//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 - Day 10 // Story: Speak From the Heart // by Halp //------------------------------// You woke up the next morning to the sound of knocking coming from the front door of the cottage. Initially you ignored it, sleepily thinking it was a figment of a dream, but was roused from your momentary doze when it came again with gusto.  Fluttershy also stirred next to you, letting out a long, squeaky yawn. “The sun’s not up yet, but I swear I heard knocking on the door. Did you hear it too, Anon?” You hummed in agreement and gave her a gentle on the head before getting up, palming your pouch of cards as you exited the room. Who would be at the cottage at such an early hour? You inspected yourself briefly before opening the door, hoping you would look reasonably presentable for someone who had woken up less than sixty seconds prior. Apple Bloom was waiting for you on the front step, eagerly bouncing in place and looking up at you with bright, wide eyes. "G'morning, Anon! Are you ready to get started?" she bubbled. You clumsily pulled a few cards out of your pouch and presented them to her with a yawn. [It's early.] “Only about 5:30 in the morning!” [It’s very early.] "That's what Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle said!" Apple Bloom whined, stomping her hoof in disappointment. "I was hoping somepony like you would be an early riser, but I guess I was wrong." You ignored her condescending tone and covered your mouth as you yawned again in response. "Who is it, Anon?" you heard Fluttershy ask sleepily, peeking her head down from the stairs behind you. "It's me, Fluttershy! I came here as fast as I could to pick up Anon so he could help work on the clubhouse today!" Apple Bloom affirmed. "Don't you think it's a bit…  early to do that? You've got him all day, after all.” "I know, but I was thinking we could get started now and have free time later on in the day to do...." Apple Bloom lowered her head as she spoke, tugging on the thickest of your heart strings. You felt obligated to try and reassure her, while still giving yourself an opportunity to get a decent night's sleep. [We'll work fast.] You took a moment to swap out the cards in your hands once she had read over them. [But I need to sleep first.] "I understand," she replied, still visibly disheartened. "I'll leave you all alone." "Don't worry, I'll make sure Anon is at Sweet Apple Acres once he's finished plenty of rest." “You promise?” “We promise. Right, Anon?” You nodded dutifully and put your hand over your heart. Without another word, Apple Bloom strolled away from the door towards Sweet Apple Acres, looking pitiful. Her downcast mood hurt your heart, but you knew that in just a few hours, it wouldn't be a problem; she would be happy to have your help, and you'd be glad to lend a hand. You shut the door and made your way back upstairs, plopping down onto the still warm sheets before Fluttershy stepped inside. "She really seems excited to get started," Fluttershy commented, sliding back into bed next to you. "You'll probably have your hands full. The Cutie Mark Crusaders can certainly be a rambunctious bunch, but they mean the best." You hummed in agreement. Within a few minutes, you slipped back into a light rest, which was inevitably interrupted by rays of sunshine peeking over the horizon. Fluttershy made a large breakfast--oatmeal and sliced apples for you, a fruit salad for her--and promptly sent you off to the Apple family farm to get started with your day. You barely recalled how to get there through the thick patch of forest that Applejack had led you through the first time, but with Fluttershy's guidance echoing in your mind as you travelled, you eventually spotted the farmhouse and the nearly-barren trees of their numerous orchards. You could hear the oddly satisfying sound of hooves against cracking bark in the distance. Applejack was probably busy, and so you walked across the plowed fields towards the farmhouse. You saw Apple Bloom and her bright pink bow from afar, bouncing as she spoke with two other fillies on the porch outside. She greeted you by sprinting up to you and essentially wrapping herself around one of your legs, and you chuckled as you playfully tried shaking her off. "Thank Celestia, I was startin' to think you'd NEVER come!" she squealed, clearly happy to see you. One of her friends, an orange pegasus with tiny wings, snickered and stepped towards you. "Wow, Apple Bloom, you weren't kidding- he really IS strange-looking." You exchanged looks with the pegasus for a moment, wondering just how much Apple Bloom had spoken about you. She stuck her tongue out at you playfully, to which you responded in kind. "Hey, that's rude! Even if he is strange-looking, he can still understand us, remember?" blurted out the white unicorn next to her. For some reason, the unicorn filly looked oddly familiar to you, even though you'd never met before. Perhaps you'd seen her in town. Moving on, you reached for your pouch and started arranging your greetings. [Good morning. It's nice to meet you.] "Good morning! Are you ready to get to work?" Apple Bloom greeted, raising her hoof into the air. Her two friends also raised their hooves up with wide