Author's Notes:

In case any of you are wondering what teddy bear cholla is and how painful it is if you get spiked by one, here's a clip from YouTube about what it is, and how to remove those lobes from your person. Getting spiked by a cholla is NO FUN, trust me, so make sure you're prepared if you go out hiking in the desert!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJzTse9Dsaw&t=406s

And yes, certain types of cholla buds are edible--namely staghorn, buckhorn and pencil cholla. Make sure you have someone experienced with you who knows how to harvest these yummy buds.

The rapping of a hoof on the wooden door was what woke Skyward from her slumber. The bluesteel unicorn sat up in bed, shaking her mane out and away from her face—unbraided and unbound, her mane was quite long. She idly wondered if she needed a trim as she looked towards the door, lighting her horn and levitating her brush out of one of her saddlebags.

“Enter,” she called, and the door opened, Apple Bloom sticking her head in.

“Hey there, Skyward! Are ya awake?”

“One is now. Good morn to thee, Apple Bloom,” Skyward replied, smiling sleepily at the red maned and tailed filly.

Apple Bloom giggled as she came in, followed by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. The little magenta maned and tailed foal laughed as she hopped up on the bed next to the bluesteel unicorn mare.

“Morning? Skyward, it’s noon already!”

That made Skyward sit up straight, alarm flashing in her royal blue eyes. “Noon? Farore’s emerald mane and tail—Goddesses, why didst anypony wake me up? One is supposed to be helping in the apple orchard…”

“Nah, th’ others wanted t’ let ya sleep since ya were so tired from fightin’ dust devil wolves all day yesterday! Ya wanna come on downstairs an’ eat?”

“Aye—just let one get dressed and then I shalt come downstairs.”

Sweetie Belle settled near Skyward’s forehooves as the Haylian mare brushed out her mane and tail, looking up at her with guileless pale green eyes. “How many dust devil wolves were there?”’

“Twelve all told. Not easy battles, one assures thee, and not all were in the same place. Took some time to find the lot of those howling fiends.”

This wasn’t exactly the truth, but Skyward was in agreement with the others—she did NOT want any of the Cutie Mark Crusaders to come to harm; in Equestria or Hayrule.

“Didja use any magic?” Apple Bloom asked excitedly.

“Mostly magic, aye. Water spells, for the most part. Water seems to be their weakness…they cannot stay together in a dust cloud when soaked. That being said—mind me; do not go looking for a fight thou art not ready for,” the Haylian mare said with a warning look, and the three fillies nodded their heads as one.

Skyward finished brushing her mane and tail, and she braided part of her mane back into the warrior binding she was used to having, then ‘reached’ for her armor…

“Hold on, Skyward!”

“Yeah, you’re not gonna need yer armor today!”

Skyward chuckled as Sweetie Belle lit her horn and painstakingly pulled the Haylian tunic and cloak out of her saddlebags. “Whyever not, little ones?”

“We’re all jest goin’ to be plantin’ apple seedlin’s today!

Skyward cocked her head in confusion. “Now, pray tell why that is?”

“Everypony’s been havin’ issues with their own personal orchards, so they’re holdin’ the rodeo up a few more days t’ fix the damage,” Applejack said with a smile as she walked into the room.

Skyward snorted. “Allow one to guess…that massive boar one chased out of the arena?”

“Seems like it. There’s a posse settin’ out t’ catch it. G’wan downstairs, you three, we’ll be down in a minute.”

Applejack looked around as the three fillies went downstairs and leaned close to her Haylian friend, jerking her head towards the door. “Braeburn’s with the posse, jest so ya know. Ah told ‘im to go cool his head and think real hard about what he should say t’ ya when he gets back. Granny Smith had some choice words an’ a good smack t’ the flank when she heard about what he said to ya.”

Skyward sighed. “One hopes thou shalt forgive me, Applejack…one dost not wish to interact with thine cousin right now…”

“Ain’t nuthin t’ forgive, sugarcube, an’ I can’t blame ya for wantin’ t’ leave him be for a bit. Brae was th’ one bein’ rude, an’ Trouble Shoes said it best…’Ya don’ treat a lady like that!’ “

The orange colored mare mimicked the stallion’s deep voice and drawl as best she could, then smirked broadly at the flush on the Haylian mare’s muzzle and nudged her. “Oooohhh…looks like somepony’s interested…”

“Wha—what? Applejack! Come now, one is not…what…”

The blond maned mare’s grin only broadened at her friend’s sputtered remarks. “Mm-hmm. An’ personally?”

Applejack looked around and winked at her friend, long and slow. “He’s got it where it counts if that’s what yer lookin’ for…”

Skyward’s cheeks turned apple red and she chased her friend downstairs, both mares laughing and the Haylian unicorn shouting disclaimers.

“Art thou mad, Applejack? Why wouldst he be interested in me, one is nothing special!”

“Ah didn’ hear a denial,” Applejack singsonged, and ducked the small pillow Skyward had ‘grabbed’ hold of and pitched at her.

“Wait till one catches thou, sister dear…”

“Awright ya two, sit yer flanks down an’ eat before it gets cold,” Granny Smith scolded, but she was smiling at the two mares.

“Here, Matriarch, let one take that for thee,” Skyward coaxed, taking the laden tray from the older mare and putting it on the table, before shooing her to a seat and helping Applejack lay out the victuals for lunch.

There was corn, red, yellow, green bell pepper and jalapeno salad, fresh sliced apples and prickly pears, brown bread, honey and butter, chilled fried cactus slices, fresh cheddar cheese, milk and cider to drink (of course) and Skyward’s pumpkin soup—she had made quite a bit of it from the other day, and everypony seemed to love the stuff despite they were ‘apple-oriented’.

Skyward helped the three fillies with their plates, filled one for Granny Smith, then filled her own, sitting outside to eat. It promised to be a warm day, but there was a nice cool breeze coming off the river, so it was all right. She put together a cheese and fried cactus sandwich and a bowl of soup, with wheatgrass salad and a bowl of apple and prickly pear.

She wasn’t the only one who was outside—Trouble Shoes was outside, as was Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle.

