//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Winter Wrap-Up, Day Two // Story: A Gift from Celestia // by Admiral Biscuit //------------------------------// A Gift from Celestia Chapter 3—Winter Wrap-Up, Day Two Admiral Biscuit “You going to flight camp again this summer?” Raindrops asked. “Huh?” Ditzy flicked a small bit of cloud loose and watched it slowly drift away in the gentle breeze. “No, I’m going to go to weather camp.” She wrinkled her muzzle. “At least, that’s what Mom calls it. I’m gonna apprenticeship to some weather pony and learn all about clouds and stuff.” She jumped up to her full height on the cloud, placed her right hoof on an imaginary cloud-pile and puffed out her chest. “‘Since you’ll never make the Guard, you ought to learn all about weather so that you can get a job as a supervisor like me.'” With a dramatic sigh, she flopped back down on the cloud. “Your mom said that? Wow, that’s kinda harsh. What’d your dad say?” “Nothing, like always. Papa never goes against her. Aargh.” She stomped the cloud. It wasn’t a very good stress outlet; the cloud sank down a little and sprang right back up. “She’s right, though. Everypony wants to be in the Wonderbolts, so they can pick and choose the best of the best. I’m good at endurance flying, so I’d be a good supervisor. It wouldn’t be so bad, either—they get to go all over Equestria. Ha! Maybe next year I’ll be your boss.” Raindrops rolled her eyes. “As if. After I graduate, I’m gonna enroll in the junior Guard summer camp. That way, I can see if I like it before I sign papers at the Academy.” She looked down at the lights slowly coming on in Ponyville. “I kinda feel bad for all those ponies stuck down there on the ground. They don’t know what they’re missing.” “Maybe that’s why Cherry’s building a balloon.” Ditzy waved her forehooves dramatically. “Up, up, up it goes. She’ll be floating throughout the clouds with us pegasi.” She looked down at the ground. “She’s pretty cool. Maybe I’ll see if I can go with her when she launches the balloon. I can tell her all about air currents and clouds and stuff.” “You’re gonna turn into a mudpony if you stay in this hick town too long.” Raindrops lifted a hoof. “What’s next, shoes?” “Nope. Not for me.” Ditzy kissed a hoof. “These babies are staying free. Let the earth ponies and unicorns keep them.” She sighed deeply. “I’m gonna miss you.” Ditzy threw her hooves around Raindrop’s neck. “Don’t forget to write, okay?” “I won’t.” She sniffled. “I’ll miss you, too. School wasn’t the same without you. Take care and keep away from those mudponies.” Raindrops gave her friend a quick nuzzle on the cheek before she took wing. Ditzy kept waving until Raindrops was lost in the cluster of northbound pegasi, then she shook her head in irritation as a sudden wave of heat passed through her body. I just didn't get enough sleep last night, that's all. She flicked her tail in annoyance. Too many ponies. The dorm had been overcrowded, and even though most of the beds were shared, she'd still had to camp out with Raindrops and Crescent Moon in the center of the room—which was just as well; some of the more remote corners had been commandeered for amorous activities. Of course, just because she couldn't see it didn't mean she couldn't hear and smell it. Having Crescent Moon lying against her side didn't make it any better, either, especially since she'd had a bit of a crush on him back in Las Pegasus. Still, she probably wouldn’t have gotten much sleep anyways. Raindrops and Crescent had practically gossiped her ears off, getting her caught up on every little thing that was going on in Las Pegasus and across the rest of Equestria. That one green stallion was pretty hot, she thought. If Raindrops hadn't been with me, I'd've liked to get a lot closer to him. She set her hoof back down on the cloud again as another wave of heat passed through her loins. All right. Enough thinking about stallions. Time to head back to Ponyville and see what they've got us doing today. Probably roofs and trees—those have barely been touched yet. At least they let me eat breakfast here, so I won't have to go back home to eat. She tensed her wings and wiggled her rump, before jumping off the edge of the cloud. Unable to resist, she did a quick series of wing rolls as she dropped towards the earth, ending with a loop. She hung inverted at the top for a short distance before arching her back and