//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Swing // by TheGentlemanCreeper //------------------------------// Your eyes slowly flutter open as you feel something run across your mane. The fog from your mind clears up as you realize that it Applejack who was touching you. But oddly, she wasn’t smiling. She was looking off into the distance with a pained look on her face. “What’s wrong?” Applejack stops stroking your mane and smiles as she looks to you. “Nothin’, nothin’ at all.” She leans forward starts kissing you with more experience than before, moving her hooves across you body before pushing her tongue into your mouth. You gladly meet it with yours and moan aloud, simply because she liked it when you were vocal. Applejack breaks the kiss for a moment and moves down to your neck before nipping at it ever so gently, making you gasp aloud. “So… What’s the plan for today?” she asks as before sticking her tongue behind your ear, making you shiver in delight. “W…Well I-I waAH!” You cry it in surprise as Applejack nips at your ear, making your mind go to mush. “I…I was th…inking we… we… could go take… shower before…” Applejack stops her attack and looks to you with a devilish grin on her face. “Together?” She took the words right out of your mouth. Tensing up every muscle in your body, you glance towards the bathroom door. “Race ya!” You give Applejack no time to react and bolt towards the bathroom as fast as you can. “Why ya sneaky….GIT BACK HERE!” she yells as she rockets after you. As you cross the bathroom threshold, you turn to her with a smug look on your face “I wi-” It was at that moment that Applejack barreled into you, sending both of you crashing into the bathtub. You groan aloud in pain as you pick yourself up. “Ow…” She laughs nervously as she collects herself and helps you up. “Sorry ‘bout that… I kinda tripped.” “I figured that much out,” you say as you rub your back “I’m twisted into knots back here.” Applejack moves around in the tub and positions herself so she’s sitting behind you. “Here, lemme make it up to ya.” Flicking open the valve, the tubs slowly starts to fill with warm water. “What are you-” Before you can get another word out, Applejack places her hooves on your back and starts kneading in circular motions, making you sigh aloud in pleasure. “That feels nice…” you say as she starts to work the knots out of your back. “Yeah? What about this?” Applejack stops working your back and instead begins running her hooves up and down your chest before burying her face into the base of your wings, nipping at them ever so gently. Oh dear Celestia… You gasp aloud as her tongue works its way up and down each wing, sending your whole body into spasms and making your wings flare. Applejack notices this and begins working her way towards them. She grabs one with each hoof before massaging them quickly, making you squeak aloud. Your wings were extremely sensitive at this point and all you wanted was for her to keep going. That’s why you were extremely disappointed when she stopped abruptly. “Awww! Why’d you stop?” “I wanna know…” she asks skittishly “Do ya really love me? I mean, like really love me?” You don’t hesitate for even a second “Of course I do. You’re like the first pony I’ve ever felt this way for. I love you with all my heart and more.” For the longest time, she doesn’t say anything. The only sound in the entire room was that of the running water falling into the tub. “AJ, are-” Before you can even get another word out, Applejack picks up where she left up, only with much more passion. Her hooves hit all the right places and make you melt right into the water as she pays special and close to attention to each wing. When the strain on your wings fades, you let out a deep sigh of relief and roll over onto your stomach and curl up to her. “That was just… Thanks… I needed that…” you gasp out. Applejack smiles smugly. “Anytime, honey-bun.” “I believe… I should return the favor.” “What did ya have in mind?” You smile deviously at her as you slowly start to dip beneath the water. “I’m going to show you how long I can really hold my breath for.” Applejack’s entire face goes crimson as your head disappears below the waters. You let a little air out of your lungs so you can lie on the bottom of the bathtub with no problem. Wrapping your hooves around her hind legs, you move in slowly, but before you feel her grab a hold of your head and bring you to the surface before you can go any further. “What? I-” With a loud click, Applejack finally turns off the water. You look at the tub water and finally notice that it was completely full and in fact had spilled at least a gallon or two onto the bathroom floor. “Ah think we should clean this up first.” “Aww… Just when we were getting to the good part.” * * * * * * * It didn’t take as long as you thought to clean up the water, but by the time you were done, both yours and Applejack’s stomachs were growling and bath time fun was put on the back burner. For now, at least… you think with a chuckle. As you and Applejack descend down the stairs, you feel your stomach grumble again. “How’s the breakfast here? Any good?” “Eh, it’s so-so. Sometimes, but they dropped the ball the last few days.” “How so?” “The things that all the food were in to keep it warm or cold broke, so everythin’ tasted funny. The salad I had was all mushy and the fruit yogurt was warm.” The idea of eating a spoiled breakfast almost makes you gag as you reach the bottom of the stairs. “Ew… Maybe we should go eat somewhere else.” “Yeah, maybe we-” You and Applejack stop dead in your tracks at the sight before you. There had to be over a half-dozen tables lined up in the dining hall, with each carrying something that made your mouth water. Decorative fruit sculptures, a bowl of melted chocolate, parfaits, veggie kabobs, and what looked like an entire table covered with donuts. You half expected to see a rainbow end at that last table. Applejack nudges your shoulder and points to a sign hanging