Since she was busy eating, she didn’t notice Trouble Shoes glance up from his own food to look at her. The stallion smiled in her direction, the dopey grin on his face not going unnoticed by the two other mares or the three fillies, and they all exchanged excited smiles.

After lunch, she helped to clean up, then stretched herself out and grabbed her sword and shield, following the three fillies and Applejack out to the apple orchard. Stumps were being dug up, and new trees were being planted, soil being pushed into the massive holes left by the stumps of the broken apple trees. Skyward cracked her neck, stretched her legs out, and strode forward, ready to lend a hoof.

Throughout the rest of the day the Mane 6, plus Spike, the CMC and Skyward chattered, dug up stumps, chopped and cut the fallen and broken apple trees for firewood, and planted new, strong apple saplings and even full grown trees that would definitely bear fruit come harvest time. Most of the trees and seedlings had come from Sweet Apple Acres proper. Trouble Shoes was also helping, volunteering to haul the cut wood to the woodshed and to other ponies' homes, and the stumps were piled elsewhere to be used in a bonfire later on that week.

Dirt flew in all directions as Skyward levitated a shovel and used it to remove dirt around a large stump. Ropes were wrapped atop the base, and Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle had the ropes in question, ready to pull.

The bluesteel unicorn mare stuck the shovel in the ground and lit her horn, enveloping the stump in her aura. She tried to push and wriggle the stump proper, helping to weaken the hold it had on the ground. The stump crashed onto its side with a WHUD, dirt clods falling off the roots to land on the earth below their hooves.

The orange farmpony shook her blond mane and smiled broadly at her friends. “Whooo-eee! Biggest one yet, girls! Let’s take a breather before we git t’ the next one.”

Skyward stuck her head around the stump to look at the blond maned and tailed mare. “Art thou sure, Applejack?”

Applejack nodded, and sat back under a nearby apple tree, fanning herself with her hat. The other mares joined their friend, resting in the shade.

Twilight Sparkle looked around before she moved closer to Skyward. “So…what happened with the portal?”

Skyward glanced around casually to make sure that there weren’t any eavesdroppers close by. While they were the only ponies in this part of the orchard, that didn’t mean other ponies might not decide to come by or cut through somepony’s property. Seeing nopony, she turned to the others and began telling them about how they had ended up in Zora’s Domain—or actually near Zora’s River. She described Zora’s Domain to them, even creating a small image of the Domain that they crowded round to show them what it looked like. She went on to tell them of how the Zora were being besieged by the Gerudo forces, and how they needed to find something to allow them to breathe underwater. It was hard for her to mention the Zora Prince, Ruyan; Applejack eyed her ‘sister’, knowing something was bothering the bluesteel unicorn mare whenever the prince’s name came up.

“And so, King Zora told us where to find mine ancestor’s legacy: the Mer-Pony Medallion. Mine five time great-grandsire Skyward Sword hath this.”

Skyward conjured an image of the medallion for her friends. “Using this, a pony, it matter not what race, mayeth become a mer-pony. The enchantment does not need to be recast if somepony has the medallion on them when they enter the water anew.”

Pinkie Pie examined the image from all angles, gazing at the beautiful inlaid relief of the mer-pony in the middle of the amulet. “Ooooh…it looks so shiny! So sparkly! It must’ve been sooo much FUN being able to breathe underwater and have a shiny new tail and stuff!”

Skyward grinned as she conjured images of herself, Rainbow Dash and Rarity all in mer-pony form, swimming about and around them. “Indeed it was—‘tis a shame we did not have more time to explore Sapphirine Bay, given the circumstances.”

The purple unicorn mare’s eyes brightened. “Do you have it with you?”

“Aye, Sheik didst not take it from one as he did the Megaton Hammer. One is minded to gift the Hammer back to the Gorons when this is all said and done—t’was made for a hero of their race after all…”

An ear-piercing scream split the air, bringing all four mares to their hooves—or Fluttershy to hover in midair, and Skyward’s sword was out and ready in seconds.

Twilight Sparkle half-reared in alarm. “That’s Sweetie Belle!”

Pinkie GASPED, eyes widening. “She sounds like she’s in biiiiiiig TROUBLE!”

“Well let’s not sit on our here flanks—let’s GO!” Applejack shouted. The four mares ran towards the source of the screams, dodging around apple trees, jumping small scrub brush…

“Fluttershy! I beseech thee, go find Rarity!”

The butter yellow pegasus mare nodded at Skyward and soared off to find their fashionista friend. The three mares ran around a big apple tree laden with ripening fruit, only to see a very large, very fuzzy looking cactus in front of them, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo in tears and trying to get close to it without getting pricked by the spines. The plant looked to be snuggly and fuzzy, however…

“Din’s flaming flank!”

Skyward ran over to a crying Sweetie Belle, her horn lighting up, and she carefully ‘pulled’ the weeping filly out from the fuzzy looking cactus. “Hold still, Sweetie Belle…let one get thou out of this thing…”

Sweetie Belle was in far too much pain to say anything—the poor little purple and pink swirled maned and tailed unicorn filly had quite a few of the nasty burrs on her left side, her mane, her back and left flank. By the graces of the Diarchy, or the three Goddesses Skyward worshipped, she had none on her neck or muzzle.

Pinkie Pie popped up from behind a rock and gasped, eyes widening before wincing and shaking her head. “Oooooh that looks so painful…”

“Sweetie Belle, what in Equestria…OH MY CELESTIA WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?” the fashionista screeched, running over to her sobbing sister in a panic, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash following her.

“Sweetie Belle lost her balance and fell into…into whatever this foul plant may be,” Skyward growled, glaring daggers at the plant as she cradled the crying unicorn filly in her hooves. The bluesteel unicorn mare tried to give the pink and purple maned and tailed unicorn filly to her elder sister, but the pain from the cacti burrs were so bad, she couldn’t be moved, so Rarity settled near her sister while Skyward continued to cradle and comfort the sobbing filly.

Scootaloo snorted at the huge plant. “Whatever this thing is, I don’t like it! C’mon Apple Bloom, let’s see if we can dig this one up.”

But when the two fillies tried to approach it, Pinkie Pie somehow popped out of the ground, holding up a “NO ENTRY” sign and shaking her head at them. “Nooooope! Neither one of you are going near this evil fuzzy plant!”

