The chirruping of woodland creatures roused me from my uncomfortable slumber. Sunlight that seemed blinding beamed down upon the small clearing I found myself in. Lifting my throbbing head and gazed around at my surroundings. I was lying on the dew soaked grass. My coat damp and matted with dirt, far from the golden brown which was visible on the parts of me that weren't coated in mud.
There was a slight chill to the breeze which was only noticed as I clambered to my hooves and tried to find my bearings. Nothing seemed familiar at all, but my mind seemed hazy. I raised a hoof to my temple and rubbed small circles to try and ease the pain, which worked momentarily before the pain returned. I scanned the floor, searching for any clues to how I had wound up in a forest. I found that nothing sprang to mind; not where I lived, who my family are or even my own name.
I soon found hoof prints leading up to the spot where I had awoken, so for lack of any better ideas, I frustratedly made my way through the tree line to follow the tracks. The fresh mud made it hard to keep tracks of what I was following, but I managed to keep heading in the right direction. I absent mindedly kept an eye on the tracks while straining my brain to remember even the slightest little detail about my life. My concentration was broken when the tracks I was following were joined by others, which stopped suddenly and returned the way they had came. Sighing at the rotten luck I was experiencing so far, I continued to trudge through the mud and soon the trees began to thin.
I stepped beyond the tree line and found myself in an open field. The tracks continued into the distance, leading me to some unknown destination.
“Well, at least it's better than the forest.” I mumbled to myself, desperate for some kind of company to break up the long periods of silence. Begrudgingly, I began to walk again. The soft grass felt better under my hooves than the combination of mud and rocks from the forest. The breeze was stronger here, reminding me of my damp coat. I picked up the pace slightly, opting for a light trot to warm myself up slightly. The field seemed to expand towards the horizon endlessly towards the mountains in the distance.
I was beginning to grow weary when my eyes landed on a cottage. I let out a relieved sigh as I began to make my way towards the quaint little house. I joined the path leading up to the front door, and crossed the small humped bridge. I quickly ran a hoof across my mane, and cleared my throat before knocking firmly on the door. I waited a moment, before knocking again, and again but there was no answer. I trotted to the window and peered in, hoping to see some kind of life, but was greeted only by a small white rabbit, looking unimpressed in my direction.
Slightly put off by the stare of the rabbit, I turned away and decided to follow the path. It must lead somewhere. Cursing my luck slightly, I wandered along the path at a leisurely pace, slightly tired from my morning trek. In the distance I began to see more houses, and assumed I must be nearing a town.
I quickly found myself on a street lined with similar looking cottages and I received a few strange looks from some of the residents. I didn't really care though, I just wanted to find out where I was. I approached what seemed like a market place in a square. It was bustling with life and all around were vendors selling all kinds of wares. I trotted to the nearest stall, where I was greeted by a gruff looking pony with stubble lining his chin and a small hat.
“Morning,” I greeted casually “I don't suppose you could tell me where I am could you? I seem to have found myself a little lost.” I nervously laughed as the vendor rolled his eyes and sighed gruffly.
“Ponyville Marketplace. You plannin' on buyin' anything?” He replied, and not wanting to waste any more of his time, I thanked him and left.
“Ponyville eh,” I muttered to myself, walking through the crowds towards a quiet spot where I could think.
“Sir!” A voice called out, and I turned to see what the commotion was about.
“Sir!” The voice called out again, and I noticed a dark blue unicorn waving to me from a hotel across the street named “The Hoof's Rest Inn” I trotted over and the colt grabbed me and pulled me in front of the fire.
“Oh sir, I was worried about you. Out in that storm all by yourself last night, and look at you! You're not hurt are you?” He babbled on worriedly.
“I'm not greatly hurt, I've hit my head though.” I said motioning to the lump and graze on the side of my head. “Also I can't remember anything. I know this is Ponyville, but apart from that I know nothing.”
The colt looked at me worriedly and informed me that my name was Star Chaser and that I was a resident of the Inn for a few days. I had been staying in room 14, which I soon found my way to and took the time to inspect for any clues about anything. After finding nothing but some bits and a few apples in my saddlebags, some documents on the desk and a crumpled up photograph of some ponies, I made my way into the bathroom to wash all of the dirt off.
