The Spare Farmhoof

by JetWave Wavewind

Ch. 1 - Fears for the Farm

Dawn broke over the landscape of the Rock Farm, casting a long shadow from Holder's Boulder all the way to the small cottage. Gems stuck in the field rocks glittered and shown in the days fresh light with a mild rainbow of colours that illuminated the usually dull ground like the walls of a dragons cave. It was this morning event that Igneous Rock Pie lived for every morning and one that he would not be able to witness except by the small cottage window for the foreseeable future. His mind well aware of this thought, he let out a sigh as he gazed out the window from his bed. His action roused his wife Cloudy Quartz from her slumber as she got up and walked over to his bedside.

"There is no need no cause for concern, my dear. The farm will manage while you recover from your injuries. Boastful though she was when Pinkamena and her friend's family arrived for Hearths Warming, our eldest was not mistaken in saying she maintains the farm."

"Tis not the management of our livelihood that weighs heavily on my shoulders. I am well aware that Limestone, though young and rash she may be; will see that our family's home is well looked after and it is that thought that fills me with pride. What places me in my mood this morning is the thought of becoming sedentary whilst my family does what I would otherwise be able to assist in."

With that, Cloudy Quartz placed a hoof on his shoulder and drew him closer to her. "Do not let your mind be troubled by these thoughts. We know that were thou in peak condition thou wouldst be out there now to assist with the harvest."

Igneous Rock reached out to embrace his wife but winced in pain as instinct prompted him to use his right hoof despite it being the one he had crushed between the mine carts. "Not a day goes by without my thankfulness to the choosing stone for providing me with such a wonderful wife." He said as he caressed her mane, which had yet to be put into a bun; with his other hoof.

"Nor is my thankfulness any less for it having provided such a caring husband for me." She said with a smile. And with that she arose from her husbands side and began to wrap her mane up. Igneous looked away as she did as it was considered rude to watch a mare prepare herself, despite them having had four children together and having been married for well over 25 years.

"There is but one thing that concerns me in regards to the farm," He said as he looked out the window. Limestone and Marble had already started chipping back the crystals that sprout up from the mine occasionally.

"What troubles you my dear?" Cloudy Quartz asked, buttoning her collar and putting her glasses on.

"The order put forth by Princess Luna, the date of pick up draws near and we still have yet to even mine half the requested crystals. I fear that we may soon fall short of our promised amount and not be able to complete the order."

"Fret not, I sent letters to both Pinkamena and Maud alerting them to our situation and requesting that they come home for the time being."

"Despite this I fear that it will not be enough. I do not like drawing Maud away from her studies nor Pinkamena from her passion. But if it must be done, it must be done. I only hope that providence casts a favorable light over us and doth not cause the summons of our daughters to be in vain." He said, his gaze slowly shifting from the window back to his wife.

"Worries will provide no aid in completing the order." She said, returning to his side and placing a hoof on his shoulder. "Rest now, we will endure just as we always have."

Having said this, she then turned and left to begin her duties on the rock farm. Leaving Igneous Rock to once again gaze out the window as the last rays of dawn rose from beyond the horizon.

---

Dawn had long since broken over Ponyville and even though most of the town was still asleep, there was one family that had been up well before the day had even been awoken. The chill in the air was just beginning to melt as Big Mac made his way back from harvesting the western fields. The weight of the six tubs of apples he pulled in the wagon behind him would be enough to cause any other pony immense strain should they attempt to pull it. Big Mac however, was no other pony. Having spent his whole life doing most of the heavy lifting in the family, he was able to pull the apples at a decent pace with only moderate effort on his part.

He had already harvested three other cartloads like this one this morning alone and was about to return to the fields to get another when a flash of pink darted past him towards the barn. Unsure of whether this was just another of Pinkie Pie's shenanigans or if she was meeting with AppleJack because of something to do with Twilight's magical map, he decided to follow to find out. When he entered the barn he saw AppleJack comforting a very upset Pinkie Pie. They were sitting in the middle of the room. Pinkie was leaning on AppleJack's shoulder, crying softly while AppleJack held her in her forelegs a look of sad helplessness on her face. She looked up as Big Mac walked in and the look on her face changed from one of sadness to hope.

"Ah think the answer to your problem just showed up, sugarcube." She said, turning Pinkie around to face Big Mac. This definitely is not what he was expecting when he saw Pinkie had dropped by. He hadn't noticed it before, but he realized that Pinkie's mane had been less bouncy than it normally was when he saw it re-inflate when she laid eyes on him. Without warning, the pink pony jumped up from to his face.

"Can you help me Big Mac?? Please please please please please PLEASE say you can!!!" She exclaimed, forelegs locked around his neck and eyes desperately imploring him to say yes.

Caught completely off-guard, he cast a desperate look to AppleJack in hopes that she could explain what was going on here. She caught on and stood up.

"Long story short, Pinkie Pie's Pa went and broke his leg and they need her to come back and help out on the farm for a bit until he gets back on his hooves. The only problem is that-"

"-Is that I already have a ton of party business I have to attend to in the crystal empire for Princess Cadence and Shining Armour's baby shower that can't be put off but my parents also have a huge order from Princess Luna that's coming up in a week and they aren't anywhere near finished mining the crystals needed out of the ground yet and-!" She would've continued on but AppleJack placed a hoof on her shoulder, prompting her to settle down.

"Basically, She was wantin' to see if one of us could go in her place. Ah was about ta say yes but then my cutie mark started callin' me to the map room and that's about when y'all came in here. Ah know that this would leave just Apple Bloom and Granny Smith here on the farm on their own which is why ah was gonna ask Rarity to lend a hoof while we're away, she owes me fer that one time in Canterlot anyway."

This was a dilemma. if he didn't there's no telling how badly the Pie's family rock farm would suffer. Though his own injury a few years back hadn't been as severe as a broken hoof, his absence had left a lot of work on his sister's back. On the other hoof however, there was the fact that if he did leave then the only pony left to work the orchard would be a unicorn who couldn't stand getting her mane frazzled. Though it was a ways into the harvest season and he and AppleJack had already taken care of most of the harvest, he had expected to finish the western fields before today was over anyway. All that would be left to do after that would be to organize all the apples by type and which would be saved to make cider with. Weighing all his options carefully, he said...

"Eeyup."

Again, Pinkie Pie jumped up and grabbed him in a hug, blinding him with the cloud of cotton candy that was her mane. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!!" She exclaimed in a high pitched voice.

At first Big Mac chuckled and returned the hug. He soon however began flailing his forelegs as he ran out of air in an attempt to once again call on his sister to reign Pinkie in. She caught the message and, with no small amount of effort, managed to pry her friend off him.

"Now that that's all settled, ah reckon all three of us have some packin' ta do." And with that, AppleJack turned to her brother. "You be sure ta pull yer own weight while yer over there."

He knew his sister was being dead serious, even though he never slacked off with anything he did. Despite this, Big Mac couldn't help but chuckle. He had always enjoyed AppleJack's brashness, even if it did get her into trouble from time to time when they were younger. With a smile and a simple Eeyup, he went to go pack his bags for the extended stay at the Pie Family's Rock farm.

Comments

[Grethor]

Good Start for a Story. I like the Setup so far. I will definitly follow it

[Wolfman32]

So far so good a good story setup. Can't wait for more