Chapter 13
Night Raid on Rancho del Corazón
In the back alleys of Santillama, the Big Bad Wolf skulked through the shadows, trying to keep his head low after the previous fiasco.
His failure to stop the others was sure to be noticed by the sheriff. And if the fat bird ever realized that two of them were Bearers of Harmony, he was going to be in big trouble for letting them escape.
Even though the Bearers were now powerless, Big Bad had heard stories about them, and knew that they could cause him all kinds of problems. On top of that, they were aided by a duck who had the same powerful magic as himself. Between the three of them, taking care of them on his own was going to be no easy task.
Big Bad was stopped by his snout suddenly bumping into something. Crossing his eyes, he found it to be the barrel of a large rifle. Slowly swiveling his eyes forward, he saw the weapon's owner: the sheriff himself.
"Where you gubba-gubba-goin', puppy dog?" the sheriff asked. Behind him, his translator repeated in the llama language.
"Me? Uh...I was--" Big Bad said.
"Sneakin' out on me? After I just gave that big lecture to those trouble-makin' llamas?"
"I wasn't sneakin', boss! I was just on the trail o' some fugitives!"
"Oh yeah? Describe 'em to me, and I'll keep an eye out for 'em."
The llama behind the sheriff translated.
"Shut up, stupid," the sheriff said to his translator.
"Cállate...estúpido," the turquoise llama repeated, before getting the hint to stop.
"Hrm..." the sheriff said, before turning back to face Big Bad. "So: how about those fugitives?"
Big Bad was backed into a corner. He was going to have to exactly describe the Bearers to the sheriff and put himself in trouble. This would take some tact.
"Well...uh...they're from outta town. Ponies. Should be real easy to spot," the glutton said, moving energetically as he explained, the sheriff's gun always planted on his nose.
The sheriff squinted behind his glasses. He had been warned about strangers who may come to town, and was given particular caution of the Bearers of Harmony, along with some other strangers from his own home.
"Let me guess: some orange freckle-face with a cowboy hat, and a jittery, yellow shut-in?" the turkey answered.
"Yeah! That's them--oh..."
The sheriff rocked the lever on his rifle.
"You let Bearers of Harmony into my town, Fido! You realize what a pain it's gonna be explainin' this to Yen Sid?"
"Now--Now hold on! Yen Sid don't gotta know 'bout this! I was just gonna round up a posse an' run 'em outta town, then get that farmer off her property like ya wanted!" Big Bad said.
"You're roundin' up no posse! Whatever can be done about it's gonna be done quietly, and with as little hassle as possible! You know where I stand on people raisin' a stink in this town," the sheriff growled.
"Then, what do ya want me to do about it? I already tried huffin' an' puffin' 'em off their property, an' I got rammed right down the side o' the mountain!" Big Bad said.
"You're supposed to be cunning and devious, ain't ya?" the sheriff said, "Try puttin' that whole 'big, bad' thing to good use."
It was true. People didn't call Zeke Midas Wolf 'Big Bad' for nothing. For him to live up to his name, he would have to come up with something truly devious. Something that would have to both get the llamas off their farm, and take care of the Bearers of Harmony. It took only seconds for him to come up with anything.
"I think I got somethin', boss," Big Bad said. "But, we're gonna have to cause a little trouble.”
"That ain't what I wanna hear," the sheriff answered.
"Now-Now-Now hang on! I know ya don't like troublemakers, but there's a way that we can use it to get those Bearers out o' our hair for good!"
The sheriff was intrigued by the idea of getting rid of the Bearers, even if it would raise a fuss. For the sake of carrying out his mission to Yen Sid, he decided to give it a chance.
"I'm listening," he said, lowering his rifle.
Behind him, his translator's ears folded downward. Whatever the two villain's were conspiring, it could only be trouble for the good llamas of the town.
As Donald, Fluttershy and Applejack followed Paya to her farm, the town of Santillama was at least a mile below them on the mountain. Up there, the hustle and bustle of the town ceased to exist. The narrow path and treacherous turns made Applejack wonder how their llama guide was able to navigate her heavy cart full of fruit so easily when she brought it to town and back.
