The Tale of Lord Barleycorn
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Chapter 31: A little birdie told me.
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Twilight’s eyes cracked open, and upon seeing daylight she instantly shut her eyes and pulled the blanket over her head. Nestled under the covers, Twilight quietly grumbled at the sun for rousing her so early. A part of her sleepy mind knew she shouldn’t speak harshly about her former teacher’s work, but the rest of her yearned to go back to sleep. Her alarm clock hadn’t gone off, and she couldn’t hear the birds outside her window, and Spike was still snoring in his bed. It was far too early to get up... wait, why could she hear several snoring Spikes?
The gears in Twilight’s head finally began to turn, and one by one her senses alerted her she was not in her own bed. No, whatever she was sleeping on was far too hard, and then there was the unfamiliar odor of dust and rotting leaves. A sudden panic seized Twilight, and with a frantic kick of her forehooves she pushed the blanket off her face to see an unfamiliar ceiling.
That’s when the events of yesterday hit her, and Twilight fell back against the cot, eyes half-focused on the ceiling as she grumbled quietly to herself. She remembered how she came to be on this uncomfortable cot, with her friends snoring in chorus around her.
Finding a place that would put all six of them up for the night had proved to be more difficult than they thought. The map that Twilight had back at Golden Oaks had shown Hollow Shades as having a motel that surely would have put them up for the night, and after a second meal at Tablecloth’s she lead her friends in that direction.
What she didn’t expect was that the motel was in even worse shape than the rest of the town. It had long been boarded up and abandoned to the company of the saplings that that had sprouted in the clogged eavespouts.
With the motel out of the question, the six of them had resorted to asking the townsponies for alternatives. Sadly, nopony had room to accommodate six ponies on such short notice, princess or otherwise. Applejack even made the suggestion of camping or sleeping in one of the farmer’s barns, but Rarity quickly shot that idea down.
Thankfully, there was one alternative that came up. Despite the hustle and bustle, ponies were able to direct the girls to the door of the local clinic. The very building Twilight and her friends were sleeping in.
Twilight sat up on her cot to look around the dim room, needing to blink her bleary eyes repeatedly to get them to focus. The sun was coming in from the storefront windows, trying desperately to illuminate the back of the clinic by filtering over the makeshift wall of shelves. Twilight probably wouldn’t have noticed the sun at all if she had slept on a cot just a little further back.
There was no sight of their host, not that Twilight was shaken by this fact. She shifted on the cot, only now realizing how stiff she felt. After rubbing the last of the sleep from her eyes, Twilight slipped her blanket off and got to her hooves.
After a silenced yawn and a good stretch of her wings, Twilight quietly snuck out to what constituted the waiting area for the clinic.
It was disturbing to think that ponies would come to such a poorly kept building for medical care. If Twilight hadn’t been told this was a clinic she wouldn’t have believed this was anything more than a dingy, abandoned grocery store.
The sky was free of clouds, allowing the sun to shine down with all its might, and Twilight flinched as she first turned her eyes up to look at its position. Once her eyes adjusted, she found ponies were moving here and there, trying to sell what they could at small, collapsible tables. There were none of the colorful market stalls that were found in Ponyville, and barely anypony was there to do business. Sales were mostly being made between the owners of these tables, and when these transactions were completed they return to their tables and look bored.
Poverty was something Twilight wasn’t used to seeing. While still a foal, she thought that every filly had a large bedroom and all the toys she could ever want. Many of the fiction she had read, Daring Do included, had mentioned places of unfathomable destitution, but Twilight had had trouble imagining it being any worse than a messy room. That naivety was long-since in her past, but to hear about how the ponies of Hollow Shades were on the verge of losing their community? It made Twilight feel terrible.
It also made this scarecrow’s offer sound like a genuine act of benevolence.
That’s when Twilight’s stomach growled, and she began to eye the food on the tables in a whole new light. It was clear their host was not going to offer them any comfort beside the use of those awful cots.
Still, there was one thing that had bothered Twilight; although Rainbow waited two hours before returning to Hollow Shades, there hadn’t been any reply from Princess Celestia. It didn’t seem like a difficult question to answer, a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ shouldn’t require so much of her mentor’s time.
Another rumble of her stomach had Twilight finally heeding its call. She turned her head back to the cots and with a near-silent ‘pop’ Twilight’s saddlebags were teleported to her side. After finding her bit bag among the clutter, Twilight accessed her money situation.
She had anticipated the need for a souvenir or two, and consequently had brought only a small amount of cash with her. In hindsight, it might have been a good idea if Rainbow had brought back some extra cash from her home when she took the letter to Spike. Maybe Rainbow could do that today after breakfast?
Her friends were all still asleep, and with the possible exception of Applejack they wouldn’t be well rested from sleeping on those hard cots.
"Maybe waking up to some freshly picked vegetables will smooth things out." Twilight reasoned as she looked out at the vendor tables, "It’ll make Applejack feel better, she doesn't have to pay for every meal while we’re here."
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The girls were grateful for the food Twilight brought them, but they weren’t exactly enthusiastic about a breakfast of raw tomatoes, spinach, and bread from Tablecloth’s. The clinic lacked a kitchen, therefore a proper breakfast simply wasn’t an option. How the doctor prepared his meals was a mystery until Rainbow noticed a single pot sitting next to the wood stove that had supplied heat to the whole clinic last night.
When breakfast (such as it was) had come and gone, Twilight took out a bit of parchment and took a short list of things she thought she needed from home. Rainbow had agreed to fly back to Ponyville to check in on Spike and Celestia’s reply, and she would be in the library, bringing back a few books wouldn’t hurt.
However, before Twilight’s list made it into Rainbow’s hooves, all of her friends had been given a chance to add something to it. Twilight had to remind both Pinkie and Rarity that Rainbow could only carry so much despite her boasts of ‘awesome’ physical fitness. Thankfully, Applejack didn’t want anything from home, and Fluttershy only asked that Rainbow stop by her cottage.
After a few short goodbyes Rainbow was on her way, noticeably walking down the road instead of flying. This timidity only lasted until Rainbow spied a local pegasus taking some wind measurements. The mare even had the gall to sit on a wild cloud and wave at Rainbow Dash like there was nothing weird about it. Not willing to be seen as a wimp, Rainbow puffed out her chest and took off like a rocket toward Ponyville.
The weather mare merely wondered what that was about.
After Rainbow had disappeared into the distance, her friends made their way to the water tower and the stage that sat in its shadow.
There was no clear indication of time, but if Twilight had to make a guess purely on the elevation of the sun vis-à-vis the horizon it was still technically mid-morning. Twilight had to wonder why a dozen or so foals were lingering around the stage at this time of day, or she did until she remembered it was a Saturday. Of course, even if it wasn’t the foals would have been out of school anyway to help with preparations for the Fall Harvest Festival. Cheerilee did the same thing with her class.
There was no sign of the scarecrow the others had mentioned, but judging from how the foals kept casting impatient glances at the road suggested they were waiting for him to arrive.
Having time to think, Twilight pondered the stories she had been told about this ‘Lord Barleycorn.’
