Chapter 48 - Shopping for Mares
The snow had now covered Equestria for the better part of a week and with it came the biting cold. While the nights may be shorter in the summer months, I do prefer to sit out and stargaze then rather than in these most frigid temperatures. When we all awoke the next morning, the whole farm, indeed the whole world as far as the eye could see, was covered in perfect, unbroken white. That’s an advantage of living rurally; you always get the snow to yourself.
The farmhouse was a little chilly that first morning, but with a few more logs on the fire and a hot meal in our bellies, we all soon warmed up. With school officially let out for the period of Hearth’s Warming, Apple Bloom insisted that she be allowed outside to sled down the hills on the farm and begin immediate construction of her fortifications for the coming snowball war. Big Mac, claiming that the cold didn’t bother him as much, took her outside to fetch her sled from the barn.
I’d not really done that as a child. I’d lived in a flat urban area and all the snow would be cleared away by gritters before we had a chance to do anything. That and I didn’t particularly care for snow. Still, it was absolutely beautiful to look at.
The sky had also cleared up now as well. The clouds had been emptied and pushed away, and the weather patrol was taking a well-earned break. Dash may come across as a bit of a lazybones with all her naps, but when it came to weather work, she was always the last of the section to clock out. The sky was a now a deep blue colour and the sun shone brightly, though Celestia offered us little in the way of warmth.
My thoughts though, were on the imminent holiday. Back on Earth, it was a busy enough time. In addition to Christmas, all our birthdays fell in either December or January, so winter time meant all hands to the pump in so far as presents. Now in Equestria though, I had to get a great many more for my friends as well as my family. I had to get a present for each of the Mane Six, then there was the Apple family and of course, Princess Luna. So first order of business; make a start with the presents and get something for my family and the Apples.
With everything sealed up or stored away, there was little to do on the farm now. Everything was bare and resting. That didn’t mean though that I got a lie in, at this point my body clock simply wouldn’t let me and try as I might I always woke up just before the sunrise.
But, when life gives you lemons. Since there was little else to do in the mornings, I’d taken to helping Granny Smith with breakfast. Well, I actually just worked the bellows on the stove for her, since she was finding it harder to do in her old age. Applejack trotted down the stairs just as we were finishing up some fried eggs.
“Mornin’ ‘Jack,” I called as I heard her hoofsteps. “Sleep well?”
“Sure did, Bones,” she replied. “Ever since RD moved that blizzard away, it’s been mighty quiet at night.” I nodded, when the blizzard had reached full force it had kept half of Equestria up.
“Do you want your eggs fried or poached?”
“Whatever Granny’s got goin’ll do for me.” I passed her a plate of fried eggs and a few rounds of toast. I quickly followed with some poached egg on toast for myself.
“So, ah was thinkin’ ah might head into town today, get a few presents for Hearth’s Warmin’. Any suggestion on what ah should get for Big Mac and AB?” Applejack pondered and put a hoof to her chin.
“Well, ah s’pose Big Macintosh has been hankerin’ for a new harmonica after he lost his old one. And AB, ah have seen her eying that fancy chemistry set in the toy store.” That sounded about right. With Twilight’s tutoring, the little Apple had come a long way and had spent the better part of a fortnight trying to mix fertilizer to help on the farm.
At least she told me it was fertilizer.
As for Big Mac, the image of him sitting back and playing a few tunes on a harmonica certainly fit his overall personality. I’d had one myself, a shame it hadn’t come to Equestria with me.
Actually, there were a lot of things that I missed. All the books in my room would have sent Twilight wild and I’d have loved to show Dash all the model aircraft I’d built over the years. Hay, it would be fun just to see their reaction to all my pony merch. As it stood though, I now knew what to get for two of the Apple clan.
“What about Granny Smith? Ah was thinkin’ ah might get her a couple new needles and some yarn.” It was no secret that Granny Smith enjoyed her knitting. Applejack giggled though.
