The Woman Who Lived Nextdoor

by Hazel Mee

5 - Shoals

I rapped on Mayree's door, leaving a few fresh scuffs on the shiny new brass hoof-plate. The door stayed firmly closed even though I'd seen some lights on as I walked over. Impatient to get going, I rapped again.

The tides waited for nopony… or human.

The door yanked open and Mayree sang, "Good morning, Mainstay!" Her normally leaden voice sounded almost pony-cheerful.

I danced back, putting a few steps between my muzzle and her exposed belly of smooth skin. A dusting of fine fur around the whirlpool of her belly button glistened in the porch light. She wore an unbuttoned pink top with long sleeves over her fores and the loose fabric tied in a knot beneath her teats; red short pants covered her rump, leaving her long hinds exposed; and her paws stood on flat shoes held on by straps between her toes.

Coffee, egg, and toast drifted into my nose, along with her musky floral scent. I swallowed saliva as my tummy rumbled, but it would have to make do with oatmeal and tea until lunch.

"Good morning, Mayree. Ready to go?"

"Yes! Just a sec." She bent over to heave up a heavy wicker basket in her fores and she grunted, "Don't move", while staggering over to me.

"I didn't sign up for this", I complained as she carefully placed it on my back.

"I can't carry it all that way and since you're an earth pony, I figured…" She shrugged, unnecessarily adjusted it, and asked, "Do you need straps or something to keep it on?"

"I'm an earth pony", I said in a flat tone. Could I keep things on my back? Please. "Can we go now?"

"Sure." She called into her house, "Squall! We're leaving!"

Squall was here?

After a clink of fine dishes Sun Squall scampered out in a flurry of feathers. "Sorry, sorry. Your coffee's just too good, Mayree! I had to have another."

"You gave her coffee?" I shied away from Sun Squall as her wings buzzed like a hornet and she grinned like a blintzing lunatic.

I pointed a shaking hoof at her and said, "Why don't you fly down and-" She took off in a storm of feathers and I yelled off the cliff after her, "We'll meet you there!"

Mayree giggled as she locked the door and hummed a happy tune while we walked to town. There was enough light to see by from the stars and setting half-moon, and when we reached The Hump, lightstones embedded in the rock glowed into life.

"Glad these are here", she said while brushing her feelers over one.

I chuckled and told her, "The town paid for them when more ponies lived north of The Hump."

"Oh?"

"There were a lot of new bits flooding in when the train station was built, so the Mayor splashed it around and spruced the town up." I snorted and spat off the cliff. "She didn't count on those bits luring ponies away to better-paying jobs though. It was just me left after the Cart Rights moved to Appleloosa last year."

"Huh."

Mayree usually slept until after sunrise and she'd probably never seen the lightstones before. Most days they only shined on my early morning trot to work.

Smile Harbour was quiet, aside from my hoofsteps and flap-flaps from Mayree's shoes. A half-dozen fish oil street lamps lit the dark lane and only the bakery's windows glowed as they fired up their ovens. A delicious tang of yeast in the cool air made my tummy grumble again. I liked this time of day. Everything was still and peaceful and even the other crews were just hauling their sorry rumps out of bed. But I wasn't use to sharing my morning and I couldn't decide if I liked it or not — the change in routine was irritating even if having company was kind of nice. Mayree was smiling when I glanced up at her, so maybe she liked the wee hours as well?

Sun Squall buzzed past and messed up Mayree's mane as we reached the trail down to the harbour. Her squeaky fiendish giggles swooped off into darkness as Mayree chuckled and combed her feelers through her long hair.

A lightstone on the corner post flickered and glowed as I walked around a bend in the trail. "So… Squall stayed at your place last night?"

I wouldn't be surprised if she had, since she was so interested in humans and yesterday Mayree had invited her along on today's trip. They'd become fast friends and where you found one you usually found the other.

"Yeah, it saved time." Her white teeth glinted as she grinned. "And she's the ultimate fluffy toy to cuddle with."

I turned my eyes back to the trail and asked, "Is that how you see us? Fluffy toys to snuggle and pet?"

"Some more than others."

"Do you think it's because you humans designed us to be cute and cuddly and simple?" I may have sounded bitter and annoyed — but I usually did.

"I didn't say that", she protested. "Could you not be a muffin-head? I want to have fun today."

"You're the boss."

And that was annoying too! She'd payed me for this little joy-ride so, technically, she was the boss — today anyway. All of this morning's little irritations built up like grains of sand packed into my hoof. I managed to keep it in and hold my tongue, until we reached the pebble beach and she caught up to walk beside me.

"Squall's a fluffy toy that likes mares."

"What?"

"She likes mares… and stallions. Something to keep in mind the next time you're cuddling."

