A Chance Meat-ing by DES
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"We could always go to the racetrack!" Rainbow Dash suggested, not for the first time, and she glided alongside her herdmates.
"For the last time, Dash, they'll be sold out this late in the day." countered the purple unicorn walking beside her. "And no," she continued as the pegasus opened her mouth to respond, "I'm not pulling any strings as the Princess' personal student to get us last-minute VIP box seats."
Lero, the dimensionally displaced human, along with his herd of three, walked down a cobblestoned Canterlot street. Twilight had finished her business at the palace, the main reason for the trip. Lyra had tagged along, needing to meet with another Grand Master the following morning. Lero had suggested he and Dash might as well come along too, turning the trip into a spur-of-the-moment day-long vacation for the herd of four.
The group was currently out to find somewhere to have dinner as the sun crawled ever closer to the horizon. The presence of a restaurant within the Wonderbolt Derby on the edge of the mountainside city meant that at least one member of the group knew with certainty where they wanted to dine.
"Aww." The pegasus hung her head, trying to look her saddest in the hope of getting Twilight to change her mind.
Lyra, the other unicorn in the group, opened her mouth, likely to deliver some profound piece of grand master wisdom concerning the situation, but then suddenly stopped and looked back, along with her herdsisters.
Lero had stopped walking, and was now swiveling his head to and fro, pointedly sniffing the air.
"Lero?" Rainbow Dash asked as she landed next to him. "What's the matter?"
"Bacon."
At this, the three mares raised their eyebrows.
"Bacon?" the pegasus inquired.
"Bacon." the human simply repeated.
"What do you mean..." Rainbow started, but was interrupted as the distracted human continued.
"I definitely smell bacon." At that, the human turned to walk down a side street, his mares moving to follow.
"Lero, what do you mean, 'bacon'?" Rainbow repeated.
Twilight answered before Lero could. "Do you mean bacon, as in 'Cooked meat'?"
The other two mares looked at her, then back to Lero, who nodded.
"Yeah," he replied. "It's been almost a year, but I still remember that smell. That is definitely the smell of bacon. And..." he took another deep whiff of air. "Steak. Bacon and steak. It's almost like someone's running a..."
The group rounded a corner.
"...barbecue." he finished.
A few houses down the street, across the road, was a small establishment, the entrance and patio partially shaded by an awning. Mounted on the building's facade was a sign proudly declaring the establishment as "Güstâve LéGrandé's Le Rôti à le Broché" Despite the pretentious and decorated sign (the grammar of which made Twilights eye twitch) the establishment seemed, for all intents and purposes, to be an honest to goodness steakhouse.
Notably, most of the customers visible, sitting by the few tables on the patio, were griffons. There was a pony or two there as well, sitting with griffon compatriots, dining on salads. Carried from the restaurant by the mild afternoon breeze was the unmistakable smell of grease, charcoal, and cooked meat.
"Girls," Lero stated, a dreamy twinkle in his eye. "I think I know where I want to have dinner."
Steak? As is cows? As in Equestrian sapient cows?
Is this place on the level? Don't go in there Lero, you might end up on the menu.
But then again bacon...
A year without bacon is worth the risk. Go for it Lero!
For a moment I almost read that as "who I want for dinner"
Stopped just before it got good...
Could be a 'donate your body to carnivore' situation. 'Help the griffons keep their culture alive - donate your body for cuisine.'
Also: The Roast Book?
Maybe the cows talking to Applejack was part of Applejack's personal magic?
2611531
It's probably imported meat from the griffions.
Behold the glory that is!
i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/4257028608/hFFC692E3/
Bacon: The reason there aren't more vegetarians.
And yeah, I kinda wanna see how the herd reacts to seeing Lero eat meat.
2611888 They shouldn't react in any way. They are aware that he is omnivore, besides pegasi eat fish,shrimps and things like that as well, other ponies can eat it too. It's not like Lero is going to bite into bloody piece of ripped meat.
Well, now I'm hungry.
2611531
Maybe they're non-sapient cows, like the horses RD and Twi mentioned during Twi's first date with the herd?
2612078
There's a big difference between being aware of something and then seeing it in action.
Watch, Lero goes and orders the biggest, steak they have, extra rare and extra bloody!
I can see RD trying some too... maybe Lyra.
IN lero's mind: MY STOMACH IS CLEAR AND BY MIND IS FULL OF BACON
My body AND my mind are telling me yes!
troll.me/images/yoda-senses/i-smell-bacon.jpg
A year? Wouldn't that be way too fast for the formation of the herd?
Besides, I haven't had bacon in years, yet I would be capable of recognizing the smell in my next life.
2611531
Actually, even Sweet Apple Acres has a pig. Both Fluttershy and Sweet Apple Acres have hens. And we know of Iron Will having goats, which to me seemed quite intelligent, but as in 'very smart dogs' rather than in 'stupid but sapient'.
2612109
That could be it. Just as Ponies have Horses and Humans have a few close relatives, so might Cattle.
I think Aurochs would work here?
Also: does this mean the Saddle Arabians are not canon to Xenophilia EU?
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2612941
It could be that there are both sentient cows and non-sentient ones, same with sentient saddle Arabian ones and non-sentient ones.
On the other hand, maybe cows have the kind of culture where they *expect* to be eaten, and the ones in equestria are bitterly disappointed that their caretakers are herbavores.
2612725
I agree, I'd expect it to have been a couple years before the whole herd was together. (That is if it stops at three.)
2614434
2611888
It would be funny if they were suconsciously intimidated by the 'sharp pointy teeth', like they flinch a bit next time he tries to nibble them in bed.
Just remember that the cows on this planet are sapient.
2614434 you forget theres other non sapient animals that steak is most likely not cow at all but hydra steak or maybe even manticore
2615137 I could see Dash getting waaay too into a kink like that. " Bite me. BITE ME! BITE ME TIL I BLEED, LERO!"
2614452 That. Is. AWESOME!
I'm officially accepting Ricmach's comment into my headcanon.
2612725
The goats were wearing headsets with microphones, which seems to me to imply some sort of spoken language. Maybe their bleating is a foreign language?
No, no! Baked meat!
2611888
My aunt is literally "vegetarian with an exception for bacon"
I would love a chapter dedicated to the herds' first time at this restaurant! Have them all reacting to Lero eating a veritable buffet of meat.