[DISC.] [PiE/REQUEST] A shimmer of hope [24/09]

>The crackling sound of gravel shifting underneath your sneakers bounced of the trees lining the path you were jogging across.

>Dew still hung low, forming a thick blanket of moisture and you were already soaked to the bone from running through it.

>Some people would call you crazy for running through the woods at this godforsaken hour of the morning.

>But they simply did not understand. Never would you find another place holding such allure.

>An unrestricted sense of tranquility hung in between these trees, the only interruption to the perfect silence being the occasional bird whistling his tune.

>In fact, they only aided to the perfect silence.

>Holding a steady pace, you maneuver between the trees trying to keep your breathing as stable and controlled as possible.

>You can let your mind wonder wherever you wish here. Not a single distraction. Not a single living soul around these parts for miles and miles to come.

>"Hhnnnnggg..."

>You come to a sudden halt and listen intently to the sounds of the forest.

>Did you just hear something... moaning?

>Standing around with your ears perked, you search for any interruption of the noise you were so accustomed with.

>"Mmnnnn...hnnng..."

>There it was again! You were sure of it now.

>You venture off the path and step towards the source of the noise.

>It took you a while before you found anything as the moaning had halted as soon as you stepped off the path but then you saw it...

>There, in a clearing, lied a small pony.

>You rub your eyes to make sure you were seeing this right.

>Her coat was of an orange hue...

>Maybe this was a prank from some kids and they had spray painted the poor animal's fur...

>Then again, you were pretty sure there was no ranch around these parts.

 

>Carefully, you walk over to the equine who appeared to be sleeping.

>Once you were close enough, you crouched down and softly ran a hand through her coat.

>She whimpered and shivered in reply. The poor thing must've gotten hurt.

>A little distance away, you saw a beaten-up Stetson laying in a bush, partially obscured by some leaves resting on top of it.

>You walk over to it, pick it up and brush the dirt off.

>Did this belong to her owner? Did he just leave her here?

>You knew this wasn't your responsibility and nobody would be any wiser if you just left now...

>But looking down on the poor creature, you know you couldn't do that.

>So instead, you walk over to her and try to nudge her awake.

"Hey there, little lady. Come on, it's time to wake up now."

>She groans in reply at your attempts to get her to stand up.

>You didn't know horses could make such noises.

>Her reaction probably meant that she's hurt pretty badly.

>Maybe she was sick. Maybe that's why her owner left her here.

>Was she dying?

>You softly brush your fingers through her mane.

"Don't you worry now, small one. It'll all be fine, I promise."

>Or so you say...

>What were you supposed to do?

>You couldn't pick her up and take her home with you.

>Or could you? She is pretty small after all...

>Maybe she wouldn't be that heavy.

>You wrap your arms around her middle and try to stand up.

>You had to halt yourself not to jump.

>Wow, this thing hardly weighed anything.

>Was she malnourished too?

>You'd need to take care of her as quickly as possible.

>For a reason you couldn't quite think off, you put the Stetson on your own head and begin running towards your own home, the little equine resting against your chest as you do so.

 

>Dripping with sweat, you arrive at your own house again.

>You unlock the door and take her inside.

>Now what...

>You come to the conclusion that you hadn't thought this through very much.

>Your knowledge on horses or animals in general for that matter was rather limited.

>And you did live very secluded. Driving her to the nearest vet would take you at least several hours.

>Looking down on her, you noted how dirty her coat was, stained with resin from the trees in several places, making her coat stick together in dark patches.

>Washing her couldn't hurt her much, could it?

>It was then you noted just how badly your clothes stuck to you from the cold sweat.

>Okay, so you both needed a wash-up.

>This poor thing was small enough, you could take it in the shower with you.

>You could even try if that spray-paint would come off with some soap.

>Having formed at least a temporary plan of action, you set out towards the bathroom.

 

>You spread several towels over the floor and softly lie down the little pony on them.

>Stripped down to your boxers, you turn on the faucet and wait for the water to heat to a pleasant temperature.

>Pleased with the final temperature of the water pouring down, you pick the injured mare back up and holding her in your arms, you step under the flow.

>You already said your knowledge on animals was rather restricted. Now, you'd see just how right you were in saying that.

>As it turns out, this particular mare didn't really enjoy being submerged in a stream of hot water.

>The second the water made contact with her coat, she regained consciousness and made her disapproval very clear by shattering your glass shower doors with a swift kick of her hindlegs.

>A loud *CLANG* resounded throughout your bathroom when her hooves crashed through the glass door.

 

"Goddamnit!" you shout, both startled by her sudden awakening as well as the noise of the glass breaking apart.

>Before you could curse any other deities however, you were interrupted by someone else.

>"AH! Mah leg!" a female voice, laced with a heavy accent, shouted out in a mixture of panic and pain.

>You nearly dropped her when you heard that, but considering the fact that her leg was still sticking through the half broken glass door that definitely wouldn't have helped.

"Did you just talk ?!"

>Nice job, Anon. You're talking to a horse.

>That's not a major sign of insanity or anything.

>The mare turns her head towards you, only just then realizing something was holding her up before she began shouting.

>"AAAAAH!" Let me go! Letmegoletmegoletmego!"

"Alright, alright, calm down! I need to get your leg out of there first."

 

>Great. Now, not only were you trying to talk to a horse, you were actually trying to reason with it.

>Maybe they had some pills for that or something...

>Although your sanity would just have to be patient for a minute, you still needed to get that pony out of your shower door first.

"Okay, just keep your leg still now and I'll try to pull it back through."

>She just nods, worry and fear now very clear on her face.

>You gently step back, trying to avoid her leg getting hurt any farther.

>After a short while, you had freed her from the hole but there were still several large shards of glass embedded in her leg.

>You take her out of the shower and lie her down on the towels on her side, making sure her injured leg was resting completely freely.

 

"Okay, just stay calm for a moment. I'm going to get a first-aid kit, alright?"

>You were just acting on impulse now. If somebody got hurt, you'd need a first-aid kit.

>Even if that somebody was a little talking pony.

>You'd try to make sense out of that later.

>You hastily retrieve the first-aid kit out of a cabinet and rush back to the bathroom.

>She was still lying down on the towels, although a large part of them was stained red from the blood coming from her leg.

>Quickly, you open up the first-aid kit and take out the tweezers.

"This is going to hurt a bit but we need to take all the pieces of glass out before I can bandage you up, okay?"

>A weak nod is all you get in reply.

>You began plucking out the largest fractures first, earning you a muffled yelp every now and then.

>After several minutes of what had to be torture to her, you can't spot any remainders of her confrontation with your sanitary infrastructure.

>Next, you take out the antiseptic wipes and as gently as you can, you begin to dab around her injuries.

>Luckily, the bleeding had stopped by now so you could properly clean the open wounds.

>Lastly, you take out the bandage and wrap it around her leg and secure it in place.

"There, that ought to hold you over."

>You look back at the mare and see that her eyes are closed.

>Panic struck you for a moment but when you see her chest rhythmically moving up and down, a wave of relief washes over you.

>She must have just passed out.

>For the umpteenth time of the day, you pick up the little mare and bring her to your living room.

>You lay her down on the couch before walking back to your bedroom.

>About fifteen minutes later, you are dressed and the mess in the bathroom is all taken care off.

>You stand in front of the couch and look down on the softly snoring pony lying there.

>You crouch down to bring yourself eye-to-eye with her.

>As you softly stroke trough her mane, you mutter to yourself, "What have I gotten myself into this time?"

 

 

                                                *******

 

 

>Deciding that it's best to let the mare have her rest, you set out for the kitchen to make some coffee.

>A short while later, you are sitting at the table with the newspaper of the day and a cup of freshly made coffee, wafting its alluring aroma throughout the room.

>Taking a sip from the life-giving nectar, you glance over the articles lining the front page.

>You quickly find yourself unable to focus on any of the writing however.

>Your mind keeps turning back to the little pony sleeping in your living room.

