38. Carrying On
So I still don't like Rose that much, but if I get over myself, this training is actually somewhat enjoyable. I keep questioning why it's necessary for me to learn all of this combat stuff, but on the other hand, part of me wants to be able to use those techniques I'd shown before. It doesn't matter whether they'd be useful or not. I feel like it would be awesome just to be able to. At the very least, I'd like to know how to fly.
Basically, the first thing Rose starts me off with is meditation. And that is the hardest part for me. I'm always thinking so much, it's difficult to calm my mind the way I'm supposed to.
“Sit still,” Rose commands me with a hint of amusement in her voice, just as I shift to scratch an itch on my shoulder.
“This isn't exactly something I do in my spare time,” I retort, annoyed. I've been sitting cross legged like this for a while now, yet there's always an errant thought that ruins any meditative state that I'm supposed to be entering. “This is hard...”
“Of course. If it was easy, it wouldn't be worth learning,” Rose says in an uppity manner. I suppose she has a point there.
“How exactly does this help me develop individual techniques?” I ask again, frustrating Rose further.
“Specifically, meditation allows you to become intimately aware of the magic within yourself. By becoming accustomed to its composition, it becomes easier to bend it to your will,” Rose explains with forced patience. She probably still finds me annoying, but at least she's making an effort not to lash out at me because of it. “You won't learn your techniques by doing this alone, but it is still a necessary part of any unicorn's training. I assume this would also apply to yourself.”
“Okay...and I don't suppose you have any advice other than 'clear your mind' and 'get on my level?'” I respond, teasing her slightly.
“I have already given you all the advice I can. The rest is up to you,” Rose tells me, ignoring my snipe at her superior attitude.
“Of course it is,” I groan. Oh well. Talking any further will just make this last longer.
So needless to say, our conversation dies off there, and once more I attempt to get into this meditative state Rose described. She said that the only thing I should be able to feel is the flow of magic through my body.
It takes about a half hour of constant silence before I make any kind of progress. It's very subtle; the only thing that tips me off is that the sounds of the world around me slightly fade. My eyelids become heavy and immobile, and I feel like I'm falling into a deep sleep, except my consciousness is still fully alert.
Holy shit, is that what my magic feels like? It's difficult to describe, because it's a mental sensation, but I'll do my best. It feels like there's a chaotic rushing river surging through my veins. I can't explain it, but it feels...dark. Like, evil. Almost foreign. As if I needed another reason to be afraid of this magic. It's almost as if another entity is flowing around inside of me, waiting for the slightest sign of weakness before taking over again.
I can't help but feel a little fear. I mean, I've always been scared of my magic, but to actually feel it like this is terrifying. I can at last feel what it's like to have an insane amount of power surging through your body, only barely under your control.
Rose is right. I can see how this would help me use my techniques. There's no way I can keep my mind calm enough to use them if my magic scares me this much. I think I'll start taking this a little seriously.
After emerging from my meditation, Rose gets me started on actually training this time. By that, I mean she has me unleash my power and get accustomed to controlling it quickly, like what would be necessary during a real battle.
There are several other exercises that she gives me to complete, all of which involve me using magic to complete various feats, such as jumping higher, or dodging quickly. Stuff like that. It seems rather basic right now, but that's probably because this is our first training session. Things will no doubt get more difficult the more we train.
All of this lasts until the sun dips below the horizon, and both Rose and I are hungry.
“All right. That's enough for now," Rose says, looking at me with a satisfied expression. “Well done. We've covered more than I expected today.”
“Hooray. I sat around for an hour, and then jumped around like a chicken with its head cut off,” I reply unenthusiastically. Rose looks down and sighs at my attitude, which she's been doing a lot of lately.
“Take some pride in your work,” she chastises me. I just give a shrug in a response. Whatever. It's not like any of this is really worth anything. As long as I don't go insane, that's enough for me.
“Whatever. So we're done now? I can go eat?” I ask hopefully. Using all of this magic and energy has me starving. I think some late night pancakes sounds good.
“Yes, you may eat now,” Rose responds wryly. “Though I must admit, I am feeling a tad peckish, myself.”
Peckish. Who fucking says that anyway? This pony apparently does. Friggin upper class ponies. “Good. I'm gonna go then,” I say, and then abruptly turn around and start walking, suppressing my magic as I do so. Rose starts to follow me, much to my annoyance. “Why are you following me? Can't you just teleport to wherever you're going?”
“Not necessarily. I can only teleport to a place I can see. As I do not yet know what establishment I wish to visit, teleporting would be meaningless,” Rose explains.
