CHAPTER 2
After repeating the cycle several more times, with the occasional exchange of phrases between the two, all the barrels at hoof were full.
“Alright, I'd say that went quite well! You're starting to improve, that's for sure”, Applejack said to Engine, who simply nodded in response, a little surprised about getting a compliment.
“Why don't ya take the cart with the barrels back to the barn, while i start off with another tree patch over there?” She continued, pointing her muzzle towards a batch of trees they didn't go through yet.
Engine nodded again. “sure. Should I just leave them inside?”
“Yeah, that'll be fine. If ya can, load the barrels off the cart and put them against the back wall”.
“Sure. See you soon”, he smiled lightly before walking off with the cart. Applejack found herself staring at him as he walked away, and as soon as she noticed she violently shook her head. ‘Celestia,what is with me? Something just feels… different today’.
She looked towards the barn again. ‘is it him? It doesn't feel like he means any harm… then again, how would I know…? He wouldn't lend a hoof like that if he had bad intentions, though, right? Or maybe…’ she closed her eyes, remembering Engine smile, and found herself smiling too. ‘Look at me, overthinkin’ for no reason… probably just tired, that's all… Big Mac and granny will help me with it later’.
She started heading in the other direction. ‘Somehow, it's kinda nice getting help like that on the farm, for a change…’ still smiling a little, she was about to start bucking the next bunch of trees, when she suddenly heard something.
“...Applejack…”
She looked around, scanning the orchard as best as she could, but she couldn't see anything out of order.
“...Applejack…!”
She furrowed her eyebrows, looking around again. Was it just her sister playing a prank on her or something?
Then, completely out of nowhere, a pink object came towards her at a speed that seemed physically improbable.
Before Applejack could even think about reacting, it crashed right into her.
It was so sudden that the poor farmer didn't even notice that she flipped 3 times before hitting the closest tree.
Applejack put a hoof on her throbbing head, and slowly opened her eyes, only to find the culprit colliding their forehead with her own. She should've guessed who it was, really. Applejack groaned, still seeing double.
“Pinkie Pie! Just what the hay do ya think you're doin’??”
The pink pony stared at her intently. She said something to Applejack, but she didn't quite catch what she said with the ringing she had in her ears.
“I could've gotten a darn concussion! And then what? I have a family and a business to take care of, ya know!”
“Where. IS. He.” Pinkie said, not blinking, her right eye somehow stretching on its own towards Applejack.
Applejack tried to focus. “huh? Come again-”
“WHERE IS HE??” Pinkie Pie was now aggressively shaking her friend back and forth. “whereishewhereishewhereisheWHEREISHE???”
Applejack, half instinctively and half because she was getting upset, raised one of her hooves and kicked Pinkie in the stomach, causing her to roll back so quickly she looked like a pink ball.
Applejack panicked, fearing that she used too much force. She didn't mean it, well, not entirely! But Pinkie got up just as quickly as she fell and shook her head.
As soon as Applejack sensed the crazy pony was about to leap on her again, she stood on her two back legs and pointed the ones that were now in the air towards Pinkie.
“Pinkie, wait! Before one of us ends up in the hospital!”
Pinkie blinked a few times, before sitting down, her ears flattening.
“Right! Sorry, Applejack, I guess I got a little too excited, huh?”
‘A little?’ Applejack thought angrily. “What is it that you want, Pinkie Pie?”
Pinkie stared blankly at Applejack, trying to remember what she wanted. Then, in an instant, her eyes widened.
“Oh yeah! I was just taking Gummy for a walk, i mean, you know how much he looooves his walks, teehee!”
Applejack recalled seeing one of these so-called walks. It was just Pinkie dragging Gummy around town with a leash.
“And all of sudden, guess who I saw??” Applejack opened her mouth to answer, but Pinkie spoke first. “It was Apple Bloom! You know, your sister? The one with the pink bow? Red hair? Has 2 friends she hangs around with? The cutie mark crusaders? Oh, wait, you already know all of this hahaha. Where was i? Oh yeah! So she was there with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, and she was talking about a NEW PONY in town! NEW! PONY! And you know what THAT means, APPLEJACK?”
“Uh… a part-”
“A PARTY! YES! I mean, first I should probably introduce myself. We don't want the Twilight Sparkle incident to happen again. So I really really REALLY need to know where he is and throw him the most amazing welcome party he’s EVER seen and then we’ll become NEW BEST FRIENDS and that would be AWESOME!!!” Pinkie said all of that in one breath.
“So. Where is he?” She asked, jumping up and down.
