//------------------------------// // 59. The Apple Family // Story: Tales of the Oppressed // by Terran34 //------------------------------// I step off of the train and onto the platform of Ponyville Station. I can tell the difference in the air immediately. It seems freer and less dense, and smells faintly of apples, though suppose I shouldn't be surprised. It is a rural town, after all. The compartment I just came from empties, with the multitude of ponies I traveled with emerging and looking at their beloved hometown. We gather in a large group in the clearing just outside the train station. “It's time to git back to it, ponyfolks,” Applejack says with a tip of her hat. A weird feeling comes over me just then, as the other ponies start looking at one another. I cast my gaze around to each of their faces. It's difficult to explain, but it's like I known these ponies for a lot longer than I have. Maybe it's because I've fought alongside most of them. “I suppose it is. There's still much to be done here, after all,” Rarity agrees, smiling radiantly. Her expression spreads to the others as well. I guess it's really starting to sink in that they're finally home. I know that's what I'm feeling. It's as if a relaxed air of contentment has fallen over me. I mean, technically we saved Ponyville as well, because I doubt Chrysalis would have stopped with just Canterlot. “Well, everypony, it was fun spending time with you all,” Fluttershy tells us, already starting to head her own way. “I'm going to head back to my cottage.” “Take care, Fluttershy!” Twilight calls after her. With that, Fluttershy leaves the area, accompanied by a chorus of goodbyes. “It's time to go home, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity says next, addressing her little sister. Then she lifts her head and looks at me. “One last thing before I go. Seth, did you ever consider my offer?” “What offer?” I ask. I search my mind, but I don't remember Rarity asking or offering me anything recently. “Did you forget? I asked you last night if you wanted to accompany Fluttershy and I to the spa sometime, so you could get your mane attended to,” Rarity explains, looking affronted that I'd forgotten. “Yeah, I don't remember you saying anything of the sort,” I admit, earning a sigh of exasperation from her. “I might have been half asleep at that point. Still though, I don't trust anypony to do my hair right.” “You should at least give them a chance, dear,” Rarity advises me. “Aloe and Lotus function on a satisfaction-guaranteed policy. If you don't like what they do, you can always withhold payment.” “Not to mention, it's a spa. As far as I remember, they don't even offer hair treatments. That's a barber's job,” I point out, not bothering to refute her previous logic because it's actually pretty sound. I have refused to pay barbers before for fucking up my hair. “Clearly we have different ideas of what a spa is,” Rarity states. I groan and rub my forehead. Can you stop coming up with reasons on why I should go? I really don't want to. “You can indeed get your mane cut if you go there, as it's an establishment dedicated to taking care of the body. The soul as well, if you want to get romantic.” “I still don't want to go. It just seems...girly, to me,” I admit, averting my gaze. At that, the ponies listening, as they're all girls except for Spike, chuckle a bit, to my chagrin. Rarity in particular scoffs and facehoofs. “Such a stallion, you are. Taking care of your body isn't a sentiment that stallions should shy away from,” Rarity admonishes me. I mean, technically she's right, but...this just feels weird to me. Rarity then takes out a notepad. "If that's your reasoning, I'm putting this on your schedule. How does tomorrow afternoon sound, after work?” “Wait, seriously? You're going to just sign me up, whether I like it or not?” I demand, my irritation starting to rise. “Well, you're being silly. Are you just going to let your mane deteriorate?” Rarity questions me. “I mean, if that's your decision, I understand, but it would be such a shame to let such beauty decline.” “Are you really complimenting my hair so I'll agree to go with you?” I ask incredulously, absentmindedly running my hand through my hair. Since I haven't cut it since getting to Equestria, it's now hanging past my waist. It's fucking ridiculous. My mother always told me I had the hair growth of a girl. I bet Amaryllis would be laughing her ass off right now if she could see me with hair longer than hers. “I might be. Is it working?” Rarity returns coyly. “Fucking...fine. I'm telling you though, if they fuck it up...” I warn her. I don't feel the need to finish my sentence though, and instead just let the potential threat hang in the air. “Then I'll take responsibility. All