An apple was on the table.
Nothing unusual there. In this library that smelled of oak and nostalgia, the apple meant many things. It’s the fruit of Eden that bore the knowledge of man and an expression of immortality. It’s given to teachers as a gift or a sign of gratitude. By a falling apple, Isaac founded his Laws of Motion and Gravity and affected human progress as a whole. Without a doubt, the apple was an inspirational symbol.
But as of right now it’s my sworn nemesis.
My intense staredown against the apple was a daunting task. Cartoony sweat ran down the side of my face, matting my fur as I propped my head with a hoof, my other limb laid on top of the apple. With a heavy breath to calm my beating heart, I lifted that hoof.
The apple didn’t follow.
“Fucking hell...” I performed the fabled headdesk, my groaning muffled by the wood of the table. Cartoon Logic had abandoned me.
It was early in the morning, and I’ve been trying to pick up the apple with my fingerless appendage ever since I woke up. For too long I relied on my wings as a substitute for hands. As reliable as they were thus far, I still needed hooves eventually. An empty load of progress was all I got after hours of repeated attempts.
And look at the time! The original residents of Golden Oak should be waking up right about...
“Morning, Tutorial,” Twilight yawned as she went down from her room. “You’re early again.”
...now.
I listlessly fiddled with the apple as if I didn’t spend hours trying to lift it. “Morning, Twilight.”
“I can’t believe it. I was so sure that you went to bed later than I did! Now you’re up as though you haven’t binged on Daring Do.”
“What can I say? It’s a good series.“ That, and I was still used to shitposting late at night, my only substitute being books. Having a perfect memory of my past life could do that. Even though it’s been weeks into a healthier routine, years of thread lurking just won’t simply go away.
“Just what have you been doing all this time?” she asked.
I shrugged, tipping my apple along its bottom. “Trying to bypass the Laws of Gravity.” Noticing the weird look she gave me, I quickly added, “Is Spike up yet?”
“No,” she looked back at her room where Spike slept with a fond smile, “I’m letting him sleep in for a little bit. He’s been working hard.”
And as a baby dragon, he’s still growing, I figured. “Shame. Got used to his cooking,” I said.
Twilight giggled. “Stole your heart, too, huh?”
“Yup.” I nodded. And because we both suck at cooking, we’re left with alternatives. I offered my apple to her with my wings. “Apples for breakfast it is then?”
“It’s so nice of Applejack to freely give you some,” she commented happily. “She really is as hospitable and dependable as everypony else said!” Levitating the apple from my grasp, she bit off it.
I looked to the side where my saddle bag laid. It was packed with those red delights. “Yeah…” I trailed off before looking back at her. “How’s the party preparations by the way?”
Twilight’s muzzle scrunched as she chewed before swallowing. “Pinkie and Rarity said it’s doing well. I’m sure it’ll be ready by today thanks to the help of the townsfolk. Ponyville works fast.”
Just a few days ago marked the beginning of episode 4, “Applebucking Season.” While I was minding my own business, the entire town quaked and the denizens screamed and ran as though Armageddon was upon us. Recognizing Rainbow Dash’s cry of a stampede, I just went along with my day as though nothing was happening.
The thought of cows stampeding had me getting flashbacks of McDonald's and a craving for their salty french fries. Because of that, I went straight to the nearest Hayburger joint. Then, while everyone else planned out the award ceremony for Applejack who just saved the town, I spent the entire time sulking over my food. It just wasn’t the same. It was an unproductive day.
“They’re eccentric like that,” I said. “Give them a reason to party, and you’ll bet it’ll happen.”
“I believe you. I’ve seen it.” Twilight smiled ruefully, thinking back to a certain Summer Sun Celebration.
Picking an apple from my saddlebag for myself, I stared evenly at the fruit before me, both hooves firmly on its sides. I could pick it up this way, but…
“But anyway,” Twilight suddenly said, “I’ll be going out to help set up the party. You?”
I snapped back to her. “Huh? Oh. Just going to stay indoors for the day. I have…” I glanced at the apple. “...things to settle. I’ll be watching Spike then?”