Fluttershy kept herself busy trying to keep her eyes on the trail, not once daring to look off to the side. Sure, there were only slight slopes on the sides of this path, but the idea of falling still clung to the pegasus, making her stop in her tracks. Until she was bumped from behind and knocked over.
"Hey! What's the big idea!?" Donald fumed.
"I-I'm sorry! I saw the slopes and--!" Fluttershy said, as she cringed on the ground.
"And what? Ya saw somethin'? A pebble fell, and ya thought it was another avalanche?"
Fluttershy was becoming too anxious to answer Donald, but feared that her silence may rouse the duck's temper.
"Why don't ya leave her alone!" Applejack said, as she stepped to Fluttershy's side. "Can't ya see yer scarin' her?"
"She shouldn't be scared of anything now that we're up here! She's gotta toughen up!"
"She ain't gotta toughen up at all! She's fine how she is!" Applejack rebutted.
"Not if she wants to survive out here, she isn't! Remember what just happened with Big Bad just now? He would have made sausage outta her if we didn't stop him so quick! What's gonna happen if we're not there next time she's caught?" Donald said.
"There ain't gonna be a next time she's caught! 'Cause the next time I see that wolf, I'm buckin' him over the horizon!" Applejack rebutted.
"You could barely buck his hat off his head! You probably couldn't even hit the broadside of his backside!"
"It was a fluke! I've always had my off days, an' this was just one of 'em!"
"Well, ya can't have any more of those, or else we're dead meat at a big bad buffet!"
Applejack stomped her hooves and whinnied angrily.
Donald quacked and held one arm out straight, while the other swung round and round.
"Amigos!" Paya called from up ahead, stopping a fight that was sure to have almost happened. "Estamos aqui!"
"She said we're here. And it's about time, too," Donald said, walking ahead of the others.
Applejack stayed behind to help Fluttershy up from the ground.
"Don't let him get to ya, sugarcube. You'll be fine fer this whole trip, ya hear," Applejack assured her friend.
Fluttershy didn't say anything intelligible, but mumbled and nodded. As she walked with Applejack, she started to think to herself: what would have happened if her friends weren't there to help her when the Big Bad Wolf took her hostage? Would she really have allowed herself to become his next meal out of nothing more than her gentle nature? Maybe Donald was right about her needing to get tougher. But, how was somepony like her supposed to do that?
The final stretch took them over a ridge, and greeted them with a new sight. A path that went right through the middle of an enormous orchard. The orchard itself was lined with what looked like tiny palm trees, each one of them dotted with the pink fruits that Paya had been selling earlier. As they walked through the path, the palm trees turned out to be cacti. Maybe it was simply the familiar shape of the plants, but something about them brought to mind a place where one could escape from reality for a while. A welcome idea, given what had just transpired. The doorway to this escape was a grand trellis with a sign that read Rancho del Corazón. At the very base of it, Fluttershy noticed a flowerbed, and the word 'Nōchtli' painted on the fence above it.
Past the many plants, the shape of a large house made of whitewashed adobe, and a roof of red tile was seen in the light of the lowering sun. The outside of the house was a grand sight, with a two-tiered fountain in the middle of a large plaza that was built right into the front yard, complete with tables and chairs for outdoor dining.
"These llamas must be pretty well off," Donald thought. "Probably through nothing but all the hard work they do in these fields. Just like Unca' Scrooge." Donald briefly thought of his family back home, and wondered how any of them were doing without him, before the front door of Paya's home was opened.
"Go inside," Paya said with a smile as she held the door open.
It was Applejack who took the first step indoors, followed by Donald, and hesitantly followed by Fluttershy. Inside, they found a familiar, yet awe-inspiring sight.
Many more llamas abounded inside. Younger llamas played about the rooms, while the older llamas all deftly navigated among them as they went about their business with plates of food and drink. It was like watching rush hour traffic, only for an indoor mealtime.
Paya stepped to the front of the group, curled her lip and let out a shrill whistle. All eyes were on her as she made her announcement: "Todos: tenemos invitados esta noche!"
Smiles flooded the room as the llamas happily gasped.
"Invitados? Ha pasado tanto tiempo desde que vimos a alguien venir aquí!" one of them said. "Pancho: consigue las frutas más frescas que tenemos. Esta noche, comemos como reyes!"