>A small talking horse...

>The absurdity of the situation just baffled you.

>What were you supposed to do now?

>Call the authorities?

>'Hello, my name is Anonymous and I would like to report a small, talking equine that I've found in a forest...'

>Yeah, that might not be the best idea.

>Breaking your head over what to do with this situation, you completely lose any and all track of time.

 

>A fit of coughing coming from the living room rouses you from the blurry train of thought you were lost on.

>You get up and walk back to the living room to see the pony coming by.

>She coughs a few more times before she wearily looks up at you.

"Are you feeling okay?"

>She weakly nods before responding. "Mah leg hurts and Ah've got a bit of a headache but Ah'll be fine..."

"That's good to hear. My name's Anonymous, by the way."

>"Ah'm Applejack. Thanks for lapping me up, Anonymous."

"Just Anon is fine."

>"Okay then, Anon, can Ah ask ya something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

>"W-what are you? And where am I?" she asks with a wavering voice.

>So, she was just as clueless as you were, it seems.

"I'm a human and you're in my house right now."

>"Ah... Ah don't recognize any of this. What part of Equestria is this?"

>Equestria? What was she on about?

"Uhm, I don't know where this Equestria-place is, I'm afraid...  You're on Earth right now. You know that, right?"

>"Earth... Ah've never heard of that place before. Where on Equis is that?"

>Now it was your turn to be clueless.

"Equis? Doesn't ring a bell with me..."

"Can I ask you something, Applejack?"

>"Sure, and ya can call me AJ if ya want."

"Okay then, AJ. How come you can talk?"

>"What do ya mean by that?" she answers, almost as if you'd offended her.

"The ponies I know of don't really talk."

>You are met with silence on her end until she softly mutters to herself, "Ah think Ah'm far away from home..."

>...

 

>The better part of the afternoon is spent by the both of you covering each other in a barrage of questions about each other's worlds.

>"So, Ah'm no longer in Equestria, you're a human and there's no magic around these parts."

"Pretty much."

"And you're an earth pony coming from a planet ruled by two sisters who control the movement of the sun and the moon that's populated with unicorns, pegasi and magic."

>"Pretty much."

"Well... that's something you don't hear every day."

>"So..."

"So... Any idea on how you ended up here?"

>"Ah haven't got a clue. The last thing I remember is... uhm... the storm! Yeah, I remember running out in the storm because mah dog, Winona, got scared of the lightning and ran into the Everfree forest..."

>"Then there was this white flashing light and next thing I know, you're holding me under the shower.

>"Oh, uh... Sorry about kicking your door apart... Ah was a bit startled, is all."

"No, that's okay. Worse things could've happened, I suppose. Although, you probably won't be able to walk around on that leg for a while."

 

>For the first time of the day, the conversation halted and you were both left staring at each other, still partially in disbelief over the recent events.

>The rumbling of your stomach quickly disrupted the awkward silence and a quick glance at the clock informed you that it was well past your usual dinner time already.

"Would you like some dinner, AJ?"

>"That'd be mighty kind of you, Anon," she says, giving you an earnest nod.

>That left you wondering...

"Uhm... I don't mean to be rude, but what exactly is it that you usually eat?"

>"Let's see, there's hay and flowers and vegetables and fruits and... Ah think that about covers it..."

"Alright, I should be able to fix you up with something. Do you think you can walk to the kitchen on that leg?"

>Carefully, she gets off your coach and slowly lowers herself to the floor.

>She immediately lets out a sharp yelp as her wrapped leg touches on the cold, hard tiles.

>You rush over to her side to aid her.

>"Ah'm okay! Ah'm okay!" she quickly says before you could even reach her.

"Are you sure? I could carry you if your leg hurts too much..."

>"No, no. Ah'm fine, Anon. Really."

>You still weren't very convinced but it looked like she'd rather take care of it herself.

"Well, okay. Towards the kitchen then."

>Luckily, the distance between both rooms only consisted of a few feet...

>With each step she took, you could see Applejack bounce a little each time she rested herself on her leg, resulting in what seemed as a very painful limp as she followed you.

>You contemplated pushing the issue but decide against it.

>If she rather dealt with it her own way, that was her decision and you didn't want to set any bad blood between the both of you.

>As you start setting the table, she struggles to take a seat.

>You give her a gentle nudge, helping her up the chair.

"Looked like you could use a little help."

>"Y-yeah, thanks," she bashfully says, a rosy blush beginning to spread upon her cheeks.

>You didn't know why, but seeing her all flustered like that was one of the most endearing sights you had ever seen.

"Hey, look AJ. If you need help with anything, just ask, okay?"

>She nods in reply. "It's all just a bit much to take in, ah guess."

>You place a hand on her back in an attempt to comfort her somewhat.

"Try not to worry too much, okay? I'm sure we'll find a way to get you home."

>She seemed at least a bit more encouraged after that.

>Dinner is spent in silence. There is no doubt that you were both thinking of the same thing.

>Find her way home...

>You didn't even know where her home was.

>How were you supposed to help her?

>...

 

>As you were cleaning up the remnants of dinner, Applejack suddenly hops of her chair, still wincing slightly when she stands on all fours.

"Where are you going, AJ? Or do you need to use the restroom? It's down the ha―"

>"Ah think Ah should go now, Anon."

"What are you talking about?"

>"Ah appreciate that you took care off me and the free meal but Ah don't want to impose on you any more. You've been as kind to a stranger as anypony could've wished for."

"You can stay here, if you want to."

>"Ah appreciate the offer, Anon, but Ah've been enough trouble to you as is," she says as she limps out of the door.

>You quickly go after her.

"Applejack," you call out to her, causing her to turn around, "it's not safe outside. There's nothing but trees and forest around us for miles and miles on end..."

"And your leg still needs to be taken care off..."

 

"I don't mind you staying here at all, if that's what you think."

>"But Ah don't wan―"

"I want you to stay here for the night, okay? You can still leave tomorrow, if that's what you want but I don't want you going outside in the dark when you can barely walk."

>"Ah... Are you sure ah'm not bothering you?"

"AJ, I promise you that you're not bothering me in the slightest."

>"Well... if you got a bed to spare, ah'd be very thankful."

>For some reason, you couldn't suppress letting a smile spread on your features.

>She'd open up to you if you gave her some time.

"Let's show you your room then, huh?" you say, leading her through the hallway.

>Luckily enough, both bedrooms were on the first floor. You doubt she'd like it if you had to carry her to her bed every night.

>Wait...

>Every night? Were you already thinking about letting her stay with you?

>Although, you had to admit, it was nice to have somebody to talk to who didn't pity y―

>You clear your head of those thoughts.

>That was in the past and you best kept it there.

>Maybe, this was a new start for you.

 

>You open the door of the spare bedroom and let Applejack walk in first.

"Make yourself at home."

>She looks back at you and gives you a gentle smile.

>"Ah can't thank ya enough, Anon. I promise Ah'll make this up to you any way that Ah can."

"Don't you worry about repaying me. Just get some rest and take care off that leg, okay?"

>She hops in the bed and shifts herself under the blankets, making sure to keep her bandaged leg free of any weight.

"Goodnight, Applejack."

>"'Night, Anon."

>You close the door and head towards your own bedroom.

>After changing your clothes to some more suitable bedwear, you mimic Applejack's motions as you crawl under the covers.

>Exhausted by the past day's events, the comfort of sleep finds you quickly.

>Right before you leave the world of the waking, your lips curl into a small smile and you softly chuckle to yourself.

"What a day..."

 

 

                                                *******

 

>

BEEP

>Ugh, what was that...

BEEP

>...noise?

BEEP

>You groan as you warily blink your eyes a few times.

BEEP

>Stupid alarm clock, waking you up and what not.

BEEP

>You slap your hand on the mute-button.

"Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time," you mutter to the inanimate object.

>You sit up at the edge of your bed and rest your head in your hands, still tired despite an uninterrupted night's sleep.

>Your dreams had been pleasant. You remember running through a field and... something... red?

