• Published 12th May 2012
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Soarin' with Apples - Allonsbro



While spending the day at a fair in Ponyville, Soarin' is injured and stays at the farm for a while

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Chapter 9: A Choice is Made

Chapter 9: A Choice is Made

All was quiet in the Apple household. When Soarin’ had carried Applejack home, it felt like a dark cloud had descended on the farm. Macintosh had gone outside when Soarin’ told him the news, saying he had to go visit someone named Tom. Each of Applejack’s friends had stopped by over the course of the day to see if she was OK and to do what they could to help. Fluttershy had been by and brought a meal and Pinkie had tried to cheer the orange mare up, but to no avail.

Applejack spent the next two days in her room. On the third day, she came down for breakfast, but only picked at her food. When she tried to go out and do her chores, Granny gave her the day off, but she insisted that she needed to do something besides cry.

The first task of the day was to tend to the vegetable garden. The Apples supplied the pumpkins for nightmare night, and the ones that were ready needed to be harvested and stored in the cellar. Any other vegetables that were ripe needed to be stored for winter.

Big Macintosh moved a cart to the edge of the garden and he and Applejack tended to the vegetables, placing ripe ones in burlap sacks and keeping an eye on the health of those not ready. Soarin’ weeded and hauled the burlap sacks to the cart when they were full, replacing them with empty ones as Applejack and Macintosh needed them.

The air held a tension that could be cut with a butter knife and the three ponies worked in silence. Soarin’ gave worried glances to Applejack every so often. The orange mare robotically went about her task, her body doing the work, but her mind elsewhere. Soarin’s heart ached whenever he saw her, wishing there was something he could do to make her feel better.

As noon approached, Macintosh and Soarin’ paused their work and started to go inside for lunch. Macintosh turned when he noticed that Applejack wasn’t following.

“Ain’t you comin’ fer lunch, AJ?” he asked.

Applejack’s pace never faltered and she didn’t so much as look up when she replied. “Ah’m not hungry.”

The big stallion slowly walked over to where his sister was trying unsuccessfully to pull a pumpkin free of its vine.

“Applejack…” he said softly.

“Ah’m fine,” she replied curtly, not meeting her brother’s gaze as she continued to wrestle with the vine.

“Nope ya ain’t. Ya hardly touched yer food this mornin’. Ya gotta eat somethin’, or at least take a rest.”

“Ah’ll take a break later.” Applejack’s voice had an angry edge to it as she began lightly kicking at the vine, attempting to dislodge it.

“AJ,” Macintosh pleaded, “please just-”

“AH SAID AH’M FINE! NOW LEAVE ME THE HAY ALONE!” she snapped, finally looking her brother in the eye. She gave Macintosh a glare that revealed a seething, boiling anger, barely contained. In her frustration, her leg hit the pumpkin, smashing it to bits.

The sound of the pumpkin smashing startled both Apple siblings. Applejack looked morosely at the mess she’d made and her tough outer visage began to crack. Big Macintosh placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder and she looked back at him, tears forming in her eyes.

“Big Macintosh, Ah’m-” she started to say, her voice cracking.

The big stallion interrupted her by pulling her into a hug, his large forelegs enveloping her. The last of her resolve broke and she hugged him back, softly crying into his chest. Her brother whispered soothing words in her ear and gently rubbed her back. When she had calmed down a little, he gently hoisted her onto his back and took her inside.

“You comin’?” the red stallion asked Soarin’ as he was heading for the door.

“Yeah,” Soarin’ replied softly, moving to pull the cart to the barn. “I’ll be there in a minute. I just want to get this load put away.”

Big Macintosh nodded and took his sister to the farmhouse. Soarin’ hitched himself to the wagon full of vegetables and began to pull it to the barn. As he pulled, he looked forlornly to the farmhouse and sighed. He wished there was something he could do to make Applejack feel better. He hated seeing her so hurt and hated feeling so helpless to do anything about it.

He also hated that his feelings for her had been interfering. He’d been trying to avoid it, but his mind kept thinking of things to do to get Applejack’s attention now that she was single. He knew that Applejack needed a friend right now and it was not the time to deal with his feelings for her, but the feelings were there all the same.

Part of Soarin’ also wondered if she could ever reciprocate his feelings someday. He’d had his share of break-ups, but Applejack and Clover’s relationship had been different from his. From what he’d seen, she cared about Clover, loved him even. She’d trusted him and had her heart broken. That was something that Soarin’ didn’t think anypony could ever get over.

