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Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Applejack was sitting in Carousel Boutique with a less than pleased look on her face. She decided to pass the time by reading the book that Twilight had lent her. She got through the first few pages fairly quickly but soon became bored, until she saw the ensemble that Rarity had planned out. Before the white mare could return with another monstrosity Applejack high tailed it back to the farm, after finding a nice tree to lie under she cracked open the book and gave it a second chance.

“Watch’a doing Applejack?” Applejack quickly closed the book to see her sister and two friends looking at her.

“Oh..Howdy Applebloom, what do you three need?”

“We were just wondering why you’re reading a book.” Sweetie Belle answered.

“Oh...Well Twilight said it was a good read...and she suggested it to me. So here ah am....reading.” she said as she threw on a nervous grin.

“Sis, yah stink at lying.” Applebloom said as she gave the orange mare a blank stare.

“Alright fine ah’m reading it because.....” Applejack stopped herself from breaking her promise to Cadence. “Because Gear likes this book and..ah..kinda like em.” the three filly’s had a massive grin spread across their faces. “But don’t tell no-pony you hear!”

“We promise” the fillies said in unison.

“Pinkie Promise!”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” the three said while going through the appropriate motions.

“Thanks, now if ya’ll don’t mind. Can you leave me to read in peace?” she said as she cracked open the book.

“What’s it about?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“No idea, so far the story’s main character is some sort of professor.” AJ said as she continued reading.

“So how long have you two been going out?” Scootaloo asked with a sly grin.

“We haven’t yet. Tonight we’re double dating with Twi’s brother and his wife.” The three filly’s jaws hit the ground.

“You’re having dinner with a Princess!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

“Yeah, ah suppose.”

“What’re you going to wear?”

“Um.....nothing as usual.” she said with an odd look.

“What! You can’t go to dinner with them like that! My sister can-” Sweetie Belle was cut off by Applejack slamming the book shut.

“No way, no how am ah letting Rarity dress me up like some posh Canterlot snob!”

“Well you gotta wear something.” Applebloom said as she glared at her sister. Applejack scratched her mane for a second.

“Maybe mah Galla dress will be alright, will that do?” the three fillies nodded in agreement. “Alright ah’l wear the dress. Now if ya’ll could please let me get back to reading?” the three fillies ran off towards the barn, leaving Applejack sitting against a tree with the book in hoof. She opened up to the first page and began to read.

Back across Ponyville Cadence was dragging Gear by his hoof into Carousel Boutique.

“Rarity! We’ve got work to do!” Cadence exclaimed. The white unicorn mare was so startled that she jumped in fright at their entrance.

“You two have perfect timing Applejack just left here ten minutes ago.”

“We need to get this stallion date ready stat!” Cadence said as Gear broke the hold that the pink alicorn had him in.

“I thought I could just go casual.”

“What! This is your first date! You have to get dressed up!” Rarity hollered.

“Fine, just nothing too extreme, okay?”

“Deal.” Rarity and Cadence started to converge on the green stallion with a playful look in their eyes.

“Celestia save me!” the two then dragged him into the nearest fitting room and began trying on all different suits. When the two mares finally let him step out, he was in a full tux and his mane was slicked back by some odd smelling gel product Rarity had stashed away. He trotted over and looked at himself in the mirror and frowned. “What part of ‘nothing too extreme’ don’t you understand?”

“What? You look good in a tux.”

“It’s just dinner plus Shining and Cadence are going to be there. Those two aren’t going to dress up.”

“Actually I’m going in formal attire so is Shining.” she said with a grin. Gear let out a groan.

“Fine I’ll wear a suit, no tux! Okay?”

“Fine. Let me see if I have anything in your size.” she said as she ducked behind a curtain and withdrew a dark brown suit with a black bow tie. Gear tried the suit on and stood in front of the mirror and grinned.

“Now we’re talking! Thanks Rarity, I haven’t been a suit since I was in Canterlot.”

"Can I ask you something?" Rarity said as she beagn measuring him.

"Sure."

“Why did you move here? I mean this small town has it’s charms, but Canterlot is so much better.” she said in a curious tone. “I mean the place is a business gold mine, if you can make it in Canterlot than you can make it anywhere.”

“I don’t want that kind of life. It would drive me crazy for a second-” he stopped talking. Cadence threw a worried look his way as Rarity stopped measuring him she looked up.

“What was that last part, something about going crazy?”

“Nothing....absolutely nothing.” he said as he avoided the mares gaze.

“Gear don’t lie to me.”

“Rarity just drop it.” Cadence interjected.

“What’s the big secret? I wan’t to know!” Gear was catching a death stare from the white mare. he let out a heavy sigh.

