It was early Fall in Ponyville, with the last vestiges of Summer giving way to the cooler weather of Autumn, the leaves just beginning to turn from vibrant green to the glorious reds and golds of the season. Sour Grapes, Sirocco, and Earshot had traveled to Ponyville in order to do some pre-winter shopping, so they would have proper clothing for the coming season. The trio had made a day of it, enjoying all that the Ponyville Market had to offer. Lunch at Horsia’s, apple treats from the Apple Family cart, various grains, fruits and vegetables from around the square. Donuts for breakfast, tomorrow, came from Sugarcube Corner as well as desserts. Sirocco, being very number-aware, was very wise with her bits. Earshot on the other hoof... not as much. His Saddlebags bulged with impulse purchases based off of color or novelty, not that he COULDN'T afford it. He apparently hadn't spent very much of the cash he had earned as both a Storm-Rider as well in her employ, but there was more than once Grapes and Sirocco had to carefully remind the enthusiastic young colt that he probably didn't NEED a particular item. His favorite purchase happened to be brightly colored earmuffs, as the bright scarlet pair he currently wore bore a silent but obvious testament.
"I've never actually gone shopping like this before," Earshot chirped, pressing his face against the glass of the Quills and Sofas. "I've bought stuff but I've never actually gone out for a whole DAY for shopping. Ooh... those are Be-YOU-tiful pens! Grandma would love them!"
"Doing some early Hearth's Warming shopping, Earshot?" Grapes asked, chuckling.
"Yeah... well... when you told me that the nice stuff isn't expensive down here, I began thinking of making a parcel of things to send home. I know they'll love some of this... I wish I could send that sofa there to Grandma. It looks so comfortable compared to the one she uses, but delivery is the problem... We have to use the local pony express office and... they don't really like ‘Night Deliveries’ there, if you know what I mean."
"Yes. Yes I do... Considering what they do to you and yours, I'm not surprised. They probably don't want your people to know that there's a whole country out here, that MIGHT decide to trade with them," Grapes observed.
"Yeah. I like it here in Ponyville though. The people are so nice, even if they look at me a little funny it's a nice kinda funny... is that weird?" Earshot asked.
"More curious than mean, sorta?" Grapes inquired.
"Yeah. Especially the Cakes. They're really nice... They say they're used to ponies who are REALLY different."
Grapes looked around, chuckling, then grinned down at Earshot. "Be glad you've got those earmuffs on, squirt," she said.
"HIIIIEEE!" squealed a pink pony that seemed to just appear out of nowhere. "I'm Pinkie Pie! Who are you? Are you new? Wow, you look different. You MUST be new, 'cause I know everybody - and I do mean EVERYBODY - in Ponyville! I saw you, and your pals, a while back, and realized you were new, but I got so caught up with Featherweight’s Barnmitzvah, I forgot!"
The Night Pony blinked then laughed, his wings fluttering in surprise and glee. "Heya I'm Earshot! You’re Pinkie Pie? I've heard your voice ALL over Ponyville, nopony else sounds like you. You look a LOT like you sound! I mean I wasn't exactly sure what you look like from the way you sound but now that I see you I can say you sound like you look!"
"WOW! You must have REALLY good ears to hear me all over Ponyville! But you're new... OH!" Pinkie uttered noticing Sirocco. "And YOU'RE new too! TWO new ponies! You know what THIS calls for!"
"A party?" Grapes deadpanned.
"A PARTY!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Wow! You like to party a lot, don't you? I keep hearing about you always throwing parties..." Earshot observed.
Sirocco blinked and cocked her head to one side. "Is this true? You must be really STRONG to throw a whole party." Grapes blinked, then laughed.
"Sirocco, she's not literally throwing... The phrase 'throw a party' means the process of setting up, then having a party," Grapes explained.
"Ahhhh. I got the words right, but not their meaning," Sirocco said, thoughtfully.
"Of course I wouldn't literally throw a whole party. That'd be silly. I'd have to be strong as a dragon, if I could do that," Pinkie giggled. "But I put together and have parties all the time."
"Ah. And so you must be very flatulent to set up so many parties, yes? After all such activities are no doubt quite costly," Sirocco stated.
"I only get flatulent if I eat a lot of Golden Harvest's five bean salad. Not an experience I want to repeat, but WOW was that salad good!" Pinkie uttered.
"She means 'affluent', Pinkie," Grapes explained.
"Oh? Why didn't she say that, then?" Pinkie asked with her usual guilelessness.
"She's not from Equestria, originally, so her grasp of the language is still firming," Grapes replied.
"Really? Kinda like Zecora? That's neat! Though I guess Zecora learned Equestrian from songs, and poetry, 'cause she speaks in rhyme," Pinkie giggled, smiling at the exotic pegasus.
"Who is this... Zecora? I have not yet heard of her," Sirocco asked, looking curious.
"She's a Zebra herbalist, and potion maker," Grapes explained to Sirocco.
"Oh! I've got to get the supplies!" Pinkie said dashing off.
"But..." Earshot said as Pinkie dashed off into the distance. "...we didn't even tell her where we were staying."
"She'll probably figure it out," Grapes said shaking her head.
"I like her... she's neat! She didn't even seem to notice how different I look."
"Indeed... that in itself is enough to wish her to be your friend," Sirocco agreed, rubbing the top of Earshot's head and mussing his mane.
"Well... Now you know what the Cakes ment by they're used to 'different ponies'," Grapes said with a chuckle.
"OH! So she's their daughter? I don't see a resemblance... well other than the lingering smell of Sugar Cookies," Earshot observed.
"No. She's their employee," Grapes elaborated as she lead them onward.
"Ohhhh... Still it explains a lot."
"So ready to head back home?" Sour Grapes asked as they turned toward the road to Sweet Apple Acres, and Grapevine Hills.
"I believe so. Mixing some of what we have bought with my existing wardrobe will no doubt be very helpful. As cold as the desert can get at night, I have been with Queenie when we had to deal with storms that are very... vicious," Sirocco observed.
Earshot looked around and sighed. "I guess... There is just so much to buy when you actually feel like buying things."
"It's not like you're NOT going to come back, Earshot," Grapes observed.
"I know," he said looking quite chastised. "It's that whole thing about being here NOW."
"I hear you. You tend to wonder if they'll have it the next time, but..." Grapes trailed off, and shrugged.
"Well I'll still have money for it then, and it may be better off in my shoe drawer at the moment,” the night pony observed, thoughtfully.
"True... It's better to set money aside for an emergency, rather than spend it all at once,” Grapes said sagely.
Earshot looked at his saddlebags, already too heavy for him to fly. "Ok... I'm good."
"Well you've got quite a few nifty things," the brown unicorn observed with a chuckle.
"I know! Won't Grandmother be so surprised at what gets sent to her and the others! Thank you for letting me know that... nice things don't have to be expensive."
"Well, I keep saying that place is short-changing you and yours," Grapes observed.
"I'm beginning to actually see that now," Earshot said as they trotted along.
"Beginning to get an idea... Maybe next winter, we can go and visit your village," Grapes suggested with a smile.
"I... I think that maybe if this Hearth's Warming goes well... and I can tell my people how nice everyone is during this season, Grandmother may allow that."
"I'd like to meet your Grandmother,” Grapes said with a smile.
"I'd like you to meet her too. She's really a wonderful and wise pony. Everypony back home respects her. Even the grand council, and they don't really HAVE to listen to her, but they always do," Earshot observed, thoughtfully.
