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[Fet Loch] A Cloud Shrouded Vacation (Closed)


Bellosh

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Filthy Rich provided an enthusiastic “Um hum!” to Carrot’s question about taking Diamond Tiara sightseeing; “Although I’m not even sure where to start explorin’ first.” As an unprompted afterthought, the stallion added; “You know, I really wish my wife could have come here too with Diamond Tiara and I, but she was busy with school board business back in Ponyville. Oh well...” Of course, anypony who knew Spoiled Rich would know that it would have been a virtually impossible task to convince her to go on a vacation to Fet Loch, and it was hard enough convincing Diamond to come as it was.

 

Once the adults finished breakfast and the conversation turned to Purple Haze, Filthy reckoned that it was due time to check up on his daughter. “If you don’t mind, I’m gonna’ see what the fillies are up to. Diamond should be finished eatin’ by now... “

 

Leaving the warmth of the forge area, the stallion made it back to the guest bedroom just as Purple was finished saying something about swimming. It seemed as if the two girls were already making their own plans! “Good mornin’ Diamond Tiara!” the father casually walked in with a cheerful smile; “Sounds like you and your friend are going to be busy today. You sleep well, my little angel?”

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  • 5 weeks later...
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Diamond stared at Purple, stunned by the words coming out of her mouth, barely able to comprehend any of them.

"You make nails... and tools..." she eventually started in disbelief. "But can't you just buy them at the store?" she asked, not understanding.

She continued to just stare as Purple laid out the leather things for her to wear. "I'm supposed to wear this stuff? But it's like some weird, ugly Nightmare Night costume," she started in a mix of disgust and deep confusion.

Where on the previous day Diamond had been intent to reject everything, now it was more like she was lost on some weird, alien planet, no idea how to feel about the things being thrust before her. When her father came to join him, she was glad for it. She went to him immedaitely.

"Daddy, is it true that ponies actually make nails?" she asked, ignoring his words to her.
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  • 4 weeks later...

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Purple boggled at the question, giving quite the pratfall, not even noticing the dismissive attitude towards the protective gear... the question was almost alien to her.  Was she joking?  She had to be joking.  Wasn't she joking?  ...  She dragged herself back up to her hooves, staring at Diamond Tiara wide-eyed.  She wasn't joking.

"Oye!  Where do y'think th' stores get 'em, eh?  We make 'em, we sell 'em to th' store, th' store sells 'em onwards.  Yer da owns th' biggest store in ponyville!  Ye dinnae know where 'e gets 'is stuff?  Why do ye think 'e's out all this way?  Jes' fer some random vacation?  Fet Loch's roit bonnie an' all, but 'es 'ere contactin' suppliers!  Carrots, wool, nails, tools... we sell 'em tae him, 'e sells 'em tae others.  Things dinnae jes' pop out of thin air!"
 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Carrot Fields was both please and worried that he had some many volunteers to help work the forge.  Usually when he was left “in charge” because Redd couldn’t run the shop that day, it was just him, or he and Purple Haze, or if he was really fortunate, his brother-in-law Silver Strike, who was a talented silversmith by trade.  This day though he had four ponies willing to render their services, problem was, other than Purple none of them had any experience in a forge as far as Carrot knew, definitely not Filthy Rich, and most certainly not little Diamond Tiara.  At least Carrot top was a Carrot, that alone gave him a measure of confidence in her.

 

Carrot walked over to look at the fuel stockpiles, there was certainly enough remaining charcoal and wood for the day to keep the fire going, although the latter needed splitting before it could be used.  As that required using an axe, he would handle that himself, preferring to minimize risk of injury anyone else in his ‘employ’.  That just left the peat, which was sadly lacking.  “Oy Purple, we need some peat, wa don’t ye an' Carrot Top tak' th' wagon an' go doon tae th' nearby bog an' cut some, Ah suppose Diamond Tiara coods gang wi' ye if 'at is alrecht wi' 'er faither.”  It was dirty, but necessary work, but Carrot didn’t want the fillies around him using the axe and while he was comfortable leaving Purple in the forge; he didn’t want the others in there without himself being present.

 

The ruddy stallion slipped out of the heavy hoof hammer boot he was wearing and gestured for the older brown stallion to follow him.  Outside behind the forge stood a large stump with a stack of uncut logs next to it along with an axe head attached to a flat thick leather surface with a metal back plate for stability, on it was strap designed for one to slip a hoof in.  “Hope ye don’t min' me sendin' yer daughter tae gang wi' Purple, Ah figure since they gang tae school together an' aw, she woods raither hang wi' mah sis 'en us borin' auld adults.”  Carrot slipped on and tightened the strap then proceeded to place one of the logs on its end on the stump before swinging his foreleg with the axe head straight down, neatly slicing it in half.  “If ye like, aw Ah need ye tae dae is place th' next log oan th' stump after Ah cut th' previoos one, shooldn’t tak' lang.”  Besides, it was a good opportunity to get to know one of his business contacts more.