“Okay....but Rarity this is TOP SECRET! You tell no-pony! Not Twilight, not Rainbow and especially not Applejack!” he said a he pointed at the mare.

“Of corse dear now what is it?”

“This is serious Rarity. Only Shining Armor, Twilight and myself know this.” Cadence said in a cold tone.

“I understand. I won’t say a word.” Gear took a deep breath.

“You know that my parent’s are dead right?” the white mare nodded remembering what he had told her. “Well when they died....I didn’t take it well." Gear breathed a heavy sigh and continued "I was.......institutionalized.” Rarity put a hoof to her mouth in shock.

“Oh...I see....for how long?”

“Five years.” Rarity looked back in surprise. “I’m here for some down time before my board of review comes up. This whole ‘vacation’ is really a test to see if I’m ready to rejoin society.” Rarity was in utter disbelief.

“Okay...I need to ask this but are you.....dangerous?”

“To you or to your friends? No.”

“Oh good. I’m sorry for asking that, I just wasn’t expecting it I mean I know your an author and every thing but-”

“WHAT! You know!?” he bellowed “Who told.....CADENCE!” he said as he glared at the pink alicorn who had a nervous grin on her face.

“Sorry Gear. It kinda slipped out.”

“Wait, does Applejack know?”

“Yeah, so does Twilight.” Gear face-hoofed and let out a loud groan.

“Great! Now she’s gonna bug me for the rest of my visit!”

“We all Pinkie Promised not to tell any-pony.” Rarity said.

“What in the name of Luna is a Pinkie Promise?” Gear asked with a confused lok on his face.

“Simply put, you can’t break this promise. If you do then Pinkie finds you and makes you wish you never broke it.” she said as the event’s in Appaloosa came rushing back to her mind, as that happened the three ponies perked up hearing some-pony yell a long, drawn out forever.

“Okay fine, I’ll take your word for it. What else did you tell them Cadence?”

“Just about your books. Nothing about the institution.”

“Good.”

“Can I ask something from a readers standpoint?” Rarity asked.

“Depends what it is.”

“How could you go from writing something like ‘Pegasi and Demons’ to something like ‘The Shimmer’? I mean the two are nothing alike.” Gear looked down at the ground.

“Okay one, I didn’t write them I just came up with the ideas and sent them off to Colt Barker and Horror King. Two, when you’re in an institution for a few years you tend to get bored. Three, I’ve always liked horror stories and decided to try out some idea’s I had thought up. Finally I found it therapeutic.”

“And they just accepted help from you?”

“Yes, they needed idea’s, I had them, it was a simple business arrangement.”

“You did this for free?”

“No, I got 50% of the profit and I’m credited in the book.”

“But I still don’t see how some-pony could write something like that and find it therapeutic.” Rarity said as she raised an eye brow. Gear gave an aggravated grumble.

“Look, Rarity I did what I had to do to get over the tragedy, it was a way for me to get my feelings and thought’s out of my head. I needed to do that, I still do. I’m sure every-pony has their own coping mechanisms and I used it to get better.” he said in an aggravated tone.

“I’m sorry Gear. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing, but how did you write such.....interesting stories there. I’ve read ‘The Shimmer’ and that book gave me nightmares for weeks. How did you think up such a tale and how long did it take you?”

“Well I had time on my hooves, a LOT of time and my first year there was.......unpleasant so I had something to work with.” he said in a nervous tone.

“What do you mean by ‘unpleasant?’” Rarity asked as she raised an eyebrow. Gear’s eyes shrank.

“I think I’ve said enough for today, thanks for the outfit. I’ll return it as soon as I’m able to.”

“Please darling, think of it as a gift.” she said with a weak smile. “I insist you take it, a stallion should always have a nice suit.”

“Okay, thanks Rarity, and not just for the clothes, it feels good to talk about this with some-pony. Please remember not to-”

“I won’t say a word.” she said as she made the zipper locking motion with her hoof. Gear gave a final goodbye and trotted out of the shop, Cadence started to follow but rarity tapped her on the shoulder. “Cadence, what did he mean by ‘unpleasant?’”

“Honestly Rarity I’m as curious as you are. That’s the most he’s told me or any-pony for that matter about it. I’ll see if I can get Shinning to fill in the blanks fro me.”

“Thank you dear, it’s just that......I trust Gear, he’s a wonderful friend but I’m worried about Applejack. If she find’s this out then things could get out of hoof.”

“I know what you mean. But let’s just keep this between us.”

“Of course.” they said their goodbye’s and Cadence took off towards the green stallion. Cadence caught up to Gear as he entered the library he saw Shinning Armor and Twilight having some tea at the kitchen table.