“That doesn't explain anything. So what if you're limited by sight? Can't you just chain teleport until you reach where you're going?”
“I just said I don't know where I'm going,” Rose points out.
“But you can at least teleport back to town, right?” I press.
“You're just trying to get rid of me, aren't you?” Rose huffs.
“Oh gee, what would have given you that idea?” I respond in a mocking imitation of her own fancy style of speaking. Rose glares at me, which I find to be funny as hell.
What's ironic about all of this is that while we were arguing about teleporting and shit, we end up walking into town together. So the whole point becomes moot anyway.
When we approach the nearest eatery, Rose walks up to the door and tries it, only to find it locked. “That's odd. It's not past closing hours yet,” she observes. She notices a scrap of paper pinned to the door, which she proceeds to rip off with her magic and reads. “Closed? That's ridiculous.”
“Oh no, how dare they not be open for the great and illustrious Rose?” I mock her again. She turns with a frustrated huff to glare at me.
“Are you just going to mock me this whole time?” she demands.
“I'm thinking about it,” I respond impertinently.
“Ugh.”
As we walk through the streets, I notice something strange. The entire place is surprisingly empty for this time of day. It's still the evening, after all. Of course, that only means one thing. It means Rose is in for a surprise.
But...there has to be some planning here. Pinkie had to know that we would be hungry after training. Which means...that this next restaurant that Rose and I are approaching now is also...
“How is this one closed as well? Surely there's at least one eatery open in town,” Rose demands, looking affronted. I see. So if I had to guess, all of the restaurants are closed in town so that Rose would only have one place to go.
“Rose, where are you staying?” I ask curiously, still trying to figure all of this out. Rose looks confused at the random question.
“I will be staying at Sugarcube Corner, as negotiated not long after our arrival in Ponyville,” Rose answers, perplexed. “Why do you ask?”
Oh, now that's just too easy. “Let's just head back there. We can get something to eat from there,” I suggest casually, fully aware of what's to happen if we go there. Rose ponders that for a few moments before sighing.
“Very well. It's not what I would have liked, but it'll do,” Rose says in disappointment. “Rest assured, the mayor will be hearing about the incompetence of their restaurants.”
“Yeah, yeah. The injustice and all that,” I reply uncaringly, having already changed my course for Sugarcube. This should be fun. It's been a while since the last Pinkie party I've been in. I could use the sweets. And the stress relief. But mostly the sweets.
No doubt the entire town will be there too. They love these parties far more than they should. So I can expect to see Vinyl and Rainbow there. And...oh, well that's what Fluttershy must have meant by “I'll see you later tonight.” Thanks for tipping me off, I suppose.
Because everypony is chilling in Sugarcube, the trip there is uneventful. Soon, we're standing on the doorstep. The windows are closed and the lights are out, just as I expected. And because Rose is dense as fuck, the first thing she does is complain. “Is this some kind of joke? Why am I the first one to return home? Is there some wild gathering away from town that I wasn't informed about?” she exclaims irritably. She tries the door with her magic, and it easily opens. Of course, she continues to rant, even as she steps inside. “I'll see to it that Princess Celestia hears how I've been treate....”
“SURPRISE!” There is is. The lights flicker on to reveal practically every single fucking pony in town, with Pinkie standing in front, looking as pleased with herself as always.
“What in blazes!?” Rose cuts off in the middle of her rant as she jumps in shock, her eyes wide. Pinkie immediately dashes to just in front of her and starts bouncing in place.
“Hi Rosie! Were you surprised? You look surprised,” Pinkie exclaims. Rose watches her with a dumbfounded expression, speechless. “Welcome to Ponyville! As I promised, here's your party! Do you like it!?”
“Seth,” Rose begins, seemingly ignoring Pinkie to look at me. I'm just standing in the doorway with a smug expression and my arms crossed.
“What?” I reply.
“Is this the...”
“Yes.”
Rose slowly places her head in both of her hooves. “Oh, ponyfeathers.”
“Are you ready to party, Rosie!?” Pinkie asks, overly excited as usual, even as I laugh into my hand because of that dumb pony expletive Rose used. That's totally unlike her.
Rose lets out a long sigh, before at last lifting her head and waggling a hoof. “Proceed, if you must,” she says in a resigned manner.
“That sounds like a 'yes' to me!” Vinyl calls out from the raised area, which is now occupied by her equipment. Okay, I'm kinda pissed that I didn't get to help with that for money, but whatever. I'm hungry, and there's sweets everywhere. “Let's rock!”
