Saturday trouble

“Oh my god… Joe I’m so sorry” Scootaloo cried as she listened to Joe’s life story. “Well… it wasn’t your fault so you don’t have to apologize… but thanks for cheering me up a little, but now I try to forget those days, only remembering the good times” Joe told her. He groaned to himself as he realized that it was 2:30 in the morning and that he would only be able to get a few hours of sleep before work.

“Well I hate to say it kid but… I’m going to bed, you’re free to stay here if you want” Joe offered and got up and stumbled over to his room. He flopped down on his bed that he hadn’t used in at least a month and groaned as he wiped tears from his eyes. Scootaloo stood in his doorway. “Thank you… for listening, I haven’t talked to any-pony about that in a long time, sometimes it’s just good to get things off your chest” Joe muttered. “Do you want me to stay with you tonight?” Scootaloo asked and Joe chuckled, “Well I wouldn’t go and make you walk home, especially at this time of morning… just try to ignore the blaring alarm in a few hours” Joe chuckled.

“I meant do you want me to stay in here, with you tonight” Scootaloo asked, Joe shook his head. “No offence kid but I think I want to be alone for a while… I don’t like it when ponies see me cry, makes me feel like a softy you know?” Joe replied and Scootaloo nodded and walked over to the room across from him. “If you want someone to stay with, you can come over… I won’t think you’re soft” Scootaloo whispered. “Thanks” Joe replied and Scootaloo nodded as she trotted off into the other room and flopped herself down onto the other bed.

* * *

Joe felt as if his sleep couldn’t last long enough and before he knew it his alarm was blaring. Joe cursed to himself and shut off the alarm clock, at least the new one didn’t break apart under the force. Joe mumbled to himself as he stumbled around for his morning routine then remembered that he was going to go out to the back of Sweet Apple acres and fire of a few rounds with his gun.

Though guns weren’t common in Equestria he constantly paid Flim and Flam to produce him .45 caliber match grade ammunition and they did so with utmost profession. The ammunition they made for him was always top notch and even was manufactured to exact specifications for the pistol.

Joe grabbed the handgun from out of the chest and all five magazines for the gun along with a box of ammunition labeled F&F industrial. Joe figured he’d just buy a coffee at Sugarcube corner on the way to work then he quickly realized that he hadn’t showered last night and cursed as he quickly raced to the washroom and took a quick shower.

He had forgotten to lock the bathroom door and in her morning subtleness Scootaloo forgot to knock on the door and simply entered the washroom. “Oh hey Scootaloo, morning” Joe said calmly. “GAH!” Scootaloo screamed, she hadn’t meant to walk in on Joe showering and had completely forgotten to knock. “Oh my goddess Joe, I am sooo sorry” Scootaloo began. “Actually this is perfect” Joe said, Scootaloo gave him a curious look “What? How?” she asked and Joe hid his body with the shower curtains and looked out to her. “Okay see the cabinet there… can you grab me a fresh towel from it? I forgot to grab myself one before I got in” Joe asked as he pointed to the cabinet he was talking about and Scootaloo hastily grabbed him a towel and left the washroom in a hurry.

Joe dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist and left the bathroom then walked into his room. Drying himself off further with the towel then grabbing a new set of clothes he muttered to himself “Should really get a towel cabinet closer to the shower”.

After getting dressed he walked out of the room and into the living room where the sun had begun to shine through the window and give it that beautiful morning look. “Too bad the birds aren’t chirping” Joe chuckled. Scootaloo looked to him and got up quickly. “Joe I am sooo sorry, please don’t be mad… I forgot to knock I swear it” Scootaloo apologized. “Don’t be sorry, jeeze it’s almost like a common thing for one of the apple family members to walk in on me taking a shower” Joe replied casually.

“Yes but Joe… it’s a privacy thing you know?” Scootaloo told him. “Really, cause I clearly remember that when I first got here none of the ponies in Ponyville wore any clothes on a regular basis” Joe replied. He was right, for whatever reason they had never really worn any clothes until just a few years ago.

“But Joe… you were naked” Scootaloo said with a blush, Joe rolled his eyes “Yeah but I was showering sooo…” Joe trailed off making his point. “Well anyway, I gotta go… I don’t know if you wanna get those books today from the library or whatever” Joe said and handed her a large pouch of bits. “What’s this for?” Scootaloo asked and Joe shrugged, “I don’t know… go to Tony’s or something and maybe you can get something to eat… do whatever, it won’t bother me” Joe said as he walked out the front door.

Scootaloo thought to herself. ‘Does this mean we’re dating… he’s always bringing me out to places and now I’ve even stayed at his house” Scootaloo thought to herself then shrugged off the thought. “Whatever it is, it’s great” Scootaloo said to herself.

* * *

The sun was beating down and it was hot today. It was taking its toll on Joe as he chopped wood and Applejack as she piled it onto a wagon. Joe took off his jacket as his body heat rose to an uncomfortable level. All he had underneath was a white tank top that was rather tight to his body. “Yah just have tah show off” Applejack said as Joe continued to cut wood, his biceps were tensed from all the work he had been doing.

“Showing off… how?” Joe chuckled and Applejack laughed. “Well yah just have tah show off yer muscles don’t yah” Applejack laughed and Joe rolled his eyes. “Well if you got some a T-shirt that’ll fit me” Joe replied and Applejack shrugged. “Ah doubt yah’d fit into any of muh clothes and yah might be able tah put on somethin of Big Mac’s but yah’d probably just end up ripping it when yah flex” Applejack chuckled. “Hey I’m not flexing” Joe told her and she rolled her eyes. “Right so ah guess that yer muscles are just big naturally” Applejack replied and Joe nodded, “Well if you ever did any of the work you’d know that your muscles get flowing with blood and they look bigger” Joe teased.

