My Little Pony: Seeds of Friendship

by Seganights

Rating: teen
Tags: Cloudkicker, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Berry Punch, Other, Original Character, Slice of Life
Length: 8840

A city pony moves to the country in an effort to walk in his grandparents hoofsteps

Sage Nights is a city pegasus from Baltimare with a special talent that is vaguely defined. After the passing of his grandparents he decides to move out to their farm in Ponyville to try and walk in their hoofsteps. Knowing nothing about farming but determined to learn what he can; he will give it his all.

This story is heavily inspired by the Harvest Moon game series

Published 2015-12-05 22:30:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-12-09 22:11:05 UTC

Old Memories and New Beginnings

“Now arriving in Ponyville, all passengers for Ponyville please prepare to disembark” The train conductor said to every pony in the train car. I rose from my seat and grabbed my saddlebags from the overhead compartment. As I tied them on my back my mind raced with thoughts and memories of the last time I had come to this town; it was years ago while I was still a foal spending time on my grandparents farm. That seemed like a lifetime ago considering all that had happened in my life since; both the good and the bad.

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt the train start slowing down. I shook the memories from my mind and started to head for the door to the car. Once the train had stopped I disembarked onto the platform. It was a nice spring day, the sun warmed my fur; feeling a bit stiff I closed my eyes and soaked up the sun for a moment, stretching my wings to get them flexible. I breathed in heavily and exhaled, the air had a sweet taste to it.

I moved to get off the platform taking in the sight of the town for the first time in years. First thing I noticed was the GIANT crystal tree on the edge of the town; pretty hard to miss and also sure that wasn't there the last time I visited as I would have noticed. I just stared for a moment or two as it really was a sight to behold, there was a bucking castle in its branches. I heard some pony laugh off to my side, I turned to see some of the town ponies watching me and giggling.

“What's wrong never seen Princess Twilight's castle before?” one of them; a pegasus mare asked. I shook my head no she grinned, “Thought so, most newcomers are surprised by it.” She then turned back to her friend and began talking about weather duty. I turned from the mare and started down the stairs off the platform.

“Welcome back, Sage Nights” some pony to my left said to me. I turned to the direction of the voice to see a mare with silver mane and glasses trotting up to me.

“Hello, Mayor nice to see you again after so long” I said to the mare. She has been mayor of Ponyville for a long time even being in office the last time I visited my grandparents farm. She beamed at me with a sincere smile.

“I heard you were coming to Ponyville, so I thought I would come out to meet you.” She said. Her face than changed to a more somber expression, “The paperwork has already been taken care of, do you want to head to the farm?” I was silent for a moment; this is the moment of truth and I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

“Yes”

We got to the farm of my grandparents, the house was old and well worn with the paint having faded. The field though was another story; weeds and bushes had over taken most of the land. The entire property was in a state of disrepair and neglect.

“Sorry for the condition, no pony has really come here since...” She trailed off. I could see sadness in her eyes; the same sadness I could feel inside me. The mayor and my grandparents were good friends. Their passing must have devastated her just as much as my parents and I. She regained her composure after a moment, “The house is still intact and there is no major damage. The field will be a challenge to bring back into shape; I recommend asking some of the local farm ponies for advice” I nodded and moved to enter the old house, “Are you going to be alright?” She asked, I could hear the concern in her voice.

“Yea,” I said simply “I just... want to be alone for now” She nodded and turned to head back to town as I entered the house. The inside was caked with dust, everything that belonged to my grandparents was still inside. When they passed, no pony had the heart to visit the farm again but at the same time the farm belongs to the family; we couldn't just sell it. After I became a full grown stallion I decided to try and work the farm; I felt like I owed it to grandma and grandpa to give it my best effort. As I moved to empty my saddlebags something caught the corner of my eye. I turned to find a picture... a picture of me as a foal with grandma and grandpa. I grabbed the picture and wiped the dust from the image; the sadness from inside me grew stronger and I could feel tears well up in my eyes, “I'll make you both proud”

Morning of the next day came faster than usual it seemed. I spent the rest of yesterday cleaning and straitening up the house; I wasn't exaggerating when I said no pony had been in the house in a few years, dust covered everything and all the food in the refrigerator had spoiled leaving a VERY fowl smell behind. I cleaned up as best I could and ate some canned food I brought with me for dinner then went to bed so I could get started bright and early. It felt weird to sleep in the same bed my grandparents did; the ache of missing them seems like it's going to be a constant thing.

After a quick breakfast of beans I made a small list of items I needed from the market. I had some bits saved but it would be in my best interest to be as cheep as possible so I could have some money in case of an emergency. I left the house with my saddlebags on when I saw the mayor walking up to me.

“Morning” she said with a smile

“Morning” I replied, “What brings you here this early in the morning?”

“I thought that since it's been awhile and Ponyville has changed over the years that I would show you around town, if that's okay with you?”

