Things were quiet...
Birds sang in the mornings, and bats cried to the night. All he could do is wait, so while he waited. Applejack gave him different chores to do to keep him busy. Jake was in the middle of bucking a set of trees when the thought occurred to him again...
What if she didn't get the message...?
Few apples fell into the baskets and he moved on to the next tree.
Doubt began nagging at the back of his mind the more idle his thoughts became, bucking and putting a dent in the tree, he moved on to the next one.
Am I stuck here in this crazy world..?
"Jake?"
Staring at the tree to find the spot to hit, his mind was deeply engrossed in his worry and fear, he found the spot and reared up, hitting the tree hard enough to crack it.
"Jake!" Applejack shouted.
The Clydesdale shook his head and found that he had gone through most of the field and went into an area where the apples were not as ready...
"Applejack...jeez, I'm really sorry. "
She smiled warmly and had a slight worry showing in her eyes. Just that look told him everything he needed to know, she knew he was starting to really lose faith in the princess. If it offended her or maybe just annoyed her was the question he didn't have an answer for, because of course, who questions the almighty raiser of the sun? The hard work had indeed taken his mind off Celestia most of the day, but he would toss and turn at night thinking about his fate, thinking about how impossible it seemed to change anything; maybe at least Applejack would be truthful still...
"Do you think she forgot...?" He asked, catching Applejack off guard.
It took a moment for her to answer...
"I'm sure she'll come soon, sugercube." She said with a reassuring smile.
Jake looked down to avoid her sure gaze, the confidence in her voice was so wrong to him...
The sun was still high in the sky, only a few clouds scattered themselves along the bright blue. Jake looked up and squinted from the glare of the sun, its overpowering presence; it saw and knew everything that happens under its gaze, and its warmth sheltered all.
So why abandon me...?
Jake looked back down, Applejack's face was showing a bit of the worry she kept in the back of her mind. Soon he felt like the silence had grown from slightly odd to completely awkward. Jake rubbed the back of his head and it loomed like Applejack was about to speak...until a blur of orange, white and yellow blazed between the two, leaving them wide eyed and stunned.
"Faster!" Shouted Applebloom as it grew harder to see in the thick of the apple trees.
"I know! I'm try-" Scootaloo tried to say, Sweetie Belle cutting her off with grim news...
"Look out! Treeeeeeee!"
The three screamed for a half a second before a noticeable 'thunk' echoed from a tree just a few yards away.
Applejack bolted,kicking up grass as she ran; Jake rushed off as well, both of them trying to grasp just why the trio decided to zig zag through the farm like it was a stunt course. They didn't wonder for long, Jake rounded a tree to find Sweetie Belle in the middle of scolding her orange friend.
"I TOLD you that was a dumb idea!" Her voice cracking to a new high in octaves.
Applejack shook her head and sighed,trotting over to pick Applebloom out of the heap of what once was a wagon.
"You kids need to figure out how to get your cutie marks without tearing across the farm and hurting yourselves. Look what the scooter did..." She added remorsefully
Scootaloo shook the branches out of her mane and picked her scooter up, looking out to see the trail of dirt and ripped grass that lead them to the sudden halt in their adventure. Gritting her teeth and head lowering in shame, she looked up at the two adults and worked up her best "I'm sorry" eyes yet..
"I'm so sorry, Applejack! I didn't mean to tear up the dirt like that. We were trying to get our cutie marks in stunt racing!" The apology started well....but it ended as boasting like it normally does. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and Jake could only wish to do the same...
"Clear outta here you three! I gotta fix this mess you made!" Applejack shouted, causing the three to dash away.
A bit more direct that he expected from Applejack; he looked down at her with a confused look.
"A bit excessive...?" She asked. Pausing in thought...she let out a sigh. "I'm just as worried as you are, sugercube, but I don't let get me down! Come on, the field is almost done, Big Mac can finish it up, you and I both need a breather." She ended with a smile.
