Title:           Slowing Down p12 "Happy Reunion"
Author:          Hellmeister
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/c6KD5Ezy
First Edit:      Friday 8th of January 2016 02:38:20 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Last edit on: Saturday 9th of January 2016 04:38:04 AM CDT

RD POV [A few minutes before]
 
>Hanging out with Rarity was...Pretty rad.
>You don't have much in common, so you were expecting it to get awkward fast.
>But she laughed at your jokes, she asked questions about stuff she didn't understand and even talked about stuff she liked.
>It wasn't boring fashion, either. It was like, stuff her clients said, or...Dates she had in the past.
>The dates...Weren't something you asked to hear about. No way!
>She insisted though, so...You only listened so you could get her off your back.
>Some of 'em were pretty funny. Guess when you've gone on as many dates as she's had, you're bound to have a few screw ups to talk about.
>Well, you've never had one. Yesterday didn't count.
>You talked about it though. T-to change the subject. Because it WASN'T. A. DATE.
>Not a date. Nope.
>You, uh...Improved it a little, though.
>You mean, who'd want to hear about you nearly dying of thirst? Nah, you got HIM a drink. To stop HIM from dying of thirst! Hah!
>...Y-you hope Pinkie doesn't talk to her about it.
>You considered changing the fact that he was shirtless, but...She was there for that part.
>She seemed to think him being shirtless was a nice touch, though.
>It...Felt really good to tell somepony about all of that.
>You'll admit, you weren't 100% honest, but it's...Great to have a friend you can brag about it to.
>She's super cool with it, too.
>You breathe a sigh of relief.
>You're still kinda tense, but that's because you're gonna meet up with Anon again.
>You said goodbye to Rarity, she gave you a hug -which you totally didn't want- and she saw you off.
>Time to see...Him again.
>You shudder in anticipation.
>You're not sure how much longer you can keep it from him.
>You've got to, though. The Gala is the best shot you've got.
 
>You're almost to the farm.
>Normally, you'd be flying pretty fast right now.
>You're still flying pretty fast, but...You feel like you...Want to take your time?
>Jeez. Never felt that before.
>Then again, you've never really had so much to think about.
>Rarity's a close friend of yours now, you're crushing on Anon and ignoring all of the other friends you used to spend all your time with.
>It feels like you turned into a completely different pony when the crush happened, like the life you're living now completely replaced the one you lived before.
>It's hard to remember exactly when all of it changed. It's been so long now.
>You don't feel like...You, anymore.
>...Stupid Anon. It's his fault for...For...
>...For doing...Nothing wrong.
>You can't blame him for it, anymore. This is on you, now.
>You changed, he didn't. Everything different in your life right now is because something you did.
>Even if he's not in the wrong, though, that's not gonna stop you from hating how he showed up in your life.
>He changed everything. You don't even know if you...Like it.
>Argh. OK. No drinks, no sitting at a table and talking about how his day went. Not today.
>You're gonna thrash him at something. Anything.
>You can see him in the distance.
>He doesn't even see you coming...Huh?
>...Is that Applejack?
>Are they...Hanging out?
>You dart downwards and hide in a tree.
>Looking though the leaves, you can get a good view of what they're doing.
>What are you hiding for?! Y-you...Come on, get out of the tree and...Wh...What?
>She...She totally just hugged him!
>Oh, no, you, DON'T. That's MY stallion!
>You kick off of the branch into the air, and fly full speed towards them.
 
ANON POV [The here and now]
 
