//------------------------------// // Spending Some Quality Time with the Apple Family (Revised) // Story: A Demon In Ponyville // by Terciel1249 //------------------------------// A Demon in Ponyville Chapter 7: Spending Some Quality Time with the Apple Family Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to My Little Pony. All other characters are my own. *YAWN* Matthew stretched luxuriously on the soft blankets of his bed. The air was rattled with several pops from Matthew’s joints. Rolling to the side, Matthew ended up on the hard floor with a loud oomph! Matthew pushed against the ground, lifting his back into the air like a common housecat. Matthew stopped when the stitches on his side started to pinch the skin. I wonder what time it is? Looking out the window, Matthew squinted at the pre-morning light spreading across the heavens. The sky held a deep blue color, Celestia’s sun slowly making its way into the horizon. Matthew opened the tall window, greeted by a blast of freezing cold air. Invigorated, Matthew grinned widely. I love the early morning. Loud voices rose from below the windowsill. Interest Matthew looked down on what appeared to be a training yard. The low cut grass of the large square plot was home to a hundred or so ponies training. Pushed against the east wall, several worn punching bags hung from wooden posts. The Royal Guards pummeled the tough material with their hooves. Five circles of white chalk littered the center of the field for sparing ponies. Some ponies wrestled between the lines, while some practiced with wooden swords and spears. The blocky weapons held firmly in the hooves of the guards. The western wall was dedicated to weight training equipment. Racks of dumbbells, free weights, and bars were held by wooden shelves. Matthew raised an eyebrow at the several large grey boulders were included in the weight equipment. Ponies rolled the boulders across the field or the unicorns practiced lifting several stone at a time, causing the rocks to fly in various patterns to practice their flexibility with magic. Matthew chuckled. Several Pegasus hovered a few feet off the ground, weights strapped to each of their sides. I need to learn how to fly, Matthew thought to himself, turning to see the golden wings attached to him. I think I can go for a warm-up today. Matthew decided moving away from the window to find his way down to the training ground. An idea popped into his head. Looking back at his wings, Matthew said, “Flying can’t be that hard.” 0 0 0 Shining Armor entered the training ground from the palace. Shining wore a sweat band on each leg, carrying a full canteen of water onto the grassy field. Many of the guards looked up from their workouts, offering the captain a friendly hello. Shining Armor thought to himself, I love this time of day. The air’s cool and the sun’s about to rise. And there is nothing that ruin this moment. “INCOMING!” Except that. Shining Armor groaned, Matthew’s voice roared from above his head. Looking up, Shining Armor couldn’t help but gawk at Matthew plummeted through the air flapping his wings wildly. I would laugh if this wasn’t really happening. Before Shining Armor or anypony could assist him, Matthew pushed himself away from the wall of the castle. Holding his wings out to the sides, Matthew glided towards the ground wobbling as he slowly descended. Easy! Easy! Easy! Matthew leaned towards the right, curving away from the center of the training field back towards the castle. Almost… Almost. Matthew held out his hooves to brace for landing. Matthew stumbled when he touched down, sending tufts of grass and dirt into the air. “YES! First time flying!” Matthew exclaimed, turning towards Shining Armor. “How’d I do?” “I’ve seen better flying from a three-year-old,” Shining Armor said, deadpanned. Oh, you mother- “You have ten seconds to rephrase that sentence before I punch you so hard you’ll be kissing the moon at Mach 20!” Matthew threatened, throwing a glare that would make any man flinch in fear. “I mean for a first-timer you did good. You were able to successfully glide.” Shining Armor said quickly, offering a sheepish smile. That’s what I thought. Diverting the conversation, Shining asked, “Where did you come from anyway?” “From the widow up there,” Matthew stopped scowling to point up to the open window about eight stories up. “Wait, you jumped out of a window without any knowledge of flying even though you could have broken every bone in your body?” Shining Armor asked incredulously. “Yep.” I think he’s an idiot. Shining thought, eyeing Matthew as if he had a few screws short. Matthew asked nonchalantly, “I was wondering if I use this field for a workout?” “The grounds are free to anypony as long as they don’t interrupt any of the guard’s work or cause mischief,” Shining Armor answered. Now, I have the sudden urge to screw with some people. Shining Armor grimaced at the toothy grin spreading across Matthew’s muzzle. “Thanks Shiny!” Matthew exclaimed with a smile, moving away from the annoying Shining Armor. “That’s Shining Armor to you!” “I’m sticking with Shiny!” Matthew called, moving over to an empty part of the field littered with ponies performing various warm-ups. Alright, time for pushups! Dropping to the floor, Matthew propped his two hooves together pushing against the ground vigorously. Matthew noticed the Pegasus performing the same