Vinyl puts the needle to the tables, and the music starts, sounding somewhat different than before. I guess she's putting those new mixing techniques to good use. With that, all of the ponies in the room break apart and start mingling with one another. Several of them approach Rose to introduce themselves. Rose treats them all just as stiffly as she does everyone else. I wonder if that's a defense mechanism of sorts. Oh whatever.
I pass by Fluttershy on my way to the food. She retreats timidly from me, but she does give me a small wave. And just before I get to the food table, I run into Lyra with a giant fucking smile on her face that makes me want to bash my head open on that wall over there. Why. Why does this keep happening to me.
I walk into my room with a heavy sigh, covered in sweat. This has been one hell of a day, and I'm tired.
That party lasted well past midnight. Poor Rose kept trying to get out of it the whole time, but every time she tried to walk upstairs, Pinkie or some other pony would intercept her and pull her back to the festivities. I could have helped. I didn't.
No, after meeting Lyra, I essentially got pulled to the dance floor, where I met up with Rainbow and we had some fun chilling out there. Thankfully Rainbow rescued me from Lyra, by inserting herself into my dance.
Anyway, I'm stuffed full of cake and other sweets. It's a good thing I eat so healthy most of the time, because I eat sweets quite a lot here.
After tossing my clothes in all directions, I take a quick shower, and then collapse on the bed. Okay, what am I doing tomorrow? I'm spending some time on the farm, and then doing magic shit with Twilight. It'll be an exhausting day, but it shouldn't be particularly stressful.
Well, this is my life now, I guess. I'm technically still just getting up, going to work, and coming home. I have Rainbow and Apple Bloom to spend time with if I get some time to myself, but what I really need is a project of some kind.
I don't think I had a project or goal to go for back in my time though. I think all I cared about was hanging with Amaryllis, or my brother. Because the latter was awesome, the former I was in love with.
Wow, I'm thinking too much. Funny how being transported three thousand or so years into the future can change how you look at life. I'm going to sleep now.
This time, I'm finally allowed to wake up on my own. According to the clock, it's just before eight. Good. I have enough time to eat and get dressed before heading out to Applejack's farm. Though what she's going to have me do in this snowy weather is beyond me.
Ugh. I still don't know how to do laundry. I'll take care of that after my lessons with Twilight. For now, I'll just wear my Rarity-themed clothes again. They're slimy, but basically all I'm doing is physical work, so I don't think it matters.
Oh, speaking of work. I reach into the pockets of the clothes I wore in Canterlot and pull out the hairband that Apple Bloom got for me. I don't look very good wearing it, but at least it'll keep my sweaty hair out of my eyes when I'm working.
Once I'm dressed and ready, I walk down stairs to see no sign of Vinyl. That makes sense, I guess. She's probably still asleep, because she was up later than I was last night. Unfortunately, that means she's not making me breakfast.
Whatever. I walk into the kitchen and throw open the refrigerator door. Let's see, there has to be something edible in here that I can make. Oh, sweet, there's three eggs in here. I remember how to make scrambled eggs, so I'll get started on some of those. Generally I only use two eggs, but since you can't really do a thing with one egg, I take all three.
I have to do a bit of rummaging about to find a bowl that will work. Once I do, I take it as well as a fork from one of the drawers. I take a quick moment to put on my hairband (so none of my hairs falls into the bowl) and wash my hands.
I crack the first egg on the side of the bowl and pour the yolk in. Okay, that was easy enough. Hopefully I don't fuck this up. I take the second egg and...oh, there goes a bit of the eggshell. Goddammit. “Well, I fucked that up,” I remark. At least my hands are clean. Grimacing a bit, I pick out the piece of shell and toss it into the sink with the rest of the eggshells.
Once all three egg yolks are in the bowl, it's a simple matter to beat them with the fork and then pour the resulting mixture into a pan on the stove, after greasing said pan with a stick of butter that I found in the refrigerator. Speaking of the stove, I actually don't know how to work it.
And it's not that hard to figure out. There's one of those orbs set into the front of each burner. Which means this thing uses magic to run. Now that would be a problem if I didn't have some myself. I tap the orb corresponding to the burner the pan is on, and channel some magic into it. Sure enough, the burner lights up and starts cooking my eggs. This is fucking surreal as hell. Touch to ignite. Imagine if my shitty ass burner in my college dorm worked like that. Instead, I had to turn the dial and hold it until the piece of shit lighter actually worked.
