SteelEagle

Caramel was happy to allow foals from out of the area visit the farm. Not only did she think it important for foals of all types and persuasion to understand the workings of farms, but it would also make for excellent PR. 'Local Farm Family Plays Host to Schoolfoals" had an excellent ring to it and she was in no position to disabuse them of the notion it was purely for the purposes of teaching. The advertisement down below? Purely coincidental. Still, the foals deserved a good time and she knew that she could be entirely too dry and uninteresting for foals. That would be a better fit for Bumpkin, who despite being a young mare seemed to have the energy and personality of a much younger filly. So she had consigned herself to working on financial paperwork for the day, occasionally glancing outside of her window to keep tabs on the field trip. Then she realized that she had failed to get from her sister some obscure piece of information relating to the total amount of braeburns sold in the past two weeks compared to the number bucked and the number of trees producing those apples. Without that, her data was incomplete. That was not appropriate. Sighing to nopony but herself, she got up and trotted downstairs, back out to the farm, and towards the barn from where she heard a whole gaggle of voices. She eventually poked her way in and saw that the entire class had arrived. A moment of panic given to a smile, though at that moment as foals asked simple questions. Rather than introduce herself, she decided the best way to sandwich herself in for a second was to take charge and answer a question. If anything, she was a stockpile of information. "We can see many, many stars out here, but I imagine fewer than you may think. We live close to a very big city, which means we tend to see fewer stars. It is still very, very pretty at night. And we also do not have any cows as this farm is too small," Caramel answered with as much sweetness as she could muster, which made her a little uncomfortable. But not as uncomfortable as Apple Bloom, who stood amongst the fillies and colts in class silently for the longest time.It wasn't because she was ashamed of Tiny Apple Valley or her extended family, nor because she had fallen asleep on the way over and was still waking up, her mane feeling sort of tangled. As much as she loved Apple Bumpkin, she was a little embarrassed about how excited she was to be around Cheerilee. Apple Bloom had said plenty of nice things about her to Bumpkin but...well...Apple Bloom was feeling just a tiny bit embarrassed. She swore to herself that she wouldn't ever feel that way after she brought Granny- well, more like tried to ensure she didn't show up but she did anyway- to Family Appreciation Day and she blew everyone's tails away, but she couldn't help it! Everypony in her class was gonna think she was some sort of teacher's pet. Or that her cousin was a little insane. She didn't like either one of those options! That made answering Remington's question a bit more attractive, more comfortable. "Nah Remmy, it ain't like back at Sweet Apple Acres wher' we have som' sheep. Place's just too small!" She squeaked from near the back, feeling victorious. "Very good, Apple Bloom. That is right. We have no sheep. We only have limited space and animals like sheep take up large tracts of land. There is a sheep farm nearby, however. We can sometimes...uhh, smell it. Anyway, Bumpkin, do you have your...itinerary for this all set? Also, do you have the figured for the Braeburns...?" She asked, her voice lowering as she asked her sister for the figures, not wanting to be dragged for too much longer along for the ride.