A throng of cheers erupted, and the guests were all pulled into the room. Applejack seemed to be the only one having a good time, as Donald was loudly protesting and Fluttershy was practically shrinking into herself.
They were all placed at the table, where Paya sat down next to Applejack.
"What's goin' on here!? What are you all doing dragging us around like that!?" Donald squabbled. His temper was quickly dampened when a gigantic plate piled with rice, potatoes, olives, fruit and beans was placed before him.
<"A special platter for a special guest,"> said the young llama who gave Donald his plate.
<"Wowee! You folks sure know how to treat a traveler around here,"> Donald said, as he stuffed his face. <"How's about gettin' your guest a drink?">
<"You got it! Boy, it's been a long time since I heard anypony say that.">
Fluttershy was looking anxiously around herself, trying to figure out exactly what they had done to receive such treatment. Somepony sat down next to her, and she flinched when she saw a much older llama look directly at her.
"I'm sorry if this is all so overwhelming. It's been a very long time since we've had any guests. It's always been kind of a tradition for our family to see to the travelers who are passing through the area," the old llama said.
"Oh...you speak pony," Fluttershy said.
"Yes. I used to sell dragon fruit to a caravan of pony farmers with my husband. That is, until we got too old to make the trip," the llama chuckled. "Ah, I have not yet introduced myself. My name is Flor del Dragón, and I am Hitapaya's mother."
"I'm Fluttershy. That's Donald sitting next to me. And next to him is Applejack. I guess we're your daughter's new friends."
"There is no guessing here. Everypony in this family has always had a knack for making new friends," Flor said.
Fluttershy looked around at the table at all the llamas present. There were so many of them, she wondered how they all stayed under the same roof.
"Everypony here is Paya's family?" she asked.
"Yes. Everypony here is family." Flor del Dragón answered. "There is me. My husband, Manzano. Our children: Hitapaya, Pancho, Espino, Rosarita, Margarita, Cormano, Lanosa, and Espinosa. My sisters: Flor de Pájaros and Flor de la Belleza. My malingering brother, Holgazán. My nieces and nephews: Calabaza, Frijole, Zanahoria, Cebolla, Apio, Tomatilla, Tomate, Cereza, Arándano and Granada. My parents: Flor de la Vida and Fruto de los Dragones. (I am named after them both). And..." Flor del Dragón looked around the table, quickly examining each llama present. "Hm...There seems to be somepony missing."
As if on cue, the sounds of tiny hooves clattering across the floor sounded behind Fluttershy. When she turned to look, a much younger llama, one that looked like he had just learned how to walk, ran over to Paya.
Paya smiled brightly and tightly hugged the baby boy. Fluttershy couldn't understand what Paya was saying to him, but the way that she was lovingly hugging him and cleaning off his dirty face, she did not need Donald to translate to know her relation to him.
"Paya, you're a mother?" Fluttershy asked.
"Sí. Una mamá orgullosa," Paya answered, kissing her son's forehead.
Applejack watched the two family members, and felt a sudden contrast between herself and Paya.
"Dang! She ain't much older than me, an' she's already startin' her own family. How's she do it while she's runnin' a business?" she thought to herself.
The young llama decided to investigate the orange pony who was sitting next to his mother.
"Hey there, little critter. Name's Applejack," Applejack greeted him.
Something must have happened suddenly. As soon as Applejack spoke her name, there came a sudden chain reaction.
"Apples!!" one of the younger relatives shouted.
"Apples!!" one of Paya's brothers said. They were both followed by many, many more of Paya's family suddenly surrounding them.
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
"Apples!!"
The sudden crowd was overwhelming for the guests. Especially Fluttershy, who hid behind Donald to get away from them all.
Paya stepped in to clear up the misunderstanding.
"No. no, no. No hay manzanas aquí. La llamo de esta yegua es Applejack," the farmllama explained.
A wave of disappointed moans filled the room. Donald could hear some of the llamas saying that they were hoping for some apples.
"I guess they really like apples here," Donald thought to himself, before resuming his meal.
Applejack allowed some time before she decided to speak with Paya's son again. "So, what's yer name?"
