Adventures in The 6ix

by Wiz Ahmad

Chapter 34: A Brief Morning Reunion

TEMPEST POV

A FARM, JUST OUTSIDE NOBLETON

“Thanks for the ride,” Nathan said with a joyful, energized smile as he gently loosened the bridle and removed it, while Ashley took off the saddle.

“Ooo-aaaaah, that feels a lot better,” Tempest breathed with a pleasure-filled smile. “You’re most welcome, Nathan.”

“Did you enjoy it?” Ashley asked, seemingly picking up on the humor, in spite of her age.

“Enjoy? Pffft, I loved it!” Tempest exclaimed. “Okay, it wasn’t horrible, and it wasn’t overbearing either. I got to feel like what I’d been so amazed and baffled by, and it’s brought on a new take on things. I’m starting to love the country already.”

Nathan looked to the setting sun, then to Tempest’s blissful eyes. “Alright, let’s get this evening session started.”

After putting away all the tack, Ashley and her brother ran back to the house and burst into their rooms.

“What’s got you two in a hurry?” Madeline inquired.

“Just gathering some stuff for an evening session with Tempest,” Nathan briefly explained, grabbing his old blanket, a book, and two large floor cushions. Ashley took her father’s guitar (with permission of course), and they headed back to the barn.

Tempest was still standing, patiently waiting. “I see you’ve brought some items. So… how is this gonna go down?”

Ashley opened the stall door, and Tempest lay down on her belly in the entranceway, front hooves crossed, almost like an adorable dog. Nathan lay down the cushions, Ashley laid the guitar across her lap, and the session began as Nathan then opened up the book. Peering slightly, Tempest noticed it had a faded greenish-brown tone to it, with worn-down corners – and a picture of a beautiful black horse on the front.

“Ah-hm-um. I’ve decided on a spot of storytime, and what I’m going to read today is a very well-known novel, called Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell, a fine lady from over a century ago. Chapter One: My Early Home. The first place I can well remember, was a large, pleasant meadow…”

Nathan read through the first chapter with unbelievable fluidity, barely skipping over any words and ensuring each part was spoken so that it could be understand properly. Given his history of slight slurring, it was an improvement in the eyes of his sister.

“…so we were well off.”

“Beautiful,” Tempest remarked with a brief clap. “I’m actually enjoying this story and I can’t wait to read more. There’s just one small thing though…”

“Xavier!” Ashley spoke up excitedly, as it quickly hit her. She pulled a new-model Google Pixel out of her flannel shirt pocket. “Here. Just tell me what I need to dial.”

“647-555-4762.”

“Got it.”

Within seconds, Xavier was on the line.

“Hello? Who’s this?”

“It’s… Fizzy,” Tempest said slowly, tapping the screen to switch the output to speakerphone.

“Fizzy!” Xavier’s voice came surprised, yet a little anxious.

Soon, Twilight and Rarity were there too.

“Darling, it’s been all day and you’re not home?”

“Tempest, where are you?”

“I’m…in a little horse stable, on a farm, just north of Nobleton. Met the fam here and they’ve gotten to know me too. It’s been an awesome day. You know, you should come up here and visit. It’s really beautiful.”

“Fizzy? We all miss you, and we just want to see you come home.”

“I know. See you in the morning. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight to you too, sweetie.”

Ashley ended the call and slipped the phone back into her pocket. “You’re… leaving?!”

Tempest smiled sadly and nodded. “Yes. But not right away. I had some legal issues and to clear them I agreed in the court of law to 300 hours of community service. Maybe I can do it here. When Xavier arrives, we’ll talk.”

“Oh, alright,” Ashley replied with a sigh of relief. She then sang a little song with the guitar, then draped the blanket over Tempest.

“Sleep tight, Tempy,” Nathan whispered, planting a little kiss right on the pony’s nose, before closing and locking the stall door.

As her eyes drooped and her body’s energy-driven tension eased out, Tempest smiled and sighed with joy. She’d found something she loved doing that involved her prior days in a good way, and was able to give back to others with joy and happiness in the process.

