Strive

by Croswynd

Chapter 2: Relations

“...which is why we need to band together to stop this.” Braeburn glanced out over the townsfolk of Appleoosa from behind his podium. “We stuck together to create this town with nothing but a dream in our hearts and the stubbornness to do something with it. We protected Appleoosa from the Buffalo and even worked together with them for the benefit of all us. I’m confident we can do something about this, as well.”

A few ponies seemed shocked by the news, their heads drooping to the ground. Others seemed angry, a rumble of discontent bubbling underneath their western decorum. None of them seemed roused by his speech. Above, the sun shone down on the crowd without even a breath of wind to cool the ponies off.

“Does anypony have any questions before we end the meeting?” Braeburn grimaced against the heat and disappointment hanging heavily in the air.

“I’ve got one!” the Salt Block’s proprietor, Morton Saltworthy, declared. He wore a disdainful expression behind his monocle. “What’re we going to do to get this money? We barely make enough to keep our town afloat!”

Breburn raised a hoof. “Now that there’s a good point. We don’t have enough bits to pay these fine folk back their investment. So I’d sure welcome any ideas on how to—”

“How come we weren’t never told about these investors?” another Appleoosan wondered.

“Well, I’m sure Sheriff Silverstar had his reasons...” Braeburn began, his eyes shifting from the crowd to the podium and back again.

“Silverstar made a deal without all our consent?” a large, tan stallion asked and stomped his hooves. “Who told him he could do that?”

“A pony like that’s our sheriff, too. No wonder he got us in a fight with the buffalo!”

“I say maybe we should just ignore these investors. What can they do? This is our home!”

“Yeah!”

Braeburn gulped and clapped his hoof against the podium. “Alright, alright, everypony, I know you’re all angry, but violence ain’t the answer. Twasn't when we fought the buffalo. Won’t be now.” A flash of orange and yellow caught his attention, so he took a deep breath to clear his head. “Now we’re all a little fired up, so how’s about we go home and cool down? We should make our decision all rational-like.”

“Braeburn’s right,” a pegasus said from the back. “Ain’t nopony ever made a good decision with anger on the brain.”

The crowd shuffled at that, and the mumbling receded. The tension that had been clouding the air began to evaporate.

He took the moment to clear his throat. “Meetin’s adjourned ‘til later, everypony. I just thought y’all should know what’s going on.”

“You’ve always done right by us, Braeburn,” one of the mares said. “We’ll have a cold drink and think on it. Right now, though, those apples won’t buck themselves.”

A chorus of agreement rustled through the crowd. Braeburn was relieved to see more thoughtful faces than disgruntled ones as the ponies disbanded. The Salt Block’s owner was one of the few who still seemed angry; thankfully though, even he trotted away, back to his saloon.

Braeburn let out a breath and swiped a hoof across his forehead. "Crises averted, for now."

“Mighty big problem y’all seem to have, Braeburn," a familiar mare's voice pointed out.

Braeburn smiled despite himself. “Tain't nothing we Appleoosans can’t handle, cousin AJ.” He turned toward the speaker and saw two other ponies beside her. His smile grew wider. “Well, if it ain’t Applebloom and Babs, too! I haven’t seen you two since the reunion!”

“Wasn’t that long ago,” Babs said with a raised brow.

Chuckling, Braeburn gave her a wink. “Even a minute is a long time when you haven’t seen family!”

The two fillies smiled and trotted over to give him a hug.

“Now what’re you three doing in Appleoosa?” He looked up at Applejack and grinned. “Not that I’m complaining.”

Applejack furrowed her brows. “Y’all said you’d watch these two for a week, back during the reunion. We talked about it through the mail.”

Braeburn tapped his hoof against his head. “Well shoot, I plum forgot all about it! We’ve been having our share of problems around these parts and I just...”

“What kind of problems? Anything we can do to help?” Applebloom asked with a frown.

Babs glanced around and squinted in the harsh light. “Somethin’ tells me yous ponies need all the help ya can get.”

