//------------------------------// // In Sheep's Clothing. // Story: Chestnut Mare // by Shakespearicles //------------------------------// Applejack roused to the familiar sound of a rooster somewhere outside. Still a far cry from her bed at home, the hay bedding was comfortable enough. In the barn she was sheltered from the cool of the night. The days were getting longer. She stood and stretched, shaking off her sleepiness. Not a moment later, the door to the barn opened. Arthur walked in, ready and raring to go for her first day. He looked over at her as his eyes lit up. "Oh, you're already awake." He said, somewhat surprised. "Not like this lazy bum!" He said, kicking the gate to Buck's stable. "Come on, git up!" He barked, as the stallion across the way stood up, a bit drowsy. "Ready for your first day?" He asked Applejack. Applejack wasn't sure where he was going with the question. All she knew was that the other ponies in this world didn't speak. And neither did Buck, here. Until she understood more about what was going on, she didn't need to make herself stick out any more than she had already. From a hook on the wall, he pulled down the bridle from yesterday and leaned into her stable, trying to put it on her head. Applejack backed away, shaking her head from side to side trying to prevent him from strapping it on her again. He stopped after a frustrated minute of trying with the stubborn mare. "Dammit Chestnut, now look," he said, "This here is going on ya." He held the bridle up. "Now I was gonna give you these..." He brought over another pail of apples. "But if you gonna keep on going like this, I'll rope ya, and try you down and force this on you. Then you can go and have some plain oats instead." He gave her a minute to think about it and walked across to the other stable. "C'mere Buck." The stallion across the way obediently walked up to the gate and stood there patiently as Arthur strapped his bridle on his head. "That a boy." He said, giving him an apple before fitting the bit in his mouth. He walked back over to Applejack. "Alright now, we ready to try this again?" Applejack hesitated for a second. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but it didn't seem to bother Buck any. She walked over to the gate and stood still. "You know, I honestly didn't expect that to work." She glanced at him before she bowed her head again. "That a girl." He said, strapping the leather buckles, and giving her an apple as well. He opened the gate to Buck's stable, letting him out first. Then he tied Applejack to Buck as he opened her gate. "Buck here is gonna help show you around, okay?" Arthur said, leading them outside. The lead connecting them had a generous length, but it kept her in tow. The rest of the day was more or less review for her. He would have Buck do various tasks, such as wearing a yoke and pulling a plow, with Applejack walking along beside him to see how things were done. Then it was pulling a cart, or some other implement. Whenever Arthur would stop for a break, he'd lead them to the water and feed troughs. The menial tasks she would be required to do when compared to the limitless food and drink, made this less like a prison and more and more like a vacation resort. She idly felt temped to stay, but she was still pained by the memory of home. And she remembered that she still needed to find a way back there. But barring directly asking him, she needed Arthur to give her more information about where she was if she was to make any kind of attempt at getting back to Equestria. But given how garrulous he'd been so far, she needn't wait long. But as time went on, and the more she learned, the more hopeless it seemed that there would be any chance of her getting back home. In her heart of hearts, she knew what would happen back on the farm. First, she would be reported missing. Then eventually after her family and friends wouldn't find her for a long enough time, she'd be presumed dead. It broke her heart to think that her friends and family would have to wrongly grieve her passing at a faux funeral. The buds on the trees at the edge of Arthur's pasture were starting to blossom. In another day or so they would all be in full bloom. Applebloom. Applebloom would be old enough soon. She'd be able to help Big Macintosh on the farm. They would be okay. They would find a way. They always had before. She pushed the thoughts away. She wasn't a unicorn who could just magic her way out of this predicament. And running blindly through the wilderness here wouldn't help anypony. She put her head down and focused back on her work. The last of the plowing had been finished. Arthur walked over to her and disengaged the plow from her yoke. "Come on." He said. He didn't need a lead. She followed him on her own volition. He attached another cart to her yoke, with a hopper on top. He cut open a bag of seed and