"I dunno Pinkie. I mean, I kind of train alone most of the time. I don't know if I have the expertise to train someone else..."
>Your excuse ridden stammering is halted as you make the rookie mistake of looking into Pinkie's big sappy baby blues.
>She doesn't even try to conceal her disappointment, and her pouting is nearly unbearable.
>You scratch the back of your neck, slowly realizing the awkward silence you're currently in.
"What I mean to say is... I..." you stutter.
>Pinkie lightly tilts her head to the side with that same puppy dog look.
>You sigh.
>You can't win this one. It doesn't help that ponies are so small to you, it makes their adorable expressions twice as hard to resist.
"I... can find some time to train you. But you gotta work hard!" you let out, trying to scramble together what little authority you still have over this persuasive pink pony.
>Immediately Pinkie's face lights up with a combination of pure joy and smug satisfaction. She knew that pout would work.
>"Oh thank you Nonny! I knew I could count on you!" she says with a small hop.
>You smile at her response. Making Pinkie happy always makes you happy.
>It's one of the few things you know about yourself that helps you sleep at night.
>If another being's joy makes you happy, maybe you really are a good person.
>If there's any pony that reminds you of that frequently, it's Pinkie.
>"OKIDOKILOKI! I am ready to rock Nonny!" Pinkie shouts with great enthusiasm.
>You look back down at her in awe. In the few seconds you looked away Pinkie has put on full workout gear.
>She has bunned up her mane, put on a head band and wrist warmers, and even a yellow tank top.
>You really don't understand clothing on these normally naked beasts, but you've learned not to question the pink one.
>It always raises more questions.
>Always.
"Woah, Pinkie, I didn't say I had time now!" you respond quickly.
>Pinkie tilts her head once again.
>"I'm sorry Mr. Busybody! What are you up to now?" she inquires with a light inflection.
>You inhale to answer but catch yourself.
>You were about to go workout, and you'd prefer you didn't need to bring Pinkie along.
>Not that you don't like Pinkie, you just have a pretty intense routine at this point. It's several hours of hard cardio combined with an asslode of body weight exercises.
>You miss the days when you could lift actual iron, but all the weights they have around here are scaled down to manageable pony sizes.
>In the end, it's better to just go the extreme endurance route and do more each set rather than try to figure out the lifting situation here.
>And it works! Your body has transformed over the last few years into a sculpted beast! If your doughy butt from three years ago could see you now!
>But it comes at a big price. Your workouts are intense and take forever. You really don't want to scale back your workout if Pinkie comes along.
>And yet, if you try to lie your way out Pinkie will see right through you.
>She's got a sixth sense about that kind of stuff.
>You sigh.
>Well, if she wants to work hard, then you're gonna make her work hard. You're not going to compromise your workout for Pinkie's sake!
"I'm... about to workout actually." you say flatly.
>She squints her eyes.
"You can come, of course..." you mumble.
>She grins widely again
>"YAY! Lead the way Nonny!" she says joyously.
>You turn to face down the road out of Ponyville as the hot summer sun bakes into your skin.
"I hope you're ready Ponk." you say mischievously.
>Pinkie skips a little.
>"I'm always ready Nonn-"
>Halfway through her statement you gun it past her.
>Your workout always starts with a tempo run for 8 miles at a steady 6 minute mile.
>Gets the blood pumping, the legs warmed up, and the sweat dripping.
>If Pinkie doesn't keep up that is her business, you told her she had to work it.
>You throw a quick glance over your shoulder as you head to the edge of town.
>Pinkie hasn't rounded the corner yet, and you don't anticipate for her to until you're a distant dot.
>You're not trying to dodge on Pinkie, but you're definitely trying to let her know what she's getting into.
>You snicker childishly to yourself as you think back to her face right as you blasted past her.
>Mid-sentence she had no time to prep, there was nothing she could do.
>Your feet slam against the ground as you approach the open field near Sweet Apple Acres.
>The field lasts a little while before you reach the hiking trail you always run on.
