//------------------------------// // Jumping to conclusions[SR] // Story: Shifting Priorities // by FaelaArts //------------------------------// Waking up, Skid heaved a huge yawn and snuggled closer into the sides of the wall of his cocoon. It was so soft today, and the bright light made him want to stay in bed fore-hold on, bright light? Blinking his eyes open he groaned as the light blinded him and left him with a headache for a few moments. He remembered as he shifted into his disguise, that he wasn't in his cocoon with the hive, he was undercover in Ponyville. "Well, let's head down to the farm to see Applejack, I don't need to wait for Twilight do I?" He paused, considering this before shaking his head and trotting downstairs and heading out the door, and closing it. He could have gotten something to eat, but as he was a changeling and not a pony he didn't need to eat, his fake stomach would rumble at periodic times to remind him when it was time to eat. It was handy for telling the time to, not that he ever really needed to know that. As he walked down the street, a rainbow blur passed him and he cried out in fright, managing at the last second to make sure he did so in a pony fashion. "Oh sorry Skid, I didn't see you there. Not many ponies are up this early so I was practicing some low-level flying with these two bad babies on my back." As the mare in front of him struck a pose, he turned his gaze on the wings and nodded. "You certainly take good care of them they're very strong." Taking the compliment, the mare stood on two legs and pumped her from hoofs as if they were arms and flexed them. "Oh yeah, this body gets exercised daily so it is in peak physical condition. It needs that if I want a chance in joining the Wonderbolts." Skid gave a chuckle, this mare was so sure and brazen it was hard not to admire her resolve. "So why aren't ya already home yet Skid?" she asked him, and he opened his mouth to reply. "The train will be delayed, so I'm staying with Twilight until I-"he was cut off before he could explain he was living somewhere else. "WHAT, you've been sleeping with Twilight!?" he blinked and took a step back, then took one forward and locked horns with this mare. "That is NOT what I meant" he spoke, his glare meeting her shock, which changed into suspicion. "Why are you so guarded about it, is there something between you, a complete stranger, and my best friend that I don't know about?" He growled, and shouted to the heavens. "For Celestia's SAKE, We are JUST FRIENDS OKAY?" He lowered his gaze and saw the mare shrug. "Jeez no need to be rude about it, I was just asking." He face hoofed, this mare was impossible. "Sorry about crashing into you, I got distracted by Ditzy doing you don't want to know." "No biggy, we all get distracted-"he was cut off again as once again the mare got too close. "Distracted by what?" He growled and his eye twitched. "By some random rainbow coloured mare that won't stop ASKING ME STUPID QUESTIONS!" Rainbow dash backed off, and scratched the back of her mane. "Heh, I'm sorry I got carried away." Skid sighed, and ignoring the twitching muscled above his eye he levelled his voice and smiled for the camera. "It's fine Dash, just please stop with those questions okay?" The rainbow mare laughed nervously, and took a step backing, the conversation once again settling down. "So where are you going Skid, mind if I tag along?" He shrugged, and started walking. "Applejack asked me to help out on the farm." He flinched as Rainbow dash's face became a big O. ‘If there is any sanity in this world, someone kill me.' he thought to himself. "Look I don't know Dash, if you want to try it try it. I honestly couldn't care less." Skid so badly wanted to say this, but no he must listen, EVEN IF IT KILLED HIM. "Go for it Dash, if you feel you're ready for the trick then only you can decide that fact." Dash nodded, as if Skid was relieving some hidden wish to hear herself was an ok flier. Smiling, Dash began to hover. "Well I've got to go now, Have fun bucking apples." He sighed, glad the mare was gone. At least Pinkie pie made cake, that mare wouldn't shut her mouth how awesome a flier she was. Seeing a tree nearby, he punched it with his front hoof and screamed silently. "Feeling better Sugarcube?" He turned and blinked in surprise, realising he was at Applejacks farm, and Applejack was watching him with an amused stare. "This tree insulted the other trees, it needed a good punching" he made up on the spot, causing Applejack to gaze at him, and then chuckle. "Ah don't take kindly to lies, but I don't honestly know if you were being silly or lying." He chuckled, "Then I have succeeded." Walking over he held out a hoof and they shook in greeting. "So we kicking some apple trees?" he spoke, and Applejack nodded and they walked to one of the many, many fields of apples. "Now ya need to kick the tree like this so the apples fall into the baskets, like so." Applejack leaned forward and swung her back legs into the air and gave the tree a solid kick. As if they were waiting for it, the apples wiling fell into the baskets, making neat piles. Applejack motioned for Skid to have a turn, she he nodded and bent down in the same way AJ had. Leaning forward, he lifted his back legs up and hit the tree with as much force as he could muster, however he then proceeded to give the ground a nice print of his face in the mud inconveniently placed in front of him. Standing up, he groaned, pulling his horn out of the mud and glancing to the tree and was dismayed the tree had given up only a few apples. He growled, and kicked even harder, this time nearly all the apples came off. "Don't have much of that kicking strength do ya…" he turned his gaze to see she was musing, and sighed. "Sorry, I've never been the strongest one of my-er- family." Turning her eyes on him she waved her hoof and smiled. "That don't matter, we all have different talents. Bucking apples just isn't yours." She paused, and he noticed his horn suddenly had her attention. "You can use that levitation spell can't you? Why not use that on the tree?" He glanced to the tree and shook his head. "Unless you want the leaves as well as the apples, I don't think that is a good idea." She nodded, and then turned as three shapes dashed past and she took a scolding tone. "AppleBloom, where are you going I need your help with the apples today." A red-haired pony with a light yellow body paused and turned toward AJ and whined, two other fillies behind her. "But sis, we promised Rarity we'd pose for her! We could be Cutie Mark Crusaders: Clothes Posers." Applejack paused, debating her answer. "Let her go, I'll do her job, can't be much harder then ridding a tree of apples." They both gazed to him, and he realised he may have interrupted a family matter. He relaxed when Applejack answered a moment later with a nod. "Alright AppleBloom, over to Rarity's, then straight home you hear?" The filly nodded enthusiastically, and three tiny blurs vanished from sight. AJ sighed, rolling her eyes. "Well she's doing the dishes tonight as thanks." Skid had to laugh; amazed these two sisters had such a good relationship. "Well I'm not going to do that for her, I'm not that giving."He replied, and they both shared a chuckle. "You have any siblings Skid?"Aj asked him, and he shrugged. As she bucked the tree he had half done she motioned to the full baskets. "Put them on the car over there and my big brother Big Mac'll pull them to the barn. They might be too heavy to levitate." Skid walked over to one of the baskets and concentrated his magic on it, and slowly lifted the basket into the air. "Nope, I can lift them" he spoke, happy to be of some use finally. As they began working they soon fell into a rhythm, and began to talk quietly to each other when they weren't occupied. "So you have a good relationship with your siblings Skid?" He watched Big Mac take the cart away, and began filling it once again. "I guess, we don't talk often, and we have our differences, but we do care for each other." Applejack kicked a tree and paused before answering. "Well, I guess that's fair, you can't always spend time with your family after all." He shrugged, taking a moment to balance one of the baskets that had way too many apples. "It's not so much we don't want to but more there's too many of us to really get close to each other." Applejack nodded, and the continued the work tirelessly, until Skid had to stop and rest, puffed and exhausted. "I don't know how you can continue going" he spoke, and she glanced to him sprawled on the ground and chuckled. "Well it's getting close to when Twilight is coming around, what say we take a break Big Mac." Leaning his head back, he looked at the upside down colt who nodded. "Eeyup."