"Well... She sounds like a very nice pony. I'm pretty sure we could come to something equitable for both parties... Hmmm... I bet Applejack may like to exchange farming tips with your farmers...” Grapes said, then blinked, and shook her head with a slight chuckle. "Oh... dear... Just thought of something else, too..."
“What?” Earshot asked, his ears perked up in the manner that showed he was genuinely curious.
"Rarity. She's sure to think that your people being deprived of vibrant colors, and proper materials to be a crime against... something," Grapes said waving a hoof in a vague manner.
"Oh? Well.. she could talk to our clothsmiths. Maybe she could work something out with them," the night pony said, with a nod, as they trotted along.
"... Clothsmiths?" Grapes asked, pondering the word.
"Yeah... they work with cloth. Knitting, weaving, dyeing, sewing... Kinda little like a blacksmith does with metal." Grapes just looked at the colt, blinking a few seconds, then chuckling at the logic.
"Yeah, but they're usually called 'Tailors' or 'seamstresses', here, depending on gender..." Grapes observed.
"Ohhhh... that sounds so pretty. I'll have to put that in my next letter," Earshot gleefully enthused, skipping around happily.
Sirocco mussed Earshot's mane and smiled. "Come Earshot, we shall help you write the letter home telling of how you have chosen to stay at your home away from home. After all... Home is where you wear your hat."
"Hang your hat," Grapes corrected.
"Why would I hang my hat? Whatever did it do to me?" Sirocco asked, sounding shocked.
“Ugh... Not, like, with a noose, Sirocco. On a hat stand or a hook, to keep it from being on the floor," Grapes uttered, rolling her eyes, barely preventing herself from facehoofing.
"Ahhh. Yes. Then it would make sense that one's home would be a good place to hang one's hat. Would you like a frozen milk confectionery before we head back to the Vineyard?" Sirocco asked with a smile. "I can hardly get enough of them... I fear if I do not withhold myself I would eat bowlfuls until I weighed too much to fly."
"It's close to dinner time, guys. And you had ice cream after lunch," Grapes said, as they trotted along the road.
"Awwwww," chorused her companions, but the tone was playful enough that Grapes knew not to take it seriously. They walked past the cafe where amid the other ponies, the bright red-orange coat of Firestormer caught her eye like a flare. He was sitting on the patio, chewing thoughtfully on a sandwich as he read through a pile of mail.
"Hey, Firestormer. What's got you so down?" Grapes asked, coming to a stop in front of the brightly hued pegasus.
"Mmm? Oh hey, Grapes. I'm just catching up on my mail. Being a Storm-Rider is a big part of my life, but I got a legacy with the Mom and Dad's business I gotta keep on top of. Some of this is a correspondence course for learning how to run a business, some is Business Records so I can learn to apply what I'm learning to it and some... Woah," he stopped as he stared at the letter in his hoof. Grapes stood there, casually, obviously waiting for the other horse shoe to fall. "It's from my parents. They're coming HERE for Hearths Warming."
"Congratulations. Do you know where they're going to be staying?" Grapes asked.
"I... oh wow, I don't know. Uhm... the Inn?" Firestormer uttered questioningly.
"Booked up," Grapes said. "They're usually the first to be booked for Hearth's Warming."
"Oh fewmets... uh... yeah. I got some things to do," Firestormer said as he got up and started sweeping papers into his saddlebags and shoveling his lunch into his mouth. "I'll thee you guyth in a while.
"Try the bed and breakfast by the Spa," Grapes suggested.
Tossing a few bits on the table he stopped a moment, then looked up and smiled, not a pretty picture with a mouthful of daisy sandwich. "Thanth Grapth." She had never actually seen him fly beyond just local fluttering, but she had heard from the others he was the fastest on the team. Now she could see why, in a heartbeat he became a three dimensional smear of orange and yellow with a gust of wind in his wake. No doubt he could give Rainbow dash a decent run for her money.
"Well that was different," Grapes observed. "Well we'd better head back. He’ll probably burn off that sandwich in time for dinner. Any requests? And no, Earshot, you can’t add any special ingredients to dinner.”
"Aw... And I wanted popcorn."
"For dinner?" asked Grapes, curiously.
"Is there something wrong with that?" Earshot asked.
"Perhaps later, little one. I am more in the mood for turnips, boiled, mashed and drenched in swaths of butter," Sirocco observed.
"Boiled turnips. Anything on the side, Sirocco?" Grapes asked.
"I am not certain... Earshot? What about you?" Sirocco queried, looking down at the young Night Pony
"Maybe regular corn then?" Earshot suggested.
"I have noticed you seem to like corn a great deal,” the foreign mare observed.
"I don't get a lot of it at home,” the night pony explained.
"What say you, Sour Grapes? Do we have any canned corn?" Sirocco asked turning to the chocolate brown unicorn.
"We'll see. If not I'll see if Applejack has some,” Grapes replied.
"Thank you Miss Grapes."
"Always glad to help. With Stormy away visiting his mother, You've been having to endure my cooking," she joked.
"Yes. But not his baking. His 453.592 gram cake feels like a brick in one's gut,” Sirocco said with a grimace.
"Pound cake?" Grapes asked, doing some quick mental figuring.
"Oh yes... Pound Cake."
"Well, pound cake is usually a pretty dense cake, anyway... Just when Stormy makes it, it's more like... well... ten-pound cake," Grapes observed with a grimace.
Earshot hung his head and pouted. "Any kind of sweet stuff he bakes leaves you feeling so heavy you can't even fly... but it's so GOOD you can't stop yourself from eating it."
"Kind of like a trap, isn't it?" Grapes asked, shaking her head.
"Indeed. I know of a few ill-personalitied pegasai I would love to send a box of cookies to,” Sirocco said with a sour look on her face.
"The wouldn't happen to be members of the Wonderbolts, would they?" Grapes asked casually.
There was a moment of silence from the stately pony before she answered. "...not all."
"There's a story behind that, I reckon," Grapes observed.
"Yes there is. Suffice it to say that my family could use some good grounding for a time."
"That bad?"
"You helped me learn the correct words for ‘You cannot go home again’, but I have known the meaning for a long time. My family is mired in foalishness and slog their way through tradition for the sake of tradition. Instead of embracing our beliefs to reach for the stars they use it as an excuse to stick their heads in the mud," uttered Sirocco, who paused a moment realising from the expressions of her companions the edge her words were gaining. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "They will not adapt to a changing world. They refuse to welcome change... and so I could only do them one service... and remove myself from their herd, so that they can continue to atrophy without anything to offend them."
"There are some ponies, here, that are like that, Sirocco. They are everywhere. Just not in charge, thank the stars," Grapes said fervently.
"I know. Perhaps that's one reason the Wonderbolts irk me so. They are impressive, yes.. but ultimately they are the best fliers for no other reason to be the best. Tradition for no other reason than tradition makes it meaningless," the foreign mare uttered with a frown of distaste
"There may be more to it. Just takes a bit more research into the background," Grapes mused, thoughtfully.
"I am proud to serve as a Storm-Rider. Beside my new family I have purpose, my actions have meaning," Sirocco said with a happy smile.
"You really think of us as a family, Sirocco?" Earshot asked his eyes going wide.
"Of course I do little one. You are the little brother I wished I could have had growing up,” she said.
"So we're all your brothers and sisters?"
"Well maybe not Summer Squall. He is the wise father I should have gotten were the world an amusement park," Sirocco mused, thoughtfully.
