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Gazing to the Ocean of the Sky

by David Silver

Chapter 45: 45 - Episode 8, Drier Dry

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The train rumbled softly beneath their hooves as they sat on the wide cushioned chair that they were offered. Applejack smiled at all three of them. "Ah'm glad ya came with me. Now, ah know there ain't a lot of water where we're headed, but there's plenty else to see."

Indigo perked an ear as he glanced outside. The Dry was looking drier by the mile as they went. Coral gave up and there were only a few small bushes to punctuate things. It was truly... dry... "You say ponies live out here?"

Berry shook her head. "I don't see how they can survive."

Cherry looked the most optimistic of the three. "The land ponies are nothing if not clever. They probably bring water with them."

Applejack directed a hoof at Cherry. "Got it in one. We also make sure to collect all the rain water when it comes down. Ah mean, it does rain, just not often."

Berry let out a sigh of relief. "They won't mind if we drink then?"

"Shoot 'course not." Applejack shook her head. "'Course, gettin' a pool together might be a little more tricky... Y'all will be fine without fer a few days, right?"

Indigo put a hoof behind his head. "If we have to, sure. We won't, you know, dry up and blow away so long as we can drink."

Cherry made a little face. "Parts of us dry up. We'll make it though." She tilted her head. "They take baths, right?"

Applejack seemed confused at the question. "Reckon they do or they'd put out a powerful stink."

Berry brightened. "Then we'll just take nice long baths." She nodded to the other two. "A little soak will keep us going just fine. So what made you bring us right now?"

Applejack turned a hoof frog-side up. "Well, ya see, mah family wants my opinion on some of the new farmin' techniques they done figured out. They trust me to give an honest opinion, and ah know my apples plenty good."

Indigo tilted his head. "They grow apples?" He pointed out the window. "Out here of all places?" He shook his head back and forth. "How?"

Cherry shrugged a little. "They must use a lot of their water for it. That has to be a huge chore."

Applejack nodded at Cherry. "It is, and ah reckon that has somethin' to do with what they're hankerin' ta show me, so ah'm looking forward t' seein' it."

Berry raised a brow. "You didn't have to bring us to see this. Especially not so far away... what's your real reason?"

Applejack suddenly looked nervous. "What?! No! Ah..."

Cherry looked at Berry with a frown. "Be nice to Applejack! She's been a good fri--"

"No..." Applejack heaved a sigh. "Ah shouldn't even try... Look, Twilight done figured a little trip wit' me would get you out of the way for just long enough."

Indigo glanced from the mares at his side to looking at Applejack directly. "Why did she want us out of the way? Have we been bad guests?"

"No no no!" Applejack waved her hooves frantically. "We're mighty pleased ta have ya'll as guests, ah promise. She just... wanted to move that big train ya got goin' on."

Cherry and Berry both went slack jawed together. Cherry leaned forward and struck the cushion with a hoof with enough force and bad aim that she almost threw herself from the seat. "Where is she putting it?!"

Applejack raised her hooves in a placating motion. "Easy there, easy. She didn't do a lick of harm to it, ah swear. She's just moving it a little. She didn't like it quite so close to her castle so she's having it moved away just a tiny bit." She put her hooves close together. "You'll hardly notice the difference."

Indigo sided with Applejack on this one. "She wouldn't hurt your train. Let's have faith in Twilight."

Berry let out a loud snort. "Right... faith... She's not a bad dry pony, after all. If she wants to move the train, I guess..."

"It's alright," finished Cherry, nodding before she slipped down to her hooves. "We have a long time before we arrive?"

Applejack let out a little breath as the tense moment passed. "We got plenty of time left. We'll have dinner in the dining car later, then catch some sleep. By the time we wake up, we should be there."

Cherry nodded as she wandered away from the others. She went to see that 'dining car'. She wasn't sure what made it a 'car', but there were dry ponies drinking and eating things. They talked with one another in friendly tones and seemed to be having a good enough time.

"Lost?"

She turned to see a conductor smiling at her. "Sorry if I startled you, ma'am. You just looked lost, is all."

Cherry bobbed her head. "Not really lost, per se, just looking around. This is the dining car, right?"

"Sure is. If you don't mind the question, though I figure you get asked it a lot, but what sort of pony are you?" He gestured over her. "You look like a fish out of water, if you don't mind the pun."

Cherry smiled a little. It was a bad joke, but puns tended to be. "I'm not a fish. You can see me breathing just fine." She took a deep breath of the air as if to demonstrate. "My name is Cherry. What's your name?"

"Oh, uh. I... shouldn't be making friendly with the passengers... I'm on duty."