Applejack came around, got a good look at the plant and stomped her front hooves in aggravation. “Oh, good gravy. I told Braeburn to git rid of these dang things last time I was here!”

Skyward shook her mane as she pulled out several stray needles stuck in Sweetie Belle’s tail with her teeth and spitting them to the side, trying to be gentle. “What in Nayru’s holy name is this---thing?”

Spike grimaced visibly. “That’s definitely one plant I’m not adding to the garden.”

Twilight Sparkle circled the plant, but she didn’t touch it. “This is a teddy bear cholla—it’s also known as jumping teddy bear cactus. Yugh…nasty plant to be sure.”

The orange farmpony snorted, stomping a hoof against the dirt. “Well, it ain’t cuddly like a teddy bear, not one bit. Worst thing is, when ya brush up against it, even jest a bit, ya end up with all of those spiky balls on ya…and trust me, they HURT.”

Skyward spat out the needles in her mouth lit her horn and focused on Sweetie Belle, glancing over at Rarity. “Hold her so one may remove these Farore-damned things…Sweetie Belle, hold still now. This may sting a bit.”

Using her magic, the Haylian unicorn began the painful process of pulling the large, spiny cactus pieces from Sweetie Belle—there were at least 10 of them in all. Most of them were in her mane, but four of them were stuck on her side, her flank, and on her back. The one on her back was digging in deeply due to its weight, sinking its barbed spines in further, and that was the first one Skyward removed.

“Owwww! It hurts!” Sweetie Belle sobbed in agony.

“I know, I know, little one. Be strong now; there art still more stuck on thee,” Skyward murmured as she eyed the next large burr. “Brace thyself…”

One by painstaking one, the Haylian mare grasped the spine covered lobes and swiftly yanked each one out of the whimpering unicorn filly, tossing them in a basket Pinkie Pie had retrieved. With each one removed, the pain was lessening, however, it did not come without a price. There were still remnants of spines left, and a little blood stained the unicorn filly’s white coat. Using her horn, she could sense there were more spines hiding still, and she quickly pulled the near invisible spines out.

Twilight Sparkle took the basket from Pinkie Pie with a word of thanks, and then dumped the contents out on a flat rock nearby. “Spike, could you please burn these nasty things up?”

Spike grinned. “It would be my pleasure!” The baby dragon inhaled and spewed a stream of green flame at the pile—they caught fire immediately, and since it was dragonfire, not regular fire, they turned to ash in mere seconds.

Skyward angrily shook her head, snorting at the innocent looking cholla nearby. “It seems we hath more cleanup to do. Why in the Goddesses’ name wouldst he hath such a terrible plant here?”

“Whut’s goin’ on ‘ere? Ya’ll okay?”

Skyward stood up, allowing Rarity to take her place, and she trotted over to Trouble Shoes, who had come back from hauling a load of cut applewood. The huge stallion looked worried, considering he had almost fallen over himself to get to the mares when he heard the commotion. “Sweetie Belle lost her balance and fell into this teddy bear cholla. Apparently Braeburn didst not see fit to get rid of the plant as Applejack commanded him to do the last time she was here.”

Trouble Shoes eyed the cholla and shook his head in annoyance. “This here cactus is good fer only one thing an’ that’s eatin’ ‘em. Aside from most critters, ya can eat th’ buds. An’ trust me, they’re pretty darned good eatin’, but Ah’m gettin’ the feelin’ Braeburn wuz usin’ ‘em as some sort o’ fence substitute considerin’ they’re all over th’ place.”

The Mane 6 and Skyward turned to look at the area where they had been planting seedlings—sure enough, there were bunches of teddy bear cholla cactus everywhere. How the hay they had missed them they had no clue—or had they just avoided the cacti on instinct? Pinkie Pie’s eyes bugged out.

“YOU MEAN TO TELL US WE’VE BEEN WALKING THROUGH A FIELD OF SPIKES THIS WHOLE TIME? That’s kind of cool,” the pink party pony mused, and Skyward shook her head, trying to rid herself of the ringing in her ears.

“Someone call me?” Spike asked, poking his head out from behind a rock, and Twilight Sparkle chuckled at her Number 1 Assistant. “As a matter of fact, yes, Spike. We’re going to need you to help us get rid of these teddy bear cholla. You’ve got scales, so you might be immune to the spines.”

“Whyever would Braeburn plant these things here? Honestly I’ve a mind to give him a piece of MY MIND,” Rarity growled, stomping a hoof as she nuzzled her sniffling sister.

“And Ah plannin’ on giving’ ‘im a piece o’ mah mind for certain--Ah’ve had enough of this nonsense. Skyward, I hate t’ ask, but could ya keep an eye on Apple Bloom an’ her friends while we git rid of these…these…”

The orange farmpony slammed a hoof down in her obvious irritation, and Skyward nodded her head as she sheathed her sword. “Fret not, Applejack—one shalt watch over them. Sweetie Belle needs a bath and rest all the same. Here, on my back, little one.”

Skyward’s horn glowed silver and she levitated Sweetie Belle onto her back, having removed her cloak and folded it into her satchel. It did reveal her blank flank, but at the moment she didn’t give a buck about it.

“Trouble Shoes, why doncha go with her an’ keep her company so she ain’t all by her lonesome—ya can leave the wagon here so’s we can toss these dang things in it. If Braeburn comes back t’ the house first, ya tell that apple mush-brained cousin o’ mine Ah wanna have a chat with ‘im.”

Skyward wanted to yell at Applejack—the buck was the farmpony thinking? Applejack, despite her irritation, winked at her and mouthed “Have fun” before she trotted off to get a big basket. Skyward snorted, stomped her forehoof and turned, trying not to blush, or keeping her ears from sliding backwards or her tail from switching in annoyance.

“Ya’ll right, Sky?”

“Aye—just rightly riled since Sweetie Belle wast injured. Honestly—what wast he thinking? One sees Farmer Braeburn dost not want for sustenance…”

Skyward was carrying Sweetie Belle on her back while Apple Bloom and Scootaloo ran ahead down the path—despite the fact the cholla spines had been removed from her fur and skin, the Haylian mare figured she could use the ride back to the ranch-house.