It was easy to tell when morning arrived, because the stable’s design allowed for a good amount of natural lighting to shine in through the wooden rafters. As for actual sleep… pretty much impossible. The one small thing Ashley had failed to inform her about horses – their sleeping habits. Nonetheless, Tempest, always a careful and observant one, quickly picked up on their sleeping patterns, and adjusted hers to fit, sleeping in twenty to thirty minute intervals over a nine-hour period. Still, it was her first time doing so, and she was still stirring with dizziness and blurred vision.

Before she knew it, a hum and buzz was already making itself heard outside the stable doors, which then opened. Fighting her internal slumber, Tempest pushed herself upright – just as the latch to her stall clicked.

“Rise and shine, Tempy!” Nathan exclaimed, pulling the door open. “We’ve all got a busy day ahead of us.”

“So it… begins,” Tempest moaned drowsily. “In that case, let’s get started. Got a checklist?”

“Sure sugar do.”

Nathan handed her a slip of paper, which she then held up and scanned intensely.

“Okay, let’s see… first we’ve got to attend to all the horses, clean out each stall, feed them, and general maintenance. Sounds about right… except I haven’t eaten breakfast myself.”

“Right. Sorry, Tempest.” Nathan blushed. “Ashley’s still in the house, probably doing dishes. I decided to get a head start, so I finished my breakfast early and came here to wake you. Ooo-kay. Let me get some apples, oats, and some alfalfa hay.”

“Good rhyme,” Tempest deadpanned, slowly sitting back down. As Nathan ran off, her mind drifted back to her days at Maverick and Rodney’s Mod Shop, welcoming in customers and observing the world glide by on the street.

I wonder how you’re doing, Breezy. And our other friends, too…

Ten minutes later, Nathan returned with a hay net and bowl in hands, and an apple in his pocket.

“Here ya go,” he said, hanging up the hay net on a hook on the inside of the stable, just beside the door.

“Thanks.”

From the corner of her eye, Tempest noticed Ashley tending to something outside, and her ears caught wind of a diesel truck down by the corral. Yep, the ranch was bustlin’ alright.

Not wanting to waste valuable time, Tempest chowed down on her food, first munching on some of the alfalfa and licking up the oats from the bowl, before biting good large chunks out of the apple. Feeling energized, she then noticed a metal pail of fresh water Ashley had provided, and drank it dry.

“How’s our fine ol’ Tempy doin’?” Madeline’s thick country accent rang through as she approached the stall door, this time with love, bravery, and compassion. It was a stark contrast to her reaction at the house entrance the day before, and Tempest sensed it immediately.

“Energized, happy, and confident,” she replied, turning and leaning forward, allowing Madeline to caress her face and mane. “Thanks for accepting me.”

“Happy to do so.”

With Tempest well-fed, it was time to get to work. As her obvious lack of hands or telekinetic powers rendered her unable to muck out the stalls, Tempest used her strong teeth to pull out the old, uneaten, and (forbid me!) moldy hay nets out, before tossing them into a small cart, which she then pulled outside. From there, Leo then cut the nets and added some of the old hay to the manure pile, which then was stored in an area which Nathan explained was called the “muck heap”.

“I’ve been through muddy forests and jumped from airships in the clouds, but damn, that stuff is putrid beyond belief,” Tempest grumbled, wrinkling her nose.

“Hey, we all produce it,” Ashley laughed. “Even you. By the way, only the moldy hay gets chunked. The rest we donate to cattle farmers, since the old hay is still consumable by cows.”

“I’ve definitely got a lot of adjusting to do,” Tempest muttered, pulling the cart back to the barn. “At least, thanks to my pony friend Applejack, I am familiar with quite a few stuff here.”

Rather courageously, Nathan climbed a stack of brick-shaped bales in the barn, checking for the best stock, with Ashley watching rather anxiously. After finding a few, he gently dropped them down to her, then she tied a couple lengths of rope around them, before tossing the completed hay nets into the cart.

With the cart full, Ashley buckled Tempest into the harness, and she strode out, back to the horse stable building.