>You hear a whistling in the air.
>Yep, Rainbow Dash is coming.
>Applejack hears the noise too, and quickly lets go of you in preparation for her arrival.
>She...Doesn't slow her decent though, and lands with a loud thud a good distance away from you. The tremor from the impact actually carries over to where you're standing.
>She nailed the landing, however, and brings her wings to her sides, clearing the dust cloud with a single flap.
>She folds her wings, and slowly walks towards you and applejack, looking like one of those cool people in action movies that don't look at the explosion they just caused.
>THIS is the pony you have a 'crush' on.
>Even if you were the same species, she'd still be out of your league.
>It takes her a while to get there, but it would've killed the effect if she moved any faster.
>Maybe she saw Applejack from far away and wanted to make an entrance.
>"Hey."
>Her voice is flat, but you can tell she liked what she just did.
"Nice entrance."
>"T-Thanks."
>Applejack makes herself more visible.
>"Howdy, Rainbow!"
>"Hi, Applejack, uh, what's she doing here?"
>She doesn't seem...Pleased.
>Part of the act?
"Remember when I told you about AJ wanting to hang out with you again?"
>She raises an eyebrow.
>"Yeah?"
"Well, Applejack just offered to spend the break with us. Give you two a bit of time to catch up."
>A bit of the anger from her face melts away. She still looks kind of serious, though.
 
>"...Really?"
"Yeah. Say hi."
>"I...I just did."
>"Come on, Rainbow, Y' call that a greetin'?"
>Applejack walks over to RD. She said it without venom, so you can assume she put Rainbow's rudeness aside.
>That or she's used to that kind of behavior from Dash. You don't know. She seems happy anyway.
>Rainbow smiles. It's a small one, but it's still a smile.
>"H-heh. Yeah. Sorry."
>Applejack shakes her head.
>"No need to apologise. Ahm...Real glad ta see y' again. Ah mean it."
>Rainbow looks sad for a second, but the small smile returns.
>"M-me too."
>There's a moment of silence. Usually, around this time, Rainbow would lead the conversation.
>Both you and Applejack appear to be waiting for this.
>Dash suddenly walks away from Applejack.
>"S-so, anyway, let's do something!"
>There it is.
>Applejack smiles knowingly.
>"Like wut?"
>Rainbow turns around to look at her.
>"Like...I don't know, a race or something!"
"You do realize you both have four legs, and I've only got two, right?"
>"Quit whining, champ."
>You've only just started.
"Maybe, you could both have your front legs tied together, so you'd have to use your hind legs..."
>"M-maybe, YOU could...Grow another pair of legs!"
 
>Applejack butts in. Things were getting stupid, anyway.
>"Maybe, we could do somthin' else."
>"Like wut?" Rainbow says, mockingly.
>AJ's ear twitches in response, but she otherwise completely ignores the heckle attempt.
>"Ah've got some horseshoes an' a pole we could use back in the barn."
>She turns to you and Rainbow, grin spread across her face.
>"Yew up fer a round or two?"
"I'm game."
>"Only if you're up for losing!"
>AJ looked...Surprisingly happy after hearing that response.
>"...Ah'll go get evrythin' we need. Don't go anywhere."
>With that, she gallops back through the gate and towards the barn. Guess she...Forgot to retort.
>...Wait, did she actually MISS Rainbow's taunting?
>Man, that's almost TOO sad.
 
~ Few minutes later...
 
>Applejack's hammered the pole into the ground, and with that, you all get into positions.
"On ground level, this time, blue."
>It seems you struck a nerve in more than one place, considering the surprised look and the blush now forming on her face.
>Applejack looks over at Rainbow smugly.
>"Blue? Ground level? Ah'm not sure what to ask about furst."
>Rainbow flies towards applejack, her face inches away from hers.
>"W-well then, don't!"
"She was kinda cheating at the game the last time I played it with her. Flying in the air."
>Rainbow turns her head at you, her face a mixture of shock and anger. She points a hoof accusingly at you.
>"Y-you...TRAITOR!"
>Applejack laughs.
>"Ah don't doubt it. Ain't no way she could beat yew at horseshoes without cheatin'."
>Rainbow returns her gaze to applejack.
>"Is...Is that a CHALLENGE?"
>You missed this. Applejack's a kindred spirit.
>You both like making Rainbow angry.
 
