//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7 
// Story: My Little Pony: A New Apple 
// by Hopeful Soul 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 7


The next morning, as Celestia’s sun shined brightly the bird chirped all over, singing a little song and signaling the beginning of a new day. Applejack stepped out of the house, admired the peaceful surroundings, and then turned to the door, expecting somepony to arrive.
“You coming, sport?” Applejack asked her bipedal son, who had just ran out. The events of yesterday haven’t seemed to diminish his eager spirit at all.
“I am, Ma!” Johnny beamed. “I am ready for the new day!”
“Glad to hear it, now get a move on.” Applejack told him, patting his back as he began to headed off. As he ran, he turned and began waving at his adopted mother.
“See you after school, Ma!” Johnny cried.
“See you soon, sugarcube!” Applejack waved. “And try to make some friends!”
Johnny continued to look at and wave at Applejack, completely unware of what was in front of him until suddenly he accidently bumped right into something very big and very furry.
He looked up and was surprised when he saw that he had bumped into what appeared to be a bison with black fur, with a green ribbon wrapped around one of his black horns and he appeared to be about his age.
“Uh…” Johnny said, unsure of what to say.
“Sorry about that, didn’t see you.” The bison said as he offered Johnny his hoof, Johnny took it and lifted himself up.
“Thanks, that’s very kind of you.” Johnny nodded.
“My pleasure.” The bison nodded. “I am Ironhorn by the way. What is your name?”
“Uh… Johnny. Johnny Appleseed, and please don’t ask what I am… I still don’t know.” Johnny said, depressed.
“Well, whatever you are, I am glad to meet you.” Ironhorn said.
“Nice to meet you too.” Johnny nodded. “Say… you’re a bison right?”
“Yes. Yes I am.” Ironhorn confirmed, nodding.
“So… why are you in Ponyville? My Ma said all the Bison’s were around Appleloosa.” Johnny pointed out.
“My family moved here just recently, wanted to see what life was like among you ponies.” Ironhorn responded.
“Oh… so how is it?” Johnny asked.
“Very nice.” Ironhorn replied, simply. Johnny looked surprised by this.
“Very nice? That’s it?” Johnny asked. “That’s all you can say about it?”
“I am a Bison of few words. That is all.” Ironhorn stated.
“Oh… well that makes sense.” Johnny figured.
“Yep.” Ironhorn added.
“And uh… whatcha doing? Shouldn’t you be heading to school too?” Johnny asked him, curiously.
“There’s still time.” Ironhorn stated.
“Ok… but still what are you doing anyway?” The eight-year-old questioned again.
“Admiring the flowers. I… like how they look.” Ironhorn replied, a bit sheepishly. “And I sometimes… collect pressed flowers.”
“Oh, that’s pretty cool!” Johnny remarked.
“I’m… keeping it quiet.” Ironhorn said, shyly.
“Why?” Johnny inquired.
“I… I just don’t want to be made fun of…” Ironhorn admitted.
“What for? Being who you are? I’m not making fun of you for that.” Johnny pointed out.
“And I thank you for that.” Ironhorn said, gratefully.
“You’re welcome!” Johnny said before he noticed another odd creature walking around close by them.
The creature up ahead of them was blue, had the face of a pony but had scales like a fish and a long blue tail with a light blue mane and yellow eyes as well. He had strange mechanical limbs that looked like hooves and wore an orange breathing rig attached to him as well. He almost looked like a giant guppy.
“Who’s he?” Johnny asked, curiously as he pointed to him. Ironhorn turned towards the creature.
“That’s Wave Crasher.” Ironhorn replied.
“Wave Crasher?” Johnny echoed, surprised. He looked at him closely. “Hmm, he doesn’t look like a pony though…”
“He’s a sea pony.” Ironhorn said. “That’s why he’s got that special suit on. If he loses any water…”
Suddenly, Wave Crasher appeared right in front of them from out of nowhere, startling them.
“I’m a dead fish!” he loudly proclaimed, before pretending to joke then falling right over and pretending to be dead. Ironhorn and Johnny just stared at him blankly, which made his face fall looking very disappointed. 
“I am so sorry you had to hear one of Wave Crasher’s bad jokes…” Ironhorn apologized. Johnny then began laughing.
“It’s ok, I actually think Wave Crasher is really funny!” Johnny confessed.
“Are you serious?” Ironhorn questioned, surprised
“Yep! I never lie!” Johnny beamed, nodding.
Wave Crasher smiled at the compliment as he raised his head and then stood back up in order to face them.
“Hey thanks, what’s your name?” he asked.
“Johnny. Johnny Appleseed.” The eight-year-old said.
“Johnny Appleseed… that’s a nice name, almost as nice as… Calvin Carrot!” Wave Crasher said before pulling out a carrot. Johnny looked a bit amused while Ironhorn just looked at him stone faced, which created a dark cloud over his head.
“Well as long as we’re being honest I have to say those jokes are the worst.” Ironhorn confessed. Crasher groaned in disappointment.
“I don’t agree, I think Wave Crasher is great!” Johnny stated.