“Workin’ well, ah see,” Leo mused with a grin.

“As best as I can,” Tempest replied, nodding. “I will be leaving, but much later from now. Depends what Xavier agrees to.”

Madeline nodded slowly in agreement. It was impressive how quickly she was warming up to Tempest. “True. He is your legal guardian, after all.”

A good three hours passed. Having taken care of all the horses in the stable, Tempest then settled down in her stall for a brief rest, preparing for an exuberant ride later on. Leo’s family was an amazing one, and one that really deserved respect. They worked hard taking care of and enjoying what they loved – horses. Every aspect of horse care was covered. She was especially proud of Nathan. He never let his young age and smaller size put him down – he always worked with a big heart to get the job done and made sure he was ready to help whenever needed, rather eagerly.

“So… what does Xavier do?” Ashley asked, sitting down next to the open stall.

“Ah, so you’re taking a break too. Well… he does a lot of things. But his primary goal is taking care of my friends. He works at an auto mod and restoration shop in Toronto, and in his spare time makes music and skateboards. For the most part his music’s been casual, somewhat on and off, but he’s getting his life back in order. Recently he’s taken more time to learn how to make better music. He did hip hop beats, but also did some traditional Caribbean folk music, given his heritage and his mom’s love for culture and the arts. I haven’t inquired, but he probably could play some real instruments if he tried. He’s got serious skills with drums already.”

“Tryin’ to make it in the underground scene didn’t go too well, did it?” Ashley said with a smirk.

“Most likely. He’s a hard worker and a long sleeper, and doesn’t do any drugs or drunk partying, so yeah. Heck, he even confessed that he never had that much luck with girls, and that I’m his first real girlfriend.”

Ashley’s eyes went wide, before she burst into laughter. “You’re a horse, and he’s a human… how does that…”

“I don’t know the depths of it from that perspective, but from his perspective, it does,” Tempest replied firmly. “And that’s all that matters.”

“Given his voice over the phone last night, I wouldn’t doubt it,” Ashley confided, killing her giggling fit. “You think he’d be down to spend some time here? My dad sometimes plays his guitar in the evening while we have a nice campfire.”

“Hmmm, I could see that. He’s got a good ear for tunes.”

A low rumble was heard in the distance, and Tempest picked it up immediately.

“Check by the main road for a grey station wagon with nice-looking wheels. Should be him.”

Ashley ran out of the stable and down the gravelly dirt path to the front gate. Already a car was speeding up from the horizon to the south. Not wanting to bother with the struggle of opening the gate, Ashley simply gripped the bars and threw herself over it, crash-landing on her side and rolling in a patch of dusty earth.

“Ow!” she yelped, rubbing her temple, shoulder, and lower back.

As the brief cloud of dust settled, the car came into view, stopping abruptly by the gate. Ashley got to her feet and hobbled over to the driver’s side. The window rolled down, and a dark face with wild hair stared right back at her, a jolly guitar tune playing in the background – so jolly her body started rocking along.

“Haha, looks like you enjoy my first alternative composition. Name’s Xavier, best friend of Tempest.”

“You fit how she’s described you perfectly,” Ashley replied, a little smile forming on her face. “Come on in.”

Ashley unlocked the gate and pushed it open, allowing Xavier to drive in. Leo and Madeline then came over from the field and the barn, ready for anything.

Xavier simply cut the engine and stepped out, lowering his head as a gesture of respect. “You must be the family Tempest talked about. Lovely ranch you got here.”

“Gee, thanks,” Leo replied with a bashful smile. “How’s the work going?”

“Pretty good. Just finished the touches on a 1967 Mustang’s suspension. A recent customer’s Honda Accord had a head gasket issue, but is now ready to roll. And that tune you heard from my car I whipped up in just half an hour. Cool, right?”

“I retract everything I’d thought about you,” Leo muttered, before raising his voice back to normal. “Why don’t you come see how Tempest’s doing? We were just about to…”

A little whinny sound came from the stable, followed by the clip-clop of hooves. Out strode Tempest, fully clad in tack. And on her back, Nathan, in cowboy attire.

