//------------------------------// // Cherry Sorting // Story: Visiting Twilight // by StormLuna //------------------------------// Several hours had passed and it was late in the day when they arrived in Dodge Junction. Unlike it was in Canterlot where the snow had begun to fall as they pulled out of the station, it was warm and sunny in the town. When they disembarked everything in the town seemed different. There were no Hearth's Warming decorations anywhere to be seen, well none that they were familiar with. The community also didn't seem to have a festive feel to it at all. The two almost wondered if the community celebrated the holiday until they saw ponies buying gifts and wrapping paper but all of a sudden whether or not they celebrated the holiday fell on their priority list. They wanted to know if anypony there had seen a lavender unicorn. As they walked down the street, they were catching a lot of looks of shock and stares. Velvet noticed this first and asked, "Honey, why do you think they're looking at us like this?" Night Light knew a bit about the small towns in the south and how they are pretty much all earth pony. He replied, "Chances are they've never seen a unicorn before." They finally bumped into a mare, a mare who seemed like she was wealthier so they thought they'd ask her. Velvet asked, "Ma'am, we're wondering if you've seen a lavender unicorn with a six pointed star for a cutie mark." The pony replied, "To be honest, y'all are the first unicorns Ah've ever seen so no Ah haven't." Night Light asked, "Ok but I do have a question, is there anywhere here in town to stay because we're expecting our daughter to come up from Unicornia to visit us for Hearth's Warming." The pony asked, "Uni-what now?" Velvet figured that she wouldn't know what he was talking about so she asked, "The forest that isn't too far away from here." "Oh, that forest. Well we don't have any hotels 'round here but if y'all will help me out a bit y'all can stay the night over on the ranch." This caused the two to then wonder who you are. Velvet asked, "I'm sorry but what is your name?" "My name is Cherry Jubilee and Ah'm the boss over at Cherry Hills Ranch and if y'all are looking for a place to stay, Ah could really use some help sortin' cherries." The two's jaws dropped in shock. Here was this pony who was expecting them to help her sort cherries just for a place to stay. The thoughts of it made Velvet cringe but Night Light was much more open to it. He replied, "Well you introduced yourself so I'll introduce myself. My name is Night Light and if that is the case, I will help you out." He then nudged his wife and she replied, "Well my name is Twilight Velvet and I'll help you out too." "Terrific! Let me show you to your quarters and then tomorrow morning after breakfast, you can help me sort some cherries!" The two were frustrated that Twilight did not show up that day and that just to have a roof over their head for the night, that they were going to have to aid Cherry Jubilee in sorting cherries. Both of them were wondering if after helping Cherry sort the cherries tomorrow that they would have to walk out to the gullies and then walk from there to Unicornia. Once Cherry showed them to their quarters she said, "Alright, here's where y'all are going to be sleeping. Now follow me down so we can have some supper and then cherry pie for desert!" The two were happy that Cherry was going to not only be giving them supper but also breakfast but they were still frustrated that they were going to have to do something that no Canterlot pony alive would do, sort cherries. After turning in for the night, Velvet sighed in frustration, "I can't believe it, I can't believe it. Nopony around has seen Twilight and if she doesn't show up by the middle of the day tomorrow, we're going to have to walk to Unicornia and neither one of us has ever had to walk that far before!" Night Light too was frustrated but he wasn't the type to let his emotions get to him. He sighed, "Sweetie, we'll help Cherry Jubilee tomorrow morning, then we'll go see if anypony has seen Twilight and if nopony has, we'll just have to deal with walking to Unicornia." Velvet let out a sigh of frustration. As they were laying there trying to get to sleep, Velvet had two things running through her mind. The first thing being whether or not Twilight would even show up and the other being that they would have to hide them sorting cherries from everypony in Canterlot. She knew that if they were to find out, their social status would plunge over them doing what the wealthier ponies there would consider uncouth, an activity that was beneath Canterlot residents. When the following morning arrived Cherry Jubilee came and woke them up. "Up, up. Y'all want to be up if you want to have breakfast." The two followed her down to the dining room where they would be surprised by what was being served. Unlike up in Canterlot, they were being served meat. They did know though not to say anything because Cheery Jubilee did allow them to stay the night in exchange for aiding her in sorting cherries. After breakfast she led them out to the work area where a strong looking stallion was waiting. As they stood in front of the conveyor belt with two bins. Cherry said, "Alright, red cherries go in one bin and yellow cherries go in the other. It is easy as cherry pie!" The stallion got to walking in this wheel thing and cherries began to come down the belt. Night Light decided he would take care of the red cherries so Velvet took care of the yellow ones. Night Light would never admit this to anypony in Canterlot but he was actually enjoying the cherry sorting. Night Light worked as an accountant and the cherry sorting seemed like a nice break from what sometimes was a stressful job. After three hours the supply of cherries coming had been exhausted and Cherry Jubilee came into the room and said, "Well Ah'd like to thank y'all for helping." Night Light replied, "The pleasure was all ours." Jubilee suggested, "Before y'all get going, you want to join me with a mid-morning snack before y'all go looking for your daughter?" Velvet replied, "That would be wonderful." The two followed Miss Jubilee to the dining room where they enjoyed a slice of cherry pie. The two had only ate cherry pie once before in their lives and weren't fond of it. There was something about the cherries there though that made them taste better. After finishing their snacks Velvet commented, "This pie of yours is delicious." Cherry blushed, "Aw y'all are just sayin' that. Y'all can tell me the truth." Night Light agreed with is wife, "It is ma'am, I don't know what it is but this is the best cherry pie I've ever ate." "Well thank you." Cherry had noticed that a fair amount of time had passed and suggested, "Well Ah've probably held y'all up for long enough but before y'all go lookin' for your daughter, how about y'all take some cherries for the road!" Night Light replied, "We'd love that but we don't have any saddle bags." Cherry Jubilee said, "Oh don't worry about that. We have plenty of saddle bags 'round here." She then led the two into her office and gave each a pair of saddlebags before filling them with cherries, probably more than they'd be able to eat. Velvet was about to say something about it but didn't want to offend the pony who had been so kind to them. She then figured that Twilight could help them eat them and if they had to walk to Unicornia, there would be Moonlight there to help them as well. Once Cherry Jubilee had got them everything, she escorted them to the edge of the ranch and said, "Well again thank y'all for the help, Ah hope y'all can find your daughter and that she is ok." Night Light replied, "Well thank you for letting us stay on the ranch." "The pleasure was all mine." The two then left the ranch and headed back towards town hoping that Twilight would be in town waiting for them or would at least arrive soon because they didn't feel like having to walk so far just to see Twilight. The two didn't know much about Unicornia except that it was in a rather dense forest which was another thing that concerned them, they worried that they might get lost if they had to go there.