>Okay, maybe you didn't remember the entire dream but you remember it being a pleasant one.

>The headache that came with it however was less pleasant.

>You rub your temples in an attempt to ease the pounding sensation against your skull.

>Dragging yourself to the kitchen, you open the medicine cabinet and take out two aspirins.

>Gulping them down with some tap water, you glance over to the calendar hanging against the wall.

>You sigh deeply as you cross off the day.

>Mornings always were the worst time for you.

>In a way, it made sense.

>Morning was the dawn of a new day. A fresh start for so many things to co―

>You shake your head as you let out an irritated groan.

>You shouldn't be thinking like this.

>Things had been better than you could've asked for.

>You ought to be grateful rather than complaining.

 

>"E-everything okay, Anon?"

>The sudden interruption of your thinking startled you, although part of you was very glad to have some distraction.

"Of course, AJ. Did you sleep well?"

>"Like a rose."

"And the leg's doing better as well, I see..."

>She proudly takes a few steps forward.

>She still jumped a little when she put her hind leg down but the painful grimace that accompanied it the previous day was now nowhere to be seen.

>"It ain't perfect yet but at this rate Ah think Ah'll be up an' running again in a day or two."

>Her enthusiasm worked infectious and you couldn't help but give her a smile in return.

>Maybe you were imagining things but that headache suddenly seemed to become a lot more bearable as well.

"That's great to hear, AJ. Do you want some breakfast? I could make us some toast or something..."

>Now it was the freckled mare's turn to smile.

>"That'd be great, Anon."

>And just like the day before you found yourself enamored with her cuteness.

>It was so strange.

>In no way did she resemble a human but still...

>Her smile...

>Her freckles...

>Those emerald eyes...

>There was only one word that truly fitted her at moments like these.

>'Beautiful'

>You didn't even realize you were staring at her until something very abruptly disrupted your inner musings.

 

>"Hey, ya found mah hat!" Applejack enthusiastically shouts out as she quickly skips towards your kitchen countertop.

>She snatches the Stetson of it before she begins to... cuddle with it?

>"Oh, am Ah glad Ah didn't lose ya. Who's a pretty hat? Who is? You are. Yes, you are," she baby talks it before putting the beaten and worn-out hat on its rightful place.

"Uhm, AJ?" you decide to interrupt the rather disturbing reunion.

>She jerks her head towards you, only then realizing that she wasn't alone in the room.

>"Oh, uh... Ah..."

>A furious blush spread on her cheeks and you begin to doubt if you can handle this much cute at once.

>"T-this hat is special ta me. It used to be mah dad's and..."

>"...and it's all Ah've got left of him. Ah don't know what Ah'd do if Ah lost this..."

"Oh... I'm sorry. I should've told you sooner that I found it," you struggle to reply, taken aback by her sudden decision to share something so personal with you.

>"No. No, ya shouldn't be apologizing. Ya couldn't know that. Anon, ya don't know how happy ya made me with this. Ah can't thank ya enough. For everything."

>Before you could respond, you felt two hooves wrapping around your mid-section and as you looked down, you found Applejack tightly clinging to you in a heartfelt hug.

>You reach out a hand downwards and softly stroke her mane.

"Hey... I couldn't just leave you lying out there in the woods, now could I?

>She looks up at you, beaming that perfect smile at you once more.

>Deciding that the time for emotional bonding had gone on long enough, your stomach loudly rumbles, voicing its lack of content.

"So... About that breakfast, huh?" you chuckle.

>You didn't consider it possible but the smile on Applejack's face grew even larger.

 

>"Ya know... Ah can think of a way to properly thank ya..." she says, whilst licking her lips.

>

>Half an hour later, you sigh contentedly.

"Oh god, AJ..." you almost moan.

>

"Those apple-fritters must be the best thing I've ever eaten," you say, patting your stomach to further show your appreciation of the mare's cooking skills.

>"Thanks, Anon. It might not be much but Ah figure this is the least Ah can do for ya..."

"You got to teach me how to make these sometime, okay? I don't know how I've lived so long without these."

>A soft chuckle comes from behind the stove. "Well, don't ya worry none. There's plenty of cooking Ah haven't shown ya."

>You wipe the remnants of the meal of your lips with a napkin before you address the cook.

"If every morning starts like this one, you won't hear me complaining."

>Seeing that you both were done with breakfast, you begin gathering the plates and the cooking supplies.

"If you want to freshen up, feel free to use the shower. I'll take care off the clean-up here."

>"Are ya sure ya don't want me to help out?" she asks as she struggles a bit to get off the chair.

"No, it's fine. I got this," you reassure her.

>"Alright. Guess Ah should go apologize to yer shower then," she chuckles to herself.

"Oh... Right, I'd forgotten about that. Well, just use the bath then."

 

"First door on your left," you call out after her as she leaves the kitchen.

 

>Some time later, you have finished up the dishes and are properly dressed, instead of wandering around in your pajamas.

>You're just skimming through the newspaper of yesterday again when you suddenly remember you forgot your morning run.

>Oh well... You couldn't leave your guest unattended, now could you?

>It's not like you cared much for the run itself, it was just a good occasion to think about whatever would come to mind.

>But with these recent events, you were fairly convinced you'd be able to keep yourself occupied.

 

>"Whew, Ah really needed that. Thanks for letting me use yer bath, Anon."

>You lift your head from the newspaper and turn towards the doorframe.

"You really don't need thank me every time, AJ. It's f―"

>"Somethin' wrong, Anon?"

>Her question falls unto deaf man's ears however as you take in the sight in front of you.

>Her mane clung tightly against her body in long, wet strands making her appear as an entirely different mare.

>Her damp coat almost seemed to shimmer, the beads of moisture reflecting the light in an chromatic array of colors.

>The combination of her shining coat, those undeniably adorable sunburnt freckles, her new hairstyle and those pools of emerald that effortlessly sucked you in rendered you completely speechless.

>And once more that exact same word popped up in your mind

>'Beautiful'

 

>"Anon?" she asks again, a bit louder this time.

>It proved to be enough to get you out of your little daydream.

"Huh? What was that, AJ?"

>"Could you bandage mah leg up again? The old ones came loose in the bath..."

"Y-Yeah, of course. Let me go grab my stuff."

>

>A short while later, a new layer of white wrappings surrounded her hindleg, where the shards of glass had broken through.

>During the entire process, AJ had been nervously shifting around however.

>You had been sitting behind her, obscuring her face from your vision.

"Does your leg still hurt? I've got some painkillers, if you need them..." you ask as you get up after you'd properly fixated the bandages in place.

>Then you saw what her squirming was about as she flicked her head to the side.

>"Nah, mah leg's fine. It's mah mane. It keeps fallin' over mah eyes," she says, flicking her hair to the side again to further prove her point.

>"Mah little sis usually does mine and then Ah do hers. It's not easy for us earth-ponies to do it ourselves, ya know."

"AJ, I already told you... If you need help, you can just ask. This isn't any different. Just let me go get a brush, okay?"

>Before she can reply, you were already on your way to the bathroom.

>You pick up a brush as well as the ribbons she'd left laying on the edge of the tub.

>The clopping sound of hooves resonates through the hallway and AJ walks into the room.

>"Ah know ya said not to do it, but... T-thanks for helping me so much, Anon. And Ah'm sorry for causing ya so much trouble," she says dejectedly, hanging her head down in shame.

>You make your way to her side and crouch down.

>With one hand, you lift up her head and with the other, you brush her mane out of her face, revealing those beautiful emerald orbs once more.

>You give her a small smile before you speak up.

"Come on, AJ. Don't be like that. You're not causing me any troubles. I like having you around, okay?"

>"Really? Ya don't mind me kicking apart your furniture, eating yer food and wastin' yer time?" she says, still unconvinced.

"Hey," you force her to look at you again, "time I enjoy wasting isn't wasted, okay?"

