For Lack of a Better Word

by Gunsmith

Chapter Five

I've always enjoyed just going for a walk. Maybe it seems...well, lame, but it allows me to just relax, do something without really doing anything. The air gets steadily quieter as we distance ourselves from the last few houses marking the edge of the pony-filled town, conversations and the sound of hooves on dirt roads becoming soft sounds of nature and the timed thump of beating wings. I glance over and up at the light blue Pegasus, watching her fly for a while. It occurs to me that her wings should be larger to keep her in the air; I then wonder how light she is. Hollow bones, maybe, like a bird? I contemplate asking her, but decide to leave her be for the moment.

We cross over a bridge, my footsteps becoming audible for a moment as my sneakers hit stone. The noise directs my focus ahead of me again. The road ahead forks off, the path to the right winding a bit before leading up to a cottage on a small hill. The house is infused with a lot of overgrowth, but isn't quite a tree house like the library. Rainbow Dash pulls ahead a little, taking the path towards the house. She settles down on the ground, ruffling her wings before folding them against her sides. I observe for a moment longer, then pull my gaze away.

The rainbow-maned pony approaches the wooden door of the cottage, raising her hoof. She taps ever-so-lightly on the door, then steps back, awaiting a response. I hang back so the Pegasus can be the first to greet her friend, rather than me. The door slowly opens, revealing a pale-yellow pony with a flowing, light pink mane and tail. A pair of wings open at her sides, and she smiles happily upon seeing the light blue pony at the door.

"Hi, Rainbow Dash!" she says in what is basically a loud whisper.

"Hey, Fluttershy. Guess what?" Rainbow asks playfully.

"What?"

"We found someone quieter than you!" She aims a blue foreleg in my direction, looking towards me. The yellow pony follows her hoof, eyes widening when her gaze reaches me. She lets out an 'eep' of terror, and the door slams shut. I wince, raising an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash. "She's a little shy." I wouldn't have guessed.

She knocks on the door again. "Fluttershy, it's okay. He's not going to eat you or anything." The sky-blue pony pauses, glancing at me. "Right?" she asks, a little more quietly. I rub my hand against my chin, feigning deep thought. After a moment, I shake my head, smiling. "Yeah, he's not going to eat you. Just open the door, please? Twilight said I have to show him around."

A few seconds pass, then the door opens a crack. One large, blue eye peeks through, locking on to me. I open my palms and smile, trying to show I have good intentions. The door opens a little wider, then all the way. I hear the quietest of whispers come from within the cottage.

"Thanks, Fluttershy." Rainbow jerks her head towards the house, looking at me. I walk up the rest of the path, then follow her inside, ducking through the doorway. The inside of the home is slightly warmer, making me uncomfortable with the added heat of the summer day. As I look around, I see various quilts, blankets, pillows, and rugs decorating the room, as well as quite a few potted flowers and plants. Movement causes me to look down, to my feet. There stands a small, white rabbit, looking up at me with what appears to be a scowl. I'm surprised by the fact a rabbit would actually approach me; maybe the wildlife is less timid here.

The rabbit continues staring menacingly at me for a while; I hold its gaze, smiling back. Eventually, it raises two small toes to its eyes, then turns its paw around and points a single toe at me. I feel my eyes widen, but I nod; the rabbit nods in satisfaction, then scampers off. Did a rabbit just imply it was going to be watching me? I think for a moment. Wait, why does that strike me as odd? I've been visiting talking ponies all afternoon in a place that looks like something out of a kids' cartoon. I shake my head to clear it, looking back into the room I stand in.

I notice a small form at the back of the room, pressed up against the wall opposite me and Rainbow Dash. It is the pink-maned Pegasus, whom I believe to be named 'Fluttershy'. She trembles violently, looking like she just wants to disappear. I frown, assuming this is my doing. I think for a moment, then take a cautious step forward. The frightened pony presses harder against the wall. I look down, thinking again, then kneel down. I extend my right hand towards her, smiling in as friendly a manner as I can.

