//------------------------------// // Back on my hooves // Story: Rainwater Martini // by Loyal //------------------------------// "Berry! Lunch's ready!" Hoisting the last basket up into the cart, Berry Punch swicked the sweat off of her brow with a hoof, inhaling the fresh, heady scent of grapes all around her. "Coming!" She called, trotting happily away from the morning's rough work. Four months had passed, and Berry hadn't had a single drop to drink, not to mention she was eating healthy, working hard, and slowly beginning her road to recovery. Losing the weight had been a boon for her, as it let her build herself back up. With three squares a day and all the hard work anypony could ask for, Berry was slowly gaining muscle tone, and a very alluring form. She caught sight of herself in the mirror that morning, and couldn't help but marvel at the pony she was slowly turning into. Her family walked that fine line between buff and overweight, usually sporting a healthy gut thanks to a little too much wine and great food. But ponies like her father, Harvest, were hulking masses of muscle and brawn. Even Big Macintosh, whom Berry saw at market every now and then, would be envious of her father. Her mother, on the opposite end of the spectrum, was a little rounded-out, but none less worse for the wear. She had a different sort of strength to her, a sort of determination that came from a lifetime of tending to family. Berry Punch came upon a blanket laid out with a picnic basket that appeared to be stuffed full of sandwiches, and a big bowl of salad already laid out. "Woah." She said, noting the veritable feast. "Not all of it's for you, fatty." Winter Wine teased, trotting up from the opposite side of the fields. She glowered at him as he picked a sandwich up and downed it in one bite. "Look who's talking, the master lush of them all." She followed suit, quickly snatching a second sandwich that he had been extending a hoof towards. He laughed and swatted at her, missing by a scant inch that she leaned away from. "Hey, you two, knock it off." Berry's little sister, Grapevine mumbled with a pitcher of iced tea held in her mouth. She spilled a little and muttered a word teenage fillies shouldn't be saying on a normal basis just yet. "Woah, hey, there little filly! Where'd you learn that word, huhn?" Berry Punch said with a teasing smile, swallowing a swig of iced tea and sandwich. Daffodils. her favorite. "Oh come ON, Berry, you've worked with daddy enough at market to know he's not the cleanest-mouthed pony in Equestria." Chuckling, she ruffled Grapevine's purple mane and pulled her little sister close to her side. Winter Wine was right... This is exactly what I needed. hard work, and family... They talked and laughed and ate, the three of them devouring the whole feast in short order. Taking a few minutes to stretch a full stomach, they lazed about for another five minutes or so, joking and talking about life in general. "Welp," Berry Punch stretched her legs, feeling the muscles ripple under her skin. "Best get back to it. See y'all at dinner." Oh no, I'm starting to talk a farmpony now... Soon enough and I'll be able to keep up with the Apples... Smiling to herself, she waved goodbye to her siblings and went back to the fields. The work was easy enough, really... Pick ripe grapes and toss them into the basket, load full baskets onto a nearby cart, prune dead vines and leave unripened grapes behind. Throughout the day, Harvest would come out and haul full carts back to the storage cellar, where their mother either jarred, mashed, or stored grapes according to what they needed done. When they were full up on storage space, they would go in to market, and make a financial windfall Their family held the largest grape farm west of Canterlot, and supplied wine, jam, preserves, and fresh grapes to Ponyville, Las Pegasus, Manehattan, and Trottingham. Ponyville just happened to be the closest of the four towns, so that's the one they went to market regularly in. About once or twice a year, though, they'd go to the other cities, and sell enough to get them through the rest of the year, and then some. All-in-all, it was a profitable business, and they lived comfortably, if far away from anywhere else. When Berry Punch was a filly, she asked her father why they lived and worked where they did, and why they weren't any closer to any other major cities. "You see, Berry." Her father had said, walking with her down the long rows of grape vines long ago. "Look how much darker the