//------------------------------// // Wild Hearts // Story: Chestnut Mare // by Shakespearicles //------------------------------// Out on a capture, Arthur crept closer to a pony he had been following for some time. A beautiful mare with light chestnut colored fur and a blonde mane and tail. His Chestnut mare. As soon as he was close enough, he threw his lasso into the air, and landed right around her. She fought and struggled to get away as he pulled in more of the rope. And then, as soon as he was close enough, he jumped forward to tackle her. And damn if he didn't land right on top of her. And she took off running. Running as the human clung to her back, with his arms wrapped around her, holding on for the ride. He pressed his cheek to the back of her neck as she ran. He could hear her strong, wild heart beating. He could feel her powerful muscles rippling beneath her fur. He could smell her lovely scent in her mane. He pressed his face deeper into her golden locks, wishing to stay there forever. "Hmm," The morning light streaked in through the curtains of the window. Applejack stirred from her slumber. She realized that she was in a bed. She felt somepony's hoof draped across her. She shifted a little to look at who it was. She felt fingers rubbing her belly idly before Arthur's arm pulled her tighter to him. She suddenly remembered where she was. She was in Arthur's house. In his bed. He was behind her, holding her tightly to him. She could feel him pressing his face into the nape of her neck. The steadiness of his warm breath on her told her that he was still asleep. Feeling his embrace around her felt... comforting, assuring. She felt safe. I love you The words echoed in her mind from the other day, when he was delirious from the concussion and sun. They haunted her thoughts, unsure of their true meaning. He wasn't in his right mind at the time, after all. He could have been hallucinating that he was saying it to anyone. Besides, she told her dog that she loved her. But it didn't mean it was the romantic kind. Maybe he did love her. But it was the way that one loved a pet. Certainly he cared about her. That much was clear. She cared about him as well. Maybe in the general sense of the word, she did love him. But it didn't mean that she was in love with him. How could she be? She wrestled with the thought of it. Still... it seemed more plausible than any kind of a relationship with Buck, out in the stables, even if he was supposed to be the same species as her. The idea of that repulsed her. But Arthur on the other hoof... Applejack shook her head. It was crazy, that idea. He couldn't possibly like her like that. Not in the way that she needed. She tried to clear her mind of the notion. Maybe he was just being overly affectionate from being isolated for so long. In all her time here, she hadn't seen a single other member of his species. Certainly not any females. His affection was simply being misplaced. Or she was just misinterpreting it. After all, she reminded herself, she wasn't thinking clearly herself in her condition. Her thighs rubbed together uncomfortably. 'This damn heat.' Her heart and mind were in a tug-of-war. She clenched her hoof and grit her jaw in frustration. She needed to know, consequences be damned. She rolled over toward him, with his arm still draped over her. The movement was enough to cause his eyes to flutter, stirring him from his dream. She looked at him, less than a foot from his face. He looked back are her big, green eyes and smiled. "Good morning," he said with a yawn. As he stretched, he realized his arm in her side of the bed's territory. "Oh, sorry," his smile faded as he pulled his arm away. Applejack felt the warmth of his arm on her body leaving her. She felt the comfort and security of it slipping away. It was now or never, she decided. She took his hand in her hoof and held it. "Arthur, I need to ask you something," Applejack said. Arthur looked down as his hand, clasped in her hooves, and then back to her face. They may have been separated by species, many anatomical differences, and cultural barriers. But her holding his hand, and the look in her eyes shattered all of them. "Do you love me?" she asked. Arthur suddenly found it very hard to breath. It was as simple a question as anyone could ask. All she wanted was a little yes or no. But it wan't so simple. "AJ I... you know I care about you a lot." "That's not what I asked," she pressed. "I asked if you loved me. After you were kicked, while you were half-conscious, you said 'I love you'." His face turned red. He didn't remember any of that, but still. "Is it true? Do you love me?" "I- well, yeah. I mean, of course I love you. I-" "But do you love me like you would love a human mare?" "A woman." "Like a woman? Do you love me like that?" "AJ, I-" he winced and pulled his hand away from her hooves, covering his face. "You must think I'm weird. I'm sorry. I just, I, I-" he gasped, unable to speak through the tight lump in his throat. "Do you or not?" she asked again. He couldn't bare to look at her. He couldn't stand to see the look on her face when he told her. "yes" he croaked his confession through his hands, certain that it would ruin everything. He felt her weight shift in the bed. To run out of the room, he figured. At once he felt her weight on him. She grabbed his wrists with her hooves, pulling his hands away from his face. "Say it!" she barked at him. "Yes, dammit!" he said, more clearly. "Say the words!" "I love yo-hhmmfff!" He didn't even get out the 'u' in 'you' before she pressed her lips to his, kissing him deeply. "Arthur," she panted, "would you- could you love me like a woman?" She all but whimpered, "I need it so badly, it hurts." He pressed his finger to her lips. "Shhh." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, kissing her again as he rolled her onto her back. No more words needed be spoken.