Chapter 12: Work
Clean Slate
By Alaborn
Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.
Chapter 12: Work
“Come on, Diamond Tiara. Applejack wants us to pick up some items from the store before we go home.”
Some items? Apple Bloom had placed a rather long list on her desk. Shrugging, I loaded my schoolbooks into my saddlebags and got ready to leave school. Apple Bloom followed.
We walked down the quiet streets of Ponyville, with only the whistling of the wind and the jingle of coins in Apple Bloom’s saddlebags filling our ears. Although she just said “store,” the length of the list meant there was only one place we would be going.
Barnyard Bargains. My father’s store. Or, rather, my store.
Although the store seemed to have everything, save for fresh produce, my family didn’t shop there much. I think Applejack and Big McIntosh preferred the personal interactions with their fellow sellers in the outdoor marketplace. And I noticed we reused a lot on the farm.
I then realized this would be my first trip to the store since learning it was my father’s legacy. Barnyard Bargains was the first place I experienced a brief moment of familiarity, but after not recovering any memories on several subsequent trips, I hadn’t visited the store again.
Barnyard Bargains looked busier than it had on my previous visits. The wide variety of goods was still there, but decorations and gifts were more prominently featured. Hearth’s Warming was next month, and Barnyard Bargains was already into the holiday season.
“So what are we looking for?” I asked.
Apple Bloom pulled out the list again. “Salt, vinegar, alum, dried garlic... it looks like we’ll be canning and pickling. There’s also glue, nails, and some other hardware stuff.”
“Do you want to split up the list?” I offered.
“Sure. Let me get the hardware. You can keep the list; I think I can remember what I need,” Apple Bloom replied.
I nodded, taking the shopping list from Apple Bloom and dropping it in one of the store’s baskets, which I took in my mouth. It didn’t take me long to find what I needed. The salt and spices were in the same aisle. One large box of salt was followed by smaller spice bottles. The alum, unfortunately, was on the top shelf, and set a distance back. I stretched, supporting myself with the hoof of my left foreleg on the second shelf as I reached with my right foreleg.
Then, I found myself flat on the ground. My rear hooves had slipped, and I landed on my stomach, followed by several of the spice bottles.
I felt a pair of hooves around my barrel as somepony helped me stand up. Judging by the vest he wore, the young stallion was one of the store’s employees. “Are you okay?” he asked.
I lifted each limb in turn, feeling no pain. “I’m okay,” I said, and started to put away the spilled bottles.
The employee also got to work cleaning up the spill. “Do you need help getting something off the top shelf?” he asked.
“Yeah, I was trying to get...” I started, and then noticed the bottle I was trying to reach had landed in my basket. “Looks like I got it.”
“Please let an employee know if you need any assistance,” he said.
I picked up my basket and looked at the shelf. The three shelf structure was utilitarian, but with these smaller bottles, it left a lot of space wasted. I thought about the spice rack in my kitchen in home. Wouldn’t a bigger version of that spice rack be a better way to hold the spice bottles?
It would also be eye-catching if placed at the end of the aisle.
My supplies acquired, I rejoined Apple Bloom, and we paid for our goods. As I walked out, I noticed a sign by the front door. I walked home with a smile and an idea in my head.
“You want to do what?” Applejack said incredulously.
The two of us were alone. I had found Applejack working in the barn, and was glad to talk to her in private.
“There was a sign in Barnyard Bargains: Seasonal Help Wanted,” I said. “I want to work there, and learn more about how the store works.”
Applejack scratched her head. “I think your father would have approved of your sentiment. But you’re a little too young to work, aren’t you?”
“Too young to work on a farm?”
“That’s different,” Applejack replied, though she didn’t specify exactly how it was different.
“The holidays are coming up, and I have this gift idea for Apple Bloom, but I’ll need money,” I explained.
“Shoot, you don’t need to get anypony anything fancy,” Applejack said. “Why don’t you try making something?”
“It’s not something fancy, but I really can’t get it without money. I’d like to keep it a secret. It’s... something I want us to do together,” I said. “And I do want to learn about Barnyard Bargains.”
“Well, we’ll see,” Applejack replied. “I’ll head to Town Hall. I think there’s some kind of form I’ll need to sign for you. And even though you’re Diamond Tiara, there’s no guarantee the store will hire you.”
