After, letting Applejack and Big mac into the house first by holding the door open for them. I walked into a mixture of both scenery and smells. The living room we walked through was pleasantly furnished with a couch, table and a few lone chairs as well some display cabinets with a tea set neatly arranged and stored behind their glass doors.

Everything here was hoofmade out of matching wood, I could only determined that each of these pieces of unique, country style furnishing are made of the very trees they harvest from. Talk about being dedicated to the lifestyle.

I didn’t pay much attention to anything else here as I could only think on the awkwardness I’m currently feeling because of how I was introduced to the members of this household. Even the lack of no one really holding a conversation with me didn’t help much. Did I really disrupt the flow of the day with these folks? Oh well, time will tell me.

I watched were they walked to and I followed.

We came through a archway that led into a dining room, in the middle stood a long, dark stained table with six matching chairs arranged up against the edges. Standing against the wall were a series of cabinets with display doors featuring a variety of dishes that probably was the dinnerware for the whole house. Not bad, very old fashion.

I glanced back at my two hosts as they went through a swing door that obviously led into a kitchen. Following through, my nose was slammed with the odor of home cooking, looking around, I saw more of this storage cabinets this time with cookware inside them, pretty sure there are more stored in the drawers and lower cupboards.

“Very organized in here.” the comment slipped out as I looked over to see Big mac, who i’m just guessing is how he is called at this point, step over to what must of been the most amazing piece of appliance i’ve ever seen.

Taking up most of the wall stood a large wood stove, complete with four burners, two warmers, two main ovens and two smaller ovens one underneath each main oven and a center door that was obviously the compartment for the wood to be burned to power the whole stove. I’m impressed at first glance, this must be a figment of history just sitting right with granny probably just finishing up with whatever deliciousness is on the menu today.

The more used utensils and cookware either hung over head above the stove or sat on shelves.

“Eyup.” the big pony replied, as he plucked what looked like a fresh biscuit off a tray.

“Of course,” Apple Jack replied as well, “We may be simple ponyfolk, but we ain’t living in a mess now are we?”

Never assumed, I would only ponder, well, also trying not to vocalize the fact they are talking about living in a house built into a barn.

“Not at all, could only guess you all got things down to a-routine?”

“You betcha’!” Granny piped up as she turned, taking off the apron she had worn and hung it on a peg off to the left of the stove; to the direct right of this cooking beast was the storage bin for the fuel for this stove. Probably all chopped from fallen apple trees too.

“LIke a fine tuned clock, we get things dun ‘round here, but ya’ll better be ready to jump to it too mister-”

“Oh, um, Jeff, just Jeff.”

“Eh? Well, Jeffy, we’ll find somethin’ for ya to do, but first, fix ya self somethin’, bet sleepin’ so long has burned a hole in that stomach of yers.”

“Oh you have no idea-” I looked around while remembering how long I have been in-n-out of sleep without really eating anything decent.

“-um, are the-” I pointed towards the dining room.

“Already got a stack here, help yerself.” Granny gestured to a countertop that indeed had a small stack of what must be polished ceramic plates. I didn’t really have time to be shy and awkward, my stomach was screaming at me to feed it!

“Right, um, thank you.” I walked over, grabbed a rather massive “normal” plate, Jesus, a man can pile a thanksgiving dinner on this thing! gotta keep in mind that what ponies perceive as normal size for them is large or extra large for humans, even the basic utensils looked bigger in a human’s hand.

As I turned around, the two younger farmers had already vanished from the kitchen, the dinner room door was swinging idly as one of them had just walked through it. “So, what do we got here?” I asked feeling awkwardness trying to weight down my words. I could even feel a tightness in my throat as if I was some socially handicapped basement dweller.

“Oh nothin’ too fancy,” Granny shrugged, “A quick bite consisting of apple drizzle oatmeal, honey biscuits and cold cider.” she explained while I stood over the pot of, oh man, strong, fresh smelling oatmeal.
“Hmmm, simple indeed, but uhm, shouldn’t I have a bowl for the-” before I could finish the old mare used a ladle to scoop up some of the apparently thick meal and plopped it onto my plate, it didn’t ooze around like the instant stuff would back home, it instead looked like a sizeable scoop of quaker oats ice cream dotted with small red chunks of probably apples.