>A small blush spreads upon her cheeks as she bashfully looks to the floor again, her lips unmistakably curled in a little smile this time.

>You sit down on the floor cross legged and pat the space in between your legs.

"Now, just relax for a while and let me take care off your mane."

>Not bothering to put up a fight, she trots towards you and rests herself in your lap.

>As she lies down in front of you, you begin combing her mane, carefully working out all knots and tangled ends.

>Once you were pleased with the result of your efforts, you take one of the red ribbons and tie the end of her golden locks together.

>Then you move towards her tail and repeat the brushing motions before tying the other ribbon in.

>You can't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of tying a ponytail into a ponytail.

 

>Applejack had her eyes closed the entire time and only responded by letting out a soft, contented sigh every once in a while.

>You softly nudge in the side, making her look up at you in response.

"All done," you say whilst stroking her neck. "Did you enjoy that?"

>You don't know why you were doing it, but just petting and comforting this mare in the most simple of ways that you could think off...

>It felt right.

>She simply nods. "Ah'd say 'thanks' but someone told me ya already heard enough of that..." She sticks out her tongue at you. "But still... Thanks, Anon."

>"At least now I can see where Ah'm walking again," she chuckles.

"I don't know..." you hesitantly reply. "You looked nice with your mane down too."

>"Yer just like mah friend Rarity. She's always bugging me about wearin' mah hair all fancy and frilly."

>"It's just easier to wear it like this for when Ah'm working on the farm."

 

"Oh... I didn't know you worked on a farm."

>"Ah sure do!" she enthusiastically shouts whilst jumping back up on her hooves, "Sweet Apple Acres! Bestest apples ya'll can find in Equestria!"

>But as enthusiastically as she was about the farm, just as quickly did her face fell into a sad frown.

"What's wrong, AJ?"

>"Anon, do ya think we'll find a way home soon?" she asks, uncertainty wavering through her voice.

>"Ah mean... Ah don't want to be rude. Ya've been far kinder to me than Ah could've hoped for and Ah'm really, really grateful for all ya've done for me. But Ah wanna go home to mah family."

>This time, it was you who pulled Applejack into a hug.

>It was the only thing you could think of to do in this situation.

 

"I don't know, AJ. But I'm sure we'll think of something," you softly say whilst caressing her mane.

 

 

 

                                                *******

 

 

>Day four on Earth.

>For the past two days, both you and Applejack had spent the majority of the time trying to figure out how she ended up here in the first place.

>But apart from a drawing depicting the lay-out of Equestria, you didn't have anything to show for it.

>Yeah...

>Interplanetary travel definitely isn't your forte.

>After her little breakdown two days ago she hadn't brought her home up again.

>Maybe this was her way of dealing with things.

>You weren't going to interfere with it...

>Everybody coped with loss in their own way.

>That's a lesson nobody would have to teach you.

 

>At least there was an upside to all of this.

>Her leg had now healed pretty much completely.

>The wounds were still visible, her coat had yet to start regrowing in the places were she got cut but she was able to walk around again.

>And today, you were going to treat her to a surprise.

>When you'd woken up this morning, you'd been pleased to see that the sun was brightly shining.

>Neither you nor Applejack had left the house for the past few days.

>A nice walk outside ought to do the both of you some good.

>Luckily, you lived secluded enough that you didn't have to worry about being seen with a bright orange pony wearing a stetson.

>But still, you'd rather play it safe so you decided to go for a picnick in the woods.

>You were just finishing packing the supplies when Applejack walked into the kitchen as well.

>"Hey there, partner," she spoke in that southern drawl you'd come to appreciate so dearly.

"Hey AJ, how's the leg doing?"

>"Fine as a fiddle, sugarcube."

>Sugarcube...

>She'd start calling you that after you comforted her that second morning and you definitely didn't intend to stop her from doing so.

 

>You deeply regretted that you'd never be able to see where she came from.

>It just sounded like such a lovely place if you were to judge by Applejack's stories.

>One of those small communities where everybody knows everybody and where you'll never knock on a stranger's door.

>But being melancholic and wallowing in self-pity wasn't going to help Applejack find her home.

>You really had no idea how you were going to do so, but she kept saying that her friends would find her.

>She spoke of them with such enthusiasm...

>When she said that they'd find her, there was not an instance of doubt in her voice.

>Her enthusiasm worked so infectious that you were truly convinced of that as well.

 

>But today was not a day for worrying.

>Today would be the kind of day for a nice picnick spent with a friend.

>You placed the carefully wrapped gift in the basket before returning your attention towards AJ again.

 

"Guess you wouldn't mind a walk then, would you?"

>"A walk? Where are we going?" she asks you, her head comically cocked to the side in confusion.

"Oh, you'll see..."

 

>A little while later, you're venturing through the forest along the path you had grown familiar with during your runs.

>"Guess ya were right, Anon. It's nice to be out again," Applejack suddenly speaks up, making quite the show of stretching her legs out.

"I figured we could―"

>A sharp pang of pain strikes your chest and for a moment, your breath stocks in your throat refusing to leave.

"... both use some fresh air," you groan out.

>Your vision becomes blurry for a bit and you have to stop against a tree to catch your breath.

>"Anon? What's wrong?" she asks, rushing to your side.

 

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong."

>You push yourself upright again.

>"Yer lookin' a bit pale, Anon. Don't you think w―"

"I'm fine, AJ," you quickly butt in.

>"Ya sure, Anon? We can go back to the house if yer not feeling well..."

"No, I'm just a bit light-headed is all. We're almost there anyway."

>Despite every muscle in your body screaming at you not to, you begin walking once more.

 

>The trees lining the path began to thin out and soon, you had arrived at your destination.

>For no reason whatsoever, a section easily twice the size of your house had been completely cleared of trees.

>The lack of overhanging foliage made it very easy for the sun to bask this area in its pleasant warmth.

>This was the place where you'd usually take a breather when you were on one of your runs.

>And this place was so deep into the forest that you were absolutely certain that no one would interrupt you here.

>Maybe you were looking far too much into it, or maybe you were just becoming a bit sentimental but sights like these had earned themselves a place in your heart over time.

>To others, this was just a place in the forest like any other.

>But to you, this place held memories. Stupid little stuff. The stuff that no one but you could care about.

 

>You set the basket down and take in your surroundings.

 

>You recall coming to rest here one particular morning and sitting down in the grass.

>The dew soaking through your pants, the sensation of the cold moisture lightly touching your skin sending shivers over your back.

>A small, yellow bird flying to and fro, all the while whistling his tune, alerting others of his presence.

>You took a sip of water from the bottle you'd brought and simply sat there, watching the little bird flying from one branch to another.

>Maybe it knew you were watching and tried to put on a show for you, displaying its prowess to the fullest.

>Or maybe, it was blissfully unaware of your presence.

>You did not know, nor would you ever. It wasn't like it mattered.

>You sat there, letting nature display its beauty for you and you smiled.

>Simply smiling, content with these little moments in life.

>They were all you'd get and you grasped them to the fullest.

>When the sun rose above the treetops and shone down on you, you knew the moment had passed.

>You got back to your feet and ran home again with a bounce in your step that hadn't been there when you first came.

>It wasn't much but you desperately clung on what you got.

 

>Those times were in the past, though.

>Reduced to nothing but memories waiting to fade away.

>That smile that had adorned your face that faithful morning now painfully absent to you for so long.

>You were so hopeful in those times. So foolishly hopef―

 

>"Ya sure yer okay, Anon?" Applejack's voice sounds, bringing you back out of your inner monologue.

>She walks up to you and places one of her hooves on your side, making you look down on her.

"Just... thinking about the past, AJ. Nothing you should concern yourself with," you reply.

 

>The way she looked up at you, worry so clear on her face...

>She shouldn't look like that. It looked so wrong to see her without that shimmer in her eyes.

>You smile at her and run your fingers through her mane.

"That's stuff from the past. Things are different now."

 

>You look back to see that Applejack had already unpacked the basket's content.

>How long had you been standing here staring at nothing?

