After a lot of hard work and effort, Lemon Pie's trees are producing their first usable crop of lemons. Good thing too, because she has nearly used up all of her savings. Will the young mare be able to start making enough to keep the farm afloat? Or will things turn sour?
(This story is based on the name created by a pony name generator. I figured I may as well do something with it.)
Setting down the empty fruit basket, Lemona "Lemon" Meringue Pie let out a sigh of relief. Pulling the pale green bandanna off from around her forehead, the mare wiped her face before putting it around her neck.
The harvesting was done for today. It was not a large crop, after all she only had a small number of trees and wanted to have more to harvest on other days. All the same, even the few that she had done had taken a few hours.
Walking back toward her house, she could not believe how worn out she felt just from that little work. The time she had spent working to get the Little Lemon Heaven built and taking care of the trees until the fruit started to ripen had let her get a little bit out of shape since she had not needed to do any bucking. Hopefully it would not be bad enough to leave her stiff and sore tomorrow. Owning and operating the place on her own, she would have to work through it best she could anyways.
Lemon Pie headed up to her room, tossing the bandanna aside to use again later. Grabbing a brush, she began to run it through her creamy white mane to straighten it out and remove any leaves or twigs that may have fallen. Once finished she moved to check her coat. There were no spots there were noticeably dirty against the yellow of her fur.
Well, almost.
It turned out one of the leaves that went with the lemon and a half that created her cutie mark was an actual leaf from a lemon tree. Not the tastiest thing to eat, but it was well enough to nibble while pulling it from the coat.
Satisfied that she looked presentable for spending time in town, Lemon Pie grabbed a fresh bandanna. Instead of tying it around her forehead to absorb sweat, the mare tied it around her hair line to be fashionable and cover the top of her mane.
"Oh, yes dahling," she said to herself, trying to mimic the voice of an actress she had seen on stage. "You look simply mahvelous." She rapidly blinked the lashes over her big green eyes. Imagining how she looked, she let out a giggle.
After heading down stairs and into the kitchen, the yellow mare went to a desk in the corner. Opening the bottom drawer, she pulled out a small purse. The mare opened the bag and turned it over, dumping out the bits, then let out a sigh.
The last of her bits laid on the table before her. It was just a hoof full. Enough for a meal, maybe two if she was lucky. Hopefully everything would go well and there would be no emergencies that required bits. Lemon put them back into the bag and tucked it away to take with her.
Once she got back to the barn, she went over to the cart and began to attach herself to the trace. This was an exciting new experience to the mare. Bringing the wagon home had been the first time that she had ever pulled one, and this was the first she had pulled with something in it. This was an exciting new experience for her.
Lemon moved forward and felt the weight of the cart resisting. Taking a deep breath and adjusting her stance, she tried again. Her body tensed and strained as she pulled. With a slight groan, the wheels started to turn as the cart began to move forward.
Continuing to move forward became easier as the cart moved. It seemed like once it had started, it wanted to keep going. It became easier to pull, allowing her even pick up the pace. The young mare had managed to make a nice quick trot as she left the farm.
This is going to be easier than I thought, she thought as she reached the slope of the hill.
Lemon Pie started humming to herself gently as she walked. The cart got easier and easier to pull as she headed down the hill. It got so easy that it started to feel like she was not pulling anything at all.
Actually, it started to feel like it was trying to push her. Unsure what to do, the mare started to move faster to keep pace with the cart. Unfortunately, that just made it seem to go faster and push against her more.
Unable to keep up anymore, she tried to stop. The young mare stuck all of her hooves into the ground, trying to dig them into the packed dirt of the road and brace herself to stop herself and the cart. Instead she sent up a trail of dust as she skidded along the road. Green eyes wide and jaw clenched, she kept trying to stab her hooves into the ground and gain purchase, but the ground was to packed down to work. No matter what, she just kept moving forward.
One of the mare's hooves struck a rock in the road. The impact sent her up and off the ground. For a moment, Lemon Pie felt like she was flying. This quickly ended as she landed, mostly face first with her nose and mouth filling with dirt as she continue to be forced forward.
