Driving down the road together Arc grins as Applejack turns to him.
“That was fun!”
“I’m just glad Shelly’s okay.”
Applejack appears confused. “She looked fine to me. Was that not the case?”
“The problem is inside her.”
“What is it? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking.”
Arc sighs. “Some weird disease without a name. To make a long story short, her organs are slowly shutting down.”
“Sounds terrible!”
“It is.”
“She’s really brave though.”
“It’s been a problem for her since we were kids, so she’s been dealing with things like this for a while now.”
He frowns before continuing.
“I just wish there was something more I could do for her.”
“Looks like your friendship is keeping those two going.”
“Oh?”
“Didn’t you notice just how happy they were to see you. Frank too.”
“It has been a while.”
Applejack puts a hand on his shoulder. “Look Arc… I know we’re just here for a day, but you need to come see them more often.”
“No arguments there. Hopefully after we deal with the mess back in Equestria, Twilight, Luna, and Celestia can take over things in Canterlot.”
“Then what?”
“I’m done.”
“Done?”
“Retired, I mean.”
“The nation still needs a Hero of Light though.”
Arc shrugs. “Then let someone else volunteer.”
“Like who?”
“No idea. But the land was safe for years after the previous Heroes of Light disappeared. No reason it wouldn’t be again after the danger has past.”
“And if something were to come up? What then?”
“Like something too big for the princesses to handle?”
“Right.”
“Then I’ll come and lend a hand. I mean, it’s not like I’m leaving Equestria, or anything.”
“That’s a relief.”
Arc chuckles. “Not to worry. I won’t let the land fall apart. But it’d have to be quite the problem if all four princesses can’t deal with it.”
“I suppose. Sorry.”
“What for?”
“It just hit me that I’m sounding like a nag.”
“I don’t think you are.”
“That’s a relief. By the way… where are we going?”
“Do you still want to go to the supermarket and get some apples?”
“Sure!”
“Then we should probably head back to my house first.”
“Oh?”
“I kinda want to change out of this getup first.”
“Mind if I take this dress off too?”
“Sure. You could probably fit into some of Derpy’s clothes.”
“Sounds like a plan!”
Arriving back at his house, Arc helps Applejack out of the Jeep and up the back steps. Unlocking the door they walk inside. She looks around happily.
“So this is where it all happens?”
Arc nods as he closes the door. “Yup. It’s not much, but it’s mine.”
Applejack giggles. “Well, you’ve seen my family’s place, so I’m certainly fine with your house, Arc.”
“Let me show you up to Derpy’s room.”
Heading upstairs, Arc leads Applejack down the hall to the Guest Room. Entering, he opens the closet and turns to her.
“Derpy has a number of different outfits to choose from here. The only problem is that everything here are mostly dresses.”
“That’s okay. After all, I just want to take this one off so that I don’t damage it. “
“If you want something different Ember’s closet might be a better choice then.”
“Oh?”
“She wears a lot of jeans and t-shirts.”
“I… don’t know what those are.”
Arc chuckles. “Silly me. Well, let me just show you then.”
Walking next door they enter Arc’s old room. Opening the closet Arc points at a pair of pants hanging up neatly.
“These are called ‘jeans’. They’re a bit rougher than most fabrics, being made from cotton. But they’re durable and easily washed.”
“Then I think I’ll go with that. No worrying about messing them up.”
“Okay. I’ll let you get to it then.”
Leaving the room, Arc closes the door behind him and heads to his parent’s room. Walking over to the closet he picks out a less formal outfit and gets changed. Finishing his task, he steps back out into the hallway and sits down on the steps to wait. A short time later Applejack emerges from the room wearing a pair of blue jeans along with a t-shirt.
“I hope this looks okay.”
“Just fine.”
“Anything else I need before we go?”
“Just one.”
“Oh?”
“Shoes.”
Looking down at her feet, Applejack smiles as her face turns red.
“I... thought something was missing.”
Arc chuckles. “Yes, well… let’s get you something from Ember’s closet.”
A few minutes later they descend the stairs together. Going outside the pair climb back into the Jeep. As he pulls out of the driveway Applejack turns to him.
“So… um… I’ve heard that humans talk different than ponies do.”
“A bit, yes.”
“Can you give me some pointers?”
“Oh?”
“I just don’t want to mess up.”
“It’s not too hard. Let me give you some examples.”