smiles. "I'm Scootaloo, by the way," piped up the orange pegasus. "Your name is Anon, right?" You nodded, and reached out your hand to shake her hoof. "I'm Sweetie Belle! You already met my sister, Rarity. She said you were a nice gentlecolt." The little unicorn's comment made you smile, and you shook her hoof as well. Apple Bloom cleared her throat, and jumped down off of the porch. "Alright! Now that we're all acquainted and whatnot, it's time to get started!" she announced. "We're gonna start first by having Anon here clear off the broken tree branches off the roof of the clubhouse, while us three clean up what's left on the ground." The list of tasks Apple Bloom grew ever longer by the minute, and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle started to look at one another troublingly as she continued. Eventually, you raised your hand to interrupt her. [Is all of this really necessary?] "What do you mean, Anon?" [I mean polishing the floors and such.] "That part's important! We need to deal with the splinters we keep getting from the floorboards!" [And repatching curtains?] “Do we look like we’re made of bits?” [Why don't you take me there, and I can help figure things out?] You moved on to laying cards in the dirt, hoping the wind wouldn't come and blow them away mid-sentence. "He's got a point, Apple Bloom. Sure, we've got a lot to do, but we don't need to do it all at once," Sweetie Belle agreed. "Let's just take a look again. You've been busy all week, and we haven't gotten a chance to meet up together at the clubhouse since Applebuck season started up." Scootaloo added. Apple Bloom rubbed her chin as she thought, and eventually nodded in agreement. The three fillies led you across the farm beyond the bare apple trees to a seemingly random, hilly area, and revealed a clearing that contained the clubhouse. You were shocked at how homely it looked, and how well-supported it was in the tree- it practically stood with all of the tree's weight underneath it, and looked very sturdy. Broken branches littered the area around it, and covered the salmon-pink roof that was definitely missing the shingles Apple Bloom had mentioned the last time you were on the farm. "Yeesh. It really has been a while since we came out here. But we're here now, at least!" Scootaloo dashed up to the base of the tree, and immediately started picking up and tossing branches away into a pile. Sweetie Belle joined her efforts, picking up bundles of them with her magic and throwing them into the same pile. Apple Bloom turned to you and grinned. "See? It's not so hard! Besides, you can reach up onto the top of the clubhouse better than we can." You couldn't argue with that logic. You hesitantly stepped up the stairway to the clubhouse, hoping it could support your weight, and stepped up on the tips of your toes to see over the roof. Your arms were barely long enough to reach over and start collecting the branches scattered over it; it would be better if you could climb up, but falling through the roof would certainly put a damper on your efforts to repair it. "Well, come on! If you're worried about not being able to get up there, it'll keep you up, I promise!" Apple Bloom piped up proudly. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders take pride in our work... when it's not being destroyed by squirrels, that is." Semi-confident in her reassurance, you gripped the edge of the roof and pulled yourself up and over with some effort. You then crossed your legs and started tossing sticks, branches, and leaves off of the roof down to the ground below, careful not to hit any of the fillies working underneath you. You also took the liberty of clearing up the mess of broken shingles left behind from the impacts of branches, and piled them on the deck of the clubhouse. "That's lookin' pretty good, Anon!" you heard Apple Bloom call out. She was standing thirty or so feet away from the clubhouse, observing the work you'd finished so far. "You got that cleared up a lot faster than we could have!" You heard snickers from below you coming from Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who quickly returned to their work when they saw you look down towards them. You had a distinct feeling they were conspiring against you, or at the very least keeping something secret from you. They were, of course, children, so you imagined whatever it was, it wasn't worth worrying over. You instead flung one leg over the peak of the clubhouse roof and climbed over to the opposite side, careful not to get stuck in the tree branches that had started growing onto it. You could tell these branches were fairly new, judging by the circular bumps at their bases; these branches had been roughly pruned back once before. The Cutie Mark Crusaders hadn't brought any tools with them so far, so you made do with what you had- you swiftly brought the edge of your flattened hand down onto the branches and cut them away. It was considerably more difficult than the tree you had cut apart at Fluttershy's cottage, since the branches were young, alive, and very sturdy for their small size. The better part of an hour passed while the four of you worked, focused and intent on finishing quickly, before the three of them started to tire. You weren't exactly sore or exhausted, but a chance for a break to let your arms rest sounded like a good idea. You hopped down off of the roof and steadied yourself as the tree shook slightly under the force of your landing. "So what are we gonna do during our break, Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo asked, huffing and panting. "I thought we might start cleaning up the inside of the clubhouse." "Wait, seriously? I thought you were wanting to take a break!