completing the maneuver. Back at Las Pegasus, that'd've just been the start of my warm-up routine. She fixed her sight on the town hall, trying to keep an even bearing on it without flapping her wings. The sun had hardly crested the horizon, so the air was fairly still. There were ponies moving around in the streets below, but they looked a lot less enthusiastic than they had the day before. Well, who cares? It's already shaping up to be a nice day. A few more hours of hard work and we'll have this place ready for spring! She spotted Cherry Berry and Golden Harvest making their way to town with a pair of two-axle wagons behind them. Giving up on her earlier goal of gliding all the way into town, Ditzy began flapping, constantly re-adjusting her target to make up for their forward motion. She came in high, dropping as she was nearly above them. She aimed for Cherry's wagon, because she knew that Golden Harvest was often grumpy in the morning. “'I wish I had a lantern,' he says. 'Me, too,' replies the mare. 'You've been eating grass for the last fifteen minutes!'” Cherry looked over at Golden Harvest expectantly after delivering the punchline. “What's so funny about grazing? I—“ Ditzy dropped into Cherry's wagon. “Hi, girls!” “Oh hey, Ditz! How was cloud patrol yesterday?” “Wait, now I get it.” Golden Harvest snorted. “It was all right. We spent more time pulling fillies and colts out of clouds than getting anything done.” “Tell me about it.” Golden Harvest rolled her eyes. “I had to pick up after a buncha them that were trying to help clear snow in the park. And then one of the colts cried when I busted up his snow fort to toss it in the back of the wagon.” “Whatcha doing today?" Cherry asked. "All the clouds are cleared.” “I dunno.” Ditzy hopped out of the wagon and trotted up between the two mares. “Probably roof duty, I guess. Isn't there a roster at the town hall?” “Pfft, no chance. Even if there was nopony'd follow it. The farmers usually recruit extra help early, just to make sure their fields are ready for planting. Who cares if the buildings in town don't get cleared until a day or two late?” “Oh.” Ditzy tucked in her wings. “I guess that makes sense. So where are you going?” “Berry's.” “Yeah, she went to the hospital last night, so we're gonna get her place cleaned up and planted.” Cherry nodded her head towards the basket of seeds in Golden Harvest's wagon. “Hospital? What happened?” “She got drunk two nights ago and fell off her roof. Broke her leg.” “What?” Ditzy looked over at Cherry. “What the hay was she doing on her roof?” “Singing winter wrap-up songs,” Golden Harvest offered with a toss of her mane. “Is she gonna be okay? Is her—” Ditzy narrowed her eyes as the two earth ponies began laughing. “She's just having her foal. Can't believe you fell for that.” “Jerks.” Ditzy whacked them both with her wings. “Hey, it was believable. She did jump off her roof last year, claiming she was a pegasus and could fly. It was just a little while after she got her cutie mark. She was lucky not to break anything, but she hurt her knee and cracked a couple of ribs.” “Why didn't Cormano talk her down?” “Talk her down? He was right up there with her, telling her to flap faster.” Golden Harvest giggled. “Oh, I wish I'd seen it.” “So you wanna help us?” Cherry looked at Ditzy eagerly. “Three'll make the work go faster than two, and if you're with us, we won't have to climb on her roof or in the trees.” “Sure.” •        •        • Ditzy deftly knocked the snow off the final tree on Berry's property, into Golden Harvest's waiting wagon. It landed with a satisfying fwoomp, a few stray bits falling onto the ground. Golden Harvest looked at them, and shook her head, then began carting the load off to the low ground at the back of Berry's property where they'd been dumping all the snow. To Ditzy, it looked the same as everyplace else, but Cherry assured her that was the right spot, and she trusted that the mare would know. “I gotta use the sandbox,” Cherry announced, pulling the pins to the wagon shafts loose. “Ditz, you wanna help Goldie drop that snow? You saw how the pins on the tailgate worked, right?” “I'm on it.” Ditzy flew with her hooves a couple feet off the ground, following the wagon ruts as if she were a famous detective, like Sherclop Hooves. Had she looked forward, the wagon was less than fifty yards away and plainly visible, but sometimes it was fun playing