Writing, Rest, and Recuperation (Rackenhammer and Bellosh101)

[Blueblood]

For a small town, the Ponyville Hospital is an impressively modern and extensive facility. The reason for this, however, is fairly simple; Ponyville operated as a crossroads of sorts, with both the main East-West and North-South roads and railways meeting here. Any cases that happen to arise in the surrounding area can be brought here quickly and conveniently, making this town a good place to build a regional hospital.

Earth Writer, a geographer at heart, could never help making associations and coming up with explanations like that in the back of his mind, even with the rest of it concerned with something else. It gave him good article fodder, or at least context to whatever story the reporter was writing at the time; on the other hand, he would sometimes go on at length about all the locational associations of anything and everything long past the capacity of any normal pony to remain interested. Fortunately, whenever his works were sent to press, they passed through the hooves of a competent editor, who refined them to interesting little pieces that could be discussed around breakfast tables all across Equestria.

And that, oddly enough, was connected with the thoughts in the front of his mind, namely, the pony he had come to the hospital to visit: Sugar Apple, one of the members of the extensive Apple family, come down to Ponyville to take part of the Running of the Leaves. That eventful tradition had been the cause of their meeting, their forming a very close friendship over the course of the race, and, less pleasantly, the cause of Sugar's hospitalization, as a result of injuries sustained during a dramatic rescue. Earth Writer had agreed to drop by to visit her, and bring copies of his articles for her to read while she healed up.

After checking himself in at the visitor's desk, he got the number of Sugar Apple's room from the nurse, and stepped carefully to it, not wanting to disturb any of the resting patients. Fortunately, Sugar Apple was awake when he arrived.

"[colour=#8b4513]Hello![/colour]" The unicorn stallion strode in cheerfully enough, a bulging notebook laid across his back, as he smiled in greeting to the pegasus mare. "[colour=#8b4513]They've been treating you well here?[/colour]" He spoke freely and easily with her, wishing to cheer her up if needed, and share her cheer if she was already so.

[Bellosh]

[colour=#800080]~Ya' think ya' can defeat me an' cappure th' relic fo' yo'seff, but yer sadly mistaken, Miss Do. An' now, ya’ shall meet yer doom!~[/colour]

Like many pegasi patients that ended up in Ponyville Hospital, Sugar Apple was in to heal an injured wing. A few days ago, the purple mare had been competing in the Running of Leaves when she wound herself caught in a rock slide of all things. The doctors were amazed that Sugar scr[colour=#333333]a[/colour]ped by with only a broken left wing, although her legs were heavily sore and worn out too when the medics carried her into the hospital. At any rate, the doctors insisted that Miss Apple stay in bed in the infirmary for the next week or so in order to recover.

Sugar Apple received plenty of visitors and get-well cards throughout the last couple of days; namely, her relatives and co-workers. The pegasus deeply appreciated all the well-wishes they all gave her; she’ll have to thank them all later with her homemade sugar apples. With nothing better to do during downtime, Sugar Apple opted to read through the hospital’s copy of Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone. The patient reckoned the text and story a little bit juvenile for her tastes, but she did sympathize with the heroine of the novel (what with Daring Do having a broken wing and all). As a matter of fact, Sugar questioned if hospitals deliberately kept the specific book around for any patient with broken wings, given all the rumors around Cloudsdale that all other hospitals seemed to only keep the one Daring Do book.

The patient’s mental theory-making came to a screeching halt as she heard a most welcome voice. Swiftly closing her book shut, Sugar Apple turned her head to gaze upon the new visitor; [colour=#800080]“EARTH WRITER!!! HOW D'YA... err, ahem... ah mean how d’ya do?”[/colour] Earth Writer, a tan unicorn who desired to travel all over Equestria as a journalist, had formed a close bond with Sugar back during the Running. In her excitement of seeing the reporter again, the blushing pegasus had momentarily forgot that other patients nearby might be trying to rest.

[colour=#800080]“They’ve been treating me well here,”[/colour] Sugar calmly answered the unicorn’s question;[colour=#800080] “Ah can’t say ah care much for th’ food here, but ah’m lucky t’have cousins who can bring me some good stuff.” O[/colour]n cue, Sugar reached into her mane with a forehoof and brought out a granny smith apple and chuckled;[colour=#800080] “Ya’ want one, hon?”[/colour]

Spying the notebook on Earth Writer’s back, stars manifested themselves in Sugar Apple’s widened eyes; [colour=#800080]“Well fry mah hide... ya’ brought yer articles with ya'. Oh, ya’ don’t know how much ah wanna read those! Did ya’ bring th’ one about the Runnin’, by any chance?”[/colour]

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer chuckled at Sugar Apple's greeting as he took a seat beside her. "[colour=#8b4513]Enthusiastic as ever, I see.[/colour]" Hospitalizations amounted to solitary confinement most of the time, both terms of which would prove torturous to a gregarious pegasus. The unicorn couldn't blame her for any heartiness in welcoming a visitor, then, however unsuitable it may have been for the premises.

He graciously accepted the apple, remarking, "[colour=#8b4513]I actually like eating the tart ones raw, though most ponies use them for cooking. Of course...[/colour]" Here he winked at the mare, "[colour=#8b4513]I have a liking for the sweet ones too.[/colour]" A writer must be excused for taking the opportunities provided to play with words during ordinary conversation, however much they may border on flirting.

