Cold Hooves - Warm Heart

by RandomGreymane

Chapter 2 - Dust Devil

Cold Hooves - Warm Heart by RandomGreymane (Mike Hebel)

Chapter 2 - Dust Devil

Dear Princess Celestia,

What a day!

In no particular order I met Miss Jubilee, the sheriff (I’ve quite forgotten his name), several friendly ponies, and started bucking cherries!

Let me take a hoof-step back here...

As it is when I’m excited, I couldn’t sleep in. I rose before you rose the sun, and just stood outside the boarding house listening to the sounds of night as they faded. I watched the sun come up with no obstacles!

It was so beautiful! I never believed seeing a sunrise could mean so much.

And you know what? I did dream. In fact Luna and I had a long talk. And cups of tea. It was tempting to stay there... But as is her temperament, Luna made sure I woke up. She said strangely that there is only one being who dreams endlessly and it lives in another universe.

Anyways I was standing out in front of the boarding house when a cart hit me! It actually just ran right into me! It turns out the driver was on his way through town and didn’t see me. Of course that cost him a cart. It pretty much shattered when it collided.

Fortunately under the circumstances carts are a dime a dozen here and he’ll be able to replace it without too much burden. In embarrassment and apology I helped him carry the undamaged portion of his cargo to it’s destination at the other end of town. The ponies we met paid him for the boxes and we all went on our way.

It was so strange to just carry those crates without so much as a strained muscle. I don’t know what my limits are yet but I’m a whole hay of a lot stronger than I used to be. But then again this body did batter down your projected shield so...

Why do I feel guilty about that? I shouldn’t. I mean it wasn’t me in this body when that happened. I didn’t have any control and in fact I was the one who brought the whole situation under control. So why can’t I escape this feeling of lingering guilt?

On my way back I noticed the sheriff and a posse of ponies headed the direction I’d just come from. Not thinking anything of it I continued back into town to get directions to Miss Jubilee’s farm. (Applejack navigates wonderfully but most of the time it’s landmark based and instinctive. I prefer something a little more precise.) Without magick to guide me I needed a map.

Entering the general store I immediately put my right hoof through the floorboard. I spent several minutes calming the shopkeeper while backing out onto the street. Fortunately he was still willing to deal with me after that. To wit: “Floorboards ‘round these parts ain’t built fer walkin statues!” But he did give me the map for a reasonable fee of 10 bits. (At least I think that’s reasonable. I don’t know rates of exchange around here yet.)

Let me tell you – reading a map with stone hooves? Difficult at best. Folding one back up? Darn near impossible. On the way to the farm I just crumpled it into my saddlebag best as I could. Miss Jubilee was kind enough to fold it back up for me. She says I'll get the hang of it eventually.

It wasn't all that long a trot to the farm. 5 or 6 miles at most. It was relaxing being out in the open air and I found out something else about myself – I still have a sense of smell! It's a little focused for tracking, (I could smell where three different creatures were within a mile of me but think I could smell a flower? Noooo.), but is otherwise serviceable. I never thought I'd be grateful to be able to smell animals but at this time I'll take anything I can get.

As I rounded a bend I saw the orchard. It was massive! Almost as big as Sweet Apple Acres! It made me homesick in ways you can not believe.

But I could smell the cherries. And that was good. Darn good.

As I approached the farm Miss Jubilee waved. When I got there she bowed. And said “Welcome Alabaster! Princess Celestia sent word ahead that you'd be headed here. And just about time ta harvest another crop. I could really use the help!”

“Glad to help!” I said “As much help as a stone pony can be that is.”

Miss Jubilee simply smiled at me and placed a comforting hoof on my knee. She held it there a moment before her eyes focused behind me and she craned her neck to look. “What in Dodge Junction could that be?”

Carefully so as not to step on her, I turned and looked. A cloud of dust was fast approaching. As it got closer it resolved itself into the sheriff and his posse which I'd seen earlier. They came to a halt just shy of a couple of lengths in front of me.

“Miss Jubilee?” the sheriff spoke up once the dust had settled. “My apologies ma’am but we're here to arrest this stone pony thing.”

Great! I thought to myself. What have I gotten myself into this time.

It was Miss Jubilee that spoke up before I could. “What in the hay could you be charging Miss Alabaster here with?”

“Miss...Alabaster was it? Miss Alabaster was firmly identified helping old Touched Tom carry two crates of locoweed to a deal on the outskirts of town.”

Now if you're wondering if a pony made of alabaster named Alabaster can faint. No. I can't. And if I did I'd have likely landed on top of Miss Jubilee. Which is a poor way to begin a friendship if you ask me!

“This is some sort of mistake!” I told him “That pony ran into me! I was carrying the crates because I broke up his cart!”

“Ran inta ya...broke his cart...” said the Sheriff as he kept an eye on me. His deputy was mulling it over and said to him “We did find that broken cart with the damaged 'weed in it sir.”

The sheriff mulled it over some more, I've never seen a Western pony do an imitation of 'The Thinker” but this colt came pretty close. After some time he looked up and asked “Got any papers?”

I managed to pull the scroll you'd written for me out without damaging it and handed it over. Reading the scroll, the sheriff's eyes widened before he handed it back. “My apologies Miss Alabaster. Please do yer best not to let any more carts run inta ya.”

“Thank you.” I replied.”I'll certainly try.”

Grinning, the sheriff said as he turned away “Just remember. I play a fair game. Good day ma'am.”

Watching the posse leave I sighed mentally. Not here a full day yet Alabaster and you're under suspicion of drug trafficking. Good one girl.

Miss Jubilee just chuckled a bit and asking if I was tired.

Strangely, despite all that had happened, I wasn't. I asked her if she could show me the basics of bucking cherries. I explained that Applejack had shown me how to buck apples but had said that cherries were a little different.

“Indeed they are Alabaster.” Jubilee said “Fer one they require a lighter touch than apples. Let's head over to one of the trees and we'll get ya started.”

I spent the next few hours learning how to buck cherries. And by that time I WAS exhausted. This body could go without stopping but mentally I couldn't raise a hoof again.

My strength almost got me into trouble again. I put a deep hoofprint into the side of one of the trees when I bucked too hard. Have to learn to control that. In some ways it's worse than when I was learning to use my magick as a princess. At least there I could refrain from using it. With this I have to be careful with every step!

Fortunately Miss Jubilee is very understanding. She says that she will pay to have some shoes fashioned for me so I don't have chip my hooves while I buck. I tried to explain to her that the construction of this body makes it darn near impervious to anything but she wouldn't hear of it.

By the way - I had Twilight change one thing before I left – I had her make sure I was permanently waterproof. Alabaster is semi-water-soluable after all. I mean the Beater is a magick construct, and is almost impervious to anything, but the last thing I need is to melt in the rain.

When it was time for bed I found, as expected, I was too large to easily fit in Jubilee's house. Fortunately the barn is well constructed.

As I said it's been quite a day! I'll drop this letter in the post to Canterlot tomorrow morning when we go into town for my shoes.

Your rolling stone,

Alabaster

Comments

[ClockworkMage]

I like where this is going.