dirt is here..." Indeed, the earth seemed almost black, in comparison to elsewhere she had visited. Even over the hill, the dirt was brown and hard. But underneath her hooves, it was soft and a rich, almost blackish-brown. "Long, long ago, a glacier moved through this area, and behind it, it churned up alllll the earth, picked it up on it's underside... Hundreds of years passed as the glacier ground it's way down here, eventually melting away and leaving behind all the sediment it had picked up. This is where it stopped. This entire field in this valley is where that glacier made it's deposit, leaving behind a rich, thick soil that is ideal for growing grapes. West of Canterlot, the earth is more suitable for growing roots, trees, and other vegetables and tougher fruits. But here, in this one valley..." He swept a hoof out at all the surrounding latticework of grapes. "The soil, sunlight, and moisture are just right for growing the tender grape vines. Countless generations of our family have lived here. My Grandfather spent his life working here, and my father after him. So will I, Berry Punch. I've put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this work. Some day, you'll understand all about a labor of love." Those had been the words Berry Punch had, thankfully, never drank away. She worked harder than ever now, clearing out another whole row of grapes in a short hour. She loaded up the rest of her grapes into the cart, smiling when her father came lumbering out to haul the full thing away. "First of the day, eh?" He grunted gruffly, smiling as Berry Punch helped him hook up to the cart. "I'm hoping to get three today." She muttered, focusing on the girth strap around his massive stomach. "Easy, not too tight. One more notch. There ya go." He grunted, flexing against the cart. "Don't overdo yourself, Berry... It's a hot one today." Indeed it was... Early September, the temperatures still hadn't dropped enough to warrant a coat. In fact, they hadn't dropped at all... They were both lathered in sweat, and she probably stank of the rich, dark earth and musk. Sniffing the air, she caught a faint whiff of her father's scent, a heady sort of male scent. To her, it was the smell of her father, her papa, the colt she cared for the most. She nuzzled into his mane for a moment, inhaling the comforting scent as he draped a hoof over her shoulder. "Thank you," She muttered softly. "It's just a hug." He shrugged. "Not that... For everything... I... It seems hollow now, but I'm sorry for the whole hospital thing." The mood turned somber as her father awkwardly patted her shoulder. "R-right... Erm... Well... Your mother and I are just happy you're safe now. It's good to have you home, helping out with the harvest. When they brought you back three months ago, you looked like a skeleton. Had all of us worried. Good to see you're gettin' some meat on that rump." He swatted her flank and she yelped, rubbing the spot with a hurt look. Her father just chuckled and pulled the cart along. "Guess I don't know my own strength. Get back to it, Berry. Ain't gonna get three carts standin' around like that." She smiled and trotted back to where she had left off, setting baskets at intervals she knew they would be full at. It was nearing the end of the season, quite a few dead vines to prune, all the dry or drying vines would be hauled away at the end of the season, and used for fires during the short, temperate winter. She set her mind to her work, and filled out the second cart by mid-afternoon. "Cuttin' it close, girlie." Her father teased her as he picked up the second cart. "Don't you worry. I'll have a third for you before sunset." Watching him drag the heavy load away, Berry set back to work, and oh how she worked. Muscles burning and sweat running down her in rivulets, she finished out her portion of the orchard, and had enough time to kick back with a small bundle of grapes for a snack. Harvest shook his head in disbelief as he hooked up the third and final cart. "A pony of her word. Just like your mother." They laughed and Berry walked back with him, amazed at how easily he seemed to haul the heavy cart. "Help me unload?" He asked, stopping inside the dark, musty storeroom. She nodded and set about to unloading baskets, feeling the burn and fatigue slowly come to a head. Finally, the last basket found it's way to the storeroom shelves, and they shared a moment of exhaustion and contented happiness. "I don't understand how you can do this every year, in and out, like it's nothing." Her father wiped a hoof across his brow, smiling as he plopped his haunches onto the ground. "Aww, this is just the hard part of the season. More ripe grapes to be harvested, and a lot more dead vines to prune. Early on, it's real easy work. Two, maybe three carts a day, plenty of time to relax and enjoy a glass on the patio. And all winter long we get to play in the snow. I uh... I hope you'll be around to help us finish out the harvest...?" The innocent question brought back a completely random, equally unwanted, memory. She kicked a hoof and thought for a few long moments. "It wasn't really my choice to come here in the first place... Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I did, and it's what I needed, but... I mean, will mama let me go?" She asked. Harvest drew his brow down, as it was his turn to think. "You let me worry about your mother, Berry. I'll see about getting you back to Ponyville in time for Nightmare Night." She gave a slight, sad nod and sat next to him, gently leaning against her father's heavy shoulder. "Hey," he said, nudging her, not enough to push her away, just enough to catch her attention. "That was the last of it for today. We'll relax tomorrow, take a weekend, so to speak." Today was Wednesday... And Berry hadn't had a day off since she was brought here. The thought of relaxing for a day seemed almost alien to her at this point. "Really?" She asked. Vague memories of a nearby lake with a rope swing came to mind, and she remembered a younger self with Winter Wine and Grapevine visiting the watering hole on hot days. "Sure. All that's left are the dead vines and covering the crops for the first freeze. You didn't leave any behind did you?" She thought for a few moments, remembering a cluster here or there that seemed to be not quite ripe yet. "A few, I think..." Her father smiled, seemed to well up with a bubbly sort of happiness. "That's good! Triple budders! They'll fall off during the autumn, seeds will fall and plant, and we'll have thicker vines next season... That's great news!" He threw a hoof over her back and pulled her close, laughing. She inhaled his comforting scent happily, smiling at his jovial, belly-rolling laughter. "What's so funny?" Her mother's voice greeted them as she strode around a corner, looking as beautiful as ever. While her father was massive and white, accounting for the male side of the family's lighter coat colors, her mother was the deep, accentuated purple the females got their manes from. Slightly less rounded and beginning to show the signs of age, her mother was nevertheless beautiful. Harvest guffawed and stood up, going to kiss his wife gently. "My beautiful Grapejuice, your daughter has just informed me we have triple budders in the crop this season." Berry smiled sheepishly, dusting her flank of as her mother smiled at her. "Really? In the Southeast vineyard? That's great news! I'll have to ask Winter if the Southwest has the same... Grapevine, too..." She smiled and nuzzled Berry Punch's mane, filling her with a sort of warm, appreciative feeling... "Probably because of all the hard work you've put into it." She smiled and cupped Berry Punch's cheek with her hoof, beaming at her daughter. "I'm proud of you, Berry Punch. You've really managed to turn it around. That, and your help has been invaluable around here. Go on, go shower up and get ready for dinner. Your father and I have a surprise for you." With a happy bounce to her step, Berry Punch went back to the upstairs bathroom she and Grapevine shared between their rooms, taking a quick shower to rinse off and smooth out her mane. She teased the curls back into the purple hair in the mirror, wondering what the surprise was her parents had in store for her. Making her way back down to the dining room, she saw the table laid out in the usual spread, her mother working hard through the day to prepare the meal for the family of five. They took their seats, Harvest looking around as they pressed hooves together and said their graces. "We thank Celestia for the sun that lets our grapes grow, we thank Luna for the cool night that nurtures our vines, we thank our friends for keeping us strong, and our family for keeping our hearts warm throughout our days. Amen." The last word echoed as all five repeated it, taking a moment with closed eyes before setting in on the food. "So, Berry! Turns out you weren't completely worthless after all. Mama tells me the southeast vineyard has triple buds." Winter Wine teased, nudging her with an