//------------------------------//
// Chapter the Seventeenth 
// Story: The Equestrian Refugees 
// by InspectorSharpWit 
//------------------------------//


Chapter The Seventeenth, or "In Which Life Starts Again"

I slowly open my eyes to find a blinding light strike my eyes. ”Ugh, the light, it burns!” I groan as I blindly feel my surroundings. My hand touches something squishy which my mind interprets as a cushion. “Soft pillow is soft,” I say dreamily, burying my face into the warm, marshmallow like object.
“Why, hello there, lil’ guy!” A soft voice murmurs in response. I look up in confusion to find a curtain of blonde hair right above me.
My eyes pop open in shock. Wait a second... Is this who I think it is? I get up and push the blonde curtain away to see a tan, freckled face smiling in her sleep. “Well, fuck.” I blurt out loudly.
My crude language woke up my bunkmate. “Huh?” Applejack grunts, opening her eyes. “Whuz goin’ on?”
She looks cute when she wakes up, I observe before realizing what was going to happen. She probably won’t look as cute while she’s breaking my spine.
Her eyes blink into focus before looking at me. “Oh, good morning, Sebastian,” she smiles before doing a double take. “SEBASTIAN?!”
I smile nervously. “Hey there, Applejack!”
She stares at me for a few seconds before speaking. “Did we just-“
“Looks like it, doesn’t it,” I say grimly. “Look, I’m really sorry about this. I guess we had too much to drink at the party, huh?”
She blushes a little and looks away. “I wasn’t drinking!” she says, obviously lying through her teeth.
“Oh, so this is where you wanted to wake up?” I ask, grinning wickedly.
Her eyes dart around, looking for a distraction. “Uh well, ya see… Wait where are we, anyway?” she asks hurriedly.
I observe our surroundings to see that they’re indeed unfamiliar. “Beats me,” I shrug. “Probably somewhere in the building, I suppose. Want me to go check?”
“Well, aren’t you a gentleman!” she grins.
“Oh, shut up,” I say as I make a move to get up. Strangely enough, something cold and hard grips my wrist as I try to get out of the bed.
“Hey, why are y’all trying tah pull me outta the bed?” the blonde asks indignantly.
“That’s not me!” I snap back. “I think we’re handcuffed together!”
Her eyes suddenly widen. “Aw, please don’t let this be where Ah think it could be,” she groans.
“Well, my worst guess is a very comfortable prison,” I remark, pulling out my arm to see the handcuffs that bound us together. “Jesus Christ, Houdini couldn’t get out of these!”
“Who?” Applejack asked distractedly as she ran her hand through her hair.
“Just some magician,” I explain. “He’s kind of a symbol of magic for us.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” she says, fidgeting in her spot. “Look, we gotta get outta here NOW.”
“Aw, why? I love waking up naked and handcuffed to redneck girls!” I say sarcastically.
“Ah’m serious, Sebastian!” she says angrily. “And fer tha record, Ah am NOT a redneck! Ah’m a southerner!”
“Well, if you’re so serious, why don’t you tell me what the hell’s going on?!” I shoot back.
She sighs in frustration and calms herself down. “Ah may be wrong,” she says slowly, “but Ah think we might be in the Royal Chambers.”
My eyes widen in terror. “So any second now, one of the Princesses might come in?!”
“Eeyup,” she nods grimly.
I feel the blood boiling in my skull. “Well, how are we going to get out of here without getting noticed?!”
“It IS a big place,” she says slowly. “They’re probably in another part of the apartment. Thank tha Sisters for those space-extendin’ spells on the apartment!”
“Well, it’s those Sisters that might come in at any moment!” I say angrily. “We’ve got to get out of here as fast as possible!”
“Cool yer jets, will ya?” she scolds. “Tha best thing tah do is to keep our heads on straight and try to think our way out of this here situa-“
A knock on the door interrupts her in the middle of her speech. “Excuse me, are you two Miss Applejack and Mr. Sebastian Espinosa?” a meek voice asks.
Applejack’s eyes widen in terror and she makes a coughing noise, as if she couldn't breath. This prompts me to answer for her. “Yeah, we’re here!” I call.
“I am Proper Place, one of the maids of the Royal Suites. The Princesses would like me to give you this,” the voice explains shyly, and a small key slides under the door. “I would hand it to you myself, but I was given orders to not enter the chamber for the issue of… privacy.” She clears her throat and continues. “I am also leaving your clothes and a small tray of breakfast outside, in case you’re hungry. Princess Celestia also sends Mr. Sebastian Espinosa sincere apologies on how she behaved last night, and to think nothing of this favor. Princess Luna also adds that she wishes to challenge Mr. Sebastian Espinosa to a… ‘chess match’ later this evening. Both the Princesses bid you good day.” With that, I can hear the servant set down something on the floor in front of the door and leave.