“Yeah? Really?” The sea pony asked with a smile a happy tears coming from his eyes.
“I kinda like the fact that you might have the worst sense of humor in Equestria.” Johnny added bluntly, smiling. Hearing this innocent remark made all the color from Wave Crasher’s body vanish while his jaw dropped in dismay.
“That is putting it mildly.” Ironhorn remarked. “By the good, good honesty.”
“Thank you.” Johnny nodded, gratefully.
“Oh yeah? Well, watch this!” Wave Crasher declared as he spotted a young couple walking by and walked over to them.
“Uh…” Johnny said, slowly.
Crasher then popped up in front of the couple. “Hey, young couple! Can I interest you folks in a joke?”
“Uh… no thanks.” The mare said.
“Yeah, so beat it clown.” The gruff stallion snarled.
Wave Crasher then dressed up as a clown. “Ok, clowns; why do they wear perfume? Because they want to smell funny!” he said, laughing. Johnny, Ironhead and the mare stared at him while the stallion got angry and bonked him on the head, knocking him down.
“Boy, glad I got that out of my system,” he said, sounding satisfied.
“Glad to hear it, now let’s head home!” The mare said.
“Sure thing!” Her boyfriend said as they both left.
“Ok… that was something.” Johnny remarked.
“In way, yes.” Ironhorn agreed. “And as you can see he brings new meaning to the word ‘punchline’.”
Wave Crasher groaned as he got up. “Oh… I’m ok.”
“So what brings you here anywhere?” Johnny inquired. “Shouldn’t you be in the sea or something?”
“Oh well it’s pretty much the same reason he’s here.” Crasher stated, gesturing to Ironhorn. “The sea pony’s want to see what living on the surface is like plus Princess Celestia thinks fostering better relations with our kind would be mutually beneficial and all that jazz. So she and her Brainiac friends wiped us up some suits so that we could walk on land.”
“Well, that was very nice of her.” Johnny said, pleased.
“Yeah, it was.” Crasher nodded in agreement.
They then heard a voice coming from close by them.
“Hello, there!”
They all turned around and saw a young, unicorn filly approaching them with a warm, welcoming smile on her face.
The unicorn filly had a pink coat, a yellow swirly mane and tail similar to Bon-Bon’s and yellowish eyes and she had three purple and yellow star shaped flowers on her flank. She looked similar to Lily Valley. She also hard with her a yellow saddlebag.
“Wow…” Ironhorn said, stunned.
“Well, hello there!” Wave Crasher said, smiling flirtatiously.
“Hello, to you to. I’m Orchard Star!” The unicorn filly said, smiling.
“Uh… and I’m… Johnny! Johnny Appleseed!” The boy said, stammering.
“Nice to meet you Johnny Appleseed. I saw you guys were heading to the school and thought I’d join you. Boy you guys look hungry. One sec.” Orchard Star said.. She used her magic to open up her bag and take out half a sandwich which she levitated over to Johnny, much to his surprise. “Here, have one.”
“Huh? Oh wow… thank you.” Johnny said as he took it. “That’s very generous of you.”
“Oh, it’s no big deal, really.” Orchard Star assured him. She turned to Crasher and Ironhorn. “You guys want some?”
“No thank you, I’m good.” Ironhorn said.
“I’d like some!” Crasher said as Orchard Star levitate a sandwich over to him, but before he could take a bite, a yellow flash zoomed by and snatched it up right before he could bite onto it. “Hey! What the…?”
The yellow streak of fiery energy then zipped around all around then, leaving a burnt circle on the grass before zipping around left to right and all across the sky.
“Whoa! What is that?” Johnny asked, amazed.
“I’ll bet I know who…” Orchard Star said.
The yellow blur then began to fly all around them, creating a mini little twister until it finally it stopped and flew right of them, revealing itself to be a Pegasus filly, also their age.
The Pegasi girl had a golden-yellow coat and a shaggy black mane and tail that made her almost look like Daring Do, she also had purple eyes and a red and yellow sun cutie mark.
“Sup, everypony?” The Pegasus said.
“What are you doing?” Orchard asked her a bit annoyed.
“Saw you guys all standing around and talking and I wanted to know why, besides Orchard Star’s a friend of mine and I never leave friends behind, ok?” she asked.
“Ok… what’s your name?” Johnny asked the Pegasus.
“Sunspot, fastest Pegasi alive.” The Pegasus boasted.
“So… you’re a flier?” Johnny inquired.
Sunspot smirked. “One of the best.”
“But I thought Rainbow Dash was the best.” Johnny pointed out.
“Well… she is right now… but soon she’ll be second best! Once I show Ponyville what I got.” Sunspot stated.
“Cool. Well, I look forward to it!” Johnny said, smiling.
“Thanks. So… what are you anyway?” Sunspot asked, curiously.
“Uh… I don’t know really.” Johnny admitted, shrugging. “But when I figure it out I’ll you know.”
“And by then it will snow!” Wave Crasher added, as he threw hoofful of white powder onto all of them. None of them laughed at all, except for Johnny anyway.
