Tree-climbing!

It wasn't usually something that got a mental exclamation mark, but whenever Apple thought of it, she bounced on her feet. That's because it was the one challenge she knew she would win. Paintbrush had painting, Test Tube had science, Apple had the trees.

It took little common sense and even less book-smarts. But it was a lot of physical activity.

It was perfect.

'Wonder what Marshmallow's one challenge would be... Maybe she's just well-rounded, whatever that means.'

"Hey Marshmallow, is there any kind of challenge that you know you could win? Like, against anybody?"

"A-Apple... oh my marsh, could you please slow down?"

Apple stopped climbing higher in the tree and looked down at Marshmallow, who was at least fifteen feet under her. She looked almost like she was in pain. "I'm already going slow," Apple answered. "I believe in you!"

'I can hear her panting from here. Guess she's less well-rounded than I thought.'

She gritted her teeth. "It would be a bit easier if it didn't hurt to even grab the thing."

"Just keep climbing! You can do this!"

Marshmallow painstakingly rose a few inches. Apple pumped a fist. "Woo! You're halfway to the easy part! Just another couple of pulls... C'mon!"

"I was not... cut out for... this..."

Marshmallow skidded down the side of the trunk, then fell to the ground with a thud.

"Uhh..." Apple scrambled down the tree and crouched beside Marshmallow, tempted to poke her or something. Her form was all bumpy from the tree; her cheeks were flushed from exertion. Whatever exertion was. "You okay?"

"J-just exhausted... and a little injured."

There was something strange about seeing her that way, all exhausted. It filled her with accomplishment.

...Whatever that was.

"Ah geez." Apple grinned ruefully. "It's never hurt me before. Practice makes perfect."

"It's a difference in anatomy," Marshmallow huffed, getting to her feet and wincing. "I just mold to the form of the side of the tree because I'm soft, so it pulls stuff off of me when I climb." She nodded to the tree; there were little white clumps on its rough bark.

Apple gasped. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think climbing the tree would actually hurt you! Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"If we could find a tree with a smoother trunk, maybe I could climb that, but like I said, I'm not really cut out for this. We could just try doing something else from our list of things we have in common..."

Marshmallow pulled out the hand-written list and skimmed. Apple was impressed at how quick her eyes seemed to move.

'I wonder if she's impressed with my handwriting... T-that'd be pretty cool. Unlikely, but... maybe she's impressed by my tree-climbing skills. I sure hope so.'

She gazed at Marshmallow with an absent little grin on her face, an idea beginning to take form...

"Maybe music," Marshmallow murmured aloud. "We could improvise some instruments or get them from the hotel. Does that-"

"What if we did piggy-back rides?"

Marshmallow looked at her strangely. "Piggy-back rides? That's not on the list..." She glanced back over the list. "You think that could be fun?"

"Yep! Why wouldn't it be? It seems like a cool thing to do. And you could ride me first so I can make up for hurting you. What do you say?"

"Hmm... I dunno. It could be a good trust building exercise, but it doesn't seem very fu- oh!" She exclaimed with surprise as Apple turned around and crouched. After few seconds' hesitation, Marshmallow grabbed her shoulders and climbed on.

'Gosh, she's so light! And her hands are so warm! Wowee!' "You on?"

"Yeah, I think so- whoa!" Apple raced up the tree as fast as she could, Marshmallow being the most panicked backpack she'd ever worn.

It wasn't even ten seconds before she was perched on the highest branch that could support them. After getting her balance, she set Marshmallow beside her. Mostly to help Marshmallow keep her balance, she kept her arm securely around her.

Marshmallow held her tight, staring at the ground below. "Um, i-is this safe?"

The branch kept wobbling. Apple was confident. "Yep, it'll hold us, just watch! If you're scared, you can keep clinging to me, though."

"Yeah, I think I'll keep doing that, thanks," Marshmallow mumbled as her hold tightened. Apple could feel her own heartbeat speed up.

'Must've been the climb.'

There was a brief silence before Apple spoke again. "Well... I won't drop you no matter what. But if you look at the view, maybe you'll feel a bit less nervous.