Whenever Soarin’ saw the orange mare, he felt guilty for feeling the way he did about her. She’d had her heart broken and was in a vulnerable place. Soarin’ had to tread carefully, lest he hurt Applejack even more.

Once the cart had been put away in the barn, the blue stallion made his way back to the house and into the kitchen.

“Good afternoon, darling,” the posh, upper-class accent of a certain unicorn greeted him as he entered.

Soarin’ smiled back at the white mare. “Hey, Rarity.” He turned to the other mare in the kitchen. “Hey, Fluttershy. What are you two doing here?”

“Oh, we were just going for our weekly spa trip when Fluttershy suggested we come by and see how Applejack was faring.”

The yellow pegasus nodded as she placed a tray of sandwiches on the table in front of Macintosh. “Macintosh says that she hasn’t been eating lately. I made her a sandwich, but she said she wasn’t hungry.”

Soarin’ frowned again, the feeling of helplessness rising. He hated that feeling and decided that he was going to do something about it. He went up to the counter in the kitchen and pulled out a pot, and some vegetables.

“Can you help me make some soup?” he asked Fluttershy once he had filled the pot with water and put it on the stove. “I’ve never been much of a cook.”

She nodded and pulled out a recipe book along with a few other supplies. “Of course. Are you not hungry for sandwiches?”

“It’s not for me, it’s for Applejack.”

The canary pegasus looked at the Wonderbolt sadly, her ears laying flat against her head. “I already tried. She’s just not eating.”

Soarin’ nodded. “I know. I heard you.” He swallowed in an attempt to keep his voice from cracking. “But I have to try. I can’t stand around doing nothing. I hate seeing her like this and I have to do something or it’s going to kill me.”

A tense silence hung over the room for several moments, nopony quite sure how to reply.

“Put some peppers in there,” Big Macintosh drawled, breaking the silence. “She likes it kinda spicy.”

The blue stallion smiled and he and Fluttershy worked to make the soup. When it was done, Soarin’ carried it up the stairs and knocked on Applejack’s door.

“Hey,” he called softly. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” replied a voice through the door.

The Wonderbolt opened the door and softly stepped into the room. Tissues filled the area in and around the wastebasket and the room held an air of disorder. The curtains were closed and the lights off, leaving the room dim, the only light coming from the spaces between the curtains and from the door. The orange mare was lying on her side facing away from the door, several tissues and an empty box lying on the bed beside her. She’d pulled the covers up to her neck and appeared to be holding something underneath them.

“I made you some soup,” he said, trying to keep the positive tone in his voice as he placed the bowl on her nightstand. “Well, actually Fluttershy did most of it. I don’t actually know how to cook, but I helped.” Internally, he slapped himself, realizing how lame that sounded.

She didn’t move or answer him, so he decided to try again.

“Applejack,” he pleaded. “Please eat something. We’re all really worried about you.”

He waited just inside the doorway, hoping she would answer him or at least get up and eat the soup. As the silence continued, Soarin’ felt his hopefulness falling.

The smell of the soup wafted through the air, filling the room with its intoxicating bouquet. Soarin’s ear twitched as he heard the sound of Applejack’s stomach rumbling. Hearing the sound gave him some small hope that maybe she would eat later. He decided to leave Applejack alone again for a little while and turned to exit the room.

“He said he loved me,” Applejack whispered, stopping Soarin’ in his tracks. He turned to see that she had turned her head so she was staring at the ceiling. “That night, he said he loved me.”

Soarin’ stepped closer and sat down by the bed as Applejack rolled over onto her back. The covers slipped down to her chest, revealing the top of a picture frame that she clutched tightly to herself.

“He made me feel safe, like mah pa used to when Ah was little. Ah was startin’ to imagine mahself maybe gettin’ hitched someday. *sniff* Ah thought Ah was ready to be a ma. Ah didn’t know how I’d do it, but Ah knew that as long as he was there with me….Now…Ah don’t see how Ah’m gonna do this. Ah can’t help but think that maybe if Ah’d done something different he’d still be-”

“No!” Soarin’ interrupted her, tears coming to his eyes. He refused to let Applejack blame herself for any of this. “This is not your fault. It’s not your fault that this is happening. It’s not your fault that Clover made the choice he did.” He reached up and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “You’re going to be a great mom. You’ve saved Equestria multiple times. You’re one of the strongest, bravest, most wonderful mares I know. If you can do even half of the things that you told me about, you can do anything.”

