School was in session. This felt like a major accomplishment for Sundance, who had some mixed feelings about school being in session during summer. He also had some reservations about the age differences; there were some wee ones who were only just starting to learn, and a number of older students well-into advanced subjects. Beyond that, there were a few old-timers present. While Sundance didn't want to discourage them, he did worry that they might take up time and resources intended for the young.
But for now, he intended to allow things to play out.
"This is Equestria," Puddle Jumper said as he pointed to a detailed map with his extended wing. "You live in Central Equestria. Right about… here." He touched the map with his extended primary. "This barony is part of the Clock Face Fiefdoms, and living here is pretty special. There is much history to be learned, and we'll be going over that just a little bit at a time. Not too much at once, because I don't want you overwhelmed.
"Central Equestria, our heartland, exists beneath what is known as the Unification Standard. Which means we are a collection of fiefdoms, demesnes, and provinces that exist as a unified whole beneath the Crown. Central Equestria is wholly different from the cities that surround us on the coasts, and those to the north and south as well.
"Those cities are part of Equestria, but they are city states. They are their own sovereign entity, are by and large self-governed, but agree to remain with Equestria as part of a collective. So far, our union has held together, but that seems in danger now, more so than ever. Should these cities choose to break away, Equestria would be a very different place. For now, the bonds of harmony and unity continue to hold."
After a brief pause, Puddle Jumper pointed to a mountain in the middle of the map, one located just north of Ponyville. "This is Canterlot, our capital. It wasn't always our capital. This place, where you live right now, was once our capital. There is also Everfree County, with the Castle of the Two Sisters, which also served as our nation's capital, the central seat of governance. Capitals move with time and politics. Like right now, many ponies have demanded that the capital be moved to a more relevant city, such as one of our coastal city-states. But nopony can agree which one, and none of them have offered to surrender their city to the control and influence of the Crown."
A bit winded, and after some time was spent catching his breath, he asked, "Are there any questions?"
It was at this moment that Sundance decided to duck out; he was quite satisfied with Puddle Jumper as a teacher. Things would surely sort themselves out with time, and more teachers would come. The little ones seemed engaged, and none of them showed signs of being particularly bored, or even disinterested. A part of him wanted to stay and enjoy the lesson, but there was much to do. Things like paperwork awaited him, and plenty of other tasks that he needed to get ahead on.
So it was with no small amount of regret that Sundance excused himself from class.
"That's a big apple," Hennessy remarked as he squinted southward.
"It is," Sundance agreed, as he too peered in a southerly direction.
"Not as big as my apples—"
"Shut up, Flicker. You want to compare apple sizes?"
"It's not fair. You're an earth pony, Hennessy."
Fighting the urge to chortle, Sundance watched as the enormous apple drifted closer. It wasn't every day that one saw a gargantuapple flying through the sky. Big, red, and with a bright green stem. To say that it was surreal would be an understatement. In all of his life, Sundance had never seen anything quite like this. Sure, he'd seen hot air balloons before, but never one made to look like an apple. It was a sight meant to be savoured.
"I think it's coming right at us," Flicker said.
"It is," Hennessy agreed. "There's a pegasus pulling it."
"I can't see a pegasus."
"I can, Flicky."
Try as he might, Sundance couldn't see a pegasus either.
"I've seen some weird things," Flicker said in what sounded like a low, casual growl. "Spider hags." He shivered violently, then groaned. "Old rotting swamp gods. Vampires. Monsters escaped from the realm of dreams. I've watched as a brain exploded out of its skull, grew legs, and then scurried away, dragging its eyeballs behind it. I have a pretty long list. But I've never seen a flying apple."
"Well, now you have, Flicky." Hennessy's eyes turned into paper-thin slits and he concentrated for a short time before he said, "I think they're in some trouble. Wind is blowing southward. Sundance, you should go check up on them and see if they need assistance."
"Right." His wings snapped out from his sides, and Sundance very nearly bowled Hennessy over. "On it!"
Then, without another word, he was off.
As Sundance made his swift approach, he assessed the situation. The apple was a hot air balloon; he could see the fire burning quite clearly. Beneath the balloonified apple was a wagon of some sort, with the wheels still intact. This makeshift contraption was pulled by a rather pregnant pegasus, who strained and tugged against the rope that bound her. In the wagon was a unicorn stallion, an earth pony mare, and one pegasus filly who appeared to be rather distressed.
