//------------------------------//
// Chapter One 
// Story: I Forgot to Remeber to Forget  
// by TheNewOne 
//------------------------------//

Applebucking. You've worked on a cherry farm, a celery farm, a carrot farm and a flower farm. Nothing, nothing could compare to the strenuous work of applebucking. Applejack, or AJ as you've taken to calling her -with permission of course- showed you the ropes and accompanied you for the first few trees you did. She was impressed with how quick you picked up on it. Spend your whole life doing odd jobs and you become a quick learner. After she was satisfied with the quality and strength of your buck she gave you a portion of the orchard to try and clear by the end of the day. She freely admitted that you probably won't have this much to buck on a normal day. She was really just testing you, if you couldn't handle it, you would be hard pressed to work on the farm through the season.  So you bucked on, it was mind numbing work, just one more buck, every time you make one, you tell yourself just one more.  You thought back to the lunch you had with the apple family. You didn't know that there was so many different types of apple dishes. Earlier AJ thought you were working for too little, but with the amount they were feeding you, you thought it evened out.  You misplaced a buck in your reminiscing and didn't drop all the apples on the tree. Frustrated you focus more on the task at hand.

                Dinner with the Apple family was a lot like lunch with the Apple family. Apples, lots and lots of apples. One would think you could get sick of apples after awhile, but here at Sweet Apple Acres getting sick of apples is crazy talk. At dinner you were polite with granny smith, and she took a liking to you. You got an opportunity to explain to AJ and Big Mac (The red stallion from earlier) how you lived. They never really understood what you meant before when you mentioned you didn't have a home. These were the kind of ponies that treasured and valued a home, it was the most important thing for them. You were bombarded with questions about the places you've been, you gave them a list, avoiding manehatten. Granny smith smiled. She told you of a time when hobo's were more common, she had hired a few herself on the farm, she was also incredibly pleased when she found out you lived by the code. Upon hearing about the code you found the Apple family was just a little more friendly. As AJ put it "Ah can respect a stallion who sticks to his principles 'specially if Ah approve of those principles."

                Eventually you noted that the young filly that was here this morning was not at the table. When you inquired you were told she was having a cutie mark crusader sleepover. AJ muttered something about removing  a guest room under her breath. You smiled and laughed. You wanted to spend all night talking with them, but the work had been exhausting and you felt an early trip to bed was in order.

                "Well it's been a lovely evening, but I think I'll be calling it a night, that bucking was some of the hardest work I've ever done." As if to get the point across you yawned.  

                "Eeyup." Came the deep and rich voice of Big Mac. He didn't really have much to say, but when he did, people listened.

                You began to walk towards the orchard, it was another nice night, you figured you could sleep under the stars. AJ looked positively alarmed as you walked away. "Hold it right there Mister. Where do you think you're going. Ah promised you a room by the end of the day, do you think Ah'm not a pony of my word. I got you a room to sleep in don't you worry none."

                You tried to explain yourself. "Right, don't get me wrong, I really appreciate it, but tonight is a nice night, no reason I can't sleep outside. I'm accustomed to it anyways, wouldn't want to trouble you."

                "Ah've already gone through the gosh darn trouble while you were bucking Apples, so follow me." Not having much of an option you do as she says.

                She took you down the road, after walking for a minute, you wondered if she got you  a room at a hotel. If she did you would have to decline, there was no stopping you from that, she shouldn't have to pay for a room and feed you as much as she is. With your trusty bindle stick you walk beside her. You decide  that she hadn't paid for a hotel as she was taking you away from town. You crossed a bridge over a small creek and noticed the place was crawling with animals, you didn't mind animals, but in large numbers such as this it was just weird. Then you saw the small cottage, you wondered who lived there. Before you got to the door AJ put a hoof out to stop you.  "Now you listen here, and you listen good. Fluttershy is one of ma closest friends. She has agreed to take you in, and Ah only resorted to this because you seemed like a gentlecolt and Ah was out of options. She is the sweetest lil' thing, but is very sensitive and shy, so ah swear on my hat that if you hurt her or scare her in any way, you will be leaving the farm, and going to a hospital. Ah am a pony of ma word, you'd do well to remember that."

                The sudden hostility initially took you aback, but you recovered quickly. You swore on your code that you would treat her right. AJ seemed to approve, and promptly knocked on the door. What greeted you was unexpected. AJ had said shy, but this pony was cowering in your presence, legs shaking, and wings locked, the worst part of it was that AJ had never mentioned she would be so darn cute. You briefly wondered how in the hay AJ got Fluttershy to agree to this, you decided you didn't want to know, AJ was a pony of her word, and she said she would get you a room.