Water filled the tub as I inspected myself in the mirror. Apart from being covered in mud and with a small graze on my head I appeared to be fine, even my horn appeared unscathed. Sighing in relief I awkwardly turned the taps off with my mouth and sank into the soothing water. I scrubbed the mud from my coat, and tidied my mane as best I could, before drying off and leaping onto the bed. Sinking into the fresh sheets I soon found myself drifting in and out of sleep.
I awoke later in the day, as the sun was setting, and rose to find some source of nourishment. Grabbing my saddlebags I made my way from the room and into the lobby of the Inn. They offered dinner for five bits so I decided to try some of the vegetable pie and a locally made apple fritter for dessert. The vegetable pie was decent enough for for the amount I had paid, but the apple fritter blew my taste buds away. The sweet flavor of the apple was lightly seasoned with various spices that made the mouth water even thinking about it.
After finishing the delicious meal, I asked the unicorn that had greeted me earlier who the baker was that made the amazing dessert. He informed me that they were made locally at a farm named Sweet Apple Acres by one of the farm hands. I thanked him and noted to go and buy some in the future.
Sitting in my room, the worries began to play on my mind once more. I knew I was Star Chaser, and I knew I was in Ponyville, but apart from that who was I? Where was I from? All of these questions needed answering but I figured time would tell and that I should just be patient. I lay on my bed once more, the soft lighting of the room and the meal settling in my stomach made me slightly drowsy and soon enough I drifted off to sleep once more.
I was awoken in the morning by a sharp rapping on the door. I clumsily made my way over and was greeted by a Pegasus wearing a bow tie.
“Excuse me Mr Chaser, I'm just here to remind you that it is the policy of this hotel for the guests to vacate their rooms by four P.M on the departing day.” He said in an informative manner.
“Okay, I'll keep that in mind.” I replied closing the door and checking the clock on the wall. Eleven A.M was pretty late to be waking up, but after the day I had had, I wasn't going to complain about some extra rest.
I made my way down to the dining hall, and scanned the buffet for anything that caught my eye, but nothing really jumped out at me. However on the hot breakfast menu was the apple fritters I had tasted last night, so I ordered one and sat myself down at a nearby table with some orange juice. After a short wait my food arrived and I tucked in, eager to gorge myself on the delicious food once more. Every bite was as sweet as I remembered, the taste once more filling my mouth and satisfying my taste buds.
After finishing my breakfast I returned to my room. I packed up my belongings into my saddlebags and made sure I hadn't missed anything yesterday. By twelve I was all packed up, and I donned my bags and departed. I made it to the foyer, and was paying my bill when the smell of freshly baked apple fritters took my nose by surprise. I turned and laid eyes upon a mare with a green mane, tied neatly with ribbons at the end. She held a package in her mouth by the twine and as I stepped out of the way she dropped it gently onto the desk.
“Excuse me,” I said, not knowing where I got the courage to speak to her out of the blue. She turned to face me and my eyes met with hers. “I don't suppose you're delivering the apple fritters are you?”
“Ah sure am.” She replied cheerily, “Suppose you're lookin' to buy some?” She smiled, and I was stunned slightly at her thick accent.
“I was actually, not right now though, just in the future. Who would I speak to in order to buy some?” I smiled weakly, attempting to keep eye contact which was difficult when she seemed to stare straight through me.
“You'd speak to me, I bake 'em!” She smiled, “You just come up to Sweet Apple Acres and ask for Apple Fritter, that's ma name by the way, and I'll fix you up with a batch. Usually do 'em at one bit for two, or five for two bits.”
I thanked her for the information and she departed. I finished paying my bill, and headed out onto the street. Now that I was away from the hotel I had no idea where to go, or even what I would do. I figured that wandering the streets would have to do for now, so I could find my way around a little easier, and maybe find a cheap room for the night.
As the day dragged on, the streets began to grow more and more familiar. I began to notice certain shops that I used as landmarks on my inner map. It seemed that after a few hours of wandering, it had gotten later than I had planned. Taking a seat on a bench I counted the bits in my saddlebag. Eighteen altogether. I doubt anywhere would rent out a room that cheap even for one night. Looks like I'd have to rough it.
As the darkness closed in, I wandered some more, searching for a sheltered place to lay my head. Eventually I stumbled across an alleyway which seemed to be sheltered from the wind enough to make a decent rest for the night. I made myself comfortable beside some trash cans and settled down for an uncomfortable sleep. The satisfaction of a semi-comfortable position was ruined however, when shortly after falling asleep a sharp blow to my head woke me with a start.