Excellent. I won't need to worry about that for a few seconds. I take a clean rag and scrub the bowl that I'd just used until it's clean, before I put it back where I found it. I doubt Vinyl would appreciate me leaving her a mess.
Just as I pick up the spatula to scramble the eggs, I hear Vinyl thudding her way downstairs. She soon joins me in the kitchen, but I can tell she's not really awake yet. Mostly because she looks like she's being held upright by a string, and her eyes are still mostly shut.
Vinyl yawns widely and obnoxiously, and then blinks a few times before she realizes what she's seeing. “Seth? Are you...cooking!?” she asks incredulously, approaching the stove and peering into the pan.
“Yeah. I took the last of your eggs, but I'll replace them,” I assure her. I'm not pleased that she woke up before I finished.
“I don't care about that, but...you? Cooking?” Vinyl repeats, astonished. She proceeds to pinch herself a few times, as if to check whether or not she's dreaming.
“What about it?” I ask in irritation as I flip over the egg mixture again and again, until it starts breaking apart.
“Nothing bad, it's just...weird to see you acting....domestic,” Vinyl remarks, poking my leg with a hoof.
“Oh, fuck off,” I groan, wishing that I'd just waited for her to wake up and do it herself. This is what happens when I try to do something for myself. Ugh. “Seriously, I'm only doing it because I'm on a tight schedule, and I couldn't wait for you to wake your lazy ass up.”
“And...it's awesome. This means I don't have to make myself breakfast. There's enough in there for me, right?” Vinyl asks, peering into the pan. “Oh yeah, that's three eggs.”
Okay, apparently I'm sharing with Vinyl. I mean, I can't really say no. It's her food, after all. It just means I won't be eating as much before working. “You can have some if you want,” I say with a shrug.
“Awesome!” Vinyl exclaims. She pulls a plate out of a cupboard with her magic and then sits down at the table and proceeds to watch me expectantly. Ugh again.
The eggs are ready, but I prefer them to be a bit browner before I actually turn off the heat. So in the meantime, I pull down a loaf of bread from the top of the refrigerator...only to realize that there's no toaster. Okay, I'll just have to improvise then.
I take a smaller pan from the cupboards and grease it with butter again, and then place two pieces of bread in it. Let's see if this works. I start up a separate burner, and place the pan on it. That'll take a few seconds.
Anyway, the eggs are done, so I turn off the heat. “Eggs are done. Come get however much you want,” I tell Vinyl, who doesn't waste any time in bringing her plate up to the stove. As she gathers some eggs, she looks at the bread.
“What are you doing?” she asks curiously as I flip over the bread in the pan.
“Improvising. Apparently ponies don't have toasters,” I answer, turning off the pan once the bread looks sufficiently toasted.
“Uh...yeah we do,” Vinyl says with amusement in her voice. I turn and look at her as she reaches into a higher cupboard and pulls down whats unmistakeably a toaster, with one of those orbs set into the bottom.
I look between the toaster, and the pan that I just used. “Oh, son of a bitch!” I complain, realizing that I'd just done all that extra work for nothing, and therefore created more clean up work for me to do. Vinyl's reaction is to laugh raucously at my misfortune. “Why couldn't you have left that out on the counter, with the rest of your kitchen utensils?”
“Because I don't really use it! Still though, I can't believe you toasted your bread with a frying pan! Oh dear Celestia!” Vinyl is entirely too tickled by my oversight.
“Shut up. It worked, didn't it? Now eat your damn eggs before I shove em down your throat,” I grunt in annoyance.
Still chuckling, Vinyl takes her seat back at the table, where I soon join her, with my own plate filled with eggs. The next thing I do is pull out my bag of bits. “So how much for a dozen of eggs?” I ask. Vinyl looks up at me, confused.
“Why do you need to know that?” she asks.
“Because I used your food. I want to pay you back for that,” I explain impatiently. “Just fucking tell me so I can eat.”
“Nah, don't worry about that, bro. It's just three eggs,” Vinyl says with a dismissive wave of her hoof, much to my irritation.
“Vinyl, I won't be a freeloader. I'm going to pay you back,” I snap at her. Vinyl stops, and then sets down her fork.
“No, you aren't. I won't take your money for something this simple,” Vinyl expresses. Holy shit, really? You're going to give me trouble now, all of a sudden?
“Seriously? Just tell me, it's not that big of a deal,” I demand. Vinyl shakes her head stubbornly.
“You're right, it's not that big of a deal. So keep your money,” she insists.
“I swear to god, if you don't tell me, I'm going to just give you ten bits and be done with it.”