It had been awhile since I was here and if the new castle was an indication a lot has probably changed, “Sure, I would like that”

The mayor's tour showed me all the big places in Ponyville; there's the town square where town hall is located, there is market street where businesses like the bakery Sugar Cube Corner operates, there is the farmer's market where many local ponies sell their goods in outdoor stands and the fashion shop Carousel Boutique. On the edge of town was Sweet apple Acres another farm the mayor suggested I visit to buy seeds from or any advice, a cottage where the resident animal expert lives, and last the castle I saw coming into town which is the home of the new princess Twilight Sparkle.

“That's all the major areas of town” The mayor said as we entered the park, “If you have any questions feel free to ask”

I decided to take her up on the offer, “I need to do some grocery shopping, where is the cheapest place to go?”

She pointed her hoof toward the farmer's market, “The outdoor stands of the market are good for produce and some other things. If you can't find something your looking for there,” she shifted her hoof towards Market Street, “try Barnyard Bargains though there a little more expensive”

I thanked the mayor for everything and headed to the Farmer's Market. They had stalls everywhere selling all sorts of things and I managed to find all the food items on my list relatively easy. While I was getting some Bell Peppers I accidentally bumped into some pony, “Oops, sorry. My fault”

The pony in question was a pale yellow earth pony mare with red mane, “It's okay, no harm done” She said straightening a green neckerchief she wore. She looked me over quietly for a moment, “Are you new to town?”

“Yes” I admitted, “I just arrived yesterday and am leaning the lay of the town”

She chuckled, “If your new than I see a party in your future”

I was going to ask her to clarify when a bright pink earth pony mare came quite literally out of nowhere, “Did some pony say party?!” I'm not gonna lie, all ponies have a fight or flight reflex but for us pegasi we literally take flight when startled or scared. I was reminded of this as I looked down from ten feet in the air having shot straight up into the sky. The mare I was talking to held a hoof to her mouth trying to hold back a laugh while the new pony kept a cheerful look but lost a bit of her enthusiasm, “Sorry”

“Don't worry about it” I said landing back on the ground, my face a bit red.

The pink pony regained some of her energy, “So, your a new pony to Ponyville? We so need to throw you a 'Welcome to Ponyville Party'. With cake and balloons and streamers and confetti and ice cream with lots of ponies, won't that be fun? I have to go prepare!!” She ran off before a I could reply.

I glanced at the yellow mare I was talking to; she just shrugged, “That's Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's resident party planner” She glanced off in the direction Pinkie went in, “You get use to her after awhile”

I said good-bye to the mare and returned to my shopping. By the time I had finished browsing the Farmer's Market I had all the food items I needed and even managed to get some cleaning things so I could better clean the farm house. I couldn't find that many non-edible items at the market so I went to the Barnyard Bargain store the mayor mentioned.

Once inside the store I felt right at home with its familiarity; it was smaller than the one back in Baltimare but it's layout was near identical. I found what I needed with ease and went to the cashier; as I approached the clerk a yellow pegasus mare seemed to do the same.

She saw me and bowed her head as if to make herself smaller, “I'm sorry, you can go first” She said in a whisper.

I bowed my head and held my hoof out toward the cashier, “By all means, ladies first”

She smiled timidly and approached the counter, “Thank you” she said in a hushed whisper. As the sells pony began to ring up her items, neither of us spoke. She carefully glanced at me, “Umm... I don't think I've seen you before”

I nodded, “My name is Sage Nights and I'm new to town.” I said.

“Oh, that's nice. Are you here by yourself?”

“Yea, my parents are in Baltimare. It's just me at my grandparent's farm” I still think of it as my grandparent's place even though they have been gone for a few years now.

The mare picked up on the reason I wold be alone at my grandparent's place and quickly deflated, “Oh, I'm sorry” she whimpered.

“For what?” I asked as the clerk finished ringing up her items; She managed to regain some of her composure when she saw I wasn't upset, “I plan to get a pet soon so I wont be by myself for long”

At the mention of me getting a pet her face lit up, “Oh! I have a lot of animals at my cottage that would just love to have a home” she said smiling.

“Cottage? Oh, you must be Fluttershy, the animal expert the mayor mentioned”

She blushed a bit, “I'm not really an expert, I just know how to work with animals; it is my special talent. If your serious about a pet I can help you find one after here”

After finishing at the store, Fluttershy led me to her cottage at the edge of town, “What kind of pet did you have in mind?”

I shrugged my shoulders, “Don't know really. Guess I'll know when I see it”

Once at her cottage she showed me her backyard which was so full of animals it could pass for a zoo, “Now, Sage Nights we're here and I cannot express my delight. It's abundantly clear that somewhere out here is the pet that will suit you just right” She sang.

I chuckled, “Lead the way”

She showed me several different animals; cats, dogs, rabbits, squirrels, seals, bugs and birds just to name some. I gave them all the once over but none of them really stuck out to me. We must have been looking for a few hours as the sun was starting to set. After showing me a porcupine I decided that we might have to continue this later some other day.

“It's getting late and I have to get these groceries home. Can we pick this up tomorrow maybe?” I asked.