Applejack lets out a relieved sigh. “Well, at least we can take our time,” she laughs nervously.
I give her a look. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” I grin.
She turns beet red and punches my arm softly (and by softly, I mean as soft as an elephant jumping on a trampoline). “Why do ya always gotta read into everythin’?” she asks, irritated.
“It’s my job!” I wince in pain as I rub my arm where punch landed. “But I guess I did deserve that one,” I admit.
She chuckles and tries to sit up. “Ah wish the key wasn’t so far away,” she groaned. Indeed, it was still a good three feet or so away from the bed and definitely out of reach if we were going to stay lying down.
“Well, guess we’re going to have to get out of the bed if we’re going to get these things unlocked,” I say grimly.
“You’re just sayin’ that cause ya’ just wanna see mah goods!” she smirks.
I roll my eyes. “Look, I’m not going to pretend that I’m not curious to see what’s under the sheets,” I say seriously (I notice Applejack cross her legs at this), “but believe it or not, sex isn’t at the top of my mind right now. So can we act somewhat mature for the amount of time it takes to get dressed?”
She gives me a scowl. “Killjoy,” she mutters.
“I’m a lawyer, what do you expect?” I grin. “Anyways, on the count of three, we’ll get out through my side of the bed and I’ll pick up the key. We’ll unlock ourselves, get our clothes, eat some breakfast, and then we’ll pretend like tonight never happened. Deal?”
She sighs. “Alright, deal.”
“Ok, let’s do this: One…” I start counting, shifting slowly as I do so. “Two… Three.”
By the time I get to three, we’ve slowly lifted ourselves out of the bed. “You alright back there?” I call over my shoulder, trying hard not to steal a look at Applejack.
“When in tarnation did y’all get so fit?!” she responds, apparently amazed.
I sigh in exasperation. “Eyes on the prize, cowgirl,” I say reprovingly, trying to edge myself closer to the key.
“Oh, I’m keeping mah eye on the prize alright,” she says mischievously. I feel a hand grope my hindquarters playfully as I move ahead.
I let out a yelp and jump forward. “Goddamit, Applejack, this isn’t the time!” I yell angrily. “Can we focus on getting free for a second?”
“You know, ya just don’t know how tah take a compliment, do ya?” she snaps back, now equally peeved.
I groan and pinch the bridge of my nose with my free hand. “Look, sorry I snapped at you, but can we please just focus?”
“Fine,” she sighs. “Let’s hurry up and get this over with.”
“Thank you,” I say diplomatically. “Now, I’m going to lean over to get the key. I swear to God, if you try any funny stuff while I bend over, I’ll handcuff you to the bed and just leave you there. We clear?”
“Alright, alright, no need to be such a stick-in-the-mud!” she groans.
I slowly bend my knees forward and reach down to get the key. “Alright, I think I got it,” I say. “I’m going back up!”
“Ya know, you don’t have to tell me everything yer gonna do,” she says irritably.
I ignore her comment and raise myself up. “Alright, reach your arm in front of me so that I can unlock the handcuffs.”
“Why don’t y’all just turn around?” she asks innocently.
“Nice try,” I say blandly. “Now hurry up and give me your arm!”
She sighs in frustration as she leans over my back puts her arm in front of me. “Happy?” she growled.
I try very hard to ignore the two soft, heavenly objects I feel pressed against my back. “I’m fine,” I say, forcing my voice to hold steady. “Now just hold still and let me unlock you.”
“Do Ah have much of a choice?” she asks drolly.
I give a nervous chuckle and press the key into the hole. I turn the small piece of metal and the handcuffs come off instantly. "Alright, I’ve got it!” I call over my shoulder. “Now, just go through the door and- AHHH!!”
Applejack pounces on me like a tiger, turning me over and giving me a perverted leer. “And what?” she asks lustily.
I force a grin on my face. “Applejack, you’re putting me in a very compromising position.” I say through my teeth.
She laughs and playfully licks my neck. “Well, Ah don’t quite remember the details of last night,” she coos softly. “Ah think Ah might need a little something to go on,”
I take a sharp intake of breath as I try to keep my cool. "See, the thing is,” I say, forcing myself not to stutter, “I’m not really interested in a relationship right now, and I don’t want to make things weird between us.”
She chuckles. “That’s ok with me,” she whispers sensually. “No strings attached, Ah swear.”
I start to feel myself relax a little. “And no one has to know, right?”
“Eeyup,” she grins.
I think it over for a second. “Oh, what the hell,” I say in exasperation, and I wrap my arms around her and force my tongue down her throat,

Fifteen minutes later…

We both lay on the bed, panting and wheezing. “Damn, yer good!” Applejack grins, breathing heavily. “Ah haven’t had something like that in forever!”
