• Published 7th Jun 2012
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The Equestrian Honor Guard - Honored Service



A military college student is thrown into the land we all know and love.

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The Apple Farm

The Equestrian Honor Guard
Chapter 16
By Honored Service


The table in the Apple family kitchen was a bit crowded with its three extra guests. Sweetie Bell, Scootalo, and myself packed onto one side of the table while Applejack and Applebloom occupied the other side, leaving Big Macintosh and Granny Smith on the ends of the table. This was the first time meeting Big Mac and Granny Smith. Big Mac had given me a nod and simple thanks for saving Applebloom, but the look in his eyes has summed everything up quite nicely. I know he wanted to say more, but this wasn’t the place. Granny Smith welcomed me like another pony; she didn’t even seem to notice that I was 6 feet tall and gripped things with fingers.

The lunch we had was amazing. Every dish had some time of apple base in it. But this was the Apple family, so that was expected. Apple Salad with raisins and nuts. Apple pie with a light buttery crust. Apple cobbler that melted on your tongue. And the sweetest apple juice that I have ever tasted. It was a meal that I could eat every day and never get tired of it.

After the lunch I helped Applejack and Big Macintosh clean up the kitchen. Granny Smith sat in a rocking chair in the living room and was out like a light a minute later. The three fillies ran off to try and get their cutie marks. I would have to tell them that humans couldn’t get a magical mark on their body by figuring out what their calling in life was. Sure I had planned on getting a tattoo cutie mark when I finished freshmen year at the military college, but that wasn’t magical.

“So how do y’all like the farm?” Applejack asked me as she placed another dish into the cabinet above the sink.

“It’s amazing Applejack! The fresh air and the down to earth lifestyle is something I always loved. I always wanted to live on a farm and work with my hands. I may be human, but I’m an Earth pony at heart.” I pounded on my chest for emphasis.

Applejack and Big Mac looked at each other and shared a laugh.

“What? Y’all don’t think that I can do some hard labor? Back on my planet I was a hard worker. All through school I was nicknamed Work Horse, because all I did was physical labor.” This is true. I would always be the one that had to move desks and in theater major class time, guess who had to move all the sets and heavy props. This fucking guy.

Big Mac walked towards the back door leading out onto the far. “Well I guess we’ll just have to put that to the test; wont we?” He smiled and slowly trotted out of the house.

Oh hell no. I wasn’t going to live at Sweet Apple Acers and not harvest some apples. I had no source of income in Equestria. And where did every Fan/Fic human get their first job at…that’s right, Sweet Apple Acers. So now it was my turn.

I followed behind the large red pony towards the barn. Big Macintosh was actually at my eye level. I know that he had more muscles than me, but I was quicker…I think. We seemed to be getting along well enough. I mean I had saved his little sister. So hopefully I could call this stallion my friend. Eventually.

Applejack stepped in front of me and began pushing me away from the barn. “Hold on there pardner. Ahm going to teach how to buck an apple tree, then we’ll see if ya’ are made of the right stuff to work here with us.” We plodded up to a tree that was first in line on a row.

“Now apple bucking isn’t all about strength. It’s where ya’ deliver the kick. That’s what gets all the little apples out of the trees.” To demonstrate Applejack lifted one back leg and kicked the trunk of the tree. A few dozen of the red fruit rained down onto the ground. Man, she made that look way to easy.

I walked up the tree and examined it. Now I didn’t have hard hooves like her, but I had combat boots, and those were kind of the same…right?

In a motion that would have made the original Karate Kid proud, I stood on one leg and lashed out with a fast kick to the center of the tree, delivering a flat foot kick to the trunk. 5 whole apples fell to the ground. I turned and looked at Applejack desperately seeking her approval of my work.

“Well ah’ll be. For a first timer that was pretty good. We may just need to adjust your approach, but I figure we can keep you around.” Well it wasn’t exactly a standing ovation, but at least I had gotten some recognition for my work.