He picked the bowl of soup off the table and offered her a spoonful. “But, you’re not going to be able to do anything for very long unless you eat.”

She opened her mouth to reply, but the only thing that was heard was a loud rumbling from her stomach. Soarin’ gave her an ‘I told you so’ look.

“All right,” Applejack finally admitted, wiping her cheeks with another tissue. “Ah’ll try to eat somethin’.”

Soarin’ held up the spoon and Applejack took a bite. Before he could even lower the utensil to get another spoonful, she had snatched it from him along with the bowl, almost taking his hoof with it. She began wolfing down the soup ravenously, barely keeping any from spilling. The bowl was empty and practically licked clean in a matter of minutes. Seeing the result of her ravenous hunger, the orange mare blushed and smiled sheepishly.

Soarin’ chuckled. “Come on, I think there’s more food downstairs.”

Applejack wiped her mouth and got down off the bed. Soarin’ paused as they went out into the hall.

“Applejack,” he said softly, making eye contact with her. “You know I’ll be here with you the whole way, don’t you? Every step. I promise.”

For a brief moment, Soarin’ saw a spark of hope return to Applejack’s eyes. “What about yer job? Ain’t you gonna have to go back?” she asked.

“You let me worry about that. You just worry about getting ready for the newest little Apple. Just tell me what you need to do and I’ll get it done.” He stood at attention and lifted his left hoof to his temple in a salute. “Applebucker Soarin’ reporting for duty.”

She chuckled. “All right, then. Let’s get back to work.”

The sound of her stomach grumbling filled the hall.

“After lunch, that is,” she added. Soarin’ laughed.

-SWA-

The weather grew chillier around the farm as autumn set in. The leaves in the trees changed from green to yellow, orange and red as if a forest fire of color had swept over the farm. At one point the Cutie Mark Crusaders had tried to go for a yard work cutie mark by raking leaves into large piles, only for it to devolve into havoc as leaves were thrown and piles jumped into.

Soarin’ would occasionally pause in whatever work the Apples had him do to admire and take in the beautiful colors of the season. Often Apple Bloom and the other Crusaders would ask him to join them as they played in the leaves. He obliged them during brief breaks he took, letting them ride on his back and hold on for as long as they could while he tried to buck them off and into a nearby pile.

Soarin’ loved the fall. He loved the smells of burning leaf piles and the fiery colors in the trees. He loved the excitement in the air as foals realized that Hearth’s Warming was only a few months away. However, the joy that the beautiful reds, yellows and oranges brought him was all but forgotten whenever he saw a particular orange coat around the farm.

Applejack fared somewhat better as the days passed. Every now and again she would look off into the distance and sigh or get a little misty-eyed. A few times she cried, saying it was only mood swings and that she was fine. Soarin’ and the Apples didn’t make any further inquiries, instead wrapping Applejack in their love for her and just being there for her when she needed them.

As the family continued to prepare the farm for winter, it came time for the wheat harvest. The tall amber waves of grain in the field were cut, gleaned, and bundled to be prepared for separation. Soarin’ proved to be quite the adept at tossing the kernels in bowls balanced on his wings to separate the wheat from the chaff. When the grain had been separated, it was bagged and taken to the mill to be ground into flour.

Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Soarin’ walked down the road leading from the mill. Macintosh pulled a cart full of bags of flour while he chewed a fresh stalk. Applejack walked just to his left, laughing and chatting with the blue stallion as they walked. The Wonderbolt had been feeling anxious to get some flying done that day and hovered just above the Apple siblings as they walked, occasionally doing a lazy loop or roll during lulls in the conversation.

“So let me get this straight,” said Applejack at the conclusion of a story Soarin’ had finished telling. “You were on fire and you jumped into a pool of rainbow water?”

Soarin’ grinned sheepishly. “It was the only thing around. But believe me I’m never doing that again. It took a week for my fur to go back to normal and that stuff stings everywhere.”

Peals of laughter came from the orange mare. When her laughter had subsided, she looked off into the distance toward the farmhouse. “Hey, is that Spitfire?”

Soarin’ looked and saw that Spitfire was indeed standing on the front porch, dressed in her uniform with the hood pulled down. With a grin, he took off to greet her, covering the distance in mere seconds.

“Hey, Spits,” he greeted enthusiastically.