"'Were the world an amusement park'?" Grapes asked.
This time it was Earshot who screwed up his face in thought and sorted out an answer. "Amusement Park... carnival... circus... FAIR! If the world was fair."
“Sounds legit,” Grapes said casually.
"Ah! Yes... thank you Earshot," Sirocco said with a small smile.
----~O~O~O~-----
Dinner was still being cooked when there was a loud grinding noise outside. A sound she now recognised as Firestormer's way of coming to a halt on her gravel driveway. Sour Grapes counted to three and there was a loud rapping at her door. She turned to where Earshot and Sirocco were tending to the dinner to be sure she wasn't needed before opening the door to Firestormer’s frantic knocking.
“How’d it go?” Grapes asked without preamble.
"It's great. Just perfect. I got the last place in town for the holidays. Mrs. Lacy Doily was more than happy to reserve her bed and breakfast for me but I still needed to pay in advance for it." He took a deep breath and exhaled, before pulling out the letter he read earlier and holding it out to her. She recognised the Art-deco styled Scarlet pegasus of his family Courier service on the stationary. The hoofwriting was jealously-invoking though. Crisp, tight curls and neat lines that were easy to read, in comparison to her own pensmareship. "I think I got a mark-up too on the price, but sometimes you gotta take what you can get. Anyways you can see mom and dad are just dying to meet you. Apparently they think you're the bees knees. Go figure."
Grapes tilted her head, raising an eyebrow at this revelation. "Earshot isn't the only one who's been telling the world about yours truly."
"Well. Yeah. But I haven't put you on a pillar or anything," Firestormer asserted. "I just talked a lot about your operation here, how fairly you treat us, how even handed you are in doing business... "
"Was I mentioned, when you discussed the past with them?" Grapes asked, with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, of COURSE. I mean you can't talk about your work without talking about you. You're kinda part and parcel with the whole thing.”
“That wasn’t what I meant, and you know it, Firestormer. Not my past, but yours,” Grapes said quietly.
"Well... yes. I mean you got me to admit some things I really didn't want to think about. Credit where it's due," the fiery hued pegasus said with a slight grimace.
"This is going to be interesting. But why did you feel the need to come beating down the door?" Grapes asked, stepping aside to let him in. "And I hope you like mashed turnips."
"Turnips? Sirocco's cooking I take it. Uhm... well the thing is... I was so happy that I got the last bed in town that I suddenly realised..." Firestormer started.
"You don't have a place to stay?" Grapes asked, apparently finishing his sentence.
"I was faster than my brain... story of my life. Um... This is gonna sound dumb but..."
"Can you stay here for the holidays? Don't see why not. You're going to have to help get the Bunkhouse finished, of course," Grapes added. “As it turns out, it’s not an original idea, staying here for the winter.”
"So... that's why the sudden rush to renovate before winter?" Firestormer asked.
"Yes. Mainly because I ran out of room in the house. It was fine for three mares and a young colt, but once Squall asked..." Grapes said trailing off and shrugging. "Well you can see where things got a bit... complicated."
"I would have been willing to tough it out in the Bunkhouse. Whether it's like a sieve or not. Still... this will give me a chance to look over Squall's plans, make certain that the new Bunkhouse will be reasonably fire-proof," Firestormer said, drawing himself up with a new air of purpose.
"Alrighty. The ladies and I have been getting supplies laid in... Earshot's been doing some early Hearth's Warming shopping for his family."
"I'll help Squall with the construction... and help you with the last of the harvest work of course. You're paying your bits for work," the red pegasus said, thoughtfully.
"Well we've almost got it wrapped up. There's not much to be done. Though I could pay a little bit for keeping an eye on the heaters in the caves," Grapes mused. “But, really, it’s kind of boring here. Will be nice to have you over the winter, but I can’t really do much beyond room and board.”
"Well at least you'd be getting a pony who actually has an idea how heaters work." he said with a smirk. "Took a correspondence course in Heater repair a few years back."
"I know how heaters work, too. Mainly because I read the instructions... Have read the instructions. Several times," Grapes asserted, deadpan. “Did I mention how boring it is, here, during the winter?”
"I'm sure we’ll liven things up a little. I am glad to hear you have read the instructions though. Some ponies are really good at working stuff like that intuitively, but most others... well... you'd be surprised at the statistics."
“No. I probably wouldn’t,” Grapes said, still in that deadpan voice. “I’ve probably read those, too, during a blizzard.”
"Well if it helps, dad's probably gonna bring his movie projector and tons of old family movies. He's quite the camera-bug."
"Cool. Somepony else's home movies," Grapes chuckled. "Anything embarrassing? We going to see you galloping about clad in soapsuds or something? Oh great. I'm probably going to have to dig that out, aren't I?"
"Chances are I'm gonna get totally embarrassed. I'd probably blush the whole time if it could actually be seen on these cheeks."
"I can only hope that my parents can't make it for Hearth's Warming... Then you would see the soapsuds flick."
"I think jaybirding is pretty much a standard for parental embarrassment,” Firestormer observed.
"Don't see how. We go around sans pantalones most of the time," Grapes observed.
"Yeah but when you're a foal and just out of the tub there's something... humiliating about a photo of it when you're all grown up for some reason."
"Even if you can remember it being fun, when you did it," Grapes said chuckling.
"And you know deep down they're saving it up for blackmail so they have a retirement fund,” Firestormer groused.
"Or just to get back at you for having fun at their expense," Grapes said. "After all my parents saved for their retirement fund."
He was quiet a moment then looked up at her with a sheepish grin. "Thanks for having so many of us for the holidays."
"Eh, better than being stuck with a pile of books I've read a million times before," Grapes quipped. "Just need Stormy to ask, to finish the set."
"Well fat chance on that one. He's a total Momma's Colt at Hearth's Warming. He will head back to Maneland come drought or high water,” Firestomer asserted with a smirk.
"We'll see. I bet you a portabella marsala dinner that he'll ask before the season's out," Grapes said with a smirk. "If you win, I'll cook. If I win, you have to get it from Horsa's."
The young pony slicked back his yellow mane before extending his hoof. "A sucker's bet, but heck... I'm in."
"Maybe. But at least from Horsa's, it won't be Istallion food by way of Crescent City." The two ponies shook on it, and just in time.
Sirocco trotted into the room and called out "Dinner is served!"
"C'mon, flyboy, let's eat," Grapes quipped.
"Sounds like a good idea to me."
----~O~O~O~-----
The next morning, breakfast was had, and everypony was setting up for the day's chores. There wasn't, really, much to do, with the harvest winding down. Grapes and Earshot were forking hay over the roots of the grapevines, Ice Storm was pruning the vines that had been harvested, Firestormer and Squall were working on the bunkhouse. Stormfront had yet to return from his visit to his hometown of Maneland. Grapes caught Ice Storm staring at the grapes that had yet to ripen.
“You look like you’re pondering something, Queenie,” Grapes observed, as she trotted up to the ice blue pegasus. “Care to share?”
"Well You're leaving these grapes up awfully late in the season. You're risking them getting a touch of frost, you're not depending on it are you?"
"Yes, actually. I was going to experiment in Ice Wine. Just to see how well it turns out,” Grapes replied. “Why do you ask?”