“Well, he should be at the barn, but-”
“The barn! Right! Ok see you later Applejack! Probably at the party!! Sorry about almost giving you a concussion bye!!” Pinkie Pie was already hopping away.
The farmer couldn't help but feel disappointed somehow. She shook her head again, as if trying to shake away the feeling. Nonsense! She usually works alone anyway. Well, there's her family, of course, but the apples end up working on different spots of the farm during the day. Well, it didn't matter, they'd probably end up working together with the new stallion anyway, and that didn't make her feel half-bad.
Meanwhile, in the barn, Engine was unloading the barrels. It felt good to help others, and it felt even better when he helped somepony like Applejack. Little did he know, this was it for his volunteering for the day.
“HI!” Someone suddenly shouted.
Engine flinched and “woah”’d in surprise. He didn't even hear anyone come in! Did she just appear here??
He turned around to see a pink pony with a smile so wide it almost reached her ears.
“Hi…?” He greeted her hesitantly.
“I'm Pinkie Pie! You're new in Ponyville, right?? What's your name?” She asked, extremely excited, and extended her hoof towards him.
“Yeah, I'm new. Engine Cogwheels, it's nice to meet you.” He put his hoof in hers, and as soon as he did, she started shaking it up and down very quickly.
“Wow! It IS nice to meet you, too! What brings you here? What do you do for a living? Ooh, I bet it's something REALLY cool! Where are you from? Do you like Ponyville so far? I LOVE Ponyville so if you don't I'm gonna MAKE you like it. Oh, but in a good way! I'll introduce you to my friends, well some of them, because I got TONS of friends so it'll take a while for you to get to know ALL of them. Speaking of, have you made any friends here yet? Or in general? I bet 5 bits I met your friends, too! Unless they're from REALLY far away and then maybe not, I don't think I've ever met YOU, after all. So where did you say you were from, again? Oh, silly me, you didn't even say that yet, hahaha! You know, sometimes I just start talking and I just keep talking and talking, until I start talking about how much I talk! Speaking of which, I don't talk THAT much, I mean right now I'd probably say that I've said maybe 30% of what i wanted to say to you so far! Or is it 20%? Something about 20% sounds familiar. What was I gonna say…? OH YEAH! Do you like cupcakes? Wait, no, scratch that- OF COURSE you like cupcakes, ‘cause who DOESN'T? Unless you're allergic to some ingredients. ARE you allergic to anything? I'm gonna make a very detailed document about you as a pony including your favorite color, favorite flavor, deepest fears, favorite memory, those kinda things! I make one for each of my friends and that means I GOTTA make one for YOU too! That reminds me of one time I gave one of my friends a cupcake with peanuts inside, but he was ALLERGIC to peanuts, so his eyes became super red and he was covered with a rush and- wait, is that TMI? You'll tell me when I go TMI mode, right? I tend to do that sometimes, not on purpose though! What I DO do on purpose is make delicious cupcakes! Teehee, I said doo-doo! Wait where was I? OHH RIGHT! YOU!”
Engine tried his best to follow what the pink pony was telling him, but gave up after about a minute. He was about to interrupt her, but before he realized she was right next to him, with her hoof on his shoulder.
“You know, Engine? I think we're gonna get along juuust fine…” she said with a grin.
Engine was still confused, so he just nodded.
“Not much of a talker, huh? That's ok! I'll do the talking for the two of us! Aaand…” she threw confetti that she took out of her hair.
“You’re getting the Pinkie Pie Perfect Ponyville tour! From me! Pinkie!”
Engine laughed, surprised. “A tour? Just for me?”
“Uh-huh!”
“Well, sure, why not? I should just let Applejack know that-”
“No need for that! I already told her!” Pinkie said, jumping up and down.
“You did? Well, when does the tour start, then?”
Just a few seconds later, he was already trying to catch up with Pinkie Pie, who started heading out of the barn before he even finished his question.
“Right now!”
They ended up spending quite a few hours together, with Pinkie showing him the different streets and buildings, and other ponies of course. Engine tried his best to remember as many names as he could, which wasn't easy, since he met a lot of new faces which he got to see for only a brief moment, before Pinkie would say something like “ok we gotta go now! Still a bunch of places to see! A bunch of ponies to meet! Time doesn't grow on trees and money's a-wasting! Or, wait- the other way around!”
He enjoyed himself overall. Pinkie Pie, while being overwhelmingly energetic (in a somewhat impossible-looking way), was very pleasant and accepting, not to mention extremely fun to be around. He was smiling and laughing more often than not. In his book, it was definitely a good day. He did secretly wish he could spend a little more time on the farm with Applejack, but it was a good day regardless.