I logged into the game after a long Tuesday. As a second year grad student, I taught two College Algebra classes and a Trigonometry class on Tuesdays. Then I had two hours of office time to prepare or grade, or work on my own homework and research.
It was the same every week focusing on teaching the same basic topics, and the class I was taking was focused on very fine grained study of functional analysis.
It was with a happy sigh that I sat down at 8, with a slice of pizza and a pony pad. Logging on, I remembered I was in the middle of who knows where, flying towards Hobby Bluffs.
I got acquainted with north pretty quickly, and started heading that way again. I enjoyed it a lot yesterday, and it was still fun today, but after an hour of flying, I was ready to do something else. Why so much distance to my new village?
Finally, I peaked down out of the clouds in hope, and I saw neat rows of trees about 20 feet tall each, with an elaborate series of fences and field access roads to get out to the fields, and pathways leading to sheds and storage buildings and finally a single two story home.
Having got a better sense of how to fly and land (the flutter button's sensor registers soft presses), I eased my way to the ground outside of the orchard's house.
Was it forward to ask for directions of a stranger? It was just a video game, but then again, the ponies seemed so real.
The air was cool and crisp, the sun was starting to dip below the horizon, and this orchard looked gorgeous, I found myself wanted to take a picture. There was no print screen button on the pony pad.
I decided to go for it, pushing the knocker against the house's main doorway.
"Just a minute, just a minute. Is that you Butterscotch Pudding?" a mare said from somewhere inside the door.
I heard a latch and a deadbolt releasing. I didn't know how to respond.
"Hmm I only installed these locks cause Saber Artist told me there's been some dangerous things out on the edge of town," the mare said, speaking mostly to herself.
The mare opened the door, and I didn't say anything. She was taken back a moment too.
"Ooh", she said, smiling and yet surprised. Her voice and demeanor reminded me a grandmotherly sort of pony. "Oh hi! It's not so often we have visitors out here at Chicken Nugget Orchard. Please, come on in!"
"Hi!" I said, "I'm so sorry, I got lost, and then I descended from above the clouds, and I saw your orchard, so I figured."
The grandmotherly mare interrupted, "Well of course, but there's a big haul of nuggets this week, lets dig into a few before you go, huh?"
"Where do you keep all your chickens?" I asked
"Well we keep them on the trees until they're ready to be picked, of course! And then put them in a bushel basket, clean em right up, and then they go into our big freezer. Come on in!"
So I boggled, confused, as I followed the pale purple pony with a golden mane.
The house was simple but classic, glossy wood floors and pine cabinets with chicken nugget charms on the handles.
"Just a moment dear," the pony said, and went out the back, as she sat down at the oval dinner table which was in the middle of the kitchen.
She came back with a baggy that looked exactly like chicken nuggets to me. They looked like the Tyson ones I had in my freezer.
"How do you prepare yours?" I asked.
"We've got Nuggeterators, if you end up liking these you can buy some at the farmer's market from us. Its an invention of Gold Nugget, my husband."
It was a machine with a wire mesh net which submerged into an oil basin like a fryer, but she pressed it down like it was spring loaded, and seconds later released, and the uncooked nuggets were suddenly perfectly well done.
"We've got Granny Apple's cider or Just a Peach's juice, which would you prefer?" she said, practically glowing with joy at having a guest.
"Thank you so much! Um, maybe Just a Peach's juice?" I answered.
The pony put the chicken nuggets in the middle of the table on a gold filigreed plate. It must have been a high carat, as it shined brightly.
My hostess pulled out a pitcher of the juice, and poured them both cups. The cups had ponies on them striking poses, but I wasn't sure who they were.
Finally my host sat down with me.
I hesitated until she said, "Dig in!"
My pony's mouth was full of a nugget when her first question came.
"Might I ask where you're from, and your name missy?" the pony asked.
I made sure Blue Yonder's mouth was not chewing before I answered.
"I'm Blue Yonder. I'm not really sure where I'm from. I just got my pony name yesterday!"
"Well, not only a traveler in these parts but a Visitor too? Would you be looking for Hobby Bluffs?"
