It was all fun and sun during Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s day at the beach. All week, they had been planning a trip to go surfing. Fluttershy offered to join as well, but her plans were slightly different. She wanted to go to the tide pools and observe the animal life that was found there.
Now, the weekend was upon them. They’d donned their swimsuits, packed up their boards, and hit the sand.
“Land sakes. Just get a look at them waves,” Applejack said, looking out to the ocean.
“Aw yeah. I can’t wait to start shredding,” Rainbow Dash said.
“But, please be careful out there. There’s always something that can go wrong, and I don’t want to see you two get hurt,” Fluttershy said.
“Hurt how? We’re just surfin’,” Applejack said.
“I know. But, there could be a big wave that throws you onto big rocks. Or an undertow that pulls you out to sea. Or, what if there are scary fish and sea monsters waiting just off the shoreline!?”
Fluttershy was shaking and sweating, but the others simply brushed off her worries.
“I think the scary fish and sea monsters would rather get something from a concession stand than from a surfboard,” Rainbow Dash said. “Don’t worry about us. Just have fun at the tidepools looking at amen-a-mem-ees…”
“Anemones?” Fluttershy suggested.
“Gesundheit,” Applejack said. “Now, let’s get a-surfin’!”
The girls were all ready to enjoy their activities, until a familiar voice shouting on the waves caught their attention. Looking out to the surf, they caught sight of a familiar face riding atop the big one.
“Fluttershy, ain’t that yer brother?” Applejack asked.
Fluttershy squinted to better see who was surfing atop the large wave. She couldn’t make out the face, but there was no mistaking that familiar hairstyle. “Yes. That’s Zephyr Breeze out there.”
“I guess he had the same idea as us, and wanted to catch some waves,” Dash said.
It seemed like Zephyr was doing well for himself. For a second, it seemed like he was easily riding the wave like a pro. But, for only a second. Soon after, he lurched forward when his balance was compromised, and he fell off of his board. The wave crashed onto the shore, and when the water ebbed back, revealed Zephyr Breeze face down in the mud.
“Zephyr!!” Fluttershy shouted, rushing to her brother’s aid. She rolled him over, completely prepared to give him mouth to mouth if he needed it.
“Uh…?” Zephyr asked, as his eyes slowly opened. “Hey there, big sis. What are you doing here?”
“The same thing everyone does at the beach,” Dash answered. “Well, maybe not the same thing everyone does, but it’s her own way of having fun.”
“That was some crash there, fella,” Applejack said, as she and the others helped Zephyr up from the ground.
“Yeah. I’ve been having trouble with those big ones for hours now. But, I know I’m going to get the next one,” Zephyr said. He almost set out for the water again, but was stopped by his sister’s hand on his shoulder.
“Wait! Don’t you think you should practice with something smaller? Like, in the tidepools?” Fluttershy meekly suggested.
Admittedly, it sounded prudent, but it still made Dash and Applejack roll their eyes.
“Don’t worry girls. I’m gonna do fine this time,” Zephyr said. He almost started for the water again, but was stopped by Fluttershy dashing in front of him.
“B-B-But, isn’t there something else you have to do to prepare for surfing? Like, building tiny sand castles for the crabs to live in?” Fluttershy said.
While Zephyr appreciated his sister’s attempts to keep him from getting hurt on the ocean, he knew her fears were unfounded. However, he was given an idea when Fluttershy asked if he needed to prepare. “Actually, I do need something.”
A tiny relief swelled in Fluttershy.
“Rainbow Dash: can we trade boards?”
The tiny swell of relief was replaced by a clutch of dread.
“Why should we trade boards? Yours looks fine?” Dash said, possessively hiding her board behind her back.
“No reason. I just want to do it with Dashy,” Zephyr answered.
Applejack groaned quietly and shook her head with her face in her hand.
Fluttershy turned a darker shade of red at the notion.
“That’s a nickname for my surfboard, right?” Dash said. In her mind, she was thinking, “I hope.”
“Yeah,” was all Zephyr answered.
Feeling the slightest apprehension, and not wanting to spend more uncomfortable time than she needed with Fluttershy’s brother, Dash slowly relinquished her board.
“Okay. But, be careful with it. And give it back when you’re done,” Dash said.
“No problem. Here,” Zephyr said, offering his own board to Dash. “You get to surf with Gladys.”
Before Dash even had a chance to accept the board, Zephyr ran back into the water.
“Can you believe that guy?” Rainbow Dash said.
“Tell me about it. Gladys? That’s the kinda name ya give a mule, or a yellow cat,” Applejack said. She turned to speak to a man who had taken his pet mule and yellow cat out for a walk on the beach. “No offense, sir.”
“None taken,” the man said, before walking away with his pets.
“I mean the thing with the board! You don’t just hijack someone’s board like that!” Dash said.
“Ya gave yers up pretty quick.”
“That’s just because I didn’t want to keep talking to him. You heard what he said about doing it with Dashy!” Dash said, shuddering from the memory.
“Well, he’s off doin’ his own thing. Come on. Let’s find another spot down the beach, an’ give him some space,” Applejack suggested.