How did you do that so fast? Ashley wondered, looking in surprise and wonder at her little brother.

“T-T-Tempest?” Xavier stuttered, frozen in shock at what had become of his girl.

Having noticed his reaction, Tempest smiled back, gagging a little at the restriction of the bit in her mouth. Instead, Nathan spoke, urging “his” horse forward.

“First off, I’m Nathan, son of Leo and Madeline here. Tempest has settled in well, and is getting well-accustomed to the country and ranch life. She’s had… a bit of an identity crisis, though, and has agreed to become a horse, essentially. She sleeps in one of the stable’s stalls like a horse, eats hay like a horse, and as you see, also doesn’t mind being ridden like one.”

As if to confirm, Tempest smiled up at Xavier – the same heartfelt smile she gave him in his bedroom the day before.

“So you want to stay here, instead of… with me?!” Xavier exclaimed.

Tempest immediately shook her head and used her jaw to nudge him into a hug. “No,” she whispered. “I won’t be leaving you. I want to stay here for the experience, and to complete my community service. Think it’ll be accepted?”

“I’ll check in later today after work and confirm it,” Xavier replied, gently stroking her broad, crested neck. “If it’s a position that’s legally accepted, then you can work away for that time duration as you wish.” He turned to Ashley. “Don’t forget to time it. Keep track.”

“Will do,” Ashley replied with a nod.

Xavier then gave Tempest a big forehead kiss. “I wish you’d come back, but I also know you need to find your own path with a suitable passion. I will admit, this is rather weird, but go ahead with what you enjoy. I wish you joy and happiness in all that you do, sweetie.”

“Thanks, Breezy,” she whispered, returning the kiss. “And remember, I will always, always love you.”

“Um, what are those inside the car?” Ashley asked. Xavier turned to see Applejack hopping up and pointing here and there, frustrating Rarity and Twilight Sparkle.

“Oh, hehehe. Those are some of my other pony friends. Seems like they want a taste of the fresh air.”

Xavier returned to the car and stuck his head through the open driver window. “This is private property, so show some dignity and respect, eh?” he warned, opening the rear doors and letting out the trio.

You certainly weren’t kidding, Tempest, Leo muttered in disbelief, taking in the sight of purple, white, and light brown ponies before him.

“This is Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Applejack,” Xavier introduced. “The book lover and brainiac, the creative fashion-lover, and the one who is best suited to working here. No offense, Tempest.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Madeline said with a chuckle, turning to her daughter. “You and she literally look alike.”

“Hoo-eey, damn! You’re sure sugar right about that!” Xavier exclaimed. “Alright. Now that terms have been cleared, it’s time to go.”

“Aw, I wish I could…” Applejack pouted.

“C’mon AJ, you’re not the one who was commanded to perform community service. Besides, I sacrificed half of my work day for this journey up north here,” Xavier replied, adding a firm layer to his voice.

“Wait, take this,” Leo said, handing Xavier a slip of paper and a business card. “It’s the details of our home-based business of hosting barrel racing events and boarding horses.”

Xavier blushed. “Can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Thanks. Alright, Twilight and Rarity, let’s go! Bye Tempest! Love you!”

“You too, Breezy! See you soon,” Tempest replied, managing some speech through her bit, a tear moistening her purple cheek.

With Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack all buckled in, Xavier reversed out of the entranceway and drove off, the smooth rumble of the Forester’s boxer engine resonating across the land.

Author's Note:

Moving forward. Positive I can get this fic done by the end of the month if I stay committed enough.

Comments

[Captain Morgan]

You sure putting that phone number in the chapter is a good idea, what if people try to call it?

[Wiz Ahmad]

9404913
It's completely made up, I assure you.

what if people try to call it?

If I went with this mentality, then nothing would get written because I'd be too anxious about the response and reactions of everyone else. As someone who suffers from GAD and trauma due to lower back pain issues, this is not a road I want to go down, ok? I sure as heck didn't want to put in 000-000-0000. It would be illogical and wouldn't make the story look proper.

[Captain Morgan]

9405063
ah make sense now!👍