exercise, but with their wings. Almost like a wing-up. Hmm, I’ve got to try that out. Matthew pushed both his wings against the low grass. Ha-ha. That tickles. Raising his hooves over his head, Matthew pushed against the earth, feeling the strain of new muscles along his back. Matthew raised an eyebrow, a second pony moving next to him him. Shining Armor began to perform pushups right next to Matthew, thinking I’m gonna show you who’s the real stallion here, bitch. The pair continued to push against the ground with excessive vigor, Shining matching Matthew’s pace. Are we seriously going to do this again? Matthew decided to step-up-this-workeout. Raising his left hoof behind his back, Matthew folded his wings to his side and began one-hoof-pushups. Matthew shot Shining Armor a sly smile. Shining Armor matched Matthew’s workout and intensity, shooting Matthew a smug look. It is on now! Try and top this one! To Shining Armor’s disbelieve, and to the disbelief of many of the ponies in the training, Matthew lifted his hind legs off the ground until he was perfectly vertical with the ground to perform one-leg-handstand-pushups. Shining Armor grunted, attempted to balance himself on one hoof. The outcome was the unicorn’s muzzle meeting the hard ground. Shining Armor ground his teeth together before picking himself up, That’s doesn’t mean anything. One of Celestia’s favorite morning rituals was to take a nice calming walk around the castle and through the garden, taking a few extra seconds when passing the training ground. To see their aptitude as guards. . . Yeah, that’s it. And nothing else. Moving around the corner to the training field, Celestia blushed, a well toned rump bobbed up and down in the air. Nice plot. With an agile back flip and twist, Matthew landed on his hooves facing the opposite direction he started. Without even looking at Shining Armor’s annoyed expression, Matthew walked right past him towards the weights. There’s only room for one king at the top of the mountain and that’s ME! Eyeing the stack of heavy weights, Matthew’s eyes moved over the metal plates towards the large boulders. Turning to a dark brown earth pony with a curling green mane and a mark of a grey brick wall on his flank, Matthew asked, “Excuse me, how much do you think these boulders weigh?” The stallion answered, “The smaller boulders weigh about 150 pounds. The medium boulders are around 300 pounds. And the largest ones are over 600 pounds.” Nice. “Thanks,” Matthew said. Moving over to the closest boulder, Matthew closely inspected the rock. Standing at eye level, the grey surface was worn by the elements and constant use from the Royal Guard. Matthew smiled at the prospect of a good workout, calmly reaching under the rock with his hooves. “What are you doing?!” The brown pony called, worried about Matthew. A collective gasp rang through the compound. Matthew threw the rock straight into the air, the heavy object flying ten… twenty… thirty feet before it made its return to the ground. Shining Armor noticed Matthew moving into directly under the object’s shadow. Rushing forward, Shining Armor moved to save the poor pony along with the rest of the guards. Even Celestia began to power her magic. But Matthew didn’t require any help. Every pony stopped in their tracks, jaws hanging loosely in the morning air. Celestia had to catch herself, Woah. The rock smashed into Matthew’s wide shoulders and forelegs, the stallion holding the massive boulder as Atlas would the world. Every pony felt a slight tremor move through the ground. Matthew rolled the boulder between his shoulder blades, balancing the heavy weight. I think a few miles with this bad boy will do great, Matthew considered, turning to the earth pony to ask where the running track was. “ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!” A shrill scream caused everypony to turn towards the disturbance, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Celestia smiled, This is going to be juicy. The purple alicorn sighted her anger on the frozen Matthew and his burden. Twilight Sparkle appeared in front of him, Personal space! Poking Matthew in the chest, Twilight yelled, “What were you thinking? You could have seriously injured somepony! What if a Pegasus were flying overhead? You would have killed them with that size of a rock! What if that rock had fallen on any of these guards? YOU COULD HAVE KILLED A PONY! Also! The doctor said you need to take it easy! Why would you purposefully put yourself in the middle of a heavy bucking rock crashing into the ground?! NOW ANSWER ME!” Fire literally flew out of the Twilights eyes. Her mane smoldered in red and yellow flames, pushing her face into Matthew’s. Matthew was taken aback by the sudden transformation. The alicorn’s burning eyes, mane and attitude captivated himg. What the hell happened to her? She was so calm and nice before, but now she’s Adabbon, Queen of the Hell. Just look at her! The way her hair flows like a wild fire, her eyes full of so much anger! So much emotion! I can feel her anger like the burning of a thousand suns! I can’t look away! It’s so beautiful! I’m curious about what she does next: will she ground me, throw me in the dungeon, give me thirty lashing… Why am I suddenly turned on? Matthew blushed, sliding the boulder to slide onto the ground. Mathew could feel a warm growing in his stomach... And loins. Why