Winter Wrap Up: Plant Team

[CaptainMcDerp]

"Yeah, I'm fine. But what about you? Are you okay? You seem really distracted."

Peachy glanced around to see things have settled down considerably regarding the storm. It certainly didn't seem worth getting his new friend worked up. "Oh, well, It... it was nothing really."

"Alright everypony! WHEN YOU REACH THE END, TAKE A FIFTEEN MINUTE BREAK. THE NEXT TASK IS A REAL DOOZY!"

Peachy felt quite a bit relived. He was absolutely starving! Not only that, but the smell of delicious food cooking from inside the kitchen certainly didn't help calm his grumbling stomach. He turned his attention to Soft Paw, wondering if the diamond dog was hungry and, more importantly, if he would be able to eat pony food.

"Somepony, anypony! Help!"

His former thoughts left him and he glanced around rapidly, trying to location the owner of the voice. He saw a bearded earth pony gallop to the crater in the ground, followed by a dark purple unicorn, who levitated a stick into the gap.

"Oh dear. I hope she's alright." He mumbled to himself with heavy concern in his voice.

Soon afterwards, the dark copper pony halted to a stop and released himself from the plow. Realizing it was break time, Peachy watered the last of the seeds before setting the watering can aside, eyes locked on the crater. "Excuse me for a moment, Soft Paw."

He galloped over to the crater, careful not to get in anypony's way. Oh thank goodness, she seemed to be alright for the most part. As much as Peachy wanted to jump in and help, any more ponies might do more harm than good. Nonetheless, he stood near by. Ready to jump in if the situation called for any more help.

[DerpRavener]

"I say, hullo? Miss Breeze, where did you go?"

Naj heard the voice a little away from her current cluster of bushes. Evidently somepony had grown either concerned or curious at her absence, and innocently came to see what was the matter.

Oh, horsefeathers.

Naj weighed her options.

Her first thought was to reapply her disguise. A quick look through the bushes ruled that out though, she caught sight of dark brown earth pony looking around at the bushes near hers. There was too good a chance he'd see the flash, and then it'd all be over.

Then she thought about, well, 'pretending to be a changeling'. The idea would be to fake being another changeling who'd taken 'Spring Breeze's place. Only problem was...she wasn't actually disguising her voice, so her disguised and not-disguised selves sounded basically the same. Anypony who heard her talk would immediately be able to match the two. That last thing she needed was the extra distraction of modifying her voice, which she had never been that good at in ideal circumstances. And even assuming she could make all that work, she'd have to escape, and then get back later without arousing any suspicion.

She reluctantly concluded that her best option was trying to simply talk her way out of it, to try and convince that pony that everything was okay, that she didn't need any help and that there was no reason whatsoever to check these bushes.

Try as she might, when Naj replied she couldn't fully keep the anxiousness out of her voice. She just had to hope the earth pony wouldn't notice. “U-uh, hi. I'm over here I just...needed a break from the group for a moment.”

[Mojo]

When Granny Smith saw Brougham dashing out of the kitchen, she took a quick look out the window.

"Looks like he's gone ta help some pony that got injured by the storm. Helpin' our fellow ponies always comes first!" the elderly green mare neighed as she turned to Filthy Rich. "Well Filthy, you and me jist gonna have ta make due till he gits back here. i'll help ya wrap sandwiches so the job will go quicker. I'll show ya!"

Granny moved over to what had been Brougham's end of the table, grab some sandwich bags and proceeded to wrap the snadwiches up. With one smooth flowing motion, the gray maned mare wrapped sandwich after sandwich with surprising speed.

"Been wrappin' sandwiches since I was a little filly! Reckon that's why I'm real fast in doin' it. I kin still remember makin' sandwiches fer yur granddad, Stinkin' Rich! He fancied mah carrot 'n hay sandwiches, as I recall. Maybe we kin fix up some of them thar fer the hungry troops today too! How ya comin' along, Filthy, kin ya keep up with me now?"

[Bellosh]

Filthy Rich’s business acumen was quick to point out that by Granny Smith reinvesting her efforts on wrapping sandwiches, no new ones were being made. Aside from that though, the middle-aged stallion appreciated being able to see how Mrs. Smith moved her hooves about, which let Filthy increase his own wrapping speed to a considerable degree, although still not as fast as the elderly mare. But as the old saying goes, practice makes perfect.