“Hey I guess he's not dead.” A chorus of laughter told me this pony wasn't alone. After rubbing my head a little, I opened my eyes to see three earth ponies standing over me, the leader looking menacing.
“I don't want any trouble. I just want somewhere to sleep tonight.” I said, hoping they would leave me alone. I really didn't need this.
“Ha! Well you should have maybe thought about that before you decided to rest in our place of business.” One of the other ponies added, causing the leader to smile once more.
“What do you say boys? Shall we teach this filthy pony a lesson?” The others smiled and advanced on me. I curled into a ball and defended myself as best I could from the onslaught of hooves. I cringed with each blow, hoping it would be over soon so I could check myself over.
“HEY!” A familiar voice called out in the darkness. More hooves drew close and I hoped it wasn't more of them.
“Leave him alone!” The voice called out again.
“Eeyup.” Another voice said in a much deeper tone.
“Lets go guys!” The beating abruptly stopped as hoofs drew closer and further away at the same time. I opened my eyes and stopped shielding myself. I checked over myself quickly, but it would only leave a few bruises later on. I looked up towards my saviors and the first pony I saw was huge, his coat was red and he calmly watched the assailants flee while chewing on his stalk of wheat. The second was an orange mare, wearing a stetson with a fiery look in her eye, almost as if she wanted to give chase. The third was Apple Fritter, who also looked like she wanted to give chase, but the larger one was most likely the reason that they weren't.
“Y'all okay?” Orange one said, turning to face me and offering me a hoof up. I took a hold of her hoof and pulled myself up.
“I'll be fine, just a bit sore for a little while is all.” I replied, looking myself over.
“We've been having a lot of trouble with that gang right now. They see a quiet town like this and think they can exploit it. Well not while we're around they won't!” Apple Fritter added glaring at the now empty alley.
“Eeyup.” Said the stallion, his expression not changing.
“What're y'all doing in an alleyway at night anyway?” Apple Fritter asked me, and I explained my situation to them.
“Well ah suppose you could come stay at the lodge with me and the other farm hands.” Apple Fritter offered sympathetically. The red one didn't seem too happy about this but didn't vocalize his objections.
“Well I wouldn't want to be a bother at all.” I said, grateful for the offer.
“It would be mah pleasure, we got a spare bunk anyway, it may not be the best but it's a place to rest your head.” She smiled at me, and I couldn't say no to that. So I gratefully accepted the offer and departed with my new acquaintances towards my bed for the night and hopefully tomorrow would bring me better luck than the past couple of days. The walk was filled with pleasant conversation about the farm, and the line of work that involved most of the family. Applejack was friendly enough and offered some input into the conversation, but Big Mac seemed to stay quiet for the journey.
We entered the lodge shortly afterwards, and it wasn't the greatest but it was homely. There was a fire smoldering away in the corner, and some old chairs scattered around the room. A staircase led up the stairs towards the bedrooms and bathroom and there was a stove for cooking in the corner. A small table occupied the remaining space in the room.
“If ya'll will follow me, I'll show you to your room fer the night.” I followed her up the stairs, and was shown to a small room, furnished only with a bed, table and a lamp. I thanked her for the hospitality and she departed to her own room at the end of the hall. I closed the door and settled myself on the bed, being careful to avoid the tender spots on my body and I soon drifted off, hopefully to a better tomorrow.
A couple of days had passed since the Apple Family had kindly taken me into their home. A gesture that I was thankful for, as sleeping on the streets with no clue as to who I am, or where I’m from seemed an unappealing alternative. I had been given a simple room, but it was homey. I had soon settled in, and Apple Fritter had taken the time from her busy work schedule to show me around the farm and a little of Ponyville.
I was truly grateful for what the Apple family was doing for me. A comfortable bed and some humble but tasty food was all they had to offer, but it felt like so much more to me.
I awoke reasonably early in the morning, with the sun beaming through the small slit in my curtains. I groggily pulled my protesting body upright and prepared myself for the task of waking up. I dropped with a small thump to the wooden floor, which never failed to startle me in the mornings, as the temperature of the planks could be compared to a frosty path. After rousing myself completely and brushing my mane, I made my way down into the living area of the lodge. The wood burning stove was ticking over, quietly crackling every few minutes, and a clock ticked away merrily on the wall above the kitchenette area.
