[Ponyville] Foalish Introduction [Closed for now]

[SteelEagle]

Valen had enjoyed Sunrise's initial idea of carrying him a fair bit more than her current solution of walking there. In fact, he had just rolled onto his back and was comfortable in the pleasant warmth of her plumage when she had placed him back down. If he had the wherewithal or energy to do so, he would have whimpered or moan. Instead, she she started to walk and talk, he could do little else than follow at times mutely. Long stretches, actually, as he started coming out of the fog and felt jagged edges of pain from his earlier bruising experiences at the farm, floating back to him like so much flotsam. He eventually gave a disgusted moan.

"Uggh, why does this town change to change colors all the time!" He whined, his eyes still bugging out as the kaleidoscopic vision arched with rainbows favored certain types of color at any given moment. He shook his head and the vision, as well as saturation of the ground around him, improved.

"I do fear...that the sauce isn't ready for the rice, mom," He said to nopony in particular, then nuzzled Sunrise's leg for no particular reason. He then lurched back.

"Hey, did I miss the train? Pssh, it figures, a train from Fillydelphia is always ten minutes late! Can never trust them to run on time. Ha, you'd think beating them at hoofball would't end with us being in the receiving end of such discourtesy, but they are surely less civilized!" he said in a proud manner, stomping ahead. Then his brain reset again.

"Uggh, why does this town have to change shapes all the time!"

[Hippo]

Gerty grabbed Applejack's attention, through the kitchen window, no less. Gerty sounded mad. Or at the very least, she was tired of not being in the know. Applejack could sympathize with that feeling. However, she could not wish for Gerty to take recognition of the things that recently occurred. But since she asked...

Applejack's coat turn pale white as her nerves grew. "Um." Applejack sweat buckets. This was it. The day she would reveal a secret that would ruin her business on the farm forever. "Well. Ya see." Applejack stuttered, and then rambled her confession. "OK, fine! I crashed you into a tree and you lost your memory! There!" Applejack took her hat off as the letter she had in it fell sorrowfully to the ground. She held her hat and covered her face. "Please don't tell anypony! I'll give you all the free apples you want!"

[PonyHooves]

"Why would I want free apples?" Gerty replied. She noticed that Applejack looked as though she was deeply afraid of something. She didn't even want to show her own face to the red mare. Gerty Greetings didn't understand what Applejack was so worked up about. The mare only wanted the truth. She didn't want to cause any trouble for any pony. "I don't know what your so worked up about... I just don't want to be lied to." Gerty spoke in a gentle tone. She saw a letter on the floor and knew it must have belonged to Applejack. "You've dropped your letter on the floor." Gerty told the orange mare. "I'm going to sit outside in the fresh air... Your welcome to join me if you want. I'm not angry at you... I'm disapointed." She then passed Applejack and headed outside to be alone for a little while.

[Mojo]

Granny Smith began rummaging around the selves of the pantry collecting all the ingredients she needed for the pie crust. It took the elderly mare a long time, but she was determined to teach Gerty everything she knew about making PERFECT apple pies. Tossing an old saddlebg over her back, the gray maned mare quickly filled each side of it with all the items she had selected. By the time Granny returned to the kitchen, she spotted AppleJack standing alone.

"Is anything wrong, Applejack?" Granny asked. "Where's Gerty?"

[SilverSwirl]

Sunrise, listening to Valen's ramblings, began to seriously wonder if she had caused permanent harm to him with the anesthesia. "I haven't seen somepony be this loopy from anesthesia before.", she said nervously as she continued to walk with Valen riding on her back. She picked up the pace, as fast as she dared with a young foal on her back. "We are almost there Valen! I can see the barn! Are you ready for your pie?", she shouted with a laugh.

[SteelEagle]

"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.

[Hippo]

Applejack watched Gerty walk out. Applejack wanted to follow. She enjoyed Gerty's understanding and that she wasn't about to ruin her relationship with the Apple family, or their business that Applejack so convincingly thought to herself was at stake. She walked out with Gerty. "I'd love to join you, how's about we sit over there in the shade by that red delicious tree and look at the stuff you got in your port folio?"

As they walked, Applejack saw Sunrise Wisp hover to the ground with Valen shortly after jumping off her back onto the fertile sweet apple soil. His mannerisms looked skewed, from the pain killers no doubt, as he scooted around on his belly, having complete control over the direction in which he was heading. Gladly, there weren't any large obstacles for him to run into for several hoofsteps in every direction. "Uh, hi guys! How'd he do, Sunrise? Is his tooth gonna be OK?" Applejack couldn't wait to hear good news from Sunrise. She expected it, having Sunrise confident in her oral doctor abilities. "You can go on ahead inside, Granny should almost be done baking that pie."