“Hey ah do stuff” Applejack told Joe but he simply laughed and continued to chop wood. “Hey Applejack, I’m going to shoot my gun later… you wanna tag along?” Joe asked and Applejack chuckled “Yah sure but yah’ll have tah help me hold it like always” Applejack replied. He had gone shooting his pistol with AJ before but he had to help her hold it in her hooves because guns simply weren’t meant for ponies.

* * *

Scootaloo trotted up to the Ponyville library and knocked on the door. Spike answered the door, he had begun to grow up quite quickly recently and now stood above Scootaloo. “Oh hey Scootaloo… how can I help you?” Spike asked her. “Oh I’m looking for Twilight… is she here?” Scootaloo asked and Spike shook his head. “Sorry, she went out to Applejack’s but I can help you unless you needed her specifically” Spike told her. “Well… I was just looking for some books about Star Swirl the bearded” Scootaloo informed Spike.

“Oh yeah sure… follow me” Spike said and led Scootaloo into the library and grabbed her a few books. Though he had hit his teenage years Spike was still the same youthful minded dragon he was all those years ago. “Thanks” Scootaloo said as she put the books into her saddle bags. “Oh don’t mention it, glad to help” Spike replied as Scootaloo left the library.

Scootaloo walked out onto the streets of Ponyville and began to trot happily along the streets. “Well hello Scootaloo” sneered a voice from behind her. Scootaloo sighed to herself and turned to face Diamond Tiara. “What do you want Tiara?” Scootaloo asked and Tiara shrugged, “Well I noticed you becoming good friends with Joe recently” Tiara replied and Scootaloo sighed in irritation. “Yes well sure… what do you want?” Scootaloo asked and Tiara simply shrugged and followed up beside Scootaloo as she began to trot along.

“Oh I was just wondering when Joe was going?” Tiara asked and Scootaloo looked to her. “What? What do you mean, like for work?” Scootaloo asked and Tiara looked to her. “Well I suppose you could put it that way… I was just wondering when he was leaving for the academy” Tiara asked Scootaloo and Scootaloo scrunched her nose. “Academy? What academy?” Scootaloo asked and Tiara looked to her with a shocked gasp. “Hasn’t he told you?” Tiara asked and Scootaloo shook her head, “Tell me what?” Scootaloo asked.

“Oh well since you two were such good friends I thought he would’ve told you that he was leaving soon for the Wonderbolts academy” Tiara lied. “What, why on earth would the Wonderbolts hire him, he doesn’t have any wings?” Scootaloo replied, “Well since Joe is such a good athlete they wanted him to train the Wonderbolts so he accepted” Tiara lied again. “How do you know this?” Scootaloo asked suspiciously. “Well I was there at practice when they offered Joe the job” Tiara lied and Scootaloo believed the lie.

“What… but what about me… we’re so close” Scootaloo muttered. “What do you mean close… don’t you know he’s with Applejack” Tiara once again lied. “What do you mean with Applejack?” Scootaloo said and Tiara shrugged. “Well every-pony knows that Joe is having sex with Applejack after work” Tiara lied, Scootaloo wouldn’t believe it. “No… I won’t believe it” Scootaloo replied. “Well go see for yourself… he’s probably bucking her right now” Tiara laughed and Scootaloo flew off.

She knew that Tiara had to be lying, Joe didn’t like ponies that way… but then again he did spend a considerable amount of time at Sweet Apple acres.

With great speed she soon arrived at Sweet Apple acres and landed by the barn where Big Macintosh was pitch forking hay. “Big Mac… where’s Applejack and Joe?” Scootaloo asked frantically, Big Mac looked up to the young mare. “They went out back to” Big Mac began but Scootaloo took off before he could finish. Big Mac shrugged and shrugged simply muttering “Eeyup”.

Scootaloo frantically flew through the sky then caught sight of Joe and Applejack, Joe was holding Applejack up and they were both laughing. Scootaloo zipped down with great speed and landed beside them.

“How could you do this to me?” Scootaloo said as she began to cry. Joe let go of Applejack as he turned to her in abrupt confusion, “What are you…” Joe began but trailed off as Applejack lost her balance from her hindlegs and began to fall. Joe caught her and his handgun, “Next time you decide to go playing with a mares heart… tell them that you aren’t interested in a relationship and that you just want to use them” Scootaloo cried and ran off. Applejack looked to Joe, “What in tarnation was that about?” Applejack asked apparently just as confused as Joe was.

“I don’t know… think we should ask?” Joe asked and Applejack shrugged “Couldn’t hurt could it?” Applejack asked and Joe shrugged. “She’s headin into the Everfree… it ain’t safe in there” Applejack told Joe. “Yeah… I know” Joe said as he pulled the axe out of the stump and put it over his shoulder.

Scootaloo went racing through the Everfree. ‘How could Joe just do that… he knew that I had feelings for him yet he just played with me while he was playing around with Applejack’ Scootaloo thought to herself will she cried.

Eventually she stopped running and realized that she was in a deep part of the Everfree. “Oh no… wait hold on” Scootaloo said as she fluttered her wings. In the midst of fear and emotional pain she almost forgot she had wings. “Well either way… I’m not going to let Joe play with me anymore” Scootaloo said and was about to take off when suddenly a creature lept from the shadows of the forest and tackled her to the ground.

Scootaloo squirmed and was easily able to escape from under the creature but as she got up she realized that she was in deep trouble. Timber wolves surrounded her and they had hungry looks in their eyes, a hunger that could only be satisfied by the Pegasus standing right in front of them. A timber wolf lept out at her, its razor sharp claws extended and drool coming from its mouth.