After a bit of asking around we found out that The Apple family lived on a farm on the edge of town. We walked up to another wooden archway like the one we had come into town through, only this one had an apple carved into it that stood out even in the eternal darkness we were in. When we walked through it I thought we had left town and gone back into the forest we just came out of, but on closer inspection I saw that the trees here were carefully spaced apart so that each one could be accessed easily and that they were all apple trees.
Underneath one of them was a pink mare with a long green mane and three cupcakes of some kind on her flank bucking the tree and causing the apples to fall into buckets that were along its base. "Um.. Excuse me," Lemmy said when we walked up to her. "A-are you a member of the apple family?"
The mare stopped her bucking and turned to look at the three of us. "I should imagine so!" She said as she grabbed Lemmys hoof and shook it so hard that her whole body was shaking. "Th' name's Red Gala, and I help run this here orchard."
Lemmy was still shaking up and down from the hoof shake until Scootaloo had put her hooves on her shoulders to stable her. "I'm Ivory Blossom. And this is Lemon Wedge and Scootaloo." I said, gesturing to each of us as I introduced ourselves.
"Pleasure ta meetch' all, now what brings y'all here to Shaded Acres?"
"We need a place to stay until the train for Ponyville comes in and we heard that you might be able to help us."
"Well a'course y'all can stay here! But we're a'gona work ya fer those two days, y'up for it?"
"Of course! We'd be happy to help out while we stay here."
"Yeehaw!" She cried out. "Oh! And one more thing a fore we hit the hay, mostly just for my curiosity."
"Yes?"
"Ain't y'all two a might bit young to have a foal?" We looked at each other and then realized what she was talking about and instantly our faces flushed red and Lemmy tried to explain things. "O-o-oh no! I-it.. She's not ours.... Well, I g-guess she is.. But she's not OURS ours, she-" I stopped her rambling by putting a hoof in her mouth, causing Scootaloo to giggle.
"What Lemmy is trying to say here. Is that we watch her, but we didn't make her." I explained, causing Red Gala to chuckle at our little comedy act. "Aha, alright.." She said with a yawn. "Let's go ahead and start headin' back to the house, don't wanna be sleepy for your first day of workin' now."
She led us to a small two story farm house and showed us to our rooms. "I'll introduce y'all to the resta my family t'morow. For now sleep tight!" She said as we all went into our own room. The room I was in was very nice. It had green vertical striped wallpaper with apples on the stripes all over the room and a moderate sized oaken dresser with a mirror attached to it.
The bed was big and comfortable. It followed the same style that seemed to be the theme for the entire room. I must have been sleepier than I thought because as soon as I tucked myself up under the covers I fell asleep almost immediately.
~<(^)>~
It hardly seemed like anytime had passed when I saw Red Gala looking down on me and ringing a bell in my ear. "Rise 'n shine Ivey" She said as she rang the bell again, this time causing me to jump out of bed and flap my wings like mad. "'bout time ya got up, I let you an' yer marefriend sleep in cause y'all ain't used to us farm ponies hours but that don't mean y'all can sleep the day away." She said as she put the bell down on the dresser.
"Alright alright, I'm-" Wait, what was it she just said? Me and my- "Marefriend?! Oh no, we're just friends!" I explained. "Heheh, coulda fooled me," She chuckled, taking a step closer. "Does that mean yer available then?" She said, batting her eyes.
"I-" I stammered as I took a step back, causing her to laugh. "I'm just messin' with ya, I don't need a special somepony just yet. Too much of a distraction." She said as she walked out. "C'mon, the rest'a my family's been waitin' ta meetch' y'all."
I headed downstairs where I saw Lemmy sitting at the table with an old stallion in some sorta yodelers suit and a young colt a few years older than me and Lemmy. "Everypony, this 'er is Ivey Blossom!" Red Gala said as she followed up behind me.
"Actually, it's Iv-"
"Ivey, this 'er is my family! That there is my brother Ciderwash. And that's my Pappy Apple Strudel."
"Howdy do there Ivey! I was just tellin' yer friend here 'bout my days as a young apple bucker," Apple Strudel said with a sigh. "Those were the days.."