“Don’t you ‘hey Spits’ me,” she replied, scowling at him. “What the hay, Soarin’, I said I’d cover for you for a few days. It’s been a week and I’m sick of Boss and Fire Streak grilling me about where you are. You need to come back to work.”

Soarin’s ears flattened back against his skull and he looked apologetically at his teammate. “I’m sorry, Spits.” Turning, he saw the Apple siblings approaching. Not wanting them to hear what he had to say, he turned back to the fiery mare. “Can we go somewhere else to talk, please?”

Spitfire sighed and her anger deflated a little. “Fine. Meet me up at that cloud,” she said, pointing to a cloud in the distance.

Soarin’ nodded to his teammate as she took off and stepped off the porch to meet the two earth ponies.

“Everythin’ all right?” Applejack inquired.

“Yeah,” he replied, smiling. “Spitfire just wants to talk about some work stuff with me. We’re gonna fly around a bit and talk for a while.”

“All right, just don’t be late for supper. Granny’s makin’ a pie for dessert.”

Soarin’s eyes widened with delight. “Oh, you can bet your hat I’ll be there.”

Taking to the air, the blue pegasus quickly reached the appointed cloud to find Spitfire waiting for him.

“OK, spill it. What’s so important, Soarin’?”

“Is there any way that you can cover for me for a little longer?”

Spitfire rolled her eyes and sighed. “No, I can’t. But even if I could, how much longer than a week could you possibly need?”

Soarin’ twirled his hoof on the cloud, leaving a small, circular divot. “Uh…about ten or eleven months,” he mumbled.

The yellow mare’s eyebrows almost shot up to her mane. “Ten months! Soarin’ that is not a little more time. That’s a freaking leave of absence! What the buck is going on that you need ten months off?!”

Realizing there was no way to sugarcoat it, Soarin’ decided to tell Spitfire everything. “Applejack’s pregnant. Clover left her and I want to help.”

Silence fell over the little cloud. Soarin’ tried to gauge his best friend’s reaction, but could only read the empathic sadness his admission had brought her, nothing more.

“Soarin’, I-“

“She loved him, Spits,” the stallion continued, pleading his case. “They hadn’t even been dating that long, but she loved him.” Soarin’ couldn’t make eye contact with his teammate. He felt a seething hatred for the grey stallion rising. “She loved him and let him into her heart and that…that bastard left her when she needed him the most.” He looked off into the distance of the Apple house where the subject of their conversation was. “I can’t leave, she needs me.”

He turned when he felt the presence of Spitfire’s hoof on his shoulder. “Soarin’, I’m sorry about Applejack. I really am. But, does she really need you to be here? I’m no farmer, but it looks to me like they’re pretty much done for the season. She also has all her friends to help and support her. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

Soarin’s ears flattened against his head. “I know, I…just wanted to help.”

“I know, and I didn’t expect any less of you. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve always worn your heart on your sleeve. You’ve got a big heart and you have special place for every friend you make. I just think that your feelings for Applejack are clouding your judgment right now. You can’t just quit your job for a mare you just met two months ago.”

“You just don’t understand, Spits,” he replied, pushing her hoof off his shoulder and facing her directly. “She’s not just some mare. There’s something really special about her. She’s different than any mare I’ve ever met. I feel like I can be myself around her and not wear a mask.” He punctuated his point by lifting the fabric of his teammate’s hood then replacing it on her neck. “Ever since we met, she never let the fact that I’m a Wonderbolt change how she treats me. I feel like I’ve actually earned her friendship on my own, not just because I wear a suit.”

The blue stallion sighed, feeling a weight being lifted from his chest. “I’d forgotten how it felt to make a real friend like that. How I feel about her doesn’t matter right now. I want to make her feel like she made me feel. I want her to feel loved and cherished like she makes me feel.”

Spitfire smiled and shook her head. Sighing, she said, “OK, look. I’m not saying I like the idea of you going on a sabbatical or anything. But, if you feel this strongly about this-“

“I do.”

“OK. Maybe if you talk to Boss, he can give you some time off. He probably won’t, but it’s worth a shot.”

Soarin’s felt hope fluttering in his chest. “Thanks, Spits. Do you mind if I go back tomorrow? Granny’s making a pie and you know me.”

The yellow mare chuckled. “I sure do. Mind if I join you?”

“Sure. I’ll ask.”

