Love and Understanding

by Sadeipaw

Chapter 5: Cookies

A day later after attending our mother cremation we headed out toward our new home, a small estate in the countryside of Ponville not too far from a famous orchard and farmland known as Sweet Apple Acres. It was famous for high quality produce -apples being there primary livelihood- and friendly ponies that owned and operated it.

I could see why my mother had picked such a place for raising a family and had a few vague memories of living at this place. It was beautiful filled with so many earthen hues of browns and bright greens with the smell of the fresh air and budding plants in the spring seemed to amplify the senses. I think the only reason my mother decided to move from such a place was when she saw how quickly I picked up magic.

As I unpacked my books from my belongings into the dusty study I had a memory come back to me. I remembered going though the books on the top shelf of this very study and pulling a strange book written in flowing script with notes taped throughout the book. As I turned to a particular page I noticed an odd seal that got my heart racing as I traced my hoof around it. As soon as I was about to murmur the chant on the page my mother had came into the room and took the book away before scolding me.

The next day when I woke up I had a magical seal for a cutie mark, the same seal of knowledge I had seen in the tomb.

I exhaled as I finished organizing the books and decided to see how Garlic and Wind were doing with the unpacking. Our new home was quite large, three large bedrooms that each had a different theme of species of tree -mine oak while my brothers was spruce- with private bathrooms and one spacious guest room that had a view over what once might have been a beautiful garden. It was complete with a full kitchen and dining room that is adjacent to a floor room that had colorful throw rugs set close to a red brick fireplace for cold winter nights.

After a short walk down from the study in the top floor I found Garlic and my brother covered in floor laughing as they both attempted to make a batch of cookie dough. I laughed softly as Garlic drew a curly mustache on my sibling in the powder and smiled thankful for how quickly Wind had taken to Garlic and glad we finally had a solid father figure in our lives.

“Hey son! Get on over here! Were going to need someone who knows what there doing if these cookies are ever gonna to get done!” Garlic called to me as my little brother drew a shaky smiley face on his belly.

“Smile!” Wind said pointing at his masterpiece.

“Wow! Thats good bro!” I complemented him grabbing the open cookbook with my magic and began going over the ingredients. He sat next to me and watched me as I traced the page with a hoof.

“Hey Garlic, did you grab any vanilla for the cookies?” I asked and his face went pale.

“There's... Vanilla in cookies?” He asked and I nodded.

“Well... do you think you could head into town and grab that? As soon as I pulled the flour out Wind had his own ideas,” He said grinning as my brother licked the counter top in experiment finding out that the white powder was grainy and making a sour face as he spat the flour out.

“Sure. I've been also meaning to put in a book order that Celestia authorized me to read. It'd be the perfect time to do it,” I said pulling out the broom besides the refrigerator with some on the fly magic and passing it to him before I headed toward my room and grabbed a couple bits for the vanilla.

Afterwords I had moment of hesitation between thinking about teleporting right to the marketplace or taking a stroll. I decided on the later and headed out the front door along the rock steps of our pathway to a dirt road toward town. I began to absorb all of my surroundings, constantly taking in the countryside and the flora and fauna that came with it until I came across an unusual sight.

“Conflabit! Of all the times for a cart to lose it's wheel it couldn't happen when the gosh darn thing was empty!” An orange earth pony with a blond mane and green eyes with white freckles cursed as she unhooked herself from the harness and adjusted her stetson on her head looking at the situation.

I sighed as I surveyed the scene. The full apple cart had lost it's wheel and was set down cockeyed while it looked like she was in quite a rush to get to wherever she was going.

“Well time to meet the neighbors,” I thought as I stepped beside her and and coughed to get her attention. She turned and there was a look of relief that visibly washed over her face.

“Uh, howdy stranger! You must be the one of the new folk that moved in 'round these parts. I'm ina bit of a pickle and I was wondering if you could help me out?” She asked with a huge grin and slight blush that was almost unseen on her attractive face.

“Sure, I'd love to but I'm afraid I don't know anything about changing a wheel. Just tell me what to do and between us I'm positive we can do this,” I said as she rolled under it and began to lift it level.

“Just slide the hole inna the center on the axle and we'll work onit from there,” She said as I took a moment to admire her strength before I realized how taxing that had to be and grabbed the wheel. She then walked me through the right way to attach the pin and spreaders to prevent the wheel from rubbing. We were done soon after, both of us testing it to make sure it was sturdy.

“Looks like you did a good job for a first timer mister. Whats your name? I'm Applejack.” She said as she walked back toward the harness and began re-attaching herself.