I hold my hand out for some time, wondering if she'll ever accept it. She slowly begins to calm down, first coming off of the wall. I continue to remain fairly motionless, watching her trembling stop, then as she draws herself back up to normal height. Fluttershy approaches me hesitantly, then extends her foreleg, leaning away from it as if the second I touch it, it will explode. I gently take her hoof, shaking lightly before releasing my grip and moving back, standing again. That wasn't so hard, was it?

The yellow pony looks up at me, fear again entering her eyes as she sees me at full height, but then disappearing soon after, quelled from within. "Uhm...sorry," she says quietly, looking away. "I-I'm Fluttershy." The Pegasus lets out another 'eep', then what sounds like another apology in the form of a whisper only dogs could hear.

"This is Mark," Rainbow begins. "He's new to Equestria, so Twilight told me to show him around. I guess he'll be staying a while, so, yeah."

Fluttershy's face lights up after a moment. "A new animal in Equestria?" She looks at me, stepping closer. "You are new, aren't you?" she asks rhetorically. I soon find that Fluttershy is almost as talkative as Pinkie Pie. "You understand us? Can you talk? Do you have a name? Does your species have its own language? I want to know everything!"

I look at the pale yellow Pegasus in some surprise at her new-found confidence. Slowly removing my paper and pencil, I begin recalling her questions in order.

Yes, I do. I can, but I do not. Yes, it is Mark, like Rainbow Dash said. Yes, we have many, but I speak yours most fluently. Everything is too much.

She reads the paper, then looks up at me, something like sadness or pity on her face. "Oh, you don't talk? Is something wrong? Can I do anything to help?" I shake my head quickly, clamping my jaws together. My gaze drifts off to a nearby wall. No. Not now. I blink, shaking my head and forcing myself to focus on the pink-maned pony. I realize her wings have been moving as she talks, almost seeming to reflect her emotions; with her look of pity, they are only half-raised. I recall them being spread out when she was excited. My eyes move over to Rainbow Dash, looking at the wings folded at her sides. Do all Pegasi do that? I wonder idly.

"Oh, okay," Fluttershy says, looking downcast. Her face brightens after a moment, and she looks over at Rainbow. "Can I get you two anything? Some tea, maybe?"

The light blue Pegasus shakes her head, smiling. "Sorry, 'Shy, got places to be, ponies to see. Maybe soon, okay?"

Fluttershy nods happily. "Okay, Rainbow." She gives her friend a quick hug, then steps back, looking at me. "It was nice meeting you, Mark." I smile and nod. Rainbow Dash turns for the door, and I follow her outside, leaving Fluttershy's cottage.

We begin down a path that appears to skirt around the town. I figure we're in for a bit of traveling, so I get out my pencil and paper, figuring I may as well try to pass the time by learning some more about where I happen to be. I show my flying companion-for-the-day a new section of my paper, clear of all but one new question.

Are wings affected by emotions?

She reads my handwriting, then looks at me with a raised eyebrow and a cocky grin. "Checking out Fluttershy, eh?" My eyes widen in realization. Oh, Christ! I shake my head rapidly, feeling heat rise in my face. "Or maybe me? I know, it's hard not to look at these things..." She glances back, looking at her flapping wings before shooting me a...seductive look. I nearly shake my head off my shoulders, waving my hands as well in my panic.

Rainbow Dash bursts into a fit of laughter, scratchily cackling as she holds her sides. She's somehow able to keep flying steadily while laughing to the point that tears begin forming in her eyes. My mouth hangs slightly open as I watch her laugh at me. You have got to be kidding me. I rub a hand against my face, starting to chuckle. Eventually I start laughing with the pony, both amused and ashamed that I could be so dim-witted.

Between gasps of breath, Rainbow manages a few words. "I...can't believe...you actually thought..." She starts laughing hysterically again, clutching her sides in pain. I rub the bridge of my nose, shaking with laughter of my own. After a few more minutes, we calm down, recovering our breath.

"Oh, hay," the Pegasus sighs merrily. "I got you so good," she says, grinning at me. I grin back, chuckling and nodding in agreement. "I'm gonna' have to tell Pinkie about that one..." She sighs again, laughing a little more before continuing. "Nah', you weren't checking out Fluttershy, or me, by looking at our wings. For what you asked, if wings are affected by emotions, yeah, they are. They're like a second face that we can't control when we feel stuff." Rainbow Dash glances over; I continue looking at her, wanting her to explain more.