“That’s true enough,” Braeburn replied, taking off his hat and clutching it to his chest. “Turns out the whole town’s in debt. We need to scrape together enough bits to pay back that debt, or we lose everything.”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “Pay ‘em back? Now why in Equestria would you need to pay anypony back? I thought y’all built Appleoosa on your own.”

“That’s what I thought, too! But, well...” Braeburn relayed what he’d learned.

“Hmm,” Applejack mused after a moment. “Well, I sympathize with your problem, but a debt’s a debt.”

Applebloom nodded, her giant bow shaking like a leaf. “And Granny Smith always says if you pay as you go, you never owe.”

“That there’s the problem.” Braeburn sighed and scratched his mane. “I’d appreciate any help you can give, cousin, because right now I can’t think up any way to save the town.”

“I can’t stay, Braeburn.” Applejack looked away with a frown. “Me and Big Mac’ve got our hooves full with the newest crop. S’why we couldn’t watch Babs and Applebloom this week.”

“I don’t need any watching!” Applebloom objected. “I don’t see why me and Babs couldn’t just stay with Rarity or Twilight.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow at her sister. “Rarity’s still recovering from that cutie mark crusader catapult you three created out of her ironing board and drapes. And Twilight’s busy with her new princessin’ duties.” She glanced up at Braeburn. “Sorry about all this. If you don’t think you can watch ‘em...”

“No, I insist. I promised.” Braeburn placed his hat back on his head. “Besides, here I am thinking of just me when you have your share of troubles.”

Applejack gave him a quick smile. “Now, that ain’t the attitude for an Apple to take. Even if I can’t stay, I can try and help some other way. You say you need ideas, right? Well, y’all ever think of tourism? A bunch of ponies stampeding through town might spruce up the cash flow.”

“It’s a good idea. But what do we have that’d interest other ponies? Much as we all love apples, not everypony in Equestria’s going to come just to see the fruit,” Braeburn countered, nodding toward the orchard.

“What about one-a those, whaddya call ‘em, festival things?” Babs put in.

“A festival sounds mighty nice, actually,” Applejack said and looked back to Braeburn. “Y’all’re having that buffalo migration coming through soon, right?”

Braeburn nodded eagerly as he realized what she meant. “Yeah. Yeah, that could work! We could make a whole affair out of it! I’d have to talk to Little Strongheart about the buffalo, but I don’t think they’d mind, long as they get our apple pies.”

“We could make some event stuff, too! Like apple pie eatin’ contests and apple dunk!” Applebloom said excitedly.

Babs glanced quizzically at her cousin. “What’s an apple dunk?”

Applebloom smiled and raised her hooves to indicate a big box. “It’s something Big Mac did back at last year's Harvest Festival in Ponyville. He sits on a chair over a bowl of water and somepony chucks an apple at a target. If they hit it, he falls into the water!”

“Well, that does sound like a lotta fun.” Babs blew her mane out of her eyes. “How’s about a Ferus Wheel? We have a big one sometimes in Manehatten.”

“Might be best not think that big just yet.” Applejack placed a hoof on Bab's shoulder. “Now, you girls behave for Braeburn and don’t get into too much trouble. Especially you, Applebloom.”

“Ugh, we’re not babies!” Applebloom rolled her eyes.

Applejack mussed her sister’s mane. “I know ya aren’t, but y’all seem to have a knack at getting up to no good.” She turned toward Braeburn. “You really sure you can watch ‘em?”

Braeburn winked. “I’m sure it’ll be a fair sight easier for me than you, cousin. Good luck on the farm.”

“Good luck on the town,” she replied with a smile. “See y’all in a week.”

*****

“Haven’t ever been to a place like this before,” Babs said, gazing at the landscape. “So different from Manehatten and Ponyville. So... flat.”

“Definitely ain't as dusty back home.” Applebloom sneezed.