“Why are you being so stubborn? It's just three eggs! That's literally not anything worth talking about,” Vinyl snaps, actually sounding irritated. As I open my mouth to give her a piece of my mind, she continues. “You're making me food. I was probably going to get up and cook these eggs myself. So you're doing me a service. If anything, I should be paying you.”
“That's totally bullshit. It's still your food. And I always pay for you to feed me,” I point out, though I admit to myself that she does have a point.
“Right. It's my food, that you cooked for me. Your payment and mine cancel out. So no money needs to be exchanged!” Vinyl declares. I look at her with an incredulous expression.
“Your logic is ridiculous,” I say, but I do put my bits away. She does have a point, I suppose. Even so, I did just come downstairs and cook her food without asking. I still feel like I should pay her something. I take out a single bit and push it towards her, only for her to put it right back in my bag with magic.
“No. Bad Seth,” Vinyl chastises me like some kind of pet, causing me to raise an eyebrow. “Put your bits away.”
“I am, sheesh. Crazy mare,” I grunt. With that, the argument ends, and I start eating my eggs and toast at last.
After cleaning up all the dishes I left behind, I finally leave Vinyl's place, heading for Sweet Apple Acres for work. I'll get the bulk of my bits from this job, so I'm looking forward to it. Sort of. Actually, not really. If I wasn't getting paid, I wouldn't be doing this. Whatever.
As I walk, I pull out the hairband and put it on in preparation for the day ahead. It still feels and no doubt looks weird, but I'll sacrifice that for comfort. It's only temporary, after all.
When I approach Sweet Apple Acres, I notice a few things out of the ordinary. First, there's snow everywhere, but that's because it's winter. Secondly, Carrot Top is here for some reason, equipped with saddlebags filled with gardening tools. She's talking to Applejack about something that I can't make out.
Well, I can make it out now that I'm in earshot. “...might not get all of them planted by the time that storm hits,” Carrot Top is saying frantically, pointing a hoof at the horizon. Storm? I didn't think that was coming for a few...holy shit.
Looking in the distance in the direction she pointed, I can see a massive storm bank coming from the direction of Canterlot. Shit, is that what Rainbow's been working on?
“Don'tchu worry 'bout a thing, Carrot Top,” Applejack assures her. “We got at least another day before that monster hits us, and we got extra hands on deck this tahme.”
“Hands? What are you...oh,” Carrot Top begins, but then she sees me walking towards her and gulps. Ah, seems like Applejack spotted me first. “Hello, Seth. I didn't know you worked here.”
“How did you not? I've worked here since the day I got to Equestria,” I remark. Carrot Top winces at my tone. “Well, maybe a day after I got to Equestria.”
“Yup! Seth's been helping me out fer a while now,” Applejack agrees. Suddenly she does a double take, looking at my hair. “Whoa now. You look...different.”
“Blame your sister. She got it for me. It makes me look like shit, but it is practical,” I explain with a shrug.
“Ah didn't say it was bad. Just different. Ah actually like it,” Applejack compliments me. I raise an eyebrow. How can she like this stupid...oh. It's probably because her mane and tail are also tied up like this in a manner of speaking.
“Right. Thanks, I guess. So what's Carrot Top doing here?” I ask, thrusting my thumb at the mare in question.
“She works here too, on occasion. Mostly during the winter season, when carrots are in demand,” Applejack explains. “That leads me ta what yer doin' today. That storm's comin' quick, so ah want ya ta help plant all them winter crops before it gets here.”
“Winter crops? That's a thing?” I ask with a raised eyebrow. I always wondered what farmers do during the winter.
“That's right,” Carrot Top answers with a smile. “Carrots are actually year-round crops, but during this time of year, celery, leeks, potatoes, onions, and other such crops can grow.”
“Huh. I actually didn't know that,” I admit, scratching the back of my neck.
“Learn somethin' new everyday,” Applejack agrees. She adjusts her hat, and then gets down to business. “All raht, we've wasted enough time. Seth, ah want ya ta go with Carrot Top. She'll direct ya from there.”
“Got it,” I reply simply, looking at Carrot Top. “I guess I'm working with you.”
“Um...okay. Well, come with me. We have a lot of work to do,” Carrot Top responds. She beckons to me with a hoof, and then the two of us head towards one of the other fields. “First thing we have to do is prepare the fields for planting. Then, we'll plant the carrot seeds first, followed by the leeks and celery. That'll likely take us all day.”
“I figured as much. Whatever. Let's get started then.”
