Though the sun was high in the sky, it did not lend much warmth to the day. January in Ponyville still carried much of the cold and snow from most winters, and with Winter Wrap Up at least two more months away, things weren't going to get warmer any sooner. Last night, a new layer of snowfall had been delivered by the pegasi, and many young colts and fillies were enjoying the day off from school.
As Applejack strolled through the trees of her farm, still devoid of leaves and apples, she felt oddly at peace in the quiet. True she would always feel most at home in the dense and lush greens of her farm in full bloom, but this white landscape allowed her to take a breath. Her chores were lessened because of the lighter workload, and this gave her more time to think. She took a deep breath of crisp winter air as she continued to wander, without any real destination in mind.
The last 5 months before winter had gone rather smoothly for her and the family. With Twilight’s recent ascension to Princess of Friendship, and her new castle being established, Ponyville was beginning to attract more attention from other parts of Equestria. As such, a few more ponies were beginning to come to Ponyville, either as visitors, or to set up their own businesses, which in turned meant more people to sell her wares to. She thought back to one of those few new business ponies that she had met…
5 months earlier…
Applejack kept up her usual good-natured mood as she packed things up at her apple cart. The day at the market had gone well, and she had managed to bring in a good amount of bits for the farm. Storing the bag of bits safely in the cart, she slipped the on a harness to help her pull the cart, and began the trip back to Sweet Apple Acres. Nothing could spoil her mood today.
CRACK!
Well, almost nothing. Applejack cursed under her breath as she turned around to look behind her. The front end of the cart had for some reason collapsed, with the front wheels, sticking out at odd angles. This had caused a multitude of apples to spill and roll over the ground.
“Ah horseapples!” She voiced a bit louder this time, unhooking herself from the reins to inspect the damage. This looked like it could take some time to work on. Plus with Big Mac back on the farm and Applebloom still in school, she wouldn’t be able to leave the cart to get them to help.
“Need some help there, miss?” a voice asked, causing Applejack to look over her shoulder. A lone stallion, deep burgundy red in colour was looking at her with a friendly curious look on his rounded face. He stood a few inches taller than her, with a stocky build that reminded her of Big Mac when he was younger and stuck in a growth spurt. His mane and tail were jet black, with streaks of goldish- brown.
“Well uh, if you think you can, I’d sure appreciate a hoof,” She said, stepping to the side. The stallion nodded his head and walked over to the front of the cart, standing next to her.
“You mind giving me a hoof to lift this?” He asked, nodding his head down to the cart. Applejack nodded, noticing the smooth hint of a Trottingham accent in his voice, and together they bent their heads under the cart and lifted it, setting it on their shoulders to inspect the damage.
“Ah, I see, it’s a pretty simple break in the axle,” The stallion said, indicating the said axle, snapped in two, splintering across the middle. “You give me about an hour, I should be able to make a new one up for you”. They set the cart down and turned to face each other, causing Applejack to notice his cutie mark – an oak tree with a large crack down the middle.
“You really think you can be that quick?” She asked.
“Yeah, for sure,” He returned, settling back into a more relaxed position. “Permit me to introduce myself. Oak Splitter’s the name, lumber and carpentry is my game.” He held his hoof up for a friendly hoof bump, which she returned with a smile.
“Applejack. My family own Sweet Apple Acres out on the outskirts.”
“Oh, I’ve heard good things about that place. If you couldn’t tell I just moved here for work,” Oak Splitter said, indicating his own cart, filled with basic supplies as well as a large number of carpentry tools. “Trottingham’s kinda dried up with the jump to more modern buildings. Not many ponies buying my wares anymore.”
“Ah can understand that, seems Ponyville’s one of the few places not moving at the speed of light,” Applejack said with a small chuckle. Oak returned it with one of his own, before clearing his throat.
“So, I haven’t got my full workshop set up yet, but if you got somewhere to work and a strong bit of wood, I can get that axle made up for you.” He offered. Applejack thought for a moment before answering.
“Okay, we can use the barn, and I’ve got a fallen branch that could be of use. How much is it gonna cost?”