“Okay.”
“And if you do get hired, you’re still going to have to do your chores.”
I nodded. “I can accept that.”
The next afternoon, when Apple Bloom and I returned home, Applejack passed me a paper, the size of a normal sheet of paper folded in half.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“It’s your work permit,” Applejack replied. “You need it if you’re going to get hired anywhere. And at your age, there are some pretty severe restrictions on working. Three hours on weekdays, six hours on weekends, twenty hours a week, and no working past 9:00 PM.”
Applejack stared at both of us. “That doesn’t apply to farm work, I’ll have you know, so don’t go getting any funny ideas,” she warned.
As Applejack departed, Apple Bloom said, “So what’s that all about?”
I headed up to our room, Apple Bloom following. “I thought I’d try working at Barnyard Bargains,” I said quietly.
“Why would you want to do that?”
I held my tongue until we were in our room. “Did Applejack say anything about my last doctor’s appointment?” I asked.
“No,” she replied.
“You know how you’re trying to buck apples?”
“Yeah, I’m learning the technique, but Applejack doesn’t want me to join her until I’m bigger and stronger.”
“I might never be as strong as you are right now,” I admitted. “I might never be strong enough to contribute my fair share.”
“Aw, shucks, you don’t have to worry about that,” Apple Bloom said. “We’ll still support you.”
Support. The idea made me wince. I didn’t want to be supported. I wanted to be the one supporting others.
“Applejack said something to me once. She said my special talent would probably have me running Barnyard Bargains one day. So I want to work there.”
Apple Bloom stared at me before raising her hoof to her mouth, desperately trying to stifle a laugh.
“What?” I demanded.
“Sorry, I’m just picturing you in one of those silly vests,” she replied, before abandoning her attempts to keep quiet. She fell backwards on her bed, guffawing.
I turned red, but I couldn’t help but smile. Those vests did look silly.
The next afternoon, I headed to Barnyard Bargains after school. I wasn’t sure where to go once I got there. Fortunately, I noticed the stallion who had helped me up when I had fallen during my previous trip.
He smiled as I approached. “Can I help you?”
“Who do I talk to about that ‘seasonal help wanted’ sign?”
The stallion raised an eyebrow. I could feel him appraising me. I know I was young, but I hoped my willingness to clean up after myself had made a good impression.
“That would be the manager. Let me take you to her.”
The store employee took me to the back of the store, through a pair of wide swinging doors. The back of the store appeared to be a warehouse. It lacked the tile and carpet of the store area, and was not decorated, just a concrete floor and utilitarian shelves laden with wrapped goods. With a turn to the right, he took me to a normal-sized door, the entrance to a small office built into this space.
Inside I found a middle-aged earth pony mare. “How can I help you, young filly?” she asked.
“Actually, I was hoping I could help you,” I said. She raised an eyebrow. “I saw your sign, looking for seasonal help, and I’d like to apply. I have my worker’s permit,” I said, passing it to the store manager.
“Let me thank you for your interest, but....” The mare’s voice trailed off. I think she saw my name, printed on the worker’s permit.
“I was about to say, this isn’t the store for a filly like you to gain work experience. But in your case, I’ll make an exception,” the manager said. “But if you’re talking about working after school, the only position that will fit your availability is in stocking. Are you willing to work there?”
“Well, I do want to learn every aspect of Barnyard Bargains. I can’t see why I wouldn’t want to start in stocking,” I said.
“Okay,” she replied. “Now, let me warn you, Miss Tiara. I won’t tolerate any slacking, and nopony may insult a customer. If you do, I don’t care what your name is. You’ll be gone. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding.
“Then welcome aboard. I’m Fine Time, store manager and your new boss.”
“Okay, Diamond Tiara. Barnyard Bargains primarily receives shipments twice a day. The larger portion comes in the morning, off the overnight trains, but a smaller yet still significant portion of the day’s shipments arrives in the early afternoon,” Fine Time explained. “That second shipment is why we hire ponies like you for the afternoon shift.”
I thought for a moment. “The overnight and afternoon trains must have the lowest passenger counts. That puts Barnyard Bargains in a position of strength when negotiating rates for the use of the railways for those shipments.
