Brotherhood is Magic

by GauntletsofRai

Jack

Jack stood ankle-deep in mud as he wrestled with the giant stump that blocked the new path he had cut through his apple orchard. This particular stump must have been on the land since before his father's father was even born. I wonder if grandad ever had as much trouble with this damned stump. He straightened up as the first rays of light poked through the apple trees on the hill in the distance. It was almost worth getting up before the rooster crowed every morning, just to see that sunrise. Working on a farm most of his life, Jack wasn't too good with words, but every time he saw that sunrise, he felt like he could write the most beautiful poem in the world, if only he knew how to put his thoughts on paper. Sure, he could read some basic letters and numbers, if only for business' sake, but he strayed away from any books most of the time just to keep from feeling stupid, since he didn't know half the fancy words in those old books from the town library. Sometimes, when he heard those learned wizards that passed through town from up north, he wanted so bad to go pick up as many books as he could carry and read them all, just to understand some of the things they talked about. But then he would tell himself what he always told himself when he felt like that. I'll do some learning when I'm not so busy on the farm. That would satisfy him for a while, but deep down, he knew that that would never happen unless he sold Sweet Apple Acres, or he turned old and gray and unfit for farm work.

Such thoughts would often plague Jack's mind as he stared at that magical sunset. He looked back down at the stump and remembered his work. He hooked his fingers and held on to his rope as tight as he could, and leaned forward, away from the stump. With a grunt and a final pull, the stump came loose from the mud around it. He felt the resistance of the stump fall away, and gave a sigh of relief. He straightened his stiff back and then threw the stump off the road as hard as he could, satisfied with his work. He wiped away a trickle of sweat from his eye as he saw a dark shape moving down the road towards him. He made out the shape of a man, with another shape crawling along the ground beside it. What in sam hell is that? As they came further down the road, he realized just what that crawling shape was. It was much smaller than the monstrosities that glided over the tree tops burning everything in sight, but there was no mistaking what it was.

As the shape that was indeed a man approached him with the little creature by his side, Jack stepped out into the road to greet him. He could tell right away from the way he walked, along with his crisp, neat purple jacket with a pink and lavender stripe on one side, that this stranger was from Camelot in the mountains. The stranger wore a very nice sword with a jewel in the pommel at his hip, but Jack immediately recognized the staff he carried as the weapon of a Camelot wizard. He was used to the wizards that lived in Mannsville, but they were usually hedge-wizards that could do no more than healing magic, or levitation. Well I'll be, a real proper wizard! Jack knew that a wizard like that could no doubt teach him a limitless array of things, but he put that idea away as he approached the strange wizard.

"Hey there, stranger! Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres!" The strange wizard stopped and gave Jack a look of what he thought was condescension. He was just shorter than Jack and much leaner, which didn't say much, since Jack was easily the tallest and well-muscled man in Mannsville besides his older brother Big Mac, who put anyone and everyone to shame with his size and strength. The stranger brushed his straight black hair out of his face, which was in contrast with Jack's unruly straw-colored hair hidden beneath his pa's old ranch hat.

Jack extended his hand for a hand shake, and the stranger did likewise. "Name's Jack. I own these here grounds. Were you lookin' fer Mannsville?"

The stranger looked blustered as he fell prey to Jack's notoriously vice-like hand shake. "I'm Thomas, and yes, I'm headed for Mannsville. You wouldn't happen to be Jack Apple of the Apple family would you?"

"The one and only! What can I do fer you, Thomas?"

The strange wizard, now known as Thomas, regally straightened his posture and produced a scroll with a royal solar seal. "By request of Princess Celestia, you have been chosen to accompany me and four others on a trip to the North for an investigation of strange happenings that need immediate attention."

Jack scratched his head and peered at the scroll, trying his best to read some of the words written in the flowing royal script. "Me, on a mission? Do ya' mind me askin' why?"

