The Last Descendant

by Cup of Coffee

Chapter 36 - Honest Experience (Edited by JBL)

Slogging our way through the empty streets of Ponyville at an ungodly early hour, Twilight and I yawned in perfect sync. Our study session had been a terrible idea in hindsight, seeing as we finished our exchange of information in the early hours of the morning, only to wake up a few hours later to shuffle off to Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight looked the same way I felt: bags under her eyes, a slightly frazzled mane, and long yawns occasionally escaping her lips. I wasn’t really sure she was awake at breakfast. Come to think of it, I couldn’t remember eating breakfast at all.

“Twilight?”

“Huh? What?” She blinked her eyes wearily.

“Let’s never stay up this late again.”

“Deal.”

“Didn’t I tell you to go to bed at a reasonable hour?” Spike snarked as he walked beside us, noticeably more refreshed than Twilight and me. I didn’t even notice him saying goodnight last night.

“Didn’t hear you,” I replied, rubbing my face.

“Too busy, human history fascinating,” Twilight answered robotically.

Spike shook his head, mumbling something about there now being two of her. I wasn’t awake enough to make sense of him, though. Who made sense at six-thirty in the morning anyway?

Somehow, we managed to find our way towards Applejack’s farm through the nearly empty streets of Ponyville thanks to Spike being our guide. Few ponies were up this early. I just couldn’t understand morning people. Why did they hate sleep?

Eventually, we left the centre of Ponyville, reaching the outskirts of the town. It didn’t take long before we came to the first row of apple trees flanking the road, a clear sign that this was Apple country. A white painted fence went along the entire stretch of road until we reached the farm itself. It had a welcoming gate shaped like an arch, with vines growing on it. The main house had the appearance of a barn, though was much better maintained. Painted bright red, it had clean windows and flower boxes at each window. The immediate area had some crops like lettuce and tomatoes planted, and I could hear the clucking of chickens nearby. The entire operation seemed rather orderly, unlike the farms I was used to. There wasn’t any oily and dirty machinery nearby, nor did the odour of diesel and oil hang in the air. There was only the smell of fresh air scented with apples, punctuated less pleasantly by the odours wafting from the nearby pig pen.

Wandering up to the door of the house, Twilight knocked three times and stepped back. The sound of rapidly approaching hooves on a wooden floor came from inside, followed by a young voice. “Ah got it!”

I expected to see Applejack, but instead it was a filly that opened the door. She was around half the size of Applejack, had a pale yellow coat, and red tail and mane, the latter of which had a bow of the same colour. Spotting Twilight and Spike, she immediately broke into a smile.

“Hi, Twilight, hi, Spike,” she greeted excitedly. It was then that she noticed me standing further back. Her smile quickly faded into an uncertain expression. “Um… hi…?” She slightly retreated inside.

I gave her a wave, yawning as I did. “Morning, kiddo.” She was one of the first pony kids I had seen up close. She was short in stature, and her large, innocent eyes made my heart lurch with how cute she was. Just looking at her, I imagined her and ponies her age playing and jumping around like fillies and colts released from their barns during the first days of spring back on Earth.

“Good morning, Apple Bloom. Is Applejack home?” Twilight asked, stifling a yawn.

She nodded. “Yeah, she’s in the kitchen, come on in.”

I stepped inside and immediately knocked my head against the low door frame. Unfortunately, the frame hit just below my horn, a spot I had learned was sensitive. A stream of profanities escaped my mouth while I rubbed my forehead. Fortunately, it came out in English. The Equish language didn’t have much in the way of profanity in it, anyway. Wouldn’t want to teach a kid new and exciting words.

Apple Bloom craned her neck to look up at me, stifling a giggle while I rubbed my head, hissing through my teeth. “Gotta be careful, mister, you’re a bit big for our house.”

“Thanks for the tip, kid,” I replied, looking down at her with a strained smile.

While getting my bearings, I looked around the homely living room we had entered. The furniture had that comfortable worn-in appearance to them, the oldest of which was a rocking chair that stood in the corner. Pictures of ponies were hung on the walls, both in colour as well as in greyscale. Some of them featured Applejack, along with a red-coated stallion and an elderly green-coated mare, while some newer ones also included the filly, Apple Bloom.

All in all, it both looked and felt cozy, as though a family had lived here for generations.

While I took in my surroundings, Applejack entered the room. “Morning, y’all. Looks like you two were up all night.”

“That’s because we did.” Twilight sleepily smiled at Applejack. “Did you know that the ~Roman~ Empire once ruled over more than half of Earth’s population?”

Applejack gave Twilight a confused look. “Ah… didn’t know that, but Ah know you two need some coffee. Come on into the kitchen; Granny made more than enough for all of us.”

Applejack didn’t have to ask twice, especially if my appearance mirrored that of Twilight’s. Apple Bloom quickly darted past us into the kitchen where the scent of freshly cooked food emanated.

Stepping into the kitchen was like stepping into a time machine back to a rural kitchen placed in the early 20th century. There was a stark absence of modern kitchen appliances, with most fixtures and fitting being made of wood, even the cast iron stove. Right in the middle of the kitchen stood a large table with chairs around it, around which were two ponies I hadn’t seen before. One was a large red earth pony with straw-coloured mane and tail, the second an older lime-green earth pony mare with hair so grey it had turned white. I recognized both from the pictures in the living room. Strangely enough, neither of them seemed afraid or fearful, instead smiling at me as if they expected me. It was likely Applejack had already told them about me.

When we walked into the kitchen, the stallion got off his low chair and went around the table to meet us. The alicorn and her assistant greeted the stallion, receiving a brief nod in reply. Then he stepped up to me, smiling and reaching out his hoof.

“Magnus, this here’s mah brother, Big MacIntosh,” Applejack said. I crouched down, balled my fist, and bumped it against his hoof. I had quickly gotten accustomed to this strange way ponies had of greeting each other.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr McIntosh,” I said with a smile.

“Eeyup,” was his only response as he returned to his seat.

“Now what’s all this, then?” The voice came from the old, wrinkled mare who had walked up behind Applejack. She had a patient, grandmotherly smile plastered on her face. “You gotta bend down so Ah can see you, young’un. Mah neck gets stiff if Ah stare up at the sky for too long.”

My lips curved upwards even as I crouched down, my fist extended to her. “Sorry about that, Ma’am.”

She gave my hand an odd look. “Ma’am? Now that’s very formal an’ all, not like how we do things ‘round here. Granny Smith will do just fine, young’un.” She touched my hand with her thin, wrinkled hoof, then proceeded to eye me up and down for a few seconds. “Strangest looking minotaur Ah’ve ever saw.”

I chuckled while Applejack stepped in to correct her elder. “No, Granny, this here is Magnus, the human from another world,” Applejack said before looking to me. “This is our grandmother, Granny Smith.”

I nodded politely. “Mrs Smith.”