“That’s right.” She nodded and head toward the exit with the apple in her telekinetic grasp. “I know you two get along, so I won’t worry.” Already out of the door, she waved, “See you soon!” and closed the door.
And with that, my facade wilted as I laid on the table, glaring at my hooves. Just how do ponies grab things? The fandom had theorized this for a long time. Biomagnetics, suction, granular jamming, and a bunch of other complex things to justify how hooves work. As a running gag: Magic, what else?
At first, I thought the power of belief would suffice, but it seemed Cartoon Logic bestowed it with lore. “Magic, what else?” just wasn't enough. I couldn’t ask how. It would make me a bigger weirdo in the eyes of the other ponies than I already was. It’s not like there’s a book on how to grab things. Who in this world would ever write such a “stupid” thing? Too bad idiots like me exist.
That didn’t stop me from trying to find such a book though. Shortly after the beginning of my ordeal, I searched and, surprisingly, found something. It wasn’t exactly a How-to on grabbing things but it’s close. It became the basis for my trials from then on.
With my head still on the table, I turned my gaze on a dusty green cover. Printed under a golden apple emblem read, Mastering Earth Pony Magic.
“The long way around it is then,” I mutter.
Revisiting Lessons - Chapter 5
Season 1. Ep. 4
Applebuck Season
A solid buck caused apples to fall from a tree and into a series of baskets. An orange hoof wiped off the sweat that matted a freckled face and then under blonde bangs. With a harness, Applejack hooked two baskets on, one for each side. The afternoon was as ripe as the apples, happy and sunny for the occasion. Even as time dragged on her stamina, her droopy eyes stayed up. The farmer labored on, robotically following the motions she had done for years.
I was blatantly ignored as she passed on by.
She didn’t turn to face me as she dropped her load on a nearby cart. “Here again? Don’t ya know when to stay outta’ a pony’s business?”
“Sorry, Miss Applejack,” I said, leaning against a tree, “but invasiveness is part of me as apples is part of you.”
A scowl graced Applejack’s hollow expression, wrinkles of fatigue under her eyes. She’s cranky from overwork without a doubt. “What kinda muddy excuse is that? If Ah ain’t so busy right, Ah’ll be bucking apples your way again.”
I rubbed the back of my head at the memory, watching as she made a return for the other baskets. “Oh yeah, Twilight wanted to thank you for the apples. She said they were delicious.”
For the past week since the stampede, I had been visiting. Applejack wasn’t thrilled. To drive me off the orchard, she’d lob me with apples as I used my saddle bag as a shield. Hence, the apples I had in supply. Too busy with her work, not once did she face me properly.
“Glad she liked it.” A smile barely surfaced before Applejack smothered it with a frown, grunting from carrying the new set. “If that’s all, now git. Gotta finish the harvest by the end of Applebuck Season.”
I sighed. “You can’t. Not like this.”
She snorted. “Oh, here we go, back at it again. Ah told you before, but Ahm sayin’ it again: Ah can do this myself! All them apples, all them trees—Ah’ll finish them all!”
“Miss Appleja—”
“And don’t ya Miss me! Ah ain’t gonna take your sarcastic politeness this time!”
“Then Applejack, be realistic here. You need help if you want to get things done at all.”
“Ah already heard it from Twilight today.” Huffing, she made a return trip once more. “Ah’ll show ya what’s real, and then y'all know that Ah ain’t makin’ words that mah hooves can’t keep! Now, where’s the rest?” She circled around the tree, looking for the next set of apple-filled baskets. Even rounding twice, she found nothing.
“You already got them all,” I said.
“So Ah did.”
She then bucked another tree, and another round of baskets full of apples was in session. Except, she didn’t realize that she skipped a few trees and was far away from the cart.
Rolling my eyes, I took it upon myself to bring the cart closer for her. As exaggerated as it seemed, she was too tired to notice. At first, I wasn’t able to help out like this, but Applejack quickly lost her attention span after a few days. Since then, I did what I could get away with.
Shrugging off the harness and stepping aside for Applejack to load the cart, I frowned. “Do you honestly believe you can do this?”
Her eyes flickered in hesitation before narrowing into bull-faced determination. My eye twitched as she passed by with her back facing me. “Course Ah do! Ah’m the most dependable pony in Ponyville!”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t matter to them if you’re troubled. If you just ask, they’ll gladly lend a—”
“Ah know that they will! But that just ain’t my way.”