Fluttershy deflated a little, “Oh, okay. I'm sorry we could find the special pet for you”

I was going to reassure her it was okay when something caught my attention. Sitting a little ways from me was a little white and black spotted piglet. It looked at me with beady little eyes and wiggled its nose as it grunted. I approached the little pig; next to me it was as big as a small dog, “Oh, that's a miniature pig, he won't get any bigger than he already is” I heard Fluttershy say over my shoulder. I looked down at him while he looked up at me; he snorted and wiggled his nose again.

My heart just melted, “I'm gonna call you Pepper” I said as I rubbed under his chin. He squeaked in approval.

With Pepper the pig riding on my back I thanked Fluttershy for her help and headed back to my farm; The sun was nearly under the horizon by the time we got there. I reached the door to the farmhouse, “Welcome to your new home, Pepper” I said to the piglet; Pepper squeaked in contentment. I opened the door and entered into the house which was pitch black inside due to the setting sun. As I moved to find a light to turn on I heard something shift in the darkness.

“Surprise!!” Came a chorus of voices as the lights came on. I jumped a bit and I could feel that Pepper did too. I saw a lot of ponies in my place with balloons and streamers everywhere; plates of cup cakes and bottles of cider on the table.

The pink pony from the market came out of the crowd, “Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie and this is that party I was talking about earlier. Were you surprised? Huh, were you?” She asked energetically.

I nodded, “Very.” I looked at all the ponies there. I noticed Fluttershy who wilted a bit when she saw me looking at her.

“Please don't be upset, Pinkie made me promise not to tell” I patted her on the shoulder and smiled to let he know everything was okay.

I quickly put my groceries up and joined my guests at this party thrown for me. A few of the ponies were fawning over Pepper; his nose wiggling and snorting having the same affect on them it had on me. He didn't seem to mind the attention. I looked around and noticed the light yellow pony with the neckerchief from earlier, “Hey”

She glanced my direction, “Hello...” she paused, making both of us realize we never got each others name.

I blushed a bit at my lack of manners, “Sorry, I'm Sage Nights; a city pony trying his hoof at farming”

“I'm Apple Bumpkin, I help my cousin Applejack with her farm” She introduced herself, “Enjoying your party?”

I glanced around, “Yes but it's kinda awkward as I don't know that many ponies here”

She glanced around as well and nodded her head, “I can fix that. Come on then, I'll introduce you to my friends”

I followed her through the crowd to a light lavender pegasus with a blond mane, “This is Cloud Kicker, one of the pegasi in charge of Ponyville's weather” Cloud Kicker turned to Apple bumpkin at the mention of her name, “Cloud this is Sage Nights, the new resident”

Cloud Kicker eyed me over as if she was appraising something, than she gave a smile like a tiger would give it's pray, “So this is the new pony you mentioned earlier, you didn't say he was so hansom” I felt my face go red at the compliment.

Apple bumpkin just rolled her eyes, “She is also the towns shameless flirt so expect that from her” Cloud blew a small raspberry at her friends words.

“I'm just a mare who likes to make other ponies feel welcome” Cloud said winking at me; I felt my face get hotter.

“Are you done embarrassing the new guy yet?” Some pony else said drawing all three of us to to turn to the new voice. It belonged to a pale teal colored pegasus with a yellowish mane, “You'll have to excuse my weather team member, She doesn't know how to behave herself most of the time” She said to me as she approached us.

“It's just par for the course when it comes to Cloud” Bumpkin said, then she nodded to me, “Sage this is Helia; she's another member of Ponyville's weather team but can often be found doing flight exercises in her off time”

Helia nodded in my direction, “Pleasure to meet you”

“Likewise” I said

Cloud rolled her eyes at Helia, “For your information I wasn't trying to embarrass him. I just wanted him to feel at ease” Cloud than took a step toward me getting a bit too close, “Maybe sometime after you get settled in I can show you the night life here in Ponyville” I felt the heat on my face return as Cloud walked of into the crowd; stopping only long enough to look back over her shoulder, something I'm sure she did on purpose just to show off her hind quarters. She playfully stuck out her tongue and winked at me before continuing on.

Helia sighed, “That pony, I swear. If she spent as much time working as she does flirting she would be the richest pony in town” She glanced at me, “Sorry if she made you feel a bit uncomfortable. She can be a bit over bearing at times”

“No worries” I said then decided to change the subject, “So you exercise in your off time?”

“Helia is a health nut” Bumpkin said, “She spends most of her off time training. She even managed to take the gold at air sprinting during the last Equestria Games”

Helia beamed, “It was close, I only won by 0.079 seconds”

“That was a close one, congrats on winning though” I said

Bumpkin motioned to another part of the room, “I think I see another one of my friends, come on Sage” She turned to Helia, “Catch up with you later Helia” She then led me to a magenta earth pony with a purple mane, “Sage, this is Berry Punch; she is a local vintner who specializes in a type of drink she calls 'Berryshine'” She glanced at her friend, “Hi Berry, this is Sage”

Berry Punch cupped her hooves over her ears, “Do you have to be so loud?” she whimpered to us.

