“So,” Applejack remarks to Fluttershy as they trot into Ponyville, “what do ya think the hogs are like?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure,” Fluttershy says in return. The wafting fumes from Applejack’s pie wagon start to draw ponies’ attention, and she finds herself getting self-conscious. “The only hogs I’ve met are wild boars, and they tend to be a bit… aggressive.” She nods as she steps a little closer to Applejack, able to cut just a small fraction of the ponies out of her vision. “And hungry.”

“Ah reckon they’ll be like everypony in Ponyville,” Applejack says with a merry chuckle and flick of her hat to the gathering ponies. Not to let such attention go to waste the consummate salesmare stops, a kick to the cart locking the wheels in place, and hops out of her harness. Even Filthy Rich steps outside Barnyard Bargains to take a gander. “And gobble up our best apples!”

“Oh, they don’t need your best apples,” Fluttershy says, her rump bumping into the wagon as the other ponies draw near. “The ones you normally throw into the compost pile will do just fine for them.” She chuckles to herself nervously. “They’ll even make more fertilizer for you!”

“So, you’re sayin’ they’ll eat the worst of apples, leavin’ these fine ponies the best of apples?” Applejack smirks as she waves at the crowd. “Here, hold this for me.” Applejack flips her Stetson into Fluttershy’s general direction. The pegasus nearly slips as she grabs at it, then cowers underneath. Applejack rolls her eyes as she climbs into the wagon, her pregnant belly swaying back and forth. “No, upside down.”

“L-like this?” Fluttershy asks, voice shaking, as she turns the hat into a bowl of sorts.

“Eeyup.” Applejack makes a full revolution to assess the crowd of ponies surrounding them. “Alright, everypony! Five bits a pie, just toss ‘em to ‘Shy over there, and be ready to catch!”

Fluttershy lets loose an adorable ‘eep!’ as dozens of bits start flying in her direction. She holds the hat high above her head, closing her eyes and looking away. After the first stray bit pelts her in the chest she frowns, her tail flicking the bit into the hat. Her wings and tail work to catch any other bits that miss the mark as Applejack heaves one pie after another into the crowd.

Soon a towering stack of empty pie tins stands next to the two mares. Applejack lets out a satisfied grunt as she hops back down, her wagon not quite empty, and loads the empties into the wagon. “Lookin’ pretty good there, ‘Shy,” Applejack says sincerely, a wide smile as she looks at the bits filling her hat. “Ever thought about playin’ buckball?”

“T-that sounds p-pretty p-painful,” Fluttershy says, rubbing at her belly. “Wouldn’t Doug object?”

Applejack rolls her eyes. “Not that kinda buckin’!” She huffs. “Okay. It is that kinda buckin’, but not those kinda balls! We use a rubbery ball a tad bigger than your hoof. An’ if you can catch a bit, then you can catch a ball!”

“I-I don’t know…” Fluttershy mutters as Applejack takes her hat back.

“Yeah, Ah suppose,” Applejack says with a tired sigh. She dumps the bits into a box at the front of the wagon. “‘Sides, us Apples never played the normal way anyway. On account’a not havin’ any pegasi to play defense when we get together.” She leaves unstated the unicorns that may or may not show up. “We’d always put the baskets on sticks instead of havin’ a unicorn do the honors of holdin’ ‘em up. An’ everypony would be on offense and defense.” She sighs, some small amount of her enthusiasm leaving her. “Ah guess it ain’t much like buckball, then.”

“Some sort of… ballbaskets?” Fluttershy offers.

“Heh, Eeyup.” Applejack perks up a little, “But with you’n Dash, we got ourselves the makin’s of two great teams!”

“I’m not sure,” Fluttershy says as she rubs her hoof and looks away.

“Ah know Doug’ll play,” Applejack coaxes hopefully as she hooks herself back up. Jay Squeak trails Filthy Rich into Barnyard Bargains, some sort of confession on her lips. She sighs as Fluttershy cowers down even more. “Well, maybe Ah’ll just have to ask Rarity again. She was pretty out of it, though, after her parents left.”

The two head towards the Apple market stall, then to the train station. Everypony in town is chipper as always, most on the way to work. She startles when she spots Goldie Delicious waiting with at least half a dozen cats crawling either on her or around her.

“Howdy, Goldie!” Applejack greets the elder Apple, coming to a stop next to her and spinning the wagon around. “Ah didn’t realize you’d be comin’ round!”

“Course Ah would!” Goldie says plainly. “These mah pigs, ain’t they?”

“Oh. Ah, uh, Ah didn’t realize that.” Applejack glances to Fluttershy and whispers, “Did you know that?”

“Um, yes,” Fluttershy says quietly. “I asked Granny Smith first for any recommendations or referrals, since nopony in Ponyville raises pigs. I… guess it never came up in your conversations?”

“Ah suppose so,” Applejack admits. “It ain’t somethin’ most ponies’d talk about.”

