//------------------------------// // Chapter 19: Living the Farm Life // Story: Fiddling with Her Heart // by Kevinltk //------------------------------// Thanking and saying goodbye to Fluttershy and Rarity, Octavia and Applejack walked into the house. “Applejack, who was that?” Granny Smith’s voice asked from the kitchen. “It was Octavia, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Octavia is gonna be stayin’ with us for a while, if that’s alright,” replied Applejack. “Of course it is, Applejack,” said Granny Smith as she walked out of the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Octavia, eyeing her up and down. “Hello, Granny Smith, it’s me, Octavia,” she greeted the elderly mare. “You’re lookin’ a bit brighter today, dear.” “Ah well, yes. It’s for a good reason and part of why I need to stay here.” Octavia once again explained everything about her current predicament to Granny Smith. To her surprise, the elderly mare silently listened as she explained the situation, her face not portraying any emotion. At the end of the tale, Granny Smith gave a warm smile, nodding at her. “That’s quite the pickle you’re in. You can stay as long as you need, considerin’ it’s Applejack’s fault you have to go through this.” “Hey!” Suddenly, Granny Smith turned towards Applejack, giving her a stern glare. “Applejack, what did Ah tell you about ruinin’ other pony’s lives?” she scolded, waving a hoof at her. “Uh, Ah don’t think we ever talked about that,” Applejack replied, stepping back from the old miffed mare. Confusion and fear were written on her face. “Well, we’re talkin’ about it right now, missy,” Granny Smith stated, advancing towards the retreating mare. Her stern glare was somehow growing more menacing. “Don’t do it!” “Yes, ma’m,” Applejack quickly complied, standing up straight. “Good, now show the nice mare where she’s gonna stay.” “Yes, Granny. Come on, Octavia,” Applejack said, nudging her up the stairs, “Ah’ll show you the guest room.” “Thank you, Granny Smith,” Octavia called back as she was quickly shoved up the steps. Settling into her new room was a simple ordeal. All she had were her bags, packed with only a few essentials. “Where’s your cello?” Applejack asked. Octavia sighed. “It’s back at my place in Canterlot. As much as I would like to have it with me, cellos are not the best objects to run away and sneak around with.” “Aww, that’s a shame. Ah really would’ve liked to play more music along with you.” “Me too. It’s a shame we can’t have our music sessions.” “Nonsense, just because you don’t have your instrument doesn’t mean we have to stop them. We can still do stuff together, and Ah’ll figure somethin’ out for you to do.” Octavia smiled. “I’ll look forward to it.” “Soup’s on, everypony!” came Granny Smith’s voice. “Well, time to eat. Feel like explaining everything again one last time? Apple Bloom and Big Mac don’t even know you’re here yet.” Octavia rolled her eyes. “Indeed, it is getting a trifle tiring to have to keep on repeating it. Oh well, at least it will make for good dinner conversation.” Moving to the kitchen table downstairs with Applejack, Octavia saw Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny Smith were already seated, piling their plates with salad. The two younger ponies both looked up at her when she walked in. “Hi there,” chirped Apple Bloom. “Granny said we had a guest over. Nice to meet you.” “Eeyup,” added Big Mac with a nod. “It’s nice to see you two again,” Octavia replied as she sat down. Seeing their confused faces, she added, “It’s me, Octavia.” “Really?” Apple Bloom asked, staring at her. Octavia smiled and nodded. “Whoa…” Apple Bloom’s eyes slowly widened. “Whoa! That’s so cool! You’re like a whole different pony!” Octavia chuckled. “Well, that is the idea. I’m in disguise because I am trying to stay away from a bunch of news reporters who have been pestering me.” “So, what did you do? Dump a can of paint on yourself? Maybe my friends and Ah can get our cutie marks in disguises!” “Um, no. Rarity and Fluttershy did everything for me. They used a special hair dye. I imagine that regular paint would be much messier and unpleasant.” “Great! That means Sweetie Belle can just get them for us. Rarity doesn’t really mind when we borrow stuff from her all the time,” Apple Bloom remarked, happily digging into her plate. Applejack and Big Mac snorted into their food. Octavia grinned nervously. “Maybe that’s not such a great idea. It takes quite some time to properly apply everything. You could do something else that might be easier and doesn’t involve using Rarity’s things.” “Nope, disguisin’ cutie marks sounds so cool and fun. Ah can’t wait!” Apple Bloom cheered, jumping up onto her seat. “Apple Bloom, sit back down,” Applejack commanded. “Yea, yea…” Apple Bloom complied, stuffing a huge wad of salad into her mouth. Octavia suppressed a groan, still grinning nervously and slowly nodding. Having witnessed some of the Cutie Mark Crusaders’s eccentric attempts to find their cutie marks, she knew