I took a sip of the apple-peach juice, and said, "How did you know? Yeah I'm looking for Hobby Bluffs apartments. Princess Celestia told me to fly north and I would find it. I'm moving into town."
"A new resident! Wonderful!" the pony said sashaying and flipping her cup up into the air.
"Can I know your name, fair matron?" I asked.
"Oh, of course. I get forgetful. I was just practicing for tomorrow's Hobby Bluffs hobbython, It's got me loopy! As I said, my husband's Gold Nugget, and I'm Nugget Blossom!"
"Oh hi, nice to meet you!"
"Eat your nuggets! They're healthy and right off the tree fresh!"
I settled down to eat some chicken nuggets and drink some juice.
Nugget Blossom ate some herself. "Sorry I got so excited sugar. It's just not often.."
"No one comes out this way?" I asked.
Another knock came on the door.
"She does," Nugget Blossom said, pointing to the door. "Just a minute, let me get that."
Butterscotch Pudding waved slightly, as they both came back to the kitchen.
"Butterscotch runs a bakery / confections shop in town. She's been helping me harvest while Gold Nugget is out of town."
"And I like to stop in anyway," she said. Her body was the color of butterscotch, she was an earth pony with short brunette hair.
"I'm Blue Yonder, just arrived in these parts."
"There's plenty more nuggets, 'Scotch, to pick and to eat," Nugget Blossom said, smiling.
'Scotch sat down and grabbed two nuggets, stuffing her pony mouth full.
"She had to run into town to make another batch of butterscotch hard candies. Morning and Night she's been picking with me. You can help too, if you want."
Swallowing hard, 'Scotch said, "It'll be great to have a pegasus helping. You can get the high ones without shaking them off. The main thing to be sure of, is that they are fully ripe. The unripe ones are not yet fuzzy, they are more smooth."
"Let's make sure Blue Yonder wants to help before we offer a million suggestions and rules. If you're tired, you can crash in the Butterfly Room."
"I'm up for it," I said. I could play for another hour or so without getting too tired. My first class tomorrow was Calculus for Liberal Arts at 11.
We finished off the nuggets, cleaned up the table and headed out to the orchard with bushel baskets in tow.
The Nugget family had a little zippy go cart which 'Scotch and Nugget Blossom climbed into. I put my bushel basket in the back of the cart with the others, and fluttered along flying above the cart.
I had something to do, a reason to control my flying again. It made it fun again as we collected the ripe nuggets. Surprisingly, 'Scotch caught me about to pick unripe nuggets three times. She seemed to know a lot about the trees.
The job seemed to go fast as we zipped around laughing and working away.
Finally, we were back in the kitchen, having a nice glass of wine from the local vineyard.
"How long does it take you to get back to town from here?" I asked 'Scotch.
"I've been borrowing dear Nugget's cart, and it only takes 10 minutes that way."
"Of course you can stay here or head into town if you have a place to go, dear," Nugget Blossom said.
"I'd love to come back and help with the harvesting again. Let me know when you could use me," I said.
"I will for sure. You sure make a fine guest."
"You make the best hostess, Mrs Nugget."
"There's a lot of wonderful farmers and craftsponies and all ponies around Hobby Bluffs. But she is my favorite for sure," Butterscotch Pudding said.
"I'd like to get back tonight, Princess Celestia already arranged me to have an apartment in the village. I'll for sure see you again soon, Mrs. Nugget."
"You will! The Hobbython is tommorrow, and I'll be coming into the village for it," Nugget Blossom said.
I assumed it was a local annual festival. "How many years of Hobbython have there been."
"Oh hon, we have hobbython every week. It's always a new hobby at someone's house, and most everyone in town checks it out and there's little prizes for the best at the week's hobby."
"Oh wow, that's amazing. Well I'll see you tomorrow then."
"You'll be the big star of the Hobbython, just coming into town and all," Butterscotch Pudding said.
"Get a good night sleep, hon. And be well, puddin'," Mrs. Nugget said from the doorway as they left the house.
"Come on, I'll give you a ride in the cart," Butterscotch said.
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