Where did you come from?

by Jeweled Pen

Chapter 18: On the farm

Cheerilee sighed and pushed the boy along, grumbling darkly as he resisted her every step of the way. “Come. On.”

“I don't wannaaaaaa!” Val whined as he tried pushing back, not that it did him any good. She was bigger, stronger and had to get to class in thirty minutes. She was in no mood to deal with his little tantrums.

“Val! Move it! You're going to make me late!”

“But you'll never come pick me up!” he whined again, shaking his head.

“Of course I'm going to come pick you up! I wouldn't do that to the Apples!” she snapped angrily. “Stop fighting! It's just a farm, you'll be fine, I swear. You just need to move it!”

“But I don't wannaaaaa!” he whined again, shaking his head. “Can't I just stay home?”

Visions of her house burned down flooded to her mind and she shook her head. “No. Not a chance.” She'd only barely managed to get all the junk brought in the other day(whatever wasn't going to be trashed) and she did not want to come home to find all her windows shattered, amongst other damage. “Big Mac will take good care of you, I promise.”

“N-- EEP!”

She finally gave up on pushing him and with a flick, tossed him into the air and caught him on her back. She then trotted along. “If you don't knock it off, you're getting a spanking.”

He growled, but slowly went limp, putting on a passive, if useless, resistance. She sighed and shook her head. Sometimes she could just... bleep.

The farm soon came into sight and she let out a sigh of relief. Freedom. She swore the house had a radiant halo of light shining down on it. She looked around, but didn't see any sight of Applebloom. The filly must have already headed off, another reminder that she was going to be late. She trotted up to the door and knocked. “Hello?” she called out.

There was no response. “Well, they aren't here I guess you need to take me to school!” Val said quickly with a big grin on his face. He went quiet when she glared at him. She then knocked again. “Is anypony here?”

“Well, howdy,” a voice called out, making Cheerilee turn. She smiled at the orange earth pony trotting over, cowpony hat over her ears.

“Ah, Applejack. Is your brother around? I need to drop off Val.”

“He's out around back. But don't yah worry one lick, he already told meh all about your lil problem.”

“Your accent makes you sound like you have worms crawling through your brain!” Val said angrily, glaring at her.

The mare was taken aback, before snickering into her hoof. “Mai oh mai. Bit of a fire brand that one, eh? Ah heard about 'im a lil.” She trotted over and picked him up in one hoof. He had the oddest impression of being held by a dragon, though he had no idea why. “Well, don't yah worry one bit. Ah've heard 'em all, colt. A lil insult ain't gonna make yah any less welcome.”

He frowned and opened his mouth, but Cheerilee cut him off. “Val, you're already in a lot of trouble. Do you want to get in more?”

He grumbled, but shook his head.

“Good. So will you be watching him today, or will Big Mac?”

“He will,” Applejack said before putting the colt on the ground. “Now yah both follow meh. We got a whole day of fun an' excitement planned. Well, at least some good ol' work. What with summer festivities comin' an' all, we gotta lotta stuff tah set up. Hay maze is gonna be a right toughie this year an' ah think helpin' with that'll be jus' what the doctor ordered.”

“Err, hay bales? He's not very--”

“Ah, don't yah worry one lick. Apple Bloom does this kinda work every mornin',” the mare said before gazing down at him. “Ah mean, sure, he's a bit scrawny, but he'll toughen up.”

“Well, if you're sure,” Cheerilee mumbled. “We had breakfast, but I can try to swing by for lunch and--”

“Now don't yah fret about it. We're gonna put him tah proper work an' when yah work on a farm, yah eat on a farm,” Applejack said with a chuckle. There was a loud, thunderous thump. The closest thing Val could compare it to was the sound of a mountain being hit by a pillar. They walked around the house and he came in sight.

The tall, majestic red stallion, carved of stone. Val knew he wasn't THAT big. In fact, he'd seen dozens of monsters and spiders far, far bigger. But that didn't make him SEEM any smaller than a mountain. Then he kicked a tree. It rattled and he half expected it to collapse. He was amazed there weren't deep gouges in the wood. The pony might have brought down the whole underdark. A single sprig of wheat rested casually in his mouth, but it barely moved as he kicked, as if all the force was spread through the tree with none left to make its way to his face.

But, powerful or not, he was still just a pony. A big, giant, kind of intimidating pony, but a pony. Val glowered up at him.