“Don’t worry Applejack, this one’s on me.”
“Oh no, Oak Splitter, I couldn’t ask that of you.”
“Please, call me Oak, and you don’t have to worry, I’ve got savings to help me get set up. Besides I always let my first order go free for my first customer in a new town. All I ask is that you spread the word about my business, and tell me where to find the best trees.” Oak replied smoothly, giving her a lopsided grin. Applejack paused in thought. Then there was a sigh, and her trademark warm smile
“Alright Oak, you got a deal. Let me get this cart re-hitched so I can pull it back, and I’ll lead you there.”
Now…
Applejack smiled to herself at the memory as she continued through the trees. Ever since that meeting, she had called on Oak Splitter for any task she needed him for, from general repairs to helping her with a barn raising. She regarded him as someone she could trust on wholeheartedly, and a friend almost as close as Twilight and the others.
Speaking of Oak, Applejack could see him as she drew out from the line of trees she was walking past. He was trudging through the snow with a little difficulty, pulling a sizeable tree trunk behind him, tied around his waist with rope, heading in the direction of his house. It turned out that Oak had bought some land near Sweet Apple Acres and on the edge of the Everfree Forest. He had told her he needed more land out of town in order to build both his house and his workshop. She speeded up her trot a little, managing to catch up with his slow plod.
“Afternoon Oak.” She greeted him with a grin, trotting up next to him.
“Oh, hey Applejack.” He returned, straining his words a little as he pulled the trunk a few more feet before stopping, his breathing a little ragged. “Don’t suppose, you could give me a hand with this?” He asked, smiling sheepishly like he had bitten off a bit more than he could chew.
“Sure.” She said simply, taking a second rope that he had offered her, she tied it round the trunk and then herself, and together she and Oak began to haul the tree through the snow.
“You know, you probably should’ve taken the day off, Oak.” She said, Pausing a second to stretch her legs out. “With the snow this thick, I’m surprised you could get the tree this far.”
“I didn’t have much choice, AJ.” Oak replied, working out a kink in his neck. “I need to get this order for Filthy Rich done as soon as possible. It’ll be one of my biggest paydays yet.” Applejack frowned a little. She knew Filthy Rich well, and though she respected him, she also knew he was a very shrewd business pony.
“Well I can understand your thinking, but I’m sure Filthy would understand if you took one day off.” In truth Applejack was kind of worried about Oak. He hadn't taken a single day’s break since he had moved in. Applejack herself knew she wasn't one to take days off, but even she knew that she couldn’t work non-stop, especially after that Applebuck Season disaster.
Before Oak could reply, Applejack saw his ears perk up, and soon the sound reached her as well. It was a cry on the wind, and it seemed to be coming closer to them. The voice sounded familiar, and Applejack could make out a small shape coming closer.
“Applejack! Applejack!” The voice became rougher and more recognizable as an orange filly ploughed through the snow.
“Scootaloo? What’s the matter?” Applejack asked in a confused tone, before the ‘protective big sister’ section of her brain kicked in. Her voice changed to concern. “Is it Applebloom?”
“W-Well…” Scootaloo stuttered a bit, gulping loudly before she carried on, “We were down at the lake trying to get our cutie marks in figure skating, but the ice on the lake hasn’t fully frozen yet, so it’s kinda thin and now….” She didn’t even get the chance to finish, as Applejack had already broken into as fast a sprint as possible through the thick snow in the direction of the lake, slipping out of the rope binding her to the tree.
Scootaloo stared after her before she felt herself, lifted up easily onto the back of the stallion, who had too slipped his rope, leaving the tree to be buried under snowfall.
“Come on kid, we better get after her,” Oak said, picking up his pace as he chased after AJ. He had known her long enough to know she took matters involving family deathly seriously, and anything involving Applebloom usually meant trouble. He knew the youngest Apple well, and though he did like her, she had a habit of getting into mischief like the scamp she was.
As he galloped after the mare, his mind had already jumped to the same dark conclusion as hers, and after about 10 minutes of full out sprint, those thoughts were confirmed as they both pulled up by the lake.