Bumpkin gave her friend a quick once over, “Been sampling too much of your brews again, huh Berry?” she asked causing her friend to moan and rub the sides of her head. “You should really take better care of yourself”

Berry waved her away, “Its just a slight headache. It will pass; till then I gonna go find a nice shadow to sit in” She glanced at me, “It is nice to meet you but I'm not really in much of a talking mood right now, sorry”

Bumpkin and I watched as Berry trotted off, once she was out of ear shot Bumpkin sighed. “That pony is as much a workaholic as she is an alcoholic”

I glanced at her, “Dedicated to her craft?”

She rolled her eyes, “You have no idea”

The next pony Bumpkin introduced me to was a brown unicorn with a white mane,” This is Silver Spanner; Ponyville's resident fix-it pony”

Spanner took my hoof and gave me a hearty hoof shake,”Nice to meet'cha! How are you doing this evening?”

I smiled, “Nice to meet you too, and I'm doing well. Bumpkin is introducing me to some of her friends so I don't feel awkward not knowing any pony”

Spanner pulled me into a hug, “Well I'm glad she did cause now you got me as a friend! I hope this farm of your takes off real nice but if you ever need anything around here fixed, let me know” She beamed at me.

“Sure” I agreed. Spanner smiled than excused herself so she could get another cup cake.

Bumpkin lead me toward another friend of hers, “Spanner means well but that pony has energy to burn” She said with a chuckle. The last pony Bumpkin introduced me to was a coral pink pony with a blue mane, “Sage this is Sea Swirl, she is a forest ranger; it's her job to keep the surrounding areas clean”

Sea Swirl glanced at us, her face one of unamusedment. She looked at Bumpkin than me, “Hi” she said than turned and walked back into the crowd.

That was odd, “Is she shy?” I asked

Bumpkin shook her head, “Not really, she just takes a while to open up to ponies she doesn't know. Shes actually one of the most dependable ponies I know”

After meeting Bumpkin's friends I decided to enjoy the party some and soon it was late at night when it ended, all the ponies had gone home leaving just me and Pepper in the house. I said good bye to every pony and thanked them for coming; especially Apple Bumpkin and her friends. After making sure Pepper was set up for the night I crawled into bed with the decision to plan all the farm stuff tomorrow; my career as a farmer starts then.

Author's Note

My first story, hope it doesn't show too bad.

A Rough Start

The next morning I decided to head to Sweet Apple Acres; the farm the mayor mentioned for some seeds so I could start planting while it was still early in the season. I took the old cart my grandparent's used with me to move the supplies I needed easier but the cart was very stiff and hard to move; guess I'm not that strong. As I approached the farm I could see an orange mare in a stetson heading into the orchard.

She saw me as I entered the farm, “Howdy Sage, what brings you here?”

I saw her last night at the party but never had the chance to introduce myself to her,“You have me at a disadvantage, miss...?”

“I'm Applejack, pleasure to meet ya” She said

That name sounds familiar, “Oh yea, your Apple Bumpkin's cousin. She mentioned you last night”

AJ smiled, “Bumpkin said you and her got along well so any friend of hers is a friend of mine” She nodded her head in a manner that seemed to punctuate the sentiment, “So what can I do ya for?”

I unhitched myself from my cart, “The mayor suggested I come here to buy seeds for my farm as well as get advice from ponies with more experience”

She eyed me with a look of suspicion, “Do you even know how to run a farm?”

I lowered my head, “Not really, no. I know a few things from watching my grandparent's but in the end I'm just a city colt who wants to try and be like them”

I glanced up at her and she gave me a reassuring smile,”It's hard work but if you have the patients and the heart for it it's mighty fulfilling” She then raised her hoof, “I think I know something just right for you” She turned and went into the barn then after a few minutes came out with a small sack. She placed it in my cart, “These here are turnip seeds; they grow fast, are easy to care for and are cheap making them good for a first time farmer. Get your hooves wet growing these than you can start planting the more expensive crops once you gain the experience” she patted the sack, “These here turnips will grow to full size in about a week as long as you water them daily. Once harvested you can sell them in the farmer's market or ship them out to other places in Equestria”

I looked at the sack, “If they don't die on me anyway” I said gloomily

AJ smirked, “As I said their cheap which means their fairly common too. While you wont get much per turnip if the entire crop ends up a bust it won't hurt you that much. Gaining experience is the important thing”

AJ spent the next 15 minutes giving me farming advice and tips; all of which was greatly appreciated. After paying for the seeds and saying good-bye I headed back to my farm to start planting; something I was actually starting to get excited for.

After a struggle I managed to pull the cart back to the farm; Pepper had woken up by then and was sunning himself by the house having used the dog door to get outside. After unhitching myself from the cart I went to the tool shed to get my grandparent's plow to start planting. When I opened the shed however my heart sank, every tool was covered with rust. I looked up at the roof of the shed and could see cracks; years of rain had washed down on the tools making them practically useless. I sighed as I removed the tools from the shed, afraid that they would break at the slightest touch. The contents of the shed were the old plow, an ax, a scythe and a shovel; I placed all of them by the field and scratched my mane, “What am I gonna do now?”