“Okay, so I have something for you, too,” Cheerilee said as she moved over to Big Mac. She glanced to Val. “Stay with Applejack a moment.” She then walked to the stallion and leaned in, pulling out a small box from her saddle bag. “It's a magic inhibitor. The hospital gave it to me when I dropped him off. Only use it in emergencies, though. His magic... it's not like pony magic. It might end up hurting him. But if he gets too dangerous, I understand.”

Big Mac looked down at the box, before looking to the colt. “Went an' lit a filly on fire?”

Cheerilee nodded and he eyed the box for a few more seconds.

“Might hurt 'im?”

She nodded again.

He looked between the two, pondering for a few moments. Finally, he shook his head. “Eehhhh nope. Ah'll be fine.”

“But he can really--”

“A lil magic ain't gonna hurt meh. Ah ain't doin' nothin' gonna hurt some lil colt,” he said firmly.

She smiled and gave a nod, putting it away. “I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you say that. But I felt I should at least offer.” She took a deep breath and looked back to Val. “Now, honey? I want you to do whatever Big Mac says and DON'T give him trouble. Understand?”

He grumbled, but slowly nodded. “Fine. Whatever. Not like I care or anything.”

She sighed and nodded, before smiling to Big Mac. “Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much this means to me.”

He nodded. “Ain't no problem. Now, run along tah school now.”

She nodded and turned away, trotting off. His eyes lingered on her for a few moments before he slowly lowered his gaze. Big Mac and Val looked at each other, before the stallion turned towards the open fields on the right, filled with hay bales. “Usually it's Applebloom's job tah do this, but ah think it'll do yah some good. Come along.” He started lightly trotting off.

Val gave the other mare a glare, before trotting off the stallion. If that... behemoth thought he could boss the great and powerful Val around, he had another thing coming. He wasn't some rube like these silly earth ponies. Why, they couldn't even do magic. He then looked down at the ground, expecting to see great dents from the stallion's hoof prints. There weren't even the slightest marks. Earth ponies couldn't do magic, could they? He suddenly began feeling slightly less sure about all this.

He stopped on the edge and pointed out to little flags around the field. “Job is simple enough, yah need tah push or pull the bails across the field towards the flags. Which is nearest. From there, me an' Applejack'll come pick 'em up an' take 'em tah the big stacks. Here.” He held out a small rope with a thick, curved hook and bit. “Yah put the hook on the ropes an' hold the bit in your mouth, tuggin' it along. Yah got that?”

“You... you've got to be kidding me,” Val said softly. “You expect me to do work like THAT?”

The stallion gave a nod. “Eeyup. It'll do yah good.”

The little colt looked at the rope, the bales of hay and then finally the stallion. He grit his teeth before, finally, he snapped.

Big Mac looked down at the ranting little colt with a single eyebrow raised. The sprig of wheat in his mouth traveled from one side to the other a few times as he contemplated the words spewing from the arrogant little brat.

Finally, after the fourth or fifth threat against his family and lineage unto the ninth generation, he moved.

Val was cut off by a hoof roughly the size of the moon pressing down on his spine. It drove him to the floor and held him there, squeezing the air out of him momentarily. It didn't hit him very hard, but it was just unmoving and unrelenting, like gravity itself had decided to just take him down and the rest of his body had no intentions to fight back. No matter how he resisted, there was no fighting back against it, might as well have tried pushing back the moon.

Mac leaned down, slow and steady, and stared him in the eye. The red furred stallion stared until Val blinked and looked away, before saying in his low bass voice. "Eh...nope. None of that. Ya'lls gonna do your chores. Or no supper. "

“B-but--”

“No. Supper,” the behemoth said again, before slowly lifting up.

“W-well, fine! I don't need supper anyway!” Val said, glaring up at the stallion defiantly.

Big Mac just stared back and didn't say a word. Watching the colt. Val gulped nervously and, once again, had to look away. “Stupid... dumb... BLEEPing pony. Looks like a... like a giant red... ox... or... something.” He walked over grudgingly to the rope, picked up the bit in his mouth, and moved to the first bale. He latched the hook on and started pulling.

The stallion watched with cool indifference, though internally he was slightly worried. The colt was quite scrawny and tiny and the hay bales were quite large. Was it too much for the colt? But then, after a few tugs, the bale began to move and inch by inch he dragged it along towards the flag. He waited until it was all the way over before he gave a slight nod of approval.

“Eeyup. Good job.”