"Well, what are we standing around for? I don't know about you but I could eat a horse..."

>You sit down on the blanket that had been spread to see that Applejack was still standing where you left her.

>She looks at you in shock.

"It's an expression!" you quickly chime in.

"It means I'm hungry. Relax, I'm not going to eat you."

>"Ya better not. Ya've seen what Ah did to yer shower," she chuckles as she takes a seat next to you.

 

>"Alright, so what's for lunch then?" she asks, greedily licking her lips in anticipation.

"Well, I can't promise you if it's any good but..."

>You take your carefully wrapped gift out of the basket.

"...I figured I could give the whole cooking thing a go."

>You tear off the tinfoil, revealing your attempt at an apple pie.

 

>Well... technically this was your third attempt but she didn't have to know about that.

 

>She wraps her hooves around your mid-section and squeezes you tightly.

>"Ya shouldn't have, Anon."

>She releases you from her death-grip and takes a deep whiff of the pastry.

>You tentatively rub your sides. Damn, she packed a lot muscle in those legs of her.

>"Smells great."

"Well then," you retrieve a knife out of the basket, "no point in sitting around and looking at it..."

>You cut it into four and scoop out a piece on a plate handing it to Applejack, before doing the same for you.

>Waiting to eat your own, you look to your side to see Applejack taking her first bite.

>You sit there, looking at her chew, anticipation building up inside of you.

"Well? Let me have it. How bad is it?"

>Applejack looks at you, then grins widely before burying her muzzle in the remainder of the piece on her plate.

>"There," she looks back at you with a muzzle dripping with applesauce.

>She licks her lips once more, comically failing to clean herself.

>"Does that answer yer question?"

"Phew," you mockingly wipe your brow, "the judge allows it."

>Applejack pokes you in the side, "Only if Ah can get another."

>

 

>With your needs sated, you fall back and contently lie on your back, patting your stomach as you let out a relieved sigh.

>Applejack soon follows in your lead and lies herself down at your waist.

>Your hand instinctively finds its way towards Applejack again and you mindlessly begin stroking through her mane.

>These simple, repetitive motions helped the both of you relax deeply as you lie there, watching the clouds overhead drift past.

>Applejack brings one of her hooves up, pointing towards the sky.

>"Look, that one looks like a boat."

>Your eyes follow the direction she's pointing at.

"Which one? I don't see a boat anywhere."

>She takes your hand and lifts it upward.

>"There, that one. See? Those are the sails," she moves your hand ever so slightly to the left, "and that's the boat itself."

"Oh yeah, that's a boat, alright," you softly chuckle as your hand comes down again and begins to stroke through Applejack's coat again.

>Nothing is said between the two of you for a long time, yet the silence isn't uncomfortable.

>Just two friends enjoying each other's company.

>You feel something stirring beside you and for the first time in what must be hours, your hands breaks contact with Applejack's warm, soft coat.

>You turn your head to your side to see Applejack looking at you.

>Before you can ask what's wrong, she wraps her hooves around you again, partially lying on top of you.

>"Thanks for bringing me out today, Anon. Ah really needed this."

>You place your hand at the back of her neck and slowly let your fingers glide through those strands of golden.

"Hey..."

>A smile you hadn't shared with anyone in a long time made its way onto your visage.

"What are friends for?"

 

 

                                                *******

                                                       

                                                       

>Day five on Earth.

>Jerking your eyes open, you bolt upright.

>Nothing but darkness surrounds you.

>Your heart threatens to pound through your chest, your breathing erratic and rushed.

>You sit there in the dark, waiting for your eyes to come to terms with the lack of illumination.

>If only that would be the only bodily function to refuse labor...

>Your head is swimming, your lungs forcibly clinging to what little air they could get, ...

>Your entire body is stinging in pain, as if an electric current was flowing right underneath your skin.

>After a few moments, your eyes have adjusted to the dark, despite your breathing still being labored and panicked.

>The outlines of your bedroom begin to make themselves clear.

>A dream.

>It was a just a dream.

>You let yourself fall back onto your mattress.

>A shiver rolls over your back as your back meets the puddle of sweat that had soaked into your mattress over the course of the night.

>Your chest continues to rise and fall frenetic and you can't repress the urge to shudder.

>'Horrible' would be the only word to even remotely describe how you feel right now.

>Glancing over at your alarm clock, you discern that it's still the middle of the night.

>Focusing on lowering your respiration, you slowly begin to slip back into a dreamless sleep.

 

>The second time you awake, it is due to the familiar beeping noise.

>Those few extra hours of sleep you'd gotten didn't really help much.

>Your headache was worse then ever.

>You don't know whether it's even possible, but you're fairly certain you can actually feel your brain pulsating and scraping against your skull.

>Throwing the blankets of you proves to be quite a challenge as they stick to you, coated in your sweat; a dark, damp spot signaling where you'd lied.

>You get up out of the bed but immediately are forced to sit back down on the edge again.

>Your vision swam, your body telling you that you'd gotten up far too fast to its liking.

>Taking a couple of deep breaths, you stand up again.

>Okay, that seemed to have done the trick for now.

>You drag yourself to the kitchen, once more reaching out towards the medicine cabinet.

>With several large gulps of water, you pop back two aspirins.

>Leaning against the counter, you wait for the pain to subdue.

>In the hallway, you hear the soft clopping of hooves making its way towards you.

>You quickly prop yourself upright again, right in time before the door swings open.

>"Well, Ah'll be... Didn't hear you get up, Anon. Ah was gonna surprise you with some breakfast on bed," Applejack says, kicking a hoof in the metaphorical dirt to signal her disappointment.

"Breakfast on bed?" you chuckle. "When did we get married?"

>"Hey," she says, bumping into your side, "what are friends for?"

>She gives you a sly grin and you can't help but give her a smile in return.

"All right, you got me there..."

>"Well, it won't be much of a surprise now but Ah can still make you some breakfast, if you want?"

>At the mention of food alone, your stomach already turns and a wave of nausea rolls over you.

"I appreciate the offer, AJ, but I'm not really hungry..."

>She looks at you with an expression you can't quite read.

>Her eyes seem to stare right through you and beads of cold sweat begin to show on your visage.

>"Ya sure yer okay, Anon?"

>Ruffling through her mane, you do your best to give her a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, AJ. I'm just not very hungry right now."

"I'm going to take a bath, okay?" you say as you quickly make your way out of the kitchen.

>If she actually responded to that, you didn't catch it.

>The only thing that was on your mind was to get to the toilet right now.

>Your midsection contracted and you knew you had to hurry, lest you wanted to spend the rest of the day cleaning up the hallway.

>Slamming open the door, you hang yourself over the ceramic throne, right in time to throw up like you hadn't done since your college days.

>Wave after wave of bile escapes your mouth.

>After having discarded your stomach's contents, you remain hunched over the toilet for a while, still dry heaving every once in a while.

>Eventually, your nausea dissipates and after flushing several times, hoping to get rid of the foul stench, you walk over to the lavatory.

>Opening the faucet, you rinse your mouth and slap some water on your face.

>The cold sensation on your skin does you much good and you note that your headache seems to have subdued as well.

>You should probably check the expiration date on those aspirins later today.

>Feeling at least human again, you head towards the bathroom and start preparing a nice, warm bath.

>

 

>You don't know how long you'd lied soaking in that tub, nor did you care.

>Your headache was nearly completely gone and you finally felt fit enough to eat a bit again.

>After drying yourself off and getting dressed, you head back towards the kitchen.

>A sweet smelling sensation wafts through the room as a remainder of the breakfast you'd missed.

>"There ya are, Ah thought ya'd drowned in there."

>Looking to your side, you see AJ standing in the doorway connecting the kitchen with the living room.

>A quick glance at the clock tells you that you spent nearly two hours in the bath.

"Must've lost track of time... Is there still something to eat?"

>"Mhhmmm." She nods. "There's some oats left on the stove."