The huge Clydesdale-esque stallion nudged the irritated Haylian unicorn mare gently. “Prolly jest t’ mix it up some. Ah mean, Ah’d get right sick o’ eatin’ jest apples day in an’ out, ya know? Truth is, Ah’ve eaten ‘em once or twice m’self, an’ they can make fer some darn good eats if ya know whut yer doin’.”

“If thou says so…one hast never had them…”

“But, yer right. Iffen Applejack done tole ‘im t’ git those dang things outta ‘is orchard, ‘e shoulda done it. ‘Specially so nopony gits hurt. Ya’ll doin’ okay over there, Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie Belle nodded, sniffling a little. “Y-yeah…I’m okay. Just wish I wasn’t so clumsy. Then I wouldn’t keep messing things up.”

Skyward stopped in her tracks and she turned her head so she could look at Sweetie Belle properly.

“Now, thou listen to me. Thou art not clumsy. Thou art just a foal. Ye needn’t take on the burden of what a full-grown stallion ought to have taken responsibility for, especially if he wast told to do so for the safety of other ponies. Ye are a good, strong and kindhearted little filly.”

Skyward nuzzled her gently. “So, dispel such vile thoughts from thine mind, Sweetie Belle. Ye art nothing of the sort, dost thou hear me?”

Sweetie Belle nudged the Haylian mare back, and Skyward continued walking—in doing so however, she missed the tender look Trouble Shoes was giving her as he followed her back to the ranch-house.

“Sounds lahke yer talkin’ from experience there, Sky.”

The bluesteel unicorn mare turned her head to look up at the big stallion walking next to her. “Oh, aye. I’ve had to pull cactus spines out from mine own flanks a few times…not exactly fun when thou art backed into a corner and ye brush up against one trying to avoid snapping teeth from the other end.”

But the Clydesdale-esque stallion shook his head at her, giving her a soft look. “Not whut Ah meant.”

The Haylian mare looked puzzled, but by this point they had returned to the house. Granny Smith greeted them from her rocking chair by the hearth. “Eh? Ya done plantin’ already, young’uns?”

Skyward shook her head as Trouble Shoes came up beside her. “Applejack sent us back t’ th’ house ma’am; Sweetie Belle fell inta some teddy bear cholla that Braeburn’s been keepin’ in ‘is apple orchard. Ah guess he paid no mind t’ his cousin when she done tole him t’ root the dang plants out, an’ as a result, lil’ Sweetie Belle here got hurt. Skyward ‘ad t’ remove the burrs outta her hide an’ mane.”

Upon learning what had happened, the elderly mare got to her hooves. “Oh really? Well, jest wait till he gits back from huntin’ down that nasty boar! Ah’m gonna give him an earful an’ then some…”

The elderly mare wandered out to the front porch, and all of the ponies in the room exchanged apprehensive looks. This certainly wasn’t going to end well. Skyward shook her head from side to side slowly as she ascended the stairs, finding the room Sweetie Belle shared with her friends, and entering it. She placed Sweetie Belle on the bed and lit her horn, conjuring a globe of water and glancing around…

“Whatcha’ lookin’ fer, Sky?”

The Haylian mare turned around to come muzzle to muzzle with Trouble Shoes. The two of them backed up to give each other space—of course, true to his cutie mark, Trouble Shoes backed into the wall and shook loose a hanging plant, which landed right on top of his head. It smashed open, leaving the plant intact, the pot in shards all around him, and the plant itself in the dirt atop his head, making him look like a Rastafarian pony.

The three fillies exploded in laughter at the hilarious sight. Fighting the urge to laugh (and failing at it) Skyward came over to him and cleaned off the plant, the dirt, the pot shards and pieces, and fixed the pot with her magic before re-hanging the plant.

“Art thou all right?”

Trouble Shoes shook himself and chuckled. “Yeah, jest mah cutie mark at work again. Just mah luck.”

Skyward chuckled and leaned forward to give him a light nuzzle. “Still, unintentional or no, t’was quite amusing to see. One is glad however thou art not injured.”

Cheeks pinking a little bit, she turned back to her satchel, removing her cloak and putting it aside—and missed the surprised and delighted expression on the big stallion’s face when she’d nuzzled him, followed by a fond smile at her back.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders glanced at their big friend and at the bluesteel unicorn mare, and they exchanged broad grins and excited glances. They weren’t quite old enough to seek that kind of affection just yet, but they knew enough to know what was going on.

“Ya seemed t’ be lookin’ fer somethin earlier, Sky…”

The bluesteel unicorn mare indicated the hovering water globe with one hoof. “Ah—one wilt need a pot or something to hold this so one can tend to Sweetie Belle’s wounds…”

The big stallion nodded at her, a warm smile on his muzzle, as he got to his hooves. “Ah’ve got it--Ah’ll be right back.”

Skyward smiled after him, shaking her head a little bit. Hearing giggling, her ears pricked up and she glanced over at the three fillies on the bed, who were all grinning at her impishly. “What?”

Despite her ordeal, Sweetie Belle was giggling into her hooves, Scootaloo had that ‘all knowing smirk’ on her muzzle…

“Nooooothing,” Apple Bloom replied. Skyward angled an eyebrow at them before she began nosing through her satchel.

She normally didn’t purchase Red Potion, given that the blue variety did both in one, but sometimes, needing a healing backup proved the wiser choice if no Blue Potion was to be had. There were potions for magic renewal after all. She uncorked the bottle and poured a little bit of it into the water bubble, tinging it pink, before she used a spell to mask the color. Then she recorked and replaced the bottle proper, just as Trouble Shoes came back upstairs with a shallow pan he had gotten from the kitchen.

She thanked him, then dug around further in her satchel, revealing some clean cloths she had tucked in there and pulled one out, soaking it in the warmed, diluted potion mixture in the pan Trouble Shoes had brought her and dabbing it onto Sweetie Belle’s wounds. She dried off the little unicorn filly, and turned down the covers, tucking the filly into the warm confines of the bed, and settled back after she had tucked the covers around Sweetie Belle’s neck.

