Post-horse
Cookie can only frolic around on the grass in something resembling worship.
“I can’t believe it!” Cookie yells, kissing the ground while being ignorant to the taste of dry dirt. “This is the Equestria, the land where the equines reign and did their own thing with their own cities and... their own everything! It’s a dream come true!”
“Dreaming about horse world domination?” Cinnamon asks smugly as she slowly pulls the rolling pony up so they won’t get any more stares from the Ponyville populace.
“Yeah, hope not!” Oakley says, already hovering a few inches above the ground like a natural. “That’s bad, right?”
“Yeah—“ and Cookie nets another surprised look from a local citizen. “Hello there, fellow pony! How are you today?”
And the mare stares at her for a second before backing away from the suspicious trio.
“Cookie!”—Cinnamon grabs her by the withers. “You can’t just greet them like that! Do you even remember where we’ll start here?”
Cookie opens her mouth wide, gasping. “Oh yeah! The local baker, and you know who I mean!”
“Aah! Pinkie! As in, the Ponyville Pinkie!”
“That’s right!” says Pinkie herself as she serves up a box of cake to a line of wagon haulers delivering non-meat food to Earth. “And what can I help ya with?”
While Oakley and Cinnamon are already seated at their chairs in the bakery, Cookie stays up front with Pinkie at the counter. “Wh-what’s it like to be... well, a pony all your life? With all this knowledge and higher-life functions and all that?”
Pinkie looks up, tongue curled outside. “It’s not too hard, you know? I was a foal once upon a time, but as I grew, I started... becoming more! Know more stuff, try out new things, and next thing I know, I was spitting words and carrying rocks for the family farm! After that, you go up Mister Mason Roan’s hierarchy of needs—I think that’s how it works for you, right? Like, you were just thinking about how to survive and wanting to be safe... and maybe some friendship here and there, safety in having a loving family, right?—back when you were horses, I mean.”
And Cookie nods, following the baker’s train of thought. “Yeah, that’s... that’s what I remember a lot. I just can’t think of anything beyond that...”
“Yeah, but now, you can have more than just your basic needs! Grass and smiles ain’t enough! You start to ask the big questions like: Why do I want to be with others? Why are friends so good? Why do I want more out of life than just existing and living? What’s the purpose of life? Why are we here? Why is this my cutie mark?... and then, sooner or later, poof! You’ve got us!”
That gets Cookie smiling wide. “Yeah, all that higher-level stuff! I... I never asked the big why’s in the first place, but now... why?”
“Well, that’s for you to find out!” Pinkie says, getting up another cake for another customer. “Got a wagon? Read the manual! Something like that for wisdom in your life-searching. As for me, I want to spread joy to other ponies and make ‘em smile!”
“Wow, that’s nice!” she says. “I thought you were just a really hyper gal, judging from the Pinkie we have on Earth.”
“Oh, don’t be silly! If she’s anything like me, she’d say the same to you!”
After hanging out with Pinkie, there’s another guest on the list, though they meet her unexpectedly as Rarity was on the same Canterlot-bound train they got on.
“...and that’s how Prince Blueblood has somehow managed to retain his status of royalty,” Rarity finishes, turning her eyes once again to Cinnamon paying much attention to the fashionista.
That makes the new unicorn shakes her head, rubbing her horn. “Wow, that’s... that’s a long history for him... and for the whole city of Canterlot, really. I knew Equestrian society isn’t exactly simple, but all of this just stemming from one city and one stallion...”
“The same can be said for the equally complex human society, no?” asks Rarity.
“Yes, of course, but it’s just... it’s strange having all these complex things stem from ponies. From horses, equines...”
Rarity sighs. “I will admit, other universes and worlds aren’t my specialty, but I can say that that is how things are: we are here with our cities and histories and civilization, our dreams and tragedies both individual and collective, intertwined with each other’s histories and hopes. It is something beyond what you had back when you were—what was it?—not yet ‘uplifted,’ am I correct?”
“Yes,” Oakley replies. “It’s just that part of our visiting Equestria here is seeing this horse world for what it is, and it’s scarily amazing… and amazingly scary.”
Rarity purses her lips. “Fluttershy’s clarified to me the distinction between us sapients and the animals she has in her care. I can only imagine what you must’ve went through when you suddenly had… for lack of a better term, the lights switched on in your heads.”
Cinnamon smiles. “But we’re here now, and… well, Canterlot does have tons of libraries and museums, right?”
