The sky passed lazily over head as you lay adrift in the great, big sea. You let the water move your hooves as it pleased and rock you with each passing wave.

I could fall asleep like this... you think as you stifle a yawn.

It was another perfect day on Summerset Keys, where the only thing on the agenda was to have fun, where there wasn’t a care in the world, where-

“Hang in there, I’ve gotch’ya!”

“Wha-” was all you could make out before you felt something wrap around your chest and start yanking on you, causing an errant splash of water catches you in the eyes and blinds you. Panicking, you begin to flail your hooves around in some attempt to pull away from your captor, but whatever was on the other end was much stronger. Your heart races as you began to imagine what exactly was pulling you in whatever direction it pleased.

Octopus? Giant jellyfish? Kraken?

You kick and flail with all your might, but you still couldn’t wrest yourself free.

“Don’t worry, I got you!”

You stop flailing when you hear the rough, female voice and calm down a bit when you feel yourself being dragged up onto the sandy beach.

“Are you okay, sugarcube? Can you breathe?” the voice asks.

Sitting up on your haunches, you rub at your stinging eyes. “Yeah, I can breathe! What was that all about?”

Blinking a few times, your vision finally comes back to you. Looking up, you find yourself staring at an orange earth pony with a blond mane tied back in a ponytail that sat under a brown stetson. She was talking quite fast as she got the vine she apparently used to drag you to shore off.

“I called out to ya, but you didn’t say nothin’, so I thought you drowned!”

You couldn’t help but feel insulted. “Me? Drown? Unlikely! I mean, seriously! A lifeguard, drown?”

The pony cocked her head to the side, obviously confused. “Lifeguard?”

Turning around, you unfurl your wings and reveal the yellow word “Lifegaurd” over a cross on your red tank top. “Yeah, I’m one of the lifeguards here at Summerset Keys. I wouldn’t be where I am if I wasn’t a pro swimmer.”

“Rightly sorry,” she says as she helps you to your hooves “What were you doing out there anyway?”

“I’m on break, so I thought I’d come out to my secret spot,” that’s when it hits you “How did you find this place, anyway?”

“Shucks, I just wandered away from the hotel. You know, getta feel for the place?”

A small smiles starts to creep across your face “Oh wow, you just got off the boat, didn’t you?”

“Well, yeah,” she says as she kicks at the ground “how’dya know?”

“You kinda stick out like a sore hoof. But hey, it’s not a bad thing. I like tourists! They’re always a laugh and a half.” you say with a playful push “So, what’s your name?”

“I’m Applejack,” she says as she shakes your hoof rather vigorously “and I’m supposed to be on vacation.”

“I figured that much out. How are you enjoying it so far?”

“Well... I don’t know. I’m sorta overwhelmed. I don’t even know what to do first.”

You can’t help but feel your heart go out to her. “Well then, we’ll have to fix that! Come on, lemme show you around!” Grabbing Applejack’s hoof, you begin to drag her away.

“Girl, just where the hay are you taking me?!?” she yells.

“I’m taking you to have some fun!”

“This is the best juice bar in Summerset Keys,” you say as you walk up to the counter “It has an awesome view of the beach and serves the best pineapple smoothie in all of Equestria!”

Applejack gives you an odd look “Pine...Apple? What the hay is a pineapple?”

“Oh man, are you missing out! Hey Blendy!” you call out to the pony behind the counter “Two pineapple smoothies and put it on my tab!”

The earth pony turns to you, smiling from ear to ear. A pair of black sunglasses sat on his nose and had his mane done in dreadlocks. “Shore thin, life mare! Comin’ righ’ up!” he says in a rather broken and choppy accent.

“Uhh... What’s wrong with his voice?” she asks above a whisper.

“Oh, he’s one of the locals here.” you say nonchalantly.

“Locals?”

On cue, the tan colored earth pony comes up to you two and places two hollowed out pineapples in front of you, each holding a thick yellowish liquid and sporting a straw and tiny umbrella.

“Aye, Summerset Keys iz home ta all sots of ponies who luv good time. You ponies from across da sea jus make it better! Now enjoy yerself, girlie!” he says before moving to the next customer at the bar.