are my wings getting excited? Celestia raised an amused eyebrow, the only pony noticing Matthew’s reaction to angry Twilight. Matthew couldn’t answer Twilight, his head full of confusing thoughts and feelings. This reminds me of how I met Be… “Well!” Twilight interrupted Matthew’s train of thought. “Are you going to say something? Do I need to throw you in the dungeon? Give you thirty lashing for recklessly endangering lives?” Oh my god! She’s psychic! Grab me tinfoil! “What is wrong with you?” I am strangely aroused! Matthew thought. A second voice entered his mind, Oh my! Matthew grunted, Dammit Takei! I already told you! I don’t care if you have psychic powers! Stay out of my head! This is Celestia, Celestia projected into Matthew’s skull. What are you doing here? Having some fun, Celestia smirked, a twinkle glinting in her eye. I have to admit though, it’s really empty in here. “Get out of my head!” Matthew screamed, throwing the Sun Goddess a dirty look. Everypony looked towards Matthew, thinking him crazy. Twilight’s wrath simmered down, slowly moving away from Matthew. Celestia chuckled, “Don’t worry everypony. I was just talking to Matthew. Please carry on.” All of the Guards except Shining Armor returned to their work, the unicorn moving over to stand next to his sister. Shining asked, throwing Matthew a dirty look, “Would you like to answer Twilight?” “What? Oh wait… Sure,” Matthew shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “First: I had everything under control. Second: I made sure there was no one at risk. Third, this is my equivalent to a light workout. And FOURTH… Ummmmm… Uh… Bitch I do what I want.” With that Matthew turned his attention towards Celestia, “And would you please never go into my head again! It’s creepy!” Not as creepy as your feelings towards Twilight, Celestia shot back in good humor. If you say a single word of that, I will do something. I don’t know what I’ll do, but it’ll be so bad you will rue this day! Matthew mentally shouted, stomping his hoof into the ground for more emphasis. Well! Start ruing! Celestia said, flashing a bright smile at Matthew, “I think it’s time for breakfast. Twilight and Shining, would you join us?” The three ponies followed Princess Celestia into the dining room from the previous day. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity and Cadence were already sitting at the table enjoying a large stack of pancakes topped with fruits and bits of grass. Everypony greeted the four, Matthew wasted no time before digging into the large stack of pancakes in on his plate. The fluffy pancakes were delicious! The perfect flavor enhanced with the organic syrup he dribbled all over them. “How did everypony sleep?” Everypony commented happily, Matthew grunting into his food. Celestia turned to Matthew, “We need to discuss what is going to happen to you?” Trying to get rid of me already? I heard that. Celestia’s sing song voice reverberated in his skull. “Fine,” Matthew groaned. “What do you want to do?” “Well,” Celestia thought for a moment, her hoof rubbing against her chin wearing a wide smile. The longer she though, her smile began to slowly fade. Celestia stared deep into space, her face not moving. After ten minutes, Twilight finally raised her voice, “Princess Celestia, are you alright?” Celestia shook her head, holding a hoof to her forehead, “Oh! Sorry Twilight. I let my mind wonder.” Turning to Matthew, Celestia said, “I was thinking you could stay in Ponyville.” “Ok,” Matthew responded, his thoughts elsewhere particularly on the topic of Twilight. HA! Twilight joke! I knew I could do it! Celestia looked over the six manes, “I was going to ask if one of any of you-” Twilight thinking, She can’t honestly think we would actually take him in. “-would mind providing a home for Matthew until he can get a place of his own.” Rarity shuddered, “If Matthew is at risk of being homeless, then he can stay with me at the Carousel Boutique.” That name sounds to girly for me to ever live there. Fluttershy whispered, “I could offer you my spare room, as long as you don’t mind my animals. It may be a little crowded, but I’m sure the animals wouldn’t mind.” That’s so sweet of her. “As long as you don’t mind the ferrets, bunnies, birds, mice, fish, butterflies, cats, squires, bears and so many others.” Did I hear bears? Rainbow Dash said, “You can always hang at my house. If you don’t mind flying, of course?” To bad I can’t Pinkie Pie bounced up and down, “He could live with me! I’m sure the Cakes wouldn’t mind! It’d be a SLEEPOVER! YEAH!” No no no no no no. No. No. No. No. NO! NO! NO! NO! HELL NO! Not in a million years! Twilight wanted to say no, really-really wanted to say no. But the look from her teacher made her grind her teeth, growling, “You’re more than welcomed to live in the spare room at the library.” Celestia smiled at Twilight, You can get to know her a little better Matthew. What do you think? Whether or not I should be disturbed by the fact your trying get a person you barely know to go on a date with someone you’re close to? That’s pretty weird. I mean you don’t know what’s going on in my head. I could be crazy for all you know. Aren’t I in your head right already? Matthew stopped eating for a moment, not having a response. Yeah, well... S-shut up. Celestia snickered into her breakfast. Applejack offered, “After what you did for my sister, you