Sensation (SFW Version)

by Vivid Syntax

Chapter 3 - The Apple Thief

"Buck yeah!" The cold air ripped across my body as I plummeted down through the clouds, and I hit terminal velocity in the blink of an eye. The adrenaline pumped through my veins, and my thoughts finally felt right. 'All I need's a good flight to snap me out of it, then I'll be my old self, back on top.' Broken record? Maybe, but at that moment, it was just me and the sky.

Face toward the faraway ground, I rotated my wings back, catching myself on the wind and rocketing my body in a U-turn that slapped gravity in the face. Every organ in my body felt like it had doubled its weight, but the rush of endorphins to my brain balanced them out. I exhaled with a hiss through my teeth, and my head cleared.

Using my momentum, I climbed back into the sky, higher and higher, still keeping up an awesome speed. I couldn't hear anything except for the air screaming past, and the clouds sank like stones as I dashed up toward the late morning sun. My wings burned with exertion, but a feeling inside me told me to hold out just a little more. I kept going, forcing my wings to flap harder and gasping for breath in the thinning atmosphere. My mind raced with calculations: the angle of my wings, how cold it was getting, how high I could climb, how much my body wanted to give out…

And then, I let it all go.

All at once, I snapped my wings back to my sides, ready to let gravity have it revenge. There's this feeling you get when you stop flying, right after you've given yourself up to the sky. You're going up into nothingness faster than you can imagine, but then everything slows down, and you reach your apex. You close your eyes. At that moment, you're weightless, completely disconnected from everything in the world, and nothing can touch you. You feel invincible.

And as soon as you start falling, you feel more vulnerable than ever. Your body starts twisting and turning, tumbling over itself, completely out of control. The air has a biting chill, but the sun warms your face and your belly, and it all blends together into this blur of experiences that seem less and less real, until you're not sure if you even exist anymore. Everything stops, even your heart. I was there, in that moment, and everything felt perfect.

There's something visceral about it. Your know deep down that you're going to die, but once you let go of the natural panic and just accept what's happening, you find a kind of serenity that no living pony should ever be able to experience.

For a few seconds, I thought about nothing. All my worries melted away into the sky, just like they always did. There wasn't any trouble with the Wonderbolts, I wasn't afraid of losing my job, and all my mistakes were distant memories. This was what I needed. Falling through the sky, I was at home. I was at peace.

Aaaaaaand that's when my stomach started grumbling. My eyes shot open, and I scowled. "Dammit!" As quickly as I'd found my little piece of heaven, it had been ripped away from me, and my head was flooded with the same problems it always seemed to have. It felt like a punch to the gut and a slap to the head. I tried to close my eyes and get back to that perfect mental state, but once you get snapped back to reality, you can't find that moment anymore. I've tried, and it just gets aggravating.

I gave up on it and paid more attention to my stomach. Grumbling, I spread out my wings and stabilized myself. I'd fallen a lot further than I'd realized, and I thought to myself, 'Meh, not a bad way to go. Should probably at least have an audience, though.'

I aimed for the horizon. There was an apple orchard not too far from the Academy, one that you could see on a clear day, and I figured they wouldn't miss an apple or two, right? I'd make sure to come back and pay later. I'm a good guy.

That's the nice thing about Cloudsdale – you've got Manehattan in spitting distance, but go the opposite direction, and there's tons of open space. It's a nice rural area with farms and dirt roads and clean air, the kind of place you find a lot of earth ponies. It took a few minutes of flying, but I spotted a lake that I recognized and dove straight for it.

If you're ever falling toward a smooth lake, here's a tip: don't pull up until you can juuust make out your reflection. Dude, it looks super sweet. Just... don't wait any longer than that.

"Hello, Gorgeous." I saw my ruggedly handsome face in the water and rotated my wings back, banking forward and running parallel to my reflection. My hooves skimmed the surface, leaving a three-meter rooster tail behind me. I looked back and saw a rainbow forming in the spray. Like I said, super sweet.

My stomach rumbled again, and my head snapped forward. I soared past what could generously be called a beach where a mare and her colt were, naturally, cheering for me, then sped forward along a dirt road. The orchard came into view again as I crested a small hill, and that amazing, sweet smell hit my nose. I started salivating. I've had a lot of apples, but after skipping breakfast, I wanted that fruit as badly as I wanted air.

Something purple caught my attention. "Aw, nuts," I mumbled through gritted teeth, spotting a farm pony walking out of the orchard and down a road that was a little ways off. I didn't have any bits on me, and farm ponies aren't known to accommodate thieves. She didn't see me, though. Her cart had a bunch of suitcases in it, like she was going on a long trip

I thought to myself, 'Better make this quick. She probably has security working the place. Just get in, grab a snack, and go. Easy.' I picked up the pace, ducking into the grove and weaving in and out of the trees on the fringe.

