Meet The Side Characters
"Bye Dad!"
"Bye, Son! Take care of yourself, and your Sister. You guys are heading off into a big world."
"I think I know that."
"And don't slack off! Just because we're no longer there doesn't mean you can just waste your life away!"
"You've told me this before, Dad!"
"Head out sometime: Go to places! Meet nice people! Maybe get a girlfriend!"
"Ha. Ha. Real funny, Pop..."
"Just do something productive with your life. Promise?"
"Ugh... I promise."
"Good. Now wake up."
"What?"
"Wake up!"
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"WAKE UP SLEEPYHEAD!"
I woke up with a start, shooting up from beneath the shade of the apple tree where I lay. The bright light of the rising sun attacked my eyes. As my eyes adjusted, I responded to the voice I now made no mistake of.
"You didn't have to shout, Pinkie!" I rubbed my palms into my eyes, opening them to two hoofed silhouettes against the sun's rays. I knew all too well the one that was pink, and the one that wore a cowgirl hat.
"I can't help it!" Pinkie Pie gleefully bounced on the spot with a wide grin on her face. "The annual Apple's Sale has got me so so so excited!"
"...Even though we have it every year." Applejack added. She casually chucked an bright red apple at my gut, flashing a small smile. "An' we can't have sleeping varmints lyin' around the fields when they should be helpin'!"
I slowly rose from the foot of the apple tree, one of the hundreds that occupied Sweet Apple Acres in rows and columns. "Sorry, Applejack. I'm not always up this early." I Stretched upwards to the sky and yawned. It was true that the day had barely just begun, but we had been awake since before the sun was even visible. Preparations for the sale had been going on for the entire week, for which I was present half the time. Pinkie Pie had eagerly given me a schedule to the specific dates of the event. "And I didn't think it'd take this long to prepare for one day's worth of sales!"
"Ya get used to it when ya live on a farm. Now c'mon, it's almost time to open shop!" She turned and trotted off down the dirt path back to the barn.
Pinkie Pie waited... or bounced... as I picked up the oversized messenger bag that was beside me, filled with apples. It was actually a saddle-sack that the Apple family used to gather apples in, but it had been modified for my use, slinging it across my should. For a moment, I forgot why it was there.
"C'mon, let's go! We're gonna miss the opening!" Pinkie Pie squeaked. I stood straight up and twisted, cracking my spine... or what was left of it. I could now bend back a full two-seventy degrees, thanks to the plasmic replacements.
"Alright, alright! There really is no rush! I'm pretty sure we're all ready." I retorted, stepping back onto the dusty dirt path that separated one row of trees from the other. I brisk walked down the path. with Pinkie Pie jumping in circles around me in joy.
"Yeah, but you gotta be there! Because now's your chance to finally meet everypony in town! Aren't you excited?! Just think; by the end of this day, everypony in Ponyville will know your name! Everypony!" I had a feeling she was placing emphasis on that word on purpose.
The truth was, I was afraid of meeting the residents of Ponyville. I feared their reaction, response and the way they may potentially act towards an 'alien' like me. Not that I was afraid that they'd be scared, I was more worried that I'd attract too much attention. But what was the worst that could happen? I probably already knew half of the ponies through the show in the first place.
Well, I'm supposed to meet nice people right? Dad didn't say anything about Ponies.
"Yeah... everypony..." I swallowed my nervousness.
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All along the road, from the entrance of the farm to the central clearing in the middle of the acres, rows and rows of nicely-made wooden stalls were placed one after the other, each boasting their own form of an Apple family product. From apple pie to apple strudel, from apple jam to the fresh red apple itself. Cider 'by-the-barrel' was preserved from the season they were produced, and were being sold now at a much greater profit. Baskets piled with the fruit of all these creations sat at the entrance. It was noticeable that the further down the path you went, the more pricey things were.
