//------------------------------// // The date // Story: My Pony Academia // by Omegafr //------------------------------// John's point of view : It's been a week since Light has been in the hospital, lying in bed with his arm covered with thick bandages and little company. Even in the high school, the absence of the handsome and athletic service man is felt, both by our group and by the rest of the high school students in the corridors. Of course, the most affected is without a doubt Rainbow Dash, who spent her time competing against him. I also miss his presence, now that he's gone, I realize how much he's an indispensable friend for me, how much the cheerfulness he brought us was invaluable. It's also been a week since I had the courage to invite Applejack to the movies, at first I didn't think it was the case, but I had to face the facts: I have an appointment. During this whole week, I kept imagining all the possible scenarios, from the best first to the worst later on. The best being that I manage to overcome my fear once again, that I confess my feelings to them and that they accept them. But I don't have too many illusions, in my opinion, it will happen more like that: first, there is an unexpected event that prevents us from seeing the film at the scheduled time, second, a surprise I didn't expect that will make me nervous, and finally, and I'm sure it will happen, that the film will terrorize me to the utmost. I'M IDIOT, Light passed me these tickets telling me that nothing like a scared girl to make her fall in your arms, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT APPLEJACK THERE !!! She's the one who's gonna have to carry me all the way to school after I pass out from the cold... Anyway, I can't back out now, the movie is coming out today and Applejack and I have planned to go to the 6pm screening. The others are planning to go to the carnival that's organized especially after the Halloween parties. ----------------------------------------------------------- It's 5:45 pm, me and Applejack have driven together to the city cinema, which is located in front of the carnival where the others have already mixed. We promised to join them once the movie was over, if I could stand up afterwards of course. We present the tickets and insert ourselves into the crowd of excited and impatient ponies. The movie theater is huge and I just follow Applejack to the place it best designates, being unable to make a choice. We sit in two high seats close to the sides, in case one of us has to go to the little corner, which I had the good reflex to do before coming. Already that the movie will surely make me sweat a lot, no need to add the variable "bladder" in the equation. The seats are comfortable and would almost make us forget what we're about to see. "I'm happy to see this movie with you John, we're going to have a lot of fun." she said to me in a cheerful tone as the room gradually filled up. "Uh... yes, I hope so." I replied in a hurry, my uncertain gaze turned to the screen, the screen turned off. Once the entrance door of the room was closed, the screen was finally turned on to show a few commercials of other films, most of them of no interest to anyone. Then the screen starts to show names against a background of muffled music. "Ah, it's starting !" says someone in the room out loud, who was quickly silenced by various repetitive 'shushes'. ----------------------------------------------------------- The film started half an hour ago, and there have already been eight gruesome deaths... I'm trembling with fear in my little seat, Applejack must think I'm ridiculous, I hope she's not watching me. As expected, she doesn't tremble even when the alien commits another haemoglobin-filled murder, unlike me. I start to feel drops of anxiety running down my head, my legs start shaking and I end up bringing them closer to my chest, anxious at the thought of leaving them at the mercy of another alien who might be hiding under my chair. "Haha... Here." I heard it coming from the seat next to mine, where the intrepid farmer was sitting. I turned around for a moment and saw Applejack, a little smile on his lips, handing me a towel to wipe away the sweat drops. Looking her straight in the eyes, I realized how stupid I was, she was sitting normally and remained serene while I was curled up on my seat like a kid. I decided to sit down again like everyone else in the room and I picked up the towel with my eyes down, just thanking her. I now looked at the towel in my hands, wondering why I had invited him in the first place, holding him in my arms... you speak... I stayed in my thoughts for a while, missing a supposedly very intense chase scene from the film, only to realize it. I made a fool of myself in front of her, she saw me, laughed and gave me a towel that she kept somewhere, probably out of pity for my condition. Yet her look seemed so sincere, as if she didn't look at me like a stranger. I decided to turn my head again to remember the look in her eyes, that look without bad intentions or judgment that she gave me. Turning my head towards her, I immediately came into contact with her emerald eyes deeper than the Pacific Ocean, and brighter than the sun. I began to panic when I noticed that she hadn't taken her eyes off me since