The Element of Concord

by Loyal Defender

Friendship 101 - Everything You Wanted to Learn About Friendship But Were Afraid to Ask

Today was a special day. Today was a day nobody would ever forget. A day that meant a lot to me. It was the one-year anniversary of the day I came into Equestria for the first time. That day, I'll never forget. As I woke up, I hopped out of bed, and straightened and neatened the blankets. Neatness is next to heroicness, I always say. I opened up my dresser, and took out my favorite orange shirt that Rarity made for me. I never did once lose it. I put on my other favorite pair of jeans (dunno why they're my favorite), and then put on my shoes.

I looked in a crystal mirror, and noticed my hair was slightly messy. I grabbed a comb, and combed it to perfection. I felt ready to take on the day. I headed out of my room, to see Starlight passing by. "Ah, good morning, Starlight!" I said, in a happy, cheerful tone.

"Hiya, Loyal! Wow, you seem pretty happy this morning. That's... unusual."

"Because today is one of the most special days that comes only once a year. And it's not even a holiday!" I replied. "Today marks the one-year anniversary of when I first came into Equestria!"

"Oh! Has it been a year already?"

"Surprisingly. Don't forget, I WAS gone a while......er....how long was that exactly?"

"A month. Give or take."

"Hmm. It was only a day and a half in CHS." I said, as I began to walk down the hall. "But today's also special, because I'm considering starting friendship lessons of my own from Twilight. After all, I can't just sit around looking heroic all the time!"

"Huh... That's interesting... Well, maybe you'll learn fast enough to teach me a thing or two."

"Said the Unicorn with possibly more magic than I did when I beat Ghaan." I half-complimented, half-joked. But joked in a teasing way. "Friendship lessons aren't that difficult to learn, right?" I asked. Hey, better to get a warning ahead of time.

"No, they're not that difficult. Unless you're a former cult leader with no real social experience."

"Come on, Star. Everypony's moved past that. I'm surprised after an entire year, you still haven't...let go of that."

"Who says I haven't? All I'm saying is they were easy for Twilight and her friends, not so much for me."

"Well, I'm sure thing's'll work out." I replied, as I headed into the meeting room, where Twilight was, no surprise, filing papers and straightening reports. "Good morning, Twilight!" I said. There was another reason I was excited for today...but you'll find out why soon enough.

"Oh, good morning, Loyal! You sure seem bright and happy this morning."

"That's because today is one of the most special days that I've been waiting for. And no, it's not my birthday or a holiday."

"Oh? What's the occasion?"

"Today's the one year anniversary of the day I came into Equestria." I replied.

"Oh, wow, is it really? Huh, the year just flew by, didn't it?"

"For me, it really did, considering I was gone from this world for a month. I'm still curious to know what really happened during that time."

"Well, just some friendship lessons for Starlight..." Twilight said.

"And the kidnapping of every major figurehead and protector in all of Equestria and their subsequent rescue by Trixie, Discord, Thorax, and yours truly," Starlight added.

"Wait, what now?" I asked. "It sounded like you said that basically, the Princesses and guardians of Equestria were kidnapped, but that's just silly." I said, hoping that wasn't true.

"Oh no, it's true," Twilight added. "Queen Chrysalis kidnapped Celestia, Luna, Cadence, my brother, my niece, my friends, and I. Evidently, she didn't think Starlight was worth replacing, which proved to be her undoing."

"Oh....well, that explains what happened in Midnight Sparkle's--or, Chrysalis' dimension, then, when she expositioned her revenge plan and what happened."

Starlight gave a look of confusion at the name 'Midnight Sparkle'.

"Wait... Midnight Sparkle...?"

"Yeah....she was supposedly a form of magic demon. She was created from a large amount of magic in the....universe, in which I was sent to solve a major issue. She was being controlled and/or ordered by Chrysalis, apparently."

"Oh, and speaking of friendship lessons...Twilight, I figured starting today, I could participate as well. It's like I said, 'I can't just stand or sit around looking heroic.'"

"Do you need friendship lessons, though? It seems like you get along with most ponies just fine..."

"You never know. Not all friendships will easily remain stable. That, and I got nothing better to do."

"Well, fair enough, I suppose."