There was a loud thud from behind her. The young mare could only let out a squeal as she was yanked hard and rolled onto her side to dangle from one of the cart's traces. Lemon shifted and squirmed, trying to kick and fight. Instead, she flailed helplessly as she skidded back first on her side toward the side of the road.
Lemon Pie was twisted and tossed again before slamming back first into the ground. She let out a "whuff" as the air was knocked from her lungs.
The mare gasped as she was suddenly able to breathe again. She stared up at clear blue sky above as she tried to catch her breath, and stop shaking from the adrenaline now running through her body. And for the worst of the pain to subside.
After a lost time of minutes, Lemon reached down and unstrapped herself from the cart. Rolling over, she got back onto her hooves. She stretched with a groan, feeling like she had bruised the entire length of her back. A burst of pain shot through her left hide leg when she tried to take a step, putting weight on it. Not broken, but certainly hurting.
Limping, she turned to look at the cart and sighed.
It now laid half in the road and half in the grass upside down. The wheels were still spinning, like the cart was still trying to keep moving. Worse, there were lemons scattered in the road and tossed about in the grass.
Lemon Pie let out a sigh of relief as she reached the first buildings of Saddle Burr. Stopping she turned her head to look around. Should she go ahead to the town's market and try to sell the remnants of her crop, or should she just go straight to the doctor and be check up to find out how bad it she hurt herself?
It had taken some effort to get the cart upright again (the mare thinks she might have pulled something in the process). Then she had to pick up as many of the lemons that fell out as she could find that were not too badly damaged. Between the ones that were lost and the ones that were destroyed in the crash, she probably lost about a third of it all in total. Once that was done, Lemon had to hook herself back up to the cart, which was a slow and painful process for her. The pain was made worse when she began to pull the thing. Luckily there were no other incidents on the way to Saddle Burr.
Maybe she should have gone home. She could use the lemons from today's crop in the kitchen instead of trying to sell them. There were other trees waiting to be harvested from. She could go home, put some of the current lemons in the kitchen, the rest in the bin in the barn, harvest a new crop, make some refreshments, then bring it all to town first thing in the morning to sell and try again.
Instead, Lemon continued to make her way through town, working toward the market square. She had made it this far, so she decided that she may as well try to see it through to the end. Besides, if she was able to make it all the way to Saddle Burr on her own, she would probably be fine. No reason to waste the last few bits she had on a doctor's visit that would be a waste.
Reaching the town market, she quickly found an open spot between two kiosks to set up. Not enough space for another tent to set up, but enough for her and the cart. It also seemed like there was plenty of hoof traffic. It was a relief when she detached herself from the traces and stretched. Now she just had to set up the sign and...
Pits and peels! the mare thought with a groan, slapping a hoof against her forehead. There was no sign for her to put up. She had never made one to begin with. She had been so busy and excited about harvesting and selling her crops, that it had slipped her mind.
Nothing she could do about it now. Straightening up, she took a deep breath and put on a smile.
"Lemons," she said as ponies passed, "lemons. Juicy ripe lemons fresh from the farm. First crop from Little Lemon Heaven."
"Excuse me?" a voice said.
Lemon turned to look. Standing nearby was a pony, slightly smaller than her wearing a pair of saddlebags.
"I'm afraid I'm out of bits," the other pony said, "and was wondering if you were willing to barter?"
Lemon Pie laid under her cart, enjoying the cool shade as she kept out of the heat from the afternoon sun. Her chin rested on one of the spokes of the wagon wheel as she watched the rest of the Saddle Burr's market square.
"Lemons?" she called out to some passing ponies. "Fresh, ripe, juicy lemons." As they moved on after just a glance, she let out a sigh.
This was not going how she had expected or wished. She had not sold anywhere near as many as she had been hoping. There had been a few sales, which was nice. There had also been some bartering. She had managed to trade some for a jug of milk (which she had been drinking while it was still cold) from one pony, and about a pound and a half of strawberries from another. Not exactly what she would like to have gotten.
It was made a little more irritating by the fact that she was going to stop for the day. She had to get home and have supper. It also turned out she had to make some signs (still can't believe I forgot to do that). She had also been planning to make some snacks and treats to sell as well. Lemon had been considering making lemonade as well, and considering how hot and dry it was, that idea was seeming better and better.
A growl drew the mare's attention to her stomach.
