//------------------------------// // Back in the Saddle // Story: Black Clouds & Silver Lining // by Lucky Seven //------------------------------// Black Clouds & Silver Lining Back in the Saddle Written by HarimeNui777 As she kicked her legs backwards and felt the apples rain down around her, Tenna looked over at Applejack. “L-like that?” “I think we finally found somethin’ you’re really good at, Tenna,” the farm-pony replied, grinning. “Well, it’s not like I’m as good as you are,” Tenna smiled at her, secretly happy that Applejack had complimented her. During her time in Ponyville, she had grown to admire the apple bucking machine greatly. Her work ethic was unlike anything she’d ever seen, and she had a ‘never say die’ attitude that really seemed to rub off on her friends. “I’m just happy I’m getting to know you better.” “Well,” Applejack bucked a tree, the apples falling right into the buckets, “it’s been a pleasure getting to know you, too. I heard you met my little sis’ a while back, and she scared you senseless.” “She and her friends are…” Tenna couldn’t think of a word to describe them for the life of her. They were reckless, but that wasn’t all. Nosey was another way to describe them, as it seemed they always wanted to know what Tenna was up to when they saw her. But they were also as carefree as anyone could possibly be. Nothing seemed to bother them, and they were certainly living life to the fullest. “Crazy? Foolish? Deceitful?” Applejack supplied, making Tenna giggle. It seemed they were on the same page about those girls. They were certainly a handful, that was for sure. “Yeah, definitely. One time, they asked me to go tight-rope walking with them. I guess they thought they’d get their cutie marks for that,” Tenna couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in the head of those fillies. “Again? Those three are gonna be dead by age twenty if they keep it up,” Applejack kicked another tree. “Th-they’ve done it before?” Tenna asked, sincerely hoping it wasn’t true. If it was, those fillies were walking a tight-rope over their own lives. Nah, they were doing that anyways, she decided. “Yeah, two times before you showed up. Those three have tried everything you or I can possibly think of to get their cutie marks. If anything, I’m just stunned they haven’t found their talents yet.” “Heh, maybe their talent is to not have one true talent,” Tenna quipped, making Applejack laugh. It was certainly a possibility, and a conundrum at that. Could a pony even get a cutie mark for not having one true talent? “That wouldn’t surprise me at all,” she replied, setting her buckets down below another tree. “But enough about them. Have you found out what you wanna do here yet?” “Oh… not yet. I guess I haven’t really given it any thought,” the normally meek changeling replied. For some reason, she felt far more comfortable around Applejack than she did any other pony. Well, aside from her two closest friends. But it was true, the stutter that plagued her around most ponies seemed to be gone entirely. “How did you find out that you wanted to work on your farm?” “I ran away from home, thinkin’ I’d like the city life,” Applejack replied, sending her hind legs crashing into the tree behind herself. “Long story short, I didn’t, so I came back here. That’s when this appeared.” Tenna followed Applejack’s gesture to her cutie mark. “That certainly sounds like it was a lot easier than your sister has it,” she joked again, Applejack grinning in response. “That’s for sure. What about you, though? Can changelings even get cutie marks?” “I don’t think so, but I’ve heard that if we transform into a filly without one, we can earn it.” “Heh, that’d be somethin’ to see. Imagine how upset Apple Bloom and her friends would be if they saw that happen,” Applejack said, causing both of them to laugh. “But I can’t lie to ya, it’s still weird havin’ a changeling living in Ponyville.” “It’s weird to me, too,” Tenna replied, Applejack raising an eyebrow at her. “Well, I mean, it’s weird living with ponies when I’ve either lived with changelings or by myself my entire life.” “Have any of the ponies here given you any trouble?” Applejack asked suddenly, her voice taking on a serious tone. “Just one, a couple weeks ago, but I did what Rainbow would do and scared him away.” “Boy, I wish I coulda been there to see that. I’m an honest pony, Tenna, and I don’t like ponies that make fun of others just for being different. Hay, I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve had to get onto Apple Bloom for that.” “Aw, she’s just a filly, though. Besides, with you as her big sister, shes guaranteed to be a great girl when she grows up,” Tenna complimented her as she kicked another tree, letting out a grunt as she did so. “Well, I appreciate you saying that, it’s mighty kind o’ ya. I just don’t want her growin’ up like that little brat, Diamond Tiara. The name was certainly familiar to Tenna, and not without good reason. That pony had tried numerous times to get her mad, but Tenna hadn’t budged at her comments. She definitely owed that to Rainbow Dash. “I don’t like her, either. She called my tail dumb the other day. If she wasn’t just a filly, oh…” Tenna seemed to be turning red, and the sight of it alone made Applejack burst into laughter. “Man, she got to you to, huh? You should have been there when she called Twilight a ‘peanut brain’. Whooee, I thought Ponyville was gonna burn down that day!” “How did it not?” Tenna quipped. She had known Twilight long enough by now to understand not to challenge her intellect, much less make fun of it. Doing that was a one-way ticket to witnessing one of her patented ‘Twilight Tantrums’. “Well, I’m just about done apple-buckin’, so what do you say you and me go get somethin’ to eat. I don’t know about you, but I’m starvin’.” Tenna definitely wasn’t starving, she wasn’t even hungry. But she did know that she wanted to spend more time with Applejack. She hadn’t had this much fun chatting in a while, any she hoped it wouldn’t end any time soon. “Sure, that sounds great.” “And heck, maybe I can tell you more about my family. I’ve got some funny stories I’ve just been dyin’ to share with someone,” she suggested, beginning to walk off towards her house, Tenna quickly falling in line behind her. “I’d love that.”