right, I shall come by to pick you up from work tomorrow afternoon then,” Rarity declares, looking pleased with herself. “Now that that's taken care of, I'm going to head back to my boutique. Let's go, Sweetie Belle.” With another smattering of goodbyes, Rarity and Sweetie Belle depart, heading back to their home. Now, it's just Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow, Pinkie, Apple Bloom, Spike, and Scootaloo here. Most of them have been talking amongst themselves during my conversation with Rarity. “Back to Sugarcube Corner I go! Much to do!” Pinkie is the next to depart, zooming off like a fucking rocket, somehow managing to move extremely fast while bouncing along. Scootaloo heads off on her own next, though I have no idea where she's going. Nor do I particularly care. “Seth, what are you going to do? We still have to do that get-together we've got planned,” Rainbow reminds me as she leaps into the air and starts to hover. “When can we do that?” “Hm, I'm not sure. But you're right, we do need to do that,” I respond. I've been looking forward to chilling with her sometime, with just the two of us, where we can snack on sweets and rock out to some real music. “Pardon me fer interruptin', but there's still some time left in the day. Ya wanna come and git a few hours o' work in?” Applejack inserts, addressing me. “Yes I would. A few hours of work means a few hours of pay. I've got to make up for the money I spent getting this coat remade,” I respond immediately. Applejack nods and starts turning the other way, while Rainbow appears disappointed. No doubt she wanted to do that hang out rather soon. “Rainbow, we need to plan that out. Like you said, we need snacks and drinks, so we have to give Pinkie prior notice.” “Pinkie? She could whip something like that up in less than an hour, I bet,” Rainbow counters, pouting. “Bullshit. Baking takes longer than that,” I return. “Seriously though, it's not going to be tonight. Meet me after I'm done with work, and we'll nail down a time.” “All right, fine. I have to check with the weather team, anyway, since I've been gone for a long time. Gotta make sure they haven't messed anything up,” Rainbow agrees, though I can tell she's annoyed. Then, she turns in midair and streaks towards the sky. “Later!” “You comin,' Seth?” Applejack asks. Apple Bloom is watching me from atop her sister's back, being as adorable as ever. “We got a lot to do.” “Yeah, I just have to head back to Vinyl's real quick and put on some work clothes, I'm not working while wearing this thing,” I respond, pinching at the fabric hanging off of my shoulders. Yeah, no way I'm working in a coat this nice. “Got it. Ah'll see ya at the farm then. Don't take too long,” Applejack acknowledges, and then she and Apple Bloom leave the group. There's now three of us here. Four, if you count Spike. “Twilight, I'll probably end up visiting you later tonight, after I'm done with Applejack and Rainbow,” I say, once the two of them are gone. “I'm interested to see what kind of literature you ponies have come up with.” “Oh, you're in for a treat then. There's a lot of good books that I can recommend,” Twilight replies with a happy smile. “I'll be expecting you then. I'll have some tea ready when you arrive. What time do you think you'll get there?” “I'm not giving you a time. Because then you'll just flip a shit if I'm even the slightest bit early or late,” I tell her. That in particular gets Spike laughing, because he knows it's true. “But...then how will I know when to get the tea ready? Or when I should stop studying and wait for you?” Twilight asks, distressed. “I've planned out the entirety of my night, so it's important that I know when to fit you in.” “You've planned...okay, that's just sad. I'm certainly not giving you a time now. I guess you'll just have to adapt,” I remark with a cocky grin. Twilight looks like a filly that just got told that she couldn't have any dessert. Spike just finds this whole thing incredibly amusing. “I guess I'll see you later. Ready to go, Vinyl?” “Seth, wait!” Twilight calls after me as I help Vinyl push her cart away. We quickly leave her behind though, and she doesn't follow us. Hah, it's funny how I can find what annoys these ponies so easily. With Rainbow, it's being called sappy. With Twilight, it's anything that fucks with that schedule of hers. I haven't found something for Applejack though. Nothing really phases her, it seems. “You enjoy tormenting her, don't you?” Vinyl accuses me as we travel down the street. “Only because she makes it so easy,” I admit with a grin. Vinyl nods and chuckles, probably seeing it the same as I do. One thing I notice is that several of the ponies in the street that we pass are looking at us. Or more specifically, me. Really? I