//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: A Chestnut and an Apple Cart. // Story: A Walking Chestnut // by Netap //------------------------------// The Summer Sun Celebration. According to Angel it's a ceremony where the Pony Sun princess lifts up the sun with her magic powers. Sound like a bit too much power in one persons hand. What will you do If your nation is at war with her? She can just make sure the sun wouldn't shine in your country, ruining your countries agriculture. killing countless innocents in the process. But that wouldn't happen because these ponies are all about friendship and happiness and rainbows and all that childrens morning cartoon stuff. The Care bears will just hold their hands together and solve the problem or something. I'm going on a tangent again, sorry. Yeah so, The Summer Sun celebration is a glorified power play the the ruling class of Equestria, telling everyone that they hold their entire future in their hooves. But they basically disguise it as a celebration of sunshine and summer. Now, I personally don't really care about the whole moving the sun shtick that they are showing off over there, However, A festival usually has food stands. And I need Food. Some of the critters in the forest near where I decided to make my sleeping hole have been generous enough to give me nuts and berries, There's also a fairly common edible root growing around that I take when I see one. But I don't really know what is edible here and what isn't. I don't recognize more than half the berries that they gave me, And for the nuts I could recognize acorns and pinecones. Now, I know how to start a fire, I know how to cook food, I know where to get water And if anybody starts asking about a cooking pot that went missing, I want you to know that I didn't steal it. I borrowed it permanently. And on the talk of stealing and borrowing, I am going to do something similar at the celebration. You see, Its basic knowledge that Product is exchanged for goods and/or services. I don't have any goods or services to exchange for the product that I need, Know commonly as food. What I'm trying to get at, Is that I'm going to steal food. What better time to steal food then at a festival? The streets will be packed with people to blend in with, Nobody will notice a sandwich or two or twenty go missing? And who really needs that food more? The Rich elite living in their civilized houses, using stoves and showers to take care of their needs, Throwing coins around because they can afford to spend it on the petty things in life. Or The poor little forest critter, Trying his best to survive in the cruel wilderness of the outside world. The answer is Simple, That forest creature, IE Me, Needs that food more than they do. Walking down the small road leading from Fluttershy's cabin to the village of Pony. Ponyville is such a dumb name. What's next? Horseland? Hooftown? These names are so stupid. Ahem, Walking down the small road leading to Ponyville, I hear birds singing. I can recognize some of them as well. The one doing the falsetto can be considered one of my new neighbors, Swell guy. I wonder how his wife is doing? Back to what I was talking about, After a few minutes of walking with my tiny feet I reach the town proper. A colorful place that still uses thatch roofing. Just use flat concrete roofs like normal people. Walking down the road, I get a few looks from passerby's, But I ignore them. It's not like they matter, What are they going to do? Call pest control? I'd like to see them try. Searching for a food stand is priority numero uno. I look left, I look right. I even look up and down. No food to be found, What kind of celebration is this? Where's the food? Where's the free samples? Where are all the places I can hide in to not get caught while I send out a vine to grab something from afar? "Where is the food?!" I cry out to the world, Hoping for an answer to appear before me. And an answer does come, In the form of a smell, Wafting by my nose, leaving the taste of a warm apple pie. Now, I know there is food here, I just need to find it's source. Following the source of the smell was not and easy endeavor. I had to duck and weave the mighty obstacles called legs. these ponies should really watch where they're going. What would have happened to them If I was a small powerless child instead of a wild animal? Would they get arrested for running orphan an Orphan? The Little Match boy lays dead at their feet. How would they feel after the lawsuit. Guilty on charges of manslaughter, Thirty years in prison! After dodging all the death traps that were left in my way, I found it. Inside the circular building in the center of town. A cart with apple themed snacks. From Apple Pie to Apple Strudel, Apple Crumble to Apple Juice. And best thing of all? Nobody is watching the cart. It's just me, The cart, And a ten meter gap between