//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: Coming to terms with reality........ // by Furstreak //------------------------------// After about thirty minutes to get cleaned up and to have a few small patches placed on his open wounds, Kami left the farm house with AJ at his side as they headed into the orchard. "Sorry about before AJ, I honestly didn't mean teh..." He paused as she raised a hoof to silence him. "Ain't nothing teh be sorry'bout sugarcube. Ah'd say we're even now since ah done bucked ya upside the head. Plus ya'll falling from the ladder'n'such." She chuckled. "Yea, I guess so. But I did come out with something a little better on my side." Kami laughed softly seeing Applejack’s confused expression. "Awright, ah'll bite. What did ya'll get?" AJ smirked slightly as she watched him grin slyly. "Check it out." He grinned again as his horn lit up, surrounding his entire frame in magic as he began to slowly lift from the ground and float around the earth pony. "But... how in the hay?! Ya'll er flying." She began but paused as she watched him begin to literally swim through the air to try and propel himself. "Well, float is more or less what I'm doing. I would hardly call it flying since I'm not actually moving on my own." He laughed seeing AJ snickering at him as he tumbled slowly through the air, before getting a gentle nudge on his side, propelling him forward along their path through the orchard. "Woohoo! Now I'm gliding! So to speak." He laughed as he kept tumbling all over, but only giving a laugh as the world turned upside down and all around through his eyes. He stopped though as his face began to turn a little green and his hooves came up to his mouth. "*Urp* I guess I'd better call it quits before I lose my lunch." He groaned as he landed on his hooves. "Guess unicorns ain't cut out for flying much are they?" AJ snickered toward him as he gave her a slightly annoyed glance. "Well, I'm sure that with some practice I can get the floating to become flying in no time. I'm just glad that Discord let me choose which pony race I wanted when he sent me here." He laughed for a moment but came to a halt at AJ's confused expression. "Sorry, I never got to tell you the story. Discord, apparently, thought Twilight needed a boyfriend and found me. I was human before, but he told me he could turn me into any pony race I wanted, besides an Alicorn. I chose a unicorn because magic sounded like it would be a lot of fun to learn. That plus I don't think I could handle being an earth pony. Having lost my hands and the ability to grasp things with them really sucks. At least with magic I can use telekinesis as a method to grab and hold onto things." He smiled as he plucked an apple from a tree they were passing and held it in front of AJ. She giving a smirk and opening her mouth to take a bite, but missed as it was plucked away from her and brought to in front of Kami who took a bite from it, giving a sly grin to the orange earth pony at his side. "Now ya'll er just making fun o'meh." AJ snorted tossing her nose into the air as she took a few more steps ahead of the unicorn stallion. "Nah, I wouldn't do that. Ya know I only flirt." He snickered seeing her pause in her stride as he came up beside her only to see her face flushed a bright red. He flicked his tail at her nose, knocking her from her reverie. "Flirt huh? Guess mah country charm done caught yer attention." She chuckled. "Country charm? Is that what a buck in the face, along with bleeding and lots of pain is called?" He smirked, stopping as he rubbed his chin in thought while giving AJ a sideways glance. "If so, then I'm sorry to say, your charms are a little painful for me." "Uh huh. Then why ya'll acting so smug like ya'll done won mah heart?" She asked, cocking a brow at him. "Oh no reason, I just simply like a certain shade of orange, more than others." He snickered, taking off through the orchard as he heard the earth pony gasp out, her face bursting into a bright red. "You sorry... no good!" She stopped as she noticed him stop in front of her just a few yards ahead. He looked back as he spoke to her. "Fine, if you’re that bent outta shape about it then here's a freebie." He snickered as he lifted and flicked his tail to the side causing AJ to literally fall over. 