Tales of the Oppressed

by Terran34

19. The Gamble (rw)

“You’re late!” Vinyl remarks, her hoof lazily rising above the edge of the couch and waving in my direction. “Were you pranking some other hapless victim? If so, I gotta hear all about it.”

“Not this time.” Despite my best efforts, I’m still stressed, and the curse seems to know it. I can feel it inside my chest like a beast clawing at its cage just beneath my sternum. Vinyl hears my tone of voice and lifts her head above the couch with a pout.

“Everything cool, bro?”

“Don’t worry about it,” I wave away her concerns impatiently. “Do you mind if I use your music room again?”

“Not at all. Go for it, dude. Want me to join you?” Vinyl offers.

“Not this time.” I make my way to the music room and promptly shut myself inside, leaving the perplexed mare behind along with the rest of the world. I take a deep breath, becoming very aware of every little sound of my body, including the steady pounding of my heart.

My hands reach for my acoustic guitar and I wrap the strap around my shoulder, its weight both familiar and comforting. With a single pluck of the strings, a note cuts through the air, and a hint of relief washes over me. It doesn’t matter how stressed I am; that sound never fails to pick me up.

Without wasting any time, I move my left hand to the frets to play a simple tune that I used to hear on the radio when I was much younger. Mental images of the associated tablature pass through my mind along with the gentle bobbing of my head.

Yes. This is exactly what I needed.

Several hours later, I wrap up my practice session, feeling much better than when I entered. I prop up my guitar and open the door to find a plate of salad sitting on the floor, the meal wrapped up with plastic wrap to keep its freshness. Looking around shows no sign of Vinyl anywhere.

“Heh. I forgot to eat, didn’t I?” I kneel down and pick up the plate, peeling back the plastic wrap. Without another word, I take the plate to the table and start to eat.

---

Stepping out the door the following morning, a blast of frigid cold slams into me and eats through my clothes in an instant. Spread out before me is a Ponyville blanketed in a thick layer of white, flakes of snow still falling from the sky. Ponies slowly filter out into the streets from the comfort of their homes, dressed in thick coats, scarves, and hats.

I duck back inside and shut the door, shuddering violently.

Rarity was kind enough to include a set of thin insulation clothes similar to long johns for me to wear beneath my usual attire. Over the top of them, I wear a set of dark pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a somewhat bulky jacket packed to the gills with insulating material. I wrap a scarf around my neck and fit on a thick beanie to cover my ears and head.

“I feel ridiculous,” I mutter to myself, shutting the front door behind me. Yet despite all that, I can’t help but feel giddy as snow crunches beneath my boot. Living far south, I almost never saw snow. I was lucky to even see a few flakes deep in January. I ponder as I walk about how the climate must have changed. I should still be in the same geographical place, considering I woke up in my school. It’s incredible what three thousand years can do.

I glance up at the sky with a wry expression to see said pegasi wheeling through the sky, managing the thick snow clouds even now. Right, pegasi control the weather and everything I know is wrong.

“What even is magic?” I grumble to myself as I walk through the snow on my way to the farm.

---

“You’re just in time! Grab a snowplow and let’s get working!” Applejack greets me as soon as I get through the front entrance, the mare wearing a scarf and a coat wrapped around her barrel. Big MacIntosh and Apple Bloom are there as well, the former already hooked up to one of the plows. I glance at the push plow that she has set up for me and the soreness of my muscles intensifies in anticipation. She snickers when she sees me. “You look colder than an ice cube in winter.”

“I wonder if it has something to do with this white stuff falling from the sky,” I say sarcastically as I move to the snowplow. I note the presence of smaller carts nearby containing large bags. “Why are we doing this while it’s still snowing? Won’t it just accumulate faster than we can plow it?”

“Oh, absolutely. But we gotta get these seeds planted somehow. I figure one of us’ll follow along behind and plant em before the snow gets too thick.” Applejack indicates the bags in the carts. “Gotta get them winter crops planted! I’m gonna be with Big Mac, and Apple Bloom’ll follow along with you.”

“Got it.” I walk behind the odd snow plow and wrap my gloved hands around the push bar, not relishing the amount of effort this is going to take. Apple Bloom follows along behind me, pulling one of the seed carts along.

“Oh, and let me know if the plow’s too rough on you. I’ll come switch out and let you handle the seeds,” Applejack calls to me. Once I get moving, I’ve no doubt I’ll warm up very fast. “Right then. Let’s get going, Big Mac!”

“Eeyup.” With that, the two of them head in the opposite direction, leaving me to plow with Apple Bloom. Silence falls upon the two of us with little to break it apart from the grating of the snowplow and the crunching of my boots on the snow.

“Hey, Seth?” Apple Bloom asks a few minutes after we get started. “Are you doing alright? You looked mighty freaked out yesterday.”

“I hate spoiled brats like Diamond Tiara.” My hands whiten around the handle of the plow and my feet dig into the snow hard. “The world would be better off if she didn’t exist in it.”

“Whoa…” Apple Bloom is taken aback by the venom in my voice. “Don’t you think that’s a little harsh?”

“Harsh!?” I have to stop a moment and press my palm against my sternum, willing the curse to stay down. “Apple Bloom, she was enticing you with favors in order to bend you to her will, using your conscience against you, then using threats when that stopped working. There’s nothing too harsh to say against someone like that.”