poured it in. As she pulled it forward, the wheels turned the spreader mechanism, scattering the seed onto the tilled field. Arthur had been very pleased with her. She was a fast learner, and a hard worker. And she didn't make a mess of her stall. In truth, Applejack had seen Buck soil his stall. And she saw Arthur subsequently clean it without reprimand to the stallion. But she refused to lower herself to that level, taking great care to... take care of that business in the evening before heading into the barn, and likewise waiting until they were out in the morning. Even so, Arthur changed her bedding along with Bucks. The days were getting longer, and warmer for sure. She still found herself seeking shade, but it seemed to do little to escape the warmth. The humidity was making it worse. She stood by the fence near the brook at the bottom of the banking. Arthur noticed her longing look outward, walking over to her. "What's the matter Chestnut? You wanna go for a swim?" He asked. She didn't even look away from the water. All she could think about was getting away from this oppressive heat. "Alright, well you just hang on a minute while I take Buck inside. He's liable to run off if I open the gate." Arthur returned after taking Buck inside the barn. "Alright come on now. Let's go for a swim." He said. That got her attention. She walked with him over to the gate, closer to the farmhouse. They'd have to double back along the outside of the fence to get to the river. As they walked, her rubbed his hand along her neck and back, running his fingers through her mane. She had come to quite enjoy the attention he gave her. But right now her thoughts we only of that cool water they were heading to. When they reached the gate he hesitated, turning to her. "Okay now. You've been a good girl. So no bridal or rope, okay?" He said, slightly nervous. "So, please don't run off on me, okay?" He put his hand on her cheek, looking her in the eyes. "I don't know what I'd-" he cut himself off. "Just don't run off, okay?" He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. He could feel the warmth positively radiating off of her. Applejack shuffled her hooves impatiently. "Right. Let's go cool off." He opened the gate. Applejack bolted. "Chestnut!" Applejack stopped at the call of her 'name'. She glanced back at him, he ran over to her. "Sorry, you just scared me." He said, waving her on. She kept it down to a light trot, letting him keep up with a brisk jog. But his leather boots and denim jeans did not good running-wear make. She practically dove into the water, letting its refreshing sensation run over her. She rolled in the shallows, splashing about. Only once she was completely soaked and cooled, did she bother to look back at the banking. Arthur had managed to stay within sight of the speedy mare. But by the time he got down to the water, he was keeled over, with his hands on his knees, panting. His face practically dripped sweat. Feeling playful, she waded over to him, until the water was only around her ankles. Not more than a few feet from him, she shook herself off, spraying him with the water from her fur and mane. "Hey! Hey! Come on now!" he scolded, reaching out to try to get a hold of her. Before he could, she jumped away, splashing back into the river playfully. He just stood there, dripping in his wet clothes. "Thanks," he said in a deadpan tone. Applejack suppressed a smile as she settled in for a relaxing soak. Her little stunt did little to actually cool him. The smattering of wet spots on him dried quickly, leaving him a hot as he was before, but now with a miasma of concentrated humidity from the local evaporation. "Ugh. Might as well." He grumbled to himself. Applejack hadn't noticed him disrobing until he was already down to his skivvies. Sure, she'd seen him without his shirt a time or two before. But now that he peeled off the last of his underwear, this was the first time she'd ever seen him completely without clothes. Leaving them in a pile, he waded into the river toward her. From what she had seen of him before, the rest of him was likewise mostly without fur, which struck her as strange. But then, having been in this world for some time now, it was taking more and more to surprise her. "I've got to admit," he said, wading over to her, "this was a good idea of yours." Swimming beside her, he extended his arm to her, wrapping it over her, pulling himself onto her. Their buoyancy in the water made him feel lighter on her. He never rode her otherwise. There was a saddle back in the barn. But judging from the size of it, it was clearly meant for something bigger than her, or even Buck. But on top of her, Arthur didn't try to ride her. He just leaned on her. Her soft, wet fur felt nice against his bare skin. Even in the water he could feel her warmth. He rested his cheek on the back of her neck. It wasn't the