Leading up to the barn itself, the central area housed the more expensive and especially tastier items. Higher and classier stands circled the whole barn. A cake, plainly called 'Fancy Apple Cake', was sold in the middle of a huge rack of other classy pastries. Although most of the products were perishable by that day, careful measures had been taken to keep everything as fresh as possible. This included one very special alcohol that I had never knew of in the show:
"AppleJack." She had said that one word with such pride, it almost sounded egoistical.
Applejack told me that that exquisite alcohol was a recipe she had made herself, thus the title of the drink, and she was very proud of it. The liquor was contained in dark red glass bottles, with a special minimalistic label with a big red 'AJ' in the middle. And according to AJ herself, the liquor barely damages the body, almost considering it a harmless alcohol! This was in contrast to its effects, which were meant to be exceedingly strong. I found that hard to believe, but I have never had any myself.
"Alrighty, y'all! It's openin' time!" She hollered from up the farm's entrance. Beyond the gate, the rising sun cast down on the excessively long line that, according to Rainbow Dash who had flown in, trailed all the way back to Ponyville. "Are we ready? Any questions?"
"Yeah! I got one!" I hollered back, cupping my mouth. "Who put me at cashier?!" I stood behind a wooden stand right at the barn's entrance, where the supplies and replacements were. Right above my head, painted in big-block red letters was 'PAY HERE!". On the two-metre table top, a leather-covered box with a shiny gold lock and a coin slot sat at my side. A bigger, openable box was on Pinkie's, and behind the counter was a small metal safe. Pinkie Pie stood right next to me, her smile never once faltering.
"Oh, that was me!" Pinkie Pie waved frantically, even as I stood right next to her. "Remember! Be nice!"
"You sure about this?"
"What's there to be scared of?"
"I'm scared that they'll be scared!"
"Now that's just stupid!" Rainbow Dash flew in close. She wore a small empty pouch with a bit embroidered on the side for what they called 'distant payment'. "You're a heck of a lot less intimidating now that you're not carrying that ginormous sword of yours!" She zoomed back to her post along the path.
"It's alright Keith." Fluttershy trotted by. "Nopony was intimidated of you when you first got here, and especially when you were injured. I doubt that they'll put up a real fuss now."
"Let's sure hope so." I returned her warm smile before she continued into the marketplace of apple products.
"Hurry up and open already! I'm starving!" A rough voice echoed from the gate.
Applejack reared her hind legs and kicked, applebucking the gate open, as she said was also customary. Immediately, a flood of ponies burst into Sweet Apple Acres in a crowd of murmurs and laughter. Pegasi, who had obeyed the gate's rule, flew in over the fences as well. It took less than a minute for the whole lane to fill up.
"Ever been at an Apple sale before, Keithy?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Yeah, except the Apple I'm talking about wasn't selling fruit."
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"Good day, Mister Conway!"
"Good day, Miss Mayor! How's my house coming along?"
"We should begin building by the end of this month."
"Sounds good. Thank you, and have a nice day!"
She cantered off with her goods as I slid each bit into the slotted box.
The sale went well into midday, and even then, the racks and racks of delicious treats never seemed to empty. Big Mac was certainly doing a good job filling them out, as we constantly saw him retreating to the barn, only to reappear with a pile of fresh items on his back. Rainbow Dash and Rarity frequently returned to the counter, having to empty out their bit-bags at regular intervals. So far everything was going smoothly.
All around me and Pinkie Pie, ponies of a wide range of colour schemes raided every stall they found. Voices came from every direction, some familiar and some not, discussing a magnitude of different matters.
"Has anyone seen Rarity? I gotta pay!"
"I've got the last Fancy Apple Cake!"
"Nnnope."
"Mummy, is this what you call alcohol?"
"There isn't a single rotten apple in sight!"
"Yes ma'am! Everythin' here's made fresh!"
"Lickety Split, put that back where you found it this instant!"
"M-mummy... is this whatya call *hic* drinkin'...?"