The train ride from Fillydelphia would have been horrible had it not been for her sister's boundless energy keeping her enthusiasm level enough to sustain her for the length of the trip. Even then, it had nearly waned before they arrived- and Sweet Apple Acres proved to be just the salve she needed as they entered the limits of the finest orchard in the family. Speaking of them, she had seen none until they were at the picnic tables, which were lavishly decorated with all manner of treats that she had every intention of partaking in. The first family member that she had seen was Red Delicious. A fine young stallion, she had seen him more often than many of the rest as they had grown up in the same city. She was proud of him for striking out in the Solstice Heights, which was a wise place for a farm to place itself. And then out came his adorable sparrow, Bushwhack. "Well hello there Red! It's been a while, how are you doing? And how is your-" She began before a certain ball of fuzzy energy exploded on her head. Apple Bloom's eternal bounce transferred into a near bottomless well of energy as she spotted from the apex of her leaps into the sky the trickling of her relatives into the farm. She raced down to where she thought they would all mingle, where one could find all the delicious food all prepped and ready for consumption: The picnic area where the tables were set up! As she breached the tree line around the picnic area, she had three relatives to speak with hug! "Caramel!" Apple Bloom, jumping from her spot and flying through the air until she landed with all four legs wrapped around Caramel's head. She kissed her square on the top of the head and then did another small jump onto Red Delicious. "Reddy! Ah ain't seen ya since ah'was jus' a lil' filly!" She said, hugging him across the neck and petting Bushwhack on the head with one of her back hooves before placing herself soundly on his back and using him as a base from which to launch herself at Apple Bumpkin. "BUMPKIN!" She said as she flew through the air and landing on Bumpkin, assaulting her briefly with kisses and a hug. "Ah'was just' startin' to get worried y'all were gonna miss it al'!" She said, snuggling her favorite distant relative. Just then, the sound of a tuba shot out across the farm. There was plenty of time for her to play with Bumpkin later, but for now, she had more relatives to meet. She galloped off, giggling and laughing somewhat manically as she did so. She ran down the length of the farm until she came upon Applejack and the whole gang of relatives that had just arrived. She jumped right in front of Golden Delicious and then leapt up at him, hugging him in one swift motion. "Golden! Ah ain't seen ya in forever!" She belted as she affectionately squeezed his neck before letting go and dropping down to the ground, head twisting around as Mr. AAAAAAPPLELOOSA made himself known, Braeburn's voice carrying out. He'd make one heck of a mighty fine announcer! She trotted over to him and slid on her hooves, a pile of dust choking the air between them. When it cleared, a bright eyed and bushy tailed filly sitting on her hindquarters staring up at Braeburn with all of the intensity of a thousand adorable suns. "BRAEBURN! Mah sister tol' me all about them buffalo and that big 'ol fight y'all had. Is everythin' 'lright up there? Why, I'm sure it is and all since you're here, ah guess mah mind's all fuzzled 'cause of all the excitement and all but ah was real' worried about y'all out there in that desert an' ah'm just so glad ta see ya!" She said, jumping up and assaulting her cousin with kisses for a second before locating her sister and rushing over to her. She stood in front of her sister and started stamping her front hooves one at a time in place, eyes closed with a wide smile. "THE FAMILY'S ARRIVIN'! THE FAMILY'S ARRIVIN APPLEJACK! YAAAAAY!" She joyously declared before taking a few deep breaths, nearly having run herself ragged and stamping the ground in front of her in applause with abandon., She then immediately went back to talkin'. "Red Delicious an' Apple Bumpkin and Caramel Apple, all three of 'em are right smack near the picnic tables! And ah can swore I hurd Great Uncle Strudel's tuba cacklin' about!"

Applejack could be a silly pony sometimes. Well, probably most of the time, though maybe she took herself so seriously sometimes she couldn't see it. Why else would she feel the need to so- what was the phrase- passive aggressively threaten Apple Bloom when she very well knew that Apple Bloom considered Applejack's intended intimidation glint more comical than anything? Ah, she sure was a simple pony. Still, Apple Bloom had no intention of messing this meeting up and could only agree with Applejack saying how horrible it'd be if she messed this all up, even if Applejack was being a silly pony about it. But then again, her silliness is why Apple Bloom loved her! Big sis, big silly. Even sillier was when she got all flustered when Apple Bloom got her attention focused on the stallion who seemingly had some sorta affection for her. That was just like Applejack; when flustered or taken off-guard, put the focus back on Bloom. Plus, this was different than before. She wasn't sneakin' around or writing about somepony's deepest secrets. She just found it all a little funny and what sorta guest would she be if she ignored whatever it was her host was saying! Mighty unkind of Applejack to suggest that she should be shuttin' off around the big ponies just so they could commence with saying all manner of embarrassing things. Applejack finally kowtowed to Apple Bloom's adorably delivered demands, but just as Apple Bloom opened her mouth to screech out her delight, she was silenced by Applejack's right hoof. Apple Bloom briefly imagined having to do it all by herself without any tools and decided it was best for her not to give Applejack any reason to act on her threats. As the Apples moved to imbibe the delicious drink, Apple Bloom could still do little other than consider how she may best make herself useful so as to get some extra brownie points- that way, maybe any future disaster of her own making would be countered by accumulated good will. It made sense to her! Plus, this juice was delicious. She readily took her portion and when Applejack looked in the sky, quickly took a sip of hers as well and belched. It was just too good! Purple rattled off some the ingredients, and it made sense that of course it was her own doing. Purple and her brother may have had a funny accent and all, but they weren't dummies and if Purple could make something like this, well then, that had to mean she was smart and this was her special talent! What would that sort of cutie mark look like? A juice box? A glass? Did it have a certain color to it, or was it just any juice? She wished she had a juice cutie mark because if she did, she could make the very best apple juice to go along with her sister's awesome baking and then they could be the best sister food duo in all of Equestria! Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, smiling broadly as she gulped down the last drop of the delicious juice. Purple Haze didn't have a juice cutie mark. That meant this was through hard work and skill! Yep, she was proud to be Purple's friend. "Why, that's som' of tha best juice I eva have had befor'! Maybe c'uld use some more apples, but ah figur' this is almost as good as apple juice!" She exclaimed, burping once more as Carrot Fields started trotting away to go fetch the other dishes. She needed to earn those brownie points and what better way than helping her host? "Wait up, ah wanna help!" Apple Bloom said joyously, neighing for effect and galloping to help Carrot Fields, leaving behind her crisp and delicious apple pie.