But such light considerations were merely preliminaries. Earth Writer soon brought out the notebook stuffed with clippings, laying it out on the bed beside Sugar Apple. "[colour=#8b4513]Mhm, both versions, actually. The clipping was actually published a few days ago, but it's nothing special, just a rundown of events dashed off in time to make the evening papers. The draft is actually for a larger piece that I'm hoping to get into Equestria Geographic. I took the angle of describing a local tradition as if it were something exotic and encountered for the first time because, quite frankly, most readers have probably little experience with Earth Pony season-changing traditions.[/colour]" He nudged it open with his magic, flipping the pages until he got where he'd started the article. "[colour=#8b4513]The key to being a travel writer is capturing experiences unique to a place, and that, like charity, starts at home. the familiar things are sometimes the hardest to see.[/colour]"

[Bellosh]

[colour=#800080]“Mah, mah...”[/colour] a blushing Sugar Apple giggled while covering her mouth, amused that Earth Writer was still very much a clever sweet talker; [colour=#800080]“Looks like we’ll have to do somethin’ wif thet sweet tooth of yers, am ah right?”[/colour] Winking back at the reporter, the purple pegasus felt the need to provide him a mini-lesson; [colour=#800080]“Jest t’let ya’ in on a lil’ family secret; y’all nevah had real cooked apples unless ya’ve had some of mah Granny Smith’s pies. They’re th’ most scrumptious pies in all of Equestria!”[/colour]

Now however came the big moment; the one where Sugar Apple got to see Earth Writer’s article about the Running of the Leaves! While the stallion talked, the bed-stricken mare repositioned her body to get a more comfortable look at the clippings. As the reporter already remarked, the clippings weren’t anything out of the ordinary thought Sugar. Earth Writer next starting showing the mare the draft for his larger article; the pegasus nodded in agreement as the tan unicorn remarked how oftentimes one could ignore the things the easiest when they’re familiar.

Before Earth Writer could get too into his article though, Sugar Apple wanted to make sure that he was comfortable first.[colour=#800080] “Hey hon, why don’t ya’ git thet stool on over thar’,”[/colour] Miss Apple said, pointing to a spare chair nearby; [colour=#800080]“An’ come sit down by me? No need t’keep ya’ stan’in’ thar, tehehe.....”[/colour]

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer was pleased that his little remark had gone over so well, though he didn't try to build off Sugar's rejoinder. At this point, pushing his luck probably wouldn't be a good idea. Taking the mare's suggestion, he pulled up a stool in order to sit more comfortably by her bedside, remarking as he settled himself down, "[colour=#8b4513]I have had Granny Smith's pies, actually. Didn't I tell you that I grew up in this town? My parents still live around here; I was visiting them for the Harvest Festival when I saw that the Running of the Leaves still had a few slots open and, well, you know the rest.[/colour]"

Giving a conspiratorial look around the room, as if to detect any eavesdroppers, the unicorn leaned in to whisper, "[colour=#8b4513]And just between you and me, you'd be hasty to judge what's the most scrumptious pie in Equestria before trying my mum's pecan pie. Recipe from my own grandma; I'll see if I can't get you one before I go.[/colour]"

Leaning back with a chuckle, he returned to the draft he was working on. "[colour=#8b4513]I'm not sure exactly what would make the best opening line. I'm rather attached to the old Itailian phrase, Historia est magister vitae, History is the teacher of life, though you could argue that tradition reverses it, making life the teacher of history. Of course, I don't want to sound too... snooty, I guess. It's always a bad thing for a writer to be too proud of his own cleverness.[/colour]" He gave an almost sheepish grin as he looked at Sugar. Honestly, she made an ideal pre-reader for this article; she was the sort of mare who was always interested in learning, but probably not willing to put up with anything to hifaluting, as it were.

[Bellosh]

Sugar Apple nervously chuckled as Earth Writer reminded her that he came from Ponyville, hoping that the rockslide a few days back hadn’t done a number on her noggin. But then the reporter did the unthinkable; he dared suggest that somepony else’s pies were better than Granny Smith’s. Attempting to fight back her laughter and fabricate a look of supreme shock, the purple pegasus playfully shoved Earth Writer back; [colour=#800080]“Yer fibbin’, hon! Nothin’ kin beat mah granny’s pies! Although...”[/colour] Sugar took this chance to give Earth Writer a taste of his own medicine by leaning in close and shooting him a half-lidded gaze; [colour=#800080]“Ah’ll accept yer offer fo’ thet recipie of yer mom’s... but ah can’t promise ya’ thet it’d come on top.”[/colour] Before Earth Writer could provide a retort, a merry Sugar Apple pulled back and giggled; she didn’t really expect to ever change her mind, but it was amusing providing the stallion with false hope on the all-important matter of best pies.

