Pepperdanceby TaliZorahChaptersProlougeChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5: The EndProlougeMy eyes carefully examine the paper in front of me, taking in the significance of each word, looking for any kind of deceit or trickery. The silence continues for several long minutes. "And you can pay in cash?" I ask, finally breaking the silence. I look up and across the desk to the unicorn stallion sitting across from me. In response, the businesspony floats over a large sack. "Not all at once, but in increments of, let's say, a few thousand apeice." I didn't like him. he sounded haughty, stuck up, and a whole mess of other words I suspect many-a-farmer would use to describe somepony who made a living off of words and paper instead of actions. I look over at the paper one more time before giving a slow nod. He gives a small grin before floating over a pen. I grab it with my mouth and take a deep breath, holding it for a moment before slowly exhaling. I lower my head to the desk and as ink and metal meet paper, I slowly maneuver the pen across the paper. Pepperdance I let go of the pen and the businesspony picks up it and the signed document with his magic. "Excellent," he says, levitating over the bag of bits. "Here is your first payment. Do you have a place of residence, somewhere we can send the rest?" I nod and motion for the pen. He floats it back over and I write down my friends address on a small notepad. He takes both objects and stands up. I follow suit, and we both make our way out of the room. He stops and extends his hoof towards me. I return the gesture and we shake. "Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Pepperdance," he begins. Shame it wasn't under better circumstances, however." I remain silent as he opens the door. "Have a pleasant day, Miss Pepperdance." "Thanks," I mutter in response. As the door shuts behind me, I turn back and glance at the sign hanging up on it. Ponyville Realty I sigh and tuck the bag of bits into my saddlebags. I turn towards the direction of my friends house on the outskirts of town and begin to walk. Chapter 1*CLOP CLOP CLOP*...*CLOP CLOP CLOP CLOP*......*CLOPCLOPCLOPCLOPCLOPCLOP*............ "Bass, it's me! Open up!" Basschords (ponies usually call him "Bass"; he hates his full name) and I have been best friends for years-- back since our days in Ponyville Elementary. I remember the first day we met... ~~~~~ It was a few months into the school year, right after we got back from winter break. He was from Cloudsdayle-- born and raised-- but his parents decided a change of scenery was in order, and the three of them moved down to Ponyville the day after Hearths Warming Day. it was only his first week on the ground, and he was stil getting over the shock of having something solid under his hooves. Miss Cheerilee, who by now had only been teaching a year or two, sat him in the open desk next in the back row to me. We were the only blank-flanks left in our class, everypony else already having found their special talents. Although the teasing of blank-flanks wasn't nearly as bad then as it is now, it could get pretty nasty at times. That and the fact that he freaked out every time one of his hooves so much as touched the ground caused a lot of the other students to give him a pretty hard time. At recess, I found him sitting alone on the swing set (still trying to keep his hooves off the ground), trying to get enough momentum to actually start swinging (pretty hard when you're doing your best to not touch the ground). I went up to him and said "hi." He replied with a simple "hello," but didn't say anything after that, probably thinking I had come over to make fun of him. After a few moments of silence, I walked behind him and gave him a gentle push. He grabbed the chains and looked back, frightened. As he swung back, I gave him another push, smiled, and introduced myself. "Hi," I started. "My name's Pepperdance. What's yours?" "Bass," he answered, starting to cheer up. Giving him another push, I asked, "Are you a blank-flank?" He looked away, embarrassed. "It's okay, so am I!" I said, giving a quick turn of my body. After another silent moment, I asked, "So, where are you from?" "I'm from Cloudsdayle," he answered, turning back with a smile. I smiled in return. "Really?" Well, I remember thinking, now I know why he's so afraid of the ground. We spent the rest of recess talking about Cloudsdayle. About halfway through, he got up and offered to push me on the swing. Back in the classroom, the topic switched to Ponyville and we both kept talking, even through Miss Cheerilee's lessons; we almost didn't notice the bell signaling the end of the day. We've been best friends ever since. ~~~~~ A few weeks ago, I told Bass about my plans to sell my farm. He immediately offered to stay with him, granted I help with the rent. Not a lot, he told me. Just enough so he could afford to house and feed two ponies. Despite its importance, his job as a weatherpony doesn't pay much. Due to the odd hours he's forced to work, I wouldn't be surprised to find him sleeping at this hour, despite it being well past noon. My suspicions were proven correct when I heard the tone f his response. "Alright, alright! I hear you!" Comes an annoyed voice from somewhere within. I stopped knocking and wait. After a few moments, the sound of a few locks being disengaged can be heard before the door finally opens. Standing on the other side of the doorway is a grey stallion with a messy black mane and green eyes, which are now scowling at me, half-open and bloodshot. "I was sleeping, Pepper," says the pissed looking pegasus. "Sorry," I offer sheepishly. His expression softens and he gives a wing-shrug. "Eh, no big deal. You hadn't woken me up, I'd've probably end up being late to work. Again." He steps aside. "C'mon in," he says, motioning with one of his wings for me to enter. "Guest room's upstairs. Second door on the left," he calls, walking towards the kitchen. "D'you have all r stuff, or do you need to go back to your house?" "No, I got it all," I answer, reaching back with a hoof to pat my heavy-laden saddlebags. I sigh before continuing. "All that's left there is furniture, and they got to keep that in the contract." I follow him into the kitchen and I see him fill up two bowls with cereal. His claims to having just woken up were also evidenced by the fact that he was preparing coffee. "How much d'you get for the place?" he asks, reaching for a clean mug. "Sixteen thousand," I reply flatly. 