“I guess so...but she’s still a pony too,” Apple Bloom still seems troubled despite my explanation. “But that’s not what I meant. After that you ran off like something was wrong.”

“It’s being handled. Nothing that you need to worry about.” Even if I had considered telling someone else about the curse, my first choice certainly isn’t a child. I feel her eyes bore into me. “I’m fine, Apple Bloom. Let’s just get back to work. There’s a lot of it to do today.”

“Alright, if you say so.” I brush off Applobloom’s disappointment and get back to pushing, ignoring the ache in my arms. The more that I focus on work, the less stressed I become: only the job is worth thinking about right now. Everything else can come later.

---

“You’re a sight,” Applejack remarks at the end of the day with some amusement as I lean against the wall of the living room, feeling as though all of my limbs are made of lead and are on fire. “Why didn’t you come and ask me to take over?”

“I can’t avoid manual labor forever,” I say breathlessly, wondering how I’m ever going to be able to walk home. “Though if you ask me, the toughening up part could happen sooner rather than later.”

“Ain't gonna happen overnight, sugarcube!” Applejack says with a smirk. She passes over my usual pay, which I tie around my belt to eventually add to my steadily growing pile back at home. If I get any more of a pile, I might need to look into finding a bank. “There you go. As always, you’re welcome to stay for dinner if you like. You look like you could use a hot meal after all that hard work.”

“No thanks. I just want to get home and relax in a nice, hot shower.”

“Fair enough. You go and take it easy, Seth,” Applejack says with a wave, then heads over to the kitchen. “Door’s open if you change your mind.”

“Noted.” I rest against the wall for several more minutes, then pick up my rifle from where I left it and walk out into the snow. My legs wobble with every step as though they’re made of jelly. Every hundred meters or so, I stop and rest against a tree, making the trip back to town take so long the sun is starting to set by the time I get there.

Despite the fading light, ponies are out and about, enjoying the wintry weather. Flitter and her sister wave as they pass by me, cups of hot cocoa clenched in their teeth. I spot a crowd of foals stampeding by what looks to be a flower shop, giggling and throwing snowballs at one another or stopping to gaze at the toys displayed in the nearby toy store. I even see some adults building snow ponies along the side of the road next to a well.

Just looking at them makes me feel cold. I can’t wait to get back to Vinyl’s place so I can freshen up and bundle myself in as many blankets as I can find—preferably next to a fire. Yet just as I pass by a general store and a restaurant, a pony from the streets stops in front of me.

“A moment, if you don’t mind.” The stallion is lean in stature with a tan brown coat with a slicked back, well-styled mane colored a dark brown. He’s a classy looking sort with a confidence in the way he carries himself I haven’t seen much in other ponies. Despite the weather, he’s dressed in a business suit with a red tie marked with a dollar sign fastened to his white collar. For a cutie mark, I spot three money bags arranged in a triangular pattern. “My name is Filthy Rich, owner of Barnyard Bargains and primary financial sponsor of Ponyville. You are the human, Seth Rogers?”

“That’s me. I don’t suppose this can wait? I’m really exhausted from work,” I ask him with thinly veiled annoyance.

“I’m afraid it can’t,” he snaps. I recoil slightly from the edge that I hear in his voice.“Would you care to accompany me on a brief jaunt to someplace more private? I have a small matter to discuss.”

“I...don’t think so,” I say, swallowing hard. Barnyard Bargains was the place Tiara tried to talk me into working at, so I can assume this is her father answering the call of his precious little hellspawn. “Whatever you have to say, say it here.”

“I thought you might say that.” Filthy Rich indicates one of the guards that have been posted on nearly every street ever since the princesses last visited. “We can certainly talk about it here. Unfortunately, I’m not one to keep my voice down, so it’s inevitable that others will get drawn in. If you’re alright with everypony— including the town guards— hearing what we’re saying, then by all means, we can speak here. But I trust would be more convenient for us both if we handled this...off the record. Don’t you agree?”

As I open my mouth to refute him on principle, my nervous gaze catches the eyes of nearly every single guard fixated on me. If the guard gets involved, then even if I managed to talk myself out of it, there was no doubt the incident would be reported. I gulp, recalling how close Princess Luna had been to arresting me just for existing.

Filthy Rich watches me with a satisfied smirk as I hastily weigh my options. This is the worst possible situation—the consequences for me losing my temper. I don’t know what he has in store, but no matter what, I can’t risk Luna’s involvement, or I can kiss everything I've built up to this point goodbye.

“...Fine. Lead the way,” I say weakly.

“Excellent. I knew you’d see things my way.” Filthy Rich flashes me a diplomatic smile and beckons for me to follow him into a series of dark alleys where the light doesn’t reach, and prying eyes cannot see. Filthy Rich turns to face me and lifts a hoof, gazing at it calmly. “So...I hear you’ve been making quite a name for yourself around town. One of our precursors, living among us. That said, I believe we both know why I’m here right now.”

“Hold on. Don’t do anything hasty,” I reply, holding my hands up hastily. If he’s anything like Applejack or Big MacIntosh, I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end if he tries to get physical. “It would be really bad if something were to happen to me.”

