honestapples | 1st Rodeo [Voice]

[It's been raining for days and Applejack is getting bored. She found the farm not too long after she arrived, and the rain wasn't exactly stopping her from tending to everything, but the weather's turn for the worse today is definitely an impediment. And so, she's cooped up inside, running out of things to do. But hey, that's what this journal is here for, right?]

How come nopony told me 'bout this farm y'all got here? This is great! It just needs some more apple trees and it'll be just like home. Or... well, as close as Ah can get it. But that reminds me...

Have any of y'all ever heard'a zap apples? They're magic, but they're downright tasty an' real particular 'bout how they're grown an' harvested. Mah Granny Smith's the one who normally makes all the jam an' such, but if Ah can grow some zap apples here, Ah'd sure be happy ta share whatever Ah can make. Might not be quite as good, but Ah think Ah've picked up a thing'er two. Anypony got any ideas?

[It's something to think about, at least! Something that isn't baking more apple fritters, in any case.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Really? You mean we can really do that?

'Course we can! Any time ya like, sugarcube.

Do you want help with the orchards? I've never planted, but I've trimmed branches before.

Well, Ah should be okay with plantin'... [Planting all these trees, taking care of them, and harvesting all by herself is a little bit daunting. If Big Mac were here for backup, she wouldn't hesitate to assure this filly she'll be fine, but...]

Ah could always use help trimmin' branches, though. It's slow goin', ropin' 'em down solo.

I can do that then. It won't be hard! Might take awhile if there's a lot of trees in the orchard, but I don't mind.

Ah 'preciate the help, sugarcube! Probably won't need trimmin' for a while yet, but Ah'll let ya know.

Okay! I'm Rue!

Ah'm Applejack. Nice t'meetya, Rue.

It's nice to meet you too. I like your name.

Thank ya kindly, Miss Rue. Ah like your name, too. Like the herb, right?

Yes, that's right! [She sounds quite pleased someone else knows.]

[Plant knowledge comes in handy! Applejack chuckles.]

Thought so. It's a good one ta be named for. Real pretty flowers.

Thank you. You can make cough medicine out of it too. Momma and the other women back home make them.

That so? Ah didn't know that. [You learn something new all the time. She chuckles.] My Granny Smith usually just gives us honey drops, but Ah'll haveta keep that in mind.

Honey drops sound so good! They add it to the cough syrup, but you get in trouble if you sneak a taste of it.

[Something about that seems... very odd. But she pauses for a moment while she mulls that over.]

Ah guess Ah can see why they wouldn't want ya takin' medicine if ya don't need it, but... They really get ya in trouble just for a li'l taste?

Uh-huh. The Peacekeepers say it's all for the Capitol and not for us.

[Whoa, whoa. That. Makes no sense. Especially if something called a Peacekeeper is doing this. And Capitol...?]

...But it's medicine, right? Why would they take medicine away from ya?

Because it's not ours to use, is what they say. If we want to use it, we gotta get it from the doctors.

Horsefeathers. If it's medicine, it should belong ta everypony.

[She shakes her head. Poor Rue. Wherever she's from, it seems like they've got things backwards.]

Well, from what Ah hear, the doctors here don't try an' keep all the medicine to themselves, at least.

Horsefeathers? [Rue gives a tiny giggle.] But horses don't have feathers!

Oh yes, everything is free here, and everyone's so friendly! It's very nice here.

Well, we do here! [She laughs. That thought hadn't even dawned on her.] But s'just a figure of speech back home for somethin' ridiculous.

An' you're right, everyone is real friendly here.

[Rue giggles as well. Good point. Everyone here has feathers now! The explanation makes sense too.]

A day after I arrived, someone asked if we could be friends, just like that.

[Now she's really laughing.] We got that a lot back home, actually. Especially from my friend Pinkie. She just got here, so if ya see a pink pony comin' at ya with balloons an' a cake, that'll be her comin' ta say hello.

A pink pony? [She giggles at the image.] I'll keep an eye out for her. Do you have a lot of friends from home here?

[Voice]

honestapples - 2012-04-08 20:22 (UTC) - Expand

rutagraveolens - 2012-04-10 18:27 (UTC) - Expand