'WHAT IN TARNATION!?" She squeaked out as she quickly got to her hooves and took chase once again through the orchard. Big Macintosh was sitting below one of the large apple trees as he watched the two bolt through the orchard. Kami with his face bandaged and laughing his flank off. While AJ was right behind him, laughing hers off as well. "Those two ain't right." He chuckled, shaking his head as he bit into a red delicious. XXX It had taken the better part of the day, but work had finally come to a close on the farm. Kami —with the use of his magic— sped things up quite a bit, even though he was still getting used to using it on a regular basis. Big Macintosh had taken it upon himself to call it a day rather early, considering Kami was doing more than enough work to cover his fair share. But now, the two ponies had a slight problem. "I didn't think that this wagon could be overloaded by so many apples." Kami chuckled as he looked at the massive pile of bushels that were stacked nearly ten feet high from the brim of the wagon. "Ya'll ain't kiddin! This is a might big harvest for a day’s work. Ain't had one this big since a couple'o mah cousins came in from Appaloosa a ways back. Took them, me, an mah brother teh get the dern thing inteh the barn." AJ laughed thinking back to the time that it had taken them all to move the produce. "Well, ain't no time like the present! Let's get hitched up and move this fruit!" Kami exclaimed as he jumped into his harness, using his magic to latch himself up as he began to dig his hooves into the solid ground in an attempt to move the wagon. AJ watched him grunt and groan as he dug a trench with his hooves in an attempt to move the overloaded wagon. "Ya'll know ya ain't gonna move that much weight, don'tcha? She tittered. "Well, if my hooves were wider, I think I could get it moving, even if it was a slow process." He grunted, coming to a stop as he looked to the damage he had done to the ground. "How bout ah just give the wagon a push?" AJ smirked as she trotted to the back of it and began to count down. On the count of three they began to push and pull at the wagon. Its axles gave out a loud creak as it began to slowly move. Kami dug his hooves into the ground even further as he forced every ounce of strength he could muster into moving the wagon. After a few seconds of straining himself, the wagon began to slowly pick up its pace. Another few seconds and it was moving at a slow trot. "Alright! Now we're moving!" Kami laughed out. Applejack, on the other hoof, was trotting back and to the side of the wagon just out of the stallion’s view. She peeked around the side of the wagon as it continued to pick up pace through the orchard. As they trotted along, AJ would give a smirk at seeing the stallion smile as he continued to force his muscles to the limit in pulling the wagon. 'Ah don't think ah ever met a unicorn that liked physical labor like this'n does. Makes'im seem more like an earth pony, considerin he's built like one, and with a horn too. Strange...' AJ hummed softly to herself until she saw the wagon pulling away from her as it picked up speed. "Hey, what ya speedin up fer?" She shouted as she came up to his side. "Got to get up enough speed to get this thing up that hill and into the barn. Otherwise it's going to take a couple hours to move all these bushels by hoof and magic, right?" He smirked as he managed to get the wagon up to a quick trot, but not quite a gallop. "Yea, an we ain't got much farther teh go." AJ said as she nodded toward the barn in the distance. "Double time AJ, get that flank in gear!" Kami laughed out seeing her expression of determination as she halted, mid stride to get behind the wagon, pressing her head to the rear of it and begin to push with all her might as the wagon was now quickly forced into a full gallop. "We're at the bottom of the hill AJ, Don't let up!" Kami shouted as his horn lit up, casting a levitation spell onto some of the cargo to lighten the load a little. This causing the wagon to bolt forward a little quicker as he drove his hooves into the solid earth. The wagon and the two ponies were almost three quarters up the hill when they began to slow to a quick trot. Kami was quickly calculating the distance they had to go along with the amount of weight being pulled behind him. "Put some muscle into it AJ, or we won't make it." He shouted back only to feel the wagon ease up slightly on pulling him backwards. "That a girl!" Another few seconds and they were about ten yards from the top of the hill, and their speed had slowed down to a crawl. Kami pushing his magic to lift even more weight, but to no avail as the wagon came to a halt. He planted his hooves firmly into the ground as the wagon threatened to pull him backwards. "Keep pulling ya idgit! Don't stop