After some thought I knew exactly what to do and in a few moments Silver Spanner and I were walking back up to the farm, “Thank you, I feel like such an idiot for not checking the tools earlier”

Spanner waved her hoof, “No worries, lets take a look”

Once on the farm I asked Spanner if she could inspect not just the tools but the old shed, the house and the cart if possible; I don't need anymore surprises. She agreed and set to work looking everything over; I was impressed with her speed as she was quick but methodical in checking for problems then making notes in a notepad she brought in her saddlebag.

After about an hour she approached me, she had a bit of a concerned look on her face, “Okay after a quick inspection here's what I found” She motioned to the tools, “Thankfully the rust hasn't eaten to the core of the tools so they are salvageable” She then motioned to the shed, “The shed on the other hoof is full of dry rot; It's a wonder it hasn't fallen over yet. I'm afraid demolition is the only course for it” She motioned to the cart, “The cart is surprisingly sound though the axle is bent a little”

“So that's why it was so hard to pull” I said, causing Spanner to nod her head.

She then pointed at the house, “The house is stable for now but I did notice a few problem areas. If they are not addressed soon it could lead to bigger problems”

Great. I lowered my head, “How much is it going to cost me to fix everything?” I said in a whisper.

She looked over her list and began to add it all up, “About 460 bits give or take”

I inhaled sharply, I only came to town with 300 bits and after the grocery shopping and seed buying I'm down to 210. This is not good.

Spanner looked at me, her face one of sympathy, “I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. What do you want to do?”

I looked up at her than raised my head up, took in a deep breath and let it out, “Grandpa always said 'When the cloud under you dissipates, just wing it the best you can'” I muttered under my breath. Spanner heard me and smiled the kind of smile a mother gives when they are unsure but hopes for the best, “I need to fix up the house, I lose it my farming days are over. I also need a way to plant the seeds so the plow is also important” I glanced at Spanner and my ears drooped down, “I have 210 bits between me and broke, can I fix what I need to?”

She nodded, “The house is the most expensive thing so with that many bits I can fix it up no problem with enough left over to repair the plow; I can even fix up your cart if you want me to but that will use every last bit”

I thought about it for a second, “Cart is a convenience, it can wait for now”

Spanner nodded than using her magic levitated the plow, “I'm gonna get started, if that's okay?” I nodded than handed her the bits so she could start repairs.

As she walked off I sighed, “Not a good way to start a farm, is it?”

She chuckled, “Actually most farmers don't have much money either. Sweet Apple Acres makes a lot of money but spends just as much on farm upkeep and shipping costs. So really, if anything your on par with the other farms in town” So being broke was just as much a part of farm life as anything else; I smirked at that.

As Spanner went back to her workshop to start repairing the plow, I headed to town hall to add my farm to the weather patrol list; Applejack told me to it's much easier than trying to water the crops myself. As I entered town hall I saw a familiar face, “Hi, Helia”

Helia glance my direction, “Oh, hey Sage. I thought you would be busy on your farm”

I shrugged my shoulders, “Farm is in need of some repairs bad. Silver Spanner is working to fix what she can so till shes finished I came to get my farm added to the weather patrol route”

Helia nodded, “Yea, that can make things easier for you but it just means more work for us weather ponies” She said teasing than chuckled, “Rainbow Dash is in charge here so go see her to fill out the needed forms... If she can even find them that is”

I found my way to the weather office and saw first hoof what Helia meant; mountains of papers were everywhere, piles of boxes with even more papers hastily shoved in them and a couple of empty soda bottles laying around. I glanced at the desk to see... Cloud Kicker doing paperwork, “Hey Cloud”

She glanced up at me and smiled when she saw me, “Nice to see you Sage” she gestured toward the mountains of papers, “Welcome to the mad house. Here on business” She then did the tiger look again, “Or is this a social call”

I could feel my face heat up again so I just chuckled weakly and tried to change the topic, “Helia hinted that the pony in charge here was not that well organized” I said glancing around the room.

“Understatement of the century” She said rolling her eyes, “Rainbow is all about action and would rather do something than fill in paperwork on it. As her assistant manager it's my job to help her with the important day to day aspects of the weather patrol management”

I grinned, “So basically you do the paperwork so she doesn't catch Tartarus from the mayor”

Cloud groaned, “Yes; You have no idea how intimidating the mayor can get when she's mad”

Just then a blue rainbow maned pegasus came into the office, “Which is why you should finish those papers instead of talking CK”

Cloud rolled her eyes, “Right boss” she said getting back to her papers, “By the way, Rainbow this is Sage Nights; the new guy”

Rainbow looked my way, “Can we help you with something or are you just here to talk to Cloud” She sounded a bit miffed.