Winona pounced into view of Sunrise and Valen as soon as they got here. Yay! New ponies! Or old ponies? Doesn't matter, I don't remember them from five seconds ago! Winona barked playfully in Sunrises direction, and then stopped when she finally got within her personal space. Winona sat down politely, wagging her tail a mile a minute. She waited for affection. Whether it be a pet, the throw of a ball, or even just talking back to Winona in a language she can't fully understand. She didn't care. All she wanted was acknowledgment.

[PonyHooves]

"Sure, we can sit there... Did I have a portfolio? I'm still kinda' fuzzy with the memory right now." Gerty replied to Applejack. Gerty Greeting's saw Valen looking rather wobbly and acting odd. However, since the mare couldn't quite remember what had happened to him she just thought that he must always be in such a way. The earth pony couldn't help, but smile at Winona. She was such a happy dog that seemed to be full of high spirits. Gerty gently ruffled Winona's fur with her hoof. "Aren't you just the sweetest young dog!" She commented before turning back to Applejack. "So, what was I like before I lost my memory?" She asked.

[Mojo]

When Granny Smith got no answer from AppleJack and then watched her outside, the elderly mare scratched her head in confusion.

"Now, what was I a-doin'? OH YEAH! BAKIN' PIES! I best hop to it if'n I'm gonna feed our guests... er.... whatever their names are..."

Granny Smith got straight to work. Noticing the pie filling containers were already mixed, the gray maned mare quickly began to prepare to make pie crust. Being an expert pie maker, Granny soon had four pie pans lined with dough for crust. Within a few minutes, she put in all the fillings, sealed them with more dough and popped them into the oven. Turning towards the kitchen counter, the elderly mare grabbed an hourglass with her mouth and flipped it over.

"This'll take the guess work outta it! When them sands is run through, all them pies'll be ready to take outta the oven! This'll be good eatin' fer all of us! Wonder how many plates I orta sit out on the table?"

[SilverSwirl]

Sunrise was watching Valen scoot around on the ground in a drunken fashion towards the barn and although she was concerned for his safety, she couldnt help but laugh. "He'll be just fine, Applejack! He's just a little goofy from the pain relievers I gave him before I repaired his tooth. You can't even tell that he chipped it now!", she replied to Applejack's question with a huge friendly smile. She headed for the farmhouse, pausing to give Winona a scratch behind an ear with a hoof and exclaiming, "Who's a good puppy!?".

[SteelEagle]

Dirt never tasted good, something he had come to realize only earlier that day. It hadn't been something he had ever believed he would have to actually learn through experience, but it was what it was. He tried to hold onto that kernel of knowledge as his mouth filled with dirt from his motion. Rear in air and face in dirt, he zig-zagged on the ground until he felt himself run up against something warm and fuzzy.

Valen brought his tattered head up and woozily inspected the creature before him. It was brown and white with a red collar, four legs and a tail At first he thought it was his great uncle Navel, but after a few seconds of looking deep into the form before him, he thought it looked more like a dog. Valen loved dogs! They were loyal and kind, fun to play with and able to interact with you in just about any manner you pleased. He was overjoyed to see the mutt in front of him and leapt at Winona with all the abandon a foal could muster.

"AWWW YOU'RE A CUTE PUPPEH DOG!" He yelled outrageously loud, his hearing fluctuating but tending towards the near deaf due to the dirt that was just slowly starting to filter out.

"I'M GOING TO NAME YOU JERRY."

[Hippo]

"Uh, yeah, Gerty. I think it's in your saddlebag. You know. The one you're wearing right now." Applejack started realizing how bad her memory loss might have been. She began to try to help piece it together. "So yeah, this card was one ya made for me and the fam, its, great. Jus great! I thank you so much for thinking of me that way. It makes me feel good. And such a good drawing of me, too!" Applejack winked towards Gerty as the red mare began to collect her thoughts. Applejack hoped that she wasn't throwing too much at her at once.

Winona barked a response to Sunrise's question. An enthusiastic BARK, as if to say I am, I am! But then Winona bumped pelts with a pony, just slightly larger than her, a bright orange pony with teal hair. Who was this? A stranger? The pony began speaking very loudly. Winona held her ears away to divert the obnoxious noise, her ears were sensitive to his tone. Winona started getting annoyed. What the bone is a jerry? But she was a good dog, she would never... Then the pony stepped on her tail. That's it! Winona growled ferociously at Valen, and pounced at him. Winona began chewing at his mane, attempting to swing her weight against his back and forth.