"It... It was something I was looking into back home. A way to help get a little more income into the community. You grow grapes and you harvest the ones that are ripe just as the frost comes and freezes them solid. then you smoosh and get the juices while they're still frozen... You see? Less water in the juice means the flavor isn't as watered down before fermenting. We... tried growing grapes as an experiment. Collected seeds from the grapes we used, set aside some land and found out we knew fewmets-all about tending them," Queenie explained. "Pardon my Prancian."
“Heh. I can imagine that you found out you knew buck all about grapes pretty quickly,” Grapes observed. “It really depends on the variety. There are some that do well in high altitudes, and some that don’t. But you have to make sure you have the right sort for mountainous climates, make sure you have the correct variety that has a late fall to early winter harvesting time, make sure the soil’s properly prepared, and a load of other factors.”
"Yeah. Now I can see that. We just used the seeds from the grapes the guests gorged themselves on... maybe not the best kind,” Ice Storm observed, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Hmmmno. Those are table grapes. Fine for serving at meals, but not so much for making wine," Grapes explained. "Those varieties of grapes have a tad TOO much sugar, which would ferment into a lot of alcohol. You're wanting wine, not hard liquor."
"Yeah... It's only now that I realised how much goes into growing grapes,” Queenie said looking at the vineyard.
"Well, you are in the right place to learn all about it," Grapes quipped merrily. "But yeah. There are a lot of ponies that don't realize how much there is to growing grapes. That's why there are so many failed hobby-wineries. Some noblepony gets it into their fool head that just because they swill the stuff at their fancy parties, they're experts on wine. Mind you, I'm talking Canterlot nobles. Meant no disrespect to your family."
"I know I spent more time in the deseeding shed than anywhere else but I have been watching. Learning where we went wrong,” Queenie said quietly.
"Well you could, also, ask my advice," Grapes said casually.
"I had been working up to that. I wasn't certain how much ridicule I might get admitting to our own attempt. Now I know better."
"I've come to know you, Queenie. I consider you a friend. You're not one of those nobleponies from Canterlot who wouldn't know a vine from a runner, but somepony who would genuinely try their best at producing a potable product. After all it's for the benefit of your family, and people," Grapes said looking straight at Ice Storm. "You're not one of those hobbyists who thought it'd be a lark to toss some vines in the ground, with no rhyme or reason, and expect wine to be produced somehow."
"Thank you, Grapes. And you've become as good a friend as I could ask for in this world. I must admit that working under you, I have learned so much. And if you would have me, I would like to learn more."
"Teaching you the wine business would be something to do during the winter," Grapes said with a grin.
"We would both gain something. I could learn a skill that would lend to the financial needs of my people, and you would have a welcome diversion during the long winter months."
"That's always a good thing in my opinion," Grapes said with a grin.
A large shadow passed overhead, momentarily blotting out the sun. Queenie looked up and smiled. "Well well well... guess who came back from momma-bird's nest."
“He looks hap--YEEEE!”
There was a feeling of fore legs wrapping around her and the world suddenly shrinking below. Flight was scary in itself for Grapes, but to be swung about like some kind of dance partner in the grasp of a laughing pegasus was downright terrifying. "Hahahahah! Grapes! It's WONDERFUL! Oh my goodness it's AMAZING! Finally something GOOD has happened for Mom!"
"That's wonderful, now PUT ME DOWN!" Grapes yelped fearfully.
"She won the Royal Equestrian Lottery! You hear me? SHE WON! Grand Prize! All expense-paid trip around the world on one of those new Airships! Finally! Oh Celestia FINALLY she's going to have someone looking after HER for a change," Stormfront crowed joyfully.
"And if you don't put me down, WHO IN THE HAY WILL BE LOOKING AFTER YOU IN THE HOSPITAL!"
"What? OH! Sorry! Sorry about that," Stormy said spreading his wings and slowly glided in for a gentle landing next to her mother's small flower garden. "My bad... I forgot that air travel doesn't agree with you..."
Grapes staggered around a bit, before ducking into the begonias, and sounds of gut-wrenching retching issued from the flower bed. The pegasus winced, then went to the water trough to bring back a small full bucket and one of the towels that Ice Storm had been hanging up nearby in case of somepony desiring to wash themselves in a 'rustic' manner.
"I am SO sorry.. I was just in such a good mood..." Stormfront uttered, looking embarrassed.
"Obviously," Grapes uttered, sounding woozy. "Ugh... I'm happy for your mom, and all, but you grabbed me when I was feeling particularly 'earthy'... Ooogle..."
"Well... at least your plants will grow well next spring." Grapes simply gave Stormy a flat look that said... quite a lot actually.
“So. Your mother is going to be heading off for a ‘round the world airship cruise? When does she leave?” she asked.
"Just before Winter begins. By the time the snows hit she will be in warmer climes,” the gray pegasus said happily.
"So... She won't be home on Hearth's Warming?"
The guilty look he had before now turned to sadness as he nodded. "Well.. yeah. That's the downside. No big Hearths Warming homecoming for me. I got a copy of the ship's itinerary so I can fly up when I want. My wings are perfect for long-distance travel, so maybe we can have a dinner or something."
“Where will you be staying, then?” Grapes asked.
"Well... I could still go back to Maneland and stay there. I mean an empty home is still home, right?" Stormy pondered.
"Yes, but you'll be all by yourself, and on Hearth's Warming, too. Won't you get lonely?" Grapes asked.
"Yeah. But I don't have a lot of options. I mean flying south for the winter is one of them but it's not like I could stay here. You've mentioned before how the Bunkhouse isn't built for severe cold weather," Stormfront replied.
"Yeah, I had mentioned that... Before we started renovating it... Funny story..."
"I'm going to need to be filled in then," he said giving her that oh so nice smile. "Looks like even being out of town for a few days can put me completely out of the loop."
"Well it all started when I discovered that Sirocco would make a fantastic accountant. She helped me with my taxes, and I put her in charge of the finances, because of her math prowess. I can slog my way through, just fine, but she's quicker and more accurate. Then she asked to stay the winter," Grapes explained. "Obviously she can't go home. Then Earshot said he wished to stay, too, and experience Hearth's Warming, and after that Queenie found herself in possession of some vacation time, but not in possession of enough bits to stay in the local inn..."
"Wow. You're really racking them up," Stormy observed.
"So, two mares and a young colt. Shouldn't be a problem in the farmhouse, right? After all I have two guest rooms, and Queenie volunteered to sleep on the sofa. Then a complication named Summer Squall entered the mix. He asked if he could stay, too. So here I am, with a full house, and a bunkhouse that isn't fit for winter habitation. That's where the renovations came in. Squall was only too happy to volunteer his carpentry skills to renovate the Bunkhouse, to make it habitable in the winter months, AND give you rooms that you don't have to go to the common area in order to change your mind," continued Sour Grapes, obviously enjoying telling the story.
Stormfront glanced back at his wings and giving them a little flex, chuckled. "And my disproportionate limbs thank you for okaying that."
"Well let's just say the renovations came just in time. Because guess who's parents are coming to Ponyville for Hearth's Warming. And if you say mine, then you wasted a guess," Grapes quipped cheerfully.
"You're kidding. Firestormer's parents are coming?"
"Enope. I’m not kidding. He even got the very last room in Ponyville booked for the holiday, too," Grapes replied, with a chuckle.
"Well that's great... oh wait... the last room, huh? I'm guessing that means it's Hearths Warming Eve and there's no room at the Inns... So he came to the farmer for a place to stay," observed the big gray pegasus.
