//------------------------------//
// A Day on the Farm, pt. 2 
// Story: The Apple's Engineer 
// by Christs Disciple 
//------------------------------//

Sprocket walked into town with the list ready, but upon getting there, he came to the sudden realization he hadn’t the foggiest idea of where to go. Luckily, he spotted Pinkie Pie hopping about through town, so, he ran up to her, hoping she could direct him. "Pinkie!"

She stopped in mid-air, defying physical law for what must have been the bajillionth time on that day alone. When she saw Sprocket, she immediately dropped back to the ground. "Oh! Hiya Sprocket! How's your first day of work going?"

Sprocket stared for a few seconds because of her staying airborne without any requisite force helping her do so. He shook his head and replied, "Well, Applejack sent me into town to pick up a few things, but I'm not sure where to go."

"Oh! That's easy! Just go to Sugarcube Corner."

Sprocket blinked. "I'm not hankering for several days’ worth of sugar, Pinkie, I'm wanting some materials for fixing up things around the farm."

Pinkie waved her hoof. "I know that. But, why can't you get a nice, delicious, delectable, scrumptious, totally healthy and in no way going straight to your thighs treat as well?"

"Applejack gave me only enough coin for the materials."

"Still doesn't mean you can't get one." She then hoofed him one without warning. "See?"

Sprocket blinked, wondering just where she had gotten it from. "Where in the hay did that come from?"

"I had it with me."

Sprocket just continued to stare at her. "How were you able to carry it?"

Pinkie pulled down a screen from the heavens above, then pulled up a couple of theater seats and pushed Sprocket, who was too confused to resist, into one. A slideshow began to project onto the screen. Sprocket looked around for the source, but didn't find it. Pinkie then answered his question. 

"Well, ya see, I was working, and I made a special cupcake just for you. However, since I had no way of carrying it while walking, I asked the author to have me just bring it out of nowhere when you came by." The next thing that happened surprised him more than the fact the pictures had nothing to do with what she was saying and seemed to just be images of Pinkie and a baby alligator playing various games in various locales. The screen then fell into her mane when she suddenly popped up from behind it saying, "And that's how we defeated Nightmare Moon!" 

Pinkie just grinned as Sprocket tried to comprehend what just happened, sitting there thinking as hard as he could, yet still completely and utterly dumbfounded at Pinkie's randomness. He shook his head, deciding to ask somepony else about what was up with Pinkie. 

"Well, uh, thanks for that, uh… educational moment."

"You're welcome." She obviously didn't see he wasn't serious about it. "Maybe they'll let me make a presentation at the school."

Sprocket said under his breath, "Yeah... if they want to turn the students minds to mush." He then cleared his throat. "I'll get to going now to get these materials. Do you know how to get to the stores?"

"Of course. Just go to Sugarcube Corner, and they’ll be all up and down that street."

"Thank you." Sprocket then ran away from the crazy pony as fast as possible, only stopping when she was no longer in sight. When that happened, he slowed to a trot, gasping for breath as he tried (and failed) to figure out the pink pony. However, as he wracked his oxygen starved cranium (which would have had a difficult time trying to solve the riddle wrapped around an enigma placed inside a conundrum that was the ‘Why’ of ‘Pie’), he wasn't watching where he was going and collided into somepony hard enough that he landed squarely (and painfully) on his rump. 

"Owww!” Looking up, he saw that it had been Twilight who he had, most literally, bumped into. "Hehehe… sorry… I, uh, wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's alright,” Twilight sighed. “I wasn't either. But anyways, how's your day going?"

"Well, after I ran into Pinkie, it certainly got a lot more confusing."

Twilight chuckled. "Yeah, she can do that to people. You just have to remember two things. One: it's Pinkie Pie. Don't question it. Two: don't try spying on her to figure things out about her. It always turns out bad. Trust me."

Sprocket snorted. "Let me guess: you found out the hard way?"

Twilight nodded as she got back up. “Unfortunately… yes. She also doesn't seem to understand not everypony can break the fourth wall."

Sprocket groaned. "I don't believe it. Even here, there are those under the delusion we are in some story." He let out a sigh and walked past her to get back to the task at hoof. "Anyways, I gotta go and get some stuff for the farm. I'll see you later."

"Bye! And good luck!” Twilight called after him. 

Soon, Sprocket made it to the stores with the directions Pinkie had given him, and about an hour after he had reached the street, he was walking back with a cart full of equipment, chuckling at how many bits he had left: just enough for a cupcake. 

"Isn't that irony, for ya." 

He continued on his way, arriving at the farm--after taking a wrong turn, ending at a dead end, and being aggressively attacked by a mother goose and her chicks he had unintentionally cornered in that dead end--a couple hours later.

Walking straight up to the barn, he saw Big Mac waiting for him. 

Sprocket smiled slightly. "Are you here to help me with what I'm going to be doing?"

"Eeyup."

He had learned early that Big Mac usually only spoke in one word sentences. 

"Alright. Well, I'll need your help in replacing the gutter to start with, then we'll fix that beam in the barn. After that, we'll get started on the wagon. We'll probably be able to finish everything with enough daylight left to get in about three hours of applebucking. Sound good?"

"Eeyup."

The two got right to work. The gutter was replaced in no time, the wooden pillar took only a little longer, and the wagon really took some time as some of the pieces didn't want to move, but all in all, they managed to finish that up in time to head on over to the plow. This project in particular was taking much longer than Sprocket had anticipated, and he and Mac were in a tangled mess, tied up with the straps and fidgeting around helplessly, right as Applejack came in.

She smirked at them. "Are ya’ll havin' some troubles now?"