In no time, the pre-reading of the Running of the Leaves article began in earnest. It seemed Earth Writer wanted to start out with some sort of foreign-sounding expression, but Sugar Apple kinda thought it sounded a bit too fancy. She may have been a well-traveled pony who picked up a few phrases here and there, but learning languages had not been one of the pegasus’s strong points. Everypony everywhere knew the lingua franca spoken in Equestria, so Sugar never experienced inconvenience from her lack of linguistic knowledge. At any rate, Earth Writer had also expressed reservations over his own opening sentence; Miss Apple thus felt compelled to provide feedback.

[colour=#800080]“Hmmm........ yeah, thet is a bit too fancy for somethin’ like a travel article. Ya’ wanna’ be descriptive enough to paint a vivid picture of whar yer’ve been to, but not so much thet you wind up scramblin’ somepony’s head.”[/colour] Not wanting to leave Earth Writer too down however, Sugar Apple amiably added; [colour=#800080]“Eff it counts fo’ somethin’ though, ya’d probably make a great novelist hon. Ya’ve got a poetic way wif words, ah haf t’admit.....”[/colour]

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer wasn't so sanguine as to expect that his near-heretical suggestion of a pie that could challenge Granny Smith's for supremacy would find immediate acceptance with Sugar Apple, but after all, he had his own family honor to defend in the matter. Not even the Apples had a monopoly on that. And after all, the proof of the pie was in the eating. "[colour=#8b4513]Well, I'll help my mother bake a fresh one, and send it round for you to try for yourself. You won't regret it either way, I can guarantee that." [/colour]He addressed the rebuff graciously, deferring it for another day.

Returning to the issue of article editing, it seemed that Sugar Apple shared his reservations about the opening. "[colour=#8b4513]Hm, better start with something more visceral, then. Probably with the sounds and smells; that was the most vivid part of my first impression, the figurative and literal electricity in the air, the smell of the ripe apples hanging in the air, and the ever-present hoof vibrations..." [/colour]He drew out a pencil, crossing out the first sentence and adding notes to the marginalia. There weren't so many to begin with; while the unicorn enjoyed the writing process, he didn't much enjoy the process of self-revision. Having someone to give feedback and bounce ideas off of made the whole thing much easier. He smiled at the mare's compliment of his descriptive prowess. "[colour=#8b4513]Oh, thank you. I tend to prefer writing non-fiction, as any oddball turns in the narrative can be excused by the fact that they're real events. Whenever I try to write fiction, I either lose patience, or introduce too many shake-ups. And most of the characters talk too much.[/colour]"

He gave a self-deprecatory chuckle as he, flipped to the next page, tapping it with his eraser. "[colour=#8b4513]One of the relative advantages of magazine articles, as opposed to newspapers, is that there's not so much of a stigma against the author acting in the story, which makes it easier to write the body of the story. When you look at the dramatis personae, though, there's a surprising dearth of earth ponies. In fact, your cousin Applejack's the only one I caught the name of. That's what I mean when I say that real life has so many oddball turns; who'd expect an earth pony tradition to be done by unicorns, pegasi, and a griffon? The literary critics wouldn't let me get away with that in a novel.[/colour]" He laughed at that, knowing the sort well enough from his years in Canterlot, and conversations with fellow-writers.

[Bellosh]

Approving of Earth Writer’s changes to the opening, Sugar Apple eagerly nodded and uttered a quick [colour=#800080]“Yup, yup!”[/colour] The pegasus couldn’t clearly see the tan unicorn’s scribbling, but she already had a good feeling about how the article would turn out. In fact, Sugar thought it was rather interesting helping a reporter revise a magazine article. To think that for just one time, the mare could read an article and claim to others that she had a helping hoof with it. At any rate, when Earth Writer mentioned why he was bad at writing fiction, Sugar Apple found it hard to resist making a playful quip as his expense; [colour=#800080]“So yer characters talk too much, hon? Hmmm... sounds like a certain stallion ah know of.....”[/colour]

Letting Earth Writer know that it was just a joke, a flustered Sugar hastily added; [colour=#800080]“Not thet ya’ talk too much, Earth Writer. It’s rather fun chattin’ wif ya’ hon; not ev’rypony ah know are travelers like you an’ ah.....” [/colour]Absentmindedly drumming on her hospital bed with a hoof, the pegasus listened as the reporter commented on the abundance of unicorns and pegasi in a traditional hoof race. Come to think of it, that did seem rather odd to the mare; not only that, but how a unicorn had won the race the last two years in a row. Upon hearing about the diversity of the participants, Sugar Apple felt inquisitive enough to ask on a different matter; [colour=#800080]“Say there hon, but ah’m just wonderin’ about... well, you know... what ya' wrote about me an’ mah cousins.....?”[/colour]

[Blueblood]

"[colour=#8b4513]Hm, wha-? Oh![/colour]" Earth Writer blushed; he hadn't caught that the good natured jibe had been at him, until Sugar Apple suddenly backpedaled to avoid offense. "[colour=#8b4513]No, that, that's alright. I do tend to go on when I've got an opening; comes from having a profession in which I let other ponies do the talking most of the time, I suppose.[/colour]" He shrugged his hooves, and smiled to show he wasn't bothered. "[colour=#8b4513]I guess we all get excited when we talk about our specialties, especially if we know someone else is actually listening. Glad to know you're interested.[/colour]"

In fact, the unicorn reflected, that was one of the things that really made his time with the mare enjoyable. Having somepony that would listen while he went into details about all the places he'd seen, the odd little details only a geographer would notice... it meant a lot to him. [colour=#8b4513]*There's something parallel too,* [/colour]He thought, [colour=#8b4513]*In that she comes from Cloudsdale, a place I can know about only by listening myself.* [/colour]It was a pleasing reflection that occupied his head as he flipped further into the notebook.

