn over.

"I haven't had much of a chance in recent years, though," Cheerilee continued. "Between being a teacher and tutor, and all the other things I have to do, I just haven't had the time. But, when I heard these three talking about coming here today, I decided to make the time and asked if I could come along. I figured with school just about to go back and the weather being nice, this would be my last chance for a while."

Lilly cracked an eye open and looked up at us. "You're one of my best customers, Cheery. You're always welcome to join us. Now get that top off; daylight's burning."

Cheerilee turned back to me, concern on her face. "That's not going to be a problem, is it, Mac? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable..."

"If he's uncomfortable seeing a bunch on independent women shaking off the shackles of oppression, he should go home," Roseluck said, walking up behind Cheerilee. Unlike the other two, she hadn't sat down yet, as she had been setting up a large umbrella and a couple of chairs for when they wanted to get out of the sun.

Getting right up behind Cheerilee, she brought her hands up and grabbed the sides of Cheerilee's top and before anyone could stop her, yanked it up and off of her body.

My eyes instantly sprang to Cheerilee's chest, locking on to her tits as they bounced around, jiggling with the motion of being freed so suddenly.

"There, take a look and get over it," Roseluck said, smirking as she dropped Cheerilee's top to the ground and settled down onto her towel to join her friends.

Cheerilee tried to cover herself on reflex, but quickly realized the futility of such an action. She lowered her arms to her sides and gave me a look that plainly said 'sorry.'

"It's alright," I assured her. She had nothing to be sorry for; she was attractive, cute, and had a gorgeous body; shapely in all the right places. Cheerilee fit the bill in almost every way for my perfect girl, and somewhere deep inside me, there was a part of my mind that hoped I would get to see more of her.

Unfortunately, it was not the only part of my body excited to see Cheerilee strip naked in front of me. My swimming trunks, already a little tight, were getting tighter. A glance down showed me that there was a noticeable bulge forming at the front.

Cheerilee followed my gaze, but if she saw anything out of the ordinary she didn't mention it. Instead she gave me a small smile before following the lead of the others and slipped out of her bikini bottoms. Dropping them onto the ground next to her top, she picked up the tube of tanning butter Roseluck had dropped and started to rub it into her skin.

I watched her, eyes fixed on her. The way she moved, even in the simple motion of just rubbing her own skin, it was mesmerizing. Her vibrant green eyes, dimpled smile, and toned body. Clearly she was someone who took the time to eat healthy and look after herself; she wasn't all skin and bones like some models were. I knew she was about my age, but you wouldn't have guessed it by looking at her.

After a few more moments, I realised that I was staring, and I turned away, breaking my eyes away from Cheerilee's form to look back out at the sea. With the sun now fully up, it sparkled and shone in the light; a gleaming sapphire crested with white foam. A couple of gulls flew overhead on light puffs of wind or pecked in among the fine sand.

I took in a lungful of the rich sea air; that unique combination of sand, salt and seaweed you don't find anywhere else and lay back down on my towel. Closing my eyes, I focused on listening to the sounds of the waves and the cries of the gulls passing overhead. Anything to take my mind off of the fact that there were four naked women lounging around close to me.

I thought about what I would do once I got into Baltimare. I would have to drop in and say hello to family while I was there; that much was expected of me. We had cousins who we only really ever saw at the various reunions who lived in Baltimare. They had a standing invitation to come visit them, though I doubt they ever actually expected anyone to really take them up on that offer.

It was hard, but I managed to fill my head with thoughts of finances for the farm, what I would be doing later on in the year, and even what needed to be done in preparation for the next harvest. I would need to resharpen the plough, make sure that all the baskets were up and ready for service and check on all the nets for when the fruit became ripe enough to entice the birds and bats that lived around the farm. Fruit bats were the greatest threat, ruining vast acres of crop in their insatiable lust for food. I knew that the bats were a vital part of the natural cycle on an orchard, and they were important for the long term betterment of the farm, but that didn't matter much when you were looking at an entire orchard that would have to go to waste because of them.