Cherry tilted her head. "Are you a guard of the train?"

He blinked at that. "That's not a completely wrong way of putting it. Nice to meet you, Cherry. If we ever meet off the train, I'll be glad for the chance. But since we're here, what can I help you with today?"

She considered that a moment then pointed at the collection of bottles behind the bar. "Is that water? Why so many bottles?" If they were all the same bottle, one label would be more than enough, so...

"Nope." He shook his head. "Ah mean, suppose you could call it a sort of water. Fire water."

Cherry tilted her head. "Fire and water are... opposites. Wait!" She sat and clopped her forehooves. "This is a train. Do they have steam?"

He laughed in a good natured way. "Oh no, not quite that hot. They're drinks, I assure you, just don't drink too much or you'll make a foal of yourself."

"There you are." Indigo approached from behind Cherry, Berry just steps behind him, "We were looking for you."

Berry nodded. "We just wanted to be sure you were alright."

Applejack took up the rear. "Well, since we're all here, we might as well get ourselves a bit to eat."

The conductor nodded at the group and moved on. "Have a nice day."

Cherry watched him go before pointing at the bottles as she looked to Applejack. "He said those drinks will make you look foalish. Why?"

Applejack blinked. "Ya don't know? Guess ya don't. Well..." Should she? A little couldn't hurt. "Have a seat all of ya, and we'll try some." She wandered up to the bar and clopped it softly. "Ah'll take some cider. Hard, but sweetest ya got." With the bottle secured, she approached the trio of sea ponies and set the bottle down on the table. "Now he wasn't lying. Ya go drinkin' this fast, it can really be packin' a punch. It makes ya drunk."

Indigo tilted his head. "We'll drink it before it drinks us."

Berry nodded. "I'm not afraid of some odd water."

Applejack slapped her head with a clop of a hoof. "It ain't like that. The stuff in the uh, water, see, ya drink it and it makes ya a bit relaxed, and ya might do stupid things since ya don't think things so scary while yer slowed down. Get it?" They didn't. She could see that they didn't at all. She pulled the bottle closer. "Right. One little sip for ya three and we see how ya handle it before we continue." She carefully tipped the bottle over to form three shot glasses worth of cider. "Enjoy."

All three sea ponies reached for the glass closest to them and pulled the mystery fluid closer. It smelled sweet. Of apples, really, with a little hint of something else.

Berry fixed her gaze with Cherry. "I bet I can drink it before you."

Cherry responded by suddenly lifting her glass and gulping the muzzle-full of liquid, defeating Berry.

While Berry stammered, Indigo lifted his own glass carefully and nursed at the cider, tasting and trying to decipher its mysteries. "I think I like it."

Now the last to try, Berry stuck out her tongue and downed her portion. "Mmm, it isn't bad at all. May I have some more?" She put her glass down and pushed it towards Applejack, guardian of the cider. "I'm still thirsty."

Applejack set out a carafe of actual water. "Yer welcome ta drink some normal water while ya wait, but I won't be givin' anymore fer a little while. Let's see how ya handle what ya got. Glad y'all like it at least."

All three eyed the water and licked their lips. They were thirsty, but they wanted the new stuff... Three pairs of eyes settled on the bar of tasty beverage. Applejack only held the bottle closer, as if to protect it. "How ya feelin'?"

Cherry shrugged softly. "I feel thirsty, but fine. I'm not slow or anything like you said."

Berry nodded in agreement. "I feel fine."

"Nothing here," offered Indigo. "Are you sure we drank it right?" As if there were other ways to do so.

Applejack let out a little sigh as she began pouring another small portion. "Ya barely got any in ya yet. Look, here. I jus' need y'all to believe me, alright? Ah ain't doin' this ta be mean or nothin'."

Down their gullets it went. It still tasted of apples. Liquid apples, which was funny. Indigo pointed at the bottle in Applejack's protective hooves. "You should have some too."

"What?"

"It's not fair that we three get to have some and you don't get any." Indigo nodded, and soon the girls were supporting him and all three were looking at her instead of the bottle.

"Uh..." It's not like she couldn't handle a little cider. Heck, she'd partaken plenty of times! Why not? She poured herself a big glass and swigged it right down in front of the wide eyes of her wards. All too quickly, the cider in the glass was reduced to just a glass and Applejack sat back with a loud and happy sigh. She felt the warmth spread through her of a good drink. Perhaps she'd drunk a scootch too fast... nah... she could handle it...

Author's Notes:

And then nothing awkward happened at all!

Would that be the typo?

Next Chapter: 46 - Arriving Wet Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 7 Minutes
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