"Let's see..." Sugar Apple had asked how her family was represented in the article. As a matter of fact, they were represented rather heavily, as Sugar and Greenshot had been with him most of the race. "[colour=#8b4513]You and Greenshot feature in the 'Defying Hardships' theme-section, given how you both persevered through your injuries. Applejack mostly runs through the 'Tradition' part of it, given that she was the highest-placing Earth Pony. Altheticism also plays a part in it, too; tried to capture her rivalry with Gilda there. There's also the rescue, of course.[/colour]" He added the last part modestly as he edged the notebook a little closer to her. He'd obviously crossed out a re-written this section a lot; he didn't want to come off as bragging here, but given that he'd led the volunteer rescue, he couldn't maintain anything like detachment from the situation.

He waited, holding in his breath a little as she looked over the section. The multiple edits made it a little difficult to get through....

[Bellosh]

Sugar Apple paid close attention as Earth Writer paid attention rattled off all the article sections she and her cousins were featured in. She figured she would be mentioned in something connected with perseverance, since not everypony came back from getting buried by rocks to win third place. The mare was also glad to hear that Applejack got mentioned prominently too; she really did deserve recognition for all she was capable of.

However, Sugar Apple’s cheery complexion vanished when the reporter made mention of... that incident; the reason why she was still stuck in this hospital. While that ghastly story did ultimately have a happy ending, the pegasus preferred not having to think about her accidental burial if she could. Nonetheless, Sugar summoned the resolve to hesitantly read through Earth Writer’s write-up so she could provide him with needed input.

Unfortunately, the “rescue section” appeared to have been the most heavily-rewritten section of the entire article. Sugar Apple immensely struggled to discern what parts were still parts of the section and which ones had been edited out. After a couple of aborted tries, the pegasus swallowed her pride (and her bad memories) and asked; [colour=#800080]“Ah’m afraid all yer editin’ has made it hard fo’ me t’read through this section hyar. Ah hope ya’ don’t mind readin’ out load fo’ me, do ya’?”[/colour]

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer began to look concerned as Sugar Apple tried valiantly to get through the very messy section detailing the rescue. It seemed that it was painful for her to go through, in more ways than one. He accepted the invitation to read it himself without offense, making a mental note not to linger over it too much.

He brought the notebook up, pausing for a few moments to decipher his own hornwriting, before beginning in gentle tones, "[colour=#8b4513]Even the many hooves of the racers could not make the work of season changing easy; the rain and terrain both conspired against us as we entered the middle legs of the event. Cutting across the route, separating the two halves of the Whitetail Woods was the Rearing Ravine, a rocky, fog-choked series of canyons that we all had to pass.[/colour]

[colour=#8b4513]The rain had made the hoofholds treacherous, and the fog hid from everypony the few safe routes through the ridges. In pursuit of tradition, two racers, Rising Star and Sugar Apple, were to misstep and tumble over the edge into the ravine. However, while their situation was dire, their fellow racers would not leave them in the lurch! I was privileged to be among a group of ponies who set aside the competitiveness of the day to mount an impromptu rescue, which I am pleased to say was a success. Both mares not only we able to finish the race, but placed very highly indeed[/colour]."

The unicorn looked up once he'd finished. "[colour=#8b4513]Is that... are you... alright?[/colour]" He wasn't sure what question he ought to be asking, given the memories this would probably be bringing to the pegasus, and his attempt at asking both at once sounded... less than eloquent.

[Bellosh]

Sugar Apple held back the unpleasant memories of the Rearing Ravine as Earth Writer proceeded to read the article out loud. She visualized how it went down; Rising Star trapped on the ledge and Sugar flying up to rescue her only to be swept away by an avalanche. Trapped under all those rocks, the pegasus had almost thought that she would never emerge from that debris pile... it was a good thing that all those other racers came when they did.

As Earth Writer described how she fell, Sugar Apple winced; not from the painful memories though, but rather how the reporter’s account seemed like a much abbreviated version of what really happened. For one thing, no mention was made of that avalanche at all, making it seem like her and Rising Star were trapped in the same place. As much as she didn’t want to tell her companion this, the purple mare... didn’t really like the particular version of the rescue write-up. Maybe she’d never like any revised draft seeing that she was there to witness it all, but it couldn’t hurt to see if it could be improved... could it?