You take a sip of the smoothie and relish the sweet and tart flavor of the fruit. Turning to Applejack, you can’t help but giggle as you watch her sniff and scrutinize every inch of the drink.

“Oh come on! It won’t bite!”

Sheepishly, she wraps her lips around the straw and takes a small sip, only to have her eyes light up. “Wow, that’s good! I didn’t think anythin’ so spiny looking could be so tasty!” she says before taking a deep drink from the smoothie.

“Don’t drink too fast or-”

Too late. Applejack reels back from the drink and grips the sides of her head. “OW OW OW OW!”

“You’ll get brainfreeze.” you say with a chuckle.

“Thanks for the warnin’.” she says as she continues to rub her head.

“So, where ya from AJ? You don’t mind if I call you that, do ya?”

“Not at all, sugar cube. And I’m from Ponyville. It’s a little town away from it all.” she says rather fondly.

“Oh, I think I’ve heard of Ponyville. I’m from Fillydelphia, myself. Moved here to get away from the whole city life thing. Now all I do is swim all day and watch the ocean” you say with a content sigh “What do you do for a living, AJ?”

“I’m an apple farmer, myself. Me and my family run Sweet Apple Acres, an apple farm outside of Ponyville. Though work has left me a might frazzled. Kinda why I need this vacation.”

“Hey, I know the feeling. Every job has its ups and downs.”

Applejack opens her mouth to say something, but stops when two earth ponies walk up to the bar and sit besides you.

“And there’s one of them...” you say under your breath.

The stallion to your right had his brown mane slicked back and his yellow coat was dripping wet with water. “Why hello there ladies...” he said as he put a hoof around your shoulder.

You push the hoof off from you and stare daggers at the stallion. “What do you want Klein?”

“What, I can’t say hi to two beautiful mares?”

“You can’t when Blendy said you aren’t welcome here anymore. And when I said I was going to get a restraining order against you if you keep harassing me.”

“Oh come on baby, I thought you were kidding.”

Placing two hooves on Klein, you give him a push and send him stumbling backwards. “Does it look like I’m kidding?”

“Whatever. You’re not worth it, anyway.” he says with a scowl. Turning to Applejack, he puts on a plastic smile and walks up to her. “Come on, why don’t we ditch her and head back to my place?”

“Why do I get the feelin' I'm not gonna like you?" She says, tensing as Klein begins to circle her.

"Oh come now, you should really get to know me first. I can be really rather nice if you give me a chance." Klein replies, pausing behind her, the orange earth pony tilting her head just slightly to keep one eye on him. "You're quite the piece, you know that?" In one quick motion, Klein brings a hoof down and slaps her flank.

"Big mistake!" Like a spring uncoiled, Applejack suddenly rears forward, bringing her hind hooves up and bucking Klein hard, sending him crashing out of the bar in an unceremonious heap.

You can only stare on in disbelief as Klein moans aloud in pain as he tries to get to his hooves. Applejack seems to admire her work as you walk up to her side, mouth agape.

“Wow...” you say breathlessly “You just put him right through that wall.”

“That I did. Years of apple buckin’ have made me a real-” she stops when the reality of what just happened sinks in and looks to everyone around the room in panic. “Oh gosh darnit, I’m sorry! I just don’t know my own strength sometimes and he well... and I...”

“I mean, he just sailed right through it! That was awesome!” you say giddily.

“Beg pardon?”

“He scum who ain’t allowed here no more!” Blendy cries as Klein limps off, supported by his buddy “He always harrasin’ ma female customers and puttin’ his hooves were dey don’t belong.”

“Yeah, if you ask me, you should of sent him through a palm tree or something,” a patron says “He deserves worse.”

“So... You all ain’t mad?” Applejack asks “And ya ain’t gonna call the cops?”

“I didn’t see anything.” you say, matter-of-fact.

“Nor I.” Blendy says as he goes back to serving drinks. The rest of the crowd shake their head and offer the same story; they didn’t see anything happen.