3...2... "What?!" As a result of his sudden outbrst, a large amount of milk originally indended for the cereal found itself on the ground. "Sixteen... Your farm..." He coughs slightly and takes a moment to collect himself and set the pitcher down. After cleaning the spilled milk, he stares at me. "They cheated you, y'know." "Well," I start in defense of the businesspony. "The house wasn't exactly seeing its best days..." "Your money," he says flatly with a shrug. He walks towards the table, bowl in mouth, and sits down. I follow him with the second bowl and sit down across from him. As we begin eating, my thoughts drift back to what was once my home and livelihood. ~~~~~ Inside, not huge. One story, two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. Outside, a porch overlooking a small front yard. Out back, three acres where I grew my crops. I grew every kind of pepper you could imagine: banana, bell, doctor, habanero... i even had a few small rows of ghost peppers for some of my more daring customers. My small farm was close enough to Ponyville so that it wasn't a hassle to go and set up a stand every morning, but far enough that I usually didn't know of any occurrences in town until I heard about them the next morning. Sounds great, right? You're probably wondering why I sold it for such a measly sum of bits. For the last few years, I've noticed an increasing drop in my monthly sales. The change month-to-month was small enough that I didn't pay it much attention. Not everypony likes peppers, and not everyone is gonna buy peppers, I told myself. Well, over the past few months it looks like everypony reached an epiphany of sorts: they didn't like peppers. Everyday, I got fewer and fewer customers. I've tried everything to win them back: selling cheaper, selling exclusively in bulk, selling pepper-based baked goods. In the end, nothing worked, and nothing saved my farm. It got to the point where I was forced to sell my farm, and hope I could find work somewhere else. ~~~~~ With a sigh, I finish my cereal and bring the empty bowl to the sink. I then went upstairs and into the guest room, where I started unpacking my bags. As I finish, I hear Bass calling me from downstairs. "Pepper, I'm going to work now!" I open my door to respond. "Alright, have a good day!" "G'bye!" And with that, I hear him open the front door. I look out my window to see him flying over rooftops towards town hall to receive that nights weather assignment. I go downstairs for a glass of water to see that the front door is ajar. I close it, chuckling to myself before retrieving my water and returning upstairs. I take a cool shower, washing myself of the sweat I accumulated from the hot summer air. Afterwards, I return to my room, opening my window a crack to let in the cooler night air. I turn out my lights, crawl into bed, and I quickly fall to sleep. Chapter 2I wake up and lie in bed a few minutes before opening my eyes. I see the sun staring back at me through windows whose curtains I accidentally had left open. I immediately shut my eyes and roll out of bed. Walking over to the window, I untie the curtains, letting them fall into place, blocking the obtrusive rays responsible for my temporary blindness. I glance towards the clock resting on my nightstand, which reads 9:32. I open my door and walk downstairs to make breakfast . ~~~~~ Twenty minutes later, and I have a batch of waffle batter cooking and was busy mixing together a pitcher of orange juice when I hear a heavy clopping coming from upstairs. I look towards the living room to see an irritated Bass plodding into the kitchen. "Good morning!" I exclaim cheerfully. "You're up early." He walks past me, muttering something incomprehensible and probably threatening, before making some coffee. A few minutes later, a trio of high pitched beeps signal that the drink is done. He pours himself a large mug and sits down at the table. After taking a few sips, he looks up and says, "Boss needs me t'come in early today." He takes another sip before continuing. "She's planning on some big storm tonight and needs me t'help set it up." I bring over two plates and the finished waffles and we begin eating. On his second waffle, he pauses. "Damn." He over to a paper stuck on the fridge, then at me. "Hey, would you mind going out and doing some shopping while I'm at work? " I swallow a bite before answering. "Sure. What do you need me to get?" "It's all on that list," he says, pointing a hoof towards the fridge. "Thanks." I nod, and we resume eating. After finishing his waffle and shotgunning what remained of the scalding-hot coffee, he goes back upstairs. A few minutes later, he's galloping out the door, shouting what sounded like, "I'mgonnabelatedon'tforgettheapples, seey'laterbye." Once outside, he stops just long enough to close the door before flying off. I finish my waffle and juice, and clean up the kitchen a bit. I then go upstairs to wash up and get my saddlebags. Coming back downstairs, I remove the list from the fridge before exiting the house to go to the marketplace. ~~~~~ A few hours later, and I'm walking home, saddlebags full of groceries. As I walk past a unicorn mare and baby dragon, I overhear the mare telling him to double check the gargantuan checklist he was dragging. Shrugging to myself, I sit down on a nearby bench, pull out the shopping list, and begin reading it to myself. •Bananas √ •Bread √ •Carrots √ •Coffee √ •Cinnamon √ •Eggs √ •Flour √ •Milk √ •Oats √ •Sugar √ Before getting back up, I decide to flip the paper over. As I do, I find a single item, unchecked. •Apples Figuring I'd rather not listen to Bass complain about a lack of fruit, I decide it would be worth the effort to go back to the market. On my way, I stop by the empty space where I used to set up my pepper stand. Looking around, it seemed like I was the only one who even noticed its absence. Sighing, I turn and walk up to the apple stand. I was greeted by a cheerful orange mare sporting a worn brown Stetson atop a blonde mane. "Howdy, pardner. Name's Applejack," says the mare. "What can Ah do ya fer?" she asks, offering her hoof. I reach out and shake it, answering, "Just here to buy some apples." The farmpony releases my hoof and looks down ashamedly. "Ah'm a might sorry, sugahcube, but we're fresh out fer today," she says with a sigh. "Ponies've been buyin' 'em faster than we can get 'em out t'market, leavin' alot of disappointed customers at the end of the day. Gotten so bad, we've been thinkin' of hirin' us some help." At this, my ears pick up, and I start thinking. The bits from selling my farm wouldn't last forever, and when they ran out, I'd need some way to help pay rent. Also, it was a chance to work with one of the most successful businesses in Ponyville. After a moments hesitation, I say, "What a coincidence. I've actually been looking for a job, if you'd be interested in hiring." Applejack looks up from her empty stall with a smile. "That's great t'hear. D'ya have any experience with farm work?" "Yeah, I used to own a farm of my own, once," I reply, rubbing the back of my neck. She stares at me for a moment before noticing my cutie mark and giving another smile. "Oh, yeah. Ya used t'run that there pepper farm. Pepperdance, right?" I nod. "Listen, sugahcube. Sorry 'bout what happened t'yer farm. My friend Pinkie was always talkin' 'bout yer 'ghost peppers' and whatnot." She pauses with a chuckle before giving a slight cough. "Ah'll need t'run it by Granny Smith, but come back t'the stand tomorrow and Ah'll give ya an answer 'bout gettin' ya a job at the farm, alright?" I give a small nod. "Alright, thank you Applejack." "Shoot," she says, tipping her hat. "Y'all can jus' call me 'AJ'. Rolls off the tongue a bit smoother." "Alright, AJ," I say before turning to leave. "See you tomorrow." "Y'all have a good night, sugahcube!" she calls, waving to me as I walk home. Chapter 3Despite the early hour, the sky was growing increasingly dark. A quick glance to the sky revealed the cause: dozens of pegasi busy moving dark storm clouds into position over the town. By the