After an entire row of trees bucked I had truly found my technique to buck tress. And it wasn’t actually bucking. A human just isn’t physically strong enough to buck a tree and clear it of it apples; but I found a way that helped clear all the trees faster than before. Climbing into the branches of one tree, I found that by jumping from one tree to the next in a continuous motion would cause the branches to shake so much that the apples would come falling to the ground.

I couldn’t attack the trunk of the tree to get the fruit down, but by attacking the branches, I could harvest apples as fast as Applejack working the row nest to me. So to sum up by harvesting technique, I would Assassins Creed Free Run tree to tree not stopping till I finished that row. Momentum was my ally in this apple bucking game.

Applejack was pleased with my method of harvesting; even though she called it a, “fancy circus act,” but I knew she was jealous that she didn’t have hands to climb the trees with my grace and skill. Okay so it wasn’t exactly the true earth pony way to harvest apples, but I was doing my best.

By the time the sun had begun to set Applejack and I were moving through the rows of apple trees collecting the fallen fruits. I was good at pulling the large wagon. I pulled the wagon, while Applejack and Big Macintosh would toss apples into the back of it. We made a pretty good team. Big Macintosh said I was good enough that I could work with them this apple bucking season. Sweet, dreams do come true.

Supper at the Apple family homestead was again all apple based products but man oh man was it good. Apple tarts with lots of milk, and apple sweet rolls with apple jelly. I don’t think I’m ever going to get sick of apples.

After everpony had finished eating, we began to settle down for the night. I retired to my room and removed my jacket and pants. Oh yeah it was time for new clothes and armor. I walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. After a few failed attempts of adjusting the water temperature; I was finally able to get it to a reasonable setting and began to scrub off the dirt and sweat I had acquired from the day of work and play.

I shut off the water and stepped out into the steamy bathroom. Using my hand, I wiped off the condensation and looked at myself for the second time since coming to Equestria. Wow. I forgot how much I had really changed. I looked that same, but with more bolded…outlines? Yeah outlines. My hair was shaggier but still relatively short compared to the manes all the ponies had. It didn’t even reach the collar of ACU (Army Combat Uniform). It was still brown, but with that wired combination of red, yellow, and orange streaked in it. Results from whatever caused me to come here maybe? I was still just as buff as I had been on Earth at the military college. It was a military college. Just imagine Full Metal Jacket and that’s about my daily routine; but with more professors and classes. About 200 pushups and 9 mile runs were just standard fun activates we got to partake in every day.

I rubbed the rough stubble that had developed on my chin. That would defiantly get me chewed out by some upperclassmen if I was still on Earth. I open the bathroom door to get my slightly smelly boxers only to see Applejack standing there getting a full look at an unclothed human.

“Shit Applejack!” I dove back into the bathroom slamming the door with a loud bang. “Can’t you knock or something! I was naked!”

“Well sorry, we don’t normally wear clothes! Ahm sorry, here ah’ll leave and come back in a second.”

I heard the mare close the bedroom door, and walk down the hall. I stepped out into the bedroom; making sure that I was alone this time and getting dressed in boxers and pants. As soon as my pants were on, a knock sounded on the door.

“Okay it’s all clear this time.” I was just going to laugh this off. Accidents happen. Applejack opened the door, her face was a bit red, but I’m sure mine was too. We were kind of stuck in an awkward quiet moment. Involving a lot of looking side to side and hoof shuffling.

“So that’s what y’all humans look like, huh?” She laughed a bit. I laughed too. She was trying to make it better. Give and take.

“Yup that was a full-fledged naked human. *cough* so you wanted to talk about something?” I sat on the edge of the bed ready to move over this whole ‘I just saw you bare ass naked’ thing.

“Oh yeah, haha forgot about that for a moment there. Ah just wanted to say thanks for the help did today. Me and Mac really would like to have stay here and work with us. Ah mean you don’t owe us this or anything. We owe ya’ for saving little Applebloom and yet here ya’ are working just as hard as us.” I held up my hand to get her to stop talking. I didn’t like taking handouts. I needed to explain to her that I wanted to work for my staying here.