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle in frustration. "It IS a break! From working outside, at least." [A real break sounds nice, though.] Apple Bloom sighed as she read your cards, and you gave her a gentle pat on the head. "I know, I just want to get all this stuff done as soon as possible," she explained, swinging her hoof in the grass idly. [Why is that? You've been working all week.] Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo walked up to the clubhouse to see what you were talking about. "That's a good question," Sweetie Belle added, tipping her head to the side. "You came to our houses super early today, wanting to get started before the sun even came up. What's going on?" "Well, you see... I was sorta hopin' that Anon here would be able to help out, and then after that..." "He would stay?" Scootaloo remarked, finishing her sentence. The yellow filly nodded and hung her head in guilt, almost making you laugh. It was pretty cute, and it was hard to keep a straight face as you put more cards down onto the deck. [You could have just asked. I'm not doing anything else today.] Instantly, Apple Bloom jumped up with a bright smile. "Really? You mean you'll play with us after we're done?" [So long as these two are okay with it, sure.] You glanced at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, who were watching Apple Bloom with a mix of surprise and amusement. "Yeah, we're fine with you hanging out with us, but on one condition," Scootaloo commented with a devilish smile that made yours drop. "Yup! There's only one way that we'll let you hang out with us," Sweetie Belle added, exchanging looks with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, the latter of whom caught on to whatever plans they were implying. You smiled nervously, wondering what they had in store for you. [And that would be?] "Join the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" all three of them shouted gleefully. It took a few moments for you to register what they had said, and you wiped imaginary sweat off of your brow, grateful that was all they had in mind. You gave them a short nod of approval, which prompted them to huddle together and start whispering amongst themselves. "Alright, come inside with us, then. There's some stuff we have to talk about, first," Apple Bloom announced, opening the door to the clubhouse. All four of you walked inside, and you had to duck to avoid hitting your head on the way through the doorway. The interior of the clubhouse was surprisingly neat, save for a fine layer of dust on the floor and a few pieces of furniture- a table and a few chairs scattered around it. Across the walls were many marker and crayon drawings: maps of places in Ponyville (and a few that weren't), plans on various, clearly elaborate tasks to help other ponies get their cutie marks, and more to-do lists than you imagined such young fillies ever needing. One such list read “New CMC Membership,” which was, to your dismay, longer than any other on the wall. "Do you swear to uphold the Cutie Mark Crusader code, and to the best of your abilities help each and every colt and filly you find?" You’d lost track of time listening to the three of them read off the massive code they had developed, and sat patiently with your chin in one palm and cards in the other. [I guess.] "Don't be so wishy-washy!" Scootaloo insisted. "We might only be fillies, but we're very serious about helping anypony we can, and anypony who comes to us for help." Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both matched her intensity as they watched you, and you nodded with faux confidence. You weren't entirely certain that any residents would immediately come to you for help just because you bore the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ emblem, but you humored the fillies anyway. "If that's the case, then put your, uh, hoof?" Sweetie Belle began, looking at your hands with mild confusion. [Hand.] "'Hand.' Put your hand over your heart. You can't speak, but just think with us, then." “Hello? Are y’all in there?” Outside, you all heard Applejack calling from below the clubhouse. Applebloom rushed to the window and hefted it open. “We’re here! We were just indoctrinatin’ Anon into the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Apple Bloom shouted back. “You’re doin’ what to him?” “He’s with us, now!” You heard an amused snort come from the farm pony and stepped towards the window, hunched over to look outside. “They’re not botherin’ you none, are they Anon? I came mostly to make sure you were alright,” she joked. You shook your head and smiled warmly. “Well, I’d like to talk to you alone for a bit, if you don’t mind.” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo let out a childish ‘ooOOOooo,’ followed by giggles as you walked out the door and down to Applejack, who guided you towards the farm. Once you were both out of earshot, she nudged you behind a tree and looked you in the eyes with a concerned smile. “Tell me somethin,’ and I know you can with those cards of yours,” she began, poking at your pouch. “Why did you come out here to help my sister and her friends?” [I agreed to help them.] It seemed like a simple enough question to answer. “I get that, but what’s in it for you? They’re just fillies, there don’t seem to be much reason to help ‘em, when you’ve got more important business to worry about.” She made a pretty valid point. It wasn't like you had anything else to do besides loafing around at the cottage when you weren't busy helping Fluttershy with chores. [I wanted to be nice.] “Uh-huh.” You could tell by her expression that she still doubted your intentions. It was understandable- you’d be protective of your sibling too, if an alien fresh from another world started wanting to hang around them. [I didn’t have much else to do, and she’s happy for it.] Applejack locked eyes with you for several seconds, gauging your response. "Makes sense, I guess. For what it's worth, I appreciate your help," Applejack acknowledged, nodding towards the clubhouse. "Apple Bloom's been workin' her tail off all week to make time for today, more than I’ve ever seen ‘round Applebuck season. Her cutie mark might not be in carpentry, but she sure does love fixin' that clubhouse up." Applejack continued staring off at the clubhouse as the three fillies inside could be heard excitedly arguing about their next plan of action. You, in turn, looked behind her towards the farm, noticing that there were still plenty of apple buckets left at the bases of the trees in the distance. You snapped your fingers to grab her attention, and pointed towards the orchards. "Hm? You need something?" [Do you need help with the trees?] Applejack's nose scrunched as she read your offer, and she looked away from you, half-embarrassed. "I mean, there's still plenty of work that needs to be done, and I wouldn't ask Apple Bloom to take on carrying that much," she admitted, glancing at the orchards woefully. "I won't lie, we sure could use a pair of hooves--or ten--to help out with the harvest this year." [Just point me in the right direction.] You gave Applejack a confident grin and pointed with your thumb towards the farmhouse. "Are you sure? The first time you came by to help out was to repay a debt, you're not obligated to keep workin' for us, now," Applejack questioned, looking you up and down with genuine concern. You nodded curtly, and walked back towards the clubhouse to inform Apple Bloom. When you peeked your head in through the door, you were greeted by a cacophony of high-pitched voices. "Hey Anon! What do you think of-" "No, wait, listen to this!" "Anon, I've got a great idea for-" You held up your hands in an attempt to quiet the three fillies and waited patiently for them to get the message. You pointed first to Scootaloo, who was closest to you. "I had this awesome idea for helping pegasi who can't fly well, like me. Wanna hear it?" she asked. You shrugged and nodded, curious. "You're strong, right? What if you tried throwing us?" You immediately held up both arms in front of your chest in a large X-gesture with a serious expression of refusal; there was no way you were going to be responsible for some child's injury because they literally asked you to throw them, in an attempt to help them fly. There wasn't any amount of begging that would convince you otherwise. "I told you he wasn't gonna be up for it," Apple Bloom chided. "Besides, the catapult didn't work last time, what makes you think that getting thrown would?" "I wanted to see if he was stronger than that old thing! We all know it wasn't that great." As Apple Bloom and Scootaloo continued to bicker, you pointed to Sweetie Belle, who hopped in place giddily. "So I was wondering, if you *could* get a cutie mark, what kind would you want?" Sweetie Belle asked, raising an eyebrow. You hadn't actually thought about it, to be honest; without memory of what you used to do, it was hard to consider what you were particularly good at. Sure, you had your strength, and you were more or less resourceful when you needed to be, but those weren't exactly talents. You enjoyed working with tools- maybe Applejack's comment regarding carpentry would be nice. You pulled out your whiteboard and quickly scribbled down a few planks of wood, as well as a hand saw and hammer with nails. "You want to build stuff?" Sweetie inquired, rubbing her chin. You shrugged again, and wiped away the drawing with the back of your hand. There was always that position Rarity had offered to you, where she had planned to teach you how to make your own clothing. If you were any good at it, perhaps tailoring would be your 'destined' profession. You drew out a spool of thread, needle, and your best attempt at a half-wound bolt of fabric. "Ooh, that's right, Rarity told me she was going to help you learn how to tailor! I'm pretty good at making clothes myself, you know," she added proudly. You nodded sagely, humoring the little unicorn as she started listing off her