burdensome heat of a warm day. It was comforting. Under him, Applejack felt like she did the first time he rode her, running up that ridge. He never meant for her to get hurt that day. She understood that now. He just... wanted her here. How was she to know. Heck, there wasn't a day gone by that he didn't tell her how pretty she was. Between the two of them, he was clearly preferential to her over the other pony in the barn. Her legs settled into the soft sand at the edge of the stream as she laid down in the shallow water. It flowed around them slowly, making little eddies. The sun slowly dried him, still on top of her. His arms wrapped around her strong shoulders, giving her the subtlest of squeezes. "My Chestnut," he whispered behind her. GRRRRR Applejack opened her eyes. She'd dozed off for some time. The sun was nearly set. Arthur had likewise fallen asleep on top of her. Her eyes darted in the direction from which her ears told her the sound had come from. Across the water was a wolf, bearing down on the reposed pair. Applejack got to her feet at once, causing Arthur to fall off, landing in the inch of water beside them. Wet and naked as the day he was born, he looked under her legs along the banking at the wolf eyeing her next meal. "Oh shit." Arthur scrambled away, trying to get to his clothes. The wolf moved in, taking chase after the fleeing human. Applejack, in a fit of crazy bravery, put herself between them. She was bigger than the wolf. But a pony still, not much bigger. The wolf made her move, trying to dart around the pony, going for the clearly-easier of the two targets first. Once the human was dead she could deal with the stubborn equine. Applejack was having none of it. She was no aquatic, but her longer legs could still move faster than the wolf's in the water. Left without a choice, the wolf took an experimental bite at the pony. Applejack gave her a swift kick. It didn't connect as well as she'd hoped, rather, it was more of a glancing blow. It only served to stun and anger the wolf. She changed her approach. Applejack tried to re-position herself for another defensive stance. Nothing was going to get past her and get to Arthur. As she turned in her step, she lost her footing and stumbled in the submerged gravel, falling into the water. The wolf saw her opportunity, ready to pounce on the hapless pony's exposed neck. Arthur leveled his pistol at the wolf. CLICK "Get away from her YOU BITCH!" BOOM Applejack watched the wolf leaping at her, then, falling beside her in a limp heap after the sound of the blast. She was back on her hooves in a flash. The dead wolf beside her didn't move. She looked behind her. Arthur stood there, naked, and still dripping wet. In his hand was the metal tool she's always seen in his special belt for it. She'd never seen him use it before, and had wondered as to its purpose. Smoke wafted from its tip before he put it back in the holster, on top of his clothes pile. He walked past her, over to the wolf's body, inspecting it. His eyes locked on to the frothing foam around its mouth. He recognized the sign at once. Rabies. "Oh god." He cried, his voice trembling. "Oh god, oh no!" He turned back to Applejack, rushing over to her. She stood still while he looked over every part of her. She could feel his hands shaking terribly as he ran them over her fur. "Did she get you?" He cried, still checking her for and bites or scratches. "Did she b-bite you!?" She could see the tears running freely down his cheeks. Only after frantically looking her completely over no less than three times, did he take a breath of relief. He wrapped his arms around her, clutching her tightly. She felt his chest heave against her as he sobbed into her fur. "I thought I lost you there!" She stood there with him, ankle deep in the water. If Rarity had taught her anything it was that sometimes you just needed to let someone cry it out. And a few buckets later they'd be right as rain. She did the only thing she could. She lifted her hoof and put it across his back, hugging him back gently. After a long moment, he pulled away, wiping his face. He glanced up at the fading sunlight. "We'd better get indoors." He said, grabbing his pile of clothes and dressing quickly. The last item being his holster. She watched him strap it on. He motioned to the pistol. "You like it?" He asked. "Colt .45, single action revolver. My great, great grandfather had one like it." Applejack understood part of what he said. He pointed at a thing and said a word, so that was what it was. It mattered little else to her. Her fur had dried quickly. The coming night cooled the air somewhat, but it was still warm. Applejack still felt much too warm for comfort. They walked back to the farm together. She didn't run off, trotting ahead of him this time. She never left his side. His hand never left her back, fingers running through her mane.