Thomas the wizard relaxed a bit and tucked the scroll back in his belt. "Princess Celestia believes that you and the other four men on this list are the right men for this particular job. Gather enough provisions for three or more days and meet me at the center of Mannsville. We and the other men depart at noon. Good day, Jack."

The wizard Thomas and his little friend started for the road, but Jack stepped in front of them, blocking their way. "Hold on friend, You don't know you way 'round Mannsville, and I wouldn't be a very good host if I didn't come along with ya'!"

"Oh, that won't be necessary, I think I can-"

"Nonsense! You can join us for breakfast at the homestead!"

The wizard Thomas looked almost appalled at the suggestion. "No, really, you're too kind, but I already ate. Really, I'm fine."

Jack propped his arm around the wizard's neck and started walking him down the road. "Now, I aint takin' no fer an answer! It wouldn't be proper at all fer me to leave ya' hungry and lost in a town you've never been to! I'll make sure Granny Smith cooks up an extra batch of eggs, and then I'll show ya' around Mannsville myself!"

Jack drug the protesting wizard along the road to the old farm house, with the little purple creature towing along beside them.

* * *

Jack smirked at the wizard sitting across from him at his kitchen table, who looked miserably stuffed. Jack was leery of letting Thomas' little pet in the house, but Thomas had insisted that Spike (the creature's very fitting name, due to the row of green spikes across his back) was completely safe to have indoors, since he had apparently raised him from an egg, or so Thomas said.

Jack's little sister, Applebloom (Thomas seemed to double-take at the name, though Jack thought it was a right proper name for a cute little girl) was restlessly curious about the creature Thomas had brought along with him, and who was now devouring a plate of eggs and bacon on the floor near the table. "Is he a real live dragon?"

"Yes, I raised him myself from an egg."

"How come he's so tiny? I thought dragons were suppose'ta be ginormous!"

"Well, he's only a baby dragon, but he'll grow bigger when he's older."

"Does he eat a lot?"

Jack shot Applebloom an angry, silencing glance. "Now Applebloom, it aint polite to annoy our guest here with yer' silly questions." Applebloom gave what Thomas later described as the most heart-wrenchingly adorable pout he had ever seen, as she left the table and left the room. "Don't mind her, she's a real drama queen, if ya' get my meaning. Welp, I guess we better head on out to find the crew." Thomas stood up and groaned as he held in his protruding belly.

Jack grabbed his pack of provisions for the trip and buckled his heavy broad sword across his back as he and Thomas approached the door to leave. "I know most 'o them guys on yer' list there, so it shouldn't be a problem at all to find 'em. We can round up all of 'em by noon, no sweat!"

Thomas eyed the large dented sword as Jack buckled it on. "That's a pretty big sword. Mind if I ask where you got it?"

Jack puffed up with pride as he pulled the sword from its scabbard for inspection. "Why, this here is my most prized possesion! Pa used it in the war of the Nine Rivers, 'bout thirty years ago." Jack beheld the sword wistfully and spoke quietly now. "He said I could have it if I promised to protect the farm, 'iffin there came a time when he wasn't around any longer." He sighed and sheathed the notched sword with a melancholy smile. "Guess I get to keep my promise."

Thomas looked almost apologetic for having asked. "Are you sure you're okay leaving the your farm? The quest might take a few days, maybe even a week."

Jack amiably slapped Thomas' shoulder. "It won't be no problem, I reckon Big Mac can handle things pretty well, on account of apple season just ended. Besides, if I'm protectin' Equestria, I guess that counts as protectin' the farm too."

Just then, a towering shape appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, surprising Thomas with its uncanny stealth. "Well, speak 'o the devil! Big Mac, did you hear? The princess asked for me to go on a quest! Can ya' believe it?"

The monstrously muscled man with the same straw-colored hair as Jack grasped Jack's hand in a brotherly embrace. "Nnope," he said, drawing out the word in his enchanting drawl.

