🌸 PANTY'S TRIALS 🌸
🐮 BARN RAISING 🐮
It was a regular afternoon for Panty the Arborling. The sun was shining, the birds chirping, and a soft breeze was in the air. On her little piece of paradise, she was busy wiping the sweat off her brow after a morning of continuous labor. "I'm gonna give you one last warning to vamoose somewhere else," she huffed breathlessly, seemingly at nobody and standing above a singular plot of flowers that appeared to blossom.
Surrounding them was a protective barrier cage of sorts, and at the base of them was a plate of fruits and berries. Unfortunately, unlike the rest of her beautiful garden, this set of flowers seemed to wilt and sag. The cause of the issue? A group of hungry Kittypillars with fairy wings gnawing away at what was left of the green foliage. Furrowing her brow Panty pulled out something behind her back, it being a spray bottle of sorts with a glittery green substance sloshing inside. "Alright...you asked for this!" Standing her ground, she raised the bottle at them, causing the insects to instinctively freeze and make eye contact with the container. Thinking it was the end of them, they cowarded.
Instead of being sprayed with any sort of pesticides, Panty leaned in and sprayed at the fruit that was below them, causing them great surprise. The assortment of treats sparkled for a moment before settling down and returning back to normal except looking much more enticing to the creatures destroying her prized plantation. Quickly, they made their way down the stem and to their newfound meal. Once they all gathered they ate away at the food hungrily.
"That's right. You get full and eat up on my berries so you'll leave my poor blossoms alone!" Putting her hands on her hips she watched intently as the worm creatures stuffed their mouths full making sure to stare up at her as they did so.
Sighing she stretched and turned around to take care of the other issues she needed to tend to in her garden. About that time a loud yelling could be heard coming closer and closer making her pause. "PANTY! PANTY! PANTY MY BABIES! MY BABIES!"
Twisting her head around she caught the sight of a familiar green arborling charging her way down the dirt-like road that led up to her little home on the prairie. Her eyes widened in concern and she began to calmly, but briskly, head her way. "Dahlia? What's wrong? What babies are you talking about!?" Panty asked loud enough for the frantic girl to hear as she approached her panting and slouching.
Taking a moment to breathe she gasped and gulped for air, only making Panty more on edge about what was going on. What had happened? She had children? What happened to them? Panty could only assume the worst, but what came out of her mouth caused Panty to quickly break into a cold sweat of awkward relief. "My livestock! I don't know what's gotten into them but there's something super wrong going on!" Exhaling out Panty gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, "Oh Dahlia, I'm so sorry your barn critters are feeling down."
Shifting her eyes awkwardly she took a step back away from the distressed Aborling and toward the shed that was located not too far from the two of them. "Did you, um, want the usual feed I grind up for you?" Nodding and sniffling, the poor Dahlia began to wipe away forming tears at the corners of her eyes, "That would be nice...do you have anything special that you normally don't give to me? L-like a superfood or something that can help them feel better?!"
Growing optimistic she followed Panty to her outdoor storage that was filled with all sorts of tools and items. Inside in the corner were stacks of bags all labeled different things. Grabbing one and tossing it over her shoulder, Panty took a pause to take in the question. "You mean like some kind of meal remedy?" Raising a brow she turned to look at Dahlia who was desperately nodding her head up and down.
With her eyes lighting up Panty smiled and dropped the sack back down, "Sure! I can toss something up for yall! Just give me until evening and ill be over at the barn with your special feed order." Squealing, Dahlia clapped and threw her arms around Panty gratefully. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU PANTY!" Being suffocated Panty accepted the embrace, not wanting to decline it as Dahlia was already emotional and didn't need anyone to be rude to her. Letting go, Dahlia gasped and chirped, "I should get back to the barn! They're probably waiting for me to give them their mid-day treats!"
Spinning around she ran off and shouted out as she left, "I'll see you then!!!
With the sun setting, Panty made her way over to Dahlia's farm. When she arrived, she was met with a huge plot much like her own except it was sectioned out securely and filled with animals of all sorts, some not even really regular farm animals. Passing some of the lots by, she went straight to the big barn that everything was centered around. Getting to the door she pulled it wide open to see Dahlia on the ground petting a small baby cow that was clearly in distress. "There, there Mimpy...it's going to be okay."
It seemed she hadn't noticed the gardener who had just strolled in but Panty knew when she did. Dahlia's eyes lit up at the sight of her and jumped up out of place. "Panty! There you are!" Rushing over she quickly helped the pink Mideviler that was logging around the heavy bag over her shoulder. " Here i’ll take this, I'm so glad you came through! The livestock has only been getting worse...."