Unfortunately for Valen, Applejack could hear the barks but couldn't hear the intimidating growls that rarely came from the apple family dog.

[PonyHooves]

"Uhh, Applejack... Your dog is attacking that foal." Gerty spoke, taking notice of Valen's interactions with Winona. She didn't know exactly how to call off the dog. Suddenly her saddle bags fell off her body and a bone fell out. 'I must have planned on giving this to her dog...' The mare thought to her self. "Here girl! I got a juicy bone for you!" Gerty Greetings said before picking up the bone and wiggling it around in the air.

[Mojo]

Granny sat down and started knitting while she waited for the pies to bake. The aroma of the pies filled the entire kitchen as the elderly mare continued knitting, glancing up every once in a while at the hourglass on the kitchen counter. Moments later, when the last grain fell through the hourglass bottom, Granny Smith sprang into action.

"Thar it is! Now them pies er all done!" the happy gray maned mare shouted as she quickly retrieved all of the pies from the oven and set them on the windowsill to cool.

"Four big ol' pies! That'll be enough to feed'm all! Jist gotta wait till they cool down before I serves'm up!"

[SilverSwirl]

Sunrise stopped in her tracks when she heard Gerty yell to Applejack that Valen was being attacked by the dog. She whirled around and saw Winona in Valen's mane, barking and growling. She dsaw Gerty trying to get Winona's attention with a bone and said, "Let me help!". Rushing to Valen's side, she grabbed Valen with her teeth, separating him from Winona in the process. Safely placing him back down, she asked him, "Are you alright?".

[SteelEagle]

Valen was a pony of rather large reserves of optimism. You had to have that in order to survive in Ponyville, it seemed, where everything was trying to harm you and wore a smile. It was worse than all the horror stories because you felt bad about feeling bad and that created a cascading sense of extreme annoyance at everything.

But not this dog! Valen loved dogs. They loved him and he loved them, love all around. And this dog was warm and playful, leaping on top of him and wrestling with him. He giggled with joy a few times as Winona started to play a little rough, the teeth digging into his mane. He was a little off-put for a second as the dog started to thrash around. That wasn't normal. The fierce and increasing motion started to scramble his brain, re-arranging his parts. They were not made worse by this. Instead, he was made better as the brain came together in its correct position after spending most of his time in Ponyville in a haze. At least that was how he would justify the fact that after a few moments of Winona treating him like a rag doll he started to think clearly.

He was really tired, sore, mouth hurt, and now the dog was trying to eat him...or something similar.

"Ahhh! Get it off! Get it off!" Valen bellowed mere moments before Sunrise did just that, pulling Valen away. The colt was comfortable for a second before he stumbled to his feet, her question ringing in his ears.

"No! No I am not all right! Why is everything in this town trying to kill me, or hurt me, or make me think I'm crazy, or that everything is changing shape or colors?! Uggh! I'm just soooo tired and I hurt everywhere! I just wanna go to sleep, sweet Celestia, some sleep," Valen's speech grew in volume and desperation as his eyes welled up, the emotion finally breaking through. Why'd the freakin' DOG try and kill him?!

[Hippo]

Applejack jumped up as Gerty implied that Valen was in danger... again. That didn't take long. She couldn't believe that Winona took off like that. "Winona! Stop that right this instant!" Winona stopped and came to Applejack's side, ears fallen from feeling guilty, but then went to the sweet attention of Gerty, who was waving a delicious bone. Winona barked at Gerty and sat up straight, trying to perform random tricks in order to get the bone.

Applejack walked over to Valen, who just about had enough. She agreed with him. "Ok Valen, it's time for you to go to bed. I got everything set up for you already. Just go inside, turn right up the stairs, and go into the first bedroom on the right. I set a bed," Applejack rubbed her poll in slight embarrassment in lack of preparation, "-a crib for you. But if you want to nap in mah bed, that's fine. Just go get some rest. You need it. I bet you're still drugged up, too."

As Applejack helped Valen up and on, she could start to smell the familiar scent radiating from the kitchen window. Applejack projected to Sunrise and Gerty, "Hay, y'all! Granny made us some pies! Let's go inside and have some dinner!" Applejack walked up to Gerty as everypony started funneling into the house. "Gerty, you should look through your bag during dinner and share with us some drawings you made. Maybe it'll help jog your memory, and we can see the cool things you've drawn, too!"