Filthy Rich pauses, his gaze turning away from his hoof to look at me curiously. “Oh? And why is that?”

“The Princesses know I’m in town. That’s why all these guards are here. Twilight Sparkle is also supposed to be taking care of me. If I go missing…” I say, the words tumbling out of my mouth quickly as I rush to come up with anything I can use to get out of this.

Filthy Rich fixes me with a hard glare. “I’m not foolish. Considering who and what you are, there’s all sorts of eyes upon you. More importantly, what kind of pony do you take me for? I’m a businesspony, not a barbarian.” Filthy looks appalled by the prospect, causing me no end of relief. “That being said, since arriving in town, you’ve done nothing but ruffle feathers with your lack of restraint. I was hoping that you were beginning to get over it, but now you’ve done unto me a slight I cannot ignore. You threatened and demeaned that which I hold most dear, and it’s high time somepony reminds you there are consequences to your actions.”

“And what are you going to do?” I ask hesitantly, sweat forming along my brow.

“Nothing,” FIlthy Rich answers. I blink, wondering if I’d heard him right, “provided you do one simple thing for me. I want you to find my daughter and apologize to her. Tell her you take back your words, and that you were wrong to shout at her. ”

“You…!” The moment those words leave his mouth, a surge of anger rushes to the surface, making me feel foolish that I’d ever been frightened in the first place. Somehow this is worse than if I were to be attacked. “No!”

“No?” Filthy Rich raises an eyebrow, his mouth curving into a frown.

“Your daughter is a spoiled brat, and left alone, she’d have made the lives of those around her miserable. I won’t apologize for speaking the truth,” I snap at him. Filthy Rich doesn’t immediately respond, listening to me calmly. “No, I won’t do it. She needed to hear that.”

“It’s funny to hear you worrying about others, when you’ve been acting just as poorly,” Filthy Rich returns, his cutting words causing me to recoil. “But contrary to your belief, I am well aware of my daughter’s disposition. However, it is not your place to get involved.”

“So what, you expect me to just stand there and let her walk all over those ponies!?” I demand, recalling the blank faces of people who pretended not to see me as I would pass them in the hallway, and the whispers that followed when they thought I wasn’t paying attention; f I had just stood there, I would have been just like them.

“No, I expect you to stay out of my family’s business. Little Diamond is a work in progress, and your attempts at helping are unwanted if you cannot conduct yourself like a proper adult,” Filthy Rich retorts firmly. He takes a moment to straighten his tie. “Therefore I repeat. Apologize to my daughter, and we can both move on from this.”

“And I repeat, no. You can take your apology and shove it. I meant what I said; why should I care about your family business!?”

Filthy Rich stares at me, frustration mounting on his face. “In case you forgot, I hold all of the cards, and all of the power. What do you think would happen if I were to go to the guard with this? I could take you to the local court for assault. You’d be lucky to get off with just bankruptcy, if you ask me.”

“You...you can’t. If the Princesses find out…” My mind once again flashes to Luna’s distrustful face.

FIlthy Rich’s expression grows smug, his position now solidified. “So I ask you one last time to swallow your pride and lose, Mr. Rogers. ”

I remain quiet, standing there limply, the pain from work still coursing through my muscles. I start to hyperventilate, much to Filthy Rich’s satisfaction. I glare at him, wanting nothing more than to wipe that self-assured smile off his face. Why should I have to take back what I said? This is all because that brat is wielding her father’s influence like a weapon to bend me to her will!

Wait a second. This is all too familiar.

“I don’t think so.” My words come out stronger than any of us had expected. I can feel the curse raging against my sternum, the feeling of ice already trickling through my veins. My hand slowly reaches up to my rifle, a light green spark flashing from my fingertips to the metal like current through a live wire. “Let me give you an ultimatum of my own.”

“And what would that be?” Filthy Rich’s eyes narrow, even as he glances at the rifle. “Some card you have that even I didn’t consider?”

“Do you know what this is?” I hold up the rifle, showing him the different angles of it, my heart pounding in my chest “This is what we humans call a rifle. It’s a weapon—the likes of which you ponies have never seen.”

“A-a weapon?” Filthy Rich stammers, his eyes widening as he looks at it.

“It uses a substance called gunpowder that explodes with even the slightest spark, propelling tiny pieces of metal through the air faster than you can see...at a rate of twenty rounds a second.” I don’t know if that number is even accurate. I don’t know anything about guns. “This one happens to be fully loaded. So you can keep threatening me, but I’m more than capable of threatening back.”

“That’s...horrifying—but I’ve heard of the sorts of terrible tools you humans have left behind, so I have to take your word for it. But...are you truly so monstrous a creature that you’d rather turn to violence rather than offer my daughter simple courtesy?” Filthy Rich takes a few steps back as I point the rifle towards him, holding up his hooves. I can only hope he buys my bluff.

“Monstrous? Maybe, but I just want to be left alone. I’m not sorry about your daughter. She’s the worst kind of bully, plain and simple,” I tell him, wondering how he can hear me over the pounding of my heart. “Just let this go.”

“Let this go!?” Filthy Rich demands. He looks like he’s about to fly into a rage, but then a spark of realization appears in his eyes. “Ah, I see. You’re very bold, but this is nothing more than an elaborate bluff.”