Caramel smiled as the pair took their menus and scoured them for something delicious, while keeping her ear to her date. It wasn't all that uncommon for some to perhaps not realize to what family she belonged, seeing as she lacked the trademarks that would identify her, like a well-bred rustic accent or the ability to make apple metaphors off-hand with such ease as to be somewhat terrifying. She took no insult as she gave it thought, and as her date made up for his lack of knowledge. Now it was her turn to be impressed, and she took note of his position. So he took in some of her produce for his bar? Good to know her produce could be used for everything from a filly-friendly treat to something less wholesome. She had less compunction about such things, the sheer variety her little apples never failing to amaze as long as one allowed it to be so. "It sounds fun. Besides, you get to deal with your customers on a more personal level. I'm often sending a hundred bushels to the city and seeing it distributed on paper and little more. Where is the Prancing Pony, to be exact? I've been to the docks a few times and can not recall it," She said, sipping her water and laying down her menu, having mentally checked off her selection.

"BEEEEEP NO. We need a gimmick." That wasn't exactly what Apple Bloom heard, but as Applejack had started speaking Uncle Strudel's musical talents were slowly rininging in her eyes. Everything was still a devlishly piercing buzz as Applejack's mouth hole continued flapping. In order to make out the words, Apple Bloom had to really, really concentrate. "Hay! Granny? You could do that dancing routine you know to draw in business! Do you think you could do that?" She had to wait a second to put it together and by the time she had, her beloved, aged granny had galloped upstairs and Apple Bloom's eyes shot back and ears flattened. Before she could get back downstairs, Apple Bloom had dove underneath the table. She loved her granny and was sure in her younger years, her dancin' had won her all sorts of attention from ponyfolk. Now, between the tattered clothes and elderly form, it was scary. Not only because of how it looked, the youngest Apple thought to herself as Granny returned and started her dancing, but also because of- "CHARLIE HORSE! CHARLIE HORSE!" "Fear not, mein sister! I remember vhat to do vhen dis happens to you!" "Ah, thanks Strudel, maybe if'n I had a week er two to work out all the kinks..." - That, Apple Bloom wincing as it went down. If it wasn't for her great uncle, it would have been up to Applejack or Big Mac seeing as how Apple Bloom wasn't well renown for her accuracy. Big Mac and Applejack may have been too strong, and that was almost as bad as being inaccurate when you were kicking other mares and stallions for some wise, sage-like purpose. Apple Bloom had learned that lesson a few times. "Fraulien Apple Bloom, do YOU have a vay to sell all dees extra apples quickly?" Her great uncle brought her out of her mental stupor, which had afforded her no real ideas. She shook her head like a snowglobe. "Uhh...." Her mind raced, tracing over any workable paths to success. Suddenly, two different pieces of information- what some school filly had said regarding a relation in the Trottingham Fair and her intense focus on Applejack's lips to gauge what she had been saying- closed ranks together and coalesced. "Applejack can kiss some ponies!" She blurted out, leaping off of her seat in excitement of finally having a nice idea. It was really nice and she was sure everypony would approve of her amazing idea, and then they would treat her like a big pony! Maybe she'd even get an Apple Sellin' cutie mark! "It's jus' like a kissin' booth at a fair! One o' mah friends had a cuz of a cuz who had some kissin' booth at th' Trottinham Fair, where somepony would pay for a kiss, like five bits or somethin' ah don't really know, and they'd get a lil' peck on the cheek. Everypony loves Applejack and ah'm sure if we offered some kisses' and told everypony that its real 'portant for 'em to come by and support us, we could sell all dem apples!"

Best pony represent!

"I see what you mean. It is unnaturally quiet, even for these lands... Usually there are at least a little more wildlife sounds. It does seem quite still," Valen nodded his head along with her, feeling a slight twinge of worry eat at him. It would have been simply dreadful if on his first expedition some unfortunate happenstance took place, though that had in some ways become a running theme with him. First day on the farm, he had suffered a chipped tooth and bruised his entire body and likely suffered some sort of brain damage. First winter-wrap up, and he had run into poison joke, a grumpy bear, and likely suffered some brain damage. Now out here was the possibility of running into some diamond dogs and, if his luck held up, suffering some more brain damage. The fact he still had a brain was something he was thankful for, though maybe the brain itself considered it a cruel and unusual existence. Rarity asked for Valen to stop and he did so, reaching over and gripping the shovel with his mouth right as her horn glowed. A pony got used to the glow of a unicorn's horn, but for Valen the memory of his first unicorn horn glow experience played over and over again. His uncle had been playing with him as a foal and he lifted the little Valen up with his horn. Valen loved getting held and tossed up and down and all manner of sillyness, but the horn glow had scared the little one. That small tinge of fear had stayed with him, as it stayed with most foals of his caliber, until they were able to socialize with unicorns in school and learned what they were all about. The glow of a unicorn's horn became magical to that, and so was Rarity's horn glow; magical, entrancing. Still a little scary. A small collection of gems appeared underneath the ground and Rarity exclaimed and trotted over. Within a moment, Valen was on the case as he cantered about to the location with shovel in mouth. He threw it so it stuck into the ground, then jumped on the top of the steel blade, which made it sink into the ground. He then pushed down with all the strength he could muster with his two top hooves on the top of the handle and it went down some more. He did this two actions, jiggling it about at times, until with a grunt out came a collection of multiple pretty gems. Taking out the small magicfiber towel, he gently wiped each one clean in an action that took a full minute and placed them on the wagon. "I guess maybe it is quiet even for the wilderness, but I meant purely as someone used to a more...chaotic environment, I suppose would be a polite way of terming it. Even on Sweet Apple Acres you have other ponies about, Ponyville is a town, and I've grown up all my life in Manehattan. This much silence is...deafening!" The young Valen said as he made sure each gem was safe, beaming with pride by the end. "Ha, well, that was certainly different. Very pretty gems, Miss Rarity. What orders do they fill?"