"Eyup. Came to me, and he's helping Squall with the renovations. Makes getting supplies, here, much quicker."
"Wow. I'm amazed at how far along they're coming. Looks like it could be ready in just a week or two at this rate," Stormy said, sounding amazed.
"Which is a good thing, I think. And over the winter, the decorating can be handled by those who are staying here," Grapes said with a grin.
"Oh! Oh yes... I think I have a few ideas,” Stormy said thoughtfully.
"Oh? Thought you were going to be in Mainland, over the winter," Grapes observed, oh so casually.
"Um... well... about that... You know, seeing as you're renovating the bunkhouse and everyone else will be here and everything... Do you think I might be able to stay here as well?"
"Of course. We'd be happy to have you, Stormfront," Grapes said with a grin, one ear listening for Firestormer.
"So is there anything I can do to help things along?” the large gray pegasus inquired.
"You would have to ask Squall. He's the forestallion on the job, and the expert master carpenter," Grapes replied.
Firestormer's bright orange body swooped around the side of the house, coming to a rest near Grapes and Stormy. He placed the heavy pail full of nails down and worked the kinks out of his jaw. "Oh Hay, Stormy. Welcome back. "
"Stormy had some great news... that he simply had to tell me while airborn," Grapes uttered. "I don't think I'll be taking up pegasai-assisted air dancing any time soon."
"Oh. Too bad...."
"...Firestormer."
"You see Stormy here..."
"Firestormer. No."
"Well that just so happens..."
"Stop."
"Stormy's got a masters degree in Aero- Dance," Firestormer finally got out, looking triumphant. Stormy facehoofed.
"Good for him," Grapes said simply. "I'm just terrified of heights. So, obviously I'd make a horrible partner... Last thing a good aero-dancer needs is his partner getting airsick on the audience."
"Well he's really good at tripping the light fantastic. We saw him perform The Goose and the Gander during flight school."
"That's lovely, Firestormer, but you've still got to fly to Horsia's and get dinner," Grapes deadpanned.
"What? But... aw fewmets."
Now it was Stormy's turn to smile. "You guys wagered on me staying or going?"
"Yeah but the odds of you staying the winter..."
"He didn't know about your Mom winning the lottery, obviously," Grapes observed, casually.
"Wait... you mom won the lottery? You mean she's got that cruise around the world?"
"That's right. She's off to exciting new climes and you, I'm guessing, are off to get dinner," Stormy replied with a grin.
"Awwwwwww,” groused Firestormer. "I better get my bit bag... and a map."
"And suddenly I'm feeling a lot less embarrassed," Stormy said.
“And if you do any dancing with me, it’d better be on or near the ground,” Grapes quipped.
He blushed and bowed his head with a smirk. "Deal."
"Okay. I guess you'd better check in with Squall. I'll set the table. Hope everypony's in the mood for Istallion food," The brown unicorn uttered, turning toward the eating area set up outside.
“Ok. And incidentally... thanks for not giggling when he told you about my dance performances."
"What? Why would I laugh? All it did was explain why such a big pegasus is so graceful," Grapes observed, casually.
"Well... Mom made me take lessons because I wasn't exactly graceful as a colt... Kept knocking things over and tripping over my own wings. By the time I was good at it I found out that the idea of me doing such... sensitive classes made fillies giggle and colts laugh,” Stormy sighed.
"Foals can be so cruel at that age," Grapes observed. "But, seriously, I don't judge a pony because they've taken dance lessons. I've got a natural talent for it, myself, but I don't belittle others for needing a little help."
"You dance?"
"Yes. I dance. Everything from Argentine Tango to Vehaynese Waltz. Ask Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. I do a mean Mambo,” Grapes asserted proudly.
"Wow... Good to know if I ever need a Dance partner."
"And it's good to know you won't step on my hooves."
"Or take waltz you among the clouds.... which is a pity because we have a heck of a ballroom in Cloudsdale."
"I'm fine, as long as I don't look down," Grapes explained. "Or think I'm on a relatively solid surface, with no fear of falling."
"Yeah...walking on clouds is a bit of a talent that has to be learned I think," Stormy mused.
"Or have a spell for if you're not born a pegasus," Grapes quipped, as they walked toward the dining area.
"You know, there's probably something like that for visiting dignitaries. What's the point of looking down on the world unless you can bring ponies up and gloat about it to them?" Stormfront uttered cheerily.
"I could ask the magical maven, herself," Grapes mused, thoughtfully. "Anyway, it's portabella marsala, tonight. Firestormer gets to buy, because I think Crescent City cooking is best saved for deep winter."
"Mmm... at least we know it'll be hot and fresh," Stormfront observed with a grin.
"Indeed. I don't know how good it would be if I cooked it. I'm a passable cook, mind, but... That's one I'd never made myself."
“I think we all have something we're good at preparing. Ironically enough Queenie is great with cold meals. Squall has a wide variety of meals he's picked up during his misspent youth, I'm good with comfort food, Sirocco has some interesting ones like this dish she calls hummus. Earshot... well... we have yet to let him make us a meal. Firestormer... he has a taste for spicy dishes. I mean dunk your head in the water trough spicy."
“Why am I not surprised,” Grapes uttered, as she set the table.
----~O~O~O~-----
A few days later, the Bunkhouse was coming along nicely, the final few grapes were being brought in and processed, and the vineyard seemed to be taking care of itself. Sour Grapes decided to take some time off, and finally read the new Daring Doo book that had come out. Despite the air getting cooler, it was still one of those days where if you lay in the sun instead of the shade you felt quite toasty. And there was JUST such a spot over by the gate where two posts had been set for just days. She found the hammock and hitched it to the nice large brass rings on the posts. Satisfied it would hold she set up a small table next to it, put her fresh iced tea on it, then putting her book between her teeth, carefully maneuvered herself into the sling. She wasn't expecting anything more than a simple afternoon of light reading, when... BOOM!
Grapes started, and was sent spinning at high speed in her hammock, then dumped unceremoniously upon the ground. She lay there, dazed, for a few moments, before staggering to her hooves, and looking around, curiously. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but there was a fading shimmering of color. She had heard Rainbow Dash had finally pulled off the Legendary Sonic rainboom, with credible witnesses no less, but had she done it a third time, this close to home? She then looked up, and there was a rainbow streak. So yes that was her, and she was turning around. Then there was another burst of light, but it seemed more subdued. Her eyes widened as she saw multiple booms happening one after the next, but they were hitting one another, smudging each burst in turn and... nullifying? It was amazing! The sound was like one long rumble of thunder but this... This was astounding. The only thing that could neutralise a sonic rainboom was... ANOTHER one.
"How in the hay is she doing that?" Grapes asked, watching the show in awe.
"Beats the hay outta me, Cuz," said Applejack from the yard across the road. "Sure is pretty though. Maybe she's practicin'. "
“At the rate of speed she’s having to go to perform sequential rainbooms, she’s either going to crash, or rip her wings out of their sockets, THEN crash,” Grapes said, frowning.
"Is that a fact? Well ah'm sure things'll sort themselves out. As for me, ah can't stand around her jawin' all day. Ah got mah final harvest to get movin'."
"You don't sound particularly worried about one of your best friends possibly killing herself," Grapes observed. Applejack began to trot forwards and there was a horrible groaning sound from behind her. Like wood and metal crying out in protest... Then Grapes saw it. Behind Applejack was the BIG cart. The ones the Apples only brought out on special occasions. It was about twice the size of a regular cart but this one was full to the top with apples. The orange pony 'lunged' forwards, dragging the incredibly overloaded cart behind her.