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Carrot Top was pleased to see that everypony was willing to pitch in with helping out with the forge. Sure she could have decided to just wander around Fet Loch and see the sites, but what better way to experience the place than with her extended family. 

 

“Oy Purple, we need some peat, wa don’t ye an' Carrot Top tak' th' wagon an' go doon tae th' nearby bog an' cut some, Ah suppose Diamond Tiara coods gang wi' ye if 'at is alrecht wi' 'er faither.”  

 

She wasn't sure how Diamond Tiara would help with harvesting peat seeing as she didn't look like the farming type. Still more hooves were helpful. 

 

"Sounds like a plan. I'll go get the wagon, and when we're ready we can go." 

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A hearty laugh came from Filthy Rich when Purple Haze finished with her overeager answer to Diamond Tiara’s question. True, this was far from a random vacation, but not for the reasons that Purple supposed. “Actually missy,” Mr. Rich entered business lecturing mode; “Most of our store’s nail inventory is purchased from urban manufacturers, who for ordinary products, are able to meet demand efficiently and at minimal cost passed down to the customer. With specialty and custom orders however, they don’t deliver high enough of a return on investment for the large manufacturers, so we turn to smaller operations, like your father’s, to fulfill that niche demand.”

 

Now that Purple brought the subject up, Filthy suddenly remembered that one of his other custom nail suppliers was retiring next month. He’d have to find another source to make sure Barnyard Bargains didn’t suffer any shortages; perhaps he ought to talk with Redd about that. Right now though, it was time for Diamond to get a move on; “Well, you two better get going, hah hah hah. We’re all waiting outside.....”

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  • 2 weeks later...

Diamond's face became a scowl. She didn't like Purple's tone. It sounded too much like she was making fun of her, and Diamond wasn't the sort to stand for that.

 

"Yeah, well how am i supposed to know about all that? It's not like it matters where it comes from! The only important thing is how much we sell if for," Diamond pridefully asserted, even as a niggling part of her acknowledged that her logic wasn't exactly sound.

 

She turned her head when Carrot Fields and her father appeared before them. She was actually fairly glad for it as it appeared she wasn't going to have to do any forging after all. That said... she wasn't really sure what to expect from this new task.

 

"What in all Equestria is 'peat'?" She indignantly repeated the unfamiliar word, even as she gladly moved away from the forge.

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Purple Haze shook her head.  "Oye, Diamond, 'at's no it a'tall.  Like yer da jes' said, 'e knows where alla his stock comes from, don 'e?  If ye dinnae know where yer stock comes from, ye cannae look fer better stock, or cheaper stock.  Oi'm gonna be ownin' a major restaurant someday, an' Oi cannae afford nae tae know where me food comes from!  If ye dinnae know wot's comin' in, an' fer 'ow much, an' from where, ye cannae know wot tae charge fer it!  Plus, if it's local, ye kin allays put 'at on a sign an' sell it.  Ponies love tae support local economies."

But by the time she was done with that explanation, they were outside again, and being given their marching orders.  Purple nodded to her big brae, though she REALLY wanted to get started on the nails!  She knew it was important to start drying out the new peat as soon as possible, or else in a couple of weeks, da was gonna run out when he needed it.

"Ach.  Well," she put her hoof on Diamond's shoulder, and with a bit of sympathy, said, "It's somethin' yer nae gon' like.  Put yer leathers o'er there, ye kin put 'em on when we get back."  As soon as Diamond had done so, she started leading her down to the bog, pushing a wheelbarrow with a couple of shovels in it.  "Now, ye be careful, only step where Oi'm steppin', aye?  Bog's no too bad round 'ere, but it's still dangerous, sometimes.  Ye wander off an' put yer hoof down on a spot wot looks solid, an' suddenly yer underwater an' can't find a way back up.  Oi know wot tae look fer, an' Oi'm pushin' th' barrow ahead a me.  Better tae lose th' barrow than one a us."

As they reached the bog - not far away, at all - she continued to explain, "Peat's th' stuff wot grows atop th' water in a bog.  Or rather, wot *used* tae float atop th' bog.  Wot we do is we take vese blades an' shovels an' wotnot, an' we cut off a nice big slab a' th' stuff.  We wrestle it intae th' barrow, then we wheel it back up.  It dries out fer a couple weeks, 'til it's all hard - Oi'll show ye when we get back tae th' dryin' racks... an' then we kin use it fer a buncha purposes.  It's Fet Loch's free fuel an' sometimes buildin' supply."  As she finished that explanation, they came around a corner to what looked almost like a quarry - but there was no stone.  Instead, the edges showed regular, blocky outlines of large blocks that had been cut out of ... well ... at first glance, it was just dirt.  At a closer look, though, one could see that it was tightly packed plantlife that was half-decomposed, creating a very rich and earthy smell.