"Ah, ya can call me Muggo' if ya want." Muggo' it'd be then. The name was truly secondary to the pony, though Caramel had to say that a name like Muggo' Ale was, if nothing else, very unique. She could only guess at the stallion's profession with a name like that, though those guesses were well-educated. "Muggo' it is then," She replied with a smile. "Ya look good." She looked at herself, somewhat taken aback by the comment. Maybe she did look good or maybe he was just flattering her, but she was still stymied either way by his words. She did not know proper date protocol, but was it right to be just that forward? She didn't know whether she was flattered or offended and settled on a slight manner of confused unease, though being a mare of her business stature she knew well not to let it show. "Well, thank you for such kind words. You look rather fetching yourself, Muggo'," She settled on that phrasing as being just nice enough to return the praise. "So, yer from around here? What is it that ya do for a livin'?" Before she could stammer out some sort of shocked response detailing how she was stunned he did not know of the Apple family, the Maitre D' escorted them to their seats, Caramel leading the way as Muggo' pulled the move of a gentlecolt. This time allowed for her to formulate a more coherent and polite response as they took their seats. "I run and operate Tiny Apple Valley outside of this fair city with the help of my two sisters. We are part of the larger Apple Family network of farms and orchards that provide Equestria with more than seventy percent of her apples and around ten percent of all other fruits combined. Yourself?" She asked in a friendly manner, sipping the restaurant supplied mug of water as the menus were handed out.

Apple Bloom loved her sister something fierce, of this there was no doubt. It was only because of this that she could tolerate the high levels of extreme and at times overwhelming nerdiness she could exhibit in the privacy of sister on sister fun. Whatever game this was, Applejack's old writing on the box and rule cards and hoof-built pieces told Apple Bloom that it wasn't originally Apple Settler Ponies. Apple Bloom loved Apple settlin' as much as any other pony, but sometimes it was like her big sis' entire life revolved around apples! Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, her sister the dice. Well, the point was to have fun and her sister sure did love her some Apple Settler Ponies. Even if Apple Bloom believed Applejack's understanding of her likely custom rules was nebulous, and even if Apple Bloom didn't know what that word meant, this would be fun. "Well, o' COURSE I love playin' this here game, sis!" Apple Bloom shot back as she grabbed the dice and rolled with her tail, getting a four. "Ah, shoot, doesn't look like ah'm gonna stand much o' a chance 'ere, Applejack," She said before giving a laugh. Truth be told, she had forgotten the rules something fierce and looked at the pieces with a slight aura of confusion. Had she made any modifications since last time? Bits to Celestia, Apple Bloom wouldn't know and it wouldn't be the first time that her big sister had done it. Apple Bloom didn't know whether to admit to some sort of stunned amusement or sadness. Well, worse things she could be doing in her spare time, like going to a salt bar. "Ah can't seem ta remember some of th' rules for tha game, been a spell since'a've played," Apple Bloom said with a small manner of shame. She didn't necessarily like making her big sister repeat the rules almost every session, but she had been caught with her figurative pelt off a few times due to some new twist and didn't want to get her sis all riled up. It was funny, but only in a twenty-percent sorta way. Well, more like fifty, but she wasn't going to let that show.