time I get home, the entire sky was obscured with a layer of grey clouds. I open the door and rush inside as the first few drops of rain begin to fall. I go to the kitchen to unpack the groceries, putting the milk and eggs in the fridge but leaving the rest on the counter. I'm not sure where any of it went, and I'd rather not have to listen to Bass complaining about not being able to find something. Hungry, having skipped lunch, I browse the fridge and pantry, hoping to find something to make for an early dinner. After a few unsuccessful minutes, I decide a simple sandwich would suffice. Before I can cut into the new loaf of bread, I hear the front door open and the smell of fast food quickly reaches the kitchen. In the living room, I see Bass, looking tired as hell, carrying a white paper bag under his wing. Depositing it onto the kitchen table, he looks up and says, "Sorry. I'd've cooked something, but I'm feeling tired as hell. RD needs us back out there even earlier tomorrow to clear out what's left of any rain clouds." Fishing one of the hayburgers out of the bag, I jokingly reply, "I'm surprised you were able to get up as early as you did *today*. How're you gonna manage getting up earlier than that ?" Grabbing the second burger from the bag, he opens it up and starts laying fries on top of the patty. "Coffee," he answers flatly. "Copious amounts of coffee." Placing the bun back on top of his burger, he takes a bite and asks, "Speaking of which, did you manage to get out shopping before the rain started?" "Yeah," I say, pointing to the bags on the counter. "Got everything on the list. And..." "And?" he repeats, raising an eyebrow and pausing mid bite. "You know Applejack?" I ask, finishing my burger. "Mare from Sweet Apple Acres?" I nod. "Heard of her. Why?" "She offered me a job. Apparently, business is booming over there, and they're having trouble keeping up with demand." "That's great news, Pepper!" he exclaims before taking another bite. "When d'you start?" "Well, I'll need to check back at her stand tomorrow." I get up and go to the sink to wash my hooves of the greasy residue left by the fries before continuing. "But it sounds like they were starting to get desperate." He nods before yawning loudly. "Well, I should get goin' t'bed. Gotta be up early tomorrow." He offers another yawn before getting up from the table. After setting the timer on the coffee machine, he makes his way to the stairwell. "G'night, Pepper," he calls before proceeding up the stairs. "Night, Bass." ~~~~~ Although the closed curtains prevented the sun from awakening me prematurely, I get out of bed as my clock strikes seven. After a fast breakfast and a shower, I put on my saddlebags and quickly make my way to the market, eager to hear of any news from Applejack. As I near the apple cart, I am surprised to see that AJ isn't present among the two ponies who seem to be manning the it. I walk up to the cart to ask of her whereabouts but before I can voice my question, one of the ponies- a small yellow filly with a red mane- jumps from behind the cart and lands in front of me. "Howdy, miss! Wouldja like t'buy some apples?" Remembering that Bass was still apple-less, I nod. "Yeah, I'd like to buy a small bag." The filly turns to the remaining pony behind the stand- a large red stallion with a short brown mane. "D'you hear that, Big Mac?" "Eeyup," he answers, picking up a small sack of apples. "Thanks," I reply, hoofing him a few bits and putting the sack into my saddlebags. "Would you happen to know where Applejack is?" "Eeyup." After a few moments of silence, I realize I'd probably have to be a bit more direct in my questioning. "Where's Applejack?" I ask. "Down at the farm." he replies. "You a friend of hers?" "She told me you guys where considering hiring somepony to help at the farm, and that I should come back to the stand today when she had an answer." He answers with a nod. Turning to the filly, he says, "Applebloom. Would you mind takin' miss..." He turns back to me. "Pepperdance." He looks back to Applebloom. "Takin' Miss Pepperdance here down to the farm t'see AJ?" "Sure thing, Big Mac!" exclaims the filly. She looks at me before bouncing down the road, calling over her shoulder, "C'mon, miss!" I turn to the stallion. "Thanks, Big Mac." "Eeyup," he responds before cocking his head in the direction of the retreating form of his sister. I nod before hurrying to catch up to her. ~~~~~ Leading me through the front door, Applebloom calls out, "Applejack! Applejack, y'in here?" Turning back to me, she says, "Why don't you make yerself at home? I'm gonna see if I can find her out in the orchard." I nod, taking a seat on an old couch as the filly heads back outside, shutting the door behind her. I look around, taking in my surroundings. The wooden floors and walls offered a warm and cozy feeling, accentuated by the faint odor of apples and cinnamon, which I believe was emanating from the kitchen. Above a stone fireplace, across from the couch I was sitting on, hung a large picture. In it were five ponies standing in front of the farmhouse: two mares, a stallion, a young colt, and an even younger filly. Before I can further examine the portrait, a voice startles me. "I remember when that was taken." I quickly turn to my left to see an elderly green mare sitting on the couch next to me. "Was a few years 'fore Applebloom was born." Turning to me, the mare says, "Oh sorry fer startlin' you, name's Granny Smith. And you are?" "Pepperdance." I extend my hoof. "It's nice to meet you, Missus Smith." She grabs my hoof and shakes. "Likewise, dearie, but y'all can just call me 'Granny'." She looks back to the picture and sighs heavily. She opens her mouth to speak, but before she can, the front door opens loudly. "Howdy, Pepperdance!" I turn to see Applejack and Applebloom walking in. Applejack looks back to her sister and says, "AB, would ya mind headin' back in t'town to help Big Mac with the stand?" The filly snaps a quick salute before galloping out the door. Applejack turns back to me before saying, "Sorry. Shoulda told you that Ah only run the stand in the evenin'. Them two get it in the mornin'." Before I can respond, Granny Smith asks, "AJ, was Miss Dance here the one we was talkin' 'bout yesterday in regards to hirin'?" Applejack nods. "Sure is, Granny Smith." "And?" I ask, trying to get back into the conversation. Granny Smith stares at me for a moment, rubbing her chin with a hoof. "When d'ya s'pose you can start?" "As soon as possible," I answer. "Good t'hear!" exclaims Applejack. "Tell ya what, hows about you come in bright 'n' early tomorrow, so we can getcha started off right?" "I can do that," I reply with a cheerful nod. "Great! That sound okay with you, Granny?" We both turn to the elderly mare to find her sleeping upright on the couch, snoring softly. Applejack walks up and pokes her. "Granny Smith?" She wakes with a jolt. "Wha....?" After some incoherent mumbling, she says, "I suppose." "Great," says Applejack, walking towards the front door and motioning for me to follow. "Thank you, Granny Smith," I say, walking behind AJ. Before closing the door behind me, I look back to find the mare already back to sleep. "Alright, get here 'round six so Ah can show you the ropes of apple farmin'. We'll talk about yer pay