“Granny. Granny Smith is mah name. This ain’t Canterlot, sonny.”

“Granny Smith then.”

“The lil’ filly behind you is our little sister, Apple Bloom.” Applejack pointed to the filly who had already taken a seat at the table, eagerly awaiting her breakfast. “Apple Bloom, come say hello to Magnus.”

Jumping off her low chair, the filly trotted over to me. Still crouching, I reached out my hand to her. “Hello, Apple Bloom,” I said, giving her a smile. She hesitated for just a second before bumping my hand.

“Hello. What kinda name is Magnus? It’s strange.”

Kids—they could be refreshingly blunt. I bet people who worked at daycare centres copped a lot of unwarranted opinions from their charges. Unfortunately, Applejack didn’t see it that way.

“Apple Bloom! Jes ‘cus he has a mite unusual name doesn’t mean you have to point it out.”

“But it’s true, though. He has a weird name,” the filly argued.

“Unusual, the word is unusual, Apple Bloom.”

The filly pouted. “An’ unusual is just another word for strange.”

The two siblings went back and forth for a while. Applejack was adamant that my name wasn’t weird, while Apple Bloom proclaimed that my name was indeed just that and that my parents should have given me a pony name. Their debate, however, soon came to an abrupt end.

“Breakfast is ready!” Granny Smith called out as she placed bread on the table. “We have enough for everypony, you three included,” she said, pointing to Twilight, Spike, and me. We wasted no time in sitting down with the family. Though we had eaten earlier that morning, I wasn’t going to pass on some home-cooked food. Just the scent of freshly baked bread was enough to make me salivate.

Their breakfast spread was varied, but at the same time limited. Although there was plenty of food such as vegetables, fruit, bread, and jams, most of it was apple-based. All of the baked goods had apples in them, the bread had a faint taste of apples, even the salad was fifty percent apples.

Luckily for me, their coffee was free of any apple influence and strong enough to bring me fully into the wakened world.

***

After breakfast, it was time to start the day at the farm. Big McIntosh left the house to start his work outside while the youngest member of the family ran upstairs. While Granny Smith cleaned off the table and Applejack helped her, Twilight, Spike, and I retreated into the living room.

“I’m not sure what Applejack has in store for you,” Twilight said, now looking more composed after getting a decent meal in her. “Who knows, since you worked at a farm, I’m sure that you two can find something you both have in common.”

I nodded, but I wasn’t so sure that what I knew of farming would be that helpful around here. Honestly, I just used to drive a tractor to collect grain from the combine harvester and then delivered it to the silos. I had no experience working at an apple orchard at all. If the Apple family had any machinery around, I could probably help, but since ponies didn’t use tractors at all…

“I’ll keep my ears open to everything Applejack can teach me,” I replied, watching as said mare entered the living room.

“Good.” Twilight turned to Applejack. “I’m sure you two are eager to get started, so Spike and I will leave you to it. I’ll come pick you up at six, okay?”

“Fine with me, although I’m sure I could find my way back on my own.” Sometimes, Twilight made me feel like a kid at school waiting for my parent to pick me up.

Twilight nodded and headed outside, with Applejack and I following. We bade each other goodbye, and it didn’t take long before Twilight and Spike walked through the ivy-covered wooden gateway. Applejack took a deep breath, looking out over the farm.

“Nothin’ like a bit of fresh air to get the day started,” she said with a smile.

I smiled too, knowing a bit how she felt. There was a major difference between living in a city the countryside. Life seemed a bit more calm and idyllic.

Coughing into her hoof, Applejack peered up at me, an uneasy expression on her face. “By the way, about yesterday. That mare at my stand…”

I knew instantly who was referring to; Spoiled Rich, bitch extraordinaire.

“What about her?” I asked, wondering where this conversation was heading.

“Ah should have said somethin’. Ah should have defended you.” Exhaling, Applejack looked at me guiltily. “Ah should have stood up for you, but Ah didn’t. Ah was just too darn shocked to hear Spoiled Rich talk about you the way she did, not even knowing you, and Ah’m sure she knows what you’ve been through.”

Resting my hands on my back, a faint frown appeared on my face. Yesterday, I had thought it was weird that Applejack didn’t defend me, not even telling that mare to fuck off. Now I knew why. It shocked me too, hearing Spoiled Rich say that, fully aware that I could hear her. I wasn’t the only one. Fluttershy had fussed over me for a long time, trying to cheer me up. As far as I knew, Twilight didn’t know about it at all. I preferred it that way. She didn’t need to know everything that happened to me—I’d been babysat enough lately.

“Don’t feel bad about it, Applejack, though I appreciate you telling me you’re not responsible for her actions. Honestly, I’ve known for some time now that me simply existing here would make some ponies upset. However, I refuse to let a three feet tall pile of stacked shit break me.” Applejack let out a gasp at my language. In return, I cracked a smile. “So if you feel guilty, don’t. Spoiled Rich is a simple-minded mare who just happens to be good for one thing: producing manure.”

Applejack remained silent for a few seconds before allowing herself a satisfied smile. “Thank you. It’s been gnawing on me ever since yesterday.”

“You’re welcome.”

“By the way, please watch your language around mah sister, and Granny. Apple Bloom doesn’t need to learn those words, and Granny Smith isn’t fond of cussing.” I mimicked a zipper over my mouth. “Well, can’t just stand here, Ah got an apple orchard to see to. Ah guess Ah can teach you a thing or two while we walk.”

Just then, Apple Bloom galloped past us with saddlebags on her back and an eager smile on her face. “Bye, sis, bye, Mister Magnus,” she called out while sprinting down the road as fast as her short legs could carry her.

Applejack waved to her sister. “Bye, Apple Bloom, have a nice day at school.”

“See you around, kiddo.”

Seeing her head to school reminded me of my school days. Apple Bloom was all smiles and eager to learn, a complete opposite of my experience. I had never liked school much because I had struggled with so many subjects, math the greatest challenge. Numbers just became all jumbled up in my head. As far as I knew, I didn’t have a learning disability, I just didn’t like math at all.

“You have an adorable sister.” Applejack was still smiling fondly as the filly scampered away.

“The best,” she replied proudly.

“I really can’t tell the age of ponies yet, but I can tell the difference between young and old,” I explained. “How old is your sister, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“She’s eight years old, and in that special age when colts and fillies want to find their cutie mark. Apple Bloom and her friends tried a lot of things in order to earn them, though so far they haven’t succeeded in doing much else than cause a heap of problems around town.”

I didn’t consider asking, knowing that kids sometimes wanted to try and emulate adults. As a kid, there was a brief period of about a week or so when I wanted to be a carpenter and build houses. I practised hammering nails into everything that was made of wood. That had included grandfather’s chopping block. It took some time before he figured out why his axe had become blunted so quickly.