“Oh yes,” she says. “Canterlot is the Equestrian capital, after all! There is no better place to dive deep into for histories and stories than Canterlot.”
After yet another loop, the stupendous Rainbow Dash lands right in front of them, skidding to a halt to the applause of many nobles, a couple former humans helping with supplies, and the three used-to-be horses, finishing an impromptu demonstration in the middle of the square.
Once the crowd’s been dispelled with autographs and pictures, Rainbow takes a look at the three of them that haven’t left.
Oakley’s eyes, already brightened with adrenaline and cheer. “Wow, that’s amazing! Those spins and barrel rolls and the works and… everything!”
“Yup!’ Rainbow says, pumping her chest. “Glad you can see what these bad boys can do!“—and she brings up her wings once more.
“Wow, and… there’s more, right? Like controlling the weather?!”
“Yup!” Rainbow says. “We pegasi take pride in the sky. You ain’t used to that, are ya, Oaks?”
“Nope!”—and Oakley hovers over the ground now, feeling the wind underneath his wings. “I’ve been like this for a month, and I still don’t get tired of it!”
“Oh yeah!” Rainbow says. Then, looking at the near-sunset sky, “Well, I can’t really stay much; gotta get back to Ponyville and handle some of the stuff we’ll be sending to your world, not to mention arranging some special Wonderbolt help for you folks.”
“Yeah, do ya know any good place to eat here?” asks Cookie, stomach grumbling.
“Hmm.” Taps her chin in thought. “You know what? You ex-horses… but still horses—whatever, you’re now ponies, so to celebrate that, here’s some bits—“ she hoofs them a little parcel filled with money “—which should be enough to get you a good meal in this place and then some. Take it as my parting gift, okay?”
“Oh that’s great!”
“But what restaurant here do you recommend?” Cinnamon says, brows raised. “We’d like to experience some real fine dining. None of that simple salt or sugar cube and hay stuff anymore!”
Rainbow scratches her head. “Okay, there’s this bar I went to with Rarity once, and it has some good food and some real good drinks…”
Yet in the whirl of a few hours, there lies nothing but a painfully pleasant/ pleasantly painful blur to remember, addling their alcohol-stenched minds.
So when they wake up with hammering headaches later on, they first think that the shaking all around them is a humongous earthquake. However, upon closer inspection, it turns out that the buildings around them aren’t crashing down— they aren’t even the high-rises of Canterlot but some cozy cottages instead: back in Ponyville, and then back towards some trees, past Ponyville proper…
Apple trees.
Their prior drunken condition falls apart as recognition opens their eyes wide—
“Applejack?!”
And the wagon stops, the driver stopping as she turns around to face her cargo of passengers. With her trusty ten-gallon hat, looking upon the three of them with her freckles and ponytailed mane—
“Applejack, it’s you!”
And the three of them leap from the wagon to tackle the mare in a group hug, shooting her off the dirt path and rolling onto some grass, smothering the apple pony with cuddles and an embrace.
“A-alright!” Applejack yells, struggling to get off of them. “So you must be the… agh! You must be the… the ponies she’s been talkin’ ‘bout, no?”
“You mean our Applejack, right?!” Cookie says. “Aww, she told you about us, didn’t she?!”
“She said that weeks ago already,” Cinnamon says, though unable to contain her joy at seeing Applejack.
“Yeah”—and Oakley lifts the farmer up onto her four hooves. “And… w-wow, it’s very good to see you, Applejack… another Applejack? Applejack, part two?”
And the mare chuckles, then sniffs. “Well, you best at least be goin’ home with me first. I picked you up ‘cause I saw ya goin’ around drunk while I was deliverin’ apples to some noble in Canterlot, an’ somepony told me they last came from Ponyville, so—“
“It was fun getting drunk!” Cookie yells, hoof raised in the air. “Rainbow said it’s the best place in town!”
And Applejack sighs. “Let’s just fix you up with a proper dinner first. Can’t believe Rainbow’d snow you on that…”
They ate in the kitchen, consuming rather late dinner: some apple turnovers and a few reheated slices of apple pie.
“Wow, it’s just like back home!” Cookie yells.
“Yup!” Oakley says with a nod, taking a huge bite of the steaming hot, delicious pie. “But it’s… somehow better! You can’t possibly beat our Applejack, can you?”