“Do that at your own peril, Blade Star. Granny takes her yarn and makes sweaters every Hearth’s Warmin’, and ah can tell you, they are itchy as bed bugs.” I smiled. My own grandmother had done a similar thing. She’d even made me my first Christmas stocking when I was little and introduced me to the idea of Father Christmas. I polished off the last of my breakfast.
“Well, ah might as well head off now. Won’t be long before everypony starts rushin’ about for presents. Oh and AJ, do you mind if ah give my dad a bottle of hard cider for his present?” My father’s birthday fell on the twenty third, so we were allowed to get away with a joint Christmas and birthday present.
“Sure, there a few that ought to be aged enough in one of the barns,” she paused to think. “Hey, Blade Star, mind if ah come with you today? There’s not really much to do and ah wouldn’t mind getting some stuff out the way.” There was trace of nervousness in her voice as she asked me that. Hay, it almost made me blush a bit.
“Oh, erm, no AJ, you can tag along, ah could use the company.” Pausing to tell Granny where we were going, the two of us headed out.
We only got about twenty feet from the house before the cold made itself known to me. Due to my own idiocy and procrastinating, I had not thought to get myself anything to keep me warm outside in the winter months. As a result, we both quickly had to turn back to grab some clothing. In Applejack’s case, she chose to put on some boots, which matched her saddle, to keep her hooves warm. I on the other hand merely borrowed one of Big Mac’s scarfs. From when he was a colt. I must say, the bright red looked rather good on me.
So, making a second attempt, we trudged through the snow towards town. At some point, Big Mac and I would have to try and make a path of some sort through the farm. At this point on the trek, the snow came up to our knees, though as we reached the outskirts of Ponyville, we came across some cleared tracks which made the going easier.
Ponyville was quieter than you would normally expect. Not a silent ghost town as when Zecora used to drop by, but there were far less ponies out and about, a consequence of the cold.
Decorations were already starting to go up too. We could see Pinkie Pie and a few other ponies busily tossing steamers and bunting back and forth to each other across the street. A lot of the shops and houses in town were also putting up decorations, mostly lights as well as a few decorated trees. It reminded me of Christmas as a child, when the magic was still there. It was a shame I didn’t have my Rat Pack Christmas CD, I always did go for the Americana Christmas.
We quickly made our way to the small little toy shop on Stirrup Street. The front window was filled with toys and again made me come over all nostalgic. Nestled in the back left of the display was a large child’s chemistry set. It certainly looked top notch, and the price re-enforced this. It was three hundred Bits for the whole set. Not beyond my budget for the holiday, but it would certainly have an impact on my finances.
The two of us trotted inside and, after giving the set a once over, I bought it and had it gift wrapped. That brought the total to three hundred and ten Bits. I was about to leave when Applejack called me over.
“Hey Blade Star, look at this,” she said. Sitting in her hooves was a small harmonica. It was plated with silver and looked a great deal like the one I had once owned. I quickly levitated it closer to get a proper look.
“Well, what do you know, there’s a stroke of luck,” I said as I turned the trinket over in my magical grasp. “Might as well get this for Big Mac too then. “ I trotted back to the counter and parted with another thirty five of my Bits.
Trotting back out into the cold, I considered my options. I now had presents for all but one of the Apple family. I needed to find something for Applejack. As much as I did like her and enjoy her company, she was not an easy mare to shop for. Unlike the rest of her friends, she wasn’t really fussed with material things. I didn’t dare contemplate getting her a new hat for obvious reasons, and I did want to get her something beyond something to help the farm out.
We continued through town for a fair while. I took the opportunity to get other presents sorted and out of the way. For my Dad, I had a bottle of hard cider courtesy of Applejack, which I knew he liked. For Mom, I took the safest route and got chocolate from Bon Bon’s. And for Lizzie, due a severe lack of One Direction merchandise, I got a vinyl of a up and coming pop group; they all sounded the bloody same anyway.
With the majority of our shopping done, the two of us had pretty much completed our little quest. Now came the fun part; shopping for each other. Needless to say, we parted ways, agreeing to meet up again at the nearby fast food joint Twilight tended to frequent. I couldn’t help but giggle at Twilight’s unprincess-like behaviour sometimes, it made her more accessible, not that I could ever really see her in the same way as Luna, Celestia or that other one that appeared solely for marketing purposes.