Skyward nuzzled Sweetie Belle gently. “Ye sleep now—I shalt inform thine grandmare thou art resting. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, dost thou wish…”

The Haylian mare smiled, seeing that the other two fillies were also snoozing away. She levitated them and tucked them under the blanket, making sure they were comfortable. She moved away from the bed and to the door—only to find Trouble Shoes had opened it for her and was waiting for her to go through it. She smiled at him and bowed her head in thanks—he smiled at her and shut the door behind himself as he followed her back downstairs—she hadn’t spoken because she didn’t want to wake the sleeping fillies.

“Thou can bet that when Braeburn returns from that boar hunt—he’s going to get one hay of an earful from either the matriarch or his cousin,” she muttered.

Trouble Shoes nodded at her—he didn’t bother to hide the smirk forming over his muzzle. “Ah’d say he deserves t’ git ‘is tail chewed…again.”

Skyward shook her head from side to side, her ears drooping and she bowed her head, looking upset. Because her head was lowered, she didn’t see Trouble Shoes’ brow furrow in concern. “Makes one wonder if I should hath just stayed out of it…mayhap I deserved to be called as such…”

“Oh hay no, Skyward. Don’ ya dare go thinkin’ that, ya hear?”

She looked up at him, ready to deliver a retort, only to be silenced when he put a hooftip to her muzzle.

“Th’ whole dang mess wuz his fault anyhow, Sky. First off, th’ damn foal shoulda known not t’ hop in t’ th’ ring when yer practicin’ wit’ yer sword an’ shield. From whut Ah saw, ye’re pretty dang good with both, an’ iffen he’d surprised ya, m’thinkin’ ya would’ve put ‘im in Doc’s tender care or th’ Apple clan would’ve needed an undertaker. Second, sure, Applejack messed up, but, tain’t no call fer ‘im t’ go rubbin’ salt in old wounds.”

Skyward nodded mutely, ears going flat, and Trouble Shoes nodded at her.

“Yer not a nag, yer certainly not whut he called ya. An’ if he says somethin’ lahke that t’ ya again Ah’ll buck ‘im clean t’ Dodge City.”

Skyward chuckled, and she smiled up at him. “I thank thou for thine chivalry, Trouble Shoes, truly. Is there anything one can do for thou in return?”

He leaned close to her, giving her a light nudge. “Jest keep smilin’, sugarcube. That’s all. Yer…really purty when ya smile.”

The Haylian mare ducked her head, smiling and looked up at him.

“Ah have t’ agree. Yer purtier than an apple blossom when ya smile.”

Badly startled, Skyward leaped forward and shied away sharply, lashing out with her rear hooves, and Braeburn jumped away. “Holy Celestia—watch it there, Skyward!”

“Luna’s glowing horn, dost thou ever make any noise? Hath not Applejack said it once before to not sneak up on me? Goddesses dost thou even listen?” she snapped, glaring fiercely at Braeburn, who shook his head at her and opened his mouth, ears laying back…

“Don’ ya dare. Yer cousin warned ya not t’ sneak up on her once ‘afore an’ ya almost got slapped in the muzzle for scarin’ the livin’ blazes outta her. Iffen yer gonna say somethin’ stupid to ‘er, shut yer damn muzzle right now,” Trouble Shoes growled warningly, stepping forward to glare at the other stallion.

“Shut mah muzzle? Who the hay does she think she is? This is mah house an’ if she don’ like what Ah got to say, she can damn well leave it!”

Trouble Shoes glowered at the smaller stallion. “Then she kin stay wit’ me while she an’ her friends are here. Fer buck’s sake, she an’ her friends came down here t’ help yer ungrateful flank wit’ all th’ problems Appleloosa’s been havin’. And personally, ah’ve had ‘nough o’ ya treatin’ ‘er lahke trash, thinkin’ yer th’ one in th’ right when ya really ain’t, an’ Ah ain’t gonna stand fer it anymore.”

Skyward didn’t know what to say as she glanced back and forth between the two stallions, ears back in distress and shifting from hoof to hoof. The two of them looked like they were about to come to blows, which was understandable…

But were they fighting over harsh words being said or were they…fighting over her?

The two stallions squared off, necks arching, eyes flashing, ears laid back, stomping and shifting their hooves. Skyward backed up—klutzy or not Trouble Shoes was a big stallion, bigger than Braeburn, but where Braeburn lacked size he did have speed and strength balanced. Green locked with green, narrowed, nostrils flared…

“BRAEBURN APPLE! YA GIT YER SORRY FLANK OVER HERE RIGHT THIS SECOND!”

The livid shout echoed through the house and the front door slammed open to reveal a very angry Granny Smith Apple, and she stalked towards Braeburn with speed and agility none of the others knew she had—nopony that wasn’t an Apple anyway. Granny Smith eyed Braeburn with a look Skyward knew only too well from her own sire when somepony misbehaved…a look that spelled big bucking trouble for the pony who was in for it.

“Granny Smith, what in the sam hill---OWW!”

The matriarch of the Apple family had his ear firmly in one hoof and wasn’t letting up. “We’re gonna talk about more than just whut Ah heard come out of yer disrespectful muzzle. Ah heard everythin’ Applejack said t’ ya earlier t’day, an’ when she gits back we’re all gonna ‘ave a ‘Come t’ Celestia’ meetin’ bout this! An’ Skyward?”

Skyward stepped forward, pricking her ears at the lime green elder mare, swallowing nervously. “Aye, Matriarch Granny Smith?”

The elderly mare smiled and nodded at her, anger leaving her eyes briefly. “Ya never mind what Braeburn said. Yer welcome ‘mong us Apples anytime. Ya saved Apple Bloom from them stinkin’ Diamond Dogs an’ we ain’t gonna fergit that anytime soon. This may be his house, but AH’M th’ head of the family. Now skedaddle, both of ya, so Ah can teach this young whippersnapper a lesson in respect!”

“Ah—of course, Matriarch.”

“No problem, ma’am.”

Both Skyward and Trouble Shoes quickly left the house, both walking down the road away from the ranch-house. They could still hear Granny Smith’s voice raised in righteous wrath, and Skyward pinned her ears back, wincing.

“Oh, he is in for it now, one thinks…”

“Sure ‘nough. Tales of Granny Smith on th’ warpath are as good as a ghost story ‘round ‘ere. Ya git her good an’ riled an’ ya may as well say yer prayers.”

