Under the Burning Skies
Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Apple Cider is Magic
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Chapter 7
Apple Cider is Magic
Tony followed the Doctor through a small lobby, then downstairs into what appeared to be a large laboratory, filled with watches and other electrical devices. Several robotic arms were apparently assembling a scoreboard. He went at it and watched in awe at the precision of the arms.
“I call it ‘Jarvis’. He’s a friendly autonomous software.” Tony turned to look at the large computer that stood on a table. “Come, he won’t bite. Maybe.”
Tony took a few steps toward the Doctor and took a seat next to him. Clearing his throat, he concentrated on what he was about to say.
“What happened to me? Can you also explain this arc reactor in detail? Who are you anyway!?” He sighed and rolled his eyes.
“Well, let’s answer those in order. I saved your life with that generator, the arc reactor is made up the same way as its larger version, the only difference is that this one is running purely on palladium as an accelerator. I have no doubt you changed it at least once, if not, I will tell you anyway. Even though I saved your life, you will die earlier than you should. You see, the neutron damage from the core is poisoning your body, and as such, you will be required to consume a few ounces of stabilizer to slow down the reactions in your blood. I will give you the recipe, nothing out of the ordinary. Here, have a shot I prepared for you. As to who I am? A pony, duh."
Tony eyed up the glass with the strange blue-ish liquid inside it. “Is it safe?”
“Of course, what do you think I am, a moron?!” the Doctor said in a playful manner.
“Probably.” Tony snickered. He then took a deep breath and started drinking, only to spit it all out in disgust.
“Bleaaargh, it tastes like shit! What the buck, are you making fun of me?!” He blurted out angrily, to which the Doctor laughed.
“No, and to be honest, I had no idea it tasted like that. But it DOES work. So be a stallion a drink it up. Trust me.”
Taking a look at the liquid again, he held his breath and drank it all. He immediately felt the need to throw up, but fought to keep it inside him.
“If I don’t die from the poison, I will surely die from this crap you call medicine.”
The Doctor chuckled and looked him in the eyes.
“Tony, there’s something I want to show you.” He then got up and picked an envelope from a drawer and gave it to the confused pony.
“What’s this?”
“Read it.”
Tony opened the envelope and took the letter. The schematics to the arc reactor, along with descriptions and figures. The last paper was a buy/sell document, in which he would be the buyer to Whoove's business.
“I am retiring from the business, too tired to do anymore of this stuff. And since you are like me, and I know you are, I hereby relinquish all of my worldly possessions to you, Tony.”
“But, what about you? What are you going to do? And that is an AWFUL lot of money... I can't pay this stuff!”
“You don't need to pay anything, it's just for show. As for what I'm going to do, I’m just moving into the Royal Palace, as an advisor to the Princesses. Pretty neat huh?”
“Yeah… I think. Hey Doctor.”
“Yes?”
“Thanks, for all of this, but I refuse. I have my life in Manehattan, and my own future to worry about. Sorry.”
The Doctor smiled warmly and gave him a nudge in the shoulder.
“Don’t worry. My offer remains available forever, so whenever you need materials, or a means to escape, you know where to come to. Don’t hesitate to contact me through the Princesses’ student, Twilight Sparkle. She lives in the Ponyville library. Ah, it’s 20:00 hours, let’s go. We have a place to be.”
“What, where?” he said, as he got pulled by the mane by the Doctor.
“You’ll see.”
Arriving at a barn in the middle of what seemed to be an apple orchard, the Doctor motioned for him to go ahead and enter the barn.
“But it’s illegal to enter another’s property!”
“It didn’t seem to bother you a few years ago.” At this, Tony gave him a growl.
“That was something else.” Gathering courage, he entered the barn cautiously. Darkness. He could make out a few noises. Movement. It reminded him of a horror movie. ‘I hope I don’t get eaten by a dinosaur or something…’ then, all of a sudden, the room was filled with light, and some pinkish blur that yelled at the top of her lungs, in unison with the others present in the barn.
“SURPRISE!!”
“Aaahhh don’t eat me!”
He could hear laughter all around him. Lowering his arms, which he raised to protect his face, revealed a lot of ponies, that were apparently waiting for him. He turned to ask the Doctor about this, but he was nowhere to be seen.
“HI! My name is Pinkie Pie? What’s yours? Were you surprised, huh huh? *gasp* I totally forgot something, your party hat!” She disappeared and reappeared in less than a second with a party hat that now adorned his head.
“Gee, thanks, but who is this party for anyway?” he asked. “Can you make the room stop spinning please, I’m getting a head ache.” The party pony giggled heartily.
“The room isn't spinning, silly, and the party is for you of course, silly! I know everypony in Ponyville, and if there’s a new pony in town, I organize a party for that pony so that he can make lots of friends, have some fun and get drunk to boot!” ‘Somehow she said all that in one breath… creepy.’
“What? Oh, well, alright. Let’s get this party started!” he yelled out loud, earning cheering from the crowd.
Two hours later and a lot of apple cider, he was standing at a table discussing with an orange mare with a blonde mane, named Applejack. Apparently she was the owner of the orchard and the barn, so he owed her some appreciation for that.