“I think I’m starting to reach your pace now Mrs. Smith,” the stallion confidently asserted; “I remember those carrot and hay sandwiches too; my grandfather used to serve us those all the time. Heh heh, it’s nice to finally know where he got all of those from. But do we have carrots here today?”

[Smartbrony]

"Somepony, anypony! Help!"

Soft Paw's ears had picked up on the cry, and it had seemed he was not the only one to have. Several ponies had heard the cry, and a few were already assisting the pony in need of help. Keen had excused himself to go over to check on the matter, and since the work at hand was finished Soft Paw decided to as well. There were two ponies in the crater, and one attempting to help get the two out with a stick. Soft Paw had a better idea though. He had noticed that the plow hadn't gone past the crater yet, so the land beyond had not been seeded. He could dig a small ramp there, and figuring that having to fill in a little more dirt would be a small price to pay so that some ponies could get out of the hole, that is what he got ready to do.

"Hold on a second," Soft Paw said to the two in the hole, "I'll dig you two a ramp." With that, Soft Paw began shoveling dirt away from the hole with his large front paws. It would take a bit of time, but dogs were meant to dig, after all. In a minute, the ramp was complete. "There you go!" Soft Paw said happily as he smoothed out the bottom of the ramp so neither of the ponies would trip.

[Pretzelparty]

"Thanks," Carrot said before reaching out to him, albeit the pain from her one back leg in doing so making her wince. She didn't know how the stallion would be able to assist her in getting out of the steep sided muddy hole, but she could only hope he could.

"No thanks are necesssary, Ma'am." Said the stallion as he pulled the mare onto his back. Carrot top's foreleg definitely was going to need medical attention. The brigadier was no medical specialist but He could only speculate that Carrot's leg was fractured in some way. It had to be a severely debilitating Injury though since it kept her from standing.

Looking around the crater he'd leapt into he realized getting out wasn't going to be nearly as easy as it was to get in. If only he'd evaluated the situation better this could have gone smoother. THinking for a moment he wondered if he's made sure to make his steps into the dirt dig in a bit and proceed with a bit of gusto he might be able to traverse the slope. Before he could attempt his idea of escape a helpful voice with a familiar accent spoke up and offered the stallion a sturdy looking stick.

He reached out his own hoof as Carrot Top took the Brigadier's. He was still outside the crater, and the walls looked steep and unstable. "If I may be of assistance?" He levitated over a stick, remarking, "This may be stretching the 'no magic rules' a bit, but otherwise I shouldn't be able to help get you out of this hole. If anypony wants to make an issue out of it, well, feel free to point them in my direction. 'There's the pony you want! Psmith, the infamous anarchist and iconoclast!' I shall bear Comrade Applejack's censure with as much dignity as I may bring to bear."

"Thank you, Sir. I believe the 'no magic' rule can be bent in these circumstances." Said the bearded stallion before taking a hold of the stick and trying to pull himself and his passenger out. For few moments it looked the stick plan was actually working. Brougham had taken the stick in his teeth and kept his hooves planted firmly on the ground; this way if the stick broke he wouldn't go falling backwards and accidentally injure Miss Top any further. It was a good thing he'd taken this approach because as he and his passenger were nearing the end of their ascent the stick snapped and lef the stallion sliding back into the crater. Fortunately for both Brougham and the mare on his back, his stable footing made it so the had a gentle trip back to the bottom. Looking up to Psmith he sighed and looked at him blankly yet not insultingly,"It was a good plan. Do you have any other ideas that might get us out, Sir? My name is Brougham, By the way."

"Hold on a second," Soft Paw said to the two in the hole, "I'll dig you two a ramp." With that, Soft Paw began shoveling dirt away from the hole with his large front paws. It would take a bit of time, but dogs were meant to dig, after all. In a minute, the ramp was complete. "There you go!" Soft Paw said happily as he smoothed out the bottom of the ramp so neither of the ponies would trip.

The next one to try and help them out had a more interesting Idea; digging them a ramp out of the hole,"Won't that that take a while for a po--" Before the stallion finished his statement he saw dirt being pulled up above almost like the voice had access to some kind of magic or equipment that allowed him to do this so fast. Once a minute had elapsed the ramp was built, to Brougham's dull surprise what surprised him enough to raise an eyebrow was the fact that the one who dug this was not a pony but a diamond dog. Come to think of it this dog may have actually seen this dog before at the traint station..."Thank you, Sir... Wot was your name? Please tell me quickly if you intend to. I have to get this mare to the house."

