//------------------------------// // Chapter 42 - Harvest Helpers (Part 1) // Story: A Pony Displaced: Homeward // by NoLongerSober //------------------------------// The soft patter of a light afternoon shower rang throughout the empty manor, providing a pleasant background noise for Barrier as he continued to work his way through the book that currently held his attention… or it did, until the sound of the front door opening and closing broke up the rhythm. With a sigh, the unicorn dog-eared the book and set it aside, waiting for whoever had just walked in the door to join him. “Hey there, Captain!” Winter Gem strolled into the living room, caked in mud. “How’s your day going?” “Fairly dull thus far,” Barrier stated as he calmly pointed a foreleg behind the vanilla colored mare and her chocolate colored coating to punctuate his following point. “Though it was a bit nicer before somepony dragged a trail of mud in behind them.” “Ohhh…” Gem blushed as she looked away in embarrassment. “Sorry. I’ll clean this up once I shower off.”  “How about next time, you remember the weather schedule and wear something appropriate?”  Barrier grinned as the earth pony’s blush grew wider and brighter across her face.  Another creak came from the door, followed by a shout. “Hi, Uncle Barrier! Mom and I are home!”  Barrier hefted himself upright from his spot on the sofa and moved past Gem just in time to see Windy and Fleet taking off their matching periwinkle raincoats, hats and boots.  “Well look at that,” Barrier whispered as Gem slapped a muddy hoof against her forehead. “Even a young foal knew to wear something for the weather.” “At any rate,” Gem moved past Barrier, making sure to swipe her mud covered tail at his face, only for him to stop it with a force field and a wry grin. “I’m gonna take a shower and then wash the floor off, after that, house meeting.” “Well, hope it’s more comfortable than the last one we had,” Fleet said with an eye roll as she hung up her raincoat. “This should be good.” *** A little over an hour later, the household had assembled around the table with plates of freshly steamed vegetables and rice placed in front of them. “Alright Gem, what’s the subject of this house meeting?” Forge inquired in between bites of broccoli.  “Well, thankfully nothing huge or shocking like last time.” Gem casually leaned back in her seat. “It’s just that Belmont’s gonna be harvesting their crops this weekend and I was wondering if you’d be willing to give us a hoof.” “I don’t see that as too much of an issue. I’m fairly certain I can attend.” Barrier gave the snowy mare a nod before munching on a forkful of rice.  “My shift doesn’t start until the evening then, so I’ll be able to help.” Swift gave her friend a grin before daintily having a piece of carrot.  “Thanks, Swift,” Gem grinned before a lightbulb seemed to go off in her mind. “Oh, could you bring your sword along? Belmont would love to see it.” “So long as he doesn’t lay a hoof upon it, I see no problem with that,” the blue mare replied while keeping her eyes upon her meal. “Say, can I ask some of my friends if they’d like to join in?” Verdant leaned forward in his seat. “Of course,” Gem said before shoveling a large amount of rice into her mouth. “More help just means we’ll get done quicker,” she spoke through a mouthful of food, spraying the occasional grain of rice before taking a large swallow. “Remember not to speak through a mouthful of food, Gem.” Swift’s eyebrow twitched as her magic flicked a grain of rice that had landed on her snout back over to the earth pony, causing her cheeks to redden. “Eh, sorry about that.” Gem fidgeted in her chair, avoiding eye contact with the noblemare. “Well, I think I can manage it,” Forge chipped in. “Just remember, Snow and I have plans on Sunday.” “No problem,” Gem grinned and gave a casual wave. “If we work hard enough, we’ll probably have most, if not all of it done on Saturday.” “Oh, can I help out too?” Wind Whistler was bouncing in her seat in excitement at the thought of helping all the grown-ups.  “We’ll see. Maybe you’ll be able to help Dawn and Pippin with whatever they’ll be doing.” Gem reached across the table, giving the pegasus head a rub and messing up her mane. “Just remember to be well behaved, my dear,” Fleet spoke with a militaristic tone, making the foal stand at attention. “I expect you to set a good example for the other foals. Understood?” “Sure thing, Mom.” Windy relaxed as she fell back in her chair. “This is gonna be so great!” *** “This is so not great,” the little pegasus groaned as she dragged herself along, closely tailing behind her housemates in the early morning darkness. “Do we really need to be up before Princess Celestia is?” “Tis the life of both a soldier and a farmer, Wind Whistler.” Swiftsword looked back, seeing the tired foal barely able to keep up with the group of ponies headed for North Grove. “On the bright side, this means that the sooner we arrive, the sooner you’ll be able to work with your little friends.” “Speaking of friends,” Barrier looked at the crowd from over his shoulder, “when do you think your friends will be arriving?” “Erica said she’d be here as soon as she’s finished her early morning laps at the pool,” Verdant spoke up. “And my co-worker said she’ll join us as soon as she has her morning coffee,” Swift added in as she strode forward. “Snow said something similar,” Forge said, his horn alight to help him see in the darkness. Gem gave a hearty nod as the group made it the farm’s fence. “Well any help is really appreciated from all of you.” The group made their way through the large orchard making their way to the family house, one of the few sources of light in the early morning. Winter Gem tossed the front door open, letting her group flood into the home’s kitchen, where she found Belmont, Red, Pip and Autumn enjoying some light breakfast and coffee. “Hey there, cousin,” Gem grinned as she came up to the couple at the table. “Got all my housemates and we’re gonna have even more coming later to help us out.” “Fantastic!” Belmont gave a wide, toothy grin as he rose from the table. “Welcome to the North Grove Apple Farm, my friends. I’m Belmont and it’s nice to…” the thestral’s words trailed off and his eyes widened as he spotted the blue unicorn mare carrying a longsword at her side and a pair of sword images upon her flank. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Apple,” Swiftsword extended a hoof out to him. “I am Swiftsword, Heiress of the Falchion clan. I’m here to offer you my services to aid in your harvest.” Belmont stood starstruck while Red rolled her eyes. “Yeesh, this is worse than when he met that cosplayer.” “He’ll get over it in a moment,” Autumn gave a wave and chuckled at her son’s stunned silence. “Would you like something to eat, dears?” “No thank you, ma’am. We already had some breakfast before we came over,” Barrier stepped forth. “We’re ready to get started whenever you are.” “Well while you’re doing that,” Red Bouquet slid out of her chair and made her way past the gathered assembly. “I’ve got to head to the flower shop. I’ll see you all when work’s over. Toodles!” “Alright, cousin,” Gem gave Belmont a hard pat on the back, knocking him from his fanboying. “Shall we get started?” “Right, let’s go!” Belmont nodded and lead the way out of the large house. The thestral lead the group to a part of the large orchard just as dawn broke.  As Celestia’s light slowly draped itself over the farmland, a quartet of figures were seen heading towards the gathering; one by land and three by air. The four soon came to a halt before Belmont. Barrier recognized the somewhat sleepy-looking Snow Sweeper and the soaking wet Erica, along with a somewhat familiar pink unicorn mare with a jagged reddish-pink mane. The only one he didn’t recognize was a serious looking honey-yellow pegasus mare with her black mane in a bun and a red headband. “Glad you were able to come, Punch.” Swift stepped up to the pink mare, the pair having a quick hug before the noble turned to face her friends again. “Everyone, this is a co-worker of mine from Delicious Dining Delights & Deli, Fruity Punch.” “I know her,” Verdant spoke up, making her offer him a quick smile. “She’s in the same cooking class as Erica and I.” “Glad to meet yours and Erica’s friends, Verd.” Punch slipped away from Swiftsword, putting an arm around the pegasus, who shot Punch an annoyed glare. “And allow me to introduce my grump of a sister, Sweet Honey.” “I’m not a grump, Punch,” Honey grumbled as she pulled away. “I just have to put up with your tiring antics.” “You…” Barrier tilted his head as he looked over Punch, a nagging feeling nibbling at