The expanse of water was covered by a layer of ice, which to the untrained eye looked thick enough to skate on, However near the centre a few small cracks could be seen; and standing near those cracks were two very scared fillies.
“Sweetie Belle! I told you not to go out there.” Scootaloo shouted across the lake at the white unicorn, who was trying her best not to slip on the ice. Sweetie Belle looked guilty as she noticed the trio arrive.
“She just looked so scared, I was only trying to help.” She called, stumbling a little. Her companion however, remained completely still as she stared at her feet, the red bow on her head quivering in fear.
“Applebloom!” Applejack cried in horror, racing round the edge of the lake to try and get as close as possible. The yellow filly’s head snapped up at the call, and Oak Splitter could see the fear in her amber eyes.
“Applejack, I’m scared!” She cried out to her sister, her usually adorable accent now filled with terror.
“Don’t worry, little sis, it’s gonna be okay.” Applejack tried to reassure her, but her tone wasn’t one of calm as she turned to Oak Splitter. “Oak, I need to find Big Mac and get some rope, can you stay here and make sure nothing happens?”
“You can count on me.” Oak replied. Applejack nodded a quick thanks before bolting off again. Oak watched her go before turning back to Applebloom and the others. “Don’t worry girls, it’s gonna be okay.”
“I hope you’re right Mr Oak Splitter.” Scootaloo said nervously, looking out at the expanse of ice. As she said that there was a loud crack from the ice, causing both Sweetie Belle and Applebloom to scream. Oak flinched at the sound, realizing Applejack might not make it back in time.
“Applebloom, I need you and Sweetie Belle to keep calm for me okay?” Oak said as he walked around the lake, searching for something in particular. The girls nodded, but their expressions didn’t get any less scared. Even Scootaloo, safe on the bank, was terrified for what may befall her best friends.
Finally Oak spotted it; an area of the lake considerably more opaque than the rest. Hopefully that meant the ice there was thicker. He cautiously readies himself, then quickly steps out onto the ice.
“Girls, look, this part is safe!” Oak shouted out, stamping on the ice a few times to illustrate his point. They look over, and their faces brighten at the prospect of safety.
“How are we gonna get over there?” Sweetie Belle asked, as she looked at the cracking ice beneath her hooves.
“You’re gonna have to jump!” Scootaloo shouted from the bank. Oak nodded and walked a little closer to where the fillies were standing.
“Come one Sweetie you first.” He said to the unicorn, as she was closest. “On 3 okay?” She nodded quickly, trying to steel herself for it. “1…2…3!” The filly leapt with all her might, covering the distance with ease. She landed just short of Oak, who reached out with his hoof to push her past him. She slid along the ice and crashed into the shore, where Scootaloo quickly pulled her to safety. She stood herself up and shook her head, waving over from the bank where they stood.
“Okay, it’s your turn Applebloom.” He said. He looked back over to see her still rooted to the ice.
“I-I don’t think I can!” She said, shivering from both the cold and the fear.
“You can, you just need to trust me. I know you can do it!” Oak encouraged. She didn’t reply, but a frantic nod told him she was ready. “Okay, on 3. 1…” Oak noticed the ice beginning to shift again.
“2…” another crack began to inch its way towards her.
“3!” He shouted urgently. Applebloom leapt, but Oak could see that she hadn’t leapt far enough. Reacting quickly, he shot forward and grabbed her before she could hit the ice, tossing her over onto the strong ice. He landed heavily and slid for a few feet, dazing himself. He stood up slowly, looking over at the bank, where Applebloom was being helped to her feet by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They looked over at him, and he smiled back, glad to see that at least they were safe.
It was then that he realised where he was standing.
CRACK!
The last thing Oak Splitter saw was the three young faces of the Cutie Mark Crusaders turn to masks of shock and horror. Then the freezing abyss pulled him into its clutches.