sure as heck can stay at the farm. We’ve got plenty of space and you can work there to earn your keep. Even earn a little wage.” Matthew thought deeply for a moment, I don’t want to be a burden on anyone, so Applejack’s offer doesn’t sound too bad. Living on a farm may be dull, but I can work for my room and food. “Sure Applejack. I would love to work on your farm.” All of the other ponies shrugged indifferently, except for Pinkie Pie. Her ears drooped low over her head. “Great,” Celestia smiled warmly at the ponies. The ponies ate their breakfast with high spirits, Matthew joining in on the small talk. When finished, the seven ponies and dragon stood in front of Princess Celestia. “Everypony ready?” Celestia asked. Ready for what? “I’ll teleport all of you to Ponyville to save you some travel time.” “Wait, what?” “Bye!” Celestia announced, her horn glowed with a bright golden light. In a flash of blinding light, the group disappeared from Canterlot leaving a smiling Celestia. Celestia chuckled, “I think all of this fun warrants a slice of cake.” Celestia moved through the castle with a smile on her face, Maybe Matthew can finally break Twilight out of her shell. Heaven knows I’ve tried to get her to date. And boy did that backfire! 0 0 0 The group appeared in the center of Golden Oaks Library, sending rays of light out of the window for every pony to see. Matthew fell onto the ground, his body not use to the feeling of being compressed to the size of an atom and moved through space. The girls and Spike looked at Matthew, wearing amused expressions. The stallion picked himself off of the ground, muttering to himself, “Never doing that again.” Twilight smirked, “Don’t worry Matthew. You get use to it after a few teleports.” How is that comforting? Applejack said to Matthew, “Well partner, let’s get ya to the farm to meet the family. I just know you’ll love living as an Apple.” How ridiculous would it be if they farmed apples? After a quick goodbye, Applejack and Matthew left the library to make their way towards the outskirts of Ponyville. The pair walked in silence, Matthew taking time to enjoy the nice scenery. The town had a nice rustic feel to it, the Victorian style architecture a well deserve break from the concrete landscapes Matthew was use too. The winding dirt road left the small buildings to the wide open pastures, groups of trees dispersed along the paths to offer shade to any traveler. The air was filled with the sweet scent of pollen and grass. I swear all you need now is some singing birds and we’d be in a Disney film. Applejack led the way, enjoying the path she traversed daily. Upon the horizon, Matthew caught his first sight of the farm. A large red barn occupied the lone hill, windows and a patio attached to the side for the living quarters. Two levels of windows made the living space, white paint outlining the widows and canopy to break up the bold red. Matthew gawked at what grew in the fields. Rows upon rows of large apple trees occupied the land, each one the purest color of green Matthew had ever seen and fit to bursting with red delicious fruit. I don’t know how they managed to grow this much fruit, but that’s impressive. Applejack felt a smug smile lift her lips at Matthew’s gawking expression, “Alright Matthew, let’s head on down.” Matthew followed Applejack’s lead as a house guest should. Applejack pushed open the old brown door, hollering from the entryway, “Granny Smith! Big Mac! Applebloom! Come to the living room! I want ya’ll ta meet our newest farmhand!” Matthew followed closely into the living room. Matthew’s brown eyes swept over the various dark pieces of furniture, a pink couch and an old green mare sitting quietly on a rocker. Her wispy white mane tied into a bun. Granny Smith smiled at the pair, her old eyes twinkling as they caught sight of Applejack and Matthew, “Applejack! It’s good ta see ya. We were getting worried after ya left with Pinkie Pie, but I’m glad ta see you’re alright. And who’s this?” “Matthew this here’s Granny Smith. Granny, this is Matthew,” Applejack introduced, motioning with her hoof. Granny Smith eyed Matthew for several seconds, before a sly grin crossed her muzzle. Please don’t do what I think you’re about to do. “Oh, Applejack you’ve gone and found yourself a coltfriend!” Pink rose into Applejack’s cheeks. Granny Smith continuing, “It’s nice to see you’ve finally decided to find a special somepony of your own. I’ve been waiting years for this moment.” Granny Smith slid off her rocker, making her way to Matthew. Matthew stood there, not sure what to do. Granny Smith reached up and pulled his head down to her eyelevel, looking deep into his dark eyes with some scrutiny. Granny Smith began to circle the stallion, inspecting him from all sides. “Ya know youngin, I thought you might ‘ave finally asked that there Pegasus that keeps on dropping by for your apple pies, but it’s nice to see you finally step out of the barn. You certainly got yourself a handsome stallion. Big and strong! Just look at these legs!” Granny Smith slapped Matthew on his rear, Matthew yelping in surprise. Spinning around to face the old mare, Matthew felt the heat rising in his reddening cheeks. “And a tight rear too. What do you think about Applejack, sugarcube?” This is getting really creepy! “I think I need an adult,” Matthew slowly answered, taking a tentative step back. “I