Brougham gave Soft paw a few moments to speak but then headed towards the farmhouse with haste. The stallion's speed was with urgency but not frantic as he knew if he had broken into a gallop he would risk having Carrot top bouncing on his back. Since Brougham had no idea how bad her injuries were he didn't wish to make them any worse. Once he and CArropt top made it to the farmhouse he pushed open the door and raised his voice, hoping for Granny smith and Mister Rich to hear him. "Miss Smith, This Mare requires Medical assistance! Do you have anything we could use to help her? She appears to have sustained a fracture to her foreleg."

[Blueblood]

It was with a heavy sigh, like a captain of a frustrated cavalry charge, that Psmith brought the broken stump of a stick to examine it. "Too slender, alas, to bear the hero's burden. 'Twas ever thus; the world prefers the more robust models for practical use." It was slightly personal; the same qualities had handicapped him when he had tried to be a hero in the changeling invasion las Nightmare Night in this very town.

He bowed to the re-trapped pair, a little ruefully. "A pleasure to be introduced. As for ideas, the only one that comes to mind would involve heavy moving of earth, requiring, the full ingenuity of the town, and mechanical resources yet undiscovered-"

Even as he spoke, help appeared from another quarter, and proceeded to give a new definition of quick service. The lavender unicorn viewed the proceedings with bemused eye, extending a hoof to the diamond dog once he had completed the ramp. "Comrade Soft Paw, as my Manehattan acquaintances would say, you are to the good. Were it not for the fact that you have not yet lunched, I'll wager you could fill in the entire whole in mere minutes. I hope none present have so miniscule a heart to have doubted your worth before, but this should have provided them with forced expansion to make room for you."

It was a lot of words to say thank you, but they were none the less sincere for being voluminous.

Meanwhile, Might Batsman was continuing his search, in spite of attempted discouragement from Red Cedar. "Oh, well, all I can say is, I tried to isolate myself from everypony when I was at school, and nearly got myself expelled. Would have been over-eyes in the soup if it hadn't been for Psmith. Be pretty mean of me to ignore her after being pulled out of a hole like that, eh? Not cricket." His voice came quickly, pumping out the words as he trotted along the hedges.

The chocolate earth pony was neither subtle himself, nor too sensitive to subtlety in others. He slowly approached the bushes he heard voices from, remarking, "I guess so, but this isn't exactly the most comfortable place. I mean, if you asked you could probably take a break inside-" He reached a hoof over to part the bushes, just enough for him to peek in and see the undisguised Spring Breeze. He froze, mouth open, as he stared at the changeling, shock damping reaction for now.

[DerpRavener]

The earth pony said something about how ponies shouldn't isolate themselves, before unceremoniously shoving his head through the bushes (at least from Naj's perspective) and in one fell swoop seeming destroyed everything she'd been working toward. It felt like the pit fell out of her stomach as she tried to terms with the situation. She hadn't been prepared for her plan to fail so quickly.

“Ah...so you, eh, see why I didn't want to take a break inside...” Naj managed to say, albeit with a very small voice. She wracked her brain for a way out of the situation but nothing about it seemed workable. She could try to pin him down and keep him quiet, but that would only work for so long. She couldn't do that forever, somepony would come looking for him soon enough.

Alternately she could run. A tempting option, since she was exposed at this point anyways. She'd have to get out of the bushes though, and the earth pony was an unknown factor in that situation. He might try to prevent her from escaping, or bring the whole field of ponies down on top of her.

Either way, she'd probably have to skip town which was an arduous task, or else the Guard would come for her soon enough. Naj stared at the earth pony, who seemed to be dumbfounded for the moment. “...Why did I ever think this was a good idea?...” she muttered to herself as, trembling, she readied to lunge, though whether at or over the earth pony she wasn't yet sure.

[Smartbrony]

"Thank you, Sir... Wot was your name? Please tell me quickly if you intend to. I have to get this mare to the house."

"My name's Soft Paw, sir." He wasn't quite sure why he'd added the 'sir' to the end of that. The pony just seemed to be such a respectable one that he almost commanded it with his very presence. The pony didn't really wait around to reply, and that was okay with Soft Paw. After all, there was an injured pony that needed more attention than he did.

"Comrade Soft Paw, as my Manehattan acquaintances would say, you are to the good. Were it not for the fact that you have not yet lunched, I'll wager you could fill in the entire whole in mere minutes. I hope none present have so miniscule a heart to have doubted your worth before, but this should have provided them with forced expansion to make room for you."