>It's hilly, but has relatively few rocks to sprain an ankle on. And at a cool 7 miles to complete a full loop of it, it fits right into your workout.
>As your footsteps become more muffled by the grass of the field your sense begin to slightly sharpen with the increased heart rate.
>It's only now that you start to hear an oddly rhythmic thumping faintly behind you.
>Curiosity taking over, you peer over your shoulder one more time.
>Your eyes widen and you nearly miss a step as you're hit with the realization of what that thumping is.
>Pinkie wears a determined look on her face as she blasts down the trail and enters the field.
>Her expression is happy, but hardened. You can tell she is working hard.
>What makes you feel uneasy, however, is her pace. She is most definitely out running you at the moment.
>Her pace is incredible; it's like she barely touches the ground at all.
>And like a small pink torpedo drilling through the grass, she is gaining on you in a serious way.
>If your tempo was akin to a quick salsa before, now it's more like speed metal.
>Your heart beat quickens as your tempo skyrockets.
>You're not sure how many minutes a mile you're going, but it must be sub 5:15 at this point.
>And the scary part is, Pinkie is keeping up.
>You push yourself to stay ahead of Pinkie, but she doesn't make it easy.
>She manages to crawl up to a few yards behind you, and she doesn't show any sign of letting up.
>For awhile your attention is so caught up by the pony on a hot pursuit that you barely notice how far you're going.
>Your legs start to burn as you reach mile 5. You passed the halfway point of the trail a few minutes ago.
>Time flies when you're running seemingly for your life.
>You almost forget that Pinkie is a tiny equine, which makes this even more incredible.
>Doesn't she sit around and eat pastries all day?
>Where the hell does this girl find the time to train enough that she can run at a sub 6 minute tempo?
>Your lungs begin to reject your life's decisions, and it appears they are convincing your legs to do the same.
>This is the fastest tempo run you've ever stuck to.
>You're not even sure how fast you've been going at this point.
>After what feels like an eternity you break the treeline once more, spitting you back out onto the field you started in.
>You slow your pace gradually before finally coming to a stop and bending over.
>You struggle to recapture your breath after a push like that.
>It's a good thing to exhaust yourself, of course. You can't improve if you don't challenge yourself.
>You just didn't think the motivation would come from Pinkie.
>Speaking of which.
>"Wow Nonny! That was fun! I've never gone on that trail before!" she says in a cheerful voice.
>She skips by you gleefully.
>You can't help but let your jaw hang open a bit.
>She isn't even out of breath. It's obvious that she's sweating, but she seems fine otherwise.
>There must be something in the water. You knew horses were cardio beasts, but humans are supposed to the kings of running long distance.
>Especially at a rate like that.
>AND HER LEGS ARE SO SHORT.
"Haah.. haaah... how?" you gasp
>Pinkie smiles widely
>"How what Nonny? I worked hard like you told me to! Hee hee~" she giggles
>You take a seat on the ground and stretch your legs before continuing your interrogation.
"There's no way this is your first time training..." you say while cracking your neck.
>Pinkie stands on her hind legs and stretches her back.
>"Of course not silly! You think those rock will break themselves back on the farm?" she says with a small wink.
>You inhale to respond before a wave of clarity washes over you.
>That's right, you've heard about that before.
>She used to split rocks with her bare hands... hooves. Of course she's strong!
>But being strong and being fast are two different things.
"I don't imagine that the rocks made you chase them like you chased me. Last time I checked rocks were sedimentary- erm, sedentary." you say, stumbling over your words.
>Pinkie suddenly takes a seat, her fluffy mane flipping over her face as she does.
>After a second she starts to stretch her hind legs.
>"Oh, well um.." she says, starting to twirl her mane with her hoof, "What's the point in being strong if you can't run fast too?"
>You nod automatically.
>It's the exact same philosophy you follow in your training. Being a human means having a hard time finding important work. Physical work is the easiest to find, so you do that.
>And since you were working your arms and legs lifting and pushing, you figured you might as well become fast as well. Be well rounded.
>At first it was just a hobby, but in recent months you've really made it your life.
