Birds chirped away as they flew over the slow, but steadily, building town of Ponyville. As construction continued, the town’s residents continued on with their daily lives, selling and buying things they need or want, hanging out with each other, or just finding a good place to relax for a bit. In it’s park, a yellow, bulky stallion with a red mane and wearing a stetson awaited for his special somepony. He brought a picnic basket filled with apples from his farm, and some freshly made salads with a few cupcakes. As he waited, he watched the various ponies around, from foals playing with each other, families strolling, and a few other ponies just doing whatever they wanted. In the corner of his eye, he spotted a brown stallion with a bit of a gray mane approaching to him, looking at a map. The map viewing pony accidentally bumped into him.
“Oof!” The stranger shook himself before getting up. “Oh, I’m sorry, sir. I should’ve seen where I was going.”
“Aw, it’s nothing.” He replied. “What cha’ lookin’ for?”
“Oh! Hang on a second.” He pulled a map out. “I’m new to this place, and I’ve been looking for a place called... Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Ah. It’s not too far, partner. You in a rush?”
“Uh… no, I just have to be there by tonight, Mr…”
“Bright Mac. You?”
“Uh...Igneous Rock Pie, Mr. Bright Mac, Sir.”
“Pleasure to meet you. We should get to know each other a bit more. My Ma, Granny Smith, owns Sweet Apple Acres. Care to tell me why you’re here?”
“...Well… I’m also from a farm, and I’m just away for a while, but need a job to keep myself busy… and paid, of course.”
“Huh, didn’t think you’re a farmer, sir. What does your family grow? Tomatoes? Carrots? Oranges?”
“We… harvest rocks.” Bright Mac tilted his head in curiosity.
“Are you pulling my leg?”
“N-no, we harvest rocks. We’re rock farmers.”
“...And how exactly does that-?”
“I’m here! I’m here!” A familiar mare’s voice interrupted. Running up to them was an earth pony mare with a Pale gamboge coat and a dark orange, poofy mane. “Ah’m so sorry for runnin’ so late, Brighty.”
“D’aww, it’s alright, Buttercup,” Bright Mac replied with some hearts coming out of his eyes. “I was just chatting with a new pal while you were gone.”
“Oh? Please to meet you. I’m Pear Butter.” She extended her right hoof out. Igneous Rock extended his to her.
“Igneous Rock Pie.” He replied. “Pray tell, what kept you at bay, out of curiosity.”
“Oh, it’s just some silly competition.”
“A competition!?” Bright Mac asked. “Shoot, I bet it’s fun on the bun! Care to join us, Igneous?”
“... I don’t know the way to your farm, so I guess so.” Igneous answered. Pear Butter rolled her eyes with a slight giggle.
“Come on you two, this way.” Pear Butter lead the two stallions.
A large group of cheering ponies gathered around something that seemed pretty small, but everyone was so entranced by. A loud cheer came, followed by a pegasus mare with a striped light scarlet & Orange, bowl shaped mane with a cyan coat, wearing a cheerleader outfit.
“Another win for Bow Hothoof!!!” She cheered loudly.
“Bow Hothoof?” Bright Mac asked.
“Who’s ready to challenge the best hoof wrestler in all of Cloudsdale!?” She looked around and saw Bright Mac. “YOU!!!” She pointed at him.
“Me?”
“You look like a strong stallion. Care to challenge the champion himself?”
“... I don’t know, missy. Can I see him first?” The crowd parted, showing Hothoof himself. As suspected, he was a pegasus with a pale blue coat and a mane that was in the shape of lightning, wearing a letterman jacket. He was pretty bulky, about as big as Bright Mac himself. The Mare landed next to Bright Mac.
“So, care to try your luck?”
“... Hm… what do you think?” He turned to Pear Butter next to him.
“Heh! You can take him on, Bright Mac.” She replied with a smug. “And if you win, you’ll get a nice reward.” Bright Mac blushed with a goofy smile before turning to Bow Hothoof.
“I can take him on!” The crowd gasped at the saying with whispers as he trotted up to Bow Hothoof.
“Heh, I like a stallion with some guts.” Bow Hothoof spoke, getting his right hoof ready.
“Same thing.” The mare landed next to them.
“On Go, you both go! 3… 2… 1… GO!!!” Both stallions put all their strength into their forelegs, pushing each other’s down to determine who would be the winner. While Bow had arm wrestled against other stallions as big as him, Bright Mac was actually a challenge. But, a challenge was great for him to impress Windy Whistles, his personal cheerleader, and girlfriend, even more. Bright Mac was probably going to be the final opponent for him to beat, go home with all his earned bits, and go on the best date he and Windy Whistles were going to have.
Unfortunately, that was all in his head. In reality, as soon as Windy Whistles told them to go, Bright Mac not only slammed Bow Hothoof’s foreleg to the stump they were using, but threw him like a ragdoll. The crowd gasped at the sight, followed by silent. Bright Mac got up and tilted his hat to the dazed Bow Hothoof.
“That was fun, sir.” He spoke before turning around and skipping to Pear Butter. “My reward, please?”
“Of course.” Pear butter gave Bright Mac a quick kiss on the nose. Bright Mac turned all goofy, almost as if he had been blessed by an all powerful deity itself. It came crashing to a halt as somepony screamed.