The first story she had heard had been a gristly tale about a monster, but now it seemed highly dubious. The rabbits that had been the source of the story were hardly to be considered unobjective witnesses, and having it confirmed by the locals that these same rabbits were eating these downtrodden ponies out of their livelihoods did nothing to make them sound trustworthy. Still, Twilight reasoned it was a claim that had to be investigated for the sake of safety. The other story was one of a jolly entertainer which garnered a genuine loyalty from not just the foals but the whole community.
Twilight had begun to mentally run through what she had read last night in Myths and mysteries of the Everfree Vol. 1 when one of the colts on the stage suddenly ceased his game of tag and jerked his head in the direction of the cornfield. Other foals took notice and suddenly the small gang of children were silently staring at the corn.
The wall of cornstalks obscured the view of the road, but Twilight could hear the approach of some age-beaten, wooden cart creaking its way up the road. The sound of somepony whistling a happy tune could be heard as it drew closer.
The excitement of the foals seemed premature to Twilight; it was likely just another farmer that was coming to peddle his wares in town. She and her friends had seen plenty come and go since they arrived in town, and it didn’t make a lot of sense for the scarecrow to pull a cart… unless he had something he was bringing for this ‘play’ that Twilight had heard so little about.
But as the cart neared the edge of the cornstalks the children’s excitement dwindled. Several let out disappointed groans and one filly flatly declared that ‘it isn’t him.’
The cart rolled out from behind the corn, pulled by an unfamiliar stallion who, at first glance, appeared to be the victim of what Warm Wind so casually referred to an ‘early snow.’ His blue coat was dusted white, and his hat had a thick layer of off-white powder that came up in small clouds when he turned his head to look at the foals sitting on the stage.
A simple glance at the cart provided enough proof to rule out any possibility of it being snow. Twilight chuckled at her rushed conjecture; as if snow, no matter how dry, would act like dust on a decent autumn day like this. No, this stallion was simply hauling a cart full of burlap sacks, all tightly bound and filled with freshly milled flour.
Twilight tried not to stare as the stallion passed, but she began to wonder about the state of their mill if he was covered from head to fetlock like that. Then again, milling flour was something Twilight had never really put much thought into.
The foals were already back to their schoolyard games, but some were still watching the road as if they were expecting something to come behind the flour cart. It was clear they were disappointed, although it was of no fault of the miller stallion.
If Twilight had to be completely honest, she was a little disappointed too. The dedication the foals had to this scarecrow was intriguing.
Rarity broke the silence with a tired sigh as she lazily began to look around at the town to occupy her mind with, "I suppose we have nothing to do but wait until Rainbow Dash returns?"
"Well, her or the scarecrow, whoever arrives first." Twilight shrugged as she levitated the second volume of Myths and Mysteries of the Everfree out of her saddlebag and began to skim through the pages.
"Something the matter, Twilight?" Rarity asked, "You were reading those books all night while we were all trying to sleep on those horrible cots."
Twilight ’s brow furrowed in frustration, but she kept her eyes on the book, "It’s just… a lot of what I’ve read is just so… ugh... if it is a spirit of the Everfree I should know how to properly address it at least."
"But ain’t that stuff just a bunch’a hooey?" Applejack’s question was plain and forthright, but Fluttershy could hear the wishful thinking in her words.
Twilight let out a defeated grumble and closed the book, "A lot of the stories sound like tales to scare misbehaving foals, but Nightmare Moon was once thought to be an old mare’s tale..."
Applejack looked at the ground, that really wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear.
Rarity stepped closer and put a reassuring hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, "Darling, I know you pride yourself on knowing a great many things, but you can’t know everything. How long did it take you to separate the facts from the fables about Nightmare Moon?"
Twilight thought for a moment. Without friends or distractions, that period of her life felt like one long continuous pattern of sleep-eat-study broken up only by letters to Princess Celestia. If it wasn’t for Spike, she likely would never have come up for air at all.
"With full access to the Canterlot library and Princess Celestia’s personal archives, and including all my fact-checking and discussing details with a historian or two…" Twilight gave an embarrassed chuckle, "About six months."
Rarity raised an eyebrow, "And you think you can do what took you all that time into a whole night, with only two books?"
"Point taken, and to be fair it doesn’t sound like this as serious a threat as Nightmare Moon." Twilight conceded, "But are you girls sure you didn’t leave anything out when you told me about him? Anything could help, even if it didn’t seem important at the time."
"Not really, Ah think we toldja jus’ near everythin’." Applejack shrugged, "He’s pretty much liked by everypony here."
"Well, not everypony." Fluttershy offered, "When Applejack and I met the doctor and the mayor before we saw Lord Barleycorn. The mayor was very nice but the doctor didn’t seem to like Lord Barleycorn at all."
This seemed to get Twilight’s attention, "Did he tell you why he didn’t like him?"
Fluttershy thought for a moment, then shook her head, "Not specifically. He was nice enough to watch the foals while Lord Barleycorn finished building the stage, but after that he brought us to the clinic and told us he thought Lord Barleycorn wasn’t being honest about helping the ponies here."
Rarity winced, "Wait, you were in that clinic before and didn’t warn us about its… inadequate condition?"
"We only saw the front of the clinic, and we were a little more distracted by the scarecrow and the foals carving pumpkins." Fluttershy looked a little ashamed, "I thought maybe he had cleaned up a little since we saw him."
"Anyway..." Applejack cleared her throat, calling the group’s attention off of Fluttershy, "As y’all prolly saw when we met him, he ain’t exactly the friendliest cuss. He seemed to have a mighty big chip on his shoulder ‘bout the er, ‘scarecrow.’. ‘Kept insistin’ it’s all a scam, but Ah ain’t sure about that."
Twilight looked to the weatherworn building that sat next to the clinic. In some distant year it might have been a decent barber shop but now it looked like a run-down shack that she would petition to have condemned for everypony’s safety. One of those unsettling pumpkin lanterns sat under the barber pole which was so sun-bleached it resembled a large stick of chalk. The mustachioed barber pony who had been sweeping the doorway noticed her looking and gave her a friendly wave, which Twilight awkwardly returned.
"I see what you mean. It’s pointless to try and con ponies out of bits they don’t have." Twilight turned her attention back to her friends, "All the more reason to extend a helping hoof to the scarecrow… at least until I know more about the situation."
"It wouldn’t hurt," Rarity looked off to the east, toward Ponyville, "And when Rainbow Dash returns with the fabric I asked her to bring I intend on seeing what the local tailor can do with the proper materials."
Fluttershy brightened up, "Are you going to to make some costumes for this ‘Halloween?’"
"Er, yes, I could do that..." Rarity winced, "I was hoping to measure Mr. Cross Stitch’s talent by having him make a nice suit or dress but costumes could be a good challenge too."
Pinkie had her head turned to the sky, looking as cheerful as ever, "And when Dashie gets here I can get started baking the treats for Lord Barleycorn’s Halloween party. He said he liked pumpkin pies, and there’s plenty of pumpkins for sale!" Pinkie licked her lips, "Those roasted pumpkin seeds gave me an awesome idea, but that’s gonna be a surpriiiiiise...~"
"I’m sure whatever you’d make would be good Pinkie, I um, can’t wait to see what you make." Twilight said, but the corner of her lips trembled.
