A Peaceful Day on the Farm
A gentle wind blew across the tops of the apple trees, softly pushing against the leaves and swaying the trees slightly. The skies were completely clear on that crisp October day, letting the sunshine warm the earth as the light breeze cooled it, creating a comfortable temperature for anypony who wanted to enjoy it. The breeze continued it’s path through an opening in the trees to a small pond that interrupted the pattern of the trees. The wind pushed the water along in little waves that were just barely visible.
A weighted hook dropped into the water, sending a small ripple across the pond and back again.
Twilight took a deep breath, then let out a content sigh. She was happy to get out of the library for a little while. The fresh air and tranquility always helped her relax after her more intense study sessions. She held the bamboo pole in one hoof, and peacefully appreciated the finer points of-
“Ugh, we’ve been here for like twenty minutes, Fluttershy. How much longer before we actually catch something?” Rainbow Dash moaned with an accented roll of her eyes. Her sudden complaint snapped Twilight out of her reverie.
“Oh, it shouldn’t be much longer,” Fluttershy bent down to pull the string through the knot on the last hook, “The fish are usually biting at this time of day.”
Rainbow Dash mumbled to herself, still upset that she got roped into this.
Twilight rolled her eyes at Rainbow’s usual restless nature and allowed herself a giggle.
Applejack trotted up with a small box and a few more poles in her hoof.
“Y’all caught anything yet?” she asked cheerily.
Rainbow snapped to answer immediately. “No, we need something to speed up the process.” Rainbow Dash jerked her pole around to try to move it into a different spot in the water. Applejack gave her raised an eyebrow at her attempt to improve her odds.
“Really, sugarcube?”
“What?”
“That ain't how you fish.” Applejack walked up to her and grabbed the pole to show her. Rainbow relinquished the pole, but wasn't very happy about having to be shown how to do it.
“Look here, you ain't gonna catch nothing by complaining at them. You gotta cast it out, like this.” Applejack showed her the correct technique as Rainbow watched begrudgingly, digging a hoof into the ground.
“So, Fluttershy, how many do you think you’ll need?” Twilight said as she looked over her shoulder at her.
Fluttershy slipped the line through a small weight, then looked back up to Twilight.
“Oh, just nine or ten should be fine. There aren’t too many animals that need them at the cottage right now. Thank you again for coming out to help me girls,” Fluttershy said sweetly.
“Of course, Fluttershy. We’re happy to help.” Twilight gave her a genuine smile.
“Ugh,” Rainbow said as Applejack’s lesson concluded. She gave a couple attempts at casting it out at again, but obviously wasn’t getting it.
Applejack gave it up and walked over to the other two mares.
“Do y’all have everything you need?” Applejack asked. She gave a curious look around, marking things off her mental checklist just to make sure.
“That should be everything. Thank you again Applejack,” Fluttershy responded.
“No probl- Wait, do y’all not have any bait?” Applejack asked, her eyes darting around trying to find the missing component.
“Oh, I don’t usually use bait. I don’t like having to put them on the hook...” Fluttershy whispered insecurely, playing with a lock of her hair. Applejack gave her a quizzical look in response.
“How long do you usually stay out here without using bait?”
“Not that long, just three or four hours usually.” Fluttershy perked up, as if proud of the accomplishment.
Rainbow overheard the exchange and let out a frustrated grunt. She gave up trying to hold up the pole or herself, and slumped down into the grass with a deadpan expression up at the sky.
Applejack rolled her eyes at Rainbow’s display, then turned back to the girls.
“I’ll go get some bait.” With that she trotted off back towards the farmhouse and left them to it.
“Four hours? Fluttershy, I can’t stay here that long,” Rainbow whined.
Fluttershy took flight and flew over to Rainbow before softly landing beside her.
“Please, Rainbow Dash? I know it’s a bit tedious, but if you stick it out I promise to go to that wonderbolt show in Cloudsdale with you,” Fluttershy smiled and tapped her hooves together, hoping that she would stay.
“Really?! On second thought, I guess I could stay a little longer.” The prospect of not having to go all the way to Cloudsdale alone was enough to ease Rainbow’s boredom. With a slight smile she reared back to cast the line again.
“Oh, thank you! I promise, it shouldn't take tha-”
Rainbow followed through with the cast, but looked at it quizzically when the line didn’t see to hit the water. Confused, she followed the line back to where the hook might be.
Right in Fluttershy’s eyebrow.
Rainbow Dash reeled back in shock, dropping the pole, making Twilight look over to see what the commotion was.