"He is Frutito. It means...Small fruit, in pony," Paya said, after briefly thinking about the translation.
"Now, how's that gonna sound when he grows up an' he's big as my brother?" Applejack said. She had placed her hat by her side when she sat down, and pulled it away when Frutito tried to take it. "Hold on, pardner. That ain't fer playin' with."
She looked at the young llama's disappointed expression, and wanted to do something to put a smile back on his face. Quickly, she grabbed her own napkin, and pulled Donald's out of his shirt, just as the duck bit into a particularly juicy pear that spewed all over his front.
"Wanna see how me an' my family get food from across the table?" Applejack asked, as she fashioned a tiny lasso from the two napkins.
After giving it a twirl above her head, she let it fly and loop around a bowl of baked olluco with avocado. With a pull, she yanked it across the table and let it land in front of herself.
"An' that's how we do it at the Apple house," Applejack proudly proclaimed.
"You couldn't ask like everyone else?" Donald said, snatching back his napkin and wiping off his filthy poncho.
Frutito giggled, and jumped up and down at the display, as his mother fixed him a small plate from the bowl Applejack retrieved.
Paya was not about to let her son start looking up to a mare he had just met. A mischievous smile crawled onto her face, when she thought of a way to really impress Frutito.
"Eso no fue nada. Vea cómo tu mamá le pasa comida a tu tío," Paya said to her son, as she took off her necklace. She loaded a single pear into it, twirled it around and let it fly into a bowl of chopped vegetables.
The vegetable bowl slid down the table, and bounced off a food platter. The food platter spun across the table right in front of her brother, who happily took the food that was sliding by himself.
The vegetable bowl continued to skip over a row of plates and slid to a stop in front of Frutito.
"Ensalada?" Paya offered to her son.
The other family members cheered for Paya's exceptional skill, even as the pear was still bouncing like an errant pinball.
"Mighty fine, that," Donald said, just before the pear lodged itself into his open bill. Once the duck removed it, he began quacking angrily at it, before taking a huge bite out of it. "And let that be a lesson to you!"
Fluttershy had been scared by Donald's fiery temper before, but with the rest of the crowd in such good spirits, she couldn't help but giggle at his angry antics. Then, something occurred to her: Paya's mother had told her that Frutito was the one family member missing, but she suddenly realized that there was one very important relative who was not present.
"Um...excuse me," the pegasus said to Paya's mother. "I don't want to pry, but...um...where is Paya's husband? Shouldn't he be here with his family?"
Flor del Dragón slowly stopped eating her rice and looked around the table, warily checking to see if anypony else was listening. "We shouldn't talk here. Come to the kitchen with me, and I'll explain."
Fluttershy wasn't sure why they couldn't talk about it there, but followed behind the old llama to the adjoining room.
"Wash a few dishes with me. I don't want Paya to think that I'm talking with you on a private matter," Flor said.
Fluttershy was becoming both confused and anxious about the situation. All she had done was ask an innocent question, and now she found that she had stepped into some sensitive issue. As naturally as she could, Fluttershy walked over to the sink and started washing dishes.
"I'm telling you this now, so that you don't bring it up to my daughter. And tell your friends not to bring it up either. Do you understand?" Flor asked.
"Yes..." Fluttershy answered, anxious, but eager to know what was happening.
"For you to truly understand the gravity of the situation, I feel I must explain a few things to you," Flor said. She paused for a moment, as if she were preparing herself for what she was going to say. "Paya's husband, Nōchtli, meant the world to her. They have known one another since they were crias, and were barely apart for a day in their lives."
"I'm sorry: what does 'crias' mean?" Fluttershy asked.
"It's what we llamas call our young. Similar to your ponies' foals. Anyway, Hitapaya has always credited Nōchtli as a major influence on who she is today. He was the one who taught her how to sling and throw bolas. It was he who taught her how to stand up for herself when others were trying to put her down."
"He sounds wonderful. I know that I could probably use some lessons to stand up for myself sometimes," Fluttershy answered, as she dried a plate.