“Huh. That makes sense,” Fine Time said. “In any case, these shipments arrive between 1:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon. Your job is to first store any shipments still in the loading dock, and only then restock the shelves for the evening shoppers. Do you think you can handle that?”
“I can,” I responded.
Before I started my first day of work, I had to watch a film. It reinforced the lesson that each customer interaction should end with a positive result. If I didn’t know how to help, or wasn’t in a position to help, my primary goal would be to point the customer to somepony who could help him.
It wasn’t a lesson that came up much. My first few days, proudly wearing my Barnyard Bargains vest, I spent all my time restocking shelves. I probably answered three customer queries, pointing them to where they wanted to go in the store.
I think that was knowledge I picked up from before my accident.
“Everypony on the 2:00 and 4:00 shifts, please report to a meeting at 4:15 PM.”
That was new. I was curious to see what the big news was.
Around ten ponies gathered outside the manager’s office at the appointed time. The manager held a small bowl in her hoof, the bowl containing something that looked for all the world like glass beads.
“Everypony, these are Rainy Mountain Rain Drops. They’re a magical candy made with rainwater from the clouds surrounding Rainy Mountain, near Seaddle, and Barnyard Bargains is the exclusive seller here in Ponyville,” Fine Time said. “I want each of you to try the candy, so when a customer asks about it, you can give them your opinion.”
The bowl of candies was passed around the staff. I inspected my candy. It looked a lot like a clear glass marble, identical to each of the candies in the bowl. After seeing my manager pop the candy into her mouth, I followed suit.
The predominant flavor of this magic candy was simple sugar. It was like sucking a piece of unflavored rock candy. There was one difference, however. The small candy seemed to shed an impossible amount of water, almost as if I were lying on my back, mouth open, as a torrential rain fell.
Finally, the sugar candy popped, filling my mouth with a potent flavor. My eyes opened wide. Looking around, I see I wasn’t alone in experiencing this surprise.
“Okay, everypony, what did you just taste?” Fine Time asked.
“Raspberry!” I volunteered.
Around me, I heard a number of differing opinions. Cherry. Spearmint. Bubble gum. Apple. Peppermint. We looked at each other as we tried to understand what had just happened.”
“That’s right, everypony. Rainy Mountain Rain Drops are made with the magical rain of the untamed Rainy Mountain. You start with the flavor of cane sugar and fresh rain, and at each candy’s center there’s a surprise flavor! There’ll be a prominent display in our store, and I expect each of you to be able to tell our customers all about this incredible candy!”
Fine Time turned to a young stallion, an associate from the clothing department. “Hey, mister, what’s that candy?” she said, her raised voice making her sound like a typical customer.
“Well, ma’am,” the stallion replied hesitantly. “I’m glad you asked, ma’am. That’s Rainy Mountain Rain Drops, a wonderful candy out of Seaddle! If you like sweet candy with a surprise center, you’ll love these!”
“Excellent job, Stocker,” Fine Time said. “You all better be as good!”
The new candy did attract a lot of attention. As the day progressed, the pile of candy dwindled, and I needed to restock the display near the end of my three hour shift. I wanted to pick up a bag before the store ran out.
Fortunately, today was payday. My first payday.
I joined three other ponies in line outside the manager’s office. A while later, the manager placed a small bag of bits in my hoof. The pleasant heft of the gold coins and the little clinks they made as the bag shifted brought a smile to my face. I trotted to my locker, first stowing the coins in my saddlebag. Then I removed my vest, carefully folding it before placing it in my saddlebags. Finally, I entered the store proper, this time as a customer. Ten minutes later, I walked out with my pay, and with the first product I had ever bought with money I earned.
Mindful of the doctor’s assessment of my recovery, I galloped home. I wanted to maintain this fast pace for as long as possible, hopefully building my endurance.
Plus, I was hungry. That one rain drop candy was the only thing I had eaten since lunch, and picking up my pay and buying the candy had taken longer than I expected.
It was nearly eight o’clock and very dark by the time I returned home. The path from the gate of Sweet Apple Acres to the farmhouse was one of the most familiar things to me by now, and I had no problem finding my way home.