“But that’s being selfish.”
She froze. An apple dropped. “What did you just say?”
“You’re so obsessed with everyone’s view of your dependability that you don’t care how far you’ll go to maintain it. That’s not helping others, that’s satisfying yourself.”
“You take that back!” She turned to face me, enraged, but she’s not looking at me at all.
“Um…”
“Why Ah never! Ah I can’t believe ya had the gall to accuse me of such a thing!”
“You’re talking to a tree, Applejack.”
“Ah know who Ahm talkin’ too!” she shouted, jerking toward my voice. Still, she didn’t "see" me. “Ponies are countin’ on me and I ain’t lettin’ them down. You’re just twisting mah own intentions!”
“You’re ‘intentions’ got Rainbow Dash crashing into the library’s balcony,” I sniped back dryly.
She winced but, not one to back down, she added, “Well, unlike you, Ah ain’t out for my own gain!” and stomped.
I frowned. If I wasn’t an adult, I would’ve instigated her in petty revenge for that line. But I sighed, because she’s right. In a way, I help out the town through the request board, but unlike Ms. Honesty here, it came with a price.
Even this chat served my own interests. The My Little Pony fandom was just as crass and cancerous and cringey as any other fandom. Bronies weren’t saints, just people who liked ponies, but what made them stand out were the virtues they acknowledge in the characters; Charity, hospitality, love and tolerance and the odd attempts to apply them.
So if I were to rediscover my muse in Bronydom, I had to find it through the characters as they each learn their own lesson. At least, I hope so. I always felt that virtuosity in the internet was, in fact, self-righteousness, never in kindness. It was all about being right. 4Chan was my harsh teacher of that reality. For Applejack, I couldn’t help but feel the same even as I searched for validation in my choice of being a human in Equestria.
Jeez, that’s enough out of me. I’ve messed enough with the order of events as it was.
“...Maybe,” I said tiredly. “Fine. Forget I said anything.”
Applejack stopped, surprised that I backed off so easily. But my quick surrender sapped her vitality as she sighed, her eyes shadowed by blond locks. “Did you come all the way here just to play games with me?” she muttered.
Pausing, I chose my words carefully. “For something else,” I shrugged. “I’m here to make sure you arrive for Pinkie’s favor on time. You’re going to bake, remember? If you’re gonna take one of my jobs, I’ll at least make sure they’re finished.” No response. “Huh? Applejack? Um, hello?”
A music box twinkled in the background in tandem with a light snore. My face bristled at the revelation that she fell asleep merely seconds after our heated argument. I circled around, poked her, and nothing. A little bit harder. Still nothing.
“Yeah, yeah, um… Go ahead and sleep when I’m trying to talk to you. That certainly doesn’t hurt my feelings at all.” I sighed, scratching my scruffy mane. “God damn it all.”
I could urge her awake, but she’ll likely blow me off and delay this episode’s events. I had to take her to Sugarcube Corner myself. Conveniently enough, she fell asleep on the cart. I hooked the cart on me and, after uttering a heavy sigh, I was on my way.
There was a flash in the distance the from where I left. “Applejack?” More flashes. “Applejaaaack! Where are you?! We need to talk!”
I winced. Sorry, Twilight, but I’m on a tight schedule. I can’t stop for you. I trudged along as Twilight teleported around to find the snoring mare behind me.
“Pinkie, I get you and everyone have a sweet tooth and all, but did it ever occur to you that these ‘baked bads,' which tasted bad, would be, well, bad for you?”
“It’s professional taste testing...” Pinkie groaned hoarsely. “You never know, the after taste might’ve been good.”
“Yeah…” I deadpanned. “That’s an excuse to get extra helpings for yourself, wasn’t it?”
“Whaaat? Me...? N-never!” Her nervous smile and cartoony perspiration didn’t convince me. I’m impressed she could still be so expressive while being so green.
“Just how many muffins did you swallow before realizing that something was wrong?” The blanched look she gave me was so real that I knew for certain: it’s more than one. The thought triggered her into another round of vomiting. I sighed, rubbing against the scar under my shaggy mane. “Control your intake before it kills you one day. Seriously.”