Nopony was around, and the orchard was peaceful. The trees were arranged in neat rows, and I barrel-rolled between them, feeling my mane brush against the trunks of a few trees. Sweet, tart scents filled my nose, coupled with the smell of grass and dirt and leaves. The sun shone in little pockets between the trees, and I felt it warm my back as I passed each one.

About twenty meters ahead, a low-hanging branch held a ripe apple, red and heavy and just begging to be picked. It seemed perfect. I wouldn't have to land, wouldn't have to slow down. I kept up my speed, twisted in a little corkscrew maneuver, reached for the apple… and missed.

I wasn't off by much, though. I snorted and dashed forward, bobbing in and out of the trees until I saw another target. Oh, this one looked even juicier. I twisted and missed again. I grumbled to myself, "Stupid. Probably not even ripe."

Four trees ahead, I saw another one, a deep red fruit that barely clung to the branch. This one wasn't getting away. I kept my eyes on it. My mouth watered. I turned, floating on my back as I reached up to grab it. The apple brushed against my right forehoof, but I caught it in my left with a "Gotcha!" when –

"Whoa, there!"

I jerked myself to the left. My eyes went wide as I exited my spiral, searching for the noise, and I managed to catch a glimpse of a fully-loaded apple cart. I tried to yell something coherent but only managed a "HWUAH!"

It… gets kinda hazy after that.

A hard blow on my face. My wings wouldn't listen to me. My stomach heaved. Something scratched at my ear. I felt like I was falling sideways. There was a loud crack, and I thought, 'Please don't let that be my wing!'

My head hit a hard surface. My bones felt like they were all knocked out of place at once. Everything was spinning. There was a sudden stop, and a sharp pain shot up my spine to the back of my head. All I could hear was a deafening ringing sound.

And then, darkness.

I don't know how long I was out for. That's the thing about being passed out: you're not awake enough to remember any of it, and you aren't ready for it to start or end. There's just… fear. It's like, you're trying to run away from the most terrifying thing you've ever seen, but you can't even see it, and your legs are strapped down to the ground and you have this feeling like you're about to die. It's not like falling, though. There's nothing peaceful about it. You just feel yourself fill with dread.

But then somepony slaps you with a fish.

I mean, it wasn't really a fish, but it felt like it. I tried to lift my eyelids, but they wouldn't budge. My face felt moist, and there was this rhythmic thumping playing on my check. My first thought was, 'I'm pretty sure somepony's slapping me with a fish.'

The ringing died down, and there was another sound there to replace it. It sounded nice, but I couldn't figure out what it was. It was absolutely something I should have recognized, but my brain ached and refused to cooperate for a few moments until it came to me. 'Oh. Those are words.'

"…your eyes. C'mon, it'll be okay." My whole body relaxed. The voice definitely belonged to a stallion, but he sounded more than a little feminine. It reminded me of a colt trying to get an extra dessert – cute and a little desperate, and it had a beautiful country twang. I didn't care, though. It was soft and soothing, and it was coaxing me awake, and that's what mattered.

The thumping on my cheek stopped, and a hoof lifted my chin as a splash of cool water hit my forehead. That voice continued. "Ya' must be crazy, tryin' those fancy acrobatics with all these trees around." I let out a heavy breath, melting at the sound of that voice. I tried to smile and failed. "Now, I can help, but ya' gotta stay with me."

'Ok. Whatever you say,' I thought. With a lot of effort, I managed to half-open my eyes. Everything looked blurry, but I could make out the shape of a face, butter-yellow in color. I only got a glimpse, though. Sunlight streamed through the green leaves, and out of nowhere I had this massive headache. I think I groaned, and my eyes shut tight.

"Little bright for ya'?" The stallion figured me out pretty quickly. I felt him put something on my head, and the harsh sunlight stopped hurting me. The voice came back. "There you go. Hoo-ee! Ya' had me scared there for a bit. Can ya' stand?"

My jaw hung slack, but I rolled onto my stomach. Shakily, starting with my forelegs, I hoisted myself up. My whole body quivered, and I thought I was going to throw up. All I could reply was, "Ugh…" My stomach tried to jump out of my throat, and for a moment I was glad I hadn't eaten anything.

Keeping my head down, I remembered my wings. I hesitated a few times, but I slowly stretched them out. There was a dull pain, but nothing seemed broken. After a few heavy sighs, I managed a "Thanks."

"S'alright. Let's get ya' loaded onto the cart," the other pony said with a little more cheer than I was able to handle. "I'll bring ya' back to the farmhouse and getcha right fixed up. Just keep talking to me, ya' hear?"

"Yeah. Yeah, okay," I groaned. I took a few deep breaths, but didn't move until a felt a small nudge on my flank. I turned my head toward the other pony to get a good look, but everything looked like a grade-school watercolor, and the sunlight felt like it was driving a spike through my forehead.

Another nudge, and I walked forward as the world spun around me. Keeping my eyes closed, I felt my way to a large box with wheels. I flopped in on top of some mashed apples, which filled the air with a blisteringly sweet scent that upset my stomach all over again. I pulled the hat further over my eyes. At least the sunlight felt nice on my back and helped me keep track of which way was up.

