Chapter 2

I follow the cave path, enlightened by fewer and fewer torches, as I go on step by step. A few water drops fall from the ceiling and hit my nose, and underneath the spot I got hit is a little puddle, which I avoid.

I move on, and turn around left, as I see something bright, which seems brighter than the torches, which have become almost obsolete and aren't used near this source of light: I have found the exit to the cave.

Funny, as I thought this here would be much bigger. This means…Our cave is just one little prison? Are there more? Or…Are we the only ones? Well, time to find out.

I move outside and I'm speechless: I can see all of Ponyville from here, which means…Oh god; I stand on a huge mountain! This cave has been dug into the mountain or is natural and has been expanded to a prison.

But as I look around and think about it being a huge complex of hundreds of caves…It is just this one…Does this mean we have been in a special imprisonment? And does this mean, we have been judged for eternal chains or even death penalty?!

Geez, what have we been doing to earn that? Then again, it was forbidden magic, so this might be justified…Well…Justified like in "An eye for an eye", right? Pah. That is some black and white thinking.

But I have more important stuff to do then gazing at the beautiful sights of Ponyville as the sun stands on afternoon, probably around 3PM. It stands right above a farm, Sweet Apple Acres if I remember correctly. Maybe I can ask someone there to give me either food for nothing, which I highly doubt as they are very nice, yes, but they're also very lawful and honest workers and believe that hard work can solve anything.

They'll probably want me to work for them in order to get any kind of payment, whether it's direct food or bits.

Looking on, I see some scenery aside the city.

A forest, Everfree Forest I suppose. Yes, I can see the crazy shape of the different trees. Would a forest help me at all? Well I could pick some fruits or vegetables but since this is no ordinary forest, the fruits and vegetables aren't edible. So, looking back to the city, I don't think there is something else that will get me a job faster than just well...Apple bucking.

It actually seems like the right season for that. It is, however, pretty hot, which brings me to the conclusion that it should be summer.

As I am pretty strong, and got this buff from…Whoever she is, I think this wouldn't be a problem. So destination: Sweet Apple Acres!

I look around, to the left, to the right, and then notice the shape of the mountain's road being very unnatural: A spiral-shaped path leads down about two or three times around the mountain, and then a straight path down connects it to the grassy fields and the road that leads to Ponyville.

I move down, going while in thoughts.

Because now that I know a little more… I got more new questions than I got answered.

First off: Who is she, anyways? And can I trust her? She seems to be hiding something from me…Were her intentions all that good? Is she lying to me?

But I probably think too bad about her…We sat in the same boat, so we leave it together…Even though I just left it by that…But that doesn't matter, I will come back and save her from it and then we are both free.

As I move on and start walking down the road to Ponyville, I come to think about some other things: What did I do, that I needed money? Did I…Get fired? I do, however, remember being a cook, and being a pony who does exercise in his free time.

Also, I am reasonable and usually I try not to mess up…So what did I screw up, that I need to work for someone just for some bits?

I guess time will answer all of this, and I shouldn't ask myself so many questions.

I finally get to Ponyville, the southern end of it to be precise. The little path ends short before the main road, which seems kind of odd…Why wouldn't you combine the roads?

Moving on, I notice that I've almost reached my destination: Sweet Apple Acres.

Since they need to buck those apples, they usually take every help they get. With a little luck, I should get some money in no time!

Looking around, I can see no pony in front of the grey and brown barn; neither can I see any pony in front of the red house.

I should probably just knock on the door and ask right away…Then again: Do they trust strangers? I mean, Applejack, one pony of the Apple family, is of the mane six. She is pretty much a celebrity. It wouldn't be too strange if I knew her, but since I study and exercise a lot in my free time, I never really talked with any of them.

Well, the earlier I ask, the earlier I got my answer.

I knock on the wooden door and I can hear someone coming down a wooden staircase. Seriously, is everything here made out of wood? As I wait, I take a look around: Wooden carts for transport purposes I guess, wooden fences, wooden houses, wooden everything!

My to be honest very platitudinous thoughts got interrupted by the opening of the door, which revealed an orange mare's face.

"Howdy there, how can I help you?"

"Good day, if I may introduce myself, my name is Silver Mind, and to say things short: I really need a job now."

She raises an eyebrow, looking curiously in my eyes

"Oh well, that shouldn't be a problem, but why do you 'need it now'?"

I move my eyes into the bottom direction, looking crestfallen

"The urgency results of my loss of mine."

She stops for a second and seems very confused

"Eh, what now?"

"I lost my job."

"Oh, sorry for that…Well, we can always need someone to buck some apples, you can help us with that, if you need money."

I look up, and answer her question

"That would be very grateful."

She points into the house, and starts to explain:

"Alright, Silver Mind we will go and see Big Mac, he'll tell us what's to do today."
…My guess would be Apple bucking, but hey, that's just me.
We move into their house, which looks a lot nicer from the inside than the outside:

Many items decorate the walls and the furniture such as flowers, pictures, paintings and so on. They are all simple, yet they make everything look far more comfortable.

The furniture itself is mostly made out of wood, as well as the walls and pretty much everything else. We move through the pretty narrow and short corridor and get to a corner which leads to what seems to be a kitchen with a table and 3 ponies surround it. I seem to have interrupted their meal.

A red stallion, which I think is her brother, a small filly with a red mane who has no cutie mark, and an old green mare, who I think should be the righteous owner of this place. She also is the first to speak:

"Hello there, my dear, who is your friend?"

Applejack asks right away:

"Well, his name is Silver Mind and he needs some bits, so I thought he could work a little here for the standard wage"

She looks at me, but keeps sitting

She then turns her head back to Applejack and nods with a smile

"He looks like he can weigh something, so why not? We can need all the ponies we can get for apple bucking. You can start right ahead, Big Macintosh over here will show you the area you will buck."

She points over to the red colt, as he nods and says:"Eeyup."

"Alright, I will finish my meal, just follow Big Mac." Applejack says, as she sits down next to her sister."

A few moments later, I and Big Mac arrive at the fields which are bigger than I'd have imagined. Huge amounts of apple trees everywhere I can look. I seem to have forgotten, how much land they own. Also…How?

"So…How does this whole apple bucking thing work? Do I pick them each, or what?"

He goes up to a tree on the right of us, under which stands a bucket. He simply kicks it and all apples land inside the bucket.

"See? It's simple. Want to try?"

I stand there with an opened mouth, not quite understanding how this works out, but I am willing to give it a try.

I move to a tree on the left of us, which seems a little smaller than the others. I don't think I can do it that easily, but one can simply try, which I then try.

"Eh…Ok."

"Just kick as hard as you can."

I put everything I got into the kick, and I succeeded my task but I've kind of overdone myself: The apples land in the bucket, but my hooves get stuck in the tree.

"Ehm…Well, the apples are in, aren't they…Hehe…He…"

Big Mac seems very surprised, and he stares at me with wide open eyes and an open mouth. He needs a few seconds to realize what just happened. At the same moment, I rip my hooves out of the holes I kicked into the tree.

"Okay…Next time, you should do the same, but with less killing-our-trees okay?"

I blush a little as I simply nod.

I then tried myself at another tree, and had to find the right strength to not knock the bark or the tree away, but still get the apples down. It takes me about 5 kicks to get it right, but then I get to handle it.

Big Mac watches me buck about 10 other trees before he speaks again, with a serious face this time.

"Alright, now that you got it right, you should be finished in no time. I can count on you, right?"

"Yes of course."

I then commence to buck the other trees. This could take a while, I guess.