//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: The Only Human 
// by BigD 
//------------------------------//

	Applejack let out a loud whoop of exultation as she bucked her last tree, watching the trunk shake from her powerful kick, and every apple dropping into the carefully placed baskets below.  She watched long enough to make sure no apple had missed, then happily struck her victory pose…and then shook herself, her orange coat now drenched with sweat.

“Whoo,” she said as she wiped her brow, looking at her handiwork.  “Boy howdy, after fifteen years, you’d think Ah’d be so used tah all this that it don’t make me a sweaty pig,” she crooned with a chuckle, the farm pony only half-serious.  In reality, she viewed her dirty, sweaty body with a bit of pride; it was the sign of a hard-working pony, the pride and joy of a farm.

Anyway, the bucking in this part of the farm was done, so now it was just a matter of gathering the baskets up and storing them in the barn.  Her big brother, Big Macintosh, was doing that, with her little sister, Applebloom, helping.  The youngster had long ago realized she wasn’t going to get a farming cutie mark, or an apple harvesting cutie mark, but she was still a hard, helpful worker on the farm.  ‘Give it time, little Applebloom.  Give it time,’ thought Applejack with a smile.

Making her way to the barn, she spotted the tall, crimson pony who was her brother, a basket of apples on his back, his usual flat expression on his face, the proverbial stalk of hay twitching in his mouth.  She gave him a wide, toothy grin, seeing he was just as sweaty as she was, and her brother’s lips twitched into a smile.  Moving to a small table in the corner of the barn where some lemonade and cups lay, she poured herself a glass and gulped it down, then poured another for Big Mac and took it to him.  After he had quenched his thirst as well, she gave her report.

“Ah’m done with mah section, big brother, so we’re almost good tah go,” she said, helping him ease his current load into its place on the barn floor, then she glanced out the door, her gaze looking west.  “Did yah check up on our new farmhand?” she asked, turning to look at her brother.

“Nope.  Feller seems tah like it best being left alone, and we both know he don’t need no hoof holding,” said her brother.  You wouldn’t be able to tell from his tone that he respected this new farmhand, something very hard for any stranger to earn from Big Macintosh.  Many a potential worker had been scared off by his strict standards and hard demeanor, the big stallion having no tolerance for sloppy work or laziness.

“Mark’s a good worker, even if he’s got his quirks.  Ah’ll go have a looksie and make sure he ain’t in any trouble,” she said with a nod, giving her brother a pat on the back as he went to go fetch another bushel of apples,while his sister headed to the western part of their farm.

Mark Hirami was something of a new hire on Sweet Apple Acres, though it could be said he wasn’t a normal case.  Rather than having come looking for a job, he had actually been found wandering close by, apparently new to Ponyville and not quite sure of things around these parts.  He had finally discovered the Apple family’s house and after some...misadventure, introduced himself, explained his situation, and much to the family’s surprise, had asked for work on the farm as a way to pay for his stay, his house apparently located on the Apple Family’s property.  The problem was that his house was currently in rather shabby shape, and so, while it was being repaired, he was staying in a room in the barn.

“Ole boy can’t buck like me, so it takes him a bit longer to do the work…but boy does he work,” said Applejack, speaking to herself as she clopped in the direction where her new hand was working, soon coming to him and smiling as she saw him working.  He may not have her strength, but he had agility that would make even Rainbow Dash a bit jealous, especially considering he had no wings.  Even now, she watched him as he climbed from branch to branch, taking each apple and dropping it into whichever basket was in reach.  It was a longer, harder method, but as far as she could see, it didn’t do the apples any harm…and it certainly had its perks for him.

“Howdy pardner.  Jest got done with mah section, so Ah’d thought Ah’d come give you a hoof,” she said, although she could see he was on his last few trees as well, expertly taking off the apples one at a time.

Now, there were two things that made Mark stick out a bit in Ponyville.  The first, as should be obvious, was the fact he was male.  Though they weren’t unheard of, grown males were few and far between in Ponyville, Applejack only able to think of three or four off the top of her head, not counting her brother.  They weren’t viewed with any kind of fear or suspicion, but they did tend to get a fair amount of gossip whispered about them…and of course, on occasion, a mare fell madly in love with one of them, and, knowing her pickings were slim, felt she had to go all out to get her hooves on him.

The second thing…well…he wasn’t a stallion, or even an equine of any sort.  Heck, he wasn't like anything they'd ever seen before, period.