After the tan unicorn fumbled with his combined question about her opinion and her well-being, Sugar Apple did her best to provide him her honest truth without being too uncouth. [colour=#800080]“Uhhhh........”[/colour] the pegasus struggled with her reply; [colour=#800080]“Ah think yer’re off t’a great start hon. Ah’ll say though that it hmmm... could be expanded on. Mebee menshun how ah was, uggggh, buried by rocks. Ah don’t know; it jest seems like sumpin’ or two’s missin’ at th’ moment.”[/colour]

Not wanting to keep Earth Writer worried about her mood, Sugar added with a fake smile; [colour=#800080]“Ah’m quite fine...... really ah am. Jest ya’... wait an’ see........”[/colour] It was no use; a wave of melancholy crashed upon the bed-ridden pegasus, unable to shake from her mind the likelihood that she might have had came to an ignominious and untimely end a few days prior. Redirecting her gaze towards the ceiling, Sugar Apple sighed as she attempted to get a hold of herself. It wouldn’t do for the mare to get all mopey in front of her new friend; she was supposed to be better than this!

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer was caught in the backwash from Sugar Apple's melancholic wave. Darn it, he was supposed to come and cheer her up, not bury her in painful memories. "[colour=#8b4513]Perhaps... we can leave this alone for now.[/colour]" The unicorn said as he gathered up his draft, keeping his eye on the convalescent. After planing the notebook aside, he leaned over towards the mare, speaking softly, "[colour=#8b4513]I'm sorry, and thank you; I know that can't have been easy for you.[/colour]"

Searching for something that would lift the spirits of Sugar Apple, Earth Writer flipped through the clippings he'd brought in, selecting two of them. "[colour=#8b4513]We can discuss something a little more cheerful. This might interest you; a couple of columns based on letters I received from Princesses Luna and Celestia.[/colour]" Suddenly realizing that this might be seen as trying to put on airs, and not wanting to sound too much like a snobbish Canterlotian, he hastily backpedaled. "[colour=#8b4513]Not that I'm, like, in regular correspondence, see, It's just that they had a letter-writing thing, where you could write a letter and they'd write back. Still might be going on, actually, so if you'd like some pen and paper, I brought some...[/colour]" He finished as best he could with bashful smile. This wasn't going gracefully, but it might at least make her laugh.

[Bellosh]

[colour=#800080]“Nah; don’t ya’ feel sorry on my account,”[/colour] Sugar Apple glumly responded to Earth Writer’s apology; [colour=#800080]“It’s just thet it ain’t everyday yer’re reminded thet... well, thet we all don’t live forever. Trust me hon; ah’ll probably stop thinkin’ about it too much once ah check outta’ here. Thar ain’t too much to do hyar but read Darin' Do or think to yerself.”[/colour]

And then for something completely different! Once Sugar Apple finished rationalizing her gloominess, Earth Writer changed the subject by mentioning his correspondence with the royal princesses. The purple pegasus shot out of bed; her new companion personally knew Celestia and Luna? That wasn’t possible at all! [colour=#800080]“Yer’ve gotta’ be fibbin’ Earth Writer!”[/colour] Sugar croaked in disbelief; afterwards the tan unicorn clarified that it was actually part of some sort of publicity campaign that anypony could partake in. [colour=#800080]“Ah see,”[/colour] the humiliated mare said; [colour=#800080]“Sorry for th’ outburst. Maybe ah will write one of the princesses... but lemme’ see yer letters first!”[/colour]

The first letter from Princess Celestia was straightforward enough, with her briefly describing the origins of Canterlot. Sugar Apple more or less already knew the basics; she had already been on enough museum tours as it is. The second letter, the one from Luna, proved to be of much more interest to the mare. The Princess of the Night seemed to be much her candid with her response, elaborating on how she adjusted to her status as a celebrity who had nearly vanished from history. Reading through the letter, Sugar Apple started to feel a little bit guilty for liking Nightmare Night so dang much, even if Luna seemed pretty cool with the whole thing these days.

Once she read the entire letter, Miss Apple felt emboldened enough to write a letter of her own to Luna; [colour=#800080]“Ah think ah really will take ya’ up on yer offer, hon. Ah’d like that pen an’ pencil, if ya’ please?”[/colour] Just then, another thought crossed Sugar’s mind; [colour=#800080]“Hey, ah just realized that ya’ haven’t sent a letter t’Princess Cadenza yet! Ya will be writin’ a letter t’her too, right?”[/colour]

[Blueblood]

Mortality... well, that was a thought that could bring anypony down. Earth Writer couldn't really blame Sugar Apple for being a trifle gloomy if recent events had put her thoughts on that track, and from what she told him, there wasn't much here to bring one's thoughts elsewhere. [colour=#8b4513]*That seems a trifle counterproductive for a hospital, given how much of healing is psychological.* [/colour]He made a mental note to write a future article calling attention to this fact.

Still, morbid reflections were banished easily enough from the exibition of the correspondence the journalist had with the Princesses. He'd based a couple of columns off of them, but he figured the letters themselves would make for more interesting reading. He lingered over Luna's letter, reflecting on what led him to write to her. "[colour=#8b4513]Luna gives you a different take on the whole 'Bad publicity is better than no publicity' attitude I encounter a lot in my line of work. I'd like to meet her one day, and not just for an interview.[/colour]" He shrugged, remarking hopefully, "[colour=#8b4513]It might happen. Reporters can work pretty late hours getting copy ready for the morning editions.[/colour]"