When she placed the ladle back into the pot,
“Never mind, I think I need to not question some things around here.”
“Mmm-hm!” She nodded with a smirk.
“Right, um-”
“Oh don’ be a Fluttershy, help ya self!” she nudged me along as I shrugged and grabbed up two of these biscuits, then, looked over at one of the preparation tables to see what looked like a wooden barrel keg with a spicket tapped into the side that peered over the side of the table, next to the keg was a small arrangement of wooden mugs.

Again, these looked like wooden steins to my hand as I picked one up, setting my plate on the table, I placed the mug/stein under the spicket and carefully pressed the small lever, releasing what looked like darker colored apple juice, it even smelled sweeter than the juice too.

Releasing the level I looked into the mug, “Is this homemade cider too?”
“Oh what kind of question is that young mister?” Granny laughed, “of course it is, hoof pressed right here on the farm!”
“Impressive…” I set the mug on my plate before picking it up, being careful as to not spill any of it’s contents.
“Wait tell ya gives it a swig, ya’ll be dashin’ back in here fer more!” I nudged my way through the door back into the dining room.

I watched as the human came out of the kitchen, can’t see why Granny smith had taken such a liking to him. I didn’t expect to bring him all the way out here, neither did I expect Twilight so hastily ask me to keep an eye on him like he was some damn foal.

I’m not really complaining but today of all days though!

He felt (and looked) out of place when he stood looking for a seat, I wasn’t really in a friendly mood today so I didn’t bother thinking about offering him a seat near, not next to, me. So I watched as the human took one of the seats directly in front of him. Don’t really feel a smidge bad for him today at the moment, he, Apple Bloom and her friends held me up from getting back to work today.

I almost lost my appetite thinking about the timing of everything but I was automatically eating lunch so, buck it!

“Oh wow…” I looked over to see the surprise on Jeff’s face after me must’ve taken a bite of the oatmeal.
“What is it?” I asked him, trying to be civil.
“Oh nothing, just never had anything this good in a long while.” he commented taking another bite, “Then again, One, I haven’t eaten anything decent in ever since I’ve been in this world and two, this IS the first time I’ve had home cooking in years.”

I looked at him puzzled by his statement, “come again? Ya never made ye’self anythin’ before?”
“Oh I have, but it was either something frozen from Walmart or take out from Mcdonalds or somewhere.”
“What in the what?”
“Oh, right, those are places from my world and speaking of which, the last time I had home cooking was before I left home to move to Medford.”

“I see, well, I would consider this a chance to have it again.” That, for some reason, finally made me cool my mood to think. I honestly lost track on how many Ponyfolk my family and I had stunned with our home cooking.

Didn’t really think about it, guess, since we’ve been doing it for so long it doesn’t seem that special to us at all.

“You’re right, uhm, I guess I should thank you guys for taking me in on short notice?”
“Pardon?” Big Mac looked between the both of us.
“Oh don’ mention a worry ‘bout it sugarcube,” I shrugged, “Ain’t nuthin’ just be ready ta follow on through with what ye offered.
“Of course!” He smiled awkwardly, “Don’t want to seem like a freeloader now do I?” He chuckled nervously as both me and Big mac Looked at each other for a moment before going back to our food without a single reply to the human.

After what felt like forever, I managed to clear my plate,
“Ya got the dishes last time,” Mac suddenly spoke after the ten minutes of silence,
“My turn to do’em.”
“Oh thanks big brother, the dinner dishes mine then.”
“By the by Sis, what’d he mean by ‘short notice’?”
“Eh-heh…” Not sure how to reply to that to be honest.

“Well, apparently,” Jeff spoke drawing attention onto him, which was a big relief on my part!
“Twilight had other things going on, and didn’t want me to be by myself or somethin’, Applejack was asked to drag my sorry carcas out here to, “keep an eye on me”, whatever that means.”
“I see, reckon Twilights’ not thinkin’ on a full barrel again when she said it.” Big Mac speculated as he grabbed my plate, stacked it on his then carried the stack back into the kitchen.
“She tends ta be like that when she is being smarter than her own noggin’ allows.”
“Noticed that too?” Jeff noted, “Huh, very observant…”
“Eeyup.” Big Mac disappeared into the kitchen. The door swung gently in then when it swung back out,
“Knew that was just enough for ya squirts.” Granny came out as if perfectly timing the door’s movements.
“I reckon ya almost done?”
“just finished actually.” The human smiled before taking a drink from his mug.