beginner experiences with Rarity. Once you were certain that Sweetie's inquiry had been satisfied, you turned to Apple Bloom and snapped your fingers to get her attention away from her ongoing debate with Scootaloo. "Right, sorry about that, Anon. I was gonna ask you what you wanted to do next, now that we're done cleaning up the place. Do you want to start with the paneling, or re-shingling the clubhouse?" You held up your hand to her with polite dismissal, and pointed outside with your thumb. [I'm going to help Applejack with the harvest.] Apple Bloom gasped loudly and puffed out her cheeks at you in frustration. "But you said you would help us! Why'd you change your mind?" she complained. Her frustration was justified, and it would be a good idea to try and explain the situation lightly. [There's a lot of work to be done.] You let her read the cards, and held up your hand again for a moment as you reached for more. [I'll be back when I'm done.] Apple Bloom seemed to calm down after reading your message, but she still sat down and turned away from you with a huff, clearly upset. "Wait, are you leaving already, Anon?" Scootaloo piped up, looking at you frustratedly. "We only started a little while ago, you're not done yet, are you?" "Of course not! He promised to help, didn't he?" Sweetie Belle countered. "No, he's gonna help my sister with Applebuck Season stuff," Apple Bloom huffed, a slight twinge of sadness in her voice. "He said he'll be back, though." The two other fillies exchanged glances and bolted to the door before you had a chance to stop them. They stared you down with scathing expressions of determination, and you thoughtlessly sat down on the couch on the opposite side of the room. "The first thing a Cutie Mark Crusader should learn is to commit to their promises, Anon," Scootaloo challenged. "Even if you say you're going to come back, wouldn't it be easier for you to finish your work with us first, and then go help Applejack and the others?" "Girls, hold on a minute," Apple Bloom interrupted. "Yeah, what Scoots said! You shouldn't bite off more than you can chew!" Sweetie Belle added triumphantly. "Hold on! Give Anon a break, okay?" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stopped their shouting at you and looked over towards Apple Bloom, who was watching you carefully. "He didn't break his promise, and I know for a fact that he's not overworking himself. I watched him heave that old plow in the fields as long as Big Mac can." She trotted up to you and patted your knee gently. "It's not a big deal, right? You're just helpin' out everypony out that you can, like normal?" she asked sweetly. For some reason, the little earth pony sounded a lot like Fluttershy to you, with her gentle tone and calm expression. "Fluttershy told us you can't help but help ponies, even if you don't know them that well. She said it's who you are." [When did she say that?] "Before you came to work with us on Sunday, when she came over to get those tools from us." You nodded your head slowly, the gears inside starting to click into place. It seemed that your reputation had already preceded you. Moreover, Apple Bloom was very understanding of the situation and your seemingly sudden change of heart, compared to her friends. You gave them a sidelong glance as they stepped forward from the door sheepishly. "I suppose that was a bit hasty of us, wasn't it?" Scootaloo admitted. "Yeah, sorry about that, Anon. We got the wrong idea," Sweetie Belle apologized. You reached over with both hands and gave their manes a gentle ruffle, accepting their apology. It was an honest judgement on their part, even if it was a mistake. You exchanged nods with Apple Bloom, and stood to head out the door, when you felt a gentle tug on the back of one of your pant legs. The yellow filly had promptly followed you to the door, and you could see her gripping to you with her teeth. She stepped back, and looked up at you with her trademark puppy-dog eyes and a pleading smile. "Would you mind if we came and watched, Anon? We're not exactly strong enough to carry much, but it's better than sitting out here and doing nothing." "We don't have to sit out here doing no-" Sweetie Belle quickly muffled Scootaloo's argument with a hoof and flashed you a brief grin, before whispering something you couldn't understand to the orange pegasus that quieted her down. You couldn't imagine why not, and gestured for Apple bloom and her friends to follow you as you stepped out the door. You held it open for them, and watched them race off towards the fence Applejack was waiting next to. "Wait, hold on just a second- are ALL of you comin' to help out?" Applejack blurt out as all four of you walked up to meet her. "Yup! Anon told us we could come watch while he carried stuff!" Scootaloo explained. "We're here to make sure he makes good on his promise to Apple Bloom!" Sweetie Belle giggled, nudging your calf playfully. Apple Bloom's ears folded back a bit as she kept whatever she originally had to say to herself. Applejack looked between her and you for a few seconds, and sighed. "Well, so long as you're not bein' a bother, I don't mind either. Just try to help out if you can, or make sure to stay clear if you can't, alright?" "Yes, ma'am!" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle replied politely. You chuckled as Applejack shook her head and led you all to the orchards. It didn't seem like she was accustomed to having their help often, but she did say she wanted multiple pairs of hooves, right? And your hands, of course. Applejack stopped at the nearest apple tree with four buckets beneath it, and turned towards you. "Normally we use a cart to carry these around, or even carry em on our backs, but this year's harvest has been a pain and a half to get cleared up," Applejack began, wiping her brow. "I don't mean to brag, but as strong as we farmponies are, even we've got limits. I reckon your help would be greatly appreciated, even if it's just a few buckets of apples here and there." You stepped forward and grabbed one bucket by its handles, and found it to be surprisingly light for its size. Of course, it was light to you, the mysterious other-worldly creature that could lift a whole iron plow. You shifted the bucket to only one hand and held it at your side, while reaching for a second with your now free hand. You had to hold the far handle of the buckets and prop them against your hips, but they were steady enough for you to walk around and carry. "Looks good to me. I'd have the cart here, but Big Mac's usin' it right now. I'll show you where to take those apples, and we'll get started." Applejack promptly walked in the direction of the barn, looking behind her to keep an eye on you and the three little ponies dogging your every step. "I bet you could carry a lot more than that," Sweetie Belle remarked. "You lifted up those buckets like they were nothing!" You nodded- they did have heft to them, but they were more awkward to carry around than they were heavy. "I bet if you had magic to help you carry them around, you could lift a whole ton of apples!" "It's too bad you don't have magic strong enough to help him carry them," Scootaloo teased, sticking out her tongue. "I'm working on it!" Sweetie Belle retorted, firing back with her own extended tongue. "Besides, my magic doesn't need to lift heavy stuff, it’s more precise and accurate that way." "Anon doesn't really need magic, though. He's fine carrying just a few. What matters is that he's helping," Apple Bloom interjected, apparently trying to sound as adult-like as she could. It was obvious enough to strike Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo as odd, judging by their confused faces. They whispered more to one another, eyeing you as you watched them in your peripheral. Moments later, you had arrived at the barn, and followed Applejack inside to one corner full of stacked baskets of apples. "You can set the baskets around here. Just be careful not to let the baskets slip into one underneath 'em, or you'll crush those apples somethin' awful," she instructed. You followed her guidance, and turned to one side to gently set down one basket, then the other. You inched them side-to-side to make sure they were lined up, and stood back to examine them one final time. "Good job. You can go back and start bringing back baskets from wherever you want. If you need me, just holler, or send one of these girls after me." With a wink, Applejack left the barn and trotted off towards the remaining apple trees. You walked off in another random direction to find more baskets of your own, and tuned out the conversation of the Cutie Mark Crusaders behind you. As with all children, boredom eventually sank in for the three fillies, and soon enough you were carrying not only baskets of apples at your sides, but also one pony for each shoulder and another atop your head. As you made another trip towards the barn, you wondered how they had ever convinced you this was a good idea; Scootaloo held onto your head loosely as she chatted your ears off, while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle spared your ears by riding along silently. A quick glance told you that Sweetie Belle was almost to the point of falling asleep, while Apple Bloom appeared to be spacing out, watching something off in the distance as you walked. You might have been plenty strong, but this certainly was an exercise in control, teaching you how to keep otherwise squirming, boredom-afflicted fillies balanced while carrying a heavy load. "What in tarnation- Anon, what are you doin'?" You heard Applejack cry out behind you, dumbstruck. "I'm not callin' you a pushover, but why on Celestia's green pastures are you carryin' those girls on your back for!?" Apple Bloom instinctively stiffened and gripped your shoulder tightly, and you could see her blushing out of the corner of your eye. You set down the buckets at your side and reached for your pouch with a calm smile. [I offered to carry them.] "Now what did you do that for? They can walk plenty fine by themselves." [They were tired.] You stifled a laugh as Applejack rubbed her forehead in mock frustration. "I suppose I can't say that's a bad idea, but you could have just left em at the farmhouse, you know? You don't need to cater to them none." You gave Applejack a curt nod and stuffed your cards away to sort later. You then stooped to pick up the baskets again, careful not to let the fillies slide off. The motion