//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: A Filly's New Hope // by Mocha Star //------------------------------//         “Welcome ta Apple Farms.  Ya know, my pa got the land from Celestia herself a few years ago,” Apple said as she entered the front gate, “now we’re a small town.  Rumor is they’re gonna finish the railroad through the edge of town here before winter, ain’t that excitin’?”         “Uh, yeah, sure.  I’ve never been on a train, but I’ve got lots of plantation work experience.”         “...How old are ya?”         “Uhm,” Nova looked to the dirt path beneath her hooves, “I think about eight or nine.”         “Uh, and you still talk like a filly?  Have ya any schoolin’?  Ya know numbers and how ta read?”         “Nah, don’t need that to plant food.  They said I’ve got a green hoof, even for a retarded unicorn.”         “Okay,” Apple held out a foreleg and stopped, halting Nova in place, “no more…  Ah’ve done heard enough, young mare.”         Nova looked at her and cantered slowly to face Apple.         “Now, yer smart, strong, and no matter what anypony says; you’re free.  This ain’t a plantation and everypony here is free ta leave if’n they want.  Reckon y’all can hit the road back ta Tree’s when ya want,” she said before leaning closer with narrowed eyes and a deeper, firmer voice, “ya ain’t gonna say nothin’ bad about yerself again, y’hear?”         Nova recoiled as Apple spoke and nodded as she finished.           “Now,” Apple said standing tall, “we’re almost to the barn where we’re gonna meet cousin Grape Seed and get our chore.  Sound fine’n dandy?”         “Y-yeah… You’re kinda scary.”         “Oh,” Apple rolled her eyes, “Ah’m just a carin’ soul and Ah’ve gotta large enough family.  If’n ya talk like ya did yer liable ta get an earful.  Now, trot with me, Nova, cain’t be too late.”         “I like your cutie mark… it looks yummy.”         Apple chuckled. “Thanks, it’s an apple pie.  Ah got it when Ah was making a bunch fer sale on our travels across the lands.”         They arrived to the barn, exchanged greetings, and got their chores.         “Huh,” Nova said as she looked across the orchard.         “‘Huh’ what?”         “I just thought the work’d be a lot harder.  I was doing stuff like this a few months after I started on the plantation.”         Apple glared down to Nova. “Don’t use that word here, ever.  Our history started on one’a them and we bought our freedom five generations ago.  Then,” she sighed as she led Nova towards the farming land, “Ah was a yearling when a gryphon tribe set our land on fire.  Spent the next ten years lookin’ fer a new home.         “If’n we didn’t cross paths with Celestia we’d be movin’ on.  Reckon we got lucky and we ain’t goin’ through that again,” she said motioning to the dozens of trees and few ponies in the fields and orchards, “all under the watch of Canterlot.  One’a the safest places in the world, Celestia promised.”         “Wow, so, you know her?  Celestia, that is?”         “Well, we met, that’s enough.  Now, here we are; start workin’ and Ah’ll get some tools fer my chores…  And don’t worry if’n ya don’t get it right away.”         …         “Whoo-wee!  Ah declare, you’re as good as Brother Buck!  A great day’s work, let’s head back to the farmhouse and get ya washed up ‘fore ya head home… ya ain’t even frothy,” Apple noticed, “yer a workhorse of another color.”         “I’m purple.”         Apple burst into laughter as raised a hoof, bringing it down across Nova’s withers with a loud thump. “Yer a hoot.  Ah c’n tell we’ll be the best a’ pals.”         Nova winced and coughed lightly with a growing smile.  “Ah think Ah’d like that,” she replied with a heavy accent.         With another burst of raucous laughter, Apple raised her voice to the other ponies that were walking around them. “We got a new Apple to tha clan!”         Cheers and whoops resonated around them as Nova began to hop with ever couple paces.         “Congrats, Nova, you’re an honorary Apple fer life.  Ain’t no gettin’ outta it, filly,” Apple said patting her head.         “I haven’t been part of a clan before… what’s it like?” Nova asked as she tossed her purple mane, her eyes sparkling.                  Apple chuckled again. “Well, just mean’s part’a the family, young’n.  Ah now ya been in a family, just now yer in a bigger one.”         “O~h,” Nova replied, “so, like, are there any children my age I can play with?”         “Oh boy howdy, ya betcha!  Most’re workin’ the far fields or helpin’ ‘round town.  Y’all’ll meet’m soon enough…” Apple stopped and reared back onto her rear legs and shouted very loudly, “new member of the clan, fillies and colts, c’mon over.”         Nova’s ears fell to her head as she cantered away before she hears, even through the muffled world, the sounds of other youth screaming and approaching.         Ears perking she turned towards the south east and, with mouth slowly opening in awe, she saw a half dozen children galloping towards her full of youth and vigor.         “CanIplaywiththemokaythanksbye!”         Like a dog running after a squirrel she bolted ahead, her ears, tail, mane, and finally her tongue were waving in the air as she barrelled towards them.           With a loud shout she announced the first game and not one other child missed a beat. “HIDE AND SEEK!!”         Every filly and colt scattered, hiding as quickly as they could as Nova stopped and fell to her chest, counting loudly.         “To six!  One, two, three, four, five, SIX!”         Apple and a dozen other members of her family stopped to watch and laugh as Nova began to gallop around the area and peek under bushels of hay, large trees, wagons, and even managed to find one that had scaled a stack of water barrels and was hiding near the top.         With a high pitched squeal another colt shouted the next game, tag, after which the adults turned and resumed their joyous movements to the farmhouse.