am an adult.” “Granny!” Applejack wined, her blush turning a deeper red. “Matthew is not my coltfried. He’s just a friend that needs a place to stay and a job. That’s all!” I’d say I was disappointed at being stuck in the friend zone, but then that’d be weird. Granny Smith smiled at the young mare, “But why not. This feller’s got some good looks and some great legs! And let me tell you, they’d be good for more than just bucking apple trees.” AWWWWWWWW! Matthew screamed in his head. He seriously was considering jumping out of the living room widow. Rapid hoofbeats from the stairwell broke the conversation, a familiar yellow earth pony wearing a bright pink bow racing into the living room. All eyes turned to the small pony as she entered the living room. Applebloom grinned at the sight of Applejack. “Hi, Applejack! And…” Applebloom stumbled, catching sight of Matthew. Applebloom’s smile spread to all corners of her face. If her smile could get any bigger, the world would disintegrate from the sheer amount of cuteness. “Howdy there, Mister!” Applebloom exclaimed, stopping her mad rush to stand in front of Matthew. The small filly peered up at Matthew with her big eyes. Matthew offered Appleboom a kind grin, “Hello.” Applebloom shot off like a rocket ship, so excited she was bouncing on the hardwood floor, “How’d you beat that hydra? How’d you get so strong? Does that dark stuff covering your leg hurt? Are you here to work on the farm? Can you show me how to fight?” Applejack ruffled Applebloom’s mane, glad for a distraction. “Sorry, Matthew. This here is mah little sister Applebloom, our resident troublemaker. Applebloom, this is Matthew.” Call me crazy, but I think all of Applejack’s family is named after apples. “Hey!” Applebloom cried, moving her head away from Applejack’s hoof. A large body entering the room caught Matthew’s attention. From the kitchen, a large red stallion with a green apple tattooed to his rump entered the room. With ginger hair and freckles, the stallion easily outdid Matthew in bulk. The red stallion turned to the four ponies, chewing on a straw of grass. Applebloom decided to take the introduction into her own hooves. Rushing to grab Matthew by the hoof, Applebloom pulled him over to her older brother. “Meet Big Macintosh, Matthew!” Applebloom stopped when Matthew was directly in front of Big Mac. The pair remained silent, observing each other. Big Mac eyed Matthew with a hard eye, calculating who he was and what he was doing here. Matthew met Big Mac’s gaze head on, not backing down. The red and gold stallions continued their stare off like real men would. Applebloom added, continuing to jump in her excitement, “Matthew’s here to work on the farm. Isn’t that great! Huh, Big Mac?” Oh really? thought the apple farmer. Big Mac slowly offered Matthew a foreleg. Matthew accepted without hesitation, both ponies never breaking eye contact. Big Mac was surprisingly stronger than Shining Armor. Big Mac applied every ounce of muscle he could to break Matthew’s leg, easily capable of crushing the average pony’s hoof into dust. Big Mac smirked slightly, twisted Matthew’s leg to the side. Big Mac wrestled with the alicorn for supremacy, to show who the big stallion was on campus. Big Mac face turned to surprise when his arm stopped. Now it was Matthew’s turn to smile. Big Mac’s grunted, Matthew twisted his hoof towards the opposite direction. The red stallion was putting everything he had into the hoof-shake, but that didn’t stop Matthew from showing off. Granny Smith chuckled, moving between the pair, “Alright boys! Let’s break it up.” Big Mac and Matthew finally disengaged. Big Mac for the first time had to rub his hoof, trying to return feeling into the numb limb. Applejack turned to Big Mac, “Now Big Mac, I don’t want ya’ll scaring Matthew away.” Like he could. “He ain’t my coltfried! He saved our sister and I offered him a job with a room. That’s all! I don’t want to repeat the last time I tried to bring a stallion to meet the family.” I wonder what happened? It couldn’t have been that bad. Big Mac nodded, looking at Matthew again with a raised eyebrow. Matthew shrugged. Applejack turned to him, “Before we start, how ‘bout I give ya a tour of the farm?” Matthew was about to respond, but Applebloom cut him off. “Applejack! Can I show him around? Please? Please? Please?” “Sure thing sugarcube,” Applejack said with a smile. Applebloom grabbed Matthew’s hoof again, pulling on his leg to make him follow. A warm smile crossed Matthew’s muzzle, children were always his weak spot. And that doesn’t make me less of a man! With a quick flip of his wrist, Applebloom found herself on Matthew’s back. “Shall we?” Applebloom cheered, her ride pushing open the door and moving into the bright sunlight. Granny Smith chuckled. Big Mac and Applejack stood silent, surprised at Matthew’s kind gesture. “And good with children,” Granny Smith teased. “You sure you don’t want to try?” “UH! Not again, Granny!” 