It all started out in the barn, as I stumbled on the filly, I recognized as Apple Jack, an earth type pony. I could but take care of her. Not just because I live on a farm, but I can't just leave her unattended? A filly needs to be cared for.
I live in central U.S., Kansas, just by the road to the Natural Wild Life Preserve. I had found it rather convenient.
Once I had inherited the lands, I built a rather large ranch on what's now my lands. I had intended to breed Horses on my lands, then I had opted for a smaller orchard. The rest of the lands, will be some lush forest. For as much as that will be. I did not have all that much left, after I had set up the pastures, and the small orchard by my house.
I had taken the tine, preparing all the pastures since it is the basis of what my ranch is all about. That started with removing all the soil, before I lay out new in an even layer, just thick enough for all the grasses. Then I had selected seeds for all the right grasses, thus making up the menu of the Ponies intended to live with me. I had then built scattered hills, where I planted selected trees.
Holes had been drilled, then the land had been marked, and fences created. Then I had connected the fence to my electricity, keeping my Ponies on the pasture chosen. Just as it keeps most others out.
Then I had built the barn, and stables for each of the pastures. Incidentally, the stables are in three floors, starting with the main ground level, where I am to keep large Horses, the second is where I will hold small Ponies. On the top floor, I keep all the feed.
At this point, I had managed to select a few small herds of chosen Ponies and Horses, I had managed to buy in for the ranch. Two stables had been filled up. I had laid the water line, so they have water, and I had managed to buy in all the required feed for about half a year. Naturally, I had chosen only fillies. They are all about two years of age. Now happily munching away, as they stand on the pastures.
It all started, as I found one of my red ponies with a white marking on the right hind quarter, it happened to look like a happy summer's cloud. Is it a convenient coincident?
The next day, as I entered the barn, something hit me as odd as I saw a free ranging pony, well out of designated herd pasture. She just lay in the barn. As I stopped to look closer, something struck me as off. The blond pony, only she did not quite appear to have a fur, in a regular fashion. By regular standards, I would call her sorrel, though her mane and tail is a light flaxen hue. I still had not picked up on the hints.
Just as I came up to her, she just looks up, looking at me. She was looking into my eyes, in more of a human fashion. Maybe this is when something struck me.
I could but take her into the villa, my home. Looking closer, she looks as if she had been a fillie, maybe about some six months of age? I chose to chop up half a dozen small carrots for her. Placing the chopped up carrots before her, seeing her eyes go alight as she realised what I had given her. I had not been entirely certain, but knowing both humans and ponies could eat carrots, made me feel it should be a safe bet.
Small as she is, it did take her a considerable time to chew all the carrot down, then she carefully licked her lips, looking up at me. She certainly had enjoyed all the carrots, but was feeling quite filled up.
Incidentally, none of the ponies of mine had made a single noise, as if they either had failed to noticed, or had understood something deeper? I had no idea which.
Ofhorse I did keep a good supply of carrots in the barn. It's natural Pony feed. Just like the apples and oats. Only now, I did not quite feel comfortable keeping her in the barn. She felt as if she belonged in a home, my home. Not just because I felt more comfortable with holding a close eye on her.
The few Ponies I had gathered, are not quite in the age to care for her, if I was to have her cared for, in the pony fashion? I did not feel it appropriate. Even if she is a Pony? There was something about her, something made me take her into my home.
I carried her into the living room. I had placed her in the large and comfortable sofa, facing the fireplace. It is the more roomy feature in the room, where I had the room for her. I may have a handful of chairs, right and left of the sofa, all facing the table in the centre of the room.
Maybe it is good, I had not lighted the fire, just the three logs of fire wood. It is fairly warm.
I had sat down on the sofa, just inches from her. Idly, I had placed my hand on her back, slowly scratching. She seems not to mind. Maybe it was comforting her, or she dared not object?
After a moment, I could feel her lean in towards me, as if to express her pleasure. I guess I knew something. I had been right, she was enjoying it.
I had woken up early. I apparently had a smile on my face, as I look around. I did lie in my bed. But what I saw next, is what I should have known, could never have been there. Yet, now she stubbornly lay beside me, sleeping.
It's not as if I could willingly wake her up, disturb her still much needed sleep. With that, I sneak out of the room, prising my luck, I had chosen quiet sliding doors for my home. With that, I slip out of the room, moving to the kitchen. Preparing, what I had to have, a decent breakfast. Only then, I picked a bunch of carrots, slicing them in bite-size chunks for her benefit, knowing she would enjoy them. I had even split an apple in thin slices, then splitting them length wise. That'd be a breakfast, for her, knowing she couldn't tell me, what she wanted, what she desired. She just couldn't say it since she is still incapable of speech.