I've never been good at dealing with confrontation, “I just came to see about getting my farm added to the weather patrol route, if I've came at a bad time I can come back later” I said as my ears lowered.

Rainbow caught on to her tone, “No it's okay, sorry Sage. It is nice to meet you it's just” She let out a sigh, “I just learned Muffins put a lighting bolt through some ponies roof”

Cloud slumped a bit but didn't look up, “Again?”

I raised an eyebrow, “Muffins?”

“A pegasus friend of ours who owns a delivery business but moonlights with weather patrol duties from time to time” Cloud explained still head down over her paperwork, “She's a sweetheart who means well but everything just seems to go wrong when she's involved”

Rainbow pinched the bridge of her nose, “She was working for us at the time of the incident so an accident report needs to be filled out once she gets back”

Now Cloud did look up, “Gets back?”

Rainbow sighed again, “The house she struck was Firecracker Burst's. She set off a rocket that tangled into her tail as she tried to get out of its way. She's probably halfway to the Crystal Empire by now”

With the help of Cloud and Rainbow I managed to get the correct forms filled in so my farm could be added to the weather route. Needed a name for it so my farm is now called Night Magic Farms; sounds kinds cool really. Rainbow said that someone would be over later to take care of the crop watering. I thanked her and exited the office but as I was leaving town hall I saw a slightly charred gray pegasus mare walk in; her yellow mane smoking.

“Are you all right?” I asked her, causing her to glance at me with a wall eyed expression.

“I'm fine thanks, why do you ask?” she said in a sincere manner.

I pointed to her mane, “You appear to be smoking” I said with as deadpan a voice as I could give.

She brushed her mane with her hoof putting out the smoking bit than smiled sheepishly, “Thanks, it's always hard for me to see things like that” I glance over the mare, her coat was black in patches and she smelled of charcoal. She gave me a friendly smile, “Your the new farmer in town right?” I nodded, “I'm Muffins, nice to meet you” she said holding out her hoof which I took in a hoof shake.

“Sage Nights” I introduced myself, “Are you sure your okay?”

She nodded, “I'm fine, I probably don't look it but this is nothing. To some it might look like I've had the worst day ever but to me it's just Tuesday” She chuckled. After a brief chat with the mare I bid her good-bye and went to exit town hall; as I was leaving I overheard Cloud and Rainbow express relief that she was okay while Muffins said she didn't know what went wrong.

Back at the farm I heard some clatter on the roof; I glanced up to see Spanner working. She was replacing some roofing tiles by the look of it.

She noticed me and waved, “I managed to get your plow back in shape” She pointed toward the field. Right beside it was the plow, all shiny and new looking; I felt kind of bad I was going to have to dirty it.

Before I could even use the plow though I needed to get up all the weeds, so I start weeding the field; a process that takes a few hours. After the weeds are gone I finally harness myself to the plow and break the soil; the dark rich earth just underneath the topsoil is exposed. Than following AJ's advice I plant the turnip seeds 3 at a time so I can ensure 1 will at least take root. By the time all was said and done the sun is setting and I'm standing in the middle of a seeded field.

Spanner finished the house repairs sometime ago and had decided to watch me work. She clapped her hooves together, “Nicely done. Maybe you are cut out for the farm life”

I couldn't help but smile, “Thanks, I can't wait to take a bath but I'm pleased”

As if that was a cue a cloud over head suddenly burst forth with rain,watering the newly planted crops and drenching me at the same time. Once the cloud stopped I looked up to see Cloud Kicker moving the cloud back into the sky; grumbling I walked out from the field while Spanner did her best to keep from laughing.

“One bath and crop watering compliments of the town weather patrol” Cloud said with a grin as she landed beside me. I was still dripping wet and now my hooves were caked in mud from the field.

“That wasn't what I had in mind” I deadpanned, then before she could react with an evil smirk I rubbed my hoof down Clouds face getting mud all down her muzzle. As she wiggled her nose trying to get it off both Spanner and I started laughing with Cloud eventually joining in.

Destiny and A Drunken Master

With the crops planted and the weather patrol watering them, I really had nothing else to do. AJ said the turnips would be ready for harvest in about a week so I needed something to do with the time between growing cycles. As I was low on funds I decided to see if there was any temp. work I could do for some extra bits.

I decided to go see the mayor at town hall and see what she suggested, “As a pegasus you could always help out the weather patrol; a lot of ponies do that in their spare time”

I decided why not and crossed the hall to Rainbow Dashes office. She was sitting at her desk, grumbling about paperwork when she heard me enter. She raised up to address me, “Morning Sage, is everything okay?” She then grew stern, “Is this about Cloud dumping the rain on you yesterday?”

“No,no,no” I said waving my hooves back and forth. Last thing I wanted to do was get Cloud in trouble, “I've got some free time till I can harvest and the mayor suggested I try weather patrol duty till then”

Rainbow seemed to measure me up, “Do you know anything about weather control?”

There was an awkward moment of silence, “Kick the cloud till rain comes out?” I finally said sheepishly. Rainbow's resulting face hoof was audible.