Mark jumped down from the tree, easily landing on all fours…and then standing up on only two legs, his tan skin caked with dirt, and his clothes damp with sweat.  He dusted off his…hands, he called them, giving her a polite smile.  He stood a few inches taller than Applejack, his brown eyes meeting her green ones as he nodded his head.

“Good afternoon, Miss Applejack.  I’m almost done with my trees, so no help needed,” he said politely, motioning at the baskets full of apples behind him.

Mark Hirami was a human.







Applejack let out a soft huff, face going hard for a moment.  She liked manners as much as the next pony (even if Rarity swore she didn’t), but she also liked those she considered her friends to address her as a friend would…and Mark had been calling her “Miss Applejack” almost the whole time he’d been in Ponyville.  It was starting to make her sick.

“Listen, sugarcube,” she began, ignoring the scowl that got her, “Ah know yer jest trying to be polite an’ all, but you’ve been working here going on six months now.  You’ve pulled yer weight, you’ve been the best worker Ah’ve had in a while, and you’re almost part of the family…so why don’t yah drop the “missus” business?  It makes me feel detached,” she said, her face and voice soft.  Even though he wasn’t a pony, AJ still couldn’t deny that a very large soft spot had formed in her heart for him, especially considering his predicament.

“I’m a stranger in a strange world…Applejack,” he said with a sigh, looking down with a soft blush.  “I think it only wise that I treat everyone around me with the utmost respect so that I do not offend anyone by accident,” he said, wiping his brow of sweat.  “But if it’s alright with you, I guess I can be less formal.”

“Ah would appreciate that, hon.  Ah’m a pony who likes to have a personable relationship with those Ah consider mah friends,” she said gently, the farm pony certainly seeing him as that even if he seemed unable to accept that himself.  And with that out of the way, she moved on to the business at hand.

“Once y’all finish with them trees, ya need to clean up.  Today’s the day ya meet with Twilight an’ Rarity,” she said, giggling as he groaned and slapped his forehead, dragging his hand down his face rather comically.  It had become pretty clear within his first few weeks here that he wasn’t fond of those two ponies, at least when it went beyond just friendship.  Rarity was always pestering him about the clothes he insisted on wearing, alternating between admiring them for their uniqueness and expressing how distasteful they were.  And Twilight, being the brainy bookworm she was, was eager to learn all she could about him…which included prodding him with various instruments all over his body, including some apparently private places.

“I’m gonna start charging those two for my time,” he growled, getting a snicker from the farm pony.  

“Look on the bright side, hon…as long as yer with them, Pinkie Pie can’t throw yet another party for ya,” she replied, getting a smile in return.  Pinkie Pie hadn’t wasted any time in coming up with a “Welcome to Equestria Party”…then a “Welcome to Ponyville Party”…then a “One Month Anniversary” party…followed by five more, one every month.  She had just recently done a “First Human in Ponyville Party”…and now she was asking him about his birthday, wanting to do a party for that.  Needless to say, Mark was way past his fill of parties.

“Hmm, good point, Applejack,” he said, moving to the last tree and pulling himself up into the branches, going to work.  “Still, I wish everyone would quit treating me like some act of divine intervention.  I know I’m the first human here…but there’s nothing that special about me,” he said, making quick work of the apples and dropping back down, hoisting a few baskets onto the farm pony’s back and picking up two of his own, handling the heavy baskets with more ease than he’d done when he first started working.

“Well, Twi was talkin' ‘bout settin’ up a meetin’ with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna after she did her research.  Maybe after y’all see them, everypony might settle down some ‘round ya.  Ya gotta understand that things work differently in Equestria than in yer world,” she said, leading the way back to the barn. 

When the Princesses had first been brought up with Mark, he had been rather skeptical about what he had been told, magic apparently not being quite as important on his world, at least not as far as he was concerned.  Still, his views had changed over time, seeing as the proof of its existence was all around him, so he was open to seeing them.  And seeing as he was essentially a guest in this world, it would do to meet the supposed leaders, just as it would be proper to meet the head of a household he was visiting.

“I certainly hope so.  You say you want me to settle down and treat you like a friend…well, how can I settle down if I’m continually treated as a stranger?” he asked softly, the last part barely audible to the young mare.   She turned and gave him a smile, reaching up and setting a hoof on his shoulder.  

“Yer no stranger here, sugarcube.  Yer family, and no matter what anypony else says or does, ya’ll always have a place here,” she said, leaning forward and nuzzling him.   He blushed again, returning the nuzzle as best he could, before letting her resume the lead.  Even after six months, he was still adjusting to living in Ponyville…but it was nice to have at least one person…or pony, as it were, who viewed him as just a friend.