We all know what happened at the end of Dual Strike, Hawke used the chair and disappeared, but what if he turned up somewhere else due to the massive energy released?
We all know what happened at the end of Dual Strike, Hawke used the chair and disappeared, but what if he turned up somewhere else due to the massive energy released?
(For the ones who don't know it this is a try at a fic with Black Hole co Hawke from Advance Wars.) (and it is set after season 3 crystal empire) and yes this is a rework/rewrite since last time it was just a mess with like 2 years between some chapters and just faulty or terrible writing. (not that it is anything near amazing as it is now)
"An' with the magic apple seed she managed to grow enough trees to save her village, that is how Annie Apple saved the village of Greenglade, but what 'bout the young corn farmer? well that dear readers is for another time." Applejack said, closing the story book, looking down at her little sister sleeping soundly with a small smile on her lips.
"G'night Applebloom" She whispered, kissing her on the forehead and removing her bow, turning off the lamp getting down from her chair, silently making her way out of the door and closing it as quiet she could.
Smiling to herself as she walked through the corridor, she had herself loved the stories of Annie Apple ever since her mom read the same stories when she was a little filly, turning off the lights as she went towards her own room, stopping for a second to peek inside her big brothers room, seeing him sleeping soundly with that worn ugly doll of his, shaking her head and closing his door, wondering how long she had been reading for Applebloom.
Yawning as she continued her way to her own room, silently cursing as she slowly pushed open her creaking door, biting her lip as she managed to push it open enough for her to pass without it making too much of a noise, holding her breath listening incase she had awoken anypony, letting it out after a few seconds as she didn't hear anypony of the Apple family stir and also happy that granny Smith didn't hear her curse.
Slowly closing it behind her only for her to jump in surprise as a loud bang like something exploded and then a loud crash from the outside, running over to her window franticly staring out into the dark night, trying to spot the source of the sound, narrowing her eyes as they fell upon the barn now having a big hole in the roof, with a few loose pieces of it sliding down and hitting the ground with a soft thud.
"What in tarnation?" She said to herself, backing away from the window, running out of the room, passing by a sleepy looking Big Mac looking out into the hall, blinking a few times as he saw her run past, quickly shaking his sleepiness from his head, tossing his nightcap into his room and taking off after her.
"What's goin' on?" He asked, galloping after his sister, easily catching up to her at the bottom of the stairs, only to have to stop for a second or two to let his sister pass through the front door.
"Somethin' crashed into the barn!" She shouted back as she burst through the front door.
"Dangit and there's a rain scheduled tomorrow." Frowning as he took a quick look at the moon, seeing it only a few hours before sunrise.
"Did'ya see what it was?" He asked, as they stopped outside the barn, grunting a bit as he pulled open the barn doors.
"Nope, ah just heard the crash an' saw the hole." She answered, stepping inside the dark barn, frowning as she saw moonlight shining in through the big hole in the roof, with a lone wooden board dangling from its last nail.
"Darn, just look at that hole." She continued, as she walked closer looking up at the hole, taking in its size and thinking if they had enough boards stored.
"Uhm AJ?" Big Mac asked, as he walked up next to her.
"Yeah?" Turning her head towards her brother.
"Ah think there's somepony laying here" He pointed a hoof towards something large and metallic gleaming in the moonlight, with what looked like an unconscious charcoal colored unicorn stallion laying in a heap with the contraption leaning over him.
"Ah think yer right, gimme a hoof here." She bent down lifting up the weird contraption managing to topple it to the side, scrunching up her face as she saw it appeared to be a throne of some kind made out of metal, shaking her head as she assumed it must be some kind of teleportation mishap.
"He's alive and breathing." Big Mac said, turning the stranger over carefully on his back and putting his ear at his chest, hearing a steady beating. "We should take him inside"
"Aye, probably for the best." She nodded, feeling around his body incase of any broken bones, finding none she gave her brother a small smile, as she helped scooping him up and placing him upon Big Macs back, taking a last look at the big hole, sighing as she turned around to walk next to her brother incase the stranger would slide off.
"So this is him." Twilight Sparkle asked as she stepped inside the Apple family guest room, seeing the big grey unicorn laying on the bed by the corner.
"Eeyup he's the one who crashed through our barn." Applejack nodded as she walked in after her.
"Wow he is as big as you said, was nurse Redheart really okay with him staying here instead of the hospital?" Twilight continued looking the big unicorn over, noticing no bandages or wounds other than a few scrapes and bruises on his face.
"Eeyup, after she and some other unicorn doctor checked on him for any serious injuries, but it is temporarily, they 'parently understaffed right now." she nodded again as she walked over to the bed fluffing up the pillow a bit.