The wind was being a real jerk, blowing south at a good clip, and way up here it was a fair bit worse than down at barony level. Wicked wind caused the flames to sputter and flutter, and the portly pregnant pegasus mare fought for every inch. She was sweaty, soaked, and obviously exhausted. But she was also fierce and determined, as pegasus ponies tended to be. Even as he swooped in to rescue her, Sundance found himself admiring her.
And then, he was not alone. Express Delivery blew right past him, and he was forced to veer away from her powerful wake. The 'express' part of her name held true; she was faster than him by far, but strength and speed were two very different things. Sundance closed the distance, his wings pumping, and he swooped in to grab the rope. As he did so, he noticed that the pregnant mare wasn't just fighting to pull the balloon, she was fighting just to stay in the air.
She was tied tight with rope though.
"Get back in the wagon," Sundance commanded. "Hurry, before you fall. You've done enough."
"The rope's not long enough," the panting pegasus mare wheezed in response. "I have to stay out so the rope can be pulled."
"Untie it!" Express Delivery shouted as the balloon began to drift south with the wind.
The unicorn's horn began to glow, and so too did the knots, but they didn't budge. Soaked with sweat, the drenched rope refused to release, and Sundance began swearing beneath his breath. If the mare got into the wagon, the length of rope would be effectively halved, and if he and Express Delivery pulled on it, they might very well pull the poor mare right back out of the wagon. It was quite a dilemma, and Sundance hadn't a clue of how to solve it.
"Rope is swollen and wet!" Express Delivery flitted to and fro, all while she waved her forelegs in every conceivable direction. "Hey… we got company!"
With an especially powerful flap of his right wing, Sundance brought himself around to face barony-ward. What he saw both shocked and relieved him. Gerard soared at incredible speeds, born on an updraft and assisted by a pushy tail wind. Sundance reached out, grabbed the struggling mare by her foreleg, pulled her close, and was so very relieved when Express Delivery grabbed the other foreleg. It wouldn't take Gerard long to get here, and Sundance was fine with the balloon being blown south. They would recover every bit of distance lost soon enough, but for now, the mare needed a breather.
The knots wouldn't stand a chance against griffon claws.
"Thank you, kindly," the unicorn said as the heroic trio battled the headwind to bring the balloonified apple to safety. "My name is Zipzap Clover. The pegasus you saved, that's my wife, Haboob. She's from Saddle Arabia. My other wife is this pretty earth pony, her name is Pickled Apple. And this is my daughter, Cork. So named because of how her big head came shooting out of her mother's—"
"Daddy! Bad Daddy!"
"We're thankful for your help, strangers!"
"Think nothing of it," Sundance replied. "My companions are Express Delivery and Gerard. I'm Sundance—"
"Say, we flew all the way up from Appleloosa to meet ya!" Pickled Apple shouted when Sundance introduced himself.
All that Sundance could think about was poor Haboob having to pull her family all this way. It was a long way to Appleloosa, and while Sundance could make it there in a day's flight, he doubted he could do the same while dragging a balloon behind him. The sweaty mare must be made of iron, he concluded. Out at the front of the rope, Sundance had to really put his wings into it just to make forward progress. Behind him, Express Delivery and Gerard grunted as they too, gave it all they had.
"Did you get excused from school?" Sundance somehow managed to ask.
"You're worried about that now?" was the griffon's reply.
"I'll always be worried about your schooling," Sundance responded between hot huffs.
"Hennessy came and got me," the young griffon explained. "Said you were in trouble."
"Uh, we have a new problem!" Pickled Apple's voice was almost a panicked shout as she banged on the metal canister beneath the flame. The sound it made was alarmingly hollow. "We're running on fumes! Fumes! Tank's empty! Got no more booze to burn!"
"Pickle, did you—"
"No, Zipzap, I didn't drink it, ya horny boneheaded cuss!"
"We're all going to die!"
"No, Corky, only those of us who can't fly," Zipzap said to his daughter.
"Flames just went out. We might have enough hot air to make it, but I think the balloon is leaker than a sieve." Behind Sundance, Pickled Apple studied the balloon above her with a critical eye. "Haboob, you and Corky get on out! Take Zipzap with you! Don't argue! Then come back and get me. I'm gonna kick this canister a few times and see if I can scare out a bit more flame."
There was trouble, alright; Sundance could feel the balloon dragging him down in slow motion, a crisis that moved at the speed of molasses. It was sinking, but in a manageable way. Behind him, he could hear the ripple and roar of slack fabric in the wind. They would never make it to the barony, but that was fine. What was important now was to somehow ensure the wagon had a soft landing, and that the wheels weren't damaged. There was a lot of stuff packed up in the wagon, probably everything this family owned, precious things that would be missed if destroyed or damaged.