with Granny Smith tomorrow at lunch, okay?" "Okay," I say with a nod. "Thank you, AJ." "Don't mention it," she replies modestly. After a pause, she says, "You'll be doin' us a heck of a lot of help tomorrow, you should get home 'n' rest up. "Alright, I'll do that," I say with a nod. She smiles and turns back to the barn as I trot home. Chapter 4I'm in a dark void. All I see is a strange, multicolored blob in front of me. It's colors are compromised a earthy tones: orange, brown, yellow, and two greenish orbs. Eyes? I thought. Why are they looking at me? I'm nothing special... Their gaze, if they were indeed eyes, were filling me with a warm, happy feeling. It felt as if I was cared for, that I meant something. That I'm loved. The shape moved closer to me, its green never leaving mine. Pressing itself up against my side, an elliptical brown shape separates from its mass and takes up residence atop my head. A hat? It's pretty comfortable. I sigh contentedly and the warm, soft creature to my side follows suit, finally closing its eyes. There's now a light in the darkness. As it increases in warmth and brightness, the shape of the orange mass begins to change. It looks equine in shape. Orange coat, a yellow mane... She looks familiar. Before I can more closely examine the mare, a ringing sound rouses me from sleep. Opening my eyes with an unholy grimace, I see that my bedside clock reads 5:00 a.m. Slamming a hoof on the snooze button, I roll over, hoping to quickly find myself back in my interrupted dream. I slowly close my eyes... RINGRINGRI-- Removing my hoof from the remains of the alarm clock, I carefully fall out of bed. It's gonna be a long day. I quickly make my way through my morning routine-- coffee, breakfast, shower, brushie brushie--, totally failing to make sense of my bizarre dreram. I decide to file it away for later-- today was going to be a busy day. Walking out the front door, I notice Bass opted for sleeping on the couch as opposed to his own bed. Idiot. ~~~~~ My trip was uneventful, and soon I find myself on the front porch of the Apple family's home. I knock on the front door and wait... And wait... And wait... I'm about to knock on the door again when I hear, "Oh, there y'are! We was wonderin' where you were at." I spin around and stifle a gasp. There stands Applejack, but for some reason, she seems different. She's lacking her hat, and her freed mane is being blown softly, gracefully, by a breeze. The sun, low in the sky behind her, accentuates the golden glow of her mane and brings emphasis to a thin layer of sweat on her forehead-- an obvious sign that I'm late. I swear this all seems familiar. I stay in a trancelike state until I'm roused by the sound of a small cough. I notice Applejack has adopted a raised eyebrow and a nervous smile. I develop a similar smile and look downwards, sheepishly rubbing the back of my neck. "Um..." I can feel the blood rushing to my face. "Um... yeah..." Applejack mirrors my reaction. "Hows about we go 'n' get started?" She pulls her hat seemingly out of nowhere and places it atop her head. "Yeah... let's," I say, returning my hoof to the ground and finally looking back up. My blush felt as though it had nearly receeded. Applejack seemed to have recovered from the akwardness quickly as she spun towards the barn. "Follow me. Y'might be a farmer like us, but apples're a might different than peppers." I, who was still sitting akwardly on the porch, rush to cathc up to her. "Now, the first thing you got t'know about apples is..." I had a feeling it was going to be a pretty long day. ~~~~~ I was wrong-- it was a reaaly long day. After Apples 101-- it turns out farming apples isn't too different from farming peppers--, we got to work. A few hours after noon, Big Macintosh returned from town with Applebloom. She ran off to play with her friends while Big Mac went to work on the other side of the orchard. "He likes t'work on his lonesome," said Applejack when I asked. "Solitude, Ah think it's called." For hours we worked side by side, until the sun hung low in the sky. The hours passed quietly, but AJ seemed to have forgotten the events of this morning. I, however, couldn't seem to get them-- and similar thoughts-- out of my head. Every time she spoke, I smiled. Every time we came in contact, my heart fluttered. I spent these long hours in confusion, mulling over all of this, but coming up with no answers. "Hey Pepper!" she calls after finishing with one rather sizable tree. I trot up to her, tiredly. "It'll be gettin' dark soon. Ah reckon we should call it a day." I nod. "Sounds good." She wipes the sweat off her brow and we both start towards the house. The wind picks up, violently, and I hear a loud crack. I assume it's just Applebloom and her friends and pay it no mind. I don't begin to feel worried until apples and leaves start falling to the ground en masse. I hear another crack, much louder than the first, followed by a tremendous snap. "Woah, look out!" shouts Applejack. *THUNK* I fall to the ground as a ggood sized tree branch hits me in the back of the head. I taste blood as my world fades to black. ~~~~~ What feels like a few seconds later, I start to regain my consciousness. I hear some muffled voices and slowly begin to open my eyes, wincing in pain at the brightness. All I see is a strange multicolored blob, compromised of earthy tones: orange, brown, yellow, and two spots of green. The very pressence of the thing for some reason filled me with feelings of warmth and safety. My ears are filled with a terrible ringing, but over the noice I hear-- or I think I hear-- it say, "Y'alright, sugahcube?" "Mhm," I try to say. The shape moves forward to help me up. As it touches me the feeling of happiness increases tenfold and I sense a smile come to my face. When I get to my hooves I am assaulted by lightheadedness. I begin swaying violently, threatening to fall. "Woah there, sugahcube." The blob rushes to my side and I lean against it. Her? "Let's get you back t'the farm." I seem to be having a hard time thinking clearly, so when a large brown mass appears on my head, I once again find myself on the ground. "Calm down," says the voice. "Jus' m'hat." My vision is still a bit fuzzy, but that doesn't prevent me from finally recognizing the identity of the blob. "Applejack?" I ask, almost too quietly to hear. She chuckles. "You must've got hit harder than Ah thought. C'mon." She again lifts me to my hooves, putting her stetson back on my head. "Yer squintin' somethin' awful. Ah thought it'd help t'maybe give yer eyes some shade." "Thank you," I murmur. We both start walking towards the distant farmand when she notices my limp, she motions for me to lean against her for support. As our sides touch, I gasp. "Y'alright, sugahcube?" she asks, looking at me with concern. "I'm fine," I answer with a small smile. She smiles in return and directs her gaze forward. I swallow and give a quick thanks to the setting sun and the color of my coat for helping to hide the growing blush on my cheecks. What is this? What's going on with me? I ask myself. Does this have anything to do with my dream last night? All thinking about it seems to do is generate more and more questions. I decide to simply relax and enjoy the moment. With the sun to our backs, we continue back towards the farm. Chapter 5: The EndSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
