Chapter 2
++ Applejack ++
Oh, I get such a kick out of my sweet girl gettin' all aggressive on me. She's my equal in every way and I love that. Yawning, I stretch my legs and raise my muzzle to kiss her nose and cheeks, whatever I can reach. This time our lovemaking feels different, something like wildfire under the skin. Perhaps the daring location? Out here kinda in the open and all. Not that I'm worried, because no sound will carry over the noise of the festival across town in the square. In fact, I'm in the mood to rejoin the festivities!
"Stop it, AJ," Twilight giggles as I nose her ear, lightly chewing at it to get a reaction. Expertly avoiding a wild swipe from one purple hoof, I snort playfully and jump up to teasingly nip at my girl. With a mocking gasp of outrage, she's scrambling to her feet and we're off, wildly racing across town, laughing and kicking and prancing.
"There you are!"
Startled by the cry, we look up to see Rainbow Dash hovering over us. Twilight speaks before I can. "Hi, Dash. What can we do for you?"
"Something weird just happened a couple minutes ago. Me and the others got magic jolted by something we've never felt before. And look what reappeared!"
Around Dash's neck is the heavy gold necklace that is her mark of the Element of Loyalty. It disappeared by magic, as did all of ours, shortly after the encounter with Nightmare Moon. That makes me reach up, and sure enough, mine has mysteriously reappeared as well. Now that we're in better light, I see that Twilight's tiara, too, is back. Yep, something strange indeed happened while we were fooling around in the forest. Hot on Dash's hooves, the others arrive at a gallop, each resplendent in the intricate necklace from that long-ago battle in the Everfree Forest.
"Guys, guys!" Twilight finally yells over the babble of urgent voices. "I don't know why they're back. We'll just have to stay alert for whatever might have triggered the magic that gave us these in the first place."
"What, no research?" Rarity comments with an arched brow, though her calm tone belies any censure to her words. Twilight sighs anyway and shrugs.
"There's so little information on the Elements of Harmony that I doubt I'll find anything. Still, I'll look."
I'm still feeling a little wired and hyper-alert. Now, I just thought it was from the fun of fooling around with my girl, but could there be more to it? And why in Equestria would the other Elements get a jolt from that? It's not like we can casually discuss this with the others, it's just too embarrassing...
"Well, come on!" Pinkie Pie breaks in to the oddly awkward silence that surrounds us. "There's a party going on! We can't miss that!"
Honestly, what choice do we have but to follow our bouncy pal? The weight of the necklace feels heavier than it should and draws every pony eye that wanders our way. It's gonna be a long night...
There have been plenty of odd looks over the weeks that have followed and the necklaces stubbornly remain. It turns out that there's no way to remove them, as there's no break in the intricate gold. Only Twilight can remove her jewelry and she tells us that it feels weird not to have it on her head where it should be. So she keeps it in a saddlebag that is never out of reach. With time, I don't even notice the thing unless my attention is somehow drawn to it. All of us are too busy with spring to dwell on the mystery and nothing odd has happened, so we have pushed it to the back of our minds.
Mystery aside, the necklace is a gorgeous piece of jewelry. It is finely wrought and seemingly immune to dirt; the orange gemstone in the shape of one of the three apples on my flank gleaming in the center. It blends nicely with my coat, not as startling a contrast as the rest of my friends.
"I don't mind the thing, exactly," Rarity whines nearby. "It just doesn't match all of my wardrobe! And always wearing the same piece of jewelry? Really..."
Even Dash doesn't have the energy to spar with her. Really, how many times can we go over the same thing? The gang has come to the farm to help me and Big Mac out before the scheduled downpour this evening. Much as Dash can annoy the daylights out of me, it comes in handy to have the best flier in Ponyville keeping me apprised of the weather. The golden necklace stands in stark contrast to her blue hide, the crimson lightning bolt even more so. Like me, Dash's necklace has displaced her fur somewhat sloppily in proof it can't be removed. Poor Rarity must be in fits over our appearance.
Nearby, Fluttershy and Pinkie help the Cutie Mark Crusaders carefully holds the slim stakes that hold the thin fabric covers over the tenderest shoots. With glowing horns, Rarity and Twilight adjust the long sheets and Mac uses strong hooves to pound pins through the edges once Dash lines them up in the right spot. Her reflexes are good enough not to accidentally get stomped on, unlike the fillies. It hadn’t been my girl who asked me permission to use magic, but a petulant Rarity basically telling me to get over my stubborn earth pony self. She's not wrong, exactly, but I have made some massive concessions now that I'm involved with a unicorn. After all, it would hardly be fair to completely keep Twilight from helping with her magic. It is just as much a part of her as hide and hoof. Rarity hadn't needed to harangue me much to concede.
The storm has gathered darkly overhead, grumbling with thunder and pulsing with lightning before we finish up and I'm not completely convinced the last row covers over the tiny celery sprouts will hold. No time for that now, though. "Git back to the house, now!" I bellow over the gathering violence, and grab Scootaloo by the base of her mane to toss her onto my back. Mac has collected Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, also grabbing a cowering Fluttershy to toss her up with the girls as though she weighs little more than a feather. Dash hovers worriedly, finally touching down and running with the rest of us in mad flight through the fields.
"Whoo hoo!" The blue pegasus marvels through the glass once we're safely indoors. "I think this one got out of our control. Is it just me or is this happening an awful lot recently?"
The big mudroom is crowded so I hold off on shaking out my damp hide while the others get as dry as they can and move further into the old house. "Ya alright there, Scoot?"
"S-sure," the filly tries to bluster bravely, but doesn't loosen her grip on my neck just yet. Dash just chuckles and moves to pluck her warm little body off me and returns to the window, cradling the little pegasus.
"Check this out, Squirt, 'cause someday you'll have to help out with a mess like this."
A towel tossed over blue shoulders and rainbow mane gets a grin from my pal and I can turn my attention to my brother. The girls are ready to jump down and I stand up to place a hoof on Mac's ribs and offer a foreleg. "Come're, Sweetie Belle; you first."
"Wee!" She squeals as she leaps fearlessly into my offered arm and I easily swing her to the floor. Apple Bloom doesn't need any direction and I barely manage to catch her eager free fall.
"Thank ya, Big Macintosh," she gushes and touches noses with him. "That was tons a fun!"
The girls race off and that leaves me to eye the huddled Fluttershy. She looks unexpectedly small on my brother's strong back, curled up in an impossibly tiny bundle. So I reach up and touch her shoulder gently, speaking softly, "Ya'll ready to come down, Sugar Cube?"
The pink mane shudders in a distinct 'no' gesture and I force myself not to sigh in exasperation. Still a 'fraidy pony even after all she's accomplished! Mac has snaked his head around and smiles lopsidedly. "That's a'right, purdy lady," he says softly, a faint blush on his apple red hide. "Y'all can stay there long as ya like."
Nearly nose to nose with him, I can only wear a flummoxed look. Is my big lug of a brother actually flirting with Fluttershy? One turquoise eye peers out from a concealing yellow wing, accompanied by Flutter's soft voice. "You Apples are so nice."
Both of us puff up with pride at that, though we refrain from snorting and pawing the ground like hot-blooded colts. "Sure we are," I agree vehemently and poke my shy pal in the ribs, glad to hear a giggle. "Our Mama wouldn't have it any other way."
Chuckling, I shake out my damp hide as best I can and leave them alone.