"Welcome tae our family's personal lil' peat mine!" Purple said cheerfully, leaving the barrow at the edge and taking out one shovel and one huge knife, before following a series of wooden planks around the edge.  "Stay on th' wood 'ere, nae so dangerous round 'ere, but sometimes ye kin take a step an' get intae mud up tae yer knee.  Wood's 'ere tae keep ye from gettin' mud all o'er."
 

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  • 2 weeks later...

As everypony scattered about the farm in final preparation, Carrot contented himself with finishing off the wood.  He liked the chore - the simple, repetitive motions with the heavy bladed horseshoe relaxed him, and it was easy to see how successful you'd been.  But soon enough, he saw Purple, Diamond Tiara, and Carrot Top heading off to the bog, and Filthy Rich was coming back to where he was.

"See that lot's ready to go!" Carrot said happily, "An' Oi'm jes' bout done 'ere, if yeh wanted t'elp me out?  Jes' heft a load, an' we'll fill th' wood box inside.  Maybe grab some a that dried peat o'er there, too."  He wrapped the wood round with some twine kept there for the purpose, and hefted the bundle of firewood on his back to bring in.

"Purple's nae spoke much on Diamond Tiara.  Wot're her hobbies?  Purple, she's balmy o'er cookin' - also of an age where she's a mite colt-crazy, an' a'cerse she loves sports a' all sorts.  Hockey in th' winter, hoofball alla th' rest a th' year.  Ponyville dinnae seem tae care bout hoofball loik we do 'ere.  Everypony is taught from a wee baern wot tae do fer hoofball - we e'en got our own hoofball team, 'ere: th' Fet Loch Banshees.  We're a mite small fer a pro team, but they're funded by th' McCloud nobles.  Expect t'ave a good chance t'beat Cloudsdale this year - bit of a rivalry, wot with us havin' th' second-biggest pegasus clan in Equestria."

He nattered on amicably as they carried in burnables, and then settled in to get his apron and his heavy hoof-hammer.  "A'ight.  If yeh wish tae 'elp, ye might want tae try on somma that protective gear - lots hot stuff an' sparks flyin' when workin' metal."

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A short gallop away, Carrot Top found herself standing before the peat bog with the others who went with her. She listened to Purple Haze as she explained what peat was and how while it was safe in its own right but care must be made where she could walk. 

 

"Stay on th' wood 'ere, nae so dangerous round 'ere, but sometimes ye kin take a step an' get intae mud up tae yer knee.  Wood's 'ere tae keep ye from gettin' mud all o'er."

 

"Alright," Carrot Top said as she too grabbed a shovel and a knife and proceeded along the planks. She looked out across the area of green and black with certain areas carved out like little squares of brownies cut from a pan. But her sightseeing came at a price as her back hoof missed the one plank and sank into the mud up to her knee! 

 

"Guess It learned my lesson," she said pulling herself back up on the planks with her one formerly cream colored leg covered in black mud. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

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Seeing Diamond Tiara head off to help collect fresh peat, Filthy Rich did as Carrot Fields requested and filled up two saddle baskets with dried peat blocks. While walking to the forge, Mr. Fields talked on about Purple Haze and the Fet Loch Banshees and oh, he also asked about Diamond Tiara’s hobbies. Since the other stallion rambled for some while, that gave Filthy time to formulate a… diplomatic response. “Diamond Tiara, heh, she’s always into tryin’ new things. Maybe not sports mind ya’, but whenever my filly’s set on doing something, she always gives it her all!” Right up until the point Diamond abandoned a pursuit and moved on to something else.

 

“Hoofball may not be my number-one favorite sport,” Mr. Rich prattled on himself as he set down his baskets, took off his normal attire and neatly set it down away from the forge, and strapped on a spare apron. “But you know that doesn’t stop me from sponsoring our local junior hoofball team.” How could anypony forget the Barnyard Bargains ads at the Ponyville hoofball field? “I always watch their games, and your lil’ sister is a very good goalie, make no mistake!” By this point, Filthy had also managed to put on safety goggles, making him look the part of a blacksmith!

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  • 1 month later...

 

Diamond listened to Purple's explanation of how it paid to know where things came from and through was increasingly confronted with her own utter naivety. She said nothing in response, but her face showed her irritation. She had previously viewed this pony as a lowly and archaic creature, but now she was beginning to see she had a certain wisdom to her hewn in her worldly pursuits. Diamond found herself increasingly eager to decipher the thickly accented words of the other filly in an attempt to absorb their meaning, even as her ever present scowl might not have revealed it.

