4 - Love Is In Bloom

Game's wings were striped like Super Leaves. His turquoise coat shone in the morning sun, and his light brown mane waved behind him like a flag in the wind. In flight, Game looked back on his cutie mark with pride. He carried the shell through the air to a towering barn, and fluttered down to the ground carefully. Once again, he wandered through the endless orchard in search of the Element of Honesty.

He could hear her voice in the distance. Every buck she made shook the ground a little. Creating a pipe near her and by himself, Game readied the shell. He was nervous, but he couldn't sway. "Focus," he growled to himself. Picking an apple and throwing it down the pipe, Game kicked the shell into a tree. A rapid string of ricochets followed, with falling apples in their trail.

In the distance, an apple flew from the pipe. Applejack looked up, catching the apple in her hooves, and said, "Coo-ey. Where'd you come from? Anyway, whoever that was, you chose one mighty-fine apple!" She retraced the flight of the apple down to the pipe, and then looked across the orchard. Not an apple in sight... "Hmm, might as well jump in!" Applejack dived into the pipe.

With a terrified "Whoa!" Applejack soared out of the other pipe. Game leapt up to catch her, taking as much of the force off her as he could. His back hit the tree hard, but he'd managed to stop Applejack coming to harm. "H...How'd ya do that? Ah mean, the apples? And that was craz –"

"Here, have an apple. I-I'll explain. I got a sh –"

"Hmm...doesn't really matter how, but thank y' so much, Game." She kissed him on the cheek, blushing a little. Game Changer was lost for words, so he gave her a warm embrace. "Not gonna need a pause button for this one," she grinned. Game held her hat aside and stroked her mane.

Soon it had to end, and with a quick brohoof AJ smiled, "See ya tomorrow, Game."

"Sure thing, Applejack." Game turned and left, struggling to hide a grin of ecstasy as he trotted home.