I twist the muzzle, ignoring the screeching of the dying metal as I do so. “Do you really want to take that chance?”

“Yes, actually,” Filthy Rich’s smugness returns in full force. “Remember, even if I were the type to do so, I couldn’t possibly harm you directly, being one of our precursors with the eyes of the princesses on you. Could you imagine the consequences I’d suffer?”

“What’s your point?” I snarl.

“Say you choose to strike me down with your weapon. They’d find out you were the one responsible in no time at all. Then, there truly would be no place in Equestria for you. Either way you lose.” Filthy Rich shoots back. “No. Just as you say my daughter needed to hear your tirade, you need to be taught that you can’t just do what you please.”

“You…!” Rage, hotter than before, surges once more, the curse pressing up against my sternum and causing my ears to steam. His lips curl with triumph when he sees me lower my rifle with a scowl on my face.

“I won’t say this again, Mr. Rogers. Find my daughter, and apologize to her,” Filthy Rich makes direct eye contact with me. “You have three days. If I don’t hear anything from my daughter by then, expect to see me in court. Have a pleasant evening.” With that, Filthy Rich turns on his hooves and walks out of the alley.

For the next five minutes, all is quiet in the alleyway. Then in a fit of anger, I let out a loud expletive and repeatedly kick the wall of the alley so hard snow tumbles from the rooftop. I can’t believe I stooped so low as to threaten someone; it’s like I couldn’t even control the words coming out of my mouth. I choke and thump my chest with a fist. “Nobody asked for your help!” I snap at my chest. “I’m fine! I’m not in danger, damn you!”

“Seth? Is that you?” I hear a familiar voice, much to my horror. I turn my head to see Lyra walking into the alley, all wrapped up in warm clothes. She is carrying a box of cupcakes and a mug of hot cocoa with her golden telekinesis. She notices me shivering and frowns. “Hey, is everything okay?

Lyra trots to my side. I turn away from her, cursing my luck even further. Of all the ponies to find, why did it have to be this one?

“Why are you out here in the cold? Did something happen?” Lyra demands without a trace of her usual teasing.

“I’m doing fine. I just stopped here for a rest.”

“A rest!? Seth, you’re shaking like a leaf!” Lyra lifts the mug to my face. “Here, have some cocoa! I just got it, so it’s really hot.”

“I don’t need it.” I try to push it away, only to be immediately burned. “Ow!”

“I just said it was hot, you doof! Now seriously, drink up. You’re dressed the part, but didn’t anybody tell you that you need to keep moving when you’re out in weather like this?” Lyra once again tries to make me drink, but when I still don’t accept, she huffs. “Fine, then at least walk with me. Gotta get your body making more of that heat.”

“But…”

“No buts! Move, soldier!” Lyra tugs me out of the alley with her magic, grunting with exertion. I wasn’t expecting it, so I stumble and almost slip on the snow.“Up you get. Come on, Seth.”

“Really, I’m fine,” I complain as the two of us walk through the streets. Lyra doesn’t budge. “Lyra…”

“What happened? No one just rests in a freezing alley. It’s practically a wind tunnel in there.” Lyra sighs in annoyance when I don’t answer. “Hey! Equestria to Seth!”

“It’s not really your business,” I tell her. Even had I been willing to talk to her, I wouldn’t. Getting her involved with Filthy Rich doesn’t seem like a good idea, no matter what state of mind I’m in.

“Ouch...that hurts a bit,” Lyra recoils, her gaze turning down at the street. “I guess you don’t have to tell me, but now I’m just going to worry about you.”

“Why would you bother?” I ask, raising an eyebrow at that.

“Because we’re friends, doofus. It’s not rocket science!” Lyra’s declaration hits me like a truck, but something about what she just said catches me off guard.

“You have rocket science?”

“What? I mean...yeah? What do you think fireworks are?” Judging from her furrowed brow, Lyra seems just as perplexed about our sudden change of topic as I am.

“You have fireworks?!” I ask just as dumbly as before.

“Of course we have fireworks,” Lyra says, her nose scrunching. “Pegasi can control the weather, but fireworks is where you draw the line?”

“I’m still not over that, by the way,” I retort with an upward glance, causing her to giggle. “I keep looking up at the sky and doing a double-take because there shouldn’t be pegasi up there.”

“I just can’t imagine how the weather would even get done without pegasi,” Lyra comments.

“How it always does! Temperature changes, wind currents, the water cycle—you know, meteorology!” I snap back, only to see a very clueless Lyra cocking her head to one side.

“What do meteors have to do with the weather?”

“They don't, that's just the...oh who am I kidding anyway,” I give up. Lyra takes one look at my face and breaks out into laughter. “Stop laughing at me.”

“You just get so flustered! It’s really cute,” Lyra defends herself. I flinch with disgust at her insinuations.

“Excuse me? Did you forget the ‘no flirting with me’ part? I’m not interested,” I remind her.

“I know. I just did that because it annoys you,” Lyra replies sweetly with a close-lipped smile. I stare at her in disbelief.

“You are one of the most frustrating ponies I’ve ever met,” I finally say..

“Only one of? Who’s the most frustrating?” Lyra asks curiously even as she laughs at that response.

