While the storm had calmed down significantly, the ponies still waited inside their homes. The feeling of unease had left as I walked from the boutique, wondering what I was to do with the remainder of the day.
'I suppose head back to the forest, wait till the pegasi clear up the clouds before heading over to check on the barracks' I thought sticking my thumbs into my belt as I walked down the street. 'Wonder if they had to postpone working on the forge since they scheduled a storm.'
A sigh sounded as I continued down the street, silently questioning if I simply should have refused the fashionista's offer for shelter. 'At least I got to meet Sweetie Belle and talk to Rarity a bit, even if it was short' a positive voice sounded in my head, but it was shot down quickly enough as I rubbed at my eyes.
Thunder rolled across the sky making me look up raindrops starting to fall harder. A small smile came to my face at the weather, as small part of me wishing I had some ability to control it myself. A chuckle sounded as I started back down the street at a quickened pace, the rain and wind picking back up. 'I would probably get some kind of deficiency of vitamin D or something seeing as how I like it to be cloudy all the time'
Wind blew past sending a shiver down my spine only for it to start picking up more, threatening to take me from my feet. Some missed branches and leaves blew by caught up in the wind silently making me question the intelligence of leaving the Fashionista's home.
'Well it's too late now' I thought looking towards the edge of town and the Everfree beyond. 'It's going to be a pain in the arse to dry out my leathers after this though.' My pace quickened to a run as I passed by cottages, a few faces of ponies watching the storm, or the idiot running around in it, quickly retreating from the panes at my glance.
I cursed my unease. My foolish pride. Pride? No. I think it was something else. Something had told me that I wasn't supposed to be in that boutique. Sitting beneath one of many, many trees, I could only question what that 'something' was as the storm blew on, beyond a little white fence.
The storm had picked up again, harder than before though, reducing my vision to only a foot in front of me. Gusts of wind had nearly taken my off my feet as I searched for some kind of shelter, finding it beyond that little white fence just to the right of the road. Climbing over it I stumbled through the mud to the strange forest of trees that looked to be in perfect rows.
A shiver ran up my spine as droplets fell from the tree above going down my helmet to join the rest of the water in my quilted shirt. Removing my helmet, I dumped out the water in my hood before tucking it over my head setting the helmet in front of me.
Trudging around through rain and wind took a lot of out of someone as I found out, allowing myself to rest my head on one of my knees having nearly brought them to my chest with cold arms wrapped around equally cold legs.
The sound of ran was soothing, the wind and leaves joining it into a song. A song no one could reproduce. The smell of grass, trees, wet leather melded together into a mixing pot that my senses hated, but simultaneously loved.
“I thought you said you didn't want to gain any more weight?” A disapproving voice sounded out making me look up to the orange mare, her two toned yellow mane covering one of her eyes. I looked at the cake before me, feeling like the boy who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Well I like sweet things” I finally replied stabbing the fork into the piece of cake. “Well don't complain to me when you get fat!” The mare said, this time with a smile though her eye still showed her slight annoyance at my action. Sticking my tongue out I cut off another piece of cake raising the fork to my mouth only as the blur of color to fly into her waiting maw. “Mmmm, at least you have good taste!” the orange blur said, the yellow trail flicking aside as she walked away.
Blackness replaced her. All encompassing blackness. The damp sent of a dungeon touching my senses, though I couldn't smell it. I was cold, an unnatural cold that chilled my very being. I tried to call out to someone, to something, but I uttered no sound. Instead a white light seemed to emanate around me, shock took me from my calls and the light died. Calling out again, the light slowly returned, fear bit away at me as I tried to look for someone to help. The moss covered stone was my only company.
An impact to my side roused me, shocking my eyes open and making me topple from my strange sitting position. “An' jus what're yall doing in our orchard?” a gruff and obviously annoyed voice sounded. I let out a groan as I tried to sit up, eyes slowly adjusting from being in the dark to the light that now shined in from between the trees silhouetting the figure that stood over me.
“Wh-what?” I managed to blurt out rubbing at my eyes trying to make them work in my favor and remove the blur that seemed to cover everything.
“Ah asked what yer doin' in our orchard stranger.” the voice sounded again, more familiar this time as the blanket of sleep fell away from my mind.
I sat up looking at the figure, “Big Macintosh?” I managed to blurt out moving out of the sun enough to see the large stallion.
The farmpony let out a snort of annoyance, “Ya'll gonna answer or am Ah jus' gonna throw you out?” he asked, the irritation evident in his voice.