Applejack started walking towards the nearest patch of apple orchard while I followed like an obedient dog. Then an obedient dog turned up. A small one, reminiscent of a short haired-collie, came running like a bat out of hell out from the orchard, straight for Applejack. With its tail wagging and tongue hanging out, the little dog ran circles around us, barking and yipping.

“Winona! Calm down, girl, what got your tail in a twist?” In response, the dog tilted its head while looking at me inquisitively.

“I think she’s wondering what I am,” I responded. The dog wasn’t afraid of me, that much was clear. I crouched and held my hand out so that the dog could inspect me as she pleased. “She doesn’t bite, does she?”

“Nope, Winona is the nicest dog around, aren’t you, girl? Yes, you are!” Applejack said, immediately going into full dog owner mode. “Wanna meet Magnus? Wanna meet him? Go on, girl, say hello.”

Winona sniffed my hand a few times, barked, and wagged her tail before she began to circle around Applejack again as we resumed our walk.

Her appearance had made the gears in my mind turn. Winona was awfully diminutive for a dog, and she wasn’t a Paris Hilton pocket pooch either. She somehow reminded me of a sheep dog, not a lapdog. However, if I took the size of ponies into account, she was a normal-sized canine. Thinking about it, I remembered Fluttershy’s critters being awfully small as well. Had I grown, or was it perhaps that the sizes of the animals in this world had been reduced? At least Harry was normal-sized for an adult brown bear.

It was a brief walk towards the nearest orchard. The trees seemed healthy insofar as I could tell, and it didn’t take long before Applejack began relaying her family’s history.

Her family had come to this area a hundred years ago. Her grandmother, Granny Smith, had been just a filly back then when her parents were granted this land from Princess Celestia herself. It took a considerable amount of time and back-breaking labour to clear the land and plant the saplings, and the first few years were hard, but their labour eventually bore fruit, literally. I was actually more impressed by the fact that Granny Smith was over a hundred years old. Still, Applejack kept on going, telling me all about the farm while we walked between trees laden with fruit. Though the apples beckoned invitingly to me, I had my fill from my earlier breakfast.

Eventually, our conversation drifted to what Applejack had planned for the day. “Ah’m gonna check up on the apples trees over at the far end of the orchard. We’re gonna start harvesting next week, so Ah gotta make sure that all the apples are ready for harvest. If any apples aren’t ripe yet, Ah mark the tree so that we know to harvest them last. Big Mac is doing the same over on the west field,” Applejack explained. As we passed the trees, she gave them a quick look before nodding and moving on. Occasionally, she spotted apples that weren’t quite ripe yet, efficiently marking them with a stick leaning against the trunk.

“Do humans grow apples?” Applejack asked while marking another tree.

“Yep. Although the climate where I lived was a bit cold for apple trees, my home country grows all types of fruit. Apples, oranges—you name it, people had a farm for it,” I explained.

“Sounds mighty interesting. How do you harvest the crops?”

“Back in the day, we used our hands like this.” I reached up to the nearest branch, easily reaching the apple hanging there. “To reach the fruit higher up, we used ladders. Nowadays, we have machinery to help us in most of our farming.”

“Machinery?” Applejack frowned and huffed. “Not quite how we do things here at the farm. The best apples are the ones harvested with good ol’ muscle power; we just give the trees a good ol’ buck.”

“A buck?”

“Mhm, like this.” Applejack wandered over to a tree that was almost devoid of fruit. The bark on the tree had silvery moss growing on it and the branches were old and gnarled. She turned around and reared up on her forelegs while kicking straight backwards with her hind legs. The trunk shook violently and two apples fell down from the tree. “It works a lot better when the tree is full, though. We also place baskets underneath the tree to catch the apples as they fall down.”

‘That was a helluva good kick,’ I admitted to myself. I felt the ground shake slightly when she made contact with the trunk. Although a lot faster than simply picking the apples from the tree, I expected a full day of harvesting would take its toll on a pony.

But Applejack was an earth pony. I remembered reading the book about the different types of ponies, which stated that earth ponies were the strongest. How strong, I had no idea.

“Applejack, I have a favour to ask.”

“Go ahead, Sugarcube.”

“Show me how strong earth ponies are.”

She turned around, a single hoof pushing her hat up, revealing her confused visage. “‘Scuse me?”

“I know it sounds strange, but I read somewhere that earth ponies are the strongest. Now I’m wondering just how strong you are. So please, show me. It’s for the sake of knowledge.”

Applejack shook her head and sighed. “Ah think you’ve been spendin’ too much time around Twilight.”

“Please?” I didn’t want to beg, but as long as I didn’t resort to puppy dog eyes, I was in the clear.

The farmpony eventually cracked a smile. “Shucks, Ah guess there’s no harm in showing you.”

Grinning, I knelt on one knee and leaned forward while crossing my arms over my chest. With my kneeling leg extended backwards, I dug my hoof into the earth to add some resistance, while my other leg acted as a stabilizing force. Removing her hat, Applejack lowered her head, butting her head against my arms tucked across my chest.

“Ready?”

“Go for it.”

I knew I had gained some weight after coming to Equestria. Hooves were heavy, and I knew my bones had thickened somehow by the physical change I underwent when coming to Equestria. I was uncertain of how much I weighed since ponies used a different system of measuring weight, but a hundred kilograms didn’t sound that far off.

That wasn’t even a challenge for Applejack. Her first initial push against my chest almost sent me scrambling backwards, making me lose balance for a second. Digging the tip of my hoof into the ground, I held on, but it didn’t faze her. Managing to get my other leg behind me, I planted my second hoof into the earth, hoping it would slow her down. She didn’t even notice it.

“Okay, okay! That’s enough!” I exclaimed, feeling the pressure of the earth building in my legs. She immediately ceased and placed her Stetson back on her head.

“That good enough for you?” she asked, grinning victoriously.

Standing up, I brushed away some twigs and grass that had caught onto my pants. When I looked at the point where we started, I realized that Applejack had pushed me ten meters backwards. There were even two small furrows in the earth where my hooves had tried to find purchase.

I stared in awe at the tracks, then to Applejack. “Yeah,” I nodded in respect. “That was unbelievable.”

She walked behind me, pushing up her hat while passing me. I could hear the smile in her voice. “Thank ya kindly, but honestly, Ah’m not that strong. Big Mac’s stronger. He once pulled a house off its foundation.”

My head whipped around, staring at the apple farmer while she walked over to another tree, marking it with a twig. Her brother did what?! Pull a frickin’ house? Seriously?

I shook my head slowly while looking at the two furrows left behind. I didn’t doubt her in the slightest. After her show of strength, I now had a clear measure of an earth pony’s physical prowess. Pound for pound, they were much more powerful than humans, inhumanly powerful. Max would stand no chance against Applejack, even less against her brother. I once thought that earth ponies were unlucky since they couldn’t fly or use magic, but their physical abilities more than made up for it.