“Very good, now, hurry and hoof all that to Mac and meet me outside, I’ll show ya how we do things ‘round here.” chuckled the old mare as she
“Uhm, Granny,” I raised a hoof to her, “Ya sure you want to be doing that after-”
“Oh hang it AJ,” she waved it off, “I was more thinkin’ ‘bout ya’ll youngsters, ya don’ be frettin’ over me while there’s trees needin’ pickin’.” she laughed as she started to go back outside.

Damn it Granny, of all the days to be stubborn!

Jeff looked between the both of us while we talked but as Granny started to walk out, he must of took that as a hint to drain the mug that looked like a adult mug in a foal’s hoof.
“I think we should get back out there, less the grandmother starts whippin’ on us.”
“I heard that!” We both hear from the living room.
“wha-How the hell does she-”
“Ya comin’ two legs?”
“Yeah, yeah, be right there Granny.” He knocked back whatever was left of his mug before setting it on his plate and carried it into the kitchen.

Not wanting to wait for him, I went outside myself, once outside, I noticed Granny Smith standing on the porch, obviously waiting for the human to come back out. I wonder what the old mare has in mind for Jeff, I honestly think he should be put to work tending to the live stock or at least the minor tasks of tending to the other fields.

“What’d ya think He’ll be doin’ while we buck apples Granny?”
“Oh, the same, takin’ what season it is.” she smiled looking towards the orchard.
“W-what?” I was and was not surprised by Granny’s words, “Ya have been lookin’ at’em right Granny?”
“Oh I have and I think he be too clumsy to tend the chickens or the hogs, and Ye both need ta get more than what Mac brough back before sun down.”

Running a hoof down my face, “Ya also realize he is still recovering from-”
“Ain’t no better way to heal the boo-boos than work’em off.” She turned towards the house.
“Ye done fartin’ ‘round two legs?!” she called out. No seconds later I could hear the heavy steps of those things he wore coming up to the front door.
As it opened, “Sorry, Big Mac stopped me for somethin’ and-”
“Good, Let’s get a movin’ we ain’t got all noon.” Granny started walking as soon as Jeff could barely close the front door. I too didn’t feel like waiting for there was work to be done and this human ain’t holding me up for another second!

“Applejack,” I glanced over to her, “Ya just head on over to the barn to get a cart and start headin’ on out, Big mac will catch up to ya soon.”
“Alright, but, what ‘bout him?” I pointed over to Jeff who had caught up to us and was walking on Granny’s right side.
“You don’ fret over that, just git on out there, Mac will hear where ya started.”

I gave them both an uneasy look before venturing off towards the barn and they towards the orchard.

As the Apple trees drew closer, I'm astonished at how massive these trees are. Unlike back home when your standard apple tree is about maybe twenty or thirty feet tall and maybe one to two feet around. However, these trees varied in size and diameters, the youngest looking trees about maybe around the average while the older looking bastards looked like oaks that produced apples from their expansive web of branches.

We were approaching one of these old giants. through out this journey till now, I have been hearing the noise of farm animals and distant barking. I knew there were wolves in this world, so, common sense would dictate that their domestic counter parts would exist as well.

“Ya familiar with apple buckin’?” Granny Asked me as we stopped at the base of the trunk, scattered around the short grass were apples that had fallen freely, some dried up and rotting away while some still looked fresh; well, at least the side I could see did.

“Apple bucking?” I echoed the words, the heck was she talking about, “Not really, apple bucking sounds like a sport at a family reunion.” The old mare chuckled at my obvious ignorance.
“Close, but it’s how we harvest these here trees.”
“Soo,” I looked up at this tree, hand sized red apples dangled from their branches, very ripe for the picking, “do we need lader to get up there, that’s a bit of a climb to get there.”
“Oh no, no young Jeffy, we buck the trees to get’em down.”
“Buck the trees? You mean kick’em?”
“Yuup.” I was lost for words at that acknowledgement, “Ye catch on quick.” she turned her back to the tree, “want me ta show ya or ye think ya got it from here?”
I stepped up and gently planted a foot against the bark of the tree, It was very dense; well, no shit! How was kicking this tree going to bring those apples down without breaking something? Even for an old timer like Granny, I’m very certain it’s an impossible endeavor.
“Uhm, you sure we can’t go and try this on a smaller tree?” I asked lowering my foot, “This beast maybe too thick to kick.” The only reply she gave me was a blank, deadpan with a cocked brow before one of her back hoofs snapped back in a blurred buck.

