//------------------------------// // Summertime's in Bloom // Story: Don't Look Back in Anger // by Super Trampoline //------------------------------// It's hot. You wouldn't think England could get hot. But it's hot. One of the occasional heatwaves, the radio said. The molly isn't helping mind you. It's important though. Got to get in the spirit of things, as it were, being a young adult on drugs in the London countryside. It's just it adds to the sweating. No worries though; we packed more than enough water, and besides, we're almost to our destination, picked out by the man next to me. "It took a bit of finding, but I really think you'll appreciate the spot I picked out." He's probably right. Flash is good at finding things. Out past the M25, it's quieter here. Just the distant roar of airplanes, the chattering of insects, and the mild wind tickling the vegetation. It's hot, but it's nice. Nice to walk, nice to talk, nice to listen to Britpop, and nice to just be here. This is nice. "Wanna hear an unpopular opinion?" I ask. "Sure," he says, leaning in to kiss my cheek. "I actually like Blur better than the Gorillaz." "I mean, that's cool. No one's going to throw you shade for that." "I don't know, there are some fierce Gorillaz fans. You haven't been to the parts of the internet I have. Which is strange, considering you've actually lived here your whole life." "Yeah, well," he responds, "I've never been huge on the digital stuff. I guess I just prefer old school human interaction. Or, uh, you know, ponies-turned-into-human interaction." I giggle. "So is that the tree up there?" "Yep, almost there." He squeezes my hand, and I'm reminded of how amazing something as simple as holding hands with your beloved can be. I have a confession: I never really stopped running away. I tried to, believe me. Before we left to study abroad, I went back to Equestria for a week. It was my third time. But it was my first seeing Celestia. She missed me. I... guess I missed her. But it was awkward. What do you say to somebod...pony you once betrayed and tried to conquer? I certainly didn't know. She forgave me though, right off the bat. Like she always does, in that noble way of hers. Said she wanted me back. I told her I wasn't ready. She said I was certainly welcome anytime. I told her I would bear that in mind, and that was that. She's so forgiving, and it almost bothers me. I mean, you throw all this nastiness at her, all this shitty behavior, and she just shrugs it off in the name of reconciliation. It's... it's frusterating, in a petulent way. It makes you feel like a lesser pony. I guess my actions certainly bear that out though. Sooner than later, this summer semester will end, and I'll be back at Clover University; a mere fifty miles from the mirror, only an hour's car ride away, taunting me to face my fears head on. I'm not ready though. For now, I arrive at a large oak tree with my boyfriend. He sets his backpack against its base, opening it to reveal the blanket he's brought along. Soon, it flutters down upon the ground, and we have a place to sit. And so we sit. The heat seems to have scared off all the natives. We're the only ones here. The sole person we met on the way was a gruff man walking his bulldog back towards civilization. Bless his heart: in spite of the heat, he still wore the full pants and jacket and tweed paddy cap that every old Englishman seems to wear regardless of circumstance. I wish I could be that resolute. It's weird how I ended up back with Flash. I mean, maybe it isn't. Maybe I was meant to, and the first time was just a trial run that ended badly. Lots of things need a second chance. I mean, look at Oasis. It took the Brits thirty years to realize that, "hey, all this pop rock we made in the sixties is pretty swell. Let's make some more!" So I guess for every Pulp, for every Suade, there's also a Flash Sentry. It's just odd that a man I used so badly came back to me. He says I've changed though, and I try to believe him. Beneath the blanket, His hand slips between blouse buttons and begins to fondle my breast. He's a right thirsty sod, but I like it. I like his hands on my body. I like his body on my body. I guess I miss the social contact of ponies. Humans are so skittish about touch if they aren't your close friends or lovers. But then, ponies are skittish about everything else. I guess it evens out. I settle into his embrace and purr in satisfaction, eyes closed in the swirl of love and ecstasy. This is nice. I want to go back to Equestria eventually. That's for sure. I do miss my homeland. And if I can give Flash a second chance, then certainly Celestia deserves one as well. But I'm not ready. Not yet. I haven't healed enough; I haven't gotten to the point where I can look back on the whole fiasco with neutrality. I still look back in anger. At myself, for being a cunt. But also at her, for not doing more to stop it. And that's no good. So no, I'm not ready to try again. Not with her, and Equestria. I open my eyes. Earth is my home right now. The landscape is brilliant and bright, a place filled with so many wonders. Most of all him. After sipping some more water, I only want to turn inward again, and I wisper something naughty in his ear. He slips my panties off, and soon we slip into mutual bliss. I think back to Celestia's warning, so many years ago, about the harshness of the human world. Maybe she's right. In fact, I know she's right; humans can suck. But here in our little oasis beneath the tree in the brilliant British summer, I manage to not mind. Right here, right now, I'm happy. This Earth is a lot bigger than the one I came from. I don't think I've found a place to settle down. Not yet. I'm not even sure if I've found the person I want to settle down with; though certainly right this second I really hope I have. But I know that at the least, I've found a world I feel at home in. A world worth exploring. A world I want to explore. So Celly can wait.