The sound of running steps was quiet in the jungle-like forest around Hello Tropics. The breathing was much louder. If it were not for the cawing of the native blue-striped birds then the panting would have been the only notable thing besides the distant rhythm of the bay’s waves.
“I told you not to have that sugary pastry for breakfast,” Sunset chided from ahead of the boy running to keep up. “You’ve burned through it and now you’re tired.”
“No...fair...” Sunlight wheezed, his teenage legs slowing and screaming for some energy to keep them going. “I didn’t know...athletics...today...”
Twilight, who was softer on him when it came to physical activity, turned around from the lead to meet him. She tossed herself over a fallen log and skipped over a small bush before stopping where her son was. Her legs kept trotting in place because of her previous pace, but she ruffled his hair to get him out of his frown. It was still strange for her to look into his eyes now that they were at the same level as hers.
“We all have those days,” she encouraged him. “And I caught your mother eating chocolate bars last night so-”
“Hey!” Sunset complained, also having turned and stopped next to Sunlight.
The boy giggled and poked Sunset’s shoulder. “And you keep bothering me about it.”
In response, Sunset’s lips pressed together and her arms crossed.
“But why are we doing this anyways?” he moaned and sat on the nearby tree log, not knowing its historic significance involving an evil magic monkey. “We had a run two days ago and I’m already in better shape than my whole class.”
Twilight caught her breath and stopped her legs, but she looked to Sunset. She was, after all, the one who pushed the physical fitness in their family.
“You’re fit because we keep doing this not because you’ve done it in the past,” Sunset uncrossed her arms and put one hand on her hip while she used the other to wipe the sweat from her brow. The close humid air was not the most enjoyable, but it was a nice change of pace given that they rarely ever came here. The woman’s fitted tank top and running tights showed her well toned body, which the air had drenched.
“Saw that one coming,” Sunlight grinned in that special way that got to her.
“There’s another reason we came here,” Twilight put her hand on his shoulder to balance herself as she sat down. The log he was on wasn’t precisely the most stable seating.
Sunlight brushed a stray lock of his yellow and pink hair out of his eyes. The sweat they had built up made it relatively easy to keep it back, but it made him want a shower even more.
“We wanted to give it one last shot,” Sunset explained, her chest still beating under her purple sweat-soaked sleeveless tank top.
Sunlight only gave an “ugh” of understanding in response. “More magic tests?”
Sunset answered that by hopping up into the air and igniting into a flame-spewing transformation that resulted in her Daydream form. She usually only floated around in her goddess form with Twilight when they were fooling around and he was supposed to be asleep in bed. However, they did occasionally use the form when they were testing him for magical abilities.
“Why today?” Sunlight asked, now being the one to cross his arms. “We’ve done this a hundred times and nothing has changed. I don’t have magic!”
“Except for the magic in here,” Twilight poked where his heart was. “And there is a good reason,” she added while getting back on her feet so she could also transform.
“Just because your magic can be activated by your love for mom doesn’t mean you can tell I have a crush because of magic in me. I see what you’re trying to do.”
Twilight’s face turned to stone. She had been caught.
“If you had a crush, we would know without testing you,” Daydream deadpanned. “You’re an open book, Lighty.”
“Come on now,” Twilight pulled him off the log. “Let’s try it again.”
“No,” Sunlight whined. “It’s embarrassing.”
“No one else is out here, sport,” Daydream’s patience grew thin as she floated above them on her glowing wings, her facial paint giving her an almost war-like appearance.
“I’m embarrassed for myself,” Sunlight stated a matter-of-fact.
“Here we go!” Twilight psyched herself up. “Love and friendship!” she cried as she began to blossom into Midnight Shimmer.
Sunlight covered his eyes. “Warn me next time!”
RING!
“Yes!” half the class shouted in joy as the lunch bell rang and the chemistry teacher bid them farewell along with a warning of next week’s test.
Sunlight was last out of the classroom if only because he was the least allergic to the studies within. His parents were both big contributors to his love of learning. Truth be told, he might have stayed behind to ask the teacher additional questions if it were not for his equal love of his friends.
Sunlight walked out into a busy hallway, students moving like a school of fish as the classrooms emptied and the cafeteria filled two halls over. He immediately spotted the first of his friends in her typical spot coming out of math class across the hall and one room over. He tried hailing her through the sea of faces.