>You barely have any fat left on your body, and you don't even miss the junk food of your past.
>And without anyone to be attracted to your Adonis body, you feel secure knowing that these gains are all practical! No vanity at all.
>Well maybe a little vanity. You do like doing Johnny Bravo impressions in the bathroom mirror in the morning.
"I can respect that... how long have you been training?" you ask innocently.
>Pinkie flashes a small embarrassed smirk before answering.
>"Oh, I dunno Nonny! I d-didn't keep track."
>Pinkie fidgets as she responds, finally returning all her hooves to the ground after an intense stretching session.
>You hop to your feet and adjust your shoes a bit.
>As you fix the sole of your sneaker you start to chuckle.
>Here you thought that you were going to work Pinkie to death, and she'd be playing catch up the whole time.
>Instead she ran you down like a damn predator.
>M. Night Shammyalammy wouldn't have been able to predict such a turn of events.
>Still, now your fear has subsided and an intense curiosity has taken over.
>You were always under the impression that, of all the ponies you hang out with Pinkie would rank pretty average when it comes to fitness.
>But after that display she would definitely beat Applejack by a long shot, and even give Rainbow Dash a run for her money.
>How could this tiny beam of pink joy beat out an athlete and tree-bucking farmer?
"Well, are you ready to move on Ponk?" you ask her playfully.
>She grins widely
>"Yessir Mr. Trainer sir!" she says with a small salute that makes her mane bob happily.
>You grin nervously.
>What the heck can you even teach her?
>You lead her to a spot where the grass is shortest. A lot of foals come out to play in this part of the field, so the town plows it extra short.
>Perfect for push ups and core exercise. Extra plush.
>Pinkie inhales deeply.
>"Ahhhhh~ I love the smell of cut grass, don't you Nonny?" she chirps cheerfully
>Your smile widens.
"Of course! Nothing smells quite as good as freshly cut grass on a hot summer day!"
>You get into push up position and Pinkie obediently follows without missing a beat.
>"Hmmm, what about a hot summer rain though? That smells pretty good too!" she says as she lowers herself with you for the first pushup.
>She continues the conversation without a bit of pause. She's clearly done a lot of push ups in the past.
>What kind of exercise do you need to do to break boulders, you wonder.
"That too! What about... a charcoal grill?" you ask
>She smiles as she lowers herself for another push up. By now the two of you have reached 10.
>"That's a good one! Or a bonfire!" she responds happily.
"Oh yeah, especially when your shirt or flannel smells like it the next day! How about sunflowers?"
>"Dandelions!"
"That fresh mulch smell!"
>"That weird smell that rivers and streams have in the woods? You know? It's like wet leaves in the fall but somehow summery? Leafish? Watery? Watery Leaves?" she says rapidly.
>You nod.
"I totally get you. What even IS that smell?"
>"I dunno Nonny! Maybe we should ask Twilight about it. She knows everything!"
>You don't know about that. You had to explain to her the concept of fingers once or twice.
"Maybe... The smell of dew in the morning?"
>"Or the ocean on those really cool nights on the beach!"
"The ones where you need a sweatshirt but can still wear shorts?"
>Pinkie looks a little confused.
>"I get the sweatshirt, but why the shorts?"
"Not all of us... can run around... naked..." you say, suddenly hit by heavier breathing.
>You were so caught up in vibing with Pinkie's conversation that you didn't realize how much the two of you sped up.
>You are doing more than one a second, and she was keeping pace right along with you.
>Her face starts to show signs of exhaustion, just as yours is.
>"I like... shorts... on you..." she says tiredly.
>Her eyes widen for a second as she processes what her tired lips said.
>"N-Not in that way! I mean, you're the only one around here that wears shorts so, I mean, I like it when you wear shorts!"
>She winces at her second statement.
>"I mean, I like shorts in general and I am glad to see them being worn."
>She inhales deeply to try to catch the breath she is wasting on her clarifications.
