Applebloom winced at Scootaloo's volume, clasping one hoof over her suddenly ringing nearest ear.  Sweetie Belle ended up notably absent from the scene and it left the Earth Pony shaking her head.  "I guess that's progress."  she shrugged before she nodded over to Scootaloo, beckoning her along to go help her retrieve Sweetie Belle from the cellar.

"Y'alright Sweetie Belle?" she called as she stepped through the filly-shaped hole in the door and headed down stairs.

Scoots let out a relieved sigh, that...wasn't so bad actually. She opened her eyes, startled to see that Sweetie was gone. Though her cries quickly alerted her to where the little unicorn had vanished to. Rubbing at her mane, she gave a nervous chuckle. "Ah heh, guess I was a little louder than I thought." She said, following Applebloom through the hole and down the stairs to her other friend. She reached out a hoof to help Sweetie up. "Sorry about that Sweetie."

Sweetie sat up from the heap of debris as her friends came to check on her, pieces of broken barrels shifting and moving as she did.  Her eyes swirled and she was still reeling from the tumble down the stairs.  Rather than the typical stars or birdies, she saw a flock of familiar little orange and purple pegasi buzzing around her head.

”Yeah… I’ll be fine when the room stops spinning…”  She shook her head before using both forehooves to pry a broken piece of a knotty plank from her horn where it had gotten stuck.  As it came loose with a comical “POP,”  she shook her head lightly to right her senses again.

”But… You’re an *ORPHAN*?!?”  Even a fall down the stairs couldn’t curb her curiosity for long.

Applejack flinched as Scootaloo's shout resounded through the whole of the house, and a good portion of the farmland beyond.  Turning her attention to the basement door, Applejack sighed, and forced herself up to he rhooves, cantering over with difficulty to peer down the stairs.

"Err... Ya'll alright down there? Come on up fer' breakfast, everypony."  She called them up with an inviting hoof-gensture and stepped aside so she could watch them ascend without blocking their path to the dining room.

Thankfully, Scoots was saved from answering when Applejack called for them to come to breakfast. "Alright Applejack, we'll be right up." She said, giving a small shrug to Sweetie as if to say well what can you do? Then she led the way back up the stairs, not meeting Applejack's eyes on the way to where she had been sitting before Sweetie showed up. Clambering onto it she waited for the food to arrive.

Sweetie clambered up the stairs behind Scootaloo and Applebloom, headed back to the dining room.  She didn’t like being ignored, but there wasn’t much she could do about it at the moment.

She jumped up to take a seat at the table, sitting in the middle of three seats destined for the Cutie Mark Crusaders.  She cast a suspicious sideways glance toward Scootaloo as if to say This isn’t over.

Once she was satisfied that her wordless message was received, she turned back to the table, all smiles again, ready for breakfast.  ”Thanks for letting me stay for *BREAKFAST*, guys…  I tried making my own buuuuut….. It didn’t turn out so good…”  She rubbed a hoof behind her head with an awkward smile.

Applejack glanced down the stairs once the two were up, to see if they'd made a mess with their tumble. Mess or no, though, she nudged the basement door shut and joined them back in the  dining room, sitting herself one seat down from Scootaloo, leaving room for Rainbow between them.

Rainbow Dash sat down beside Applejack and Scootaloo. Despite the worries about the adoption and everything else, she was feeling overwhelmingly positive and downright giddy with how her life was changing for the better. She nuzzled Applejack affectionately and then leaned over and did the same to Scootaloo. She then sat back and beamed. "This food smells awesome eh, Scoots? We'll have to come to this restaurant more often!" She joked.

Breakfast at the Apple Farm was always an enjoyable experience, though the latter portion of it got a little interrupted by the sudden appearance of one somewhat stressed Alicorn popping up on the front porch.  Though even with how much of a rush she was in, Twilight didn't have it in her heart (or stomach) to refuse Granny Smith urging her to at least have something to nibble on when she arrived.

It was helpful that all the Cutie Mark Crusaders were all present as well, since it was easier to inform them of the call for the Mane Six to Canterlot that would keep their siblings (and would-be adoptive parent, in Scootaloo's case) away from home for a short while.  Upon that note, she'd have to unfortunately pull Applejack and Rainbow Dash away from the meal table since they had a royal summons to attend to.  Whether they left with her or had to take time for their own preparations like Rarity did, Twilight would leave the farm via teleportation just like she arrived.

--> From Ponyville Town Square

It was easy enough to find the Apple family farm, Gale just followed the scent of apples and home cooking. The signs did help too. It was a long walk but she got there still in the early morning. As she neared the gate into the farm proper she called out to the family. "Hellooo the Farm, Granny Smith, Applejack, Apple Bloom, Big Mack, you in there?" She called out. While she waited for a response she looked at the floating cloud house hovering over the farm, and for a minute wondered what was going on over there... This was certainly new...