That in turn made me wonder how powerful ponies could become if they went to the gym every day. A brief image of pony Arnold popped up my head, yelling “Get to da choppa!”

Applejack couldn’t understand why I suddenly started chuckling.

***

Applejack made quick work marking the trees. She explained that she and her brother had already taken care of the other parts during the past two days, and that this part was the smallest part of the orchard remaining. During the hours spent with her, she taught me how to recognize fruit that needed some extra time to become ripe from those that were near perfect for harvest. I wondered how this knowledge would help me, but I didn’t object from participating at all. Every little titbit of information helped me, or at least that was what I told myself.

Our continuous exchange of information regarding agriculture was also a subject both of us found somewhat interesting, Applejack more so than me. Having told her about how many humans there were back home, she was curious about how we could provide food for everybody and how human harvesting methods worked. I explained our diet to her, mentioning eating meat and fish. After I explained that we used machinery for most of our agricultural work, she scoffed, stating her dislike for machinery replacing an honest day's work. She even went as far as comparing a modern day farmer to an office worker when I told her of combine harvesters and how the farmer sat comfortably in the cabin to operate the machine in all kinds of weather. Her stubborn nature in this regard reminded me in some ways of a Luddite.

I wisely stayed away from the topic of genetically modified crops, knowing that she would definitely have strong opinions concerning that, perhaps something along the lines of ‘tampering with nature’.

Leaning a stick against the last tree, I stood up and brushed debris off my knees. Applejack had already finished her part, and as usual, she inspected the tree I had marked, ensuring I had paid attention to her directions.

“And that’s that,” she said with a nod. “All done. Now, all we gotta do is wait for the apples to ripen, and then they’ll be ready for harvest.”

“That’ll take a few days of hard work. Do you do all the work yourselves?” I asked, looking around at the trees brimming with apples. For two ponies to harvest all of this would take a couple of weeks at the bare minimum. I doubted Granny Smith would be much help, seeing as she was well over a hundred years old.

“Mostly,” Applejack answered. “Every few years, we get a bumper harvest, and then we usually hire help. Last year, we ended up with a lot more than usual, and Big Mac was injured at the time.” She looked away, her voice becoming uncharacteristically low. “Ah tried to harvest it all in mah own. It… didn’t work out so well, so the girls offered to help. Got it all done in a couple of days.”

We headed back to the barn, making idle conversation as we walked along one of the fences that separated the orchard and the main road leading from the farm to Ponyville. It was at that moment I spotted a herd of cows grazing in an enclosed pasture at the other side of the road. It reminded me of the farms back in Montana. The cows looked well-groomed and healthy, with just enough weight to them.

Then one of the cows raised its head and spotted us. “Good morning, Applejack. Who’s your friend?”

For a few seconds, I couldn’t do much more than simply gape in shock. The cow had spoken as clearly as any person, and she even had a slight accent, one I couldn’t place. I was completely flabbergasted, to say the least. The cow even had somewhat of a feminine look to her face as well, just like the mares I had encountered. Although I knew cows were sentient, intelligent beings, hearing one talk was still a complete surprise. Here was a creature I regarded as food, but that train of thought derailed in a split second.

Applejack tipped her hat to the bovine while approaching the fence. “Howdy, Daisy Jo. This here’s Magnus, the human who arrived in Equestria some time ago.”

The cow looked at me and gasped. “It is?” She whipped around and shouted to the rest of the herd. “Girls, the human we read about is here!” It was all it took to get their attention, and seconds later they all came galloping, gathering at the fence. I immediately noticed their size. I was right concerning animals in this world; the cows were much smaller than their Earth counterparts, just over half their size.

“He’s so tall.”

“Not strange looking, though.”

“Almost a bit like a pony, if a pony walked on two legs.”

“Is his mouth supposed to be open like that?”

“Maybe he’s hurt?”

“No, his mouth was closed earlier.”

They spoke eagerly among themselves while at the same time bombarding me with questions at a rate I had no chance of answering. Applejack was no help; she had merely taken a step back and chuckled to herself at seeing the situation I was in.

“We heard that your world and ours are the same. Does your world have cows too?”

“Uh, yes, but—”

“Do you like Equestria?”

“I mean, it’s nice and—”

“How about the food?”

“I can’t say that—”

“Do you eat grass?”

“No, but—”

Fortunately, Applejack came to the rescue after she noticed my obviously stressful situation, though she probably had to compose herself first. “Girls, settle down please. Ah think Magnus is a bit overwhelmed when you’re all shouting.”

The voices of the cows slowly subsided until they were all silent, each of the bovine looking at me expectantly.

“Well, Magnus, are you up for a chat with the friendliest cows you’ve ever met?” Applejack asked.

Once I got my thoughts in order, I nodded. Sure, why not speak with them? After all, this was probably the most surreal moment in my life so far.

***

Who knew cows were so talkative? It turned out that cows weren’t that different from ponies, at least when it came to simple conversation. I answered their questions as best I could, keeping my answers simple. On the inside, my brain was freaking out. It all boiled down to me having a conversation with what I once upon a time would call a ‘future medium rare’.

Even after Applejack and I left after bidding the herd goodbye, I was having difficulty reconciling their human-like demeanours and personalities with their former status as food. All I could think of was the line between food and person, now blurred beyond all comprehension. My former cravings for meat was gone, turned into a nauseating feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even thinking about a nice, juicy steak made me feel like throwing up. When we got back to the farm, I needed to drink water to calm down my stomach. It didn’t help much, and I tried to put it in the back of my mind.

I helped Applejack load up a cart of apples for the market, seeing as she was heading into town after lunch. I was going with her, because ‘Ah’ve a few things to teach you ‘bout buying at the market’. Basically, Applejack wanted to teach me how to find the best vegetables and fruit, and how to haggle. The latter could actually be a very useful skill to have, seeing as it could help me save a few bits here and there.

Before we ventured into town, Granny Smith made us lunch. The only problem was that she had used a lot of milk this time, and I knew where the milk came from. A steaming bowl of oat porridge was placed in front of me, smelling of apples, cinnamon, and sugar. The meal looked great, but one thing was on my mind.

‘I know perfectly well where the milk came from. Drinking this milk is like… I don’t know, mother’s milk… Yuck.’ I looked up, seeing Granny Smith looking at me expectantly, wondering why I hadn’t eaten anything yet. I forced a smile and focused on my porridge again. I had to eat since I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. ‘Come on! It’s cow's milk, just like you buy at the store! Get a grip!’

Slowly, I scooped up a bit of porridge and put in my mouth, chewing slowly before swallowing. It tasted as it smelled: fantastic. Granny Smith had to have a black belt in cooking.

‘A cow’s udder is basically one breast with four nipples!’

Sometimes I hated my brain.