“NO!!!” Running through the crowd was a pale blue unicorn stallion with a darker shade mande. He pointed his hoof at Bright Mac. “He’s a cheater!” The crowd gasped and murmured to each other.
“Yeah!” Bow Hothoof added, getting up and standing next to the unicorn. “There’s no way a stallion like you can win against me that easily. Can somepony check him for any spells?” The crowd spoke to each other, asking each unicorn if they can see any spells that may affect him. Walking up Bright Mac nonchalantly was a grey unicorn mare with a light grey & purple mane and tail. She used a spell that scanned Bright Mac.
“He didn’t cheat.” She replied, sounding pretty bored. “You guys are just losers.” She opened a book and read it while walking away.
“What!?” The two spoke in unison.
“Uh… sorry?” Bright Mac apologized with a sheepish smile. Bow Hothoof huffed and marched to Bright Mac, roughly pounding his hoof on Bright Mac’s chest.
“I don’t believe you are just that strong, sir. You’re still a cheater!”
“Ah ain’t a cheater, sir.” Bright Mac shoved Bow hoof out of the way. “Now why don’t you just gallop on out of here before things go south.”
“Not until you admit you’re a cheater.” The two had a stare down with fire built into their eyes.
“Wait!” Another stallion spoke, this one sounding silent and a bit nervous. The two turned to see a pale green stallion with a pink mane, wearing a blue sweater. “Oh, pardon my tone, but why don’t we do something that’s not really… well… violent.”
“... What do you have in mind?” The large stallions asked.
“How about a series of contests?”
“Contests?” Bright Mac asked.
“You mean other forms of strength, right?” Bow Hot added.
“Kinda. But also speed, endurance, and… other things needed for athletes.” The two looked at the scrawny stallion before turning to each other.
“How about it?” Bright Mac asked with a smug. “Care to lose at some contests?”
“Oh, I’m gonna win them all,” Bow replied with a smug himself. “I’m going to become… the Iron Pony!”
“Ooh! I like that name!” Another stallion spoke. They turned to see another large stallion with a light gray coat with a brown mane that had a bit of a mustache growing.
“And who are you?” Bow Hot asked.
“Name’s Hondo Flanks. I’m the local coach to this here town’s junior Hoofball team. Since I got nothing else for a while, I can look over this here competition you two want to do.”
“...Really?” Bright Mac asked. “You’d do that?
“Of course. And I can get Cookie Crumble to get the snacks ready, though, it’s probaby going to take her a while, probably a week.”
“A week’s good enough for me.” Bow HotHoof replied, turning to Bright Mac “Think you can make it back here, mister? Or will you be too much of a cheater to arrive?”
“As I said, sir,” Bright Mac replied. “I ain’t a cheater, and I will be back, unless your head’s in the clouds.”
“Oh, them’s fighting words!” The blue unicorn stallion pulled Bow Hot hoof away.
“Now, now,” he spoke “let’s not get ahead of ourselves, sir.”
“And who are you?”
“Nightlight. I’m a bit of a personal trainer, actually, and I was betting for you to win during your leg wrestling streak.”
“... So you think he cheated?”
“Oh yeah, but that’s not the point. The point is that you need to be ready for this iron pony competition to beat him!”
“Hm, I couldn’t agree more. When do we start?”
“Now!”
“Now?”
“Now. Come with me.” The 2 stallions, and Windy Whistles followed.
“Will you be ready by then, Sir Bright Mac?” Igneous asked, watching the trio walk away.
“Oh, I will be.” Bright Mac answered “Just gotta do mah chores and exercise harder.”
“Say, you said you were a rock farmer, right?” Pear Butter asked.
“Uh, yes, I am.” Igneous replied.
“Care to show my dear Brighty a few tips and tricks from your time… harvesting rocks?”
“... As long as my family doesn’t find out, I can.”
“Well, that sounds alright by me.” Bright Mac spoke, patting Igneous Rock on the back. “Sounds like you and I are along to get along just fine.” The other trio began to walk away. Hondo Flanks and other pegasus stallion stood and watched the crowd depart.
“So,” Hono began. “You open to help out, Cumulus?”
“Uh... I should be.” The pegasus replied. “But we’re probably going to need some help.”
“Cookies are baked in a moderate oven at around 350 degrees Farenheit-175 degrees Celcius for 8 to 12 minutes.” Twilight Velvet spoke. They turned to see her still reading the same book. “You’re welcome, I’m here everyday.” She walked off.
“Uh… I guess we should do that.” Cumulus spoke.
“Agreed. I’ll tell Cookie about that.” Hondo added. “But, it was nice seeing you again. Say, did you find a special somepony yet?”
“Um… no, not yet. But, I think I’ll find her sooner than later.”
“You always say that.” Hondo walked to Sugar Cube corner as Cumulus flew away. In a bush, a yellow pegasus mare with a velvet mane & tail and large, green glasses watched him fly away.
“Oh, Vipassana, you did it again.” She spoke to herself. “You’re such a coward.”
“Can we go now?” A grey mare with a darker shade mane & tail spoke. “You promised me a tour of the town, not a visit to your stalker house.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Cloudy, I just got caught up.”
“I bet you are.” She grumbled to herself. “Parents wanting me to get out of the city for this… everything’s so BORING here!”