For all of the crusadin' and problem solving, or making, Apple Bloom found herself involved in on a near daily basis, she wasn't much help here. She had no real business sense and in all honesty she didn't even know what a business sense was supposed to mean. Was it like touch and smell only different? She'd been told it was just being smart when it came to running a business and supposed that made enough sense, but then why call it a business sense? No one said the Apples had great farming sense despite the fact they were the finest orchard folk and farmers this side of Equestria. Or maybe she was just tired and her brain was jump-starting off on the wrong level of power. She was jolted awake by her great uncle's tuba and yodeling, the sound of which sent shivers down not to her spine, but soul. She loved her great uncle but she felt as if this early morning attack on her hearing was something mighty personal. She sent her hooves to her ears ad through this motion tried to squeeze her head off. Anything was better than death by tuba. However, maybe her brain was firing off randomly or perhaps she smashed her filly brain together hard enough for it to start working, but as soon as the tuba assault ended, the filly jumped up. "Ah got it!" She exclaimed, beaming with pride. "We sell eve'y bushel for one bit!" She said, feeling incredibly intelligent. After all, that would get them bits they were being denied. Sure it was a huge discount and sure that meant they were losing money, loads of it, on every barrel, but gosh darn it was better than zero bits and spoiled apples! She mentally patted herself on the back only to realize that she was doing it in the physical dimension as well.

"Hello there." Caramel turned around to confront the stallion, and soon saw a green stallion with the cutest cap. was this her date? Could have been worse. She wasn't a fan of the mane, but such things, if a real issue, could be solved. He looked well enough beyond that, strong and strapping. "I'm goin' to go out on a pier here and guess yer Caramel Apple, eh?" the stallion asked, his voice inflection that of a port-raised pony. She had dealt with enough of them to notice the way the words were fast and clipped, almost like a farm pony but with more blunt force. "Muggo' Ale, a pleasure to be meetin' ya." Caramel did a short head bow and extended her hoof for a shake. "You are quite right, Muggo' Ale. Caramel Apple, here for the date. And the pleasure is all mine, Ale," She said with a smile as the areas around them thinned of crowds who were slowly getting seated. She took a deep breath- meeting new ponies was not her strong suit, especially in a faux romantic setting.

"Now this looks like some kind of complicated trap right out of a Daring Do book," How true were these words. It appeared as if the entire strategy of these series of traps was to emulate, if poorly, the 'disabled Daring-Do' adventures as Pathfinder called them with only a small hint of bitterness. What was with all of the disabled pegasi media? Jealous Earth ponies and unicorns, thats what. You didn't see near as many 'hornless unicorns' or 'hoofless earth pony' stuff as you saw disabled pegasi. "Hmm, so, if we step wrong, the floor will probably open up and drop us in a pool beneath," Snow said, as she looked around the room. "Something might come out of those holes as well should we mess up..." Yep, pretty standard punishment. The feeling of cool air as opposed to feeling the edges of one's feathers singe from heat was one of a few differences abound in this event, along with the fact that the holes here were larger and theatrical than what they should have been. usually, arrows were shout out of what amounted to pinprick sized holes in the wall. They didn't need anything except the rod and head, seeing as they weren't going to be stabilized for accuracy or distance. But still, better that they try a little than not at all. "I would assume the puzzle has something to do with the shapes on the tiles or maybe the colors? What does our expert adventurer think?" Pathfinder smiled. Oh, the things I think! "Well geez, I dunno. I already stepped on this one and if my experience tells me anything, some of these will only activate once I pull my hoof off. I don't know what its on. It could be anything. Heck, I'm just too afraid to even look down. Besides, I've been shot in the wing with an arrow before and it isn't fun!" Pathfinder laughed as she extended her left wing out, the one that had been cut through by an arrow many months ago in a ruin in Painted Pinto. "Nope, Snowy, I think I have to trust in my wonderful date to save me from a horrible, horrible fate."

"Okay, just a little bit more, and then we begin the hunt!" Rarity's voice boomed loud enough for Valen to sense the excitement building in her as well. He neighed excitedly and with an added burst of colt-aided energy pulled ahead of Rarity, the wagon behind him causing quite the racket but being drowned out comically by the sound of hooves on dirt as he pounded the earth beneath him to make good time. It didn't take long for the surroundings to change from the rocky yet familiar to the utterly alien to hooves born in a city, wild and pockmarked with boulders and stones of all sizes. Valen slowed his gait down considerably, taking a deep breath as the burst of speed had proven less than amiable to his condition. Still, few complaints could be lodged- it was a stunning day to be out of the shade of a couple thousand apple trees. He looked around. The rock faces had grown in height and depth, seemingly surrounding them, and the ground underneath seemed to rise in elevation randomly, though the difference was often no more than an inch. Several birds flew overhead, keeping an eye on the strange ponyfolk below. It was quiet otherwise, an unnerving situation for a colt of city flavor. He turned back to Miss Rarity. "Ah, it's really very pretty out, though I think too quiet. It's sort of...weird!"