Braeburn raised an eyebrow. “Well, I’ll have you know Appleoosa’s got her charms, too. Ain't all dirt and tumbleweed.”

Applebloom cast a discerning eye over the town buildings. “Kind of... worn, if ya ask me.”

“Could do with a fresh coat of paint,” Braeburn admitted as he stared at the general store's cracked awning and faded letters. The proprietor waved at them from a rocking chair on the dirt-covered porch.

“Might need more than just that,” Babs replied critically. She held up her hooves like she was taking a picture and grimaced. “Like a new building.”

“Alright, alright, t’aint all as bad as that,” Braeburn retorted. “We've just been so busy with the orchard and apple-bucking... maybe we forgot to tend to the town, too.”

They continued down the main street of Appleoosa as Braeburn showed them around. The two fillies continued to comment on the state of affairs, and by the time they reached the Sherriff’s office, Braeburn’s head hung down in shame, his ears drooping.

“...and those carriages could use some new wheels. I saw more than one spoke cracked,” Applebloom said succinctly.

“Not to mention the worn out clothes yous ponies wear. Sweetie Belle’s sister’d have a fit, I bet,” Babs replied.

Braeburn sat in the dirt and sighed.

“Well, it’s not all bad! At least the town... is... here,” Babs finished lamely as she patted him on the back.

Braeburn’s hat fell off his head.

“Ah... ahem,” Applebloom cleared her throat. “How’s Bloomberg doing?”

“Well, I’m glad ya asked, cousin!” Braeburn replied, suddenly chipper again. He picked up his hat and steered the two fillies toward the orchard road, trotting down it with a pep in his step.

*****

“Mighty hard to believe it’s only been a little while since we planted him in the ground,” Braeburn marveled, “but Bloomberg here is the number one tree in the whole grove! Always has apples ripe somewhere in those branches.”

The two fillies gaped up at the massive tree, its trunk and canopy dwarfing the surrounding ones. Bloomberg’s branches were littered with shiny, red apples, each as large as a filly’s head. The roots dug deep into the soil, their huge forms raising ever so often from the ground like a snake through sand.

Babs was the first to recover her wits. “That’s the biggest apple tree I’ve ever seen. Even the ones in Centrot Park aren't like this!”

Applebloom shook her head. “Sure is amazin’. My sis knows how to pick ‘em!”

Braeburn smiled at their praise. “We’ve tended to ol’ Bloomberg same as the others. It’s like Applejack knew Bloomberg would, well, bloom out here.”

“Why don’tcha use it as a tourist attraction?” Babs asked, holding up a hoof to shield her eyes from the glare of the desert sun. “It’s big enough to attract all kinds of attention. Dress it up all spit ‘n polish and make it a, whaddya call ‘em, picnic area.”

“Not a bad idea, cousin.” Braeburn rubbed his chin. “You two are coming up with more ideas than an old barrel comes up full of holes.”

Babs snorted. “Just common sense to make the biggest thing the main attraction. Why d’ya think Manehatten make such a big deal outta the Crystal Empire Building?”

“Good point,” he replied thoughtfully. “Why don't we talk it over with the sheriff? I'm sure he'd appreciate a solution to all this.”

*****

Sheriff Silverstar looked like he had aged several years since Braeburn had seen him last. His hat was sitting on the desk next to him, revealing a few silver hairs snaking between the brown strands of his mane. Slight wrinkles stood out on his face that hadn't been there before.

The sheriff looked up when Braeburn and his cousins walked in. “Howdy, Braeburn... and company.”

“You sound tired, Sheriff.” Braeburn frowned.

Silverstar sighed and lowered his head. “Lots of the townsfolk blame me for this mess we’ve gotten into. Can't say I blame 'em." He tapped a quill against a piece of paper. "I’ve had to listen to Saltworthy for the past hour, and deal with all these finances now that we’re losing time. Wears on a pony.”

“That last’s what I want to talk to you about, Sheriff,” Braeburn said.