she gave me this towel that I kept firmly in my hands. At the same moment in the theater, the chase of the film ended, the poor victim uttering a strident cry before being killed. I couldn't help but accompany her death rattle with my own scream. "AAAAAAAH !!!" The surprise also caused me to lose my balance, falling towards the seat to my left, fortunately empty. I landed on the ground, eyes closed, under the stunned gaze of many onlookers, Applejack letting himself go in his wild laughter. "HAHAHAHA !!!" Applejack laughed so hard he couldn't breathe, holding his ribs tightly to keep himself from bursting out laughing, followed by numerous complaints asking him to shut up. I was still on the ground, watching her laughing like no girl had ever done before, making me realize that... this date... was the worst idea in my life. ----------------------------------------------------------- The movie and the shame was finally over, we were leaving the theatre and soon the building. "Haha ! John, watching a horror movie with you is quite an adventure." she said as she dried her tears and stopped her laughter, which I still found beautiful. I didn't say anything, not wanting to catch my eye a second time. I kept my hands in my pockets and moved forward without worrying about her. Deducing that I had had my fill, I decided to go back to school, despite the promise I had made to the others to join them after the film... I had no desire to do so and just wanted to hide and cry under the sheets, like when I was still living with my parents. "Hey John, you don't want to come, we promised the others to join them." she said to me and spanked me to stop my walk. "Sorry Applejack, I don't want to go anymore, tell the others I'm sorry." I said without being able to look at her, resuming my walk. No sooner did I take a step than I heard her running to join the others, still full of energy and ready to have fun. At least that's what I thought. I was so surprised to hear his footsteps coming closer behind my back, until I saw his silhouette at my side, raising his eyes to his own, bewitching me once again. "We came together then we leave together." she said with a visibly sincere smile. I thought at first that she was doing this out of politeness, but she seemed delighted to finally escort me home. Without saying a word, I acquiesced to her request and walked her back the way we came in the opposite direction. I keep my eyes downcast on the way, refusing to let her notice the sadness in my eyes, because I know she can do it. "The movie was great, I loved watching it with you." she says to destroy the deep white that was created during the journey. "Oh... me too." I simply said, just to answer her. After this exchange, the rest of the trip was spent in total silence, she was always smiling with me next to her, her eyes on the ground and full of regrets. Once I arrived at the school, I hurried to my bed as planned, I let myself crash against the blanket, starting to release my first tear of sadness of the day. Not having closed the door behind me, it only took a few seconds for her to come in again. "Are you all right, John? Usually you don't have your blockage with me and yet we haven't talked all the way home." she said to begin with, moving closer to my bed and my body slumped over it. With my head in my pillow preventing me from answering, I didn't really feel like it on second thought. But I had an inkling of what was going to happen now, another household scene like last time. I was going to cry, tell her what was on my mind and she would console me as she had done before leaving, letting me fall even more in love with her. Since I can't turn back now, I might as well get it over with. Everyone else is at the carnival, no one will see this scene except those concerned. It was with great pain and difficulty that I rose from the bed on which I was spread like jam on toast. I turned to Applejack, remaining slightly slumped over myself. She was standing normally and her eyes gave me an expression of incomprehension, her eyes no longer bewitched me, they were now talking to me. They were asking me for answers... and I was going to give them some. Light wasn't there and I hadn't asked him for any advice on this situation, so I tried to put myself in his place, what would he do in my place, here and now? Keep his second degree tone and keep smiling and optimistic, or take the bull by the horns more seriously? For a moment I closed my eyes and imagined the scene: Light and cheerful most of the time, so I think he would keep control of the situation by himself... unlike me. I know that I wouldn't be able to act the way Light would act so fluently and successfully, so let's do it my way. I AM NOT LIGHT, I WILL NEVER BE LIGHT BECAUSE I AM JOHN, I repeated to myself several times. When I took my breath again, my heart was filled only with contempt for myself, one part was filled with determination, YES, IT IS THAT. The determination I always lacked to accomplish the things that everyone else was capable of. The determination that makes us new and, above all, better men, I feel it in every beat. I knew what I had to do and how I was going to do it. Without waiting for further revelations, I stood up straight and proud, feeling as if I was taking up more space, as