//------------------------------// // Cows, sheep and donkeys, oh my // Story: Where Are The Cows? // by Zubric //------------------------------// The large town of Moscow sat between rolling hills and perched next to a lovely flowing river.  Perched on its shore stood a two-story four mill, a couple of mules walking up to it as the sun rose to start the day. The warm rays of sunshine reflected off the numerous red and white barn-themed buildings that dotted the town.  On one of the larger estates stood a sizable three-story manor. Finely carved pillars of oak and a marble fountain along the front drive made it clear that the creatures that lived here had significant wealth. The cows that lived there were one of the richest in the town. Sitting In the main dining hall sat two cows, a sheep and a donkey. All dressed in fancy attire showing off their status to any who would see them. Matilda, the mistress of the manor, was the first to speak as she idly stirred her tea. “Mmmm, I must say, have you seen the headline of today’s newspaper this morning?” The sheep took a bite of her muffin and nodded. “Oh yes, the ponies have their magic back.” The donkey scuffed as he rolled his eyes. “So what? We never needed it.” The fact that when Equestria started to break down and magic vanished had left the hooved citizens who didn’t rely on magic to defend for themselves. Over the years, it had all added up to this great town. The other cow mooed. “Oh, but can you imagine when they figure out how to control the weather again, even better weather for the crops? Plus, I heard the amazing stories about how earth ponies used to have some amazing strength.” Matilda nodded as well. “Oh yes, quite the comeback it’s gonna be. I read such interesting tales about old Equestria.” The sheep bleated as she took a look at the newspaper. “Will it affect our profits,” she asked. Matilda shook her head. “Oh, I wouldn’t imagine it will,” she stated matter-factly. It was hard to imagine that in the olden days before the fall, many cows and sheep had been content to simply live near farmers and let them do most of the work. All while exploiting the relatively free living quarters. When distrust amongst ponies broke out, it led to the slow collapse of government regulations about the pricing of milk and wool. This, of course, had left the perfect opportunity for the cows and sheep to form unions. Thus allowing free reign over how much they could charge the ponies for their precious milk or soft wool for their clothing. It was true that ponies had many luxury items they could sell in exchange. Matilda saw no reason to expect their high position at the bargaining table to change. Ponies always need milk and cheese and other products. Just as she was about to read more of the article, she heard someone clearing their throat from the doorway. Glancing up, she saw her diamond dog butler patiently awaiting a response. “Yes, Rover?” “Mistress Matilda, your guest has arrived,” Rover replied, adjusting his black jacket. The Diamond Dogs had turned out to be a valuable asset, a few packs able to be civilized enough to do Jewelry work. While many were content to dig up gems and mine like their ancestors, plenty more were willing to be educated.  It turned out that the diamond dog's natural infatuation with gemstones had led to them being good jewellers. The smarter ones were trained to be guards, their dog nature making the job easy.  “Oh, excellent, let them in,” Matilda replied, smiling.  The butler exited the room before a large bull and zebra entered. The bull tripped his bowler hat before hanging it on the coat rack. “Good Morning, Matilda.” Matilda smiled, sliding the paper across the table. “Nice to see you again too, Bullevard. Have you seen the news?” Taking a seat, Bullevard took the paper, skimming over the front headlines and the picture of the Rainbow effect streaking across the sky. “I was curious about what that was.” The zebra mare adjusted her jewelry, peering at the photos as well. “Pony magic is restored? Maybe they’ll now interact more.” Matilda sipped from her tea before nodding. “Oooh, I hope so, Brew. Nothing quite as amazing as seeing what potions can do.” Brew smiled, proud of her ancient craft passed down through the years. “This is true. Nothing quite like a zebra brew.” Even long ago, potions weren’t super common. But the tradition lived on throughout the ages. Her ancestor is said to have lived in the Everfree Forest at one point in the past.  Her talent was unmatched, and it showed in her work. Bullevard nodded, taking a sip of his drink. “Indeed, your brews are almost better than modern medicine. It’s nice the ponies are coming back together. I’ve heard such interesting old tales about Equestria.” “The start of a new age, I hope,” Matilda hopefully said as she took another sip of her tea and peered out the window at her lush yard.  As the sun continued its journey across the sky, A trio of ponies strolled up the path towards the town. Sunny Starscout’s mane flutters in the breeze, gazing in awe at the large community before her. “Wow,” she said, watching one donkey delivering mail. “How’d you not know this place was here, Sunny? Everypony knows where milk comes from,” Izzy chimed, skipping alongside her friend.  “Well, my dad never mentioned it, and well, I didn’t think about it,” Sunny replied, blushing. Zipp tilted her head, hovering over the other two as she peered around. “Yeah, I even knew where we got our milk hand cheese.” Sunny snorted, stomping a hoof. “Well, if all these other creatures got along, why did it take so long for ponies to? I feel cheated,” she groaned.  Her two friends stared at one another, mouths opening and closing for a few seconds as they tried to come up with a response but came up empty.  Izzy eventually spoke up as she lit her horn for emphasis. “Hey, at least you brought back magic while doing it.” Sunny gestured to the group of creatures heading about their day. “But they didn’t need magic to be friends. What’s our excuse?”  Izzy tapped her chin before adjusting her fluffy blue hair. “Well…let’s stop moping and get some really good cheese!” She chimed trotting ahead. Rolling her eyes, Sunny followed after her friend. “Fine, but I'm going to get to the bottom of this eventually.” And there, there are the Cows.