"Ah'm sure she'll tucker herself out before then. If not, Twi will do somethin'. Besides, these apples ain't gonna buck themselves, or find their way to market. See you later Grapes."
"Uh... Applejack? Do you think you're Big Mac or something?" Grapes asked, looking in askance at the huge cart. "Or, maybe, a whole team of Big Mac's? Because, seriously, how are you pulling that cart?"
"Dunno, sugercube, but Ah got all this energy t'burn and ah ain't a gonna waste it. H'YAAAA!" Applejack said and began to gallop, dragging the helpless wagon behind her.
“‘Energy to burn’?” Grapes mused, raising an eyebrow. “Hmmm...” Sour Grapes then turned, and galloped to the one pony she knew that just MIGHT know what’s going on. She ran into town, more than a little disturbed that with such a large load, Applejack was leaving her behind. Still she made good time and headed to the library... And skidded to a stop as a group of male ponies ran past in a panic. "What. The. Hoary. Horseradished. Hay?!"
The small stampede finished passing by and for a moment Grapes thought it was safe to go when a butter-yellow pegasus dropped in front of her. It was Fluttershy but she had a riding crop between her teeth and had a predatory gleam in her eye. "Come BACK! You need to be herded together in one spot and cared for! Come Back! I swear... You... Are going... To LOVE ME!"
"What just happened?" Grapes asked staring stunned at the retreating stampede.
"Hiiiiiiiiiii Grrrrrrrrapes! Was that Fluttershyyyyyyyy?" said Twilight from behind her.
“I’m almost scared to look,” Grapes uttered, before turning around and facing the lavender unicorn.
Twilight looked a little... frazzled, bearing a twitchy, creepy grin. That in itself was unusual but even counting the purple flickering nimbus of magical energy around her body she seemed otherwise fine. "I wonderrrrr why she was chasing all those Stallionsssss?"
"I, honestly, have no idea. And what have you been up to, Twilight? You look a bit... overworked," Grapes said, exercising tact, a rare occurrence for her to be honest. More like overloaded, she thought gazing in trepidation at the mare.
"Oh me? It's amazing! I've been exposed to a whole new way of looking at things. It's like enlightenenenen... en...ment. The magical harmonics of everything around me lies open like an open... thing... that's easily read... like a book or something.... " Twilight was acting stranger than normal, and the fact she was slowly turning a cartwheel in mid-air before Grapes' eyes wasn't helping her opinion that something was wrong. "I can see the Uuuuuuuuuuuniverse."
Oh yeah... handle with care time, Grapes thought, an ear flopping back, as she pondered what to do, now. The smartest pony Grapes knew was... well... incapacitated. Grapes, herself, was unsure of what was occurring, except it involved ponies having an unusual amount of energy. “Okay, little miss ‘I can see the universe’,” Grapes then stated. “Follow me. If you can see the universe, then you can see new and interesting ways to make wine.” This was not, however, an effort to use Twilight Sparkle’s current condition to her own advantage. Sour Grapes had a hastily put-together plan, and she figured that a unicorn as powerful as Twilight Sparkle did not need to... er... float about unsupervised.
"Ooh... new wine methods... I'll have to add that to the ever growing list of things that I can ponder with my new accelerated mystic perceptions... Right after Fluttershy's herding stallions into a paddock in her yard and before why Rarity is coming this way."
"She must be really repressed," Grapes observed wryly. "Wait. Rarity's coming this way?" True enough, Rarity was trotting over to them with a rather pleasant expression on her face and her saddlebags full to bursting on her back.
"Good day Sour Grapes, Twilight. Isn't it a magnificent day?"
"Hiiiiii Rrrrarity!" Twilight said gleefully, her waving tilting her axis to a new angle.
"Depends on your point of view, Rarity," Grapes said casually. "Twilight is seeing the universe, Rainbow Dash has been performing sonic rainbooms for the past... Hmmm... Fifteen minutes, and Fluttershy is herding what few stallions Ponyville has living here together at her house for some hereto unknown purpose."
"Really? Sounds like a fascinating and puzzling set of occurrences. I'm afraid I couldn't help you there, but if you asked for a new outfit, my muse has been working overtime today," Rarity said, then her face lit up and she giggled like a schoolgirl. "OH! Oh, inspiration strikes! Stand back... I'm about to be BRILLIANT!"
Her horn began to glow diamond blue and Grapes heard a wrenching sound from behind her. Looking up she realised the Green and yellow striped awning from the building behind her had been ripped from its moorings and gracefully descended upon her and Twilight while wrapped in that same Diamond Blue light. As if it were a choreographed dance, Rarity's bags shimmered with unicorn magic, and opened as dozens of sewing implements leapt forth. Scissors, cut, chalk drew, tape measures found their way across every inch of her and Twilight's bodies before pins, needles and threads did their work and all at alarming speed. It felt as if she had no choice but to stay stock-still and pray Rarity didn't poke her with something sharp as she was wrapped lovingly in thick fabric. The whirlwind of activity ended and implements flew back into Rarity’s bags and she grinned with contentment. "Oh yes... oh my dear Twilight, oh my dear Sour Grapes... you look magnificent." Grapes dared a peek in the nearby shop window and realised she was now dressed in a fairly sharp-looking dress jacket with a bustle-skirt. Quite business-like and really not that bad. Twilight was in a Nehru Jacket with some manner of slacks. It was strange, but with her floating there it seemed to actually suit her.
“Well,” Grapes observed. “That’s different. I hope that shopkeeper didn’t mind you using their awning for material, though.”
"Oh pish-tush. Genius cannot be constrained by mere legalities," Rarity said with a dismissive motion of her hoof.
"You are so rrrrright Rarrrrrrity."
"Thank you, Twilight. Now I must be off... oh so many ponies to CLOTHE! Oh nakedness everywhere BEGGING for my designs! Ta Ta!"
"She'll get the bill, later," Grapes quipped, casually. "Well, come on. Time and wine wait for nopony." With Rarity off doing what she did best Grapes returned to her attempts to find her cousin. Twilight slowly drifted off in the general direction of Grapevine Hills, tumbling along in mid-air like a bizarre cross between a tumbleweed and novelty-balloon. She did a circle of the town, noticing signs of pony mayhem here and there, ponies in strange 'inspired' clothing, Stallions cowering in hiding places, some stared up at the sky in awe and an enormous pile of apples sat where the Apple Family Stall once stood. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stood there digging through the pile as a small muffled voice came from within; "Ah think you guys are gettin’ close. Ah can hear ya now."
“Has anypony seen Applejack?” Grapes asked, then looked at the huge pile of apples. “ONE pile of apples. One pile of apples...” she repeated to herself like a mantra, and lifted one pile of apples, carefully setting them aside.
A small pale yellow filly with red hair sat under the stall munching on an apple. Around Applebloom was a small pile of apple cores. She blinked in the sunlight and smiled. "OH! Thanks Auntie Sour Grapes. It was kinda stuffy under there."
"Looks like you got a head start on attempting to eat your way out," Grapes quipped casually. "So what happened?"
"Well Applejack came home from her trip to the doctor's office this mornin’ and started buckin’ up a storm. Ah ain't ever seen her work with this much enthusiasm since the last Applebuckin' season. Y’know, where she nearly bucked herself to the grave? Anyways she set me here to sell a wagonload of apples before she started puttin’ the rest into storage. Guess when she upturned the wagon she forgot there was more apples in the cart than there was stall... or me," Applebloom explained.