"You can handle a little farm work without me for a few days, can'tcha?"

"Eeyup." And with that terse goodbye, Big Mac waved them both out the door.

Jack and Thomas exited the homely farm house with Spike just behind them, and hopped over the stile in the fence at the end of the spacious yard that sloped down the hill that the house rested on top of. Jack had been regaling Thomas with tales of wizards he had met in the past around Mannsville, when a dark hooded figure carrying a box bumped into them from around the curve in the road. The contents of the box spilled out on the ground and Jack stopped to help him pick them up.

"I'm awful sorry 'bout that, mister. I should really watch were I'm going." The contents of the box were revealed to be several bottles of thick green liquid.

The hooded figure stood up to reveal a shriveled face with two mismatched eyes and a toothless smile. "That's quite alright son! Say, could I interest you in some 'o this finely brewed multipurpose elixir? It'll cure whatever ails ya, and makes a mighty fine broth for stewin'! Only three bits a bottle!"

Jack smiled at the old man as he reached for his coin pouch. "Well I reckon that sounds like a mighty fine elixir you got there! I'll take one!" He dropped three gold bits into the old man's hands and took the bottle he offered him.

"Oh thank ye' son! Your patronage is greatly appreciated!" With that, the old man skipped off down the road at a pace that Jack would have thought impossible for a man that age.

Once the man was gone, Jack put the bottle in his pack and started off again. Thomas spoke up, a look of confusion on his face. "What is that stuff?"

"Oh, it's probably just snake oil, but I guess a few bits aint bad fer' a potion of any quality at any rate, don'tcha agree?"

"I suppose, but I really wouldn't drink it until I found out what it is."

"Oh, no doubt, friend. Would you mind takin' a look at it? I bet you know a heap about potions and things like that, right?"

Thomas perked up, looking a little prideful. "Well, I dabbled in potions for a year or to. Sure, I'll take a look at it."

Jack tossed him the potion and he caught it, albeit just barely. Jack lead the way down the dirt road until they reached the top of a hill that overlooked the quaint little cluster of shingled buildings that was Mannsville. As Thomas looked down on the village he had seen in numerous paintings, he started to really appreciate the quiet beauty that a small town has, completely foreign from the beauty of the gleaming spires of Camelot. Thomas thought that if the other four men were anything like Jack, it might not be such a horribly uncomfortable quest after all. A thought which he immediately dismissed, as a blur of color slammed into his side from out of nowhere.

* * *

Comments

[Regidar]

1704091

[Skywriter]

Interesting start. I keep tying to wrap my head around some of the horse-pun names in a world devoid of Pony; it hasn't reconciled yet. Otherwise, some basically solid imagery here and a pretty good physical drawing of your two principals. I find myself wanting to have gotten more deeply into Jack's mind; in a more realistic high fantasy universe where we are concerned about practical matters, asking the sole proprietor of a working farm to abandon it for a few days is a bit of an issue, and since looking at the basic Pony world through this very lens seems to be your goal, I would have liked to see at least a moment of ambivalence. Also, what is Jack, a peasant farmer, doing with a sword, pretty exclusively a killing tool of upper-class knights and trained soldiers? There's a good story-flavor opportunity there that could be capitalized on.

Keep it up! Oh, and, source on your title picture, please? It's very pretty, and I'd like to see it in higher res.

[GauntletsofRai]

1706648
As for the pic, I literally just googled "human ponies " and that was the only one I found of male mane six.
I'll find the artist if I can.

[Skywriter]

1707577
Much obliged.

[Irongalley]

Sweet! Can't wait to see the others!

Also, Pinkie most definitely has to double wield kitchen knifes... It is a must.

[GauntletsofRai]

1707830
I was thinking more along the lines of a flail.
Kind of like the balloon themed weapon I could think of.

[Flutter derp]

1708581

A thought witch he immediately dismissed

i think you meant "which"
but besides that, it's great story