With my head now firmly off the topic of the women beside me, I relaxed and fell back down onto my towel. The sun was up high enough now that it wasn't shining directly into my eyes as I rested my hands behind my head and looked up at the clouds above us. Bright and fluffy, they floated around, caught in a stiff upper breeze that caused them to twist and dance as they moved about the sky. One second they looked like a horse, and then they were gone, only to be replaced by something else.

"Hey, Big Mac," Roseluck called out from her towel, bringing me back down to earth. I blinked a couple of times and turned my head over to see that they had all turned over at some point and were resting on their stomaches with their backs upturned to the sun. Lilly, already the more tan of the bunch shone a golden brown under the oil covering her body, but Roseluck and Daisy were still a more pasty white. Cheerilee was somewhere in the middle; her normally creamy skin was darkening towards a rich brown that served her accentuate her curves. Despite knowing that tanning was supposedly bad for you, her body looked the picture of perfect health; radiant beauty that spoke of someone who loved life.

"You are allowed to join us, you know," Roseluck said, pointing to my trunks. "You ever gonna take them trunks off?"

"Eenope," was my firm reply. They might be comfortable in going starkers, but letting it all hang out wasn't exactly on my to-do list. Even if this was a nude beach, there was still a lingering feeling of inappropriateness that came with the idea of a man being naked in public. While a woman sunning herself might be sexy to those around her, seeing a man doing the same seemed to be more of a 'call the police' situation.

"Aww," Roseluck said, sounding mildly disappointed. "That's half the reason for coming here; getting to see a guy's junk." She rose up on one elbow and looked significantly at me, or more accurately, at the bulge in my trunks. "I wouldn't mind knowing what's in that package."

Suddenly, it didn't seem like such a good idea to have worn my old trunks; just a size too small. When next I saw him, Braeburn had better have taken out a new dental plan.

I was about to say something else when a quick flash of light caught my eyes. It was only there for a moment, up on the top of the cliffs almost exactly where I had first glimpsed the beach. It was almost as if there was some kind of reflective material up there. The kind of glint you would get from a pair of glasses or...a set of binoculars.

"What's that?" I said, focusing on the cliff. I could just make out two shapes partially concealed in the brush at the top. I brought a hand up to shade my eyes and looked harder at them, squinting with the effort of trying to focus at the distant target through the heat haze coming off the rocks and sand. The two shapes resolved themselves into a pair of men, clearly trying to keep themselves hidden as they passed a pair of binoculars between them. Whenever they focused in my direction, the binoculars caught the rays of the sun and flashed, giving their position away.

Roseluck and Lilly followed my gaze and squealed when they realised what it was I was looking at, arms trying to cover up though it was far too late for that now. "Pervs," Roseluck called out, but there was no way her voice could carry all the way up there.

I wasn't about to stand for it though. Regardless of my own feelings to being here, these women didn't deserve to be leered at. Those kinds of men were the worst of the worst; bottom feeding filth who saw a woman as nothing more than property. If they wanted to ogle women, they could buy a magazine. Getting up from my towel, I headed off towards the cliffs, covering the ground in a couple of seconds. Behind me I heard Cheerilee say, "Don't bother, Mac. It's not worth it."

I wasn't about to have any of it; they were cowards and perverts and I was going to give them a piece of my mind. The distance to the rocks at the base of the cliff wasn't great, and my long legs easily ate through the distance without even having to breaking into anything more than a fast walk. Reaching the base of the cliff, I reached up and started to climb up the standing rocks; all the nooks and crannies in the rocks gave me plenty of handholds to climb up fast, just like climbing trees back on the orchard. As soon as I got a hand hold though, I head a voice from the top of the cliff drifting down on the wind, "Oh, shit. Dude, let's split." Clearly they had noticed me.

There was a rapid noise of foot steps on the dirt and rock, followed by Roseluck calling out, "and stay out, you perverts!" They must have seen me coming and turned tail to run.

There wouldn't be much point in trying to follow them now; by the time I got up the cliff, they would be far out ahead of me. Probably a lucky break for them, as I would have been sending them home with a few extra lumps if I had managed to catch hold of either of them.

Returning to the beach, Cheerilee had rolled over again, propping herself up on her arms and looking at me. From her position, it was hard not to look at her body, with her breasts trying vainly to resist the force of gravity and sliding down to the sides. Her legs were slightly opened, and I could just see a hint of pink between her thighs.