Giving Applejack a crash course on human syntax as they drive, Arc explains the difference between the two world’s terminology. As they arrive at the store Applejack gasps.
“THIS is a store for just GROCERIES?!”
Arc nods as he unbuckles. “Yup.”
Applejack grins as she gets out of the Jeep. “Oh, this I have GOT to see!”
Arc walks Applejack into the store. She looks around, her mouth agape.
“There’s just so much here!”
“That there is.”
“Somepony could get…!”
Arc interrupts her. “Someone, you mean?”
“Right. Sorry.”
“No worries. But how about we see some apples, huh?”
“Sure. You lead and I’ll follow.”
“Okay. Just let me get a cart first.”
“A what?”
“These here.”
Walking over to the corral, Arc grabs a metal shopping cart. Applejack looks confused.
“A literal cart?”
“One that we can push around the store to make carrying things easier.”
“That sounds like a dandy of an idea somep… someone had.”
“I’d say so, yes. Now then, on to the produce.”
Walking with the cart toward the apple stand, Applejack’s eyes grow wide at the displays.
“Woah! That’s a LOT!”
“We have quite a few different varieties here. Let’s see…”
Picking up an apple he looks to her before speaking.
“This is known as an ‘Empire’ apple. It’s mostly sweet but with a bit of tartness mixed in for good measure. These can be eaten as-is.”
Turning to another apple, he points.
“Here we have a ‘Fuji’ apple. It’s a harder apple, but sweet. Over here we have ‘Golden Delicious’. It’s more tart than sweet. You can eat these raw or use them in cooking.”
Chuckling, he turns to another display.
“You’ll like this. Here’s a ‘Granny Smith’.”
Applejack chuckles. “Very funny, Arc.”
“Honestly, that’s what they’re called.”
“Really?!”
Arc nods. “Yup. These are pretty tart compared to the others kinds. My mother used to make apple pies with them sometimes.”
Applejack grins. “Just like granny does.”
“It’s a different flavor from her pies though.”
“Which one is your favorite?”
“That would be ‘Red Delicious’. I remember eating quite a few of these at the orphanage growing up. A lot of the kids didn’t like these, but I have some fond memories of them.”
“Memories?”
Arc sighs and nods. “Some of my earliest memories are of my mother giving me a bowl of cubed Red Delicious apples and a glass of ice water.”
“Strange combination.”
“I loved the flavor, but even more so when it was chased with a mouthful of cold water.”
Applejack puts a finger to her chin thoughtfully. “Never really thought to try that before.”
Arc grins as he grabs a bag of Red Delicious. “Well, we can try it together.”
“I’d like that.”
“Any other kinds you like to try?”
“Whichever ones you want to.”
“Alright. Then we’ll take them all.”
Applejack gasps. “All?!”
“Well, a bag of each kind anyways.”
“Oh… that makes more sense. I thought you meant you were going to buy literally all of them.”
Arc laughs. “Figure of speech.”
Sometime later they leave the produce section and continue on their way. Applejack looks all around as they walk.
“So many different types of food here!”
“Variety is the spice of life, Applejack.”
“Come again?”
“It means we like change in our diets.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Well… I noticed early on that Equestrians don’t have nearly the same diversity in their diets. The citizens of Ponyville eat a lot of apples since they’re so cheap, of course. “
Applejack laughs. “Well, Sweet Apple Acres being so close might have something to do with that.”
“True. But the rest of your diets consist almost entirely of fruits and vegetables.”
“Something wrong with that?”
“Not at all. It’s because ponies are herbivores.”
Applejack shrugs. “We are what we are though.”
“True. But that kinda limits the number of dishes you can make. A lot of the produce here doesn’t exist there, after all.”
Applejack grins. “Judging from the size of those display bins, I have to agree.”
She looks around and lowers her voice before continuing.
“You know, we could change that.”
“Oh?”
“How about we bring some seeds back with us?”
“We should probably run that by someone there first.”
Applejack raises an eyebrow. “But I thought you could do anything you wanted?”
“I can. But I’m not too keen on transferring plants from one world to another.”
“What’s the harm in that?”
“For example, there’ve been times when someone brought fish to a lake near them in an attempt to seed that body of water.”
“What for?”
“So they could go fishing for them. The problem with that is they don’t think about the bigger picture.”
“Oh?”
