Cultivating Love (Book 5)

by LotusTeaDragon

Chapter Three: Dark and Stormy? I Hate That Cliche!

CHAPTER THREE:
DARK AND STORMY? I HATE THAT CLICHE!

The heavy pitter-patter of fat raindrops plonked against the broken remains of their flying machine. It had been only moments after the crash into the forest, that the Everfree had decided to open up its firmament and drench them from above.

The pair of fillies had been huddled together for the past hour, inside the half-barrel that was once a part of their fuselage, waiting out the storm. A flash of lightning, followed by a crack of thunder, made them both jump and cling to one another tightly.

“Do you think we’re close to town?” Zephyr spoke up softly, her words barely audible above the howling wind.

Apple sighed. “I don’t know,” she said. “I didn’t get a good look at where we were before we dropped below the tree line.”

“So we could be... Deeper into the Everfree?” Zephyr gulped, her eyes wide.

Apple nodded. “Yep. We could be right in the middle of the forest for all I know. If this stupid storm would quit, I’m sure I could find our way out of here.”

“Do you think our mamas are out looking for us yet?”

Apple sighed. “They probably ain’t even back from the Crystal Empire, Zephyr. They ain’t supposed to be back until tomorrow.”

“What about the town? Will they look for us?” Zephyr asked, hope evident in her voice.

Once more, Apple sighed, and this time she shook her head for emphasis. “I don’t think so, Zeph. They probably won’t even know we’re lost until tomorrow, and by then anything could happen.”

Zephyr looked down toward the muddy ground, water sloshing around her hooves. She had always been the optimist between the two, but Apple’s matter-of-fact pessimism, ‘pragmatism’ her sister called it, dampened her hopes. Damp hopes, damp hooves, she thought to herself.

As they continued to lay there, huddling together for warmth, Zephyr let her ears passively pick up the sounds of the forest around her. She could hear the bullfrogs nearby, meaning they could be near foggy bottom bog; she could also hear the whippoorwills from high above, their long song fading into the forest floor.

She heard squishing sounds, and sticks snap. Probably a timberwolf on the hunt. She sighed. They were all alone out here, with... T-t-t-timberwolf?! Zephyr’s heart raced as she sat upright and grabbed her sister’s foreleg.

“Hey, what are-” was as far as Apple Flutter got before she found a muddy hoof in her mouth. Pushing her sister away, and spitting as much of the mud out as she could, Apple bonked her sister on the head. “What do you thin-”

“Shush!” came the panicked voice of Zephyr Blossom. Apple looked over to her sibling and saw her face in a mask of fear of apprehension. She watched carefully as her sister mouthed words to her.

T-bone wharf? Table wolf? What? Her eyes widened as the words clicked. Timberwolf?

Seeing her sister’s eyes light up with realization, Zephyr nodded vigorously, and pointed beyond their pathetic shelter. The two of them held their breath as they listened outside, waiting for the threat to show itself.

Crunch. Snap. Squeak. Crunch. Snap. Squeak.

Apple furrowed her brow. Wait a minute, she thought to herself, timberwolves don’t squeak. A few moments later, that squeak was followed by a low whistling sound.

She looked at her sister, who also had a look of confusion on her face. “Timberwolves don’t squeak, and they certainly don’t whistle,” she whispered to Zephyr.

Zephyr tilted her head. “Do we really know for sure?” she whispered in return.

Apple Flutter rolled her eyes and gave her sister a deadpan stare. Zephyr just shrugged apologetically.

Apple stood from her huddled position, and crept to the edge of the broken wooden barrel, rain pelting her on the muzzle as she turned and spoke to her sister. “You stay here, I’m going to sneak around the other side, and see what’s coming this way.”

Zephyr nodded. When it came to sneaking and creeping, she felt her sister was more than qualified.

Apple began tip-hoofing around the backside of the barrel, the cold rain and wind buffeting against her and sending a chill down her spine. She poked her head around, and looked into the darkness that was the forest.

Scanning around, she realized that she couldn’t really see anything. The nearest thing she saw was pieces of their flying machine, and the shrubs upon which it had landed. A flicker of something caught her attention off to the left. Squinting her eyes, for the rain had increased in volume and was now essentially bathing her in icy cold water, she focused as best as she could. What had seemed like a trick of the eye at first, proved to be an actual pinpoint of light.

At first, Zephyr feared it was the eye of a timberwolf, preparing to launch from its hiding place and attack, but she quickly realized that two things made that unlikely: she had never heard of a one eyed timberwolf but, more importantly, timberwolf eyes weren’t orange, they were green, and this light was definitely orange.