0 0 0 Matthew circled around the large red barn, listening to Applebloom’s shrill voice describing each and every feature of the property. From the mud pit for pigs to the goat’s pen, Matthew finally made a full circle around the building. Wow. I didn’t know how complicated a farm could be. Like pigs being used as disposals for rotten apples and food. That does make a lot of sense. Applebloom waved her hoof over the vast grove of apple trees, “And these are our livelihood! We have over a thousand apple trees and there ain’t an apple better than an apple from our trees.” Jesus that’s a lot of apples! I’d say that was big talk, but I’m getting the feeling she’s not exaggerating. “That’s quite a lot of apples.” Applejack’s southern accent reached the pair, “You are correct! Both me and mah brother collect them all.” Big job. Matthew turned to Applejack with a smile, “So, what would you like me to start on today?” Applejack chuckled, “It’s nice to see a pony with some work ethic. Right now, I want you to plow that field over yonder. Then you can help me and Big Mac collect all of the apples for tomorrow’s sale.” “Sounds good,” Matthew said, his horn glowing red as he lifted Applebloom off of his head and much to the filly’s disappointment. “Now run along Applebloom,” Applejack said. “You can spend more time with our houseguest as soon as the chores are done. How about you go spend time with yur friends?” Applebloom raced off, leaving a trail of dust in the air. Matthew followed Applejack towards the empty plot where a rusting plow occupied the northwest corner. Applejack asked, “Have ya ever plowed a field before?” “Can’t say that I have,” Matthew answered, sheepishly. Does plowing down a platoon of fire breathing demons count? “That’s alright. Plowing’s easy, all ya got to do is get behind the reigns and pull,” Applejack explained. “Be sure to try and keep the lines straight when going down the field. A trick I learned is by using the previous hoofprints ya made. Walk over them when you make your way to the other side. Make sense?” “Sure does.” “Then let’s get started!” With Applejack’s help, the worn leather harness was strapped around Matthew’s barrel. Matthew was ready to go. “Okay, sugarcube. Now just take it easy and try not to overexert yourself. The day’s starting to warm up and I don’t want no pony keeling over because of heat sickness. Ya hear me?” “Yes ma’am.” “Good,” Applejack finished, turning away towards the trees. “Oh and one more thing,” with a flick of her tail and a whip-like snap, Applejack flicked Matthew on his hind-courters. Matthew released a neighing yelp. The stallion trotted forward, pulling the plow with him. Matthew threw Applejack a dirty look, the mare only responding with a good nature chuckle before leaving him to his work, “I’ll check in on ya after an hour.” Matthew continued working the field, simple work. It had been so long since Matthew had time to breath, to enjoy the day. Ah, there’s nothing like working on the land and getting your hooves dirty. That still doesn’t feel natural. The plow sliced through the earth, leaving a deep trench in its wake. There was no need to rush through this. Matthew enjoyed the activity, a life of constant motion revealing to him the importance of an honest day’s work. At least I don’t have a drill sergeant breathing down my neck. Time passed, Matthew continued working. Three fillies made their way into view of the plot when he made his last pass over far edge of the field. Applebloom turned to Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo, “See I told you he was gonna live here on the farm.” “Cool,” the two fillies answered, astonished at the sight of Matthew. “Do you know his name?” Scootaloo asked “His name is Matthew,” Applebloom answered smugly. “Matthew? What kind of dumb name is that?” Scootaloo asked incredulously. “He’s still not as cool as Rainbow Dash. He’d need to be like 20% cooler to match her.” “Oh look! Here comes Applejack!” Sweetie Bell yelled, watching the pair converse. “Whoa,” Applejack gaped. It’s only been forty-five minutes. Applejack walked up to Matthew, the stallion taking off the harness with his mouth before hanging it on the handle. Oh God it taste nasty! Why did Applejack use her mouth to pick it up in the first place? “Are you sure you’ve never worked on a farm before?” Applejack joked. “I did work on a small garden if that counts?” Matthew shrugged. “I guess that makes you a dabbler in the art of farming.” Applejack continued, “We have some lemonade up at the house. I wanted to offer you a glass before we start you on gathering apples.” Mmmmm, lemonade. Matthew nodded, joining Applejack to the patio. Placed on a small wooden table, a large pitcher of ice cold lemonade and several glasses stacked upside down waited for the pair. Big Mac sat quietly on a light grey cushion, a tall glass in his hoof, sipping on the chilled liquid. Two more cushions were placed next to him. Applejack was kind enough to pour Matthew a drink. Sitting next to her older brother, Applejack motioned for Matthew to sit next to her. Taking a sip, Matthew smiled at the sour taste. The cool liquid quenching any thirst he had. Applejack suddenly moved away from her seat, “I forgot to grab something. Be right back boys.” The mare left, leaving Matthew alone with Big Mac. Matthew and Big Mac sat in silence, Matthew aware of Applejack standing right behind the side of the door, keeping an open ear to any conversation. “So,” Matthew began. “So,” Big Mac said. his voice deep and soothing in his southern accent. “Anything fun going on with you?” Matthew asked, reaching out to the stallion. “Nope.” “You know any good places around here?” “One or two.” “Care to share.” “Maybe.” Matthew’s brow furrowed, “You don’t talk much do you?” “Eeyup,” Big Mac answered. Silence