"Great! So....how or where should I begin?" I felt so excited. I hadn't been mentored or tutored in so long. It felt amazing being tutored/mentored by a princess.

"Well, I suppose you could start by going to see Applejack with Starlight. They're supposed to be working together on the farm today, and you can check up on your little friend there."

"Fair enough." I replied, and nodded gratefully. "Let's go, Star. Adventure awaits us!"

"Right!"

I walked out of the room, and down the hall. This castle was like a maze, but after a while, I knew my way around, no problem. I walked down a flight of stairs, and into another hall. I then walked into another doorway, which lead to the main foyer. I headed out the doors, and down the stairs. Down the path in front of the castle was....a statue of me.

"Wow...they actually..made a statue of me?" I asked. I guessed the ponies did it out of my honor.

"Yeah. You did kind of save our entire world, after all."

"Well....isn't that something. I really do feel honored now. But I wouldn't say it's something to brag about."

We continued onwards, and onto a path, which eventually led to Sweet Apple Acres. And my favorite little filly was waiting by the front gate. She probably saw me miles away, and waited for me to arrive.

"Heya, Diamond!" I greeted. "It's so good to see ya!"

"Hey! Long time no see!"

I'll be honest, Diamond Tiara was, in fact, one of my best friends. She was the first friend I ever met, too. "Is Applejack around?" I said, as I lifted her up and hugged her.

"Yeah, she's inside making breakfast."

"Hm. You know, today marks the one-year anniversary of when I first came into Equestria. It's also the day you and I first met!"

"I'll bet you still remember that day!" I said. "I just came out of nowhere....lost, confused. But look at me now! A hero of the world!"

"Of course I remember! That was the day you encouraged me to get out of my mother's home!"

"Speaking of, any word from her?"

"Actually, things have been pretty quiet regarding her for a long time. I don't think she wants me home. At the very least, she isn't looking for me. I guess it's safe for me to go into town alone though, because I have and I'm still living here."

"It's a shame we really couldn't convince her to be nicer. Well...I guess there's some ponies who just won't change....well, anyway, today I'm getting friendship lessons from Twilight, so my task was to come down here to help AJ and the others with farm work. So, seems like this can count as a visit from me."

"So, how've AB and the others been?"

"They've been really good! I've been helping out with their cutie mark therapy business a little and I think they're glad to have me."

"Well, that's good!" Moments after, Applejack came out of the barn, holding some kind of tray. Most likely breakfast for Diamond. She soon noticed me and Starlight at the gate, and approached us. "Oh, hey AJ. Good to see ya this morning." I said. AJ was also one of my best friends....everypony was. But mostly AJ, because she gave me a place to stay after the entire 'Spoiled Rich' incident.

"I'm getting friendship lessons from Twilight. My first task was coming down here to help you out. You don't mind, right?" I asked. Surely, AJ would accept me doing work with her. After all...somehow, working with her was kind of FUN.

"Hey there, Loyal! Nah, I don't mind! You two can give me a hoof - or a hand - with the chores this mornin', since there's plenty that needs doin'."

"Great! I get the feeling there's a ton of work to be done." I replied. "Though, should I wait until you finish breakfast?"

"That'd be pretty great, yeah."

"Okay, then!" I replied. "Should I wait here?"

"You can if you want to. I made plenty to eat though, so if you're hungry, don't be shy!"

"Hmmmm....well...I guess it wouldn't hurt to grab a bite to eat. Besides, foolish to work on an empty stomach." I replied, crossing through the gate, and Starlight followed. "That, and I'm sure the fillies would be happy to see me."

As I followed AJ towards the house, I noticed that all the apple trees already had buckets underneath them. "Wow. You prepared ahead of time." I commented.

"Well, we do have a big orchard. It helps to be prepared."

"Say....what's the biggest number of trees you've bucked in a single day?"

"Define 'day.'"

"From when you go out of the house, to when you go in to eat dinner."

"Well, I haven't really ever kept track..."

"Hm. That sounds like it'd be an interesting challenge." I replied, as we eventually headed into the house. Inside, there was Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Applebloom, still eating. Though Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle weren't really around. "Hey, everypony." I greeted.