Dinner for me was a cold sandwich and slice of pie. We all had been eating a lot of sandwiches, because the stove was constantly in use canning foods and making preserves. I was originally worried that my work at Barnyard Bargains was keeping me from work I should be doing on the farm, work that I was physically capable of doing. But watching my busy family showed me I had nothing to worry about. The amount of work that could be done was limited by the size of the kitchen and stove. Unlike most else on the farm, having more hooves wasn’t going to help the canning get done faster.
During a lull in the canning, I brought down my gift. “What do you have there?” Granny Smith asked.
“It’s a magical candy called Rainy Mountain Rain Drops. Barnyard Bargains just got them in. They’re really good!”
“Well, what are they?” Applejack wondered.
Rather than give the standard spiel, I just referred to it as a sugar candy. “But from what I learned about how it was made, and with the different flavors the candy has, it reminds me a lot of zap apple jam.”
“Now that’s worth trying!” Granny Smith said excitedly.
Everypony took one candy. I smiled as they each sucked on the sugary shell, knowing the surprise that would come. As each pony’s eyes opened wider, I knew they had reached the flavored center.
“So what flavors did you all get?” I asked.
“Cinnamon,” Big McIntosh answered.
“Mint,” said Apple Bloom.
“Tart cherry,” Granny Smith replied.
Applejack had a sour look on her face. “Mine was apple, but I’d never sell an apple tasting like that.”
“Well, I guess you don’t have to worry about competition from that family!” I said.
That evening, I looked at the nearly depleted bag of candy. “There’s only three left. I can give one to Scootaloo, and one to Sweetie Belle, but leaves one unaccounted for,” I said.
“You should have it,” Apple Bloom said. “After all, you did work for it!”
“Actually, I’d like you to have it, if you can forgive me for touching your ribbon without asking.”
“Aw, shoot, you don’t have to feel bad about that,” she replied. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it.” She raised a hoof to her chin in thought, before smirking. “How about we make us even instead?”
“Okay,” I replied, unsure what she was planning.
Apple Bloom went over to my dresser and pulled something off of it. Before I knew what happened, I saw her wearing my vest from Barnyard Bargains.
“Well, howdy, and welcome to Barnyard Bargains!” she said with an unnatural smile on her face. “How’d I do?”
I groaned. As much as I loved working at Barnyard Bargains, I hoped I’d never have to be the pony greeting each customer.
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Last part was ultra cute. MOAR!
for a second i thought it would be Ramune candy
Previously seen unable to support her own weight when reaching for shelves = Given a job doing shelf stocking.
Given that we don't actually have Walmart (or greeters in general) in my country, the only frame of reference I have for Applebloom in that last scene is "Welcome to Costco, I love you" and that is..... a strange mental image to have.
dashie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw8055-Beautiful.gif
When was it said that Silver Spoon would have a chance to visit Ponyville?
And this is an interesting chapter mostly for it's contrast it shows.
2518637 Oh, I know exactly when Silver Spoon is showing up.
I keep meaning to comment on this story, but I never have anything to say other than I'm absolutely loving it. :) There's just something that keeps me hooked every step of the way. Fantastic work!
2518428 As long as it's not confused with the glass marble in a bottle of Ramune drink.
2518473 Actually, she just slipped. But, yes, she wouldn't be stocking those top shelves by herself.
It's hard not to think of discount retailers like Wal-Mart or K-Mart when seeing the show mention Barnyard Bargains. And that was definitely a Wal-Mart greeter, although there are plenty of stores that have greeters like that. The store will play a role in this story; it is Diamond Tiara's family legacy, and might end up tied to her special talent, after all.
So far, we've only seen the store in a positive light. One might wonder what other ponies think of Barnyard Bargains....
2532452 Yes, but you can assume ponies have similar dishes without meat. I'd guess shepherd's pie is just leftover vegetables and sauce topped with mashed potatoes.
Loved the Author's not at the end of Chapter 11.
I can see some changes to Barnyard Bargains happening in the store's future, once Diamond Tiara Takes over.
I'm anxious to find out what she got for everypony.
Little Diamond has a knack for the job.
Missing last quote mark.
I think what i love about this fanfic is its already finished, so i can just binge through it and have an ending. that said, I'm on chapter 13 so don't spoil me :3
10465335
THINGS HAPPEN!
10466042
OH NO!