elbow as he shoveled peas onto his plate. "Really?! No way! I thought I saw some, but I put them in with the others..." Grapevine admitted with a slight flush, her young eyes wide. Her mother leaned over, smiling as she spoke. "Remember, my little grape, younger grapes are not quite grown yet. Better to leave them on the vine if you aren't sure. But I can pick them out in the morning. Don't worry. It's been a while since we started a cask of bitter, right Winter?" She asked, looking over at Berry's brother, stuffing his mouth with a roll. "Hmm hm!" He swallowed with a breath. "Yeah, I don't think I started one since... Shoot, about five years ago." His face screwed up with concentration. "Not a fan of bitter... I like a deep Red... Speaking of which, shall I, father?" Harvest looked up from his own half-empty plate. "That's right, I nearly forgot. Go ahead, Winter." He set his utensils down with a wide smile at Berry Punch, who seemed to be getting smiles from everyone at the table. "What?" She asked, a spoonful of peas halfway to her still-open mouth. "You'll see..." Harvest teased, slipping away and into the kitchen. He returned, carefully balancing five wine glasses. Five? There were five of them there... They didn't mean... No... "Aah, cherie'!" White Wine came back to the dining room, producing a beautiful bottle with a flourish. "Grape Reserves, circa 6433... This wine is nearly eight hundred years old." He said, gingerly working at popping the cork. Berry Punch felt that familiar tightness return to her chest as the cork gave way with a soft pop, the first acrid scent of alcohol hitting her nose even from this distance. "Oh my, might I?" Harvest asked, inhaling as Winter waved the bottle underneath his nose. "Oh my Celestia... That's an awfully heady scent... Give it time to breathe, now..." He cautioned. "Come now, father. I am the connoisseur here. But this may be a little too much for Grapevine to handle." He glanced at his mother, almost asking permission. Grapejuice turned her gaze at the teenage filly, who seemed to be squirming excitedly. "A small glass." She conceeded with a nod and a wink, noting Grapevine's happy smile with one of her own. "None for me." Berry Punch stood from the table, her chair clattering across the floor. "Berry, are you sure?" Harvest asked, swirling his own glass. "We brought the reserve just for you..." "I said no thanks!" Stomping off, Berry left the table, her stomach suddenly feeling sickeningly full. "Berry!" Her mother called after her, but was responded to with the sound of a door shutting. Throwing the lock, Berry collapsed on the bed, choking on a sob and the sour taste that were both tight in the back of her throat. Sniffling and whimpering, she tried to calm her stomach, breathing deep and shaky. Unable to hold back, she rushed in to the toilet and upended, losing what she had eaten for dinner and the grapes form earlier. Shaking, with a sour taste in her mouth, she washed her face and brushed teeth before returning to her room. The hell is wrong with me? She thought, clutching her pillow in her forelegs, quivering atop her covers. A soft knock came at her door, but she ignored it. The windows darkened, her eyes drooped, and no one knocked again... --------------------------------------- The crow of a rooster roused her in the morning, soft, warm light filling the bedroom. She groaned and rolled over, not wanting to move, feeling a headache from the tears and the forcibly emptied stomach. She knew they were taking an off day, so she didn't feel bad about oversleeping. Laying there, basking in the shafts of warm sunlight, she could have spent the day enjoying the warmth and relaxing, but another soft knock caused her to look at the door. "Come in," She said softly, but cursed when the handle rattled against the lock. "Hang on!" Getting up, she threw the bolt and opened the door to Grapevine's smile. "Heya sis! We're goin' swimming. Aren't you gonna come with?" She nearly refused. But her happy little sister made her smile and shake her head. "Ugh, fine... I need something to eat before we go." She groaned, ruffling the happy filly's mane before following her downstairs to the dining room. Harvest sat at the head with the newspaper, and glanced up at them with a smile. "G'mornin', girls." He muttered, slightly frumpy. Even farmponies deserved to sleep in now and then, Berry supposed. "Don't eat too much, your mother's packing a lunch fit for Celestia herself." He flicked the paper, going back to reading. Nopony