Speedwriting Anthology

by AuroraDawn

Change of Pace (Nov 22 2020, "About Time")

It was one of the nicest nights that Applejack could remember having all summer. There were no clouds in the sky, and the absence of those fluffy blankets had allowed not only a gorgeous view of the moon and all the stars around her, but for the rolling meadows to cool somewhat from the ridiculously hot day.

There was still some residual heat in the hills, though, and despite the slight chill in the even slighter breeze, she found herself perfectly comfortable. She breathed in deeply, relishing the scent of warm grass mixed with the cool night air. She exhaled slowly and then took another deep breath, and smiled even further when she caught the scent of apple pie coming out from the basket Conforme had brought.

She felt it was unusual to have a picnic at midnight, though Conforme was not a usual pony. He wasn’t even a pony, even; he was a Changeling, one who had approached Applejack three years ago and asked her to teach him to be honest. She chuckled at the thought; she was furious back then, but now… Well, they had spent a lot of time together with their lessons. How to love himself, he had asked. How to be okay with who he was, to stop lying, to stop hiding.

Well, she had taught him how to love himself and be honest about who he was, no matter the consequences. If she had to be honest with herself--as she usually was--she would have to say that she had learned to love this strange little creature just as much. And so, even though it was not something she would have considered or suggested, when Conforme asked if she’d like to picnic under the moon, she had accepted immediately.

And what a good idea it had been, she thought, spreading out the stereotypically plaid picnic blanket on the top of the hill. It was nice to be away from the farm and the claustrophobic oaks that she loved so much. A change of pace, she realized, was what Conforme had brought to her life. Something different than the rut of waking up, bucking trees, going to market, cooking supper, and going to bed she had found herself in. Sure, saving the world every six months had brought variety into her routine, but to be frank she was tired of having to risk her life all the time for it. Conforme had brought change, as a Changeling is apt to do, and even though she was cold and unforgiving with him at first she had still been grateful for something different to do.

What had changed her perspective on her bug-eyed companion was his effort. She told him he couldn’t stay on the farm; and so he slept in Everfree Forest. She told him to stop imitating her friends, and her neighbours, and though it had terrified him he dropped his disguises. She watched as he was abused by the ponies of the town when he walked to her farm every Saturday morning for his next lesson, and though the nightmares he had shared with Applejack were being lived right in front of her, he did not hide, just as she instructed.

Eventually she had felt bad, and let him stay in the barn. And then eventually she let him stay in the house. And then, eventually, she let him stay in her room.

She looked him over as he pulled various dishes out of the basket and arranged them on the blanket, and she considered how ponies change over time. When she was a foal, she hated tea, yet now she made it frequently on colder days. Three years ago she had hated insects, and despised Changelings especially. Now, watching Conforme’s wings buzz in excitement as he pulled the apple pie out, she found his chitinous features endearing. His long, forked tongue sniffed at the air, and while a younger Applejack would have retched, she only giggled.

He looked up at her laugh and blushed, a strange red shine through his black cheeks.

“Do ya need a hoof with the food, Con?” she asked him, noting that he had moved nervously when he looked at her. It was the type of jittery movement she had seen when they visited friends he had not been introduced to yet, one she had seen for the first few months of their lessons, and she wondered what had caused him anxiety here on this quiet hilltop.

“No! No, thank you, it’s fine, all fine, I have it, please relax!” He forced a smile to stop himself from continuing to blather.

Applejack squinted at him. “Are ya sure you’re alright, sugarcube?”

He dipped his head, knowing he could not lie to her. “Y-yeah. I just really want this to be a lovely stress-free night for you… That’s why I didn’t let you help me bake the pie this time. It won’t be as good as you make them but I think it’s edible…”

Her heart warmed, alleviating her suspicions. “I’m sure it’ll be just fine, Con. Granny Smith helped you, right?”

He laughed, nodding. “She’s a good teacher, like you, Applejack. Maybe a bit less forgiving.” He stuck his tongue out, not to sniff the air, but to tease her.

“She’s got character.”

“She threatened to squash me with a rolling pin if I overworked the dough.”

“And did you ya overwork the dough?”

He smiled, sitting down next to the plates of snacks and tapping the blanket for Applejack to join him. “I sure didn’t.”

She dropped down, kicking her legs out to the side and resting against Conforme. Something that had taken a lot of getting used to was the fact he didn’t control his own body temperature, but she knew now that his room-temperature shell would quickly come to match hers. His wings buzzed involuntarily at her touch.

She grabbed the bowl of salted flower petals and snacked on them. She lifted the bowl up to Conforme, who grabbed one, and chewed it slowly. Together, in the darkness, they laid silently. Applejack munched on the food that had been brought up, and after half an hour of watching the stars rotate across the sky she craned her neck towards her tired companion and spoke.

“Now I know y’all don’t need to eat, but I’ve seen you eat plenty to be polite at our gatherings before. Ya still nervous about this night going alright?” She studied his unblinking eyes, noticing again that he was avoiding looking at her. “Ya can relax, Con. This was a wonderful idea. But ya should eat! I can’t eat all of this food myself.”

“...Applejack.”

She turned over, looking at him in concern. His tone was not playful, nor anxious, but serious. He shuffled over to face her, and grabbed her hooves in his.

“...Conforme?”

“I’ve been trying to figure out how to say this for the longest time, and finally came up with the words and practiced them over and over but I just now realized that I don’t need any of that because I can put it so much simpler now, thanks to you, as always.” He spoke fast, but his tone started to warm up again when he finished.

Applejack didn’t reply, and instead simply stared at the changeling curiously.

“Applejack… I always feel full whenever I’m with you.”

“Oh?” she said, before it hit her. “Oh. Oh.”

His right hoof let go of hers and dug blindly through the picnic basket beside him, though he kept his multifaceted eyes locked on hers. A moment later, he smiled, and pulled a necklace out with a diamond ring on it.

“Will you marry me, Applejack?”

Her eyes filled with tears as her cheeks puffed up in the greatest smile she had ever worn, and she jumped forward and hugged Conforme hard enough he felt she might squish him.

“Yes, yes, of course! Oh, Conforme,” she said, unrelenting in her embrace.

She felt him kiss her shoulder and a new wave of tears came. Finally, she released him, and then pulled him forward and kissed him hard, giggling at his shock at the sudden smooch. She hugged him again, gentler now, resting her head on his shoulder, and whispering.

“About time, you silly beetle,” she said, and he laughed. They dropped down to their sides, still holding each other, and whispered and tittered at each other.

The apple pie cooled as the moon crept towards the horizon, but the couple continued to hold each other, falling asleep, content with love alone.