As for the response I received, it honestly wasn't too bad, the worst I got was one who said nothing, quickly tossed a bit onto the table and ran with her item. The number of warm welcomes definitely outweighed the number of nervous and awkward greetings, let alone the intrigued ones that insisted on touching my fingers.
The cashier was split into two lines, one for me and one for Pinkie. Both of which also spread a long way down the path. The great thing about this was, I was never bored.
One customer placed a single apple on the counter with a tossed bit. Looking up to the buyer, I was greeted by a pair of mellow yellow eyes and a grin wider than Pinkie's. The mint green unicorn with white streaks in her mane was shaking with such excitement and anticipation. I knew what she was here for, and it wasn't the apple.
I decided to play with her little human addiction. I slowly brought my hand over the bit and moved each finger individually. Her eyes grew wide as she gasped in amazement. I rolled each finger, on by one, around the coin. She kept her eyes level with the table, watching the process with such astonishment. I then slowly lifted the coin into the slot, with her eyes the size of dinner plates, not leaving my hand. All the while, Pinkie Pie was giggling next to me, watching the gaping unicorn.
Finally I drop the bit into the slot with two fingers, hearing a satisfying clink. "Thank you..." I said with a smile.
"No no no! Thank YOU!" She replied in haste. she was leaning in over the counter, staring me square in the face. She remained there for quite a moment, as I darted my eyes around.
"Umm... are you done? You're holding up the cue."
"Can I at least touch them?" She asked quickly.
"Touch what?"
"Those!" She hovered her shaking hooves over my hands on the counter. "PLEASE? Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaspleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaassse?!"
I was flattered. actually. It was like being a celebrity, only there was only one crazy fan. "If I do, will you move along?" She nodded her head wildly. I opened my palms upwards to her hooves. She looked like she was about to cry with happiness, slowly bringing her fingerless limbs closer.
But, just a centimeter away from contact, she was pulled away by another pony. I instantly recognized her as Bon Bon. "Sorry if she's giving you trouble, Mister." She smiled sheepishly. "She's been acting like this for weeks, especially since you got here." She bit onto Lyra's ear and dragged her away from the counter. "Now come on, you're holding up the line!"
"NOOOOOOOO! I ALMOST TOUCHED THEM!!!!" She struggled and cried out, as if she were being dragged to her doom.
"Bye, Lyra!" I waved her off.
"AAAAAHHHH! SEE?! HE KNOWS MY NAME!!!!" Her voice was soon drowned out by the rest of the crowd. I turned to Pinkie Pie, she turned to me. We both burst out into laughter, falling over each other in a laughing heap.
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"Good day, Boy!" Ingot greeted gruffly. He was followed by his son, Driscoll.
"Good day, craftscolts." I returned the greeting while packing their things into a paper bag. Usually, other ponies had thought to bring their own. "How's work coming along."
"All's well." Driscoll replied for his father. "Nothing out of the ordinary, except for your... err... weapon. Come by next month, I should have a working prototype then." He grinned.
"Sounds great! Thanks!" I wished them off.
By now the sun was setting, and the day was winding down. Apart from a lunch break, we had no rest, but it was still a fun experience. Rarity had come by earlier to ask me how many ponies I had met, and she was surprised I knew so many, even though I just listed them from the show. It was a great surprise to these background ponies when I greeted them in name, it even creeped some of them out.
But the next pony in line had quite the opposite reaction. I knew that for a fact when I saw the light brown stallion with a dark brown spiky mane. It was the Doctor!
As I packed his item, the Doctor kept an interested eye on me. He didn't speak a word, but rather raised an eyebrow at my every action. I wanted to see what his real character was, behind being a background pony.
"The Doctor, I assume?" I asked politely.
"Aaahh..." he calmly exclaimed. "Someone who knows my name before I even meet him? And he's not a pony? Well we don't see that everyday, do we!" His suspicious behaviour vanished, and extended a hoof. "Pleasure to meet you, human! Needless to say, a greeting like this would most usually surprise the other party."