"Uhh...okay, so, when a Pegasus is happy, their wings are up, and when they're sad, their wings kind of fall a little. They actually look kind of sad. And when they're angry, scared, excited, or...uhh..." She pauses, blushing lightly. "...yeah, excited, their wings spread out all the way. There's your lesson in Pegasus anatomy." I smile, nodding in thanks for the information. The less social faux pas, the better.

The rainbow-maned pony and I continue walking (and flying) along for a while in silence. "Y'know..." Rainbow begins; I look over at her. "...it's kinda' weird having to explain all this stuff to you. Usually ponies, griffons, dragons, you name it, know this kind of stuff, or just don't ask." I frown, scribbling on my paper for a moment.

Is it bad that I'm asking?

"No way! Okay, it's weird, but...like, in a good way. It's kind of cool. I dunno'." She goes quiet for a moment, hovering steadily along. "I guess I'm not used to being asked about stuff. That's, like, egghead territory. Ponies like Twilight are the ones you ask stuff like this, smart ponies, not me." My frown goes from one of question to one of a feeling I can't describe very well; it is something like pity, but is not. The end of the pencil twitches about as I scribe out letters.

You seem smart to me.

Rainbow Dash frowns. "I'm not, though. You only think I am because you don't know a bunch of simple stuff, no offense. I'm not super-smart like Twilight, money-smart like Applejack, animal-smart like Fluttershy, fancy-smart like Rarity, or...okay, I'm not actually sure what Pinkie's smart at, but she can be a genius sometimes. I'm just good at flying and stuff, that's it." I pin the feeling I'm having as some sort of need-to-comfort, without a better way of saying so. I think for a moment, tapping my pencil against my lips. My gaze shifts to the sky, and an idea comes to me.

What's that cloud?

I point with my pencil, aiming at one of the fluffy clouds in the light blue sky. The light blue pony moves a little closer to me, focusing on where I point at. "That's easy, it's a cumulus." I tap my paper, tapping my question again with the notion of repeating it, then point at a different cloud, one that seems slightly thinner and higher up. "That one?" I nod. "Pretty sure it's a cirrocumulus." I tap the paper once more, then point at a large, low-hanging cloud in the distance. "Over the Everfree?" I nod again. "There's always big cumulonimbus clouds over there." Halfway satisfied, I write down a new question, taking a stab at what this particular pony seems to have a talent for.

What factors can affect flight?

Rainbow brings a hoof to her mouth. "There's a lot. The biggest are crosswinds, and there can be a lot of those, sometimes in a bunch of different directions. Drafts and air pockets can mess you up pretty bad, too. How high you are, 'cause the air is thinner higher up. Humidity, too, that can make the air seem thicker and slow you down..." She trails off, reading the note I hold over to her.

See?

"See what?" she asks, looking confused. I mentally face-palm, and add some more to my question.

You're flying-smart.

"What, that stuff? Every Pegasus has got to know that stuff."

Do any of your friends know that stuff?

She glances over, apparently considering this for the first time. "Well, no, probably not. Fluttershy might, but she doesn't seem to care about stuff like that since she's usually on the ground, anyways. And Twilight might have a book on it or something. Books aren't the real thing, though," the Pegasus adds. She goes quiet for a moment, still processing it, I suppose. "Huh," she says. Guess perception isn't really your strong suit, is it? Her focus is drawn away from our conversation by something ahead of us; I turn my head forward. My eyes fall upon what I assume to be our destination.

A very large property lies before me, enclosed by a wooden fence surrounding it all. Within the fairly hilly land are hundreds, maybe even thousands of trees; apple trees. Row upon row of the fruit-bearing plants stretch out over many acres of land. A path cuts through the direct middle of them all, climbing all the way up to a large farmhouse at the very top of the estate. There is a gate guarding this path, above which there is a sign; it reads Sweet Apple Acres in rusted metal lettering.