“I'm Highstar. If I may pry Applejack, why are you in such a hurry?” I asked as she began pulling the full cart while I had to accelerate my trot to match her speed.

She sighed loudly with a slight amount of impatience before explaining. “Well the Apple family supplies most of the produce for the marketplace and is known throughout Equestria for shippin' out quality goods so naturally we get 'special' orders of a certain strain of apples ere' now and then. This is no exception, it's just Big Mac is sick taday and I was hopein' to keep this shipment on time and get it loaded aboard the train,” She finished as we began to roll up to town.

“Well this is where we part comp'ny Highstar. You ever feel you need a favor drop on by!” Applejack said pausing again to adjust her hat. I thanked her for her hospitality and began my journey onwards toward the bakery as she began to pull the wagon towards the busy intersection passed the town hall in the direction of the the train junction.

“Well she was kinda cute...” I mused blushing and shaking her image out of my head.

“Yeah. Bet she could knock your flank in the dirt too...” I mumbled talking to myself as I approached the Cake's bakery. As I stepped tward the threshold an aroma of baked confections permeated the room; the smells of fresh baked cakes, cupcakes, muffins, strudels and hundreds more of delicious tasty scrumptious pastries in different shapes and neon bright colors reminded me that I hadn't eaten all day and made my stomach growl angrily.

It took almost all of my willpower to keep my tongue from flopping out of my mouth. After a moment of steadying my mind for the task ahead of me I acclimated to the smells and walked inside the door to see a bright pink pony with a bouncing mane behind the counter looking bored.

Atleast thats what she looked like before she noticed me. Her ears perked up and a bright huge happy grin spread on her face that almost looked like it literally went from ear to ear.

“Oh. My. GOSH! You're a new pony! I've never seen you before! Atleast I think I've never seen you before because I know every pony in Ponyville so that must mean I've never met you before because I would totally remember that strange looking cutiemark and... and...” She paused to grab a breath of air before continuing and jumped over the counter to get a better look at my flank causing me to feel blood rushing to my face as she shoved her left eye inches from my side.

“Nope. Never seen that one before. You are a new pony! I have to get a party together now! Hello mister, my names Pinkie Pie! Whats yours?” She asked bitting her lip in what I can only describe as pure undiluted joy and excitement as she awaited my response.

“Uh... Highstar... wait... party? I kinda just came here for vanilla,” I shyly put forth as she stepped out of my personal space and back behind the counter causing me to sigh in relief. That is one aspect my brother and I shared, we didn't like strange ponies touching us or invading our bubble without our permission.

“Well look no further Highstar! You came to the right place, we have just normal vanilla beans, fermented vanilla beans, imitation fermented vanilla beans, intimation vanilla and of course... normal regular awesome vanilla!” She exclaimed pulling the items she listed out from under the counter and setting them down punctuating the various forms of vanilla as she explained them.

“I'll take the 'regular awesome' vanilla please,” I said, with a half smile forming as I was beginning to get amused at this ponies antics, pulling out two bits from my coin purse and setting them in front of her. She sqweed happily and hit the register making it resound with happy a 'cha-ching' and set the bits inside before closing it with a rear hoof kick while setting the other vanillas back in their resting places.

“Alrighty! Oh oh OH! Before I forget where do you live? Gotta know where I'm gonna throw your welcoming party!” She asked harmlessly and my smile faded away.

“About that Pinkie. I don't think a party is such a good idea. My little brother... doesn't react well to crowds and strange faces.” I explained trying my hardest to be polite and I could see her eyes go big and sad -like my brothers- and decided to try a different tactic. “I-I mean you can come over but it's better if you drop on by on your own and meet him first.” I then explained how I live near Sweet Apple Acres and where to find the house and she nodded familiar with the manor that had sat vacant for years. After which we said our good byes and I headed out the door onwards to the library.

In a couple of minutes time I found the tree that the library was in and was on my way to stepping inside as the door opened to reveal a small purple and green dragon that walked passed me.

“Don't even bother man.” He said heading down the street . “She wouldn't see or hear you if you were on fire. Twilights that stuck in a book right now. I'm going to lunch...” I pondered his statement as he walked toward a nearby restaurant.

“I think I'm going to like this pony. A lot.”

Author's Note:

I'm excited for the next chapter.
Pinkie's part in this one was the most fun but it also makes me realize I need a friggin' editor...
*Update 7/16/13* I got this. With the handy dandy profreading guide on this site I learned alot about grammar!

(Edited 7/16/13 1:38 AM)