“Stop—” She heaved again. “Stop reading my—urgggh—mind!” Her throat hitched.
“There, there.” Standing by Pinkie’s bed, I patted her back. The food poisoning was worse for her compared to the patients around. “It’ll be okay.”
We were in the medical tent, the aftermath of the Pastry Apocalypse. The nurses of Ponyville Urgent Care fluttered from patient to patient, but it wasn’t as bad before I came here. I helped out passing water and cleaned buckets however limited my dexterity was.
On schedule, Twilight and Spike entered the tent.
“We came as soon as we heard!” Twilight said.
One of the nurses, Redheart, greeted her. “Oh thank you, Twilight. We needed all the help we can get.”
The librarian and dragon looked inside, shocked by the horrendous state the victims were in, green-faced and sickly. Some were even on the floor, lacking bedding.
When Twilight and Spike saw me, they went slack-jawed. Well, I couldn’t blame them. I sported a pretty large black eye, the result of when I tried to enact damage control. The ponies liked their sweets to the point of obsession, I swear…
“Tutorial, what’s going on and what happened to you?!” Twilight asked worriedly.
“Food poisoning in Sugarcube Corner, “ I idly explained. “Ponies sicced Applejack on me when I kept the baked bads away. Thought I was stealing their shares.” And the other ponies cheered when I got bucked in the face. “Now the nurses have a tranquilizer ready in case I go berserk from that or something. Kinda unfair, really. I didn’t fight back.”
“How does he know?!” a nurse conspicuously whispered to Nurse Redheart. It’s as though the crossbow behind her hooves wasn’t so obvious.
I did my best to ignore them. “...the situation was desperate enough for them to let me help around, though.”
Pinkie giggled, albeit weakly, catching a breath from her vomiting spell. ”Look at him go! He’ll be making friends helping ponies in no time.”
“Weeelll, um,” I glance to the other patients, who nervously looked away in fear, “Friend requests still pending. So anyway, that’s the situation.”
Twilight growled in bleak frustration. “Applejack…!”
Her horn lit up and everything in the tent suddenly went in motion with a purple glow. Beds flowed in, and the ponies who had no bedding got one. Waste buckets and water bottles joined them. Outside though, more tents were rapidly set up. More ponies and beds and a plethora of essentials flowed through, careful to give no one motion sickness as another tent was constructed in an enchanting rhythm.
I was so mesmerized by the smoothness and precision of Twilight’s magic that I had to wonder: was my help even necessary?
Twilight's horn sputtered with the last of the ponies through. “Things are getting out of hoof with that mare! She’s overworking herself!”
“Nice of you to notice,” I said. “Can’t say the same for anyone else.”
“How could I not?” She shook her head in frustration. Then, she blinked as she processed my last words. “Wait, why not anypony else? Everypony saw her when she got her trophy today late and half-awake.”
I shrugged unhelpfully. “It’s exactly what I mean,” I said, cleaning up with a wet towel Pinkie’s muzzle, who hummed gratefully. “The Apple Family was durable and dependable for so long, no one in Ponyville thought much about it. For Applejack, she’ll stay true to that ideal to the very end, and everyone accepts that here.”
Twilight’s mane twanged from anxiety. “Accept it? But that’s just ignoring the problem!”
“That’s pretty much it, really,” I deadpanned. “If you’re the most dependable person of the group, nobody bothers to ask if you're okay. They’ll turn a blind eye thinking she’s a superma—mare or something like, ‘She can handle it. She’s strong and dependable. There’s no way she can break!’ It’s a load of hubris, I know, but that’s how it works.”
“But that—that’s just…” Twilight bit her lip, conflicted by my slice of cold wisdom. “Isn’t that wrong?”
I sighed and waved a wing around. “Ask around. See how many noticed and if they did a thing about it.”
The unicorn went silent for a moment. Even Pinkie and Spike held a thoughtful expression by my words. While what I said was a bit heavy for them, I hope it didn’t make them feel too bad. What I said shouldn’t matter when things should resolve itself by the end of today’s episode. Applejack would learn to accept help and have a greater appreciation for her friends. A happy ending.