Rainbow was willing to give me a chance so she and I flew up to where the other weather ponies were working. She called out to them as we approached, “Okay listen up, Sage here's going to be shadowing some pony to learn the basics of weather patrol. Any volunteers?” After a moment no pony said anything; guess they didn't want to be dragging around a greenhorn.

“He can come with me” said Cloud after flying to join the group.

Rainbow eyed Cloud suspiciously, “I don't know...”

“Why Rainbow Dash” Cloud said in mock indignation, “I'm your assistant weather manager, if there is any pony who is best to teach the new guy how to buck a cloud it's me” Why do I get the feeling that was a double entrendre or am I reading too much into it? Cloud glanced at me and smirked, “We already get along great so I'm the perfect choice, don't you think so Sage?” I felt my face go red a bit when she addressed me and silently nodded causing Cloud to give me a warm smile.

Rainbow rolled her eyes, “Fine but keep your mind on work during work hours”

I spent the next few hours of the morning shadowing Cloud as she explained the basics of weather control: how to get rain from a cloud, how to avoid lighting, how to spot weak spots in the cloud and other basic stuff. After a bit I managed to get the hang of it and Cloud even let me deal with a few clouds on my own.

By the time noon came around most of the big jobs for the day had been done, “Been a pretty smooth day so far” Cloud said as we hit the ground, “Now we break for lunch and finish out the day” At the mention of lunch I realized just how hungry I actually was as my stomach chose that exact moment to growl loudly. Cloud laughed, “Lets go to the Hay burger place for lunch, my treat”

Once at the restaurant we got our food and began to eat in silence, “Can I ask you something, Sage?” Cloud said after a few moments.

“Sure, what is it?”

Cloud shifted in her seat a bit as if she was unsure of how to word her question, “I was just wondering; Your a pegasus with little weather training trying to be a farmer but also has no farming experience. If you don't mind me asking what is your special talent?”

Ah, that question. I've been asked that question by many ponies since I got my cutie mark and disliked addressing it; Clouds aces in my book though so she deserves an honest answer, “To tell you the truth, I have no idea”

Cloud looked at me puzzled, “How can you not know?”

I shrugged, “Your guess is as good as mine. I went to sleep one night and woke up the next morning” I raised my wing and pointed at my cutie mark; a sun with a crescent moon in front of it, “with my cutie mark and no idea how I got it” I slumped down in my seat some, “My parents think I must have realized what my talent was in my dreams but I can't remember what it was I dreamed if anything that night”

We finished our meal and went back to work but the rest of the day seemed a bit off. Cloud and I didn't talk much the rest of the day; the fact I have a cutie mark and have no idea what it means always makes me a bit mopey like not knowing makes me less of a pony or something. It was after the sun started setting when the weather work was done. Rainbow paid me for my time and said I was more than welcome to join them again. I made it back to the farm house okay, my mind still thinking about my conversation with Cloud; I always end up a bit introspective when the topic of my special talent comes up.

As I got to the door of the house I heard some pony approach. I turned to see Cloud land beside me, “Hi Cloud, everything okay?” I said but couldn't help noticing my tone was flat; my mind was still stuck on the cutie mark thing. Cloud walked up to me... and hugged me in a big bear hug which completely caught me off guard causing my face to reddened as she embraced me.

“A special talent or the lack of knowing one does not define you” Cloud said in a soft tone. Cloud was able to read some of my feelings; these thoughts I've had not just for today but for a long time.

“I know” I said then hugged her back, “Thanks”

She smiled sweetly as we let go of each other and before flying off kissed me on the cheek, “Just be you; that's all that maters” She said as she took to the sky. I watched her fly out of sight; the odd sensation I felt lingering for sometime.

The rest of the week flew by pretty fast with me helping the weather patrol for some extra bits and budgeting what I made back into the farm. I was able to have Spanner fix the cart so now it moves with ease; something that would be very helpful when my harvest came around. Sure enough a week after planting the turnips the leafy green tops were visible and ready for harvest.

“Well look at you” Said Apple Bumpkin as she wandered up to join me beside my field, “Your first harvest. Don't go getting a big head, first one is always the easiest” She teased.

I grinned, “Still I have a harvest. I was honestly half expecting them to all die on me”

Bumpkin nudged me in the side, “You need to quit being so pessimistic. Look on the positive side of things” I chuckled then something past Bumpkin caught my attention, she frowned and turn in the direction I was looking. When she saw it was Berry Punch walking up to the farm she smiled, “Hey Berry, how are you today?”

Berry looked at us and smiled, “Hi Bumpkin, I came to talk business with Sage”

“Business with me?” I repeated

Berry nodded as she walked up to Bumpkin and I, “I heard from AJ you were growing turnips, might I inspect the quality of them?”

I glanced a t Bumpkin than back at Berry, “Sure, I was just about to harvest them”

As I began to harvest the turnips and put them in my cart, Berry would inspect their firmness and color; checking a random one over carefully. After I had finished harvesting them I walked up to the cart where Berry was appraising the crop while Bumpkin watched.