No, I wasn't going to look at her. That would make me no better than then men I had just chased off. Focusing squarely on her eyes, I made sure not to waver from those deep green pools.

That's right, Mac, keep your eyes level, looking into hers. Her perfect, beautiful eyes. Anyone could get lost in those eyes.

"Mac," Cheerilee started, concern on her face. "You didn't have to do that. This kind of thing happens all the time. You just get used to it and call the police."

I shook my head. "It ain't right. Ah don't think ya'll should have ta go through that."

Cheerilee smiled at me. "Well, thank you anyway. It was very gallant of you, wasn't it girls?"

Various mumbles came from the other three, but they had already apparently gotten over the incident and were focused on lounging around again. Daisy shot a look over to the clock, clearly checking how long it was before they were meant to turn over again. If they were distressed about having been spied on, they weren't showing it.

Cheerilee looked at them and shook her head. "Amazing. Well, I'm grateful to you, Mac. Thank you." She got up off her back and stretched out her arms. "I'm about ready to go for a swim. Anyone else interested?"

The others didn't respond, so Cheerilee looked at me. "How about you, Mac. Care to take a dip before lunch?"

I was getting a little hot lounging out on the beach, so the idea of getting back into the water sounded good. I extended an arm out to her and helped pull her up. Not quite sure of my own strength, Cheerilee got up a bit too quickly and she overbalanced, reeling forwards until she nearly fell into my arms. I caught her at the last moment, but for a second we were almost cinched together as lovers would; Cheerilee leaning over in my arms, gazing up into my eyes.

Quickly she regained her balance and we separated, looking in opposite directions for a split second. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cheerilee blush again, and run a hand through her hair.

"Well...shall we?" she asked, trying to power through the moment. She indicated the water. In the time that we had been on the beach, the tide had come in significantly; the leading edge of the small waves were lapping the shore only a couple of metres away from where we were camped out.

Cheerilee took the lead and strode out into the water. Clearly the cold wasn't fazing her, as she didn't even slow down as her feet were immersed in the water. In a couple of strides she was up to her knees, and then up to her waist. Much like I had done earlier, once she was up to her stomach, Cheerilee dropped the rest of her body into the water, diving forward and going under the waves.

I stopped in the shallows, just letting my legs get used to the water again. I looked out at the spot where Cheerilee had gone under, trying to see where she was likely to come out again. I had lost track of her when she dived, going under the white foam crest of an incoming wave. When she didn't reappear after a few seconds, I began to get worried; what if she had run into trouble under the waves?

As it turned out, my worry was unfounded. Nearly a full twenty metres down the beach, right at the point where the waves were breaking, Cheerilee surfaced, bursting out of the water like the mermaids in the old stories. Her hair was plastered to the back of her head as she rose up out of the water, spray and droplets running down her skin. She paused for a second, shaking her head around to get the water out of her eyes.

I froze looking at her. The way the sun sparkled on her skin, the way the water just fell off her, cascading back down into the sea as she ran her hands through her hair; it was perfect. Framed by the rocks and the waves, I might as well have been looking at the portrait of Venus, and not at the dedicated school teacher of a small town.

And right of cue, I felt the tightness in my pants return. Only this time, I did nothing to look away. I couldn't, wouldn't. I didn't care if Cheerilee caught me looking this time. She was gorgeous, breathtaking.

Cheerilee looked over to me. There was no question that she knew that I was looking at her. But this time, rather than shy away from me, she lowered her head slightly and brushed one hand down the cleft between her breasts. It lasted only a second, a quick tease just for me. Almost as soon as she was done, Cheerilee dove back into the water and swam off, heading nowhere in particular but just enjoying the feel of the water on her skin.

I glanced back at the group on the beach, but none of the others showed the slightest sign that they had seen what had gone on. They were content in their own little world, and anything outside may as well have not existed. Reassured, I dived forward into the water and powered after Cheerilee.

I had size and power on my side, and it didn't take long before I had almost caught up to her. Cheerilee noticed that I was not far behind her and closing fast, and she dove again, kicking with her legs in a motion that made her look like a fish. Under the water, she turned and twisted in ways that I could never match. I might have been faster than she was, but she could swim rings around me.