Fluttershy stood stock still. The suddenness of the situation didn't leave her time to fully understand what was happening. Slowly, she traced her eyes up the line across her vision.
“Fluttershy, wait. Don’t-”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.”
Fluttershy let out a wail that sent birds all over the farm rushing towards the sky, as well as Twilight and Rainbow’s hooves over their ears.
Once Fluttershy’ scream died down, she started hyperventilating and shaking while staring at the hook intently.
“Oh, dear Celestia. Rainbow, how in Equestria did yo-” Twilight said, rushing up to Fluttershy, only to be cut off.
“It’s okay! I can fix this.” Rainbow put a hoof on both of Fluttershy’s cheeks to take a look at it. Fluttershy shut her eyes and let Rainbow proceed, but didn’t seem to want to stop shaking.
“Getitoutgetitoutgetitoutgetitoutgetitoutgetitoutgetitout,” Fluttershy sputtered out.
“Just calm down, Fluttershy, I've got this.”
Fluttershy quieted down a bit, but didn’t slow her breathing from the ragged, shallow breaths. Rainbow looked over her face for any sign of how to get it out. She turned over her head a couple of times like she was inspecting some fruit.
She leaned in and opened her mouth, as if to bite down on the little piece of metal, but leaned back and decided against it.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Twilight asked, not entirely sure what to do in the situation herself.
Rainbow put her hooves back down on the ground and searched the supplies for anything that might aid in her endeavors.
“Don’t worry, I’ve, uh, done this a thousand times,” Rainbow lied. Not wanting to look incompetent, she picked up a hook with her mouth from the assortment of fishing poles and hopped back up to Fluttershy, aiming the hook level with the other one.
“Er, maybe you should let me do th-” Twilight tried to interject.
“No way, I’ve totally got this, just one little pull and we’re all good,” Rainbow said through the hook as she placed it right up next to the other one.
“Really, I don’t think you should-”
“Nonsense, just gotta...” Rainbow put her hooves together over the hook inside Fluttershy, then put the other hook right up next to it with her mouth. With a gentle tug she tried to open up the hole enough to where she could pull it out.
“Uh oh.” Rainbow hopped down to look and looked at Fluttershy with a grimace.
Twilight put a hoof over her face and gave a frustrated grunt at the failed first-aid.
What Rainbow had succeeded in doing was getting yet another hook stuck in the poor mare’s eyebrow.
“Is it out?” Fluttershy asked cautiously.
“Er, well...” Rainbow tried to explain things to her, but she seemed to nitice the second metal prong before she could.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.”
Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash flinched at the increased volume. They tried to move forward to console the newly hooked pegasus, but she wasn't having any of it.
Applejack ran up to the group of them, hearing the cries of agony.
“What in tarnation is going on over here?!” Applejack asked frantically as she trotted up to the hysterical mare in question.
Applejack put a hoof up to her cheek to try to calm her down.
“Just hold still, sugarcube. Let me take a look.” Fluttershy calmed down and went back to hyperventilating. Applejack looked her over, then jerked back in surprise at her freshly pierced eyebrow.
“How in all of Equestria did you manage to get TWO in there?” She asked with a quick glance back to the two uninjured girls.
“Well, I...” Rainbow put a hoof behind her head and blushed in embarrassment at her mistake.
“She tried to get that hook out with another hook,” Twilight stated.
Rainbow looked over to her, exasperated. Twilight met her gaze with sheepish shrug.
“Why would you...? Nevermind, let’s just get these out.” Applejack bit off the line connected to the hooks with her teeth, then pulled Fluttershy’s head closer to her.
“How do YOU plan on getting those out?” Rainbow said mockingly, still a bit upset over being shown up on how to cast the line earlier.
Applejack didn’t answer. Instead she grabbed the ends of both hooks in her mouth. Careful not to hook her own lip, she gently pulled the ends of the hook without the barb through, leaving Fluttershy with nothing but a couple of red dots above her eye.
“There, good as new.” Applejack spit out the hooks and looked over to see the result.
Fluttershy slumped backwards onto the grass and let out a breath. Whether, she wanted to pass out or just rest for a bit, they couldn't tell.
“Should we take her to the doctor?” Twilight asked worriedly with a hoof over her mouth.
“She should be fine. I’ll go get something to clean that up though.”
Rainbow walked up to stand over Fluttershy’s prone figure. She gave a concerned look for a moment before speaking up.
“So... You still up for going to Cloudsdale?” Rainbow Dash asked with a hopeful smile.
Twilight shook her head and Fluttershy swooned and promptly passed out.
Author's Note
So I'm doing slice of life now. Based off a childhood experience. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