that she had pretty much threw her friend in front of their rampaging quest. Rarity is going to kill me. “So, Octavia, how long are you goin’ to be in Ponyville?” Apple Bloom asked, muffled by the food in her mouth. Applejack gave her sister a stern glare. “Apple Bloom, it’s rude to talk with your mouth full.” The filly grumbled and moved her jaw up and down rapidly, venting her annoyance on the innocent green leaves. “Anyway, we don’t know how long she’s gonna be here,” Applejack added. “Until it’s safe for her, she’s gonna be stayin’ with us.” “Wait, she’s stayin’ here?!” Apple Bloom shouted as she jumped up on her seat, shooting out a few chunks of green out of her mouth. Seeing the veggies on the table and Applejack giving her another disapproving look, she quickly mumbled an apology and sat back down. Everypony else chuckled. Octavia smiled at Big Mac and Apple Bloom. “Applejack and Granny Smith already offered me the guest room. That’s going to be alright with you two, right?” Big Mac nodded approvingly, a welcoming smile on his face. “Are you kiddin’? It’s gonna be great havin’ you here! It’ll be like one long sleepover! Oooh, we can pretend you’re like my second big sister while you’re here,” Apple Bloom gushed, trembling with excitement. Octavia chuckled. “So I get a place to stay and a little sister? I can live with that. Oh, and while I’m in disguise, my name is Fiddlesticks. I’ll be your big sister, Fiddlesticks.” “Sure!” Apple Bloom cheered. “Alright, alright,” Granny Smith interjected, “let’s get back to eatin’. Ah’m sure Octa-er, Fiddlesticks is mighty hungry after her day.” Everypony else nodded and resumed eating with gusto. Octavia loved sharing a meal with the Apple Family. She enjoyed the company, and they loved having her over. Besides the good food, they shared stories with each other, played little games with their food, and laughed with each other. She always had a good time and grew fond of their family antics. Sitting with them, she felt like one of the family. By the time the meal was finished and everypony exchanged news of what they each did for the day, among other conversations and topics, night had descended. “I think I will be heading off to bed,” Octavia stated. “It’s been a long day, and since I’ll be living like a farmer, I expect I’ll need the rest.” “You sure you don’t want to sleep in?” Applejack asked. “You haven’t really done a full day of work before, and it can be pretty rough.” “No, no, like I said before,” Octavia replied, heading towards the stairs, “it’s for my disguise plus it’s to earn my keep while I stay here.” “Sugarcube, you don’t have to worry about repayin’ us.” “But I want to. I also want to see more of your life, and I get to spend more time with you. Besides, it can’t be that bad, right?” “Alright then, don’t say Ah didn’t warn you.” Applejack remarked. A rather malicious smirk appeared on her face. “Ah’ll make sure you get the full experience.” Octavia looked at the mare with a raised eyebrow before shrugging and heading up the stairs. She could not wait to get to bed and get some decent rest after the harrowing day. Octavia’s ears flicked. She thought she had heard the creaking of wood from outside the cozy and warm guest room, but she quickly forgot about it. She was still, for the most part, asleep. The room itself was already comforting, the faint smell of apples permeating the room. Combining the snug bed and the exhausting day she had gone through, she had no problem going to sleep. Pulling up the blankets, she slowly drifted back into her slumber. Octavia’s ears flicked again. She could have sworn she heard the sound of somepony giggling. With an incomprehensible mumble, she shifted her body around, sinking deeper into the bed. Suddenly, a barrage of deafening clangs rang out, pulling her from the solace of sleep and causing her to flail her hooves and scream. Eventually calming down enough to at least stop thrashing about and possibly waking half of Ponyville with her dignified howl of terror, her eyes darted around the room, looking for the source of the infernal racket. Standing at the door was Applejack with a pot in her hoof and Apple Bloom with a wooden serving spoon in her mouth, both smiling too brightly. “Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead!” Applejack greeted. Octavia groaned and stuffed her head under the pillow. The deafening noise resumed. “Rise and shine! Time to get up and start the day!” Applejack yelled over the din. Octavia responded by chucking her pillow at the pestering siblings before plopping her face back into the bed. “Shouldn’t have done that, sugarcube,” Octavia heard Applejack remark. She could practically hear the malevolent smirk on her face. Hearing the sound of hoofsteps coming closer to her, she pulled the blanket over her head, clinging to the faint hope that they would leave her alone. She was met with another round of clanging as well as something soft pummeling her back. “Time’s a wastin’! We got plenty of stuff to do