"We are almost there Valen! I can see the barn! Are you ready for the sky?" "Now don't be silly, Sunrise! How can I get excited for the sky when it is always flying away from me! Dooo you think the sky doesn't like me?" Valen asked, his eyes still bugging out as he was deep in her pelt. It was warm. Warmer than the sky. The sky was cold. It was cold because it disliked him? The sky didn't have feelings, though, because it was the sky. No, that didn't make sense. He shook his head and looked ahead at the barn. The barn? Nice. Hey, that means they were close! Valen stood up on her back and leapt up and down. "We're there! We're there! That means I can finally see my cousin Applejack! I haven't seen her in ages!" He blasted before jumping off of her and falling to the ground face first, then scooting on the ground and weaving around like an out of control missile in the direction of the barn.

Caramel wasn't always a model Apple family member. Well, the word more correctly was stereotypical. The commonly held belief amongst ponies far an wide was that an Apple was a farmer to the core who put his or her snout to the ground ans pursued their work with such feverish abandon that dragging them away from the farm was akin to fighting an ursa major with a twig. Apples tended to spend their youth toiling and settled late, or such was the belief. It was incorrect, though that perception had done them no ill in the creation of their status amongst the Equestrian community. Who wouldn't want a bunch of hard workin' ponies to settle nearby and produce delicious apples? Only the insane and no one gave them the time of day anyway. The stereotype was still wrong, however. They worked hard as their work demanded it, not because they were some sort of automaton family. They had desires and dreams like anypony else, but so invested could they become in the bonds of family and the need to produce that they lost track of themselves. Caramel didn't. Maybe she was selifsh, but she felt no compunction about seeking time for romantic pursuits. Issue was her own lack of social talent and, admittedly, the sheer depth of the Apple Family's financial confusion. Added to that was her single-hoofedly running the actual affairs of Tiny Apple Valley, baking, bucking, and selling and she came dangerously close to living the stereotype against her raging will. But luckily, a matchmaking service made itself known and she pounced on it without giving a second thought. It wasn't long after that she found herself matched with a local and here she was, primed and preened like some haughty-toity pegasus outside of the Sydney Cobhouse. She had thought of wearing something fancy, but common etiquette said that was more than presumptuous. She gave a sigh; less nervous of the date than if she would do something wrong. Flashbacks to a fillyhood fling with her first coltfriend played in her mind, and the horrifying date that followed had stayed with her like so many bad apples. She shook her head and opened the door, smiling as she entered the restaurant with a puffed out chest of pride. It was extremely busy, but not so much that she felt intimidated. Nor was anypony else, she figured, as they were city folk and such crowds came with the territory. The maitre d' bounced up to her. "Madame, if you would take a seat- we are overfilled," He asked, his voice having a slight Germaney accent. She stared back at him. "I have a reservation. Table for two at six, which is in five minutes. Caramel Apple and Muggo' Ale. I am sure that this restaurant would not want to have the reputation for turning away reserved seats," Caramel said with kindness, though a tint of annoyance crept in. The Maitre d' blinked a few times. "Ah, yes, you will be seated at six, madame. My apologies," He said, bowing and moving away. She nodded. It was a big city; sometimes, you had to respectfully lay down the law. Now, all she had to do is look for her date.

"Are you kidding? Applejack would KILL me!" Pinkie said right before she ducked out of the room, her insistence forcing Apple Bloom's hoof to her chin in thought. What the heck was it?! Why, if Applejack would be so against Apple Bloom drinking it, that only made Apple Bloom all the more curious as to what it was! She started to wonder how she could best use the Cutie Mark Crusaders in such an endeavor and how a chartreuse cutie mark would look when Pinkie returned with refreshments. "You can have some of this, though. The perfect thing to wash down those cookies, some cool, refreshing milk! Enough for everypony." Apple Bloom smiled wide as she took her cup and sucked it down as assuredly as if she were a vacuum, the cold and refreshing milk forcing down any vestige of crown. It was awfully good milk- of course a bakery would have great milk! "Thanks, Pinkie!" Apple Bloom said right before she let out a burp and turned to Sweets, licking her lips free of milk. "Is there anything else you'd like to make the party super special?" Apple Bloom's hoof returned to chin for a second as she gave it though. Sadly, no inspiration hit her- and her ears dropped. "Ah...ah just don't know, Sweets. All 'f mah ideas involve just ta much runnin' and jumpin' and all sorts of stuff like that, an' she's mighty old, like really old, super old! She jus' can't do any 'f that and ah just don't know wha' ta do," Apple Bloom whispered in an increasingly desperate tone, both saddened and annoyed by her lack of stunning ideas.