“Cookie!” he called out to her while hefting his purple backpack over his shoulder.
The cream-haired girl caught his waving hand even though her name had been drowned out in the murmuring ambiance of the packed hallway. She met up with him further towards the cafeteria when the flow of students allowed it.
“Another day of perfect grades?” she poked him as they entered the cafeteria, which invited them with a wide array of delicious as well as off-putting aromas.
A service announcement started to sound over the conversational roar of the lunch room. “All students are encouraged to participate in this year’s special Fall Formal events,” Principle Celestia’s voice rang from the speakers on the ceiling. “This year’s special events have been chosen by the Student Council and the results of each vote have been posted to the foyer’s announcement board. Please see the Formal’s Chairperson to enter the Crown Competition if you so desire. Thank you for your hard work and I hope to see you all at this year’s Fall Formal.”
“I can’t tell if she doesn’t care or if she’s trying to hide her excitement about it,” Cookie giggled.
“That’s Principle Celestia for you,” Sunlight shrugged.
Before they could proceed further down the double-backed line of students queued for the lunch serving, another voice called out to them from the cafeteria entrance. “Sunny! Frosty!”
The two friends turned to see their green-haired mutual friend approach them with a look of uncertainty on his face. One of his hands was fiddling with his dreadlocks, which he only did when he was upset.
“Is Clockwork giving you a hard time again, Leafy?” Cookie Frosting guessed the issue.
“No,” the timid boy frowned. “I mean, she is. But that’s not such a problem anymore. I mean...uh...”
“Bad grades in lit?” Sunlight tried while putting an arm around him to sooth his nerves. It usually worked, and appeared to do so this time as well since he left his dreadlocks alone.
“Mom wants me to do better,” he sighed to let out the tension that had built up in him. “I know she’ll understand when she sees my test score, but I don’t want to keep letting her down.”
“You’re good at most other subjects and you always ace chem,” Sunlight cheered him up. “Besides, Botany Club is what really matters to you and the Canterlot Botanical Society already promised you an apprenticeship after graduation.”
“You’re made,” Cookie added with a flip of her bracelet-heavy hand. “Seriously.”
“I try to do better but I don’t understand the weird conclusions that the question answers always wind up with,” Tea Leaf admitted.
“Hey, I suck at writing, so yeah,” Cookie stuck her tongue out.
They inched ever closer to the food trays as the line in front of them advanced.
“I wish I was more like you, Sunny,” Leaf insisted. “Then I’d just be good at everything.”
Sunlight groaned loud, leaned back off of Leaf, and threw his arms up. “Why does everyone think I’m good at everything?! You’ve seen my test grades. I’m terrible at trig, history, and home ec!”
“Everyone is bad at trig,” Cookie countered.
“Not helping,” Sunlight glared at her.
Leaf smiled, though. “Everyone not in Math Club, you mean,” he clarified.
“No kidding,” Cookie agreed wide-eyed.
Now that they moved up a few spots again, Sunlight saw what the menu was for the day. “Oh! Chick Pea Salad! Alt is Cucumber Sandwiches.”
Suddenly, Tea Leaf forgot all of his worries. He also, several minutes later, was flipping a coin with Sunlight for the last sandwich available.
“I can’t believe Celestia is still going,” Sunset shook her head. She was amazed and also impressed at the old principle’s refusal to give up.
Twilight nodded on her bus seat next to Sunset. She got the window while her wife got the aisle. The features of the inner city had receded to the Canterlot suburbs and they were just now passing CHS, which had sparked Sunset’s comment. It was strange to Twilight now that she had entered her middle-age years to think back when she had taken a bus to this very spot as a Crystal Prep student to study that strange magic.
“She’s the kind of person that goes past retirement because she truly loves what she does and finds meaning in it,” Twilight observed coolly.
“Even though she always sounded like she’d have more fun shoveling compost,” Sunset joked and nudged her spouse. “Remember her monotone announcements?”
“I heard one at the last parent-teacher conference,” Twilight giggled. “She really hasn’t changed.”
“And we subject our child to that?” Sunset’s lip curled in amusement.
“Yep,” Twilight fist-bumped her wife in a show of solidarity.