today! Don’t make me get the hose!” chirped Applejack. With a mighty groan, Octavia sat up, flinging off her blanket, and looked to one side of her bed. Apple Bloom was happily banging both kitchenware together but stopped when Octavia turned towards her. The baleful scowl on the aggravated musician’s face could have cowed even an Ursa Major. “OhheyAhhearBigMaccallinmefromoutsidebye!” Apple Bloom gabbled as she rocketed away, disappearing from the room before the utensils even clattered to the ground. Octavia turned her head to direct her irritation at the orange mare on the other side of the bed, only to be met with a face-full of white. The pillow slowly slipped down her face, allowing her unamused glare to see the grinning Applejack. “Mornin’!” Octavia looked out the window, groaning when she saw that the sun had barely peaked over the horizon. “Why am I awake at this infernal hour?” “You wanted the full farm experience,” Applejack replied, mirth clearly in her voice. “Nothin’ like gettin’ an early start.” “Nothing indeed…” Octavia grumbled. “I knew farmers tended to get up early, but this is ridiculous. Did you really have to wake me with that racket and beating me to death?” “It’s the best way to get a stubborn pony out of bed.” Octavia raised an eyebrow, still glaring at the mare. “And it’s a lot of fun,” Applejack added smugly. “Well, I hope to return the favor one day,” Octavia dryly replied. Applejack chuckled. “Anyway, jokes aside, you still feel like doin’ some work? We wouldn’t mind if you wanted to take it easy for a while.” “You’re asking me this after your vicious attack?” “I had a good excuse to do somethin’, so Ah did it.” Octavia rolled her eyes. “Anyway, yes, I would like to see how much I can do. Once I remember my routine, I’ll be fine. Besides, I have to buck some trees to work off some steam before I feel the urge to buck a certain mare driving me insane.” “Ah thought you musician types were already insane.” Octavia scoffed as they exited the room and headed downstairs. “Must be because of the company we keep.” The rest of the Apple Family had already finished breakfast and off fulfilling their agendas for the day. The two shared a quick breakfast of the remaining flapjacks and apple juice before heading outside. With the sun slowly rising above the horizon, it was not exceptionally bright or hot, but there was still enough light and heat to be able to work comfortably. Heading inside the barn, the two mares each loaded up a cart with baskets. “Why don’t you go ahead and work on the east orchard today? Ah’ll swing by to see how you’re doin’ later on,” said Applejack as they exited the barn, hitched to their carts. Octavia nodded and headed off. “Now don’t you go pushin’ yourself too hard, ya hear?” she heard Applejack call out before disappearing into the trees. Finding a suitable place to start, she unhitched herself from the cart and started arranging baskets around the trees. Finishing with the basket placement, she commenced bucking. Even though it has been some time since she last participated in applebucking, it did not take her too long to remember the technique and routine she learned. She still could not match up to Applejack’s fabled bucking strength, but she was certainly doing a lot better than her first day when she was on the ground, writhing in pain and exhaustion. Before long, she established a steady rhythm of turning, kicking, and then trotting to the next tree. Seeing the apples fall into their baskets filled her with a sense of satisfaction, similar to when she played music. They might seem different, but they were both products of hard work. She lost track of time as she alternated between working and resting when she felt the need to. The sun was reaching its apex as rays of light pierced through the apple tree canopy, shining into her eyes and warming up the day. It was proving to be quite the sweltering day. After filling the last basket, she stopped to rest. Panting from both the exhaustion and the heat, she wiped her brow with a hoof. Even though her muscles felt like they were burning, it felt good. While she could not really imagine herself doing this everyday, it was still quite the exhilarating experience. Suddenly, something was placed on her head, covering her eyes. She grabbed the object off her head and saw it was a white stetson. She looked behind her to see a smiling Applejack. “Figured you could use a little somethin’ to help with the sun in your eyes,” Applejack remarked. Octavia nodded, placing the hat back on her head. “Indeed, the heat is becoming quite unbearable.” “Now you see why we prefer to do more of our chores early in the mornin’.” Octavia sighed, rolling her eyes. “Yes, yes, I can see why.” She prodded Applejack with her hoof. “That doesn’t mean I enjoy waking up so early or that you can pretend to be my alarm clock.” Applejack chuckled. “No promises.” “Anyway, thanks for the hat. It reminds me of your’s. I’ll be sure to return it later.” Applejack shook her head. “Na, you can keep