Applejack saw Valen wobble his way towards the entry door. "Here, Sugarcube, let me help you." Applejack grabbed Valen and put on his back and carried his tired body up the stairs to her bedroom. She set him down on her bed. Taking the hoof-made quilt with apple marks on it, Applejack wrapped it around Valen and tucked in the blanket around Valen's relaxed body. After that, she fluffed the pillow and carefully rested his poll squarely on the thickest part of the headrest. Applejack took a deep breathe as she saw Valen fall to sleep, his mouth already drolling from lack of control over his mouth. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "You just rest a bit, lil' Val. And when you wake up, I can show you some of the things we do here on the farm for relaxation and fun." Applejack wasn't sure if Valen could hear her. But it meant the world for her to at least say it. Applejack knew that she could be honest with anypony, as long as she was honest to herself.

Applejack walked out the room and down the stairs. "Hmmm-mm! Them pies smell great! I think it's time we had a square meal, doncha think!?" As Applejack began to set the table, the sun of Princess Celestia was beginning to set behind the distant foothills on the farm.

[PonyHooves]

Gerty looked at Winona and gently patted her head. She then gave her the bone. "Now you stay out of trouble and chew your food. Not other ponies." She spoke kindly. Gerty then turned to listen to Applejack who had mentioned that the applepies were ready. She watched as the orange mare assisted Valen. Gerty Greetings picked up her bag and calmly trotted into the kitchen. She inhaled the sweet scent of pie before letting out a gentle sigh. It was such a delicious smell. As she was entering, she could hear the clatter of Applejack's hooves. Gerty took her seat and waited for the others to arrive at the table.

[Mojo]

"COME IN GIT IT!" Granny Smith called out from the kitchen. The elderly mare had bowls of salad waiting at the table, along with some good old fashioned oat loaf ready to serve up. Also waiting at each place at the table were tall glasses of fresh apple juice. The pies did smell great, but they were all sitting on the windowsill cooling down.

"Hope y'all's hungry! Better eat up this here oat loaf while it's still warm outta the oven. Course my baby brother Apple Strudel always loved eatin' cold oat loaf sandwiches before bed! Even in his foal days, that feller was odd. Love'm, but he kinda marches to the beat of a different drum, if ya know what I mean."

[SilverSwirl]

Sunrise's heart went out to the little foal, as she recalled when Silverbolt had come home covered in scratches and bruises from the storm that was raging outside, his newspaper deliveries done. She was interrupted in her tearful recollection by Applejack picking up Valen and said that the apple pies were ready. She smiled and replied with a sniff of the delightful aroma wafting from the windowsill, "Thank you again, Applejack! I hope Valen will be okay, considering I kinda gave him too much of the painkilling gas...". Applejack had carried Valen into the house and taking one last look around the farm in the fading sunlight, she was in awe, the view of the apple trees in the orange glow of the sunset. An absolutely breathtaking view, she thought of how hard they had to work every day to keep everypony satisfied and realized that this was the ultimate reward for toiling all day in the orchards: a pause before heading into the farmhouse for an evening meal and apple pie with family and friends who cared for each other to gaze upon the fruits of your labor in the evening sun.

Her moment of reflection over, she trotted to the farmhouse and entered with a bright smile and a newfound appreciation for the Apple family. Taking a seat at the table, she looked at the repast laid before them and said to Granny Smith, "Thank you for the meal! Valen is as good as new! He's just a little woozy and worn out from everything today.". Still smiling, she couldn't stop staring out the window at the orchard with a joyful tear in her eye.

[SteelEagle]

Valen had run out of patience, his body's dented form and shaking musculature a rather accurate portrayal of his mind's waving of the white flag. He'd tried, tried hard to fit in and give this town the benefit of the doubt. Had he told them that he found their rustic country charm not charming at all, but rather abrasive and excessively disregarding of personal space? Did he commit any crime so deserved of the punishment inflicted on him by the chickens? He thought not. He was physically beaten and mentally ground down into a paste by the overwhelming physicality of these ponies and ill-fortune combined. He felt like a foal being mocked in an orphanage by older ponies who did so through sneering kindness.

He was out of patience, but he was also out of the wilingness to fight. He could taste slightly rotting hay mixing with trough water deep in his throat and the remaining strands of hay in the deepest part of his nose was driving him mad. His hooves pulsed with pain, back crackling with the sounds of a campfire, and his mouth now started to throb gently with the slightly distant environs of pain. He was too damaged to put up a struggle and his mental well-being had been compromised to such a degree that his very soul just wanted to rest. First the colt had started to get the sneaking suspicion that his parents desired to send him away for less than noble purposes, and then the soul-bending kindness of these ponies when contrasted with the devastation they wrought on him was enough to render ineffective nearly any emotional response. That inability to be angry at the farmers, to show sadness without making such a horrible first impression, to be happy because he saw no cause to be happy. Every path was blocked, every response nullified even before they could germinate and come to fruition. Perhaps someday when he was stronger, smarter, better than whatever pale form he currently occupied he could formulate something grander than the only role he could assign to himself now, which was a pathetic, complete, and utter resignation at that moment in time.