now!" AJ yelled from behind the wagon as she pressed her forehead hard into the back of it. "I'm giving it all I got! Plus I'm using my magic! Set the brake on the wagon, we're going to have to carry them the rest of the way." "Brake?! What brake?! Ya'll never fixed that part when we broke the axle, remember!?" She shouted out as realization fell upon them both once the wagon began to slowly move backwards. "OH CRAP!" Kami yelled out as they finally came to a complete halt, he locking his legs and forcing them into the ground to try and halt the wagon as it slowly began to move backwards. "AJ, find a scotch before this things starts rolling any faster!" He shouted again as small grooves began to form from his hooves as he was being dragged backwards with the wagon. Applejack quickly looked around to find something she could place under one of the wheels to halt the wagons movement. "HA! Come'ere you!" AJ spoke out triumphantly as she ran over to a pile of chopped lumber, and then quickly bucking a couple of pieces directly toward the wheels of the wagon. Each hitting it perfectly into the path of the rear wheels and halting the wagon in its tracks. Kami felt the sudden halt of the wagon as he continued to strain his magic in holding the bushels from within. He let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding as he quickly began to pull bushels from the wagon while still holding his position in the harness. "Ya'll can ease up now. Ah done scotched the rear wheels, so it ain't goin nowhere." AJ smiled as she trotted up to his side, only to pause in confusion as she looked at the strain on his face from still holding the wagon in place. "Sorry AJ, but ah ain't letting up til ah go at least half the load out of the wagon and to the side. I don't trust the load in case the scotches don't hold. Besides, once most of the load is out, I can pull the wagon the rest of the way into the barn. Better to be safe than sorry." He chuckled as he continued to strain his magic, only to see AJ give a worried glance as his horn began to dull in its brightness, showing that his magic was running dangerously low. "Don't mean teh rush ya, but yer running outta magic. Better hurry afor..." The apple farmer didn't have time to explain as she watched several bushels fall to the ground to the side of the cart as the unicorn’s magic ran completely out. She managed to watch as the full weight of the wagon pulled on the unicorn, causing him to dig his hooves into the ground once again as he was slowly being pulled backwards with it. "Oh crap!" Kami managed to squeak out as his eyes shot open, looking straight forward, and into the farmer’s eyes as panic and fear took over. The wagon gave a loud groan as the chocks were slowly pressed into the ground and passed over by the wheels as the unicorn pulling the wagon was being helplessly dragged along with it. "Get that harness off!" AJ yelled as she attempted to nip at it to help in pulling it off. "I can't! If I move, then I'll fall and be dragged to my death!" He shouted as he began to breathe hard from straining his legs to halt the cart’s roll down the hill. The two ponies began a slow backwards trot down the hill, slowly picking up speed as the wagon continued its pull. As they went, the wagon began to slightly turn, causing the farmer to run up to its side and give a swift buck into it to keep it from turning any further. Unfortunately, it didn't help as the cart turned sideways, flipping over, and launching the stallion into the air, breaking him from the harness and continue flipping. He watched silently as he looked to the ground to see Applejack running away from the cart and down the hill only to stumble and fall to the dirt as he was making his descent back to the ground. She turned over just in time to see the stallion falling right at her, as well as the wagon that had halted, teetering on its rear end. The stallion landed right beside Applejack with a loud thud onto his hooves, looking down to the farmer as she was staring at the wagon that was now teetering over and slowly falling toward the two. Kami jumped over top of the orange earth pony just before the wagon came crashing down onto his backside, causing his hooves to be pressed deep into the earth below them. The two ponies panted as they stared each other in the eyes. Kami straddling AJ with the wagon pressing him down. She, below him and unable to move in any direction while on her back. A small trickle of light showing through the many cracks that now lined the entire wagon. "You alright?" Kami