"Mhm heard of it, apparently Equestria is having the worst outbreak of green flu in decades, atleast if what the newspapers say" Twilight said shaking her head with a frown. "Well anyway did he have anything on him? other than the large metal throne thing?" She continued.
"Well a surprisingly heavy trenchcoat, pants, underpants, undershirt, two pair of hoofboots an' he had some weird thing-a-majings on him too." Applejack said, pulling out a cardboard box from under the bed, opening it up and holding it out towards Twilight with a grunt.
"Huh.... I have never seen such things before." Twilight furrowed her eyebrows looking at the items in the box, three hoof sizes dark green spherical objects with a small sprint on the top, some sort of red plastic syringes, a bottle of pills and a big bent metal thing. "Kinda looks like a ball of some sort, if it wasnt for the little metal ring and handle." She said, as she levitated one of the spheres to get a better look.
"Yeah, but this thing's even weirder, ah actually thought it was some kind of thick silver boomerang when ah first picked it up." Lifting the weird bent looking metal piece for Twilight to see.
"Hmm seems like there's a hole here." Levitating it to her eyes, closing one of them to look into the pipe like part.
"Ah know, ah been looking at it from ever angle but ah cant get a hold on what it is." aplejack said holding the bottle of pills up to her eyes trying to read the faded ethiquette.
"Hmm, this part reminds a bit about a spray bottle, but this is made out of metal and well have no place to put anythin- hupp!" She put her hoof to a small latch thing near the trigger part, holding it out for Applejack to see only for the bottom part to fall out and hit the floor with a soft thud.
"Did ya break it?" Applejack asked, picking up the small harmonica looking part and holding it up towards Twilight.
"Noo, I think it was supposed to come out, weird looks like theres several tiny metal capsules in it." Squinting as she looked into the small space in the weird little metal container, using her magic to pick one of them out, scratching her head as she turned it around in the air, seeing nothing special except a tiny text at the flat part. " BH Nine MM MAVERICK?"
"Ya think its some sort of weapon?" Applejack asked leaning in to get a better view of it, trying her best to read what she had just said aloud.
"Hmm now that you say it, it could be a possibility." Twilight met her eyes for a moment before slowly putting it down in the box again. "Maaaaybe it's better that I check on them in safety in the library."
"Yeah ah think yer right, wouldn't want Applebloom touching them." Applejack said, letting Twilight put back all the items before closing it.
"Or her friends." Twilight continued, sharing a worried glance with her friend.
"Well anyhow, what are we gonna do 'bout him?" Applejack asked turning her attention back towards the stallion.
"Well first we need to identify him, his clothes didn't have any name tag?" Twilight questioned opening the box again.
"Hmm didn't think 'bout that lemme see, hnnngh!" Applejack said, picking up the trenchcoat looking for any information, straining a bit from it weight.
"Uh is it really that heavy?"
"Y-yep feels like some kind of metal sewn in." Applejack grunted, sitting on her haunches and lifting up the trenchcoat by the collar.
"Hmm that's weird, maybe a job for Rarity, so any clues?" Twilight asked holding up the lower part with her magic.
"Nope, only washing instructions and where it was made." She said pointing a hoof at the tiny little strip of paper at the collar.
"Ah well, what does it say?"
"Lash corporation a daughter company of Black hole industries?" She said, giving Twilight a questioning look.
"Not a company I ever heard of, maybe another job for Rarity?" Twilight shrugged in response.
"She'll probably find ten flaws in it too." Applejack mumbled putting the trenchcoat back down and turning towards her attention back to Twilight. "So did ya bring yer camera?"
"Hmm? oh right." She said concentrating for a second before an old camera teleported infront of her with a *pop*. "Now could you help me turn him over to the side so I could get a good picture?"
"Okay like this?" Applejack asked, leaning up on the bed to grab the unicorn and turning him towards her, doing her best not to cause any harm to the poor stallion.
"Yes perfect." Twilight said, holding the camera in position at his head. *click* "Now a profile picture." *click* "Aaand the cutiemark."
"Eeehm." Applejack said holding up her hooves feeling a bit awkward to lift the covers only to get a good look at his flank.
"Yes yes I know it's awkward but without a cutie pic it would be hard to find out who he is."
"Ehm Twilight?" Applejack continued meeting her eyes.
"What?" Twilight asked looking back at her friend, sitting on her haunches and pointing a hoof towards the stallions face, with his grey eyes meeting theirs. "Oh."
"Uhm hello." Applejack said, after staring into the stallions face for a few seconds. "How're ya feelin'?" She continued awkwardly.
"Well eh ahm Applejack and this here's Twilight Sparkle." She nodded her head towards Twilight, feeling her face heat up a bit as he kept staring at her without any emotion at all visible on his face.