“I gotta shay, thish has to be *hic* the besht apple whatever-is-it-called I have ever drank. Oh, I’m drunk as buck… excushe me missh *hic*.” With that, Tony picked up and left the barn for a while, to empty the contents of his stomach outside the barn. In the meantime, Applejack went over to her friends.
“Ah shwear gurls, that stallion over there can compete against Berry Punch when it comes ta being drunk *hic*.”
“Oh, Applejack, you shilly filly, everypony ish drunk, except Twilight.”
A lavender mare with a dark purple mane and a 6 point star cutie mark lifted her head from under the table and belched something. “Wha, shomepony shaid my name? No? Okay…” she fell back asleep under the table.
“Nevermind. Party’s over, poniesh, o-wait, there’s nopony left in here. Ah well, I get all the sweets and… *belch*” the pink party pony laid down on the hay and fell asleep, drool coming out of her mouth.
Tony came in to find half of his new friends asleep, with the other three being close aswell. ‘Might take a nap here, I’m too tired to move anywhere else.’ With that, he fell asleep in the doorway, grabbing a nearby pile of hay and covering himself with it. Another round of painful memories waited for him.
The young colt was hopping around his protective friend. Jake. The stallion was trotting casually towards the place they called ‘home’ an empty apartment in a desolated building. It’s the best shelter they could find. Enduring a winter on the streets was far worse than anything they could think off. They barely lived through last winter, and only because they found a spot in the sewers, where the pipes with steaming water warmed up the place.
Jake was always there for him, he was his friend, his protector. Gathering courage, he asked the elder pony.
“Hey Jake, are you my daddy?”
“Nope, sorry kiddo.” Jake heard the young colt sigh sadly. “But I will tell you the story of how I found you when we get home, alright?”
“Alright!” the colt was already happier. Even if Jake wasn’t his daddy, he loved him very much. It was the only one who cared for him. For him, he was his daddy.
“Hey Tony, wake up silly! It’s already noon!”
“Huh, what?” He replied weakly, the effects of the hangover clearly visible. But he felt something else. Sickness. It was coming from his chest. “Aww, what the hay…” he tried to get up, but it was too much for his body.
”Tony, are you alright? You don’t look too well. Twilight, come here!”
“What is it Pinkie? Oh, my, Tony are you alright? You look terrible!”
Disoriented, he lifted himself on his haunches and looked around for his saddlebags.
“My saddlebags, my medicine is there… I need to get them.”
“’ere they are, partner.” Applejack brought them. The three mares eyed him concerningly.
He opened them, took the container and opened it. ‘Wait, these ponies don’t know of my accident, I might scare them.’
“Girls, can you turn the other way, please? It’s a bit embarrassing.”
“Alright, if you say so.” With that, Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie Pie turned around and walked towards the door. “We will be right outside, give a holler if you need anything.”
“Alright, thanks.” Tony hastily removed the gauzes around his chest and removed the arc reactor. Just in time for a certain cyan Pegasus to come inside from the other door and give a yelp. ‘Buck.’
“What in the hay is that thing?! Are you a robot or something?” she asked, angry and surprised at the same time.
“Rainbow, what’s wrong *gasp* oh my gosh, Tony, are you alright?”
“I’m fine… just give me a second.” He switched the damaged core with a new one, then placed the reactor back inside. It took him a few seconds to recover from the sickness. “Alright, I’m done.” Turning around, he was met by 6 figures, ranging from shocked, to confused and ultimately angry. “I can explain everything, if you can keep quiet.”
Pinkie Pie gasped “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”
Tony blinked twice. “What?”
“Pinkie Pie swear, don’t worry about it. We won’t tell anypony about that, right girls?” Everypony nodded. “Alright, so what’s that thing anyway?”
Tony sighed, having to remember why he had it in him, the explosion, the stadium… his family’s death. Clearing his throat, he turned to face the container in front of him.
“About a week ago, some freaky zebra blew himself up, in front of me and my family, and… I’m the only one who survived it, if only for a few more hours.” The group in front of him gasped. “The doctors didn’t give me any chances, seeing as my chest was full of shrapnel. It’s nickname is ‘the walking dead’, simply because it takes a week for them to reach out vital organs and kill you. Doctor Whooves saved my life by planting this generator here, which stalls their movement. But every once in a while, the ‘battery’ as you can call it, depletes and needs to be replaced, otherwise it will poison my body to the point that my internal organs will liquefy.” The group now in front of him was shocked.
“I’m sorry Tony, we didn’t knew.” To their surprise, the pink mare got up and hugged the now shocked stallion, followed by the other mares. He could only blush and hug them back, in appreciation.
“As much as I’d like to stay, I still have a school to finish, back in Manehattan.”
”But, you will come to visit us, right?” Said the pink pony, obviously hurt.
“Of course, Pinkie. After all, what kind of a friend I would be if I wouldn’t.”
The pink pony squealed and tightened the hug, causing Tony to gasp for air.
“Pinkie Pie, that’s enough! He can’t breathe! PINKIE PIE!” Rarity yelled at her friend.
“Aww, Rarity, he’s okay, right Tony? Tony? OHMYGOSH he fell asleep again, he must be very tired.” Pinkie shrugged.
Rainbow Dash sighed. “Pinkie Pie, you are soooo random.” Everypony in the room started laughing, with the exception of the breathless stallion that was recovering from the death hug.