pretend. It made tedious jobs go faster. She kept clear as Golden Harvest turned the wagon around and expertly backed it into position, then dropped the tailgate and began pushing the snow out. “Next year, I'll have a wagon that tilts,” the earth pony said. “I've been putting aside some bits for it. Apple Honey over at the supply store sells kits, and the wainwright knows how to put them on.” “How come you gotta pay for it? Isn't it your parents' wagon?” “It's my nana's, actually. Been in the family for three generations now.” Golden Harvest looked fondly at the well-varnished wood. “It's 'cause one day I'm gonna be running the farm, and a two-axle wagon that tilts will save me some time when I've got to haul a lotta stuff.” “What about Carrot?” “What about him? He's already making doe-eyes at the baker; he's not gonna stay at the farm. Stallions shouldn't own farms, anyways—that's a mare's job.” She shifted on her hooves. “You almost done?” “Almost.” Ditzy worked the shovel into the corners, getting the snow away from the sideboards. Golden Harvest yawned. “Can't wait to get some food in me. I wonder what Berry's got in her pantry?” “All done!” “Okay. Don't forget to pin the tailgate back up.” Ditzy nodded, forgetting that Golden Harvest couldn't see her, and lifted the gate into place, balancing it on a hoof while she dropped the pins in with her teeth. “Ready to go.” “Thanks! It's handy having somepony not attached to a wagon helping. Meet you back at the house. We're done, unless the mayor comes by and makes us do something else.” She reached back and released the brake, then gave a tug against the harness. The wagon lurched forward as she leaned into the harness, and quickly picked up speed. Ditzy nodded and took to the air. She wanted to get a quick view around town, and see how things were progressing. It was a changed world from the day before. There were still snowpiles, but they were neatly placed in out-of-the-way places, where they'd drain into ponds, streams, or ditches as they melted. All the main roads were clear, and she could hear the chirping of the birds which a team of pegasi had brought back the day before. The air was warmer than it had been yesterday, and the sky was nearly cloudless—a cluster of pegasi was dealing with the few stray clouds that drifted across the Everfree boundary. As she dropped towards Berry's farmhouse, she glanced at her forelegs. They were splattered in mud, and a look at her barrel revealed a thin coat of lather. She sighed. Pegasi weren't really built for heavy moving, and she'd likely have thrown in the towel if she hadn't had a fair bit of residual strength left over from all her endurance training. Still, her legs ached; she'd never really done as much work on her hooves. How do the earth ponies handle it? Ditzy kept her altitude when she caught a glimpse of the same steel-blue unicorn she'd seen the day before. It was weird how he wasn't using his magic to do stuff. When she'd first come to Ponyville, levitation magic had been a novelty, but it had quickly turned mundane . . . until now, when the lack of magic from the unicorns seemed remarkable. I'd be so embarrassed if he saw me like this, she thought, shaking her forelock out of her eyes. She kept glancing at him as she covered the short distance to the house. •        •        • Cherry was in the kitchen, a pot of soup already cooking on the stove. She had eight slices of bread spread around the pot, slowly toasting on the warm cooktop. Ditzy took a deep breath, letting the savory aroma of the hot soup fill her nostrils. “It's stone soup,” Cherry said. “Good spring tradition.” “Stone soup?” Ditzy furrowed her brows. “What's stone soup? Earth ponies don't eat rocks, do they?" “Well, you start off by putting a stone in a pot of water,” Cherry explained. “Once the water's hot, you dump in whatever vegetables you can find in the root cellar, no matter what they are. Spices, too, if there are any left. Once it's cooked down nice, you eat it, reminding yourself that it's a lot better than it was before the vegetables were added.” She lifted the ladle out of the stock pot and took a sniff. “Maybe I shouldn't have put in so much straw. Oh well; I've got a good appetizer.” She stirred the soup and then pulled the ladle out. “How do you like your bread? Toasted or not?” “I guess toasted's all right,” Ditzy said. “How come you're still wearing your harness?” “Takes