As Purple lead her along and began to explain about peat, Diamond did her best to listen and do as told. She said surprisingly little until she was showed to the peat mine, at which point she found her sensitive senses suddenly overwhelmed. The smell, the look of it all, everything about the idea of where it came from--sifted from those fetid bog waters--it was just absolutely abhorrent.

"Uggh, it stinks!" she declared in revulsion. "What is wrong with you ponies? Collecting this stuff, it cannot be worth the trouble. It's gross!"

 

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  • 5 weeks later...

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Purple Haze shook her head.  "Aye, yer nae wrong there.  It is gross.  But it's worth th' trouble.  Look roun' - we don' 'ave much in th' way of forests, roun' 'ere.  We cannae jes' pop off an' cut down a few trees fer every fire.  Nae tae mention, th' peat works much better fer turnin' iron tae steel - summat bout th' way it gets carbon intae th' iron or... outta th' iron?  Oi dinnae unnerstand it, but ye could ask me pa 'bout it when 'e's back. 'e' kin go on fer hours bout th' forge."

She started in with her knife, turning her head and hacking into the tough, intertwined roots of years of growth.  After getting the first shape cut out, she clambered up on top of it and took the shovel in her hooves, stomping it into the cuts to deepen them.  "When Oi was a wee baern, Oi was all excited 'bout it.  Me ma an' pa kept me 'way from 'ere, on account ah it's dangerous.  Oi thought, when Oi kin get th' peat, Oi'll be a big filly.  Then Oi finally was old enough tae come along.  An' Oi was so disappointed.  It was gross an' disgustin', an' it's me second least favorite chore.  But it has tae be done."

She took the shovel's handle in her mouth, and jumped up to give one final cut, then tilted back to pry a block of peat almost as big as she was expertly out of the small cliff-face, dropping it neatly into the barrow.  "An there we go!  Now ..."  No, wait.  She couldn't leave either of these two alone here... they didn't know the place properly.  Um.  And they didn't know the path.  Just be perfect to lose the wheel barrow into a marshy bit because they strayed a few dozen feet left or right... Well, they could watch each other.  "Why don' ye cut out two more blocks bout this size, an' Oi'll carry this one back tae th' forge.  Watch each other, mind!  I don' wanna get back tae find onna ye're neck deep inna marsh!"

 

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  • 4 months later...

Carrot let out a light sound of sympathy.  It was hard for him, sometimes, to understand the Ponyville accent, but it sounded like Filthy Rich was talking around the fact that Diamond Tiara hadn't made the cut for the junior hoofball team.  "Ach, tae bad she dinnae make th' team, but if she practices 'ard, maybe she'll get in next year, aye?"  He gathered together the tools for his first job as he did so.  "She comes an' watches the team with you, aye?  Just th' sort of thing a father an' daughter do together.  If hoofball innae yer favorite sport, though, an' ye sponser th' Ponyville team, Oi cannae wait tae hear wot yer favorite sport is!  Buckball?  Racing?  Ah!  Polo?"  Polo was something rich ponies liked, right?

 

Meanwhile, he finally got the iron stock ready, and had pumped the bellows until the fire was nice and hot.  He dropped the iron stock into the coals as he talked, strapping on a hoof-hammer onto his hoof, all the while keeping a careful eye on the heating metal.  Once it was glowing nicely, he pulled it out with a very long pair of bent tongs held his mouth, then laid it out on the anvil.  "'ere, 'old this.  Turn it o'er every second strike," he said.  Once everything was in place, Carrot lifted his metal-clad hoof and struck the metal firmly.  CLANG.  CLANG.  Wait for Filthy Rich to turn it.  CLANG.  CLANG.  Wait again.

 

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  • 2 months later...

Carrot Top couldn't help but roll her eyes at Diamond's reaction to the peat bog. Why, she probably never touched mud in her life!

 

Uggh, it stinks!" she declared in revulsion. "What is wrong with you ponies? Collecting this stuff, it cannot be worth the trouble. It's gross!"

 

"You're right," Carrot said as she got back up on the path, "It is a dirty, messy job, but you know what? Just like Purple Haze said, it has to be done. No job is perfect, take it from somepony who farms for a living. I'm sure even your father has times when running his store isn't perfect either. Also, the sooner we finish this, the sooner we can get back."

 

Carrot was finally on the right path. She could see that Purple was regretting having to watch over her and Diamond Tiara. Carrot had to admit, this was much harder harvesting peat than working at her farm! Sure harvesting carrots was dirty and laboring, but at least there you didn't have to watch where you stepped lest you be swallowed up by a bog.

 

"Why don' ye cut out two more blocks bout this size, an' Oi'll carry this one back tae th' forge.  Watch each other, mind!  I don' wanna get back tae find onna ye're neck deep inna marsh!"

 

"You're the boss,"  the orange mare said to the filly as she took a shovel and began cutting out a section of the peat.

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