Everypony smiled and waved at me. "Hiya, Loyal!"

"It's good to see you all again!"

Granny Smith piped up. "Say, Applejack, did he come here to visit, or to work..? Either occasion is quite nice..."

"Oh, he's here to lend a hand with the chores today, just like Starlight."

Granny let out an elderly chuckle. "Hee hee...that boy always DOES enjoy his work. And he even has the looks to perform work Big Mac could even do. Ain't that right, Big Mac?"

"Eeeeyup!"

To be fair...she had a point. I was strong enough to fend off Timberwolves and stop gigantic demons. So some difficult farm work? No problem. Though it wasn't clear if Granny or someone would ASSIGN it to me. Whether they did or not didn't bother me.

"Why don't y'all have a seat? Eggs and toast are being served." I nodded and took an empty seat. "Heh...everypony thinks we only ever eat apple-related foods. Well, that ain't entirely true. We'd be sick to our stomachs if we only ate everything apple."

"I'll be honest, though, Loyal. Applejack is one pony you could never top in trying to outwork her. She's got at least three times the strength of an average grown pony. But it's nothing to brag about."

"Well, I don't know about THAT..."

"Oh, but I sure do. You recall the one time you tried bucking several trees for Applebuck season on your own? You'd need a lot of strength to do even THAT." Granny replied.

"Well... yes, that is true. But don't you remember I kept myself up for days doing that?"

"You had the strength to stay up day and night, too. You see? None of us can match your strength."

Breakfast was pretty good. We sat around, eating, chatting, cracking jokes every so often. Eventually, it was time to get to work. Big Mac went out into the fields, AB went to help him out. Granny went to clean the house.

"Hey, Applejack, could I help you out this time around?" I asked.

"Sure you can! I mean, if you think you can handle it, that is."

"Psssh! Sure, I can handle it!" I replied. I wasn't gonna get too cocky, though. "What's on the list?"

"Well, we've gotta wash the pigs, feed the chickens, collect the hens' eggs, re-paint the barn, and of course we've gotta rake up the fallen leaves."

"Hmm. Sounds like a good kind of challenge. I'm up for it." I said confidently. "But, as I told myself, I'm not getting TOO cocky."

"Right, well, you think you can take care of re-painting the barn while Starlight and I rake up the leaves?"

"Of course! How hard can painting a barn be..?"

"Well I never said it'd be hard. Just might take a while."

"Okay. Where're the brushing supplies?"

"In the barn. Might be up in the loft."

"Ah, okay." I replied, heading back into the barn. It didn't take long to head into the loft, where the brushing supplies awaited. I headed back outside, and stood in front of the barn. I took a deep breath, and exhaled. Time to get to work. I got a ladder from the shed near the barn. I grabbed a paintbrush, dipped it into the red paint can, and carefully took the brush to the top of the ladder. This was, in fact, going to take a while.

*two and a half hours later....*

I climbed down the ladder, only to be greeted by AJ and Starlight. "Oh....hey, you two."

"Heya, Loyal! You gettin' done, huh?"

"Yep. Actually took longer than I thought to paint over the Mural of Pinkie. Hopefully she understands."

"I'm sure she will. She meant well, but it's not exactly very 'Apple' so much as it is really 'Pie.'"

"Well, Apple and Pie DO go together.."

"And, oddly enough? We're family."

"Wait, really?"

"Well, that's what we think. We're not really able to confirm either way, but as long as we FEEL like family, that's what counts."

"See, that's the one thing I really like about you allYou know family matters most."

"It does matter an awful lot. But more important is remembering who your family is, and that just 'cuz someone isn't related by blood doesn't mean they're not your family."

"You're all family to me. Besides, you're the ones I'm grateful for for you letting Diamond and I stay here."

"Of course! We never turn away somepony in need. And I dunno if you've noticed, but Di's really been pickin' up some skills here since you've been gone."

"What skills?"

"Well, she felt guilty for stayin' here without helpin' out on the farm, so she's been helping out with the chores, too. She's learned a lot so far, like how to buck apples, and how to make cider, among other things."

I blushed at the adorable thought of Diamond bucking apples. God, it sounded cute....

"She learned to buck apples...? That's.....neat.."