The two pegasi flew down from their cloud and joined the Apple family for dinner. When the meal had been finished and Soarin’ had cleaned his plate of his third helping of pie, Spitfire bid the family farewell and left for Cloudsdale. Applejack and Soarin’ were assigned to dishwasher duty while the rest of the family was left to do homework or enjoy the evening.

“Everythin’ all right with the work stuff?” Applejack asked as she passed Soarin’ a plate to dry.

“Yeah. I just have to head back to Cloudsdale tomorrow and talk to my Boss,” he replied, putting on a smile that was less sincere than he would have liked. He didn’t want to make Applejack worry; he’d promised her that he would be there to help and he intended to do all he could to keep that promise.

“Y’know,” the orange mare assured him. “If you have to go back to work, Ah understand. Ah don’t want you gettin’ yourself in any trouble on mah account.”

“Don’t worry,” he replied. “I’ll just ask to be put on desk duty for a while and have all the paperwork and stuff sent here. No trouble at all.”

The orange mare ceased her washing to look directly at him. “Doesn’t that mean you’d have to give up flyin’ in shows?”

“Well. yeah, maybe for a while.”

Applejack looked at the blue stallion in silence for a moment, her expression filled with a sort of awe. “Soarin’ Ah can’t let you do that fer me. You’d be givin’ up what you love.”

“You’re my friend, AJ,” he replied. “I’ll do whatever you need me to. Whether I’m a Wonderbolt or an apple farmer, I’ll be here for you.”

Soarin’ looked back at her, noticing how pretty she looked with the darker yellow light from the lowering sun flooding the room through the window. He felt his heart dancing as he was pulled into her beautiful piercing eyes.

‘I’d do anything for you,’ he thought. He wanted so badly to tell her, to hold her and make everything better. He wanted her to know that she was loved. He wanted to make her feel as wonderful as she made him feel.

As much as he wanted to, he knew this wasn’t the time for any kind of romantic pursuit for her. She was still picking up the pieces from Clover and Soarin’ didn’t want to be the rebound guy. He could wait until she was ready, however long it took.

A small smile spread across Applejack’s face. “Aww, thanks, Soarin’, that’s mighty sweet of you.”

She wrapped her hooves around his neck, giving him a hug. Soarin’ returned the gesture, not caring that she was getting soap suds in his fur, just enjoying being near the orange mare.

When they broke the hug, Soarin’ gave her a smile of his own. “You should do that more often.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Hug you?”

“Smile. It…it looks really nice.” The blue stallion blushed, inwardly berating himself for the lame-sounding statement.

Applejack laughed, her grin getting wider with each convulsion of her diaphragm. “Thanks. Ah needed that. You always know just how to make me laugh.”

“Glad I could help.”

Soarin’ took the dishtowel and removed the soap suds from his neck. He was glad that he had given Applejack something to make her happy, even if only for a few moments.

“Soarin’,” Applejack asked as they were finishing the dishes. “Can Ah ask you somethin’?”

“Sure.”

“What’s your pa like?”

Soarin’ froze, the smile falling off his face. He remained silent for several moments, stacking plates in the cupboard.

“Ah don’t mean to pry or anythin’,” Applejack said softly. “You’ve just talked about your ma a lot, but you never said nothin’ about your pa. Ah’m sorry, Ah was just curious.”

“No, it’s OK,” he replied softly. “I just don’t like to talk about it because I don’t really have a dad.” When the orange mare gave him an inquisitive look, he clarified. “I mean. I know I’ve got one somewhere, I’ve just never met him.”

“Oh,” was Applejack’s only reply. “Ah’m sorry, Soarin’.”

The blue stallion shrugged. “No big deal. You can’t really miss what you never had. Besides, my mom did a pretty good job and she had a lot of other good ponies to help her.”

“Still, Ah can’t imagine growin’ up and not ever knowin’ yer pa. To be honest, Ah’m a might worried about what Ah’m gonna tell mah foal about Clover.”

Soarin’ placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder and the orange mare placed hers over it.

“What’d yer ma tell you?” she asked.

The blue stallion placed his hoof back on the floor. “She didn’t; my aunt did. I went over to Spitfire’s house a lot and did stuff with her and her dad. Eventually, I started wondering and asking questions about things like why Spitfire had two parents and I only had one. My mom tried to come up with something like saying he died or something, but my aunt never really believed in sugarcoating anything.”

Applejack hung on his every word. “Were you upset?”