"So... can you tell us your name?" Twilight asked, noticing her friends unease at just being stared at, leaning forward to meet the stallions eyes, getting no response from him other than blinking, and the feeling of him sizing her up with his gaze.
"Can... you speak?" Rubbing her leg a bit as she still got no response or reaction from him, looking back at Applejack who just shrugged in response.
"Maybe he can't speak?" Applejack leaned towards Twilight and whispered, not letting the stallion out of her view.
"What if he doesn't even speak Equine?" Twilight whispered back, seeing the stallion lay his head back down on the pillow and with a tired sigh holding his hooves infront of his face turning them around and sighing again as he let them fall back down on the bed.
"He almost look dissapointed, maybe it was a teleportation mishap as I thought." Twilight suggested, looking at the stallion eyeing them both.
"Ya would think he atleast would be happy to be alive." Applejack frowned, looking at the stallion scratching at his hooves and slightly moving his hind legs under the blanket.
"Well I'm sure he's glad he is alive but I think he just gave his all in this failed teleportation." Twilight shrugged.
"Hmm so what do we do now? continuing taking his pictures as planned?" Applejack continued, pointing at the camera still in Twilights magic grip
"Well we uhm uh hey wait!" Twilight shouted, quickly moving forward to put a hoof against the stallions chest, as he begun to drag the blanket of him and trying to sit up, staring at Twilight holding her hoof against his chest with the same stony expression of his.
"You shouldn't move you are in quite the bad shape okay?" She slowly said hoping he atleast could figure out what she meant, putting a hoof against his shoulder easing him back down the pillow, only for him to sigh and accept his fate.
"You are real?" He suddenly asked, turning his head towards the purple unicorn as he again rested against the pillow, startling her a bit.
"Uh I uh yes, yes I am." Twilight blinked surprised at the sudden question.
"And you are a ......purple horse?"
"Ehm I am a pony and a unicorn." Slowly nodding at the question, a bit confused at such a weird question, a bit concerned he might have a concussion.
"I am a unicorn pony too?" He asked, looking up at the protrusion on his head, reaching up with one of his hooves to touch it.
"Yes." She slowly nodded again glancing back at Applejack who just shrugged, scratching her neck and looking back at the stallion, also starting to suspect some form of amnesia or other kind of brain injury from the fall. "Are....you feeling okay?"
"......was I alone?" He asked, ignoring the question and looking at his hooves again.
"Yes only you and the chair, why do you ask? were you travelling with somepony else?" Twilight asked, worried where this other pony could've ended up, knowing full well the horrors of a failed teleportation.
"No I wasn't trav-....did you just say somepony?" He asked, lifting his head up to look at her again, unsure if he heard her correctly.
"Uh yes, yes I did." Twilight nodded.
"...I think I need to rest now." Sighing and laying his head down, turning away from the mares.
"Oh uh okay, just shout if there is anything you want okay?" Twilight blinked, taking a few steps back deciding it would be best to let him rest for now.
"Yeah ah will try and be inside the house if there is anythin'." Applejack said, frowning at the back of the stallion.
"Ah right, could you be so kind as to hand me the bottle of pills from my equipment in the box?" He asked, slightly turning his head back towards them and opening an eye.
"Your... oh right well sure uh" Twilight mumbled looking back at the box, finding it weird that he even knew the stuff was there.
"Ah got it." Applejack nodded, trotting over and rummaging through the box until she found the little pill bottle. "What is it anyway?"
"........Medicine." He sighed after awhile realising they wouldn't hand it over without an answer.
"Just medicine?" Twilight repeated, expecting more out of him than that.
"Is it common in these lands to ask what kind of medicine someone takes for their ailments?" He asked, turning his head more towards the purple mare.
"Oh uh well I uh *hrm* point taken." Twilight blushed, quickly taking the bottle in her magic and placing it on the nightstand.
"Wait a minute, how did ya know about yer stuff? how long were you awake?" Applejack asked, quickly walking back over to the stalllion.
"....long enough, now please excuse me I need to rest." He said, as he turned away from them again and waving them away with his hoof.
"Wait what? ya can't leave it at that" Applejack begun protesting, looking back at Twilight for some support.
"A bit rude, but maybe we should let him rest for now." Twilight whispered, giving the stallion a last look before continuing. "I will return later with Redheart and see if I can find out anything about him."
"Well ah have to get back to the apples anyway, nurse Redheart should come by in a few hours, ah check back every once in a while okay?" Applejack said, as she and Twilight walked over to the door, waiting for a few seconds until she only got a grunt from him in response. "Guess thats a yes."
"So what ya think about him?" Applejack asked as they walked down the stairs, making sure he wouldn't be able to overhear them.