Marshmallow hesitated for a second, then followed her advice.

She was treated to an impressive sight. The grasslands looked so small from twenty feet up; a few bushes were little green lumps which sat stationary on the windless day. In the distance, the sparkling blue of the lake was visible; a bright gold ant that she could only guess was Trophy was lounging beside it.

"It is actually a pretty nice view..."

Apple's heart was going faster by the minute. "Sure is! The view's the best part. I'm just a little ol' apple, and the world's so big, but from here I can see so much of it! It's way bigger than the trees I climbed back home."

"Oh... so you did this at home?"

"Yep. My dad's a farmer, so he had lots of trees with lots of apples. Quite a few of 'em popped off with limbs and a face, but I didn't really get along with them." She chuckled fondly at the memories. "So I climbed trees a lot. They weren't this tall or bumpy, though."

"Oh. I guess that explains how you could climb so quickly."

"You think I climb fast?"

Marshmallow nodded. "It's irrefutable fact at this point. Er, undeniable. Er, true."

"Are you impressed?"

"Sure I am. I've never met anyone else who does it like you."

'Does my face look as warm as I feel? ...Can you see warmth? Is that possible? And I'm like nobody else she's ever met?!'

Still, she did know that she had a huge smile. Who wouldn't after such a compliment?

"There is something I really don't get, though," Marshmallow said. "If those trees aren't the same as this one..."

Marshmallow met her gaze. "Why aren't you afraid of falling now?"

They gazed into each other's eyes... Or, better put, Marshmallow looked at her while Apple stared. There was something sacred about that moment, something that made Apple want to engrave it into the everlasting stone of her memory.

Suddenly her mouth was a little dry. And Marshmallow looked so politely interested. If everyone always looked at each other with that expression, maybe the world would be a better place. One where people didn't feel unheard and lonely.

"I've fallen before, Marshmallow."

Apple added after a second, "F-from trees, I mean. When you fall out of a short one you stop being so scared of falling out of bigger ones. It's not hard."

"That makes sense in a way," Marshmallow replied. It's kind of like how being burned gets a little less painful each time, because you get used to the feeling."

"I never got burned before, but that might be true. It's just getting more knowledge so you know how to deal with it better next time." She added more meekly, "S-sorry I put you through that."

"Don't worry about it." Her grip on Apple loosened slightly as she looked at the view again. "You must be pretty brave to do this for fun."

Apple grinned. "Thanks! I-I like to think I'm brave."

'I'm nervous, but in a good way. Is that even possible if I'm brave?'

She opened her mouth to ask her the question, but blurted instead, "Hey, can I call you Marsh?"

Marshmallow looked at her. Apple couldn't tell what she was thinking based on her expression. "Huh? I don't think anyone's ever asked me before."

"Shouldn't I ask?"

"Technically, no. You're free to call me what you want, like anyone else. We aren't enemies anymore." Marshmallow smiled slightly. "If anything, it's nice that you want to make sure I'm not against the idea. Thanks."

Apple smiled. "You're welcome, Marsh."

Marsh. It felt strange on her tongue, but just having a nickname for her made her feel giddy.

"We should come up with a nickname for you to call me. Not sure what it'd be... Le? App? Lapple? App-App?"

Marsh looked at her thoughtfully. "Hmm... Red, I think."

Apple beamed. "Cool and creative! Where'd you come up with it?"

Marsh fixed her with an odd look for a second, then giggled. Apple didn't know what was so funny but laughed along anyway. "I don't know about creative; I'm not much for nicknames to begin with," Marsh said. "But you can call me what you want as long as I don't tell you to stop. And if I want to call you something, I will."

"Wowie! I didn't know friendship had perks."

"Is calling me a shortened version of my name really a perk?"

"I think so," Apple replied. "At least, it makes me happy."

"Well, as long as you're happy, I guess I don't really have to understand."

'My first real friendship, and it's with someone as great and cool as you who makes me so giddy inside... I can't believe it.'

Maybe she'd always feel like she was up high and on top of the world, as long as they were together.