"Yes...The two of them hardly saw it coming when they fell in love. Or, maybe they saw it coming from the other side of the mountain, which was why they chose to marry. I'll never forget when my husband and I saw our daughter come rushing home through the orchard, shouting that Nōchtli proposed to her. She already had everything figured out: when and where the wedding was to be held, who to invite, what to wear..."
Flor slowly stopped washing the dish in her hooves, and stared out into space.
"Are you alright?" Fluttershy wondered.
"Yes--yes, I'm fine," Flor said, before she resumed her story. "A year after, my first grandson was born. Everything was wonderful, until the sheriff, and his enforcer came to town. Everypony's magic was stolen, and llamas started losing their homes. But, not us. Thanks to both Paya and Nōchtli, the sheriff's hairy thug was sent off the property. He's been very persistent, but no matter what that wolf tried, he was always kept at bay."
Flor del Dragón's face changed to a despaired frown.
"Then, it happened. After the two of them knocked the wolf off the side of the mountain, Nōchtli had become fed up with the constant attacks on his property and family. He...He went to face the sheriff alone."
Fluttershy gasped quietly at the news, knowing from her short time around the sheriff that it was not a wise thing to do.
"Yes. He went to town to confront the sheriff. To tell him that we would not give up our land to him, and..." Flor paused for what felt like hours to Fluttershy, who desperately wanted to know what happened next, but didn't want to seem like she was pushing the old llama. Finally, she spoke. "The sheriff took Nōchtli from her."
"You mean, he put him in jail?! How awful! How long can the sheriff keep anypony before..." Fluttershy stopped herself from talking. Flor's sad, but somehow stern face made her think she said something that she shouldn't have. The sudden sound of the sheriff's weapon echoed in Fluttershy's mind, snapping every nerve in her brain. Sweat poured down her forehead, and her face flushed red as she frantically tried to apologize. "Oh, Flor! I'm so sorry! I didn't realize--!"
"You have nothing to apologize for," Flor calmly said. "It's plain to see that you have never lost a family member. And you should consider yourself lucky. Nothing can ever compare to losing somepony you love." The old llama moved to the doorway, where she watched her daughter and grandson talking with the others. "Especially when everyday you see how it's affected the rest of the family. Paya, who lost her husband. Little Frutito, who will never know what it is to grow up with his father. And everypony else, who had taken so kindly to Nōchtli, as if he was their own brother. Now, all Paya has left of him is the sling he taught her to use when they were crias."
Fluttershy's eyes went to the necklace Paya was wearing. She felt inclined to ask about it, but didn't feel it appropriate to do such a thing.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dampen your spirits during such a happy occasion. You should go back to the banquet. And please, do not bring this up in front of my daughter. Wait to tell your friends."
"I will," was all Fluttershy answered as she slowly walked back into the dining room.
She passed by Paya, who was happily talking to Applejack (though they had a hard time understanding each other), while her son played with his plate of food. As she walked by, she noticed Paya's hooves gently, possibly unconsciously, holding Frutito a little closer to herself.
Fluttershy took her place back beside Donald, and the duck turned to greet her.
"Where ya been, toots? They just started handing out piononos," Donald said.
"What's a pionono?" Fluttershy asked.
"I don't know, but it looks like great stuff," Donald said, as he showed her the rolled up, cream-filled pastry. He lifted it up to take a bite out of it, only for all the cream to spill out the other end and land on his plate. "Hmph! This is exasperating."
The food was eaten. The festivities were done. After the meal, they had all participated in an impromptu dance out on the patio, which went on until the sun went down. Once it was dark, Paya gave Frutito to her dad to have him put to bed, and guided her guests to where they would be staying.
Some hundred or so feet from the house, there was another building. One of the same whitewashed adobe and red tile roof, but much smaller than the main house. Inside, there was one single room. Four beds were laid out in any corner of the room with a small table between two of them.
<"This will be your room for the night. I hope it's to your liking,"> Paya said.
<"You bet it is. I was afraid we'd be spending the night sleeping on rocks, before we met you,"> Donald answered.
<"Don't worry. You won't be sleeping on any rocks around here.">
Applejack was all ready to hit the hay, and bellyflopped onto her bed. "Thanks a bunch, Paya. Y'all really know how to make a pony feel welcome so far from home."
