Well! This is different! (Patreon)

True to her word Link Applebloom told nopony about AJ's coffee date that evening Link with King Trafalgar Maximilian Augustus Leopold the III in my Equestria dreamscape. 

    For her part Applejack tried to go about her day as if nothing out of the ordinary was about to happen, but as the day progressed the mare started becoming more and more nervous. 

    For her part Applebloom kept her mouth shut, but as bedtime approached the filly paid her big sister a visit in her bedroom. 

    "R ya gitting ready fer bed sis?" The filly said peering into the mare's room from the doorway. She found her sister lying on her bed staring wide eye up at ceiling. 

    "Gah!" The mare exclaimed. "Applebloom dontcha remember ta knock befer entering a pony's room!"

    Applebloom ignored her sister's comment and slowly wandered up to her. "Um, sis. R ya nervous about tanight?"

     "No! I'm notttt..." AJ's voice tapered off into silence for a moment. "Okay. I am. I mean his Majesty seems like alright fellow and all, but I don't have a clue what ta say or do."

     Applebloom hopped up on her sister's bed and flopped down next to her. "Ya don't have any problem being around Princess Celestia and Luna sis."

     "That's different." 

     "How?" Countered the filly.

     "Well it's different becuz...um," AJ's voice tapered off.

    Appleboom smiled. "Sis, just try ta relax,and be honest with his Majesty. Yer good at that, and have a fun time. Yer gitting a chance ta experience something amazing tanight sis!"

     The mare started ta rebut the filly's statement but then hesitated. Finally she smiled. "Yer right Sugar Cube. Princess Luna wouldn't have intraduced us all ta him if she thought he'd be a bad apple. Now I just need ta figure how ta git ta sleep! I'm all wound up tighter than a clock spring!"

    Applebloom tilted her head to one side as she looked at AJ. "Sis. I might be able ta help ya with that. Zecora has taught me a trick ta help me relax and fall ta asleep really quick. It's a one them breathing things I'm doing it all the time. I could show ya how ta do a real simple one. Ya wanna learn it?" 

   "Ya can do that?"

   "Sure!" 

   "Well then um, yeah I'm a willing ta give it a go!"

    The filly got up and closed her sister's bedroom door. Then she returned the mare's bed. Over the next couple of minutes Applebloom began the process of teaching AJ the basics of rhythmic breathing that Zecora had taught her. At the same time the filly started introducing some of rudimentary techniques that Princess Luna had instructed her on how to control one's sleep descent. 

    "Breathe slowly and deeply." Said the filly with a soft, quiet voice. "Hold it and count ta 3. Then let it out nice and slow. As ya do let go of any thoughts of whatever ya have dun taday. Both good and bad. Let them all just drift away like leaves on the wind. Let any tension in yer body just flow out of ya like water from a pipe. Good. Now lets do that again..."

    It took a few minutes but slowly Applebloom's voice and instructions started to work. After ten minutes her sister was asleep. The filly smiled at her sister. 

    "Have fun sis." Then the filly extinguished the oil lamp and quietly exited the room. 

     AJ found herself standing on the front porch of the family farmstead. It was early evening and the sky was a glorious explosion of yellows, oranges, and pinks. A gentle breeze carried the scent of the orchards. The mare closed her eyes and breathed in the scent.

   "Ah! Splendid!" A now familiar voice called out. "You've arrived!" Looking down at the base of the steps was giant tortoise Galapagos. Perched on top of his shell was a miniature castle. The home of King Trafalgar Maximilian Augustus Leopold the III, King of Upper Lower Tortoisestan. A second ago neither had been there. The king was perched on top of the tortoise's shako cap.

   AJ trotted down the stairs and stopped in front of the tortoise and the king. She  swallowed and bowed like she would in front of the Royal Sisters. "Um, good evening yer Majesty. Uh, how ya doing tanight?"

   The little rodent chuckled. "Oh please! Don't burden yourself with stuffy protocol and titles. Tonight is suppose to be an informal affair! Just call me Trafalgar, or Traggy if you wish!"  It was at that moment that AJ noticed that the king wasn't dressed in extravagant garb that AJ had first seen him. Link In its place was...well, AJ didn't pose the vast vocabulary that Rarity had when it came to clothes, but if was she to describe it she'd call it casual. For him.

  The mare rose from her bow. "Um if ya insist yer Maj...I mean Trafalgar."

  The king clapped hands together. "Splendid! Now I promised you a coffee, and I am one to keep my word! Shall we depart?"

  AJ pushed her stetson back on her head with a front hoof. She'd remembered that this time. "Yeah! Sure! Um, if ya were thinking of Sugar Cube Corner we're gonna have ta git there quick, becuz they close early in the evening!"

  The king smiled. "Oh! I wasn't thinking of there! Remember I mentioned a place where I know the owner. We've know each other forever, and he'd be thrilled if you'd grace his establishment with your golden presence!"

  The mare stared at the tiny king. "Um, well. I guess that's okay. Where it's this place?" 

   "Here!" The king said! AJ looked up and around. Gone was her family's farmstead. Also gone was the tortoise and the castle. Instead she was standing in, and taking up much of, a cobblestone street lined with rows of mostly 3 story half timber buildings that were not much higher than she was. It was nighttime and the yellow light from numerous windows mingled with the light from tiny gas lamps to create a intricate web of shadows and pools of golden light. 

    Around the mare's hooves numerous figures moved up and down the street; apparently not bothered by the giant mare that towered over them. They appeared to be the same type rodent-like creatures as the king, but their faces were obscured by the shadows of the night.

   "And this is the fine establishment that I've praised so much!" The king gestured over to a particularly brightly lit 2 story structure of dressed stone. Hanging over it's entrance was sign with a yellow cup. Emblazoned in crimson letters was the words. 

   The Golden Cup.

   AJ looked at the front door of the cafe which wasn't much bigger than her front hoof. and then back at the king. "Um yer Majesty, uh I mean Trafalgar. Uh, unless they do ta go orders I'm not gonna git through that there door!"

   The king looked at the door of the cafe and then up at AJ, then back to the door. After a second he muttered. "Ah, bother. Yes, yes that is a valid point!" Then a smile crept across his face. "Applejack. Would you by chance willing to try something a bit different?"

   "Um, well, uh sure. Whatcha thinking?" 

   The king held out his right hand. "Would you please place your hoof in my hand." 

   "Uh sure. Like this?" AJ placed her right front hoof on top the king's tiny hand. Once again the mare was amazed at how strong the king's hand felt. Suddenly she felt a strange rushing sensation and the world seemed to ripple and roll.

   "I was thinking of this." The king said looking directly Applejack's eyes. It was at that moment that she realized several things had changed. First she was at eye level with the king, and he was as big as her. Second the roofs of the buildings were now high above her. Third she felt a bit wobbly. Like she might topple over. She looked down at herself and exclaimed in a now somewhat higher pitch voice. 

   "Well! this is different!"

To be continued.