Skyward pawed the ground—during the altercation between the two stallions she had silently teleported her cloak, her satchel and her armor down near her and had placed her armor in her bag for safekeeping. “Art thou certain thou wish me to stay with thee…”

The huge stallion turned and nodded at her. “Of course. Ah never would’ve offered iffen Ah didn’ want ya ‘round.”

The bluesteel unicorn smiled quietly at him, and he nudged her gently. Trouble Shoes’ cabin looked cozy enough—there was a large bed on one side of it, a chair and small table on the other side. There was a cooking stove that also doubled as a hearth for warmth with a colorful woven rug in front of it, and pots and pans hung on the walls. A lantern hung from the ceiling as a light source, and jugs of cider were stacked on a shelf. There were also baskets of apples, potatoes, beans and onions, jalapenos, bell peppers, some cornmeal, bread and butter and strawberry jam. Trouble Shoes opened the door for her, and he indicated where she could put her things. He picked up a burlap bag with his teeth that was hanging on the wall and beckoned to her with one hoof.

“C’mon, follow me.”

Skyward pricked her ears at him, tilting her head in confusion. “Where art we going?”

“Ya tole me ya never had cholla buds. Thought ya might wanna try some. We’re gonna go gatherin’ them first.”

Skyward smiled, ears perking forward. “One t’will admit to being curious, even though the plant itself is a particular pain in the flank,” she mused. Trouble Shoes chortled at her, as he stopped in front of a large staghorn cholla and gestured with one hoof at the tall, multi branched spiny desert plant.

“First, ya only take th’ buds. This ain’t prickly pear cacti, mind ya. An’ ya take no more than a few from every cacti ya see…gotta leave some behind so th’ plant can survive. Now, ya can just eat from any cholla—but th’ best ones t’ git buds from are from staghorn, pencil an’ buckhorn cholla.”

The bluesteel unicorn mare eyed the spiny plant in front of her. “Pray tell one, why is that?”

“Those three’r less likely t’ spike ya is why. Least with these ya don’ hafta worry too much. An’ this is ‘ow ya ‘arvest ‘em; ya only take this here piece.”

He pointed to a small, light green bulb that had a flower bud sitting on it. “That there’s whatcha want. An’ ya ‘arvest em lahke this.”

He poked his head into his saddlebag, pulled out a pair of metal tongs in his mouth. Painstakingly he plucked two of the buds off of the staghorn cholla they were in front of and placed them in the bag they had with them. The Haylian mare was careful as she used her magic to lift the tongs and harvested a small hoof-ful of buds. The two ponies moved from plant to plant, taking no more than a few buds from each. Once they had about a full bag, the Clydesdale-esque stallion led her back to his cabin-wagon. He rooted around before he pulled out what looked like an archaeologist’s sifting box, then turned to get the bag…

But Skyward had the bag in her magic, and she carefully poured the contents into the box proper.

“Now what?”

“Now, we’re gonna clean ‘em. Ya don’ wanna mouthful o’ spines, do ya?”

She snorted, sticking out her tongue and he laughed, she grinned at him, then looked at the box full of spiny cholla buds. “How dost thou clean them?”

“Ya pick up the box an’ shake it. That should git most of ‘em offa the buds.”

Skyward sat back on her hindquarters, picked up the box in her hooves and carefully shook the box, rolling the buds back and forth in the mesh bottomed box. She could’ve stripped them clear with her magic but she wanted to try it how he would’ve done it.

She glanced up at the big stallion’s silhouette that she could just see within the windows of his cabin-wagon, and she smiled, a faint blush dusting her cheeks as she continued to clean the buds. He certainly was pleasing to look at—strong, powerful legs and hindquarters, robust chest and barrel, perky, cute ears she’d love to nuzzle at, and his unruly dark brown mane and shortened tail just added to his rugged masculine appeal—never mind what he was ‘packing’ between his hind legs, which was certainly—impressive to be sure.

She shook her mane out of her eyes, cheeks heating up at that thought—she’d be foalish not to admit she’d glanced at him more than once on the sly. He had nice eyes too—a gentle leaf green; it reminded her of a sun-dappled forest clearing, and his smile, sincere, playful and welcoming, warmed her through to her core. Not to mention he wasn’t arrogant or pretentious in the least—at least she hoped he wasn’t.

She knew she’d seen a lot of stallions even if she’d never been courted by any of them—not for lack of them trying to woo her. She’d just never been interested, especially not after what Dark Wind and Jade Mist had done; she’d sheathed her wounded heart in permafrost and focused on becoming the best war mage she could be.

And yet, with one look, one smile, he’d managed to melt that ice. Despite the fact he was somewhat of a klutz; hay, his cutie mark pretty much confirmed it: she found it not only amusing but also endearing—she hadn’t laughed so much in…well, she couldn’t remember when she hadn’t laughed so much or so hard. Also, he was quite good with foals; a ‘gentle giant’ to be certain. Not to mention he was quite chivalrous and kind to her—he didn’t treat her as if she were fragile, nor did he put her on a pedestal, nor as an object to be owned. No, he had treated her like a lady; like a pony—and she rather liked it.

But would he truly be interested in her? She knew there were Earth Pony mares far prettier than she ever was…and as usual she’d probably end up being second best. Well, she was used to it by now.

But if she was so used to it, why did the thought of seeing him with another mare send an unseen lance of fiery agony through her chest?

Trouble Shoes began setting up a campfire in a circle of rocks near his cabin-wagon, and went inside, pulling out a few things—a campfire iron spider, which was an implement to hold a pot over a fire, and a pot itself. He went to the water bucket, picked it up in his mouth and poured water into the pot proper. While he did this, he looked outside at the bluesteel unicorn mare sitting by the fire he’d made, cleaning the cholla buds outside his cabin-wagon and smiled. He blew out a breath—boy howdy, she was beautiful; being alone out here with her was having one hay of an effect on him. She was a unicorn, not an Earth Pony, but to him, it didn’t matter—she was still a mare.