Her hoof connected with a solid crack against the bark that must of sent a decent shiver up the trunk, I could hear the leaves rustle to the shiver. Caught by surprise, I watched in awe as she lowered her back off. Around the same time something solid thocked off the top of my head before thudding along the ground. With a sharp tinge of pain I ducked down holding my head as I watch a freshly fallen apple, definitely bigger than my fist, roll away from me with a decently sized dent in it’s skin on one side.

“Any more questions smart ass?”
“No, ma’am…” I groaned as my head began to pulseate with a painful migraine, “N-None at all.” I blinked the briefly blurring vision back to normal.
“Now, yer turn, give it a good buck.” she stepped away from the tree and watched me like an instructor would a student.

“Okay, okay…” I stepped up to the tree then, taking a breath I shot my boot out against the tree. My footing wasn’t very stable so the first kick bounced back, almost laughable tipping me off balance. I quickly glanced to Granny who only gave no reaction to my first attempt. Looking back at the tree again, I positioned my footing better. Then, picturing a door instead of a tree trunk, I gave the tree a better solid kick but the entire bottom of my foot felt the equally solid trunk of the tree.

A spark of hurting nerves and a twinge in my ankle, I clenched my teeth as I brought my boot back down.

“Well, ain’t seen no apples down yet, try again.”
“I will, I will,” I nodded to her before thinking how to do this, then, I remembered my brief training in MMA, the kickboxing lessons. I snapped my fingers before taking a better stance, then, taking a breath, I exhaled quickly as I swung my best side kick. While It would of been perfect if it was against a kick bag, this was no kick bag.

I heard some sort of shifting in the tree while I felt my shin, ankle and foot cry out in agony, while I held in a shout in my mouth,

“Ssssson of a-” I started to hobble around trying to walk the pain off, while quiet “ow”s and curses fluttered freely from my lips, curses all starting with ‘F’.

“There ya go, just walk it off,” Granny then looked up at the tree while I paced a small circle close by, “Hmm, maybe we should pit ya with somethin’ easier after all.”

“Ya think?” I asked with a hint of agitation, It felt like I broke something, then again, that was a tree I just kicked. A Fucking, God damn, Apple Tree! One, that is the size of a god damn oak!

“Tell ya what sunny, since we ain’t got a whole lot’ve sun left, we’ll catch up with tha others and maybe ya can help in fillin’ the carts with apples that missed’em.”

“Do what?” I had stopped while she spoke to check my hurting leg, nope, nothing broken, just very shocked at my stupidity in attempting to “buck” a tree. We humans, on the other hand, do the intelligent thing and use ladders to pick these stupid things and not kick’em all day. Sure, that would make an awesome addition to a training montage for a martial arts movie, but FUCK, not a method of harvesting Apples!

“When somepony actually bucks a tree, most of tha apples falls and a good sum land in the cart parked right underneath.”
“I see, at least you guys are using carts…” I muttered shifting weight onto my less-in-pain left leg.
“It’s a bit of an extra chore to buck the tree then round up the remaining apples into the cart, normally that’ll be Applebloom’s job when she ain’t runnin’ ‘bout with her crusader friends.”
“So, since I’m here, I’ll take up that job?”
“Precisely what I was thinkin’, at least ye usin’ ye noggin, lets get a move on.” She looked around in a moment of silence before her ears twitched to a distant sound of another tree getting bucked.
“This way two legs,” she started off towards the sound.

As I started to follow-well, hurry after the fast walking farm pony, I could only think about how long today is going to be even though it’s half over. We traversed under the canopy of the orchard for what felt like another five minutes of walking, the pain in my leg started to subside as we walked towards the sound of trees getting kicked, almost sounded like a sledgehammer hitting the bark instead of a living pony’s hoof.

As We turned right at another tree, we both stopped to hear a grunt and a solid loud crack of a tree getting bucked. Then, as I looked I could see Applejack stepping away from a tree as what looked like a shower of apples rain down, some did land into the cart, but another portion tumbled and bounced on the ground.

“See what ya mean about the cart thing.” I nodded to Granny’s previous statement, then again, it looked like it wasn’t slowing Applejack down any. Using her front hooves, she grabbed and tossed the remaining fallen apples into said cart.
I felt a nudge, more seemed like a tap of a hoof against an arm, “What ye waitn’ fer?” the old mare asked, “git over there and lend a hand.”
“Right!” I started to jog on over towards her, “Applejack.”

She looked up, squinted then frowned, “What’d you want?” she asked abruptly stopping in the middle of tossing apples into the cart.