>The bickering that followed went on for a while, but they eventually settled down so you could actually start.
>You're lined up, and Applejack gets the first throw.
>You've always found it weird that Applejack uses her tail to throw the horseshoes.
>You looked up pony anatomy, but there's nothing in there that explains how she could do it. It's mostly hair.
>So you just assumed that it's down to skill, maybe something to do with the way her tail is tied at the end.
>She sometimes throws it with her mouth, though. Guess there's certain advantages to both.
>For this throw, she's using her tail.
>Whipping it around in the air like a lasso, she throws it with almost no buildup.
>Good shot. Pretty close to the pole, but far away enough to start a close match.
>Your turn. You step forward to the line.
>You know she can use her tail to get a direct shot on the pole, but that's usually her coup.
>Matches with her are a game of wits, rather than skill. The trick is to bait her into making close shots instead of going for the kill straight away. You know you're not that good.
>Get a throw too close, and you might provoke her into doing it. She's done it enough to convince you she's really good at it.
>Of course, you've never told her your strategy.
>...You know, this is just a game of horseshoes.
>You sigh, and aim your shot.
>"Hurry it up already!"
>The lady in blue, impatient as usual.
>You continue to take your time.
>Yeah. There.
>You throw it.
>It goes around about the place you expected it to.
>You make it look like it was your best shot. Can't be too careful.
>The rotation means she'll run out of horseshoes before you do, so you'll have one shot to...
>...Again, JUST horseshoes.
 
>Rainbow's turn.
>Rainbow is an interesting opponent. She picks goals instead of strategies, and works from there.
>The goal is usually; "Win".
>Because of how vague that is, she's not as predictable a player as Applejack.
>She'd be the wildcard in any professional horseshoes tournament.
>...PROFESSIONAL. HORSESHOES. TOURNAMENT.
>You run through the sheer stupidity of what you JUST thought, even for a second, was an actual thing.
>You'll just pretend it was a joke. For who, god knows.
>She tosses it closer to the pole than you did.
>That'll take the heat off you, and she'll focus on Rainbow instead.
>"Say, Rainbow. How 'bout a little wager?"
>You can only hope she doesn't get too close. AJ will pull a coup and win in a single shot.
>"...Go on."
>You'll be able to pretend that you're not going to win, play it safe on the edges, then risk it on your last horseshoe.
>"If ah win, yew buy me a drink, and if yew win, ah buy yew a drink. Sound fair?"
>What kind of horseshoes have you got?
>"Deal! Wait...What happens if HE wins?"
>Let's see...This one has more of a curve to it. Small gap. You can't use that one for last shot.
>"Huh...Weyll, What if...The winner gets to buy Anon a drink?"
>That one's got a wide gap, but lacks a curve. A direct shot could be tricky to pull off, but it would be pretty easy to score with-
>"WHAT?! DID...YOU...WHAT?!"
>What the heck are they talking about?
>"Yew heard me."
>Well, you didn't. What did she say?"
>"N-nuh-UH! No way!"
>"Don't worry Rainbow, it's OK if yer yella."
>Seriously, what did they do? Are you a bargaining chip again?
>"...Alright. APPLEJACK. You're on."
>God Damnit. This is why you always get the short end of the stick.
 
>Applejack's grinning, a competitive flair about her face.
>"Pleasure doin' business with ya."
"Uh, wait. What was the wager about?"
>"Yew didn't hear that?"
"Uh..."
>"T-then don't worry about it!"
>Rainbow interrupts you.
>You decide to stay quiet. You know how this will end.
>Suddenly, they're both back in the game.
>Uh...OK, Applejack's turn.
>Using her mouth, she tosses one near the very centre of the pole.
>Damn. That's a risky throw to be making this early on in the game.
>Alright, your-
>"My turn!"
>Rainbow Dash? What?
>She tosses a horseshoe at the pole. It's around about on the same line as Applejack's.
>"Not bad, Rainbow. Let's see ya handle this!"
>...Did they just skip your turn?
>Applejack tosses her horseshoe closer to the pole. It's almost touching it.
"Uh, girls?"
>Rainbow tosses a horseshoe straight at the pole, and it lands, basically touching the pole.
>"HAH!"
>"Only one way things can go from heyur..."
>Yep. You're not there anymore.
>This was one thing about hanging out with them you didn't miss.
>Seriously? Just when they became friends again? You'dve thought they would've held off this time.
 
