//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: The great and powerful... Merasmus!? // by The Lutece twins //------------------------------// As Merasmus walked towards the farm house, following Applejack, he looked around, noticing the many Apple trees on the farm. "I must say Applejack, you have a lot of Apple trees, in fact I've never seen so many Apple trees before." Merasmus said in amazement. "Well thank you, sugercube. We do get good business with our apples here at sweet Apple acres." Applejack said. As they continued walking, Merasmus's stomach growled again. He looked sheepishly at Applejack again, getting a giggle from the CMC. "whooie! You sound hungrier than a caterpillar in an Apple orchard! Funny is how we're in one, hehe..." Applejack laughed. Merasmus chuckles lightly. "Heh heh, yea, I am quite hungry, especially after saving the fillies from a pack of timberwolves." Merasmus said. "Applejack, is he gunna be stayin' with us?" Applebloom asked. Applejack looked back at Applebloom. "That depends if he has a place to stay or not. Or do ya live in the everfree?" She said, nudging Merasmus's side. " Oh wait yall don't know who zecora is...or do ya?" She asked. "I don't live in the everfree," Merasmus said, shaking his head. "I left my home a while ago, so I don't have anywhere to go. And I don't really know who Zecora is, until Applebloom gave me a short description about her." He said. "Then he's staying with me and rarity at the boutique!" Sweetie Belle suggested. Applebloom looked at Sweetie Belle and shook her head. "No he's staying with us!" Applebloom retorted, grabbing Merasmus's right foreleg. "No HES COMING WITH ME!" Sweetie Belle yelled, grabbing Merasmus's left leg and pulling it. They both tugged and pulled on Merasmus's legs trying to get him on their side, causing his skull hat to fall off his head. Merasmus looked towards Applejack with a look that said 'help me' "Enough you two!" Applejack yelled. The two fillies let go of Merasmus and walked away, while scootaloo was laughing. Merasmus looked at Applejack and smiled. "Thank you Applejack." He said, bending down and grabbing his skull hat. The bombinomicon that was in his robe fell out and hit the ground with a thud. Applejack stared at it with a confused look on her face. "What's that duhiky?" Applejack asked. Merasmus put his skull hat back on his head and grabs the bombinomicon from the ground. "That's my bombinomicon." Merasmus said, putting the bombinomicon back into the pocket in his robe. "The who da what now?" Applejack asked, shaking her head in confusion. "The bombinomicon, my spell book." Merasmus said. "Oh...but how do you cast spells, when you're a zebra? Only unicorns and alicorns, and pinkie pie can do things like that!" Applejack stated, sounding shocked. Merasmus looked at Applejack and raised a eye brow. "Well... I'm a wizard, I can cast spells by saying magic words. And, who is Pinkie pie?" He asked. "She's a good friend of mine. You'd be great friends seeing how she gone and befriended Anything that breathes!" Applejack stated. "Unless she is like soldier." Merasmus muttered under his breath. "what was that you said?" Applejack asked as they neared the house. "Oh nothing, nothing." Merasmus said. Applejack raised a eyebrow, then shook her head as they were at the house. She opened the door for them. "Well, welcome to mah home!" Applejack said, smiling. Merasmus smiled back and walked in. "Thank you." He said. As he walked in he looked around and saw pictures on the walls, a kitchen, stairway leading upstairs. Applejack saw Merasmus look around the house. "I know it's not much, but you can stay here as long as you may need." She said. Merasmus looked at Applejack and nodded. "Thank you, I will probably be staying for a while until I get a place to myself." He stated. "Alright. Then uh, jus follow me and I can show you your room." Applejack said, going up the stairs. Merasmus nods and follows Applejack up the stairs. Applejack led Merasmus to the third bedroom on the left. As Merasmus walked in, he saw a single bed, a small wardrobe next to a small closet, and a window overlooking the orchard. Merasmus walks towards the wardrobe and takes off his skull cap hat and sets it down, along with his staff. He turns around, only to see Applejack very close to him, causing him to back up a bit. "So, you can do spells and stuff, right? Well, just for safe measures, please don't be using any spells and such on any of mah friends or family, okay?" She asked. Merasmus nods. "I promise." He said. "Not regular promise, pinkie pie promise." She said. "Pinkie pie promise?" Merasmus asked. "Like this. Cross my heart," Applejack implied, crossing a hoof here her heart is. "Cross my heart," Merasmus followed. "Hope to fly," she continued. "Hope to