Letters To Celestia

by silverthorn

Letter 3 - Meeting the Clan

Dear Princess Celestia

I guess it's time to explain what happened after I got out of hospital. The doctor had explained that, whilst the break in my wing bone was healing nicely I had torn several ligaments in my wing and it would have to be strapped down for several months because moving it would only make it worse.

I was already feeling like my life couldn't get any worse when I saw who was waiting for me when I was wheeled out of the hospital. Applejack was waiting for me along with Big Mac. I really didn't know what to say, to me they were my jailers, along with that unicorn who had cast the magical whammy on me which would stop me from leaving town as fast as my feet would carry me. My injured wing was itching and I was fairly sure that if it had been intended for Pegasuses to not fly we wouldn't have been given wings.

I looked at Applejack, guessing she was going to be the spokespony in this discussion. “What happens now?”.

Applejack glared at me. “Since you owe us so much money, you work at Sweet Apple Acres until you pay it all back. You'll get fed and a place to sleep but you're still grounded”.

Big Mac glared at her at the same time as I did. “Maybe that was the wrong way to put it but you only leave the farm on the say of one of the family. Ah know Twilight cast the spell on you what'll stop you running out of town as soon as our backs are turned”.

I nodded, unsure if there really was much to say. At that point I was thinking things about your student that would make a griffon blush. “I understand”.

Applejack looked at Big Mac. “We should be getting back to Sweet Apple Acres. With any luck Applebloom will be back and we can introduce you to Granny Smith”.

I got out of the wheelchair, feeling like my legs were made of jelly. After a second I managed to steady myself. At that point the fact hit me that I had better get used to walking around. I wouldn't be flying anywhere soon.

My blue funk continued until I arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. My legs were already sore, I'm a flyer, I tended to spend as little time as possible on my hooves. At the time I guessed I wouldn't last a week walking around.

As we walked up to the main, I guess you would call it a house, it looked more like a barn to me the thought occurred to me that it looked like a home. Nothing too flashy but lived in. besides it was a dry roof over my head and probably at least one meal a day. That was better than anything I'd had in two years. I could survive anything that Applejack and her family could throw at me.

At that point I met Granny Smith. She scared me senseless. She looked me over, frowned then looked at Applejack. “This is the filly that you spent our money on. She had better work hard or ah'll hand her to the Guard myself. Applejack, show her to where she'll be sleeping. We can set her to work tomorrow”.

I started walking to the main house when Applejack steered me to a smaller barn. “Oh no, you're sleeping upstairs in there”.

I pushed the doors open and realised that this was a real barn. The smell was unlike anything I'd smelled up to that point. Applejack led me to a set of stairs heading to the upper floor. There was a set of hay bales with a blanket and a pillow in one corner and a table with a lantern in it which Applejack proceeded to light. Other than a window, there was not much else.

I looked at Applejack and I guess my expression must have tipped her off. “If you wanted to sleep in the Canterlot Haylton then you shouldn't have been trying to steal from us”. She turned around and started towards the stairs before turning back. “Big Macintosh will be up before long to give you some food. You'll be starting working in the morning”.

Left to my own devices, I sat on the 'bed' and looked around. Compared to sleeping rough this seemed like a marginal improvement. I guessed I would get used to the smell and, after I closed the window, it seemed like little wind got through the window. Still, I was stuck in a town I didn't know with a family who sounded like they would turn me into the Guard at the drop of Appljack's hat. All in all, things were looking grim.

After some amount of time I heard what sounded like foals running into the yard. I could hear Applejack telling them not to go upstairs in the barn because I would be a bad influence on them. I had smiled at the time, still proud of how bad I thought I was. After a while the foals split up, presumably two of the three heading for home. A little while later, the big red stallion came upstairs, a tray of food on his back. I walked over and smiled as I took the tray from his back. “Thank you, Big Mac”.

The smell was something else. Since I had walked into the barn all I had smelled was, how can I put this, animal waste. The smell of the slice of pie on a small plate was enough to drown that smell out. Right now, I couldn't tell you what else was on that tray but I ate it like my life depended on it. Big Mac smiled as he watched me then took the tray off me before he asked me something. “Is there anything you need me to bring you? Ah'm guessing you were staying somewhere before”.

I shook my head, unsure for a second about what to say. “There isn't anything. I travel light”. The look on his face was a mix of concern and, I guess, sorrow. “Ah'll see you in the morning”. He then left me in a barn that smelled of animal waste with a belly full of apple pie and a feeling like things might be going right for a change.

That feeling lasted about ten minutes. I was on edge of falling asleep when I heard a knocking on the window shutters. There was no trees near that side of the barn so I was a little surprised until I opened the shutters. There, flying in the air like Celestia's gift to flying was the mouthy blue pegasus from the first day in the hospital.

I tried not to let my surprise show as I looked her up and down. “The Apple's are next door. This is the barn”.

She flew past me, then flew up close to me. “I know that Applejack's next door. I'm just warning you that if you try anything funny with them I'll haul you off to the guard myself”.

At that point I had already decided I really didn't like her. I forced myself to keep my voice low and steady. I really didn't want to cause trouble with my jailers on my first night. “You'll have to join a queue with Granny Smith. Where in the wide world of Equestria am I supposed to go. I can't leave Ponyville with the spell that Unicorn put on me and besides”.

I paused for a second. “They look like the Apples are good ponies. I don't want to cause them any trouble”. I guess I looked as confused as I felt at that point. It was apparent that the Apple family were good old salt-of-the-Earth Ponies (pardon my pun). There was something about Big Mac especially which even then made me not want to cause too much trouble for them.

Seemingly satisfied, the pegasus flew to the window. “I'll be keeping an eye on you”: then she flew off into the night.

Since Twilight is insisting I keep on writing these for you, and I owe her a lot for what she did last week I'll tell you what happened the next morning in my next letter.

Your loyal subject,

Wandering Star