//------------------------------// // [I-10] wEast // Story: Heading Weast for the Winter // by Split Scimitar //------------------------------// “Max!” I hear a call from beyond the front doors as I finish my breakfast. “Who’s that? I don’t have any visitors today.” I think to myself. I then check the camera to see Sunset. Wow can she shout. She should know I have a front door camera though. And a doorbell, for that matter. She can text or call me too. Immediately, I open the door. “Hey Sunset. What’s up?” “I got a page from Princess Twilight. She’s asking how everyone’s doing, but more importantly, she wants me to… I can’t believe I’m saying this. She asked if I was seeing anyone, and I did want to bring Flash, but he’s in school and can’t go. So, wanna come to Equestria with me?” “As long as I get to see Princesses Celestia and Luna.” I half-smirk. “I think we can arrange that.” “Don’t tell them though. I want to surprise them.” “Yeah, definitely! For sure.” “Is the portal or whatever at your house?” I ask, noting her seemingly eager to get me out of the house. “Yes…” “So why drive all the way out here?” “I spent the weekend with one of my friends in LA. Haven’t seen them in a long time.” “That’s nice. And now we get to go to your homeland.” “Yeah…” she sighs wistfully. “Not looking forward to it?” “I am. It’s just… I know that everything is fine and I’m more than welcome there, but I guess I still have that uneasy feeling about going back. It’s been so hardwired into my brain that the prospect of going home to Equestria makes me uneasy.” “I know how you feel. I have those feelings when I go back to the town I went to Uni in. Love the local bites and eats, but whenever I roll in to town, my stomach turns violently inside of my chest.” “Isn’t the phrase ‘heart turns violently’?” She asks as she grabs my hand and tries to coax me out the door. “Come on, let’s go!” “Don’t I need to pack an overnight bag?” “Just a toiletry kit. We don’t normally wear clothes.” “Alright, fair enough.” I can’t quite explain why I feel nervous, aside from making my first trip to unknown and unfamiliar territory, which I would describe as normal feelings. In any case, I’m glad to accompany Sunset. Even after the adventure I had “hosting” many rounds of repatriation flights, the loss of business and lack of demand for services (seeing as how most airlines have begun their own cargo operations), maybe it’ll be good for me. I’m excited. I’m nervous. I’m nervouscited. “Do you wanna drive, Max?” Sunset asks at our fuel stop. “If you don’t want to, I can. I’ll let you pick. Do you want to sleep?” “Umm… Nah. I’ll keep driving then. I’m sure you could use a break.” “I haven’t driven today at all.” “I mean, since you basically always do the driving when you’re with any of us.” “Yeah, alright.” I say as I decide to sleep the rest of the way to Sunset’s. After a rather refreshing nap, Sunset takes me to one of her spare bedrooms. Inside it is only a full-body mirror along with a couple of old mattresses and a pile of cushions. “What’s with all the spare pillows?” “Sometimes, the mirror throws you out, and once I crashed into the wall.” “Ooh.” I wince. “Good call.” “Yeah.” She says with a noticeable sigh. “Everything okay?” “Yeah, but…?” “Still nervous?” “Ironically, this may be the least nervous I am for a hop into Equestria.” “Is that nervousness that hardwired into your brain?” “In a way, yes, but some trips are easier than others.” “I see. Well, I don’t know how comfortable you are with it, but I think we should…” I have to pause, before making the next part of my thoughts audible, “I think we should at least… I can’t believe I want to go through with this. “Okay,” I then exhale steeling my nerves, “before I say what I want to say, do you trust me?” “Of course.” “Alright then. Since we’re going as boyfriend and girlfriend, if for some reason Princess Twilight or someone else isn’t convinced, should we get comfortable… kissing?” “I don’t have a problem with it.” She responds with just enough hesitation. “If you think we’ll need to to convince Twilight, we can do it. If you’re nervous about that, 1. I find it kind of funny that you’re nervous about kissing me. 2. Consider it an acting part. You did say you have some experience in theater.” “I do, but I never had to be physical. I just did monologues or work as an extra.” “Max,” she smiles almost on the verge of blushing, “I trust you, we’re just doing it for Twilight’s sake, and we’re just acting. It’s fine.” “Ok then, can we practice a couple just for its own sake?” “Okay.” Sunset then closes her eyes, and I follow suit. Our lips lock, but almost immediately, Sunset prods my mouth with her tongue. I recoil my head briefly but eventually relax as she breaks the kiss. “That was good. I don’t think we’ll need to do more than that.” “Sorry if I seemed anxious. I wasn’t expecting that.” She only snickers sinisterly. “I see how it is. “I don’t need to, like, change or anything?” “No. The mirror is pretty good about clothes for this side.” “Alrighty.” I say as I realize the shirt I’m wearing might be considered by some to be a bit distasteful. Once Sunset double checks everything of hers, she hands me her journal so she can check the mirror. “Curiosity question, where does this mirror teleport us?” “Can’t say.” She says amidst her task. “Okay!” She calls a few seconds later. “You ready?” As she opens her hand for the taking, I notice that her knees and hands are shaking. “Sunset, I think you’re more nervous about going to Equestria than I am.” “No, it’s fine. I just had a lot of coffee this morning.” “I don’t believe you, but I’ll take