It was the eloquent speaking Unicorn from earlier that now held out a hoof to him and spoke some rather confusing sentences to Soft Paw now. You are to the good? Soft Paw was really only able to understand the pony in pieces, and he was able to pick out the word good, filling in the hole in minutes, and something about others doubting him before but something. There was really only one way Soft Paw could reply.

Pulling himself out of the hole, Soft Paw grasped the ponies hoof firmly and shook it while saying "Thank you, but even I couldn't fill in a hole like that without enough dirt. If I tried, there'd still be a bit of a hole left. Maybe not as steep of one, but still not any flatter."

[Blueblood]

"The diggers are many, but the soil is few." Psmith intoned with gravity, taking Soft Paw under his hoof like a benevolent priest guiding a confused member of the flock. "The problem is one of supply, not skill, and unless comrade Applejack is less than half the farmer I take her for, spare topsoil has been laid by for just such emergencies. The only question is, do we get it out now, or wait to see if the weather team will get here before that storm hanging over us like Damoclop's blade breaks and breaks us." Having launched that classical allusion clear over the poor Diamond Dog's head, the unicorn began to guide them over to their overseer.

"Comrade Applejack!" The lavender colt called out, reaching a reasonable conversant distance with the orange mare. "Given that several plow teams are currently halted by the hole, may I suggest that they divert their efforts in the meantime to blotting that mistaken bit of landscaping from the premises? Comrade Soft Paw here," Psmith pushed the dog in question forward, "Has demonstrated a remarkable ability in the shifting of earth, and so would make an ideal brevet captain of our industry. It only requires a sufficient donation of spare soil, if you would be so kind." He bowed to end off his speech, quite pleased at the effect of his words.

Seeing the changeling in the bushes tense, Might did as well, waiting for just one move from the insectoid equine within. Somewhat slow as he was on mental uptakes, there was little to complain about in his physical reflexes or reaction speeds. Eyeing Naj like she was about to bowl a googly, he spoke in a low tone. "I see alright. I wouldn't make any sudden movements, if I was you."

One think kept the earth pony from pouncing, or from calling the others over in a crowd. That was the fact that the changeling was a young, cowering female. Might lived in a house that was very firm on the fact that a gentlecolt in no way harmed a lady, especially one in a position of vulnerability. Given that his house contained multiple younger sisters only reinforced that training, until it was nigh-impossible to uproot, even in such circumstances.

"You wanna start talking? How many of you are there, and what's your game?" His tones were still low, and would probably sound menacing to Naj, though Might hadn't quite grown into his baritone yet.

[SteelEagle]

OOC- PLEASE READ THIS POST AS WELL AS THIS. THANK YOU. ALSO, I'M SORRY.

Applejack didn't expect things to go south as fast as they had. She was a mare of action and planning but some things were beyond her. In a great and hurried manner as she relaxed at the end of the line the storm that had appeared earlier moved over the farm with frightenting speed and great power. Underneath it came a season of snow and wind and the general unpleasantness that was winter for a farm. Snow came in thick and unrelenting sheets that was as blinding to one's sight as it was able to blanket the ground and buffet the ear. The wind whipped about fiercely and without remorse, sending unsecure tree branches snapping and flying to find a home in some fleshy form. Over fifty miles an hour constant with seventy or more, Applejack was knocked clear from her spot by one such gust as a tree was snapped overhead.

Such winds and such snow, the whole of Sweet Apple Acres consumed. Applejack stood up and braced as another gust forced her back right up against a tree, but in all directions snow still fell. It fell fast and hard, encompassing the entirety of Winter Wrap Up before a pony could even think. the gale force snowstorm uprooted the newly tilled soil and overturned the older wooden plows, some of them snapping- in use or not. Some of the smaller fillies and colts were taken by the force and launched around into trees and the forest while the silos and barns of Sweet Apple Acres tried their best to withstand it. The silos were ill-prepared however, one of them breaking in two and unleashing a torrent of water over the farm that washed over a part of the fields. And all the while, the snow continued to come down.

Suddenly, the wind withdrew some of its power and Applejack could feel it no longer keeping her pressed up against a tree. She fell to the ground which was now covered in nearly a foot of snow, her hat long gone by this stage. She got up and looked around- and couldn't see anything. The snow was still coming down far too thick and anything more than a body's length away was impossible. She tried to hear but couldn't- the heavy whine of the wind combined with the snapping and popping of unnatural magics overheard compelled her to silence for a while as she tried to understand where she was and what to do. Step one: Find others.

