The next few days at Sweet Apple Acres were less strenuous then the first. AJ was now satisfied you could handle the day in day out applebucking. You didn't mind the work, in order to pass the time while you bucked, you started to sing. Neighborough fair was a personal favorite of yours, you sang it softly, even using the consistent thunk of your hooves connecting to the trees to add to the song. Eventually the song finished, and you started another one. You were a well oiled machine, you didn't need to pay attention, it was all routine and rhythm, it left your mind free to focus on the blissful music. As the day wore on and lunch approached, you started to sing Neighborough fair again. Shortly into the song you noticed you had an audience. The yellow filly, her name was Apple Bloom, and she was one of the proud Cutie Mark Crusaders. You pretended not to notice her presence, but paid careful attention to her expression as she watched you. She looked impressed, but also saddened, the song seemed to really touch her. Before you were about to turn to her and acknowledge her presence with a nod, you saw a tear form in the corner of her eye. She turned and ran, and you knew the type of run. She was running away, not from you, but from her troubles, and her grief. She connected with the earth, and the earth gave her the strength she needed. You knew she would run, and never grow tired until she had finally outran her pain.
The incident with Apple Bloom had troubled you a little, you wondered if you should talk to AJ about it. You decided that it would be best just to wait and see, if the filly seemed fine later in the day, you would respect her privacy and not tell, but if she was withdrawn and sad, you would talk to AJ. To your relief, Apple Bloom was back to her normal self for dinner, normal meaning extremely talkative and hyper. When you finished eating, you excused yourself and started the walk to Fluttershy's. Thirty seconds after you left, before you were even off Sweet Apple Acres, you heard a shout behind you, "Wait!" Surprised, you turn to see Apple Bloom chasing after you. When she catches up you give her a second for her to get her breath back. You were expecting her to say something, but instead she looked at you, leaped up and gave you a hug. You hugged back, after a second you let go. It was a brief exchange, but a meaningful one. She looks at you again with her big eyes, nods and runs back to the house.
---
"- and then she ran back to the house." You finished telling your story to Fluttershy. Apple Bloom didn't worry you, but you were curious as to why she did what she did. So when you arrived at the cottage you told Fluttershy. You and the pegasus had grown closer over the past while, she liked to listen and you liked to talk.
"Hmmm, well, I'm not really sure, sorry," Fluttershy said,now being able to speak comfortably around you. "It could have something to do with her parents?" She sounded unsure.
"Parents?" You knew Applejack and Big Mac ran the farm and were old enough to be living on their own, but it never crossed your mind that Apple Bloom didn't live with her parents.
Fluttershy gave a sad little nod. "Parents, they died a few years ago. I'm not sure how, no one but the Apple family really knows how they, well, passed on," she shuddered and continued, "but the whole thing was just terrible. AJ was trying to be strong for Apple Bloom, so whenever she was around me, she just broke down."
You froze up, lost in thought. Baltimare, you were about the same age as Apple Bloom. On your walk home from school you saw fireponies. You liked to chase them, but they were so much bigger that they always got away and you could never find the fire they were going fight. When they finally rounded a corner and disappeared you noticed you hadn't actually taken a detour on your way home. Pleased you continue onward. You actually see smoke rising from a building, you realize the fireponies were going somewhere near your house. The usual the foalish fear of "What if they're going to my house!" popped into your head. You shook it off, saying it was stupid, probably not your house, probably. The nagging sensation of something being wrong was hammering away at the back of your skull, hidden behind thoughts of homework. Eventually you can't take it, you need to know now, so you run, when you turn onto your street your worst nightmare is confirmed...
"Umm, are you okay?" You had been so lost in your flashback that you just sat in your seat, staring into space. A tear forms on the corner of your eye, but you blink it away. Sure you were fine, you've had years to get over the loss, but it's not a loss people get over easily, and you still harbor grief for the parents that were robbed from you.
You sigh, "Yes, yeah, I'm fine." The words are empty, and your eyes betray you. Fluttershy leans forward and wraps her hooves around you in an embrace. You felt heat rise in your cheeks and mentally berate yourself. Here you are remembering and mourning your parents and you're embarrassed by a comforting hug.
Still in the embrace Fluttershy asks, "How?" Her voice was soft, and barely above a whisper.
At a similar volume you reply, "Fire, they died, they died in a fire."
"I'm sorry."
"You don't have to be."
Silence took over, you could of stayed in that hug for eternity, nothing else. No work, no money, no worries, no troubles, just warmth and comfort. While it was ever so tempting, you couldn't sit like this for much longer. Breaking away from the embrace you see that Fluttershy's cheeks were slightly pink. "I, hope you don't mind, I just, you just, and you looked like you needed it." Not wanting to screw up your words you give her a nod, another very brief hug and walk to bed.
---
You were confused to say the least. Over what? You didn't know, you had this feeling, this notion, that you couldn't let it happen again. Couldn't let what? You had no idea, and every time you tried to find out, every time you tried to think about it you were pushed back by a hidden force in your mind. You had hidden something, it had something to do with Manehatten, and why you couldn't go there. You don't know if you want to remember, or if you want to forget. You finally nodded off to sleep.
---
You woke up, sweaty and feeling terrified, feeling sad. Slowly you looked around the room, Fluttershy's flamingoes were sleeping peacefully, you were alone and safe. You must of had a nightmare. You try to go back to sleep, but it's difficult. Eventually you feel yourself nodding off, although you're not sure how much time you have left before you have to go and work the farm.
