//------------------------------//
// Magic Toast 
// Story: My Little Apples 
// by Ashura 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 4

Applejack and I spent the next two minutes starring at each other. Guilt in my eyes, anger in hers. I just stood there, Apple Bloom cradled in my arms. She had stopped crying and was now just looking around her as if nothing had happened. Applejack looked at the baby pony and then trotted over to me. She stopped in front of me and looked up at me. She opened her mouth and spoke for the first time.

“Ah'll hold her fer now.” It wasn't a question.

I was so surprised to hear her speak, and English no less, that I crouched and handed Apple Bloom over. Applejack extended her hoof and cradled the baby in her leg. She went returned to the armchair and climbed on to it. Once she was comfortably sitting down, she held Apple Bloom in her front hooves. She looked down at the pony and all the anger was replaced by the most peaceful expression I had seen on her face yet. Her lips twitched upwards slightly as Apple Bloom gave a small yawn. She looked up at me. It seemed that she had forgiven me, or at least her anger at me had subsided somewhat.

I watched as Applejack rocked Apple Bloom, who had fallen back to sleep, her hoof in her mouth. It seemed that human and pony babies weren't that different. I approached the two ponies and knelt in front of the young farm pony. I looked her in the eyes and hoped that she understood English as well as she spoke it.

“I'm sorry.”

Applejack blinked and just sat there, holding on to Apple Bloom. What she did next surprised me just as much as when I had found out that she could speak. She got up, holding her baby sister with her right hoof and skipped from the armchair onto my bent knees. She gave me a quick nuzzle as she hopped off of me. She put Apple Bloom down gently on the pile of cushions and trotted towards the bags that were in the hallway, undoubtedly looking for some form of food. I picked up Apple Bloom before getting up to follow Applejack to the bags. I wasn't going to leave her alone again.

Applejack poked the bag with her nose, obviously curious about what they contained. I opened the bag and pulled out the diapers.
“I'll have to look up how to do this... Don't you just love the Internet?” I asked Applejack.

She just gave me a confused stare.

“What's tha'?” inquired the orange farm pony.

“Um... I'll explain later.”

I reached in again and pulled out the toast bread, marmite and milk. I put down all three items on the table and opened up the packet of bread. I took out two slices and went to put in the toaster. Applejack followed me and jumped up on one of the chairs that were placed around the small kitchen. She couldn't quite see over the top of the counter so she put her front hooves on the surface so that she could get a better look.

“What are ya doin'?” she asked.

“Huh? Oh... I'm toasting some toast.” I explained.

“Oh... What's tha'... thing, fer though?” she insisted.

“Um... Making toast?” I answered.

“Oh...” she said.

I could tell that she still didn't really understand so I slid the pieces of toast in the toaster and explained.

“You saw how I put those two slices of bread in right?” Applejack nodded. “Great. Now, what happens is that when I pull down on this switch, heat will start to go through these metal... things. And they in turn will heat up the toast and lightly toast it where there 's contact.”

That was the simplest explanation I could think of. I wasn't going to explain where the heat came from. Electricity would add another quarter hour to this discussion. And then I'd have to use a microwave to heat up the toast... And then I'd have to explain how that works too.

“But... Where does the heat come from?” asked Applejack

I stared at her. I answered with the easiest explanation I could think off that wouldn't include an extra 15 minutes of talking instead of eating.

“It's magic.” I said

“Oh!” she exclaimed. "Ok."

I smile and turn towards the toaster, ready to catch the pieces of toast on a plate.