up on the wall. “Well what’dya know…Due ta the technical malfunction of our continental breakfast buffet, we humbly offer our sincerest apologies and offer our guests a completely redone buffet.” It only takes a second for you to make up your mind. “We should eat here.” Applejack nods slowly as she looks over the tables. “Uh-huh…” Quick as a flash, you grab a plate and descend upon the buffet before you, grabbing a little bit of everything until the pile of food on your plate threatens to topple over. It wasn’t too hard to find an empty table and by the looks of it, Applejack had the same idea you had and had a pile of food on her plate, equally high. You throw your face into the food and take a gigantic bite, ending with a mouthful of strawberries, grilled squash, and what tasted like a jelly doughnut. All and all, it didn’t taste half bad. “How’s your breakfast?” you ask before taking another bite. Looking to Applejack, you notice her staring at you intently as you eat, making you slightly uncomfortable. “What?” She doesn’t say anything and continues to stare at you, making you incredibly uneasy. “AJ, seriously. What’s up? You’re freaking me out over here.” Applejack seems to snap out of her trance and smiles weakly at you. “N-Nothin’. Just thinkin’ is all…” She said the same thing this morning… you think uneasily. You reach out and put your hoof on hers. “AJ, if there’s something wrong, just say it. You don’t have to hide anything from me.” You try to look her in the eyes, but she shifts away and looks towards the floor. Sighing heavily, you go back to your meal and take another bite. “I have to leave tomorrow morning.” Your first reaction is to gasp aloud, but you only manage to get a mouthful of food stuck in your throat. You choke and sputter as you grab at your throat, alarming everyone around you. Applejack is quick to react and you soon find her doing the Heimlich maneuver on you. You hear someone yell aloud as you start to turn blue in color “SOMEONE CALL 911!” With one final push, the clump of doughnut and pineapple dislodge them self from your throat and skitters across the table before coming to a rest a few inches away from your plate. The entire room is quiet as they watch you catch your breath. “I’m good…” you pant “I’m good…” Turning to Applejack, you try to offer her some sort of thank you, but you couldn’t find it. Instead, you grab a hold of her and begin to drag her. “You alright? Where we goin’?” she asks nervously. “Bathroom. And yeah, I’m fine. But we need to talk.” She visibly cringes at the words, just as you did last night. You drag her to the mare’s bathroom and lock the door behind you. You were feeling hurt. Hurt and used. You turn away from Applejack and begin pacing back and forth. So many questions raced through your mind and the prospect of each one made you want to breakdown and cry. But you steel yourself and find your words. “Why didn’t you tell me you had to leave tomorrow?!?” Applejack rears back, startled by your outburst. “I… I didn’t… Darn-it, I dunno what I wanted… To be happy? Maybe pretend that everythin’ was fine and I could be with you forever? I didn’t mean to make you mad…” “That’s not why I’m mad…. Tell me, honest truth. Did you mean all those things you said last night?” She almost looks hurt by your question. “Of course I did, and I still do,” she says as she puts a hoof around your shoulder “I love you, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.” You try to stifle a giggle as she nuzzles up to you. “So… So I wasn’t some sort of cheap fu-” “Is that what you’re freakin’ out about?!? Honey-bun, I’d never do that to anypony, especially one I love. I just… didn’t think this through enough.” Almost all of your worries disappear with that. All except for one. “So... What do we do now?” Applejack shakes her head “That’s what I’ve been tryin’ ta figure out all this time.” “You can’t... You know, just stay longer?” “Thoughta that. My ship leaves tomorrow and if I miss it, I won’t have enough money for another ticket to get home.” “And I doubt you could just stay here...” you say sullenly. She shakes her head “Naw, I couldn’t do that to my family and friends.” You bite your lower lip in frustration. “What if I go with you?” Applejack simply shakes her head again. “You can’t do that either. You got friends and a responsibility here. Lotta ponies look up to you and need you.” You hated to admit it, but she was right. You couldn’t just disappear into the night with your new-found love without some sort of warning. “We’ll... We’ll make it work. Maybe not today, maybe not next week, but we’ll make it work,” you reach out and hold her tightly “I love you and we’ll make this work because you love me.” “Yeah... We will.” You gasp aloud as a thought enters your head. “AJ, we’re going to make your last day here awesome!” Applejack cocks her head to the side. “How?” “You know about the Summerset Boardwalk Amusement Park? You know; the one by the pier?” Her eyes seem to light up at the question. “Heck yeah, I do! I saw that place from the boat and I’ve been itchin’ to check it out!” “That’s great, because I got a friend whose buddies with the park manager and he lets me and a friend or two in for free since I saved his sister from drowning,” you say as you and Applejack step out of the bathroom “I gotta go get Violet and see if she’s cool with it. I’ll meet you here in like an hour, ‘kay?” “Yeah, I’ll just- whoa.” “Wha-” You stop just in time and find yourself face to face with a crowd of ponies who were looking at you worriedly. In the back, you could see a paramedic with a first aid bag in his mouth. “Uh, guys? I’m fine… really. You can put that away.” “Are you sure?” a uniformed mare asked “I’d like you to at least check into a hospital. You know, to make sure you’re okay?” You assumed she was the manager. “No, I’m totally fine. You can relax. So… Yeah. Go enjoy your breakfast.” “You heard the gal, break it up,” Applejack said as she tried to disperse the crowd. It takes