After a very quiet, at least on her part, breakfast Scoots found things rapidly changing again. Twilight showed up and suddenly Rainbow and Applejack were racing off to take care of another crisis. She never had a chance to think she was being abandoned as Rainbow made it very clear that she was going to come back to her. There was still a small, tiny part of her that feared and doubted Rainbow but she was distracted from focusing on it by Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. They spent the rest of the morning playing and the afternoon found them sitting in some shade, pondering what to do next. Scoots was laying on her back, staring up at the sky. "Well, now what should we do?"

Sweetie had been disappointed at hearing that Rarity and all her friends were leaving town for a while.  Sweetie had planned to go see her sister after breakfast was over and take her up on her offer to give her magic lessons.  It was going to be the highlight of Sweeties day, after she found Scootaloo of course.

She had played with Scotaloo and Apple Bloom all morning long, but now all she could do was lay on the lowest-hanging limb of the apple tree her Pegasus friend was lounging under.

She let out a long sigh before screwing her face up in deep concentration.  Her horn fizzled and sputtered with a tiny flash of sparks at it tip until she somehow managed to produce a very unstable pink magical aura that held around her horn.  The closest apple began glowing in a constantly shifting and erratic pink glow.

Sweetie opened her eyes to see the apple shrouded in her magic.  She grinned wildly, then concentrated again to try and pick it from the tree.

The apple quivered and shook.  … Then exploded.

Bits of chunky applesauce covered Sweetie’s face as her expression became one of intense disgust.  She released the remaining fragments from her magic, where they dropped unceremoniously into a large pile of similarly-fated fruits below.

Scootaloo’s question spared another apple the same fate as the unicorn filly wiped the applesauce from her face with her hoof and licked it clean.  Say what you will of her training method; even if she wasn’t successful, she was at least well-fed.

As she finished with the last bits of apple, she looked down to Scootaloo.  ”Well… We could try to come up with a Crusade…”  She put a hoof to her chin.  ”It *HAS* been a while since we tried for our cutie marks…”

Scoots watched as Sweetie destroyed yet another apple, twisting her head a bit to snatch up a piece that fell near her. There was a reason she was laying under that tree. "We could, but what would we go for? We've tried mountain climbing and carpentry and deep sea diving and what else could we try for?" She asked, tapping at her chin as she pondered. "Maybe something to do with weapons? We haven't tried that before!" She proclaimed, starting to perk up now that an idea was coming to her. "I'm sure that Twilight must have something about weapons at the library and with her gone we won't even have to get the You're Too Young For Weapons speech!"

”Well…. If I was gonna get a cutie mark in apple smashing, I’d have got it by now….”  Sweetie leapt down from the tree and landed next to her friend.

”*YEAH*! ... I'm sure there's gotta be something cool to try in one of those books!  I say we go to the library and see what we can find!  Spike will let us in, I’m sure!  Come on, I’ll *RACE* you there!”  The white little filly crouched low, and reached out and tapped Scootaloo on the flank.

”You’re it!”

And with that, she took off running for town.

>>The Library>>

Scoots jumped a bit in surprise when Sweetie suddenly challenged her to a race and then tagged her. It took her a few seconds to process what had happened and scramble to her hooves but then she was off like a rocket, chasing after her friend! "OH IT IS ON!" She yelled happily, huge grin on her face as she gave chase.


To The Library--->

After standing outside the gates for an hour Gale got more than a bit miffed and opened up the simple drop lock holding them shut. She went inside and closed the gate behind her, then started wandering around the farm looking for the rest of the family.

She didn't find any of them until late afternoon, when she came across Big Macintosh bucking apples in the lower 40.

"Hey Cous, You been down here all day? I was at the gates for an hour waiting on someone to unlock them. Anyways, you remember my sister Babs? She Ran off after a fight with our folks, said she was commin here to see Apple Bloom, so I was wondering if she had shown up yet?" Gale asked as Big Mac filled up a couple more busshel baskets of apples.

-Day 9 Afternoon-

How in the world did Greenwood allow herself to get roped into these things?

She'd almost made a clean getaway but had forgotten her bag... and more importantly her medicine... in the farmhouse.  So she had to return and, despite being a well-conditioned ranger of sorts, somehow had been bested by a creaky old grandmare.  How the heck Granny Smith was able to sneak around like that, she'd never know.  For as much as she tried, Greenwood ended up roped into a late meal since she'd skipped out on the family breakfast... and also into chores to help out for the room and board she'd been granted thus far.

Stupid quaint little-town charm and its stupid, friendly neighborly citizens...

Still, it wasn't so bad working alongside Big Macintosh out in the soggy fields.  Dirty work, yeah, but she could enjoy the exercise... and the view.  While he set about pummeling the small, underdeveloped trees running the edge of the lower forty to gather what few apples could be taken, she followed in his wake.  His mighty kicks loosened the wet soil considerably and popped roots out from the earth so, with a solid application of her Unicorn magic tethered around the trunk like a leash, she was able to yank the small trees over and fully uproot them.  She didn't quite know what he had planned for all the cleared space, heaped dirt, and lumber... but whatever.  It wasn't any of her business in the first place.  Just do the labor and pay off the debt.