He didn't really respond when she mentioned he was to have a crib. He was sure that the crib would also be self-aware and have various sharp tools with which to torture him with, or maybe special rays that would switch his brain with that wild dog that the family owned. No, he didn't care he had a crib because at that stage in his reasoning anything even remotely negative was considered a wonderful alternative to the positive influences of fantasy. No, a permanent bed was a fantasy.

Valen nodded when Applejack finished her spiel and started to slowly walk to the house, his muscles flexing out of their own freakish will. That didn't last long, as Applejack swept him up. He reminded himself that she was almost sickeningly nice and gave full effort, and that was partially why he felt so emotionally devastated so far. If she was lazy or mean, it would be so much easier to be angry. Instead, he didn't know how to feel and not knowing what to feel hurt more than the assault by the chicks. And that assault by the chicks had hurt a whole freakin' lot.

He was tucked in and made warm with great speed by Applejack. He felt like a foal under his mother's care, Applejack's tenderness and ability showing some experience in caretaking. Maybe when his mind was filled with a great degree less mental neutrality he would thank her for allowing him this rest. All he could manage was a mumbled thank you, his words stolen by the damage that his mind exaggerated to near fatal levels. Applejack made her way out and for the first time in what seemed liked a whole generation, the orange closed his eyes.

And almost immediately, Valen was asleep.

And just as quickly, his mind started humming.

OOC Note- Skip Valen's next post. When it hits my next post after the skipped one, it will be about four hours from where it is now.

[Hippo]

Applejack scooted herself at the dining room table. The table was at average mare's elbow length, plenty low enough to see over when standing, and the seats were nothing more than cushion pillows, in the shape of an apples, of course. There were several cushions around the table, and Applejack motioned with her hooves to allow her guests to seat themselves, at any place on the table. Granny seemed to have enough energy to take care of all the preparation for the meal. Which was good, because Applejack had a collection of thoughts she wanted to convey.

As Granny set the table, Applejack stood up and cleared her throat. "Before we eat supper, I need to say a few things. We all know that Valen's experience on the farm has gone horrible since he got here." Applejack looked at Gerty, who looked clueless as to what she was saying. "Oh, uh, mah cousin Valen was here all day before you lost your memory, Gerty, in fact you were already on the farm when we arrived from the train station. Anyways, it's obvious that we need to make his experience to the farm, and Ponyville, one that he will remember in a positive way, and not just a negative story that he might be having nightmares about right now." Applejack tapped her chin. "We need to make sure that we make the rest of tonight his night to enjoy and relax. And I need you guys' help. Would you be willing to help me?"

[PonyHooves]

Gerty listened carefully to every word that escaped Applejack's mouth. At the same time, the mare was still piecing together every event that had happened before the accident. She now knew who Valen was once again. Hearing about his negative experiance was quite saddening. Gerty Greetings wanted to make the foal happy again. Applejack clearly felt the same way. But the orange mare was reaching out for help in such a caring manner. Gerty felt as though she would be willing to help. "Of course I'll help you. What are friends for?" She replied.

[Mojo]

Granny Smith listened to AppleJack's speech. Even though the elderly mare didn't understand much of the events she was referring to (due to her own memory laspes and not being present to see some of them), she certainly did understand her granddaughter's desire to make Valen's experience at Sweet Apple Acres as pleasant as possible.

"I'm with ya!" Granny Smith proudly announced. "Anypony who visits Sweet Apple Acres is as good as family to me! AppleJack, tell us all what ta do and we'll do it! Anypony who fails in this duty will git.. COURTMARTIALED!"

After the gray maned mare spoke, she returned to the kitchen to fetch more food for the table.

[SilverSwirl]

Sunrise listened carefully to Applejack's speech and had to agree that Valen's experience hadn't been the best. He had experienced one missdventure after another and what Applejack said made perfect sense. When she mentioned that they needed to make the rest of his visit an enjoyable experience and not one that was negative and nodded. "Yes, Applejack, I will help you make Valen comfortable and happy to be in Ponyville!", she responded with great enthusiasm as Gerty also agreed to help as well!

Listening to Granny Smith state that anypony who visits Sweet Apple Acres are as good as family to her made Sunrise smile but the consequence for failing to follow Applejack's instructions shocked her. COURTMARTIAL?!! That's extreme! She would have asked why the hay she threatened courtmartial but Granny Smith had retreated to the kitchen once more.