Stalliongrad The Visitor From Ponyville [Private]

[DerpRavener]

"The North end of town's my favourite. Lots of artists and artisans and little cafes to go to. Or sometimes I just walk to one of the bridges and watch the river and the barges go by."

Following Red out to the edge of town, where signs of civilization became sparse, 'Spring Breeze' nodded. “Those do sound like relaxing ways to spend time.” She wasn't an expert on either, though she'd seen her share of artists around Ponyville. Because of that, she was more interested in the latter option. “Watching the barges could be nice. I'm not familiar with them.” To another pony it might have seemed a bit of a non-sequiter, but for 'Spring Breeze' the one explained the other.

As they approached the work site, 'Spring Breeze' asked, “Are you sure it's alright to bring ponies with you? I mean, I guess it's not the most vulnerable work, and probably pretty safe if you just follow common sense...” She trailed off, realizing she might have answered her own question. “Heh. Okay, so I guess it's understandable just...let me know if I'm getting in the way, alright?”

[RedCedar]

Red nodded, smiling as Spring Breeze voiced her concerns about showing up, unannounced, to Red's work place. "It's all right, I promise," he said. "Like I said, I'm not taking you out to where they actually cut down the trees. That's where you need to know what's going on so you don't get a giant pine landing on you. Today is literally going to be a walk in the woods. Well, the future woods. In about twenty years. After we plant the trees today." He smiles as the forest gives way to areas that have been distinctly cleared of trees, eventually approaching a collection of carts with a number of other ponies milling about them. After introducing Spring Breeze, his friend from Ponyville, he reached into one of his saddlebags and pulled out one of the orange vests, slipping it on himself, then taking the other in his teeth and giving it to Spring Breeze.

[DerpRavener]

Red Cedar did his best to put Spring Breeze's concerns to rest, and too his credit he was fairly successful. Red's group would be operating away from where the potentially hazardous work was being done, so she wouldn't be putting anypony at risk with her presence. The way he described it made the activity seem pleasant, if a little dull. It reminded a little of guard duty back in the hive that way. In fact her presence here was almost entirely like guard duty she realized, as for her both cases were made up of walking and observing, where she'd only need to act if something was going wrong. That fact alone was relaxing to her in its own way.

The work group seemed like a friendly enough bunch, if a little dull. They all seemed nice enough, but there was just nothing about any of them she found memorable or that she felt motivated to investigate further, though that may have just been due to the work setting. She supposed only time would tell, and if Red Cedar kept in touch with any outside of work.

Soon enough it was time to get to work. Red put on an orange vest before passing one off to her, which she took with her hooves and then managed to wriggle into after just a little struggling. 'Spring Breeze' expected to have little to do here, she'd provide any help that was asked of her but she expected planting to be more about precision and placement than raw effort, so she doubted there would be much for her on that front.

As they started moving, she asked Red, “So have you always done this sort of job?”

[RedCedar]

Red hung his own saddlebags on the side of one of the carts, swapping them for another larger set full of tree seedlings which he flung deftly onto his back, then tucked a small shovel in as well. After quickly confirming the parts of the field of stumps and branches that needed planting, he started walking with Spring Breeze towards a further corner.

“So have you always done this sort of job?” Spring Breeze asked.

Red nodded. "Ever since I started working." he replied. "I've always loved the forests and the trees and being outdoors, ever since I was a colt. I used to go hiking through the woods all the time when I was growing up." He paused as he arrived at the far side of the field. "Then, one day I wondered if I could help grow the trees in the forest, so, I collected some seeds and grew them at home over the winter." He took the small shovel in his teeth and dug a small hole at his hooves, then took one of the seedlings and dropped it in the hole, using his hoof to cover the hole over with the dirt. "When I came back from planting the seedlings I grew in the woods the first time, I had this." he said, nodding to his flank, and the three trees pictured on it.

[DerpRavener]

Red replied that this is what he'd always done, and while 'Spring Breeze' could imagine it sounding boring to some, she had a certain respect for consistent work. Red went on to explain that his passion for the woods and helping it grow was something he'd had since he was a colt, though it wasn't until he reached the conclusion and indicated to his cutie mark that 'Spring Breeze' realized he was talking about his special talent. It felt like a meaningful occasion, but she wasn't really sure what to say about it. She settled on a solemn nod, thinking to herself both that Red already know the story behind her cutie mark such as it was, and that she should probably ask him about it later.

