//------------------------------// // Ch.3: Getting a Kick out of practice // Story: Apple Scratch: New Arrivals // by Brandon Sky //------------------------------// To save time, Vinyl introduced the twins to Applejack, intentionally leaving out the accidental thievery of when she met them. “Nice to meet you, Applejack.” Brandon said, before Vinyl shushed him. “Oh, and they confessed to having a couple apples before realizing where they were.” Vinyl added. “…Y’all did what now?” Applejack deadpanned at the twins, who both went stiff as a board. “Well, at least y’all owned up to it. Ah appreciate that. Just don’t let it happen again.” “Geez, you looked like she was going to pounce on you for just a couple apples.” Vinyl chuckled, glancing at her sister. “At least they came clean right away unlike a certain someone.” Applejack shot back as Vinyl chuckled some more. The twins weren’t sure what they were talking about, but didn’t want to ask. “So, where do y’all come from?” Applejack simply asked. Little did she know the simplest question could pose the most challenge for them to answer. “That’s, uh…a bit complicated, actually.” Brandon replied, getting Vinyl’s interest. “Do you guys just wander around?” Vinyl asked. Two young adults supporting each other on the road seemed feasible to her. “No, we have a home, it’s just…shall we say, very far from here.” Brandon attempted to clarify. “Okay, enough beating around the bush, let’s-“ Brianna started before a knock was heard at the door. Applejack approached it to let the person in. “Is there a trope for interrupting important revelations?” She whispered to Brandon. “Ah’m glad y’all got up bright and early today, CK!” Applejack said, letting in a fellow blonde girl with purple eyes as opposed to AJ’s green. “Hey, Cloud Kicker! Meet our new temporary pep squad!” Vinyl waved her over. “I guess we don’t have a choice now.” Brandon laughed. “Hey, I’ll take it! Besides, it gives us something to do while we…umm, I’m not sure actually.” Brianna said. “We’ll go over what we should be doing later.” Brandon told her as the three girls came up to them. “Cloud Kicker, Sky Twins. Sky Twins, Cloud Kicker.” Vinyl introduced, pointing out Brandon and Brianna for convenience. “How’s it going?” Cloud Kicker said, holding her hand out. “I just tied with Vinyl here in sixty-second squats.” Brianna replied, eagerly shaking her hand. Brandon wondered why she seemed particularly excited to meet her. “You what?” CK said, turning to Vinyl. “This new girl comes out of nowhere and she can keep up with you in a burst exercise? Next you’ll tell me she likes swords or something.” “Well, I have a replica of a special sword hidden in my room.” Brianna immediately responded. CK’s face froze for a moment. “GAH, if only you showed up a month ago!” She groaned. “Why, what’s wrong with showing up now?” Brianna asked. She could tell where she was going for a moment, but the whining seemed a bit off to her. “It’s a long story. I’ll just leave it at that.” CK replied, perking up pretty quickly. “Say, if you’ve competed against Vinyl, wanna try me on for size? …With swords?” She added, silently cursing for almost forgetting the last part. “Maybe later. I’ll go see how the practice weapons feel, though.” Brianna said, grabbing a sheathed sword and having it hang from her right side. “What a tease, she’s a lefty, too!” CK said, her antics getting Vinyl into a giggling fit. “Y’all gonna be okay, Sugarcube?” AJ asked. “Yer not gonna get all bent outta shape from last month, are ya?” “I know I shouldn’t. Still, a good-looking lefty sword-fighter that just became Vinyl’s new rival...” CK trailed off, sighing. “Oh well, I’ll get over it.” Brianna couldn’t help but blush, over-hearing what Cloud Kicker had said. She wasn’t quite sure how to feel, but Brandon sure knew how to feel about being confused. “If she gets any cuter, I’m challenging her right there to vent.” CK muttered to the Apple sisters. Brandon waved his sister over before she was able to take the sword out of its sheath. “I understand the compliments, but you look almost beet red right now.” “Well, I…let me tell you something.” Brianna said, her cheeks indeed red. She whispered a bunch of information about Cloud Kicker to him. “Wait, so she’s acting like…” Brandon trailed off. “Not the same way, since I don’t remember that kind of complaining. I wonder if the rest of that is the same…” Brianna said. “Still, you get what I mean, right?” Brandon nodded. “This is becoming a mish-mash of canons here.” He noted. Brianna went back to taking the sword out and stepping away from her brother. She swung at the air a few times, grinning as she practiced. “Does she look up to a challenge?” Vinyl nudged CK, who shrugged. “She looks pretty excited for one.” CK replied, watching Brianna take a breath and start swinging a bit faster. Brianna had been stepping forward with each swing, making sure to keep out of the path of the others. After several more swings, she held the sword behind her and spun around with the blade extended. “Brandon, does she normally do that?” Vinyl asked, stifling more laughter. “I’m sorry, I can’t resist it.” “Don’t apologize, she does that a lot.” Brandon replied. “I’ll admit, sometimes I do something similar with the replica I have.” Brianna returned the sword to its sheath and returned it. “Well, that was fun.” She said, seeing Vinyl about to burst out laughing and AJ looking at her like she was crazy. Brandon’s and Cloud Kicker’s expression hadn’t changed much. “…What?” “Don’t worry about it, Link.” Brandon told her, to which Brianna couldn’t help but giggle along with Vinyl. “Do you always yell like that when you practice?” Vinyl