Beep, beep, beep…
Oak Splitter’s ear flicked as the sound reached his ears. He groaned as his eyes flickered, his vision clearing to a void of a white ceiling. He found himself lying on a bed in a sparse room, with only two other chairs in the room, and a door on his left leading to a white corridor. On his right he was hooked up to a group of machines that monitored his vital signs. Outside the window a gentle snow had started up again, piling up neatly on the edge of the glass
Ponyville Hospital. Oak thought to himself with realisation as he propped himself up in bed on hid forlegs. What happened? The last thing I remembered was… The lake, of course!
The door to his room opened and the familiar form of Nurse Redheart entered, pulling a cart behind her with a small covered bowl and a plate with a small loaf of bread. She looked over and started when she saw him.
“Oh you’re awake! Excellent.” She said, smiling brightly as she closed the door. Oak smiled back, but grimaced as his head began to throb in pain.
“Try not to move too much” Redheart said calmly, passing him a couple of pills and a glass of water.
“Thanks.” He rasped, surprised to hear his voice coming out so weakly. He swallowed the pills and water quickly. “What happened?” he asked, his voice soothed by the water.
“Well it seems you fell into the lake.” Redheart began to explain as she inspected the machines. “The extreme cold sent you into shock, which caused hyperventilation, meaning you inhaled quite a lot of water. You’re lucky Applejack was there or else you might have drowned.”
“Applejack?”
“Yes, she turned up with her brother just to see you fall in. They managed to pull you out and administered CPR as best they could, but you were lying the snow for about 10 minutes before they brought you round, and you were at risk of hypothermia. They carried you straight here as quickly as they could.”
“Oh.” Was all he could say as he sat up fully, letting it all sink in. He had nearly drowned? And caught hypothermia as well? The shock of it would have floored him if he wasn’t lying down. “And how am I now?” he asked, already feeling the throbbing in his head fade
“Well we’ve managed to warm your body temperature up to normal in the past few hours, and we’d like to keep you overnight to make sure, but you should be able to leave tomorrow.” Redheart said, smiling. “Until then, it’s plenty of fluids and warm food.” She uncovered the bowl to reveal a dark red liquid, whose smell wafted across to Oak’s nostrils; the aroma of tomato soup. Oak smiled appreciatively, he hadn’t eaten since morning.
“Before you get started on that, you do have a few visitors if you feel like you’re up to it.” Redheart said as she moved towards the door.
“Uh, sure?” Oak said apprehensively. Visitors? His family was all in Trottingham, who would visit him? Redheart opened the door and leaned out speaking a few words Oak couldn’t make out. His question was soon answered as 3 small blurs of colour zipped past and jumped on the bed, knocking the wind out of him momentarily. When he recovered he noticed that all of the Cutie Mark Crusaders were clinging onto him like he might disappear at any moment. Scootaloo had a strong grip on his left hind leg, while Sweetie Belle had coiled like a viper around his foreleg on the right side. The most prominent however was Applebloom, who had an almost choking grip around his neck, her face buried into his shoulder.
“You’re okay…” She mumbled into his shoulder. He could tell from her voice she had been crying, as well as seeing the red rings around both Scootaloo and Sweete Belle’s eyes. Oak didn’t know what to do, so he just wrapped his free leg around her in a comforting way.
“Yeah I’m okay.” He said simply, smiling a little.
“It…It’s all my fault.” She said, sobbing quietly. “If you hadn’t tried to help me, you wouldn’t have fallen in. You nearly… nearly died because of me.”
“Hey, don’t talk like that.” Oak said soothingly, pulling her gently off his neck to look at her. Her auburn eyes were as red as the others’, and her bottom lip was quivering slightly. Even her bow was drooping to match her mood.
“Bloom, you have no need to blame yourself.” Oak said softly. “I knew the risk I was putting myself in, and I can only blame myself.”
“But if we weren’t out on the lake…”
“You couldn’t have known that the ice was thin. These things just happen sometimes.” He placed his hoof under her chin and lifted her up to look at him. “The important thing is that we’re all okay, and that’s something to be happy about. Come on, give me a smile.” He gave her his own lopsided grin, and she returned a small smile of her own, before hugging him again, this time a bit more gently.
“Thank you.” She said simply as she pulled away, her smile a lot brighter.