thought we were over that already. Then I notice that the ones that are looking at me are smiling. Okay, this is weird. “Hey there.” Oh fuck, one of them actually came up and talked to us. I recognize the pony as one that I've generally seen around town a few times, but never actually spoke to. “Seth Rogers, right? I just wanted to thank you.” With that, the pony ducks her head and retreats before I can respond, such that I'm left staring after her in utter confusion. “The fuck? What was that all about?” I ask Vinyl. “Not a clue, dude. You think maybe they heard the news from Canterlot?” Vinyl suggests. Seconds later, one of the ponies we pass waves at me, and another cheers. “That makes sense. I mean, they're way too happy to see me. Usually they turn their heads the moment they spot me,” I remark. I guess if they read the news report on my existence, they probably think I'm some kind of hero. Fucking idiots. “Only because you snap at them way too quickly,” Vinyl chides me with a nudge. “Maybe if you loosened up a bit and treated them with a bit more tolerance, they'd like you more.” “No thanks. I couldn't care less about most of them. Especially since they can be extremely annoying or stupid. Or both,” I retort. Vinyl heaves an exasperated sigh. “That's what I'm talking about, right there,” she tells me, but my only response is an uncaring shrug. Choosing to deal with the flaws of another doesn't make them any less flawed. So I figure, what's the point? Finally, we reach Vinyl's house, which doubles as the place where I've been living for a long time. It's really small compared to the Canterlot suite that I've been living in with Rainbow for a while, but that's fine with me. I hate Canterlot with a passion, because every time I go there, somepony always wrecks my shit, intentionally or not. First it was Celestia, and then it was Chrysalis. It only takes us a few seconds before Vinyl and I get the cart back inside the house and up against the wall where it usually sits. I let go of the cart and sigh, glad for the exertion to be over. I mean, I could have used magic, but I'd rather not if I can help it. “I'm going to get changed,” I state simply, moving away from the wall and climbing the stairs. Vinyl calls something up after me, but I don't really pay attention. Whatever. It probably wasn't all that important anyway. The first thing I do when I reach my room is unstrap my coat and hang it on the rack next to my desk. Then I remove my black pants and sleeveless shirt, until I'm left with just my boxers. Next, I dress in a set of comfortable, but warm work clothes. It's still cold outside, thanks to it being winter, so I can't go out wearing too little. Though this amount should be good enough. Chances are I'll be working hard, so the exertion should keep me warm enough. Lastly, I slip on Apple Bloom's hair band, because I totally fucking need it with all of the hair I have now. As ridiculous as it makes me feel to admit it, I'm actually hoping that the spa can handle my hair properly. I miss my shoulder length hair. With a quick word of farewell to Vinyl, I leave the house, on my way to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack meets me at the entrance to the farm, having already rounded up her family in preparation for another evening of work. Big Mac, who I haven't seen in a while, tips his head politely to me in greeting. “Good, yer here. Let's git started then,” Applejack greets me once I get within earshot of her. She beckons me inside with a hoof. Wordlessly, I follow her, joining the Apple family or whatever the fuck I'm supposed to call them. “Ah'm really glad you're here, Mr. Seth!” Apple Bloom addresses me, brushing up against my leg in what I assume is supposed to be an affectionate greeting. It's funny, but I feel restless. Almost as my mind is still on guard, unconvinced that life is really going back to normal. Pah, I say normal, but there's still multicolored ponies all around me. “We need to go play again soon. It's been like, forever!” “It really has, hasn't it? So much shit has happened,” I reply. I guess Apple Bloom wants me to play with her and her friends again. You know, since I haven't really spent any time with her since the wedding began. “I'll have to find time to fit you in. Between Rarity's imposed spa visit, work, and my hang-out with Rainbow, I don't think I'll be free for at least a few more days.” That gets a disappointed sigh from Apple Bloom. “Ah understand,” she emits. And goddammit she's doing that thing where she's being adorable again. Stop it, there's nothing I can do about it. “By the way, what am I actually doing this time around? Didn't we already plant the crops?” I ask, wondering what kind of crap I'm going to be exhausting myself