//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 - The Apple Farm - Redone // Story: Denuo Fortuna // by Firecaller //------------------------------// Chapter 9 - The Apple Farm - Redone Sunbeam limped along the path towards Sweet Apple Acres. A wooden fence ran alongside the path on the left with an apple orchard behind it, and on the right was open fields. Rainbow flew lazy circles around her, describing her latest stunt as she did so. Sunbeam didn’t turn her head to follow her, but she did keep the nearest ear pointed towards the pegasus at all times. “And then I pull up at the last minute…” Sunbeam frowned for a second before turning her head to look at her. "Wait! Isn't that the one where you demolished the hedge and ended up assaulting the tree?" Rainbow hovered, bringing a hoof up to her chin. “Umm…” Stopping, Sunbeam rolled her eyes. “Okay, I see I’m gonna have to be more specific. I mean the crash when I first met you." Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "Hey! I only crash when practising new stunts... and that’s only down to me needing to properly calibrate my angular acceleration, drag and wing loadings in the stunt itself." She looked away, not meeting Sunbeam's eyes. "Of course, while I am perfecting them, overshooting when performing those high-speed manoeuvres is likely, and the resulting ‘deviation’ from my projected flight plan often ends up as an impact.” Rainbow sighed. "My thrust-to-weight ratio is so outside the norm that the current g-forces tables for pegasi flight manoeuvres are pretty much useless to me." Turning back, she jabbed a hoof at Sunbeam. "Let me tell you, it’s no fun having to work out your own flight-envelope by trial and error... Why you are you looking at me like that?" Sunbeam gave her slow blink. “Could you repeat all that for me. In non-pegasus?” Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Okay, for all the unicorns in the audience, I practice to get better. Which means until I do get better there may be errors in my flight course. Once I’ve perfected the stunt, I don’t crash… ahem, I mean deviate from my flight plan anymore. Hardly anymore anyway. Once I’ve done that, I can go onto perfecting my next stunt, in which case the problems predicting my flight plan may occur again." Rubbing her chin, Sunbeam looked down. "Right, I think I got this, you only crash when you've practising new stunts? And as soon as you’ve perfected the old one, you start a new one, which is often. Hence why you seem to be crashing all the time." Still hovering Rainbow shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t always crash. Sometimes I can project stress loads and probable flight patterns from previous stunts onto the new stunt and help prevent cras... deviations from my flight plan.” Sunbeam started walking again. "Have you ever told anypony this?” “No, it’s all pretty obvious. Isn’t it?” Sunbeam smiled. “You’d be surprised. Can you do me a favour Rainbow? Don’t tell anypony what you’ve just told me until after I’m pointing the camera." * * * Sunbeam looked over the orchard, stretching over the hills before her. "Wow! And you say Applejack and her brother harvest that all by themselves?" "Used to, not anymore. The rest of the girls have persuaded Applejack to get help these days. Before that... well, let's just say Applejack can be a tad stubborn at times." Sunbeam nodded. 'Considering the source, I get the feeling that you’ve just been royally dissed AJ.' Rainbow looked over the orchard. "Getting AJ to swallow some of her pride and get some helpers in for bucking season on a regular basis was a battle. A battle that should be in a stained glass window if you ask me." Sunbeam nodded. 'The battle of bucking season… no prisoners taken...’ She tried to suppress the snigger which ended up as a snort. ‘Oh get your mind out of the gutter Sunbeam.' Pausing, a small, but genuine, smile grew on her face. 'First time I’ve called myself Sunbeam without thinking about it. Yay me.' Sunbeam looked up and realised Rainbow had been talking and she’d missed most of what she had just said. "... of course, she does get the occasional bad apple as it were.” Rainbow smiled at her own pun. “But she can weed most of them out in the interview stage." "Good at spotting slackers, liars and cheats then?" Sunbeam chipped in, hoping to give the impression she’d been listening all along. Rainbow gave Sunbeam one of the biggest smiles she'd ever seen, a sight that made her distinctly nervous. "Oh yeah, slackers and cheats she can weed out fast. Liars…” The smile managed to grow. “They all fall at the first hurdle." Sunbeam could feel the knot forming in her stomach. “Erm… Applejack can spot liars that easily?'” Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Well, she is the Element of Honesty and all that." "Element of Honesty?" Sunbeam stopped and tilted her head in thought. ‘Element… Elements… Element of Honesty… Come on, you know that name you stupid mare...’ Rainbow actually landed in shock, her eyes wide as she stared at Sunbeam. "You don’t know?! You’re kidding me! Tell me you’re… Yeesh. What rock have you been hiding under for the last however many years?" Sunbeam head snapped round, the sudden fire in her eyes making Rainbow take a step backwards. Sunbeam’s lips pulled back and through clenched teeth, she snarled at Rainbow. "Let's assume I’ve been under a big rock… From ever since I was a…” She looked away, the fire in her dying and leaving only a weary-sounding mare in its place. “Let's just say it was for too many years and move on." Rainbow took another step backwards. “Err...” Closing her eyes, Sunbeam forced a smile as her voice dropped back to normal. “Sorry about that Rainbow, it’s a touchy subject but I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. I apologize.” She looked up at the pegasus, her voice straining with forced humor. “In fact, it’s something that should be left under a rock… and never mentioned. Ever again. Let’s both move on shall we?” Rainbow nodded, taking the hint. Both walked in silence for a minute before Rainbow tried to fill the uncomfortable silence. "Well, you know, AJ is the Element of Honesty, as in the Bearer of the Element, the Elements of Harmony and all that." Rainbow talked for a bit longer before noticing that she was alone on the path now. Looking back up the path she saw Sunbeam had sat down, her mouth hanging open, as she stared at her. Rainbow flew back up to her. Sunbeam opened and closed her mouth several times before pointing a hoof at Rainbow. "The Elements of Harmony! As in ‘supercharged magic conduits’, enabling non-alicorns to use magic at alicorn levels of power. As in enabling them to actually channel magic directly from the source itself. Those bucking Elements of Harmony?!" "Well I’m not too sure about most of what you just said there, but we have kicked some flank with them." Rainbow stuck her chest out with pride. Sunbeam’s forelegs slowly slid forward so that she ended up laying on the ground. Her voice had gone up noticeably in pitch. "We! As in you're a bearer as well? No wait… Of course you are.” She wrapped a hoof over her eyes. “And AJ is a bearer! Let's see, who else?” What sounded like a muffled sob came from the mare. "Let me guess, all your friends you’ve introduced me to?" Rainbow nodded in confusion. "Yeah, well Twilight, AJ, Flutters, Rarity, Pinkie and myself are Bearers.” Rainbow flew up and tapped herself on her chest. “How's that then, the first pony you meet in Ponyville is one of the Bearers of Harmony and I've introduced you the rest of the group. All barring Twilight of course." Sunbeam didn't seem to take this as Rainbow expected. She buried her face into the ground, and with one hoof over the back or her head, started pounding on the ground with the other. Rainbow was unable to hear the muffled conversation Sunbeam was having with the ground. "Buck, buck, buck!" "I’m hanging around the bucking Bearers of Harmony…" “I’m used to plans going south… but this is a whole new level…” "Highest level national defence asset, of course no one is going to want to check up on who they're hanging around with..." "Not to mention they have the personal interest of the Princesses…" There was another sob-like sound from Sunbeam. “Should have just got a bulls-eye as my cutie mark…” "And of course running away screaming might draw unwanted questions..." Sunbeam stopped pounding the floor and after a couple of silent seconds sat back up and attempted to smile at the now puzzled looking Rainbow Dash Putting on a posh Trottingham accent Sunbeam carried on if nothing had happened. "Well then, I do believe we are going to be late for crashing the