"Ah c'mon now pappy, this poor mare has already heard yer story once and me and Red Gala have heard it more times then I care to remember." Ciderwash said. "'asides, we gotta get to work. We already had to wait a good while fer this lazy feather brain to get up, I wouldn't be surprised if our spot in the market 'as already been taken."
"Now calm down there Washy, Tain't that late yet. We got plenty of time." Red Gala said, causing Ciderwash to sit back in his seat. "Now. Lemon Wedge, yer gonna be coming with me to the market."
"O-ok.." Lemmy squeaked at the mention of her name. "Ivey, yer gonna be helpin' Ciderwash harvest the western field that he didn't finish yesterday." Red Gala finished up. I was just about to walk out with Ciderwash when I remebered somthing that I can't believe I had forgotten. "Where's Scootaloo??" I asked, sounding a little more panicked than I meant to.
"Don't worry none sonny, she's still fast asleep in her room. I'll be keepin' an eye on her for ya while yer out and about." Apple Strudel said, calming my nerves immensely as I walked out to the fields to join Ciderwash. "So how many trees do we have left to harvest?" I asked when I joined Ciderwash out by a bunch of buckets.
"Not too many, about fifty or so." He said as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Fifty?!"
"Maybe seventy-five, nothing to bad." He said as he pushed some of the buckets over towards the west fields. I groaned as I followed him, pushing buckets of my own.
~<(^)>~
Hours passed as me and Ciderwash worked our tails off pushing buckets up to an apple tree, bucking them as hard as we could until they had all fallen out, pushing the full buckets back to the house, and repeating the process. "Are... We almost.. done?" I panted as I loosed another buck into the apple tree I was at.
"Just a few more trees." Ciderwash said as he was pushing some fresh buckets up to a tree.
"You said that an hour ago!"
"Yeah, but this time I mean it." He said as he bucked the tree he was at.
"Ugh!" I cried as I bucked my tree again, sending the rest of the apples it contained into the buckets. When I came back with fresh buckets I saw Ciderwash waiting under one of the trees that hadn't been emptied yet.
"This is the last tree," He said. "Why don't you go ahead and get it and we can head back for a break."
"Finally!" I cried as I pushed the buckets up to it and started bucking at the tree.
"I feel like we got off on the wrong hoof this morning. The names Ciderwash, but most ponies just call me Washy for short." He said, holding out his hoof. I stopped bucking long enough to shake his hoof.
"Ivory Blossom," I said as I released another buck into the tree, finishing the job. "But most ponies just call me Ivory or Ive."
"It's good to meet ya proper Ive." He said as we started pushing the buckets back to the house. "Likewise." I said. "Where're y'all from anyways?" He asked as we walked in the house and sat down at the kitchen table. "Manehatten." I said as I took a seat across from him. "Fancy, what brings you and you're marefriend down to a speck on the map town from a place like Manehatten?"
"Ok. One, she's not my marefriend. And two, the foal sleeping upstairs is why we left." I explained.
"Heh, coulda fooled me, 'specially with the looks I've seen her give ya. But how'd that little filly up there get you to come down here?" He asked.
"It's a long story."
"It's been a long day, what better way to end it than with a long story?" He said, genuinely wanting to know how a foal could've brought me and Lemmy out of a place like Manehatten.
I told him how we were orphans and about Guy and Helga and Flash and how me and Lemmy had never really hung out as much as we do before we had found Scootaloo and about the crazy mare who Helga was trying to pawn Scootaloo off on.
"And after a crazy night, or I guess it was a day cause of that enchantment; of wandering around the forest, we stumbled across this town and here we are!" I finished, leaving Washys mouth hanging agape.
"land sakes! That there is one heck of an adventure Y'all are on. Did any of the kids at the orphanage have their Cutie Marks or were you and Lemmy some of the only ones without em?" He asked.
"There were a few fillies and colts there with Cutie Marks but most of us were blank flanks."
"That makes sense, y'all didn't really have time to explore what yer special talent might be what with that horse of a caretaker always crackin' down on ya." I laughed at his description of Helga. "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if Half the kids back there had their Cutie Marks worn off by her whip!" We both laughed for a bit at my terrible joke before he spoke up again.