She was also certain that timberwolves didn’t whistle off key, because as the light drew nearer, the whistling sound became more distinct. She quickly ducked back into the barrel, and made her way back to where her sister had been sitting.

“I don’t think it’s a timberwolf. It squeaks, it whistles, and there’s an orange light coming from it.”

“Is it a one eyed timberwolf?” asked her sister.

“What?” Zephyr asked, an eyebrow cocked. “No! Only silly fillies think timberwolves only have one eye! Of course it isn’t a one eyed timberwolf. It’s probably a carriage.”

“Which means we can get help!” her sister replied, jumping up from her seated position, and slipping back into the mud, making a big splorch sound.

Apple Flutter sighed and rolled her eyes. Why did she have to get saddled with the silly filly? Why didn’t she find somepony else to help her with the flying machine?

Tossing aside those sibling regrets, she helped her sister to her hooves, and motioned for her to follow.

They exited the fuselage shelter, as Apple Flutter raised her forelegs and waved to the light source! “Hey!” she shouted, “we need help! Please stop! Help! We need help! Please stop!”

She listened for a moment as the whistling stopped, and the light abruptly shifted course slightly, heading directly for them.

“I sure hope you’re right, and this isn’t a whistling, squeaking timberwolf, sis,” Zephyr intoned quietly as she stood next to her sister.

A few moments later, Apple was vindicated, as a large draft pony, pulling what appeared to be a covered wagon, appeared before them, the light from his hanging lantern falling upon everything around them and illuminating it in an orange glow.

“Well, hello there!” the pony responded in surprise. “I didn’t expect to see anypony in this forest during a thunderstorm, and late at night! Two fillies, no less! What are you young ones doing out here? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?”

Apple Flutter ducked her head. “Yes, sir. We didn’t mean to be here, really we didn’t. We were trying out our flying machine, and we had an accident and crashed in the forest. I’d hate to impose on you, but we are very much lost. Are you on your way out of the Everfree?”

The stranger stepped closer, so that the fillies could see him better. He was a large pony, with a rusty red coat, gray eyes, and a blond mane.

“I sure am,” he replied, his deep voice booming, “which way did you come from?”

Zephyr responded, excitement in her voice. “We come from Ponyville, sir!”

The stallion raised his eyebrows. “Oh my. Well, girls, I hate to say it, but you’re pretty far from Ponyville. We’re closer to Foggy Bottom bog, and I’m headin’ for Appleoosa.”

The fillies heads lowered in disappointment. Zephyr started to sniff, her eyes tearing up at the edges.

The pony looked at them a moment, and a twinge of pity stirred in his chest.

“Now look here,” he began softly, “just cause I’m heading away from Ponyville don’t mean I can’t help. At the very least,” he said as he looked up, “we can get outta this rain for a little while. Come on inside, my wagon is dry, and I can get ya some hot cocoa or something.”

He unhitched his harness, and motioned for them to follow him to the rear of the wagon. “Oh,” he said, turning for a moment, “my name is Copper Pan, but you can call me Copper if ya like.”

Apple Flutter, and then Zephyr, took a moment to shake hooves with the stallion. “I’m Apple Flutter, and this is Zephyr, sir. We appreciate your giving us shelter from the rain.”

Copper just nodded and smiled as he grabbed the lantern from the hook, and trotted around to the back of the wagon, opening a canvas flap to allow the fillies entry.

As the fillies stepped inside, they noticed that while the space was somewhat cramped, it was also filled with all the comforts of home: a single bed, a tiny round desk with a wicker chair, a small cook stove, and a basin, probably for washing.

Copper stepped in behind them, and made his way over to the small cook stove, motioning the fillies to find a seat as he hung the lantern on a hook connected to the stove’s exhaust pipe. From next to the small counter, he grabbed a towel and tossed it to them. “Here ya go, girls, go ahead and dry off.”

As they dried themselves and took places on the single bed, the earth pony stallion lit the small fire in the stove, and stepped outside. When he returned, he carried with him a small kettle. Sitting it on the stove, he grabbed another towel, and dried himself. The fillies hoofed him their towel, and he tossed both in a small hamper behind the bed, and gently lowered himself into the wicker chair.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence inside the wagon, the wind outside pushing up against it, making it groan and creak. Still, it was warm and, more importantly, it was dry.

Finally, curiosity got to Zephyr, and she raised her hoof.

Copper smiled. “You don’t have to raise your hoof, it ain’t no classroom.”

Zephyr blushed. “Sorry, um. I was wanting to ask you something if it isn’t too personal?”

Copper nodded his assent, letting her continue.

“Um, do you live in this place by yourself? I mean, it looks like you do.”

“I sure do. I travel from town to town, gettin’ work when I need it, seeing the world when I can.”