***

After eating lunch, and clean up the mess I made whilst apologizing for spraying my mouthful of food on Big Macintosh, Applejack and I headed outside. Hitching herself up to a wagon that acted as a market stand and could transport baskets at the same time, we headed towards Ponyville.

“Yeah, the ponies in town sure love apples. We sell to just about everypony. ‘Course, lotsa apples are sold to Sugarcube Corner, and we send em to other towns as well. Granny made a deal to deliver to Canterlot Castle when she took over the farm years and years ago. We ain’t the only apple farmers around though; the Apple family is huge, and we have apple orchards all over Equestria,” Applejack said as we pulled into town and her designated spot, smack dab in the middle of the market square. We of course attracted some attention from the other vendors, seeing as they probably didn’t expect me to accompany Applejack today.

While Applejack unhitched herself from the cart, I pulled out the supporting legs built into the cart, steadying it. “Sounds like family reunions are a big thing for you guys.”

“It’s a real hoot-a-nanny, Ah tell you,” Applejack replied with a grin, taking a basket from the cart and placing it on the ground. “Cousins, uncles, aunts, second cousins—you name it, it’s a real shindig. Last time we had a reunion, we had it at Sweet Apple Acres. The family came from all over Equestria. Lotsa delicious food, music, dancing, news from far and wide—we even raised a barn in just a few hours.”

I placed the last baskets on the ground while Applejack set up an awning over the stand, providing some shade for her. If I wanted to get under it, I had to crouch, and it would leave less space for her, thus I decided to stand.

“Must be nice, having so many uncles, aunts, and cousins,” I said, sitting down next to her.

She smiled, waving to a random passerby. “It is, and the family’s still growing.” She then looked at me. “What about you? You have any family?”

“You already know about my friends, but other than that, I don’t have anyone.”

“No one at all?” Applejack asked, sounding surprised. “You told us about your friends, but what happened to your parents?”

“Mom died when she gave birth to me, and my dad just left.” I shrugged. “As for his parents, I never knew them.”

She gasped. “Yer own dad left you? How could he do that?” Slapping her hoof onto the stand, she scoffed. “What kind of parent abandons his own child?”

I didn’t reply, knowing that Applejack was trying to dig for information. It had only been many years later that I found out my dad’s story and the life he had lived. The first time I visited his and my mom’s grave was the first time in my life I had truly missed him.

***

The afternoon rush had been in full swing for an hour or so now, and ponies trickled into the square at a steady rate, all searching for the best bargains. That included purchasing apples from Applejack, and even though it started somewhat slow to begin with, business quickly picked up. I got the distinct feeling that some of the customers mainly wanted to stare at me, all while using Applejack’s wares as an excuse.

All the ponies seemed to be on friendly terms with Applejack, with a multitude of greetings and pleasantries. It was the perk of growing up in a small town where everybody knew everybody, I supposed.

There was also the occasional haggling going on. A couple of stallions and a few mares weren’t satisfied with the quality of the apples, and attempted to push the price down. Applejack valiantly defended her apples, emphatically retorting that they were perfectly fine, and grown with care and love. A few customers also asked me for my opinion regarding the apples, and I answered honestly that the apples were better than the ones I had back home. It was enough to make ponies pay the asking price. Honestly, I had never tasted apples straight from the tree, without any insecticides or pesticides.

Eventually, the stream of customers trickled down, which gave Applejack a breather. “Looks like Ah got a break. We barely got any apples left.” She looked back at the last basket, which was less than half full. She nodded to herself in satisfaction. “What do you say to me teaching you how to find some good bargains, and how to pay a reasonable price?”

“I won’t refuse the lesson.” I stood up and followed Applejack around the market, checking out the various stands. Fresh fruit and vegetables wasn’t the only things for sale, as I noticed some stands that had jams, drinks in glass bottles or clay jugs, as well as a stallion who just sold firewood.

“There, that stand.” Applejack pointed at one stand manned by a yellow mare with an orange mane. She obviously sold carrots, judging by the baskets of the root crop around her stand. It also featured prominently on her flanks as her cutie mark.

We headed over towards her, Applejack greeting her amiably. “Howdy, Carrot Top.”

The mare broke into a smile at seeing Applejack, not diminishing as she noticed me. “Applejack, hello. You too, Magnus.”

“Hello.” I nervously scratched my head, wondering at her casual greeting. Had I met her at Pinkie’s party?

“How’re things today?” Applejack asked, looking over the mare’s selection.

“Pretty well, I suppose. This is my first batch of Golden Granite carrots. I thought they would grow poorly in rocky soil, but they seemed to like the challenge of my backyard! If they sell well, I might plant a few more next spring.” She wrapped her foreleg around two carrots, holding them out to us. “Would you like a taste?”

“Don’t mind if I do, thank you.” I accepted her carrot and chewed it thoughtfully. It tasted just fine, perhaps a bit crispier than normal carrots.

Applejack also accepted a sample, quickly dispatching it inside her mouth. “Mite unusual from your normal carrots, but good anyway.” Finishing her carrot, top and all, she returned to her original agenda. “Ah wonder if you could help us a bit, Carrot. See, Ah planned to teach Magnus here a few things today, one of them being how to haggle. Could you help us by being the vendor and Magnus the customer?”

“Sure, I’d be happy to help,” the mare answered.

“Go on, Sugarcube, be the customer.” Applejack gave me a nudge towards the stand.

I stepped forward and gave her stock a glance. “How much is it for a dozen?”

“A dozen carrots are six bits.”

I nodded idly while pondering my next move. What first came to mind was how little I knew of Equestrian money compared to US dollars. I didn’t even know what I could buy with one bit or a hundred. Sure, I had paid attention to the transactions between ponies and Applejack at her stand, but due to the flexibility of the prices, I had no way of knowing the standard value of a bit.

“Six? That’s a bit steep, isn’t it?” My answer was mostly guess work. After all, I was trying to push down the price.

Carrot Top immediately shook her head. “Not considering the amount of work I put into my new crops. Fertilizer, weeding, and a lot of love and care went into making my carrots grow.”

I scratched my scruff while wondering what new angle to try. True, she probably spent money on fertilizer, and weeding the crops also took time. The ‘love and care’ part wasn’t something that could be measured in one's wallet, though.

“Okay, now I don’t know what to try. Teach, I need help.”

“Yep, just follow mah lead.” Applejack leaned forward, taking a closer look at the carrots, turning a few over in the process. “Look for the little things: spots, bruises, anything that says this crop ain’t top notch. But since this is Carrot Top’s crops, Ah doubt we’ll find anything.” Carrot Top beamed at the compliment. “Still, she also said that this is a new crop for her, meaning the carrots might not be all that. Since it’s mostly an unknown, you could push her price down by focusing on that.”

“Applejack is right; they are a new breed of carrot around these parts. If they sell well, I’ll sow new ones next year, but if they don’t, I won’t,” Carrot Top confirmed.