woke Sweetie Belle up, however, and you felt your chest tighten as she let out an adorable, squeaky yawn. "I didn't fall asleep, I was just concentrating," she fibbed cutely, looking towards you with a drowsy grin. To your surprise, you felt her lean her head towards your face and rub against it affectionately, almost making you drop the baskets you were preparing to stack up in the barn. Apple Bloom noticed the break in your concentration, and leaned forward to see what was going on past the other side of your neck. "What are you doin', Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom questioned, prompting Scootaloo to lean down and look as well. "What?" Sweetie Belle retorted, puffing out her cheeks defensively. "I'm asking why you're rubbin' all over Anon like some kinda cat or somethin'." "You're not jealous, are you?" Scootaloo joked, rubbing your forehead with her tiny hoof. "I'm sure Anon doesn't mind at all, does he?" You felt blood rush to your cheeks as you struggled to think of an appropriate answer. You still hadn't figured out this whole thing about rubbing and petting and whatnot with ponies, and the fact that it was troublesome with even kids bothered you more than it should have. "Now look at him! It looks like he minds plenty!" Apple Bloom argued turning very close to your face. You gently pushed her and Sweetie Belle back and held up your free hand in defense. Before they could continue, you scrambled for your pouch. [I didn't say that. But it's strange.] "What's strange about it?" Sweetie Belle asked innocently before rubbing your cheek again. "It's nice, isn't it?" "No, it's weird!" Apple Bloom protested, firmly slamming her hoof into your shoulder before realizing what she'd done. "Oops, sorry about that." You waved her concern off, unbothered by her strike. [It feels weird, yes. You're just kids, you shouldn't be doing that.] "We're not just kids, Anon," Scootaloo argued haughtily, leaning down and making her most mature-looking face possible. "We're young mares in the making!" "Besides, I didn't mean anything by it, silly," Sweetie agreed, prodding your cheek. "I was just trying to see if I could get a reaction out of Apple Bloom." "A reaction? What kind of reaction?" the yellow mare retorted. "That kind," Scootaloo laughed. [So touch is important to some ponies, then?] You held up the cards to Sweetie Belle, wondering if you'd get a different answer than from Fluttershy. Deep down, you felt strange trying to ask about that kind of topic with fillies like them, but you convinced yourself it was alright to try and get an otherwise unbiased opinion. "It depends, really. Some ponies like that kind of attention, and others don't. It's not really anything special," Sweetie Belle mused. She looked towards Apple Bloom with a sly grin. "SOME ponies REALLY like it, though." "What do you know, Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom shot back viciously. You could practically feel the fire coming from her eyes. “What makes you think I want that from Anon?” "You wouldn't stop talking about Anon all week! It's all we've heard about at school!" Scootaloo chimed in, leaning even farther forward. You felt her starting to lose her balance, and instinctively held out your hands to catch the little pegasus as she slid off of you, frantically waving her hooves in the air. Her sudden fall silenced all three of them, and she looked at you curiously, upside-down in your grasp as you walked out of the barn. You could feel Apple Bloom shaking as you placed Scootaloo back atop your head, and you reached over to gently place your hand on her head. She initially shirked away from your touch, but let her head lift to its normal position and into your palm after a few moments. "It's nothin' weird, okay?" Apple Bloom mumbled. "I just think you're really cool, and I was excited to have you come over again." She refused to look up at you, but you could tell by the way her eyes darted around that she was troubled. Deep down, you wondered what part of you, aside from being a completely alien creature, warranted such interest. [Why's that?] It was a simple question, one with what you hoped would be a simple answer. The filly continued to look around, searching in the air for an answer. "Because you are cool, duh!" Sweetie Belle interrupted, throwing her forelegs out in front of herself. "Who else wouldn't want to get to know you better?" Her blunt answer made you laugh for a moment. [You really think I'm cool?] "Of course! You might be just a human who showed up out of nowhere, but we've heard that you're really nice, and you always try to help ponies when you can," Scootaloo commented, righting herself on your head as she spoke. "You fit right in with the other cool ponies here, as far as we know." You glanced back to Apple Bloom, who nodded quickly in agreement. It almost looked like she was going to cry, but you couldn't figure out why. You thought back to Fluttershy, who was similarly sensitive to conversations like these. If what she'd said was true, then this situation with Apple Bloom was no different. [Thank you. I'm happy to help.] "We're happy to have you here to help," Apple Bloom added sweetly, rubbing her head against your cheek. The gesture made your heart