Apple family’s luncheon. We had best make haste." Rainbow flew up next to Sunbeam. “Erm… you okay there Sunbeam?” “Why shouldn’t I be? I mean we are only going to partake in a spot of delightful lunch at the Apple family residence, are we not? I mean what could possibly be wrong with that? Not only is our host an Element bearer, but she can also spot lies. Ooh, I can hardly wait. At least I know now there can’t be any more surprises…” Sunbeam closed her eyes, before slapping a hoof over them. “And I just said that didn’t I? Okay Rainbow, just to eliminate one possible scenario, no Princesses are planned to be attending this lunch... are they?" Rainbow, still confused, shook her head. "No, no princesses in attendance. Mind you, got a letter today. Twilight is going to be back in Ponyville in a few days. Spike will be back tomorrow to get the library ready." Sunbeam slumped in relief. "Well, while the Twilight remark is a little off-the-wall, it’s certainly nice to know that I won’t have to... spruce myself up for a princess." Sunbeam rubbed her face. 'And by spruce myself up I mean run screaming in a blind panic. Right, focus you stupid mare. You -can- get through this. Just be on your guard and don’t lie… directly. You’ve got this far, maybe this can all work out… Yeah.’ Sunbeam let out a tiny whimper. ‘I really don't think I can handle any more surprises right now.’ Rainbow threw a hoof over her shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll all be better once you get some good old Apple family cooking in you. Pity Twilight isn’t here yet though. I’d love to introduce you to her.” * * * Seated on a very comfortable couch in the living room, Sunbeam still felt a little embarrassed at ‘just turning up’ and expecting to be fed. Applejack and the rest of her family didn’t seem to be phased by it at all, they had made her feel welcome. She noted that they seemed to be used to ponies, read Rainbow, ‘just happening’ to turn up for lunch. While lunch wasn’t quite ready, the smell coming from the kitchen as Applejack cooked it was making her feel very hungry. Sitting down on the couch, Sunbeam could feel Granny Smith and Big Mac discreetly eying her injuries. So was Applebloom, but she was being a lot more open about it and was simply staring at them. It was Big Mac that broached the subject in the end. “Sooo, six timberwolves.” It was Applebloom that answered. “Oh yes…Miss Sunbeam took on six big timberwolves for us… There may have even been more. Big, huge, wolves... ” Applebloom then proceeded with her version of what happened in the woods, as Sunbeam quietly died of embarrassment at the young filly’s exuberance. Exaggeration was pushed to the limit as six timberwolves rapidly become twelve, and with Rainbow egging Applebloom on, they further grew not only in number but size as well. By the end of the story Sunbeam was holding down house-sized timberwolf under her left hoof, firing off multiple beams at the huge numbers of incoming timberwolf reinforcements while bucking timberwolves off the fillies. An unprecedented blush formed on Sunbeam as she studied the craftsmanship of the ceiling. She could hear Applejack snickering in the kitchen as Big Mac and Granny Smith smiled good-naturedly at Appleblooms enthusiasm. Rainbow’s attempts at keeping a straight face were failing miserably. She glared at Rainbow. Rainbow waved back at her. “Say Applebloom, didn’t Sunbeam heroically cover you, telling you to get to safety as she held them off?” Applebloom nodded with a beaming smile. “Oh yes, she did! She was telling us to run to Zecora’s while she held them all off as long as possible and not to worry about her...” Sunbeam sank her face into her hooves. * * * Smiling at Applebloom’s exaggerated story, Granny Smith turned her attention back to Sunbeam. The smile dropped marginally. ‘None of them knows what is actually sitting across the room from them, do they? Well Miss Sunbeam, when we first settled here, we had to learn the hard way what Everfree critters were merely dangerous... And what ones were darn right lethal. I’ve learnt to trust my instincts on these matters... and mine are telling me that there's a predator sat in this room. Sat right there in your seat there Miss Sunbeam.’ Granny watched Sunbeam lift her face out of her hooves and make an attempt to try to tone down some of the story Applebloom, with Rainbow’s assistance, was spinning. No, there had been no dragons... or packs of diamond dogs… or Shadowbolts. Granny rubbed her chin as she watched her. ‘Well, I ain’t gonna say anything. Gettin’ yourself injured savin’ Applebloom means we owe you a debt. And the Apple family -always- pay their debts. But ignoring that, what exactly is a pony like you doing in a town like Ponyville Miss Sunbeam? What is here that appeals to you?’ Granny tilted her head as she watched Sunbeam, she watched her as she delicately lifted a teacup up and took a restrained sip in an effort to distract herself from Rainbow’s laughter and Applebloom’s puzzled look at it. A small smile grew on Granny’s weathered lips. ‘Oh… Oh that just beats all. There’s nothing here! And that’s the entire reason, isn’t it? You’re tryin’ hide, to fit in and not stand out ain’t you? Tryin’ to be all restrained an’ polite like while you hide in plain sight. Oh but that predator is still there, isn’t it? Just waiting underneath for some poor dolt to rouse it.’ Granny looked down and shook her head. ‘And Celestia help them when they do.’ She looked back at Sunbeam only to find Sunbeam was looking at her with a puzzled tilt to her head. Granny smiled at her. ‘Oh just ignore me dear, jus’ an old pony here.’ A question from Rainbow made Sunbeam look away from Granny. ‘You felt my suspicion, didn’t you? Well that predatory instinct could be useful, if put to proper use.’ Granny looked over in the direction she knew Canterlot lay ‘I see you Celestia! Grooming my granddaughter and her friends for your plans. Well my granddaughter may be a powerful filly now, but like the others, she’s still just a filly. They’re all good fillies, too good for your plans. They’ll hesitate to take that last, necessary step when it’s going to be needed. And that hesitation could kill her.’ She looked back over at Sunbeam as she discussed with Rainbow about something from the first Daring Do book. Apparently, if Daring had just killed the head hench-pony when she had the chance, it would have saved her a lot of trouble later on. Granny glanced back towards the direction of Canterlot. ‘I’ve worked on a farm close to the Everfree long enough to know just how easy dying is Celestia. And dying anytime soon -ain’t- gonna to be my granddaughter's fate. You may have a hooves-off approach to most things, but I’ll be damned if I pass up any opportunity to give my granddaughter an edge.’ She looked back at Sunbeam. ‘Oh yes, Miss Sunbeam you are going to give my Applejack that edge, you’ll teach her to act without hesitation when needed. You are going to install a bit of your killer instinct in all of them if I get my way. My granddaughter isn’t gonna die just because somepony hesitated. Least of all herself.’ They all looked up as Applejack stuck her head around the kitchen door. “Soup’s on.” Granny nodded to herself as everypony started to rise. ‘Yes, I’m gonna need to get you and Applejack to hang around each other as much as possible. You need to teach them not to be quite so goody-four-shoes. To… do what is necessary.’ She looked around at a pleading howl from outside. ‘Even if it does mean that Winona wants to stay outside every time Sunbeam is here. What is up with that dog anyway? Running out of the room like that when Sunbeam came in. Darn disrespectful.’ * * * Sunbeam fought a valiant, but ultimately futile, battle. She covered her mouth with a hoof as she let the belch out. “Excuse me. Maybe that third helping wasn’t such a good idea.” Applejack shook her head. “Well darn girl. You can sure put it away when you want to.” She leaned in. “I think even Big Mac is impressed.” “Eeyup.” Sunbeam leaned back and patted her stomach. “You gotta eat the good stuff when you can get it. You’ve got no idea when you might be forced to go without out in the field. Or maybe even have to eat something that you really don’t want to.” Sunbeam pulled a face. “With Silver’s lot, we had to resort to griffon rations once. And they're mostly meat..." Sunbeam trailed off, suddenly aware that she was the centre of attention. She rolled her shoulders. “Of course, we all put the meat to one side.” Everypony relaxed. Sunbeam looked down. ‘Only because we needed to cook it first though. Raw meat, even I draw the line at that. Blegh! But once cooked in, and heavily disguised in a stew, it was... still bucking disgusting! Okay, change of topic before I -do- start retching at the mere memory.’’ Standing up, she levitated her empty plate. “Here, let me help you wash up.' She turned and trotted away towards the kitchen. Applejack's eyes narrowed as she watched Sunbeam go into the kitchen with Big Mac following close behind with more empty plates. She leaned in towards Rainbow and whispered into her ear. "Have you ever heard her mention anything about her past before like that?" Rainbow shook her head. "She'd kinda touchy… very touchy about that. Avoids or outright ignores any questions. She slips now and again though, like that.” Rainbow rubbed her chin. “Humm, ‘out in the field’ now that is a guard term.” “Do you think she’s an ex-guard then? If so, why’s she keeping quiet about it?” Rainbow shrugged. “Maybe got kicked out or something…” Granny Smith added herself to the whispered conversation, causing both mares to jump. "Well, whatever she's got in the past, I say we leave it there. Here and now, she’s saved the lives of three fillies and got mighty hurt in the process. So we owe her a debt, a debt we can repay by being good neighbours and not stickin’ our noses in where they don't belong. In fact I think we should all try to get to know her better rather than trying to find reasons to keep away." Applejack lookup at the ceiling as Rainbow studied her hooves. After a pause, Rainbow nodded. “She does seem lonely at times. I say she needs friends.” She looked up with a smile. “And who better than us?” Applejack returned the smile. "Yep, certainly involve her in our get-togethers more. She needs to get out more. Hey, maybe even on some of our more 'interesting trips. D'cha think?" She added with a smile. Rainbow smiled. "Oh yeah, this is gonna be awesome. She's gonna love going on all our adventures." Applejack nodded determinedly. "We certainly ain’t gonna take no for an answer!" Granny Smith sat back and smiled. * * * Sunbeam sat in the living room, waiting for Rainbow Dash and the others to finish drying up after being shooed out of the kitchen by Applejack. Guests didn't have to help. Rainbow did though, as she was viewed as pretty much part of the family these days. And much to her chagrin, she got included in the roll call of chores as a result. Granny Smith would have kept Sunbeam company, but had gone to sleep in a chair, and Big Mac had a few chores to do outside. So Sunbeam just sat there looking around the room before walking over to a table filled with pictures of ponies she guessed were all part of the Apple family. Seating herself down, she studied all the photos that covered the table. ‘So many. And they all look so happy. One big family. One big, happy, family. Huh, I wonder what it’s...’ "Excuse me, Miss Sunbeam..." Sunbeam jumped. Her hoof flying to her chest as she grasped for an absent hilt. Applebloom looked up at her. “Sorry Miss Sunbeam didn’t mean to make you jump. I just wanted to ask you a question.” The hoof slid down to over the centre of her chest, having not found anything to grab. Sunbeam could feel her heart thumping under the hoof. “Holy… Try not to creep up on me like that kid.” ‘It could be bad. No, It would be… Oh don’t look at me like that. Seriously don’t. Oh buck, you could weaponize those eyes.’ Sunbeam looked away as she got her breathing back under control. “It’s okay Applebloom. It’s okay you just took me by surprise. You can stop looking at me like that… please. Right, a question, okay ask away. Just as long as it’s not the one about where foals come..." Sunbeam snapped her jaw shut with a click. Applejack and Rainbow were putting the last of the plates away in the kitchen and could hear her. “Umm, Okay… What was it? The question that is.” "What's your cutie mark mean?" Applebloom studied Sunbeam’s twin hoof symbol on her flank. Sunbeam noted that both Applejack and Rainbow now had an ear pointed at her as they finished up. "Well, I’m quite knowledgeable about the anatomy of ponies, and several other different species; I know just how much torque muscles, joints, and ligaments can, and will, take. Not to mention my talent makes me extremely adept at finding those…” She rolled her shoulders. “Sensitive spots.” She smiled down at Applebloom. “My cutie mark is in massage. I'm a masseuse."