Jake felt a little relief now that someone shared his sentiments. The mare started walking at a slow pace towards the road to Ponyville, talking as she walks.
"I think...and this is just my opinion, so don't take it as anything..."
Jake nodded...
"The princess has always been there to help us....but most of the time she lets us solve our own problems."
Jake looked at her even more confused.
"Just...try and not think about it for now." She ended, their walk becoming silent and painful. "And if she doesn't show after Winter Wrap-up, I will personally go to Canterlot with you and figure out what the hay was going on; sound like a plan, partner?"
Jake nodded, smile returning to his face and pace changing to a happy trot, contrast to the sluggish walk. Winter was only a few months away; he had a lot of work ahead storing food, which that itself was a strange concept...but not unexplainable. The ponies couldn't grow food in the cold, so it fell on Applejack and her family to prepare enough food to last the season, normally a task for humans; even then,Jake had no clue where the food even comes from, all he has ever seen is truck after truck bringing hay by the bale and the humans carrying plastic bags. Soon he began thinking of the little things he would pay attention to when he get back, trying to understand why humans do what they do...
"Jake?"
Jake blinked and shook his head.
"I'm here, I was listening." He said calmly to play his day dreaming off.
"I wasn't talking, sugercube..." Applejack retorted, a smirk rising when she feigned a sigh.
"Uhm....wel- Crap...I'm sorry, I'm getting distracted again." He said, head lowering and letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Then let's fix that! Today is all about you forgetting those troubles!" Applejack stated proudly, whipping around to jump in front of him. Jake could have sworn he could feel a song coming on...but this wasn't some kids show or anything...
"So...what are we gonna do...?" Jake asked when the silence grew thicker.
"Ciderfest!" Applejack yelled proudly, Jake jumping at the exclamation, and Applejack not missing a beat. "Every year we have a big celebration right before winter; lots of food, friends and our world famous Apple Farm Cider!"
Jake's deadpan look was almost funny when it stuck for more than a few seconds.
"What's cider...?" Jake finally asked.
_ _
Jake was sweating in late afternoon by the time he found out what cider was, lugging around supplies and moving equipment with Big Mac. Distillers, juicers, mixers and all manner of pipes and hoses to make the stream line process of making Apple family cider; the red stallion was a bit upset that he needed the help of his sister to move one of the huge mixers when Jake took the entire metal distillery by himself in a cart with Applebloom talking his ear off on his back.
It wasn't much longer until they had everything set up and Granny Smith was waiting for the last of the adjustments to be made to the contraption for it to work, Applebloom still watching it all happen and now talking to Jake about one of her many adventures as a Cutie Mark Crusader.
"Then we got Zecora a bunch of timber wolf tail for this thing she was making; it ended up blowing up in our face, though...she never told us that it was the first time she was making that potion." She ended on a sour note, Applejack catching wind of the story and looking a mix of upset anger and sisterly worry.
"What in the hay- Why do you kids keep going to Zecoria every time Scootaloo runs out of ideas?"
Applebloom quickly realized who was around when she told that story and couldn't stop the wave of guilt that washed over her face.
"It...wasn't my idea to go to Zecoria....it just seemed fun....at the time."
Jake smiled a little and turned around to face Applejack, Applebloom looking a little confused for the moment.
"Oh come on, she just had a little fun with her friends, no harm in that." He retorted, Applebloom looking ecstatic that an adult is standing up for her rather than scolding or chiding like her.
Granny Smith seems just as happy at the development, jumping into the conversation when she walks between the Apple siblings.
"Exactly! Kids should be kids. Now come on! We still gotta move all those apples we been harvesting." She says, cutting down any high ground Applejack and Big Mac had over their little sister.
Jake was just happy that everyone was having fun.
Applejack sighed to herself and conceded; after all, was shs really doing any harm? Zecoria seemed to at least know how to control the chaos her potions create. Even more was that Jake had become comfortable with himself again; he was confident, strong willed, charming...