I tried several more times to catch her, an impromptu game of tag having risen up between us. I got close several times, but Cheerilee would just flit away at the last second, kicking off to one side and avoiding my hands. Eventually though, all the exercise caught up to us, and we both had to surface, panting heavily as we took in the air. Cheerilee swam up to me and flicked out a finger, booping me on the nose.

"Tag, you're it," she said, giggling like a schoolgirl.

I made one final lunge at her, but she dodged it, laughing all the way. I splashed back to the surface, coughing and spluttering for a few seconds before joining her laughter. It had been a long time since we had been able to share a joke together, and truth be told it was nice just to act like a kid again, even if it was just for the moment.

A loud gurgle from my stomach broke the moment, and we both looked down. It was only then that I realised just how hungry I was. It would have to be after lunchtime now, and I hadn't had any food since dinner the night before. I didn't count the packet of nuts I had on the train as a meal.

"Come on, Mac. Let's go get something to eat." Cheerilee began a lazy paddle back to the shore, more just floating and letting the waves push her in than actually swimming back. I was in agreement with her, and I angled in to catch a cresting wave, hoping to ride it most of the way back.

It only took a few moments for us to get back to the shallows, and Cheerilee got up, standing up tall to wring out her hair. Again, I couldn't take my eyes off her. With the sun reflecting off the water at her feet, she was radiant.

Cheerilee walked to the edge of the water and cupped her hand to her mouth. "Hey, Rose, Lilly. Can one of you pass me the water bottle?"

Roseluck lifted her head up and looked over to us. Rather than say anything she rummaged in the bag they had brought with her and pulled out a simple plastic bottle half filled with water. She rose up and arm and tossed it over to us, the bottle landing at Cheerilee's feet with a splash. Cheerilee leaned over and picked it up, popping the top off the bottle and taking a healthy gulp of the contents. When she was done, she indicated the bottle to me.

"You want some?"

I nodded to her. "Eeyup." I was actually quite thirsty, and while I had water in my bag, Cheerilee's was closer and she was offering.

Cheerilee tossed it over to me, but she overshot the mark and it went sailing right by my head and landed in the water again.

"Sorry," she called out.

I shrugged and leaned over to pick it up. It wasn't a disaster that I had failed to catch the bottle. Cheerilee headed back up to her towel as I walked over to where the bottle was floating and leaned over to pick it up.

As I was reaching down for it, I felt something happen in my trunks. They got tight for a second, before suddenly becoming rather loose around the crotch area, accompanied by the ripping sound of tearing cloth. A moment later, a cool breeze flowed between my legs.

I knew what had happed instantly. My trunks, old and worn had finally split. The seams had given out, tearing from the front to the back. Bent over, I knew that I must have been full practically mooning everyone on the beach.

"There it is," I head Roseluck call out from the beach. I could practically hear the grin in her voice. "Nice!"

My hands sprang to cover myself as I stood bolt upright. The water bottle was all but forgotten, floating sadly next to me as I tried to cover my shame with both hands, cupping myself and turning around so that I was facing the beach again.

Cheerilee, halfway to the beach, stopped and turned around again. She saw that the problem was instantly, and she picked up my towel and walked back again, handing it to me.

I was blushing furiously as she handed it over to me, stiffly grabbing it and balling it up to cover myself with.

"Don't feel embarrased, Mac," Cheerilee said kindly, purposely averting her eyes as she spoke. "You don't have anything that other men on the beach don't have." She waved her arm over the beach, and I saw that there were indeed quite a number of other people on the beach now. While most were women, there were a couple of men on the beach in various states of undress, some who were clearly holding a nude volleyball tournament. None of them appeared to be showing the slightest bit of attention to the fact that I had split my trunks and was now showing my tackle.

"Come on, you might as well just take the whole thing off. We've all seen it now, so no one is going to care. I don't imagine you would have brought a second pair of trunks to the beach, and there is no way you could be comfortable in your jeans here."

She was right. I knew I was being foolish at this point. Roseluck and the others had seen it, and everyone else of the beach didn't appear to care either way. Besides, with this being a nudist beach, probably I was standing out more having been wearing the trunks than if I had just taken them off right at the start.

