//------------------------------//
// A Summer Afternoon 
// Story: A Summer Afternoon 
// by Matthew Penn 
//------------------------------//

Apple Bloom liked to sit on the porch on those lazy summer afternoons while her brother and sister worked or were out. It was her favorite spot whenever she was alone in the house. It was a place to be with her thoughts and watch the world pass her by, but Granny Smith was occupying it with her, and was snoring very loudly unfortunately. McIntosh and Applejack went to town to complete a list of errands for their grandmother. Apple Bloom stayed underneath the shade of the porch and plucked the white petals out of a sunflower while Granny Smith slept on a hammock.

        She picked the petals from the sunflower one after another, then decided to put one of them on the tip of her tongue. Apple Bloom wouldn’t give you an answer if you asked her why she did that. She chewed on it, then spat it out. The white sunflower remained on her hoof. She turned her head around to look at Granny, who was lying on her hammock, eyes closed, snoring.

        A sigh was released from Apple Bloom. She gazed into the wide open as the summer breeze tickled her yellow face. She contemplated either going back inside the house, stay on the porch for a little while longer, or go out into town to find something to do. Then she saw something, or somepony, coming down the road. Apple Bloom trotted near the end of the farm to get a better look. Since whoever the pony may be was far away, they looked like a small little dot on a painted background. With more time the dot became bigger, and she heard faint singing. She saw that it was pony riding a unicycle. Intrigued, she stood and gazed at him riding past the farm. The unicyclist was perfect, not wobbling from side to side, nor did he fall to the ground.

        It was then that their eyes met on the road, so the unicyclist stopped where Apple Bloom stood. He was brown along with a white muzzle, with a black hair that came to the back of his neck. Around his neck was a red bandana. He looked to be either 15 or 16 years old, about the same age Apple Bloom was.

        They stared at each other awkwardly, smiling, one waiting for the other to speak first. “Hey there,” the unicyclist finally said.

        “Hey,” Apple Bloom said, her eyes shifting from the ground to the young colt. One of her front legs dragged itself back and forth on the dirt. “I saw you riding down.”

        “Yeah, just passing through.”

        They were both silent. The colt scratch the back of his head.

        “My name’s Apple Bloom.” She stammered on her words just a little bit. “What’s your’s?”

        “Gideon.”

        Apple Bloom nodded, giggled inwardly. “So… how long have been riding that thing?”

        “Since I was young. Back then I always wanted to impress ponies so I took up unicycling. It took me a long time to get it right. You know, falling down and stuff. And bandages.” Apple Bloom nodded. She wanted to say something else but she couldn’t think of anything. “So… do you live here?” Gideon asked.

        “Uh, yes I do. This is my family’s farm. We’re apple farmers.”

        “I see.”

        Apple Bloom’s eyes shifted to everywhere but Gideon. She thought desperately for another conversation topic. “Um… can you do any tricks on your… uni-thingy?”

        “I can make the number eight. Watch.”

        Gideon pedaled backwards to pace himself, then he pedaled forward in a circular motion, letting the wheel bore through the ground to form a circle.

        Not far from where they were, Granny Smith woke from a strange dream. The heat from the sun beated down on her, and she mumbled to herself. She was going to go inside for a glass of water, but something out in the field caught her attention. Granny approached the edge of the porch to get a better look, and to her surprise it was a pony on a unicycle.

        “What in Equestria,” Granny said to herself. She rubbed her eyes, but the pony was still there, and Apple Bloom with him. She rushed back inside the house and watched them through a window.

        After a few minutes, Gideon was done creating the number eight on the ground. “How’s that?” he asked.

        “That was good. What else can you do?”

        “Well, I can juggle.”

        “Can I see?”

        “Alright, but I’m not very good.”

        “That’s okay.”

        Gideon jumped from his unicycle and removed his backpack. He took out three bowling pins. Then he balanced himself once again on his unicycle. His legs pedaled and the wheel moved in place back and forth. He threw the bowling pins in the air and juggled them. Not once did he lost his balance. Apple Bloom couldn’t look away.

        From the house Granny Smith saw what the young colt was doing. She laid her hoof on the side of her head. “This ain’t good,” she said. “Oh dear, Apple Bloom what have you gotten yourself into?” She kept her eye on him. It took him awhile, but Gideon finally missed one of the bowling pins, then all three of them slipped from his hooves into the ground. Granny Smith was relieved, but her spine chilled when he received a small applause from Apple Bloom. “Don’t you clap for him!” she said sharply. “He ain’t no good!”

        “That was great,” Apple Bloom said.

        “Thank you. I’m still learning some other tricks.”

        “So why were you heading into town for?”

        “Just to ride my unicycle for some money,” Gideon said bluntly. “I know, pathetic, right?”