I nodded while pondering my new strategy, taking a closer look at the crops on display. Carrot Top had given me a free sample, and it was pretty good, so she had that going for her. I then proceeded to inspect the crops, looking for flaws and imperfections. I found too few that to mention them would just be nitpicking. Another point for her. Maybe I could use a bit of advertising?

“Hmm, if this is a new type of carrot, I’d say four bits for a dozen. If I like them, I’ll buy more. Heck, I’ll even recommend them.” I stood up straight, crossing my arms. “Do we have a deal?”

Carrot held a hoof to her mouth while she looked at her selection, humming to herself. “Well, my customers have only bought my regular carrots today, and few have taken an interest in my Golden Granite.” Lowering her hoof, she smiled. “Sure, we have a deal.”

I fist-pumped, enjoying my small, but first, victory. I’d had so much going against me lately that even something insignificant like this going my way felt like I had won the lottery.

“Atta colt, now you’re learning!” Applejack bumped her hoof against my thigh.

Carrot Top applauded briefly. “Haggling is easy when you get the hang of it, but remember not to push the price too far down, otherwise you might get a bad reputation and the vendors will raise their prices just for you.”

Applejack nodded. “You gotta remember that ponies have families to feed and bills to pay too.”

***

After we departed from Carrot Top’s booth, we went around to the other stalls, whose owners were equally accommodating once Applejack explained the situation. She even said that I had a thirty bit budget to work with, stating that that amount should be more than enough to buy breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two or three days. She also added an extra challenge by making me visit the stands that sold more expensive foods. My attempts were not completely successful, though; I attempted to haggle on the price of cherries, which were quite expensive, at least in my eyes, or perhaps it was the stallion selling cherries who deliberately increased the price. It only ended with me having to pay triple the stated value. In my own weak defence, I had spent too much already.

At least I gathered some much needed experience, which I was sure would be helpful in the future. After all, wherever I decided to live, I had to pay for food, rent, and one other expense which ponies didn’t have to worry about, namely clothing. Saving as much as possible especially for winter clothing was important. I had no idea how bad winters could be around these parts, but I had been through several back in Montana.

The market eventually began winding down, Applejack selling out her remaining produce in the meantime and ending up with a fat sack of bits as her rewards. Running a farm took effort and significant expense, especially if it had been a bad year. God knew I had seen some poor fields back home from time to time.

I was helping Applejack pack up her stand when I heard a familiar voice behind me. “Magnus, Applejack, hello!”

Both of us looked over our shoulders as Twilight came cantering towards us, saddlebags on her back bulging.

“Hey, Twilight. Got some last minute shopping done?” I pointed at her saddlebags; one flap was open, revealing bread and fruit.

“Sometimes I forget to buy food, especially if I have a project I’m working on,” Twilight replied with a sheepish grin. “And as usual, I get the leftovers, which is why Spike is the one doing the shopping for me.”

I could believe that, especially after experiencing Spike’s culinary delights.

Applejack chuckled. “That’s what you get. Ah swear, sometimes you’re like Rarity when she’s in her ‘zone’.” She playfully poked Twilight in the side.

“Not always,” Twilight replied, looking somewhat embarrassed. “Anyway. Magnus, what did you learn today?”

I picked up the last empty baskets, placing them on the cart. “Applejack taught me how to haggle, and I learned a few things about farming practices. Not sure how much use I’ll have for knowing about farming, but haggling is a valuable skill.”

“Maybe you’ll want to run a farm one day; could be useful to know how to do things.” I shrugged at Applejack’s suggestion. Running a farm here was so much harder than back home with no machinery available, only manual labour. Not that I disliked hard labour, oh no, but I had my limits. After all, there was a reason farming here was done mainly by earth ponies. Their innate earth pony magic was probably so strong that they could make wheat grow in a quarry.

With her stand disassembled, Applejack strapped the harness around her midsection and secured it, the ease with which she did it speaking of years of experience.

“Well, that’s that for today then. Ah’ll be heading home now. You two are welcome to join me home. Ah bet Granny’s got something delicious cooked up for dinner.”

I didn’t even consider declining her offer. Granny Smith was a helluva cook, even though it was all apples. Unfortunately for me, Twilight had other plans. “Thank you, Applejack, but Spike’s already making us dinner at the castle. I also have a few things I wanted to talk about with Magnus.”

“Aw, dammit.”

“Don’t worry, Sugarcube, Ah’m sure there’ll be another day.” She patted my thigh in sympathy.

I hoped there would be. The food at Canterlot Castle was great, and Spike was also a damn good cook, but there was something about Granny Smith’s cooking that topped them, perhaps experience.

I thanked Applejack for her company throughout the day, which I did in fact value highly. She seemed to be a down to earth type of person, and I genuinely liked being around her. I don’t know why, but she seemed to be the most… humanlike… of the six mares I had met.

With our goodbyes said, we parted ways and headed back to the castle. While walking, I noticed Twilight was almost walking on the tip of her hooves while grinning like a kid on Christmas morning. I had no doubt in my mind that she had something planned. I would find out soon enough.

***

After dinner, I retired to the library in search of something to read, which had become something of a daily occurrence for me. My current area of interest were early spells, which worked by combining words, thoughts, will, and imagining the spell you wanted to cast. Nowadays, things had changed. Will was still needed, along with knowledge of the spell, the amount of magic required to cast it, as well as training. A small note also mentioned that some unicorns relied on emotions to cast spells. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the spell. However, most of the spells described in the book were obsolete since newer and more effective spells had been created. Much to my dismay, a certain amount of math was actually required for some complex ones, meaning I was up shit creek without a paddle.

‘There should probably be a spell book somewhere around here. I would be surprised if there wasn’t,’ I thought, glancing around at the massive volume of books surrounding me.

My quiet moment was interrupted by a certain alicorn with a giddy smile on her face galloping into the library, trailing scrolls and paper behind her. She slid to a halt in front of me, taking a moment to regain her breath. During dinner, she asked me what I thought of Applejack and her lessons, as well as Applejack’s family. Other than taking note of my responses, Twilight had remained unusually quiet. Most likely she had been planning whatever she now had in mind.

“Something on your mind, Twilight?” I asked, leaning forward. I was certain she had questions. After all, when didn’t she?

“Yes, questions,” she panted. “Your device.”

“Device? You mean my ~cell phone~?”

“Yes, your sell fff-f-f… that.”

Sometimes it was really amusing hearing a pony attempt to speak English. They just didn’t have the vocal cords for certain words.

“Well, what questions do you have?”

“I want to see it and what it can do!” Twilight exclaimed with a grin that bordered manic.

I hummed to myself for a moment while considering her request. “Sure, it’s in my room. Let me get it.”

Twilight’s horn glowed for a split second, and in a flash of light, my phone was on the table in front of me. I looked up at the youngest princess, wondering how she knew where it was. “Walking would take too long,” she explained, hopping in place out of sheer eagerness.