“Rainbow Dash,” I instantly say without a single shred of emotion. Lyra pauses and gives a wry shrug.

“You know what, you’re right. I can’t compete with that.” She comes to a halt, and I suddenly release that we’re back at Vinyl’s house. “Right, so here we are. You get inside, and get yourself something warm.” She lifts up a hoof and waggles it at me. “No human-sicles on my watch, you hear?”

“Whatever.” I turn and open the door, already feeling the warmth from inside wash over me like a blanket.

“I’ll see you later!” Lyra calls after me. As she goes, I turn and stare back at her. I realize that the curse is now calm, and my heart is no longer beating as fast as before.

Without another word, I walk into the house and close the door behind me.

---

“Morning, Seth!” Applejack meets me at the farm entrance as per usual, wearing nowhere near as much clothing as me. I stare at her layer of thick fur enviously. “ Cuz of all the snow, today’s gonna be a shorter workday. That work for you?”

“Works for me. I’ve already made enough to make my rent,” I shrug, recalling the forty or so bits I have accumulated at Vinyl’s home. “So what do you need me to do?”

“Just gotta get the barn ready for the winter season, and there are some chores that need doing around the house. It’s not what I usually have you do; I hope you’re alright with that,” Applejack beckons for me to follow her, and then the two of us trudge to the barn. We pass Big MacIntosh on the way, who greets us with a nod.

“You don’t need to ask me for permission,” I tell her not for the first time. “You’re the boss.”

“Sure, but I want to be a good boss,” Applejack remarks, giving me a good-natured wink over her shoulder. “But I appreciate the understanding. Should make for something nice and easy to let those muscles rest. I bet you’re still sore.”

“I don’t even remember what it’s like to not be sore,” I say, rubbing my forehead.

“You’ll get used to it. I bet you’re already starting to show some muscle. It’s been almost two weeks since you started here,” Applejack informs me. Out of curiosity, I poke at my biceps, and much to my surprise, I feel the muscle push my finger back. It’s probably nothing in comparison to a human who’s truly fit, but it’s a personal best for me.

“Now if they could stop hurting, that would be great,” I retort. After a laugh from Applejack, she gets me started on the day’s chores.

---

True to her word, today’s workload is more relaxed than usual. The chores she gives to me prove to be mundane and mindless, from handling their laundry to chopping firewood. The latter of which, while tough, doesn’t require nearly as much bending or lifting. Both prove to be new experiences.

“Come on, put your back into it! You’ll never chop them logs with those weak swings!” Applejack calls from the roof, where she’s busy patching a hole. Every so often in between the banging of her hammer, I can hear her stifle a snicker at how poorly I’m doing.

“I’m trying, but I’ve never done this before!” I grunt in annoyance. My hands and forearms ache from containing the vibrations of the axe after each failed swing, and my fingers have stiffened into an unyielding grip on the handle. I heft the axe one more time and give it another swing, the blade hardly getting halfway through the log with a dull thunk. “Oh, for goodness’s sake!”

“Let me help.” Big MacIntosh’s low voice sounds from behind me. I lower the axe and lean over, panting with the continued effort. I glance at him, noting how he’s staring at my body. “Hm. Pony technique won’t work. Try this.”

The larger pony allows me to set up a swing before he starts to physically adjust my posture, his hooves pressing against my arms and back. “When it hits, you wanna swing straight down. Let the axe do the work. And don’t hold your breath when you swing, breathe out.”

This time, the axe slams into the wood with a satisfying thwack and splits it cleanly in two. Big MacIntosh nods and claps me on the back before returning to his work. I place the logs into a basket and wipe the sweat from my brow. It’s just chopping a log of wood, but it’s nice to be able to learn life skills like this.

“Why did I ever take up coding?” I mutter to myself as I line up another log on the stump.

Doing pony laundry, on the other hand, is a rather enlightening experience, to say the least. I’d imagine that seeing what clothing Applejack’s family wears would help give me some insight into what clothes ponies wear in general, and for what reason. I suppose what I find is pretty telling; they don’t wear clothes much at all. I’ve never seen Big MacIntosh wear anything other than his girdle, and Applejack generally just wears her hat. I suppose if I did laundry for Rarity there’d be significantly more work to do.

I shovel a load of dry sheets and pillow cases out of the dryer and into a basket, and then fold them. After this, I have several loads of towels and rags to go through--results of all our cleaning and washing efforts. I suppose it could be worse. At least I don’t have to hang up shirts, I think to myself with a wry shake of my head.

---

Outside, I help Applejack and Big MacIntosh clear away the snow from the animal enclosures and pathways, each of us equipped with a large snow shovel. I dump the latest load of snow along the side of the path. Snow is heavier than I thought, I can’t help but think to myself.

PIFF!

‘Whaa!?” I suddenly hear Applejack yelp from close by. I look over to see her stumble backward, her face covered in snow and her hat knocked clear off her head. She snuffles in annoyance, glaring up from her fallen position. “Now who in tarnation just did that!?”

PAFF!

Before I can even ask the question, something powdery and cold slaps me in the face, a splash of white exploding across my field of vision. I tumble backwards into the snow, coughing and hacking. What just happened? Did I just get hit with something?