He shifted, shaking his mane a little bit; he’d be a damn foal to deny the fact he did want her; what hot-blooded stallion wouldn’t? She did have some muscle on her, but she also had a sleek figure, long, slim legs, a real nice flank, a velvety looking coat, soft looking ears he’d love to nibble or lick, and a long silky tail and mane he desperately wanted to nuzzle into.

And her eyes—they were an amazing shade of blue. Faust knew he could drown in those endless pools and he wouldn’t want to be rescued.

But she was also smart, she was playful, gentle and caring, a real sweetheart. She also had a strong sense of honor and to top it off, she was quite a down-to-earth pony, even if she was too hard on herself sometimes. She didn’t mind getting down in the dirt with earth ponies—she certainly wasn’t like other unicorns he’d seen. He didn’t like her being upset—when Braeburn had snapped at her the way he had, it had taken all he had to swallow down the urge to buck the idiot foal through the window then and there.

He heard a splash, and glanced down, now reminded of what he was doing. He snorted when he saw he’d overfilled the pot, and the water from the bucket was now pouring onto him. He huffed, set down the half empty bucket, and went to go find a towel to clean up the mess with.

“S’not lahke she’d be innerested in me anyway,” he muttered to himself as he mopped up the water with one hoof, then flipped the towel into the nearby laundry basket as he picked up the filled pot and the spider and went back outside. She heard him, and looked up to smile at him as she continued cleaning the buds in the box; and he smiled back at her as he set the spider in the coals, then put the pot on top of the spider….

“Ah-oww! Damn it!”

The bluesteel unicorn mare yelped as one of the buds bounced against its fellows and flew out of the box, ending up on her right forehoof. She tried to shake it off, only to hiss in pain—the remaining spines only dug deeper as a result. Hearing her cry out, Trouble Shoes came over to her, sitting near her as he took her hoof in his own.

“Careful, now. Ah don’ want ya gettin’ spiked too, Sky. Lemme see…”

The huge stallion was careful as he used the tongs in his mouth to pull the bud free, back into the box. Carefully he pulled the remaining spines out from her forehoof, nuzzling it gently to make sure he hadn’t missed any that were still on the bud. Skyward’s breath caught in her chest and she was sure the stallion in front of her checking her forehoof could hear her heart pounding against her ribs.

“There. Ya should be all right now. Be careful when yer cleanin’ em—until ya get all th’ spines off, they still pack a nasty bite.”

He hadn’t let go of her forehoof, however, and she found she had no intention of removing it from his hold. “I—I will keep that in mind…I thank thou for thine aid,” she murmured in reply, ducking her head on the pretense of looking closely at the cholla buds. “Ah—how dost thou know they art cleaned?”

He did let go of her hoof then, and she wondered at the pang in her chest when he did. “Welp—let’s see ‘ow many spines still need t’ be removed. Th’ box don’ remove all of ‘em—so iffen there’s any left, ya gotta git th’ rest o’ them off.”

He picked one out using the tongs and put it on a rock, turning it over and eyeing it closely, then nodded. “Look fer any remainin’ spines on ‘em, and pluck ‘em if ya see ‘em. Once ya done that, ya can toss ‘em in the pot.”

Skyward set to work, picking up the buds in her magic and turning them over, but she did try her hoof at plucking the spines out by hoof using a pair of tweezers. Soon, all the cleaned buds were in the pot, boiling away, and she settled back, cocking her head.

“Ye cannot eat them raw?”

“Nah. Ya do that an’ it’s ‘bout as bad as eatin’ ember nettles. Gotta boil ‘em first before ya can eat ‘em. Prickly pear cacti’s th’ same way; clean ‘em, then boil ‘em, but ya peel ‘em.”

Their meal was simple, but it was a pleasant one—while the buds boiled in the pot, Skyward went into the cabin-wagon, busying herself at the stove. She made cornbread, bell pepper and jalapeno fritters, fried onions and potatoes, and cut up some prickly pears, placing them in a bowl.

She brought the food out in bowls and plates in her magic—Trouble Shoes indicated she could place them on a table he’d folded out from the back of his wagon. He went inside, grabbing a cast iron pan, some butter, jalapenos and some onions, and brought them back out.

She levitated the pot off of the fire, and he put the cast iron pan on the spider. She’d floated the cooked buds out of the pot and looked at him—

“Not jest yet, sugarcube. Ya kin put ‘em here if ya’d like. Try one?”

She placed the steaming buds in an empty bowl, picked one up and blew on it to cool it, before she bit into the large bud. The taste surprised her—firm, chewy but not rubbery, and it tasted like a cross between asparagus and artichoke heart.

“Mmm! These art delicious!”

She held one out for him, and he smiled, taking the bud she’d offered him. Hearing the pan sizzle, he nodded at her and she put the buds in the heated pan for him. He added some onions, jalapenos and red bell peppers, and tossed them a few times with butter and a little cayenne pepper and salt.

Their meal was a pleasant one, and she helped him with the dishes afterwards. They came out and sat near the fire, staring at the stars that were just starting to peek out from the last few vestiges of sunlight.

“Hey, wanna go get dessert?”

Skyward turned towards him and grinned. “Dost thou even have to ask?”

He laughed as he led her from the fireside into the woods—she stopped and put a spell on the circle of rocks to keep the flames from going out or setting a stray fire somewhere, and followed him out to the desert.

“What art we looking for out here?”

He stopped, and she almost ran right into him as a result, making her stumble, but he caught her before she could fall. “Careful there, sugarcube.”

She ducked her head, feeling shy and warm from his endearment, and chuckled up at him. “I thank thou for catching me.”

“No problem. Anyway, look over here…this is whut we’re lookin’ fer.”

“This ‘ere cactus got a different type o’ prickly pear—they’re called saguaro fruit. Dang good eatin’ iffen ya can git ‘em, an’ they’re also---WHOA!”

True to his cutie mark, he had tripped on a loose piece of rock and pinwheeled forward—right towards the massive cactus. Skyward grabbed him in her magic before he could slam into the huge saguaro, and she steadied him, placing him on all four hooves before coming up to him.

“Art thou all right?”

“Yeah…happens t’ me more than ya think. But don’ ya worry ‘bout it none…”

“Nonsense. One is worried about thine wellbeing, now, let me look thee over for injury, hmm?”