“Hmph.” Val was panting slightly, a thin layer of sweat over his body. It wasn't much, but then the boy was only just starting.

“Now, yah keep at it. Ah'll be keeping an eye on your progress.” He then turned to trot off.

Val growled once the stallion was out of sight. He should just toss the rope on the ground, chase after the stallion and start yelling again. But he could still feel that hoof on his spine and it made him shiver. Well, the stallion wasn't here. If he slacked, well, then that giant buffoon would never know.

Yet, he was sure he would. He swore he could almost feel that creature watching him. He looked around, but didn't see anything. He looked to the next hay bale and gulped. It didn't... matter, did it?

Grudgingly, he walked towards the next bale and latched on.

Big Mac smiled from his hiding spot behind one of their larger trees, before turning to walk off and get to work. The colt really wasn't so bad once you got him to actually shut up and work. Still, he pitied any pony who he called momma or dadda. Now that was a horror story for the ages.

------

Cheerilee cringed as the school came into sight. Standing outside of it was the last stallion she wanted to see. A brown stallion with a dark gray mane. Filthy Rich.

“Hello, Filthy,” she said with a sigh.

“Miss Cheerilee!” he said firmly. She had to resist rolling her eyes. Where did he get off calling her 'miss'? She wasn't that old! In fact, he was older than her! By a few years. She understood the kids calling her it, but why did all of her peers and even elder have to call her it? And the princess? Would Celestia be calling her it next? Her first name was NOT miss! “I need to talk with you about that little ruffian that came to school the other day. The one who assaulted my little girl!”

Cheerilee looked down at Diamond. To her surprise, the child looked more worried. Normally she looked smug during situations like this, when her daddy came to fight her battles. But this time she looked as if she didn't want him here at all. Maybe she really was improving. “Yes. He has been suspended for the week.”

“Suspension? That's not enough! He needs to be expelled! He--”

She closed her eyes and listened to him rant and rave. She was not in the mood for this. She needed to get started for class, not deal with an upset parent. She looked down and then motioned the ponies inside, sending the children off. “You too, Diamond. Your father and I are going to have a talk.”

Once they were gone, she turned to him and sighed. “Now, Filthy, I--”

“Rich.”

“Filthy, I know you're upset.” She took far more pleasure in the glare he was giving her than she should have, but she was in no mood. “What happened to Diamond was an accident. He's a young colt with problems. He's being punished, but suspension is where it starts and where it ends. There won't be a next time and expelling him is not happening.”

He frowned deeper. “He's a menace, he doesn't belong amongst normal ponies. I'll go to the school board! He should be locked away and--”

And she lost her temper. She was tired, grouchy, spent all night dealing with Val and stressing about all this. So she hoped she could be forgiven. “He is a child unlike anything ANY of us have experienced. He comes from another dimension where the monsters from places like the Everfree Forest are tame. Where being caught and eaten alive by giant spiders isn't just a danger, it's a common occurrence and a form of entertainment!” She advanced and the stallion had the good grace to back up, suddenly looking nervous. “He's probably seen more horrifying sights in his short few years than most of us adults will EVER see in our entire lives! Not only that, he has been sucked out of his home and deposited in a new world, with a new body and with brand new rules of how EVERYTHING works less than four whole days ago! So yes, there is going to be a bit of problems with him! But I'm not going to let you try to mess up the little bit of a new life he is struggling to make for himself because he made one mistake! A big mistake, yes, but a mistake! So the suspension is the first and LAST punishment. Do. I. Make. My. Self. Clear?” she said, punctuating each of the last words by getting less than an inch from his face.

Filthy gulped. “Y-you can't... expect m-me to believe such a--”

“Take it up with Princess Twilight if you don't believe me. She's currently in the midst of trying to study his dimension and find out what kind of threat it poses to us and to everypony else. If you want to take this to the school board, then go right ahead. We'll work it around her schedule.” She felt a little bad dropping the princess' name like that, but it was soooo worth it watching the color drain from his face.

“Well... ah... I suppose... my daughter wasn't hurt. And considering... the circumstances of his, errr, arrival, a few... missteps could be understood. Suspension should be fine.” He couldn't even look at her anymore.

She didn't answer. She just glared at him. He gulped and started trotting off, breaking into a brisk gallop once he was out of the school yard. She watched him leave, her eyes twitching slightly.