I hear the cackling of a familiar mare from high up in the sky, where she hovered with a hefty supply of snowballs tucked beneath one leg. I brush the snow off of my face, glaring up at the cloud with one eye cocked.

“Did you seriously just,” I start to say, before Applejack explodes in anger.

“RAINBOW DASH, YOU MULTI-COLORED MENACE! I’m gonna get you for that!” Applejack gets up and shakes her hoof at the mare in question. She ducks down and forms a snowball of her own. Then, she reels back and hurls the snowball directly at Rainbow, who easily swoops out of the way.

“You’re gonna have to try harder than that,” Rainbow taunts. She hurls several more down at us, one snowball knocking Applejack’s hat right off her head and a second splattering over my jacket. “That’s three for zero. Whatcha gonna do about it?”

“Now you’re asking for it! Take cover, Seth,” Applejack says, yanking me behind a fence in time to avoid the hail of snowballs raining down. She kneels down and prepares a set of snowballs of her own, picking one up and passing it to me. “It’s two on one; she doesn’t have a chance in the hay of beating us!”

I stare at the snowball in my hand, my gloved fingers stinging from the cold. “We really should be working,” I grunt with a shake of my head. Applejack opens her mouth to say something, but pauses when I bring my arm back and throw the snowball where Rainbow is hovering as hard as I can. “But it’s Rainbow, and I refuse to give her another reason to gloat.”

“That’s the spirit! Let’s give her what for,” Applejack grins and the two of us work together to send a barrage of snowballs at the cyan splotch of feathers in the sky.

“Ha! Are you even trying?” Rainbow taunts us some more, the mare showing her incredible agility by evading all that came her way. While attempting a half roll, a snowball finally clips her left wing, causing her to spiral down onto the fluffy snow. Me and Applejack look at each other, both of us holding snowballs in the ready position. “Who threw that? Big Mac, was that you?”

“Nope,” Big MacIntosh says, appearing behind the barn with a set of saddlebags filled with snow. He shakes the loose snowflakes off of his hooves, a playful smirk on his face.

“Alright, that’s it! You’re all getting snowballed!” Rainbow exclaims, throwing snowballs from the ground as fast as she can make them, forcing the three of us to duck behind cover. She then calls back over her shoulder. “Get ‘em, girls!”

“Yeah! I’m totally getting in on this!!” Scootaloo comes charging in with Apple Bloom the two of them galloping as fast as their little legs can carry them from the path leading to town. She picks up a ball of snow and manages to nail Applejack on the chest. Apple Bloom picks one up as well, staring at her brother with malicious intent. “I’ve got your back, Rainbow Dash!”

“Right on, squirt!” With that, the amount of snowballs whizzing through the air increases exponentially, making it perilous for me to even lift my head above the fence.

“How did I get dragged into this?” I complain even as I throw another snowball at Rainbow, who proves about as easy to hit as a buzzing fly. “Curse you, Rainbow! Quit zipping around like that, that’s cheating!”

“Not my fault you’re too slow!” I immediately hit the ground to avoid the two snowballs that come whizzing my way from her. “Come on, squirt, help me get that pasty-faced mummy!”

“He does look like a mummy,” Scootaloo giggles, then yelps when Applejack nails her with a well-placed snowball. “Eep! Hehe!”

After several minutes of intense battle, Granny Smith comes out from the barn, drawn by all the yelling. “Now just what in tarnation is going on out here? What’s all the fuss about?” she demands. Her question is immediately answered when a stray snowball hits her right in the face. “Pffhafhfhf...excuse me! This means war!”

Much to my shock, Granny Smith picks up a snowball and proceeds to hit Rainbow on the side of her barrel. I stare at her with an open mouth, as does Rainbow. “What’re you young ‘uns looking all surprised for? I was no slouch at buckball back in the day, I’ll have you know,” she remarks. She then proceeds to back up her words by accurately hitting both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. “Get ready to lose!”

I shake my head as the snowball fight intensifies. “What is happening right now?”

---

Some time later, all seven of us lay on the snow, panting and covered in the remains of the scores of snowballs that found their mark.

“Do you all...surrender?” Rainbow asks breathlessly from her position across the path. Beside her, the two fillies are busy making snow angels.

“Not on your life, Rainbow Dash. Just...give me a minute...to catch my breath,” Applejack retorts stubbornly. “I hit you with at least twenty snowballs.”

“Well, I hit you with a solid thirty-six,” Rainbow shoots back.

“Did not! Learn to count, why don’t you?”

“I can count just fine, thank you very much!”

“We should probably get back to work,” I interrupt without getting up before their argument can devolve any further.

“Nah...I think we can call it quits for today,” Applejack decides.

“Wait, really?” I ask with a raised brow, angling my head to look at Applejack.

“I did say it was gonna be a short day. You handled everything on the list I gave you, right?” Applejack turns her head to look at me. When I nod, she smiles. “Then there you go. I’ll pay you as soon as I get up.”

I get to my feet, noticing the others doing the same. Snow cascades off of my chest, and I shiver as some slips beneath my collar and down my back. I look around to see Big MacIntosh helping Granny Smith up, and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo talking to Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, Seth!” Rainbow waves me over with a grin. When I approach her, she snickers at the remains of her snowballs still present on my chest. She idly watches me as I pick up a clump of snow from the ground, but doesn’t move in time before I plaster it right on her scrunched muzzle. “Snrfflepfeh! What the hay!? That’s dirty!”