The emotion didn't slip by me as I felt a shiver run down my spine at the glare on his face. “Whoa, I just got turned around in the storm when I was trying to head back to the Everfree” I said putting my hands up defensively, trying to keep from offending the large stallion. “I couldn't see two feet in front of me and took shelter in the trees”
Big Mac gave me a suspicious look, his eyes drifting up and down before relaxing back to what seemed to be his normal posture. “Alright well in that case you best skedaddle. There's work that we need ta get done 'fore the day's over.” he said motioning back over to the fence with his head.
I let out a small sigh of relief, getting up and dusting myself off before grabbing my helmet. “Thanks Big Mac.” I said starting back towards the fence.
“Oh, before ya go” the stallion's voice rang out again, allowing me to turn around in time for a hoof to impact my face, an audible crack sounding as the hoof landed me onto my back. “That was fer hittin' mah sister. Anythin' like it happens again, we'll be having an issue”
Blood had already started trailing down my face into my beard, the pain from what I could only guess to be a broken nose nearly making my eyes tear up. I coughed as blood some of the blood started seeping down my throat. Wiping a sleeve across my face only for the stream to stop, “Understood” I said getting back to my feet, eyeing the stallion who was now glaring at me with a force that might be on par with the Stare.
“Glad we can come to an understanin'. ” He said, walking away into the trees.
I swallowed, throat coated with blood before rising back to my feet and retrieving my helmet. 'I suppose I deserved that' I thought lightly touching my broken nose only to flinch at the pain. A sigh sounded through the orchard as I started towards the wooden fence at the edge of the road. 'I should probably talk to her about that or something, unless of course I'd rather her brother kill me' a smile came to my face, but quickly disappeared as a flash of pain from my nose racked my head. 'First the Everfree, then figuring out whatever to do about this'
The walk to the Everfree forest wasn't a long one, and the bonfire's warmth was welcome. All of my aches, the chill of the damp leather, the pain from my newly broken nose, seemed to fade away as I sat down. A content sigh escaped me as I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling.
'Well, at least I can go to this whenever I want. Almost like... laying in the sun on a cold day' I thought leaning back and opening my eyes to look out of the hole in the canopy of the clearing. The clouds from ponyville were nowhere to be seen, a fact that had confused me until I remembered that the Everfree controlled it's own weather.
A nagging feeling in the back of my skull made my expression harden before looking at the bonfire, the light making me squint. Rising from my seat, the warmth seemed to stay with me as I started out of the clearing.
'Now the question is what I should say...' I thought walking down the path leading out of the forest. Nervousness reared it's ugly head as I neared the light signifying the exit of the forest. A groan escaped me as I clasped my hands on my head. 'Seriously? Why am I feeling like I'm about to ask some girl out, I just need to apologize, and pray to God she's willing to forgive me'
I brought my fist down on my gut, trying to calm the fluttering in my stomach, only for the gloved hand to impact the front of my cuirass with a dull 'thunk'. I shook the minor pain from my hand continuing out from under the forest's cover letting out a breath trying to calm myself. “It's simple, if Big Mac doesn't kill me, I just go up and apologize.” I said quietly, still mentally questioning why I was having to walk through apologizing to someone.
I shook my head before rubbing a hand down my face. “Whatever!” I finally said, starting down the path to the farm.
'I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised. Apologizing was something I never really had to do, let alone to women' I thought as the farm came into view, starting to relax as I chuckled. 'Heck the girls I usually hung around didn't really seem to think of me as a guy like that so I guess it didn't really matter'
Turning my head as I neared the edge of the Apple family's property, tall cornstalks started obstructing my view of the land beyond. I silently wondered how much of their other produce they sold seeing as how almost all of what I've seen is apple based. Shaking my head at the thought I walked through the gate, eyes wandering, looking for the orange mare.
Looking to the farm house when I didn't see her, I started over wondering if she was inside or in one of the fields doing her chores. Stopping at the door I raised a hand to knock only for the door to open and a young mare with a red mane and yellow coat to nearly bump into me.
“Oh! 'Scuse me! What can Ah do for ya Mr?” she asked with a smile as I lowered my hand back to my side.
'Apple Bloom?' I thought looking at the young mare for a moment before blinking. “I was hoping to speak with AppleJack, I don't suppose she's home?” I said the nervousness coming back at the sight of the youngest of the apples.
The young apple gave me a scrutinizing eye, or at least what I assume was supposed to be one. She turned her head so that only one eye was facing me and closed the other looking me up and down, similarly to what a jeweler might do with a magnifying glass.
I cleared my throat covering the smile that formed with a fist, before coughing a few times in it trying to stifle the laugh that formed in my chest. Thankfully, the diversion seemed to work as she simply nodded.