Pinkie had a great talent for baking, but Twilight had known her for being impulsive when she tried making new ‘goodies.’ Mostly, this involved thankfully small batches of strange and sometimes disgusting flavor combinations. One such instance involved sriracha and caramel frosted cupcakes… Hopefully this wouldn’t be one of ‘those’ surprises.
Twilight turned her head back toward the stage. She wished ‘Lord Barleycorn’ would arrive soon. Anything was preferable to standing around waiting.
"Ugh, good. You’re all awake." Somepony behind them croaked.
The voice was dry and lethargic, the sound of a pony who had spent the whole night in a frenzy and was only now dragging himself towards his bed. Everypony turned and found it belonged to the same doctor that had begrudgingly allowed them to sleep at his clinic.
He looked awful but he clearly didn’t care, given by the way the doctor’s head drooped as he almost dragged his hooves as he walked. He coughed and paused to straighten his coat, then smacked his lips and shook his head. Twilight recognized this as an attempt to reorganize himself so he could properly converse with others, at least temporarily.
"Hello doctor, I hope you had-" Twilight’s nose scrunched up as she caught a whiff of what hung around the doctor. She was no stranger to simple bad odors, but the palpable stink of alcohol seemed to roll off the doctor as he idly breathed through his mouth.
"Er, a productive night?" Twilight forced a smile, already having a good idea what he’d been doing.
"Just fulfilling my… civic duty." Cherry blinked several times, then groaned as he again forced himself back to lucidity. "You’re waiting for the scarecrow?"
Twilight doubted drinking counted as any sort of ‘civic duty,’ but she decided it was best to keep this short. The stallion looked like he was about to pass out.
"Yes, is there something the matter?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah… no. No I guess not. Here." Cherry reached into the wide, side pocket of his coat and produced a dozen or so large papers, all neatly rolled up and tied with cheap twine.
Twilight took them with her magic, levitating them over to her side. She regarded them for moment before giving the doctor a puzzled look, "Um, what are these for?"
Cherry’s lip curled into a sneer, but it was directed at the papers rather than anypony present, "What I was commissioned to do for his… whatever it is. I left them blank, let the foals color them with crayons if they want. I did my part."
"Give them to the whatever-it-is when you see it. Now if you’ll excuse me..." Cherry’s words became a slurred mumble as he dumbly began to move toward his clinic.
"Need any help?" Fluttershy asked, careful with her volume.
Cherry’s ears twitched, and once again he let out a pained grumble but he didn’t stop advancing toward his clinic’s front door, "No, I got this… Haffa nice day..."
The barber pony across the street shook his head as he, the five visiting mares, and several teenagers watched the doctor stumble to the door. Cherry needed both front hooves to push it open, and then quickly disappeared into the dim light beyond the waiting room.
"Quite the unsavory fellow," Rarity remarked, once the doctor was out of earshot, "I’ll be grateful if we don’t have to rely on his hospitality in the future."
"Considering the only options were sleeping in the run down motel or walking all the way home, I don’t think we had much of a choice." Twilight frowned, but her attention soon returned to the papers that were still floating near her.
With hardly any effort, Twilight’s purple aura gripped each individual paper and arranged them into a neat, orderly line in front of her. Without unrolling any of them, Twilight could see they were all much larger than the standard sizes of paper she worked with, and from the tiny bits of wood-grain visible in the paper that it was in fact home-made paper.
Twilight had tried making paper from wood scraps once as a chance to try making her own book. She could not believe the amount of work it took to make paper without relying on modern machinery or magic. Somehow, she doubted that the doctor had the patience to make these himself.
However, one of these was obviously different from the rest. It was a common strip of white paper that could be purchased in bulk at any office supply store across Equestria. Like the others, it was rolled and tied with twine.
Deciding to unroll one of the larger rolls first, Twilight levitated the rest of them into her saddlebag while she unfurled one out in front of her.
It was a poster, or rather a blank outline for one. Very neat, stylized lines formed an eye catching border that had a large header box for somepony to write in whatever they wanted. That was all that was on it, but it looked like the base for a professional-looking poster for say, a circus or a gala.
"Well, those seem interesting." Rarity opened another poster with her magic, like the first it was black but well-made. "Clearly done by hoof, and with a decent brush. If the doctor did these I say I’m impressed. I can’t say the same about the paper it’s printed on, but I suppose this is what he had to work with."
Applejack glanced back at the clinic then to the poster. She didn’t see what was so impressive about the outline. If anything they look like a job that was only half done.
"These here are prolly for his show." Applejack stated flatly.
Twilight gently rolled the open poster up and retied it before returning all of them to her saddlebag, "You did mention he needed advertisement, and this would help… once they’re done."
Rarity’s eyes remained on the posters, "And whom do you think he has in mind to design them?"
"Ah’d bet the foals," Applejack casually nodded toward the stage, "Ain’t seen any bit o’ art ‘round here, an’ he does rely on them from what Ah’ve seen."
Rarity let out a disappointed sigh, but she didn’t voice any other objection.
"Um, is corn really interesting and nopony told me?" Pinkie pointed to the stage.
The girls found the foals were again all staring at the corn, ears forward as they stood in stark silence. Not a single child moved, all were straining with all their might to hear something Twilight herself could not.
A few birds were chirping in the trees, and although there was a slight breeze it was only enough to rustle a few dry leaves that danced along the dirt road. Somewhere, Twilight thought she heard the chitter of a squirrel far off in the distance.
Whatever the foals seemed to be all focusing on was a mystery, and Twilight was ready to quit when she thought she heard something. It came and went so quickly her ears couldn’t quite catch it. Mimicking the foals, Twilight pivoted her ears forward, and again the sound was heard but again it eluded her.
"Does anypony… hear something?" Fluttershy asked in a trembling voice.
"I’m not sure. Hold on..." Twilight hushed, and closed her eyes to better focus on her sense of hearing.
Almost as soon as Twilight began to listen she heard it again, a little clearer than before. The foals were whispering amongst themselves in hushed excitement, and Twilight swallowed her own anxiousness. The foals quickly quieted again as they too listened, but Twilight relaxed as the sound grew loud enough that she was able to discern a melody.
The thought that this elusive sound was merely somepony singing as she worked in the corn, was a little disenchanting. Twilight chuckled, here she was getting caught up in the foal’s excitement.
Twilight opened her eyes. She no longer needed such concentration to pinpoint the singer’s direction. It was coming from the cornfield, and slowly growing in volume.
"It’s just another pony coming to town on business." Twilight reasoned as she continued to listen as the music. "Whoever it is, she’s either singing to herself with nonsense lyrics or she’s still too far away to be heard correctly."
The singing suddenly swelled as if to prove Twilight wrong; reaching a high plateau of musical complexity before quieting to a more docile, almost somber tone as the song continued. It was a short burst of wonderful music, and it was loud enough for Twilight to toss her earlier assumptions out the window. This was no singer, it was a violin!