“Right, AJ, ah’ll see you in an hour or so. That gonna be enough time for you?” I asked. Applejack nodded.
“Ah’ll keep your hay fries warm, Sugarcube,” she answered, winking at me.
As she left, my emotions kicked in once again. My ‘condition’ was steadily worsening and had been ever since I got back from Canterlot. My heart fluttered and I felt my cheeks heat up as she headed off. I shook my head in a vain effort to clear my mind. Love was blind and it fed the enemy, nothing more my mind reminded me.
As I continued to search the market and various shops for a suitable Hearth’s Warming present for Applejack, my mind continued to rant. Applejack may like me, but what would really come of it, marriage? Yeah, dream on. My presence in Equestria along with my family was already having repercussions. Like it or not, I was not supposed to be here. I was lucky that I’d arrived in the present time; at least I could do no damage to the timeline here. I had to remember that my stay here was temporary, in the end, Twilight and the others would find a way to open the portal and get us back to Earth, where we belonged. What was I going to do; turn around and say ‘I want to stay with Applejack?’. Nonsense. I shouldn’t be thinking about the rest of my life here. I could integrate, yes, make friends, yes, but not a relationship.
“Now for goodness sake, shake the cobwebs from your head, stop pretending you’re in a shipfic and find a sodding present,” I said to myself as I walked.
It was as I was saying this that I passed the spa. In addition to providing treatments, massages and baths, the spa also had a small shop. We all know the two things you buy for women are chocolate and beauty products, always a safe bet.
Stepping inside I was confronted by…Aloe, I think. To the best of my knowledge Aloe is the pink one, and Lotus is blue. She quickly circled round from behind the spa’s reception desk and came over to me.
“Hello, Blade Star,” she said, her accent marking out her heritage. “And what can we do for you today?”
“Just lookin’ for some Hearth’s Warming presents, Ms Aloe,” I replied. “Ah thought ah might get something for Applejack as a treat.” Aloe nodded, thinking.
“Well, we do have a few perfumes in stock that she might like. Please, follow me.” Aloe led me further into the little shop, it was little more than a sideshow really, like selling toothbrushes in a dentist’s, which I believe Minuette does. Bringing me to a small display cabinet, she selected out a few perfumes to sample.
“These three she might like, and possibly this one too.” She removed four small bottles, each about the size of a hoof filled to the brim with scented finery. Fetching a few paper sticks to test them on, Aloe squirted a few drops of each perfume.
The first one was far too much for my liking. It was something you might expect Rarity to wear, reeking of high class and society. I knew that was the whole point of perfume, but it just didn’t seem AJ’s style. The second was bang on opposite being far too cheap and tacky, I certainly didn’t want to give Applejack a present frequently used by ponies of, shall we say, ill repute. I hoped that third time would be the charm, but that one, whilst smelling nice made both myself and Aloe break out in coughing and sneezing fits. Hurriedly, she placed it back in the cabinet.
“I really don’t know how my sister can stand such things,” Aloe complained. “I must confess I recommend this one myself. It would suit Applejack I think.” She placed a few drops on the test paper and I took a whiff.
She was right. It was neither too pungent nor too subtle. Neither too expensive nor too cheap. It wasn’t what she had worn on Nightmare Night (she had confessed that she had borrowed it from Granny Smith) but it was certainly a good pick. The price was good too, so I quickly had Aloe bag it for me and hoofed over the bits. As I walked out, Aloe seemed to be smiling at something. If only I knew Rarity had gotten to her first and ensured that I would select that perfume. That and the connotations behind it, though the well hidden ‘by Cadenza’ should have given me a clue.
Arriving at the café, I found Applejack, who was weighed down with gifts, in conversation with Twilight. Trotting through the front and making my way past the lunch rush crowd, I joined them.
“Hey you two,” I said as I settled myself down in one of the cushions. I must say, I do love the general absence of chairs in favour of large cushions. It’s like if humans replaced chairs with bean bags.