ProlougeMy eyes carefully examine the paper in front of me, taking in the significance of each word, looking for any kind of deceit or trickery. The silence continues for several long minutes. "And you can pay in cash?" I ask, finally breaking the silence. I look up and across the desk to the unicorn stallion sitting across from me. In response, the businesspony floats over a large sack. "Not all at once, but in increments of, let's say, a few thousand apeice." I didn't like him. he sounded haughty, stuck up, and a whole mess of other words I suspect many-a-farmer would use to describe somepony who made a living off of words and paper instead of actions. I look over at the paper one more time before giving a slow nod. He gives a small grin before floating over a pen. I grab it with my mouth and take a deep breath, holding it for a moment before slowly exhaling. I lower my head to the desk and as ink and metal meet paper, I slowly maneuver the pen across the paper. Pepperdance I let go of the pen and the businesspony picks up it and the signed document with his magic. "Excellent," he says, levitating over the bag of bits. "Here is your first payment. Do you have a place of residence, somewhere we can send the rest?" I nod and motion for the pen. He floats it back over and I write down my friends address on a small notepad. He takes both objects and stands up. I follow suit, and we both make our way out of the room. He stops and extends his hoof towards me. I return the gesture and we shake. "Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Pepperdance," he begins. Shame it wasn't under better circumstances, however." I remain silent as he opens the door. "Have a pleasant day, Miss Pepperdance." "Thanks," I mutter in response. As the door shuts behind me, I turn back and glance at the sign hanging up on it. Ponyville Realty I sigh and tuck the bag of bits into my saddlebags. I turn towards the direction of my friends house on the outskirts of town and begin to walk.
Chapter 1*CLOP CLOP CLOP*...*CLOP CLOP CLOP CLOP*......*CLOPCLOPCLOPCLOPCLOPCLOP*............ "Bass, it's me! Open up!" Basschords (ponies usually call him "Bass"; he hates his full name) and I have been best friends for years-- back since our days in Ponyville Elementary. I remember the first day we met... ~~~~~ It was a few months into the school year, right after we got back from winter break. He was from Cloudsdayle-- born and raised-- but his parents decided a change of scenery was in order, and the three of them moved down to Ponyville the day after Hearths Warming Day. it was only his first week on the ground, and he was stil getting over the shock of having something solid under his hooves. Miss Cheerilee, who by now had only been teaching a year or two, sat him in the open desk next in the back row to me. We were the only blank-flanks left in our class, everypony else already having found their special talents. Although the teasing of blank-flanks wasn't nearly as bad then as it is now, it could get pretty nasty at times. That and the fact that he freaked out every time one of his hooves so much as touched the ground caused a lot of the other students to give him a pretty hard time. At recess, I found him sitting alone on the swing set (still trying to keep his hooves off the ground), trying to get enough momentum to actually start swinging (pretty hard when you're doing your best to not touch the ground). I went up to him and said "hi." He replied with a simple "hello," but didn't say anything after that, probably thinking I had come over to make fun of him. After a few moments of silence, I walked behind him and gave him a gentle push. He grabbed the chains and looked back, frightened. As he swung back, I gave him another push, smiled, and introduced myself. "Hi," I started. "My name's Pepperdance. What's yours?" "Bass," he answered, starting to cheer up. Giving him another push, I asked, "Are you a blank-flank?" He looked away, embarrassed. "It's okay, so am I!" I said, giving a quick turn of my body. After another silent moment, I asked, "So, where are you from?" "I'm from Cloudsdayle," he answered, turning back with a smile. I smiled in return. "Really?" Well, I remember thinking, now I know why he's so afraid of the ground. We spent the rest of recess talking about Cloudsdayle. About halfway through, he got up and offered to push me on the swing. Back in the classroom, the topic switched to Ponyville and we both kept talking, even through Miss Cheerilee's lessons; we almost didn't notice the bell signaling the end of the day. We've been best friends ever since. ~~~~~ A few weeks ago, I told Bass about my plans to sell my farm. He immediately offered to stay with him, granted I help with the rent. Not a lot, he told me. Just enough so he could afford to house and feed two ponies. Despite its importance, his job as a weatherpony doesn't pay much. Due to the odd hours he's forced to work, I wouldn't be surprised to find him sleeping at this hour, despite it being well past noon. My suspicions were proven correct when I heard the tone f his response. "Alright, alright! I hear you!" Comes an annoyed voice from somewhere within. I stopped knocking and wait. After a few moments, the sound of a few locks being disengaged can be heard before the door finally opens. Standing on the other side of the doorway is a grey stallion with a messy black mane and green eyes, which are now scowling at me, half-open and bloodshot. "I was sleeping, Pepper," says the pissed looking pegasus. "Sorry," I offer sheepishly. His expression softens and he gives a wing-shrug. "Eh, no big deal. You hadn't woken me up, I'd've probably end up being late to work. Again." He steps aside. "C'mon in," he says, motioning with one of his wings for me to enter. "Guest room's upstairs. Second door on the left," he calls, walking towards the kitchen. "D'you have all r stuff, or do you need to go back to your house?" "No, I got it all," I answer, reaching back with a hoof to pat my heavy-laden saddlebags. I sigh before continuing. "All that's left there is furniture, and they got to keep that in the contract." I follow him into the kitchen and I see him fill up two bowls with cereal. His claims to having just woken up were also evidenced by the fact that he was preparing coffee. "How much d'you get for the place?" he asks, reaching for a clean mug. "Sixteen thousand," I reply flatly. 