"CAN ANYPONY HEAAARRRR MEEEEE?!"

[Smartbrony]

Soft Paw had not expected such a strong storm to come from such an ordinary looking cloud, but then again, maybe this wasn't an ordinary storm like he'd though when he first saw it over the forest. The winds were strong, forcing Soft Paw to lower himself to the ground and hold on for dear life. Eyes closed and ears down, he could hear the wind becoming more and more muffled. What's more, he could feel something cold beginning to seep into his fur. Snow? But, that's what they were supposed to be getting rid of!

After a short period of time, everything grew quiet. Soft Paw opened his eyes to see nothing but the kind of darkness that could be found only in the deepest of Diamond Dog mines. Thankfully, he was not a complete stranger to being buried in the snow, for he had often built simple tunnels in snow banks as a young pup. Trying to conserve as much oxygen as possible, Soft Paw began to push snow aside, creating a tunnel to the surface. If others had been buried by the snow as he had, there'd be worse things to worry about than wrapping up winter!

[CaptainMcDerp]

Peachy breathed a sigh of relief as the injured mare was carried to safety. Soft Paw had certainly proven himself. If not for him, the poor mare might still be in the crater.

Suddenly his surroundings darkened and wind began to pick up. Peachy instinctively cast his eyes upwards to see a cascade of snow spilling from the unnatural storm clouds. His eyes grew wide and he fell into a gallop as unforgiving sheets of snow plummeted the ground behind him.

"Look out everypony!" He yelled. But his warning fell on deaf ears as the wind howled through the area at a volume far louder than his voice. A powerful gust pushed him backwards and soon everything became dark and silent as a massive pile of snow buried him under. He was in shock. Seconds ago, everything was going along swimmingly, but now it was as if he angered the heavens. Princess Twilight was right to be so distressed.

With a few brisk shoves, the snow fell away from his vision and the whistling of wind returned to his ears. As he squinted against the blast, his eyes were met with nothing but whiteness.

"Sweet merciful Celestia."

Peachy struggled to break free from the grip of the snow, but his efforts where futile as more and more of the stuff flooded around him. Peachy growled in frustration. He wasn't going to let this Celestia forsaken storm get the best of him. "ARGH! Come on!" With a glow of his horn, he levitated as much snow as he could from his body. It plopped to the side as he pulled both hooves free, crawling from the trap. But being free from the snow left him at the mercy of the wind. He crouched low and crawled against the current, occasionally being thrown left and right from the powerful gusts. As he recollected his bearings, he heard a faint and familiar voice.

"CAN ANYPONY HEAAARRRR MEEEEE?!"

"Applejack?" He whispered. "YES I CAN HEAR YOU! ARE YOU OKAY!?"

Peachy changed course to the direction of the voice, wishing he knew how to conjurer up a force field. Unfortunately, he's only adept at basic levitation so he had to bare with the unrelenting conditions for as long as he could take it.

He ceased for a moment as the snow before him began moving. When a paw emerged, Peachy could quickly tell it belonged to a diamond dog.

"Soft paw! Are you alright!?" Once his friend tunneled from the snow, Peachy pointed in the direction of the voice. "I can hear Applejack! She's over there somewhere. We must make sure she's okay!"

[PyroBlaze]

Flora stayed near Applejack as the storm approached. She stood stock still in shock as the storm dumped snow on the ground and blew an incredibly strong wind. She probably should've gotten to safety, but she was paralyzed with fear, and she likely wouldn't have made it anyways. The winds reached her, and she started sliding across the ground. She wasn't exactly heavy, not as much as a typical earth pony mare her age. She had always been slight in frame, so the wind blowing Applejack, a no doubt more muscled, and therefore heavier mare, around had much less trouble moving her. She was pushed along for what seemed to be awhile before she came to a stop against a tree. She couldn't move, due to the force of the wind pushing her against the tree, so she closed her eyes and folded her ears back, trying to block out the storm.

It didn't work well at all, the sound still got through to her. Eventually, the wind abated enough for Flora to be released from the tree, causing her to fall face-first into the snow. There sure was a lot of it now. Flora slowly stood and opened her eyes, seeing... Nothing but snow and the tree she had been against. She had no idea where she was, or anyone else for that matter. She looked around repeatedly, fear slowly taking over with each failed attempt. She was cold now, and she sat down before rubbing her shoulders to try and warm up. Then she heard Applejack's voice, but she couldn't see the mare.