"Name's Keith, and I should think so." I shook his hoof with excited vigor. "It's not everyday on Earth that you meet a Time Lord-"
"Ssh!" He placed a firm hoof over my mouth. "That's a very sensitive matter for the time being, and I'd like to leave it as such, if you don't mind." I nodded, and he released his grip. "So, you've come from Earth have you? I'm afraid I haven't been there very recently."
"What?" I asked in disbelief.
"I really should go back sometime. When your a pony for so long, you kind of miss being human! Good day, Conway!" He cantered off with his bag, bringing up his hoof in a small salute.
"Wait... what?!" I asked once more. But by then, the Doctor was swallowed by the massive crowds.
Now I had seen his show before, but for only a few episodes. I never fully understood how he worked or lived, or why he is here. I also found it strange that he said my surname when I never even gave it to him. One thing I did know was that whatever he did had a reason, even though it didn't always make sense.
"Who was that, Keith?" Pinkie Pie turned for a moment to ask.
"Huh?... oh, just sompon-... someone of interest..."
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The sale ended ended hours ago, and now the moon was high in the sky, glistening with the stars. The racks of items were cleared and the money all deposited. All that was left were the empty stalls and baskets. Everyone who had helped out that day was now gathered around a table in the barn. Chatter and laughter were both heard from the outside as the Mane Six, Big Mac, Applebloom and Keith shared the last apple pie. Almost everything else was out of stock, just as Applejack planned.
"And then Lyra was like "NUUUUUUU! I ALMOST TOUCHED THEM!!" Hahahaha...!" Pinkie Pie comically mimicked the events of earlier that day before going into a fit of laughter, followed by the others. Even though we had been working the whole day, she didn't seem the least bit tired. Rainbow Dash on the other hand, was snoring away at the other end of the table, where drool and a bite of pie was clearly visible as she slept.
"Well, Ah'd say we did pretty well. Like every other year." She yawned. "An' as always, thank all o' y'all. It would have been a lot harder without all the help. Appreciate it." Everyone humbly returned the thanks, saying that it was the same thing every year anyway.
Keith glimpsed at his watch before standing up from the table. "Well, it was great and all, but I should be getting home. I've been here for eighteen hours."
"That's a long time, darling. Wouldn't your sister be worried?" Rarity questioned.
"Not if she's already asleep." Keith whipped off the green and red Apple apron, revealing a piece of Pony merchandise. It was a black shirt that read 'There's a pony for that.' with a picture of ponies, parodying the Apple advertisement. It got another good laugh out of everypony. "Besides, once I get my own place, I could just live here and nobody would know."
"An' thank you, cowboy, for yer help too! Since this is the first time yer helpin', maybe you'd like a little somethin'?" She retreated to the back of the barn for a second.
"No thanks, AJ." Keith declined the offer. "I'm fine. Exhausted, but fine."
"Ya sure?" Applejack returned, with a loop in her mouth. It attached to a bottle of the liquor of which she proudly created. "We usually drink one at the end of the day anyway." She trotted over to me and placed the loop in my hand. "You deserved it, partner."
"Well, if you insist." The human gripped the bottle around the neck. "But not now. It'd be harder to get home drunk. I gotta try it though." He trudged out into the night with sagged shoulders. "Goodnight everypony!" Waving off the cheery responses from his friends, Keith pulled out the Medallion and engulfed himself in psychedelic colours, right in front of the barn.
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The front door to the one-storey house swung open, letting in the man with the pony shirt. He kicked off his shoes and dragged his feet across the floor, pass the living room and into the kitchen. He placed the unopened bottle of AppleJack on the counter and headed to his room. It was really late, and Keith's sister was already asleep, which made it all the better.
Without turning on the light or even changing out of his clothes, Keith threw himself into bed. He thought back happily of Equestria, and what a great place it would be to live in. But it brought up another more frustrating question in his mind, as he quickly drifted into sleep.
Where the hell do I move to?