swell, and you reached up to pull her and Sweetie Belle close in an awkward shoulder hug. "Hey, what about me?" Scootaloo joked. She tapped your head to get your attention, prompting you to reach up past Sweetie Belle and press the orange pegasus down to your skull with your palm. It was a tender, if not strange gesture, but you could tell that the tension in the air had lessened somewhat as a result. Still, you knew there was a bit more resolution to be had. You dropped your arms to your sides and cleared your throat, meeting the gazes of Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. After seeing you dart your eyes towards Apple Bloom multiple times, they seemed to understand what you were getting at. "Hey Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle began. "I'm sorry for trying to get under your skin earlier. I really didn't mean anything by it, I promise." "Same here," Scootaloo added. "It was only a joke." "It's alright. It got me to say what I've been wantin' to say, I guess." An awkward silence grew between you and the three fillies, prompting you to pick up the buckets beside you and continue your work. Said silence was slowly replaced by idle chatter over and across your head as they discussed schoolyard drama, homework, and Cutie Mark Crusader business. Another hour passed, and your aching legs had convinced you that you had found just about all of the apple buckets you possibly could- or could hope to, at least. You sat down to rest at the base of the barn, and lifted off the three fillies so that your neck and shoulders could take a break as well. You stretched out your sore muscles and tried to listen in as they whispered and debated amongst themselves before you. As loud as they could be at times, they were pretty talented at staying discrete as possible, when they wanted to. After a minute of deliberation or so, all three of them simultaneously turned towards you with concerned expressions. "How tired are you, Anon? And be honest," Apple Bloom addressed you, looking you dead in your eyes. "We don't want a repeat of last time, you hear?" "On a scale of one to ten," Sweetie Belle chimed in. you lifted your hands, and gauged how sore you were. It wasn't unbearable, but you certainly wanted a chance to rest for ten, maybe fifteen minutes before starting up any kind of work like that again. You held up one hand with all fingers extended, settling on a simple medium. "A five? After all that?" Scootaloo remarked, looking at the other two with worry. You shook your head defiantly. [I just need to rest for a bit. Then we can go back to work.] You carefully laid the cards in the dirt, not wanting to scratch them up too badly. "Are you sure?" Apple Bloom questioned, staring you down with concern. You faltered for only a moment, recalling your last visit. The last thing you wanted was to overwork yourself and have to take another one of those potions, or worse- suffer the consequences, if Applejack didn't have another. You sighed in defeat and shook your head. Apple Bloom hummed to herself before turning around to pull Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo into a huddle. You couldn't make out their hushed deliberations, so you closed your eyes and waited patiently for them to finish. "It's decided, then," Apple Bloom piped up, garnering your attention. "You go ahead and rest for today, Anon. We've talked it over, and we think that we can finish up working another day, just the three of us." "Don't feel bad though! As a member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, we'll make sure you have plenty more to do." You weren't really sure how to feel about Scootaloo's remark, but gave her a thumbs-up anyway. Sweetie Belle started to add something, but was interrupted by a flash of familiar purple light beside you. "There you are, Anon! I've got great news!" Twilight announced, before curiously looking at your surroundings. "What are you doing at Sweet Apple Acres?" [I've been helping these three.] You motioned towards the fillies in front of you with a wave of your hand. [What's going on?] "Princess Celestia's asked for an audience with you tomorrow." [Why?] You instinctively reached for your necklace, wondering what business Celestia would have with you. [She didn't seem very fond of me before.] "We can talk about it later, but first we need to get your belongings and get to Canterlot!" Twilight sounded unusually excited, as if she had been looking forward to the trip. She turned towards Apple Bloom and nodded her head with a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry I have to borrow him on such short notice- he shouldn't be gone for too long." "It's okay! We were finishing up work for today anyway- he's all yours!" You snorted derisively in response to their exchange, although you couldn't help but grin in amusement. [I'm not a piece of work equipment.] With a brief laugh, Twilight's horn began to glow. "Goodbye, girls!" Twilight called out as her magic enveloped you. "Bye!" All three of them chimed in unison. Your gaze met Apple Bloom's for a moment, and you nodded towards her with a wide smile, which she returned in kind. With that, your vision filled with bright, purple light as Twilight's spell teleported you away.