“Granny sent me over here to help.”
“With?”
“Pickin’ up the loose apples,” her frown turned into a broken smile, “She tells me that-”
“Just keep up, no need to explain,” she shook her head before turning back to tossing apples into the cart.
“Uhhh-” she looked up at me again,
“Don’t just stand there, get to it Jeff.”
“Oh right, right.” I hurried over, knelt down and started to grab any apple that looked like to be among the ones that just fell.

“Also, make sure ye don’ grab anyone of the ones that have been on the ground fer too long-” As soon she said that my hand grabbed one that looked good but was half rotted as it partially collapsed into mush in my grip, “-That’ll be obvious, just check’em to make sure before ye toss’em in.”

“Riiight…” I shook apple mush off my hand before examining the ground around the cart. Found one, tossed it in, found another two, four, five, eight-jesus! Each one I took a moment to examine before giving them a toss into the cart. Of course, as I drew further away from the cart I picked up an apple, examined it, then gave it a good toss.

However, as I watch it land, it bounced right out of the other side of the cart, kinda over shooting it I think. I switched to filling an arm load of apples before walking over to the cart to drop them in. It felt like a short while before-
”Alright, got enough, move on to the next one.”

she looped herself into what looked like a simple short rope tied to the grip ends of the cart’s handles with a leather pad in the middle. When she pressed her chest up against this pad, the cart lifted off it’s two front peg legs and rolled along with it’s puller.

I hurried up along the cart to drop the last arm load I gathered before hurrying up alongside Applejack.
“We keep going till the cart’s full right?” I ask as she trots on pulling the cart with ease,
“You got it,” she nods, “Then we head back, unload it into the wagon, then do it again till either tha orchard is rightfully harvested or tha wagon is full.”
“Eesh, you do have a way to unload it all at once?” I glanced back at at the cart, it wasn’t even half full from the tree we started with, I can only think that she had been out here as long as we have. Which was just obvious thinking taking that she had just barely started working around the time I almost broke my poor leg, kicking that damn tree.

“Oh we do, ya’ll just have to see it when we get there, if we get there…” I noticed her ears folding back as she looked down with a sigh. I noticed that, I couldn’t help but feel guilty if not partially responsible for the delay. If I can recall about farm work, it’s all about working around the farm from sun up to sun down; yet, she pulled herself away from her work to get me. I got to say something about it at least!
“Applejack, I have to at least say sorry for holding you up, I can see this was important to you.”
“Oh don’t Fret it sugarcube, Ain’t entirely yer fault,” she glanced back at me, the cart idly squeaked and creaked as we walked towards the next tree. Despite the fact that we are surrounded by trees.
“In fact, to be honest, I was mainly headin’ inta town for some supplies when Twilight caught up with me.”

“Figures, can only guess she stopped you for somethin’ right?”
“Oh you bet, she started yammerin’ on ‘bout how she needed to look into more about yer experience in the everfree forest and went on ‘bout there should be more than what ya told her so far, so she was headed back to Zecora’s to talk to her ‘bout things like strange thunder or somethin’ like that.”

Why was Twilight planning on going back to the everfree alone? I mean, didn’t Zecora explain enough about the gunfire she heard? My memory on the whole two weeks was indeed fuzzy, but why go to great lengths to solve a mystery that may or may not really exist. The “thunder” was only me fighting for my life against all manner of beasts.

Unless-
“And I can only guess she was lost in her research that she absently asked me to find ya and bring ya out here.”
“Does the poor girl ever slow down or even sleep at all?”
“As far as I’ve known her, not really, in fact, there isn’t a single thing she does unless she has read it from a book or previously researched it.”
“My god, a literal by-the-book kind of girl…” I thought aloud.
“Exactly!” the farm mare chuckled, “Couldn’ of said it any different myself, I mean, she tends ta have her face in a book more often than an actual bookworm.”
“More like, she is the bookworm in pony form!” we both shared a laugh at Twilight’s expense, “Of course, I haven’t been awake long enough to really know if that’s even true.”
“Nah, nah, Yer about right ‘bout that Jeff, She can’t even have a proper slumber party without diving into a book ‘bout how to host one.”
“What the fuck? A book about having a sleepover?”
“Yeeup.” she approached another apple tree. This one was medium sized and had a canopy full of apples.
“It drove me and rarity nuts the first time we did it, of course, we simply accepted it after a whole hash-up occurred between me and Rarity.”