        “Well, you have to do what you gotta do,” Apple Bloom said. “I used to go into town with my guitar and play until ponies threw bits at me, but then my sister found out and gave the bits away. I’d give you some right now if I had any to spare.”

        “Nah, that’s alright. You watching is good enough for me.” Apple Bloom giggled. Her yellow cheeks turned red.

        “Um… if you don’t mind, may I ride it?”

        Gideon was taken aback. “This? I don’t know…”

        “Can I?”

        Gideon scratched the back of his head again. He wasn’t sure if he should let Apple Bloom ride his unicycle. However, it wasn’t everyday that a pony was interested in what he does, especially a young filly like her. “I guess you can take a swing at it.”

        Granny Smith didn’t know what was happening. They were just standing there, talking. Maybe the unicyclist was about the leave. Good, she thought. Then she gasped in horror in what happened next. Gideon removed himself from his unicycle, immediately helping Apple Bloom on the seat. He held her sides as she pedaled so she wouldn’t fall.

        “Apple Bloom, how could you?” she yelled. “That’s it! Where did I put that broom? I’m going to give him a what-fer!” She left her post and frantically searched the house for her broom.

        “How am I doing?” Apple Bloom asked.

        “You’re doing better than I thought!”

        Apple Bloom kept at it until she felt herself losing her balance. She asked Gideon to stop her, and he did.

        “That was really cool!” Apple Bloom said. “Unicycles are fun!”

        “They are, aren’t they.”

        Gideon and Apple Bloom laughed, then they fell silent. Two pairs of eyes were locked together. They felt their cheeks tingle. Gideon put his hoof over his blushing face.

        “Um, are you hungry? I can get some fresh apples,” Apple Bloom said.

        “That will be nice. Thank you.

        Apple Bloom and Gideon trotted to the apple orchard. Most of the trees have been bucked for harvesting, so they were empty. They went further into the orchard until she found a tree that still had some apples. Apple Bloom positioned herself in front of the tree, her hind legs ready for a round of bucking. Just like what Applejack taught you, she thought to herself. She silently counted to three, then she thrust her hind legs into the tree. The force of the impact sent pain to her legs, and she fell on her back, yelling, sucking her teeth. Gideon helped her up. “Are you okay?” She realized what had happened, then turned away from him in embarrassment. “Don’t worry about the apples. I’m not hungry right now.”

        “I don’t mind,” said Apple Bloom. “Maybe you can help me up.” She wrapped her front hooves around the bark of the tree, and Gideon was behind her with his hooves on her hind legs. On her signal he pushed her up the tree, letting Apple Bloom climb on one of the branches. She carefully picked two apples, one for Gideon and the other for herself. “Catch,” she called out, and dropped the apple into Gideon’s hooves. When Apple Bloom ready herself to jump off the branch Gideon placed his apple on the ground.

        “Don’t worry, I got you,” he called out. She jumped and landed on his arms, but her weight forced them to the ground together.

        “Are you okay?” Apple Bloom asked. “Sorry about that.” Gideon opened his mouth to answer, but instead of words, laughter came out. It infection Apple Bloom, and she laughed along with him.

        “You get away from her!” someone yelled. From the way her voice was she sounded very elderly. Apple Bloom and Gideon pulled themselves from the ground and was alarmed by a small, green mare rushing toward them carrying a broom. When she came close she approached Gideon and swung the broom at him. “Get away from her you no good rascal! I said get!”

        “Granny, what are you doing? Stop!” cried Apple Bloom.

        “What were you doing with my granddaughter?” Granny said accusingly. She poked Gideon with the other end of the broom on his chest.

        “Nothing! I was just showing tricks on my unicycle and she offered me some apples! No harm done!” Gideon said.

        “I know all about you darn unicycle ponies!” Granny poked the broom at him a second time. “Enticing young fillies with your tricks and juggling, always asking for something in return, then you up and leave! All y’all evil!”

        “He didn’t ask for anything, I wanted to give him apples!” Apple Bloom said defensively.

        Granny hushed her up by slapping the brush end on top of Apple Bloom’s head. “He ain’t no good, missy! He may look nice, but he’s a wolf in sheep's clothing and is only after one thing!” She swung and poked at Gideon. “I want you to leave and never come back! And if you do, I won’t be so generous with the broom this time!”

        Apple Bloom and Gideon shared sad gazes. The apple that belonged to him was between their hooves on the ground. Apple Bloom picked it up to give it to him, but Granny swiped it from her with her broom. The young ponies were defeated. Gideon picked up his unicycle, balanced himself on the seat, and gave one last look at Apple Bloom. He rode away from the barn, and was never seen again.

        “Why did you do that, Granny?” asked Apple Bloom, her voice full of anger and despair. “He was a nice colt!”

        “In time you’ll learn.” Granny Smith returned to the house, leaving Apple Bloom alone in the orchard. The soothing summer breeze brushed through her face, but it didn’t feel as good as before.