After a moment Berry turned to me, “This is a decent crop, I'll give you 200 Bits for the whole lot”

I blinked a few times, “Really?” I said in stun surprise causing Bumpkin to chuckle at me a bit.

“That's a really good deal Sage” Bumpkin said with a smirk, “At the most you probably only get about 150 bits by shipping them and even less at the market. Berry's offer is very generous”

I glanced at Bumpkin, “Oh, I had no doubts as shes a friend. The sudden sell of my entire first crop just took me by surprise is all”

Berry chuckled, “Still getting use to the farm life huh? Instant sells are a good thing, keeps you from having to find someplace to store the harvest”

After harnessing myself to my cart I pulled my cart along side Berry Punch, Apple Bumpkin had some errands to do so we bid her good-bye. After walking in silence for a few moments I thought I would start a conversation, “Are these turnips for one of your drinks?” I asked.

Berry nodded, “Mmmhmmm” I didn't know what else to say so the conversation just died after that.

After a few more moments walking we reached Berry's vineyard. Bushes of different kinds of berries and grapes dotted the fields. Berry motioned for me to follow her to a large shed like building in the middle of the field. She opened the door to revel a large contraption of some kind.

I stood in awe at the machine, “What is this thing?”

Berry grinned, “Awhile back these two unicorn swindlers came to town and tried to out cider sell the Apple family with some fancy cider making machine” She patted a large cylinder on the device, “Silver Spanner managed to get a good look at the thing and I asked if she could make something similar. I use it to make all my brews”

I unhitched myself and watched as she cranked on the machine. It belched loudly as it came to life, “So do you just put the turnips in or...?” My question trailing off.

Berry pointed to a hopper, “Just start funneling them in there, this thing does the rest” I nodded as I began to throw the vegetables into the contraption. It made many different noises as the turnips tumbled inside. After the last one was in I glanced at Berry who was watching a distillery attached to the machine as turnip juice started to trickle out. She took the beaker and added some to a purple liquid than stirred it around.

She sampled some than made a face of pure disgust, “Still too starchy, needs more wildberries” She said as she moved to turn off the machine.

“wildberries?”

She nodded, “Yes, turnips are abundant this time of year so I'm trying to create a spring brew that uses them but they are so starchy that the only thing that works well with them is wildberries. Now I just need to get the ratio of turnips to wildberries just right” She grabbed her saddlebags.

“Need any help?” I offered.

Soon Berry and I were walking through the Everfree Forest; I shuddered a bit as we walked causing Berry to roll her eyes, “Come on now, there is nothing to be afraid of”

I swallowed hard, “I've always heard bad things about the forest” I said as I walked beside Berry.

Soon we came to a large patch of bushes with large multicolored berries, “Here we are. Start picking some Sage” She said placing her saddlebags on the ground. Between the both of use we were picking berries in big heaps, “Wildberries only seem to grow here in the Everfree; I've been trying to transplant them into my fields but have had no success so far” She explained.

After about a half hour both of her saddlebags were full of the berries and we decided to head back. As we where at the edge of the forest both of us heard a low growl, “That's not good” I said quietly. We glanced back to see moving shadows start to surround us. Berry took off her saddlebags and fished around in them then pulled out a small green bottle.

She tossed me her bags, “When I give the signal fly straight up”

I felt my ears wilt, “What?” The fear I was feeling came out in my voice.

“Trust me” She said uncorking her bottle than downing its contents in one gulp. She threw the bottle aside shattering it than stared at the lead creature in front of us. It stepped into the light relieving itself to be a timberwolf; I swallowed hard as my mouth went dry but Berry was unfazed. The timberwolf shifted its weight, “Now Sage! Fly!” she yelled. I hesitated for a moment but did as she said; taking to the air as the pack leader charged; leaping into the air. The timberwolf was on top of her when just as fluid as water Berry rolled to her back than kicked with all four hooves hitting the timberwolf from underneath and sending it crashing into a tree.

The other timberwolves were stunned as the leader staggered back to its feet while Berry took a stance; balancing on her hind hooves with her fore hooves extended. Wait... I've seen that stance before in the movies. Is Berry... is she a martial artist? One of the side wolves jumped at her but again she fluidly dodged it than counter attacked; she then staggered some and hiccuped. Is she using Drunken Mare style?! One by one the wolves jumped at her and she fluidly countered each and every one; words cannot began to describe her movements, it was almost like she was dancing between their strikes and I swear I could hear her sing Patty Cake as she did it.

Battered and bruised the wolves didn't give up till one finally managed to hit her. A claw mark went across her cheek, “Rrrraaaww!” she roared when she realized she was bleeding; that made the timberwolves shrink back. The leader charged her again but Berry was through messing around and with a swift kick the timberwolf became a pile of splinters. She glared at the other wolves who whimpered than ran back into the forest.

“That was the most incredible thing I have ever seen” I said; landing back on the ground next to her.

She smiled at me, “Uuurrppp!” she belched loudly.