Then she let out a soft sigh as the first bell went off. Her heart was beating like a drum and she wanted to just go inside, curl up and whine. It was too early in the morning for this. She trotted inside and grumbled darkly. Diamond was waiting outside the room and Cheerilee prepared for the worst. She couldn't just yell at her. She'd have to listen to the child's tirade about expelling Val and banishing and imprisoning him where he is banished with calm, collected behavior. It was too early, but she readied herself for the worst.

“I'm sorry,” the filly said softly.

That, on the other hoof, gave the teacher pause. “I'm sorry?”

“I didn't want to tell daddy, I knew he'd get upset. But he saw the singe marks on my tiara and I couldn't lie about it,” she said softly.

Cheerilee paused and stared at the filly. She'd been trying to protect the boy? Even after what he'd done? She couldn't help but smile. Yes, the crusaders were really becoming a marvelous influence on her. She still had a while to go, but she had a feeling she'd be alright, in the end. She stepped forward and gentle patted her on the head. “It's okay. You shouldn't lie to your parents, anyway. I've dealt with Val.”

She nodded. Then paused. “He's... not going to attack me... again, is he?”

“He won't be coming back for a week and no, he will never attack you again. It was very kind of you to try to protect him after what he did.”

She sighed and scuffed a hoof. “It was Scootaloo's idea,” she mumbled softly. “Said it was an accident and stuff...”

She nodded. “In many ways, it was. It was still very sweet of you. Now, run along.”

She watched the filly trot inside and let out a soft, content sigh. That was just what she needed. One good, kind, sweet little filly who could actually show compassion, forgiveness and empathy to a pony, even when they hurt her. One who was maturing into a good, responsible adult. Her heart was still pounding, but at least now it felt warmth.

------

Val growled as he dragged one final hay stack into the pile and collapsed, panting on the ground. His entire body was covered in sweat and he didn't know how much more of this he could take. He was hot, everything ached and, worst of all, he'd only made a small dent in the hay bales. He'd been working at it for hours, too, but all the rests he had to take was making it take forever. He'd never get all this done, not in a hundred thousand years! Why didn't he have any move things fast spells? Ugh.

A heavy hoof step besides him made him look up. He groaned at the sight of the massive behemoth. “What do you want?”

“Time for supper,” Big Mac said, before reaching out, plucking the colt up as if he was light as a feather, before dropping him on the back that had to be made of dwarven steel.

“Not hungry...”

“Trust me, yah are,” he said before trotting back, heading towards the house. As they got closer, he could hear a light ringing.

“Yah all come an' get it now!” a pony called. He'd... never seen something so old. He swore a stiff wind would have knocked the ancient creature to bits. Her yellow coat was faded and her legs looked like they'd crumble to dust. Yet she was walking around without any problems. Well, okay, a few problems.

He was dropped in a chair and the three earth ponies sat by him. He glowered at all three of them as his meal was dished up. A sweet roll, some kind of thick stew and two big apples. Seriously, how much did they think he could eat? He was just a little colt. He couldn't help getting a little frustrated as he watched them... grip things and pick them up. It wasn't fair. HE wanted to grip things and pick them up, too! Ugh. He leaned forward and had to nibble with his mouth.

“What's amatter, lil feller? Your horn don't work? Don't see many of yah fancy horn ponies usin' their mouth like the rest of us,” the older pony said.

He turned and glared at her. “I'd use my hooves but the stupid things are flat. Your silly pony magic doesn't work on them to let me grip things.”

That just made her look confused. However, before she could object, Applejack piped up. “His horn don't work like that. Can't do none of that fancy telekinesis stuff. Ain't that right, Big Mac?”

“Eeyup,” the stallion said with a nod. “'sides, he's still learnin' how things work here. Ain't no problem how he eats, as long as he does.”

Val wanted to add some things, but he was too tired. He didn't even know how... he stared at his plate. Where had his food gone? The thing had been full just a second ago. Had he eaten it already? There was no way, he--

“Yah want seconds?” Applejack asked with a smile. “Ah know it's your first day, all this hard labor can work up quite the appetite.”

“Ummm... yes please,” he said, staring at his empty plate still. All that remained was two apple cores and even those were starting to look appetizing. Soon enough he was holding his very full stomach and leaning back a bit. He then looked to the giant red pony. Was he going to send him right back out?

“Yah can have a bit of a rest 'fore getting' back tah work,” the stallion said. “Let your food settle.”