“Applejack, I want to work. I want to build a relationship with everypony in Ponyville. I need to be accepted and by working like a pony I hope to achieve that goal. I still need to prove that I’m a good creature and not an enemy.” I laid back on the bed as Applejack sat on her haunches at the side of the bed.

“I also really want to get to know everypony better. I mean not like Pinkie Pie know everypony, but enough were I can be seen as a friend to a lot of ponies.” I turned and looked at her. “Ya know?”

“Ah think I understand Johnson. You want some friends that know you.” She nodded her head after he sentence.

“Yes exactly! I want to be accepted. Not a new creature that’s different, but as another creature that just lives in Ponyville.”

“Well human, keep up that attitude and ah know that yer going to be loved by everypony. You got half the town behind you because of saving them foals. And the party Pinkie threw showed that yer publicly nice.” She stood up and began moving towards the door.

“Ah’ll wake ya’ up nice and early to help on the west orchard tomorrow. And after lunch ya’ need to head into town and see Rarity. She wants to make yer clothes or something.”

“Okay Applejack. Thanks again for everything.” I watched the door shut and her hoof steps faded down the hallway.

I laid awake just staring up at the celling. This was going perfectly. I had a job and a home. Well temporary home. I was making friends and I would get new clothes tomorrow so hopefully I wouldn’t stink so much. And then I would get some answers from the Princess. Maybe my luck truly had changed for the better since saving the group of foals.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and walked to the window. I stared at the Everfree forest and could have sworn I saw something with glowing red eyes stare back at me. But I blinked and it was gone. Probably just my mind playing tricks on me.

I climbed back into bed and closed my eyes. Yeah everything was going just great.

****************************************************************************

“Wake up Johnson! It’s time for Breakfast!”

I slowly cracked my eyes open to see a yellow filly bouncing up and down on my chest, trying to kill me with this level of cuteness so early in the morning.

“Ugh ok I’m up. I’m up.” I sat up as Applebloom bounded of my chest and onto the floor.

“Ya’ better get ready so we can eat and get to work ya’ sleepy head!” And with that the filly dashed out of the room and down the hall.

I rolled out of bed and groggily made my way into the bathroom to splash some water on my face.
“Ahhh, much better!” I picked up my ACU jacket and belt and walked down the hall putting everything on as I entered the kitchen.

“Morning everypony.” I called out to the assembled Apple family.

“Mornin’ sonny.”

“Eeyup.”

“Howdy.”

“Good mornin’ again Johnson!”

After a delicious meal of apple pancakes with lots of syrup, I joined Applejack in the west orchard to begin harvesting more apples. I stretched for a minute and then began my custom apple harvesting style. I was a little sloppy at first, but I was still waking up. It took two passes on the same row to get back into my rhythm, but then I was on fire. Knocking apples down left and right. Before I knew it, Applejack and I had already half of the west orchard done by the time Applebloom came trotting up to us with a picnic basket balanced on her head. We had a lovely lunch of apple sandwiches. They were simple, but damn they were good. Apple slices with caramel and honey in between some bread, so simple and yet it tied everything together so well.

“Alright Johnson, now get movin’ to Carousel Boutique. If yer late, Rarity will never let me live it down.” Applejack waved me off as I headed down the long road leading to the small town that was bustling with midday activity.

Ponies didn’t run from me, but they did tread carefully around me. I understood this, I was still pretty new here, but I was making some forward progress. At least nopony was running in terror from me.

Now where is Carousel Boutique? It’s a tall white and purple building. How hard could it be to find? I spun around in a circle and saw Big Mac standing next to the apple cart.

“Hey Big Macintosh!” I waved at him from across the market square. Jogging up to him I asked him which way to the fashionista’s business. He simply turned and pointed a hoof towards the correct direction.

“Thanks Big Macintosh.” I called out to the stoic farmer as I made my way down the cobblestone road. Sure enough I saw the pointed top of the clothing store and quicken my pace to reach the pony that was tied for first with Applejack. Miss Rarity.
























I promise that things will pick up soon. Johnson is going to meet up with the Princesses and alot of background information will be cleared up. And then time for some action.