"It's certainly gonna help come harvest season. Havin' an extra pair of hooves around here means things'll get done even faster, which means more time for family and friends."

"R-right...well...is there any other tasks to do?"

"Well, unless AB and her friends took care of it, we still have to wash the pigs, feed the chickens and gather their eggs."

"Why don't I feed the chickens and gather their eggs, and you try washing the pigs. If I finish early I'll try to help wash them as well. Sound good?"

"Yeah, that works for me! C'mon, Star."

I headed over to the chicken coop, but before entering, I stared at the chickens. I had a baaaaaaad history with chickens. Considering my grandmother's chickens...but hopefully these ones were more tame. I carefully opened the gate, and walked inside. The chickens all just stared at me. I grabbed a bag of feed, and carefully threw some chicken feed onto the ground. The chickens scattered out of the way, and began pecking at the ground. One task down, one to go. I crept up to the chicken coop, and looked inside. No chickens in here. That's a relief. I looked inside the little cubbies, and found 3 eggs in one, 2 in another, 4 in another, and 2 in the last. That's 10 eggs. I carefully placed them in a nearby bucket, and walked out of the coop, and out of the pen.

I walked back towards Starlight and AJ, who seemed to be efficiently washing the pigs. "I counted, and there were 10 eggs." I said.

"Well that's nearly a dozen. Not bad," AJ said.

"You got an extra sponge and bucket of water?" I replied.

"Sittin' right over by the gate."

I walked over to the gate, and picked up the sponge and bucket, and walked over to the pig pen. I got inside, sat down, and began thoroughly washing one of the pigs. It actually sat down on my lap, just enjoying it.

"Why are animals so attracted to me...?" I questioned.

Applejack shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe they just sense you're a good guy."

The pig let out a happy squeal. "I guess so. This one really seems to like me, though....well, at least it's not forty PIGS coming after me."

"Do the pigs have names?"

"Ah... I'm not sure, actually. Not unless AB named them when I wasn't listening?"

"Hmm. I'll call this one....Lucifer." I suggested.

"Where're you gettin that from?"

"It just sounds right."

"When you think about it, Lucifer sounds like a brilliant name for a pig."

The pig let out a happy squeal, as if it liked the name.

"Huh. Well, fair enough, I s'pose. Hey, Star, hoof over the bucket, would ya?" Starlight nodded and moved the bucket closer to Applejack so she could continue washing the pigs.

Lucifer seemed to enjoy the bath. He occasionally squealed happily, followed by series of snorts.

Finally, I finished cleaning him. He just sat there happily. "He looks good!" I said.

"Yep, nice and clean!"

Eventually...

Once the pigs were good and clean, we put the sponges and buckets back. I noticed my pants were somewhat filthy from the dirt, but hey, that's farm work for ya.

"Is that everything?" I asked.

"I think so, yeah."

"Okay. Well, thanks for letting us work with you, AJ! It was actually pretty fun!"

"No problem! Feel free to stop by any time if you're free!"

"Well...if that's everything...shall we head back to the castle to report to Twilight, Star?"

"Sounds good to me."

With that, I turned around, and headed out the gate, and began following the path back to the castle....with a certain young pink filly hugging my neck, and piggybacking.

"Heh, whaddya know....she really is clingy towards me...."

Comments

[Flora Blossom]

The beginning I think was a bit annoying no offence ok.... the rest of it is alright... the first paragraph is very childish writing. It was weak is what i'm saying. You could of done better. Do not make a mistake like that again. You must keep the beginning way more interesting

Today was a special day. Today was a day nobody would ever forget. A day that meant a lot to me. It was the one-year anniversary of the day I came into Equestria for the first time. That day, I'll never forget. As I woke up, I hopped out of bed, and straightened and neatened the blankets. Neatness is next to heroicness, I always say. I opened up my dresser, and took out my favorite orange shirt that Rarity made for me. I never did once lose it. I put on my other favorite pair of jeans (dunno why they're my favorite), and then put on my shoes.

[Loyal Defender]

8901757
This was almost two years ago that it was written. I was still learning to write. And, honestly, I'm not sure if I should take advice from someone who isn't exactly using proper gram and punc.