//------------------------------// // Caught in the Act // Story: A Trip to Remember // by Gallifrey //------------------------------// A Trip to Remember by Gallifrey Chapter Eighteen Caught in the Act Big Macintosh woke up an hour before sunrise the next morning, which wasn’t unusual for him. He sat up and yawned, taking the Smarty Pants doll from his bed onto his desk. The one thing he owned that had a connection to Twilight Sparkle. He smiled at it and went downstairs for breakfast. He felt like having eggs, so he went to the henhouse to collect some. “Mornin’ my lovelies, don’ mean ter disturb ya, but I’m mighty hungry, so if ya don’t mind.” He grabbed five eggs and carefully carried them back to the house, picking up that day’s edition of Equestria Daily that was on the doormat. He whisked up the eggs and poured them in a pan with melted butter. As he idly stirred his breakfast, he looked at the front page of the newspaper, there was a large photo of an embarrassed looking Luna with a very irate Celestia in the background. Princess Luna: Alive and Well! Princess Luna, younger sister of our monarch Princess Celestia, made a public appearance yesterday after the recent panic over her mysterious disappearance from Canterlot. Luna had not been seen at all for five days with no explanation, which lead to suspicion amongst the citizens of Canterlot and soon the whole of Equestria. There were claims that there had been an argument between Luna and her older sister and that she had even been banished to the Moon. “Well, it was a most mysterious thing,” says journalist Fann Flame, “Princess Luna disappears, and the relationship between the two princesses has been… troubled in the past to say the least.” Celestia meanwhile has been growing increasingly impatient with the accusations. On Monday she said: “I don’t know where she is! Now will you please stop badgering me, I have a lot of work to be doing.” This remark did nothing to improve the affair, the Princess of the Realm claiming that she “didn’t know” where her own sister was added fuel to the “She was sent to the Moon theory.” Yesterday, Equestria found that it had no leader for most of the day as both princesses were absent from Canterlot, until mid-afternoon when Celestia returned with Luna in tow. Luna gave a speech on how she had simply been on holiday with some friends and made her opinions on the rumours very clear. “We cannot believe that any of you would even consider that my sister would… send me back there… it was a time both of us deeply regret and would like to forget,” says the Princess. Big Macintosh shook his head wearily at how ridiculous the whole story was. He looked up to see that smoke was pouring from the pan, his scrambled eggs were burning. “Oh honey muffins!” he exclaimed. “Goshdern it, ah’m gonna have ter get some more, the hens won’t be happy about that.” --------------- Twilight and company were walking back along the plains to the ancient walls of rock ahead of them. Rainbow Dash was feeling increasingly restless, wanting to stretch her wings and soar into the skies. “AJ, can you undo these bandages?” “What for sugar cube?” asked Applejack, puzzled. “I can’t stand this anymore! I want to stretch my wings!” “Oh no you don’t! You ain’t flying!” “I’m not gonna fly, I wanna stretch my wings.” Applejack looked suspicious. “Pleeeeaaaase?” “Oh, alright, come ‘ere.” Applejack removed Rainbow’s bandages and the pegasus slowly unfurled her wings as they trotted along, grimacing slightly as she did so. She gave them a slow, experimental flap and was surprised when it only hurt slightly. Applejack watched her beadily the whole time. “C’mon AJ, do you really think I’m gonna fly if you don’t want me to?” She brushed her good wing playfully over Applejack’s face, tickling her muzzle with her feathers. “Ah never know with you Rainbow,” replied the earth pony, winking as Rainbow folded her wings neatly without any trouble. “Come on girls, if we pick up the pace, we can be at the bottom of the mountains before day’s end- We don’t want to have to camp in them again.” ----------------- The evening was warm and calm on the plains, they set up camp in the same spot they had three days earlier. All three of them were exhausted but happy that they had made it to the mountain’s foothills. They sat around the campfire on logs and talked of home, and how eager they were to get back. “Ah jus’ hope ah’m home for applebucking season,” said Applejack fretfully. “I just hope Spike hasn’t burnt the library down.” “I don’t really have