>"Soitreallydoesn'tmatterifyou'retheonewearingthembutyoudolookgoodinthemanyway." she says in one breath
>She flops to the ground without air in her lungs, deflating like a balloon.
>You stop as well, feeling the burn in your arms and chest.
>You lie down a little, sweating like a pig with heavy breath.
>You can generally do around 75 push ups in a row at that rate, and it took you awhile to get there.
>But you're pretty sure you broke a hundred on that last one.
>That's one set of four you intend on doing before the day is out.
>You'll definitely be more careful for the next few sets though.
>Pinkie lies face down in the grass like she fell out of the sky.
>You crawl over to her and prod her side.
>She makes a cute little squeak as you do.
>Alright cool, she's alive.
>She lets out a groan muffled by the grass.
>Mostly alive.
>You put your hand on her back.
"Pinkie? You alright?"
>She groans back at you.
>You begin to shake her a little.
"Pinkie do you need me to get you some water? Pinkie? Pinkie? Bueller?" you say in a monotone voice.
>She giggles into the grass, still very exhausted.
>You finally push her onto her back. She flops over like a dead fish; her eyes are closed and her tongue sticks out in an exaggerated way.
>"I'mmm DEADDD" she says in a long grunt.
>Her little chest falls and rises as she continues to rest off the difficult set.
>You lean over her a little to block the sun from her face.
"Get up Pinkie~" you say in a sing-song way, "You wanted training, right?"
>She opens one eye and smirks.
>"Just gimme a short break coach! Can't do it all in one set!"
>You chuckle at being called coach.
>As laugh you watch as a drop of sweat falls from your nose to Pinkie's forehead.
>The two of you stop for a second as you both process it.
"Oh. Gross." you say without a second thought.
>You grab the bottom of the front of your t-shirt and use it as a sweat rag for Pinkie.
>As you rub Pinkie's forehead with the shirt you feel just how hot it is.
>It's a good thing you blocked out the sun for now because she is REALLY heated up.
>You are Pinkie
>And you are as happy as you are sweaty!
>You have a lot of reasons to feel happy right now.
>Of course there's the normal things, like having such nice weather, and wearing such a cute tank top, and you saw Fluttershy earlier today! You waved but she didn't see you. That's okay though! You'll give her a hug next time you see her!
>Another reason would be how sore you already feel from working out today, and sore muscles are happy muscles because they get stronger!
>But most of all you are happy because your training with Anonymous is going super duper well!
>You stayed right on his non-existent tail the whole run, and then you just did enough push ups in a row to almost throw up your muffin from this morning!
>It's all going so well!
>Almost too well.
>Because Nonny's sweat on your forehead has given him the opportunity to totally paralyze you.
>You feel powerless as he grabs the bottom of his shirt and lift it up to your forehead, giving you a perfectly clear view of his bare body.
>His chest puffs out from just under where the shirt is creased. They are large, but completely firm. They are just big enough to lift his shirt off his body, but not enough to restrict movement.
>It flows into his core which is fully engaged as he leans over you to wipe your forehead. The mounds of his abdominal proudly hill and valley across his lower torso. They are as tight as a washboard with just enough fat over them that they don't look like an anatomy drawing, but still look defined as all heck.
>And all of this runs like a river down to the V leading into his shorts, tenderly hiding behind the elastic band around his waist.
>You feel a your mouth grow into a demented, anxious smile.
>This plays into your perversion far too hard.
>He puts his shirt back as soon as he pulled it off, thus ending the closest encounter you've ever had with Nonny's chiseled physique.
>Suddenly you think you're going to need to take a longer rest to get your heart rate down.
>You finish wiping Pinkie's brow and let your shirt fall back down.
>Pinkie looks at you with a flustered expression.
>Her shaky grin betrays her wide eyes.
>Is this what an exhausted Pinkie looks like?
>You smile absently.
>Even when she is tired her go-to expression is one of joy.
>Maybe you need more of Ponk's positivity in your life.
"You all good Panko?" you ask with a grin.
>After a blink or two she snaps back to attention, her smile becoming much more deliberate.