"Hey! Ya wanna know how I got my Cutie Mark?" I calmed down and looked down at his flank. It bore an image of two criss-crossed clear bottles filled with some amber liquid. "Umm, is it for...." I was trying to guess what it was for, but Washy stopped me when he saw I wasn't going to get it anytime soon.
"Outta all the Apple family members all over Equestria, none a'them can brew Apple Cider like I can!"
"Really? It's been too long since I last had an Apple Cider."
"Come with me then." He said as he led me down to the basement. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! There were six giant cider barrels lining the walls, three to each side; each having a nozzle to drain its contents into a mug. And even more regular sized barrels stacked around them and behind a bar that was in the back.
"Have a seat at the bar, my good colt!" Washy called from behind the bar as he hefted a barrel with a nozzle attached to it on the counter and filled a mug with its contents. I took a seat on one of the wooden bar-stools and took a swig from the mug he had presented to me. Its rich flavors were amazing! This cider made Guy's taste like watered down apple juice! "Wow..." I said as I took another swig.
"It's good ain't it?" Washy said with a smile.
"It's the best cider I've ever tasted!" I said after I drained my mug.
"You should try some from that barrel there then." He said as he pointed to one of the big barrels behind me. Without hesitating I ran over and filled my mug to the brim with the amber liquid and proceeded to drain it. The cider in this barrel was different from what was in the other barrel. Where the other was sweet and savory, this one was fiery and burned going down my throat. I stopped drinking with a gasp and let out a few coughs, causing washy to run up and pat my back. "I recon y'all never had alcoholic cider before, have ya?" I shook my head and he chuckled as he downed what was left in my mug.
"Let's get you some nice cool lemonade, I imagine yer throats on fire right now!" He said as we walked back up to the kitchen.
~<(^)>~
Lemon Wedge and Red Gala had gotten to the market to find that Ciderwashes concerns about their spot being taken were misplaced as they set up shop and waited for some customers to come by. "I should probably tell you this now, b-but I'm not very good at talking to other ponies so I may not be of much use to you with selling your apples.." Lemmy said as she looked off towards the ground.
"I didn't figure ya fer a pony pony but seein' as how yer a Unicorn I figured that you'd at least be able to help assemble the stand and group together apples in a bag for the customers." Red Gala explained.
"Oh, ok.." Lemmy said. "Um.. Can I ask you something?"
"What's on yer mind?"
"How are you able to tell whether it's night or day here?"
"Y'see that contraption over there above the train station?" Red said, pointing a hoof to the half circle with an animatronic sun on it. "That there tells us what time of day it is outside the forest. Like right now, since the sun there is just barely above the left side of that doohicky; if you were to be outside the forest right now, it would just barely be above the horizon. We have a smaller one back at the house but that one there is for public."
"Oh! ok."
After awhile, more and more ponies came and set up their stands and more ponies started filling the market place. Red Gala would talk to the ponies and make a deal and Lemmy would bag the apples they had chosen and place them on their back. Around four according to the sun clock ponies started packing up their stalls and heading home, including Lemmy and Red.
"What do you think of Ivey?" Red asked as she was putting apples that were in the buckets into her saddlebags.
"Ivey?" Lemmy asked in confusion as she aided in packing up the apples.
"Y'know, that Pegasus friend of yours."
"Oh! Ivory! He's really nice, sweet, great with Scootaloo, kind of a feather brain sometimes though."
"Really?"
"Yeah, but he's a really great pony."
"Sounds like y'all are really good friends."
"Yeah... Friends...." Lemmy said with a sigh. Red stopped packing up apples and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Somethin' wrong sugarcube?" Lemmy squeaked when she felt Red's hoof on her shoulder. "No! Everythings great!! I'm fine! Why would I not like being Ivory's friend? I'm happy that me and him are friends! I don't know why you would think I wanted to be more than friends!!" She said with a laugh that was way too forced to be believed.
Red blinked for a moment, trying to process all the information she had just gotten. "I think I see what's going on here, why don'tcha jus' tell him?"
"Tell him what? There's nothing to-" She cut herself off when she saw the stern look she was getting from Red and sighed in defeat. "I don't want to ruin our friendship though, especially since we're running all over together with a foal that isn't even ours."