The Clydesdale-esque stallion let her fuss him; Skyward checked him for bruising or lacerations from the rocks and the scree around them. She did find a large bruise on his right hind leg, and she lit her horn, concentrating on a healing spell.

She wasn’t a priestess, so the higher-level healing spells weren’t available to her. But she was able to learn some of the basics. She gently eased the pain and swelling until it was gone, and opened her eyes.

“Better, now?”

“Yeah. Thanks, sugarcube.”

Skyward smiled, kicking the ground gently with one hoof, and she was about to reply when she heard something—something that made her yank out her sword and shield, turning to face the rocks to the left of them. Trouble Shoes tensed—he knew she’d picked up on something, and for her to pull her weapons out, it meant big trouble.

“Whut is it?”

The Haylian mare eyed the line of rocks above them, her ears twitching and moving to follow what she had heard. “Hsh…something is out there. One heard claws on stone…”

The huge stallion laid back his ears and stomped one hoof. “Let’s hurry an’ harvest some o’ these an’ git outta here. Might be a mountain lion—ya don’ wan’ one o’ them on yer flank. Ah’ll keep watch, try an’ grab as much as ya can, an’ then we gotta scoot.”

Skyward nodded, then sheathed her weapons. She looked up and grasped the largest saguaro fruit she could see, pulling it free with her magic, then dropped it into the basket Trouble Shoes had brought with him. She only took a couple from each saguaro close by while the big stallion kept guard, leaving the rest for other animals to eat. With twilight descending fully, they quickly ran back to his cabin. After he had shown her how to clean them free of spines, he took a sharp knife and began to painstakingly peel it. The fruit itself was a brilliant crimson, and she could see the seeds inside of it. Taking a bite of it proved it to be sweet and succulent, and the seeds were pretty big, but they had a pleasantly nutty taste to it. She helped him peel and cut the fruit, the two of them eating them until there was one large fruit remaining. Trouble Shoes nudged it towards her, but Skyward shook her head—she split the last saguaro fruit in two, scooped out the fruit from her half and offered it to him.

“No reason we cannot share, aye?”

The large nut-brown stallion’s eyes softened at her gesture, and he ate the spoonful of pulp she had offered him. He stopped her before she could scoop out the other half, and he picked up a spoon in his mouth and scooped it out, holding it out for her to take. She smiled and took the offering, closing her eyes at the sweetness of the desert fruit, the nutty taste of the seeds.

The fruit was decidedly messy as well, so they went to the river to wash up. Trouble Shoes stuck his muzzle in the river’s water, rubbing at his mouth with his hooves to clean off the crimson juice. He looked up…

Skyward was standing in the water proper, her forelegs submerged up to her fetlocks. The crimson juice was floating off of her forehooves and her muzzle when she lowered her head to the cool liquid. She had removed her cloak at the bank. She turned and cantered back towards him, settling on her haunches at his side.

“Mayhap I shalt return for a bath here sometime. It seems peaceful enough.”

The big stallion blushed and dunked his head in the water proper, trying to ease the flash of heat that had arced through him at her words. The thought of her bathing in the river was more than enough to turn his blood to fire in his body and less than innocent thoughts crowding his mind, especially when it came to the gorgeous blue colored mare next to him.... Skyward blinked at him, confused.

“Art thou all—EEP!”

She squeaked when he splashed her, albeit by accident, and she grinned at him. She flipped water at him with her right forehoof, and he blinked, then grinned back and tried to headbutt her into the water. She pushed back, laughing as she tried to wrestle him into the liquid proper. He reared up and sent a wave of water over her when his front legs struck the shallows, and she sputtered, yelping as she was soaked through.

Blue eyes twinkling with mirth she jumped and splashed him in return, he guffawing as the smaller wave she had created splashed him.

“That all ya got, lil’ prairie blossom…WHOA!”

She had tackled him proper into the shallows and he surfaced, both of them laughing. “What was that thou art were saying?”

The wicked grin on the stallion’s face warned her and he jumped out of the river, trying to get behind her as he tried to shove her in the river this time. “Ah said, that all ya got, sugarcube?”

She dodged him, running behind him and he turned around to face her…

Only for his breath to be stolen away at the sensual sight before him. Her mane, tail and coat were soaked through, as was her tunic, but she was beaming at him, eyes bright with joy, laughter and glowing with happiness. The water soaked her fur, giving her a shiny, slick look, part of her wet mane obscuring her muzzle, which left one shimmering blue eye exposed…

Both ponies’ heads jerked up when a growl of thunder echoed overhead, and a few falling raindrops sprinkled their noses. They bolted for the cabin, Skyward drying them both off with her Fashion Flash spell, and bolted for the cabin proper. They headed inside just as the skies opened up, sending a torrential downpour onto the scrub forest that his cabin was hidden in. They settled on the woven rug in front of the stove, Skyward tucking her legs under herself. Despite the afternoon’s trials—things had turned out all right.

She looked up when the big nut-brown coated stallion settled beside her and she smiled. “Thank ye, so much…I enjoyed myself. Thou were right…those buds art tasty.”

He’d removed his hat, hanging it on a small hook near the door earlier, and he smiled warmly at her as he settled next to her. “Yer welcome, An, yer welcome here anytime, sweetheart. Ah mean it.”

Skyward leaned into his side, feeling drowsy and content, and she unconsciously sighed when she felt him lean into her too. Thunder roared overhead, and rain fell on the roof of the cabin relentlessly, but inside, the two ponies were safe and warm. The dancing flames in the stove played over the two ponies, casting shadows, the darkness of night slowly creeping in proper. Skyward yawned, sleep stealing over her and she nestled into Trouble Shoes’ side, feeling his side expand and deflate, his breathing slow, even…

Hearing a low buzzing noise, she turned her head…and smiled, trying not to giggle; Trouble Shoes had fallen asleep next to her. Skyward lit her horn, removing her cloak, enlarging it and draping it over him. She regarded the sleeping stallion with a soft smile before she laid her head down, settling into sleep herself.

Yet when Celestia’s sun graced the skies anew, the rays of the fiery orb found the two snuggled together, the stallion curled around the mare, her cloak covering them both, his head resting atop her withers and back.