Yeah, it does take us all day, and it's also worse than the standard work day here. For starters, it's cold as fuck, and after I get working, it feels both hot and cold, and it's just unpleasant. Secondly, I have to do everything by hand. Basically what that means is Carrot Top points me to a fucking hand plow and pretty much told me to get to work.
Yeah...hand plows. Like, seriously. You know, those things that humans don't use anymore because we have giant fucking machines to do it for us. So this is annoying as hell that I have to do it the old fashioned way.
And by god, it's the most backbreaking work I've ever done in my life. It's essentially pushing a heavy object through a surface that doesn't want to move. So I have to give it my all just to get it to move. For hours. Motherfucking ow.
That takes me forever and a goddamn day to do. Thankfully Carrot Top isn't that hard of a taskmaster. As long as I'm trying my hardest, she lets me take short breaks every now and then to rehydrate myself.
Once the plowing of the first field is done, Carrot Top and I work together to plant the seeds. First, she shows me how to plant them, since I've never planted a seed in my damn life. Then, we start from opposite sides of the first field and work our way towards one another.
That takes us another hour. But once that field is done, guess what I have to do next? Fucking plow another field. I swear to god, if this doesn't help bulk up muscles, I'll murder something.
And then we rinse and repeat. I don't feel like I need to explain any further that we just plowed and sowed, plowed and sowed for the entire fucking day.
No, if anything, I feel I should note that Carrot Top seems less afraid of me now, and is being much more friendly and talkative. Halfway through the day, she starts talking about her family and everyday life, much to my annoyance. However, I'm too busy plowing to tell her that I could really care less. You're not Rainbow; we're not friends.
“All right, you can rest now. We're finished for today,” Carrot Top finally tells me as we finish planting the leek field. Oh thank god. It takes all of my willpower not to fall flat on my back from exhaustion. “You've been a great help...and I'm sorry for being so frightened of you the first time we met.”
“What are you talking about?” I pant. Carrot Top flushes slightly before she answers.
“As a little filly, I grew up hearing about humans and their accomplishments. You were these mysterious, wondrous figures with terrifying powers,” she relates. Oh great, I'm getting another excerpt of her life story. At this rate, she should go be a history teacher. “When I saw you at my stall, I was shocked and scared. I had no idea what you were like; I only knew what you were capable of.”
“That's a good way to think about us. Some of us...or most of us...are fucking lunatics,” I say, nodding in agreement. “So what changed your mind?”
“This. Interacting and working with you. You're not that different from us after all,” Carrot Top answers with a smile.
“I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult,” I grumble, unsure if I like being compared to ponies.
“A compliment of course. You're a decent and hardworking sort. Those traits will take you far in life,” Carrot Top assures me approvingly. Oh sheesh, spare me.
“Whatever,” is my simple response. I turn around and start to walk away. “If you're working here in two days, I'll see you later.”
“Okay! Have a good evening, Seth!” Carrot Top calls after me as I leave the field. Whatever. I just want to get paid and go relax. And by relax, I mean sit on a cushion while Twilight rants at me about magic and shit.
When I walk into the living area, I catch a whiff of a rich apple aroma. Oh. Seems like somepony is cooking.
Big Mac, who is resting on his haunches next to the stairs, gives me a terse nod when he sees me walk in.
“Where's Applejack?” I ask him. Rather than using his voice, Big Mac points a massive red hoof towards the kitchen. “Thanks.”
“Eeyup.”
Yeah, seems like the rest of the family is in the kitchen. Apple Bloom is setting the table in preparation for dinner, while Applejack and Granny Smith are finishing the meal. “Seth!” Apple Bloom exclaims upon seeing me. She hurries and finishes setting the table before coming to see me. She gasps, and then smiles happily when she sees my hair. “You're wearing my present!”
Applejack and Granny Smith look at me now as well. I roll my eyes. Guess I'm the center of attention now. “Yeah. It does help when I'm working,” I say. And suddenly there's a happy filly in my arms. Ugh...she's always acting overly affectionate. Like a cat that can talk. “Oh. Well hello there.”
“Now ain't that nine shades o' adorable?” Granny Smith comments, nudging Applejack, who nods in agreement. “You come ta eat dinner with us, sonny?”
Okay, it wasn't even Applejack that asked me this time. And now they're all looking at me hopefully, especially Apple Bloom. Goddammit, I am not doing this. Oh right, I have a legitimate excuse this time.