“Wow... Quite friendly folk.” Applejack says as she takes a seat at the juice bar again.

“Either that or they really don’t like Klein.” you say with a laugh.

“Who was that guy anyway?”

“Klein, ugh,” the mere mention of his name didn’t feel right on your tongue “he’s one of the other lifeguards here, along with Violet... How he ever got the job is beyond me. Not only is he a total perv, but he’s totally inexperienced. Part of me thinks all he’s wants from this job is to cop a feel of unconscious mares.

“I hate those kinda stallions. Think they own ya... Makes me sick.”

“Don’t let it get to you, AJ. Not everypony in Summerset Keys is a huge an ass as Klein. Come on, let’s go play some volleyball.”

“Sure, I’m game!” she says rather excited.

Tossing the ball up into the air, you ready yourself.

“Serve up!”

You hit the ball with a quick jab, sending it over the net, right towards Applejack. The day was coming to an end and almost everypony else had left for more nighttime activities. Except for you and Applejack. You had a score to settle. Three hours and a winner still hadn’t been decided. And neither one of you were giving up.

“Is that the best ya got?” she taunts. Applejack easily intercepts the ball and sends it right back at you.

“Far from it!” Leaping into the air, you bring a hoof down and spike the ball right at her. Surprisingly, she doesn’t flinch away and instead goes right for it and bounces it right back at you.

“Oh s-” was about all you could say before the volleyball hit you square in the face, making you crash down to earth.

“Sugarcube, are you okay?!?” Applejack cries as you hold your face. Bringing your hoofs away from your face, you begin to panic when all you see is blood. “Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh!” you yell.

“Wait right here, I’ll go getta first aid kit!”

Applejack runs off, leaving you to hold your bloody, and quite possibly, broken nose.

Stupid AJ, hitting me like that... Everything is going to smell like blood for a week... She probably planned this...

Just as you begin to really steam, Applejack gallops over, carrying a first aid kit in her mouth.

“Okay, okay, I got this. I got this.” she says to herself, seeming shaken. Applejack opens the first aid kit and turns to you. “Yer gonna have to take yer hooves off your nose so I can look at it.” Gingerly, you pull your hooves away and stifle a scream when blood starts to drip down onto the sandy beaches. Quickly, Applejack takes a piece of gauze in her mouth and presses it against your snout.

In that instant, all pain seems to melt away with the rest of the world. A rolling wave of heat begins to make its way up your neck until your entire face is beat red.

Oh no, am I going into shock? Am I going to pass out?

You don’t feel dizzy or lightheaded. Instead, you feel more awake than ever; and more aware. Especially about the mare who was just a hair away from touching your lips. Her big, green eyes stared directly into yours; you feel like you could get lost in them. A shiver goes up your spine every time she breathes onto you. Just when you think your senses were going to be overloaded, she pulls away.

“There. It stopped bleeding. Looks like it just got split open, not broken.” she says as she applies a bandage to your nose.

“Oh...Okay...” you say dreamily.

“Are you okay?” she asks as she gives you a once over.

“Yeah.”

“Nothing else is hurt? You took quite a tumble.”

“No.”

“A...Are you mad at me?” she asks nervously.

You snap yourself out of your daze and look to her. “No! No! Of course not. It was an accident, after all.”

Applejack lets out sigh of relief and smile. “Thank goodness. I’d rather not lose a friend I just made.” Getting to her hooves, Applejack points towards the Summerset Hotel. “It’s gettin’ late and I’m bushed. I think I’m going to hit the hay.”

You nod dumbly as you sit in the sand, reliving the sensation you just felt.

Just as Applejack leaves, she stops and faces you. “By the way, y’might wanna get yer check yer wings. They're kinda..." She motions vaguely in place of more helpful words, shrugging as she leaves.

“Huh?” Craning your neck around, you take a look at your wings and gasp aloud. They were completely flared. Taking back control of your body, you tuck them in and feel yourself blush again.

Oh gosh, oh gosh... I popped a wingie in front of her! B-But why? Why-

You bring a hoof to your mouth as you begin to put the pieces together. “Oh...”