a little coaxing, but the crowd takes the hint and leaves you and Applejack alone finally. You take a few steps towards the exit as you turn towards Applejack. “Alright… I’ll just-” Your growling stomach stops you in your tracks as you realize you didn’t finish your plate. “Finish eatin’ before ya make any plans?” Applejack asks with a chuckle. You sit down bashfully at the table. “Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t get ahead of myself just yet.” “Good, now at least-hey… Where did that bit a food ya choke on go?” You give her a shrug before swallowing audibly. “I dunno.” Applejack grimaces as she begins to put two and two together. “You… You really didn’t just eat that again, did ya?” “What?” you say defensively “Food is food and I made sure to chew it this time!” She runs a hoof down her face as she lets out a dry laugh. “Ya make me worry, girl.” “What I do?” * * * * * * * You depart from the Coco Cabana with a full belly, leaving Applejack to her own devices while you tried to convince Violet to let you go down to the park with Applejack. Normally, you and her would go every weekend and today was Saturday. You just hoped she’d be fine with it and understood what was going on. I hope she isn’t mad or anything about breaking our night off… you think as you walk up to her front step. You reach out and knock on the door. “Hey Violet? It’s me. I was wonder-” The door flies open and you find yourself assaulted by a million different question. “Oh my gosh, are you okay? What happened? What did you say? What did she say? Where were you last night? How-” “Violet! Calm down!” She stops her assault and looks you over. “You’re not crying… Are you okay?” You realize that you never got a hold of Violet and she had no idea what happened in-between the time that you left with Applejack and now. “Yeah, I’m good. We talked it out.” “And?” Guiding Violet inside, you let out ragged sigh “And I have a lot to tell you…” * * * * * * * “She’s truly means it when she says she loves you?” This was the fifth time that you answered this question. “Yes, and I mean it when I say I love her.” Violet finally looks convinced this time. “Alright… But are you sure you want to try this whole long distance relationship thing? They never end well.” You’re undeterred by Violet’s words. “I’m sure. Applejack wants to make this happen and so do I.” Violet’s eyes drift towards the floor. “So you’re going to leave here, huh?” You feel a pang of guilt as you realize just how this was going to affect everyone. “…Yeah. Violet, I’m s-” In an instant, Violet throws her hooves around your neck and hugs you tightly. “V…Violet?” “Don’t apologize. You deserve to be with her. I’ll admit that it makes me sad to know that there will be a day when I don’t see that goofy smile of yours or hear that wonderful laugh… But if she makes you happy, then I’m happy.” You let Violet hold you for a few more minutes before speaking up. “My smile is goofy?” Violet laughs aloud at your question. “Yeah… But it’s one of the things I like about you…” You hug Violet back. “And I like how you’re always looking out for me. What did I do to deserve a friend like you?” “You challenged me to a race around the beach for an ice cream sandwich.” A grin forms on your face as you remember that day. “Oh yeah… It was my first day on Summerset Keys and it was like a million degrees and all I wanted was that ice cream.” Violet giggles under her breath. “You still gave me half, even though you won.” “Yeah, I’m awesome like that.” “Even though you cheated and used your wings.” “Well you never said I couldn’t!” you yell curtly. “Well I never said you could!” Violet snarls. You both move forward and butt heads, staring at each other, unblinking, before breaking down in laughter. “Oh wow… We haven’t done that in years,” she wheezes. “Yeah… Good times…” you say with a content sigh “So, Violet?” “Hm?” “You don’t mind if I take Applejack down to the park? You know, as a last hurrah before she sails off?” “Sure, I don’t mind. You and I can always go next week.” “Thanks Violet,” you say as you give her another hug. “Anytime.” You let go of Violet and take a few tentative steps towards the door. “I mean it. Thanks for everything.” * * * * * * * You circle above The Coco Cabana in boredom, waiting for any signs of Applejack. “Come on, where is she?” you groan aloud. You stopped outside her window not too long ago, but there wasn’t any sign of her. Not even a note. You grab yourself a nearby cloud and curl up expecting a long wait. “Honey-bun?” “Oh hey! There you are!” you yell as you dive off the cloud “I was getting tired of waiting so I was going to take a nap.” You slow your descent and touch down in front of her. “What were yo….you….” You find yourself stumbling over your words as you stare at her. “W…Wha… Oh…. Oh wow….” “What?” she asks nervously “You don’t like it, do you?” You shake your head quickly. “No! No. It’s just… Wow.” Applejack’s mane was done up in pigtails with a small red bow tied in each one. Her tail was braided in the same fashion and she was still wearing her trademark hat. “You look so… cute,” you say with an increasing blush. She kicks at the ground bashfully. “Turns out they have a spa in the hotel and well… I… I never really get dolled up, unless it’s fer a special occasion… Or fer someone who means a lot to me. So, what do you think?” “It’s nice. Thanks,” you say as you give her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek “Now if only we can get you in one of those school-filly’s outfits…” Applejack gives you a stern look “Girl, now yer pushin’ it.” “…Or you know, I could wear it. I bet I’d look good in one of those little mini-skirts with some thigh high stockings,” you say with a tease. You think that you broke her for a moment as Applejack stares off into the distance, her face growing redder by the second. You walk by and give her a flick on the nose with your tail. “And here I thought I was the only one with my head in the clouds. Come on, we’re