once again breached the conversation, Matthew slowly getting annoyed by Big Mac’s silent treatment. That’s it! I’ve had enough! Matthew turned to Big Macintosh, “Look, dude. I want you to know that I am not in a relationship with your sister. I am not trying to get with your sister. She was kind enough to offer me employment and room. I would consider her a friend, not love interest, no matter what your Granny said.” Big Macintosh looked into his eyes, trying to find any sign of deceit. When he found none, Big Mac sighed, “I believe ya. I guess a just get a little overprotective of her at times.” That’s a big understatement, buddy. Matthew offered Big Mac his free hoof, “How about we start fresh?” “Eeyup,” Big Mac smiled, shaking the hoof. When they released, Big Mac commented, “Ya got a strong leg there. I was almost worried you might have taken off my hoof.” Matthew smiled, “Naw! I wouldn’t do that.” I did rip off the arm of a dragon once, does that count? “You’re pretty strong too.” Big Mac and Matthew enjoyed a chuckle, “Let me ask you a question.” “Shoot.” “Is your grandmother always like that?” Matthew asked in a hush voice. I swear I can hear her laughing. A small cackle emitted from the living-room. “She’s just teasing AJ. You just happened to be in the crossfire,” Big Mac nodded sagely. Good to know, Matthew chuckled. Applejack reappeared through the door, “Alright ya slowpokes, let’s get started on some applebucking!” What? Big Mac and Matthew stood up. The red stallion walked into the apple trees while Matthew followed Applejack towards the side of the barn. After loading a cart full of barrels, Applejack led Matthew deep into the fortress. Matthew calmly pulled the cart through the rows of trees. Why am I doing this again? A known secret of apple trees was the Betty. In every Apple family orchard was a single tree that could not be bucked, even by the strongest stallion. Each and every apple on this tree had to be plucked from its branches. Applejack smiled to herself, I think it’s time to have some fun. The three Cutie Mark Crusaders followed closely behind them. Matthew and Applejack made their way between the trunks. Applejack motioned with her hoof, “I think ya can start here!” Applejack pulled a few buckets from the cart, placing three at the bottom of Betty’s trunk snickering to herself. Matthew copied Applejack’s actions, placing three buckets next to the tree she had chosen. “Matthew, I want you to buck all the apples from these trees into the buckets,” Applejack motioned from the trees to the bucket. “Um, what?” Matthew asked. What the hell does buck mean? It sounds dirty. “Buck the tree.” When Matthew gave her a blank expression, Applejack sighed moving over to the tree Matthew had prepped. “Buck them! Like this!” with a shout Applejack spun on her hooves, delivering a powerful strike to the trunk with her hind legs. I didn’t expect that. Matthew gawked. All of the apples fell from the branches and into the bucket perfectly. “Remember to hit the tree as hard as you can.” Applejack raised an eyebrow, Matthew laughing at the thought. “Trust me Applejack. You don’t want me to hit that tree with all of my strength.” “Oh really,” Applejack challenged, a smile crossing her muzzle. “I bet my tree can take whatever you can dish out.” “Don’t make bets you can’t win,” Matthew teased, enjoying the friendly banter. Reminds me of the good old days. Applejack snorted, “Tell you what, how about we have a friendly little wager?” “Alright.” Applejack pretended to think for a moment, “I bet you can’t knock all of the apples of Betty here in three bucks. If all of these apples are in the bucket after three attempts, ya win. If not, ya lose.” You actually name your trees? “What happens if I lose?” Matthew inquired. “You get to watch my sister and her friends for a whole day,” Applejack said wearing a sinister smile. That doesn’t sound so bad. “And if I win?” Matthew asked smiling friendly, not really caring about winning or losing. “I will make a very special apple pie just for you tonight,” Applejack offered. That does sound tasty. Applejack offered him a hoof, “Deal?” Matthew shook her hoof, “Deal.” “He has no idea what he’s gotten into,” Applebloom muttered to the other two fillies. “Why?” asked Sweetie Bell in a hush whisper. “That’s Betty.” “You actually name your trees?” Scootaloo asked incredulously. “Yeah!” Applebloom snapped. “Betty’s the tree that can’t be bucked.” “Oh,” Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo responded, turning back to Applejack and Matthew. “This otta be good,” Scootaloo said, rubbing her hooves together in anticipation. Matthew readied himself in front of Betty, digging his hooves into the soft soil. I think twenty-thirty percent power will do it. Ready to go, Matthew bucked the hard bark. The tree vibrated gently, creating a low hum. Matthew looked expectantly at the apples, but none fell. Applejack chuckled, “That’s your first try. Two more to go.” This tree’s just a little tougher. That’s all. Matthew thought to himself, readying a second strike. Using more force, Matthew struck like a snake. His hard hooves smacked into the bark, the sound of a shotgun blast echoing in the air. The tree shook violently. Leaves lazily drifted onto the hard earth, still no apples fell. Applejack held her side, laughing heartily into the air, “That’s strike two. Third strike and you’re