had mentioned last night yet... Her outburst, leaving the table unceremoniously... Thankful for the small things, Berry took her seat and bit into toast with butter and grape jelly before ladling oatmeal into a bowl with some sugar and honey. She ate light, not wanting to unsettle her queasy stomach, and smiled as Winter ruffled her mane in passing. "Mornin, pop." He said to his father, taking his seat as his father's right. "Are you gonna join us, mom?" Berry Punch looked up in fear as her mother walked in, sipping at a glass of tea as she took her own seat. "Perhaps later, I do have my own work to do, you know." She teased, winking at Berry Punch. Relieved her mother wasn't angry with her behavior last night. They finished up and even helped their mother clean up before getting ready to go. Towels and lunches were tossed in the back of a cart as Harvest began hooking up. "Wow, really?!" Grapevine smiled at the thought of getting pulled along. "I almost NEVER get to ride in the cart anymore!" "Come on, then." Harvest grunted, tightening his own girth strap. "Just like when y'all were fillies. Oof, sheesh, Wine, take it easy on those cheeseballs, ya lardass." He grunted as Winter Wine clambered up into the cart. "Oh cut it out, ya old nag. Hya!" He swatted Harvest's wide flank, and got a bone-rattling buck in return. Wheezing, clutching his chest, and glowering at the laughs from the other three, they all set off for the swimming pond. Grapevine laughed with glee every bump they went over, and every hill they picked up speed down. Berry Punch and Winter Wine enjoyed the rolling views of the vineyard as they left the farm behind, made it out to the lake. Giggling with childlike delight, her younger sister bounded off to the lake, jumping off the shore into the cool, clear water in an unceremonious belly flop. Caught in the moment, Berry followed after with a slightly larger splash. "Bah! Fillies, both of ya! Lemme show you how a pro does it!" Winter Wine took a running start and tucked into a cannonball right next to the two laughing, splashing sisters. None of them were prepared for what came next. With a bellowing cry, Harvest leapt high into the air and leaned back into a picturesque can-opener. Water crashed, filling face and mouth, and Berry Punch caught a brief glimpse of Grapevine flying through the air, landing in the water almost ten feet away. "Holy crap, you just threw Grapevine!" She cried out, thrashing through the water towards where she saw her sister land. The giggling teenage filly surfaced before she could get there, grinning from ear to ear. "That was FUN! Do it again!" --------------------------------------- "Hey, you doin' alright?" Harvest asked, sitting next to Berry Punch as they watched Grapevine and Winter Wine splash eachother gleefully. She gave a slight nod, swallowing the bite of her sandwich from the lunch basket. "Yeah... I'm sorry about last night, I guess I'm just scared, is all." She muttered, flushing from embarrassment. She got a hoof rubbed into her mane in return, making her laugh and push him away. "A glass won't hurt you, Berry." Her father said, settling into his lecture mode that all parents seemed to have mastered. "You gotta learn to take things in moderation, is all... A glass of wine with dinner, a few beers with friends at the bar, those are all fine. But you can't drink alone, you shouldn't drink on an empty stomach, and I get the feeling you won't drink when you're already drunk." She nodded at his words, feeling less like a scolded child than a student getting a very valuable lesson from a respected teacher. "I suppose I could try a glass tonight..." She muttered. "You can try a glass in your home in Ponyville." She looked up at him with big eyes, her heart suddenly fluttering in her chest. "R-really?" "Your mother and I talked about it last night. Despite your outbreak, you've come a very long way, Berry. We're both proud of the changes you've made in the past four months, and your help has been invaluable. If you feel ready to return to Ponyville, we aren't going to stop you. But we would love to have you around to finish out the harvest..." She squealed and threw her arms around his massive shoulders, kissing him from excitement. Unable to hold back anymore, she got to her hooves and danced around a little, filled with a sort of girlish delight, both from the praise and the prospect of returning home. Unable to contain it, she galloped full-speed into the water and cannon-balled right inbetween her brother and