You know the strangest thing about not playing golf? It means you were perfect for a job at a golf course. The logic being that, when you were working, you wouldn’t be envious or sneak off to play while on shift. Besides, the nice weather made for a good walk as Wes hand picked the range. Yes, they had a ball picker for that, but when there weren't a lot of people hitting on the range, this was both more efficient, and relaxing.

“Hey, West! An acquaintance stallion called out to him as he brought the balls in to be sorted back into the machine. “Congrats on your niece.”

“Thanks!” Wes called back as she organized and cleaned the balls.

“How old is she again?”

“Ten” Wes answered as he dumped a bucket of balls into the wash machine.

“Not bad,” The stallion complimented, readying his token for some balls.

“Oh, save that,” West insisted, scooping out a bucket of balls from his picking bucket.

“You sure?” the golfer asked, not wanting to get himself or West into trouble.

“Hey; Less to wash, and more for me to pick to keep me busy. Can’t complain.”

“Well, just don’t be too generous there, mate.” The stallion smiled. “I love your boss, but... Yeah. I won’t lie to yah, he can be a real mule sometimes.”

West held in a snort at the irony that his boss actually was a mule. Not to say all donkeys were like that or that he didn’t have his good days or was never not nice to West. It just made days when, though no fault of his own, something that was doomed to break down, broke down when he was on the clock. So, even if it had been another co-worker who had been too rough on the range picker the previous day, he was the one blamed and never lived down when it stopped working....

Although to be fair, he probably shouldn’t have driven it near a sprinkle and assumed he could have avoided it. Then again, whenever anyone but him drove over it, nothing bad happened. He didn't know that they were about to turn on at the time. Didn’t change the fact that, clearly, if his co-worker hadn’t been so rough on any other day nothing would have happened.

He gave the stallion a smile and watched as he walked off. Seeing him, and several others, starting to show up to hit on the range, West figured that now was a good enough time to take a little break. It wasn’t quite late enough to put away the remaining carts, and with his boss not maning the office, as long as he didn’t overdo it, he was free to do as he pleased. Which meant heading to Horseshoes. The golf courses pub, for a little snack. Which he knew his dad would probably chastise and say he needed to work on his diet and money handling, but this was his life and what not.

The pub was settled in from just across the registration office and placed on a patio setting with an outdoor venue for special occasions. Normally, it just be a few steps, turn, open a door, let Malt Shake know he was doing okay, buy something out of the dollar snack bin, drink from the fountain, then get back to work before anyone could complain.

Those plans altered a bit, when he saw, at the top of the steps a familiar pony. By that, a pony who was only familiar to him because he had just met her a few hours ago.

“Oh?” He questioned the mare when he saw her.

“OH!” the mare from earlier at Carousel Boutique said in equal surprise.

*****

“Golfing?” Rarity questioned.

“Well, it’s something Applejack thought about trying. Coloratura has experience with it, but could she only do so for events and such. Now that I’m neither and no one cares where my two halves are at the moment, it sounds like the most fun I can up with on the top of my head.”

“Well, I can’t say that’s my cup of tea,” Rarity admitted, “but I hope you have fun. Dose look like a lovely day for it.”

*****

Indeed it was. All things considered, while she wouldn’t even place in a tournament, she didn’t consider herself half bad at golf either. The best part was when she passed by a group of older stallions on a cross section hole, they didn’t even bat an eye her way. Not that, when she thought about it, she could picture many of Coloratura's fans being golfers. Still, it was nice

“Oh this is wonderful!” her Coloratura half sang out loudly in the middle of the ninth hole course as the ball landed in a sand pit.

“Maybe a little trying at times,” her Applejack half cut in as they walked into the sand. “Not sure if I’d do this all the time, but a fun nonetheless.” They swung and landed the ball on the green. “And still with three to four days to do… Whatever.”

Wiping her forehead, she started thinking to herself out loudly, “Although that does leave three to four days to figure out what to do next. Definitely something with water. The lake maybe? Oh! Since I can go to one,” she giggled and beamed, “how about a pool!?”

From the green, she got it in the hole within three shots, and noticed the courses pup/snack bar right ahead. “Maybe I can see what the other girls want to do. Although now I’m worried if this counts as talking to myself. Ah well. A day of just me myself and I sound about what I need.”

She was so lost in such thoughts, that when this story caught up to itself, she was just as surprised to see the stallion from Carousel Boutique as he was.

“Oh?”

‘OH!” she squeaked.

West took a step back. “Sorry there. I mean, didn’t expect to see you again.”

Nosalunty, she said, “Same to you, stranger.” She looked around, then asked, “You golf?”

West chuckled nervously. “Eh… Not really. I just work here. And before you ask,” he cut off her quizzical expression, “yes, a guy who works at a golf course but doesn’t play. The logic there is I’m not craving a game while I’m suppose to be working.”

“That’s,” she rubbed her chin. “Actually rather thoughtful if I’m honest.” She smiled. “Is that what you were thinking when you applied for the job.”

West twiddled his thumbs. “Actually, it was a family connections thing one summer.”

“Ah.” She nodded. “Anyways, I shouldn’t be bothering you if you were working.”

“Oh no, no!” he insisted. “Was actually on a little break and was heading in to get something to drink.” There was a more cautionary side of West that told himself, no! To not say what he was about to say next. He reasoned, aside from his parents and boss being disappointed if they happened to stop by, he’d just be getting his hopes up for an already taken mare. Oh the other hand, running into the same mare twice in one day? Her not immediately being turned off by his presence, and this was only the second time he’d been inside The 19th Horseshoe today? Well, maybe it was a sign. Either way, we was tired of playing safe, and figured it be good life exercise regardless. So he asked her,

“Would you care to join me?”

Honestly not thinking there would be any harm, and a chance to rediscover what it meant to meet someone new who might have been, subconsciously not, after some angle, she answered,

“That be nice. Thank you.”

“No problem… I ever get your name?” He asked as he held open the pub's doors. “I’m sorry if you did tell me earlier at the boutique and I forgot.”

“I don’t think I did.” She realized. Only to remember that she hadn’t thought of a name for herself yet. Thinking quickly to the names Twilight had told her about the past fusions; Dainty Pleasures and Silent Learner. She pieced together how that applied to her fusions halves, and quickly came up with the first best combination to mind.

“Melody Orchard.”

There was a pause. A chance to switch it up if need be. However, when she played it in her mind, while maybe a better name could have come to mind later, she honestly didn’t hate it. With a nod of her head, she reaffirmed,

“My name is Harmony Orchard.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Melody. I promise, I’ll try to remember it.”

Author's Note

Special thanks to our newest pre-reader Silvak link may change later upon his request