Still though, it did feel strange as I dropped both hands and grabbed the waistband of my trunks. Taking a deep breath, I pulled them down and dropped my trunks down around my ankles. I was now fully nude; standing in the shallows and totally exposed. Cheerilee gave me a reassuring smile, keeping her eyes respectfully level with mine.

Back on the beach however, things were a little different. "Looking nice, Mac. I wish my guy's package was even half that size!" Roseluck gleefully called out, followed by rampant cat calls and whistles from Lilly and Daisy.

Cheerilee silenced them all with a scolding look. "Not helping, you three."

Roseluck shrugged and returned to her sunbathing. "Whatever, It's all old news now."

Daisy and Lilly followed suit, and just like that, it was all over. I'd stripped down, they'd all seen it, and now everything was right back to how it had been before I had torn my pants.

Cheerilee walked back over to me and gave me a pat on the back. "There, now isn't this better?"

I nodded slowly. I wasn't sure that it was better, but at least it wasn't like people were deliberately looking at me.

All of a sudden, I realised that was exactly what I had been doing to Cheerilee earlier. Even if she had seemed to be ok with it, I had still been focusing far too much on her at a time when she probably was just wishing that I would look away.

"Ah'm sorry 'bout earlier," I started.

"Hmm?" Cheerilee replied, reaching down to grab the water bottle before it floated away forever. "Sorry about what, Mac? You haven't done anything to apologise for."

"Before, when ya were in tha water. Ah was staring at ya. Ah shouldn't have been doin' that. Ah probably made ya feel uncomfertable."

Cheerilee gave me the smile that she would have given one of her students when they had though they had done something wrong, but actually hadn't; equal parts understanding and tenderness. "Mac, you don't have to apologise for that. I came here knowing that there could be people who might ogle me. Remember, you chased two of them off earlier. I wouldn't have come here if I couldn't handle a little unwanted attention." She leaned in and whispered into my ear, "Besides, I kind of like it. Knowing that you can still draw the eye, it's empowering in a strange way."

She pulled back before Roseluck or the others could see. "Now come on, I'm getting hungry. You wouldn't happen to have brought any apples would you?"

I had to laugh at her question, all feeling of unease at my earlier actions fading away at her words. "Of course ah got apples. Jus' who do ya think ah am?"

The rest of the day was spent variously lounging on the beach, or going out for swims in the water. Cheerilee was the most active of the others, joining me for a couple of dips now and then, but the others mostly just stayed where they were, shifting into the chairs after a few hours of having been in the sun. Roseluck got into the water once, but jumped out nearly instantly when she felt how cold it was. Daisy and Lilly didn't even go near it.

After a short while, I almost forgot that I wasn't wearing anything. The lack of clothing just became the normal thing, and soon it was no longer a problem. It was not an issue for anyone else on the beach, so why should it be a problem for me?

Still though, the day wore on and eventually it came time for us all to pack up and get ready to go home. Cheerilee and the others had to catch the train heading back towards Ponyville. I would be riding with them back to Baltimare, when I would be getting off to go check into my hotel. I had had a lot of fun here, despite how things had started off, and I might come back before I finished my holiday, though I suspected that much of what I had enjoyed had been more to do with who I was doing it with, than what I had been doing.

With the sun starting to dip down towards the horizon behind the cliffs, it was time for us all to pack up. Cheerilee and the others folded up their chairs and towels, while I just grabbed the umbrella they had brought with them. I didn't have much to take back with me, just my bag of clothing really, so I could easily help them out with something as simple as carrying an umbrella or chair. Friends and neighbours should help each other out, after all.

Finally we were done packing up, and it came time for us to head back to the station. It felt odd, putting my jeans and shirt back on. I had gotten used to the idea of being naked somewhat, and the feel of the fabric on my skin was strange at first. Watching Cheerilee put her bikini back on, and then cover it up with a stretchy white t-shirt and some shorts, I felt a tiny pang of regret that I wasn't going to get to see more of her over the next few days. Today had been one of the best days we had spent together in a long time; a day where we weren't trying to avoid eye contact with each other, or pointedly not speaking about what had happened between us that fateful hearts and hands day. It would have been nice if she could have stayed on in Baltimare for a while, but she had no reason to stay, and things that needed to be done back in Ponyville. It might have been school holidays for the students, but that didn't mean that the faculty had all that time off.