"Cease your complaints," she said. "You will be fed shortly you foul beast. We've only been at this..." she let out a groan after figuring it out, "about six hours."
At least laying in the shade of the cart and resting had given her a chance to recover some. The worst of the pain had subsided. She still felt a little stiff and sore, but not as much as when she had first gotten to town after the crash. There was little pain as she climbed out from under the cart, and she no longer had a limp.
Biting her lip, Lemon Pie had to resist the urge to look in the cart. She already knew she would see and how much it would disappoint her. All of those poor unsold lemons, not finding new homes where they will make somepony happy. Unfortunately, she could not help herself when she was putting the container of strawberries and the rest of the milk in the back. As soon as she did, she let out a disappointed groan. She probably lost more lemons in the crash than she had sold.
The mare looked away from the back and stepped to move around the cart. Moving into position, she attached herself to the traces once again. A few quick tugs to make sure that everything was properly in place, and then a hard pull to get the wagon moving again. Now she just had to hope that the trip up the hill went better than the trip down it.
As she walked, she came across a restaurant. Her steps slowed down and stopped as she looked at it, watching ponies eating and drinking on the patio.. One of her ears gave a quick flick. Slowly, a smile spread across her lips, turning into a full grin. Quickly, she unhitched herself from the cart and ran up to one of the waiter.
"Excuse me," she said with a smile to get the waiters attention. Moving closer, she wrapped a front leg around his neck.
"I couldn't help but notice how plain and," she let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, "boring your water glasses are." Moving away, she turned him to face her. "Well, you are one lucky pony today. I have just the thing." With that, she zipped over to her cart.
"LEMONS!" she shouted as she pulled one up and held it out. "Yes sir, just imagine a piece of one of these beauties on the lip of the glass. It could be a wedge or a wheel. Why, your customers could give it a squeeze to add a little flavor. Or, you could have it be decorative and add a couple leaves of mint. What do you say?"
The mare continued to hold the lemon out and waited for the stallions response. The smile vanished as the waiter turned and walked back into the restaurant.
"Why not?" she called out after him. "Do you have any idea what kind of opportunity you're missing here?"
With a sigh, she put the lemon back into the cart. Hooking herself back up, she began walking home once again.
"Alright troops," Lemon Pie said as she turned around, "in truth, today has not gone as intended." She marched forward then turned to face the lemons and strawberries on the table. "However," she snapped her hooves together, "we shall not allow this to sour our disposition. I have already begun developing a new strategy, which we shall implement and I believe shall grant us greater advantage tomorrow, bringing us closer to victory. We shall show these ponies that we have the juice to succeed.
"Now, our first plan is providing beverage ade. On this front, we actually have some luck. Today, we were able to get additional support." She pointed a hoof at the strawberries. "This has allowed us to create the opportunity to act on two fronts. One squad will be assisted by the newly arrived support. The other shall proceed as originally planned.
"Any questions?" She stared at the lemons for several seconds. "Then let us begin."
Marching away from the table, she went over to the counter. First she grabbed a large knife and a cutting board. After setting them down on the table, she then got two drinking pitchers. Lemon grabbed a lemon, and cut it in half.
Despite the lack of success at selling in town, the young mare was feeling a bit more confident. It helped that she had managed to bring the cart up the hill without too much trouble (granted she had at one point lost traction and slid backwards a yard, but still). The walk back had also given her time to think and plan. Now she felt like she had a better idea of what to do next time. Tomorrow would bring greater profits.
Grabbing one of the lemon halves, she gripped it between her hooves. Gritting her teeth, she squeezed the fruit as hard as she could. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the juice collect a moment before dripping into the pitcher.
"Yes," she said in a low, gravely voice. "Give me your essence."
The squeezing stopped as the seeds started to break free of the fruit. Gently, she pulled the seeds out and set them aside.
"I have plans for you," she told them before going back to squeezing the lemon.
After squeezing four lemons into each pitcher, she then turned her attention to the strawberries. Cutting the stems off was easy. Squeezing them was not as impressive. Even in relation to their size, the strawberries did not have as much juice as the lemons. She ended up having to squeeze over ten of the little berries.