"Well, this is Applejack's farm. Come on," says the sky-blue pony, just flying clean over the fence. I'm tempted to be civilized and open the wooden gate, but instead vault it in one deft motion. Rainbow Dash joins me as I begin climbing up the path. I look around, amazed to say the least at the amount of trees. A tree farm is something new for me, having grown up around wheat or corn farms and the like. I hear a noise to my left, an odd growl of sorts.

Rainbow looks down at her stomach, then up at me with a sheepish grin. "Guess I missed lunch. You hungry?" I realize my own stomach is empty, nearly painfully so, and nod. We veer off the path, into the apple trees. The Pegasus searches for a minute, darting from the leaves of one tree to another; eventually, she lets out an 'aha' of satisfaction. She perches on a branch, plucking an apple off a slightly higher branch with her mouth. I watch as she leans back against the tree, sitting on the branch, taking a bite out of the apple. I notice she's somehow able to balance or hold the apple with the flat, round surface of her hoof; hunger works its way back into my head. I move towards the tree, looking up at the apples. They look excellent; a perfect shade of red and fairly large in size.

I shoot a look at the pony in the tree; she doesn't seem to notice me. I shrug, stepping back from the tree. I spot a sturdy-looking branch, line myself up with it, then run at the tree. Some vertical steps and a moment later, I pull myself atop the branch. Using the trunk for balance, I nab myself an apple. Looking at the shiny, red fruit, I ponder whether this is a combination of stealing and trespassing, but my stomach decides hunger is more important than the purity of my conscience.

I hop down, hungrily biting into the apple once grounded. It's as delicious as it looks, and is about as perfect as any apple I've ever had. I down it shortly, then look back up to Rainbow Dash, who seems to have cored her apple as well. She springs off the branch, going back into a hover beside me. We make our way back onto the path, climbing up again. I feel some jealousy towards Rainbow; maybe just Pegasi in general. Flying has to make things a lot easier, at least in terms of travel. Even a unicorn could probably do something to speed up travel. Chuckling to myself, I muse that I am being jealous of two mythical creatures. Which also happen to exist here.

"Whoa, Mark, slow down, there." I look back towards the voice, and realize I've walked right up to the door of the farmhouse at the top of the hill. Whoops. I step back and to one side, letting the smaller Pegasus go up to the door first. She raises a blue hoof, knocking on the door a few times. I make sure to stand clear of the door when it first opens, so as before, I am the last thing the resident sees.

The door opens casually; inside, I see an orange pony. They seem fairly normal in appearance, lacking wings or a horn as one of the ponies I met earlier, Pinkie Pie, did. I also notice its mane appears the most normal out of any other pony I've seen today, a flat blond color throughout. The only truly defining feature, other than the bright orange color, is that the pony wears a dusty old Stetson atop its head.

"Well, howdy, Dash! What brings yah' 'round th' farm?" the pony questions in a heavily Southern accent. Seems like quite the cowgirl...cow-pony...?

"Hey, ay-jay!" I think for a moment, then realize she's abbreviating the pony's name into the initials 'AJ'. "I found somepony new the other day, and Twilight's making me show him around. Been showing everypony else, and you're the last pony I know to show." 'AJ' leans out of the door a little farther, green eyes widening when she sees me standing idly off to one side. She gives me a quick, panicked smile, then leans in close to Rainbow Dash's ear. The Pegasus frowns, then replies, "Well, nopony actually knows what he is, except him. Twilight even talked to Princess Celestia about it. I'm pretty sure he's harmless, he hasn't eaten anything except one of your apples." The orange pony frowns, scowling at Rainbow. "Oh, c'mon, Applejack, you have like, a billion apples. We ate two, you've still got plenty left." Oh, that's Applejack, I realize after a moment.

Applejack looks off to one side, frowning in thought. After a while, she looks over at me again, frown still on her face. She relaxes, giving a lopsided smile. "Well, Ah' suppose if Rainbow trusts yah', Ah' can, too." She holds out an orange foreleg in my direction; I take a few steps forward, crouch down, and take her hoof. Her hand--hoof?--shake is much stronger than I was expecting; I'm sure my arm comes fairly close to being ripped out of its socket. I stand, and the pony beckons for us to follow her inside. I follow Rainbow Dash in, ducking through the doorway.