At that point both girls could hear the little thing behind them moo in discomfort, it blowing snot bubbles out of its snout. Muttering under her breath Dahlia grew tenser at the state her pets were in. Peeking over Panty couldn't help but give the little cow a sympathetic look. Returning her gaze back to the country girl she gently remarked, "If there's anything else I can do, please let me know...I know how much everyone means to you." Sighing, Dahlia's lip trembled ever so slightly before she composed herself with a harsh intake of air. "Thank you Panty...I've already asked so much out of you, this will be just fine."
Turning around as she wanted to get straight to work, she went to Mimpy side and dropped the bag next to them. Though Panty could leave, she couldn't find the willingness to. She wanted to be there for her friend who was trying so hard to get everyone feeling better on her farm. Going over to the two, Panty stood above them, giving the fuzzy baby a soft set of pets on the head which is greatly appreciated. Dahlia ripped open the bag of fresh feed that smelled of many newly picked herbs and crops. Smiling, she reached both of her hands into the bag and scooped up a cupful of it. She then piled it in front of the calf in a pile that was easy to access. Hopefully, she watched on, thinking that it would lean and try a bit, but the longer it sat there huddled up not doing anything, the more doubtful she felt. "Come on girl, it'll make you feel better." She encouraged, nudging it toward it. In retaliation it reared up against her, not wanting to go anywhere near it. "It's probably the smell of some of the spices I used that act as natural remedies, just like most medicine it tastes really bad." Panty explained to the farmer who was only getting more frustrated at her bovine companion, "I promise it's not as bad as it looks!" She cried to it in a last attempt to coax it to eat it. Just like a toddler, it swung it's head away and refused to do a single thing. Dropping her head in defeat she groaned sadly, "Having them eat anything recently has been such a challenge...I think it's due to upset stomachs." Panty watched Dahlia place her hands on her head in worry. "Oh Panty what am I going to do, how can I get them to feel better when they won't even eat!" Whining, she covered her face, trying to think of anything that would help, but she was drawing a blank.
Panty felt terrible, she felt so helpless for her friend that was in need. What else was SHE to do? She wasn't very knowledgeable on animals of any sort...the only experience she ever had was dealing with the small rodents and insects that would enter her gard-
It was then that the bottle in her back pocket became much more apparent, and the image of the KittyPillars she had dealt with today flashed in her head. Eye widening she reach behind her and unlocked the latch that was keeping the serum locked on her belt. Sloshing it around in the light that was available in the barn, she felt a glimmer of hope.
Spray bottle in hand, she kneeled down and misted the food ever so slightly, wanting to preserve what was in the bottle and test the waters first as well. Just like before, the feed gleamed in a radiance of sparkles, then settled. Dahlia was too busy having a freak out silently to see what was going on, that was until she heard the curious shuffling of her pet beside her.
Peaking up through her paws, she had time to witness the miracle of Mimpy trying out the concoction. Right before her very eyes, she saw the calf chew it up warily before gulping it down with satisfaction. Quickly, Mimpy went to town on what was left. Raising her gaze up to Panty who was holding the bottle and petting the baby, her eyes shimmered in awe. "Howcha do that???" She whispered out, fearful of frightening Mimpy away from the food they were tearing into. Shooting her attention to her, Panty held out the bottle to her to inspect. "Oh, I made this serum that the critters in my garden really love." Taking it in her grasp, Dahlia inspected fully excitedly. Slowly a huge smile grew on her face and she swung her head over to Panty. "PANTY YOU'RE SO GREAT!" Jumping to her little feet she ran to grab the bag and yank it toward the entrance of the barn, dragging it out. "WE NEED TO GET THIS TO ALL MY ANIMALS ASAP! I would really love your help if you could do such a thing for me." She blushed, embarrassed that she was having to ask once again for the help, but of course, Panty was more than willing. "Of course, Dahlia, anything for you."
Making her way to her, Panty reached out to help with the bag, it becoming a much simpler task automatically with four paws on the job. It was now time to get to work and finally get these cute critters feeling back to their former glory!
Later that evening when the sun was setting, they had finally finished the task of tending to all the livestock, giving them all special treatment and pets for being so compliant with the treatment.
The bag was fully empty when they dumped it into the feeding trough. Shaking out the crumbs, Dahlia topped off the pile of food and made sure to give it a good misting of the serum. The horses that were behind the fence trotted over and dunk their head into the container and went to work.
Dahlia felt a huge weight off of her shoulders which were sagging now, she was used to the hard labor she endured every day on the job, but the emotional turmoil must have taken more out of her than she thought. She took the time to relax and take in the beautiful colors of the sky that presented itself above the sunset. Covering her eyes, she squinted to see better, but her eyes couldn't help catch the sight of Panty on the other side of the fence.