                AJ gave you an expecting look and you stumbled over your words in the rush to get them out. "H-hi, I mean hello, yes hello," you did your best to recover the situation, "Right, well I'm AJ's new farmhand, and I don't live around here, or anywhere actually. So thank you, for taking me in."

                After a brief glance at you, then back to AJ, she stood up a little straighter, and mumbled something inaudible. Softly you said, "I'm sorry miss, I didn't quite catch that."

                "Hi I'm Fluttershy, nice to meet you. Really it's no trouble at all."

                "Hun your gonna have to speak up." AJ deadpanned.

                You starred at her big blue eyes and gave her a reassuring nod. "Hi I'm Fluttershy, nice to meet you. Really it's no trouble at all."

                You froze up for a moment, her voice was soft like an angels. A quick hoof to your rear and you jerked to attention. "Right, well thank you AJ, and thank you again Fluttershy. May I come in?"

                AJ bid you a quick goodnight and went to back to the farm. You started to enter the house, or cottage, or den, or whatever it was. It had so many nooks, crannies and holes in it for all the animals living in it. Fluttershy seemed to have grown more bold with you, now that initial introductions were completed. When she noticed you staring she smiled sweetly, "Animals are my special talent."

                You look around the room again, and ask where you will be sleeping. Fluttershy points you the direction of a room, "Oh and don't mind the flamingoes, they're really sweet when you get to know them, but if you want I can make them move."

                Not wanting to cause her any trouble you assure her. "Flamingoes, birds right? I'm sure we will get along just fine."

                You were in the doorway to your room when Fluttershy called after you. "Wait, where's your stuff?"

                This elicited a short burst of laughter from you. Fluttershy looked confuse so you pointed to your bindle. "Everything I own. Everything I need."

                There was a quick gasp and a look of realization. "When you said you didn't have a home.. you really meant you didn't have one, I thought you just meant it was far away."

                You smiled. "Fluttershy, let me tell you about the life of one of, possibly the only one of Equestria's knights of the road." Sure you were suppose to go to bed, but you loved to talk, and tell stories. So you sat there on the couch and talked, told her about all the adventures you could think of. When a light blue unicorn almost got you and the city of Hoofington destroyed by assuring everyone she could in fact banish the Ursa that was attacking and not to call the princess. The story about the derailed train, how you jumped off at last minute, attaining minor injuries, and alerting the closest town of the disaster. Fluttershy was a perfect listener, gasping at the right moments, knowing when to nod, when to look sad and even surprisingly, when too input her opinion. When you finished the story about singing in the Vanhoover Opera Hall, the talk turned to your bindle.

"I just don't understand," She said, "How can you carry your entire life around on a stick. Oh that sounded mean, I didn't want to sound so mean I'm sorry." 

                You wave it off "It's no offense, and even if it was, there is no need to apologize, don't worry. As to how I can carry my life around on a stick, well I can show you." You retrieve your Bindle and open it up on the table. It contains a multitude of Items from your past, your emergency bits, your passport and a mouth operated army knife.  Fluttershy looks through the items, making sure to ask you before touching anything. Among the sentimental items are a small piece of metal, you explain it was from the derailed train. A dragon tooth, you make sure she knows that tooth was given to you by a dragon, you didn't slay one and take it. There was even a lock of Celestia's rainbow hair, that was giving to you after helping her banish the ursa in Hoofington. "She said she could give me almost anything I wanted, I told her that all I wanted from such a fair and beautiful monarch was a lock of hair from her mane." Fluttershy made a little "aww" noise.

                Fluttershy notices a small lump in the cloth. She finds it has been sewed shut and there is something inside. She looks at you, curiosity in her eyes. You don't remember at first, but then you launch another attack on the hidden reaches of your mind. You don't get very far, but you remember that pouch now. "I made that for something important, I haven't opened it up, well since it's been made."

                "Do you, um, do you want to tell me what it is?"

                "No.. No, It's not that I wouldn't, I couldn't'. I forget what it is." Your eyes are distant your mind is a battlefield. Fluttershy looks concerned, you ignore it for now you are trying to focus. Focus on what? You don't know, don't know what side you should support, because you don't know what your mind is fighting over because you have forgotten it.  You do know that certain things should stay forgotten, and you should remember that. Keeping that in mind you support the secret side, and once again any chance of delving deeper into the forbidden zone of your mind is foiled.

                "If it's important to you than maybe we should... well open it up, if you don't mind."

                "No," you say softly, "It's for the best that I forget, some things need not be remembered."

                "Are you... Are you okay?"

                With a warm smile, you nod. You don't think she's convinced, but she has decided not to investigate further. You excuse yourself, pack up your bindle and collapse on a bed. Your dreams are horrible, but you don't remember them by the time you wake up. You just feel like you should cry. So you do.