However, I didn’t just reach Twilight, Spike, and Pinkie. The patients and nurses overheard and paused, a strange silence encompassing the tent. When Twilight looked at them, they looked away, but just in time for her to see something in their faces that answered her unasked question perfectly.
Twilight’s eyes narrowed, brimming with resolve. “It doesn’t matter. I’m getting Applejack help anyway.”
“Of course. Nothing’s stopping you. In fact,” I tossed a water bottle to her with a wing, of which she easily caught with her telekinesis, “Consider this a donation. Applejack might’ve forgotten to stay hydrated.”
The water bottle swished as she nodded. “I’ll be going now. Watch over Spike for me.”
“Hey!” Spike objected. “I’m not some little kid who needs to be watched!” But he was ignored.
“Applejack is immensely stubborn,” I warned, “so try not to offend any mules when you get frustrated.”
“I won’t!” she said. The tent’s entrance flapped upon her exit and there was a flash. She teleported to Sweet Apple Acres.
That left us with Spike. Speaking of whom, he had been picking muffins off the floor since the beginning of the conversation. He offered me one. “Want some?”
A worm crawled out.
Pinkie made a face and her muzzle was back in the bucket. If it weren’t for the tranquilizers trained on me, I would’ve smacked him on the head for that.
“Spike, sometimes you worry me as much as Pinkie.”
“Aw come on! I was just joking!”
“With that stomach of steel of yours, I couldn’t tell.” I looked wearily at the biological weapons in his arms. “Honestly, I can’t believe you took them from the ground.”
“What? They’re good. Can't waste them!”
After Twilight helped out Pony Urgent Care with the set up in ten seconds flat, I was left with passing on water, cleaning up and replacing buckets, and giving Pinkie Pie moral support with Spike when he’s not stuffing himself with those abominations of muffin kind. It was as fun as it sounded, a challenge to make everything that reeked of vomit smell soapy and sanitary. I was glad to have wings to work with or else I would’ve been forced to use my mouth. Although, I had the chance to take on grabbing things with my hooves, so that was a plus. Of course, I failed.
I wasn’t needed soon enough, and I reluctantly left Pinkie to the professionals. Luckily, she’ll be okay and then be up and out of bed soon. Spike and I decided to just take a stroll around and talk out of boredom, but eventually, the Bunny Apocalypse happened as expected and reminded me that Ponyville was retarded. Really retarded.
Spike looked around, not sure what to feel about the ponies on the ground in a melodramatically faint. That there were ponies like that besides the infamous Flower Trio was a surprise. “The ponies here take farming and gardening really serious, huh?”
“New to the rural setting?” I guessed.
“Yup, and we don’t get bunny stampedes either. Maybe the occasional magical explosion but nothing else.”
I raised a brow. That wasn’t something I could ignore. “Sounds like a few stories to tell.”
“Totally!” Spike chuckled, which almost caused his stack of muffins to fall off his arms. “I always help clean up Twilight’s mess back then. You should've seen her mane when a spell exploded in front of her!”
A series of Twilight fan art rushed through my mind, and I couldn’t help but smile as filly Twilight came to. I abstained for more details and let my imagination fill in the blanks for me.
“Are you sure you’re an assistant instead of a janitor?” I asked.
“This coming from the errand pony,” Spike snarked back with a chuckle. “You know, you’re kinda like Applejack yourself,” he commented. “You’re helpful to everypony around here.”
I was urged to stare forward as I huffed with a scowl, “Please. I’d rather not get compared.”
“What’s wrong with being like Applejack?”
“Well…” I paused. “It’s complicated. Tell you what, let me tell you a short story. C’mere.”
Makng a turn, we quickly found ourselves at Ponyville’s park and a bench to sit on. The park was empty, and I began my tale as Spike looked on with curiosity.
“There was once a hateful colt who found joy in the misery of others. But as he grew older, his ways began to lose meaning. The trouble was, he knew no other way.”
Spike put it bluntly, “The guy’s a jerk.”
“Definitely.” I nodded in amusement. “Then one day, he found an idea called ‘being nice,’ being a brother to all. At first, he was sarcastic and distrustful. ‘What a weird thing,’ he thought. But soon he understood that it could be something more.