burning daylight!” Applejack shakes her head quickly and snaps out of her daze. “Uh, sure! I’m comin’!” * * * * * * * “Oh boy, this is gonna be good!” Applejack says as she jogs alongside you. “Totally! Just remember, all you have to do is flash the wristband and you can get on any ride in the park for free.” “Alright-y then, so where do we-” Applejack starts to slow down and comes to a complete stop as she starts to take in everything around her “…Whoa.” You couldn’t help but snicker at Applejack’s dumbstruck look. She was staring at every ride and every attraction in slack-jawed awe. She was especially hypnotized by the Park’s main attraction. “Woo-wee… I ain’t never seen anythin’ like that before…” “Yeah, the Summerset Ferris Wheel has that effect on ponies,” you say as you stare up at it. The ride stood at least 80 feet tall and towered above the entire park. You remember being just as awe-struck as Applejack when you first saw it, as if it was trying to command the attention of everyone who entered the fair grounds. “Let’s save that for later, though. Let’s go on the Tilt-a-Whirl!” Applejack gives you a puzzled look. “What’s a Tilt-a-Whirl?” she asks as you lead the way. “It’s this awesome ride that spins all over the place!” You lead Applejack through the crowd until you finally find it. Just as you and Applejack get up to the Tilt-a-Whirl, the stallion operating the ride closes the gate. “Aw, darn it! We gotta wait for the next one.” The stallion turns to you and smiles. His face was covered in white and black face paint, much like a clown’s, except for the fact that it was done in more harsh designs. “Oh boy! With you two, we got a full house!” he says with a laugh. He turns towards the Tilt-a-Whirl and yells to someone who was busy strapping ponies in. “Hey JD! We got a full house now!” he says as he lets you in. The other pony turns to you and Applejack, wearing the same kind of face makeup. As you step into the tilt-a-whirl, he smiles as wide as the other stallion did and started to sing. All at once, something clicked and things started to make a little more sense. Step right up now, strap ‘em in! Lock it tight under your chin! Clamp your arms down to your side! It’s gonna be a hell-y ride! JD leads you to two empty seats and motions you in. You rear up on your hind legs and grab onto the two bars by your side for support before JD starts buckling all sorts of safety straps going across your waist and legs. Applejack follows suit and watches on nervously as the last of the straps are put into place. “Oh boy…” you say shakily “This is going to be intense.” Applejack shoots you a nervous look. “What’dya mean? “I didn’t recognize them at first, but that’s Zay and JD. They’re fans of Insane Clown Ponies and run some of the rides here and-” the ride jerks violently and starts spinning slowly. “And they what?” “And well… They sometimes go a little overboard.” Applejack goes to open her mouth, but the Tilt-a-Whirl suddenly picks up in speed, going faster and faster. You weren’t worried about the ride going fast, oh no. Speed was no problem. You were worried about their ‘tricks’. Zay and JD were able to pull off all sorts of insane and dangerous stunts using carnival rides, from making the roller coaster go backwards to putting the bumper cars in overdrive. And while all these seemed fun to you, all you could think of was how Applejack was going to handle it. You look over and watch her eyes widen as the hydraulics push the ride and have spin at an angle. “IT’S OKAY!” you yell “THEY KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING!” “THEN WHY IS HE JUMPIN’?” she yells. Pushing past the g-force, you crane your head towards the operating booth. JD was jumping up and down repeatedly and was saying something to Zay, who was pulling and messing with all the controls frantically. “I DON’T-” In all of an instant, the entire ride jumps into the air, eliciting cries and screams from all of the riders. All except for you. You were too busy laughing. “THAT WAS AWESOME! DO IT AGAIN!” Zay gives you a mock salute and makes the Tilt-a-whirl jump again. And again and again. Just when you think the ride was going to tip over from all the jumps, it begins to slow down and straighten itself out. Everypony fumbles for the straps and manages to undo them before staggering out of the ride. Some were happy, others looked green. Applejack fell into the second category. “I… I don’t feel so good…” she said as she slumped in the straps. You manage to slip out of yours and make your way for her. “It’s alright; you’re just a little shaken up. It’ll pass. All you need-” Just as you get the final strap off, Applejack’s cheeks puff out and she begins scrambling for the exit of the ride. You chase after her through the crowd and into a nearby bathroom. She doesn’t so much run into the door of the stall as barrel through it. Acting quickly, you grab a hold of her hair and turn your head to the side. As you expected, the chunks started flying and everything Applejack must have eaten today was now resting in the toilet. Slumping down to the floor she shivers in disgust before spitting unceremoniously. “… I don’t think I like spinny rides…” she says before spitting again. “I-I’m sorry Applejack, we should have gone on something a little more tame. I had no idea you got motion sick.” She shakes her head “Naw… It ain’t that… It was just the jumpin’ that got to me. Felt like I was in one of Rarity’s rock tumblers…” “Maybe we should just play it safe and skip out on all the other intense rides.” Applejack gets to her hooves shakily. “Heck no, I came here ta have fun with ya and I’m going to have fun and no ride is gonna stop me!” she asserts, having regained her composure. “Oh, well that’s good. So you don’t mind going on the Silver Streak?” “Sure, whatever that is,” she says as she rinses her mouth out. * * * * * * * “Uh… H-Honey-bun? I’m-I’m havin’ second thoughts here…” Applejack says as she tugs at her restraints. “Why, what’s wrong?” “It’s just that I’m just a good fifty feet above the ground in some sort of crazy contraption!” You couldn’t help but laugh. Applejack wasn’t as enthusiastic of the Silver Streak as you were. It was one of your favorite rides in the amusement park. The Silver Streak was one of those rollercoaster where you lie down on your stomach through the entire ride. Most ponies that spent their lives on the ground compare it to flying, but to a pegasus like you, it was more like being thrown. Even so, it was still a rush to barrel through the air at that speed. “Oh come on AJ! It’s gonna be awesome!” “I… I don’t know…Maybe I should… I’m-” You reach out and grab Applejack’s hoof in comfort. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.” She gives you a soft smile. “I feel better. ThaaaAAHH!” Thanks to that touching moment, she failed to notice that rollercoaster reached its apex and was now speeding down the track. You let out a loud laugh as the coaster banks hard starts spiraling downwards. Looking over, you see Applejack staring forward, her eyes the size of dinner plates as the coaster makes another hard turn. “YOU OKAY?!?” you yell over the noise of the wind rushing by. A small smile starts to creep across her face. “IT’S… IT’S LIKE I’M FLYIN’!” she yells as her smile grows even wider “I’M FLYIN WITH YOU!” She sticks out her other hoof as if she was really gliding through the air and laughs with you as the track spirals, sending you spinning through the air. Applejack was onto something. It did feel like you were flying with her, in an odd sort of way. You snap out of your thoughts as your favorite part of the ride came up. “HERE COMES THE LOOP!” you yell giddily. Applejack shoots you a puzzled look “WAIT, THE WHA-AAHAHAH!” Applejack cackles as the rollercoaster goes into not one, but two loop de loops before reaching the straightaway and slowing down to a stop. Once the coaster comes to a complete stop, the harnesses come up. You and Applejack hop out without a word and make your way to the exit before breaking down with a case of the giggles. “That was AMAZIN’!” she yells as she tries to catch her breath. “I told you it was awesome!” “What’dya wanta do next?” she asks excitedly “’cause personally, I’m itchin’ fer another go on the rolley coaster!” “Hold up there, dare-pony. I was wondering if there was something around here we could do, you know, together?” Applejack takes a deep breath and nods. “Oh sure, what’dya got in mind?” You shrug. “Whatever you feel up for.” “Hmm…” walking over to a nearby kiosk, she takes a map of the park and begins looking through it. Her eyes light up and she shows you what she found. “’is un,” she says as she holds the map in her mouth. “Huh. Why not?” you ask with a shrug. * * * * * * * You let your hoof hang over the edge of the inner-tube and splash it idly in the water. “Lazy-River is right… I feel pretty relaxed…” you say as you snuggle up to Applejack. She puts a hoof around your shoulder and smiles. “Feels pretty nice just driftin’along, not a care in the world.” “If only we had a wooden raft. Then it would be like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Applejack chuckles a bit under her breath. “Will one of us have to dress up as a boy ta sneak through town? “Yeah, and then we’ll meet the Duke of Bilgewater and the King of France.” She laughs even harder this time. “Oh wow, I forgot all about… My pappy used to read that book every night…” she says fondly. “I used to read stuff like that before bed, too. What’s your favorite book?” Applejack bites her lip for a moment before smiling “Lord of the Flies.” You blink a few times, surprised. “Lord of the Flies? I’ve never read it, but isn’t it supposed to be pretty dark?” She waves it off. “Aw, it’s not all bad. It just shows us how close we are ta going feral. As civilized as we like ta think we are, we’re not all that far from the other animals.” “Hmm…. Well, I’m a fan of science fiction. My favorite is Stranger in a Strange Land.” She gives you an odd look. “You don’t strike me as the sci-fi kinda type. My friend Twi’ likes ‘em, but I can never get into one. What’s it about?” “It’s about this family that goes to the moon to explore it and have a foal during the mission. Something goes wrong and the parents don’t make it, but the child survives and is taken in by a bunch of moon ponies. After a bunch of years, another bunch of ponies go to find out what happened to the last ones and find the colt and take him back to Equestria. It’s all about what it means to be an Equestrian and what really defines us.” Applejack looks a little overwhelmed by your description. “I don’t know… Feels like that might go over ma head a bit…” “Well, maybe you and I can curl up one night in bed and you can read Lord of the Flies and then I can read you Stranger in a Strange Land.” “Yeah… That’d be-” From behind, you hear frantic paddling, followed by a tell-tale cat-call. “Well hello ladies~” Swimming up to you was a well-built golden stallion who puts a hoof on your inner-tube and stops your drift down the Lazy-River. “Are you two veterinarians? Cause I got some sick pythons,” he says as he flexes his muscles. You do your best to stifle a laugh, but you can’t help it. “So cheesy…” you say under your breath. Applejack turns her nose up to the stallion. “Not interested.” The stallion almost looked hurt. “Oh come on now, baby. I can bench-press like 320. Interested now?” Applejack shoots the stallion a tired look. “Does this answer your question?” In one swift motion, she grabs the back of your head for a kiss and puts her all into it, even letting out a low groan halfway. At the end she, she pulls back ever so slightly and pushes her tongue out, which you gladly meet with yours. When Applejack finishes, she gives the stallion a smug look as he stands there, jaw agape, completely gobsmacked. “Sorry there, big boy,” you say as you lick the stray saliva off of your lips “she’s spoken for.” The stallion simply stands there in the shallow water as you