>"Y-yeah! Of course? Why wouldn't I be? I mean, there's no reason why I wouldn't be fine!" she says before giggling nervously.
>You really hope she had enough to eat before this because she's acting a bit light headed.
"You sound like those push ups took a lot out of you! Need to take a break?" you ask politely
>She shakes her head as her eye turn to a more intense expression.
>"Don't be silly Nonny! I can do those with my hooves tied behind my back!" she declares proudly.
>Before you can correct her fantastically incorrect logic she gets back into the push up position.
>"But if wittle Nonny-wonny needs a bweak we can take one~" she says in baby-talk.
>You grin at her rowdy attitude.
>The tips of your fingers dig into the earth as you get back into position.
>A decision has been made. You have made up your mind.
>You aren't going easy on her today, you're going to push her to the breaking point.
>The next couple sets go by without much incident. The sets maintain the same speeds but the conversations start to pick up pace.
>Conversations flow from one topic to the next without much pause, and it pulls your mind away from your aching muscles as you push past your initial 75 per set and climb up to 125 by the end of the 6th.
>Yet even with the extra reps and sets, she keeps up. It's very impressive actually, her muscles have a visible shake to them after 75, but she pushes on anyway.
>It's quite remarkable to you that such a small being can push themselves so hard.
>You finally conclude the last set and stand again.
>Your heart generously pumps blood as you hop in place for a minute.
>Pinkie gets up with a bit of a wobble before trotting in place as well.
>You look down at her and smile.
"Oh honey I hope you're ready. That was just the appetizer!" you say stretching out your shoulder muscle.
>She cracks her neck and smiles right back.
>"I am EXTRA ready Nonny! The question is, are YOU ready?" she responds with her tongue out.
"Oh I am SO ready. I'm gonna make you SWEAT." you respond while running in place.
>"GOOD" she shouts excitedly, "I LOVE IT when you make me SWEAT!"
>You smile at her intense enthusiasm as she recoils.
>"THAT CAME OUT WRONG" she yells as well, unaware of her volume level.
>You look at her confused.
"So wait, you DON'T like when I make you sweat?" you say.
>Gettin' back at her for that 'Nonny-wonny' comment.
>"WELL, NO BUT, I, YA SEE, I, UH, ERM, EH," she continues to shout grasping at straws.
>You chuckle as she fumbles through her words.
>"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" she groans, giving up on her previous sentence.
>You laugh out loud at her frustration.
>You're surprised when she jumps to eye level and boops your nose.
>"Shush! Let's get moving!" she says as she hangs in midair for longer than you thought possible.
"Alright Ponk, let's get movin'!" you say as you begin a light jog back towards the treeline.
>Pinkie follows behind with little delay.
>As you arrive at the tree you're looking for you leap into the air.
>Your tough hands lock around the branch you were looking for and your shoulder and back become engaged as you immediately pull yourself up until the branch passes your chin.
>Without hesitation Pinkie slams into the branch next to you and begins to echo your motions.
>10 pull ups fly by in no time, and as you round the bend of 20 you start to feel the burn again.
>Pinkie doesn't flinch as she follows right behind you.
>With every exercise she gains more and more of your respect.
>The pull ups fly by and you reach your normal target of 35.
>But you didn't come here to do the bare minimum.
>Pinkie follows your lead as you continue to push yourself, and even as her gasps for air become deeper she doesn't give up.
>Between sets the conversation is replaced by labored breathing.
>The only thing exchanged between the two of you are cocky glances that shout, "Is that all you got?"
>After 60 second, however, it's back to the branch and the two of you go at it without an ounce of retreat.
>By the third set your arms felt like jelly, and you shook once you passed 25.
>But Pinkie's determination pushes you past your limits as you blow past your daily targets by a wide margin.
>After 5 sets you know you've reached your limit, and as Pinkie shakes wildly to get that last rep you know she is as well.
>And even if she isn't, you feel satisfied knowing you made her work today.
>Your feet hit the ground with a resounding thump as your back and shoulders get their first wave of soreness.
>You turn back to look at Pinkie.
