//------------------------------// // Chapter three // Story: The Adventure of Galloping Waves // by Evilhumour //------------------------------// It was a nice, bright sunny morning and Applejack was enjoying it. She had got up early, sunrise, and was making excellent time bucking the apples. Walking up to another tree, she stared at for a second as she caught a unusual shade of green. Withholding a groan, as she told the squirt not to do this many times in the past, she wondered how to get him out of her trees. She could lasso him down, she could yell at him awake, or she- With a bit of a grin, she turned around and bucked the tree, sending down the green pony down with a yelp. Looking at the pony on his side in front of her, he raised his left wing to block the apples and sun that fell on him. “Ah said not to nap in my trees, squirt.” She glared at the alicorn, who was yawning himself awake, lifting the apples with his magic over to her cart while taking one for himself. “Sorry bout that.” He started to brush himself back to semi-presentable standard with his magic; pushing down the more fluffed out coat hair, making sure his feathers were more or less aligned and that his light seablue mane wasn’t too messy, while making sure he had some dirt on himself. “I needed a place to crash after last night.” He yawned, walking besides the earth pony, who was already walking to the next tree. “And what happened last night that ya needed to crash here?” She glared at him, softening her eyes a bit. He was a good colt, heart was usually in the right place outside of the occasional prank, but his work ethic was terrible. He almost never put any more effort into anything then the bare minimal and he almost always had a distant look on his face that made it impossible if he was taking things seriously or not. Sighing, he looked at her with an embarrassed look on his face. “Promise not to get mad?” Oh this was not going to be good. But, “Ah promise squirt.” She bucked a tree, knocking down some apples. Gallop, using the lessons she taught him when he was a little foal, bucked a few more apples down. He wasn’t good at it by a long shot, but it did make her happy to see somepony to embrace the earth pony aspect the alicorns were supposed to have. “Pinkie Promise?” He coughed, looking up at her while backing up. Oh this was going to be bad. “Ah can’t Pinkie Promise that squirt. But ah’ll Pinkie Promise to hear ya out.” He smiled at that, but still stood a few hooves away from her. Oh, this was going to be very, very bad. ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~ Applejack sighed heavily. She Pinkie Promised to hear him out. She couldn’t break a Pinkie Promise. She didn’t Pinkie Promise to not hurt him though. She did want to strangle the colt who was ready to bolt from her at the drop of her hat, but she knew that Luna would be annoyed if she did. Mostly because she beat her to the punch… “Look ki-Gallops.” He meeped at hearing his name, squatting lower to the ground so he was smaller then her. Good, he knew she was not happy at all. “What ya did was totally stupid. It ain’t right to lie about yerself to bed a mare. Ah thought we’d settled that before.” She glared. “In my def-” “Let me finish.” She glared at him, causing him to fold backwards. “You’re still young enough to be hoodwinked into something dangerous or stupid because you were fooled by a nice set of flanks.” She paused to buck a tree. Hard. “And being mean to your ma ain’t right in least Gallops.” She turned around at stared at him in the eyes. “She loves ya dearly and only wants to protect you. You ought to show some more respect to her, you hear?” He sighed, looking at the ground. He nodded his head slowly, “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” He muttered. “On the other hoof, you aint a little colt anymore.” She smiled, walking over to her nephew. He was as much as family as any of her best friends were. “You’re growing up and ya mom should expect ya to be more interested in mares.” She grinned, pausing for a moment. “Or stallions.” She said with a smirk, watching his ears turn bright red and bury his face with his hooves. He was still the shy little colt she knew, blushing at the more…delicate stuff. She leaned over to ruffle his mane still, forcing him to look up at her with her other hoof. “You are growing up to be a stallion squirt and ah guess you’ll need time to find out what kind of pony you are going to be. But as long as ya stay true to what we taught ya, ah’m sure you’ll turn out just fine.” She brought him into a tight hug. “Ah suggest you give ya mom some time to settle down before headin’ back.” “Yeah, that sounds smart.” He smiled up at her, standing up fully to look her in the eyes. “I think I’ll write a letter to aunt Celestia to let her know where I am though.” “See? Ah told ya to use that noggin of yours.” She rapped her hoof on his head, causing him to laugh. “And ya go and do the right thing.” He smiled at her again and hugged tight, wrapping his wings around her sides. He leaned down to give her a small kiss on the side of the cheek, and started to trot off. “Thanks for hearing me out aunt Applejack.” The alicorn looked at the Barer of the Element of Truth. She might be strict, but she always gave the best advice on stuff like this. “I’m off for a bit of a walk.” He said with a grin, pulling out a piece of paper and started to write a note down. “I’ll come back a bit later.” He spoke with a wave of a wing. “Lunch at Sugarcube Corner?” “Sure thing squirt.” She grinned. “One thing though…” “Yes?” “Pinkie Promise me that you will not go to anymore bars or such to find any one night stands and that you’ll have the sense of mind to turn one down, you hear?” She glared at him. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” He did all the motions, a bit crushed that his potential bed hoping nights were over and he was going to have to watch how much he drank from now, to make sure he didn’t do anything under the influence. After all, one did not break a Pinkie Promise. ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~