Rarity held her hoof to her chest, "My… I didn’t expect he could play that violin with such expertise."
"It does sound lovely." Fluttershy smiled and began to bob her head to the music.
Twilight’s eye twitched, they meant the scarecrow?
"Lovely? It’s worthy of accompanying the grandest Canterlot affairs!" Rarity beamed, "To think I would hear such an exquisite piece in a homely town like this!"
The barber pony coughed, but Rarity didn’t hear it.
Twilight on the other hoof was listening to more than just the music. Whispers were cropping up, and not from the foals. While the children were beside themselves with excitement, the other residents of Hollow Shades had also noticed the approaching song.
The barber pony was joined by two others, one with a prodigious beard and another with muttonchops, who stood on the walk way. The door to the nearby antique shop opened, and behind the large window Twilight could see the elderly owner craning her neck to hear what was outside. The waitress that had served them at Tablecloth’s was smiling as she poked her head out an opened window. Behind her, Twilight could see at least a half dozen stallions were piling out of the saloon doors of the ‘Rusty Nail Pub’ only to flinch and groan as the bright sunlight hit their eyes.
Twilight frowned, "Safe to say that’s where the doctor was all night..."
The violin sent out a few sharp, final notes before silence once again fell over the town. Whispers, and even a few quiet stamps of approval cropped up from the crowd. Yet, Twilight could see none of these onlookers were returning to what they were doing before. Everypony was still standing out, ears searching for the next sign from this mysterious musician.
A minute of silence passed with Twilight, her friends, and everypony else staining, listening for some trace of the violinist’s location. A breeze blew by Twilight, rustling her mane and shaking the corn. the dry leaves almost sounding like they were shushing the crowd.
That’s when the music started again, welling up not from the strings of a violin but from the throat of a stallion. It was so close that Twilight jumped at the first note. The nervousness she had felt before returned as Twilight remembered how Applejack and the others had mentioned repeatedly that the scarecrow not only played violin but sang as well. Whoever was singing drew closer, his voice ringing out clearly in the autumn-scented air. Something tall was staking the ears of corn, pushing them aside as it strode straight toward Twilight...
When the crypt doors creak, and the tombstones quake
Spooks come out for a swinging wake~
Happy haunts materialize~
And begin to vocalize~
Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialize~
Now don't close your eyes and don't try to hide,
Or a silly spook may sit by your side,
Shrouded in a daft disguise~
They pretend to terrorize~
Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialize~
As the moon climbs high o'er the dead oak tree,
Spooks arrive for the midnight spree,
Creepy creeps with eerie eyes~
Start to shriek and harmonize~
Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialize~
Twilight’s jaw dropped.
While she had been expecting this creature to arrive, she was not prepared for it to just… step out of the corn like she would step out from two rows of bookshelves. Nor was she prepared for just how different it looked from what she had imagined. She had been expecting something Applejack or even Carrot Top would put up in the spring to keep the birds from eating the seeds. Instead this scarecrow looked… inequine. Both its fore and hind limbs were much longer than they needed to be, with the sleeves of its sweater and the legs of its pants lengthened by parts taken from other articles of clothing. It stood like a minotaur yet wore boots looked like they were meant for a … a griffin maybe? Twilight wasn’t sure what they were meant for.
She was so busy trying to take in the whole absurd spectacle that Twilight almost missed the violin case that the scarecrow had gripped by its long sleeve. It paused his song to tip his straw hat at the five of them before pressing on toward the stage with a happy skip in its step.
The foals pounded on the stage, making it shudder as they excitedly shouted the arrival of Lord Barleycorn. They only quieted when they heard the Autumn King continue as he began to circle the stage, always facing the foals as he danced and sang:
When you hear the knell of a requiem bell,
Weird glows gleam where spirits dwell,
Restless bones etherialize~
Rise as spooks of every size~
If you would like to join our jamboree,
There's a simple rule that's compulsory!
Mortals pay a token fee~
Rest in peace, the haunting's free!
So hurry back we would like your company~
Lord Barleycorn drew out the final note before bringing it down to a whisper. With a gesture of his sleeve he brought to the song to an end and in an instant the foals turned silence into thunderous noise. They cheered and again beat the stage with their hooves, but only for a short few seconds. Lord Barleycorn barely had time to bow to his young audience before they had him surrounded. Questions and song requests came in a nebulous chatter, but Lord Barleycorn merely laughed.
"Now now, come on, I can’t answer everypony at once." The scarecrow laughed one more time before he set his violin on the stage, "We have much to do today, but I promise if we all work hard I’ll tell a story just for you. And what do I say about promises?"
"Make a promise, keep a promise." The foals answered back.
"That’s right." Lord Barleycorn nodded firmly, "Now, gather ‘round, it’s time we started auditions..."
Twilight watched as the scarecrow, reached down the front of his sweater and produced a stack of papers. She had thought she had been prepared for it given her friend’s description of ‘him,’ but to just have this supposed spirit just dance right past her, singing a song left her completely speechless.
"Ah reckon that’s the script he said he was gonna write." Applejack scratched the back of her head.
"A shame he didn’t play more of that violin," Rarity gave a happy sigh, "Do you think we could persuade him into performing that piece again?"
"Maybe, but I think the foals would rather hear something like his other song." Twilight said offhandedly.
"Yeah, I agree with Twilight." Rainbow said casually, "‘Kinda sounded like a Nightmare Night song, and I’m totally down with that."
Twilight tensed up so badly upon hearing Rainbow’s voice she smacked Pinkie’s side with her wing. She didn’t know why, but since she got them they had an odd tendency to extend on reflex. She quickly flashed an apologetic look to Pinkie, who didn’t seem too bothered before turning around.
There was Rainbow, not hovering in the air like expected but standing on the ground on all four hooves. On her back were the saddlebags she had set off with, except they weren’t empty anymore. It looked like Rainbow had tried to take half of Carousel Boutique with her.
"There’s no way Rainbow flew here with all that on her back. She’s strong, but even she’s got limits." Twilight nevertheless showed her friend a smile, "How long have you been here?"
"I got here just in time to see everypony staring at the corn," Rainbow glanced at Twilight, but she was a bit more focused on the stage, "That’s him?"
"Yes, and it looks like the foals are happy to see him." Fluttershy smiled, "How are things back home?"
"Same old, same old." Rainbow shrugged the best she could with her burden. "Wanna give a mare a little help? This is kinda heavy."
Twilight telekinetically lifted the heavy bags off of Rainbow’s back and set them on the ground in front of Rarity. There was going to be no hope of finding Celestia’s response or Twilight’s books until the dressmaker collected all of her things first.
"Before you ask Twi," Rainbow nervously scratched the back of her head, "Spike did get a letter from Princess Celestia, but..."
Twilight’s horn was already lit and everything in the saddlebags shot up to hover over Twilight’s head for inspection. The textiles were quickly sorted out and stacked neatly atop the empty bag, and Pinkie simply jumped up and took her box of baking powder right out of Twilight’s purple aura.