“What?” Applejack lowered herself out from the quick harness, gently bringing the cart down on it’s legs before walking up to the tree.

“Oh yeah, during a rather harsh storm, thanks to them cloudsdale folk-” she turned and bucked the tree, this time, I was able to notice the tree quiver with it’s branches shaking with the impact. I stepped far back to not get pummeled by the ensuing downpour of apples.

“-It all started over the branches that had been trimmed ‘round ponyville, ya know, to keep’em from falling onto ponies houses when the storm hit.” she too had stepped away, turned around in time to watch the fall of apples quickly stop just as it started.

I took that as a chance to step up and started picking up the ones that missed the cart and tossing them in. surprisingly enough, this conversation was a sudden change from the awkwardness I’ve noticed and felt before this.

“I kinda get that, don’t want a big branch falling into some kid’s bedroom in the middle of the night now do we?”
“Exactly; Well, Rarity wanted to make some sort of decorations out of them but I only wanted to clean’em up so we can get it over with before the storm came.”
“And she didn’t really agree with you on that did she?”
“Not the slightest, of course, as she started to argue with me, the storm, right on schedule, blew in and it started to rain on top of us.”
“Taking how she can be somewhat demanding about somethings, I can see how she just stood her ground for no reason at all it sounds like.”
Applejack shrugged, “Not really sure ‘bout that, but thankfully Twilight, in all her good nature, took us both inside the Golden Oak. Now mind ya, I didn’t much care to be in that diva’s very presence at tha time.”
“Well no shit, I wouldn’t stand being in any person’s presence unless I wanted to kick their teeth in if they were being a douche canoe to me.” She glanced up at me with a confused look on her face, as if trying to figure out what I was talking about, but she shrugged it off.
“Twilight didn’t really notice at first, but she still took the opportunity given by the storm to have a slumber party.”
“You know,” I dropped off an armload of apples and looked at her with a cocked brow, “For a country girl, I don’t really see you as a slumber party type of pony.”
“Ya be surprised,” she replied without looking from gathering apples. ‘You be surprise’- What else is this mare hiding?! I had dove back into the litter of apples on the ground, filling an armload of apples. I was starting to sweat, which was starting to make my skin itch underneath the bandages. Not to mention, sweat was starting to irritate the stitches, but I tried to ignore the sting for the time being.
“Right, but anyway-”
“Anywho, Twilight pulled out this book ‘bout hostin’ one of these quiet shindig, and we did some of the strangest, girliest stuff I’d neva though’ I’d do stayin’ at another pony’s house.”
“Like, let me guess, face masks, painting nails or I mean, hooves; that kind of stuff?”
“Yeah, how did ya know?”
“I lived with my two sisters growing up…”
“Oh wow, bet that wasn’ tha best time for ya.”
“Eh, can’t really complain nor agree with you on that, just can only say, that it wasn’t easy trying to game online while I can hear teenagers giggling up a storm just on the other side of the wall through my headphones.”
“I don’ really know what ya talkin’ ‘bout headphones, but as I was saying.”
“Right, continue.” I dumped off another armload, this wasn’t getting the job done fast enough, time to come up with a better way to do this. I remembered the coat I was still wearing and removed it.

The air was cool as soon as I took the coat off, my new cotton shirt was damp from being pinned against my skin but still felt like it was breathable, why didn’t I invest in one of these medieval shirts before? Draping the coat on the cart, I started to roll up my sleeves while keeping my ears open for Applejack’s story.

“We didn’t really get along to anypony’s dismay, even though It really was a fun time, it just didn’t seem to be a pleasant evening for the both of us. We both kept bickerin’ like an old dog chasing and old cat.” she paused from her clean up. The look on her face telegraphed her guilt over that evening.
“We even tried gettin’ back at each other durin’ a game truth an dare.”
“Oh god, truth and dare!” I laughed at my own memories of the pranks that were pulled on me during those games.
“Right? So, I dared her to stick herself back out in tha rain, while she got me to wear the most ridiculous outfit we could scratch together.” she chuckled at what probably was the image of that popping into her head.
“I mean, I was poofy and colorful like a brand, spankin’ new circus tent!”
“Oh geez,” my mind was confused at trying to imagine how that would of looked for this hard working lady.
“Ain’t the worst of it, eventually, our bickerin’ lasted long after we went to bed, well tried as she kept yammerin’ at me while I simply tried to ignore her.”
“Obviously, that didn’t go well, did it?” then something very faint clicked in my mind, a wisp of familiarity as she told her story.
“Not the slightest, of course, it kept Twilight up enough to hear it all go down then the storm got angrier than Granny with out that green stuff.”