"Well something is not right about this whole thing, the throne, the odd clothes and the equipment he had, I fear he may be something ...weird." Twilight frowned a bit as they stopped at the front door, thinking through what she had observed, a bit dissapointed she hadnt gotten a picture of his cutiemark, looking at the camera floating in her magic for a moment before unsummoning it with a soft pop. "But I don't believe he is hostile, just confused and hurt."
"Well ah try keep an eye on him just to make sure, don't forget to come by at dinner."
"At 18 like we agreed to." Twilight nodded, turning around and giving her a wave with her hoof as she begun to walk away. "Bye."
"Bye." Applejack waved back, watching her friend walk away before closing the door behind her and walking into the kitchen.
"Oh dang already lunchtime?" She mumbled to herself as she looked at the clock on the wall, making her way over to the fridge, taking out a few leftover vegetables and begun cutting them up to make a soup, heating the stove and filling up a pot with water. taking another look at the clock to measure when it would be done, walking over to the kitchen cabinets to lay the table only to jump in surprise almost dropping the soup bowls as she heard a loud thud from upstair.
"What in tarnation?" She said, quickly putting down the bowls on the table and hurrying upstairs, afraid the stranger had fallen out of bed and hurt himself.
"Are ya....okay?" She asked, as she opened the door only to see him laying uncomfortable in a heap with the bottle of pills rolling slowly across the floor with its contents scattered over the floor. "Uhm what did ya try to do?"
"...Just help me up." He sighed, meeting her eyes as he slowly tried to push himself up into a sitting position.
"No need to be all grumpy lookin, just let me help ya up again." She smiled, as she walked over, putting her hooves under his chest and gently lifting him back up into bed. "Phew yer a heavy fella."
"...Thanks, but I prefer to not be bed ridden." He grunted, as he laid down once again prepping the pillow up a bit so he could atleast be in a half sitting position to speak with her.
"Well who knows if ya have a broken limbs or shattered spine, until the doc comes by ya aint leavin this here bed okay?" Applejack said giving him a stern look.
"I can see the logic in that, then may I ask you to help me gather my pills?" He asked, as he nodded his thanks for the help, slowly turning his gaze towards the scattered pills on the floor.
"Oh sure just keep still ya hear?" She said, taking a step back and ducking down to scoop up the pills in her hooves, eventually walking over to the bottle picking it up and putting them all in.
"Aaand ah think thats all of them." She eventually said as she finished giving the floor a last look before meeting his eyes staring at her. "What? why are ya staring?"
"How...did you pick them up with hooves?" He tilted his head slightly confused at what she had managed to do.
"Uh well I picked them up by using... my hoof?" She shrugged with a raised eyebrow, looking down at her hoof holding the bottle, confused at his question and how to even describe something so simple as using hooves.
".........Very well, I thank you for helping me out, please put it on the nightstand and if you could be so kind and take out one of the pills for me, just leave it next to the bottle." He kept his gaze on her eyes awaiting more before giving up and pointing a hoof towards the nightstand.
"Of course." Smiling as she did so. "Soo ya wanna tell me yer name?"
"Hawke." He answered working through his head if he should use an alias deciding against it since it wouldnt matter in this world.
"Just hawk?" She repeated, tilting her head slightly to the side awaiting him to continue.
"With an e at the end." He nodded.
"Oh Hawke, ah see well Hawke nice to meetcha, ah hope ya find our guest room to yer liking." She smiled, holding out a hoof for him to shake.
"It is quite cozy and it reminds me of my childhood." he said as he shook her hoof, taking a look around the room, taking note of the door and the windows just incase if a quick escape would be needed.
"Oh ya were born in a farm too?" She suddenly perked up a bit surprised to hear of somepony else with a similar life.
"No I was born in our family mansion." He said, noticing her smile fading before continuing. "....But we owned alot of farms and my father took me with him to inspect the peasants and to see if they did their job."
"Ah that is good ah guess."
"I suspect you have had some bad experiencing with the bluebloods." he said as he crossed his forelegs and tilting his head slightly to the side.
"What? no! no part of Sweet Apple Acres are owned by Blueblood." She blinked and shook her head almost offended at what he had said.
"......What are you talking about?" He blinked back staring at her confused at what she had just said.
"Prince Blueblood wasn't that- oh no nevermind ya meant blueblooded like nobility sorry." She grinned and turned a bit red at the cheeks as she understood what he meant.
"Do not worry about it, I understand...that...do you smell smoke?" He held up a hoof to stop her from getting more flustered, sniffing the air suddenly as it reached his nostrils.
"Smoke? *sniff* yes but what cou- OH THE SOUP!!" She repeated confused at first sniffing the air before running out of the room with a shout.