Twilight’s excitement was forgotten when her eyes came to rest on something she didn’t recognize. Pulling it down for a closer look, she found it to be a small, roughly equine-shaped doll made from folded and twisted corn husks. Small bits of wire had been used to attach a mane of freshly cut cedar needles, and its tail was nothing more than braided grass.
Upon seeing it, Applejack let out a groan, "Ugh, did Granny send that?"
"Yeah, she was in town with Applebloom selling apples so I thought I’d tell her what was up. When I told her we were staying in Hollow Shades longer than expected she wouldn’t let me leave until I promised to bring that doll to you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her get that serious." Rainbow rubbed her right foreleg, "I also didn’t think a pony her age could even use a lasso."
Rarity raised an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash’s story but she quickly turned her attention back to the humble-looking cornhusk doll, "Why in Equestria would she want you to bring this thing?"
Applejack nearly scoffed at her friend’s question, "It’s just a cornhusk pony. Y’know, havin’ one in the window’s supposed to be good luck."
Confused, Rarity turned her attention to Applejack, "And Granny Smith wants you to have good luck by… putting this in the window?"
While Applejack felt like she had no choice but explain, she felt a little stunned that Rarity knew nothing about these dolls. Applebloom and Babs Seed had made cornhusk ponies as part of the Apple Family Reunion, and Granny had helped Applejack make her first doll when she was still a blank flank. However, Applejack swiftly reminded herself that at that tender age she had thought that everypony bucked fruit from trees and worked as hard as she did. To assume a sophisticate like Rarity would know anything about old Earth Pony superstitions was absurd, and more than a little arrogant on Applejack’s part.
"That’s only part of what they’re meant fer." Applejack made the attempt to speak more gently than she had before as she took the doll from Twilight’s magic, and gently held it out for Rarity to get a closer look, "In a lotta the stories Granny told me, one of the worst things you can do is offend a spirit of the Forest. If ya did they’d play tricks on you, an’ if you really made ‘em mad they’d curse you with bad luck, make yer crops sick, or worse."
"That sounds rather… spiteful." Rarity’s nervously glanced over at Lord Barleycorn, but the scarecrow didn’t seem to have overheard her. "What does this have to do with the dolls, do they keep these ‘bad’ spirits away?"
Applejack shook her head, "Nothin’ like that. Ya can’t just apologize to angry spirits, so ya leave ‘em gifts to show how sorry ya are. Food, drink, and hoof-made dolls like these are usually set out. If they disappear by morning, then yer forgiven."
Fluttershy smiled, "I guess this is Granny Smith’s way of making sure we’re all safe."
"This sounds familiar..." Twilight thought back to the books she had read last night, "Did something like this happen in a story called ‘Gabby O’Dill and the Spirit-Folk?’"
"Yeah, that’s one of ‘em." Applejack flashed an embarrassed smile as she stuffed the doll into her saddlebags, "Ah used to read that story to Applebloom when she was younger."
Twilight chuckled, it was no Daring Do story but for a Sisters Grimm tale it had been an entertaining little story. However, this lull in the conversation allowed her attention to drift back to the remaining objects that floated over her head. All that was left was a small to-go bag that had Sugarcube Corner’s logo on it, and a lone scroll that was covetously pulled down so Twilight could start reading it.
"Dear Twilight, I have received your letter, but I do not have time... to properly respond to it…" The enthusiasm quickly faded from Twilight’s voice as she continued, "I am currently preoccupied with other matters that I cannot delve into here. I will be leaving Canterlot with a diplomatic envoy within the hour and will not be able to respond to your letters for several days. I trust in your capability to handle the situation. Signed Celestia."
Twilight lowered the letter, which allowed her friends to see the disappointment in her eyes.
"Yeah… sorry ‘bout that, Twilight." Rainbow placed her hoof on her friend’s shoulder, "I figured you were really looking forward to hearing from Princess Celestia and I knew it would bum you out, so..."
Twilight looked up to see Rainbow offering her the to-go bag.
She took the bag, but Twilight narrowed her eyes, "You peeked at my mail?"
Rainbow rubbed the back of her head, "Well, Spike peeked, I just happened to be there..."
Twilight leveled a glare at Rainbow, but it was hard to stay angry when she could smell the unmistakable odor of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. She wasn’t really that angry, she merely wanted to drive home the point that she didn’t approve of anypony going through her mail. There was no harm done, but what if the letter had contained something more personal?
"Alright, just try not let it become a habit." Twilight opened the bag. Eyup, cookies, "And thanks for bringing me these."
Rainbow gave a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders, "Don’t sweat it. But, uh, what’s the plan with the scarecrow? Did you come up with something while I was gone?"
Twilight relished the first bite of her snack as she turned her attention to the stage. Lord Barleycorn was moving back and forth on the stage, clearly excited as he explained the details of the play to the foals. Twilight had missed the start of it, but she chewed quietly and listened as he spoke.
"... These auditions will be held shortly. I’ve taken the liberty of marking a a few lines for those of you who want a part. Remember, there are only five characters and it is a short play so there can only be five of you to fill these roles. The three foals, their uncle, and the old witch." Lord Barleycorn tapped his chin, "Of course, actors aren’t the only thing we need. We’ll need backdrops, costumes, and some curtains would be nice… too bad I didn’t get a chance to rig anything up. Oh well, luckily there’s not many settings. The outside of the uncle’s house, the inside, and the witch’s lair. We’ll need more ponies working on these than memorizing lines so please remember there are no small roles when putting on a play. Every little bit that’s accomplished is a step toward the final production."
Rarity lifted the final bolt of fabric into her saddlebag, straining a little but admirably shouldering the weight as best she could. "He does sound like he knows what he’s doing, but he has to get all of that done by tomorrow?"
Twilight winced, "They look really into it, but It looks like all he has are the foals, that stage, and one copy of the script."
"And it’s almost noon." Fluttershy looked to Rarity, "Can a play really be put on in such short notice?"
"Miracles have happened before." Rarity rubbed her chin, scrutinizing the stage, "I suppose it helps that it’s a short play, but only one day for foals to learn their lines with one script? Without proper help I doubt this play will live up to expectations."
"An’ if nopony comes here fer this play, good or bad it ain’t gonna do nopony no good." Applejack put on a serious face as she adjusted her hat, "An’ sittin’ here gabbin’ ain’t helpin’ neither."
Applejack started to the stage, only to stop and look at her friends, "Y’all comin’?"
Twilight smiled and nodded, ready to follow her friend. "Lead the way."
With Applejack confidently taking the lead, the six of them began to trot toward the stage.
"... and we’ll need some ponies who can sing. There’s only one song, but it’s sung three times. I’ve always heard it sung by a stallions but I wouldn’t be adverse to change-" Lord Barleycorn stopped speaking when he noticed one of the foals was waving his hoof around in the air. "Is something the matter, young master?"
"Um..." The colt looked directly at Twilight, then at Lord Barleycorn, "There’s a princess behind you."
Lord Barleycorn straightened up clearly shocked by this news, "There is?"
The scarecrow turned, and instantly Twilight found herself under Lord Barleycorn’s gaze. What she didn’t expect was him to put the whole script down his shirt and hop off the stage and casually approach her.
