//------------------------------// // Heatwave // Story: Tales of Rarijack // by Gowak //------------------------------// Summer was not Rarity’s favourite season. It had its perks of course. The last weeks of the Printemps-Été collections were always so interesting to work through and no school meant more time for her creative process and more time to spend with the girls. And more time to spend with THE girl. She smiled at the thought. Summer definitely had its perks. However, as fun as it may be, the heat was the bane of Rarity’s summer experience, and this week was just the. worst. possible. week. It was an insufferable 43°C and rising and Rarity’s umbrella offered a clearly inadequate protection against the fiery ball in the sky. Princess Twilight told us her Celestia ruled over the sun. I wonder if we could make our Celestia in charge of that… ♫~ Wise men say ♪ only fools rush in ♪ but I can’t help falling in love with you ~♫ The ring tone interrupted the train of thought. She quickly reached for the device and answered. “Hello Darling, I’m on my way…” “…” “Oh! Hello, Miss Smith! How are you?” “…” “I’m fine despite the heat. Did Applejack forget her phone again?” “…” “Do you have a message for her? I will tell when I see her.” “…” “To come get her? But we’re supposed to meet at the theatre…” “…” “I’m on my way.” Despite having taken care of the orchard with her family for years, harvesting of the summer apples was and would probably remain a chore for Applejack and the heatwave just comforted her in that feeling. If only that was the only problem… she thought, wiping the sweat out of her face. Due to an unusually warm year, the Honeycrisps had matured weeks earlier than usual, putting the Apple family into a pinch. They had to start the harvest but the local helpers they usually hired were not available yet. This was why Applejack had taken upon herself to help with the harvest. This was not the first time she’d tried with predictable results, but this time she had Equestrian magic and experience on her side. But mostly Equestrian Magic. At first, things had gone smoothly but as she reached the end of the Orchard, Applejack started to feel the weight of hot weather. Despite her Stetson, the sun was hitting hard on her head, almost literally, causing an increasingly painful headache and while she could carry her charge with relative ease, it was starting to take a toll on her stamina and cramps made moving around painful. Now that she thought about it, she was really tired. “Maybe this was not such a good idea,” she stated out loud, coaxing the last drop of water from her bottle. She checked her watch, struggling to read the digit through the sweat in her eyes and the throbbing pain in her head. It was later than she’d expected but she had more than enough time to get back, prepare and go meet Rarity. I just need to get back and take a shower. That was the plan. Instead, Applejack went to the closest tree, sit and fainted. Applejack woke up to the feeling of a fresh cloth on her forehead and fingers playing with her hair. This was good. Good enough to forget about the heat. “Rarity?” she said, opening her eyes. “Hello, sweetheart,” she answered with a warm smile. “Glad to see I’m the one you think of when someone’s caressing your hair n your sleep. Are you feeling better?” “I suppose…what happened? Why are you here? Wait! The movie!” “To answer your questions, you overdid it again,” she teased, tapping her girlfriend’s nose. “Your granny called me to tell me that you were gone picking apples, alone, in the heat. As she foreseen, you suffered from heat exhaustion. Concerning the movie, it’s too late for that, darling. The screening will start in less than ten minutes.” “Darnit!” she swore, straightening herself. “I’m so sorry babe, I know you wanted to see that movie…” “It’s okay, sweetheart,” she reassured. “But it’s from your favourite book series!” “From what I’ve heard that movie was not the best adaptation and the casting choice was truly questionable. And the costumes were simply ahistorical…” “Oh…” “To be honest, I just wanted an excuse to cuddle with my girlfriend in an AC room. The film was just a bonus.” “I guess you’ll have to settle with a picnic under the shadow of a big apple tree.” “Do I still get the cuddles?” “They’re mandatory, babe,” Applejack laughed while taking her girlfriend in her arms. “Then I suppose I shall be content with it,” Rarity sighed, settling in the hug. “You know…” Applejack let out after a few minutes. “I might need someone to check on me while I pick apples… You know? In case I overdo it again.” “I think I might know the perfect person to help.” Summer had its perks.