The rest of the farm workers would be out tending to the harvest by this time, so I practically had the lodge to myself most days until sunset, when everyone came back for the evening meal. I got a little lonely, and was stuck for things to do most of the time, but I got by just reading what little books were available and occasionally getting some cleaning done.
As usual there was a neatly wrapped bundle on the table, but this morning a note accompanied the package. Curiously I opened the note first, knowing that the bundle would contain something for my breakfast.
“Star Chaser,
I know we’ll be out tending the fields when you wake up,
So I left you some breakfast in the pouch, also Big Mac was
asking if you would assist him with the harvest and earn
your keep around here. He’s expecting you at nine A.M at the
Southern orchards.
Apple Fritter”
I placed the note down, before glancing at the clock. Eight fifteen, plenty of time. I unwrapped the bundle and a small selection of apple goodies met my eyes. It was amazing what this family could produce with only apples. I tucked into the delicious treats, savouring each one before sighing contently when finished. I allowed the food to settle in my stomach for a moment, before clearing away my mess and making a start towards the Southern orchards.
It was a warm morning. The grass was still damp with dew, and the birds were singing cheerily in the trees to greet the new day. It was serene; the whole land around Sweet Apple Acres just seemed at peace, like time had forgotten it all together. The walk was brief and before long I had arrived at the orchards, expecting to find a number of ponies hard at work. What I found, however, was just trees and a many stacks of baskets.
“Big Macintosh,” I called, hoping he would be somewhere in the surrounding trees. There was no response however.
“Hello? Big Macintosh?” I called again, but was greeted with the same silence as before. I let out a sigh, and took a seat beside the gatepost leading into the field.
“I hope they aren't expecting me to do this by myself.” I mumbled, glancing over my shoulder.
“Howdy!” A cheerful voice shattered my worried state in an instant, “You here to help out with the apple buckin’?”
“Yes ma’am,” I replied, jumping to my hooves and turning to face the mare, “I was just waiting for Big Macintosh.”
“Well ya won’t be waitin’ long, should be along any minute with the last of the baskets. The name’s Apple Bumpkin, Fritter’s cousin.” She smiled honestly, offering her hoof.
“Star Chaser, I take it Apple Fritter has told you about me then?” I glanced around again, hoping that Big Mac would arrive with the baskets so I could get to work. I didn't want to seem like I was being lazy.
“Yeah, she told me a ‘lil. How ya bumped yer head and now ya can’t remember a thing, so she took ya in. Mighty kind of her if I do say so, I dunno if I could just take in a stranger like that.” Apple Bumpkin continued, and thankfully the trundling of cart wheels brought the conversation to a halt. I got the feeling that maybe Bumpkin wasn't as trusting as the rest of the family. Not to mention it seemed like she could talk the hind legs off of me.
“Right, I’m gonna run around and place baskets under all these here trees. All you gotta do is give ‘em a strong buck, and the apples’ll fall right off.” She quickly explained before darting off towards the baskets. I waited a moment, watching her place baskets around, and observed Big Mac bucking the trees, and it didn't look that hard. Confidently, I approached my first tree. I pressed my front hooves to the ground and bucked with all my strength. My rear hooves collided with the tree with a dull thud, and several apples fell to the baskets and a few more scattered onto the ground. I gave the tree a couple more firm bucks until the branches were mostly clear of apples. It was actually, quite fun.
The morning passed reasonably quickly, with Big Mac, Apple Bumpkin and I working through the field. We were making pretty good time, so Apple Bumpkin informed me, but I don’t know whether she was just trying to make me feel a little better. Eventually the lunch bell rang up at the old barn, and we took a break to go grab something to eat. Granny Smith insisted on cooking lunch for the work force, which went to show that everyone at the farm had a part to play.
The table was quite crowded when we arrived. Many voices were raised in raucous laughter, and more were engaged in idle lunchtime conversation. I found a place on the bench, close to the end of the table, and before long Applejack emerged carrying a stack of plates. What amused me more was the young filly that appeared behind her, balancing a stack of plates atop her head. The filly was closely followed by Granny Smith carrying a large apple pie on her back. Eventually everypony was seated and the pie had been dished out to all who were present. It looked and smelled delicious. Everypony tucked in, after a few short words from Applejack and the table fell silent except for the satisfied sighs of hungry ponies.