I slowly ate my breakfast, waiting for her to wake up. Hoping she was waking, before I was finished.
I had my juice. There is the tomatoes, a small pile of bacon, and three eggs I had quietly fried. That's what I had chosen for the day. I guess I could give her a tour of my kitchen, giving her a chance to nip, what she found edible? What ever she could have. Just hoping it would be good for her, not making her sick?
Since she could eat my carrot the day before, I know she is capable of enjoying solids. Actual food, that is. Just that, since she isn't a pony like the once I had just brought home, on my own, I'm not sure, exactly what she could eat.
Then, just as I swallow the last of my juice, washing the last of the egg and bacon down, I think I hear something, thus looking up, only to see her small form, as she moves towards where she had heard me. Looking for me, since she had woken up.
Since she was already up and about, I soon prepared her breakfast, serving her the plate. Apparently, she had managed to gather a good appetite during the night, while sleeping since she soon started out, enjoying the meal to her heart's content in the true pony fashion. I guess I should have expected.
I just needed to refill her glass, a few times, while she ate. Then, as she was done, I leave the table, with her in tow. Since we have miles of empty lands to ourselves, no need to fear anyone spotting her.
I decided to take her on a tour of my farm, such as it is. Thus I started by leading her to the orchard, figuring she may enjoy the sight. As it turned out, we have the first harvest. It may not be a very impressive harvest, but at least, there is a harvest. Apples hanging from each and every tree, shining red, in between the green leaves.
“Seems we have a descent harvest!” I pointed out, looking at the red orbs, hanging in the trees I was passing.
She just nodded.
From here, I take her to the next part of the farm, the fields, where carrots grew. Green sprouting in long lines, indicating we may have a good harvest here too.
Apparently, she looked rather excitedly at what I was showing her. Almost as if she tried to tell me something. Even if it was obvious, she isn't ready to learn to speak, just yet.
I continued along the way, soon spotting the pastures. She looked curiously. Trying to make sense out of what was growing there. Maybe it wasn't obvious to her, just yet. I guess she had thought I had another crop on the pastures? This is where the ponies were to grace. Only the pastures we came across first, had no ponies on them, just yet. I simply had not bought enough ponies to fill all the pastures. As if I had intended to fill all pastures the first year. I had planned to leave two thirds of the pastures, in order to keep fresh pastures, all year around. Besides, I am waiting for the next years foals, in order to have more of the pastures filled up.
“This is where I had intended for my ponies to grace!” I nodded.
Then she made very big eyes.
“I had not planned on any ponies like you!” I hastily added.
Then she looked down into the grasses.
“I'm ecstatic to have you here. I would never regret finding you!” I filled in.
As I look at her, I notice she instantly brightened up, as it sank in, and she realised, just what I meant.
I had gone back, picking up a few buckets, in order to start the harvest. Only when we came back, she apparently realised, just how to best get the apples down and out of the trees since she reared up on the nearest tree, kicking the trunk, rewarded by a bunch of apples falling down, left and right. With that, I started to gather what apples had come falling down into the first bucket.
While I gathered the fallen apples from the first tree, she went to the next, repeating her success. Going from tree to tree, making the apples come tumbling down, landing on the soft grasses underneath.
“You could as well have one, while I gather the rest!” I told her.
Ofhorse, she soon picked a red one, while I was filling the first few buckets, then she slowly pushed apples into small piles, thus making it easier for me to fill the buckets.
Filling the buckets I had carried still did take me an hour and a half, then I started to carry them back to the barn.
It had been a long day, and all the apples had been brought in, into the barn, buckets piled high. Apparently she had been very good at helping me out.
First now I had had the time, noticing it, or was it simply the fact that we had been too busy to stop. She had gotten the Cutie-mark, the three apples I recall from the show.
“Oh, look. Your Cutie-mark!” I told her.
She made a curious face, so I had to go into a lengthy explanation, and as it dawned upon her, what I had told her, she was beaming with pride.
I'm tired, as is she, so we simply headed in. I lead her to her bed, before I slip down, under the quilt, and she takes her place, soon falling asleep.
I had slept all night, waking up early. That's when I noticed it. Something more had changed about her. Now her hooves are red, just like the shiny apples on her flank, just the way the apples we picked look. Maybe I had failed to notice the detail the other night, since it was late? Yet now, I noticed another odd, and highly unexpected detail about her. Not only are her hooves red, as if I had polished them, similar to how my nails looks, after a manicure, or pedicure? Only that wasn't the oddity, it is the fact that she apparently has cloven hooves, not in the bovine fashion of cows, but rather in the Cervine fashion of Deers?
It had all made for a curious detail, yet it may give her a few breaks. All depending on just how much control she may manage to get.