sister, who laughed and splashed her in return. Back on the shore, Harvest rubbed his lips with a slight blush, watching his happy son and daughters play in the water. "I sure am a lucky father..." -------------------------------------- Berry sighed as she stepped into her old home, feeling like the return was something she had been missing for the longest time. She shuffled through the mail, deposited her bags, and settled down to read a few letters, mostly from market ponies who had missed her through the grape season. There was one, though, from Carrot Top. Berry, I've been missing you a lot lately... Market really isn't the same without you to go grab a few drinks with on Sunday night. I just wanted to let you know I'll be waiting for you to get back, if you get back... I really think we need to have a talk, about our friendship, about us... Call me when you get back? -Carrot Top Short and sweet... Wondering what Carrot Top wanted to talk about, she dialed the number, listened to the phone ring. "Mff... 'lo?" "Hey, Carrot Top, it's Berry..." She said softly. Forgetting she had arrived late that night, Berry cursed herself for waking her friend. "Oh... Heeyyy..." The tired earth pony groaned into the phone, inhaling through her nose. "Good to hear from you again..." "Yeah, tell me about it... Listen, I'm sorry I woke you, i just figured you'd want to know I'm back..." "No, don't worry about it... It's good to hear from you again. I got market tomorrow, though... Can I call you when I'm free?" Berry nodded into the phone, Why couldn't she buck that habit? "Yeah, of course. I'll probably just be catching up again, cleaning house, unpacking, you know... I'll talk to you then?" "For sure. G'night Berry..." Carrot top groaned. "'Night." They hung up. She still hadn't got an answer from her friend about the short letter... Sighing, Berry Punch decided to leave it until the next day, when Carrot Top wasn't sleeping. She went to bed herself, stretching out on the cool sheets with an appreciative sigh of comfort. ---------------------------------------- "Heya!" Carrot Top wrapped her hooves around Berry Punch's neck, kissing her friend on the cheek. "Wow, look at you! Lookin' sexy!" She teased, swatting Berry's flank with a laugh. She got a nip on the neck in return, laughing all the while. "I guess some good ol' farm work was just what you needed, huhn? Feeling better?" Berry invited her inside with a smile. "So much better... I have to thank my family for helping me out so much. And you, too... If you hadn't found me that night, I'd probably not be here..." She muttered with a slight flush. "Just glad you're okay, Berry. And looking none too worse for the wear! You lost weight, trimmed up, and... Wow, you look incredible!" Flicking her tail, Berry Punch grinned and did a turn for her friend. It was Sunday, but the bar was the last place Berry felt like going. Settling for some company at home, Carrot Top was more than happy to oblige with a visit. "Why thank you, m'dear. Glad you like what you see. Hey, I meant to ask..." She trotted to the kitchen table and laid a hoof on the note, looking back as her friend followed her. "What'd you mean when you said we had to talk?" Now it was Carrot Top's turn to flush. "Well... It's... It's about us." "I gathered that much." "And... What happened." "Okay." "And how I feel." "Go on," "About you. "Wait..." "About how... I don't want to lose you..." "Carrot To-" She was cut off with a hoof to her lips, her blushing friend fighting with the next words... No, not from you, not from my friend... Please, anypony but you. "I..." Carrot Top leaned a little closer, still afraid to look her in the eye. "I love you..." ------------------- Notes from the Author ------------------- I understand this is supposed to be a Berry Punch x Raindrops ship, and it still is. Trust me, I have a plan for this new development. There are two chapters left, at least, before this story is done. With a possible epilogue. Still much to look forward too! I made a slight edit to this chapter, but I think I might have missed it... Berry's mother has been named "Grapejuice" and her little sister is named "Grapevine." I had originally typed both of this in as two seperate words... (Grape Juice, Grape Vine.) Obviously they work better when put together. If you spot one that's different, please let me know? I've been over it twice, but I get the nagging feeling I missed one somewhere... Keep an eye out for the next chapter, "Hair of the Dog" in the next few days! ^.-