He nodded slowly, too tired and full to object or complain. He closed her eyes and smiled. Some of this wasn't so bad, now that he thought about it. A little bit of it was actually kind of nice. The work sucked, but the food was good. He wasn't getting complained at, either, even though he knew he wasn't doing a good job. He was doing his best and--

His eyes widened. They knew he was doing his best! Those... those tricky ponies! That's why they were being nice! He knew they were watching him. He'd show them, he'd... he'd... he'd just take a short little nap in this very comfy chair.

------

Cheerilee hummed happily as she trotted towards the farm. Well, she didn't see any smoke or fire, so that was a good sign. In fact, that was a better sign than she'd hoped. She'd truly expected the place to be completely destroyed, wrecked, burned to ashes. Well, okay. She'd expected a singed tree and a pissed off Apple family. Instead, everything seemed calm and quiet. Off in the distance she could hear the steady thump of trees being bucked. Big Mac was near the house, tending to the trees nearby. His sweaty, glistening coat-- Ack, no, bad idea. Focus on other things. She let out a sigh of relief when he stopped and walked over, nodding to her.

She took a deep breath. Well, it was now or never. “So, Val. How uhhhh... how was he? Was he okay?” Please don't be too much property damage, please don't be too much property damage.

He stared at her for a few moments before giving a slow, steady nod. “Eeyup.” He then motioned her to follow him as he trotted off. She gulped nervously, but followed.

Val was in the living room, curled up on the couch on his side. He was a bit sticky from sweat, but nothing too bad. She smiled.

“He's kind of cute when he's sleeping, isn't he?”

For a few moments the stallion didn't say a word, but then he nodded.

“Shame he can't sleep all the time, huh?”

“Eeyup,” the stallion said without a moment's hesitation, drawing a smile from her.

She moved closed and reached out, before stopping. “Are you absolutely certain you'll be okay watching him all week? I mean... I know all this is kind of... it's a lot of responsibility. He can be kind of a pain, a trouble maker. And I know--”

He walked over and patted her on the back. “Eeyup.”

She smiled to him and nodded. Only he could calm a worried mare with just one well placed word. “Thank you. You're a true gentlecolt, Big Mac.” She then reached out and softly shook the colt. His eyes opened groggily and he looked up at her.

“Huh? Wha? Ow!” he whined, rolling over. “My legs hurt!”

“Hard work'll do that,” Big Mac said with a nod. “Yah'll get used tah it.”

Cheerilee looked down nervously. “Will he be okay?”

“Eeyup.”

Val whined softly, glaring at the stallion. “You... you did this to me!” He pointed a hoof accusingly.

Cheerilee smiled and then picked him up, gently putting him on her back. “Come on, Val. Let's get you home and cleaned up. You smell just awful.”

“Ughhhhh...” he whined as he was carried off. “I don't have to come back, do I?”

“Tomorrow you will, dear.”

There was another exasperated whine. However, as she made it to the door, Applejack was standing outside with a wagon, a wide grin on her face. “Hey, Miss Cheerilee.”

There it was again. Applejack wasn't nearly young enough to be calling her that. Did most ponies think her first name was miss?

“We got a few things tah help yah out while you're takin' care of him.”

Cheerilee paused and peered into the wagon. Her face lit up as she saw the old cabinet and a small cot. It wasn't much, but it would give Val a bed to sleep in. She smiled to the mare. “Why thank you. I think we have just the space for it.” She then paused. “How did you know?”

“Fluttershy mentioned it. With Twilight mentioning he was just dumped on yah like that, figured we could lend yah some stuff until he's gone.”

The teacher blinked and then smiled. Of course. The pegasus was bound to notice something so important missing from the room. Though she was a little surprised the mare hadn't just assumed there was a second bed stored somewhere else. Twilight probably mentioned everything to Applejack, too. She grinned as she imagined the earth pony visiting the princess, probably to make sure she ate something. Likely by force, if the princess' current state was any indication.

“Thank you very much.” She put Val into the wagon. “I'll try to put it to good use and bring it back as soon as we're done.”

“Ain't no worries, don't got much use for it now until the big reunions, anyway. So use it as long as yah like.”

She nodded and trotted off. At least now he'd have a bed. Maybe it would make him slightly less annoying some days. She snickered softly. What if all along all he'd needed was a good night's sleep?

Author's Note:

Special thanks to Duelist925 for helping me with some of the dialogue in this chapter.

Comments

[HB_DS2013]

Pretty sure Cheerilee's not that old... and I love it.