“Impatient much?”

“No, just very, very, curious.”

Smirking at how she was living up to her bookish reputation, I reached over to the phone, picking it up and weighing it in my hand. “So, this is a mobile ~phone~, a communication device. Just about every human can buy one if they have the money for it.”

Twilight was already taking notes with her quill. “How does it work? Magic-filled gemstones? Runes? Enchantments? Golemancy?”

“Uh, no, it uses electricity.” I opened the cover on the back, exposing its inner workings. I popped out the battery and handed it over to Twilight. She accepted it gingerly, treating it as if it was a priceless artefact. “This is the power source, a battery. It holds an electric charge that can last for days, depending on how much I use the ~phone~.”

She stared at the battery in awe. “Incredible! It is so small, though. We have batteries too, but they’re…”

“Crude?” I suggested, helping Twilight along.

She nodded. “And big. The smallest battery Equestria has ever developed is half the size of a cart, and it can power an electric bulb for thirty seconds, perhaps fifty under ideal conditions. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but many buildings use magical lights. Basically, it is a type of transparent quartz with a special rune carved into it, drawing in magic from the area around it, converting it into a basic light spell. It’s very efficient and lasts for years.”

I had to admit that it sounded amazing. Basically, it was free energy, the dream many scientists on Earth could only fantasize about. It made me wonder what other achievements ponies had made in the fields of electrical engineering. Probably minor ones since their batteries were woefully inefficient, but they had it all covered with their magic.

Twilight returned the battery, then noticed the rear cover plate. Touching it with a hoof, she seemed surprised that it moved under her hoof. “This material is so light. What is it called?”

“~Plastic~,” I answered, picking up the black plastic cover. Of course, it came out in English. That probably meant that ponies didn’t have oil wells, since plastic was usually made from crude oil. “It’s a synthetic compound that can be turned into different shapes. It’s lightweight and used for almost everything back on Earth like bottles, containers, bags, stuff like that.”

Her quill rapidly moved across paper with a speed exceeding a printer, Twilight’s eyes then fell on the inner workings of the phone. The exposed circuit board, the shaped metal as well as the copper contacts intrigued her greatly, and I saw the questions churning in her head.

“Don’t ask me how it all works. It’s a bunch of electrical signals going through tiny metal parts and somehow it all makes this thing work,” I forestalled. I didn’t even know the proper names for those tiny thingies on a circuit board.

Though she was slightly put out by that, she quickly rebounded and asked if I could demonstrate how my phone worked. I pressed the power button, causing the screen to light up and a brief sound to play. Twilight was instantly at my side, looking at the phone intently while simultaneously taking notes.

“It plays music too?” She gasped.

“Amongst other things,” I answered. She would probably freak out in a while and I had a front row seat. It would be like showing a caveman a flashlight. Then I realized I had been the caveman a few weeks back when I learned about magic.

Karma.

The PIN-code display popped up, and I quickly typed in my password. “What were those symbols?” Twilight asked while the phone started up.

“Human numbers, zero through nine. We also use a ten number numeral system, similar to yours.”

The phone took a few more seconds to start, due to its age. The only new thing on it was the battery I bought a few months back, and it still held a decent charge. I wouldn’t want to expend all the juice for nothing. No, I had things on the phone that I wanted to get out somehow, the photos the most important of all. The ponies had cameras, so maybe they could take pictures of the screen while displaying the photos stored on it.

“Now this is the menu screen, and these are ~apps~.” I pointed out a few of them. “This one can play music, this one is a type of filter for photos—”

“That’s a letter!” Twilight exclaimed excitedly, pointing her hoof at the screen, accidentally touching the message icon, which resulted in the message list popping up. “W-Where did it go? What happened?” she asked in confusion, sounding like she was afraid she had done something wrong. While it would have been fun pretending she broke something or damaged my phone in some way, it would most likely make her sad or maybe even cry, and I wouldn’t want that.

“Whenever I want to access something, like the messages I’ve received or sent, I just lightly tap the letter icon with my finger, like you just did with your hoof. These are a list of my recently sent and received messages.” I tapped the most recent one; it was from Lisa, simply asking me where I was, just hours before I had arrived at the boat rental place in Florida.

Twilight paid rapt attention to me explaining the messages and the letters of our alphabet. She was of the opinion that English sounded simple due to our short alphabet. I had to agree with her.

“It’s like… like this device is an inanimate technological version of Spike,” she said. “It’s like two dragons communicating with each other over great distances with scrolls they incinerate. It’s amazing!”

I then went on to explain how a cell phone worked, mobile phone signal towers, and how I could call people on the other side of the globe if I wanted to. The more I explained, the wider her eyes grew. I then decided to blow Twilight’s mind. Although I didn’t have a signal or Wi-Fi—yes, I tried—I attempted to explain the internet to her.

“This symbol,” I tapped the Google Chrome browser, opening it to reveal no connection, “is called a ~web browser~. By using this, we can access something called the ~internet~. Imagine a library filled with books, movies, music, pictures, and so on. That is what the ~internet~ is. You can look for anything you want by simply typing it here, and then you’ll get perhaps a few million search results.”

I looked over to Twilight. She hadn’t moved in minutes; even her quill had stopped writing. Her eyes remained fixated on a point I couldn’t see, and her mouth was ever so slightly open, a single drop of drool slowly dribbling its way out of her mouth and falling onto my thigh. “Twilight?” I waved my hand in front of her eyes. It took a few seconds before she reacted.

“Y-You… have a library… on this device?” she asked with a slight tremble in her voice.

“No, but I guess I can access a library of sorts.”

“Any… Any library?”

“I guess so.”

“And any subject you want to research?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

She was stunned. Completely speechless. She kept staring at my phone as if it was the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. I guess I had finally broken her.

Spike happened to wander by the table, noticing Twilight’s completely vacant expression. “What happened to her?” he asked.

I waved the phone in front of Twilight’s face. Her eyes tracked every movement.

“I said that I could access libraries with this thing.”

“Oh, yeah, that should do it.” He then wandered off again. Judging by his nonchalant attitude, I guess he had seen this happen before.

Looking back to Twilight, she was still tracking my phone. Turning on the camera, I held it toward her and said, “Smile.” The light flashed briefly, turning the alicorn’s irises into pinpricks. With the sound of the photo taken, she shook her head and came back to her senses, quickly focusing on the phone again.

“What was that light? And the sound?” I turned the screen to her, showing her the picture I took. Her eyebrows went up to her hairline. “It can take photographs as well?!” she exclaimed loudly.

“And record films too.”

Twilight’s shoulders slumped while she looked at my phone with complete disbelief written on her face. “Music, films, photographs, libraries, messages, long distance communications… Next you’re going to tell me that it can make you breakfast as well!”