Woah nelly! He's just a temporary guest. No need to get all fussed up about nothin... Applejack thought to herself.
Applebloom kicked a bucket over and apples feel from the sode of the ramp and into the giant mashing pit, the nosie jarring her out of the day dream and back to pulling the cart up close enough to start offloading apples. Jake and Big Mac building up a sweat and occasionally bumping into each other as they mashed, the red stallion flashing a slight frown at him before returning to work. The process continued for what felt like hours, until both of the stallions were worn and the sun reached high into the sky, beating down rays of heat. Jake panting just slightly and feeling a sense of dread wash over him when yet another barrel of apples was added to the mix.
"Another...?" he said with a huff.
Big Mac just kept his circle going and replied. "Eeyup." staticly.
Jake furrowed his brow and looked at Granny Smith sleeping under a tree with Applebloom next to her, both of them snoring; Applebloom faking it a little more than Granny...but it did just a hint of an idea.
Stepping in his circle a little more forcefully, as doon as they passed he mutterd.
"Do they just pass out like this every time?"
"Nope." Big Mac answered.
Jake waited for the next pass to ask another question.
"So why'd they knock off this time?" Jake quietly asked.
Big Mac waited for the next pass to act a little dramitic, leaning over and pausing to whisper.
"I don't know."
Leaveing Jake with a sour look on his face.
"Oh don't lead him on like that! He's tryin to be your friend, Big Mac." Applejack said just as she got up the ramp and dumped the last barrel in the pile. "Those two are asleep because you're picking up their work."
Big Mac, ita not that important a family tradition for all of us to be the ONLY ones to mash apples. You'll live ya mule."
"He isn't getting his hooves deep enough." Big Mac agrued, oddly the most he's really heard from the stallion.
"What?!" Jake yelled, voice pitching a few octaves higher and a few sylbals extended. "I'm at the bottom of the barrel, are you?"
Big Mac glared and looked down to see Jake standing on wood and left over mess from the apples, though the height of the horse put him at eye level with Big Mac...and what a grin he had to look at when he looked back up.
"Hmph..." Was all he said in response, going back to his side of the giant barrel and continuing his task.
Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Don't you worry about it, Jake; poor Big Mac is just getting a little green for the new guy is all." she teased, prompting a monotonous response.
"I ain't jealous."
Jake laughed a little and hopped out of the barrel, Big Mac extending his path to cover the missing partner without a word...but he did seem happier.
"There, the spot light is all yours." Jake added with a chuckle.
Big Mac just nodded slightly and cracked a smile.
"See, he'll be fine. Besides, he'll forget all this once he gets to have some cider." Applejack said, putting some emphasis on cider to motivate the red stallion.
Jake laughed but was a bit lost on the purpose, asking once Applejack was done laughing..
"Really...? Is it that good?"
Big Mac nodded quickly and went a litle faster.
"Well see, its so rare that we get a big enough harvest to make it that we normally just stock up for a year and make it around fall. Hot or cold, cider will relax ya until ya melt in your seat, plus it tastes fantastic! .....and we add a little Apple family secret to it..."
Jake quickly gave up his cool exterior for the curiosity that flooded him when a secret was brought to the field. Working all day in the heat and there was something he wasnt being told? He just had to know...so he widened his eyes and sunk into his neck a little, ears flat on his head and tail wagging.
"Tell me please....I've been busting my flank for this.."
Applejack just laughed and quickly thought about it...no sense in keeping it from him, he would be gone any day now anyways...
"Well.....we add a little "pick me up". Just a small bit of alcohol..." she said quietly.
Jake felt something in the back of his head ping...like...a forgon memory. Alcohol was...important somehow. Something in the back of his head, from when he was with the humans. Alcohol was...popular...really popular! And he know everything about it!
"Wait! Applejack...I think I can help with that..."