3...2... "What?!" As a result of his sudden outbrst, a large amount of milk originally indended for the cereal found itself on the ground. "Sixteen... Your farm..." He coughs slightly and takes a moment to collect himself and set the pitcher down. After cleaning the spilled milk, he stares at me. "They cheated you, y'know." "Well," I start in defense of the businesspony. "The house wasn't exactly seeing its best days..." "Your money," he says flatly with a shrug. He walks towards the table, bowl in mouth, and sits down. I follow him with the second bowl and sit down across from him. As we begin eating, my thoughts drift back to what was once my home and livelihood. ~~~~~ Inside, not huge. One story, two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. Outside, a porch overlooking a small front yard. Out back, three acres where I grew my crops. I grew every kind of pepper you could imagine: banana, bell, doctor, habanero... i even had a few small rows of ghost peppers for some of my more daring customers. My small farm was close enough to Ponyville so that it wasn't a hassle to go and set up a stand every morning, but far enough that I usually didn't know of any occurrences in town until I heard about them the next morning. Sounds great, right? You're probably wondering why I sold it for such a measly sum of bits. For the last few years, I've noticed an increasing drop in my monthly sales. The change month-to-month was small enough that I didn't pay it much attention. Not everypony likes peppers, and not everyone is gonna buy peppers, I told myself. Well, over the past few months it looks like everypony reached an epiphany of sorts: they didn't like peppers. Everyday, I got fewer and fewer customers. I've tried everything to win them back: selling cheaper, selling exclusively in bulk, selling pepper-based baked goods. In the end, nothing worked, and nothing saved my farm. It got to the point where I was forced to sell my farm, and hope I could find work somewhere else. ~~~~~ With a sigh, I finish my cereal and bring the empty bowl to the sink. I then went upstairs and into the guest room, where I started unpacking my bags. As I finish, I hear Bass calling me from downstairs. "Pepper, I'm going to work now!" I open my door to respond. "Alright, have a good day!" "G'bye!" And with that, I hear him open the front door. I look out my window to see him flying over rooftops towards town hall to receive that nights weather assignment. I go downstairs for a glass of water to see that the front door is ajar. I close it, chuckling to myself before retrieving my water and returning upstairs. I take a cool shower, washing myself of the sweat I accumulated from the hot summer air. Afterwards, I return to my room, opening my window a crack to let in the cooler night air. I turn out my lights, crawl into bed, and I quickly fall to sleep.
Chapter 2I wake up and lie in bed a few minutes before opening my eyes. I see the sun staring back at me through windows whose curtains I accidentally had left open. I immediately shut my eyes and roll out of bed. Walking over to the window, I untie the curtains, letting them fall into place, blocking the obtrusive rays responsible for my temporary blindness. I glance towards the clock resting on my nightstand, which reads 9:32. I open my door and walk downstairs to make breakfast . ~~~~~ Twenty minutes later, and I have a batch of waffle batter cooking and was busy mixing together a pitcher of orange juice when I hear a heavy clopping coming from upstairs. I look towards the living room to see an irritated Bass plodding into the kitchen. "Good morning!" I exclaim cheerfully. "You're up early." He walks past me, muttering something incomprehensible and probably threatening, before making some coffee. A few minutes later, a trio of high pitched beeps signal that the drink is done. He pours himself a large mug and sits down at the table. After taking a few sips, he looks up and says, "Boss needs me t'come in early today." He takes another sip before continuing. "She's planning on some big storm tonight and needs me t'help set it up." I bring over two plates and the finished waffles and we begin eating. On his second waffle, he pauses. "Damn." He over to a paper stuck on the fridge, then at me. "Hey, would you mind going out and doing some shopping while I'm at work? " I swallow a bite before answering. "Sure. What do you need me to get?" "It's all on that list," he says, pointing a hoof towards the fridge. "Thanks." I nod, and we resume eating. After finishing his waffle and shotgunning what remained of the scalding-hot coffee, he goes back upstairs. A few minutes later, he's galloping out the door, shouting what sounded like, "I'mgonnabelatedon'tforgettheapples, seey'laterbye." Once outside, he stops just long enough to close the door before flying off. I finish my waffle and juice, and clean up the kitchen a bit. I then go upstairs to wash up and get my saddlebags. Coming back downstairs, I remove the list from the fridge before exiting the house to go to the marketplace. ~~~~~ A few hours later, and I'm walking home, saddlebags full of groceries. As I walk past a unicorn mare and baby dragon, I overhear the mare telling him to double check the gargantuan checklist he was dragging. Shrugging to myself, I sit down on a nearby bench, pull out the shopping list, and begin reading it to myself. •Bananas √ •Bread √ •Carrots √ •Coffee √ •Cinnamon √ •Eggs √ •Flour √ •Milk √ •Oats √ •Sugar √ Before getting back up, I decide to flip the paper over. As I do, I find a single item, unchecked. •Apples Figuring I'd rather not listen to Bass complain about a lack of fruit, I decide it would be worth the effort to go back to the market. On my way, I stop by the empty space where I used to set up my pepper stand. Looking around, it seemed like I was the only one who even noticed its absence. Sighing, I turn and walk up to the apple stand. I was greeted by a cheerful orange mare sporting a worn brown Stetson atop a blonde mane. "Howdy, pardner. Name's Applejack," says the mare. "What can Ah do ya fer?" she asks, offering her hoof. I reach out and shake it, answering, "Just here to buy some apples." The farmpony releases my hoof and looks down ashamedly. "Ah'm a might sorry, sugahcube, but we're fresh out fer today," she says with a sigh. "Ponies've been buyin' 'em faster than we can get 'em out t'market, leavin' alot of disappointed customers at the end of the day. Gotten so bad, we've been thinkin' of hirin' us some help." At this, my ears pick up, and I start thinking. The bits from selling my farm wouldn't last forever, and when they ran out, I'd need some way to help pay rent. Also, it was a chance to work with one of the most successful businesses in Ponyville. After a moments hesitation, I say, "What a coincidence. I've actually been looking for a job, if you'd be interested in hiring." Applejack looks up from her empty stall with a smile. "That's great t'hear. D'ya have any experience with farm work?" "Yeah, I used to own a farm of my own, once," I reply, rubbing the back of my neck. She stares at me for a moment before noticing my cutie mark and giving another smile. "Oh, yeah. Ya used t'run that there pepper farm. Pepperdance, right?" I nod. "Listen, sugahcube. Sorry 'bout what happened t'yer farm. My friend Pinkie was always talkin' 'bout yer 'ghost peppers' and whatnot." She pauses with a chuckle before giving a slight cough. "Ah'll need t'run it by Granny Smith, but come back t'the stand tomorrow and Ah'll give ya an answer 'bout gettin' ya a job at the farm, alright?" I give a small nod. "Alright, thank you Applejack." "Shoot," she says, tipping her hat. "Y'all can jus' call me 'AJ'. Rolls off the tongue a bit smoother." "Alright, AJ," I say before turning to leave. "See you tomorrow." "Y'all have a good night, sugahcube!" she calls, waving to me as I walk home.