“Wow, Gear that suit is awesome!” Shinning said as he trotted over to his green friend.

“Yeah Rarity picked it out. She may be a a bit materialistic but she has good taste.” he said as he looked at himself in a mirror. Twilight was trying to hold back her giggling. "Okay Twilight let’s hear it.”

“What?”

“I know that Cadence told you about me being Colt Brown.” he said as he rolled his eyes. Twilight then started to hop around the stallion in a circle giggling to her self.

“Oh thank you! I wasn’t sure if I could keep my excitement contained for much longer, I have so many questions.”

“I’ll answer them, after tonight and to keep you quiet about this.”

“Of course! What ever you need.”

“Thanks. Oh and by the way Rarity knows about the whole institution thing.” Shining and Twilight’s jaw dropped.

“You told her!” Shinning yelled.

“Yes...it slipped out.” Shinning had a concerned look on his face. “I didn’t give her any details, I only told her that I was in the institution and wrote for Horror King and Colt Barker.” Shinning breathed a sigh of relief.

“Oh.....good. So she doesn’t know about the-”

“No. She doesn’t.” Gear glanced at the clock. “Hey guys I’d like to stay and chat but we have to go to dinner soon.” Cadence and Shinning looked at the clock and saw that he was correct.

“Gear you go on ahead, Cadence and I still need to get ready. We’ll catch up with you later.” Shinning said with a smile.

“Fine, Twilight can you do me a favor?” he said as he looked over at the lavender mare.

“Sure what is it?”

“I need you to teleport over to Sweet Apple Acre’s and get my medicine. It’s in a small white plastic container.”

“That’s pretty far, I’m not sure if I can teleport-”

“I’ll do it.” Cadence volunteered.

“Okay, that works, just get back here soon and don’t let Applejack see-” he was cut off as the pink alicorn vanished in a cloud of pink smoke.

Cadence teleported just outside the barn house, Cadence made her way to the door and knocked three times. The door opened to reveal three small fillies looking at her in surprise.

“Oh my gosh! P-Princess Cadence!” the three fillies yelled

“Oh, you’re the three fillies that were the flower mares at my wedding.” she said with a warm smile.

“Yeah, what can we do for you your highness.” the orange pegasus asked.

“I’m just here to pick something up for Gear. Where is his room?”

“This way!” the three fillies said in unison as they trotted up the stairs. Cadence entered the rustic room and started to look through Gear’s bags, she came across the item she was searching for and levitated it with her magic.

“What are those?” the white unicorn asked. Cadence took a moment to chose her words wisely.

“Um...These are Gear’s Vitamin’s. He needs to take them once a day and he forgot to this morning.” she said with a grin.

“Oh. But why does he need them?”

“Sorry girls it’s a secret.”

“Can’t yah tell us please?” the three fillies started to use the puppy dog eyes on the princess. Cadence looked at them and shook her head with a smile across her face.

` “Nice try girls, but I invented that look to use on Auntie Celestia.” she said as she trotted pat them. “But you three are very good at it.”

“Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle! Where did you three run of to now?” said a southern accent coming from the stair case. Cadence looked over to see the brim of AJ's hat beginning to surface from the staircase, she looked back at the three fillies.

“Okay girls I have to go, pretend you never saw me!” the three fillies looked in confusion as the pink princess vanished in a cloud of smoke. Applejack got to the top of the stairs and looked at the three fillies with a raised eyebrow.

“What in the hay are you three doing up here?”

“N-nothing. We were just leaving.” Scootaloo said as the three ponies rushed past the orange mare. Applejack was about to protest but let the thought go, she trotted inside her room to get ready for her date.

Back in the library Gear waited patiently for Cadence to return with his pills. His right hoof began to shake violently, Shining and Twilight looked over at him in surprise.

“You okay Gear?”

“Yeah....I just hope Cadence get’s here so-” he was cut off by Princess Cadence appearing along with his bottle of pills, Cadence tossed it over to him. Gear unscrewed the cap and popped one in his mouth. The shaking in his right arm subsided, he breathed a sigh of relief. “That was close, thanks Cadence. Did Applejack see you?”

“No she didn’t, but her sister and her friends did.”

“That’s not an issue.” Twilight then looked at the pill bottle with a raised eyebrow.

“What do those pills do exactly?”

“Let’s just say they keep me from going crazy.” he said as he put the bottle into his pocket. “I’d better get going. See you two down there.” Gear said as he exited the library. Shinning and Cadence started to giggle as he left, Twilight looked at them in confusion.

“What’s so funny?” Cadence put a hoof around her sister in-law and moved towards the door.

“C’mon Twilight you’re gonna wanna see this.” she said as the three ponies walked out of the library.

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