"So there is, and lo she is as the first twinkling star of the night." Lord Barleycorn bowed deeply, making Twilight wonder how a biped could keep his balance in that position. "All honors and pleasantries upon you, Princess Twilight Sparkle of Ponyville."
Formal greetings were something that Princess Celestia had advised Twilight to become familiar with after her ascension. She would hear them from Canterlot nobles and from foreign diplomats, and she would have to be prepared to thusly greet them in the same way. Despite this advice and practice, Twilight found herself speechless for the second time that day.
The scarecrow lifted his head, but remained bowing, "Did I come on too strong?"
"I- er, no I just…" Twilight fumbled.
"Alright… time to put what Carrot Top told me to use..." Lord Barleycorn rose to his full height and snickered, "My apologizes Princess Twilight, I’m merely having a little fun with you. I was aware you were here but I’ve simply not had the time to greet you. I sincerely apologize for my oversight in royal etiquette, but as you can see-" He gestured all around him, "- I’m completely behind schedule. My servants haven’t even gotten the leaves to blossom in full color yet, and the wind is far too warm. It shames me to offer such a poor first impression as the Sovereign of All Autumn."
"It’s... alright?" Was all Twilight could manage.
"No, it’s not." Lord Barleycorn snorted, "The moment my servants heard that you were approaching Hollow Shades they began to rush and when you rush, you make mistakes. Mistakes lead to panic and I spent all last night with every local spirit looking to me for guidance." He sighed, "You know what it’s like, I’m sure."
Twilight dug at the earth with her hoof, "Sorta, I’m still getting used to it."
"You know what I’ve always told every pony who has ever told me they wanted to be a prince or princess?" Twilight could see the glint of a smile within the mask, "That should somepony offer you a crown, the only intelligent response should be to run screaming in the other direction."
That got a chuckle out of Twilight.
"Still, if Celestia’s still the wise and benevolent ruler I knew I doubt she would simply throw you in the deep end. I’d bet my own crown that she believes you can handle the pressure." Lord Barleycorn winked, "Plus, you have her and Luna to come to should you need advice. Plus you have plenty of friends to help you when you need support."
Twilight looked to her friends, their smiles helped to dispel the awkwardness that had been surrounding this first encounter with Lord Barleycorn. For such a strange creature, spirit or not, he was clearly a talented speaker, albeit a very polite one. Still, she did remember Celestia told her to beware of flatterers.
"If you don’t mind, how do you know Princess Celestia?" Twilight asked, "I’ve been her student for years and she’s never mentioned you."
Lord Barleycorn let out a sigh and leaned against the stage, "Well, it has been centuries since our last picnic, I’m not surprised she doesn’t speak of me. Her ponies take such wonderful care of the seasons with hoof and magic there isn’t any need for me in Equestria save for my business in the Everfree. None of my siblings stay longer than needed."
"Siblings?" Twilight blinked, "You mean there are more of you?"
"Of course, did you think my title as King of Autumn a mere ‘scutcheon? I have three siblings; two sisters, and a brother. We govern the seasons, eternally traveling the world in an endless circuit. It is my place to craft my art from what Summer’s Architect leaves behind, to make it a final farewell before the Winter Queen ushers the world to sleep."
The foals whispered to each other, excited to hear this little tidbit about the King of Autumn.
"Can you tell me anything about them?" Twilight asked, "Your brothers and sisters, I mean."
"Always say less than necessary." Jack reminded himself, "Sorry, they don’t like me gossiping about them. If you want to know more about them I suggest you seek them out yourself."
"And how would I do that?" Twilight asked.
"I wouldn’t know. Brother and little sister usually find me." Lord Barleycorn chuckled, "Of course, my music makes me rather easy to find."
Twilight narrowed her eyes at Lord Barleycorn but he merely looked up at the sky, distracted by a weather pony watching them from a cloud.
"Such a lovely town." He gave a friendly wave to the pegasus above him, "I envy the ponies who get to live here."
Rarity cocked her head to the side, "I suppose it does have a very… humble charm. But certainly if you travel all around the world you’ve seen places such as this before."
Lord Barleycorn shook his head, "I have not. Hollow Shades sits dreaming in the shadow of the Everfree Forest, embraced by mystery and wonder. I wish you could see as I do, and witness the love and strength that flows through this bough-shadowed town. Not just from the ponies, but from the local spirits that dwell in rock and field and tree. Understand, places like this can never be built, they must grow."
Lord Barleycorn then removed his hat and placed it over his chest in a solemn gesture, "This uniqueness makes this town worth saving."
"And I’m sure the ponies who live here feel the same way." Twilight said, the tips of her wings flicking up as she glanced back at the foals, "We’d be glad to assist you in any way we can."
Excited gasps sprang up from the foals, but Lord Barleycorn gave the six a dismissive wave of his hand, "Now now, I could not ask a Princess of Equestria and her friends to take time out of their busy schedules to aid in a simple Halloween party."
"Why ask? We’re offering, all you gotta say is tell us what we need to do!" Pinkie beamed.
Lord Barleycorn rubbed his burlap chin, "I suppose it would be rude to turn a princess down... but only if it’s no inconvenience to you lovely ladies, of course. Yes, I would be open to whatever suggestions you think would improve our humble production."
"I think I know where I can start..." Twilight smiled as she levitated the stack of papers she had brought for note-taking onto the stage; her inkwell soon followed. "You aren’t going to get far with only one copy of the script. What if something were to happen to it?"
"Very insightful," Lord Barleycorn slipped his hand down the front of his sweater to retrieve the script, "Here you are."
The gentle glow of Twilight’s horn tugged the script from the scarecrow’s grip, floating its way to the stage beside Twilight’s papers.
"And now..." Twilight’s brow furrowed as she concentrated, and the purple glow that surrounded the script spread out to encompass ink, quill, and paper.
If Jack hadn’t been wearing his mask, Twilight would have seen his jaw drop. He stared as the quill suddenly stand on its tip and flew into the inkwell. Unaided by any hand or hoof, the large feather began to pen words on the blank sheets with astonishing speed. In seconds the page was filled, and flipped over so the next could be filled.
Curious, Jack stepped forward. He couldn’t help but feel like a kid at seeing magic, real magic at work. Carrot Top had said unicorns and the princesses were able to do magic, but seeing how the population of Hollow Shades was largely earth ponies there hadn’t been any opportunity to see it in action. Oh the questions he had; the biggest being if Twilight had a spellbook he could thumb through.
Lord Barleycorn cleared his throat before he gave Twilight an approving nod, "Impressive, er, how many copies will this make?"
Twilight’s horn dimmed, but the quill continued to write on its own, "I overheard that you had five roles, so four should be enough."
Lord Barleycorn shook his head, "No no, five copies is what we need. The director needs his own copy to follow along, and it’s always a good idea to have a spare. When the play is over I’ll be glad to donate that copy to you, Princess Twilight, to add to your impressive collection of books."
Twilight’s eyes widened, "H-how do you know that?"
Lord Barleycorn’s shoulders rose in a nonchalant shrug, "A little birdie told me."