"Sugarcube, what you just told me solidifies the fact that you two are already more than just friends. Even if he don' see it or you don' believe it." Red said, causing Lemmy to cheer up a bit.
"Y-you really think so?"
"'Course I do sugarcube, I wouldn'ta said it if it wern't the truth." Lemmy smiled and gave Red a hug as tears of joy streammed down her face.
"Thanks, Red." She said as she released from the hug. "Tain't nothing, just doin' my best to help. Now let's finish packin' up here, I'd imagine pappys got supper ready by now." Red said as she and Lemmy resumed packing up their merchandise.
~<(^)>~
"This looks delicious papy!" Washy said as Apple Strudel got the apple pie out of the oven.
"Well acourse it does! I made it didn't I?" He said as he took a big whiff of the pie.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked.
"I think we got it all covered here Ivey, y'all just go ahead and have a seat and wait on Red Gala and that friend of yers."
"Ok." I said as I took a seat next to Scootaloo and Washy. We didn't have to wait long before Red Gala and Lemmy came in. For a second I thought I saw them wink at each other as they sat down.
"Dig in everypony!" Apple Strudel said as he sat the apple pie down on the table. We didn't have to be told twice, I grabbed a slice of pie and had it gone almost as soon as it was on my plate. While everypony was eating, I thought I heard somepony tapping their hoof repeatedly but I couldn't tell who.
"Oh yes! Ivey, while you and Washy there were out finishin' up yesterdays harvest, the radiator burst in your room so it looks like yer gonna have to share a room with yer friend there tonight." Apple Strudel said, causing Lemmy to drop the piece of pie she had been levitating for Scootaloo and Blush brightly. "A-are you sure?" She asked as she brought the piece of pie she dropped back to Scootaloos mouth.
"'fraid so, don't worry none. It'll just be for tonight. Right Red Gala?" He said, shooting a look over to Red like she had just drained an entire barrel of cider in one sitting.
"Huh? Oh! R-right pappy! I'll get to work on it tomorrow!" She said, jumping at the sound of her name. I looked over to Washy who looked like he was about to tell me something but then we heard another tapping of hooves and I guess it made him forget. "Well, I don' know 'bout you young whippersnappers, but I'm goin' to bed! Us old folks need a lot more sleep than y'all do." Apple Strudel said as he got up from the table and went to his room.
After we finished the last of the apple pie, we all did the dishes and went up for bed. I went into the room that Lemmy and Scootaloo had stayed in last night and saw that it was very similar to the one I was in except that it had two twin sized beds in it instead of one big bed like my room. We tucked Scootaloo in, who had fallen asleep while we were eating; and then went to bed ourselves. I was about to get into the same bed as Scootaloo when Lemmy said that she had let Scootaloo sleep by herself last night and wanted to make her feel like she didn't have to have one of us in the same bed as her when she slept. I agreed and crawled into the other bed with Lemmy.
It felt awkward for some reason. We had slept beside each other before but not in the same bed, though I guess technically we hadn't since our saddlebags had been- "Hey Ivory..." She asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah?" I asked, looking at her. She was blushing intensely, probably feeling just as awkward about this as I was. "I-I was just wondering..." She looked down and started playing with her hooves. "..W-w-w-wh-" She stammered, obviously trying to ask me something.
"What is it Lemmy?" I asked as I brought her face back up to look at me. "Whatdoyouthinkofme??" She asked, to fast for me to really hear the question then slapping her hooves over her mouth. "What?"
"I-I..." She sighed. "I was just wondering what are we going to do when we get to Ponyville...."
"Oh, well.." I chuckled nervously. "I hadn't really thought about that, Ciderwash said that there were Apple Family members all over Equestria so maybe there's a farm in Ponyville." I said, hopping it would ease her worries.
"True, but what if there isn't? What are we going to do then?" She asked, obviously still concerned about the matter. "Tell ya what," I said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "Tomorow we'll go down to the train station and see if they have a map of Ponyville. How's that sound?"
Her face started to flush red again as I told her this. "O-ok.." She said with a smile and drew in a little closer to me, shaking like a leaf on a tree. I wrapped a wing over her and we both fell to sleep.