drift away, mouth still hanging agape. “I think we broke him.” Applejack says with a giggle “Good, I’ve never liked brainless jocks like that-Hey!” you exclaim as you feel yourself bump into something. “What’s your prob-” Your heart nearly jumps out of your throat as you find yourself staring at your boss, who was staring back at you with a puzzled look on his face. “Oh! Uh… Boss! W…What are you doing here?” “I could ask you the same thing,” he says as he steps out of his inner-tube and onto dry land. You awkwardly fumble out of the inner-tube and not so much walk onto the landing, but fall. “Uh, Boss? I can explain. You see, I-” “Don’t,” Micky says as he holds up a hoof. Taking a deep breath, he turns to Applejack. “Miss, why don’t you grab something at one the concession stands around here for us, my treat?” Micky takes the pouch of bits off of his neck and tosses a few her way. Applejack barely catches them and remains silent, looking to Micky and back to you for some sort of direction. “I like funnel-cakes. There’s a stall that sells them a little ways back. Near the Tilt-a-whirl; we passed it, remember?” Applejack nods slowly. “Alright honey-bun, I understand.” Good girl you think as she begins walking away. Turning back to Micky, you sigh heavily, knowing full well this would bite you in the ass sooner or later. You just wished it wouldn’t be this soon. “Boss, I know you’re short-hoofed and need everypony you can get to watch the beach with Klein gone, but I-” “Stop,” he says sharply “just stop. You’re not in trouble, so you can calm down. I didn’t need you or Violet today. I closed the beach because we’d only have one good life-guard out there for the whole day.” You find yourself a bit calmer then when you started, but you were definitely more confused. “If… If you weren’t going to chew me out for…well… lying about not being able to work, then why are you here?” Micky runs a hoof down his face, as if he was trying to find the right words. “…I asked Violet what was going on between you and that tourist you’ve been hanging out with lately. She didn’t want to say anything at first, but I pressured her into it and she told me the entire story. I came to see if she was telling the truth.” A newfound sense of hostility bubbled up from out of nowhere and directed itself at your boss for forcing his way into your life like this. “Why?” you ask curtly “You better not give me any shit just because I like mares.” Micky blinks a few times in shock before laughing under his breath. “Now where did this come from? I wasn’t going to say anything about it,” he says as he guides you over to a nearby picnic table. “You see, Klein is doing everything he can to avoid a pink slip, except for telling me why he did what he did. I needed a motive to fill out on the form and that’s why I went to Violet.” You feel yourself calm down a bit as everything begins to make sense. “Okay then… So… What now?” “You two enjoy yourselves,” he says as he gets to his hooves “I’m sure you’ll have many good times to come.” You cringe when reminded of the impending time-limit. “At least until tomorrow…” you say sullenly. Micky stops mid-stride and turns back around. “Why? What’s happening tomorrow?” “Applejack has to come back home to Ponyville tomorrow… We’re trying to figure out how to do this whole ‘long-distance-relationship’ thing…” you say as you glance to the ground. Micky puts a hoof under your chin and makes you look him in the eyes. “Do you really love her?” “I-” “I mean really love her? I’ve seen ponies kiss like that before just to prove a point.” You feel your face go completely red when you realize your boss saw that little scene. “Y-You saw? I mean, I-I…” you try to calm down and take a deep breath “I love her,” you finally say “a lot. I want to be with her for the rest of my life.” Micky stares at you intently as you saw this, never once blinking. Just before it starts to get uncomfortable, he lets out a heavy sigh and mumbles something under his breath. “What? What’s wrong?” you ask as he walks away again. “I just realized I got some work I got to take care of. I’ll see ya later.” Just as Micky walks out of site, Applejack returns with three funnel-cakes balanced precariously on her back. “Here we are, three-Hey. Where’d yer boss go?” “He had to leave, but I’ll take his funnel-cake,” you say as you grab the two plates off of her back. You take a seat at the picnic-table again and dig in. Applejack snickers aloud as you take a giant bite out of your first funnel-cake. “What?” “Yer gonna get pudgy if you keep eatin’ like that.” “Well, that just means that there’ll more of me to love.” Applejack laughs under her breath at the statement before taking a bite of her own funnel-cake. “So, what’s next on the agenda?” You swallow the last of your first funnel-cake and open your mouth to suggest going on another ride when a loud buzzer goes off, making you and Applejack turn your heads to a stand with a blue mare behind it, shaking her head slightly. “Oh, too bad, so sad! Not everyone’s a winner, but if you fancy yourself one, then step right up!” “Over there!” you yell as you grab a hold of Applejack, who does her best to stuff the last bit of funnel-cake in her mouth. The mare running the stall sees you coming towards her and smiles. “Step right up! Step right up! Don’t be shy! It’s easy as can be! Knock the milk bottles over and win a prize! Knock over all three and win the grand-prize!” she yells as she points to the plush toys of all sizes. Grabbing a hold of her, you smile from ear to ear. “Win me a teddy bear? Pleeeeease?” “Oh alright then,” Applejack says with an indifferent shrug. “3 bits, 3 balls!” the mare states as she holds out an open hoof. Applejack reaches for her wallet, but you beat her to it and lay out your own money. “Make it count, sweetie,” you say as you give her a quick peck on the cheek. Applejack picks up one of the balls and inspects it. “So I just gotta knock the bottles over, that’s it?” “May not be as simple as you