The trip back along the dirt path was uneventful, and the four of us took our time walking down back towards Horseshoe Bay. Daisy and Lilly were a deep tanned brown now, but Roseluck was already starting to turn the burning red of someone who had forgotten to reapply enough sun screen. Her normally white skin was starting to glow in the orange light of the sunset.

Cheerilee however, was perfect. She had reapplied her protection with all the fastidiousness of someone who never missed a spot, and as a result her skin was flawless. An even tan all over; no lines or smears to be seen anywhere.

As one, we all crested the hill and looked down towards the township of Horseshoe Bay, and specifically at the train station waiting for us. The train was waiting, but we could see a number of uniformed people standing around it, clearly absorbed in some kind of discussion while a couple of them inspected the train. It didn't take a genius to see that there was something wrong with the train. Around the front of the station, near the ticket booth was a large throng of people, all apparently attempting to get the attention of the people behind the booth at once.

"Oh, dear," Cheerilee said, looking from the train to the crowd of people. "I do hope that it's nothing serious."

We hastened our way down to the platform, but before we even got close, we could see that the mechanics had taken the wheels off of one side of the train entirely, and two of them were working on something delicate inside. I wasn't exactly an expert when it came to repairs, but I had fixed enough ploughs and tractors in my day to see that whatever the problem was, it wasn't going to a simple reconnect two wires kind of repair.

A security guard, apparently giving up on trying to keep the throng of people in an orderly line walked over to us, clearly seeing the confusion on our faces. "Sorry, folks. Train's not working at the moment."

That much was obvious. I was hoping that he would give us a little more information about what was going on. Like when it would be fixed.

"It's going to be a while," the guard continued, practically having read my mind. "The guys tell me that it's not a complicated fix to do, but it takes a while to do it. One of those tiny little gears right in the heart of the train has broken, and they have to remove a whole bunch of other parts to get at it."

"So what are we meant to do?" Lilly asked. "We have to get home."

The guard looked at us. "Do you have booked tickets on the train, or were you just hoping to buy one now?"

We all showed him our return tickets. The guard took a quick look at them, checking that they were valid and genuine before ushering us towards the group of people. "For those who have tickets, the company apologises and as the repair is expected to take until the morning, will be providing lodging for the night at some of the hotels in town."

"But we have to get back!" Lilly said, indignant. "We can't stay here."

The guard looked at her, not impressed by her outburst. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but there is nothing I can do. You can lodge a protest with the company, but right now, all we can offer you is accommodations for the night and a place on the first train to be leaving tomorrow." He paused for a moment before playing his trump card. "If you don't want to take the company's offer of a hotel room, you are free to wait here in the station until morning if you wish."

Lilly was taken aback a little; clearly the guard held all the cards in this argument. "No," she said just a little too quickly, "We'll take the rooms you offered."

The guard smiled and nodded. "Then just wait here in the line. The company will see to it that you are taken care of. If you have any reservations that will be affected by this, be sure to let the cashier know when you speak to her."

With that, there was nothing else we could really do. Just wait in line and take the small compensation the railway was offering, which admittedly was more than I had expected them to do in a situation like this. Still, all I could think about was the hotel in Baltimare that I wasn't going to be getting to tonight.

It took nearly half and hour of waiting around, but we finally got to the head of the queue. Well, I say head, but in reality we were the only ones left. The cashier gave us the names of two hotels in the area, one for Roseluck, Lilly, and Daisy to stay in, and one for Cheerilee and me. "I'm sorry that we have to split you up, but I'm afraid that the hotels don't have enough spaces left for all five of you to go to one."

"Well, this is turning into quite the day," Cheerilee said, trying to remain positive. That was her all over. No matter how bad it might get, and admittedly it could have been a lot worse, she would always look on the bright side.

"See you all in the morning; be sure to soak yourself in cold water, Roseluck," she said to Roseluck and the others before turning back to me. "Come on, we might as well go see where we are sleeping tonight."