“Not this time. I made a lot of food with Twilight two days ago that we have yet to finish,” I tell them. Granny Smith nods in understanding. As for Apple Bloom, I get a little disappointed, “aww,” that makes me feel a little guilty.
“Hold up, you made food with Twilight?” Applejack asks disbelievingly. “Ah thought you n' her don't get along?”
“We don't. But she's teaching me, and I was hungry. So we made food,” I explain. Seconds later I realize something strange. When I first met Applejack, I probably would have said something along the lines of “I don't have to explain myself to you.” But I just did explain myself to her. Ugh, this fucking world is making me soft.
“Ah okay. Well, then. Here's yer pay,” Applejack replies, fishing out a jangling bag of bits from a drawer. I look inside to see twelve bits. “There's more in there cuz I stuck ya with plowin' in the snow . That's a difficult job.”
“Hmph, I suppose,” I mutter, seeing the logic in that. That plowing was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.
“Anyhow, you have fun with Twilight now,” Applejack says to me in a friendly manner. Good. After fulfilling Apple Bloom's need for physical affection, I set her down.
“I'll see you all in two days, I guess,” I tell them before leaving the kitchen, and then the building entirely. The first thing I do before going any further is take off this ridiculous hairband. I'm done working, and there's no way I want to deal with the shit Twilight will give me for wearing it.
That leaves me with only one thing left to do for today. Gotta go see Twilight, and then eat the rest of that delicious pie.
“Hey Seth! Come on in,” Twilight greets me happily, beckoning me inside with her hoof. I do so, noticing that the area is immaculately clean and set up for the lesson. God, she gets way too into this, I swear. “How was work? You look pretty tired.”
“Oh gee, I look tired? I guess that comes with pushing a goddamn plow for eight hours straight,” I retort irritably at Twilight's blatantly obvious comment. “Before we start, can we do food?”
“Oh, of course. We still have some of that fruit salad we made left. Not to mention the pie,” Twilight says with a twinkle in her eye. She seems to have ignored my snappy comment entirely.
“Oh fuck the hell yes,” I say, my mouth already watering in anticipation of the meal to come.
Needless to say, we devour the hell out of that pie. Oh yeah, we had the fruit salad first, but who cares about that? Pie is more important.
After food is over with, I take my place on one of the cushions on the floor and watch as Twilight pulls down the scroll. “How's your reading coming along?” Twilight asks as she opens one of the books on the table in front of her.
“It's coming. I haven't memorized all the symbols yet, but I can make a few basic words. You should probably keep drawing those pretty little pictures,” I answer wryly. Twilight giggles a little at my wording, and then she clears her throat.
“All right then. We'll start off today's lesson by discussing the composition of mana particles, and how they blend together to form magic at its base level,” Twilight begins. “Mana particles themselves are...”
I listen to her talk with a somewhat interested expression. I guess this is what I'll be dealing with for who knows how long.
I have to say, ever since I got to Equestria, I've been living a much healthier lifestyle. Daily exercise, healthy meals, you name it.
However, if given the chance, I would definitely want to go back home. This life isn't bad...but I want my old one back. I want my family. I want Amaryllis.
But thinking about that will only make me sad. I guess in the end, there's nothing I can do except carry on. That's what they would have wanted, I suppose.
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A chapter every day for the next two days?
*faints from epic*
Sad :(
Wow, thanks for the kind words dude, it really made my day. Your story is one of the best I have ever read and I write those comments to express how awesome both your skills as a writer, and the story itself are
In thanks, I have another one of my overly long analytical comments for you. Starting off we have Rose and Seth beginning their training. While it wasn't a very long scene (for practical reasons) it actually conveyed quite a lot of useful information. It showed that despite their newfound respect for one another, Seth and Rose are far from friends and likely wouldn't interact with each other if it wasn't necessary for both Seth's health and for the safety of Rainbow and Bloom (not to mention just about anyone who pisses him off
). We also saw how Seth reacts to his magic when he examines it outside of a combat situation and without the insanity. Dark magic is an evil source and even a being like Seth, who has next to no understanding of how magic works, can sense just how 'wrong' it is. He has been afraid of his magic since the moment he was aware of it, but seeing it in its purest form, swirling around inside him, it would have been terrifying. However with further training, he will be able to overcome this fear and use the magic safely, especially since his fear of the magic isn't as strong as his fear that it will cause him to harm Rainbow and Bloom.
