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// How About a Little Wager? 
// Story: Might Give Ya Some Perspective 
// by Caineachu 
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"I'll git yer sorry behind to do some manual labor if'n it kills me." Applejack was sitting on her rump, looking up at the Spirit of Chaos, who had decided to drop in rather unexpectedly as she was working and start lazing around. She swore, he was worse than that Rainbow Dash when it came to getting in her way.

"Is that a threat or a promise, my dear?" His voice nearly drips with smugness, and it made the orange mare even more irritated. One of these days she was gonna buck him into next week.

"Well, 'darlin'', that depends on if'n you actually git to workin' or not."

"You and I have drastically different ideas of what work means. Manual labor?" He waves his paw at her. "Pshhh, no way, no how! But if you think my usual day is passed in indolence, clearly you have never been an all-powerful deity with the ability to manipulate reality on a whim before." He casually tugs an apple from under her hat and munches on it as he talks, bits of apple flying out of his mouth. "You might consider it at some point. It could give you some perspective."

"This might come as a surprise to ya, but that opportunity's never come remotely close ta me. Where I come from, we're raised ta work hard. Makes the reward that much sweeter." She moves next to one of the apple trees before she leans forward on her forelegs, striking the trunk with her powerful hind legs. A single apple falls, and she catches it in her hoof before biting into it. "Quite literally, if'n I do say so myself. Y'all should try it some time." She gives him a smug grin. "Might give ya some perspective."

The draconequus hovers in the air before her, chin perched atop his paw wild he looks over his own apple speculatively, considering her words. "Who's to say I haven't? I've lived a very, very long time. Sometimes I get fancies, you know. Ideas. Bored little notions. Of all the breeds of all the lands, you earth ponies have always been a source of fascination to me. Always working so hard and so tirelessly...to what end, I wonder?"

Applejack takes another bite of her apple. "Well, I jus' told ya part of it. A hard day's work makes the reward a lot better. There's a level of satisfaction from workin' your rump off and then gettin' rewarded for it, 'stead of just snapping yer fingers and havin' it immediately."

Discord cups the apple in his hands, holding it rather like a mug of coffee as he surveys her with a sagely gaze. He even takes a sip of it, the apple shriveling slightly as he drains its juices. "Hm. So what you're saying is, you work hard for so long because it's the WORK you place value in, rather than the pay off?"

She shakes her head. "It ain't jus' that. I place value in bein' able to look out at the orchard at the end of the day and know that I did it all with my own hooves." She looks at said orchard, smiling a little to herself. "All hoof grown, the entire dang thing. 'M proud of pushing myself to keep this place runnin' like a well oiled machine, as hard as it gets. 'M proud of the work I do in a day, as hard as it is, and as easy as it'd be ta just magic it all up." She turns back to face him. "Ain't the way my parents did it, so that ain't the way I'd want it done."

He just grins down at her, carelessly tossing his now-drained apple over his shoulder, where it crawls away once hitting the ground.. "See, Applejack, THAT'S what I'm talking about. It's just so novel to me, that amongst all this magic and flying and such, there's still some room left in the world for ditch diggers and plow pushers to mull about."

He leans over her, poking her in the forehead. "Never changing. Always doing the same thing, day in and day out. Simple, boring, plain ponies. Yep. That's really something special. I'd even call it a rarity. Or I would, except she's got magic, doesn't she? And just how MANY dresses does she make in one day? Maybe if she did things your way, she'd stop to appreciate each and every one more. Might cut productivity in half, but you know, slow and steady and all that."

Applejack looks up at the finger poking her forehead. Her eyes narrow slightly, but she doesn't bother to tell him to move it. "Ain't just us earth ponies that do the same thing, day in, day out. Everypony does. It's a part 'a life. Responsibilities and hobbies and jobs and what have ya."

"Oh, I'm talking bigger than that. Much MUCH bigger. Did you know that even when I was running the show, it was your types that were the ones managing all this...menial labor type stuff? Not many opportunities on the social ladder for the humble earthfolk, seems. I just wonder why that is. With magic developing with each generation and these new-fangled weather factories sailing about in the sky, I just can't help wondering how much longer all of...this." He gestures to all of Sweet Apple Acres. "Will be necessary."