too long to get it off. Mine isn't as nice as Goldie's. It's more of a hand-me-down.” Her cheeks colored slightly. “There's a lot that goes into running an orchard, you know, and it takes a long time before it becomes profitable. Goldie can plant more than half the year; I get one harvest. I can't afford all the nice things, so I make due with what I can.” Ditzy crossed the kitchen and wrapped Cherry in a hug. “You've got a house and land, and you can do whatever you want with them. All I've got is my bedroom.” She nuzzled Cherry's cheek. “I can help you out of it, if you want. Just tell me what to do.” Cherry shook her head and stepped back from the stove. “It's fine; I'll take it off later.” Ditzy shook her head. “I can see how it's chafing a little bit, and it can't be comfortable with your sweat drying on it. All you've got to do is tell me what order to remove stuff. I don't know much about wagon harnesses.” “It's not that.” Cherry glanced over at an open bottle and grabbed it in her teeth, taking a swig before continuing. “It's just . . . um, intimate. There's the breeching strap and the crupper. . . .” “Oh.” Ditzy's face fell, and she scuffed a hoof against the floorboards. “Well, a lot of us pegasi on the team would preen each other, 'cause that was quicker, so . . . I don't mean nothing by it, but you've been working hard all day and you look uncomfortable.” Cherry looked back over at the soup and bit her lip. The harness was hurting, although she was too much of a mare to admit it. And it would be nice to get it off; she'd enjoy lunch a lot more without having to constantly shift the straps. They were soaked, too; her coat wouldn't dry under them for hours if she still kept it on. “Do you want a drink?” she asked, in lieu of making a decision. Ditzy nodded. “I am kind of thirsty.” Cherry handed over the bottle. “Now take it slow, this is powerful stuff.” She tilted her head back like she'd seen Cherry do. Her mouth went numb and a trail of fire burned its way down her throat; it was all she could do to keep from coughing and dropping the bottle. Ditzy set it back on the counter before shaking her head in the hopes that that would help reduce the burning sensation that was now suffusing her whole body. “What the hay?” “Jacked plum wine.” Cherry took another drink. “About eighty proof, maybe ninety. Berry's been toying with it all winter.” She let out a long breath. “Okay, I . . . I guess if you really want to help me get this thing off, you're welcome to help. I . . . it just seems odd, y'know? A pegasus helping with a harness.” “We're friends,” Ditzy said. “Isn't that the kind of things friends will do for each other?” “I just hope Golden Harvest takes her time coming in,” Cherry muttered. “I'd hate to have her see this. I'd never live it down.” Cherry took another drink to fortify herself, then, with a slight air of resignation, stepped away from the stove. “Okay. Let me get the breeching chains loose, and then you're going to have to lift the whole breeching strap and crupper loose.” “I don't know what those are,” Ditzy said as Cherry leaned back and unclipped a chain from the belly band. “The crupper runs across my back, and loops around my tail. It's the piece on top.” She turned her head to get the other chain loose. “And the breeching strap runs across my rump. It's usually easiest to kind of pull my tail through the crupper dock, and then you can flop the whole thing up.” She paused as a thought occurred to her. “You know, you could probably just unstrap the belly band and the breast band, and I could kind of wiggle out of it.” “It'd get all tangled up,” Ditzy said. "Plus, how would you get it back on?" Without any further warning, she ducked behind Cherry and grabbed the ring on the crupper, making sure she didn't have any of Cherry's tail in her grip. She used a hoof to hold her tail in place as she carefully raised her head, lifting the whole strap assembly over Cherry's back. Cherry gritted her teeth and kept her hooves firmly planted on the ground, although she instinctively pinned her ears back. The urge to kick—especially as Ditzy stuck her muzzle under her tail—was almost irrepressible; instead she closed her eyes and took deep breaths of the soothing scent of the soup. Unfortunately, they were also laced with Ditzy's pheromones, and didn't have the calming effect she wanted. But a polite mare didn't bring that up, so she kept her mouth