it. Think of it as a souvenir when you have to go back to Canterlot.” Octavia smiled. “I’ll be sure to treasure it.” She sat on her haunches. “I think I’ll rest here a bit longer before I head back,” she stated, closing her eyes and letting out a small hum as she felt a cooling breeze. She felt her mane dance lightly in the wind. Opening her eyes, she saw that Applejack was staring at her. “Is something wrong, Applejack?” “No, it’s just you look really nice in that full getup.” Octavia smirked. “So what? You prefer me like this?” Applejack chuckled. “Ah gotta admit, Rarity did a good job with the farm look. But no, Ah like the old you. It’s the real you, and Ah prefer that.” Octavia felt it got a bit hotter, but she figured it was because the sun was rising higher into the sky. “Well then, you feel up to headin’ back now? It’s almost lunch time,” said Applejack as she hitched herself to the empty cart. Octavia nodded, trotting over to Applejack’s side. “Ah figure after lunch, we could do a bit of cleanin’ around the barn, and then we can call it a day and head to our usual spot,” Applejack explained as they made their way through the orchard. “We don’t have that many things to do?” “Nope. All the help you been pitchin’ in before has really helped us stay on top of everythin’. Besides, Ah got somethin’ special planned.” “Oh, and what might that be?” “A surprise.” “I’m not sure if I should be excited or scared.” Applejack gave her a grin. “You’ll see.” Arriving back at the farmhouse, the mares joined Big Mac and Granny Smith for a light lunch while Apple Bloom was off crusading with her friends. After eating, Octavia left with Applejack to do some cleaning in the storage area of the farmhouse. Between the two of them, it was a quick ordeal before Applejack fished out her fiddle from its hiding place, and they proceeded to the clearing. “So, what is this surprise?” Octavia asked as they arrived in the familiar spot. “Well, it is a shame that you don’t have your cello with you,” Applejack replied, unpacking her instrument. “But that just means we can try somethin’ different.” “And that would be?” Applejack held out her fiddle and bow. “Here.” Octavia blinked. “Wait, what?” “Come on, Ah remember you tellin’ Apple Bloom about how you used to play the violin.” “But that was years ago. I had practically just left fillyhood the last time I actually played one.” “Doesn’t matter, you don’t ever forget how to play an instrument.” “Still, that instrument is very precious to you. I could damage it.” “Ah know.” “Then why risk it?” “Because you’re my friend.” A warm smile appeared on Applejack’s face. “And Ah trust you.” Octavia froze. “Oh…” She looked down at the ground, scuffing the ground with a hoof. “Um… thanks.” “Come on, sugarcube. It’ll be good for the both of us.” She stood still for a few moments, staring at Applejack who was patiently holding up the instrument. Feeling her trepidations disappear, she nodded and stood up on her hind legs. Slowly, her forehooves reached out, gingerly taking the instrument from Applejack. Seeing that Applejack was still smiling at her, she held up the fiddle, securing it underneath her chin. She nudged the fiddle around, adjusting it into a more comfortable and secure position. Her left forehoof slowly glided up and down the neck of the instrument, feeling the stiff strings. “Ready to try it out?” Applejack asked. Octavia nodded. She brought the bow up to the fiddle’s strings and tried playing a single note. She winced when she produced a coarse, slightly muted sound. As she experimented with different bow strokes, she tried playing a scale, but her hoof fumbled over the notes. Trying again and again, she finally got her hoof to get used to the smaller instrument, but she still was making the rough sound with each stroke. “Here, the fiddle is pretty old, but it’s sturdy.” Applejack trotted to her bow hoof and used a hoof to push it down. “You gotta dig in a bit.” Octavia looked at Applejack’s hoof now resting on her own for a moment before looking back up and nodding. This time, the bow stroke produced a much fuller and richer sound. “There you go,” Applejack cheered, removing her hoof from Octavia’s. It was still a bit awkward to play, but Octavia was quickly adapting as she repeated playing a scale. She smiled as old memories were dredged up from when she first learned how to play a music and of her family. Soon, she moved on from the scale to performing a simple tune. “Now you’re gettin’ it. We’ll make a fiddler out of you in no time.” Applejack moved behind her, standing up and placing both forehooves on Octavia’s own. “Now, let’s try a little ditty.” Octavia nodded, allowing Applejack to guide her hooves. She looked back and saw Applejack smiling, returning it with her own. The day passed on as Octavia played the fiddle with Applejack in the clearing. Standing by Applejack’s side and playing together had always been enjoyable for her, but something about this session felt more special. It made things feel just right.