fly," Merasmus said. "Stick a cupcake in my eye." Applejack finished. "Stick a cupcake in my- OW!" Merasmus yelled as he poke his eye with a hoof. Applejack laughed a little at that. "Good, now don't break that promise." She stated. Merasmus nods. "Now, I don't wanna impose, but, do ya think you can show me somethin?" She asked. Merasmus raised a eyebrow. "Um, I guess, what would you like to see?" Merasmus asked. Applejack thought for a bit. "Hmmm, I dunno." She said, than she had a idea. "Oh!" She exclaimed. She grabs Merasmus's right foreleg and drags him over to her room's door. She opens it and it squeaks loudly. "This thing is loose, and won't stop squeakin! No matter what we do, it still does it! Maybe you could do something to fix it?" She pleaded. Merasmus walks towards the door and looks it over. "Tis but a easy fix." Merasmus said. He raised a hoof and his staff appears. Applejack's looked shocked as Merasmus's staff appeared. "Dooracus Fixicus!" Merasmus yelled. His staff glows with light and then the light disappears as quickly as it appeared. He opens the door and not a single squeak is heard. Applejack smiles widely. "Well I'll be damned! Thanks a lot, that darn door has been keeping me awake every night!" Applejack said. Merasmus smiles and makes his staff disappear. He was about to speak when his stomach rumbled again. Applejack's ears perk up when she heard it and gasps. "Dear Celestia I almost forgot! Well, we had breakfast a little bit ago, and there's a few haycakes left over in the kitchen, help yourself to those." She said. Merasmus nods and heads downstairs, towards the kitchen. He enters the kitchen and looks around. He could see that it almost looked like a normal kitchen, minus the electricity. He could see a stack of what looks like pancakes. But he wasn't alone in the kitchen, he could see a green pony asleep on a chair. He calculated that she was old, because he could make out the wrinkles and the aging hair. Applejack walked into the kitchen. She walks towards the fridge and pulls out a bottle of syrup. She hands it to Merasmus who takes it. "Thank you." He s aid, nodding. He than pours out a good amount of syrup onto the pancakes as Applejack sits in a chair across the table. "If I may ask, who is that?" He asked, nodding his head towards the old mare. "Oh, that's Granny Smith. Believe it or not, when she was my age, she helped found the town of ponyville! With these!" Applejack said, getting off the chair, walking towards the fridge and taking out a rainbow Apple. Merasmus blinked multiple times. "She worked ages to make pies, and cakes and jams as perfect as possible. Then she started to sell off what she made, and soon enough, ponies from all over Equestria were travling and settling here for these zap apple's. And within time, everything you see now, was built off of these." She said. She than handed the zap Apple to Merasmus. "Ever tried one?" She asked him. Merasmus shook his head no. "No, i havn't tried one." He said. Applejack smiled widely. "Oh boy, prepare for the best thing you'll ever put in your mouth, then!" She said. Merasmus looks over the Apple. He takes a bite of it, and his eyes widen. He quickly devours the apple. ' Th-the flavor, it's... it's... theirs no word to describe the flavor! It's the best thing I have ever eaten!' Merasmus thought as he devoured the apple. "Th-that was the best Apple I have ever eaten!" He yells. "That'll be ten bits." Applejack said. Merasmus Looked at her like he was in big trouble. Applejack laughed. "Nah, I'm just kidding." She laughed, causing him to sigh in relief. "So, if you don't mind me askin, what does a fine stallion like yourself do for a living? Besides all the magic spells, and such." Applejack asked. Merasmus swallowed a bite of haycake and thought. "Well, I am sort of a entertainer if you'd like." Merasmus said, finishing off the last of his haycakes. "Oh, then you'd definitely get along with pinkie pie!" Applejack said. "And I also collect old artifacts and stuff as well." Merasmus added. "Like what?" Applejack asked. "Well, like old tomes, books, and objects, that kind of stuff." Merasmus said. Applejack nods. "Sounds very interesting. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what I do. Since its quite obvious that we raise Apple's and such." She said. Merasmus nods. He than yawns and felt really tired. "Tired huh?" Applejack asked, getting a weak nod from Merasmus. She get up and pats his shoulder. "Well, you've got a bed that's waitin for ya, then." Applejack said, getting another nods from Merasmus. He gets out of the chair that he was sitting on and slowly walks up the stairs. "Sleep tight my friend." Applejack said. Merasmus walks into his room, takes off his robe, climbs into bed, and let sleep take over him. TO BE CONTINUED