Initially 'Spring Breeze' felt awkward just following him around, but she got into the rhythm of it soon enough. It was relaxing, in its own way, a walk through the soon-to-be woods with periodic stops. She'd come here in part to get her mind stress from home, and this was fitting the bill. She was sure they'd have things to talk about later, but for now she was content just to follow along and enjoy the air and momentarily being carefree.

[As a note, at this point I think Naj isn't going to say more, unless she's asked a question or something goes horribly wrong, until after the planting is done.]

[RedCedar]

Red, for his part, looked like he wanted to carry on a conversation, but having to use his mouth to hold a shovel and dig a hole every ten metres wasn't exactly conducive to talking at length. Still, Spring Breeze had come here to get away from it all and she was looking a lot more relaxed than he had seen her, well, pretty much ever. That in itself was definitely a good thing.

Red crossed back and forth across the field several times, getting his saddlebags refilled with seedlings from the cart twice, with the other ponies in the detail doing likewise. Red exchanged a few words with them now and then, but again only briefly because of the need for shoveling, about the last hoofball game or the state of some local issue or another. If any of them were having any thoughts about why Spring Breeze was visiting other than as one friend to another, they were keeping it to themselves.

After another trip back and forth across the field, Red set his planting saddlebag down and retrieved his own from where it hung on the cart, smiling over to Spring Breeze. "Lunch time." he said, trotting over to a large stump that made a fair seat and platform for the two of them as he unwrapped the sandwiches he'd made earlier that morning, giving one to Spring Breeze in order to keep up appearances.

[DerpRavener]

'Spring Breeze' sat on the stump next to Red, and took the offered sandwich, though she eyed it a bit as she did. She wasn't feeling hungry at the moment, in fact she'd been feeding fairly well since she got here, but looking around she saw everypony else eating in their on respective space. Red was keeping an eye out for her. She nibbled on it periodically as they sat there.

Red had looked like he'd wanted to say something at times while, but now that they had a moment to themselves he wasn't saying much yet. 'Spring Breeze' supposed there were some things he didn't want to discuss in public, she knew she was saving a question or two for after they got out of public. Still, it was vexing to hear so little from him if he had something he wanted to say.

She decided to make like conversation for now. There was one thing she was wondering about at the moment, and could ask. “So what sorts of things do you normally when you aren't working?”

[RedCedar]

Red took a large bite of his sandwich, evidently hungry himself, as he considered Spring Breeze's latest question. "Depends on what I feel like at the time." he says, "But, usually on one of my days off I go to the markets to buy food. In the evenings I like to read, or sometimes I go to the pub for a few ciders and to listen to some music. I like to go for hikes," he smirks a bit, "But you knew that. And I usually go see my parents or my sister on my days off." He took another large bite of his sandwich, swallowing it before adding, "And when I get some vacation time, I go travel and go camping, but you knew that too." After another bite of his sandwich, he smiled and asked, "How about you? Have you found some things you like to do when you're in Ponyville?" It was an innocent enough sounding question, but with a deeper meaning, as he was curious if she'd found some part of pony life she enjoyed since she'd been living among them so much.

[DerpRavener]

It seemed Red was pretty hungry, by the time 'Spring Breeze' had only made it about halfway through her own sandwich he'd already finished his. She offered the remaining half of her own sandwich, saying, “You can have the rest of mine, if you want. I'm not that hungry anyways.” Red knew she why she wasn't hungry of course, that explanation was more for the other ponies around them.

Red explained several things which he did, most of which he'd told her before, or was obvious in retrospect. He told her about about his evening activities of reading at home or going to the pub, and about his days away from work when he visited family or travelled. A simple set of things, but she could appreciate simple. Red was evidently a pony who knew what he liked, and that was the more relaxing rather than exciting activities.