It's surprising how familiar the inside of the house appears. It looks like a normal farmhouse, rather than the usual motley of tree houses and fancy structures I've been touring all afternoon. Despite being used to a heavily urban environment, I still feel a pang of homesickness. Just want to see some normal-looking buildings. Some humans would be nice, as well.

"So, what's yer' name, partner?" I look down towards Applejack, pulling out my folded piece of paper. I unfold it, looking about it before spotting my answer. I show it to the pony, tapping my written name t show her where to look. "'Mark'?" I nod. She looks at me for a moment, squinting a little. "Strong, silent type, ain'tcha'?" I laugh quietly, nodding and smiling. Never had it put that way before. "Ah' bet you'll get along with my brother just fine. It's nice tah' meet yer' acquaintance, Mark. Let's go see if we can find Mac, let'cha' say hello."

The hat-bearing pony trots off into another room, followed by myself and Rainbow. The house seems...quaint, welcoming. It reminds me of my house as a kid. We pass through a kitchen, then out a back door, exiting back into the sunlight.

"Mac!" Applejack yells, pausing for a response. "Big Macintosh, where are yah'? Got a visitor for yah' tah' meet!"

After a moment, a deep voice replies, "Just hold on, Applejack..." A minute later, a large, red pony with a short-cut orange mane and tail rounds the farmhouse. He casually trots up to us, eyeballing me for a moment. "Looks an awful lot like one of them Diamond Dogs," the pony who I assume is 'Big Macintosh' comments mildly.

"Big Macintosh, where are yer' manners? Ain't no Diamond Dog, name's Mark. He's new 'round these parts."

The red pony looks at me for a few more seconds, chewing on a piece of wheat that hangs out of his mouth. Eventually, he holds out a large foreleg towards me; I take it and shake firmly. "Nice tah' meet yah', Mark."

"Mac, Granny still watchin' the little'uns'?"

"Eeyup."

"Thanks." Applejack again motions for us to follow her, now trotting off towards the back of the property. Big Macintosh trundles off, leaving us to our own devices. I follow Rainbow Dash, who follows Applejack through a farmyard. We pass various coops, pens, and even a large, red barn, coming to an open area near the back of Sweet Apple Acres. I see a small group of small ponies tugging on a hay bale, struggling to move it, apparently. An elderly-looking pony is asleep in a rocking chair near them.

"Granny?" Applejack questions the sleeping pony. The green, white-haired pony remains asleep, snoring audibly. "Granny!" The pony startles awake, looking around before seeing Applejack and smiling tiredly.

"Oh, hello, Applejack!"

"Howdy, Granny Smith. Got somepony new for yah' tah' meet." She aims a foreleg in my direction; in response I step forward, smiling at the old pony.

'Granny Smith' peers at me for a moment. "Tall feller', ain'tcha'?" she questions. I nod and smile in reply, holding out my hand in greeting. She looks at it, then begins nodding off. Within seconds, she's snoring again. I frown, withdrawing my hand. Glancing over at Applejack, she gives me a lopsided smile and a shrug before turning towards the cluster of small ponies.

"Apple Bloom, come say hello to Mark!" she directs at the group. All three of them turn from the hay bale; one takes the lead, a small, yellow pony with a large bow in its red mane. She is followed closely by an orange pony with a purple mane and a white pony with a pink-and-purple mane. Their pace slows considerably as they notice me, fear entering their eyes. Despite having done it a lot, always on accident, scaring children is something I hate doing. They don't deserve it, they're too innocent. I immediately kneel down on the grass, smiling warmly and holding out my right hand.

With a stern nudge from Applejack, 'Apple Bloom' trots cautiously towards me. She extends a small foreleg, leaning away from me a little with her large eyes locked onto mine. I slowly, lightly take her small, yellow hoof, gently shaking it. Apple Bloom eyeballs me a moment longer, then seems to warm up some, smiling contentedly. Probably happy I didn't eat her or something.

"Go on, intra'duce yourself," Applejack says.

"Ah-ah'm Apple Bloom. Nice tah' meet yah', mister." I smile at the young Southern accent mimicking that of her apple-related relatives. "What's yer' name?" Nearly on instinct, my hand goes for my pants pocket.