asked her. “Sometimes. I think it’s fun and the reactions I get when people see it is priceless.” Brianna said back, looking at Applejack. “Ah’m not saying anything! It was just a little weird, that’s all!” Applejack said. “When are you free for a duel?” Cloud Kicker asked. Brianna thought about a good time. “Actually…mind if we do it tomorrow? We’re still new around here, so we’d want to see a little more of Ponyville.” “Sure, tomorrow it is!” CK agreed. The group heard more knocking at the door. “Seems like the rest of the morning crew is here!” Vinyl announced, letting multiple other girls…and exactly one guy in. “Ready for more perfect practicing for Ponyville?” She asked the new group. “Gotta love alliteration.” Brandon grinned. The group that Vinyl let in all cheered and entered the gym. Vinyl promptly introduced the twins and said they were here as some encouragement or backup training if necessary. Thankfully for the two of them, the latter job wasn’t necessary for the time being. Once Applejack had taken a break, she went over to Brandon as he watched over Cloud Kicker’s sword training. “Y’all got a minute, Sugarcube?” “Did you need anything?” Brandon said back. “Y’all were staying over for lunch, right? Ah’m just a little curious about the two of ya.” Applejack replied. “Yeah, how we seemingly popped out of nowhere and became instant friends with your sister, I understand. The two of us were gonna speak with you and Vinyl later anyway.” Brandon told her. “Well, ah’m glad we had a similar plan in mind. That’s all ah needed for now. I’ll see y’all then.” Applejack said, walking away. “Yeah, there’s no getting around it at lunch…” Brandon muttered. “I just hope they don’t think we’re crazy.” The Ponyville team broke for lunch, with the Apple sisters and Sky twins heading for the main house overlooking the whole apple orchard. “I think it’d be better to say this now instead of when Granny, Big Mac and Applebloom are gathered at the table.” Brandon whispered to Brianna. “But, what ARE we gonna say? That we should’ve expected everyone to be ponies?” Brianna whispered back, learning her lesson from the last few instances and trying to lower her volume. “I’m not sure about that one. The fact that we’re not at all from Equestria, though, yes.” Brandon explained. “Besides, magic in general still exists here. Perhaps dimension-hopping isn’t as far-fetched as one might think.” “So…tell them on three?” Brianna asked. “Well, just get their attention on three.” Brandon said back. “Right! One, two-“ “At least your sister’s learning; I can only hear that she’s talking about something, but not loud enough to hear what it is.” Vinyl spoke up. “How can we have a private conversation with her around?” Brianna asked out loud. “And before you say ‘don’t be around you’ we kinda need to be to get to lunch!” She huffed. “Hey, I’m sorry, I can’t help it that you’re a little loud for whispering.” Vinyl replied with a grin. “The only way you’re getting around that is if she suddenly goes deaf, sis.” Brandon noted. “Which isn’t gonna happen unless I forget to wear ear plugs.” Vinyl responded. “Or forget to take them out.” Brianna added, to which the group stopped. “…How would y’all forget you put those in yer ear?” Applejack asked out of curiosity. “She was curious to see if that would help her sleep more easily a few months ago. Turns out, it did, but she thought she was deaf in the morning cause she forgot about them.” Brandon laughed. “She managed to make a Monday fun.” Brianna playfully nudged him, turning her attention back to the Apples. “Anyway, the two of us have something we want to share. And I’ll warn you, it might be a little…weird to listen to.” Applejack especially paid attention to what she was saying, thinking that maybe she could answer any questions she had about them right there. Brianna took a deep breath to concentrate. “Sis, just let it out before you start hesitating. You’ll never get it out if you get nervous.” Brandon told her. Brianna nodded. “You see…we’re not at all from Equestria. In fact, we’re probably not even from this world in general since we live in a world called Earth. I’m not exactly sure how we got here, but it probably had to do with a certain TV show that has a lot of people in it that are similar to you guys and everyone we just met. We kinda-sorta know a few things about you guys, but it turns out that you turned out very different than your counterparts in that show and…well, your counterparts aren’t even humans, they’re all ponies! And-“ “Whoa whoa, slow down there!” Vinyl interrupted. “Y’all were going as fast as Pinkie Pie, and there ain’t no one else in this world can do that! Take it slower; y’all got plenty of time to explain…whatever y’all just said.” Applejack added. Brianna shot a quick glare at Brandon. “Just let it OUT, huh?” “Hey, I thought it would’ve helped!” Brandon held up his hands in self-defense. Brianna sighed. “First…I’ll just preface that by saying ‘please don’t tell anyone else about this for now.’ I’m not sure how anyone will react to that whole dimension-hopping explanation.” “Speaking of Pinkie Pie…is it alright if we make that a Pinkie Promise?” Brandon asked. “Well, y’all know about that. As long as y’all promise to not rush it this time, then ah don’t see why not.” Applejack said back. The twins prepared the motions, as did the Apples. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” The four of them said, all bursting into laughter at saying it at the same time. “Okay, NOW I’ll tell you guys for real.” Brianna said. “And I’ll take it slow, since AJ was nice about it.” “Thank ya kindly.” Applejack tipped her Stetson hat. “So, as I was saying…”