He laid there alone with nothing but his thoughts, this was real and not only had he survived the war, he had entered a whole other universe it seemed, where ponies where the dominant species yet they live in houses like humans, looking around the room at the last thought wondering how a house like this was built with hooves, leaning over the bed slightly to look at the box of his stuff, wondering if he could even wear clothes, suddenly glad he had a dull grey charcoal coloration and not the colorfull purple of that Twilight Sparkle, if only Lash could se him now.
”Lash..” He said aloud, suddenly worried what might have happened to her, did she survive the war? If so what would happen to her? Would she escape with the remnants of their army? Or would she be caught and sentenced for war crimes by the allied nations.
Shaking his head trying to dispell the thought, of course they wouldn’t sentence a young girl, but they might use her for new inventions, if the war was even over after disposing Von Bolt, what will happen to the world? What would actually happen to himself? After all these years in the army what would he do now? Maybe he could ask Applejack if they need another worker, atleast until he can find something more fitting for himself.
”Uhm lunch will be a bit delayed, since it seem some young filly has not done their chores it seems, so ah will go and quickly buy some foodstuff, do ya have any requests?” Applejack asked knocking quickly on the door frame to get his attention, startling him and causing him to snap his head towards the sound.
”Requests? Hmm well anything with garlic or regular onions.” he said, hating himself for letting her sneak up on him, sitting himself up to look a her, thinking on it for a moment, giving her a nod, suddenly holding up his hoof stopping her from closing the door after her.
”Do you have coffee?”
”Uh no but ah can buy some.” She answered, blinking a bit at the odd request as she held the door.
”I would appreciate that.” Hawke nodded back, a bit surprised as he did not expect a yes but rather a what is coffee.
”Well see ya in about a half hour.” Applejack smiled as she closed the door after her leaving him once again to his own thoughts.
Releasing a small sigh as he closed his eyes and laid his head back onto the pillow, listening to the hoof steps disappearing, wondering what kind of produce this farm was growing surely there would be no animal holdings, maybe just focused on hay?
Letting his thoughts wander wild in his head what exactly this world could be, would there be a horse president or some kind of horse queen? Do these horses wear clothes? Other than hats? Unsure how long he just laid there and thought about every mundane question he could come up with regarding this world or universe he had ended up in, only getting interrupted as he perked his ears hearing some scraping sound outside the nearby window, opening his eyes managing to get a small glimpse of something looking like multicolored strands of hair hanging from above the top of the window, narrowing his eyes at the sight as the hair looked like it got pulled up quickly out of sight.
He kept watching the window for a moment, eventually losing interest seeing no more movement he wrote it off as just an odd colored animal having its next right above the window, turning his eyes downwards to the old wooden floor and then to his hooves, considering for a moment to stay in bed, tossing off the blanket and slowly getting down on all four and slowly taking a few awkward steps, a bit unused to walking on all four but it is just another challenge he must overcome, straightening up and walking over to the window satisfied with himself only stumbling once or twice but eventually getting used to it going back and forth between the bed and window only stopping when he felt confident enough to walk normally.
”Hello anypony home?” He suddenly heard someone shout from downstairs.
”Applejack are you home?”
Not wanting to be caught out of bed, he tried to as silent as he could walk over the wooden floor and laying down on the bed, just barely getting the blanket over him as the door opened and an old looking unicorn stallion wearing a bit too big monocle peeked inside meeting his eyes.
”Oh hello there are you the.. patient?” He asked blinking in surprise at seeing Hawke.
”I am the one who fell through the roof yes.” Hawke nodded meeting the old stallions eyes.
”Ah thought it was applejack walking around here, anyway shall we begin then?” the old one mumbled adjusting the monocle and leaning in over Hawke.
”You are the doctor?” He asked giving him a skeptical look cocking his head a bit to the side.
”Weren’t you supposed to come by later?”
”Yes well I am not the doctor, I am a doctor, retired doctor actually but the green flu is raging so I got called in to cover for nurse Redheart and some doctor i do not remember his name of.” He said, as he put down a worn and patched doctors bag next to the bed and fidgeting with his monocle as he looked Hawke over again.
”Looking good so far at least, now lay as flat as you can on your back and try not to move.”
”Like this?” Hawke asked, as he put the pillow away to lie flat against the bed and pulled the blanket off him.
”Good! Now this may feel a bit uncomfortable but it’s just a simple x-ray spell.” The doctor smiled, lighting up his horn into an odd blend of white and black light upon Hawkes body, letting it slowly wander from the top of his skull to his chest.
”Hmm this is......no no everything is okay, only some bruises so far....no internal bleeding....no broken bones, how high up did you fall?”
”I don’t know, I was unconscious at the time but i guess the throne somehow protected me.” Hawke shrugged, looking as best as he could at his own x-ray in real time.
”The throne? It was a teleportation mishap?” The doctor asked, raising an eyebrow and pausing his spell for a moment to meet his eyes, quickly squeezing the eyebrow down again as he almost dropped his monocle.