“Fair enough Ah suppose. C'mon she's in the carrot field” Apple Bloom said moving past me letting the door to the farmhouse shut. I nodded to the back of her head, following her out the small white fence that surrounded the farmhouse and past a couple of large hay bales.
“Ain't you that new royal guard we got livin' here now?” I heard the young mare ask as she looked back at me to which I nodded the affirmative. “Ah thought so. Ah herd a couple thin's about you from mah sister.”
I raised an eyebrow at her questioning opening my mouth before quickly shutting it. 'Probably not all of it good' I thought deciding against saying much of anything and simply letting the young mare talk answering her questions as they came. 'Probably safer anyways'
“Like ya helped em when the Everfree forest had these weird monsters in it! Ah bet that musta been great! Oh! Is that the axe you used?” she asked motioning towards my hip with her head making me look down at it.
“Honestly I don't know, there was quite a bit of time between when that happened and when I got this back. Princess Celestia might have the a-”
“Can I see it?”
I blinked at the young mare before shaking my head. “Weapons like this aren't for young mares as yourself, or to be more specific I'd rather not make your sister even more angry with me for letting you play with it” I said patting the head of the weapon.
Apple Bloom scoffed “Ah'm almost a full grown mare! Besides Ah've dealt with much more dangerous things that an axe!”
Shrugging a shook my head. “Sorry, I've sworn to protect ponies, not put them in danger by giving out weapons”
Apple Bloom let out a groan, “Fine” she said “I'm mature enough...” she muttered.
A sigh escaped me before I rubbed at the bridge of my nose. “Young one, let me explain how I learned to see it. This axe is a tool, you and your siblings have many tools around here, for doing many different things from trimming the trees to preparing the ground for planting seeds. Right?”
The young mare looked at me confused, “Well yea! This is a farm after all”
I nodded, “Alright, now think of this” I started pulling the axe from it's loop on my belt holding it just below the head. “This is not a tool for harvesting, or caring for anything. It is a tool of destruction, one made specifically for ending the lives of other things”
We had stopped walking and the young mare was now facing me, the confusion replaced realization and fear. I slipped the axe back into it's loop before kneeling down in front of her. “Weapons were made to kill. Tools were made to care for things, to collect, to help ponies, minotuar, griffons. To help them flourish and survive. Weapons may be tools of survival in their own right, but they are a different kind. A more primal need for survival one that no one can ignore. That's why I won't let you see it, weapons like this shouldn't be held in hooves like yours, that still have the innocence of childhood in them.”
Apple Bloom nodded backing away from me a few steps obviously unsettled. “Ah, Ah understand. Uh, c'mon, mah sisters just around here” she said, quickly trying to change the subject.
I rose back to my feet as the young mare scurried off up a path that lead to the strangely shaped orange barn with a carrot sticking out of the top. 'I suppose it's just the difference in how we were raised' I thought shrugging at Apple Bloom's actions.
AppleJack was pulling carrots, throwing them into a small wagon she was hitched up to. She looked up to see her sister running up to greet her. After a quick hug, the younger pointed back to me as I started up the hill the orange carrot themed barn set on. There was a small exchange between the two of them before the younger went running off followed by a wave from her elder.
“Well howdy, what brings ya round here Wanderer?” she asked shooting me a questioning glance before bending down and pulling up another carrot, with a flick of her neck she threw it back into the cart.
I let out a breath trying to calm my nerves, “I wanted to apologize properly, seeing as how I was interrupted in my last attempt”
The farmpony looked at me confused, a carrot dangling from her mouth before she flicked it back with the others. “What're you...” She started only to trail off as her eyes widened in realization. “Oh, yer talkin' about...” I watched as a hoof went up to her cheek for a moment before she seemed to shake it off. “There's nothin' ta worry about there partner. All water under the bridge an' all that.”
I shook my head, “No. That's not right. I did you wrong and need to pay for it” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
AppleJack glanced back at me as she yanked another carrot from the ground and threw it into the cart. “Ah'm tellin' ya there's nothin' ta pay for, we all make mistakes an' the fact that ya owned it an' apologized is good enough fer me.” she said.
“Then indulge me in being selfish, because it's not enough for me. I feel wrong knowing that I hit you, of all ponies, even if I was terrified they would take me back and trap me in stone once again, it's not right. You were nothing but kind to me, and I paid it back by sucker punching you in the face.”
Annoyance and a bit of anger showed on the mare's face. After a few moments of staring at one another she let out a sigh and tipped her hat up. “Fine, Ah suppose if yer not gonna let up on this then ya can start by helpin' me with the carrots the we can see where the day takes us”
I nodded, looking out over the field before popping my knuckles, 'Manual labor I can do' I thought as a smile came to my face.