your word for it.” “Max, I…” *Applejack – FaceTime Video* “Uh…” I stutter. “Take it.” She says with some sigh of relief. “Hey Applejack.” “Max, are you alone?” “Uh, I can be. Is it related to the thing?” “In a way, yes.” “One sec.” I turn off the camera and mute the mic so I can head out. “Okay,” I say as I unmute the audio and visual, “what’s up?” “Max, I know that we had both agreed on us liking where we were, and that it wouldn’t make sense ‘fer us to get together, but… Nah, who’m I kiddin’? I can’t lie t’ya. I was talkin’ to Rarity, as we usually do, and I… there’s no good way for me to say this. I think I might be startin’ ta like you too.” Not even realizing I was holding an out-breath, I then take a deep, sharp breath in and sigh discontentedly. “Oh no,” I think to myself. “I see.” I then tell her. Making sure I look and speak into the camera and not the screen, I sit down and prepare to give her the same speech I gave to Rarity. “Applejack, I’m flattered and floored, both that you feel the way you do, and the fact that you’re willing to tell me outright. I know that for someone like you especially, it… it’s not as easy as taking a few deep breaths and steeling your nerves. Look, I… I’m sure things aren’t easy for you right now, and I know they certainly aren’t for me. I want you to know that I completely hear you and I find it really sweet that you’re doing what you’re doing, but for someone like me, for the sake of… full effect, for lack of a better term, I would much rather talk to you face to face.” “Max, I…” she blushes. “I’m not finished. Please don’t misunderstand me. I do want to talk about this, and know that I’ll definitely be thinking about this, because what you just told me is big, and extremely important. Unfortunately, I’m going to be unavailable for a while. I want to make time for us to meet and talk, I really do. When are you available?” “Uh, let me see. Pretty much on weekends or Fridays.” “Okay. I probably won’t be available for at least another few weeks. Would it be easier if I called you like a day or so before to check?” “That’s fine. You know how things can change and all.” “Indeed I do. Oh! Did you get your ‘not to grow’ subsidy?” “We did! Only a small part of one orchard is active, just ‘fer us.” “That’s nice, right?” “We’ll see. Mac and I are expecting us to get a bit busier come the summer months.” “For the farm’s sake, I hope you do.” I say with a smile. “Look sugar cube, I wanted to talk about us because I think I… I think I may be serious when I say I like you.” “I hear you, I hear everything you say. I will however tell you what I told Rarity. Please consider reviewing your feelings and verify the type of feelings they are. After what I saw between us while in Europe and after returning, her feelings disappeared and we moved on. With a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone, I want to make sure we won’t intermix the two, because that’s what happened after Rarity and I came back from Europe.” “I have. That’s why I called you.” “Oh, well in that case, I’m genuinely looking forward to when we can meet. I wish I could chat a little longer, but duty calls.” “I’ll consider what you said too. Even though I’m 100% sure.” “Okay. I’ll let you know when I’m available.” “Bye, sugar cube!” She says with a wave and a smile. When I return to the room, Sunset stands next to the mirror and timidly asks, “Ready?” “I guess.” “Everything okay with AJ?” “Yeah, I’ll tell you when we get to Equestria.” “Who should go first?” I ask once I’m ready to go. “I’ll go first, but just in case, take my hand.” “Alright.” I say grabbing her hand and squeezing it tightly to say both “I’m ready” and “I trust you.” Wasting no extra time, Sunset places her hand on the mirror, its impression creating a ripple on the surface, before stepping through. As she disappears into the mirror, I follow suit, now clutching onto her hand by instinct. Eventually, Sunset disappears from my grip as I break the plane of the mirror and shut my eyes as I get blinded by the lights. At first, they’re white, but quickly, it turns into a swirling, dizzying tie-dye pattern that may well give me vertigo or a seizure if I try and focus on one point in what I assume is space, or whatever you call this transdimensional area. (Space it is I guess.) When the colors stop changing, I close my eyes as I can feel the end of a metaphysical tunnel approaching. Figuring I’ve survived staring into the sun and an acid trip, I embrace my fate as I swiftly approach what is most definitely certain death, by blunt force trauma. Suddenly, my apparent motion slows down considerably. As the tie-dye projections start to converge with me, I look down their path of travel and find some sort of wormhole. The tie-dye then overtakes and swirls into the wormhole as if going down a drain. There’s no additional time to think about what could come next, as I feel myself rotating about a different axis. Here we go! When I open my eyes, I find myself on my side in a pitch black room. As I try and acclimate my night vision, I blink once, twice (182?) before realizing that I can actually see quite well. I stand myself up and look around to see where Sunset is. When I see her, she lights up the room, making herself visible to at least her immediate surroundings. She then spots me and walks towards me. Now I can see how I look. “Wh… where are we?” I ask myself. When Sunset gets close enough to see me, I shield my eyes slightly, so she dims the magic spell. “How’d you hold up?” She asks. However, before I can respond, she whinnies, rears up in surprise, and trots back. “Uh, Max? Everything okay?”