“You’re not too bad yourself!” I chuckle, sweating profusely. “Where’d you learn to do that thing with your legs?”
“Years of practice and apple bucking,” she responds with a satisfied look on her face. She draws herself closer to me and lays her head down on my chest, purring happily.
I give her a look. “What happened to ‘no strings attached’?” I ask.
“Shut the fuck up and cuddle with me,” she growls, not even looking up.
Taken aback, I slowly start to stroke her golden hair. “You know, I actually wanted to ask you something,” I say, trying to start off a conversation.
“What?” she asks, her voice muffled.
“Where’s your cutie mark? I couldn’t find it anywhere on you, so…”
“Oh yeah, Ah’ve been wonderin’ about that too,” she replies, drawing herself up so that her chest was pressed on mine. “No one had theirs when we came over, so we just assumed humans didn’t have any. Ah’ve been thinkin’ of gettin’ it tattooed on, just a reminder, ya know?”
“Pfft, don’t waste your money on crap like that!” I scoff. “Why don’t you just wear a necklace or something? At least that’s not as painful.”
“Maybe, but it wouldn’t be tha same,” she sighs despondently.
I look down at her. “You alright there, Jackie?” I ask.
She looks up and gives me a soft smile. “Yeah, Ah’m fine, sugar-cube,” she assures me. “Just a bit homesick, is all.”
I notice a small spark of gold in her eyes, but choose to ignore it. “Sugar-cube? I don’t think you’ve ever called me that,” I chuckle. “Are you going soft on me, Applejack?”
She laughs and playfully grabs my… thing. “Ah think the only one goin’ soft here’s you, Sebastian,” she growls softly.
I give her a grin. “And what exactly are you going to do about that?” I ask teasingly.
She leers at me and pounces on me again. “You’ll see,” she growls.

Fifteen MORE minutes later…

She slides off of me, still trying to catch her breath. “Ya didn’t last as long!” she teases, wheezing.
“Still longer than you,” I growl, wiping some sweat off of my forehead.
“Aw, did mean old Applejack hurt little baby Sebastian’s feelings?” she coos, pinching my cheek (the one on my face this time).
“Oh, shut up,” I say cheerfully, wrapping my arm around her shoulder.
She obliges and cuddles up next to me. “By the way, Ah didn’t know quite how tah ask this before, but what happened to you?” she asks.
I raise my eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
She looks around nervously. “You know… all them scars you’ve got!”
“Oh, those!” I chuckle. “Well, I got those in a couple of bad fights I’ve had over the years!”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “Really?!”
“Nah, I had a bunch of surgeries as a kid,” I admit. “Though I WAS on the high-school boxing team.”
She eyes me suspiciously. “Two questions: How do Ah know that ya’ are tellin’ the truth this time?”
I point to my nose, which is slightly crooked. “This thing has sustained at least three surgeries, and it’s still not straight!” I chuckle. ‘It used to drive me crazy!”
“Alright, fair enough,” she says. *“Now, tha second question: What exactly is boxing?”
I burst out laughing. “You know, you guys get me every time with that!” I grin ruefully.
She gives me a blank stare. “Whaddya mean?”
I shake my head, still laughing. “Never mind, I’ll explain later, I promise.”
She shrugs and sighs happily, leaning in closer to me. “This was nice, Sebastian,” she smiles. *“This’d been tah best time Ah’ve had in a while.”
“The feeling’s mutual,” I grin, toying around with her hair. “I’m glad we’ve got this going for us.”
She gives me a leer. “Are you getting mushy with me, sugar-cube?”
“What, I can’t be happy that you’re my friend?” I ask indignantly.
She pauses for a moment. “Friend?” she asks.
I groan in realization and pull away. “Look, sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, but we did agree that-“
“No, no, it’s not that!” she interrupts, scooting closer to me. *“Ah just never really thought of y’all as a friend…” She says the word as if she were tasting it, swishing it around her mouth. “Hmmm… Sebastian Espinosa’s mah friend… Ah guess Ah could get used tah that!”
“Well, good,” I say, getting out of the bed to stretch a bit. “You want me to get our stuff?”
“Trust me, Ah’m fine just the way we are,” she grins, eyeing my backside.
“Well, nevertheless, I have to know what time it is,” I say. “Or what day it is, for that matter.”
“Ain’t it Tuesday?” Applejack asks thoughtfully.
My eyes widen in fear. “TUESDAY?!” I yell. I run for the door and grab our clothes. “Oh shit, please don’t be past eight, please don’t be past eight…” I fish my phone out of my pants pocket and on the front screen. “Whew… 6:33…”
Applejack gives me a surprised look. “Only six in tha mornin’? Jeez, Ah thought it’d be much later!”