“So is a sneak attack from the sky,” I remind her with the slightest hint of a smirk on my face. Rainbow glares at me, a malicious smirk of her own forming on her face. The next thing i know, she’s flying in my face, splattering snow across me once more. “Gah! Come on, really?”

“Don’t dish out what you can’t take!” Rainbow flaps in the air with her front legs crossed, looking pleased with herself. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo snicker from where they’re sitting on the snow behind her. “My team definitely won. You really need to work on your throwing, Seth! It’s like you’ve never been in a snowball fight before!”

“That’s because I haven’t.” My flat response earns a gasp from the three ponies, each of them looking at me like I’m some sort of alien. “It never snowed more than an inch where I lived.”

“That means I got to be the first one to hit you with a snowball!” Rainbow says, pumping her hoof in the air. “Did you have fun or what?”

“I can barely feel my hands, my clothes are a mess, and I can feel snow trickling down my back. This is hardly pleasant,” I complain while pressing my hands against my back to get the material to soak up the snow before it makes me shiver any harder.

“You’re clamming up again,” Rainbow observes, staring at me with narrowed accusatory eyes. “I saw you having fun! Don’t go focusing on the bad stuff, Mr. Negative.”

“Whatever,” I reply noncommittally, much to her annoyance. I glance down at the two children. “So why didn’t Sweetie Belle come with you?”

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom freeze and look at each other. “Um...she said she had other...chores to do back at Rarity’s,” Scootaloo answered while looking anywhere but at me.

“Yeah, it’s a shame she couldn’t be here. That was fun!” Apple Bloom quickly changes the subject. I stare at them, unconvinced...whatever, it isn’t my business. I look over my shoulder to see Applejack approaching with my pay. “Did you want to see her or something?”

“Not particularly. It’s just odd to see the three of you apart,” I say with a shrug. I have another question I want to ask them, but Rainbow is watching us curiously. It would be a hassle for me if I had to explain what happened at the schoolyard to her. I lean forward and lower my voice. “Did school go alright? Nothing...came back to you, did it?”

“Huh?” It takes Apple Bloom a moment to understand what I’m getting at. “Oh! Yeah, we’re fine. Thanks for asking.”

“Diamond Tiara didn’t come to school today though. Not that I care though. It’s just great to have her out of our manes for once,” Scootaloo informs me. “Thanks again, by the way. You were awesome!”

“Thanks.” I nod at that and then turn to Applejack, who drops the bag of bits in my hand. It feels lighter than usual, with only six bits jangling around inside the cloth bag. “Are we supposed to have snow again tomorrow, Applejack?”

“Nah, not as much as today,” Rainbow is actually the one that answers. “Just you wait until next weekend though! I’m gonna whip up a real doozy!”

“Of course you are. Guess I gotta make sure to salt the paths so they don’t freeze,” Applejack sighs, giving Rainbow an askance look. “You wanna stay for a meal?”

“No thanks. After that whole mess, I want to go home and get warm,” I turn her down again. Rainbow frowns beside me for some reason.

“Makes sense. You probably need the rest. Take it easy then, Seth. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Applejack responds with an understanding nod, the mare leaning against the fence.

“Yeah,” I say, turning on my heel and walking back down the path to town, the snow crunching beneath my boots. I hear Rainbow bidding the others goodbye as well, and next thing I know, she’s flying along beside me. “What do you want?”

“To hang! I haven’t seen you since we pranked Twilight!” Rainbow replies as though that should have been obvious. “I was gonna ask you to run, but then you said you’re all tired and stuff.”

“To what?” At first, I don’t think I heard her correctly.

“Yeah! We hit the trails around Ponyville and just go for a run! In the winter, it’s the best, because you warm up in no time!” Rainbow lands and walks around to my side, keeping me company as I walk back to town. She notes my less than enthused face. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”

“For you, maybe. You’ll just leave me in the dust because you’re already stupid fast, and you have four legs,” I retort, not looking at her.

“Hah! Of course I would. I’m awesome!” Rainbow remarks, flipping her mane back with a self-assured grin. “But come on, I’ll tone it back for your sake. Maybe we’ll even toughen up those leg muscles of yours!”

“Why thank you for your consideration, personal trainer Dash. And would you quit that?” I snap, swiping at her hoof as she starts to poke my calves and thighs. “So basically you’d be rubbing your physical superiority in my face the entire time while I’m dying to keep up.”

“What? No, it’s just something I do every now and again, and I wanted to bring you along.” Rainbow seems honestly offended by that. “Stop twisting everything I say into something mean.”

I stare at her for a few seconds. I once again feel how sore my limbs are, and recall how running tends to help the lungs and heart. “In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess. Not this evening though. I’m beyond sore.”

“Tomorrow it is, then! I’ll get you toughened up in no time!” Rainbow flashes a grin and flexes one of her legs to show off her toned lean muscles. So, what happened with the fillies? Something else happen with them?”

“Just some trouble with Diamond Tiara. Again. Don’t worry about it,” I say simply with a waved hand. Rainbow cocks a brow at that.