“You put a fish where it doesn’t belong and it could throw off the entire food chain.”
“And you think that could happen with plants too?”
“Maybe. Look, I do think it’s a good idea you had there. But at the same time we need to run it by someone to make sure that’s okay.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. But who?”
“Sunburst, to start with. He could probably direct us to the right individual if that isn’t him.”
“Sounds like a plan. With any luck we could…”
She stops talking suddenly and looks away. Arc appears confused.
“Is… something wrong?”
Applejack silently gestures to a nearby case. Arc turns to it and looks inside.
“Oh… that’s the meat counter.”
“Where they sell… animal meat?”
“By the pound, yes.”
Applejack shudders. “That’s one part of humanity I’m having a hard time coming to terms with.”
“Well, there’s no rule that says you have to eat meat. Here we have fruits and vegetables that can give us balanced diets.”
“Good. Um… I’d rather look into that at the moment.”
“It’s fine with me.”
“Thanks. Mind you, I’m not actually against YOU eating animal flesh. It’s just not something I want to do personally.”
“I can respect that.”
“It’s appreciated.”
Walking the isles, Arc points out the bakery.
“This should be somewhat familiar.”
“A mini Sugar Cube Corner right before my eyes!”
Arc chuckles. “That it is. But admittedly not as good.”
“Why not?”
“Probably because they’re just trying to make things as cheaply as possible. Pinkie and the Cakes do it as a labor of love with only the finest ingredients.”
“Quality always wins out in the end.”
Arc sighs. “Not here.”
“Oh?”
“Often times the lower price point is what people are looking for. Granted there will always be those whom want something better. But not everyone can afford it.”
“That’s a shame. I suppose we all do what we have to do in order to make ends meet though.”
“Right.”
Heading for the checkout lanes, Arc pays for their groceries and the pair return to the Jeep. Loading up, Applejack grins.
“Thanks for the lessons in there, Arc.”
“No problem. Admittedly being a human is a bit more complicated than being a pony.”
“It sure looks like it. Different words, different foods, different coverings.”
Arc smiles as they get into the vehicle. “I really like the simplicity of Equestria though.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. It’s a really wholesome place, after all.”
Applejack grits her teeth. “Less so with Decimus and his allies running around though.”
“I guess so. But when they’re gone things will get better again.”
“Sure hope so. But one never really knows.”
Arc nods as he pulls out of the parking lot. “All we can do is try though.”
Returning to the house, they grab the bags of groceries and head inside. Entering through the back door they put the provisions on the table and unpack them. Applejack looks over the bags of apples hungrily.
“I can’t wait to try these!”
Arc chuckles as he pulls a knife from a nearby drawer. “You and me both.”
Sitting down across from one another, Arc opens the bags one at a time. Cutting into the fresh produce, he shares apple slices with the young woman across from him. Grinning, Applejack licks her fingers as she eats the last piece.
“That was pretty good!”
“Which one did you like the most?”
“The Fujis. I like my apples plenty sweet.”
Arc chuckles. “And I like them kinda tart.”
Applejack giggles. “Well, we can’t agree on everything.”
“I suppose not. But that’s okay.”
“Yeah.”
Arc looks up at the clock before turning back to Applejack.
“It’s getting close to dinnertime. You want to go out?”
“Where though?”
“I have an idea if you’re up for a bit of a drive.”
Applejack nods as she stands. “Sure. Just let me put my dress back on first.”
“You don’t have to.”
“But I do want to look my best for you.”
“Do you like wearing it?”
Applejack sighs. “Um… not really, no. It’s kinda uncomfortable in... certain places. Probably because there wasn’t time for a proper fitting session.”
“Then why don’t we just go in something else?”
“That doesn’t sound very romantic to me.”
Arc shrugs. “I’m fine with it. After all, it’s hard to have a good time when uncomfortable.”
“Well… if you’re sure it’s okay.”
Positive.”
“But what if Princess Celestia finds out?!”
“We can put our good clothes back on before we head back to Equestria. Then she’d never know.”
Applejack frowns. “I don’t really like the idea of pulling the wool over her eyes though.”
“Think about it this way. The rules of this date didn’t actually say you HAD to wear that dress… did they?”
“No. No, I guess not.”
“There you go. We’re free to wear whatever tonight.”
Applejack stands up happily. “Then let’s get a move on, sugarcube!”