Chapter 9: Hiding Among Apples

You quickly found a spot in the shade to hide in, hoping that it would make the day ahead of you more comfortable. After a while you checked to make sure they weren't any search parties out looking for you, knowing that if any came over the clearing they would be able to see you. Just as you got to the edge of the clearing you saw a Pegasus' shadow pass by, causing you to jump back into the shadows, praying to Celestia that they didn't see you. As you made your way back to where you were sitting before you head somepony walking through the orchard.

"Do you think he's still in here?" somepony asked, it was a voice you hadn't heard before.

"He wouldn't go that far from the house" you heard Big Mac say from another part of the orchard. Knowing that they were close you jumped into the tree, once again praying to Celestia that they didn't see you. After a few minutes you heard somepony walking underneath you, and out of curiosity you poked your head out slightly. Standing there was a light brown Earth pony with a spiked brown mane, an hourglass for a cutie mark. Luckily his back was turned to you, so there was no way he would have seen you, or so you thought.

"Hey Mac, I heard something moving in this tree!" the pony yelled from right below where you were hiding. You heard Big Mac's hoof beats as he ran over, and you knew that if you didn't move, he was going to find you. Looking around inside the tree you found an adjacent branch and hoped onto it, and continued to look for a way onto another tree when you heard Big Mac talking to the pony.

"It was probably just a bird Hooves" Big Mac said, starting to walk away.

"Does a bird leave behind chocolate coloured feathers?" the pony, who you guessed was named Hooves, said. Thankfully you found a way into another tree, taking a second to look outside, only to see Hooves holding one of your feathers in his mouth. You quickly looked at your wings and noticed that one of your smaller feathers had fallen out. Great, now they know I'm here!, you shouted inside your head as you started to look for a way to get to another tree. While you looked you heard Big Mac buck the tree you were in just a moment before, knowing that with his strength you would have fallen out, and they would have found you.

Hearing Big Mac walk underneath the tree you were currently in caused you to start looking frantically for a way to the next tree. Then it hit you. I can fly, why am I trying to sneak along the branches?! you thought as you took flight, hoping that it wouldn't let them in on your location. Thankfully it would seem as though they didn't see the leaves rustle, or they just thought it was the wind, so you decided it was safe to make your way through the trees this way.

"Big Mac, I think he's hiding in the leaves" Hooves said, point right where you were currently flying. Shit! Why did it take him this long to figure that out?! you shouted in your head, preparing to fly through the apple trees until you had lost them.

"Hurry, if we're not quick he'll get away!" Big Mac said, getting ready to run if you started to move.

"What's stopping him from rising above the trees?" Hooves asked, just as you though it. Wow, that was weird, you thought, noting that he was right, so you poked your head above the top of the trees, Holy Luna!

"Soarin sent out a the weather team to scan for him just in case he did, so we don't have to worry" Big Mac said, obviously telling the truth, as you could count numerous Peagsi flying above the orchard. This is bad, very bad, you thought as you looked for an easy way through the trees. You prayed that you were going to right way as you took off, flying through the trees, dodging branches mere seconds before you would have collided with them. The sound of hoof beats was far behind when you finally ran out of luck, colliding with a rather large apple that was hanging in the upper branch of a tree.

"Ow, my head..." you mumbled as you rubbed your head in pain, still flying through the trees. You stopped for a moment to see if you were still being followed, and when nothing could be heard but the wind blowing through the trees you decided to land.

"Fancy runnin' into you here"

You quickly turned around, only to find Applejack laying against a nearby tree with a stalk of grain in her mouth. Knowing it was pointless to try and run you walked over and sat next to her, mentally preparing yourself for whatever she could throw at you.

"Why'd you run?" Applejack asked, leaning against you.

"Because, they wanted me to join the Wonderbolts, and you know why I wouldn't want that" you said, nuzzling the top of her head.

"But time has passed, and your friends seem to have gotten over it, so why can't you?" she asked, nuzzling you back.

"They can't be Wonderbolts anymore because of me, so why should I get to be one?" you said, your voice starting to fill with anger. She knows what happened, and she still wants you to join the Wonderbolts?! How could she, she knows how hard it was for you to tell her about it!

"You want to know why they showed up?" she asked, sitting up.

"Yes, I actually would like to know why they had to show up now of all times" you replied curtly.