She gives him a little shrug. "As long as the way we make it is better 'n the way magic and modern gizmos can. Them Flim-Flam Brothers tried to use fancy machinery to do the job us Apples do every day with our own hooves, and they were dang near ran out of town because of how their's jus' couldn't compare." She grins up at him, a proud little grin. "Ain't nothin' sweeter than home-grown, hoof-squeezed Sweet Apple Acres cider, and I reckon there won't be until after I'm long gone."

She watches as his grin fades, becoming an annoyed, somewhat petulant frown when he realizes he can't seem to ruffle her confidence. "Do you really think so, Applejack?"

She can't help but flash a smug smirk. it wasn't often she was able to get at him like this. "I most certainly do, my dear Discord."

He looks down at her, fingers on his chin. "Hmm. How about a little wager, then?" At this, she's mighty tempted to say no, but her competitive side wins out. Plus, she's curious. 

"Sure, I'm down fer it. What're we wagerin' on?"

"Why, the most important thing of all, naturally: pride. And you know, life as you know it and all that."

She slightly narrows her eyes at him. "..Alright. Shoot, then. What's yer bet?"

"Oh, it's simple really." His body wraps itself around her as he speaks. "I will prove to you that anypony else could do your valued work just as easily as you can. For one day, I will follow your usual schedule and keep pace with you, without use of my usual chaotic abilities."

At his words, Applejack just barely holds back a scoff. "You tryin' ta keep pace with me with no crazy magic nonsense? Now that's jus' something I gotta see! Alrighty." She spits in her hoof before holding it out to him, as if the spit will seal the deal. "You got yerself a bet, Discord."

His rather long tongue flicks up to dig into a nostril, then spits into his palm and shakes her hoof, his usual smug grin splitting across his face as he chuckles to himself. "I most certainly do."

She grins right back at him, entirely certain she's got this in the bag. "Ya can stop on by tomorrow mornin', 'fore the rooster even gets ta crow. Then we can get ta workin'. Sound good?"

"Very well. But before I go." He claps his hands together, rubbing his palms. "We must discuss the matter of what's at stake. What are you willing to give up, in the event of my victory, hm?"

She holds back a snort. "That's assumin' you have a better chance 'n a snowball in a bonfire. But I s'pose I'll give up..." She pauses, trying to think of something. While entirely sure she'd win with little to no problem, she didn't want to wager anything of extreme importance. "Um...well, what'd you give up, if'n I win?"

"Ohhh I don't know..." He reaches behind his back, pulling out a cardboard box full of useless junk. "I can't imagine there's anything in my collection a pony would want...lets seeeeee here..." He digs in, throwing out old tires, various animals, an old half-melted piece of candy that he throws into his mouth, a priceless vase that shatters against a tree when he tosses it, and other seemingly random things. Applejack watches him with a slightly raised eyebrow, itching at one of her forelegs.

Eventually, he seems to have emptied the contents of the box, and it bottoms out, depositing him to the ground. "OOF--! Well, that's a bit of a trick, isn't it? Seems we'll need to." He pauses to snigger at his own joke. "Think outside the box a bit on this one." He snaps his fingers, and the box is gone, replaced by a yoke around his neck. He extends a rope out to her, which she takes in her hoof. "If I somehow were to lose, I will grant you an hour of my time each and every day, that I will spend in a manner of your choosing. No tricks. No spells. I would follow your every whim, no matter how BORING those whims would undoubtedly be."

She looks down the rope before looking up at him. "An hour a day with you doin' whatever I want ya to?" She smirks a little. "Golly, Discord, I'd hafta be a fool to not like that sound of havin' the almighty Spirit of Chaos at my disposal."

"Seems only fair that, should I win, you will offer the same. That's fair, isn't it?"

She nods. "Yeah, I reckon that's fair."

"Splendid!" He snaps his fingers again, the yoke and rope disappearing as he grins down at her. "I'll see you in the morrow, my little pony." And with that, he vanishes in a white flash, leaving Applejack alone in the orchard.