with this time. “We did, but there ain't never a shortage o' work to do aroun' here,” Applejack assures me. Oh good, because I was totally worrying about that. “Nah, instead ah'm fixin' ta give you some repair work.” “Repair work? What got damaged?” “Without Rainbow, the weather team lacks in experience, so the last storm they sent at us was a bit rougher than intended,” Applejack explains. She lifts a hoof and points at the roof of the barn. “A few o' the shingles took some damage. The gutters are also jammed. If ya think you can handle it, ah'd like you to take care o' that.” “Got it,” I respond, though my mind is screaming on the inside. Gutters? Are you fucking kidding me? That has to be one of the filthiest jobs imaginable, what with all the shit storms can toss in there. I bet I can expect to see leaves, insect nests, probably rotten fruit, and oh my god this is going to be one of the worst jobs ever. I think I preferred hand plowing, because at least that much was comparatively clean. “Big Mac, can ya get Seth a ladder? He's got to get up to the roof somehow,” Applejack requests of her brother. Just as the red stallion is about to do just that, I take to the air with a short jump, magic rippling around me. “Oh. Nevermind. Ah fergot you can do that.” “Just tell me where to find the materials I need to fix up this roof...and how to do that, and I'll get right on it,” I tell her confidently, lowering myself to the ground again and powering down. “Also, I'll need buckets to dispose of the gutter waste.” “Raht. You'll find that right in the barn. Come with me,” Applejack orders me. She turns to her siblings. “Big Mac, would you mind checkin' the coop for damages?” “Nnope,” Big Mac responds simply, and then he breaks off from the rest of us. Next, Applejack addresses her sister. “Apple Bloom, Granny Smith needs some help 'round the house. Could you go do that?” Applejack requests. “You got it, sis!” And now Apple Bloom is gone too, leaving me with just Applejack. “Also, what do I do with the buckets once they're filled? Actually, that brings up a better question: What the hell do ponies do with their trash?” I ask curiously. I mean, these ponies basically weird in a strange mesh of the medieval and information era, so honestly I have no idea. “Ah ain't the pony to talk to about that. You'd be better off talkin' to Twilight,” Applejack confesses, much to my annoyance. “But ah can tell ya that ah plan on usin' everythin' you bring down from the roof as fertilizer.” After receiving that answer, we've reached the shelves inside the barn. Applejack brings down several empty buckets, as well as a few that are filled with replacement shingles. Huh. Pretty convenient for her to just have those lying around. I guess if you're living in a rural place like this, you need to be prepared...for the weather that the ponies themselves control. Fuck it, I don't care. It's not going to make sense, but I'm going to do it because it'll get me some money. After pulling out a bunch of other materials that I'm going to need, Applejack gives me a run down of how I'm actually supposed to do this. My spirits sink as her explanation drags. This looks like it's going to be a difficult job, and I'm not looking forward to it at all. “Ah don't expect ya to get everything done today. Just do as much as ya can, and I'll put ya back to work tomorrow,” Applejack assures me. Okay good. Because this is a lot of stuff to do for just a few hours of work, like she told me earlier. “Go ahead and git to it. I'll call ya when we wrap up fer the night.” “Okay,” I grunt simply, picking up the buckets of shingles. As well as the tools needed to properly secure them. It takes me a few agonizing steps to get outside, but then once I am, I release my magic and the weight of the things I'm carrying lessens to the point where I can take off from the ground and fly up to the roof. So I've decided I hate shingles with every fiber of my being. These fucking things just don't want to move, and I can't use magic to make them move because I could potentially damage the roof more if I did that. So here I am with a hammer, trying to pry up the old damaged shingles so that I can actually replace them. Of course, I can't just remove all the damaged ones first, and then replace them all at once. I have to do it one at a time, so that there's never a hole in the room for more than a few minutes. So as you can imagine, it's very painstakingly long work. So yeah, I don't even get to gutters before Applejack calls me down for the night. I fly to the ground with my supplies just next to her. I notice that there's a newspaper rolled up in the saddlebags that she's wearing. A quick glance at the date tells me that it's today's paper. “What's with the newspaper?” I ask