She laughed and shook her head. "I'm sure you'll keep it in mind, you little pervert."

Muffins. That didn't bother her at all, but maybe she'd hesitate to invite Squall to another sleepover.

A steady wind blew from shore this morning and with sails set in a broad reach we practically flew to my usual anchorage on the shoals. When I was a foal there were dozens of small boats like mine, racing out to sea, competing for the richest fishing grounds. Now, nopony else was out yet. Our lonely oil lamp swung on the mast and reflected from wave crests as the Moon sank toward the horizon off our starboard bow.

I ponied the tiller while Mayree and Sun Squall huddled near the bow, braving the salty spray with one of her wings wrapped around Mayree's middle to ward off the chill.

Mayree stuck her tongue out at me.

The sky was lightening behind us and an orange glow lit the horizon as I struck sail. I squeezed past the mares to tip the anchor overboard and secured its chain.

"What are we going to fish for?" asked Sun Squall.

"Hmm… Think I'll just toss in a net and see what happens." I nodded to Mayree and said, "I don't really have to catch anything since you've already paid for today." And several more days-worth of what I'd make fishing.

She hugged herself, shivered and said, "Y-you're welcome. When does it warm up?"

"When the Princess raises the sun. Should be any-", her blinding bright orb darted above the horizon, "-second now."

"Thank gοδ!"

Sun Squall snickered and said, "More or less, yeah." Mayree giggled and I just shook my head.

I really didn't have to bother fishing but I would anyway, though I wasn't going to work too hard or worry about my catch size. I could use the bits and didn't want to waste the hold-full of ice I'd already bought from the dock unicorns. Next time, if there was a next time, I'd ask Mayree to book ahead and save my bits.

While I put out a net, Mayree lazed around on the bow deck and Sun Squall worked off her coffee buzz. She zipped around over the waves, chased gulls, and sometimes perched briefly in the rigging. Sun Squall's family had just moved to Smile Harbour when she followed me out to sea one morning… without asking. She'd hung around all day to pester me with questions about everything nautical. Having lived her whole life in the heartland, fish had been a rare treat on her family's dining table before they moved, and she was like a wet-eared foal when it came to the Sea, boats, and fishing. She was more annoying than a flock of gulls! But she won me over by using her pegasus-eye view of fish schools to help me haul in the best catch I'd had in months! I treated her to dinner at the pub, introduced her around, and we'd been friends ever since. Sun Squall was well named: bright, beautiful, and hazardous — hazardous to a foul mood, anyway. I chuckled as she hooted and spiralled over the waves, slapping them with her wing tips, before shooting straight up into the blue sky.

When it had grown hot enough for me to start sweating, Mayree stood and untied the fabric around her belly. She slipped her fores out of her shirt and draped it over the boom. Her barrel had a tight slip of bright red fabric wrapped around it and a bump distorted the cloth over each teat.

I blushed and my hot ears flicked down and up as I quickly looked away. A brief sharp sound, like wasp buzz, made me snap around to see her slipping out of her red rump covering.

"What are you doing?" I yelped.

Like an onion, she had a matching strip of red fabric around her hips and over her foal-making parts — if that's where humans kept them.

She flopped her short pants over the boom and bared her fangs at me. "Sun bathing and then I might go for a swim. Why?"

Sun bathing? Was she going to leap into the sky and go for a swim in it? I suppose she was friends with Princess Celestia as well, so anything was possible.

I snorted and warned her, "Somepony might see you!"

"You're seeing me."

"Me too", Sun Squall called cheerfully as she swooped past. "Nice outfit!"

Exasperated, I waved my fore hooves in the air and yelled, "I mean somepony with a camera!"

Mayree laughed and said, "Out here? That's why I rented your boat, Mainstay; to get away from all that. And if a pegarazzi shows up, I'm sure Squall can chase them off."

"I hope they do!" Sun Squall sang gleefully as she circled the sloop. "Sounds like fun!"

"See, it's all good. Relax, grumpy."

Mayree stalked to the bow, unrolled a thick towel on the deck, and stretched out on her back.

So that was sun bathing? More like sunlight toasting.

I don't know why it upset me. Sun Squall wasn't wearing anything and I only had my cork vest on, but Mayree? Sure, I'd grown use to seeing her long-limbed fur-less strangeness towering over everypony as she strode around like she owned the place. But seeing her nearly naked had me all kinds of bothered.

Well…

I could sit here squirming or do something useful, so I got off my rump and started hauling in my net.

Author's Note:

Have you ever watched The Beachcombers? I used to love that show. Can you figure out which character helped inspire Mainstay?

Please PM me if you spot a typo.

Comments

[Mixmaster226]

I noticed you changed the rating to from M to T. Any special reason why?