She still did look like the 'Apple Jack' I recall from the show, even with the small details, making her a part from what I had expected.
I had made myself a breakfast, only today, she had already gotten up, as I finished my preparations, so I quickly hastened to make her breakfast as well, before I sat down.
Her eyes lite up, as I placed the plate before her. I figured she wanted to have her own plate since the character in the show had been eating on a plate. I had been right.
Just like the little details, making her different from the Fillie named 'Apple Jack' in the show, the details, such as giving her a plate of her own, is what made her day.
I had noticed, she had enjoyed her breakfast just as much as I had, which made it a good start on the day. I need her to be happy all day. There could be no room for sour faces.
Since breakfast is the key to starting the day up, it is important to me, just as it is to her. With that, I have her enjoying a steady breakfast every day.
This is the day of her arrival, which I had chosen for her birthday. I have no cue as to her actual birthday. She had no idea either, which only was natural?
I had chosen to wake her up with breakfast on her bed, even though I just couldn't bring myself to actually wake her up early. It ended up with her waking up, just as I was opening her door.
I had made a special Apple-treat for her. It had taken me the better part of an hour, making it, not that I am the Master baker. Not that she was either, though I guess she had a good hoof with anything involving apples, even though, farming is her main talent.
Naturally, she had enjoyed the treat, just as I knew she would.
Then it comes to the gift, I chose to give her one of these hats, one of the more stylish Western hats, that is. As it went, I felt it would go well with her.
Only then, I handed her an entire bottle of Apple Cider, which she apparently loved to death.
Then I had another gift for her, a small stereo, and the first of her albums to play.
Since she came through as the farmer, her talent did push the point through thoroughly enough, I figured she was a western Girl, after all.
“Thank' Ya!” she spoke as she saw what I had just given her.
I couldn't help but noticing her southern dialect. I know there was no way she could have head it, there was no chance she could have picked it up. I came to the conclusion, she must have had it from before she came to me.
There was no readable labels, but then, the voice speaking, or, rather singing. That left her mouth agape, as she listened to the first song. Little by little, a smile spread on her face. Should I have checked what artists it had been?
Maybe I had just read “Canter Ville's Wonder Colts”? It'd apparently be a group, playing just the kind of music I had figured she was to enjoy. Only before the first song was at an end, she was ecstatic.
That's what you get when down loading contents, without checking what it was? What struck me as I finally had heard the song, it sounded as if it had been a colt version of what I knew as 'Pinkie Pie', from the show. Thankfully she failed to pick up on it.
Ofhorse she never had seen the show. Just as I am ready to put my reputation on, she never saw or heard the real 'Pinkie Pie'. She had after all been way too young when I had been lucky enough to find her. Or if it was she who had been lucky I had been the one to find her, at the time I did find her? What if I had just found her as little as a day later, or if someone else had found her, some place else? I dare not even consider, knowing her.
Even as a pony, in her age, she had very little experience, experiences, yet she already had a burning interest, a passion for the orchard, and the apple trees I have on my land. It had all worked out quite to my satisfaction. She's easy to keep happy.
I still did feel kind of sad, I couldn't put up a barn rising party for her since there are no ponies who could help us out. Just as I couldn't ask anyone else to take part and it is pointless, if they are not all in the same place.
Ofhorse I did have a few horses, but they are not quite what she needs. Even if she did not mind them, I had noticed it. They had no problem with her, just as she did not have any with them.
Actually, there is a slight interest from some of the ponies. Maybe they do recognise enough of themselves in her, even when she is on her hind hooves? Then again, her ears speak volumes to them.
I still could have one of the still empty barns decorated for her party. I had all the boxes in order. I couldn't just leave anything to the chance, for a future failure. Just as you never knew, just when you may need the space. Now this one barn had been decorated for her party, with just the two of us. I had even slipped in the sounds of music I had figured she may like, fitting for just the occasion.
She can't handle a spoon as an Earth Pony, so I opted for an Apple Pie and sliced it up for both of us to enjoy. Apparently, she managed to drink from the special cup I had for her. The fizzy cider did tease her, but she loved it too much to turn it down on the grounds of teasing fizzing on the part of the cider.
From time to time, I placed a new slice of pie on alternating her or my plate, when the plate was emptied. As stated earlier, I am not particularly good at baking, but I had at least managed to make an edible pie that did taste good enough or the occasion, even if I guess most of that is thanks to the quality of the Apples included.
I guess she does eat like a horse, after all. She did take her time, but she managed to eat more than I had initially expected. Thankfully I had prepared more pie than what was expected, just in case. We can still have the pie later. We still left more than enough pie to enjoy the rest of the day.
In the end, we both had our fill and left the reminder where I had placed it, before we started. Then I had capped the latest bottle of cider opened, saving it for later.