shut and endured. She's on her first cycle early—must be because she came up from Las Pegasus. Cherry let out a sigh of relief as her tail was freed of the crupper dock, and when she felt the harness land on her back, she untensed her hind leg. “All right. Just hold it there, and I'll unfasten the girth strap. Then I'm gonna lean my head down, and you'll carry the whole thing over my head—you stay in place, and I'll back up.” “Got it.” Ditzy grabbed the straps in her teeth again, and lifted slightly off the ground as Cherry was undoing the clasp under her belly. Once it was free, Cherry walked back while Ditzy held her position. As the saddle slid up her mane and against her ears, she twitched her head in annoyance, but then she was free. Already, she could feel her sides cooling. “”What oo I oo wif all of ifs?” “There's pegs in the mudroom; you can hang it on one of those.” Cherry pointed down the hall. “I usually loop the breastband over a peg and let it trail down that way, but it might be easier for you to put it the other way, 'cause of how you're holding it. Doesn't really matter, so long as it doesn't get tangled up.” Ditzy flew off, and Cherry returned her attention to the soup before any of it burned on the bottom of the pot, then slid the toasted bread off the stovetop and onto a stoneware plate. She carried it over to the table and began buttering the slices, all the while keeping an eye on the stove. She was halfway done when she heard Golden Harvest scraping her shoes off. “Smells good,” the carrot farmer said. “Stone soup,” Cherry replied. “Almost done.” She began opening cupboards, looking for the bowls. Berry's housekeeping skills were severely lacking; it was obvious she wasn't much of a chef and put things wherever it seemed convenient, rather than having an order to things. She finally found them in a cupboard that was also well-stocked with nails and twine. “We'd better bring her some pantry,” Golden Harvest suggested as she walked into the kitchen. “If you're making stone soup. Cormano's too dumb to go to market, and she's likely as not going to hit the bottle as soon as she gets home.” “I know.” Cherry lowered her ears. “Does alcohol come out in mare's milk? For the foal's sake, I hope not.” “We could just take her bottles.” “And put her out of a job?” Cherry sighed. “She stayed sober for her whole pregnancy. Maybe she's turned a new leaf. Okay, it's not likely, but it could happen. You hear all the time about mares who change when they're pregnant; well, maybe she's done it, too. And if she's got something good to eat, it'll probably distract her from her sales stock.” “Yeah.” “Did you know I found moldy bales down in the pantry? And the icebox was out of ice. In the winter. How do you mess that up?” She pointed at the pot. “I had to scrub that like you wouldn't believe. I don't even want to know what was in it. And you think I found a clean knife?" “I knew this was going to happen. For all her talk about how this was gonna be . . . I just knew it. But, you know what they say: you can lead a pony to water, but you can't make her drink. Let's just make sure that we keep an eye on her, and help out whenever we can.” Golden Harvest frowned. “Where's Ditzy? Did she go home?” “I'm here.” The pegasus walked back into the kitchen. “I kinda got the straps all tangled up, 'cause I wanted to hang the harness up the right way. I think I got them sorted out right.” “Don't worry about it.” Cherry glanced over at Golden Harvest, who'd raised an eyebrow, before turning back to Ditzy. “Um, lunch is ready.” She cleared her throat and began talking with a fake Prench accent. “For ze appetizer, we have oat bread, gently toasted and lightly buttered. Zen for ze main course, we have a fine pot of stone soup. Our wine list is ze raspberry wine and ze jacked plum wine. For dessert, we have a coeur à la crème wiz caramelized sweet cherries." “Really?” Ditzy looked at the stove hopefully at the mention of dessert. Cherry dropped her fake accent. “No, not really. I found some shortbread, but it smelled off, so I threw it away. There isn't enough stuff in the kitchen to make dessert, so I guess it's Sugarcube Corner if you want any.” “Oh.” Ditzy's ears fell. “Too bad. I like dessert.” “The raspberry wine's pretty sweet; that might make a passable dessert.” Cherry set the stockpot on a trivet. “Serve yourself however much you want, and help yourself to either bottle.”