“Now..where in the world did he go?” The light rumble of thunder loomed over Appleloosa, the clouds were drifting in, grey and packed with more than enough water for the orchards. Juniper could only hope that she’d find Hightide before the storm started. Not because of the rain but for his sake, the dishes at Salty Sarsaparilla’s Saloon needed to be cleaned, or Salty would tie him to the fence post, again, to make sure Hightide got a good and proper soak. After searching several places her efforts seemed fruitless. There was at least one more place to look.
 
“‘tide, are you in here?” With a small heave Juniper pushed open the barn door and peered inside. It was packed with hay and tools, it was by the hay where she saw him sitting on one of the square bales. He must have heard the barn door swing open as he turned to her when she stepped in.
 
“Hey, June.” his tone was amicable despite his shifting eyes. “Uuhh, did Salty send you to find me? He told me I had a ten minute break.”
 
Juniper put an exasperated hand on her hip. “Ten minutes has turned into forty-five minutes. Where have you been? Here?” she gestured around. “This whole time?”
 
Tide shrugged. “I went to Morning Glory’s for a slice of pie first, then I sat around for a little while before I decided to come here all sneaky like.”
 
“Well you need to get back to Salty’s place before he decides to come lookin for you himself, or worse. Remember the time when Opal had to-”
 
“Found you.”
 
A large shape stood in the doorway, at least twice as tall as the two ponies crouching in the barn. The minotaur came inside with a curt nod to Juniper and a flatly amused glare at Hightide.
 
“You never came back after your break,” Ruth Opal spoke calmly. “Salty told me to tie you to the weather vain this time, but if we hurry up I can hoist you through the second story window. He might leave you in peace if he finds you actually doing your job.”
 
“Why are you hiding in the haybarn?” Juniper interrupted, tapping a hoof impatiently. There were plenty of better places for him to slack off.
 
“I’m just thinking about things is all.” Hightide muttered sullenly. ”I’ll go back to work.”
 
“Now wait a minute Hightide,” Juniper stepped closer and pushed the stallion back down on the hay bale. “You’ve been acting like nothing but a sour lemon all day. And that’s not counting the past two weeks neither.”
 
Hightide cringed. “Have I really been that bad?” Ruth grunted once in confirmation. “Like a wet weekend.”
 
Suddenly Hightide looked haggard as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. For a moment he seemed suspended on a choice, staring down at the hay before he finally sighed and closed his eyes. “Its, uh, it’s my sister. Kite Runner.”
 
“Kite Runner?” Juniper Jewel mused outloud to herself, a slight dawning of realization playing across her features. “How is she? Is she alright?” She sat on another bale of hay, waiting for the answer.
 
“Yeah she’s fine! She left for Canterlot the day before I came here.”
 
“She wrote to you yet?” Hightide shook his head. “No nothing from her yet.”
 
Juniper pulled back, eyes wide like she was ready to scream. “But it’s almost been a month!”
 
She did scream, though she seemed to be holding back. Above them the thunder rolls grew in strength and frequency, it would be pouring down in mere moments.
 
“Heh, well she probably decided to write to the folks instead. I don’t mind.”
 
“Well dernit ya ought to!” The angrier juniper got the more apparent her country accent became. She checked herself immediately when Hightide started to shrink into his jacket and Ruth gave her a most chilling side glance. “I mean…I-I’m sorry. I don’t have knowin of what’s goin on, it’s just..I remember what happened a year ago at your mom’s last air show and-”
 
Hightide’s chuckle came out a little cracked. “Would you believe it, they came to her. Not the other way around. Juniper’s grasp on his shoulder faltered. “I see…” She sighed and sat back to look at Hightide fully. He looked very tired. Was he getting any sleep?
 
“Alright listen. I know I can’t say that I understand what you’re going through,” Juniper started. “But despite how you might feel, bein part of the guard is Kite Runner’s choice and from what I’ve seen she is more than capable so…” She reached over again and tilted Hightide’s face towards her by the tip of his chin. “Chin up.”
 
Hightide grinned. It was a crooked goofy smile that warmed the room despite the chilly rainfall outside.
 
“Yeah, nothing to worry about!” Hightide stood up and stretched just as a crack of lightning lanced across the sky. Geeze if Opal really had tied him to the weather vain he would probably be dead by now. He stared up at the barn roof, his eyes thoughtful and anxious. Juniper’s words of comfort were still there but they could barely hang on under the pressure of storm clouds and thunder…and lightning.
 
 
“Kite won’t get hurt.”
 

 
This is happening roughly around the same time as No Pressure though the title similarity is coincidental. Cherry Bomber went to Manehattan, Kite Runner joined the Canterlot royal guard, and Hightide decided to spend his summer in Appleloosa as a means to make some extra cash. But there is something going on with his little sister that seems to have him on edge. Pretty normal for a brother to be worried about family in the military service but there is something else he won’t let on. A trouble he doesn’t feel comfortable exposing to Juniper Jewel and Ruth Opal. A rather deep trouble.
 
And yes you may notice this is an anthro pick. I’ve been wanting to draw humans a lot but also ponies. I don’t have time to do both. Soooo this is my middle ground for now. Also drawing Anthro is fun! Oh and yeah, I added a bit more color to Hightide’s mane. I liked the blue-ish green since it looks like he has seaweed perpetually stuck in his hair.