think, ‘sweetie’,” the mare says as she steps to the side. “Alright-y then, lemme just take a few steps back here…” You give her a puzzled look. “Step back? Why?” She doesn’t answer and instead tosses the balls into the air and spins around quickly. Using one hind leg, she hits the balls as they come down in rapid succession, sending them flying right into each of the pyramid of bottles. As each hits, you count aloud. *CRASH* “One!” *CRASH* “Two!” *THUD* “TH-” The final tower of milk bottles makes a different sound then the others, making you wonder what just happened. You approach slowly with Applejack on your heels and look over the side of the counter at the final tower of bottles, stuck together on the ground in the same position they were set up in. The mare rushes over and hides the tower of bottles behind her back “W-WE HAVE A WINNER!” she exclaims shakily “CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!” Applejack’s face seems to twist into a mix of disgust and anger. “Why ya no good, two timin’-” Reaching up, you grab one of the large red bears with a white heart on its stomach. “Thank you AJ,” you say before giving her a big hug. “But I-She-” “Lighten up, all these games are rigged,” you whisper into her ear as you guide her away. “All of ‘em?” she asks surprisingly. “Yeah, but I knew you’d win.” “Why?” You nuzzle up to Applejack, making her giggle. “Because you’re awesome, that’s why. How did you do that?” “Years of apple-buckin’,” she says proudly “gotta hit trees just right ta make ‘em fall in the baskets.” Applejack’s gaze turns to the setting sun, its presence wiping away the smile on her face. “It’s gettin’ late…” she says sullenly. “Yeah…” You couldn’t believe how fast the day was coming to an end. “Think we should be headin’ out now?” A flame ignites in your heart. There was something you had to do to make this night perfect. “No, not just yet. We still gotta do one last thing.” Grabbing a hold of Applejack, you pull her frantically, trying to get her to move faster. “Wait, where are we goin’?” she asks. You don’t say a word and continue leading her through the crowd of ponies until you reach the Ferris Wheel. Running up to the stallion behind the controls, you flash your wristband. “Two,” you say as you guide Applejack into the cabin. Before stepping in, you grab a hold of the stallion and draw him close. The pimple-faced pony looks at you shocked and opens his mouth to say something. “Wha-” You put a hoof on his lips and stare him dead in the eyes. “Stop it at the top.” Giving him no chance to reply, you jump into the cabin and sit next to Applejack before throwing the teddy-bear into the seat across from you. “Here we go…” you say as the Ferris Wheel slowly started to turn. Applejack looks out the window as the cart climbs higher and higher. “Woo-wee… This is amazing. Honey-bun check out thi-” Without any warning, you jump on top of Applejack and surprise her with a deep and greedy kiss. Applejack pushes back slightly and looks at you with a confused look. “Honey-bun, what’s gotten inta you?” “I want you to never forget this night,” you say as you start to plant kisses up and down her chest “when you’re back home and feeling lonely, I want you to remember what we did here and know I’ll be with you soon.” Applejack stares up at you with a growing blush on her face. “I-I’m all for foolin’ around but we’re in public. What if someone sees?” You trace your tongue up her throat, making her shiver and moan aloud. “Then let’s give them a show, sweetie.” You continue to kiss Applejack as the Ferris Wheel goes around and around. Applejack seemed more into it than before, and you couldn’t help but tease her for it. “Is the idea that somepony watching us making you excited, AJ?” Applejack’s entire face turns red, letting you know all that you needed to know. “You naughty girl,” you whisper into her ear before nibbling it, making her squeal aloud. You grab a hold of her tail and pull it taught, making her eyes roll into the back of her head as you continue licking and biting at her neck. The assault on her senses seems too much for her and she’s soon panting heavily. “Oh… Oh horse-apples that feels…Go-” All of a sudden, the cabin jerks violently, causing you and Applejack to fall off of the bench and onto the floor of the cabin. However, Applejack was the one on top this time and you were pinned underneath her. You’re both surprised by this change of pace, but you can’t help but smile. “I’m okay with this,” you say before planting a quick kiss on her lips. Applejack grins devilishly before grabbing a hold of both of your wings, making you writhe in pleasure. “Same.” She starts to work on your wings, but stops abruptly. “Naw… Let’s try somethin’ a little different…” “Huh? What do you-” Before you can get any further, Applejack grabs a hold of your flanks, making you gasp aloud as she begins to rub them in circular motions. “I’m always playin’ with yer wings,” she says as she brings her face down to one of your flanks “I wanna do somethin’ new.” You bite your lower lip to stifle a loud moan as Applejack traces her tongue all about, making you visibly writhe in bliss. “Oh my… Oh my gosh…” Applejack moves away from your flank and looks over you, smiling. “Looks like I found another of yer weak spots.” You don’t know why, but this declaration embarrasses you to no end. “I…I… It’s not my fault, I’m just, you know… Just really sensitive, is all…” Your coy nature makes Applejack laugh aloud. “Oh honey-bun, it ain’t a bad thing…” she says as she brings her face to yours “I think it’s cute.” Wordlessly, she moves in for another kiss and you gladly move to accept it, but stop short when you hear the cabin door slowly open. Acting quickly, you both get to your hooves and take a seat next to each other and do your best to act as nonchalant as possible. “Did you enjoy your ride?” the pimply faced stallion asks as he opens the cabin door. “Yeah, I enjoyed her-” Applejack blushes as she catches her Freudian slip “I