the back of his mind. “I’ve seen you before, haven’t I?” “Hmm…” Punch rubbed her chin and scrunched up her nose in concentration. “I think I remember you. I held the door open for you at the restaurant the one time, right?” “Yes, that’s where I recognized you from.” Barrier recalled that day where he felt as if something was watching him; the day he thought he saw the form of a long dead enemy. “Ah ha! I knew it! I can’t forget anything from that day!” Punch happily hopped in place at the memory. “That was the day I got my job helping in the 4D’s kitchen! Best day ever!” “Alright, folks. Rein it in. We’re burning daylight,” Belmont spoke up drawing the eyes of the ponies and griffin. “First off, we’re gonna head to the barn to get our buckets and barrels. After that, pair off and get all the apples from the trees. Once a barrel’s full, take it to the barn and grab a new one. Any questions?” “Is there anything I can do to help, Mr. Apple?” Wind Whistler fluttered into the air for a moment before slowly falling back to the ground.  “Well, how about you and the kids check on the ones harvesting and getting them water when they need it. Gotta keep hydrated when doing this.” Belmont’s words made the filly’s eyes light up before she threw out a salute. “Sir, yes, sir!” Windy grinned before bolting away, back towards the family home.  “Well folks, let’s go!” Belmont took to the air, drawing the crowd’s eye. “Pick a partner, grab a barrel, find a tree and fill ‘em up!” The assemblage quickly formed pairs for the task ahead of them; Barrier and Fleet, Hatty and Gem, Snow and Forge, Verdant and Erica, Punch and Honey, Belmont and Swift. The pairs scattered once they’d collected their barrels, readily heading off to their chosen trees. *** Barrier’s horn ignited as his magic grabbed many of the fresh fruits from the tree before gently dropping them into the barrel. “Looks like you’ve cleared this one,” Fleet called from above, circling round the tree for any sign of unpicked fruit just as he started to pull away. “Alright, that’s one down,” the obsidian stallion nodded, quickly picking up the full barrel in a display of blue magical light. “Barrier, while we have a moment,” Fleet skidded to the ground at the unicorn’s side, her eye locked upon his while he focused on the barn. “I’d like to talk to you about something.” “Can it wait, Fleet?” Barrier started to move towards the barn, only to halt when the pegasus grabbed his face and turned him to look at her, despite his attempts to move away. “Barrier, we haven't had a real conversation since we…” Fleet held her tongue as she tried to find the right words. “What’s really to talk about?” Barrier pulled away with the barrel in tow. Fleet bolted up to his side, digging into him with an angry cycloptic glare. “We both admitted we screwed up that night and what’s done is done.” “Barrier, just stop and talk to me!” Fleet jumped in front the grumpy unicorn, putting her hooves on his shoulders to keep him in place. “Fleet…” he grumbled as the mare placed a callused hoof on his cheek.  “Barrier, just answer this one question and I’ll stop bothering you.” Fleet’s eye bore into Barrier’s. The stallion found himself unable to look away as he saw the faintest trace of water forming within. “Alright,” with a sigh, Barrier set down the bulging barrel with a loud thud. “What’s your question?” “Well…” Fleet swallowed, “If we had met under different circumstances all those years, had we not partnered with Flash, or Ember or Orchid when we did… do you…”  “I know where you’re going with this, Fleet.” Barrier sighed, gently placing a hoof upon Fleet’s own. “And to be honest… Yes. If things went a bit differently all those years ago, I could see us in a relationship together. There’s a lot to admire about you, Fleet.” “I…” Now it was the pegasus’ turn to look away, “There’s a lot to admire about you too, Barrier.” “What happened between us that night,” Barrier’s horn gave off a dim light and a faint hum as he turned Fleet’s face to his. “It was a mistake and I regret it… I feel terrible for betraying Daring’s trust in me and what lead to us…” “The feeling’s mutual,” Fleet grumbled, her tone filled with regret. “But… there’s a bit to this that surprises me.” “Oh?” Fleet cocked an eyebrow in curiosity. “What’s that?” “I should feel guilty for betraying Flash’s memory, for