Harvest Festival: Preparing for the Festival

Brave Storm jumped into the double pulled wagon and pulled the heavy crate as Coffee Bean pushed from below. With the joint effort of the two earth pony mares, the stubborn crate was forced into the bed. And so the most difficult singular item of loading was dealt with immediately.

“I got it from here.” Brave Storm called, using her head to tuck the crate against the back of the wagon bed.

“Ooooh these apples smell delicious!” Canary Bean was propped against a large barrel of apples, drumming her hooves in excitement against the lip. 

“You can’t eat any of those.” Coffee Bean quickly informed her sister, with the gentle but still firm tone of an older sibling.

“I wasn’t going to.” Canary Bean huffed. Coffee Bean raised an eyebrow at her. The bat pony hybrid rolled her eyes as she dropped back on her four longest legs. “Okay, fine.”

As Brave Storm went to gather another barrel, she looked at the gap between the wagon and the floor. Somehow it didn’t strike her as odd until now that it wasn’t built with a ramp. She tilted her head at it and Coffee Bean must have noticed her mild slack in work.

“Oh, the ramp? We got a little carried away and put too much weight on it a couple weeks ago. Just went-” the mare held her hooves together at the tips and then bent them downwards “-snap. We’re actually working to get it replaced with a metal ramp. Part of why we asked you to help us load. We’re strong, sure- but the extra hooves would definitely help us get things done.”

“Also I pulled something in my leg!” Canary Bean called, waving a hoof to draw attention to herself. She sounded far more cheery about the situation than she should have. “Doctor said I should try to avoid heavy lifting for a little bit.”

Brave Storm’s eyes widened at just how well the bat pony hybrid was taking the situation. Coffee Bean made some passing comment about how her sister always managed to bounce back and that she’ll be okay with rest. As the two mares loaded most of the other barrels, crates, and other heavy equipment into the wagon, Brave Storm managed to see Canary Bean sulking. Her head was low and her shoulders slumped as she lazily threw rocks that happened to be near her. 

“Mind if I try something?” Brave Storm asked Coffee Bean. “It probably won’t work, but maybe I can make a ramp with the ground? Could make it easier on us.”

And possibly make it so that Canary Bean could help, but Brave Storm didn’t want to call attention to the other mare. She was certain she wasn’t supposed to see that. 

“Be my guest. I’ll take a break while you try it out.”

Brave Storm paced at the edge of the bed, trying to visualize how she wanted the ramp to look. At first, she made it in her head how a wagon ramp would look normally. But she quickly ruled that if this was for Canary Bean, it was too steep and the incline would need to be more gentle. Which also meant the ramp would be longer.

Sure of exactly how she wanted the earthen ramp to look, Brave Storm took position. She tried to focus on the feeling in her hooves that she had the first time she successfully channeled her Wild Magic. Slowly, she felt the earth moving to her will, rising steadily and slightly. If you didn’t know what you were looking for, you might have missed it. But surely, she managed to create a gentle slope to the wagon bed.

“Wooow!” Canary Bean cheered, clapping her middle hooves together. Brave Storm felt herself blush as she fell back to her butt to catch her breath. Working Wild Magic was draining in a way she wasn’t used to.

“I can take it from here, Brave Storm. Thank you.” Coffee Bean interjected as soon as the zebra attempted to get off the ground to help. “Take your break now.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure. I- Canary Bean!” Coffee Bean caught her sister rolling a barrel up the slope over Brave Storm’s shoulder. Canary Bean jumped at getting caught, but quickly rolled the barrel the rest of the way into the wagon instead of retreating. “You can’t strain yourself like that.”

“But Brave Storm made it gentle enough for me to help.” Canary Bean argued from the bed. “Pleaaase, it didn’t hurt at all. I can just do the things that roll.”

“Fine, but as soon as you feel uncomfortable- you have to stop.”

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Proof of Successful Wild Magic Channeling