out.” The CMC joined the older mare in the merriment. Matthew eyed the tree, this plant was insulting him and he was not going to let a freaking plant get away with it. Applying power into his limbs, Matthew raised his hind legs and roared his challenge. When contact was made, everypony starred in awe at the result. Matthew’s hooves didn’t shake the tree, the tree exploded. Wood dust, leaves and branches flew in all directions, covering the two ponies in a thin layer of debris. The thundering of apples falling into the bucket warranted a smile from Matthew. I don’t know how that happened, but who cares! I got a free pie! Matthew turned to Applejack, the mare’s jaw hanging on their hinges. She stared at the buckets full of dusty red apples. “So, about that pie?” Applejack nodded, her surprise mirrored by the CMC. The three fillies turned to face each other, their shock turning to uncontrolled grins. “That was awesome!” Matthew tried to apologize to Applejack, but she refused. Instead, Applejack chose to fill Matthew in on the joke. Instead of being mad, Matthew decided to laugh it off. The day wore on, the sun hitting its highest point before lowering into the west. Matthew worked the fields alongside the two siblings, switching from moving buckets full of apples to the storage basement and bucking apples. Together, the three more than made up for Applejack’s absence the previous day. The sky turned dark when Granny Smith finally called it a day, “Supper! Come and get it! Geez!” The old mare screeched, Matthew appearing inches from her face. FOOD! All of the Apples and Matthew were seated in the warm kitchen table. True to their name, the Apples created a fest of apple pastries, salads of sliced apples and grass, apple cider, bread with spiced apple jam, and the most beautiful apple pies you could imagine. The legends were true! Applejack laid a single pie in front of Matthew before giving Big Mac one. “Dig in boys. You deserve it.” Poor choice of words. Matthew went head first into the pie, the crust and apples were baked to perfection. The flakiness of the warm crust was eloquently matched with the smooth filling. Cinnamon and spices in perfect alliance with the sweet apples to deliver the most mouthwatering pie one could ever imagine. This food would make a weaker man cry! Matthew took a moment from his first bite to take in the full impact of flavor. A single tear rolled down his cheek. But not this man! Get Back In There! The tear reversing its path towards the cheek before Matthew again delved into the culinary masterpiece. Unlike the Royal Palace, the Apples were no stuck ups to manners. Granny Smith leaned over to Applejack, “That boy has a healthy appetite.” Applebloom asked Matthew, the stallion licking the aluminum cover, “Um, Mr. Matthew?” Matthew lowered the pie cover, a piece of crust stuck to the end of his muzzle between his nostrils. “Yes?” Matthew asked kindly, trying get at the piece stuck to his nose with his tongue. Applebloom and Granny chuckled as the food eluded the stallion’s pink tongue. “I was wondering, are you stronger than Big Mac?” Applebloom asked, smiling at him. “Well…” Matthew thought for a moment. Absolutely! “I’d say we’re evenly matched in some areas.” That’s putting it lightly, I’d f***ing destroy him. “Eeyup,” Big Mac said, chuckling to himself. “How about…” Applebloom began, but Applejack cut her off. “Sorry squirt, but it’s time for bed. Early bird gets the worm.” Big Mac and Granny Smith shooed Matthew out of the kitchen, denying all his offers to help clean up. Applebloom made her way to bed. Looking around the living room, Matthew’s attention was drawn to a very ornate shelf filled with pictures. One particular picture had a small red colt and orange filly standing next to a taller pair of earth ponies. A tall dark red pony with a scruff black mane wrapped a leg around a smaller green mare with long blond hair. All of the ponies looked happily out of the photo. “Mah parents.” Matthew turned towards Applejack, her eyes downcast with her ears. Matthew asked, “What happened?” “There was an accident,” Applejack stated, crossing her hooves in discomfort. Matthew looked into Applejack’s green eyes, offering his condolences. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Applejack brushed it off, “Thank you, but you need to get to bed also. There won’t be many chores tomorrow, but we here like to get things done early.” Matthew nodded. Applejack motioned for him to follow. Applejack led Matthew up the wooden stair and through the hallway, passing a room stamped with the mark Big Mac’s Room in bold black lettering. At the end of the hall, Applejack motioned for Matthew to enter the only room without any ownership. Matthew thanked her as he entered the room, closing the door behind him. Matthew’s room was simple, a large mattress covered with a handmade red and blue quilt on a dark maple wood frame with two fluffy pillows to match. A large chest lay at the end of the bed, holding thicker blankets for the colder months. A desk was pushed into the far corner of the room, made of the same dark wood. I like it. The room was simple, but had a nice country quality to it. Slipping under the covers, Matthew laid his furry cheek onto the soft pillows. Huh… this is new. I get to sleep in an ordinary bed for two nights in a row. Woo-hoo! Matthew closed his eyes, drifting into darkness.