Unsure how to respond, Twilight quickly focused on recasting the spell to avoid staring at Lord Barleycorn. Was he just being rhetorical, or did Owlowiscious play some part in knowing about her? If he was a forest spirit then maybe he can speak to animals? This was something she would definitely have to speak to her nighttime assistant about with a little help from Fluttershy.
"There, give it a few minutes and you’ll have your copies ready." Said Twilight.
"Excellent, your help is most appreciated Princess." Lord Barleycorn raised his head, "Next I could use a strong pair of hooves to help me construct something strong enough to support some curtains for the show… if one of you would speak to the lumberjack ponies about acquiring more lumber for a support that’d be one less thing on the list."
Applejack let out a sigh, it sounded like her turn to step up for Hollow Shades, "Ah got experience with barn raisin’, Ah think Ah cin handle that fer ya."
Lord Barleycorn nodded, "I have a bucket of nails and a hammer under the stage, we can begin as soon as you procure some more beams. I believe there are some lumberjacks currently standing outside the local pub. One of them may have the authority to give us what we need."
Remembering how Lord Barleycorn had built the stage yesterday, Applejack was able to take a little solace in knowing that he’d give her a hoof, or whatever he had, in doing the actual work. That didn’t mean she liked the idea of talking to a bunch of pickled lumberjacks.
Although she would rather walk all the way back to Ponyville to get lumber from her farm, Applejack hesitantly began to trot in the direction of the bar.
The rattle of metal wheels took everypony’s attention off the apple farmer as a pair of foals pulling a small, red wagon raced toward the stage from across the street. These foals excitedly pulled their rusty wagon up to Lord Barleycorn, presenting it and the large bundle of cloth they had been carrying like it was a pile of gold.
"We brought the sheets you asked for! Will these be enough for curtains?" One of them asked.
Lord Barleycorn came closer to inspect what they had, lifting one corner up before letting it drop. "They’ll be fine. The real work will be putting up supports to hold them. Don’t worry, you did a good job finding these."
Rarity’s eye twitched as she looked at the old bedsheets in the wagon. She didn’t want to imagine the size of the rust stains these rags from that wagon.
"Your majesty, if I may; these sheets aren’t fit for a curtains." Rarity gestured to the sheets, "If you need show-curtains, surely you have better options than these."
The scarecrow turned to Rarity, "My resources are limited to whatever the town can spare. I don’t have time to be picky."
Another look at the bedsheets made Rarity cringe. There was no way she was letting this stand. "Then I offer my services. I was planning on giving some of these to the local tailor, but I can spare a bolt or two to work with. Your audience deserves better than… this."
"Then I place myself in your reliable hooves, Lady Rarity." Lord Barleycorn nodded, "Sadly, I won’t be able to tell you the measurements until Lady Applejack returns with the lumber for the rigging."
Rarity smiled at his flattery and sat daintily on the grass, "Then I will wait until she gets back."
One of the foals with the wagon looked to his partner, then to the scarecrow.
"Should we take these back to the Cross Stitch?"
Lord Barleycorn glanced at the sheets, "Not right now, maybe we can find a use for them. Go put the wagon under the stage for now."
While the foals did as he asked, Twilight looked back at the bar. She could see Applejack talking to some of the ponies outside the bar. It seemed like she had their attention, but they were the only ones who weren’t looking up at the stage. Some ponies had returned to their work but others had replaced them. There was one thing she noticed about these onlookers: not all of them were watching Lord Barleycorn.
It made some sense that the ponies were curious about her, seeing as how they likely had only heard of Twilight through newspapers, if newspapers even made it out here. If Princess Celestia visited a down-and-out town she would no doubt be gawked at. A part of her wondered how Lord Barleycorn tolerated all these unfamiliar ponies staring at him, watching everything he did.
Twilight shook these thoughts away, quickly reminding herself of the other thing she had in her saddle bag.
"Oh, wait, I forgot." Twilight began, grabbing the scarecrow’s attention, "I meant to give these to you earlier."
The fliers were floated out to Lord Barleycorn, who opened one and looked at it for several moments.
Again, Twilight could see a smile under that rip in Lord Barleycorn’s mask, "Superb work, Princess. I didn’t know you were both an artist and a magician."
Twilight raised an eyebrow, when did she insinuate that she was a stage mare like Trixie? "Actually I got these from the local doctor."
One of the foals on the stage who had been listening to the conversation scowled, "The doc? But’s he’s mean."
"Yeah, he gave me a shot last week! You should put him in the dungeon, princess!" A filly spoke up.
Other foals quickly joined in, vocalizing their distaste for the local doctor. A part of Twilight was glad to see his behavior wasn’t simply dismissed by the locals; if the foals knew then surely the adults did as well. Twilight, however, couldn’t support their reaction to what sounded like basic medical care and rude behavior. Afterall, as a princess Twilight had to set an example for proper behavior.
"Regardless, these are supposed to be the fliers for Halloween." Twilight said, "The doctor did a good job, and they should be put to good use."
Lord Barleycorn nodded in agreement, "To do otherwise would be a crime, for sure. But this does leave me with another quandary. I can’t spend time drawing or designing a proper flier, these have to be out by tomorrow."
Twilight winced, another setback. "Rarity?"
Rarity coughed into her hoof, "I might be able to help design something, but I’m not the best pony when it comes to illustration… also, I didn’t bring any art supplies."
"That shouldn’t be a problem for long." Lord Barleycorn turned to the foals, "Those of you who still have paint, markers, whatever your teacher gave you for your art project, hurry home and bring them here. We have so much to do and so little time."
---
Hours later...
---
Jack slowly pushed his way out of the corn onto the road that led back to the Harvest Family farm. A glance in both directions confirmed that he could be alone with his thoughts without having to move at a snail’s pace through the corn. For a little while, anyway.
Folding his arms behind his head, Jack stretched until he felt a satisfying pop. He was tired, sweaty, and more than a little anxious about tomorrow. Maybe if he presented himself to the Harvest Family they’d let him use their bathroom and sleep in a bed if they thought he would bless the crops?
Jack answered his own question with a defeated groan as he began to tread back to the farm. After all his success he’d still have to spend the night picking crops in the cold air instead of getting his beauty sleep. All of this late night work combined with all this work with the kids was getting to him. It also didn’t help that he hadn’t had a regular meal since he’d arrived in Equestria.
He would have to settle for whatever that pink mare was cooking at the restaurant along with whatever Carrot Top had snuck out for him. Jack held his quaking stomach, and he whimpered at the idea of another bowl of cold pears that had been sat out for him.
At the very least he could feel like everything was lining up correctly for this event. It was a lot of hope and ‘maybe’s but everything had fit together so far.
Jack sighed as he came to the end of the corn rows, much earlier than he remembered. He grimaced upon remembering they were harvesting it when he came to town. By this time tomorrow there might not be any corn for him to make his mysterious exits. It would also be harder to return to the farm without anyone noticing.
"Maybe it would have been smart to scout out a place to crash during Halloween." Jack muttered bitterly to himself. "Not that I have time now..."
There was no doubt ‘Rainbow Dash’ would be keeping an eye on him during their stay. She’d hovered over his shoulder almost the entire time he was working with the foals and Applejack. Everytime he turned around there she was, but before he could say anything Applejack had told her to back off.