Chapter 3Despite the early hour, the sky was growing increasingly dark. A quick glance to the sky revealed the cause: dozens of pegasi busy moving dark storm clouds into position over the town. By the time I get home, the entire sky was obscured with a layer of grey clouds. I open the door and rush inside as the first few drops of rain begin to fall. I go to the kitchen to unpack the groceries, putting the milk and eggs in the fridge but leaving the rest on the counter. I'm not sure where any of it went, and I'd rather not have to listen to Bass complaining about not being able to find something. Hungry, having skipped lunch, I browse the fridge and pantry, hoping to find something to make for an early dinner. After a few unsuccessful minutes, I decide a simple sandwich would suffice. Before I can cut into the new loaf of bread, I hear the front door open and the smell of fast food quickly reaches the kitchen. In the living room, I see Bass, looking tired as hell, carrying a white paper bag under his wing. Depositing it onto the kitchen table, he looks up and says, "Sorry. I'd've cooked something, but I'm feeling tired as hell. RD needs us back out there even earlier tomorrow to clear out what's left of any rain clouds." Fishing one of the hayburgers out of the bag, I jokingly reply, "I'm surprised you were able to get up as early as you did *today*. How're you gonna manage getting up earlier than that ?" Grabbing the second burger from the bag, he opens it up and starts laying fries on top of the patty. "Coffee," he answers flatly. "Copious amounts of coffee." Placing the bun back on top of his burger, he takes a bite and asks, "Speaking of which, did you manage to get out shopping before the rain started?" "Yeah," I say, pointing to the bags on the counter. "Got everything on the list. And..." "And?" he repeats, raising an eyebrow and pausing mid bite. "You know Applejack?" I ask, finishing my burger. "Mare from Sweet Apple Acres?" I nod. "Heard of her. Why?" "She offered me a job. Apparently, business is booming over there, and they're having trouble keeping up with demand." "That's great news, Pepper!" he exclaims before taking another bite. "When d'you start?" "Well, I'll need to check back at her stand tomorrow." I get up and go to the sink to wash my hooves of the greasy residue left by the fries before continuing. "But it sounds like they were starting to get desperate." He nods before yawning loudly. "Well, I should get goin' t'bed. Gotta be up early tomorrow." He offers another yawn before getting up from the table. After setting the timer on the coffee machine, he makes his way to the stairwell. "G'night, Pepper," he calls before proceeding up the stairs. "Night, Bass." ~~~~~ Although the closed curtains prevented the sun from awakening me prematurely, I get out of bed as my clock strikes seven. After a fast breakfast and a shower, I put on my saddlebags and quickly make my way to the market, eager to hear of any news from Applejack. As I near the apple cart, I am surprised to see that AJ isn't present among the two ponies who seem to be manning the it. I walk up to the cart to ask of her whereabouts but before I can voice my question, one of the ponies- a small yellow filly with a red mane- jumps from behind the cart and lands in front of me. "Howdy, miss! Wouldja like t'buy some apples?" Remembering that Bass was still apple-less, I nod. "Yeah, I'd like to buy a small bag." The filly turns to the remaining pony behind the stand- a large red stallion with a short brown mane. "D'you hear that, Big Mac?" "Eeyup," he answers, picking up a small sack of apples. "Thanks," I reply, hoofing him a few bits and putting the sack into my saddlebags. "Would you happen to know where Applejack is?" "Eeyup." After a few moments of silence, I realize I'd probably have to be a bit more direct in my questioning. "Where's Applejack?" I ask. "Down at the farm." he replies. "You a friend of hers?" "She told me you guys where considering hiring somepony to help at the farm, and that I should come back to the stand today when she had an answer." He answers with a nod. Turning to the filly, he says, "Applebloom. Would you mind takin' miss..." He turns back to me. "Pepperdance." He looks back to Applebloom. "Takin' Miss Pepperdance here down to the farm t'see AJ?" "Sure thing, Big Mac!" exclaims the filly. She looks at me before bouncing down the road, calling over her shoulder, "C'mon, miss!" I turn to the stallion. "Thanks, Big Mac." "Eeyup," he responds before cocking his head in the direction of the retreating form of his sister. I nod before hurrying to catch up to her. ~~~~~ Leading me through the front door, Applebloom calls out, "Applejack! Applejack, y'in here?" Turning back to me, she says, "Why don't you make yerself at home? I'm gonna see if I can find her out in the orchard." I nod, taking a seat on an old couch as the filly heads back outside, shutting the door behind her. I look around, taking in my surroundings. The wooden floors and walls offered a warm and cozy feeling, accentuated by the faint odor of apples and cinnamon, which I believe was emanating from the kitchen. Above a stone fireplace, across from the couch I was sitting on, hung a large picture. In it were five ponies standing in front of the farmhouse: two mares, a stallion, a young colt, and an even younger filly. Before I can further examine the portrait, a voice startles me. "I remember when that was taken." I quickly turn to my left to see an elderly green mare sitting on the couch next to me. "Was a few years 'fore Applebloom was born." Turning to me, the mare says, "Oh sorry fer startlin' you, name's Granny Smith. And you are?" "Pepperdance." I extend my hoof. "It's nice to meet you, Missus Smith." She grabs my hoof and shakes. "Likewise, dearie, but y'all can just call me 'Granny'." She looks back to the picture and sighs heavily. She opens her mouth to speak, but before she can, the front door opens loudly. "Howdy, Pepperdance!" I turn to see Applejack and Applebloom walking in. Applejack looks back to her sister and says, "AB, would ya mind headin' back in t'town to help Big Mac with the stand?" The filly snaps a quick salute before galloping out the door. Applejack turns back to me before saying, "Sorry. Shoulda told you that Ah only run the stand in the evenin'. Them two get it in the mornin'." Before I can respond, Granny Smith asks, "AJ, was Miss Dance here the one we was talkin' 'bout yesterday in regards to hirin'?" Applejack nods. "Sure is, Granny Smith." "And?" I ask, trying to get back into the conversation. Granny Smith stares at me for a moment, rubbing her chin with a hoof. "When d'ya s'pose you can start?" "As soon as possible," I answer. "Good t'hear!" exclaims Applejack. "Tell ya what, hows about you come in bright 'n' early tomorrow, so we can getcha started off right?" "I can do that," I reply with a cheerful nod. "Great! That sound okay with you, Granny?" We both turn to the elderly mare to find her sleeping upright on the couch, snoring softly. Applejack walks up and pokes her. "Granny Smith?" She wakes with a jolt. "Wha....?" After some incoherent mumbling, she says, "I suppose." "Great," says Applejack, walking towards the front door and motioning for me to follow. "Thank you, Granny Smith," I say, walking behind AJ. Before closing the door behind me, I look back to find the mare already back to sleep. "Alright, get here 'round six so Ah can show you the ropes of apple farmin'. We'll talk about yer pay with Granny Smith tomorrow at lunch, okay?" "Okay," I say with a nod. "Thank you, AJ." "Don't mention it," she replies modestly. After a pause, she says, "You'll be doin' us a heck of a lot of help tomorrow, you should get home 'n' rest up. "Alright, I'll do that," I say with a nod. She smiles and turns back to the barn as I trot home.