her as we start walking to the living area. “Huh? Oh, Derpy came and dropped it off a few minutes ago. Ah was thinkin' of looking over it with ma family come dinnertime, as always.” Applejack explains. Huh. Well, that seems like a waste of time and energy. I remember I never really used to pay much attention to the news back in my time, because it would always just piss me off. “Speakin' of dinner, would you like to join us tonaht?” “Wha...oh, we're back to this again,” I complain. I had forgotten over the past month of not working with her that she would do this all the time. I'm not kidding. Even over the month and a half that I was training, Applejack would ask me to join her family for dinner every time I worked with her. Every time. Every goddamn time. “Are we doing this again? Are you just going to keep asking me that same damn question?” “Of course. No reason for me ta stop,” Applejack responds as if she didn't think it was that big of a deal. “What about the fact that I've said 'no' every time you offer? Didn't it ever cross your mind that my answer isn't going to suddenly change?” I demand, setting down the supplies and facing her. Applejack senses that I've finally had enough, so she stops as well and gives me her full attention. “Ah don't let it bother me. Ah figured you weren't comfortable dinin' with mah family the first time ah asked. So ah wanted ta keep askin', so you knew that the offer would always be there for you,” Applejack explains to me seriously. “It ain't just me that wants ya there, by the way. We've gotten used ta seeing you aroun' the farm almost everyday, it's like yer one of us.” “That's...what? Since when have you suddenly wanted to be my friend? I thought we were just fine being boss and employee,” I protest. I remember when I told that to her the first time, and she accepted so readily. Ever since then, she's always given me my space, but she's always been offering... “Ah've never stopped, Seth. Yer just too stubborn to see it,” Applejack points out, tapping my chest lightly with a hoof. “When you told me to back off, ah respected yer decision, and never pushed too hard. But like it or not, you've left an impression on this family.” “And somehow said impression has turned out to be positive. Which brings me to ask the question that's been bugging me forever. All I'm doing is being a total ass most of the time, and yet ponies keep somehow deciding that I'm better than they expected. How does that happen?” I ask fervently, desperately hoping that Applejack can give me the kind of answer I'm looking for. Being mean should make ponies run away, not try to get closer. Humans would have run away by now. Why the hell don't you ponies act like the humans I remember? “Maybe cuz yer not as bad as ya think,” Applejack responds as if it were obvious. She follows up with a reassuring smile. “We're not so shallow that we can't look past the surface to see how ya are on the inside.” I'm left speechless by that for at least a minute. What the fuck. This pony that I've taken for a simple farm pony has fucking thrown me for a loop in less than five minutes. “You're fucking nuts,” I finally say, unable to think of anything more intelligent to say. “Maybe ah am. But ah'm gonna ask you one more time,” Applejack says, taking my insult in stride. “Would you like to come eat dinner with us? Ah know Apple Bloom in particular wants you there.” “...Can I pay you for it?” “Nope,” is Applejack's immediate (and somewhat smug) response. Ugh...and there goes my easy way out. I mean...I guess at this point I don't really know why I keep turning down Applejack. I mean, I guess it's both out of habit, and of the fact that I thought she was content with our relationship being as distant as it was. I don't know whether I should be pissed that she never really thought that way, or flattered that she's been trying extremely hard for months to let me know that her table always had a spot for me if I wanted it. “Fine, I'll join you for tonight. But only because you won't shut up about it,” I relent, feeling a bit disappointed in myself for giving in. But the smile that I get in response to my positive response isn't one of gloating or of scheming. It's just...happy. That's all. Just a happy smile. “Right, right. We'd be glad to have ya. Come on in, and we'll get ya settled,” Applejack says, ushering me inside the living area. It's much warmer inside the house, thankfully. Now that I'm inside, I can see steam wafting from the kitchen. The sound of pots and pans clanging together emanates from further in, as well as the indistinct griping of Granny Smith and the giggling of Apple Bloom. I guess they're still in the middle of cooking. More likely they're finishing up otherwise I'd still be on the roof. “Apple