With the wood Applejack had procured, and a little magical aid from the princess, Jack and Applejack had managed to assemble a frame for curtains. It wasn’t pretty, but it was functional. If nothing else it gave Rarity a reason to work on her curtains. She had pestered Rainbow Dash to return to Ponyville for more cloth, but Rainbow said she wasn’t going to run all the way back home just to get another load of heavy textiles.
Jack had thought their arguing was cute, but the way Applejack had kept a scrutinizing eye on him the entire time they worked together was disconcerting. Every time he caught her she would look away and cross her forelegs for a moment. Looking back, he should have tried to get her along and try to talk to her about the Harvests, but there was just so much to do. The best he had been able to do was take the time to extend an exaggerated compliment to her orchards, telling her that the spirits of her orchard were some of the happiest he had spoken to.
Applejack said nothing, but Jack saw that she did the rest of her work with a smile.
Although no one had told her to, Pinkie had spent time with the foals, who had gathered on the grass with the art supplies gathered from each of their homes. Jack reached under his mask and scratched at his beard, it was probably for the best. As much as he loved working with kids, those foals might have been more interested in him than working on the fliers.
The mares from Ponyville were more generous with their time and efforts than he could believe. They didn’t live here, but to donate that much to help others? It tickled Jack to see such compassion in the world, Earth or Equestria.
Their work on the stage just seemed to gather more and more attention as the day went on. Finally, Jack got what he wanted. After hours of enduring the princess’s not-so-subtle questions and Ms. Dash’s eyeballing, the locals began to gather close enough to hear their conversations.
He nearly squeed when the barber ponies approached him about the play. Jack had to contain himself to keep from throwing the script at them and pleading to sing ‘Trick-or-Treat’ right then and there.
This one group provoked others to ask what they could do. In the blink of an eye Jack had gone from a bunch of children and six mares to half a town pitching in.
Jack let out a sigh and counted the tasks that needed to be done by tomorrow. He’d only have a few hours before curtain time. He just hoped the kids didn’t mind doing repeat performances. He’d have to kill time with his own songs and stories he knew.
Right now food was being baked for tomorrow, costumes made, and the five foals he’d picked were memorizing their lines. It might have been a bit of nepotism, but he’d given Corn Crib the part of one of the triplets. He was glad he able to talk Princess Twilight into helping with the special effects. He didn’t really want the foal who’d been cast as Donald to be abused for real.
Jack had left the coordination in the hands of the pink mare. She’d gotten in his face, demanding to help put together Equestira’s first Halloween party. He was pretty put off by her forwardness but he’d been assured that Pinkie knew how to put a party together.
Jack gripped the front of his sweater and gave it a sniff. He rolled his eyes, if he was stewing in his own odor all day then he wouldn’t smell it. He doubted ponies had deodorant, or at least any that was meant for the same areas humans needed it for. He didn’t want to think about where a pony would need it.
The fields around him were nearly clean of crops, although no farmers were there at the moment. Maybe they’d went to see the princess or her entourage getting ready for Halloween. Or maybe they had stopped for dinner, what did he know?
The foals did a surprisingly good job for kids their age. He hadn’t given them a lot of direction, but Pinkie had correctly suggested to draw the Jack-O’Lanterns. What he hadn’t expected was a lot of them to draw Lord Barleycorn. Pinkie proved to be surprisingly competent with a pencil, and a few of the foals could really capture the eye. Others looked like they were drawn by blind old ladies, but Jack couldn’t argue with what he had. Best of all, Rainbow Dash had already headed to Ponyville to start putting them up.
Sadly, this was the point where he’d have to relinquish all control and let whatever would happen happen. It all came down to how many ponies would show up, and how much money they spent.
"Hurry up, we’re gonna miss it!"
"I’m hurrying! I’m hurrying!"
Jack snapped out of his thoughts to look up the road.
Two foals Jack hadn’t seen at the school were coming toward him. A pair of unicorn fillies. They gasped when they saw him and excitedly galloped up to him.
"Are you the scarecrow our big brother told us about?" The blue filly beamed, almost bouncing with excitement.
"Mayhaps I am." Jack mused, slipping back into his persona as he tapped the chin of his mask, "Did your brother mean the one and only Lord of Autumn, King of Scarecrows, and Protector of Foals?"
Lord Barleycorn reached out and gently booped the blue filly on the nose.
The white filly giggled, earning her a glare from her companion.
"We’ve been sick with pony pox all week, so we didn’t get to see you." The white filly smiled, "Are you really him?"
Lord Barleycorn knelt down to be closer to the fillies, "That I am, and seeing your smiling faces has made my day all the brighter. May I ask what names such lovely ladies go by?"
"I’m Morning Glory, and this is Blue Moon." The white filly grinned, "Are you gonna help Hollow Shades?"
Lord Barleycorn nodded, "I’ve set in motion a sort of spooky carnival, and the whole town is invited to help make it a spectacle to attract ponies from far and wide. Whatever the visiting ponies will spend goes to help the town, and they get to have a fun time while forest spirits come out to mingle for Halloween, the festival of spirits."
Blue Moon tilted her head, "Halloween?"
Lord Barleycorn shrugged, "Well it used to be called Samhain, then All Hallow’s Eve, and now it’s Halloween; the name changes with the times. Think Nightmare Night but a week long. Your classmates are putting on a play, we’re going to have treats, and there will be plenty of scares to keep things interesting."
The fillies looked at each other, then Morning Glory smiled up at the scarecrow, "Is everypony still working?"
Lord Barleycorn nodded, "Everyone, even Princess Twilight Sparkle and the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony are here, working to ensure the festivities are running smoothly."
Morning Glory gasped, "A princess is here?"
"Then why aren’t you helping?" Blue Moon asked flatly, clearly not as impressed as her sister.
The scarecrow patted the filly’s head "I have pressing matters with my court. Trust me, it’s boring but a seasonal lord has his duties and I cannot circumvent hearing the agonizing complaints of nobles. … in anycase it’s the only time I get to sleep."
Morning Glory laughed, and her sister cracked a smile.
"Let’s go see the princess, maybe she’ll let us wear her crown?" Morning Glory grinned.
Blue Moon raised an eyebrow, "You need to cut down on your sugar intake."
That got a laugh out of Lord Barleycorn, "If you will forgive me, I must be off. I’ll see you two later. I hope you both have fun tomorrow. Goodnight to you both!"
Jack waved as he continued walking toward the farm, feeling a little lighter as he saw the two fillies wave back at him.
Blue Moon continued to wave as the scarecrow walked away, until she noticed her sister was no longer acting like a manic filly.
"So… What do you think?" Morning Glory asked in a more controlled tone.
Blue Moon wrinkled her nose, "He stank."
Morning Glory rolled her eyes, "Other than that."
"I’m not pleased to hear about having somepony co-opting a holiday I have just grown to love." Blue Moon frowned, "Are your suspicions confirmed, sister?"
Morning Glory nodded, "Oh yes. Send word to Canterlot, I think we found another one."
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To be continued...
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