Red asked the same question back to 'Spring'. She snorted a little, and mumbled “if you could call it work,” in response to the idea of what she did regularly being considered work. Considering the question itself, she thought for a moment. “Actually, about the same as you, in a way. Minus the visiting family, that would be dangerous.” She felt alright saying that, leaving it vague enough that nopony would be able to guess what she meant. “I've had a lot more access to books in Ponyville than I had before, and a lot more time so I've taken to reading. It helps fill in the culture gaps, among other things.” That was a safe enough way to put it, as her working story was that she'd moved to Ponyville recently from 'a far away place'. “Other than that, exploring the local parts of the Everfree Forest or wandering around Ponyville are the ways I usually spend my,” she paused to think about the words for a moment, “we'll call it free time. To be honest, I'm still trying to figure out how I fit into Ponyville, in some ways.”

[RedCedar]

“You can have the rest of mine, if you want. I'm not that hungry anyways.” Red nodded and smiled, accepting the offered half a sandwich. "Thanks. There's an apple in my saddlebag for you for later if you like." he told her. Again, he didn't really expect her to take him up on the offer, but it made for a good story for others.

Red nodded, listening to Spring Breeze's description of her life in Ponyville. It seemed like a great deal of it was spent simply trying different ways to pass the time, rather than really living a life. Perhaps that was an unfortunate by-product of being a pony on the run, essentially, but he wondered if finding her a regular job of her own wouldn't help her feel more like she fit into Ponyville, as she put it. She had one distinct benefit in that she didn't really need to spend money on food, but some extra bits and a sense of purpose could perhaps go a long way to making her feel more at home. That was probably a conversation that should wait until they were back at his home, all things considered.

She had also inadvertently answered another question that had come to him, confirming that she did in fact know how to read. He wasn't sure if changelings could, or if they couldn't read the same language, or what, but apparently that wasn't a problem for her.

Red nodded again. "It can take time to get used to living in any new place." he said. All right, in her case that was perhaps a massive understatement but given the setting that wording would have to do. "What sorts of things have you liked reading the most?" he asked. It was another innocent sounding question, but it might have given some insight into what she was learning about living among ponies.

[DerpRavener]

"Thanks. There's an apple in my saddlebag for you for later if you like."

'Spring Breeze' smiled back at Red, and nodded. She wasn't going to take him up on it, but it didn't diminish the gesture. Particularly as it would help her cover.

"It can take time to get used to living in any new place."

'Spring Breeze' chuckled at that. “Hah, ain't that the truth.” Her tone became a little more serious. “Really though, I think a lot of that is the ah,” she needed a second to think of the right wording, “long distance I traveled." That left out a lot of things, but it was the safest way to way it. And she was sure Red would understand what she was talking about. "Ponyville has a very different general attitude from where I grew up.” She laughed again. Now there was an understatement if she'd ever heard one.

"What sorts of things have you liked reading the most?"

'Spring Breeze' thought about it, her brow furrowed in thought. “I dunno if I've ever really thought about it,” she said eventually. “The books I've read are a kinda random group. I've found that reading the right book is a good way to get caught up on things that everypony is supposed to know, without having to ask the awkward questions. So I've read a lot of things more for their use than any enjoyment. Useful is all well and good, but I don't think I could call any of those a favorite, really.” She scratched her chin with a hoof. Eventually she continued. “I read a Daring Do novel once. It was silly. But a good kind of silly.” She smiled. “You read it and you just know the villain'll get beaten in the end. Seemed kinda implausible, but it's fun to pretend for a while.” She shrugged. “So that one, maybe.”

[RedCedar]

"Ponyville has a very different general attitude from where I grew up.”Well, if this conversation was turning into a contest of understatements, so far Red thought Spring Breeze had the lead with that one. He smiled, and nodded. "Yes, I imagine so, and you'll have to tell me more about it sometime," he said, making it adequately clear he was interested sometime when there weren't others around to get the same idea.

“I read a Daring Do novel once. It was silly. But a good kind of silly. You read it and you just know the villain'll get beaten in the end. Seemed kinda implausible, but it's fun to pretend for a while.”

Red nodded at her choice in books. At least she had chosen a Daring Do novel, realizing it was fantasy, and he didn't have to explain the concept of fiction. It could have been much worse, of course, if she'd picked up a romance novel and thought it was at all representative of what actually happened between two ponies. That would have been a hay of a conversation. "Yeah, I've read a few of them," he said, "and you're right, they're totally unbelievable, but, that's the idea, isn't it? It's not as if any of that actually could happen, but it's fun to escape from reality every now and then."