“Hey, I want to thank him too!” Sweetie said as she squirmed past her friend to wrap her own hooves around Oak’s neck.
“Me too!” Shouted Scootaloo as she nearly leaped over Applebloom’s body to get her hug, landing heavily on Oak’s chest. Oak gasped as the wind was forced out of his lungs, with the two pairs of forelegs wrapped around his trachea not helping.
“Alright girls, give him some room to breathe.” A voice at the foot of the bed said. The girls started and backed up, hopping off the bed in turn to stand next to it. Oak caught his breath again as he sat up some more to see his other two visitors. The first was a white unicorn with a stylishly curled mane of deep purple. He had seen her around town a few times before, and seemed to remember her as being Sweetie Belle’s sister. The other mare was easily recognisable.
“Hey AJ.” Oak said simply.
“Howdy” She replied gently, a small smile curling up her face. She turned her head to the white unicorn next to her, before looking back to him. “I don’t think you’ve met Rarity yet; she’s Sweetie Belle’s sister.” Oak nodded in recognition: so he was right about one thing.
“A pleasure, Miss Rarity.” He said politely. “Though I suppose there are better circumstances to meet under.” A short chuckle escaped the unicorn’s throat, but he could tell it wasn’t very genuine.
“Yes, quite.” She said, looking up from the floor for the first time. The red rings under her eyes were clearly visible, but why had she been crying so much? Sweetie was perfectly fine after all. “Mister Splitter…” She began.
“Please, Oak is fine.”
“…Oak.” Rarity paused a moment before continuing. “I know that this may sound a bit cliché, but I don’t think I could ever truly thank you enough. To have risked your life the way you did for my sister and her friends is more than anypony could have asked of you.” She trotted round to his side and laid a hoof on his shoulder. “If there is anything that I can do for you, you need only say the word.” There was an intense sincerity in her eyes that threw Oak off balance for a few seconds before he regained his composure.
“Uh yeah, sure thing Rarity.” He said with a small smile, which she returned, before backing off again.
“Now, I think it high time we leave you to your soup and some rest. Come along girls.” Rarity lead the trio of fillies out, each one waving goodbye in turn. Waved back and turned my attention back to what was important, only to remember that the bowl had been left on the opposite side of the bed by Nurse Redheart. He sighed and reached over to buzz for her again when the table was pushed over to him by a familiar orange hoof.
“You’re a darned fool, you know that?” The voice said.
“Huh?” Oak said as he turned to Applejack.
“What were you thinking, putting yourself on the ice like that?” Applejack asked. Her tone was stern, and her face contorted into some mix of angry concern. "You knew it was dangerous, you couldn't just wait for me and Mac to get back?" Oak blinked a little in shock, trying to put his thoughts together before he responded.
"Well, to tell the truth, I wasn't thinking." He said, looking at the ceiling. "I didn't know if you were going to get back in time, or how long that ice was going to hold, so I just acted." He hung his head. "I'm sorry if I worried you."
"Darn right you worried me." She said, slugging him lightly in the shoulder. "You nearly got yourself killed!" But slowly her anger melted off into a gentle smile as she wrapped him in a tight hug of her own. "But thank you. Thank you so much." She murmured softly. Oak smiled as well as he returned the hug.
"Don't worry about it; and thank you for saving my life." He said, giving small extra squeeze. After a while they released the hug, smiling at each other for a second before Applejack nodded and readjusted her hat.
"Well, I'll leave you to it. Word of warning, Pinkie's already planning a huge party for when you get out." She said, walking to the door.
"I'll keep that in mind." Oak said as he finally got to his bowl of soup. "Uh, Applejack?"
"Yes Sugarcube?"
"Could you ask Nurse Redheart to come back in please? My soup's gone cold."
"Hehe, sure thing." She chuckled as she closed the door behind her
Author's Note
Wooooo! FINALLY I AM BACK!!!!
anyhoo...
Life has winded down for a bit now that my first term at my new college has ended and work has given me a few days off, so I finally finished off this chapter. Hope everyone who's been patiently waiting enjoys it, and hopefully the next one won't take quite as long.