“Tell me you’ve come up with another of your ideas, Braeburn,” Silverstar nearly begged. “I’m fresh out.”

Applebloom chose that moment to step forward, her eyes just peeking over the desk. “Well, sir, why don’t we do a festival?”

“A festival?” Silverstar seemed confounded. He looked up at Braeburn for clarification.

Braeburn just smiled and gestured to Babs, who was admiring a picture of Sheriff Silverstar and Chief Thunderhooves. He cleared his throat.

“Wha-?” Babs turned her head. “Oh, yeah, right. So we were thinkin’, wouldn’t some kind of party attract some ponies into comin’ to Appleoosa? Tourism’s a big deal up in Manehatten. Might help here if ponies knew somethin’ excitin’ was coming.”

Silverstar frowned. “But we don’t have—.” His eyes lit up. “The buffalo run!”

Braeburn grinned widely. “We could throw a big, week-long affair. Set up some picnic grounds, give a few rides out on our carriages and turn this place into a regular tourist attraction!”

“But we really need to fix up the town, first,” Applebloom tapped the sheriff's desk, which creaked in response.

Babs blew her hair out of her face. “Yeah, no one’s going to want to ride in a carriage with one wheel or walk into a building that looks like it’s about to fall apart.”

Silverstar leaned back in his chair. “Hmm. Could work. But it’d take the rest of our money to try and fix up the town. It’s a big gamble.”

“We don’t have a lot of choice, Sheriff.” Braeburn rubbed the back of his neck. “A gamble’s better than no shot at all and I can’t think of anything else to help us out.”

“I’ll need to start sending out mailmares and stallions to get the word out,” Silverstar said, reluctantly grabbing envelopes from a drawer.

“My cousin Applejack said she’d spread the word in Ponyville, too.” Braeburn stomped the wooden floor in emphasis. “We can do this, Silverstar.”

Silverstar’s brows drew down and the wrinkles reappeared on his forehead. “I sure hope you’re right about this, Braeburn. But I've been out of ideas since the start, so we'll do it.” He glanced around his desk and picked up a clean sheet of paper. “I’ll leave you to organize the town while I arrange the finances. You’d probably be the better pony to lead them now.”

Babs and Applebloom grinned up at Braeburn.

He gave them a confident smile, careful not to reveal how worried he was about the whole thing.

Ah, well, nothing to do but try.

Comments

[Ficta_Scriptor]

Little Strongheart... The world's most shameless stalker. (Well, it is Braeburn, so I can't really blame her) And Bloomberg has f***ing HUGE apples! The size of a filly's head?

All in all, a very well written piece so far. Hasn't really got into the action yet, but I prefer slow, deliberate pacing anyway. I'm betting Applebloom and Babs play a big part in how this all turns out. It'll be interesting to see how Braeburn handles the business of tourism.

I can hardly believe that I'm the only commenter so far. You deserve so much more. *Hugs*

[Glendor]

Off to a good start! Curious to see how the buffalo will react to this idea. Fury at trivializing their ancient tradition, or acceptance of a neighbors plea for help?
Can't wait!

[djthomp]

Faved (and followed, not sure how I wasn't following already) once I saw who the author is, I will definitely be giving this a read.

[scoots2]

Nice! I love the spin on the "save the farm" plot, and extra points for including Babs.

[Einhander]

Some excellent world building going on here. Im writing my own Appleloosa story now and it always helps to see how others explore the same world.

Liked, favorited, looking forward to the next one!

[Malefic Scholar]

but what about unmarked D:

[Croswynd]

2703132

I wrote this months ago. It only now just went through EqD's prereaders to be posted on the front page.

As for Unmarked, I dunno. Can't get up the motivation to write it. It'll be finished eventfully, but I have no time table to give you. If you want I can tell you how it ends.

[Malefic Scholar]

2703803
tis not the destination man its the journey!

[Xerzes]

More, please.

[Croswynd]

2715991

Alright, I guess I'll release another chapter now.