Red rummaged around in his saddlebag for his own apple, then also brought out two flasks of water, giving one to Spring Breeze. "So, what do you think so far?" he asked, gesturing to the field gradually being refilled with trees."I realize it might not be the most exciting unless you're like me and have a love of all things forested."

[DerpRavener]

"Yeah, I've read a few of them, and you're right, they're totally unbelievable, but, that's the idea, isn't it? It's not as if any of that actually could happen, but it's fun to escape from reality every now and then."

'Spring Breeze' nodded, in full agreement. “Exactly. It's a great way to take your mind off of things, for a little while.” She reminisced a bit. “We didn't really have fiction in the- *cough* in my hometown. We had books, but they were there almost entirely for their usefulness. Reading fiction was something of a change.”

After passing her a water flask, Red asked her what she thought of his work. 'Spring Breeze' took a drink, and then stared at the developing forest and pondered for a moment. “It seems important,” she said eventually. “Not the most interesting job, in some ways it reminds me of the worse parts of guard duty, but if it's not done you either give up the wood supply, and lost the forest and lose the wood supply anyways. I suppose,” she paused in thought, “if I had to, if there were nopony else then I'd do it without complaint. But there are other ways I'd prefer to spend my time.”

She looked around and noted a few other ponies starting to get back up. “Looks like lunch is almost over.”

[RedCedar]

Red nodded, eating his apple and drinking his water as he listened to Spring Breeze's assessment of his day's work. "Having the wood to use is important," he says, "but it's what happens before then that I love. In the meantime, we'll have a whole new forest of trees to explore, where birds and animals can live again, lush and lovely." He smiled a bit, as though picturing it in his mind while looking over what right now was a more barren landscape. "That's what I love... watching it all grow back afterwards, just like I watched my first seedlings become trees."

“Looks like lunch is almost over.”

Red had to agree, looking around at the others. Quickly, he finished off his apple, then bit through the core and spread the seeds from it around. "A few extra apple trees won't hurt, either," he said, then takes a final swig of his water before getting up off the stump and stretching. "Few more hours to go, then it's a few days off and I can show you the rest of Stalliongrad." he says with a grin, hanging his saddlebags on the cart again before swinging on his planting ones again.

[DerpRavener]

'Spring Breeze' grew quiet after Red's explanation of what he saw about the woods. The sorts of things he described had never even crossed her mind. “I guess I've never payed enough attention.” As a means of explanation, she added. “Nature is generally either something I can hide in, or something to be wary of. Maybe I've just been running too long...”

"Few more hours to go, then it's a few days off and I can show you the rest of Stalliongrad."

'Spring Breeze' stood up, following the example of Red and most everypony else in the area. She took one last drink of water before passing the flask back to the earth pony. She smiled back at him. “Yeah. I'm looking forward to it.”

[Kind of a short one from me here, I'm not quite sure what to do with these circumstances. I think this is where we should summarize the remainder of the day, and move on to the post-work period.]

[RedCedar]

Red crossed the field back and forth several more times that afternoon before the carts ran out of seedlings and the ponies ran out of workday. After saying goodbye to the other ponies at the worksite, he swapped his saddlebags yet again, and then smiled to Spring Breeze. "Well, that's it for today. Let's head back."

Walking with Spring Breeze, he took a slightly different route to his home than the one he had taken out to the field that morning. "So, that's what I do most days, at least in the summer." he said, then, as they approached a large row of greenhouses on the edge of town, he indicated to them with a hoof. "In the winter, I work in there, starting new seedlings for the next year." he said, continuing on from there until they reached his home again,

[DerpRavener]

They took a different route on the return trip than they had on the way to the work site, and 'Spring Breeze' took advantage of it, taking her time and looking around at the city. Red pointed out some buildings he apparently worked in over the winter. 'Spring Breeze' was not sure what he meant by that, though She held her questions for the moment, figuring it would be safer to wait until they were safely back in Red's home.

As the sun was already most of the way down by the time they arrived back home, 'Spring Breeze' figured she could close the curtains without any real loss. As she moved about the room, methodically closing the curtains and blocking the interior from outside eyes, she asked, “Just what were those buildings you pointed out on the way back?”