>She shakes violently as she slowly pulls herself up.
>You changed your mind; she is definitely at her limit.
>As she finally gets her chin over the branch you put your hand on her back.
"Great job Pinkie! Got through that one like a champ!"
>She lets herself flop to the ground, scrambling on her hooves like a newborn deer.
>She giggles weakly as she spins around in an exhausted daze.
>Suddenly her legs give out and she starts to fall.
>You quickly grab her before she hits the ground.
>Holy shit
>She actually fainted.
>You are Pinkie
>And that last workout was more intense than anything you've ever done before.
>You start to come to as the foggy haze of unconsciousness lifts.
>As you enter back into reality your senses begin to come back into focus.
>That smell...
>A summer rain...
>You open your eyes as the heavenly sound of a hard summer's rain fills your ears.
>You're still at the treeline connecting the forest and field.
>The dense tree above you shelters you from the down pour.
>You're lying on your side with your head propped up.
>Something gently glides over your mane.
>You look up and realize that your head is actually resting on Anon's crossed leg.
>He stares out at the summer rain hitting the field, absently stroking your mane.
>You can smell his sweat, and your eyes dart across his still pumped body.
>You feel yourself blush as you adjust your body a little.
>Your squirming brings his attention to you, and he smiles softly.
>"Welcome back to the real world Ponk." he says gently.
>You stretch your legs out in front of you. They are beyond sore, and they feel ten times heavier.
>You don't like feeling heavy.
"What the heck happened Nonny?" you ask with a groggy voice.
>Anon looks back to the warm rain.
>"You passed out from dehydration. Your lips were super dry and you had stopped sweating."
>He looks down at you with a serious expression.
>"You shouldn't make yourself go that hard without water. You were on the verge of heatstroke Pinks!" he says in a concerned tone.
>You look away from him, staring at the rain as it drips from one of the tree's branches.
>"I gave you some water and cooled you down. You have been delirious for a little while." he says
>He sighs.
>"It's my fault too though, I should have realized that humans handle heat much better than fur covered ponies. And I get dehydrated at much slower rate too. I pushed you too hard."
>You shake your head feeling a blush coming on.
"N-No! I should've known better and junk!"
>Nonny looks down at you again, then back to the weather.
>He leans back on his hands, using those thick arms of his.
>You squirm a little more.
>"Well... whatever. You'll live, so it's all good," he says with a sigh
>He chuckles to himself.
>"That's pretty much all we need to do today anyway. The weather isn't cooperating even if we wanted to do more."
>You let out a sharp sigh
>The warmth of Nonny's muscular thigh on your cheek brings you a sense of comfort you couldn't fathom before now.
>It feels safe, but not for your body. It makes your soul feel safe, like for once you can be sure you're in the right place.
>You subtly cuddle up to him a little more, being careful not to garner too much of his attention.
>He continues to comb through your mane, quietly bringing you bliss with each gentle stroke.
>The smell of summer on your nose.
>The feeling on Nonny's hand in your mane.
>And of course the pitter patters of the rain filling your ears.
>Everything inside you becomes still, your thoughts frozen in place as you take a moment to just exist in this beautiful moment.
>Using every fiber of your being...
>...just to exist.
>"So, what's the deal Pinkie?" Anon's voice cuts through the white noise.
"What do you mean Nonny?" you ask without opening your eyes.
>He takes a moment to form his thoughts.
>"Well, you stuck to my routine perfectly. Even a pretty active athlete would have trouble keeping up with it, and I've never even seen you working out."
>He scratches his chin.
>"I guess what I'm asking, is where did all this physical ability come from?" he asks softly.
>You feel yourself blushing.
"Well... ya see..." you begin, trying to figure out how to approach the question.
>You think to yourself for a moment.
"I started really training a year or so ago..." you say weakly, "And you just... didn't see me... cus I did it in.... private?"
>He looks down at you with an unconvinced expression.
>"In private?"
"Y-yeah... you know? In secret?" you stutter.
>You look down at Pinkie Pie and raise an eyebrow.