"Yeah. Applejack really put the cart before the pony,” Scootaloo giggled. Grapes merely facehoofed.
"So she's back at the farm now, probably got the whole family helpin' her get that last harvest in before things frost over,” Applebloom concluded.
"She could try making ice cider," Grapes muttered. "You guys going to be okay, now?"
"Well, if we can sell all these apples, yeah. Thanks again Auntie Sour Grapes."
"No problem. Good thing the Running of the Leaves was LAST week," Grapes said, trotting off toward Grapevine Hills. First, to make sure Twilight got there safely. Second, to send the Riders to keep Rainbow from becoming a crater.
Sour Grapes galloped at full tilt through Ponyville, determined to get home in a hurry, then something caught her eye. She came to a screeching halt, then slowly walked backwards to take a better look. There, sitting quietly at a small table at the cafe was Pinkie Pie. Her hair was straight as if it had been put on an ironing board and flattened, she was wearing a black turtleneck and beret, a pair of small black sunglasses. She seemed to be absorbed in quiet contemplation, occasionally jotting down a thought on a large notepad... and scarily enough... she was sipping tea. This was new. Grapes trotted over, cautiously, unsure if this was a prank because Pinkie was well-known for them.
“Erm... Hello, Pinkie,” Grapes said uncertainty obvious in her voice. “How are you doing, today?”
"Oh. Hello, Sour Grapes," she said in an almost bored tone. "Bordering between existential ennui and pleasant jubilation. Ever since I was at the Doctor's offices I've just felt like sitting down and watching the world pass by, observing the events as they transpire and transcribing my observations as they come."
“Interesting,” Grapes observed. “The doctor’s office, hm? Were all six of you there, then? And did anything peculiar happen, while you were there?”
"If by all six, you mean Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and myself... yes. Yes we were. I don't remember anything out of the ordinary. We were there because Twilight wanted to get her flu shot for the winter, and we decided to show solidarity by getting ours at the same time. We got our shots, helped ourselves to the complementary tea and went our separate ways," Pinkie replied.
"Complimentary tea... It wouldn't have happened to taste like a blend of Assam Darjeeling, Golden Steed Eyebrow, Bailin Gongfu, and Pu'erh teas by any chance?" Grapes asked, a sick look coming over her face.
"Why... yes. I do remember those flavors. A rather bracing blend. Like diving into an icy pond," Pinkie said, and Grapes remembered the exact same description being used by a different pony not too long ago.
"That. Explains. Every. Bucking. Thing. I am going to seriously maim Redline," Grapes uttered, before turning to continue her journey to Grapevine Hills. "I can't kill the bucking idiot, because the last thing I need is to put that cute little filly back into foster care. And I can't take her in. Though the Riders would absolutely love her..."
Grapes arrived at home in record time. Giving a sidelong glance at the manic activity in Sweet Apple Acres she focused on the task at hoof... having words with Redline. She took a detour around the house to get to the north field and found Moondust sitting by some of the frames with Twilight... actually she was sitting there and holding the end of a bright red length of yarn that was tied around Twilight's waist as she floated there. It was seeing her with the strangest novelty balloon in Equestria.
"Hi, Miss Grapes!"
"Hi, Moondust. Keeping the incredible Miss Sparkle out of trouble?"
"Yep. She's just looking at your plants. It's kinda neat. I've never seen a pony just float like this before. Big brother is getting some water from the pump for her," the pegasus filly replied.
"Good to know," Grapes uttered, looking around for the eccentric inventor. "I need to have a little chat with him."
"Chat about what?" asked Redline as he trotted towards her, Full water bucket sloshing as he approached. "I hope it's not gonna take long... I think Twilight Sparkle isn't herself today."
"Nor is Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity," Grapes said. "And somehow, they all got some of YOUR tea at the Doctor's office."
He stopped in mid-step, and the bucket fell to the ground, spilling its contents. "Wait... Hold on... Please back up a few paces. They did what?"
"Somehow, they ingested some of your tea blend, at the doctor's office," Grapes repeated, a bit slower this time.
"Okay that's starting to explain a lot... I mean I never thought that my tea would do anything to another pony like THIS but then again the doctor said I had built up a tolerance to caffeine. But why is he handing it out to his other patients?"
"Why did the doctor have your tea in the first place?" Grapes asked.
"Oh that. Yeah he wanted a sample for testing so he could start me on a program where we dial back how much caffeine I'm ingesting. Apparently you can get withdrawal from going cold turkey with caffeine. Go figure," Redline replied with a shrug.
"So why was your tea blend, which obviously is a blend of highly caffeinated teas, which would naturally have a dangerously high level of caffeine in the complimentary tea pot?" Grapes asked then looked fearful. "And... Oh... darn... STORMY!"
"Stormy?" Redline asked, confused.
A gray-white head popped up from amid the rows and looked around in a startled manner. "What? What? Grapes? What's wrong?"
"Rainbow Dash has been up in the sky making sonic rainbooms for... I don't know how long. She's been over-caffeinated, and will probably be coming down from the caffeine high, soon, and will NOT be in any shape to land, properly," Grapes explained.
"Oh... oh wow. That's not good."
"Ya think?" Grapes observed, sounding just a tad sarcastic. "Need you, and... Firestormer to go and catch her."
"Right... You want me to have someone get a doctor?"
"Yes. Get Crabapple. I trust him more than that quack at the Clinic," Grapes replied. "Oh, and see if you can get Queenie to go and round up Rarity. She's been on a fashion crusade, obviously, and I think Queenie may be the only one who can talk her down."
Stormfront gave a smart salute and took wing, flapping up into the air. "You can count on me boss."
"Applejack should be collapsing from exhaustion, soon, so when Crabby's finished with little miss mystical prodigy, here, he can go and tend to A. J.," Grapes mused.
Redline glanced over at Moondust who was gently tugging the yarn, this way and that, making Twilight bob about in funny ways. "Yeah... maybe this is a sign that I'm not doing myself any favors drinking such strong teas. Moondust, please don't play with Twilight like that."
"But look... she's like a balloon."
"Yes, but she's still a mare, with amazing cosmic powers... And probably a bad case of magical exhaustion coming on," Grapes observed. "I'm glad you're keeping her from floating off, and getting into mischief, but you have to take the responsibility seriously."
"Okay," she said bowing her head in disappointment before Redline hugged her.
"If you're good I'll make you a Twilight-shaped balloon later. Does that sound nice?"
"YAY!" Moondust enthused cheerfully, as Grapes sighed, rolling her eyes, and smirking a bit. She watched as the pegasai flew off to take care of their assignments. Then she saw Fluttershy flying toward Sweet Apple Acres, and the vineyard. Grapes casually trotted over to the road, and caught the errant butter-yellow pegasus, and held her in her golden levitation field.
“What, may I ask, do you call yourself doing?” the chocolate brown unicorn asked in her best disapproving schoolmarm voice.
"Let me go! I've got to get Big Macintosh! He needs to be cared for! I'll put him with the others, he'll be fed, and watered, and loved..."
"He's needed at the farm, and you know it," Grapes said sternly. "And why, pray tell, have you been herding up stallions, anyway, Fluttershy?"
"I... I don't KNOW! I want them all together in one place! I want to just have them... I... I'm... I'm being silly... aren't I?" Fluttershy uttered as she began to cease struggling, and calm down. the maniacal gleam in her eye fading.