if I was taller without it really being the case. "Is this what it means to stand out ?" I said to myself, thinking back on the advice of my friends to become more confident... So, last step, eyes open, eyes firmly fixed on each other, ready to talk. My piercing look made me notice that Applejack seemed smaller from my point of view, just like my bed, my desk and the walls that make up my room, I had grown mentally. Despite everything that was going on in my head, the silence must have seemed awkward for Applejack, still wondering why I was slumped on the bed just a few seconds ago. Without waiting and especially without thinking, I slowly opened my lips, letting my new improvisation free to explain it to him. "Applejack, I've been in love with you from day one ! I've always found you incredible and admired you just like Light and Drew. I wanted to impress you because that's how boys do most of the time, but I suck at sports and was shy about doing anything. I invited you to see a scary movie hoping you would be scared and that I could use that excuse to hug you, but I knew exactly how it was going to go. I love you, Applejack, so what I want most in the world is nothing but your happiness, even if it means dating Drew. I'm happy to be your friend, Applejack." I said, creating more and more of a smile on my face, which was as sincere as the ones Applejack had already given me. This tirade took a lot of effort from me, I was almost starting to lose my balance, so I sat on the bed, now looking at the floor, waiting for any reaction from him, good or bad. In an instant I had lost all my self-confidence, flying away with every word I said, looking her straight in the eyes. She was no longer enchanting me, but she kept a certain control over me, such is the balance of power between the lover and the loved one. Without turning my eyes to her, I could see her feet moving towards me. "John... that's... that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me, it was great." she said in one breath, obviously as impressed as I was with my performance. "And besides, it came from you." she added, sitting next to me. I didn't know what to say, so it was probably best to keep quiet then. My choice was obviously the right one, since she spoke quickly. "It must have cost you a lot to tell me all this... I know, you deserve a reward." she said softly afterwards. "A-A R-REWARD ?" I shouted at her proposal. Again, but for a different reason, my heart only took one step. One... what? A reward, what kind of a reward, and why, I did myself more favors than anything else so... it was frankly not worth it. "Yes, close your eyes." she said, bringing my head to hers, her half-closed eyes scanning mine, trying to bewitch me again. "Close my eyes ? BUT IT'LL BE JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIE, THE ALIEN WILL APPEAR AND I'LL..." I said, remaining terrified of the experience. I had really lost all my self-confidence now, it's official... Luckily Applejack acted quickly to block my mouth with his hand. "Go ahead, close your eyes." she said to me with her still charming look and a smile as bewitching as her eyes once were. Trying to close my pupils, I could only blink continuously, never being able to close them for more than a thousandth of a second. I simply tell him, quite disappointed with myself on this one. "I can't, I'm too scared." I confessed I was defeatist. "OH, I CAN'T WAIT !" She shouted, raising her hands and her eyes in the air. Without being able to do anything in that short time, I saw Applejack's arms around my neck and his face suddenly came close to mine. I finally managed to close my eyes after this moment of surprise to feel a gentle embrace taking me away, causing both of our bodies to fall onto the bed. I also felt a contact, very real, at the level of my lips. Impotent as I was, I let the farmer woman who was leading the dance do it, and I didn't want to compete with her at all. Our lips were constantly in contact, which I never thought would happen in this life. I felt the contact breaking, praying that she would do it again, I left my mouth ajar to invite her to continue. "I love you too, John." she said, and I heard with what little strength I had left. I lay there, waiting for her to perform her divine movements again, before I assimilated what she had just said and made me understand. I opened wide my eyes of surprise, surprising her too, before exclaiming. "AAAAHHHHH !!!" My former self had totally returned, which hastened to hide under the covers, avoiding the gaze of its beautiful. The redness was coming back, it had grown even more than last time, reaching even the beginning of my neck. Sweat was back, not for fear this time but for the extreme discomfort I could feel accompanying my blood flow. And finally, my trademark, the tears, the famous tears, came back... becoming warm tears, accentuated with joy compared to the drops of sadness and sorrow that my body once released. I even dared to sketch out a smile. "I find you at last, John." she said, leaning towards me and kissing my cheek tenderly. I closed my eyes to this, I couldn't believe it, Applejack, the girl who stole my heart, had the same things deep inside her. We were free of a heavyweight, thanks to me... Light, you'll be proud of me!