A warm smile crossed her face seeing her pink friend taking the time to pet and offering water in a bucket that was in her other arm. Not wanting to stop her, she just watched Panty from afar tending to her beloved pets. It was then a thought popped into her mind finally making her speak up to her gardener friend. "You seem really good with animal Panty." She complimented, going over to the fence and leaning on it to give her legs a break.
Panty's ear twitched at her statement and she appeared rather taken aback. Tilting her head she nervously placed the bucket on the ground. "Oh me? No no no...I'm rather clueless with all this stuff actually." The arborling protested, not wanting to invade on Dahlia's work anyway, she knew it had to be a daunting task that required lots of skill, which she didn't have. Giggling Dahlia waved her hand at her dismissively, "Oh don't kid yourself Panty you're a natural,” shrugging her shoulders she added casually, "plus, it doesn't take a scientist to do this stuff! Just a love for living things and patience!"
Playing with her hair, Panty wasn't sure how to respond but she was grateful for Dahlia's kindness. "Well, I just know it's a lot harder than it appears." Agreeing with such a statement, Dahlia nodded, "Of course, Of course, it's not anything you could learn overnight, heck I haven't even perfected being a farmer, but that's anything you do, it just takes practice!" Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a keychain, on it was several keys. Fiddling around with it she took one of the keys off the chain and then put the rest back up. "Here."
Tossing the item up into the air, Panty jumped and caught it instinctively, not wanting to drop it in case it was fragile. With it securely in her hand, she was shaken up, but curious. Opening her paws up, there laid a key in the middle of them. She wanted to ask what it was, but the farmer beat her to it. "It's an extra key to my barnyard, I made it a while ago but I never ended up really needing it."
Too shocked to speak, Panty just stood there silently while Dahlia further explained her intentions. "I think you would find lots of enjoyment practicing handling animals so that maybe you could have a barn of your own later on!" Grinning, she found a bit of amusement in the way her friend was dumbfounded at her gift.
Finding her cool, Panty shook her head, tripping over her words, "I don't- I mean... this is so kind, but shouldn't you keep this in case of emergencies?" Holding it like it was a snake that would bite her at any point, she stuttered out, " I don't wanna get in your way or anything-or- throw anyone off here."
Even with her hesitance, Dahlia saw potential in her and sweetened her deal, wanting to push her in the right direction. "I promise you won't, keep it. I'll even let you keep whatever by-products you are able to produce while on the job!"
Now, Panty couldn't help holding it close to her, the gift becoming that much more special to her knowing just how much trust was being placed into it by her friend. "Oh my... Well...I've always loved the things you sell to me when I go to your market in town, they're always so fresh." Trying to be polite, she tried not to automatically accept such an offer. In fact, she wanted to decline just out of courtesy, but something was stopping her. Recalling back to the enjoyment she felt tending to all the sweet animals here on this farm, she felt herself yearning to spend more time here. She was also interested in learning more tips from the arborling about the species that lived there as it would help her with her garden back at home. The possibilities in how it could expand her horizons finally dawned upon her, making her eager to drive in and start her journey down this path.
During this time in her mind, Dahlia watched her stressed expressions and felt a bit guilty herself. She didn't mean to cause Panty to panic or feel pressured to take anything from her. Maybe this wasn't a great idea? Maybe Panty herself wasn't mentally prepared to take on such a task? Opening her mouth, she was going to reassure her, but Panty spoke up herself.
"I would really love to spend more time with everybody here, and I'm sure you could use a break from time to time. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to explore myself and gain more friends."
With that, Panty placed it into her pocket and patted it to make sure it made it in safety, "I'm honored you gave me this, and I promise I won't let you down."
Dahlia squealed and then yelled, "YEEHAW! That's what I'm talking about!" Doing a tiny jig Panty chuckled at the display. Passing through the gate to the other side with the farmer she picked up the bottle of her special potion on the ground and poked Dahlia in the chest with it to get her attention. "I'll make some more of this stuff for you to use later, but I want you to keep this." Mid dance, Dahlia stopped and cheered, "AW YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE!" Snatching it from her she held it with both hands. "I know my babies are all thankful for your contribution, they'll be better in no time thanks to you!" Smiling, Panty gave a caring glance over to the horses that were nearby, "I'm glad, these guys deserve to feel their very best."
Exhaling then yawning, Panty stretched, her wings expanding before flapping a bit. "Well, it's getting dark, I should get home, I'll be over tomorrow to help everyone. Thank you again, Dahlia, for the gift." Patting her on the shoulder Panty decided it was time to take her to leave, "You take care now." Taking a few steps back to start heading back home, her friend waved and chirped back, "You too Panty! I'll see you tomorrow! Goodnight!"
Giving her back the same wave she wished her a good night as well, before finally walking away and off the beautiful barn that was Dahlia's home.
THE END