“Well, cats are carnivores,” Fluttershy says with a sideways glance at the felines. “They go blind, or worse, if they don’t eat meat.” She shudders at the idea of losing friends to other friends, even if that is the way the world works.

“Mare knows her animals,” Goldie says with a hint of admiration. Fluttershy perks up at the compliment, and three of the cats seem to take that as their cue to surround her with meows for attention. They walk over, rubbing their heads all over her. Fluttershy grins at each of them in turn, rubbing hooves on backs and sides. Goldie continues, “They should be comin’ round now, don’t’cha know.”

“Sweet Celestia,” Applejack says as the pigs come into view. “Ah know ponies ain’t the biggest, but somehow Ah bein’ pregnant might make it at least close.”

Fluttershy nods as two hogs and their eight young approach. While the adults are eye to eye with the ponies, their bulk extends all the way to the ground, making them at least twice as massive. Not as big as the cows, who tower above the ponies like Princess Celestia. Actually, the hogs probably weigh as much as her. Fluttershy can comfortably hold one of the shoats, but not more than that, and they all stare blankly at her.

“Hello!” the pegasus greets happily. “How are you?” She grins at one of the shoats. “Did you have a good train ride?”

One of the adults, slightly larger if there is a difference, grunts at her. The smaller ones mostly mill about aimlessly.

“What’d she say?” Applejack asks curiously.

“Hungry,” Fluttershy says with a slight frown. “They’re… not very talkative.”

“Oh.” Applejack sort of shrugs to herself. “That’s… fine by me, Ah guess.” She glances back to the wagon. “Ah guess the little ones can hop on?” When none of them move Applejack sighs to herself. “Sooner we make it back to Sweet Apple Acres, the sooner y’all can get fed.”

The bigger of the two adults, the one that grunted, shuffles to the open back end of the wagon. She scrabbles at the applewood, her hooves digging gouges into the once smooth surface. The wood creaks and groans as she settles down right on the edge with a lazy grunt.

“Okay, now,” Applejack cautions, her eyes going wide as the second one makes to get up the same way. He shoves past the sow, the wooden rails splintering, before plopping down right next to her and completely blocking off the entrance.

“Ah guess that’s one way to do it,” Applejack says neutrally, hiding her burgeoning contempt of the creatures. “‘Shy, can ya load the rest?”

“Um, sure,” Fluttershy says as she disentangles herself from the cats. The smaller pigs are unable to reach the lip of the wagon and have started to mill around aimlessly. “Come now; here, let me help you up.”

“Goldie?” Applejack says with a glance at the mare. She’s sitting on the train station platform, tending to her cats. “You comin’?”

“Ah was gonna rest my hooves,” the elderly mare drawls, “and then see the sights. You go on ahead. Ah’ll catch up later.”

“Sure thing, Goldie.” Applejack tips her hat as Fluttershy loads the last of the pigs. She starts to pull the wagon, only to immediately stumble at the unexpected weight. “Pony y’all are heavy,” Applejack mutters to herself. She tries again, digging her hooves in, yet the wagon doesn’t budge. “It’s like Ah’m pullin’ Rarity an’ half of her luggage!”

“Hey!” Goldie Delicious reprimands. Applejack’s ears bend down. “If ya can’t say anythin’ nice about somepony, come sit by me an’ Ah’ll give your ears a thrashin’!”

“Yes’m,” Applejack says sheepishly, lowering her head. She grunts again as Fluttershy drops to the end of the wagon and starts pushing. The small bit of extra effort is enough to get the wheels turning, and Applejack is glad they started off pointing in the right direction. As long as they’re moving she’s okay, and the walk to Sweet Apple Acres is mercifully direct.

“Hey, Applejack!” Doug says from inside the pen as she approaches. He whistles at the size of the hogs riding in the back, the shoats sticking their heads past the rails. He taps a booted foot against a water filled trough. “Great success?”

“Eeyup,” Applejack says, pulling the cart next to the gate. The adults lazily drop off the back with only a little amount of coaxing from Fluttershy and Applejack tying her rope around the first and threatening, in no uncertain terms, “That just ‘cause you’re bigger’n me don’t mean Ah can’t hogtie ya and drag ya out.” She points at the deep grooves in the road. “Ah dragged ya here, Ah can drag ya ten more strides.”

Once all the pigs are out of the wagon Applejack steps up to the gate. Fluttershy helps corral the shoats, all of which are wandering around aimlessly. The farmmare sighs, glancing at Doug. “Ah don’t suppose ya brought any slop, did ya?”

“Can’t say that I did,” Doug says with a frown.

“Ah, well.” Applejack turns to the pigs. “Alright, y’all, in ya go.” She opens the gate.

The rusty hinges let loose a horrible squeal, scattering the frightened pigs in every direction.

Next Chapter: Ch. 102 - Feastbind Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 59 Minutes