"They took me as their prisoner once. In only so long I went from behind bars to having all of them at my beck and call!" Valen had been listening intently, finding it odd and yet amazing that such creatures existed. What relation were they to house pets like Winona? If they did have any relation, what caused them to become sapient machines of greed? These two questions were overriden swiftly by the notion of Miss Rarity's seizure by such types. The image of her being caged like some animal by beast-types was heart-rending in many fashions. But the knowledge that she was able to turn the tables on them set his heart at ease. If it had been that easy, that meant that the Diamond Dogs were not naturally prone to much violence and were easily defeated through wit. That meant that Rarity alone, as she had proven previously, was more than a match for them and with the addition of Valen, who did consider himself something of an intelligent colt, they were sure to be safe from such troubles. He let go of the breath that had been held since she started speaking and nodded. "Well, they certainly sound unpleasant. Hopefully we shant run into them out here- today is too beautiful a day and I am spending it with too wonderful a mare for such insidiousness to take place!" He said with charm and excitement, trotting further and further up the increasing vertical climb that was the pathway until Ponyville was hidden from view by a rock outcropping

"Let's move carefully..." This was always solid advice on an adventure, and triply so in the dense darkness that seemed to be pervase in this obstacle course. She wanted to try and ignore the possibility of anything else embarrassing her, but as usual Snowy was right. Was she ever wrong? Some part of Pathfinder really wished she would say just one thing that made little sense. That would have made her feel ten times better. sadly, she doubted that would happen. They wandered into the darkness for more than a few extra moments, pensive hoof after pensive hoof as they probed it with touch. Nothing else was working, the well-mannered smells and sounds of the course melding into a well-defined nothingness. Until Pathfinder stepped on a tile. The path ahead, the whole thing, lit up in an eerie blue and red pattern of lights, revealing that the next fifty feet was made up of interlocking tiles and panels, various shapes inscribed on them. On the walls were hundreds of open holes and underneath them, some sort of water source opened up- in between the microscopic cracks in the floor, a cool draft of air. "Aha! Appears I was wrong, Snowy,"

"I was convinced it would be something more directly related to my passion. Sewing needles, a spool of fine cloth, a fanciful hat or dress. Something like that. I was sure it would come and then I would be gifted all the talent in the world along with it." Valen would be lucky to have his cutie mark match his fantasy. He knew of nopony who had such fortune, however, not even the mare next to him whose life seemed mark by events of great fortune. How would his parents react to a cloth and spool cutie mark? "Yes, but it's probably best we continue a little further. We won't find as many gems still this far out though. We should continue until the rocks and hills get far taller and we can no longer see Ponyville in the distance. The further we go, the more abundant the gems will be. Of course, the likelihood the local Diamond Dogs will appear will also increase, but that's a risk we'll have to take." Valen's ears perked up as Rarity made her orders clear. He picked up his pace and set his mind on focusing less on his surroundings and more on the rhythm of the wagon's various squeaks. As they traveled further and further down the trail, his mind failed to find reference for one thing she had mentioned. "Miss Rarity, what's a diamond dog?" Valen asked as they found themselves slowly making their way vertically. Each step was now a degree harder than before, the cart weighed down increasingly by the slowing of hooves and momentum.

"Not a lot of rock climbing in a seasoned adventurer's life, I take it? So what's left? Is that it?" The feathers on Pathfinder's wings shot out a little as she gave an exasperated sigh. She souldn't be this upset but by Celestia's dear grace, she was. No, she didn't climb up cliffs. She flew over them. Or used ropes. Not her hooves. They weren't designed for it! They were designed to...well, for a pegasi, maybe only relief from flying. Which wasn't allowed here. Which made her a little miffed. She shook her head and tried to put on a brave face, but her severe annoyance was clear. "No, not ANY rock climbing. I use ropes or I fly. A pegasi doesn't have to climb anything!" Pathfinder added with a joyless laugh, shaking her head again and again. She was miffed. But that wasn't Snowy's fault. She perked her ears up and started trotting forward. "And I think so, Snowy. I have a hard time imagining that they'll have much else!" She shot into the dark, which was seemingly gaining in imperceptibility. For a course that was supposed to end, it sure didn't act the part.