[RedCedar]

“Just what were those buildings you pointed out on the way back?” Spring Breeze asked as she started closing the curtains around the room. Red started doing the same with the ones in the kitchen, then came out again when they were shut.

"Those were greenhouses," he explained. "The glass walls trap the heat from the sun in them so they stay warm enough inside in the winter to grow new plants, like tree seedlings." As the last curtain was shut, he walked back into the kitchen, starting to prepare himself some dinner. "It's too difficult and dangerous to cut trees in the winter with all the snow, and impossible to replant in it, so, I work in there where it's warm and help start and tend the seedlings for the next year."

Looking over his shoulder to her from the counter, he continued, "Actually, that reminds me of something I wanted to ask you. Have you ever tried looking for a job to do in Ponyville while you've been there?"

[DerpRavener]

Red explained that the buildings were greenhouses, what a greenhouse was, and why he would be working there. 'Spring Breeze' nodded slowly, as comprehension came. It seemed a clever way to keep working through the winter. She decided to answer the question that wasn't asked. “We never really had anything like that in the hive.” Now that they were safely in the confines of Red's home, she no longer felt the need to be tricky with her words. She kept moving about the room shutting curtains, as she continued. “We grew a few things, but nothing that ever needed much light. I remember some fungus, maybe some kinds of moss. I imagine it's because anything that could get light like that would be too obvious, but I couldn't really say.” She wasn't sure if this was that interesting information, but it seemed like an appropriate time for it.

With the curtains dealt with, she took one last look around, then dropped her disguise. Over the coming days she had an opportunity to spend time in her natural form with somepony, a rare occurrence for her, and she intended to make use of it.

"Actually, that reminds me of something I wanted to ask you. Have you ever tried looking for a job to do in Ponyville while you've been there?"

Looking like a changeling once more, Naj shook her head. “Not really. I've had other priorities. As I arrived in town not knowing anypony, my focus was on feeding.” She moved over to the couch, sitting down and shifting around a little as she made herself comfortable on one side of it. “To be honest, bits aren't something I worry about. I don't need them to survive, so it seems like a poor use of effort, most of the time.” She stopped for a moment, before sheepishly admitting. “And I don't really know how one would go about getting one...”

[RedCedar]

“To be honest, bits aren't something I worry about. I don't need them to survive, so it seems like a poor use of effort, most of the time.”

Red nodded. It kind of matched up with what he thought about how much she needed, since she didn't really need food, but there was more to it than that.

"I know you might not need bits to survive," he said, from the kitchen "but I'm not talking about how you survive. I'm talking about how you live." As he let that concept sink in for a moment, he trotted back into the living room with a large bowl of salad and two mugs of water. He set one mug in front of Spring, er, Naj, then sat on the couch beside her, taking a few bites, and then continuing. "You know how to keep yourself alive, but is that all you want to do? You've lived in Ponyville a while now, have you thought about what you want to do in the future? Do you have any goals or dreams?" He looked at the changeling on his couch with a genuinely curious and interested look.

[DerpRavener]

Naj looked at Red with mild confusion as he came back into the living room, not sure entirely what he meant. As far as she knew, living and surviving were the same thing, the struggle to keep oneself healthy in the face of hazards and enemies. She thanked him for the water, as he passed a mug to her.

Fortunately for her, Red's next couple questions clarified what he was talking about somewhat.

"You know how to keep yourself alive, but is that all you want to do? You've lived in Ponyville a while now, have you thought about what you want to do in the future? Do you have any goals or dreams?"

Naj repeated “the future?” once, as much to herself as Red, as she thought about the answer. “I haven't really thought about it,” she admitted. “I don't know if I'm really in a position to think about that sort of thing. I don't know anypony who would knowingly hire a changeling, and I'm not sure it's a good idea to try and get through with a disguise.”

She realized that didn't really answer his question though, and gave it a bit more thought. “I guess...” she said eventually, drawing out her words a bit as she considered, “...I was a guard back at the hive, if I had my pick of things I'd probably try for something like that again.” She frowned. “That doesn't get me anywhere though, trying to join the guard would be a pretty stupid idea for somepony like me.”