“Well, thankfully, it’s not,” I sigh in relief. I grab my boxers and start to slip them on. “Hope you enjoyed the peep-show, Jackie, cause we’re closing for today.”
“Awww,” she pouts. “Come on, just one more go?”
“I wish I could,” I grin wryly, “but Twilight would kill me if her boss was late for her second day of work.”
A stony look grows on Applejack’s face. “So ya and her, huh?” she says quietly.
“She and I what?” I ask, pulling my shirt on.
She gives me an incredulous look. “Ya know! You and her together!”
“What?!” I laugh hysterically. “C’mon, why would Twi be interested in me?!”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Ya mean you don’t know?” she asks in surprise.
“Don’t know what?” I ask, slipping my belt through the loops.
She stares at me a little before shaking her head. “Never mind!” she says quickly. ‘It’s probably nothin!”
As I finish dressing, I give her a look of skepticism. “You know, I can see that you’re lying like hell.” I chuckle.
“Look, Ah can’t tell y’all anyways!” she says defensively. “It’s a girl thing!”
If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, I laugh inwardly. I grab Applejack’s hat and put it on my head in a goofy fashion. “Well, best not interfere with the business of you women folk,” I say in a mock country accent, pulling the hat’s brim over my ears.
She grabs the hat from my head and holds it protectively to her chest. “Don’t touch mah hat!” she growls defensively.
I chuckle. “Where was this affection a few minutes ago?” I ask teasingly.
“Look, Ah like you just fine, sugar-cube, but Ah’ve known the hat longer!” she explains, still glaring at me as she cradles the hat in her arms.
“Did the hat make you scream my name out a few minutes ago?” I ask with a wicked grin.
She blushes bright red and gives me a glare. “Ya know you really are an ass.”
“I’m a lawyer, what do you expect?” I laugh as I finish dressing. I stand over the bed awkwardly for a bit, trying to decide what to say. “Well, uh… how exactly do we end this?” I ask.
She puts on her hat and props herself up on her elbows. “Do ya mean ‘say goodbye’?” she asks, looking equally unsure.
“Exactly. I mean, what do we do? Do we hug, kiss, shake hand, high five, brofi- WHOA!!”
Applejack interrupts me by grabbing me by the shirt. “Shut the fuck up, will ya?” she grins, and she kisses me passionately. When we part, she gives me a leer. “Call me!” she winks flirtingly.
I give her a grin and begin to walk away. “Not till you call me first!” I laugh as I open the door. My first step causes me to trip over the metal plate the servant left out for us, and I end up on my stomach. “Hope you like slightly squished eggs!” I call behind me as I get up, still laughing.
Applejack laughs behind me and helps me up. “Go get’em sugar-cube,” she whispers in my ear, and she playfully nibbles my neck as she shoves me out the door.
As I walk through the castle, I’m grinning ear to ear. You know God, I know you say you love everyone, but it’s good to know you love me extra-special, I think to myself. See, Sebastian, you get both sex AND a friend! Today can’t get much better than this! And with that happy thought, I strut through the castle, humming "Moves Like Jagger" under my breath.
When I reach the front of the hall, I notice a 20-ish woman with blonde hair waiting for me at the corner. “Uh, can I help you?” I ask when she’s close enough to talk to.
“I am Proper Place,” she says in a familiar timid voice. “We spoke earlier while you were in your chambers with Miss Applejack.”
“Oh yeah!” I chuckle. “So what can I help you with?”
She gives me a shy smile. “Actually, it is I who is supposed to help you,” she explains with a curtsey of her maid’s dress. “You see, the Princesses have sent me to help you find your way through the castle, seeing as it IS a rather large suite.” She extends her hand out to me. “Are you comfortable with teleportation yet?”
I shrug. “Define ‘comfortable’,” I say jokingly.
She, however, gives me a blank stare. “I mean to ask if you would like to teleport to the exit instead of walking there,” she explains.
“No, what I meant was- ugh, never mind,” I sigh, giving up on the joke. “I’m ok with teleporting if it’s the fastest way to get there.” I take her hand and breathe in deeply. “Alright, ready.”
Her shy smile turns into a wicked grin. “Here we go!” she says in tones vastly unfamiliar from the ones I heard before.
“Wait, what’s going on?” I protest, surprised by her sudden change in character. Flashes of purple lightning begin to surround us, crackling through the air.
I turn to see the two Princesses, along with a group of what appear to be soldiers, run towards me with almost desperate speed. “Sebastian!” I hear Luna cry out, sounding worried. “Don’t trust her! She’s-“
A loud boom blasts through the room, knocking everyone down and shattering all of the windows nearby. I turn in alarm to my captor. “Who are you?” I ask in shock.
She gives me a playful wink. “Spoilers!” she laughs, and with that, I feel a massive shock of energy run through me, and the world starts twist and distort. I start feeling myself float away…