asked the farmer as he shook from straining against the weight of the wagon. "Ahm fine, you ok?" She asked only to hear him give a grunt as he moved a little closer to her. "Ah would be if my muscles weren't tiring out from all this weight I'm holding up." He groaned out as he finally gave out, locking his legs in place as his torso and belly sagged, pressing gently against Applejack’s as she lie below him. "What the hay! Get offa me!" She shouted right in his face as she pressed her forehooves against him. "Sorry love, wish I could, but right now I seem to be stuck if you haven't noticed." He grunted out as he attempted to press the wagon off of them. AJ halted her attempt at freeing herself as she gave a pant for a moment. Her face giving a slight blush as she looked off to the side. A small trace of sunlight slowly illuminating the darkness from within the overturned wagon as their eyes began to adjust. "H-how long does it take for a unicorn’s magic to replenish?" Kami asked as he attempted to power up his horn only for it to flicker out once again. "Ah think Twi said it takes about an hour." She stated with a blush, still refusing to look up at the stallion that had managed to protect her from getting crushed by the out of control wagon. "Wonderful." He chuckled a he gave a sigh, rolling his eyes, "Well then, I don't suppose you have any plans to help us get out of this mess before my magic can replenish itself and I can lift it off of us, do you?" AJ sighed, closing her eyes as she shook her head. "Sorry, but ahm stuck jes like you are." After about ten minutes of an uncomfortable silence, AJ noticed that Kami seemed to be pressing a little more onto her than before and gave him a wry glance. "Ya'll seem teh be moving a lil fast don'tcha think?" She asked, giving a smirk upon seeing his shocked expression. "I'm not doing this by choice AJ. My hooves are being pressed into the ground. I honestly don't have a say in this." He laughed nervously as he began to stare silently into the apple farmer’s eyes, only to give a slightly shocked expression upon seeing her give him a sly smile and wink. He stopped though as he felt something happening. "Oh no…," he squeaked out, "no... no no NO! Not right now... Not like this." He mumbled as his face turned ten shades of red. One shade for embarrassment, another from trying to strain against the wagon and push it off of them. "No? What ya'll mean no?" AJ asked as she felt him shifting uncomfortably above her. Then she felt it, something slowly creeping up her belly and in between the two of them. "Ya'll, got teh be kiddin meh..." She managed to sputter out only to see Kami's sheepish grin. "I am so sorry AJ. Please don't hate me for this. It's a guy thing. We see a pretty face, and can't help it sometimes." He chuckled nervously only to see her blush a little. "So... ya'll think ahm purty?" She giggled softly as she pressed her forehooves up to in front of her face to cover her blush. Her beautiful green eyes twinkling up at Kami only to cause him to gulp a little as he felt his embarrassment throb a little. "Ah guess that answers mah question." AJ giggled nervously at the stallion that was now turning purple from embarrassment. "I am never going to live this down." He sighed loudly as he closed his eyes, trying his best to block out the world around him. However, that didn't last long as the two froze in place at the sound of hooves quickly approaching. "There it is! But where are AJ and Kami?" Twilight yelled out as she and Big Macintosh came to a halt next to the wagon. The two ponies under the wagon quickly staring at each other in both worry and embarrassment before AJ spoke up. "We're... under here! We're kinda stuck. Care teh pull this thing off'o us?" Before the two had realized it, Kami’s embarrassment quickly retreated, hiding itself once again as the two saw a purple haze surround the wagon as it was quickly lifted from them and tossed to the side. However, once Twilight had moved it away and looked back, her eye gave a slight twitch upon seeing Kami, belly to belly with her best friend. "Uh..." He trailed off as he attempted to move but couldn't due to the constant muscle strain. "I can't move..." He chuckled nervously only to feel AJ's front and rear legs wrap around him. "Ah don't mind none." She grinned as she gave him a wink and sticking her tongue out playfully at him. Twilight, on the other hoof, only gave an annoyed snort as her horn lit up as she glared at the stallion. "Oh crap..." Was the last thing to leave the stallion’s mouth.