“This is not a competition,” Cinnamon says, testing the food out with a fork in her magic glow. Turning to Applejack, “I figure it’s Earth pony magic enhancing your produce?”
“Sure as gravy,” Applejack says, “though I wouldn’t say that it’s better than the apples from my other self back home. We’ve got magic an’ they’ve got all those fancy-schmancy science stuff humans have, like ‘tractors’! What in the world’s a tractor anyway?”
And the three horses laugh at that, trying and failing to describe the vehicle to her.
But after the mare gets it anyway, she then looks at her inter-dimensional guests enjoying their time, eating and laughing, sharing jokes and family stories…
And her heart melts.
“So… what was it like being her horses?” she asks. Awkwardness at the thought of horses being corralled around just like that, set aside.
“Oh, she took care of us really well!” Cookie begins, hooves moving around to trace the story. “Sugar cubes, riding around, good grass… never really left town that much except for that one time we raced a couple other farmhands’ horses here and there—we did more, but… but we just had Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, Granny—even Bright and Pear when they were still around, and…”
A wiped tear later, Oakley steps in. “I guess what we’re trying to say is… is she took care of us really well, and—wow, it feels weird talking to her and not talking to her at the same time, you know, AJ… well, it’s not just her, but all of them. All of us… as a family.”
And that brings a tear onto Applejack’s cheek. “And now that you’re all… actual ponies just like us, with all these big noggins and all…”
Cinnamon nods at the prompt. “Yes, we were able to thank her a lot when she came home… and then after a while, there was… a time when she wasn’t sure about accepting us into the family because we weren’t humans… not really born with Apple blood, you know. But we got better.”
“Oh yeah… when you discovered she was doin’ rodeo stuff with me, huh?”
And Oakley snickers. “Yup, something like that.”
After a while of amiable silence across the table, Applejack extends a hoof to shake. “Well, it’s good to meet you for real this time. We haven’t been with each other long, but I can already tell that you’re Apples through and through—“
And Cookie hugs her tight. “Yes! We’re part of two Apple families now!”
The others chuckle at that, Applejack patting her on the withers. “Now, now, we have to actually get you back home. But first, I’ve got an idea…”
“So you’re tellin’ me that Cookie, Oakley, and Cinnamon got drunk in Equestria?”
“Eeyup.”
“And that they managed to smash a couple glasses and some property when they got wild and had to foot a triple-digit bill?”
“Eeyup.”
“And then the other me’s givin’ them a sleepover so they can bond with her family?!”
“Eeyup.”
And Applejack sighs, shaking her head at the other world’s Big Mac, hitched by the yoke to a crate of premium apples to ship around.
Applejack shakes her head. “Well… are they at least behavin’?”
A ghost of a smile tugs at his lips. “Eeyup.”
And a sigh of relief comes out of her, holding back a tear of concern—relief, as she hugs Big Mac tight for safety. “At least they’re all okay…!”
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10845217
Now what about a long and winding road of drama and tension across the multiverse... all culminating in Fizzlepop talking her down anyway?
10864430
10864515
Just wait until she realizes that unicorns had been alive long enough in Equestria to predate utensils!
10864504
That is a good idea, actually. It'd still require expending additional magic just to form precise shapes to hold solid around food, though.
10864433
It turns out that a lot of the Equestria Girls stuff that'd happen post-Magical Curiosity would happen rather mundanely since magic would be everywhere anyway. For example, "Super Squad Goals" would pretty much be a typical Mane-Six-saves-the-day thing... even less memorable than that because the robber isn't a bugbear or some Everfree Forest monster.
10864519
Points added: Sci-Twi gets to teach fellow former human unicorns how to not failing at eating chocolate fondue. Not everyone wears glasses like her; one rookie move with unicorn magic and an eye gets poked with a marshmallow stick.
10864704
Magical Curiosity already gets to that, if you haven't read it already!
10873239
I agree. Now, how legal or feasible would it be to have that PSA go to governments across the world?
These three continue to be some of my favorite things about this world. They're just so precious...
God, I just love these three Ex-Horses so, so much...
I, for one, look forward to the first big transdimensional Apple family reunion.
10889929
Do you have any idea how many Bruce Lee films were made after his death? There’s definitely a market out there. Not to mention the fact that, outside of Starlight Glimmer, no one in Ponyville seemed to notice when the element bearers became huge, obnoxious jerks that one time they were all replaced. Either ponies are incredibly gullible, or changelings are actually really good actors. Possibly both.