mean it. I enjoyed it very much. Thank ya kindly.” You giggle aloud as you notice the stallion’s face go red as he pieces it all together. His face was almost as red as Applejack’s. “Oh come on sweetie. No harm, no foul,” you say as you push at her side. “Yeah… I guess you’re right,” Applejack says with a nervous giggle. You couldn’t help but push her buttons. “I’m all for wearing a saddle, if you really want to ride me.” Applejack’s eyes go wide. “I… I uh… Really?” she asks skittishly. You do your best to stifle a laugh as you put a wing around her shoulder and draw her close. “Come on, you horn-dog. Let’s go back to the hotel so we can snuggle.” “Read my mind…” she says as she nuzzles up to you. * * * * * * * During the walk to the dock with Applejack, you were reminded of a theory about time travel by Asimov Or was it Wells? Either way, all you could wonder where the last eight hours went. You and Applejack held each other as you slept and only awoke when the alarm went off, signaling her final hours on Summerset Keys. All you could do now was help carry her bags to the docks and see her off. Just looking at the ship made your eyes wet. “Honey-bun... I really wish we could make this work… But we’re gonna need time,” she says as she wipes away your tears “ya gotta be strong. For the both of us.” Throwing your hooves around her neck, you hug her tightly. “I promise. I-I’ll be strong. And the next time I see you, I’m going to hold you just like this and never let go.” A loud whistle from the boat makes your heart sink into your hooves. “ALL-ABOARD FOR GOTLAND BAY!” Applejack gives you a kiss on the cheek before slowly breaking the hug. “I gotta go… I’ll miss ya sugar-cube,” she says with a sniffle. You slump down on your haunches as she makes her way up the gangplank, never once looking away from you. You knew this would happen when you found out she had to leave, but it didn’t make the hurt any less painful as tears streaked down your face. The boat slowly starts to chug off from the port, taking your one true love with it. From the deck of the boat, you see Applejack waving to you, crying just as openly as you. You wave back to her, doing the best to force a smile. “WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?!?” Whipping around, you see Micky, Blendy, and a group of ponies running towards you. Micky was leading him and looked completely shocked. “What? What do you mean?” Micky grabs a hold of you and shakes you violently. “DIDN’T YOU GET THE NOTE ON THE DOOR?!?” “What note?!?” “This note!” you hear Violet yell as she pushes her way through the crowd. She opens an envelope she’s levitating in the air and practically shoves it in your face. “I-” “READ IT!” Micky yells frantically. You shut your mouth and read the note as quickly as you can. The gang and I were talking it over and we all decided to chip in and give you a little piece of happiness. Inside is a ticket to Gotland Bay and two Express Coach tickets for Ponyville. We all hope she makes you as happy as you made us happy over the years. Signed, Micky, your ex-boss You look up to the group of ponies with a dumbstruck look. “What about all my stuff?” “We loaded it up on the boat!” Violet yells. “But what about all my money?” “It’s on the boat!” a mare from the crowd cries. “I… I…” what they were doing for you hit you like a ton of bricks “Guys, I don’t know what to say.” “You better stop saying stuff and get on that boat or you’ll be homeless and penniless!” Micky cries as he shoves the ticket into your hooves. The realization hit you like a ton of bricks. Everything you owned was on that boat. “Oh crap, you’re right!” you yell as you tense up all your muscles for take-off “I gotta-” you stop midway before turning back to your friends. “I gotta say goodbye first.” Running towards them, you throw your hooves around them and bring them all in for a great big hug. “I’ll miss all of you guys and I’ll never forget what you did here. Thank you for everything.” “No prob’em life-mare. Is wat friends do.” “We’ll miss you!” “Thanks for everything you’ve done here!” Turning to Violet, you grab a hold of her tightly, making her gasp aloud in surprise. “I promise I’ll be back to see you. All of you.” Micky looks like he’s trying to enjoy this heart-felt moment, but he looks way too distressed. “You’ve got to hurry up and fly! The boat is already way out there!” Letting go of Violet you make your way to the end of the dock before giving them one final wave goodbye. You make sure the tickets are securely in your mouth before tensing yourself up completely again. In one powerful motion, you take off into the air and fly barely an inch above the water, your wings beating fiercely to catch up with the boat. The boat was a little ways away, but your wings were already starting to tire. In a flash of inspiration, you tuck your wings in and streamline your body before going beneath the water for a split second, only to come right back up and glide. You repeat this process as you’ve seen the flying fish do, gaining speed by using your powerful legs beneath the water and a few wing flaps above. Once the boat is close enough, you surface and go up high, before dive-bombing the deck. It didn’t take long for you to pick Applejack out of the crowd and the only warning she got of your imminent approach was the startled cries of the other passengers as you closed in. “What in the-” You tackle Applejack and hug her closely, panting in exhaustion. “I… I MADE IT!” you yell through clenched teeth. She finally realizes just who was holding her and looks at you completely shocked. “WHAT IN TARNATION ARE YOU-” Applejack stops as she notices the soaking wet tickets you held. You open your mouth and let them fall into your lap before smiling. “I told you I’d hold you like this the next time I see you.” Applejack opens her mouth a few times and closes it before just shaking her head. How you did it doesn’t seem to matter anymore and she simply holds you back. “And I’m never letting go.”