>Sure enough, on your stove stood the source of the smell you'd noticed earlier.

>Lifting the lid, the fragrance only intensifies.

>Apples and...

>Wafting the aroma towards you, you take note of a subtle undertone.

"Did you put cinnamon in this?" you ask, turning back to look at her.

>"Sure did," she grins at you. "Granny's special ingredient."

>Her face falls a bit at the mention of her grandmother but she perks up again so quickly that you hardly noticed.

>"Go on, try some!"

>After having scooped some in a bowl, you take a seat at the table and smell it again.

>If it smelled this good, it couldn't possibly taste bad.

>Lifting a spoon into your mouth, you savor the flavor.

>Sweet, but without being overly sticky. The small parts of apple that were added gave a nice crunch to the otherwise somewhat bland texture of the food.

>The cinnamon was there without being overbearing and gave the entirety of it all a subtle hint of caramel.

"This is great, AJ," you compliment through a smile.

>You continue eating the somewhat tardy breakfast at a slow pace, it'd be a waste not to enjoy this to the fullest.

"So," you say, looking up in between two bites, "what have you been up to?"

>Rather than replying, she just deviously grins at you.

"What?" you ask dumbfounded, mouth still filled with a spoonful of oats.

>She hops of her chair and trots into the living room again.

"AJ?" you call out after her, left in confusion.

>She returns quickly, carrying something in her mouth.

>Was that?

>Oh no...

>"Anon, Ah don't know much about human foals but Ah know one thing fer sure..."

>With a flick of her hoof, the picture book falls open.

>"...Yer the most adorable little fella' that Ah've ever seen."

>Looking over at the page she opened, you see that she's been looking through the pictures of when you were little.

>"Ah didn't know ya'll had a boat, Anon," she giggles, pointing to a picture of you completely dressed up as a pirate, fake parrot taped to your shoulder and all.

>You frown at her, which causes her to burst out laughing.

>And if you were entirely honest...

>Okay, you looked totally ridiculous.

>You burst out laughing as well, looking at pictures of yourself that you've completely forgotten that existed.

>Applejack flicks to the next page which contained pictures of a birthday party of yours.

>You try your hardest but you can't remember which one it was.

>Going by the pictures you probably were around ten or so.

>The pages after those were of you and your friends from school.

>Some pictures remind you of things you'd done that you'd completely forgotten about.

>With a nostalgic smile on your face, you begin reminiscing and tell Applejack of all the pranks you pulled when you were younger, of all the times your parents grounded you for sneaking out at night, of the nights spent on your rooftop looking at the stars...

>The next page contains far fewer pictures than the previous one.

>The largest one, centered on the right page, contains you in a black suit and bowtie, accompanied by a girl with blonde hair, wearing a lime-green dress.

>"Ah didn't know ya had a special someone, Anon?" Applejack asks you, an attentive look etched on her face.

>You just softly chuckle.

"I was sixteen in that picture, AJ. That's a bit too young to be thinking about stuff like that."

"Her and I dated a couple of weeks but I was a bit too childish for her."

"Well... I probably still am." You flash her a grin.

>This time, you take matters into your own hands and turn to the next page.

>Upon seeing the picture that took up almost the entire left page you were filled with an odd mixture of pride and regret.

>It's a picture of you, once again wearing a black suit, though this time accompanied with a regular tie, as well as a black square cap on your head.

>In your hand, a rolled-up piece of paper, tied together with a red ribbon.

>Your graduation.

 

>On your left, a man whose hand rested on your shoulder.

>His grey mustache and ever so slightly fading hairline gave away his age, though the prideful smile he was beaming made that disappear into nothing.

>On your right, a woman who had hooked her arm around yours.

>In her left hand, she clutched a tissue. She'd been crying; so proud of your achievements.

>Looking at the picture, you remember the moment as if you were standing there right now.

>Your classmates, the speech, the party that came after...

>It was the end of a chapter in your life and the beginning of a new one.

>"Are those yer parents, Anon?"

>And once more, you thank Applejack inwardly from stopping you from delving into your mind and your memories again.

"Mhmmm," you softly hum in reply.

>A small nod was added, but that was all she got for an answer.

>"What's that picture about, Anon?" she follows up.

"It's my graduation. It's... It's a sort of party for when you finish school."

>"Oh. Can't say Ah've ever heard of anything like that in Equestria..."

>Silence descends in the room, though you don't really take notice of it.

>Your attention is drawn towards the picture.

 

>"Anon?"

>You look sideways to see Applejack staring at you with that same expression she'd donned this morning.

>"Why are the rest of the pages of this book torn out?"

>You just look at the picture again as you softly sigh.

>Things after that hadn't been going the best.

>Granted, you didn't deal with the situation very well either.

>Those two combined hadn't done you a lot of good.

"I've..." you begin.

>You contemplate all the possible ways you could tell this.

>But why would you? You'd promised yourself to do this alone.

>She didn't have to get involved, did she?

"That picture is the last time my parents and I really got along..."

>You weren't lying when you said that.

>You just weren't really telling the truth either.

>"Ah'm sorry to hear that," she mutters softly. "Ah-  Ah've never met my own parents..."

>That got you to finally look up from the picture again.

>"But my granny and my brother have always been there for me when Ah needed 'em..."

>Her expression had shifted completely now.

>Rather than questioning you, she looked at you with a look that simultaneously carried hope and regret.

>Her eyes, though teary, shimmered as you looked at her and her features told you a story soft-spoken.

>"Anon... Your family's one of the most important things in life there is."

>"And Ah don't know what happened between you and your parents but..."

 

>"Don't give up on them. Ah know Ah'd give anything in the world to see my parents just once..."

>"Ah wouldn't want you to have to go through the same."

>Unable to hold back her regret any longer, tears rolled freely down her cheeks.

>You'd always seen Applejack as someone strong, capable of taking care of their own.

>But seeing her openly weep like this rendered you speechless.

>If someone like her could be reduced to this without the guidance of her parents, then what chance did you stand?

 

>There wouldn't be words to comfort her.

>Nothing what you could say would ever heal her wounds.

>So you did the only thing you could offer her.

>Leaning down, you let her head come to rest on your shoulder.

>No longer restricting yourself from reliving the past, you let your hurt show too.

 

>It had to be an odd sight to spectators.

>A grown man and a little pony, tightly hugging each other as they cried of their losses.

>But in that moment, neither of them could wish for anything more.

>A kind soul, willing to listen and aid those who need help, yet failing to see his own needs.

>A lost traveler, with stories of the past, stories of adventure, stories of friends and most of all, stories of hope.

>Time seemingly came to a halt.

>All that registered was the comfort brought forth by the warmth of the embrace.

>But as with all things good, they must come to end, often sooner than wanted.

 

>Breaking the embrace, your bring your hands on either side of her face, wiping away her tears with your thumbs.

"You're right," you say, looking her deep in the eyes. "I just need to be honest. With them and with myself."

>Softly stroking through her mane with one hand, she begins to smile at you.

>Despite her bloodshot eyes, despite the snot running down her nose, despite the fact that she didn't even belong to your species...

>She was the most beautiful thing you'd ever met.

"I made some bad decisions in the past... but it's not to late to fix them."

"I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for this."

>For the first time since you'd broken the embrace, she spoke up.

>"You just needed a friend to help you. We all need a friend sometimes..."

>"You're not the first one who needed to learn that."

 

 

                                                *******

 

 

>Once more, you find yourself walking towards the forest.

>When you were in dire need for some peace of mind, you'd always come here.

>You decide against actually entering it though.

>The answers you were looking for weren't hiding in there.

>Instead, you just walk up and down the road for a while, trying to collect your thoughts somewhat.

>After your talk with Applejack you needed a moment to collect yourself again.

>Some fresh air to clear your head.

>She'd certainly shed a different light on the matters at hand. For which you felt grateful.

>Apparently getting a view on things from an outsider's perspective was something that you needed more than you realized.

>It just taken you quite some time to find the right outsider willing to do so.