anything to hope for, I just wanna see the other guys, not that you two aren’t awesome or anything.” They started laughing. “I think we can be back in four days if we keep a good pace up,” said Twilight. “Sounds good ter me,” said Applejack. “Excellent!” Twilight yawned widely. “I think I’m gonna hit the hay, g’night girls.” “Night Twi!” they said in unison. Twilight slipped behind the folds of her tent and they could hear her humming as she set up her sleeping bag. Rainbow and Applejack sat quietly around the crackling fire, not talking of anything in particular. After a short time Rainbow cleared her throat. “Um, Applejack? I got something for you.” She twisted and picked up something that was hidden behind the log she was sat on. Applejack looked on curiously as Rainbow straightened up. She had a poesy of wild flowers in her mouth. “I got fese fer you!” she said, her cheeks pink. Applejack was stunned. “Rainbow, ya shouldn’t have, they’re so beautiful!” “They’re not that great,” said Rainbow, placing the flowers next to the earth pony. “Course they are firefly, they’ll taste mighty sweet, and the gesture was even sweeter.” Then without warning, she pounced upon the pegasus and they both tumbled to the ground next to the fire, Applejack pressed her lips to Rainbow’s and Rainbow eagerly complied. “Ah love you, firefly.” Rainbow paused, that was the first time Applejack had said it to her. She felt a very warm, fuzzy feeling growing inside her chest, ballooning until that was all she could feel, she looked up at the mare above her, shadows from the fire dancing over her face. She almost felt as if she was looking at her clearly for the first time. “I love you too Applejack,” she said, her voice cracking slightly as she pulled her into a tight embrace, “with all of my heart.” The kiss that followed was unlike any kiss they had shared before: it began with a gentle lingering touch of their lips, Applejack wrapping a hoof round the back of Rainbow’s neck, drawing her close, then they dove with abandon into a very passionate embrace that seemed to last forever for the pair. Eventually they broke apart and Applejack felt as though sparks were jumping through her as Rainbow gently kissed her neck and stroked her mane. “That’s new!” said Applejack excitedly. “I like to mix things up,” said Rainbow. Meanwhile, Twilight had heard many unusual sounds coming from outside. What in Equestria are those two doing? She wondered to herself as she stuck her head out to see the two mares locked in a kiss. Oh… Gosh… She quietly tried to retreat back inside the tent to give them some privacy but… “Twi?!” Oh no! Twilight groaned internally. With much embarrassment for all concerned, Twilight slunk out of the tent, pointedly not looking at the two ponies by the fire. “I’m so sorry!” said Twilight, speaking to her hooves, “I didn’t, um, expect that.” “How could you not?” asked Rainbow, “Don’t you know me and AJ are dating?” Twilight’s eyes widened. “N-no, I didn’t know, was I supposed to?” she asked, worried that she had missed something important. “We haven’t actually told anyone yet remember Rainbow? Well, Princess Celestia saw us kissing but apart from that…” said Applejack patiently. “Yes sugar cube, me and Rainbow are going out now, ah’m sorry we didn’t tell ya earlier, but it slipped mah mind. We have all been mighty preoccupied with sphinxes, near death experiences and dragons after all.” “Don’t worry about it, I’m not upset about you not telling me, it’s just so weird to see… that.” “Heh, sorry about that,” said Rainbow, “we thought you’d gone to sleep.” “Hmmmm, do try to make sure I am asleep next time won’t you?” “Sure thing sugar cube, ah guess we’ll be getting some sleep too now anywho.” “Awww!” said Rainbow sulkily, pouting at Applejack. The earth pony gave her a stern look. “Oh okay! G’night Twi.” “Night girls,” said Twilight. “G’night sugar cube,” said Applejack with one last sheepish, apologetic look, before entering the tent too. Twilight closed her tent and threw herself back onto the ground. Her mind was spinning. She had the image of them plastered in the forefront of her mind and no matter how many times she shook her head, it wouldn’t go away. She also couldn’t prevent a sinking sense of loneliness flowing through her either. She suddenly felt terribly alone to be in her tent all by herself, knowing that twenty feet away, Rainbow and Applejack were most likely cuddling as they drifted off to sleep. Her thoughts wandered to Big Macintosh, and with that comforting thought, she fell asleep.