[RedCedar]

Red nodded, frowning a little himself as he listened. He had to admit, joining the guard was probably what she was best suited for, but not something a changeling should be doing anywhere in Equestria.

He also noted that she had pretty much missed the point of his question. Sure, he had suggested she find some sort of job, but when he asked about goals or dreams, she'd answered only about what she'd do for employment, and not anything else. She kept referring to her home as a hive, so he wondered if that meant individual goals were secondary to the hive's. Maybe the whole idea of having goals of your own was a foreign concept to her, or maybe she really had been just that preoccupied with survival.

"Yeah, trying to join the guard might not be the best idea." he agreed, "But, you don't necessarily have to be hired by somepony else to have a job. What if you owned your own farm or business or shop?" he asked. It was a good thing he was planning to take her to the north of the city tomorrow, where so many small businesses and boutique shops were located. Perhaps it would give her ideas.

"But, besides what you would do for a job, do you have anything that you'd most like to accomplish for yourself?" he asked again, then taking another bite of dinner.

[DerpRavener]

Red agreed with her that guard work probably wasn't the best thing for her to pursue. He wasn't deterred by that however, and proposed that she start some kind of business.

Naj looked at him like he'd grown another head. Sure, strictly speaking it would neatly solve the problem, bypassing the whole issue of getting hired. Problem was, that plan relied on her being able to run a business, something she had no familiarity with. “That's...great but how would I do that? I don't have the first clue how to go about starting a business, and it doesn't sound like a great experience...” The last time she'd been in charge of something it had ended disastrously, and she wasn't eager to try and manage anything lately, because of it. She grimaced just thinking about it.

"But, besides what you would do for a job, do you have anything that you'd most like to accomplish for yourself?"

Naj took a sip of her water, and considered. “I assume you mean beyond 'avoid dying or rotting away in prison'.” She scratched a spot on her head just ahead of her ears. “I...enjoy reading?” she said with an awkward smile. “I could say find some place where I don't have to be in disguise all the time, but I've kinda got that now. What sorts of things do ponies do for this?”

[RedCedar]

Red nodded. By now it was pretty clear to him she simply hadn't considered it at all, that surviving had been her primary focus, and she had only just barely begun to consider that there was a wider world of possibilities out there. "I absolutely do not want you to die or rot in prison," he said adamantly. "I want you to live a long and happy life. Reading's a good start." he said, "because you might read about something in the library that you might like to start doing, or information on how to start a business." He left her to consider that on her own, though.

“I could say find some place where I don't have to be in disguise all the time, but I've kinda got that now. What sorts of things do ponies do for this?”

Red sat back and considered for a moment. "Well, everypony has different interests and ambitions, of course, but, personally, I'd like to eventually travel to every city and town in Equestria. Even the big ones, once." he said. "I might eventually like to move to a little cabin in the woods somewhere... have a little place somewhere a bit warmer than Stalliongrad and plant trees because I want to, not because I have to, and know that they'll be there for centuries rather than fifty years before they're harvested. Some day I'd like to get married, and maybe have a couple of foals. Maybe I'd even try my hoof at writing a book." It was a fairly extensive list, he thought, covering a lot of the bases, but not an unusual one for a pony.

[DerpRavener]

Naj smiled at Red's initial reaction. She certainly appreciated the thought, but she also thought he was being a little overdramatic about it. “Ahh, you don't have to worry about that, I'm not planning on getting myself caught anytime soon.” She placed a hoof on his shoulder in what she hoped was a comforting gesture.

At his mention of reading she just nodded. She'd had no reason to stop reading, it was still useful for her to get up to speed on common knowledge things she didn't know about. This was a new angle though, and it was something else she'd keep in mind from now on.

Red's goals constituted a long list of things, at least by her account, and seemed to touch on almost every major part of life. For a moment she tried to come up with a list of her own, but quickly shelved that notion for the time being. “I think,” she said eventually, “that I'll need a little more time before I could come up with a list of goals like that. For now, all I can think of is getting myself to a safer situation, and maybe starting to work on the whole Hive-Equestria war situation. I've got one thing in the works, though I haven't heard back from them in a little while.” As she was as much developing the idea aloud as discussing it with Red, she forgot to explain just what that idea was.