The lead up to the party was just brilliant. Ever since Fluttershy had informed him they would be seeing each other that night, I had suspected it would be at a Pinkie Party. While Seth just generally dislikes others, he still doesn't mind cutting loose and having some fun, whereas Rose has trained to be a stoic and unmoving guard, and the frivolous atmosphere of a party wouldn't suit well with her. I can see not only future parties, but the general vibe of Ponyville start to get to her over time. At least she and Seth aren't alone now in seeing Ponyville as just a little bit much to handle
. Another thing that was noticeable at the party was Rainbow saving Seth from Lyra. By this point, it seems Rainbow has actually worked out which ponies he specifically dislikes, rather then just disliking those he doesn't know. She was already aware that he and Bonbon did not get along (though Seth does love winding her up 
), but now she has grasped that he really dislikes Lyra because of her over the top fun teasing attitude and her inability to give him some space. While Rainbow can likely tell that Lyra is just being friendly, she has learned enough about Seth to understand that she gets on his nerves and moved get her away before she got him angry. She probably won't do this all the time, as Lyra (baring her crush making him extremely uncomfortable) hasn't actually done anything to warrant his animosity, but she seems willing now to help keep him happy in social situations so that he stays happy and doesn't cause problems for anypony else. This may be an issue with Pinkie however, as Pinkie is one of her closest friends, and is also just about impossible to catch or divert when she has her sights set on something. At least for now Rainbow and Seth were able to have a fun time at the party, but I doubt we have seen the last of Pinkie wanting to be his friend 
.
The breakfast scene with Vinyl was actually very important. So far, all scenes with Seth and Vinyl living together have ended on a sour note. Seth's need to pay for anything he eats or uses has been an issue with Vinyl since day 1 and it is likely to continue being an issue in the future. However this time, while he was uncomfortable about it, he actually relented and accepted her logic that him making breakfast cancelled out the need to pay for it. While it was only a small victory for the DJ, this shows us that Seth has definitely grown and softened since his arrival into Equestria. He is still a grumpy jerk the majority of the time, but he has really lightened up a lot with the ponies he knows and after the upcoming time skip, will likely be on far better terms with her and most of the ponies of Ponyville in the future.
His work with Carrot Top was interesting as well. Normally her comments about not fearing him and her attitude that portrayed that she wanted to befriend him would make Seth angry or at least annoyed, however he simply brushed the comment aside (not even aggressively or offensively) and proceeded to get his pay. This is another example of his growth since arriving. I'm really excited to see what he will be like towards the end of this fic
.
Once again Seth gets out of eating dinner with the Apples. While he earlier decided he needed a goal to pursue, he kind of already has one in his unrelenting stubbornness to refuse their offers for dinner. He may someday cave and eat with them, but it will likely take a long time and a lot of effort on AJ's part to make it happen. Frankly I just think its hilarious seeing him avoid their offers like the plague
.
The final scene with Twilight didn't show us a lot of difference in his relationship with her, however it did give us some insight into his thoughts. While he desperately misses his home and his old life (and his old friends
) he has come to terms with the fact that he won't be able to return and he will never see them again. He has decided to make the best of his life here in Equesria and enjoy his newfound friends. It's sad, but at the same time, also shows his inner strength. Not a lot of people would be strong enough to carry on after the loss he has endured, but he valiantly struggles on because his new friends and his new life a worth hanging onto. Rainbow really saved him and now he can follow her advice, to live and find happiness 
.
Great work here and I can't wait for the next half of the arc. I am really excited
. Also, once again, sorry for the lateness in my previous comment. I wish I had remembered to bring my laptop with me while I was away, but I didn't even think about it. But I'm back now and rearing to go, so bring on the new round of chapters 
Sooo, he plowed Applejack's field?
6195795 he also planted his seeds.
Except that you already know because you just did it during the test fight? Ugh... >_>
6347783
For eight straight hours.
Where do these people come up with these comments
6510019 out of a hole. It's up to you to guess which one
Vinyl is training him like a dog. That really is hilarious!
Except the cat isn't telling you to pay attention and telling you how stupid humans are.
"I stuck ya with plowin' in the snow "
That's what she said.......
Oh god Im a terrible person
6392820 you do realize it has also been stated multiple times that he wasn't in control that time and has no idea how he did it, correct? Which is also the same reason he didn't do the tp ability against rose. During both times he raged with his magic, the magic was in control, not him, so the magic was doing its own thing with his body and wasnt even aware of what was happening. Now that he is controlling the magic, abs not vice versa, he has to figure out how the magic works from scratch.
6842407 Granny Smith approved!
Hm I'm guessing Seth has no idea about time paradoxes. The fact is if u change the past then the future won't happen then the past changes then the future and vice versa