"APPLEJACK, I'M OVER HERE!" Flora yelled back as loudly as she could muster. She hoped Applejack could make it over and that everyone would make it out of this.

[RedCedar]

Red Cedar

Red Cedar had been enjoying his belated break off to one side of the field. He hadn't even much noticed the stray flakes of snow coming down from the edge of the Everfree.

Hadn't noticed, at least, until all Tartarus broke loose.

Red planted all four of his hooves to the ground as hard as he could, keeping his body low as the wind and snow lashed and whipped at him. It was all he could do to think how grateful he was to be fairly heavy and still be wearing his scarf. When he dared to open his eyes again after feeling the wind begin to subside only a bit, he couldn't believe how quickly most of the fields had been covered in snow already, barely able to make out the ploughs left to the side.

Somewhere, he could hardly be sure where, he thought he heard a faint voice over the wind calling, "CAN ANYPONY HEAAARRRR MEEEEE?!"

Red took in a deep breath of excruciatingly cold air, bellowing "OVER HERE!" as loud as he could. He turned to try and make his way over to the disembodied voice, when he realized, he wasn't the only one caught this far out. In fact, some were even further from the farm than he was.

Red took in another deep breath. "I'm going to find the others!" he yelled, before turning and trudging painfully slow through the deepening snow in what he hoped was the direction he had seen Spring Breeze and Might Batsman going. "Might Batsman! Spring Breeze! Where are you?!" he called.

[Smartbrony]

"Soft paw! Are you alright!?"

"Yeah, I'm alright, I think."

"I can hear Applejack! She's over there somewhere. We must make sure she's okay!"

Soft Paw looked in the direction Keen was pointing to. He couldn't see anything in the blizzard, and the wind was making him shiver. He knew it would be foolish for them to try and find their way through this storm. At least, it would be foolish to do so above ground.

"Alright, but listen, it's far too cold for us to be walking around out here." Soft Paw said as he got back into his hole. Snow had already begun piling up in the opening he had just made, but there was still a bit of room. He began digging a tunnel in the direction Keen had heard the voice. Once there was enough room for him and the pony, he popped his head back out.

"We'll be much safer, and even a little bit warmer, if we travel there by tunnel. Plus, we won't get lost in the blizzard!" Soft Paw ducked back into the hole and moved over for Keen. It wasn't a very large tunnel like the ones found at many Diamond Dog mines, mostly because the snow wasn't quite that deep. In this tunnel one could see the soil, and Soft Paw really didn't want to dig into that and mess up more of their work than this storm already had. It was just big enough to crawl through, and even so the ceiling was thin enough that some gray light was shining through the cold snow above. As soon as Keen joined him, Soft Paw would begin digging his tunnel, popping up above the snow every now and then to create a fresh air hole and to see where they were, but first he wanted to make sure his friend was safe. After all, he didn't have that many.

[Blueblood]

Considered merely in terms of inches, the sheets of snow only deposited at neck-hieght, still quite substantial, but not enough to bury a pony completely. The force of the fall, however, was sufficient to drive many ponies to their knees, where the snow then encased them. Wordsworth Psmith was by no means physically sturdy enough to keep on his hooves under such a blow, and even if the frozen precipitation had not stopped his mouth, the shock of it would have.

How long he stayed there, he did not know. It was not actually very long, as his lungs had only begun to strain slightly when a scratching to his right suddenly opened up a tunnel and air, which the lavender unicorn gulped down gratefully. "A true friend indeed." Psmith wheezed out to Soft Paw, the whole situation reducing him to almost ordinary speech. "Do you know... where Might is?"

Psmith only vaguely recalled that his companion had separated from the rest, and the colt could not disguise worry from his voice.

Being a fine specimen of a country pony himself, Might Batsman was much better equipped physically to deal with the storm and its aftereffects. Unfortunately, his position was a much worse one. Leaning into the hedgerow, the earth pony was standing halfway in a ditch while talking to the changeling inside. When the blows of the wind hit the water silo, the crashing flood rushed down the drainage channels, slamming into the pair of them with all the force of an avalanche, carrying them quite far away...

((Might is making a [temporary] exit from this thread; DerpRavener and I are moving our two characters into a separate thread for now.))

[Mojo]

Granny Smith appreciated Filthy Rich's help and his very kind remarks about her sandwiches. She smiled when the wealthy stallion asked about carrots.