“So… you’re the only one of your kind that’s here?” Orchard Star asked, concerned.
“Well… I guess so.” Johnny said.
“Ooh, must be hard for something like you to live in a Pony world.” Sunspot remarked, sympathetically.
“Well, my family and my Ma’s friends have accepted me, and a lot of townspeople do to, but… it does get a bit lonely being the only… me in Equestria…” Johnny said, depressed.
The others all exchange glances with each other.
“You know…” Wave Crasher began. “We’re all kind of one of a kind in our own way.”
“Yeah, I mean I was born and raised in Cloudsdale before I came here and I hate setting my hooves on the ground.” Sunspot expressed. “I know other Pegasi have moved from Cloudsdale to Ponyville but… I’m still adjusting…”
“I… figured.” Johnny said, slowly.
“And I’m the only one in Ponyville whose from Baltimare.” Orchard Star added, smiling. “Plus you already know that Ironhorn is the only bison.”
Ironhorn nodded in confirmation.
“And I’m the only Sea pony here or under there.” Wave Crasher smirked.
“Under where?” Johnny inquired.
“Oops! I just made you say ‘underwear!” The sea pony said before laughing. The others all groaned, dismayed.
“Crusher’s bad joke aside… as you can see we all have more in common than you think.” Orchard Star stated. “And we all have our own ways of dealing with our own personal issues. For example, Wave Crasher uses his humor to deal with the fact that he’s no longer in the water.”
“True!” Wave Crasher confirmed, with a smile.
“Ironhorn collects flowers to make himself feel happy even though he’s one of the only bison’s here.” Orchard continued while Ironhorn turned away and blushed. “And Sunspot mainly flies around because it reminds her of her home back in Cloudsdale.”
“Hey! That’s…” Sunspot began before she paused and then lowered her head. “Ok, it’s true…”
“What about you, Orchard? What do you do to cope with the fact that you’re the only pony from Baltimare?” Johnny inquired.
“Oh me? Well, I do whatever I can to help the ponies of Ponyville, whether it’s helping them with their jobs or giving them gifts, anything.” Orchard Star replied. “Though my specialty is design.”
“Mine is telling jokes!” Wave Crasher said, proudly.
“No, it’s not.” Sunspot said, flatly. “Anyway, mine is flying so fast… it’s looks like I’m on fire!”
“And mine… is pressing flowers.” Ironhorn admitted, still looking shy.
“Wow… you all got some… great talents…” Johnny remarked, sadly.
“Aw, don’t feel bad Johnny, everypony has a special talent.” Orchard comforted him.
“Seems that everypony else has a special talent except for me.” Johnny sighed.
“Ah, you just haven’t found it yet.” Sunspot assured him. “You just gotta be patient.”
“Like you?” Orchard Star teased.
“Everypony’s a comedian…” Sunspot said, sarcastically.
“Hey! That’s my job!” Wave Crasher protested.
“Yeah, but I do it better, fish boy.” Sunspot stated.
“Alright, that’s enough.” Ironhorn told them, sternly.
“Sorry…” They said.
“Thanks everypony, that means a lot to me…” Johnny expressed, though he still looked sad.
“Don’t worry yourself Johnny, we’re your friends, and because of that we’ll help you find your special talent, whatever it is.” Orchard Star promised him.
Hearing this surprised Johnny greatly. “What did you say?”
“We’ll help you find your talent.” Sunspot said.
“Before that.” Johnny told them.
“Before that?” Wave Crasher echoed, before remembering. “Oh yeah!”
“We’re your friends!” They said. Hearing this again made Johnny’s whole face light up and he smiled brightly. Then he remembered something important.
“Hey, after school you guys should really meet my Uncle Spike!” Johnny told them.
“Who is this… ‘Uncle Spike’?” Ironhorn asked,
“He’s a dragon and the only dragon in Ponyville, plus before you guys he’s been my only friend and an honorary uncle to me also.” Johnny said.
“Well, he seems like a cool cat.” Wave Crasher remarked, impressed.
“Yeah, I’d love to meet him.” Orchard Star agreed.
“A dragon huh? Cool. I’m in!” Sunspot said.
“Dragons are respected among my tribe, so I would be honored if you would allow me to join.” Ironhorn said.
“Thanks you guys!” Johnny smiled. Then Sunspot remembered something important.
“Uh-oh! Speaking of school, we’d better get their fast before we’re late!” Sunspot exclaimed. The others let that sink into their heads for a bit before they finally got it and they all screamed.
“Come on, let’s go!” Orchard Star told them. “Run for it!”
They then began to run off towards the school together, while Sunspot flew above them.
“Hurry fellas, run for the hills! Oh, look! There’s one!” Wave Crasher pointed out.
“Would you knock it off!?” Sunspot asked him, annoyed.
“Everypony’s a critic.” Wave Crasher sighed, rolling his eyes as the five continued to dash towards the school. But can their new friendship withstand the taunting of a certain gold maned prissy little colt named Gold Bar, time will soon tell.