"This here's Mark," says the Stetson-wearing pony. "He don't talk much, but ya'll be respectful of him all the same," she warns.

"Less than Big Macintosh?" Apple Bloom questions, sounding stunned. She receives a nod in reply. I chuckle a little at the shocked pony.

My attention turns elsewhere as I see one of the other smaller ponies step forward. It is the orange one with the purple mane; she wears a look of confidence, and puffs her chest out, seemingly ready to face me as if I am a mighty foe. Sorry to disappoint, there, sport. I hold out my hand towards her, smiling. She puts her small hoof into my palm, shaking hard.

"I'm Scootaloo!" she exclaims cheerfully. The last of the three decides to step forward as well, holding out a small, white hoof to me as I release 'Scootaloo''s.

"And I'm Sweetie Belle. It's nice to meet you, Mark." This pony reminds me of one of Rainbow Dash's other friends, Rarity. Maybe they're related. 'Sweetie Belle' steps back; I see the three young ponies cluster together, inhaling deeply.

"And we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" they cry in unison. I smile in amusement at their antics.

Apple Bloom gasps. "Hey! We should see if our special talents are being real quiet! Never tried that before!"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle hasp as well in excitement. "Quiet Crusaders! Quiet Crusaders!" they chant. The three run off, debating when to begin not-talking. I see Applejack turn to me, pushing her hat up with a hoof.

"Well, Ah'll be...it was that easy. Ah' can't thank yah' enough, Mark, that was mighty kind of yah'!" I laugh, standing up. "Rainbow Dash, yah' bring this one around more often, y'hear?" Applejack jokes to her friend.

"Can do, Applejack!" Rainbow Dash says with a laugh. She glances into the sky idly, then seems to realize something. "Aww, yeah! Still got a ton of daytime left!" She turns her focus to Applejack. "We better go, so I can still--"

"Practice for the Wonderbolts, I know. That's all yah' do, sugarcube," the orange pony says with a grin. The Pegasus gives a proud smile, then looks at me with an excited grin.

"C'mon, you've had your fun. My turn to enjoy my day off." I nod and chuckle, giving a wave goodbye to Applejack before moving to a jog to keep up with an impatient Rainbow Dash.

Comments

[dusher4]

This story is DYNAMITE WITH A LAZA BEAM

[LaughingZombie]

i1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii516/Klutzybear/tumblr_m827wqeqLN1ru5991o4_1280.jpg

[Darkheretic]

Another awesome chapter man + 2 manly for you

[Gunsmith]

Fanks guise.

Will be working on next one here soon, probably a lot this weekend.

[KnifeGun]

MOAAAAAAAAAAAARR

[Orange Horse]

For now, this is all I can say. When he was shaking Applejack's hand, I immediately thought of this:

img812.imageshack.us/img812/3003/shakyshaky.gif

[Gunsmith]

1143336 Hah, I was watching the first few episodes again for the first time in a while, and I noticed Applejack damn near tore Twilight's leg off. And if ponies are stronger than humans...

Flawless head-canon logic.

[Proofy]

This is Awesome.
Another Great Chapter, Here, take this
denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw1611-brohoof.gif

[Gunsmith]

1144845 Gif of best ponies is best gif.

I appreciate the positive feedback, though I'm also surprised, given the...lack of excitement, really. Kind of just explaining things, easing into the story right now, but it seems I'm doing that fairly well.

Questions, comments, concerns, I want to hear them.

[Business]

I'm not half way through, but I decided to begin here.

Wow, it's really good so far, it's very interesting, you did a good job of not following tons of other HiE's.

[DiamondBrony99]

I just discovered this story and before I move on to the next chapter, I'm gonna make a prediction. The reason the human doesn't like talking is because he thinks his voice sounds weird. I'm calling it.

[Chloe Primm]

8769256
Nope :)

[Coffeeknight234789]

It occurs to me that her wings should be larger to keep her in the air; I then wonder how light she is. Hollow bones, maybe, like a bird?

Bird bones are hollow to help with breathing at higher altitudes, not to make birds lighter. Don't mean to be a know-it-all but this kinda bugged me.