"I sure gotta lotta carrots here, Filthy! I even sliced'm all up so they kin be tossed on bread with no problem! We'll start makin' carrot an' hay sandwiches oncest we run outta beets!"

After wrapping up all of sandwiches on the table and putting them in baskets, Granny 'deals out' another set of sandwiches on the big kitchen table just as Brougham returns with the injured Carrot Top. Hearing him describe her condition got the elderly Earth mare to walk over to her.

"Jumpin' Geehawso-fat! This poor gal's hurtin'! This looks like a job fer Doctor Granny!" the gray maned mare neighed, throwing off her visor and replacing it with a white headband with a doctor's round eyeflap on top of it. Producing a black medical bag as if out of nowhere, 'Doctor' Granny now closely examines Carrot Top. "I agree with yur analysis, sir! Y'all leave this young mare's care ta me! Kin ya go back ta helpin' Filthy Rich with the sandwich makin' while I doctor up this mare? I showed ya how ta deal out sandwiches, so if'n you could take over fer me doin' that, then I kin help this mare."

Reaching for a stethoscope out of her black bag, Granny Smith carefully listens to Carrot Top's heart.

"Ok! Heart and lungs are excellent, but we need ta take care of that foreleg! Tell me miss, kin ya move it? Need to find out if'n it's a sprain er a broken bone first!"

Granny Smith is not a REAL medical doctor, she considers herself a 'mountain doctor,' like the character Granny in the old Beverly Hillbillies TV show. But unlike THAT Granny, THIS Granny knows what she's doing. After all, being around for as long as she has, you learn a lot about helping injured or sick poines

[DerpRavener]

Naj was caught off guard by the earth pony's questions. Well, not so much their nature as that he was talking to her at all, even if he was being hostile about it. She'd been expecting him to either immediately call the group over, or two attack her. The idea that he might start the interrogation there and then hadn't crossed her mind. If anything it seemed a bit risky to question somepony in an uncontrolled environment, though she wasn't really in a position to question it at the moment.

She started to respond, but was drowned out by the sudden, intense wind. Moments later, before she had regained her bearings, the water silo came down with a large crash and a torrent of water spilled out and carried the pair out of the field.

Naj tumbled about in the water for several minutes, struggling in an effort to get and keep her balance and losing track of her location save that she was well away from the field by now, before her trip came to an abrupt halt as she collided with something hard and she blacked out...

[so yes, as Rackenhammer said, exeunt Naj]

[Smartbrony]

Soft Paw was surprised, to say the least, when he broke into a pocket in the snow tunnel. What was even more surprising, was what was inside the pocket. Out of the hole came an out of breath Unicorn, the same Unicorn he had conversed with earlier.

"A true friend indeed. Do you know... where Might is?" Soft Paw didn't know of whom he spoke.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know who you're talking about." Soft Paw said sorrowfully, offering his paw to the Unicorn so he could pull him out. It was unfortunate, but Soft Paw had not met every worker, and he had gotten even fewer names. "Keen and I are going to find Applejack now. I think you should come with us, it's not safe to wander around out there right now." He said with concern in his voice. He could tell that the Unicorn really wanted to find who Soft Paw could only assume was his friend, but it was just too cold for anyone to be out there right now.

[Bellosh]

Filthy Rich never got a chance to take over the sandwiches from Granny Smith. Almost as soon as an injured Carrot Top was brought into the Apple Family barn, a gale of cataclysmic wind invited itself inside. The windows stood no chance of withstanding the freak storm, blasting the glass to shreds, unhiding the doors, and reengineering the remains as debris. Struggling to maintain balance, Mr. Rich watched helplessly as the wrapped sandwiches, along with all the ingredients, were also forcibly sacrificed to the windy whims of Old Mare Winter.

Fighting the wind and the torrent of snow, the businesspony tried to get a glimpse of Granny and Carrot’s condition, but the last thing he saw instead were the fields flooding with water, and a loose apple heading straight for his face. Less than a second, everything went black for Filthy as the apple made hard contact with his head. Now the stallion’s limp body laid helpless against the hostile elements deployed by the cruel snowstorm.....

[RedCedar]

Red Cedar

Red Cedar plodded on through the thickening snow, trying to see farther than a horselength away from him. "Batsman! Spring Breeze!" he called again. Looking over his shoulder, though, he could tell his tracks weren't going to stay visible for much longer.