With that done, she sliced two of the lemons into wheels and put them in both pitchers. Next she quartered some of the strawberries and added them to the pitcher which had the strawberry and lemon juice. Taking the two containers, she carried them over to the fridge.
"Now," she said as she put them in, "you two get some rest and prepare for tomorrow." She shut the door and turned back to the table. "Meanwhile, I will have to begin preparation for the heavy support."
Lemona "Lemon" Meringue Pie took a hold of her bandanna and tied it around her long white mane. Moving further into her room, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her green eyes narrowed.
"Alright, Lemon," she said to her reflection. "Yesterday did not go the way you would have liked. However! Today is a new day. Put yesterday behind you...."
At that she had to stop and rub at her flank and back. She was still feeling incredibly stiff and sore from the crash. She almost thought she would not be able to get out of bed.
"And move on," she continued to herself. 'You can do this. You have the signs, you have the snacks (though not pie), and you have lemonade.
"Now you listen to me and you listen good." She poked at the mirror as she pointed at herself. "You are going to go to Saddle Burr and you are going to sell those goods. When you get home, you are just going to have nothing left but two empty pitchers. Right?
"Right?!
"Right!" She gave a nod. "Now, you go out there, and you show that town what you are made of."
With that Lemon Pie straightened up and puffed up her chest. Feeling pumped up, she ran from her room. Going to the kitchen, she grabbed the bag of bits, then went to the table. There were the two pitchers of lemonade, one regular and one with strawberries, a plate filled with cookies, another with lemon squares, and slices of a lemon cake. Collecting them all, she balanced them on her back as she took them with her.
Balancing the refreshments, she carried them with her to the barn. In retrospect, it probably would have been better if she had carried few items at a time and made more trips. Upside would be that if she tripped (Celestia forbid), she would not lose everything she managed to make.
Fortunately, luck seemed to be on Lemon's side today. She managed to make it all the way to the barn without dropping anything. With a sigh of relief, she took the stuff and put it in the back of the cart.
Note to self, she thought, get a box to put this in. Now let's see. Lemons? Check. Food? Check. Lemonade? Double-check. Signs with items and prices? Check. Am I forgetting anything? She rubbed at her chin as she stared at the contents. She could not shake the feeling she was forgetting something, but just could not think of what it was.
"It'll probably come to me later." Moving away from the side of the cart, she walked around to the front and began to strap herself in. A quick tug made sure she was hooked up properly and she started to pull.
Lemon let out a scream as she stopped and collapsed. As soon as she pulled against the full weight of the cart, pain shot through her flanks and back like lightning. The mare would swear that if actually hurt more than when she had actually been in the accident.
She considered that maybe she should go back inside and wait until she had healed up. Alternatively, she could just lay where she was and die. Just rot here and let Little Lemon Heaven become a wild lemon orchard.
With a deep breath, Lemon Pie to get herself back up on her hooves. She closed her eyes and shifted to adjust her balance. Bracing herself, she started pulling forward again. It did hurt, extremely, but not as much as it first did. It seemed like it would be something she could tolerate. Feeling a little more confident, she continued to pull the wagon and left the barn.
The going was slower than she would have liked, but it was steady progress.
Lemon stopped as she reached the slope of the hill.
"Okay, Mr Hill," the mare said, "you and I didn't get along too well yesterday. Now, I am willing to admit that a part of it is my fault, but I would prefer neither of us hold a grudge or blame each other. So how about you and I try to get along a little better today so I can get to town without losing anything. Okay?"
She looked down at the hill a little while longer. Finally she closed her eyes and stepped forward, letting herself begin to move down the slope. After a few seconds, she took another. Opening her eyes, she took a third.
Lemon's jaw clenched tight as the cart pushed forward, pressing its weight against her. It felt like something was trying to crush her spine. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes.
Slowly, the mare made her way down the hill. She braced herself with each step, doing her best not to slide down again. At the moment, she did not think she could survive going through it again.
It was a relief when she finally reached the bottom of the hill. She stopped a moment to let the pain subside, and to let a feeling of relief flow through her. There was a release of tension from between her shoulders she was not even aware of. She turned to look back at the hill and smiled.
One more hurdle down.
Lemon Pie gave herself a small shake, and started walking again. She felt a little lighter as she continued to make her way toward town.