//------------------------------// // 200. Leap of Faith - Part 1 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// “Augh…!” Thunderlane grumbled as he flapped after the stray cloud but the wind that late morning was unusually breezy, and it kept blowing the cloud further and further from the direction Thunderlane had been going before his straying thoughts enabled the cloud to give him the slip. Recently, Thunderlane had been thinking more and more about Applejack. Ever since Rarity helped him realize his feelings for the farmer mare during the preparations for the Ponyville Days festival, he’d taken a step back to really assess those feelings and be certain of them. He’d hoped a busy workday today would help him get his mind off of it. Alas today was actually a slow day, and among the few tasks to be done for this week’s weather was to move a few small rainclouds here and there to water some of the locals’ gardens per their requests. With not much to do, Thunderlane had indulged in thinking about Applejack some more and now here he was, flapping almost lazily after a windswept cloud… that just so happened to be floating over the Sweet Apple Acres property. “Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! WHOOO!” *SPLASH* The sounds of happy whooping and splashing caused Thunderlane to look down and wouldn’t you know it, the Apple Family was enjoying themselves in their private swimming hole! “Who dun that?!” He looked to see Granny Smith, sitting in a wicker a fair distance from the shore but apparently not far enough to spare her getting splashed by by Apple Bloom and Twinken’s water jump assisted by their big brothers and sister. “Sorry about that, Granny Smith!” Twinken apologized. “Sure wish you’d come swimmin’ with us though,” Apple Bloom added. “Oh sorry, dearies, Ah jus’ cain’t bring muhself anywhere near tha’ there swimmin’ hole,” Granny kindly declined. “Why not?” Everypony looked to see Thunderlane land softly near Granny Smith. “Hey everypony, how’s the water?” “Why don’cha ask Granny Smith?” Midnight couldn’t help but chuckle while Twinken and Apple Bloom swam to shore to listen to another of Granny Smith’s stories from when she was young. “Howdy there, Thunderlane!” Applejack greeted their visitor while whipping her wet mane out of her face. The sight didn’t escape Thunderlane’s notice, and he couldn’t help but be struck by it. The glistening of Applejack’s soaked mane of soft yellow, the shimmering droplets whipped out of that stunning mane, and how beautiful and happy Applejack looked from having fun in the sun and the dunk. *FOOMP* Thunderlane felt the heat of the day even worse as his wings suddenly flared out in attempt to fan out the excess heat that had resulted not only from the warm day, but the sudden blush on Thunderlane's face. “Oh horseapples…!” Totally embarrassed, Thunderlane instantly zoomed out of that situation before any questions could be asked, much to Applejack’s bewilderment. “Now wha’ in thunder-ation was tha’ about?” she wondered aloud when it suddenly came back to her that Thunderlane had feelings for her, causing her to blush as well. Oh ponyfeathers… an’ here he saw me soapin’ wet! “Duh-geh-Wha- WHOAHA-eh!” The sounds of Granny Smith panicking snapped Applejack out of her troubled thoughts and she looked to see Granny Smith standing rather stiffly on a puddle next to the swimming hole’s shore. “Wow! I’d hate to be afraid of the water,” Twinken commented, Apple Bloom nodding in agreement. “Y’think we’ll ever be scared o’ th’ water?” Before Applejack could answer them, they all spied the fin of a shark and the tentacle of a squid slipping across the water’s surface dangerously close to them. “Oo-WAUGH!” “YIPES!” As the two foals scrambled out of the swimming hole, the fin rose up while the tentacle receded a little as Big Mac and Midnight both sprang out with sneaky smiles on their faces! Mac was wearing a fake shark fin swimming cap while Midnight’s lion-like tail had a sleeve on the tip resembling a squid’s tentacle. “Nnope!” they both declared to Applejack, spurring a round of laughter over a well-executed prank.