“Yes, it was an…. uncomfortable experience to say the least.” Hawke sighed, sitting up a bit so he could speak to the doctor better.
“Well that explains the oddities I saw with my spell, nono no need to worry it probably just some leftover residue from your teleportation not something I would worry about, buuut if you get any problems or feeling weird you should seek medical help.” The doctor begun, quickly sitting down and waving his hooves to stop Hawke from speaking any worried questions that was about to come from him, scratching his chin a bit as his eyes fell upon the bottle of pills on the nightstand, standing up and reaching out a hoof towards it.
“Please don’t touch those, they are mine.” Hawke said, as the old stallion picked it up in his hoof.
“Oh apologies I thought it was granny Smiths, it is almost time for a refill for her and the medicine is to be changed.” He smiled apologetically, putting it back down after eyeing it for a moment.
“Looks like a child wrote something on it, got some little bundle of joy awaiting you back home?”
“I- no just someo ah pony, somepony I knew.” Hawke said catching himself, hoping the old doctor wouldn’t react to it.
“Ah once again I apologize did not mean to bring back some bad memories.” He frowned a bit scratching his neck.
“It is fine, it isn’t like she is dead only far far away.” Hawke waved it away with his hoof.
“Thank Celestia, I got worried there a bit, you have to excuse this old bag of bones sometimes I talk too much.” He sighed, relaxing a bit his posture again happy to hear he hadn’t made their little talk awkward, tilting his head slightly and listening in to something before he continued.
“Oh I think I heard the door.”
“I go tell her the news, you just stay here and be healthy it’s almost time for my shift anyway.” The doctor winked as he walked out through the door and closing it after him.
“Well guess that’s it then.” Hawke said to himself, sitting himself up seeing no point in either going downstairs until the lunch was ready or laying back down, he had already wasted enough time laying around, leaning over the edge of the bed a bit to glance at box of his stuff, looking over at the door for a moment before stepping down from the bed and rummaging through it taking out his clothes and clumsily getting dressed as best as he could with his hooves, only pausing as he reached his boots seeing them warped into what he could only call hoofboots now, holding them up so he could get a better look before placing them down, wondering how he would manage to put them on, looking up at his own horn wondering if he could use the same kind of grasping magic with his horn.
“Hawke are ya up?” Applejack asked, as she knocked on the door, opening it and continued to talk only to stop in surprise as he stood beside the bed with everything but the heavy trenchcoat and the hoofboots.
“Jus’ wanted to s-oh yer clothed?”
“Yes I thought I would try and eat in the dinner room.”
“Well it aint one of them fine diners where ya need to suit up, also ah could just bring it up here if ya want.” She smiled at him being fully dressed only to eat lunch.
“….It may be uncommon to be clothed here in..” Hawke said looking down at himself and motioning a hoof at his clothes,
“Equestria?” Applejack filled in.
“Yes Equestria, where I am from it is quite…uncouth to walk around ….naked.” He said looking up at her hat and then at herself.
“Oh yer makin’ me feel a bit exposed here and…” She said, looking down at herself and scratching her neck with a hoof, pausing as he straightened up to his full length and letting go of the hoofboots to walk over to her, glancing past him as she saw rainbow dash leaning down from above the top of the window to wink at her.
“Uh anyway soups done, ah made some onion soup with a few apple slices.”
“And the coffee?” He asked, as she didn’t mention it.
“Ah yes the coffee, sadly they were out regular coffee and had only the fancy stuff which was a bit steep in price.” She said giving him an apologetic shrug hoping he would understand her decision.
“Disappointing, but I understand.” He sighed, motioning a hoof towards the hall.
”So, jus’ take a seat anywhere ya like.” Applejack smiled as they entered the kitchen, motioning a hoof to the table, continuing as he entered the room and looked around.
“What?”
“..Nothing, it’s a nice home you got here.” He said as he took a seat, watching Applejack taking the pot and placing it on the table.
“It smells good.”
“Thanks ah hope it tastes as well as it smells.” She smiled as she filled his bowl up with soup.
“Are we expecting more?” He asked as she begun to fill up several other bowls and placing them out at the other chairs.
“Yup and they should be here riiiight.” She nodded dragging out the last word until they both heard the door open.
“Now.”
“Smells good is it- oh hello mister didn’t think ya were gonna eat with us.” A small yellowish filly with a big pink ribbon in her mane begun as she walked into the room, stopping herself as she saw their new guest sitting at the table.
“Applebloom mind yer manners.” Applejack warned giving the filly a harsh look.
“Oh right, ahem hello there mister name’s Applebloom what’s yers?” The filly turned her attention proper towards the guest holding up a hoof to him.