In the distance, I could hear what sounded like a loud crack as if something was being snapped.

“A tree close by the Golden Oak snapped and fell, right into the bedroom we ended up in.”
“Oh shit, all three of you were okay though right?” It took me a moment to realize that we had already cleaned up around this tree and were already headed to the next one. She replied with a laugh at first. We parked the cart against the tree and she bucked the tree unleashing it’s apples onto ground below.

“Oh ya betacha, yet, that was when Twilight flipped the gilt bucket over us and told that our fightin’ had ruined her slumber party.” I rolled my eyes at that, it was obvious that the party was ruined the minute they started to fight over something pointless to begin with in the first place.
“So, after cleaning the mess up and patchin’ the hole the branch made, we saved the rest of the night by telling ghost stories and eating s’mores’.” I’m for some reason shocked to hear that they actually know what a s’more is.

“Sounds like,” I had dumbed another arm load of apples, I wasn’t paying attention to the quality of some of them and started to pick them out, “You girls are a bit of a...interesting bunch.” I tossed out three bad looking apples back out of the cart before Applejack started flicking apples into the cart.

“Oh, you can imagin’ how it’s like when all of us are together.”
“I have, only once though.”
“Riiight.” she paused to chuckled awkwardly, “That one time…” she then shook her head, “either way, do pardon my gushin’, ain’t that often I get somepony else to help with the apple buckin’”
“Not at all, Didn’t take you for the talkative type.” I walked over to help her pick up the rest of the apples, “I’m still kinda lost on how the six of you became friends.”

“You oughta talk to Twilight ‘bout that,” she tossed up the last healthy apple off the ground. She went for the cart to hook herself back up again. We didn’t go too far this time, we went straight across to another tree. I was starting to notice that this orchard was indeed naturally grown unlike the uniformed orchards back home. This orchard would put all of those ones to shame.

“That’s a story fer her to tell because she’s responsible for it mostly.”

she removed herself from the cart then proceeded the routine with the harvest once more. As the sound of bark getting bucked filled my ears. My mind began to drift. I pondered upon her story, then each of these girls, how did six unique ponies meet? My mind drifted towards Twilight in particular, wonder why she would be heading back to Zecora’s place for the thunder thing? I know for a fact that this “thunder” was only gunfire from my guns, right?

“Stubborn piece of-” she gave the tree another buck. The thunderous crack of two hooves hitting the trunk only sank my thoughts more.

“A brave, foolish mare ye be if not for having sent word to me.” The Zebricain remarked as she held the door open for me, I trotted on in before the door was closed. I stood once more inside her hut with more questions than pleasantries in mind. I have to know if there was really more than what was described, I felt something down deep that plucked away at my scientific curiosity.

Thunder, surviving a manticore attack, deep cuts from shadow ponies, the PTSD flare up. Everything did added up but two things stood out that didn’t blend with the story.

One was surviving in the Everfree alone for two weeks and secondly,

There was-no has to be more to it than just having whatever he had on him to survive as well these weapons, or “guns” he described, during that time. I have been in there myself, heck, me and the girls have at one point or another, as well all of us at once too. This forest is ever changing, no matter how many times one would trot through and map out their route. It would be completely gone the next day. Danger at every turn not to mention there hasn’t been any Shadow Pony sightings this far south in Equestria in years. How would more than one be suddenly here in this forest to attack a lone human?

None of it made sense, then there is the curse; Why would it behave in a way that makes it seem like a turmatic, genetic disorder that turned it’s target, in this case being Jeff, Into a complete lunatic?

Let alone figuring out how somepony designed such a brutally complex, chaotic hex or curse like that?!

“I see one has floated away in a sea of thoughts dearest Twilight.” Zecora’s words sliced through my mind like Celestia’s sun through Ice.

“Huh? Right, Sorry, I’ve just been working myself very hard at trying to solve the gaps in this mystery…” I glanced over to see Zecora had walked up beside me.
“A mystery? The human has been a lingering curiosity for having been a victim of another’s monstrosity of magic?”

“Sounds about right, Just about sums up about what I was going to ask you too…” I also still felt the guilt of having been trying to help the human in everyway I can think of so far. Even bringing him here only seemed to make things worse. Well, at least for me, I should of at least allowed him to rest instead of trying to solve this debacle as soon as possible.

