//------------------------------// // Who's a Silly Pony? // Story: My Little Heartbreak: Meanwhile, Back at the Farm // by Jet_Black1980 //------------------------------// Chapter 15 Who’s a Silly Pony? Twilight looked at Heartbreak. It was, once again, difficult to figure out what to feel about this pony. She was hot, then she was cold. She wanted to go out, she wanted to stay in. She was up and then she was down. It was like she didn’t know how to control her own emotions. “Time, she just needs time to figure things out. Once she has these things figured out, she’ll be all the better for it,” Twilight thought to herself, sighing a bit. “Until then, it is apparent that she wants space. And really, when it comes down to it, I could use the space myself. Darn it Twilight, how could you not see this coming? You’ve never had another pony living with you before. And just having one dropped into your lap and almost forced upon you? Blows would have come sooner or later. A little time away from each other will do us some good.” Heartbreak looked up and winced a bit, she was starting to walk with a slight limp. “Is there something wrong?” Twilight asked. “Nothing that I can’t handle, Twilight,” she replied before taking another step. A fluttery expression of pain crept over her face. “H.B...” Twilight said, rolling her eyes. “Ffffine, my hoof is slightly sore from walking. It’ll be fine after I take a rest. I mean, it’s done this before. I ran it under some cold water and then some hot water, but-” she paused. They were halfway down the road to Applejacks. “But hooves aren’t meant to have holes in them,” Twilight finished. “No. No they are not, apparently. But I don’t want it ‘fixed,’” Heartbreak replied. Twilight rolled her eyes and was about to speak. “It’s a part of me now, Twilight. It’s mine. It might be different, I’m sure I’ll get weird looks for it. But it’s mine. I’ll just have to do what I do with everything here.” She continued walking, determined. “Adapt, grow, survive.” Twilight shook her head. While this conversation didn’t make the most sense, it was by far the least confrontational and most pleasant of all the conversations the two of them had this morning. As they approached the farm, there was Applejack leaning against the gate. “Well howdy girls! And a mighty fine morning to ya both!” ============================================================== The conversation we just had, I think is a good sign. Despite it being as bland as plain oatmeal, it was neither heated nor argumentative. I would like more conversations like that. I am sure they are the best way to build whatever could be deemed a ‘friendship’ with Twilight. I sigh. Here we are, it feels like it took forever just to get here. To get to this point in my story. But whatever. Applejack is leaning up against her gate and looking at the both of us with a friendly and inviting smile. “Good morning to you too, Applejack,” Twilight replies. She looks at me and then gives me a slight elbow. I let out a small ‘oof’ and look up trying to put on my best face for all this. “Yes, good morning, Applejack.” I almost feel like saying that took more effort than it should have. “Twilight here tells me that she thinks that it would do ya some good if you got out of the library, and maybe were taught by a different teacher fer’ a while.” Applejack says looking at me. “I think that would have been Spike trying to sugar coat the whole of the situation that happened this morning,” I reply. Twilight gives a nervous laugh. “He’s been a real help in all this,” Twilight explains. To me, ‘real help’ is an understatement. More like the only thing that has been keeping us from ripping out each other’s throats. “Yes, for a baby dragon, he’s really full of a great deal of wisdom,” I interject. “Seems to me that somep-p-ponies should listen to him more often..” Twilight shoots me a glare. “Well, either way!” Applejack says, with that voice that just drips with, ‘hometown-girl,’ “Yer welcome to stay here on the farm, granted that ya help out with the chores.” She smiles and then blinks. “And we’ll see if we can’t learn a thing or two about honesty!” Oh yeah. Applejack that was smooth. Why don’t you and Big Mac break out the folding chairs right now and set me off to applebucking, while you two watch me do all the work? I push that thought deep down into the dark pit of my stomach and replace it with, “Oh...boy...Can’t wait!” “Well, Twi’, Ah would love to stand here and chew the grass with ya, but those apples won’t buck themselves.” she pauses. “But ah just want ta know if there is anything ya want to tell me before ya get going?” Twilight looks thoughtful for a moment. “Nope! Nothing that I can think of,” she pauses, “At the moment.” My heartbreak-heartbox translator (tm pending) translated that for me. “In other words, nothing that you want to say in front of me. Smooth Twilight, really smooth.” Applejack just smiles and nods. “Ah right then! Ah’ll see you later then there Twilight!” she turns and starts walking in the direction of the farm. “Come on there, Heartbreak! We got’a get ya all set up!” Twilight smiles at me. “I’ll see you whenever you get back, H.B. Remember that this is a learning experience. And try to have fun!” she turns and walks back to Ponyville. I roll my eyes after Twilight has left. “Fun. Sure, Right. That’s what they call playing hot potato with...whatever I am is called...” I grumble to myself. Applejack’s voice calls out to me. “Hey! Heartbreak! Come on!” I shudder and feel my flank twitch. I should just ask them all to come to some centralized location and tell them all at once, H.B. Please, for the love of that white alicorn that you practically all worship. H.B. “I’m coming! I’m coming, just hold your...horses...” I turn and catch up with Applejack. “Right then, Ah don’t think Twi’ told ya anything about what is going on here-” Applejack begins. “Nope,” I reply in an almost spot on imitation of Big Mac. “This was sort of a, ‘spur of the moment,’ thing. For the both of us I am sure.” “Yeah,” Applejack replies, as we walk to the barn style house. “Now, ah don’t know how things are dun where yer from, but here on the farm we are all about work’n hard. None of them there fancy machines ta help ya out of anything!” My face twitches hard. Not explaining what things are like where I am from is giving a horribly false impression about everything. I want to find a tree and slam my face into it. Oh look, there’s a nice apple tree I can use. It isn’t hard to fight off the urge to actually do that. Instead I sigh and grumble. “Is there sumthin’ wrong there, Heartbreak?” Applejack asks me. I grimace again. I don’t want to start this out on the wrong foot! I am not going to start this out on the wrong foot. Just try to explain things! I take a deep breath. “Just...a few little things, Applejack...” She stops. “Such as?” “For one, I hope this isn’t too forward of me, but could you please call me, ‘H.B.’ and not ...Heartbreak?” I explain. Applejack blinks and smiles a bit. “Ah didn’t think that we were on nickname terms already.” “It’s not that,” I reply. “It’s just that, that name reminds me of...everything...” “Oh,” Applejack frowns and then peers at my flank. “But it is yer name right?” “I see that Twilight didn’t explain anything,” I reply, covering my flank with my tail. “It’s a name that’s been forced on me, Applejack. And that mark you looked at? It isn’t a real cutie mark.” I scuff my hoof against the ground. “It’s a branding.” Applejack’s eyes go wide and then tiny. There is a pained expression that rolls over her face. “Sweet Nelly, them nine did a real number on ya.” “Right, so that’s what Twilight dumped on your lap. A very broken creature that was turned into a pony that’s not even a pony, with something that isn’t even a cutie mark.” I look thoughtful. “Almost like a Pinocchio pony... but anyway. Then there is the other thing you just said.” Applejack’s expression sours a bit. “Other thing?” Crap, don’t upset AJ, Don’t upset AJ, we don’t need another Twilight moment! “I-It’s understandable! I-I don’t mean it as a bad thing, it’s just that I’ve given all of you misconceptions about the world I am from...” AppleJack looks at me with curiosity, it’s kinda unnerving. “It’s not like we have a machine for everything and I do know what hard work means!” I exclaim, looking down. “Right, everything is coming out really awkward, can we just get to doing what we’re going to be doing?” Applejack rolls her eyes. “Alright, but seeing that ah got the hand me down version of what happened between ya’ll and Twilight, ah have a few things to set down. Ground rules.” “Oh goodie,” I reply. “Hey, ya follow them, and ya’ll be here for a day. No fuss, no muss and ah can get back to doing family business,” Applejack tells me. “I break them, and I get to have a happy week with the Apple Clan,” I interject sarcastically. Applejack frowns. “Basically, yeah. And right now yer skimming one of the rules that just came to mind. But the first rule ah got is simple. Work hard and try yer best. Nopony can fault ya for trying, but if yer not trying at all? Well, then there will be consequences.” “Such as?” I quip. Applejack gives me a look. “I’m just curious.” “Seeing that this was sprung up on the both of us, Ah don’t have anything in particular in mind. However, seeing that ya had to go and ask, Ah would say sleeping in the barn is the lightest of them,” She replies. I am fighting the urge to chuckle at this. “Applejack. You already sleep in a barn.” I point out her house. She frowns at me. “That there is the house.” She points my snout in the direction of another building that seems to be stuffed with hay and might need a wee bit of repair work. “That there is the barn.” “Oh,” I reply. “Ma next rule is also pretty simple,” she gives me a deadpan stare. “No sass talk.” “No sass talk?” I ask. Alright, the nature of this rule just sounds stupid. “No back talk, what ah say goes, and if ah tell ya to do something, ah expect ya to try and do it without too much complaining,” Applejack explains. I am so fighting the urge to say something sarcastic right now. “Oh but AJ! Being sarcastic is what my real special talent is!” Instead I bite my lip hard. “The next rule is that ah want ya ta be on yer best behavior. Ah got family coming over ta help with the harvest and ah don’t need to handle them and you at the same time,” Applejack replies. “Family?” I ask. I am getting sick of all these rules. I need something to change the subject, and this little bit seems like the perfect time. “Which part?” “Yes, family, it’s-” Applejack pauses. “What’cha mean ‘which part?’” “Is it your family from Appleloosa? Or from one of the many parts of Equestria? Is it Apple Fritter, Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, Red Del-” I stop mid-sentence and note the expression that Applejack is giving me. I realize that I haven’t a clue why I just started to rattle off their names. Nerves? Jitters? Or just a part of me that is desperate to get away from the ‘seriousness’ of this conversation. “How...” She begins. A thought passes through my head. This is a perfect moment that will never come again. I must use this moment to ask one question that will forever shape the foundations of the world. Well. Alright, it’ll just make me feel better. “Applejack, who’s a silly pony?” I look around, trying to fight off a snicker. “Uuuh, Ah don’t know..” She says. She’s about to ask what that has to do with anything before I interrupt her as quick as I can. “You is, Applejack.” The expression on her face is rather priceless. “Was that a joke or sum'thin? 'Cause, ah don’t get it,” She replies.