“He became better, kinder, and stronger. In anonymity, he helped when it’s most convenient. Soon enough, he was surrounded by people who wanted him around. They trusted him, believed in him. He was happy.”
Spike’s inner comic book nerdism sparked .“Woah. Like a reformed superhero? With a mask to hide his identity and all that?”
“Eeeh…” I trailed off, thinking over his question before replying, “I’d like to think an anti-hero featuring an angsty teen, but close enough. So anyways...” I continued, “There was, unfortunately, too many for the colt to please. They asked more and more out of him, squeezing whatever worth he had. Wanting his happiness to stay, he obliged to the brink of exhaustion.
“In the end, he felt used and cheated by his own efforts. He still continued on wearing that sweet mask of his to this day. Because he knew no other way.” Sighing, I relaxed on the back of the bench. “I, however, won’t be like him. I refuse to be taken advantaged of, and I will get my dues.”
“The town’s got a leash on you and you’re paid in sweets nowadays,” Spike deadpanned.
“It’s a matter of principle, damn it!” I retorted back before relaxing again. “Anyways, you say I’m like Applejack, but I don’t always help out of the kindness of my heart.”
“You help out Pinkie, Twilight, and by proxy Applejack though. And that’s for free.”
“That’s because they’re special. Don’t tell anyone that, okay?” I hastily added.
“Sure.” Smirking, Spike made a zipping motion over his lips. “Bro code.”
“Good.” I nodded approvingly, assured that Spike’s dragon code was as ironclad as the Brony Fandom’s love for Derpy Hooves—or Muffins. “Otherwise, I would fucking kill you.”
“...wait, what?”
“You might have spoken too soon~!”
And that assurance was then slam dunked into a trash can, burned under a meteorite crash, and drowned by melting glaciers.
Spike and I tensed from where we sat. The voice was behind us, and the sugary cheer in it I recognized all too well, and it took every bit of my composure not to sputter my vast database of profane slurs against the Laws of Slapstick Comedy. Breath in, breath out. If I approach this calmly enough, the damage may be mitigated.
Smiling stiltedly, I turned to a certain surprise party pony. “Pinkie. Just how much did you hear—…” What I then saw shut me up. It didn’t have anything to do with the mare herself, oh no, but it had everything to do what’s behind her. “U-um, Pinkie, is that…?”
Spike saw it too and breathed in awe. “Woah...”
Pinkie grinned happily at our reactions and bounced in front of my face. “Surprised? Did I? Huh, huh!? I wasn't really trying to! Anyways, I thought really, really, hard about what you said earlier and then I thought, ‘if we’re going to help AJ, why not go all out?’ So, here we are!” She waved proudly at what’s gathered behind her. Or rather, who.
Upon recognizing that what I’m seeing was a reality, I knew damage control was out of the window. It’s too late, and the damage was catastrophic. I opted for solemn silence for what’s before me and what’s to come. For I could do nothing else.
“So... what’s that about us being special to you?” she cheekily asked.
“Applejack? Applejack!”
When Applejack opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Twilight’s concerned face. Confused and blurry-eyed, her back was to the ground. With her awake from the shock when Big Mac showed her all the unfinished work she had to do, Twilight relaxed.
“Oh good, you’re okay. Now, Applejack,” Twilight’s face went stern as she began, “I completely respect the Apple family ways. You’re always there to help anypony in need, so maybe you can put a little of your stubborn pride aside and allow your friends to help you.”
Applejack’s struggle showed as she heard those words. She looked to the side, head still on the ground. There, she saw the acres upon acres of Apple trees yet to be harvested and bit her lip. So much to do, and only one mare to do it all. Well, maybe it didn’t have to be that way. Finally, she let go, closing her eyes.
“Okay, Twilight.”
“We’re not going to take no for an answer—what?”
“Yes, Twilight,” Applejack pleaded. “Please. I could really use some help.”
Twilight giggled, pleased that she was finally able to convince her friend. She sighed out in relief. “Oh good. Then I suppose you won’t be mad that we’ve already started?”
“...we?” Instantly, she stood up. What she saw made her jaw drop.
