Plus One
"Hey, lookie there, Twilight! A fresh apple orchard, right across the way! An them apples seem good enough to eat!" Applecrow cheered; she was pointing her hoof towards a freshly-mowed lawn that had plenty of apple trees, each of which held more than enough apples. Since it had been at least four hours since Twilight last ate breakfast, and probably about 1,000 years since Applecrow last ate anything, they both agreed to take a small break from going to see The Wizard of Centuries and instead fill their bellies full of fresh, crisp, apples.
"So...Applecrow..." Twilight said between munching on her tasty fruit, "How long has it...*nom scarf*...been since you ate apples this good?"
"Been awhile, Twilight, ah'll tell ya that." Applecrow finished up her third fruit and made a grab for her fourth. "Ah miss mah old family farm, we ate apples like this every day." She took a huge bite of the honey crisp fruit in her hoof and continued, despite having a full mouth. "Guess ah really took mah family and farm fer granted."
"I guess I took my job for granted, too.." A cheerful voice interrupted their conversation. "I kind of wish I just stuck with my family on the rock farm before The Tyrant Sisters took over..."
"Who said that?" Twilight asked, jumping to her hooves. "Who's there?!" In the little time that Twilight had ventured into Oz, she knew that there were some very strange and crazy ponies around, probably one upping her quaint little town of Ponyville, which had a disaster almost every week.
"I did!" The voice called, "I'm over here! By this...apple tree..." There was a pause, like the voice just realized how impossible it was to find her with just that clue. "Just...look for a metal ax and you'll find me."
"Metal ax?!" Twilight and Applecrow chorused.
"Don't worry; I only use it on trees."
The two ponies, although nerve wracked, started walking towards the disembodied voice which was babbling on about her life before the Tyrant Sisters, all the parties she planned and all the joy she spread. "She" had told them her gender all but two minutes ago, when she was talking about her old bakery.
"Then this Discord guy walks in and asks for all the cakes! I nearly flip out of my--"
"Ah, there ya are! A metal ax." Applecrow interrupted without meaning to. "Twilight! come over here, ah found the ax!"
"You did?" Twilight asked, running over to where Applecrow stood. Applecrow nodded proudly and pointed her hoof at a rusty metal ax that rested against a tall apple tree. Vines and needles wrapped around the tool, making it almost impossible to get it out without getting a hoof pricked. Thankfully, there was an alicorn there to get it out of the prickly mess the tool was in.
Twilight wrapped her magic around the ax and started to gently levitate it out. Strangely enough, the vines seemed to grow more and wrap tightly around the object of sorts. Twilight yelped and quickly let go of the ax, looking quizzically up at her horn. In an odd way, it felt like the sharp needles from the vine had pricked her magic, making it feel like she had put her horn into the painful mess.
"Yeah, I wouldn't do that if I were you..." A metal statue stated, "it damages your magic for a while if you try it." The statue was all silver with some bolts and such drilled into it; it's metal mane was poofy and bouncy and her eyes were moving to and fro. Her mouth, though, was stuck in a smile and didn't seem to be moving. "I already tried it."
"When?" Twilight asked, worried she would become a statue too.
"Oh...100 years ago, I think. That's a while, isn't it?"
"Your magic has been gone for one hundred years?!" Twilight screamed. What was she, the element of magic, supposed to do for 100 years without magic?!
"It's fine," the statue sighed, it's a 50/50 chance it'll happen. If it does, you get used to it."
"Ah reckon some of em vines got inta mah orchard a hundred years ago." Applecrow mentioned, "I've been immobile ever since, until y'all cam and found me, that is."
Twilight tried a simple levitation spell on a nearby thin branch, ignoring Applecrow's words. To her joy, it worked and the branch snapped off without hesitation. She breathed a sigh of relief and focused her attention back on the talking tin statue. "What's your name, by the way? Unless...do you have one?"
"My name used to be Pinkie Pie," she replied, "but I'm not sure if that name fits me know. Considering I'm silver and not..."
Twilight smiled. "It's fine," she said, "You can use your old name if you'd like. I gave Applecrow her name--"
"It's true, mah name used to be Applejack. Ah didn't like that name, so ah let Twilight choose for me."
"--I could help you with a new name, if you'd like." A clipboard and pen appeared in front of her, much like they did Applecrow, as she waited for Pinkie's response.
"I'd like that." Statue-Pinkie's grin seemed to widen. "But...uh...can I get some oil first?"
"Oil?" Twilight and Applecrow chorused.
"Of course, sillies!" She giggled, not seeming offended in the slightest. "How else am I supposed to move around?"
Twilight mentally face-hoofed herself as she took three strides towards Pinkie, making oil appear before her. "Sorry, I uh...thought you could move on your own." She mumbled as she levitated the oil high above Pinkie's head and let the supply fall all over her, drenching the statue in black liquid. Pinkie waited until the oil stopped spilling over to so she could speak.
The oil shower was soon done and Pinkie sprang forward from where she stood and hugged Twilight tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She cried, her mouth moving as she spoke instead of staying closed like before. Twilight hugged her back before putting Pinkie at an arms distance so she could get a good look at her.
"Your welcome," Twilight replied, "it was the least I could do, Tin Pinkie."
"Ooo, is that my new name?" Tin Pinkie asked, Twilight nodded. "I love it!" Tin Pinkie cheered, "it totally fits me!"
"It really does." Apple crow added. She was walking towards Pinkie to give her a hug as well, grateful that she and a life-long friend were finally free, all thanks to a helpful alicorn that found her way into their world.
"I don't know about you guys," Pinkie said as soon as Applecrow pulled away, "but I'm starving. Can you stay a little longer for a few more apples before you leave?" She asked them both, "I want to catch up with both of you."
Twilight was about to ask how she could catch up with her if they just met, but Applejack put a hoof in front of her and shook her head, silently telling her not to question it.
"Actually..." Twilight started, "do you want to join us? We're going to see--"
"The Wizard of Centuries?!" Pinkie guessed. Applecrow nodded. "I'd love to! Let's go right now!" She started to spring towards the road but a loud, growling noise stopped her. Twilight and Applecrow instantly looked around, worried a bear was near and was about to attack them.
"I guess I better eat first." Tin Pinkie commented. The three laughed and went back to the clearing to eat.