Apple Flutter spoke up. “Oh no, are you homeless, Copper?!”

Copper laughed. “Oh my no, Miss uh...”

“Apple.”

“No, Miss Apple. I’m not homeless. This is my home; All you see around you is where I live. It may not seem like much, but it’s all mine, and it lets me be free to travel anywhere I want to go.”

Zephyr raised her hoof. “Mr. Copper, why don’t you want to live in a house? Is somepony after you?”

Copper smiled at the filly. “Well, Miss...”

“Zephyr, sir.”

“What manners! Miss Zephyr, I don’t live in houses, because to live in a house you have to put down roots. I don’t feel right comfortable doing that.”

“What’s wrong with roots? Our moms live in a big farm house and we supply Ponyville with the best apples around,” Apple Flutter asked, skepticism in her voice.

Copper held up a hoof, waving it at her. “Nothing wrong at all, little filly.” He stopped for a moment as the kettle whistled. Deftly, he laid out three cups, pouring hot water in each, and a small sachet of cocoa powder. Hoofing each of them a cup, and sitting back in his chair with his own mug, he continued.

“Putting down roots can be a great thing if you want a family, or a steady job. I just don’t feel right with those things. I never wanted a family, and the only job I like is one where I can drop everything and leave with no regrets.”

“Is it because you think families are bad?” Zephyr asked before taking a sip of her hot cocoa. “My mommy says some people just don’t like their families.”

Copper looked down at his steaming mug for a moment. The sudden silence highlighted the staccato of raindrops that were still beating down on the roof. For a moment, Zephyr thought she had offended Mr. Copper, but then she saw him look back up at her with a small smile on his muzzle.

“No, darlin’, families aren’t bad. I, uh, I had a great family once.”

“What happened to them, Mr. Copper?” Apple asked, her voice just above a whisper.

Copper just sat in silence for a moment, before clearing his throat. “Um, I’d uh, rather not talk about it, little filly. Just believe me when I tell ya that havin’ a family can be a great thing. Your mommies wanted a family, so they had you. Just like so many other mommies, and daddies, they want to live on through their foals. That’s the pony way; shoot, that’s the way all livin’ creatures do.”

The wind picked up once more, causing the wagon to creak and groan once again.
A crack of thunder made them all jump.

“Well howdy,” Copper said after they had calmed down, “that storm sure is a gully washer. I sure am glad to have found you fillies.”

“We really appreciate that you let us stay in here while the storm passes, Mr. Copper.”

“Oh, well old Copper don’t turn anypony away, little fillies. I live by Celestia’s code; the code of friendship.”

“It’s good to make new friends out here,” Zephyr remarked.

Copper just cocked his head to the side and regarded the little filly.

They finished the rest of their cocoa in silence, and once more Copper stepped outside, taking the lantern with him. While he was outside the wagon, the fillies took the opportunity to talk between themselves in the darkness.

“Mr. Copper sure is a nice stallion,” Zephyr whispered.

Apple nodded. “Yeah, he really is. I think it’s sad that such a nice stallion doesn’t want to have a family. I couldn’t live without our moms, could you?”

“No!” Zephyr replied, her eyes wide. “Our mommies mean everything to me!”

“So what do we do?” Apple asked.

“What do you mean?” Zephyr replied.

“I mean, maybe we should help him see how awesome it is to have a family. I think he just needs to see what having a great big happy family is like, and he’ll change his mind.”

“I don’t know, Apple. I mean, we’re not always happy. What about when we have chores, or when you get grounded?”

Apple stuck her tongue out at her sister before replying. “You get grounded too, you know. Yeah, we ain’t always happy, but we all love each other. I think Mr. Copper needs more friends. I think we’re all he has.”

It occurred to both of them, then, that the wagon had been moving.

Apple Flutter called out “Mr. Copper, what’s going on?”

They heard Copper’s voice from the front of the wagon. “I’m taking you girls back home. I figured that it’s my responsibility to get you there safely. After all, that’s what friends do. Get yourselves some sleep. Come mornin', you'll be almost there.”

The fillies snuggled up against one another, and nodded off to the sounds of rain, thunder, and the tuneless whistling of a large, rusty coated draft pony trotting through the mud and muck of the forest.

The End

/)*(\

Comments

[LotusTeaDragon]

6373081 - I loved the picture, Spitdash! If you want, you can post it here so others can see it, too!

Well, everyone, the next chapter is out. I hope you like it!

[avidreader07]

Rust red coat and blond mane? Except for the eye color, that sounds so much like Big Mac, that's who I thought it was at first. A little disappointed it wasn't, though. And he's way too old to be Mac's son, too. A shame, that.