“Greetings to you too Applebloom, yes I will be dining with you and you can call me Hawke.” Hawke nodded, reaching out his own hoof towards her so they could shake.
“Like the bird?”
“Yes but with an e at the end.” He corrected turning his attention back to the bowl infront of him.
“Mhm so what’l it be fer lunch?” The little one nodded at him before turning her own attention over to Applejack and sniffing the air.
“Onion soup with a bit o’ garlic.” Applejack smiled as she filled up her bowl
“Eew garlic.” The little one complained sticking out her tongue in disgust.
“Well to bad, if ya had done yer shores we wouldv’e had something else.” Applejack frowned at her, causing her to squirm a bit and avoid meeting her eyes.
“It’s good for your health and it keeps mosquitos away.” Hawke said as he looked down at his soup bowl and the spoon he was wondering how to use, finding it best not to ask about it again.
“Yes who don’t like tah eat bug repellant.” She mumbled as she sat down at her own bowl.
“Did ya tell Big Mac?” Applejack asked deciding to ignore the remark.
“Eeyup he’s jus’ unhitching tah wagon.” Applebloom nodded before turning her attention back to the guest taking a seat at the table.
“So how long will ya be staying with us?”
“No longer than needed, but it mostly depends on Applejack.” Hawke answered motioning a hoof towards Applejack and slowly grabbing his spoon with the other, turning it around in his hoof surprised that he could actually hold it with a hoof just like Applejack had done earlier with his medicine.
“Well ah ain’t against havin’ ya here, but ah hope yer gonna make yerself usefull.” She smiled taking a seat herself.
“I did break your barn so I am willing to work off my debt, all I ask for is food and lodging.” Hawke said taking a spoonful of soup and enjoying the taste.
“Well ah ain’t sayin’ no to some help around here.” Applejack shrugged, grabbing her spoon and tasting the soup and turning her head towards where Apple Bloom had come from.
“Hmm not bad ah Big Mac take a seat.”
“Nice to see ya up.” A large red stallion said as he walked inside, giving Hawke a slow nod before taking a seat himself.
“Say Applejack should we invite yer friend?”
“What do ya mean?” Applejack asked raising an eyebrow at his question.
”Well Rainbow Dash is on the roof so ah guess she wants to come in.” He continued pointing a hoof towards the roof.
“Oh uh well ah go hear…. what she wants after lunch.” She answered, hesitating for a moment hoping Hawke wouldn’t notice and the large red stallion would pick up on her trying to secretly wink at him and shake her head without their guest seeing it.
“Okay then, so how’re ya feelin’?” He nodded at her words and then turned towards their guest quickly changing the subject.
“Better than I thought I would after falling through a barn.” Hawke nodded moving his joints a bit feeling the small ache from his bruises and cuts.
“Good to hear.” The large stallion nodded, holding out his one of his large hooves for him to shake.
“Oh right names Big Mac.”
“Hawke, tell me does this Rainbow Dash have a rainbow colored mane?” Hawke said taking the hoof.
“Uh yes she does why do ya ask?” Big Mac asked tilting his head slightly to the side and chewing on his straw for a moment before placing it down on the table for further use after the soup.
“I suspect I saw her earlier in the window.”
“Well Rainbow Dash is usually sleepin’ up on tha roof unless she finds a nice enough cloud or a comfy tree.” Big Mac said, scratching his chin a bit blowing a bit on the soup before taking spoon of it.
“She sleeps on a cloud?”
“Uh yeah, aren’t there pegasi where ya come from?” Applebloom asked tilting her head to the side.
“No there were none of them in my homeland.” Hawke shook his head, before looking up at his own horn and continuing.
“Are they as common as ..us unicorns here in Equestria?”
“Uh hmm well it’s kinda even among unicorns earth ponies and pegasi.” Applejack said thinking on it for moment.
“Earth ponies?” Hawke asked glancing up at his horn and letting his eyes wander among the little family, already expecting their answer as soon as he said it.
“No horn or wings.” Big Mac answered motioning a hoof towards his head and back.
“Ah we just called those…you regular ponies.” Hawke said, catching himself not wanting to sound like a racist or whatever they would call it in this world.
“Oh huh kinda like that better.” Big mac said tilting his head slightly and tapping his chin.
“I’m glad to hear it, but let us get to business what could I help with on this farm.” Hawke said giving the large stallion a quick nod before turning his attention towards Applejack,.
“Well there ain’t no need to rush it, but ah guess if yer up to some muscle work we need some fields plowed and a lot of apples to be transported and well if ya got the legs for it ya can help buck some trees and the barn also needs repairing and the animals needs feedin’ also-“ She said counting each task aloud as she ticked them off on her usual work list.
“Ah think he got it we need alot o’ work round here.” Applebloom said putting a hoof on Applejacks own stopping her from rambling on about the chores.