---
You felt something large and pointy gently rubbing your stomach. When you opened your eyes and looked up, you saw a flamingo franticly trying to wake you up. Before you could understand why, you began to laugh at the sheer absurdity of the situation; never in all of your life did you expect a pink flamingo to wake you up in the morning. You sat up, and the bright light rays that crept through the blinds on your window struck you in the face. Immediately you knew something was off, then it hit you, you were late. You'd been late before, but you were normally proud of your punctuality. Rushing to get your stuff together you took a second pause and stared at the flamingo. "You're smarter then you look, thanks buddy." With a curt nod you were running out the door.
"STOP!" You looked up, now aware that somebody other than Fluttershy was here. What you saw, left you dumbstruck. Fluttershy was standing there, alone, and looking a little guilty. "I'm sorry, you were in such a rush, and you don't have to go to the farm today, Appplejack gave you the day off."
"..."
"I was going to let you sleep in while I made breakfast, after all you had worked hard all week. I guess the Flamingoes woke you up?"
You nod slowly and tease a little, "Since when can you shout."
"Well when I was growing up with Rainbow- Have I told you about Rainbow? I'll introduce you sometime- anyways, the only way to-" She took note of your amused expression "- oh wait, was that a joke?" Slightly embarrassed she tried to hide behind her mane.
"A little bit, don't worry about it. You caught me by surprise that was all."
"I made breakfast if you'd like to eat. Then I'm going into town, but you can come, until I meet with Rarity to go to the spa. "
You hadn't actually been to Ponyville, besides when you got here of the train. Interested in the town you decide to take her up on her offer. "Sounds good."
---
Ponyville you discovered, was a very normal small town. It had a bakery, with an eccentric pink pony who knew Fluttershy, well she knew everyone, but she was good friends with Fluttershy. A library, with a bookworm unicorn librarian, also very good friends with Fluttershy. It had a fashion boutique, although you opted out of that one. Turns out that the rainbow you saw when you came into town was actually a pony. Rainbow Dash, future Wonderbolt and fastest pegasus in all of Equestria, or so she says.
You and Fluttershy part ways at the spa, she tried to give you some bits to by your lunch by quoting Applejack. "Fluttershy, Ah promised Ah'd feed 'im. Give this too 'im so ah uphold my end of the bargain." You thought this was ridiculous, you weren't working today, you didn't deserve the money. You could always do some quick work for a meal as well if you needed too. Eventually you accepted the cash, only because AJ might shove it down your throat later if you don't take it now, but you plan on secretly giving it to Big Mach later.
Wandering around town you saw a seafoam green unicorn, gently playing a lyre. You recognize the song as one of the ones you sang during the Vanhoover opera. You chuckle thinking of that fiasco, the lead had fallen down a flight of stairs, and the director in his haste noticed you were humming one of the songs to be played. You had been listening to the rehearsals, so you knew all the songs by heart, when you told him, the director pulled you into the theater gave you some bits and told you your part. Not the lead, they gave that one to a supporting actor, and you took his part. In this entire debacle the director forgot to check if you could sing, luckily you could, but it could of been a humiliating mistake.
Now thoroughly focused on that opera you begin to sing along with lyre. Softly and quietly at first, but then the unicorn noticed you, she beckoned for you to come closer. When you were standing beside her you raised your voice for the whole street to hear. You belted out the notes, a tenor voice, that made ponies stop and look at you. One might wonder if in a different past, one were you never ran away from the orphanage, you would have a musical cutie mark. Bits, bits and more bits were thrown into the lyre's case as you sang. When you finished you bowed to the accumulated crowd, as their hooves beat on the ground you smiled, pulled the unicorn up beside you and told her to bow, which she did. When the crowd had dissipated you and the unicorn exchanged some pleasantries, her name was Lyra.
"Well, this is more bits than I make in a day! Just for one song!"
"The ponies like something new, that's all," You said modestly.
"Well go on, you could take as much as 75 percent of those bits and I wouldn't complain, you earned them."
"75? No way, it's your money. Your lyre case."
" You brought all of it in though, come on take something, I'd feel bad if you didn't," Lyra said.
There was something about ponies in this town and giving away money, not that it was a bad thing, but it was just weird. "How about you treat me to lunch, and we call it even?"
"Deal."
---
Lunch was fine, just a daisy sandwich, but you didn't complain, or whine, because according to Fluttershy there is a very big difference between the two. Lyra made you promise to sing for again before you left town, and again if you ever came back. You had suspicions that you brought in her biggest pay day ever.
You wondered around a bit more, bought a cupcake from the bakery, even read a book at the library. Twilight sparkle was, odd; not in a bad way, she was just different, reminded you of yourself in a sense. As you started to walk back to the cottage you ran into Apple Bloom walking back to the farm. Her saddle bags were filled, and you could see textbooks poking out the top. It looked like she was having trouble walking with all the weight. You caught up to her, "Hey Apple Bloom."
"Hiya mister! How's it going!" She spoke with energy in her voice, you liked that.
"Good, good. Ate lunch, met a bunch of ponies, just spent a day in the town. How about you?"
"Well, you see, Scootaloo might 'ave tricked me into, carrying all her textbooks home, it's on the way to Sweet Apple Acres."
"They look a little heavy." You had some concern in your voice, that couldn't be good for the fillies back."
She hesitated for a minute then asked "Hey mister, could you maybe, carry some of them, for me. It's just they are reallllllyyy heavy."
Smiling you replied, "I can do better than that!" You lowered yourself down to her height, "hop on."
"Ya really mean it mister!"
"Of course." So she hoped onto your back, giving her legs a rest. She was heavier than you thought she would be, but it was nothing you couldn't handle.
"So mister, you haven't told me yet, Howd'ya get your cutie mark?"
(A/N. If you're reading this I'm going to try and update one chapter a week, maybe two if I'm feeling productive.)