Red looked on, worriedly, through the thick snow, and shook his head. If the worst happened, three victims weren't better than two. Cursing under his breath, he turned and tried to follow his tracks back to the fields.

(Right, you two are on your own, then!)

[CaptainMcDerp]

"Alright, but listen, it's far too cold for us to be walking around out here." With that, the diamond dog disappeared into the snow for a few moments before popping back up a little ways further, leaving enough room for Peachy to join him. "We'll be much safer, and even a little bit warmer, if we travel there by tunnel. Plus, we won't get lost in the blizzard!"

"Oh yes of course." Peachy wasted no time crawling into the tunnel. "Thank the heavens you're safe! I just hope the others are alright too."

As he followed Soft Paw through the tunnel of snow, he couldn't help but feel immense gratitude towards the diamond dog and his innate digging ability. If not for him, Peachy would remain stranded in the harsh winds, and he wasn't sure he could withstand much more of it. His body was wracked with violent shivering as he struggled to follow his friend.

Peachy's concerns worsened with every second. This storm was powerful enough to cause serious injury. Not only that, but Cashmere and the mare who hurt her leg in the crater might be in dire need of help. He wanted nothing more than to track them down immediately. But he didn't have the slightest clue where they were. First thing's first, he must focus on Applejack since she was the only one they could possibly locate at the moment.

"A true friend indeed."

Peachy's heart thumped in his chest and he quickly glanced over Soft Paw to see where the new voice came from. It was the dark purple unicorn that helped with getting the mare out of the crater. He was asking for the whereabouts of a pony called Might. But It seemed Soft Paw hadn't seen anypony else nor did he know who Might was. After the diamond dog invited him into the tunnel, Peachy approached the unicorn.

"I'm afraid I haven't seen or heard anypony other than Applejack." A weak smile appeared on his face. "But we'll find him." He glanced at the diamond dog. "We should call out periodically in case we're near anyone else."

He pushed his head through the snow to be met with the howling winds and the white void. With all his strength he yelled as loud as he could, the strain in his voice was evident. "HEY! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME!? IS ANYPONY OUT THERE!?"

Before returning to the tunnel, he listened closely for a response.

[Lux]

As she contemplated the fact of how she and her rescuer could get out of the hole, a Diamond Dog dug a nice sloping path out allowing her to make an exit along with a unicorn who sacrificed the no magic rule to offer a stick to pull them out.

"Thank you, all of you," she said as she felt that one problem was already taken care of, "Sorry I took you three away from the task at hoof."

The group quickly whisked her away as the snow began to fall. She felt sad that she could not watch over the seeds that were being planted, feeling like she failed her task this Winter Wrap Up. But going back out there in even nice conditions would be impossible as even with every bump she felt from the stallion's walking made her wince in pain.

"Jumpin' Geehawso-fat! This poor gal's hurtin'! This looks like a job fer Doctor Granny!" t "I agree with yur analysis, sir! Y'all leave this young mare's care ta me! Kin ya go back ta helpin' Filthy Rich with the sandwich makin' while I doctor up this mare? I showed ya how ta deal out sandwiches, so if'n you could take over fer me doin' that, then I kin help this mare."

"Ok! Heart and lungs are excellent, but we need ta take care of that foreleg! Tell me miss, kin ya move it? Need to find out if'n it's a sprain er a broken bone first!"

Carrot thought it was odd with Granny Smith acting like a doctor. Yet working in such physical conditions as farm life provided meant that one had to know some medical know how to deal with injuries. So she let the elderly pony check her over from ears to tail until she asked if the orange manned mare could move her leg.

"Ok. I'm going to try," she said as she slowly moved her back leg. No sooner had she moved it an inch a wave of pain shot through her leg causing Carrot to stop and shut her eyes.

"that's all I can do Granny Smith. oh why did I have to get hurt during Winter Wrap Up when the ponies need me the most?"

[RedCedar]

Red Cedar

Red couldn't tell how far he had walked, or even how long, as the snow began to erase his earlier hoofprints. Struggling to keep going through the deepening snow, he almost didn't notice when a voice called out, "HEY! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME!? IS ANYPONY OUT THERE!?"

It sounded so close, he could almost touch it. Scampering through the snow towards the voice, he called out, "Yes! Over here!" before virtually stumbling into Soft Paw's tunnel under the snow. Not the most graceful entrance, but definitely a lot more sheltered than the outside. Regaining his sense of direction, he breathed a sigh of relief at being in the tunnel.