//------------------------------// // Finding a Job and Applebucking // Story: Comes A Change // by BrownieHoof //------------------------------// When his energetic alarm clock woke him again, he did his daily roll off the couch routine. In the mirror, he remembered something he had forgotten. Brownie Hoof needed a job. Outside his house was for him, a brand new job finder. A hay fries vendor? Nope, and not the water guy again. Cakes and sweets? That would mean extra Pinkie Pie doses. Maybe he could work with Fluttershy. No, that would mean rapid cleaning and feeding. He didn't know how she did it, anyway. Brownie Hoof had an idea. He brought out a notebook and started running around town asking about work hours and bits per hour. It just went downhill until he caught sight of the brownie truck half into town. It was empty, and just lying there. Brownie Hoof took the boxes and brought them into his house. Then, he went to the carpenter to craft a stand used for apples. Finally, he set up a stand next to his house. It was somehow near his friends. Fluttershy's cottage was a gallop away, and he always saw Applejack's stand. Well, at least, when it was there. "Howdy Brownie Hoof!" Applejack spoke, with the same energy as when she introduced him to Sweet Apple Acres. Brownie Hoof smiled and nodded. "I've started my own stand with some brownies lying in a truck!" Brownie Hoof excitedly announced. "Uh, you sure that's a good idea? I don't mean to hurt ya'll but that truck mighta had someone in it," Applejack asked, suspiciously thinking about the truck. "Oh well," Brownie Hoof shrugged, continuing to clean his stand. Absently, he spoke, "I also broke one of Fluttershy's stares. Is that weird? Because she was shaking me and asking how I did it." He shrugged again, finishing his stand. "You what?" Applejack was processing what Brownie Hoof just explained and yelled, "How in the hay did you do that? That stare scared even me and Big Mac!" Applejack banged her hooves on the stand. "That...that's impossible! How in Celestia's sake did you do that?" "It was just a stare, I've been through worse." Brownie Hoof explained, talking about his former home. "Well, least ya can start over," Applejack spoke, dismissing most of what Brownie Hoof had explained. She finally got over the fact Brownie Hoof ended a Stare and went to work. Then, she remembered something about a rumor. "You and Fluttershy ain't datin', right?" Applejack asked, taking an order from a customer. "Nah," Brownie Hoof replied, shrugging off the rumor. He saw someone in front of him, and used his wits to ask, "Would you like a cold brownie to cook on a stove?" The person nodded, and Brownie Hoof continued in a salesman voice, all the while checking with Applejack who was giving him thumbs up. In the end, Brownie Hoof asked for 2 bits a brownie, and his customers obeyed. Luckily, it didn't ruin business for Applejack. She was taking customers, too. Actually, customers went to either his stand or her stand, then the opposite. Both of them got the benefit. "Today I earned my first bits," Brownie Hoof spoke to Applejack, showing her his 6 bits. "Heh, well you'll be watching out for tommorow's catch, eh?" Applejack replied, putting down her stand. "I won't be here tommorow, so you get all those buyers," Applejack added, rolling her stand away. "Oh, and meet me at the farm tommorow!" She finished, already gone. It was near sunset, and Brownie Hoof had to fulfill his needs. He remembered that he had a brownie cart and ate some, took a shower, and went out again to see Fluttershy. A knock on her door indicated someone was there. Fluttershy opened her door to find Brownie Hoof standing there. "Oh dear, please come in," Fluttershy whispered, stepping aside. Brownie Hoof had something in his pocket. It was a leftover bit from work, and he gave it to Fluttershy. "Early present," Brownie Hoof explained, and Fluttershy looked up at him. "Oh, well, uh, thanks." Fluttershy mumbled, going away to stir up a batch of coffee. Fluttershy put in some sugar, and added the coffee into the mugs. She stuck her hoof in one for herself, and balanced the other on one of her wings for Brownie Hoof. "Thanks," Brownie Hoof groaned, too tired to speak, and drank down the coffee faster than he could say "Hoof!" Fluttershy giggled because Brownie Hoof had a mustache. Literally, he had a black one. "Oh, hi guys! We're looking for-" Spike started, barging in the room when Twilight opened the door. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm missing a spell that landed on Brownie Hoof's face, or whatever your name is. I'm here to take it off," Twilight Sparkle spoke, initiating a pink spell. Brownie Hoof's new mustache made a sound and disappeared. Fluttershy stopped giggling and whispered, "Oh, um... I'm sorry. Wait Twilight!" Fluttershy bounded off, catching up to Twilight. She motioned Twilight back into her cottage. Brownie Hoof had to stare at Fluttershy again until she gave up. It was going to be a long night. "Woah! This is exciting!" Spike exclaimed, Twilight using binoculars to see if someone blinked. An hour later, Spike was out of popcorn. When he turned to Fluttershy, she turned away, and Brownie Hoof stopped staring. "Twilight! Did you see that? Fluttershy just gave up!" Spike yelled, making Fluttershy jump. An "Eep!" Came from her. "Wait what?" Twilight asked, looking at Fluttershy. She was either shielding herself from danger or from the staring. Either way, she had looked away. "Well it isn't impossible, but very unlikely. Your lucky I don't have all the instruments I need to test you," Twilight spoke, looking at Brownie Hoof. She and Spike left as the door creaked shut. "You want to keep talking?" Brownie Hoof asked, and Fluttershy nodded, painfully blinking. "That contest sure took the energy out of me," Brownie Hoof added, Fluttershy agreeing. Brownie Hoof stood up, about to go. In a hurry to stop Brownie Hoof, Fluttershy was saying, "Please, don't go, I need some company." She also accidentally slapped his flank. "Ow," Brownie Hoof muttered, feeling his flank. "Sorry," Fluttershy squeaked, running for a first aid kit. "No, I'm fine Fluttershy," Brownie Hoof assured, sitting down on a couch near Fluttershy's fireplace. The flames were crackling, the only sound in the silence that Fluttershy and Brownie Hoof were trying to hold. They rested, assured that the fire would still be the only sound in the room. The next day, Brownie Hoof noticed he was still on the couch in Fluttershy's cottage. He woke her up and thanked her. "Mhm," Fluttershy mumbled, reaching up to hug Brownie Hoof. Brownie Hoof accepted, and then he trotted off to leave. He snuck off through the weeds until he came to his house. Luckily nobody saw him so they didn't spread another dirty rumor. Brownie Hoof tried to turn on the nozzle to his shower, but it wasn't working. Then he remembered Rarity had a working shower. Brownie Hoof decided to go to that Boutique and suffer just to get what he needed. A knock was all it took. "Can I borrow your shower?" Brownie Hoof asked hopeful that she would say yes. "Do you promise to help me with my new clothing line?" Rarity added, about to swear a promise. "Sure," Brownie Hoof replied, and the promise was complete. He took a nice, warm shower and helped Rarity with her new clothing. Actually, it was pretty good compared to what Applejack had told him about the clothing. When Brownie Hoof was done with his help, he thanked Rarity. Then he went back home this time not through the weeds, and set up his stand. Still, nobody saw him. Brownie Hoof's work was a lazy day, and he earned only two bits for one brownie sold. At least he could still go to Applejack's place. When Applejack saw Brownie Hoof in the distance as a distinct brown dot, she shooed off her family to their places. When he came up next to her, she exclaimed, "Howdy Brownie! Welcome to the apple orchard! I brought you here because you're an earth pony like us folk and I want to see how you handle apple bucking!" Applejack was very excited to see how an earth pony did his or her fine work. She had done this with her earth pony friend, and Pinkie Pie had failed miserably. Luckily Pinkie Pie didn't notice. "Ta apple buck, mah friend, you kick a tree with your hind legs like...this!" Applejack explained, apples falling from a tree, falling into the basket. "It's also what you call harvest season, the perfect time for buckin'!" She exclaimed, putting the basket away. Brownie Hoof steadied himself, and prepared his legs. "C'mon, it isn't that hard," Brownie Hoof mumbled to himself. He kicked at the tree, and a couple of apples fell into the basket. "Good job there, fella!" Applejack cheered, watching as Brownie Hoof bucked all the apples off the tree. "Ya'll look tired some," Applejack guessed, bringing fresh apple juice to Brownie Hoof. "Try some!" She spoke, handing it to him. Brownie Hoof nodded, and put his thumbs up while drinking. It was delicious, and he bet it would taste better with some brownies. When Applejack offered another, he put it down to bring home. Then he went to buck some apple trees with Applejack. Brownie Hoof was surprised how strong Applejack was, to knock all the apples off her trees in one strike. Once, he did it, but the rest of the times it took at least two hits. When Applejack told him they were done, he went back to fetch his juice. "Ya did good, fellow earth pony," Applejack smiled, patting him on the back. "Maybe I'll invite ya'll again sometime," Applejack exclaimed, offering to take Brownie Hoof home. Brownie Hoof agreed, but he asked to hide in something. Applejack ended up taking him home in a wheel barrow and covered him when he went home. She left with the wheel barrow leaving Brownie Hoof to think. Think he did, at least after he got a repairman to fix his shower. Then, he could take a shower drifting away in thought. When the time came, Brownie Hoof got out of the shower, dried off, and tucked himself into the same couch, although with flipped over pillows and no blanket. That's what he called a new bed. A change in his bed.