"Just a bit, yes," Grapes said with a nod. "I think the tea you had at the doctor's office was not meant for general consumption. Not sure why that idiot had it out where you and your friends could get to it, but you're on a bit of a caffeine high, right now."
"So that's why I'm feeling... urpy?" Fluttershy asked.
"'Urpy'?" Grapes asked.
"Yes..." she said looking a little unsteady on her hooves. "My stomach isn't feeling very..." her face went green and she rushed for the outhouse... but only made it as far as Grapes' flower garden.
“Wow, the flowers in that bed are going to be extra fertilized," Grapes deadpanned. “I barfed in there, earlier this week.”
"Ew," the little filly uttered, making a face.
"Yes, Moondust. Ew," agreed Redline.
"Wasn't my fault. Stormy decided to celebrate some good news by taking me air-dancing... Just one problem. I'm afraid of heights," Grapes explained. "Why don't you hang out here, Fluttershy, and help Moondust keep Twilight from floating off?"
"O... ok... If that's alright with you," she murmured walking over and accepting Redline's offer of the remaining water in the bucket.
"It's fine, Fluttershy. My cousin, the doctor, will be by, and give you a check-up to make sure your run-in with overcaffeinated tea hasn't done any permanent harm to you," Grapes said soothingly. "And we're going to make sure Rainbow Dash, and Rarity are all right. I'll go and see if I can get Pinkie to come here, too, just to have most of you all in one place."
"Ok... That sounds... nice..."
"I'm sorry my tea did all of this Grapes. You really did have a good point," Redline said sadly.
"At least you'll be around for your little sister," Grapes said with a nod. "Didn't know how close you were to causing your heart to just... give out, did you?"
"I'm just glad we figured it out before I added another variety of tea to my blend..."
"Let me guess... You started out with one, then when the first one got to the point where it wouldn't give you the energy you needed, you added another variety known for its caffeine level, then another, and another. Am I correct?"
"Well caffeine level and flavor... I wasn't about to just drink mud. Although Moondust never could stand the taste of tea. she likes the smell, but that's about it."
"Right. Well I'd better get Pinkie," Grapes said, heading back to town, hoping that she hasn't moved from that cafe. It took about two hours to wrangle the ponies all into one spot. They were sore, exhausted, sick and confused but at least they were safe.
Doc Crabapple just finished checking them out and sighed. "And all this started because each had ONE cup of tea... Just lovely."
"No this all started, because that idiot at the Clinic left a specimen out where these six could get their hooves on it," Grapes quipped. "Yes, it was tea, but it was a special blend that THAT mad inventor, well, invented to give himself energy."
"Stallions Alive! You mean some stallion drinks that tea on a regular basis and is ALIVE?" Crabapple exclaimed disbelievingly. Grapes casually pointed at Redline. The earth-pony doctor galloped over to Redline and started examining him.
"Hey... what gives?" Redline yelped.
"Hold still, son, let me get a look at you," the crab apple green pony grumped as he continued the examination.
"The patients are over there, I'm fine," the red-maned unicorn protested
"I'm amazed," uttered Crabapple, undeterred. Grapes sat there, smirking at the hapless inventor. Revenge was sweet.
"Aw come on... focus on the sick, Doc. You can poke and prod later," Redline protested.
"Fine, fine... But I want you in my office for a full physical later today. *Ahem* Ok... our caffeinated stallion aside they'll all be fine. Just a lot of muscle strain, their systems are overtaxed and the caffeine plus the exertion has left them dehydrated. So, I'm prescribing lots of fluids and bed rest for the lot of them... well except for the librarian," Crabapple observed in his usual gruff manner.
“Extreme magical exhaustion, correct?” Grapes asked. “I’ll put her up, here, and make sure there’s somepony around to help her with the menial tasks. Until I get her dragon here.”
"Yeah. You know the drill. Fluids, bedrest, no excitement, no solids, no magic for no less than four days. I can write out a prescription for the right herbs to take some of the sting out of it but Magical exhaustion is best treated with rest," Crabapple replied.
"Aye aye, Doc. You heard the stallion, Twilight," Grapes said sternly. "And the rest of you need to get home, and rest. I don't have room to, well, room you all." There was a chorus of groans from the other five when a hay wagon was pulled over to them by Stormfront.
"Relax ladies. I got this one. Free rides for all tea-timers," he said with a cheerful smile. It took a little effort to help them all into the cart but they seemed grateful that getting back to their own homes was taken care of.
“Come on, oh mystical prodigy and seer of the universe, let’s get you to bed,” Grapes quipped, helping Twilight up to her hooves.
"Nuuuuuuuuuuu," Twilight murmured, still very much out of it, the occasional flicker trying to be mustered from her horn... and fizzling. "Wanna stay up... the munsters will get me without my book fort."
"I'm going to tuck you in, and you'll be all warm and cosy, and safe from all monsters," Grapes said soothingly. "Monsters don't like me. They're afraid I'll put them to work harvesting grapes."
"She means it too," came Earshot's voice from behind her. "Look at me. According to the stories I should be sucking blood... and terrorising the night... not scaring little bunnies. Need any help, Miss Grapes?"
"I've got it, Earshot. Thanks. Though you can tag along in case I do need help. And it's not your fault that some idiot author decided that Night Ponies would be perfect vampires," Grapes said, as she helped the somnolent purple unicorn to her old room.
"I can do that for you... How much magic was she doing? She smells like Ozone," Earshot observed.
"She overdosed on caffeine, and was floating around like a balloon," Grapes said. "Not a CLUE of what ELSE she's been up to, today."
"Wow... I must be drinking the wrong kind of tea then."
"It was Redline's tea blend, and all she had was one single cup," Grapes uttered.
"Oh yeah. I heard you say something like that."
"Let's just say you won't be getting that tea any time soon," Grapes said calmly. "No clue how you'll react, for one thing."
"Ok. Boy it's been a crazy day though... I could swear I HEARD Miss Fluttershy yelling," Earshot uttered, shaking his head in amazement.
"You did."
"So what does 'Loving the stuffing out of you' mean?" Earshot asked.
"I'll explain when you're older."
"You'd be surprised how often I hear that."
"It's because you're nocturnal creature in an area inhabited by diurnal creatures," Grapes observed. "And you have incredibly good hearing."
"What would that have to do with people always telling me that ‘I'll explain when you're older’? " Earshot asked. Grapes blinked, realizing that she had made a mistake about just which phrase Earshot heard a lot.
"How old are you, Earshot?"
"About ten... give or take,” he replied.
"And have you had the 'where little ponies come from' talk?"
"Not yet. That's one of those ‘When you're older’ details,” the night pony answered with a sigh.
"About thirteen or so. Trust me, you'll know when it's time," Grapes said sagely. "And ten? Really? You act so much older... You getting enough schooling? You could join the classes at the town's school, if you liked."
"That would be kinda neat. I often listen in, and the other Storm-Riders have been teaching me stuff. Sirocco calls it Home-Cruelty, but I think she means Home-Schooling."
“Probably so. That or it’s a word from her country,” Grapes observed. “All right. I’ll take you to meet Miss Cheerilee tomorrow, and see about getting you enrolled.”
"Okie dokie lokie!" Earshot chirped. Grapes chuckled, then looked over at the sleeping Twilight.
That could have been me, had things been different, Grapes thought. But I’m glad things worked out this way.