"Why in secret? Who don't you want to know about you working out? The girls?" you interrogate further.
>Pinkie looks away from you again.
>"N-No the girls are fine, it's just..." her words fade away again.
>You comb your fingers through her mane again.
"You don't have to tell me. It's just you really gave me a run for my money today. I couldn't beat you outright in any of my exercises."
>You scratch the back of your head.
"I guess I'm just really surprised, ya know? I figured those particular exercises were meant more for humans..."
>Pinkie curls up in a little ball by your side, keeping her gaze far away from yours.
>"... it was from you." she says quietly.
>You look down at her again as she lets the words slip out between her lips.
"From me? Why me?" you say with a slight chuckle, playfully rubbing the top of her head.
>She squirms.
>"Well... I mean... um." she stammers.
>You stop rubbing her head and tap her on the shoulder.
"Hey." you say quietly.
>She turns her head and finally looks back at you.
>Her blue eyes are filled with worry, but relax as you smile reassuringly.
"Just tell me why, don't worry about it. I won't be mad." you say tenderly.
>"Mmm O-ok" she says quietly.
>She rolls onto her other side so that she can face you more easily.
>With a deep breath she speaks once more.
>"I used to watch you when you worked out." she finally says quietly.
>All the high energy enthusiasm has drained from her voice, and it has been replaced by a understated compassion that gives her simple words immense emotional weight.
>"I mean, a lot of mares watch you when you're exercising these days but... I used to watch when you first got started."
>She looks at the ground as she speaks, but a soft smirk builds on her face as she reminisces.
>"You were so cute and pudgy back then, kind of like me!" she giggles, "But you weren't happy back then..."
>"So I watched you do all these super crazy exercises and get super tired out,"
>You keep your eyes trained on Pinkie as she continues to explain. You didn't anticipate such an in-depth answer.
>"And you didn't know it, but I rooted you on from a distance," she fidgets some more, "I would say, 'Keep at it Nonny! You've got what it takes! You'll make it if you try!' and watch you fall over and over again.
>You remember those days very well. Years ago when you first started this journey into extreme fitness, it was more than a struggle.
>With no humans around to coach you, it took a lot of effort and vague recollections of what people were doing in the gyms of the human world. You had to judge your own form and adapt. It took forever to nail down how to do things.
>"The more I watched the more I admired you, Nonny. We only spoke sparingly before then, but every time I watched you pull yourself off the ground I felt empowered myself. I felt like I was right there beside you for the whole thing."
>She closes her eyes.
>"But I wasn't. I was watching from a distance... and when I figured that out it made me feel all funny. Like I was missing something... like I wasn't where I should've been. It fell really icky." she says slowly.
>She draws a little circle in the sand with her hoof.
>"I knew you were having enough trouble on your own, and you wouldn't want me there weighing you down..."
>A wave of guilt hits you like a truck.
>"So I helped in little ways instead... "
>You look out to the rain again as she speaks.
>"Like filling up your water bottle while you were looking... and putting more ice in it. Or trimming the tree a little so the leaves wouldn't bother you while you tried to do pull ups and stuff..."
>You raise your eyebrows.
>That was her? You just thought you jumped up to that branch so many times that the leaves were all knocked off.
>"But you went from needing help to being totally amazing! I've seen anypony transform like that!"
>"You were so much happier around town after that, and ponies really seemed to notice. Especially all the mares who suddenly took an interest in your new physique and happiness. I was so happy for you Nonny!"
>She tightens up into a ball again.
>"And when I started watching you from a distance again, I realized I wasn't on my own anymore... I was just a face in the crowd admiring from a distance. And it didn't sit right with me..."
>She rolls violently to the other side with a huff.
>"I mean, I liked you before you became such a... big... attractive... muscle guy..." she struggles to find the words.
>She sticks her hooves out in front of her.
>"Those other mares didn't see you out there during the hardest parts! They didn't know all the work that went into getting strong like that in the first place!" she grumbles as she folds her forelegs, "And they certainly didn't give a dang before that."