"Duerme bien. Y trabaja en ese lazo tuyo. No impresionarás a muchas llamas con esos trucos baratos," Paya said, to Applejack, as she twirled her sling around.
"Sounds like a challenge to me. Get me some real rope, an' I'll show ya what a real farmpony's made of."
Paya chuckled at Applejack's words, before bidding her farewell. "Buenas noches, todos."
"Buenos noches," Donald said.
"Buenos noches," Fluttershy said, not sure what she was saying, but guessing it was something polite.
"'Night, y'all," Applejack said.
Paya left, leaving the others in their moonlit dwelling.
"Since when do you understand what she's saying?" Donald asked Applejack.
"Didn't understand a word she was sayin' all night. I just guessed is all. Maybe some of it's rubbin' off on me," the farmpony answered.
"That does tend to happen," Donald said, suddenly remembering his friends back home. Thinking of his friends, he started to wonder what Goofy and Mickey were up to without him. But, wondering would do no good. He decided simply to sleep on it. "Well, goodnight ladies."
Fluttershy thought that now was the time to tell the others about what Flor del Dragon had told her, but decided against it. Even though nopony was saying anything, she thought she could feel an air of companionship with a sense of longing, uncertainty and a trace of despair. Unsure what to make of the feelings she was picking up on from her friends, she decided to lay her head down and go to sleep, to spare them the anguish she had experienced only prior. Soon, the three of them were off to sleep.
"FUEGO!!"
A voice shouted out from outside the guest house, waking the inhabitants inside.
"Hum...Whuh...What the heck time is it...?" Donald asked, looking at the clock on his table. "Wak! 3:00 AM!!? What the heck's somebody doin' up at this hour!?"
"It's a farm, Don. Folks tend to get up mighty early on 'em," Applejack explained, noticeably more alert than Donald.
"But, if it's only 3:00, why is it so light out there?" Fluttershy wondered.
Suddenly, they all smelled a familiar scent. An acrid aroma that made their respective hair and feathers stand on end. Donald realized what the voice outside had yelled, and nearly lost all color.
The sound of hooves rapidly approached from outside, and the door of the guest house was thrown open by a turquoise llama.
"You need to get out of here!" the llama said.
"What!? Wait: aren't you the sheriff's translator?" Donald asked.
"Yes! You need to get out of here now!!! There's a fire in the orchard, and it's spreading this way!! Go!!"
That was all they needed to hear. The three of them followed the llama out into the open, where they saw Paya's family bravely fighting back the flames. One of Paya's cousins ran to a nearby pump and attached a hose. Her uncle and two of her sisters reached for a massive lever and pulled it down as hard as they could, while two other relatives aimed the hose at the orchard, unleashing a torrent of water to abate the flames.
Suddenly, a great wind blew that fanned the flames forward, undoing almost all the work the llamas had done to save their crops.
Further away, Applejack saw something on a hill. Another flame lit. A much smaller flame that seemed to float in the air. By the light of the small flame, she thought she could make out two shapes. One tall and skinny, the other squat and stout.
"I like this idea you had, puppy dog! I like it a lot!" the sheriff said, as he tossed a lit torch into the orchard.
"Ya see? Just by causin' a little bit o' trouble, we're gonna get these llamas outta here! Gah-ha-ha-ha!!!" Big Bad said, before he huffed, and puffed, and blew the flames across the orchard.
"When we're done here, I'm makin' you my deputy!" the sheriff said
"Do I get to wear a star?" Big Bad asked.
"You bet, fuzzy!"
"Gah-ha! An' mom said I'd never make anything of myself!"
Applejack could take it no more. Somepony had to do something about those two arsonists on the hill. And she was just the pony to do it. Bucking up her hooves, the farmpony ran headlong into the blaze toward the hill.
"Applejack! Stop!" Fluttershy called.
"You're gonna be cremated!!" Donald said.
Nothing they said could stop her. She was too far away to hear them. And even if she could, she would not have turned back anyway.
"Fluttershy: stay here and help the others. I'm gonna go get action mare," Donald said. He quickly ran before Fluttershy could protest, and stopped just before the orchard. "Aw nerts...I'm gonna be extra crispy by the time this is done..."
And with those last words, he charged into the inferno after his friend.