Soarin’ suddenly realized the point behind her line of questioning. Giving her a soft smile, he said in a reassuring tone, “A little. But I knew that my mom loved me, more than enough for two. Plus, it’s not like I grew up completely fatherless. When I told Spitfire about it the next day, she offered to share her dad with me.”

The Pegasus and the earth pony both laughed at Soarin’s memory of foalhood innocence.

“Applejack,” Soarin’ continued. “My point is, don’t worry about it. When the time comes, you’ll know what to say. Until then, just love that foal as much as you can.”

The orange mare blinked, her eyes filling with tears. “Thanks, *sniff* Ah needed that.”

“Are you OK?”

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “Yup. Just feeling really sad all of a sudden. Must be havin’ a mood swing.”

Soarin’ gave her a hug and let her cry softly on his shoulder.

The Wonderbolt’s stomach fluttered with how nervous he was for most of the night. He had no idea what would happen when he gave Boss his request, but he was not expecting it to be good. Spitfire had said that she would be there to back him up if need be, but he feared that her word of influence would still not be enough.

He rolled over in his bed, looking in the direction of his door, the direction of Applejack’s room. As much as he didn’t want to think of it, he had to wonder what would happen if Boss said no. Would he still be able to help Applejack if he couldn’t physically be there for her? He could offer to pay to hire an extra worker or two, but he knew that effort would be shot down by the prideful mare.

The blue stallion rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He decided to just resign himself to his fate. Maybe Boss would say yes. The bureaucrat had to have a heart somewhere. Maybe he could find a way to appeal to it. Soarin’ smiled as he felt sleep take him. Maybe he’d catch Boss in a good mood.

-SWA-

“Are you out of your bucking mind?!”

Or maybe not.

Soarin’ suppressed a sigh as he addressed his fed-faced boss. “Look, chief, I-”

“No, that was a serious question. Are you out of your bucking mind? Because from what I just heard, you missed two practices because you went on an unapproved vacation and now you’re telling me to give you a bucking leave of absence!” The brown pegasus placed his hooves on his desk and leaned over it, becoming more menacing. “That sounds to me like a pony who’s been hit in the head one time too many.”

“Chief, your blood pressure,” Spitfire reminded him.

Boss gave her a glare that could burn down a forest. “Don’t even get me started on you. I should suspend both of you; him for being a moron and you for covering for him. The only reason that I don’t is because that would be basically be giving you what you want. Get out and get back to work!”

Spirfire turned to leave and Soarin’ went to follow her.

“Not you,” Boss said sternly, pointing at the blue stallion.

Spitfire gave her friend a pitying look and then shut the office door behind her. Soarin’ turned back to face Boss and accept his fate.

“I still want an answer,” the brown stallion growled. “What in the world gives you the gall to ask me for something as ridiculous as that? Are you sick or something?”

Soarin’ hung his head, knowing that the reason wouldn’t do him any good. “No. A…a friend of mine needs help. She’s pregnant and her boyfriend left her.”

A panicked look came over Boss’s face. “WHAT?! HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!”

The Wonderbolt looked at his boss quizzically before realizing what his statement had insinuated. “Whoa! No, no. It’s the boyfriend’s baby. I would just be staying and helping her and her family with their farm.”

Boss fell back in his chair, breathing a sigh of relief. “Oh thank Celestia. I thought it was something serious.” Reaching into his desk drawer, he pulled out a pill bottle and downed two of the pills in it. “Don’t ever scare me like that again. Heart medication is expensive and I can’t afford to be popping these things like candy.”

When he had taken a moment to recover, the brown stallion continued. “Anyway, so what? Let the redneck deal with her illegitimate child. You have bigger things to worry about; like the show next month.”

Soarin’ gritted his teeth, becoming more frustrated. “Look, can’t I just have desk duty for a while? Even if it’s just in a few months when she gets further along and can’t work anymore. This is really important to me and-”

“I don’t give a flying feather if it’s important to you!” Boss shouted, standing up to lean over his desk again. “What should be important to you is flying. That’s what brings in the bits that I pay you, not some filly who can’t keep her tail down. Now get out and get to practice.”

Soarin’ drew a sharp intake of breath. His vision went red at the edges and his wings flared open. He felt a blistering haze that made it hard to think clearly. He snorted and stood with his front hooves on Boss’s desk, meeting the brown stallion’s gaze.