Bloom! Help yer brother set the table!” Applejack calls authoritatively into the kitchen. After hearing a response from her sister, Applejack leads me into the dining room, where sure enough, Big Mac is laying out plates and glasses from a stack that he's balancing on his back. That's a little bit impressive. “Big Mac, what are you doin'? Take the plates one at a time, or yer gonna drop them.” “Ah'm here! How can ah help?” Apple Bloom proclaims, rushing into the room. She nearly causes a disaster, as she's heading straight for Big Mac, but Applejack thankfully blocks her with a hoof. Apple Bloom spots me a second later. “Mr. Seth! What are you...oh! Are ya here fer dinner!?” Apple Bloom looks so fucking hopeful after she asks that question, it makes me a little glad that I accepted Applejack's offer. That's not a face that I'd relish saying no to. Seriously, how does Applejack do it? “I am, actually,” I tell her, and then suddenly, there's an extremely happy filly bouncing in circles around me almost like Pinkie would, spouting several variants of hoorays. “Heh, all right, all right, calm down.” “How can ah calm down? This is the first time you've ever stayed for dinner! This is huge!” Apple Bloom explains to me while waggling her hoof at me like a mother scolding a child. “I'm so happy raht now!” “Apple Bloom, the table?” Applejack reminds her sister with a knowing grin. Apple Bloom shuts her mouth and makes a beeline for her brother, remembering the task that she'd been given. “Hey Granny?” “What? Ah'm busy in here!” Granny Smith screeches from the kitchen, and then seconds later I hear a clatter as something hits the ground. “Dangnabbit!” “Sorry Granny. Just wanted ta let ya know to set aside an extra portion of today's meal. Seth's joinin' us this evenin',” Applejack informs her, chuckling a little at her grandmother's antics. “Really now? Now ah want ya to tell me just how you got that young stallion to agree to that! He seemed like the difficult sort,” Granny Smith returns, sounding genuinely surprised. “Still here, thank you,” I alert the elderly mare, annoyed that she's talking about me as if I'm not here. In response, Granny Smith's wizened face peeks around the edge of the kitchen door, scanning the room until she spots me. “Oh. So ya are. Good to see ya, sonny! Take a seat, and ah'll get yer food to ya raht quick!” Granny Smith responds as if nothing was wrong, and then she returns to the kitchen. “Still want to know how ya did it, Applejack!” “It was Seth's decision, Granny. Not mine,” Applejack replies, giving me an apologetic glance. With a shrug, I do as I'm told and take a seat, the extra chair provided by Big Mac after he'd finished setting the table with the help of his little sister. Applejack takes a seat next to me, removing her saddlebags and retrieving the newspaper with her mouth, setting it out on the table. The moment she unrolls it in the empty spot between our plates, she blinks. “Huh. Seems like tonaht's news is a doozy,” she comments. That gets me curious enough to peek over at it myself. I can't make out the words from here, but I can read the title of the article on the front page. “A Robbery in White Tail Woods,” it reads. Oh boy, so it's exactly like I expected. Fucking thieves can't keep their hands off of other people's shit, no matter what species they are. At last, Granny Smith emerges from the kitchen with a small cart, on top of which are dishes of every kind. I see apple pie on there (oh boy, what a shocker, apple pie for the Apple family), but also an assortment of casseroles, salads, sandwiches, and cups of water. “Ah made plenty! Don't be shy, everyone dig in!” Granny Smith announces, and then she proceeds to fill her plate with the food of her choice. As Apple Bloom moves towards the cart, Granny watches her closely. “Hooves off the apple pie until you finish your salad, young filly.” “I know, Granny, I won't touch it,” Apple Bloom assures her, though I don't miss the look of disappointment that crosses her face for a split second. Heh, children will be children, I guess. I fill my plate with the food that's edible to me, and then I reach for the apple pie as well...only for Granny Smith to rap my knuckles with a skillet. “Now, didn't ah just say not to touch the apple pie? That goes fer you too, sir!” Granny scolds me, as I nurse my aching hand in surprise. “Shame on you.” “Really? I'm an adult, so shouldn't I be the one who gets to make my own decisions?” I demand, though I do withdraw my hand, because that skillet hurts. “Not in mah house! Us older folk gotta set an example for the young 'uns. Now you eat yer salad, young stallion!” Granny protests hotly. She continues to glare at me until I add an extra helping of salad on my plate, and then she smiles in