“A lot of space,” Dash added.
Dash and Applejack walked down the beach, while Fluttershy stayed behind briefly to take one last nervous look at her brother on the waves. Her teeth clenched when she saw him on top of a tiny wave, and decided not to keep worrying about him and enjoy herself at the tidepool.
Dash and Applejack both picked a spot down the beach, a good distance, but within view of Zephyr Breeze. From here, Dash could see if he was abusing her surfboard. Even when she was riding the waves, she always had at least one eye turned to Zephyr to make sure he was respecting her property. Then again, maybe she wanted to give him her board.
The more she surfed aboard Gladys, the more she thought she was having an easier time getting used to it. Never would she ever have thought Zephyr would have such a hard time surfing with such a maneuverable board.
Later that day, when the festivities ended, both Applejack and Rainbow Dash returned to shore, exhilarated and worn out at the same time.
“Man! What a day,” Applejack huffed.
“Tell me about it! Surfing with this girl: awesome!” Dash said, pointing to the board.
“So, ya liked doin’ it with Gladys, huh?” Applejack said suggestively.
“Don’t say it like that! It’s creepy!”
“I think it’s natural to explore. Maybe ya’d like to do it with ol’ Eudora here,” Applejack joked, offering her surfboard.
Dash was feeling too flustered to answer. Thankfully, the tension was broken by Fluttershy returning from her trip to the tidepools.
“Hey! Fluttershy! What’s all that you got?” Dash said, sounding almost too enthusiastic to see her friend.
Fluttershy recoiled slightly, at the greeting, but recovered and showed what she had collected. “This? It’s just a few things I collected from the tidepool. I’m going to keep the sand dollars and sea glass for some crafts I’m making. But, I’m going to give the shells to hermit crabs that have outgrown their old ones. What have you been doing?”
“Dash here’s been doing a little ‘girl bonding,’” Applejack chuckled.
“Hey! What about Zephyr!? Where’s he!?” Dash interjected, before any follow up questions could be asked.
Fluttershy flinched again, and answered. “I think I see him over there. Holding a--” She gasped when she saw her brother.
Dash and Applejack both looked, and saw a terrible sight. Zephyr was perfectly unharmed, but Dash’s surfboard had been torn apart.
With all haste, the three girls ran across the sand toward Zephyr.
“Rainbow Dash! How’s my girl doing?” Zephyr greeted.
“Can’t the small talk! What did you do to my board!?” Dash said, picking up the pieces.
“Rainbow Dash, I’m sure it was an accident,” Fluttershy said.
“Actually it was intentional.”
“Intentional?!?!!” Rainbow shouted.
“Let me explain,” Zephyr began, “You see I was going to catch the big wave like last time and I finally got it. But, this time I wanted it to be awesome. Once I got to the top of the wave, I jumped off and pulled a whole string of tricks, then landed in the sand.”
“But what happened to my surfboard?” Dash said.
“I don’t know. I’m just as confused as you are. After I landed, I could only find some pieces of the board in those rocks over there,” Zephyr answered.
“You were surfin’ by the rocks!?” Applejack said incredulously. “That’s one o’ the worst things a surfer can do! Let alone not wearin’ the ankle strap!”
“Yeah, about that. Turns out Dashy here doesn’t fit around my ankles.”
Inside Dash, she was seething with rage. And it soon boiled onto her face, which made her friends take two steps further away from her. However, it went completely over the head of Zephyr.
“I’m really sorry about it. I mean, even if the landing was intentional, breaking Dashy was still an accident. How about I make it up by getting you some ice cream, and then we can surf together on Gladys?” Zephyr suggested.
Dash was trembling violently with her fists clenched. Her face had turned several shades redder as well. But, in the blink of an eye, it all faded away, and Dash spoke in a calm, steady voice. “Sure. I think you could use a few surfing lessons. Let’s get that ice cream first, then we’ll hit the heavies.”
Zephyr smiled brightly. Finally, he was able to get that date with Rainbow Dash that he wanted.
In a matter of minutes, Rainbow Dash came running back to greet Fluttershy and Applejack back at the beach.
“Great news, guys!” Dash said. “Zephyr gave me the money to fix my surfboard!”
“That’s wonderful, Rainbow Dash. I knew my brother would do the right thing,” Fluttershy said. “But, where is he now?”
“He left for home. After all, he can’t do much surfing, when he’s giving me Gladys until my board’s fixed.”
“Now, don’t that beat all,” Applejack said. “No offense, Fluttershy, but I always took yer brother for a total deadbeat bum. But, look what he goes an’ does fer our pal.”
“Yeah. He’s a real swole guy,” Dash said.
“You mean ‘swell,’ right?” Applejack corrected.
“Either/or,” Dash answered.
Far from the ice cream stand, over in the parking lot, Zephyr’s car was spattered with a few flecks and droplets of blood. Slumped on the ground, Zephyr sat against the side of his car, black-eyed, bloody-nosed and fat-lipped.
“Wow...it’s probably really wrong that turned me on, but Dash is really sexy when she does that high kick…” Zephyr thought to himself, before he blacked out.