“Right sorry. but why not take it easy for now and maybe start small so ya don’t strain yerself too badly after the fall.”
“Very well why don’t you show me around the farm today and I will begin working off my debt tomorrow?” Hawke said as he took the last spoonfulls of soup.
“Sounds good ah could show you the throne so we can decide what to do with it.”
"So this here is our newest cellar where we store some of the produce during the winter.” Applejack said pointing at a large hatch on the ground, it hadn’t taken too long to finish the meal but she was glad that rainbow dash had decided to change her position until they walked outside.
“Mhm.” Hawke nodded as they continued their path taking a mental note of where everything was located.
“And over here is the barn you fell through.” She continued after a bit of walking, putting a hoof on the heavy double doors with a smile.
“Luckily it was only the one we use to store wheat in and not the newer one where we store the carts and tools.”
“Guess I was quite lucky then.” He nodded as he walked over to the great doors, continuing as he saw her begun to open it, lowering a large wooden bar and putting it down against the wall.
“Do you need help?”
“Nah ahm fine, the doors just old and ya should not strain yerself.” She smiled back as she pushed it open with a low screech, grunting a bit as she gave it a hard push, sighing as she put a small piece of wood to hold it open before turning around and pointing into the barn.
“An there’s yer chair.”
“Well it seems to be only scrap now.” Hawke said as he saw what she pointed at, walking over to the throne, rounding it seeing several loose and missing parts even the top dish part seemed to have been warped to oblivion, putting a hoof on it pushing a loose plate a bit before continuing.
“It does not seem to be salvageable.”
“Ah dunno maybe Twilight could help repair it, she’s usually kinda good with weird stuff.” Applejack shrugged patting the throne herself, fiddling a bit with some loose wiring holding up the burnt off stump to her eye.
“An maybe not too much things are missing?”
“Maybe… it is okay for you to store it for now?” He asked as he looked around the barn seeing it a bit crowded with stacks of hay and old garden tools, which made him wonder even more why would ponies use tools made for human hands and not make them more after hooves.
“Of course don’t worry bout it a thing.” She smiled at him, glancing up at the hole in the roof.
“Ya any good with hammer and nails?”
“Hmm can’t say I am, but if needed I could give it a try.” He answered looking up at the hole, wondering again how do ponies even use tools made for hands, tapping his chin a bit as his thoughts wandered over to how he would even hold a nail without fingers.
“So ya said earlier ya were some sort of noble right.” She asked stepping up beside him to look up at the hole too.
“Yes I belonged to one of the bigger noble houses, my father had ruled the family for almost 47 years.” He answered turning his head back down and giving the throne a last look before he started to walk towards the door.
“If ya don’t mind me asking what did ya do as a noble?” She asked as she followed him out, both closing the door behind them, getting a questioning look from Hawke as he handed over the large beam keeping the door shut.
“Ah mean ya don’t look like the regular fancy type more like some practical one.”
“To be honest I never enjoyed ballrooms and fine wine, when I could I usually visited the farms with my sister.” He nodded giving a small bow with his head as he motioned with a hoof for their walk to continue.
“Though father did get angry when I brought her outside the mansion.”
“Oh so ya were a bit of a rebel in yer youth eh?”
“Atleast until I defied my father when I turned eighteen and joined the army.” He said, closing his eyes for a moment cursing himself for letting it slip,
“The army? Well, that explains those odd thingamajigs ya got on ya.” She said raising an eyebrow at him.
“Yes, anyway, these are the apple trees?” He sighed, trying to change back the topics to the work at hand, stopping as he saw the vast amount of apple trees.
“I expected a lot, but these are covering several acres.”
“Well, ah don’t wanna brag, but it’s about three and a half acres of the finest apple trees in whole Equestria.” She smiled proudly as they took in the sight, motioning a hoof at the trees.
“So how do we get them down?” He asked, taking a few steps forward, looking around at the trees for a moment before turning his head back towards her.
“Ladders?”
“Or we do it the easy way.” She grinned as she walked over to the closest one turning from it, leaning forward a bit and giving the tree a hard double kick causing a loud thud to echo over the acres, causing several apples to fall down, smiling as she held out her hoof and snatching it out of the air as it fell and tossing it towards Hawke.
“Here, take a bite.”
“Thanks.” He said as he fumbled with it with his hooves, trying to grasp it, rubbing it against his chest before taking a bite out of it.
“Sweet.”
“Of course it’s sweet since it’s Sweet Apple Acres.” She said winking at him, happy to see the newcomer happily chew down the whole apple before continuing.
“Well, this is pretty much the whole thing, only the pigs and the cows are left now if ya wanna see em too.”
“Well, why not, could be good to know my way around the whole area.” He nodded as they began to head back.