“Hello, Blade Star,” Twilight replied, setting down her hay burger. “How’s your shopping going?” Methinks she’s fishing for tips.
“Not too bad, got a fair bit out of the way now, how about you, and you too AJ?”
“Oh, I did my Hearth’s Warming shopping spree just before the bonfire celebration. Your present is all wrapped up and ready, so is yours Applejack.” I resisted the urge to facehoof at both Twilight’s obsessive compulsive behaviour and the fact that I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Applejack chuckled and pushed her Stetson back on her head.
“You always were one to be prepared for anything weren’t you, Twi. And Ah only just got your present done today,” she said. “Oh, Blade Star, here’s your hay fries.” She passed me a medium size box, similar to one you might find in McDonald’s. They actually weren’t too bad, and were probably better for me than the French fries.
We chatted for a while about our Hearth’s Warming plans. Twilight was hoping to convince Shining Armour and possible Strong Shield to come and visit at some point between Hearth’s Warming Eve and the New Year and was hoping it would coincide with Pinkie’s party. The party mare really had her work cut out, having done the Bonfire Night party and setting up the Hearth’s Warming party and the New Year’s bash. It had been agreed that we’d all have a little soiree at the library and then ring in the New Year at the barn. I’d never been to a Christmas party before and all I ever did on New Year’s was bring in the coal. I regretted the fact that my mane was a dark blue.
After lunch the two of us said goodbye to Twilight and we trudged back through the snow. As we reached the farm, we found that during our absence Big Mac had begun to clear the paths with Apple Bloom’s help. We both had a fair few presents in tow and quickly stashed them under our beds in our rooms. The Apple’s and my own family were sorted, I’d use tomorrow to shop for the other girls and try and find something fitting for Princess Luna. Before long it would be Hearth’s Warming Eve.
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Dun Dun DUUUUUUUN
After that shopping trip I suppose that gold, frankincense and myrrh are out of the question.
My sister's birthday is also in early January, so I see your problem.
I'm sorry, but my inner Grammar Nazi is screaming. This is not a possessive. Get rid of that apostrophe. This is not the only time this chapter I see this too. Didn't Weird Al teach you proper English?
OKAY GOOD i read from chapter 1 to here i want this comment to be made
"please do not do APPLEJACK and BLADE SHIP do Luna i rarely see a HUGE story with a OC/Luna ship that is
4773807 I'm so, so sorry.
Luna and Blade Star will be close though, if that's any consolation.
4774074 .........we-----FUCK Sdoiadhoahdhadhadh *SMASHES TABLE* FUCK
Its not too late to change it :D
*sobs in corner*
4774229 There there, 'Good Things Come' is one I can recommend as well as 'The Zealot' and 'To Befriend the Night'. Besides, Luna will still be in this story and have a pretty close relationship with Blade Star. All is not lost.
4774229 I actually did consider Luna as the main love interest for a long time when planning this. She is best princess after all. But I just kept hitting one problem; she's way out of my league.
4774356 wellll you made luna seem like she loves him so idk butttttttt
please please please please pleaseplease please please please pleaseplease please please please pleaseplease please please please please
hahahha because i read all those stories listed and im picky i usually only read stories with 65,000 words and up
I never want any thing for the x-mess or my b-day (bet you know how well that go's over) so when I get asked I say I could use a new book but don't specify what type (because reasons
) any way good chapter.
4774356 that and not withstanding what her sister would do if you broke her little sisters heart (I hear the sun is a dry heat)
Okay, get over your resentment of Cadence. It's kind of crass.
And why are you dropping hints like this? It makes it sound like the protagonist got captured by changelings--- BEFORE he came to Equestria.
Stepping inside I was confronted by…Aloe, I think. To the best of my knowledge Aloe is the pink one, and Lotus is blue. She quickly circled round from behind the spa’s reception desk and came over to me.
He already memorized which was which several chapters back
4751582
[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc]
4751582
My b-day is in December
1:46
Portal 2 reference. SCREW THE LEMONS!