>You smile at her kid-friendly swears as you let her speak uninterrupted.
>She sighs
>"Then I realized something really sad..." she says, her voice becoming more melancholy, "You didn't need my help anymore, and that little connection we had was gone. Just watching you from a distance wasn't special anymore, everypony was doing it!"
>She looks up at the rain.
>"The only way I could get close to you after that was to make a bond I knew nopony else could beat... I head to go out there and exercise with you. It meant so much to you, and I knew if I could prove to you I could keep up we could be besties and get super close!" she says with vigor, "So I decided then and there to start doing everything you did, then pushing myself so I could catch up!"
>She finally rolls back to look at you.
>"And after a long year and a half of secretly exercising right after you and nearly throwing up, I finally managed to catch up to you." she says calmly.
>She taps the tips of her hooves together.
>"And after a month of planning on it, I finally asked you to train with me."
>You blink a few times as her story seems to wrap up.
>"I-I'm sorry, I went on a rant." she says with a blush.
"N-No worries Pinkie..." you say automatically.
>When you started prying you didn't think you were opening such a can of worms.
>You thought Applejack was supposed to be the honest one.
>Yet you can't help but feel a sense of joy tingle through your limbs and chest.
>Her kindness went entirely unnoticed by you, but how could you have guessed someone was filling your water bottle while you weren't looking?
>Then again, you do recall some seemingly bottomless bottles of water on some days back then.
>You thought you were just hallucinating from how exhausted you were.
>You take a deep breath as you meditate on all the things suddenly revealed to you.
>Pinkie pushed herself to become as strong as you just to set herself apart from the rest of the mares in town.
>Nobody has ever gone to such lengths just to make a connection with you.
>It's beyond flattering, it feels entirely undeserved. You've never done anything for Pinkie before. Come to think of it, you hardly think about the ponies in town either. 
>Lately your focus has been on making enough money to get by and training yourself as until you collapse. It never struck you how few meaningful reactions you had with the ponies of town.
>Pinkie pursued your dream twice as hard as you, just to join you in something, to be part of something that made her feel connected to you.
>After all this, you choose your next words very carefully.
"Hey Pinkie?" you inquire her.
>Her ears twitch at the sound of your voice.
"Do you want to join me when I work out tomorrow?" you ask quietly.
>She turns to face you again.
>Her eyes are filled with a special kind of hope and glee that you haven't seen in far too long.
>"Y-you mean it?" she asks with a bit squeak.
>You nod at her happily.
"Of course I do. Are you in?"
>She leans on your leg and brings herself up to your face.
>"YES! I'm in 100%" she says happily before flopping back down, her head more in your lap now.
>She snuggles into you greedily and gets comfortable.
>The rain comes down a bit harder for a little while.
>The two of you sit quietly letting the rain fill the silence.
>Pinkie breathes slowly into your crossed legs.
>Guess you have a gym buddy now.
>But the way Pinkie is acting makes you think she doesn't want it to stay platonic.
>You sigh with a smile.
>Well, she's already at your level of fitness. You don't mind at all.
>You could use her positivity in your life... maybe more than you realize.
>As you smile in the mist of the recent shower, the rain finally comes to an end.
>You sit a little while longer as the birds start to chirp before finally speaking up.
"Looks like the rain let up." you say quietly.
>"Mmm" she lazily responds in affirmation.
>You grin as she continues to rest in your lap.
"Well I for one need to take a shower. You want me to walk you back home?" you ask tenderly.
>"Well, you could do more than that..." she says in a tired tone
"What does that mean?"
>"I can't stand up Nonny. I've never done that many pull ups in my life." she says without opening her eyes.
>You laugh out loud while Pinkie giggles under her breath.
>With a delicate touch you pick Pinkie up in your arms and start walking her back to town.
>She snuggles into your chest and brings a burning to your cheeks.
"Next time, let's stick to the original routine."
>She doesn't respond, instead her slow breathing and light snores tells you how she's feeling..
>You hold Pinkie a little tighter.
>Nothing beats the smell of a summer rain.

>fin