He grinned as Sugar decided to write a letter to the princess herself, eagerly handing over the paper and pencil. That would certainly set her thoughts on less morbid courses at the very least. Her question about writing to Princess Cadence brought him up short, though. [colour=#8b4513]*It's true, she was also accepting letters. But what would I write to the 'Princess of Love' about?* [/colour]He looked back down at Sugar Apple, and a smile stole over his face. "[colour=#8b4513]I expect to write her sometime soon; right now I've got a few articles to sell to keep hide and soul together. Speaking of," [/colour][colour=#000000]He said, a thought suddenly occurring to him, "[/colour][colour=#8b4513]How soon do you think you'll be able to return to work yourself? I expect you've some sick or emergency leave."[/colour]

[Bellosh]

[colour=#800080]“Ya’ know,”[/colour] Sugar Apple mentioned when Earth Writer expressed his desire to meet Luna; [colour=#800080]“Ah’ve actually sar Princess Luna one time. Ah was at a shop in Ponyville right next t'th' dump, an’ she was thar in it all by her lonesome. Ah didn’t really talk with her though; ah jest bowed t’her and went on mah way.”[/colour]

Once Earth Writer gave Sugar a pencil and paper started to brainstorm what she’d write in her letter. As for the stallion, he seemed to take to the mare’s idea to writing Princess Cadence once the freelancer managed to sell a few other articles. Speaking of making money... [colour=#800080]“Mah bosses at th’ Weather Factory are givin’ me all th’ emerjuncy leave ah need. They’ve been real unnerstan'in’ and all! Hopefully, ah kin be back t’wawk in about a week fum today.”[/colour]

Sugar Apple attempted to concentrate on writing her letter to Luna, but her mind was drawing blanks. Just what would she ask the Princess of the Night anyway? For a couple minutes, all she did was tap the pencil in her mouth on the paper as she fruitlessly brainstormed. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to write letters on the spur of the moment? Not wanting to embarrass herself in front of Earth Writer, she nervously told him;[colour=#800080] “Don’t ya’ worry hon; it always takes me a while fo’ me to start writin’... eeeyup...”[/colour] The reporter probably wouldn’t buy the act, but it was worth a try.....

[Blueblood]

"[colour=#8b4513]Oh, really?[/colour]" It was something of a surprise to Earth Writer that the Princess of the Night had seemingly just shown up at Ponyville. While visits from the Royal sisters were becoming more frequent for this town, he himself had been away for most of the years this had been happening. "[colour=#8b4513]I'm not sure I'd have had the nerve to speak to her myself; I wasn't a very outgoing pony, mostly. I've had to move out of my comfort zone lately though, with all my journalist work and such. It's worked out pretty well, actually.[/colour]" He smiled, wondering if he'd have ever actually connected with Sugar Apple, or even gotten into the Running of the Leaves, if not for that unexpected turn of his career.

He sat back, stretching his hooves as the pegasus mare took the pencil and paper. "[colour=#8b4513]Glad to hear you'll be up and about, soon. What exactly do you do at work, though? Do you do fieldwork a lot, or is more floor management?[/colour]" Like most non-pegasi, the details of weather manufacture and management were lost upon Earth Writer, a gap in his knowledge which he was beginning to feel acutely, especially after the inclement weather of the race, and what came of it.

He wasn't bothered much that Sugar Apple wasn't writing right away; as a writer himself, he knew what it was like to get stuck right before the opening line. "[colour=#8b4513]Don't sweat it; I actually had a couple of months between my own letters to the Princesses. You don't force that sort of thing, you know?"[/colour]

[GreenshotApple]

In another part of the Ponyville Hospital, [colour=#008000]Greenshot Apple[/colour] had been talking to a doctor who was taking care of Greenshot for the past few days since the finish of the Running of the Leaves. His right hoof was in worse condition then what he had thought during the race. It had to be braced tightly for a few days and had no way of eating except by the nurses that forced him to eat the hospital. What he wouldn't give for taste his mum's pastries again. Once he got home to Canterlot, he was going to chow down but today the doctor came in to tell Greenshot that he was free to go though he had to stay in Ponyville for a few more days to check on his condition later to make sure he was free to go back home and finish healing up. Greenshot had a smile on his face as he placed his light saddlebag on his back and slowly made his way out of the room. Putting more weight on his other legs and keeping his right hoof light on it's step.

He knew that Sugar Apple was still in the hospital since he had been asking the nurse about her every time it came to getting his meals. Stopping over to the floor's checkout office, he asked a nurse who was looking at paperwork what floor his cousin Sugar Apple was on and what room she was currently recovering in. He then wen towards the elevator and went up being that she was a floor above.

Arriving onto the floor, Greenshot Apple stepped from the elevator and headed towards the direction he believed was where. Sugar's room had been. Pausing by a water fountain, Greenshot's horn brightened a bit as he turned the fountain on and took a refreshing drink. Turning it off, Greenshot made it towards the room he was told Sugar was in. The door was slightly ajar and with his braced right hoof, knocked softly on the door and watched it open slowly. His yellow and green streaked mane visible from the door as he began to walk in and quickly noticed Earth Writer had been with Sugar Apple. "[colour=#008000]Howdy Do to you two! Hope I am not intruding?[/colour]"

[Bellosh]

[colour=#800080]“It’s great thet ev’rythin’s goin’ fo’ ya’ hun!”[/colour] Sugar Apple politely cheered; [colour=#800080]“Ah’m sure thet eff’n ya’ kin write t’th’ princesses now, ya’ll be able t’chat them up too! Although ah’m surprised thet ya’ were a bit shy before; ya’ hardly seem thet way t’me...”[/colour] True, it was hard for the pegasus to conceive that her companion to be anything else but outgoing. After all, Sugar herself had essentially kept the same cheerful personality that she’s always had for her entire life.