sleeping with his widow not a year after his death… but I don’t.” The onyx stallion stared deeply into Fleet’s eye, surprise clear upon her face. “I regret the drunken night that lead to us coupling and the betrayal of Daring’s trust. In truth, my mind still hasn’t come to terms with these views. It drives me mad to think that I don’t feel bad for Flash’s sake… and yet I still don’t.” “I… I see, Barrier.” Fleet tried to look away, only to feel the warmth of Barrier’s magic keeping her looking ahead. “What about you, Fleet? How do you feel about all this?” Barrier tilted his head to the side. He tried to pull his hoof away, only for Fleet to snatch up and hold it firmly in hers. “I must admit… I loved Flash dearly… but he feels somewhat like a distant memory…” Fleet took a deep breath. Barrier could feel her hoof shaking and her grip tightening. “It feels wrong. He was the stallion I fell in love with so long ago. We were together for some of the greatest times of my life. Flash gave me the gift of many wonderful children…” Fleet’s eye drifted past Barrier and fell upon Wind Whistler far in the orchard, carrying a pitcher too large for her to carry with a pair of young thestrals at her side. The adorable sight brought a warm smile to her face. “I can never forget him, never stop loving him…” just as quickly as it had formed, the smile started to fade away. “And yet… it feels like so much time has passed…” “How so?” Barrier inched ever so slightly closer to Fleet. “Intellectually, I know it’s been less than a year for me, and yet…” Fleet’s gaze drifted once more, this time to the city off in the distance. “It feels like so much more time has passed for us. The world has changed by leaps and bounds, old enemies are long dead and even the griffins are our allies now.” “It’s a lot to take in.” Barrier pulled Fleet’s hoof towards his face, giving it a soft nuzzle.  “But I’ve adapted so quickly!” Fleet pulled her hoof away from the warmth of Barrier’s cheek. “We all have. We speak in a much different way than when we arrived, Wind Whistler’s adjusting to a new school. All the privates now have jobs with new ways of doing things…” Fleet starred into Barrier’s eyes, seeing herself reflected in the sapphire pools. “Even I’ve changed…” the hoof that had once been upon Barrier’s shoulders drifted over to her mane, running itself through the short collection of pink hair. “So much has changed in so little time… with you… me… Wind Whistler… the privates… Daring…” “Yes, it has,” Barrier sympathized with the mare as her gaze turned to the soil at their hooves. “Flash…” Fleet sighed and clenched her eye shut, squeezing out a single tear. “This just feels so… I don’t even know!” Barrier stood silently at Fleet’s anger and confusion. Wanting to ease her, he did the only thing he could think of and gently gave her shoulder a pat. “We’ll get through this, Fleet. I promise you,” Barrier whispered in the gentlest tone he could. “Once Daring returns and enough time has passed, I’m sure we’ll work this all out.” “And…” Fleet’s eye slowly opened, looking redder than usual. Her words seemed to die off. “What is it, Fleet?” Barrier drew closer, seeing a look of guilt all over her face. The crimson-eyed mare stared into Barrier’s icy blues and swallowed. “What if Daring doesn’t come back, Barrier?” Fleet asked before looking away again. “I… I wish I had an answer for that, Fleet.” Barrier gently placed a hoof under her chin, facing her once more. “But whatever happens, know this: We have gotten through much worse than this and you are one of the ponies I care about most in the entire world, Fleet.” The pair were silent for an intense moment as their faces leaned closer together, their lips nearly touching before the pair pull away.  “I… Thank you, Barrier,” Fleet wiped away the tear on her cheek, a tiny smile forming on her muzzle. “No matter what, I’ll always treasure what we have between us.” “As will I, Fleet.” Barrier nodded and ignited his horn, picking up the barrel of apples. “So, think we should get back to work?” “Yes,” Fleet grinned as she spread her wings. With a powerful flap, she took to the air and flew off towards the barn. “You’d better hurry up, youngster!” she called out over her shoulder. “I already told you,” Barrier chuckled and dashed towards the barn, barrel in tow. “I’m older than you now!”