 

>You're having a lot of trouble sorting out the thoughts whirring through your mind.

>After what she told you, you were contemplating what to do next.

>If she was going to stay with you for much longer, she'd find out eventually.

>Time was running short, there was no point in denying that.

>You were beginning to feel it. Not that you had reason to complain.

>It certainly took you long enough.

>A smirk faintly caresses your face at the rather macabre thought.

>Maybe it'd be best to tell her. It probably was.

>Though you were certain it would invoke nothing but panic and dread in her.

>And that's something you wanted to spare her from.

 

>Despite the fact that you've only known each other for such a short amount of time, you grew really fond of her.

>Whenever you looked at her, there was something that made it almost painful to look away.

>Everything she was just seemed so out of place on this world.

>She embodied all things you'd forgotten about in your solitude.

>Why you of all people had to find her remained a mystery. One to which you didn't really wanted to know the answer anyway.

>You were just really grateful that you did find her. Knowing what might have happened to her if you'd left her there...

>Shaking your head, your clear your mind of those thoughts.

>That's something you really didn't need to worry yourself with.

>The fact that nearly all your time awake was spent in her presence probably played a role in that.

>It's odd how deep your ties with her had become.

>Maybe it was because she wasn't like any other person you'd ever met, or the fact that she wasn't even a proper 'person' to begin with, but you just felt secure in telling her almost anything.

>And she seemed to share the same sentiment.

>She spoke so warm of her friends and family. Of the world she came from and of the adventures she'd lived through.

>Some of it was so hard to grasp. 'Unbelievable' didn't even came near to describe the tales she told.

>Then you were reminded of the fact that you were listening to an alien species, bearing much resemblance with nothing more than a mere animal on your own world.

>The borders of the impossible have already been broken, her tales were no exception to that.

 

>But she was so much more than that.

>Anyone who talked to her even for the briefest of moments would see what a kind and caring person she was.

>An honest spirit with her heart on her tongue.

>She'd spare no effort to go out of her ways to help a stranger.

>A rock for others to lean upon. Someone with a clear voice who'd always have some words of wisdom to share to anyone caring for them.

>Simply, a friend.

 

>You were glad —no, honored— that you could call her that.

>Whether you deserved that privilege or not was something entirely different.

>But she called you her friend and you gladly returned that commitment.

>And so, you felt conflicted.

>Knowing that what troubled your mind would hurt her.

>Then why would you intentionally put her trough that?

 

>Huh...

>Your line of thought becomes broken as a sudden realization makes its way to your attention.

>You hadn't really looked at this from her point of view much, come to think of it.

>But now that you do, the understanding that you were the only one she had in this place to fall back on quickly sets in.

>It'd only be fair.

>The solution seems so simple, yet you remain indecisive on the matter. Your mind says one thing, your heart another.

>Both of them had their righteous arguments, but you'd had to pick one of them eventually.

>After much nervous pacing around, you come to the conclusion that there was only one proper way of dealing with this.

>Reaching in your pocket, you grab a coin.

>Okay. Heads, truth; tails, ...lie.

>Looking down on your hand, it was almost as if that coin was made out of lead all of a sudden.

>The rules were so simple, yet the consequences instill a paralyzing sense of angst within you.

>You can't suppress this nervous feeling rising in your chest.

>The pounding of your heart sounded in your ears.

>Grasping the coin in your fist, you grip it tightly to the point where your knuckles begin to become pale.

>Your hands began shaking as doubt crept up on you again.

>Was this—

>No!

>You needed to do this.

>For her. For yourself.

>You promised her you would.

>There is no point in putting it off any longer.

 

>And so, with a flick of your thumb, the coin goes sailing upwards, carrying with it the course of your future.

>Twirling, it went up. Farther up. Even farther.

>The sun reflects of the brightly polished piece of silver as it seemed to remain suspended in a fleeting moment.

>Until its apex was reached and it began its descend.

>It came tumbling down, landing safely in the palm of your hand.

>But you didn't look at how it landed...

>Instead, you stared into the distance, the coin still laying secure in the palm of your hand.

 

>In a way, you were doing the same thing you'd always been doing.

>If you flipped a coin, you couldn't be blamed for the outcome, right?

>You could brush it off as coincidence.

>Like it wasn't your responsibility.

>Though, if you were honest, this was just another attempt of you to run away from it all.

>And you said you were going to be honest. You promised her.

>Looking down, you see the coin has landed tails-side up.

>Pocketing it again, you begin marching back home.

>You'd tell her.

>Tomorrow.

>You just wanted one more day together as friends.

>That little bit of selfishness is something you'd allow yourself to partake in just this one more time.

 

 

>After having taken off your shoes, you enter the hallway and make your way towards the living room again.

>As you were expecting, Applejack was still going through the various picture books you kept in the ambry.

"See anything you like?" you break the calm of the room.

>Looking up, she gives you an apologetic smile. "You don't mind, do ya?"

>Smiling in return, you take a seat next to her.

"Of course not. Though, you'll have to do one thing for me if you want to keep looking in them."

>"And what might that be?" the freckled mare asks with a coy smile.

"I want one of us," you say, giving a small nod to the picture book. "You know, something to remember this by."

>A soft chuckle is what is sent your way. "Why? Afraid you're gonna forget the alien in yer house?"

"Those are my terms. They are nonnegotiable, I'm afraid," you reply with a grin spread on your face as you force back a mild snicker.

>"Sure, it's the least Ah can do for ya."

>Leaving your seat, you rustle up her mane as you pass her by.

>"Hey, cut that out!"

>She shakes her head in an attempt to stop you from messing up her hair even further, before glaring at you with a look that could kill. From diabetes.

"Oh my, want to look pretty for the camera, do you now?"

>A deep red blush makes its way onto her cheeks and she looks at the floor, too embarrassed to even try to retort.

>Now, you can't help but let out that snicker you were repressing earlier.

>It was just too much fun to rile her up like that.

>Rummaging through the ambry, you begin the search for your camera.

>Half of the things that were laying in there were almost foreign to you. Most of it was just useless junk you'd brought with you when your first moved here.

>You hadn't bothered to sort it all out. Why should you? It wasn't like you were going to use any of it.

>Until now that was. Where did you leave that stupid thing?

>All the way in the back, you see a black leather case with a respectable amount of dust collecting on top of it.

"There you are," you mutter to yourself, pulling the forlorn object out into the open.

>Unbinding the strap, the camera slides out of its case.

>Despite the fact that you hadn't taken care of it at all, it still looked good as new.

>Then again, you hadn't used it in years. Taking that into account, it'd be rather hard to damage it.

>With a firm push on the button on top, it whirred to live.

"Wow, the battery's still charged," you note out loud.

>"Must be yer lucky day."

>Applejack, who had apparently finally had enough of your baby pictures, nudges you in the side with a bump of her flank.

"Must be," you say, looking down on her with a smile.

 

>"So, where do ya want me?" Applejack asked.

"What?"

>"Fer the picture, Ah mean..."

"Oh. Uh... I don't know actually," your reply comes accompanied by a shrug. "We could just do it in the yard out back..."

>"'s All good to me, Sugarcube," her warm, southern-laced drawl came.

>With the camera tight in your grip, the both of you began walking outside.

>Applejack stretched out her legs the moment she stepped outside, groaning in contentment as she did so.

"We could use the table as a stand for the camera," you say, nodding at the wooden garden table, earning you her attention again.

>She nods as she walks away into the grass, taking a seat opposite of the table.

>After fumbling around with the timer-settings first, you place the thing down on the table, only to note that it had the perfect height to focus on a frame that could include both her and you just fine.

>"Is it good if Ah sit here, Anon?" you saw her ask in the display of the camera.

"Just fine, AJ. Let me set this..."

"There we go," you exclaim, quickly walking over to her and taking a seat in the grass next to her.

"The red light on top is going to blink three times and then we've got five more seconds befo—"

>You halt yourself, upon noting that the red light was already blinking before you could finish your sentence.