“No, it can’t make breakfast, but I can order food by calling certain numbers that leads to a restaurant or a fast food place,” I explained while looking through the phone at what else might interest her. “Anything else you want to see?”

Twilight tapped her chin with her hoof while gazing at the different app symbols. Some of the symbols were universal, such as music notes which she clearly recognized. “You said that it can play music; can you play a song? Something very human maybe?”

“Sure.” I accessed my music library, scrolling through a few tunes, hoping to find something that would satisfy her. One title immediately sprung to mind, and I wasted no time finding it.

A soft tune flowed from the speaker. Starting easy with female vocals, the piano joined in, gently as could be. Then the effects came in, adding more to the feeling of the song, the drums and the brass section giving it life while the string instruments tied it all together. A bit epic in itself while sounding amazing.

Next to me, Twilight sat with her ears swivelled towards the direction of the phone, listening intensely. Swaying from side to side with the music, she bobbed her head with the tune, a flicker of a smile on her face as she closed her eyes.

The song ended and Twilight sighed contently. “Beautiful. Is all human music like this?”

“No, there’re many different genres; classical, rock, heavy metal, reggae, and many more. I can’t even begin to name half of them.”

“Our music is the same. Although classical music is very popular in Canterlot, we also enjoy more modern music. Do you have anything with singing? I would like to hear something with your language.”

I nodded and began scrolling through the list. The choice was easy, namely one of my favourite artists. It didn’t take long before Parov Stelar’s All Night sounded throughout the library. Although he was relatively new on my list of favourite musicians, I liked his electro swing style.

Both of us started nodding to the beat in sync. Twilight’s tail even began swishing from side to side, hitting my thigh. She actually got so caught up with the music that she stood up and began dancing. Now, I was no dancing expert, but I was sure that ponies could dance. I was also pretty damn sure that Twilight couldn’t. Like, at all.

Standing on her hind legs, she waved her forelegs around, and with her wings spread she hopped around, trying to follow the beat as best she could. A+ for effort and all, but… Just no!

When the song ended, Twilight sat down again, grinning from ear to ear. “More!” she commanded.

***

I played a couple more songs for her, “samples of culture” she called them. I agreed with her on that one; music couldn’t do much harm. It was entertainment, after all. However, I decided to turn off the phone after a while. I could probably play all night if I wanted to, but I didn’t want to drain my battery any time soon. The photos on my phone I wanted to get out and have framed if possible. I also had a few photos in my wallet that I wanted to preserve. The problem was finding someone who could help. And how much would it cost? I was completely penniless, and jobs like that would probably cost a pretty penny. I would have to wait until I found myself a job somewhere.

Asking Twilight, she couldn’t tell who could make copies of photos in Ponyville, but she gave me the name of one mare who would know, and I resolved to ask her tomorrow.

After all, Pinkie Pie knew everypony in Ponyville.

Author's Note:

I've wisen fwom my gwave! Not really been dead though, just things been taking time.

First, sorry for taking so long. Things have been happening during summer for me and my editor. Let's just say that I've got several chapters lined up and ready for editing.

So, a day with Applejack, huh? I wasn't sure what lessons the Mane six could teach Magnus, and I didn't want to go all Elements of Harmony teaching on Magnus either. Rather, useful tips would be nice to know, haggling especially.

And of course, Twilight's view on tech is blown out of proportions. I played with the idea of Twilight stealing Magnus cell phone and build an altar to it, but I decided against it; out-of-character and all that.

And of course, JBL provides the magic of words for me.

Comments

[Dravkwn]

Hehe, Twilight Dancing.

[Morphy]

I don't think it's ever been explored but what would happen to human tech, such as the ubiquitous cel phone often dragged into Equestria with its human owner, if it was subject to a Come To Life spell? Would it become powered without any power source? Would the battery become charged as long as the spell lasted? Would the phone get all snarky with pseudo-intelligence and prank the human occasionally... such as blasting music at 5am to wake them up because the human hates morning people? Or recording stuff to play back at embarrassing moments.

His description of the internet was woefully superficial. But seeing as how even that caused Twilight to break, I guess it's just as well she'll never get to experience the real thing. Besides all that knowledge, there is still all that porn, heavy-porn, and advertising.

Still, lots of funny moments in this one. And yes, Applejack is indeed the most human-like of the six. I kind of worry about him meeting Pinkie Pie however. She can be a little too excited at times but one must never question the Pinkie Sense. She's also the most likely of the six to blackmail him into giving her a tummy rub.

[Law]

8484322
didn't something like that happen to a tablet in the last few chapters of Hoopy McGee's scifi story? I'm still waiting to see how that resolves.

[Morphy]

8486209

No Come To Life spell was used on Bad Monday's "ivory brick" (most likely an iPhone) but it plays a minor role as a gremlin, blasting music that was never downloaded into it (he's absolutely certain of it), used as a flashlight a few times, being impervious to damage and turning up like a bad penny when he least expects it... mainly because he keeps losing track of it.

[Kevin Lee]

The main house had the appearance of a barn, though was much better maintained. Painted bright red, it had clean windows and flower boxes at each window.

Umm... I hate to break it to you, but in the show, the main house of the Apple's farm looks like any other farm house (and it's green, btw). Their barn really IS a barn---that's where the humans are kept!

She walked behind me, pushing up her hat while passing me. I could hear the smile in her voice. “Thank ya kindly, but honestly, Ah’m not that strong. Big Mac’s stronger. He once pulled a house off its foundation.”

He not only didn't break a sweat, but he hadn't even noticed he was dragging it...

[Cup of Coffee]

8502944
This is the picture I used when describing Sweet Apple Acres. vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/0/04/Twilight_and_Spike_walking_into_Sweet_Apple_Acres_S1E01.png/revision/latest?cb=20120904165626

As far as I've noticed, the barn looks like a barn, but is in fact a house. We know from the show that the Apple family got several barns nearby, one of which Rainbow Dash nuked. And the barn is red. I might have missed it, but I can't remember seeing a green house at Sweet Apple Acres. I even rewatched an episode to see if the Apple family really lives in the barn/house like structure. And they do. In this clip, we can see that Apple Bloom's bedroom is in the barn/house building. And if we look at the picture linked above, we can see that the barn/house has a big door at one end, similar to a hay loft or something like that.

Conclusion: Unique Equestrian architecture.

[Gigas]

8486209
Sunflower's tablet? Yeah, but that was Discord who did that. He's not really subject to the "rules" of magic (whatever those may be), but it could end up something like that.

8486375
Maybe they were talking about Project Sunflower. Bad Mondays is actually a good example too, because nobody knows what the hell is up with it.

[DDDDDDDDD23]

I liked his depression more than the later chapters.
I would have liked him to call out the princesses for only caring about him because he s related to starswirl.
It would have been great if he broke off his horn.

[rileyknudson]

From now on I'm imagining Magnus with handsome jacks voice from borderland after I read the 3rd kiddo I knew that I had to