Applejack had a decent view on the hill she was on. She saw ponies flittering around the orchard, chatting happily as they carried baskets of apples on their backs. There was Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy, but they’re not the only ones. Picking out apples, loading them up in a great number of carts being pulled by willing stallions, there was a slew of other ponies. Tens and dozens of them. Applejack couldn’t tell how many.
“Amazing, isn’t it? After the food mishaps, Pinkie gathered almost all of Ponyville here to help out,” Twilight explained. “They’re very willing when she explained what’s going.”
“And that’s not all!” A dignified voice came from along the bend of the hill. After a moment, Mayor Mare trotted to the top where Applejack and Twilight was. A slight bit of sweat trailed under her dyed-grey mane and along her beige coat, but she made it without much trouble. “It’s quite nostalgic. It’s been years since the Apple Family had so many ponies in the orchard at harvest. It’s usually inclusive to the Apples only.”
Applejack lit up in wonder. “Mayor Mare? You, too? Why?”
“We didn’t quite celebrate you saving the town properly. I now understand that the ceremony was at an inconvenient time for you. So please, let us make it up to you.” The warm consideration made the farmer blush, and the mayor took that as acceptance. She turned to the librarian. “Twilight, if you please?”
The mare grinned gratefully. “Of course.”
Twilight levitated up a microphone connected by a cord. Following the cord, Applejack saw that it was connected to a...DJ stand? Vinyl Scratched, occupying it, flicked a few buttons on her immensely advanced rig and nodded, confirming that it’s ready to commit sound. The apple farmer blinked. Ponyville sure was resourceful.
“Welcome everypony!” Twilight’s voice echoed across the vast orchard, and the ponies dropped what they’re doing to look up at the hill. “Today we are here to honor a pony that we can always count on to help with matters great and small!”
A recital of a speech that never finished. This time there were no flashcards, no interruptions.
“A pony whose contributions to Ponyville and her neighbors far surpassed any I’ve ever seen, who went to great lengths for the wellbeings of those she cared for. Our trust belongs to her, we’ll always treasure what she did for each and every one of us. And we’ll never forget that.”
A brief glance to the mare of honor, and when she saw her eyes glisten from joy, she approached with a smile, the microphone trailing after. “So to you, no matter what mistakes you make, no matter what ails you, we’ll be right beside you. Because we love you.” At that moment, tears threatened to spill.
Twilight continued, “We can learn so much from you. And today, I learned that while friendship was about giving ourselves to friends, it’s also about accepting what our friends have to offer. And who knows?” She winked. “You may be met with a pleasant surprise. Now, give it to Applejack!”
The crowd whooped and stomped, acknowledging her speech as Applejack stepped up and Twilight held the microphone for her.
Applejack took her hat off and made quiet peace with the respectful attention the audience held for her. Her smile graced them all. “I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for comin’ to help, and Ahm sorry for troublin’ y’all today. But you know what? Ah know Ah got the Prize Pony Award, but the real award...was having y’all by my side.”
The reaction was bombastic, and the cheers resonated from all across the orchard as it threatened to deafen me from where I hid, behind the shadow of the tree that Applejack last bucked. With my back against the dark part of the tree, I couldn’t help but think. I thought over what happened today and compared it to a few memories of mine.
Being helped in the internet was a rare thing. Beyond the public charities and calls to arms, a stranger may never expect themselves to be helped at all. Just another face in the sea of online content, where it’s easily cats and dogs in the comments section.
One day, without warning, Youtube axed a channel that belonged to a user named DRWolf001 in early May 2014. No reason, no information, no copyright strikes before. Gone. In an instant. But he’s also a Brony, a show analyst of the community. A single day later, the outcry was overwhelming.
The news spread, and Dr. Wolf was given immense encouragement. Other analysts made videos showcased the incident. Tension built up in their comment sections. Reddit went active. Equestria Daily made an article concerning it. Some analysts offered their own channels to make reviews with. He was touched.
It’s a known fact that Youtube was slow on certain issues. One single email, a single complaint wouldn’t garner much attention among the jargon that thousands and millions of other users send them. It could take days, weeks, or at worst months before anything could happen.