>Few moments later, the flash went off and a mechanical click could be heard as the shutter opened and closed.

>Propping yourself up again, you take the camera of the table to see the result.

>Sure enough, the display showed a picture of AJ sitting at your sight, a content smile spread on her face.

>Despite being a nice picture, you can't help but feel as if it lacks something...

>It comes across a tad... hollow to you.

>"So, how's it look?" you heard her ask, still sitting in the grass.

>Your countenance bears a mischievous look as you know how to solve this issue.

"Uh, must've set something wrong. We'll have to do it over again."

>Setting the camera back into its previous position, you click the button before quickly making your way back to her side.

>The red light blinks once.

>Twice.

>Tree times.

>And at that, you snag Applejack's hat of her head and put it on your own instead.

>"Hey!" she immediately shouted. "Gimme back mah hat!"

>And as she leaped at you to retrieve her head wear, you heard a familiar click go off into the distance.

>Your lips curled into a smile at the sound. Your timing was absolutely impeccable on that.

>Guess this must be your lucky day.

>That smile quickly became a grimace instead as Applejack knocked the wind out of your lungs with her tackle.

>Despite your posture, you proved to be no match in wrestling to AJ as she quickly forced you down on the ground, keeping you pinned there with her forehooves.

>The Stetson had returned to it rightful owner, who now bore a cocky grin on her muzzle.

>"Ah'm gonna get ya back for this, ya know..." she threatens in a teasing voice, before releasing you to move freely again.

>With a smile, you reply, "Looking forward to it."

>Stretching your back came accompanied by a plethora of cracks.

"Phew," you groan. "Did a good number on me, AJ..."

>"Ah didn't hurt ya, did I?" she asks, her voice filled with concern.

"Nah," you reply, making your way to the table, "I've been through worse."

>Picking up the camera from the table, you turn it around to look at the display.

>"Should Ah take that as a challenge?" Applejack teased again as she nudged you in the side.

>The picture showed you, wearing a beaten brown Stetson, raising your hands over your head in defense of the unavoidable impact with the apple farmer.

>Shifting your gaze from the display to the little pony at your feet, a pleasant sense of warmth spread throughout your body and a smile etched itself on your features.

>This playful back-and-forth the two of you maintained was captured perfectly on the second attempt.

>With a little fumbling around in the menu, you found a laminated picture coming out the bottom of the camera shortly after.

>Crouching down, you lean your head against Applejack's, using one hand to hold the polaroid out to her, using the other to stroke down her golden mane.

>She softly nuzzled you as she looked at the static frame of your antics.

>"It's perfect," she whispered.

>Softly nodding, refusing to break the contact of her soft fur brushing over your own skin, you can't add anything more to that statement.

>You'd make the best out of this day, no matter what.

 

"It really is perfect."

 

 

                                                *******

 

 

>But perfection, is it a good thing? It only begs to be tainted, after all.

>Staring at the picture as you head back inside the house instills a dreadful sense of uncertainty within you.

>Your grip on the simple piece of laminated paper tightens; it almost grows to be painful to hold it.

>It's a beautiful reminder of what you have now.

>But in time, it'd grow to serve as a symbol of things that no longer could be.

>You've been trying to maintain a somewhat optimistic outlook, though it's growing harder with each passing day.

>What you have right now should make you happy, yet instead it only makes you fear of what you once might lose.

>"Anon?"

>And there's already so many things that you have lost.

>Many —if not all of them— were your own stupid fault.

>But at the time, how were you to know better? You were barely more than a kid. It wasn't fair.

>"Anon?"

>Looking down, you're met with a set of the brightest of emerald eyes there, softly gazing at you with nothing but worry in them. You've grown to hate to be looked at like that.

 

"Hmmmm?"

>"Is somethin' wrong? You've been standing here, looking at that picture for like... five minutes straight or so."

>She teasingly bumps into your side, flicking her golden locks in a wide array before they splay themselves out over her neck. "I know it's a pretty picture, but still..."

"Yeah," you murmur, casting a final glance down, "it's really pretty."

>You curtly shake your head in a vain attempt of clearing the clutter of your thoughts.

>Just one day where you would not; that's what you'd promised.

 

"Sorry, must've been daydreaming," you say as you drag a hand along Applejack's aureate mane.

>"Why would ya want to be daydreamin' when ya've got the real deal right here?" she says with a coy smile, barely upholding her composure as the playfulness of her own statement already causes her to crack.

>With a raised brow to aid to the look of incredulity etched on your face already, you look down on the mare, sending both her as well as yourself in a bout of unrestricted laughter.

"Yeah, wonder why that is..."

>The earthpony lets out a sharp "Hey!" before catching on the harmless intent of your jab.

 

 

>Once back inside, you add the picture of you and Applejack in the book, on what little space was left under the one of your graduation.

>Its edges overlapped the older picture, but that's just the way things go, you guess.

>The future pushes the past towards the back, leaving only the important things to remain.

>"Looks like yer going to need a new picture book sometime soon," Applejack notes.

"I guess I'll have to if you're going to be sticking around."

>Less than a second after you blurted that out, you realized all the mistakes you made by doing so.

>Looking down, you saw Applejack's gaze drift off into the distance as she heaved a sigh; the frailness of the little pony showing itself far more than it should have in that moment.

"Shit, AJ, I didn't mean—"

>"It's... It's okay, really."

>For a moment, you're left unsure of what to do. What could you even do for her anymore?

>She turned back around to face you, her face portraying an odd calmness as the corners of her lips quietly fell.

>"They're looking for me, Ah know so. Ah've got some really smart and brave and loyal friends, and Ah'm sure that they'll find me a way home."

>You crouch down, placing your hand on the pony's withers in reassurance.

"I'm sorry, Applejack. I really am."

 

>She cocks her head, staring at you with that look that made you so uncomfortable.

>It's wrong to lie to her, you know that. But sometimes, you have to choose the lesser of two evils.

>"Why?"

>Other times, cowardice raises its ugly head and lets your fears get the best of you.

"For not helping you better. I know you want to go home, and I haven't really helped you with that at all."

>She shrugs with little animosity, causing you to break contact with the mare.

>What little comfort it held, she cast it away. She didn't need your sympathy.

>Or perhaps, she did not want it.

>"It's only been a few days. Maybe..."

>Staring through the windows, she leaves that sentence lingering unfinished far longer than you've grown used of her.

>Outside, the sun of a young and vibrant afternoon shone down on the world.

>Its rays coated all that lived underneath in hues of gold as the world passed by without so much as a single glance up at the inferno in the sky.

>In life, there's things that should never be taken for granted.

>It's often those things that find themselves ignored.

 

>The pony's slender frame raised and fell as she gazed at a world that she did not belong to, standing in the home of a stranger she barely knew anything about.

>She thought of her grandmother and the pies she would make on sunny days like this; of her big brother and that one time he fell asleep whilst plowing the fields; of her little sister and how she'd always find a way to work herself into trouble...

>Her friends flashed across her mind, one by one, as she remembered the adventures they'd been through, the things they'd seen and the friends they'd made along the way.

>There was no way of telling how far away from home she was, nor how long it would take for her to get back — if ever at all.

>And as she let those thoughts sink in, she felt a hand stroke down her mane.

>And she smiled.

 

>Out of all places to end up in, Earth wasn't the worst.

>And out of all people to find her, she could've done much worse as well.

>Instinctively, she leaned into the touch she'd grown familiar with, going so far as to nuzzle herself against the warm, comforting hand despite still refusing to look up at its owner.

>For the time being, Applejack still had one thing she'd brought with her from home.

>And she wasn't about to lose hope anytime soon.

 

"They're looking for you, AJ."

>Those emerald eyes pierced your own again as she looked up, her head still firmly pressed against your hand.

>"How come you're so sure of that?"

>You look away from her, and up into the sky.

>The sun had yet to reach its highest point; the day only barely begun.

"...because if I lost a friend like you, I'd go to the end of the world to get her back."