CHS was long behind them when the bus took them to the outskirts of the suburbs. In fact, the last stop was the one they wanted. Farmer’s Square, which was nestled in front of the farmlands. It was a short walk from there to Sweet Apple Acres, which they could see even now due to the elevation changes and the wide spread of apple trees that made up the Apples’ orchard.
The couple didn’t visit all too often, which was one thing they were presently seeking to remedy as they exited the slightly-hot bus at the stop and headed past the square towards the orchard. They hadn’t even gotten halfway down the dusty farm trail before Winona came barking joyfully at them. Sunset had to fend the boisterous dog off from drowning her wife in slobber.
“Well I’ll be!” a familiar country twang came from behind a tree nearby. Applejack leaned around to show herself and tilted her old signature hat. “Two lovebirds sure didn’t fall far from the apple tree.”
“AJ!” Twilight beamed and raced to hug her.
Meanwhile, Sunset approached more slowly as she fought to keep an eager and overjoyed Winona from pouncing her and licking her face off. “Yo,” she smiled her own greeting.
“Oof,” AJ almost tripped when Twilight plowed into her. She returned the hearty hug. “When did you get so strong?”
“Since I forced her into training,” Sunset answered for her.
“You smell like apple sauce,” Twilight remarked and got back from the hug.
Applejack looked down at her dark red checkered button-up shirt and frowned at the stains. Her blue jeans were also well-used, but more dusty than anything else. “Was makin’ some for the ol’ tart this mornin’. Woowee, it’s a scorcher!”
The middle-aged apple farmer used the corner of her shirt to fan herself. Her button-down was already half open from the top, revealing her freckle-bountiful chest kept modest by a stained white sports bra. Doubtless she got it because of pressure from Rainbow and never went back after finding how useful it was for her work.
“Gotta mind my manners,” Applejack tapped her forehead. “Y’all be more comfortable in the livin’ room.”
Twilight took Sunset’s hand and pulled her along behind AJ, though no resistance was had on the redhead’s part. As much as Sunset’s cutie mark emblazoned the sun, she had no desire to stay under its oppressive heat. Once they had walked through the courtyard gate of the Apple house and entered its worn wooden door, a blast of fresh cold air began to chill them.
“And I thought you’d never get AC,” Sunset joked at their stubborn friend.
AJ fell into the firm sofa and tossed her hat flawlessly onto a hook across the old-fashioned room. “Pastry convinced me right quick. Honestly, I wonder if she’s got even a speck of me in her. More like a whole lot o' Rarity.”
“Chores?” Sunset guessed where AJ’s daughter was. The Shimmers joined their friend on the couch, which wasn’t as soft as their own but better than a bench by a mile.
“Right as she should be,” the farmer confirmed. “Where I was too a few minutes before I expected y’all.”
“Twi?” Sunset’s eyebrows flattened as she looked over at her.
The glasses-wearing scientist looked back up from the papers she had pulled out of her purse and had been scanning over. “I wanted AJ’s opinion.”
“It’s work,” Sunset frowned and crossed her arms.
“It’s alright, Sunny,” AJ gave a calming gesture. “I don’t suppose this has nothin’ to do with the ol’ Doc?”
“Professor Theories’ latest research from Equestria. These are the copies I made off Sunny’s magic journal.”
“Diary,” Sunset corrected more out of teasing than any problem with terminology.
Twilight shook off her wife’s provocative grin and talked with AJ after handing over the papers. “Apple Pastry might have magical abilities too if his findings on Earth pony magic and the contagion are accurate.”
Applejack leafed through the pages faster now. “Aw, Nelly. At least it’s lookin’ like activation is still acts of true character or friendship,” she calmed herself by reading from the papers’ conclusions.
“That’s what he found and it fits with Princess Twilight’s research,” Twilight nodded while fending off Sunset’s hand on her thigh. Her wife was trying to derail what she considered “work.”
“Hey, Sunny,” AJ broke her gaze from the reports and looked to the bored redhead. “I’m guessin’ you had apple pie in mind for your visit.”
That sparked Sunset’s interest again. “Oh, don’t get me wrong! It’s just that I’ve gone over this research with Bookbutt so many times that it’s not exactly engaging. Pie sounds great!”
“Bookbutt?” Twilight stared at her wife like a child who just found out they got socks for a birthday present.
“Y’all better not start makin’ innuendos in my house,” AJ winked at them as she got up to get the pie.
“Never,” Sunset saluted in faux seriousness, “Applebutt.”