>Applejack picks up a horseshoe with her tail and starts twirling it.
>Oh boy.
>After winding it up, she grins triumphantly at Rainbow, and lets it go.
>The throw arcs, and it's on a sure fire path to the pole.
>In a split second, you catch a glimpse of what Rainbow Dash is doing.
>She...She's already going to throw?
>Normally, when Applejack does her coup, she just sits there with a defeated expression on her face.
>But...she's still very serious.
>Well, she's thrown it. It's pretty high though. She won't hit the pole with...
>Holy CRAP!
>She just hit AJ's horseshoe out of the air!
>The shot still goes wide, but Applejack's horseshoe doesn't even touch the pole.
>You didn't even catch where it went.
>"A-ah would've hit that pole, Rainbow!"
>"YOU CAN'T PROVE THAT!"
>They've both only got one horseshoe left.
>Rainbow dives for hers.
>AJ, realizing what's happening, quickly grabs her last horseshoe with her tail.
>...It's hard to tell who threw first.
>But after some visual confirmation, the winner is clear.
>Silence.
>After the disbelief of what just happened is lifted, she jumps into the air.
>"YES! In your FACE, APPLEJACK!"
>...The force of her horseshoe coming into contact with the pole actually bent it.
>Due to this, and to Rainbow's throw hitting the pole first, AJ's shot missed the pole by a mile.
>...You could actually be accurate. It went flying far.
>Well, that was...Intense.
>You look over at Applejack.
>A shocked façade barely hides the seething frustration underneath.
>This will NOT end well.
 
>They've been at it for an hour.
>In circles.
>The argument is going nowhere.
>You're SUPPOSED to be at work.
>...You know what?
>You leave them to argue, and go inside AJ's farm.
>You don't really care what it was about, but you can tell that it's not going to end any time soon.
>You get the tools, put them in the wheelbarrow, and get going.
>...It seems that your 'co-workers' are currently watching AJ and RD argue in the distance.
>They're Applejack's family, so you would've expected them to have done something to help.
>They look over at you, and...Simply get back to work.
>Granny Smith passes you by on her way to her duties.
>"Just leave 'em to it, sonny. They'll tire out soon enough."
>...Okay.
>Welp, this wheelbarrow isn't going to push itself.
>You help out the rest of the farmhands the best you can.
>Soon, your shift ends, and you say goodbye to the rest of the Apple family.
>What the hell are those two doing?
>...It looks like a rematch.
>You'll leave them to it.
>You give a sigh, and start to walk towards town.
>It could've gone worse. And you did do what you said you would.
>You can only hope they don't make additional wagers while you're gone.
>There's only one place a guy can escape to at a time like this.
>And you're not drinking. Not today.
>Home. You need a rest.
 
>You get inside your house.
>God. Damn.
>You're going to go mad here.
>Your boss and your best friend/kinda-sorta-crush are currently dueling over you for god knows what, which would be weird even if they weren't both ponies.
>You check your mail. You didn't have time before you left this morning.
>There's the bill. Better Put that somewhere safe.
>You throw it in the trash can.
>An anonymous letter. Huh.
>Something tells me you should read it. See what Rainbow Dash had planned for you today.
>You open the letter and read it.
>"Dear Anonymous. You ate the pie this morning, didn't you? That's great! I'll be arriving in town tomorrow for a little visit, around the same time and place you saw me first. Not just for you, but for my livelihood. It could be boring, so show up. Tell me exactly what you thought about it. Every detail. Thanks."
>"Yours faithfully, S.Pudding"
>...How in the blasphemed name of god did he find THAT out?
>Did he install a digestible tracking device in the pie?
>You're not too worried about him spying on you, surprisingly.
>He hasn't got a problem with you, and you can't think of a reason he'd want to do anything...Nefarious.
>Whatever. You're too tired to think of anything but resting.
>It's probably something to do with how you barely got any sleep last night, but that argument was a little much.
>You're not even going to go upstairs. The couch will do.
>You slump onto it, and close your eyes.
>You probably won't go to sleep from lying like this, but you're not going to shuffle around to get more comfortable.
>You just needed to lie down.