“Again? You must really hate bullies,” Rainbow comments.

“You have no earthly idea.” My words come out so strong that Rainbow can’t help but flinch.

---

“You’re home early.” I run into Vinyl as she comes walking out of the music room with her shades on. “I just got done with practice. Everything alright at the farm?”

“It was until Rainbow showed up and made everything descend into snow-related chaos,” I remark, heading right for the couch. “I can still taste the snow.”

“Aw, dang, did she nail you with a good one?” Vinyl snickers. The mare sits down in front of the fireplace, watching me as I flop onto the couch. “That sounds like her alright. I wish I could have been there.”

“You look wiped,” Vinyl observes when I don’t say anything further, instead just laying on the couch. She turns to the fireplace, and then lights a fire with a single dip of her head, her horn lighting up briefly. I sigh in contentment as cozy warmth fills the room. Before long, I’m removing my jacket and shirt to lie there in my undershirt alone. As for Vinyl, she plops down in front of the fire and lies on her side like a cat. “Working at the farm starting to get to you?”

“It’s hard work, and I only get one day off. My muscles feel like lumps of pain at any given time,” I say, earning an amused chuckle from Vinyl. I struggle to keep my exhausted eyes open. If they close, I’m not going to get up again.

“You probably don’t want to hear that I have a gig on Sunday then, do you?” Vinyl comments teasingly, lifting her head up to look back at me. I suppress the urge to groan.

“At least it’s a Sunday. I’ll rest that whole day beforehand,” I say, feeling relieved. Apart from Saturday, my weekend seems like it’ll be a restful one...except at some point I have to figure out what to do about Diamond Tiara.

“I’ve also got another one in the works. Supposedly a welcome party for one displaced human?” Vinyl’s teasing tone gets worse, a cheeky grin forming on her muzzle. She laughs heartily at the groan that finally escapes me. “You missed it. Just before you got here, Pinkie Pie zipped by looking like she just got told the moon was made of chocolate.”

“The moon’s made of chocolate?!” Both Vinyl and I jolt in place, startled by the faint screeching of Pinkie in the distance. I slowly turn my head towards the window.

“No, Pinkie!” Vinyl calls back.

“Awww…” Pinkie’s voice trailed off into silence again.

“How did she just do that?” I stare at the window, dumbfounded. “Where did that come from? How did she know to stand nearby as we talked about her? Vinyl, I have questions!”

“Sometimes it’s best not to ask,” Vinyl informs me with an equally confused shrug. “So about that welcome party…”

“I got talked into it, and I really don’t want to talk about it,” I grumble, much to her amusement.

“Hah! Don’t worry, it’ll be a blast. Pinkie Parties always are,” Vinyl attempts to reassure me.

“If you say so. If you ask me, it can’t be over soon enough,” I retort. I stretch out my aching muscles and take a deep breath. “I’m not moving from here until dinner.”

“That’s perfectly fine with me, dude. Take it easy,” Vinyl says, and then the two of us fall into a companionable silence.

Author's Note:

So, a few things to note!

First, you may have noticed that I've stopped including as many music links into the story. As much of a musician that I am, I've noticed that I started going out of my way to search through songs just to throw something different in there. And that's not really what the point of the songs was. Therefore, you likely won't see as many music links as you used to...except when it really matters.

Second, probably the biggest change in this chapter was the way the Filthy Rich encounter went down. I cannot tell you how many times Vayne and I went back and forth on this particular scene until we settled upon something we both liked. But the key change here is that Seth *needs* to have consequences for his actions. I remember people complaining that ponies always just let him get away with everything, and I agree.

Now then, the next chapter has already been rewritten; it's just a matter of editing it. And you all know what comes next in the timeline

Make sure to thank Vayne Hellslinger and Brave Hooves for their hard work!

Comments

[Double R Forrest]

Interesting choice to change the Filthy Rich encounter into being that Filthy is the one who wins. I agree with the reasons you gave, but now I have no idea how the end of this Book is going to go down. If Diamond Tiara is not the one being reprimanded, what reason will Seth need to go into the Everfree Forest and awaken his powers? Will he even actually go to the Everfree Forest at all? Not to mention it seems that Book 2 is becoming longer chapter-count-wise, so I can't rely on that anymore. Regardless, keep up the good work!

P.S. since I haven't mentioned it previously:
- Glad the Diamond Tiara/Seth bit was changed; having the hero grabbing a child by the throat is pretty extreme.
- Really glad that Scootaloo was changed to not being antagonistic towards Seth; I always disliked it when that caused a rift between the CMC.
- I'm really liking how Seth isn't quite nearly the asshole he was originally made to be, or at least into a different type of asshole whose character is a bit easier to connect to.

[miodrag9]

I'm really excited for the next chapter! I haven't read the original but this rewrite is very good!
Thank you for such an interesting read and keep up the good work!

[mustangdrew4]

It's probably not going to happen, but I kinda wish Seth would stick to his guns and go to court. Let filthy rich have his bits, not that he has much. The only part that would really suck would be the royalty getting involved. I could see Celestia using it as a wake up call for Seth about his behavior.

Oh well. It's still going to interesting anyway. And who wants to be able to predict a story before it happens. That would be boring.

[Scornas]

… paying attention; f I had just stood there,..

*if