A few moments later, the cart rocked forward, and that smooth, bouncy voice floated back to me again. My head didn't hurt while I listened to it. "We'll be home in a few minutes, lickity-split. Just don't leave me, and it'll be fine. That alright, mister… Aw, heck, where are my manners?" I couldn't believe how energetic this guy was. "We haven't been rightly introduced yet! Name's Braeburn."

"I'm Soarin'." I tried to be upbeat like him, and I think I did a pretty good job, all things considered.

"Sounds like ya' said 'Soarin''? Well, pleasure to meet you, Soarin'. Sorry it couldn't be on more fortunate terms. Course, maybe I coulda looked where I was goin' and saved ya' some trouble. Head in the clouds, I guess. Oh! Uh, no offense, I hope." He sounded embarrassed, and it was adorable. I wanted to pet him like a small puppy. "Although… what were ya' doin' in these parts anyway?"

I froze, eyes wide under my hat. 'Stealing.' I laughed nervously, trying to come up with a plausible lie. I spoke loudly to cover up my fear. "Uh, I was… flying…" Nailed it.

"And who could blame ya'?" Braeburn interrupted. "If I was a pegasus, I'd love to spend all day floatin' through these orchards. Why, these are my second favorite trees in all of Equestria. Favorites are back home, of course, back in Aaa…" He trailed off, and everything got quiet. "…back home." For a few seconds, all I heard was the turning of the wheels and his hooves on the road. "Where you from?" It came out stilted, not at all cheery.

I wish I had asked him what was wrong. Instead, I thought, 'Sweet Celestia, this guy can ramble. At least he hasn't pressed me too hard about why I'm here.'

"You okay? Don't want ya' passin' out again."

"Uh, yeah…" There was genuine concern in Braeburn's voice, and my heart skipped a beat. He wasn't jumping on me about slipping up, wasn't goading me to be more competitive. He was just… talking to me, and it struck me how weird that felt. He was being gentle. My nightly conquests always turned into insincere fawning, and even my teammates always had an air of competition around them, like they'd kill me if it meant being co-captain.

But this guy? He was showing me genuine tenderness. At the time, I figured it was just because he didn't know who I was. He was being friendly in a way that I hadn't experienced in… I don't know, years? He was taking care of me without expecting anything back, even though I was a complete stranger. It just… felt good, you know?

I shook my head to try and clear the fog. "I'm from Cloudsda–"

"Cloudsdale! Shoulda guessed from the wings and all, but I didn't wanna presume. I'd love to see it someday, but I don't suppose a lot of earth ponies get that privilege." Braeburn paused, his voice becoming stiff again. "Gotta be grateful for what we have. E… even if we'd like it to change."

A few moments of silence passed. It ended when the cart wheel ran over a rock. The cart jostled, and I let out a sharp cry as I felt another shot of pain in my skull. Still hiding under the hat, I began rubbing my temples.

Braeburn halted immediately, and the cart came to a gentle stop. The yoke clacked as he unhitched it from his neck, and before long he stood beside the cart. "Sorry! Wasn't watchin' carefully, I guess. Still with me?"

I sat up, resting my forelegs on the wall of the cart and facing the yellow pony in front of me. "Yeah, I'm…" My vision had cleared up, and I found myself staring breathlessly at the stallion in front of me.

Braeburn's coat glowed a rich, buttery yellow in the midday light, smooth and velvety. Sweat trickled through his soft fur, beautifully outlining his well-defined muscles, tight from years of working the fields. He wore a brown vest, and right away I wanted to take it off of him so I could stare at the rest of his toned chest. He was a little short for a farm pony, but that only made him cuter. A cool breeze rolled by, fluffing out a golden made that was interlaced with hues of chestnut brown. The hair fell naturally and softly across his neck and forehead, contrasting with his strong jaw and stopping just short of the two most gorgeous emerald eyes I've ever seen. His perfect face gazed back at me, masculine it its features but feminine in its expression.

"…yummy." My eyes closed halfway, and I couldn't help but grin. My wings started to unfurl themselves, and it took all my concentration to keep them down. Wings, am I right?

"You're… yummy?" Braeburn cocked an eyebrow and turned his head a few degrees, with his lips parted just slightly.

I felt hot. My hooves drummed against the side of the cart before I stammered, "Uh, yeah! You know, good to go!" I hadn't had that much trouble talking to a guy in a long time. "Yummy! Yeah."

"Uh huh. Well, glad you're okay." Braeburn frowned a bit, turning back to the road and hitching himself back up to the cart. The cart lurched forward, and he continued. "And if you've got 'yummy' on your brain, we can get you some of my aunt's famous pie back at the house. It's just over this hill."

"Mmm…" I moaned, leaning on one hoof and ogling Braeburn's rear as it swayed back and forth. Quietly, I purred, "Looking forward to it."