//------------------------------// // Finding Your Way // Story: Making the Best of it // by Flame6666 //------------------------------// Making the Best of it Finding Your Way A couple of days have passed since Anthony became a resident of Ponyville. During that time he got a little more used to living here and getting out of his shell, if only a little. He still didn't have his own place to live so he just stayed with Twilight and Spike, but soon felt that he was just taking advantage of their kindness. After all, if was going to be staying in Equestria for... who knows how long, he should really find his own place and find some work to do. He asked Twilight about work but she didn't give him a real answer, all she told him was to ask her friends if they could give him something to do. It was not Anthony's day. He almost burned down Sugercube Corner, needled his finger TWICE at Rarity's, got attacked by a BEAR at Fluttershy's and he didn't even want to try working at Rainbow Dash's job even if he could. After the failure at Fluttershy's place, Anthony decided to try asking Applejack if he could work at the farm. As he walked done the road to Sweet Apple Acres he took in the sheer size of the farm. Apple trees as far as the eye could see... it was kind of intimidating. If he did end up working here, he knew that everyday would be a pain, but work was work, and he needed the money or bits as they called it here. Anthony finally got to the front gate and entered into Sweet Apple Acres, where he saw Applejack carrying a couple of bushels hanging on both her sides into the barn. Anthony jogged over to the farm pony. "Hello Applejack, how are you today?" Anthony asked, not that he really cared but he needed to start a conversation somehow. "Well howdy there Anthony, Ah’ve been havin’ a great day, thanks for askin’." "Good good... uh can I ask you a question?" Anthony says while scratching the back of his head. "Uhm... if it ain't personal, shoot." "No its not personal, I was just wondering if you would let me work here for some bits?" "That all? Sure we can try ya’ out, come on, I still have some more tress to buck before Ah'm done for the day." She walks back into the forest of apple trees and Anthony followed suit. They walked until they came upon a tree that had some bushels siting around it. "Alright Anthony, try and get the apples to fall off the tree." "Your kidding right? I can't do that Applejack, I'm way to weak." he said shacking his head. "Come on, ya won't know till ya try." "No I'm fairly certain that I can't." "Tell ya what, if you at least try, Ah'll pay ya the bits." "Fine, but only if that comes with a free icepack." Applejack nodded with a smile. Anthony backs up a few yards to get a running start and gets into position. "I'm going to be paying for this later..." Anthony let out a sigh, then ran as fast as he could and dropped kicked the tree... only for nothing to fall off and a pulse of pain that flew though his body. "SON OF A BITC-" Anthony clamps his hands over his mouth before finishing his sentence. "Son of a what now?" Applejack said reeling herself back shaking her head "It's... it's nothing Applejack, that just hurt... a lot" Anthony says holding his legs. "Well... Okay then... it looks yer' right about yer' own strength. So how bout we switch, Ah'll do the bucking and you do the catching?" Applejack said with a smile. "That sounded so wrong... get your mind out the gutter, she didn't mean it like that." "Uh... sure Applejack, I could do that." Applejack nodded and turned away from the tree and bucked it without putting much force into it yet somehow all the apples fell into the bushels, he just looked at what happened stunned. "I thought only Pinkie Pie could defy the laws of the universe?" Applejack followed Anthony’s eyes to the bushels. "Oh that, no ya see these bushels have a spell on them that attract apples like a magnet." Applejack explained "If that's the case then how am I helping?" Applejack puts a hoof to her chin. "Uh... you can help me bring them back to the barn." "Okay... I'll do that then..." Anthony picks one up and finds it to be on the heavy side. "These are heavier than they look." "Really? They seem light to me." Apple said when hooking two of them up it her sides. Starting to walk back to the barn Anthony says, "I'm starting to think that I'll never find a job that I'm good at here." "What d’ya mean?" "Well I tried cooking with Pinkie Pie at Sugercube Corner and almost burned the place down, I went to Rarity's place and sewed my finger to a shirt twice, I got mauled by a bear at Fluttershy's, and now I'm having trouble carrying a bushel of apples. I can't do anything here in Ponyville." "Ah know what ya need, how bout you help with the rest of the bushel and come with me, Ah know what will cheer you up." "If you say so Applejack..." "Ah know so, so how bout you put a spring in yer' step and get a move on!" she says running ahead. They finally got the last of the bushels in to the barn when the sun was setting. "It's about time, ready to get?" "As I'll ever be, but what are you planing?" "It’s a surprise." Applejack smiled. She walked ahead of Anthony. He says under his breath. "I sure hope it's not a Pinkie Pie party." The two walk into Ponyville and not a single pony was in site and they end up in front of the library and the lights are off. Anthony lets out a sigh, "Applejack is this what I think it is?" "Uh what do ya mean?" "No pony in the streets, you taking me the library to cheer me up, and the lights are off, this is a surprise party isn't it?" Anthony crosses his arms and raises a eye brow. Applejack starts to panic, "No no... it's not a surprise party..." she puts on a big nervous smile. Anthony sighs again. "Lets get this over with." He walks up to the door and opens it slowly and goes inside with Applejack behind him. Once the door closes the lights turn on and everypony in Ponyville yells "SURPRISE" Even though Anthony knew it was coming he still jumped at the loudness of the group yell. The party was just like the one in the first episode of MLP, everypony was saying hi but quickly went into there own groups to talk and party. Anthony wasn't feeling it today so he just went to his room to watch some of his anime that he had on the laptop. After only a few minutes there was a knock on the door. "It’s open." he yelled out. The door opened and Twilight was standing there. "Are you Okay? You weren't even down there for more than five minutes." Twilight walks over to the bed. "I just had a long day Twilight, I just want to relax and watch some anime." Anthony looks back at his laptop. "Anime? What’s that?" "To put it simply its a art form from my world, anime tells story's in the form of moving pictures." Twilight moves over to take a look. "So like movies?" "Equestria has movies?" "Yeah but their not in color like this, their in black and white and they cost a hoof and flank to go see them." "Really? how much to go see one?" "Umm....about 14, 15 bits, and their not even all that good." Twilight shakes her head. Anthony laughs, "Sounds a lot like my world, it cost 9 through 16 dollars depending where you went." Anthony sighs, "Too bad I wont be able use my laptop any more." Twilight looks at him, "Why not?" "Because its almost out of power and I doubt that Equestria uses electricity." "Umm actually we do, we just use magic power more than electricity." "Really? Then are there any outlets in here?" "Yes but their only down stairs and the party's still going on." Anthony thinks about it for a minute "Hmm... I want to test something, lets go down stairs and find those outlets." Anthony picks up his bags and takes his white bed sheet then heads down stairs with Twilight close behind sporting a puzzled look. They find that the outlets were behind a plant, and Anthony starts hooking up the laptop with the speakers and the projector and tells Twilight to use her magic to lift the sheet into place, the blue screen of the projector aligned with the sheet perfectly and that's when the other ponies started to take notice. Anthony worked his way to the front of the pack and started his little speech after clearing his throat, "Ahem... mare's and gentle stallion's I just wanted to say thank you for accepting me into Ponyville, and to show my appreciation I would like to show some of my worlds culture, so sit tight and enjoy the movie." After he said the word movie everpony sighed. "Don't worry it will be like nothing you've ever seen, I assure you." After he made his way back to his laptop he picked one of his favorite movies of all time that he was sure that would WOW the bored ponies, he picked Wall-E and just as he thought the ponies loved it. They laughed, they cried, they even ahhed, they loved every bit of the movie and that was final, Anthony found the one thing he could do to earn bits and make his way forward in Equestria.