Big Macintosh, meanwhile, was grateful for the company.  Greenwood wasn't precisely a chatty sort and she seemed grudging to work, but she did a good job.  He was never one to rely on Unicorn magic for anything, but he had to admit that the whole deal went far quicker than if he'd just been toppling and hauling the trees himself.  With her help, it'd shave a whole day's time off the process.  However, he was given a pleasant enough surprise -- and distraction -- at the appearance of a somewhat familiar cousin.  It wasn't so odd to see the occasional relative drop by unannounced to the farm, but it was always a pleasure.

"Nope." he replied simply at the mention of Babs.  There hadn't been any letters or announcements that she'd be coming to visit... if she just ran off on her own, she really could've been anywhere by that time.  "Ain't seen hide nor hair of her all day.  Applebloom and th'girls left a little bit ago and Babs wasn't with 'em either.  Y'checked around town yet?"

"Really?  More fillies?  Don't you Ponies have anything better do to than breed?"  Greenwood snarked as she slowly made her way past in the background, hauling a tree across the ground in her magic grip.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:34, Tue 16 Apr 2013.

Gale bristled at the snide remark, and almost started a tirade about the arrogant comment, but reigned herself in. "Excuse me? Who exactly- You know what? I don' have time fu this. I am goona go check aroun' town, see if I can find thos frinds a hers. I would Apreciates it if'n you could help out cous, but I can see ya buisy, so jus lend a hoof when ya can. As for you, whoeva ya are, I would advise ya ta mind ya manners. Ya neva know when ya might meet someone what feels their time would be well spent educatin ya on how to show some respect." Having dealt with the problem to her satisfaction Gale turned around and trotted off back towards the gates and thence Ponyville to continue the search for her erstwhile sister.

--> Ponyville Town Square

Sunrise over Sweet Apple Acres. It brought the scent of delicious apple-based breakfast treats, the beautiful golden glow of sunlight over the tops of the orchard, now tinted in glowing autumn hues, and the sounds of the hardest-working mare in town, already out amidst the trees, bucking ripe apples from trees as if her life depended upon it, more than her livelihood, perhaps.

She'd been up since just before dawn, of course - this was the season for apple harvesting, and there was no time to be lost at the difficult and lengthy task. She had friends she could call upon to help, but even so, she'd not ask them to rise before dawn to help her.

Glancing over to her brother, Applejack waved a hoof. "All done on this side, ya' got them baskets set up over on tha' east orchard?"

Arty emerged from one of the vent tunnels from the mine covered in dirt and partly singed.  With Fall on them and winter approaching their workload had increased.  He was used to this, but a breath of fresh air was so welcome.  The scent of full apples and the wonderful glow in the trees made him feel at once happy, and surprisingly homesick.

This had been great grandfathers' favourite time of year.  Mum and dad had said this was when great granddad invented celesteel, when all the world was golden and glowing.

He waved to Miss Jack as he heard her voice "Hello Miss Jack, how goes the harvest?"

"Oh, Howdy, Art~" Applejack stepped away from the latest barrel of apples, raising a hoof to tip her stetson lightly. "Ya'll doin' alright this mornin'?" A glance back to the trees reminded her that she needed to keep working - those apples wouldn't buck themselves. While talking, she backed up to a tree waiting for a good kick. Her fit, coiled muscles fired, as she hopped her back legs off the ground, and slammed them both into the trunk, rattling timber as the branches swayed and apples dropped. Just as smoothly, her hooves pushed off the bark and she landed her feet beneath her, the display of power fluid and natural.

"We are fine Miss Jack"  He didn't even flinch as an apple bounced off his mine helmet and fell into a waiting barrel, all around him the rest fell neatly without any interruption.

"Show off!"  He grinned at Miss Jack, which suddenly faltered.

 "Which season do you remember most Miss Jack?  For me it's this time of year. For many reasons."  Miss Jack was one sleek filly, but even in the mine rumours had reached him.

Applejack gave her friend a curious glance along with a shrug. "Ya' cain't remember'em all?  Ah thought that's what the hard hat was for~" She cracked a smile, retrieving one of the apples from the latest barrel, and rolling it down her leg, giving it a good gick at the end over to the smith-pony. "Ah' don't know, really. Ah' remember'em all pretty well."

He moved a bit to catch the apple, and then munched on it happily.  "Thanks."  He paused a bit and then he looked up.  "Yes.  But Fall is very important to me.  Great Grandad liked fall very much.  He said it was like Celestia had come down and turned the whole world gold.  I remember he wouldn't miss Apple family cider for anything.  Though of course when I knew him he could only drink half a glass before sleep would catch up."

He munched more on the apple.  "I remember a certain young filly used to get so annoyed with a certain young colt who kept jumping into the leaf piles."