I finished my slice of pie after most of the ponies were done with theirs, and I decided to spend what little time I had left of my lunch break enjoying the weather. I found a nice spot of grass, with a little shade and dropped to my back. The soft grass felt wonderful against my fur, and the sunshine warmed my body through.
“Hey there, Big Mac workin’ you hard enough?” I heard Apple Fritter say to me as she approached. I sat up a little and noticed that today she had chosen orange ribbons in her hair, as opposed to the red ones she usually wore, and a Stetson was now perched high atop her head with the brow raised, holding her mane neatly in place.
“Yeah it’s hard work. But I’m really enjoying the peace out here. I feel like I have the space to think.” I replied, lying back down as she sat beside me.
“Yeah, it’s great for that here. You reckon you’ll start remembering anything soon? Ya know, with all this space to think.” I paused at this question. I hadn’t really paid much attention to my memory. Nurse Redheart had just told me to take it easy and avoid any more traumas to my head.
“I haven’t really paid much thought to it really. Kind of just hoping that something will trigger it.” I watched a cloud lazily drift by as I answered and let out a sigh. Apple Fritter stayed silent, not seeming to have any more conversation for the moment.
Shortly after the conversation between Apple Fritter and I had died out, Big Mac approached us and I knew what was coming.
“Time to get back to work?” I asked, knowing the answer already.
“Eeyup.” He replied. There was no getting conversation out of that stallion at all. Maybe he was just shy though? I’d keep trying though.
The afternoon continued at almost the same pace as the morning, but the work was definitely starting to take its toll on my body. My rear legs ached, as did my back, and the sun beaming down upon me sapped my energy slowly. Apple Bumpkin kept me going though, occasionally shouting some words of encouragement my way. Eventually though, the day drew to a close and all that was left to do was pull the cart back to the barn.
“So, how was did ya find yer first day?” Apple Bumpkin asked as we slowly plodded towards the barn, following Big Mac with the cart in tow.
“It was hard, but I can’t say I don’t want to do it again.” I gave her an honest smile, which she returned. The day hadn’t been as much toil as I had previously thought it would be, in fact, it had been quite enjoyable. Besides the aching joints and muscles, I actually felt good about working for the day.
After the cart was stored away in the barn, we all went our separate ways. I decided to take my time and enjoy what little light was left of the day. I took a short walk around a few of the fields, taking in the beautiful countryside in its twilight state. It was truly something to behold; the golden sun slowly sinking over the horizon, the last flocks of birds flying back to their nests for the night and the quiet rustle of the breeze passing through the trees. It was a refreshing end to a hard day.
I arrived back at the lodge a short while later. Dinner had just been laid out on the table and I decided not to awkwardly eat in silence, like I did the previous few nights. Instead I opted to join in the conversation a little, get to know the ponies who I may be working with in the future.
“Hey Apple Fritter, would you like me to work again tomorrow?” I asked across the bustling table full of chattering ponies.
“Well, I’ll have to ask Big Mac but I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to have an extra hoof. Even though there are so many ponies here we appreciate all the help we can get.” She replied between mouthfuls of hay fries. I glanced down at my plate; I had barely touched my food. I was hungry but felt awkward eating like the earth ponies did. I was a unicorn after all, shouldn’t I be able to use my magic?
“Apple Fritter, I don’t suppose you could help me find someone who could teach me to use my magic?” I asked hopefully, but feeling a bit bashful at the idea of even asking.
“For the last time, call me Fritter, and I could maybe help out. Cousin Applejack’s good friends with the librarian, I’m sure she might be able to help.” She replied, this time with a mouthful of fries. Etiquette was clearly not high on the list of priorities here.
“Thanks, I’ll speak to Applejack tomorrow.” I turned back to my plate, beginning to eat a little more now that I was feeling a little less awkward.
After dinner was finished and I had helped out with my share of the cleaning up, I decided to hit the hay. I dropped onto my bed, absolutely drained. The mattress felt so much softer than when I had left it in the morning. The room was almost stiflingly hot, the blankets seemed unnecessary. The stove certainly did a great job of heating this place. I rolled onto my back, relaxing all my muscles in turn and eventually my eyes grew heavy and I sank into the embrace of sleep.