"Let the wind take us," Sundance commanded while he began to hover in place. "Stop fighting the wind. Let it help us. We'll drift down like a leaf on the breeze. Gerard! Go help the family down to the ground. Can you do that?"
"Yeah, probably. But I'm feeling kinda queasy—"
"I know," Sundance said as his worst fears were confirmed. "But you'll be fine. Today, you're a hero. Now go be one!"
It wasn't the worst crisis. Truth be told, it was barely a crisis at all. Beyond a few tense moments, and deep concerns over a pregnant mare, there was hardly anything to be out of sorts about. Everything appeared to be fine. The wagon and its wheels showed no signs of damage, not even a little, though the landing was just a little hard due to the wind. Just as suspected, the balloon was indeed torn, and Cork checked out the spot where the stitches had failed.
The bigger problem that Sundance saw was that there was no road. That was something of an issue. While the plains appeared rather flat from up above, they were strewn with rubble, broken stones, and not one inch was level ground. The rough terrain posed as much danger to the wagon's wheels as the hard landing did. Getting everything home would be a difficult task, though not impossible. Help was already on the way, a whole contingent of able-bodied ponies and do-gooders.
"That got exciting," Zipzap said with a smile.
"It was smooth sailing from Appleloosa to Ponyville, but once we passed over the Everfree, the winds shifted and tried to blow us south." Haboob's voice was nasal, and especially abrasive. "Eh, still… the trip was made in days. By land, who knows how long?" She shrugged, waggled her wings, and then pressed herself up against Pickled Apple.
Sundance asked the question. It was the question. The all important question. "So, what made you come here?" Then he asked, "Why take this dangerous journey? And what's with the balloon? What can I help you do? What do you hope to accomplish now that you're here?"
"Appleloosa's nice," Pickled Apple began, "but it's established. The homesteader's era is over. All the best land has been taken. Now land is expensive, and while we had a good life there, we wanted something better."
Zipzap Clover nodded. "We wanted to make something for ourselves."
"We hoped to start a new clan," Haboob said whilst she brushed off Pickled Apple's neck with her wing. "I had a good job at the telegram dispatch office. It paid well for what it was. But I was a clerk. A delivery pony. The future promised nothing beyond that."
"My fellow Apples had themselves a good life carved out in Appleloosa. And my life was spent making their lives better." Pickled Apple half-scowled, half-smiled. "It wasn't so bad, helping out family. We had everything we needed and we were treated well. But… we was the help. And that ground down on my last nerve in a fierce way. I wanted my own business, but there was no business to be had. Didn't feel right competing against family."
"I just followed my wives," Zipzap said with a nod.
"Wait…" Inspired, Sundance held up his hoof. "Can you operate a telegraph?"
"I can," Haboob replied. "But I mostly did delivery." She waved her wings about and grazed Pickled Apple's ear, which caused the earth pony mare to giggle. "I wasn't supposed to sit in the chair, because I had wings. My time was better spent out doing deliveries."
"Well, I see no reason why you can't do both," Sundance said, and he wondered if he was missing something. Perhaps if the office got busier, he might need a dedicated operator, but right now, at this moment, he saw a pony that could enable the barony's communications.
"I have a railroad station," he said to the family. "It's down south, on the borders of the Everfree. I'll admit, it's not much of a place to raise a family. At least, not yet. There's a bunkhouse. But there's also a place to start a hostel, or an inn, or an eatery… my point is, there's potential. It's a settlement ready to become a town, and what I need are homesteaders. First come, first serve."
The trio of adults all shared a three-way glance with one another.
"There's some cleared land there, but not much. You could build a house. Grow an orchard. But what you do is for you to sort out. All I care about is that you're productive and that the station gets up and running. I'll make certain that food is brought to you on a regular basis. With some effort, we can make this work."
"This is what we came for," Pickled Apple said to Sundance.
"For now, let's just get you home and settled," Sundance replied. "We'll work out the details later. Moving you south might be a challenge, but we can probably fix the balloon. Welcome to the Sunfire Barony." With the words barely off of his tongue, he wondered how Cork would go to school. While this concerned him, he said nothing about it. It was just another detail that would need sorting.
"Welcome home," Express Delivery said to the trio. "You'll like it here… just so long as you don't mind the smell of really bad eggs…"