At any rate, Sugar Apple was quite happy to talk about her job to the journalist, even if it wasn’t all that newsworthy; [colour=#800080]“Well, ah’m a supervisor at th’ facko’y; part of the Vapo'izashun Department... or Vapo’Dep if ya’ prefer. Ah don’t hoof it out in th’ field; that’s for them local weather teams. Instead, ah basically make sure thet ev’ryone’s makin’ clouds right so we kin ship them t’th’ weather crews. Eff’n enny promises arise, it’s mah job t’make sure thet it gits fixed somehow. Ah can tell ya' more too if ya' wanna know.....”[/colour]

Sugar Apple set Earth Writer’s pad and pencil down when she was told that it was normal to be stuck for some time; [colour=#800080]“Ah guess yer right. Maybe it’ll just come naturally if ah let it-”[/colour] Hearing a knock at the door, the purple mare glimpsed her cousin Greenshot at the doorway. Like her, he needed a stint at the hospital too but by the looks of things, he was turning out alright too. [colour=#800080]“Howdy cousin; come on in!”[/colour] Sugar merrily greeted back; [colour=#800080]“How’s thet hoof of yer’s doin’?”[/colour]

[Blueblood]

There was something cheering in Sugar Apple's very personality; Earth Writer couldn't help but feel that it was a pity that she was in a room all by herself. Other patients would surely be cheered up talking with this mare, as long as she kept her thoughts off the accident which brought her here.

"[colour=#8b4513]Hard to believe, huh? Well, it's true all the same. I was never the most social pony at university; generally keeping to myself. My professors all tried to get me to come out of my shell, since getting a job usually depends on the network of ponies you know. As a matter of fact, it was something of a random circumstance that made me become a journalist, though the story is a little incredible.[/colour]" At any rate, he always had a hard time convincing ponies that he told it to.

Newsworthy or not, Earth Writer was more that happy to hear about Sugar Apple's work, and told her as such. Right now, he just enjoyed spending time with her, and as long as she was talking, she wasn't brooding. That could only help her recovery, after all, which was part of the point in allowing visitors.

Speaking of, it was about then that Sugar's cousin and fellow racer Greenshot dropped by. "[colour=#8b4513]Greetings! Make yourself at home. Partake of the famous Apple hospitality![/colour]" In his best exaggerated Canterlot manner, he presented Greenshot with one of the Granny Smith apples, remarking in a low whisper, "[colour=#8b4513]One of our finest vintages.[/colour]" Sugar Apple's high spirits were indeed infectious, to produce jocularity from the tan unicorn.

[GreenshotApple]

"[colour=#008000]I am quite happy to see both of you are doing alright it seems. My right hoof is healing well. I just got to stay in Ponyville a view more days.[/colour]" [colour=#008000]Greenshot Apple[/colour] had said in a warm tone of voice. Looking over at Earth Writer with a grin on his face from Writer's voice trying to sound like a Canterlot one. He seemed to be in a jolly kind of mood Writer was assumed Greenshot while his horn began to glow and lifted the delicious looking granny smith apple from his hoof. Walking over towards the other side of the hospital bed, Greenshot placed his braced hoof ontop of the hospital bed to show them how it was. Looking over at Sugar's condition and was still glad to see she had been quite lively as well.

"[colour=#008000]I am going to see if Granny Smith and Applejack would allow me to stay at Sweet Apple Acres a few more days so I can heal up enough to go back to...[/colour]" Greenshot then looked at Earth Writer and said in his Canterlot tone of voice "[colour=#008000]Canterlot as fit as I was when I came to race!!![/colour]" A smirk on his face and a tail sway happy to show off his voice as he looked at both Earth Writer and Sugar Apple. "[colour=#008000]How are you doing Sugar Apple, Looking much better then when I last saw you at the finish line. I just wanted to apologize for pushing you and even myself to hard. Making us both need to be hospitalized, but also wanted to say congrats on your place in the standings. It was all thanks to me after all..[/colour]" Greenshot said softly, but with a smile on his face knowing that she did beat him then looked at Earth Writer "[colour=#008000]Have you done the Running of the Leaves article's yet cause I would love a copy to read?[/colour]"

[Bellosh]

To put things mildly, Sugar Apple was very happy to see cousin Greenshot’s recovery going well. That, and by also seeing him and Earth Writer getting along so well too. Of course, Miss Apple’s mirth made her forget how it was Greenshot’s challenge which caused the both of them to end up here. But none of that ever mattered; [colour=#800080]“Ah shucks cousin; ya’ haf no need t’ask fo’ mah fo’giveness. But at least we Apples ran a good race thar... an’ it looks like we both’ll come outta’ it jest fine, won’t we?”[/colour]

While Greenshot asked about Earth Writer’s article, Sugar Apple was actually curious about the story about how her friend became a journalist. Speaking up before the reporter could, the beaming pegasus turned to him and asked; [colour=#800080]“Hey hun, once ya’ show Greenshot th’ draft, mebbe ya’ kin tell us about how ya’ became a journalist? Ah'd love t'hear about it.....”[/colour]

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer hadn't known, or if he had, he'd forgotten that Greenshot lived in the same city as he. The green unicorn also seemed to have similar sense of fun as well, the reporter was pleased to see. He made a mental note to look him up when he returned home.