Chapter 4I'm in a dark void. All I see is a strange, multicolored blob in front of me. It's colors are compromised a earthy tones: orange, brown, yellow, and two greenish orbs. Eyes? I thought. Why are they looking at me? I'm nothing special... Their gaze, if they were indeed eyes, were filling me with a warm, happy feeling. It felt as if I was cared for, that I meant something. That I'm loved. The shape moved closer to me, its green never leaving mine. Pressing itself up against my side, an elliptical brown shape separates from its mass and takes up residence atop my head. A hat? It's pretty comfortable. I sigh contentedly and the warm, soft creature to my side follows suit, finally closing its eyes. There's now a light in the darkness. As it increases in warmth and brightness, the shape of the orange mass begins to change. It looks equine in shape. Orange coat, a yellow mane... She looks familiar. Before I can more closely examine the mare, a ringing sound rouses me from sleep. Opening my eyes with an unholy grimace, I see that my bedside clock reads 5:00 a.m. Slamming a hoof on the snooze button, I roll over, hoping to quickly find myself back in my interrupted dream. I slowly close my eyes... RINGRINGRI-- Removing my hoof from the remains of the alarm clock, I carefully fall out of bed. It's gonna be a long day. I quickly make my way through my morning routine-- coffee, breakfast, shower, brushie brushie--, totally failing to make sense of my bizarre dreram. I decide to file it away for later-- today was going to be a busy day. Walking out the front door, I notice Bass opted for sleeping on the couch as opposed to his own bed. Idiot. ~~~~~ My trip was uneventful, and soon I find myself on the front porch of the Apple family's home. I knock on the front door and wait... And wait... And wait... I'm about to knock on the door again when I hear, "Oh, there y'are! We was wonderin' where you were at." I spin around and stifle a gasp. There stands Applejack, but for some reason, she seems different. She's lacking her hat, and her freed mane is being blown softly, gracefully, by a breeze. The sun, low in the sky behind her, accentuates the golden glow of her mane and brings emphasis to a thin layer of sweat on her forehead-- an obvious sign that I'm late. I swear this all seems familiar. I stay in a trancelike state until I'm roused by the sound of a small cough. I notice Applejack has adopted a raised eyebrow and a nervous smile. I develop a similar smile and look downwards, sheepishly rubbing the back of my neck. "Um..." I can feel the blood rushing to my face. "Um... yeah..." Applejack mirrors my reaction. "Hows about we go 'n' get started?" She pulls her hat seemingly out of nowhere and places it atop her head. "Yeah... let's," I say, returning my hoof to the ground and finally looking back up. My blush felt as though it had nearly receeded. Applejack seemed to have recovered from the akwardness quickly as she spun towards the barn. "Follow me. Y'might be a farmer like us, but apples're a might different than peppers." I, who was still sitting akwardly on the porch, rush to cathc up to her. "Now, the first thing you got t'know about apples is..." I had a feeling it was going to be a pretty long day. ~~~~~ I was wrong-- it was a reaaly long day. After Apples 101-- it turns out farming apples isn't too different from farming peppers--, we got to work. A few hours after noon, Big Macintosh returned from town with Applebloom. She ran off to play with her friends while Big Mac went to work on the other side of the orchard. "He likes t'work on his lonesome," said Applejack when I asked. "Solitude, Ah think it's called." For hours we worked side by side, until the sun hung low in the sky. The hours passed quietly, but AJ seemed to have forgotten the events of this morning. I, however, couldn't seem to get them-- and similar thoughts-- out of my head. Every time she spoke, I smiled. Every time we came in contact, my heart fluttered. I spent these long hours in confusion, mulling over all of this, but coming up with no answers. "Hey Pepper!" she calls after finishing with one rather sizable tree. I trot up to her, tiredly. "It'll be gettin' dark soon. Ah reckon we should call it a day." I nod. "Sounds good." She wipes the sweat off her brow and we both start towards the house. The wind picks up, violently, and I hear a loud crack. I assume it's just Applebloom and her friends and pay it no mind. I don't begin to feel worried until apples and leaves start falling to the ground en masse. I hear another crack, much louder than the first, followed by a tremendous snap. "Woah, look out!" shouts Applejack. *THUNK* I fall to the ground as a ggood sized tree branch hits me in the back of the head. I taste blood as my world fades to black. ~~~~~ What feels like a few seconds later, I start to regain my consciousness. I hear some muffled voices and slowly begin to open my eyes, wincing in pain at the brightness. All I see is a strange multicolored blob, compromised of earthy tones: orange, brown, yellow, and two spots of green. The very pressence of the thing for some reason filled me with feelings of warmth and safety. My ears are filled with a terrible ringing, but over the noice I hear-- or I think I hear-- it say, "Y'alright, sugahcube?" "Mhm," I try to say. The shape moves forward to help me up. As it touches me the feeling of happiness increases tenfold and I sense a smile come to my face. When I get to my hooves I am assaulted by lightheadedness. I begin swaying violently, threatening to fall. "Woah there, sugahcube." The blob rushes to my side and I lean against it. Her? "Let's get you back t'the farm." I seem to be having a hard time thinking clearly, so when a large brown mass appears on my head, I once again find myself on the ground. "Calm down," says the voice. "Jus' m'hat." My vision is still a bit fuzzy, but that doesn't prevent me from finally recognizing the identity of the blob. "Applejack?" I ask, almost too quietly to hear. She chuckles. "You must've got hit harder than Ah thought. C'mon." She again lifts me to my hooves, putting her stetson back on my head. "Yer squintin' somethin' awful. Ah thought it'd help t'maybe give yer eyes some shade." "Thank you," I murmur. We both start walking towards the distant farmand when she notices my limp, she motions for me to lean against her for support. As our sides touch, I gasp. "Y'alright, sugahcube?" she asks, looking at me with concern. "I'm fine," I answer with a small smile. She smiles in return and directs her gaze forward. I swallow and give a quick thanks to the setting sun and the color of my coat for helping to hide the growing blush on my cheecks. What is this? What's going on with me? I ask myself. Does this have anything to do with my dream last night? All thinking about it seems to do is generate more and more questions. I decide to simply relax and enjoy the moment. With the sun to our backs, we continue back towards the farm.