sleeping hungry and food for a week. Now all I got to do is get closer, Hope that no one is around, And grab as much food I can in my pocket. I take one step, Stop to check if It made any sounds, And then take another slow step. I've got to be careful, Somebody might come and check on the cart If I make too much sound. I've got to be very very quite. Another Step, a little bit closer, Only a few more steps and I reach the best dinner I've had in almost fourteen days. Just a few more steps. "Listen Mayor Mare, I know that the ceremony itself takes place inside, But why move the cart outside, Where more ponies will see it?" A southern accent asks another. "Because We need to keep the food for ceremony itself, If we put your cart outside, There will be no snack for the ponies who came here so late and want something to fill their stomach." A slightly older voice answered the first. "I get that but- creek -What was that?" The younger voice stopped the older one. "What happened? Did you hear something?" Holding my breath, I hug myself to the underside of the cart, hoping none of the two voices will check to see what the sound was. I can't believe I am so close to being caught. "It was probably nothing dear, I'm sure you're just looking forward to having the whole town eat your food. This is your first year in charge isn't it?" The Older voice tries to calm down the younger, Please listen to her. There is nothing wrong with the cart, The sounds are in your head. "Yeah, Yer' probably right. Sorry ma'am, May I be excused for the rest of the day? I think I need some time to calm down. It doesn't really help that The Princess herself sent an inspector to check everything. I'm prolly stressed." The young voice is leaving? Yes! Please don't check the cart. Please leave, both of you, I can't have witnesses here. After another minute of talking between each other, I hear the clops of hooves leaving the room. Peeking from under the Cart, I see the coast is clear. Operation Apple Cart is a go! Putting inside my pocket as much food as I can, I grab a class of Apple juice to moisture up my dry throat, And take my leave. This would have been a lot less stressful if Angel just told me that the celebration is in the middle of the night, and inside! How will you see the princess lift the sun if your Inside a building? And why were the Ponies so excited all morning, The celebration doesn't take place for another seven hours or so! But none of that matters because, I, Chespin, The World greatest criminal mind, Managed to get away with my greatest heist yet! Acquiring Dinner! Taking the nearest exit from Ponyville, I briskly walk towards the lake outside of town. You see, on the outskirts of the lake there are several large trees. Not large like redwoods, But the trunks are big enough to need several people to join their hands together to circle one of the trees. I dug a hole under one of those trees and Made it my spot. My home you might call it. Problem is, There is a big lake between that Tree and where I am right now. And you can guess that this body isn't exactly made for swimming. But don't worry, I already have a way to deal with this. Two green vines extend out of my upper back, really close to my neck, And I send these tendrils of plant into the water, And I call out "Hey Clarisse! Come give me a hand!" My voice ripples through the vines and into the water of the lake, A few seconds later, A large orange tentacle rises out of the water. It flops about in the arms for a few seconds before slowly lowering and landing near my feet. I climb on to the tentacle and grab it with my vine tendrils. Giving it two short squeezes as I do. Now with me standing on the arm of the Giant underwater creature, It moves over the lake at high speeds, Forcing me to tighten my hold for a bit. Around two minutes later It drops me off at the other side of the lake, Near the strip of trees where I made my new home. Thanks Clarisse, Tell Hank I said hi!" I yell back at the tentacle, It gives me a small wave before it submerges under the water once more. Quickly leaving the coast of the lake and Walking into a hole under one of the trees. It's not that big, Only about four meters wide and two meters tall. But for a small Chespin like I am right now, That's more than enough. I take all the food out of my pocket and put it in a corner on the dug out cave. I pass by a metal pot and pan, A bunch of cutlery that I also Borrowed indefinitely, and even a pillowcase that I filled up with grass and leaves. It's not much, It doesn't even have a door, And if The tree ever falls over, It's roots will destroy my new roof, But it's all I really have right now. It might not be the best, But it's enough to get by. After telling a songbird outside to wake me up in five hours, I go to lay down on my grassy pillow. Belly now full with an Apple Muffin. I then close My eyes and go to sleep.