The blue stallion didn’t consider himself to have very much of a temper, but Boss’s insult had managed to turn his frustration into a seething cauldron.

“Fine,” he growled. “You want flying, I’ll give you flying.”

He pushed off the desk with enough force to scoot it backwards and pushed himself into the air. His powerful wings barreled him through the doors, almost taking them off their hinges. Twisting and turning, he navigated the halls of the building, making his way to his office and bursting through the door, sending the few papers on his desk flying with the draft.

Still fuming, he grabbed his saddle bags and began shoving various belongings into them. Small trinkets and papers he deemed important were stuffed in with little care for their remaining unwrinkled. He then slung the bags on his back and took out paper and a pen. When he had finished writing, he stormed back to Boss’s office, meeting Spitfire part of the way there.

“Soarin’, what happened?” she asked.

He ignored her, flying straight into Boss’s office with the paper in his teeth. He zoomed across the room, landing on the desk in front of a very surprised Boss. The brown stallion recovered and gave the Wonderbolt an angry glare.

“I thought I told you to get back to prac-mmmf!”

His sentence was cut off when Soarin’ stuffed the paper in his mouth.

“That,” Soarin’ said gruffly, panting in his anger, “was flying. And it was the last flying you’ll see from me for a while, you insensitive jerk!”

By the time that Boss had spat out the hastily written and very brief letter of resignation, Soarin’ was out the door and flying to the locker room. Spitfire chased him through the hall, calling out and asking what was going on.

When Soarin’ entered the locker room, he was greeted by Wave Chill and Fire Streak, cleaning up after practice.

“Hey, dude, glad you’re back! Think you could give me some pointers on- Soarin’?”

Spitfire burst in a moment later and Wave Chill shrieked.

“Gah! Cap! This is the stallions’ locker room!”

“What the buck is wrong with you, Soarin’?!”

The lighter of the blue stallions ignored his teammates, instead going to his locker. He made several mistakes as he tried to open it in his angered state and slammed his hoof against the metal in frustration, leaving a dent in the door.

“Whoa, Soarin’! What’s wrong?” asked Wave Chill, startled by his teammate’s behavior.

Fire Streak watched the scene taking place with stoic observation.

Soarin’ didn’t answer, finally having worked the door open. He pulled out all his pictures, stuffing them into his bag with the things from his office. He stopped for a moment when he reached the small box in the bottom of the locker. Carefully, as if it were made of glass, he removed and opened it, taking out the necklace inside. He held the cord in his hoof, staring at the attached jewel.

What would his mother think about what he had just done? Would she approve? She had always taught him to do what he thought was right and this was what was right wasn’t it?

The now ex-Wonderbolt put the necklace on and held it to his chest. Taking a deep breath, he pushed every thought out of his head and asked himself a single question.

‘Is this the right thing to do?’

No pros and cons were compared. No opinion was asked of anypony else. The question was posed and Soarin’ felt only one completely obvious answer, unmarred by any shred of doubt.

‘Yes.’

Resolute in his decision, he packed the last of his belongings and turned to acknowledge his former teammates, a wide smile on his face.

“Guys, I’m not going to make the show next month.”

-SWA-

It was late when Soarin’ returned to the farm, weary and bogged down with a few belongings. His teammates had each reacted differently to his news.

Wave Chill had reacted with shock and surprise, telling the other stallion that he was crazy. In the end, though, he assured Soarin’ that he would do his best to help the team.

Fire Streak’s reaction had surprised Soarin’. The older stallion remained silent until Wave Chill had asked for confirmation that what Soarin’ was doing was in fact completely crazy. The off-white stallion then had taken Soarin’ aside to talk. Soarin’ never once expected the Major to side with him; in fact he had been expecting the older stallion to attempt to talk him out of it. But, in his usual, calm demeanor, Fire Streak had explained to Soarin’ the possible consequences of his actions, namely the fallout from the media. When the blue stallion continued to insist that this was what he wanted, Fire Streak had merely nodded and offered Soarin’ the best of luck and to help in any way he could to keep tabloid attention away from the farm.

Spitfire had reacted differently than Soarin’ had hoped. She was livid. She had shouted and chewed Soarin’ out for the majority of the time he packed his things and had even chased him to his cloud house to chew him out while he gathered some things there. Soarin’ was beginning to feel like one of the training camp recruits by the time his bag was half full. When the fiery mare had calmed down, she and Soarin’ had a long talk, the kind of talk that only two ponies who have been friends for a long time can have. When their talk was finished and Spitfire left to go home, she told Soarin’ that she would help Fire Streak keep Soarin’s retirement quiet, but she still thought that he was throwing his life away. As much as he hated to admit it, the blue stallion had to wonder if she was right.