satisfaction. Wow, I don't think I've ever been scolded for something so trivial since I was a kid. Especially since my diet was entirely my choice during college. “What are you snickering about?” I ask Apple Bloom, who's trying hard not to choke on a mouthful of salad because she's laughing. “You got in trouble,” Apple Bloom teases me after she manages to swallow her food. I scowl and poke her in the side of the head, which only seems to amuse her further. “Too bad.” The rest of us start digging in to our food with gusto. There's silence for a bit, but then Applejack takes a drink of water before spreading out the newspaper. “So, get this. The news today is a bit different from the norm,” she comments. “Oh? Let's hear it then. If ah have to hear about the new dress line in Manehattan again, ah'm gonna flip!” Granny Smith urges. I agree with Granny. Who the fuck cares about some new line of fashion? If I wanted to hear about that, I'd ask Rarity. “Allraht, here we go. The title is 'a Robbery in White Tail Woods.' It says here that a shop on the edge of the woods up near Van Hoover got robbed, and nopony knows who did it!” Applejack relates, and while I'm not all that surprised, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Big Mac all display various degrees of shock. “What is this world comin' to? Why, there's already been an all out attack on Canterlot, and now ponies are takin' things that don't belong to them?” Granny Smith laments, throwing her hooves up in the air. “What next?” “That ain't good. Granny, you always said not to take things that aren't mine,” Apple Bloom says, stating her opinion next. “Eeyup,” is Big Mac's typical response. Okay, so from the way they're all reacting, the concept of thievery seems to be very new to them. How is that possible? People or ponies will always crave things that don't belong to them. It's just our nature. Or is this world trying to tell me ponies are intrinsically different? “Eh, thievery isn't the worst that could happen,” I say flippantly, causing them all to look at me in shock. “What? That kind of stuff happens all the time where I'm from.” “That's raht, you're from a long time ago. Ah remember you sayin' somethin' like that,” Granny Smith recalls. “That's jus' wrong though. That shopkeeper no doubt worked hard to get his stock. It ain't fair!” “Applejack, what exactly got taken?” I ask curiously. Because the dinner tradition here seems to be talking about the news, I might as well join in. Plus, if this is a new robbery, it might be connected to Chrysalis. Come on, a robbery for the first time in a long time only a month after Chrysalis gets free? There could be a connection there. Applejack peers at the newspaper once more. “Well, the shopkeeper said that the thief was only after one thing; a tiny amulet said to increase yer magic,” she paraphrases. Huh, I could use one of those. But shit, if Chrysalis gets a hold of that, she could be a problem. “The theft was actually reported by...Trixie?” “What? Ain't she that pony that said she could beat an Ursa Major?” Apple Bloom replies. Huh, that name sounds a little familiar. I think Rainbow mentioned something about her to me before. I don't think I paid much attention though. “She was a fake, right?” “Definitely. But she says she was looking for something to make herself stronger, when she found the shopkeeper out cold behind the counter,” Applejack continues, reading the quote from the paper. “That's rough. Ah hope they catch the thief. That amulet sounds dangerous.” I could mention that I suspect it might be Chrysalis, but there's still the chance I could be wrong, so decide to keep that to myself. No point in getting everyone panicked over nothing. Chrysalis is likely still recovering from her loss at Canterlot. No way she'd make a move so soon. At least, I hope that's the case. The thought that I might have to fight her again terrifies me. I can't even count how many times over the past month I've woken up, sweating, with her voice haunting my waking thoughts. “Ah'm sure Princess Celestia will take care of it. She always does, after all,” Granny Smith decides. “Any other news? There must be something less dismal in there.” “Yeah, down here, it talks about how the royal wedding was a success. See that now? Ah did that!” Applejack boasts, pointing her hoof at the article. Heh, I figured they wouldn't want to talk about the theft for long. I guess in the end, if it wasn't Chrysalis, it's probably not all that important. As Applejack starts talking about more news articles, I go back to eating my food, pushing those troubling thoughts out of my head. I don't ever want to think about Chrysalis again if I can help it. Still though. If not Chrysalis, then who the hell would want to increase their power?