"Because, your friend, Small Fry, told them too" Applejack said, looking you straight in the eye. You were shocked. Yes, Small Fry wasn't that badly injured, but why would he want you to join the Wonderbolts, it was his dream, and the best he got after the accident was a management position in the organization! Why would he want to watch you live his dream for him, when it was your fault he couldn't?!

"Sugar, I think he wants you to do it for yourself" Applejack said, noticing your troubled look.

"But why..." you said quietly, still not able to get over the fact that it was on your friends behalf that the Wonderbolts had come to you.

"Because they don't want to see you waste your life away, knowing that you could have been so much more" Applejack said, her hooves on your shoulders, "They want to see you be happy!". You weren't able to respond, as the realization that your actions all those years ago weren't only stupid, but selfish, had caused you to break down.

"I thought that leaving would have been the only fair thing, but in the end, it only hurt them more..." you mumbled, thinking about how things would have been different had you stayed.

"It's okay sugar" Applejack said as she hugged you, "The past is the past, you can't change that, but you can change the future"

"Yeah you're right, but if I join them I won't be able to work on the farm" you said, remembering a schedule you had seen when you were still in flight school. A Wonderbolt was rarely allowed time at home, seeing as they had to go across Equestria to perform shows for everypony.

"Don't worry about us, we'll manage" Applejack said, nuzzling your neck lovingly.

"But what'll happen to us?" you asked, knowing the strain you being a Wonderbolt would put on your relationship.

"I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes" Applejack said, hugging you closer. You tried to turn towards her to return the hug, but she was too strong, so you decided instead to nuzzle her head until she let go. The two of you sat in the orchard for a long time, until Big Mac stumbled upon you.

"Are you ready to come back?" he asked, offering a hoof to you.

"Yeah, let's get this over with" you said, taking his hoof and picking yourself and Applejack off the ground.

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"So what do you say?" Soarin asked, handing you a contract. You had been talking to him for around two hours now, going over travel details, training schedules, and paychecks. Apparently a Wonderbolt's days were usually spent training extensively in one of gyms in Cloudsdale, which were the few in all of Equestria that were specially tailored to Pegasi, the only other ones being in Canterlot and Manehatten. It would also appear as though being a Wonderbolt meant that you could retire after only a few years, and still have enough money to support yourself and a family for three generations.

"If I sign here, I'm a Wonderbolt, through and through?" you asked, pointing towards the bottom of the contract.

"Well you would also have to sign, here, here, and here" Small Fry said. Being the current manager of the Wonderbolts meant he had to be there, along with Spitfire, seeing as she was the captain.

"Okay, well..." you started to sign, not paying any attention as to how you signed, "Done, done, and done, now what?". You looked up to see everypony in the room staring at you in surprise.

"What?" you said, only now noticing a light brown glow around the pen you had used to sign the contract.

"Are you sure you're a Pegasus?" Small Fry asked, poking at the pen that was still being held in the air by what appeared to be your magic.

"I would assume so, I have wings don't-" you said before noticing that your wings had a similar glow around them. You froze, thinking back to what Twilight had told you when you first arrived. Apparently my Pegasi magic is starting to fully manifest itself, you thought as you tried to put the pen down.

"Are you going to put it down anytime soon?" Soarin asked, trying to push it back down to the table, only to have the magic spread over him as well.

"Put him down, put him down!" Spitfire yelled, seeing her partner being lifted into the air by your magic.

"I can't, I don't know how!" you screamed, trying everything you could think of to turn off your magic. When you finally ran out of options you opened your eyes, only to see Applejack running for the door.

"I'll be right back, Twilight will know how to fix this!" Applejack shouted as she ran out the door, slamming it behind her. Knowing it would be a while you sat back, attempting to get comfortable when you noticed Soarin squirming in the magic field that surrounded his body. After a few sharp movements he stopped, a smile spreading across his face.

"This feels like the comfiest cloud ever..." Soarin mumbled as he drifted off to sleep. Spitfire flew up to see if he was okay, only to be caught off guard by his sudden, and loud, snoring. She went back to her seat just as Small Fry finished checking over the contract to make sure you had signed everywhere it was necessary. After you saw him check it a few more times he put it in a folder that was sitting on the table and sat back, trying to get comfortable. Looking around some more you saw Big Mac and the pony known as Dr. Hooves talking to each other on the stairs. Applebloom and her friends had come home, not noticing what was happening around you, and had headed up stairs most likely planning to get their cutie marks today in some weird way. You heard a noise from the kitchen a few minutes later, and when you turned around you saw Granny Smith standing in the doorway with a tray on her back.

"Who wants tea?"