Earth was also pleased to note that Greenshot was enough of a gentlecolt to apologize for whatever role he may have played for the current predicament of the two Apple family members, even though Sugar was kind enough to brush off the offense. Having once dealt with an evasive interviewee, it was always refreshing to see somepony direct and honest. [colour=#8b4513]*Probably an Apple family trait, now that I think about it.*[/colour]

Before the stallion could open his mouth to say anything, however, Sugar Apple asked him to tell the story of how he became a journalist. "[colour=#8b4513]Well,[/colour]" he said with a laugh, "[colour=#8b4513]That's a story and a half. It all began right after I'd finished my studies at the Canterlot University, but before I found any work. I took a degree in geography, because I've always been interested in why places are the way they are; and being able to explain to other ponies the story of a place is kind of a passion of mine. I was still looking for a specific post for a geographer, but there weren't that many open for one with no professional experience."[/colour]

The reporter's eye's got a faraway look as he mentally transported himself into the land of yesterday. "[colour=#8b4513]Being without work meant straining every bit you got; I always took breakfast in a cheap little coffee shop because that way, I could read the classifieds without paying for a newspaper. It was on one such morning that I was approached by a member of the Coffee shop mafia."[/colour]

He paused to take in the reaction of his audience; this was usually when other ponies started staring at him incredulously. "[colour=#8b4513]First thing he did was try to rob me. As I was flat broke at the time, that got him nowhere. Then, he tried to recruit me, probably to save face. He promised riches, but if there were riches to be had, I'd bet anything he wouldn't have been hanging around a greasy coffee shop. Well, I cleared out ASAP; I couldn't be sure if I was being followed, so I didn't go to the guards right away. I remembered seeing an ad for a newspaper position, so I went in to the offices. While the guy outside thought I was going for an interview, I was really giving my story to the editor.[/colour]

"[colour=#8b4513]The guy who tailed me stuck around the office, and actually got the attention of the guard on patrol, so the whole business was resolved pretty quickly. As it turned out, the 'mafia' was just a bunch of small-timers who talked a big game, but the editor liked the story so much he put me on the staff, and you know the rest.[/colour]"

Earth Writer shrugged. He had no idea if he'd be believed or not, some days he found it hard to believe himself. It just wasn't the sort of thing you expected to happen in Equestria.

(OOC: This did happen in-RP, in the Free-for-all thread I first used Earth Writer in. I kept it as part of his story because it was just too good.)

[GreenshotApple]

[colour=#006400]Greenshot Apple[/colour] gave a wide grin from what Sugar Apple had said. "[colour=#008000]Indeed we did. The Apples ran a great race even though it was surely not a clean one. Yes, I will be quite alright after a few nights of rest. I know your going to do well as well in due time since you did in fact beat me.[/colour]" He said to Sugar. Levitating the apple that Earth Writer had given him to rest in front of Greenshot on the hospital bed that Sugar was recovering on. Looking over at Writer right after Sugar had asked him about how it was that he became a journalist. It would be interesting to know as well being that Writer beat him as well.

Greenshot listened to what Writer was saying. Intrigued to hear that he had went to Canterlot University and that geography was his interest. The idea of learning Equestria's geography was indeed something cool to learn though Greenshot was not one that explored or traveled around often. His apple lifted toward his mouth in which he took a bite continuing to listen to Writer. Looking at him with focused eyes as he gave his mane a quick flick feeling the end of it being uncomfortable after it got stuck under the saddlebag on his back. When Writer finished speaking, Greenshot had an half eaten apple and gave a long nod to what Writer had explained to them with a smile on his face. "[colour=#008000]That is quite impressive Writer.[/colour]"

[Bellosh]

At first, Sugar Apple couldn’t believe what she was hearing from Earth Writer. Her mouth agape, the pegasus listened as her journalist companion described how something that called itself a “coffee shop mafia” actually existed. Couldn’t a band of ruffians have found a more... sensible name than “coffee shop mafia”? Why did they even need to rob ponies in the first place?

Then again, strange things happen in Equestria every once in a while anyway. Things like invasions by insectoid ponies with shape-shifting abilities and freak thunderstorms making a mess of things during athletic competitions. Hence, Sugar Apple would give Earth Writer the benefit of the doubt. Plus, she enjoyed discovering that the tan unicorn had studied geography at college; the pegasus never got the chance to do so, as she participated in a vocational training program instead.

Once cousin Greenshot expressed his amazement towards Earth Writer’s story, Sugar Apple regained her composure and chimed in. [colour=#800080]“Ah think so too!”[/colour] the purple mare excitedly declared;[colour=#800080] “Say, whutevar happened t’thet hokey mafia? Did somepony finally knock some sense into them all?”[/colour]