Any further doubt had been obliterated the minute he touched down on the Apples’ front lawn and smelled the crisp chilly air. Closing his eyes, he felt the wind blowing through his mane and fur and rustling in the leaves that were still on the trees. The blue Pegasus released a sigh. This felt like home. He felt more welcomed and at home on the farm than almost anywhere else in the world and his heart told him that this was where he needed to be. Once again assured that what he was doing was the right thing, the blue stallion went inside.

Soarin’ heard voices as he passed Applejack’s room and decided to poke his head in and let her know that he was staying. The orange mare was sitting on her haunches on the bed, her eyes closed and a relaxed look on her face. Apple Bloom stood on her hind legs, her right forehoof on her sister’s shoulder to steady herself and a brush on her left hoof. The yellow filly gently brushed her sister’s mane, talking as she worked, mostly about her excitement about being an aunt, chattering about how she would help with the baby when it came.





“Wonder what it’s gonna be,” the filly thought aloud. “Will it be a filly or a colt? Do you think it’ll have green eyes like yours or gold ones like Clover’s? Have ya thought of any names yet?”

Applejack chuckled, her eyes opening slightly as she subconsciously placed a hoof over her soon-to-be-growing stomach. “Not really, sugar cube. Got any suggestions?”

The youngest Apple sibling thought for a moment as she passed the brush to her sister and sat down to have her own hair brushed. “Hmmm. How about Scarlet Gala or Candy Apple or Apple Spice or Apple Cream or Apple Cobbler?”

Applejack nodded. “Those are some pretty good ones. Ah might have to make a list and think on it some more.”

Apple Bloom tilted her head and nuzzled Applejack’s hoof that had been placed on her shoulder. “Ah’m glad you’re gonna be a mama, Applejack. You’ll be a good ma. Just as good as our ma was.”

The orange mare smiled and pulled her sister into a hug from behind. “Thanks, A.B.”

It was then that Applejack noticed Soarin’ standing just outside the door. “Hey there, partner.”

“Hey.”

“Everythin’ go OK at work?”

“Uh-huh. You’ll be seeing a lot more of me from now on.”

“You didn’t get in any trouble, did you?” Applejack asked worriedly. “Yer boss was OK with everythin’?”

“Well…” Soarin’ bit his lip for a moment. What would Applejack think if he told her what he’d done, how he’d put everything on the line just to stay and help her. She had told him not to get in trouble if it came to it and he had done the exact opposite.

A tremor of fear gripped the stallion’s heart. If he told Applejack that he’d quit the Wonderbolts, how would she react? What if she didn’t let him stay and help?

“Uh, yeah,” the blue stallion lied. “He was practically tickled pink.” Red was technically a dark shade of pink wasn’t it?

The orange mare breathed a sigh. “Really? Well wasn’t that nice of him. Is that stuff the work you have to do while you’re gone?”

Soarin’ shifted the bags on his back. “Uh, yeah.”

Apple Bloom let out an exasperated sigh. “Soarin’,” she groaned, “yer interruptin’ our sister time.”

“Calm down, Apple Bloom,” Applejack chided her sister. “He ain’t hurtin’ nothin’.”

“No, it’s OK,” Soarin’ replied. “I should be getting to bed anyway. We’re painting the barn tomorrow aren’t we?”

“Yup. G’night.”

“G’night, Soarin’.”

“Night, Bloom. ‘Night, AJ.”

When the door had been closed, the smile fell from Soarin’s face. He felt a pit rising in his stomach as he went to his room and closed the door behind him. Dropping his bags, he slumped back against the door and slid to the floor, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. When the sick feeling in his stomach had settled a little, he turned the light off and got into bed. With a heavy heart, the blue stallion tossed and turned for most of the night before finally falling into a fitful slumber.






Image: http://geomancing.deviantart.com/art/Letting-Your-Hair-Down-352286848




A/N: And now for a teaser. Most of the names that AB lists are other people’s OCs. I just grabbed all but one from a couple of artists and writers that I follow. All of them are OC children of one of the Apples. If anyone can guess where I got them, you win the free cookies. One of the names is the name that I am going to use for Applejack’s foal.