Sprocket just sighed and replied, "Eeyup. And we’re barely even started."

Big Mac looked at him and said, "That's mah line." 

The three gave a light chuckle.

"Here. Let me help." 

Unfortunately, her help wasn 't very helpful, and she somehow managed to end up being tied up with them.

Sprocket shook his head. "Well this is a pickle, ain’t it?"

"Howdja git inta this consarned situation ta start with?" Applejack asked. 

"I got new straps."

"Ah thought Ah said no new straps!"

"Well, they were free and the perfect kind for using on a plow, so… yeah."

Applejack sighed. "What kind didja get? Ya know: brand wise?"

Sprocket shrugged. "Not sure. I got ‘em off a traveling salespony. He was selling another product, I think it was the anti-rust coating, and said he'd throw in the straps for free."

"Well, whoever the maker is, these stupid things sure ain't comin' off easy." Applejack continued to fidget right along with the other two, when she noticed an ax sitting next to the barn. "Looks like we're gonna have ta cut 'em and buy some new ones later."

"As long as we get out, I don’t have no problems with that.” Sprocket said. 

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said in that typical manner of his. 

“Problem though,” Sprocket continued. “How are we gonna get over yonder to that axe?"

Applejack was able to get one hoof onto the ground and managed to get them all to roll a little towards it. Big Mac was then able to keep the roll going with one of his much stronger hooves, and both he and AJ continued this process until they got to the ax. That's when they ran into their next problem: the ax head was not in the prime position for cutting their bonds. All Big Mac managed to do was get the handle to fall over. 

Sprocket sighed. "Well ain’t this just peachy keen? How are we gonna get this cut with it flat against the ground?"

At that moment, Apple Bloom happened to be coming back from crusading and noticed the position they were all in. "What're ya’ll doin'?"

"Well, Big Mac and I had trouble with the straps for the plow and we got tied up. Applejack tried helping, but you can see how that turned out. We're currently trying to get these cut, but we're having troubles using this ax."

Apple Bloom beamed. "Ah can do it fer ya!"

Applejack and Big Mac's eyes widened in horror. 

"Ah-ah don't think that's the best idea!” said the former. 

"Nope!" said the latter. 

Sprocket tried looking at them. "Well, what's the worst she can do? She's just gotta hold the ax carefully next to the straps and slowly move the blade back and forth till they’re cut. Let her try at least."

Before Applejack or Big Mac could rightly object, Applebloom ran to the ax and lifted it up the straps, making bother of her older siblings sweat out bullets. 

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS FAMILY FREERS, YAY!" 

After a few minutes of struggling, though, she was able to cut through them without much fuss… except for the scream of pain Sprocket let out on account of the ax going a little too far and nicking his flank. Still, AJ, Mac, and Sprocket were free, at least. 

Applebloom looked to her flank for her cutie mark but didn't see any. "Darn it! Ah was sure that was gonna get me mah cutie mark!" 

She set the ax down next to the barn and trudged along inside the house like she had a chip the size of a dragon on her shoulder, leaving Sprocket to rub his flank.

Applejack sighed. "Well, I will say that it wasn't as bad as Ah thought… especially since nothin’ happened to me."

Sprocket rubbed his flank more. "Yeah, well, I'd certainly hate to see what you imagined Ms. Consolement.” He looked at his flank and saw it was bleeding a bit more than he had expected. "Well, I'm gonna need to get that looked at. Also, what in the hay was she screaming about before she freed us?"

"Oh, that's just her and her friends’ thing they got goin’ on. They formed a group, since they were all blank flanks, about tryin' ta find their special talents so they can earn their cutie marks."

Sprocket nodded. "I hear ya. Say, think you can take care of my cut? It ain’t too bad, but it still needs some sort of attention."

"Sure thing, sugarcube. Let's git ta the house and Ah'll have it taken care of lickity split."

Sprocket raised a brow. “Lickety Split? Doesn’t she run an ice cream shop at the market?” 



LATER THAT NIGHT



After supper was over, Sprocket decided to just watch the ebon sky for a while. He breathed in the cool night air and let out a content sigh. He looked up to the stars, trying to find constellations, but his attention was stolen when he heard hoofsteps approaching. 

Applejack was walking up to him .

"Howdy."

"Hey." He turned to the sky again. "That is one of the most beautiful sights I ever did see."

Applejack layed down next to him, nodding in agreement. "Yep. Sure is."

"Ya know, when I lived in the city, a lot of times, when I had no work the next day, I’d head on out and look at the stars for hours. It was the only thing I missed not being able to see from my front porch. Luckily, I was near the edge of the city in question, so I didn't have to travel too far to get a good look at them there stars."

"Ya seem ta really like 'em."

He nodded. "I do. Loved looking at them as far back as I can recall. I've always seen them as some sort of guide for me. Hay, it may sound all kinds of corny, cheesy, and downright nutty, but I also always thought of them as a silent guard for me, even." 

He smiled a small smile.

Applejack sat in silence a few minutes, thinking about what he had said while he just enjoyed the silence. After a while, Applejack finally said, "That's an interestin' way of lookin' at them stars."

Sproket just shrugged. "Guess it's just the way I am." He turned towards her, and smiled at how the moon's light reflected off other features. He looked away the moment he realized he had been staring, a light blush finding firm purchase on his face.

After a few more minutes of silence, Applejack stood up. "Well, it's probably about time we hit the hay. We still gotta get up early, ya know." 

Sprocket got up and walked beside her. 

"Also, make sure if ya start starin' again, Big Mac ain't anywhere near." 

Sprocket blush grew more intense at the realization she had caught him staring. 

She just laughed lightly.