Dr. Wolf’s channel revived within only about two days.
It was resolved so utterly, quickly and completely that some hardly noticed.
As the ponies cheered brightly, I watched as Applejack, finally, teared up to their voices. The Mane 6 made a heartfelt group hug, and the crowd ‘awww’d at that. Spike just gagged, which was ironic considering the gagging the muffins in his possession should’ve caused when he ate them. I took that as my cue to leave unnoticed. With one last look at the Mane 6, I left.
I couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.
I was alone in another part of the orchard, rolling around an apple under a tree where I sat. Other abandoned apples, perfect and looking delicious, laid scattered around me, a result of when I pulled a sleeping Applejack by cart. The orchard was hilly, so the apples in the cart naturally fell off. Here, where the apple trees were already picked, no one should bother me while apple bucking.
As for why I’m here, instead of helping out, I wanted to make an opportunity out of this. The book Mastering Earth Pony Magic may be meant for earth ponies, but the introduction caught my eye. It said that the basis relied on something all ponies have: magic. And to use it, I must be able to both sense it and call it forth.
The book stated a method for earth ponies that’ll allow them to invoke or test their magic. There's likely one for pegasi such as myself, but I already looked. I had no other option. In fact, the method was biased toward a certain family of Apples.
The author Goldie Delicious stated that to use magic as an earth pony, I had to find a connection through the life around us. The trees, the fruits, the grass… Sweet Apple Acres was the perfect setting. I may not be an earth pony, but I would still try. For the past few days, while I wasn't nagging Applejack, I visited the orchard for that purpose.
I closed my eyes and only breathed. The air scented of apples, no surprise. I let the fruit between my hooves stop moving. A breeze bristled the picked trees, and, like a dream, my awareness flowered. The closest I’ve ever gotten to using magic was in my dreamscape, so in my awareness, I sought out that familiar sense of surrealism.
But then my ears flickered. I didn’t look, but I recognized those heavy hoof steps. “Need something, Applejack?”
“Just came to talk. And...to say sorry for what Ah did to ya.”
It’s a distance away from the others. She truly made the effort to look for me, I realized. I couldn’t be upset for that. “Eh.” I shrugged my wings. “Water under the bridge.”
I felt the grass shuffle as the mare trotted closer. She sat beside me. I heard the hollow creaking of dry, sturdy straw, so I knew that unfilled baskets were hooked on her sides. We didn’t look anywhere in particular, but I knew it’s not at each other. Since when did we properly make eye contact?
“How’s your eye?” she asked.
“Doesn’t hurt anymore,” I murmured, eyes still closed. "The PUC got me an ice bag for it."
She hummed in acknowledgment. A brief silence took the clearing before another breeze passed by, the leaves rustling in a soothing sound. Then, I had a sense that an apple in front of me tipped over. Something baseless, yet something more. I laid a hoof over it. Confirmed, it did.
“Ah just don’t get you,” Applejack suddenly said. “Over a month ago, you were quiet, just watchin’ all creepy like. But ever since Twilight came, you went out of your way to help us out. For Nightmare Moon, and then the golden tickets…and now this. What gives? Why now?”
I didn’t turn to answer, fiddling my apple instead. “...shouldn’t you be on break with the others?”
“Don’t dodge the question.”
I sighed, rubbing my scar with a wing. “For the Curiosity? The reaction? To prove a point? Maybe a combo of all of those, or maybe not. Maybe I’m trying to find something that’s not even there.” My eyes opened, and everything seemed so much clearer. “I don’t get me either.”
Applejack scoffed. “Another muddy excuse.”
“Hey, let me have my secrets,” I snorted.
“...Fine. Ah won’t pry, but it won't help me trust you any further than that. Even Pinkie doesn’t know much about you.” She stood up and began to pick expertly pick up the ground clean of fruit.
Feeling nice, I picked up my apple. Not with my wings, or my mouth. It’s with my hoof. And with the apple in my hoof, I held it out for her. “Here.”
For the very first time since I came to Ponyville, her emerald eyes met my plain ones in complete sincerity. She easily took it from my grasp and into her basket. “Even though you helped, Ah still don’t like you.”
I smiled. “I’m perfectly fine with that.”