"Well, when it comes to Cutie Marks you can find them when you least expect it. That's how it was for me. Looking back, I think it's exactly because I avoided places like this, full of dirt and rocks, as a young filly that I ended up getting it later than some ponies. My magic, my ability to find gems, it probably would have triggered sooner had I been more open minded," Rarity said with a sigh. "Fashion is indeed the passion of my life. I've been utterly enamored with it since I was a foal. Before I got my cutie mark I lacked confidence however, and that materialized in my designs, none of which satisfied my own rigorous demands." That made a whole heap of sense, as far as Valen was concerned. Rarity didn't seem like one to have ever willingly ventured out into the wilderness half-cocked for reasons not directly related to her desires. It would come to pass that she hadn't thought of finding her cutie mark out in the wilderness! She was a mare of distinction, and seemingly was a filly of taste as well. It struck Valen as somewhat heartwarming that she had remained the same in a personal sense for her life, giving credence to the belief that one is destined to be a certain way. Comforting, if perhaps a bit disquieting at first. "A school play was coming and seeing my interest in fashion, my teacher selected me to make the costumes. I tried my hardest to produce something of quality, and though everypony seemed to think the designs I produced were fine, I knew they were really quite lacking. I was chagrined. I knew not what to do. That's when it happened! A sudden surge of magical power hit me! As I said before, my magic lets me find gems, so this surge of power, it grabbed me by the horn and forcibly pulled me out here until I was face to face with the biggest bunch of gems you'd ever see in one place outside of a dragon or diamond dog's hoard." Valen was suddenly very happy to not be a unicorn, as the possibility of being led around unwillingly by any part of his body for any length of time. Did Pegasi, when they first learned how to fly and found their cutie marks, have their wings act independently of any thought? That held no appeal to Valen, and he found himself thanking Celestia for his status as an Earth pony. He doubted his hooves would move mysteriously of their own accord. "I however didn't recognize it for what it was. All I could see was an ugly, oversized rock. My magic can help me find gems you see, but there's a reason we need that shovel. I can't extract them myself. I might have turned my back on my own destiny then and there, but at that very instant, by some magical stroke of fate, another dear friend of mine was finding her own destiny in the sky above. This unrelated event sent a shock wave toward my rock and before my eyes it then split in two! As I gazed upon the fabulous gems before me I got my cutie mark." That story would have been unbelievable if told by most other ponies, but Valen was well-aware of the status of Rarity and her friends. There were truly few things one could chalk up to pure happenstance, and it appeared as though Rarity's cutie mark was not one of them. Plus, now he knew why a well-weathered mare would have need of a small colt in such an endeavor; she didn't want to get dirty! Valen laughed a small bit at the realization. He was the cabana-colt, as usual! "I then returned to school with the gems, and using them, I made costumes that shined! Well, literally at least. Looking back, I'm not sure I didn't just make them all kind of gaudy. Ah, but that was youth, I suppose. The important part was that my cutie mark and those gems, they gave me confidence. That confidence is what helped me follow my dream to get where I am now." As most cutie mark stories were wont to do, this one ended happily. Perhaps he had to take back some of his asserion that the cutie mark was completely unrelated to her success as a fashion designer, seeing as how the acquisition of it had led directly to her surge in confidence. He smiled up at her and gave a happy one-two clap of his hooves, but was still trying to take in the totality of her story as he trotted down the increasingly bumpy road, the wagon behind him rattling appropriately as he picked up the pace. "So, up until then, what did you think you would get your cutie mark in?" Valen asked before slowing down to an eventual stop. Ponyville was still in sight, but they had moved into an area where the trail was increasingly rocky and has lost any sense of active town-inspired cohesion. Covered with rocks and variations in elevatation, surrounded by rock formations that were now just starting and in the distance grew to considerable size, they were safely away from town. "Is this the sort of place we can find gems, Miss Rarity?" Valen asked

I thought she was well-handled in Season 1, but yeah, three of the four AJtastic episodes were in the first half of the season. I always thought that its better for AJ if someone is introduced to the show in a non-sequential manner.

Applebuck Season is a very important episode. The pilot episodes were good but not great and I've never been a fan of TM, but Applebuck season had great humor, character moments, and overall the first episode in sequence that really makes it stand out as a show. Also, baked bads taste awful.

"Topaz Tremor, geologist. Forgive my abruptness, Miss Apple, but I fear your storage cellar is near to collapsing. We need materials to shore it up from the inside. What do you have that we could use?" The mare spoke, not accepting Caramel's offer of a shake. That was quickly rescinded. Well, nice to make connections with intelligentsia and qualified professionals, even if- "I....Wont.....Lose.....my.....chicks!" -It was unneeded. Caramel sighed heavily before resuming her smile. "If you'll excuse me, Tremor," Caramel said with great sincerity before she slowly made her way down into the cellar, watching her little sister viciously attack the weakening walls. "Bumpkin, please stop. I know of the cellar's issues and it is getting taken care of, sweetie. Stop kicking," She said in a rather alarmingly even voice as she trotted back upstairs. "Well, I do thank you for your concern, Topaz Tremor and you are quite correct. It would collapse within the month, to be exact. That is why I have hired foundation specialists to work on it after we leave for the annual family reunion in three days However, for having such a keen eye for detail and for coming to us as quickly as possible, I believe you need to be rewarded. If you'll come with me, we shall tour the orchard and you may take twenty bits worth of merchandise as a personal thank you," Caramel said, throwing her hoof over the geologist as she trotted out and into the orchard. Le sigh. She was rather looking forward to seeing Bumpkin's flowers and generally laying by the fire, doing some computations, and making some more caramel apples. Just as most of her plans, these would have to be put on hold.