“But, I have to ask Zecora, how many times did you hear the strange thunder, let alone when or where.” She had walked over to another side of the room that was mostly her living room that doubled for her work space. She went over to a shelf that was occupied of the various objects and nic-nacks that made up her collection.

“Tis strange noise the thunder was,” Zecora begin, “the thunder was the racket of the human’s guns, it would be a blunder to not think twice to confront these weapons.”

“Of course, I still think there is more than just Jeff’s weapons that was making the thunder, so-”

“Indeed young Twilight,” Zecora turned back around to look at me, her hazel-teal eyes gazed at me, she looked like she had more to tell for sure,

“This thunder, though made by the troubled visitor, was not made by him alone.”

“What?!” Faster than a captain’s quick draw of a sword, my notebook filled my vision, the quill trail blazing new notes onto it’s pages.

Why didn’t she come out with this sooner?

Why wait now?

What was this other thunder?

More importantly who made it?

“Explain Zecora, this could help all of us in this puzzle!” The Zebra only chuckled at my excitement.

“Twilight, in do time a tale I’ll tell but excitement would only sparkle more anxious reactions.” She caught me there, both book and quill sank a little before taking a deep breath.

“Rest your hooves and this tale of more than one thunder will take place.”

Keeping everything in my magic floated beside me while I moved across the room close to the cluttered table that sat between the kitchen and space. Taking a seat, I watched the Zebra with carefully fixed eyes as she casually went into the kitchen space to put a pot over a smoldering cooking fire that sat in a hoof carved space that split a four hoof gap in the counter space that was carved out of the original walling of the old tree that is now her home.

“You see, I was venturing out into the forest to collect ingredients to replenish my dwindling stock when, to my sudden shock, I heard the thunder.” It took me a moment to realize that she started telling me, I flatten the book on some (abruptly cleared) table space and the quill returned to the pages to record my notes.

“Not familiar with this, I held my ground to listen when I heard it again. Then again thrice in one direction to the left,” she tapped on a nearby countertop three times in rapid succession. “Then twice to the right,” she tapped the tip of her hoof on the countertop then clapped the back of her hoof, she did it again. I noticed that she was describing the noise with her hoof as she spoke.

“I care not to move fearing to be heard myself, I could not dare to advance but contemplated retreat when I heard it again four times more from the right.” she did the tap-clap again.

“There was a response with the rapid thunder of the left.” she had walked over and sat down opposite of me.

“Interesting, but I can guess that one of these ‘thunders’ is Jeff, but the rest I’m not sure off…” I thought aloud jotting down notes and side notes.

“Then it all got stranger from there, all of the thunder moved around, echoing around the forest as if the heavens themselves are cracking open. Then I started to see the thunder.”
“Wait, How do you see it?”
“For every thunder, there was a flash of light.”
“Soo, like as if you were watching a lightning storm over ponyville?”
“Correct you are, yet even more so when the noise began to grow louder as it grew near me.”
“Oh dear.”
“Before I ran, I heard the thunder of the right one of many times then something hissed right by my head like an angry bee before it made that-” She pointed towards something. I looked up, then followed her hoof to see it, there was a hole in the wall. I set everything down to get up, I walked over to examine this strange hole.

It was indeed small enough for a large marble to fit through but nothing else. Why didn’t I notice this before?

“Then something cracked that-” she pointed across the room opposite of the hole. I glanced over to her then followed her hoof to something that looked like was on the wall but fell. I walked over, looking around then my hoof almost stepped on something covered in a cloth.
“Why did you-” she nodded to me with a sly smile.

Looking back I moved the cloth, my eyes widened to see one of her masks, on the floor before me, with indeed a large crack with a deep dent in the mask’s hardened wood that made the epicenter of the crack. The dent was square on the nose too, the hardest part of the mask I would presume.

“Here, I believe the piece of this thundurus puzzle would be this strange object.” I turned to be startled by her standing behind me so suddenly, in her hoof was a small box. Puzzled, I looked at it. Taking it in my levitation, I opened the box.

I gasped upon seeing it’s contents before clapping the box shut.

“I have to have Jeff see this, like NOW!” I started to run for the door.
“Oh little Twilight.” I froze in step and snapped a look back at her,
“To go back out is the same as to come in, so please, settle over tea before becoming a cautionary tale.” I huffed in brief frustration before walking back over to the table.

As I sat down I heard the kettle starting to whistle with steam.