=BiE 8= >Ponyville was a nice town, you found out. >It had a perpetually busy feel, but also retained an air of coziness >As the you, Twilight, Spike and Rainbow walked down Mane Street, you learned that the town had been founded a hundred years ago by a group of settler ponies. >As you walk through town, you passed by the same building you saw Pinkie at while you were getting breakfast a few days ago. This time you read the sign "Sugarcube Corner" it said. >The smell of baked good wafted through the air, your mouth was watering at the smell of the confections this store had insi- >Your thoughts were interrupted by a mass of pink shooting out of a mailbox. "Hey Anon! are you here for your Welcome Party now?" >You got your heart back into the appropriate rhythm after the samba it started beating a moment ago and turned your eyes to Pinkie. She had definitely shot out of a mailbox one sixth her size and tackled you to the ground. >It seems Pinkie Pie can manipulate 4th dimensional space. >Twilight approaches the two of you as you get yourself up. "Pinkie, have you been planning this party since Anon got here?" she asks. >"Yep!" Pinkie beams."I've got snacks and punch and games and streamers." you have to nip this in the butt ASAP. >"Pinkie." >"And lights and music and I'll invite the whole town" >"Pinkie." >"And I've got a smoke machine and a disco ball and a-" >"PINKIE." >She stops talking for a moment and looks up at you. >"I'd be happy to go to your party." you say. >Oh damn. Pinkie's smile grew three sizes that day, and that's saying something. >She grabs your face and compresses it between her hooves. "Behereateight!" she says as she zips inside faster than you can comprehend. >You turn to your friends "Is this normal for her?" you ask. Rainbow suppresses a laugh "It is for Pinkie Pie." >You made a mental note to stop by the spa and tell Mous that you guys had a party tonight, he would probably complain. >You come up on a building that looks like a merry-go-round on the edge of the town proper. "Who lives here?" you ask. >Twilight turns to you as you walk "This is Rarity's boutique, she's Ponyville's authority on fashion and this is where she makes all of it." she says. >Pony fashions, huh? Most of the ponies you saw seemed to walk around naked, but far be it from you to tell people what to do. "Can we go inside?" you ask. The concept of pony cloths intriguing you. >You hear Rainbow scoff "No, Rarity had some big rush order in town. She's always neck deep in some project or something." >Spike has remained quiet for most of your walk, but he turned to you both at that. "It's not Rarity's fault that she has a lot of work. Being Ponyville's most successful fashion designer would keep anyone busy, especially when they see what she designs." >Rainbow had told you about Spike and his crush on Rarity one night while the two of you were drinking. >Laying it on a little thick there buddy. >You continue your tour, passing the post office, the market, and a store that specialized in quill pens and sofas. You had to remember to stop by the market for food later. >The four of you eventually come up on the largest apple orchard you'd ever seen, hills went as far back as you could see and every one of them was covered in apple trees. >You could guess who lived here. >As you walk up to a large red barn, you spot a large red pony moving crates of apples from a nearby cart. Your party approached him and Twilight did the talking. >"Hey Big Macintosh, is Applejack here?" she asked. >"Eeyup." >"Great." Twilight said "Can you tell us where?" >Big Macintosh remained silent, but pointed to a nearby part of the orchard. Twilight nodded her thanks and lead the rest of you down the path. >You lean in to Rainbow "Not much of a talker, is he?" you ask. Rainbow elbows you and winks "It's all about what you say to him, he never shuts up if you can get him going." >Your footsteps through the apple orchard are punctuated by the occasional "THUMP" coming from behind the curtain of trees. You noticed that it got louder as you kept walking. >You notice a certain tan pony rearing back and kicking the trees, dozens of apples rained down as she connected. >Applejack was certainly good at that, it seemed, she had almost a half dozen baskets of apples sitting under a nearby tree. She see's all of you and canters toward you. >"Howdy Ya'll, what're you guys doin' here?" she asks >"I thought I'd show Anon here around the town." Twilight answers. You offer a slight wave to Applejack at mention of your name. >She tilts her hat to you as she looks behind you. "Ah guess your friend didn't want to come?" she asks. >"Sorry, no, Mous had work at the spa today." you say. >"Spa huh?...Ah may have to stop by there sometime." she says as she walks back to her baaskets. >She turns to the four of you "Say, while Ya'll are here, ya mind helpin' me get these apples back ta the barn?" >You nod and start towards the baskets, grabbing one and seeing that it is lighter then you thought. Maybe you could get a job working the apple fields? >The walk back to the barn proved longer then you thought, and the basket of apples you had seemed to gain 30 or 40 pounds along the way. >Maybe you should look for a less physically challenging job. >You wish you could be like Twilight, levitating four baskets of apples as if it were nothing. Applejack and Rainbow seemed to be having a much easier time as well. >As you plant the baskets in front of the barn, Applejack approaches you again. "Thanks for the help Anon, ya ever need some work, you just stop on by. >You're fairly certain your body would mutiny on you if you pulled something like that, but you thank Applejack for the offer and follow Twilight and Rainbow off the farm. >"Where to now?" you ask. >"Just one more stop." she says "We have to go see Fluttershy at her house." >Fluttershy huh? You remembered Fluttershy, she seemed really nice. >You remember she was staring at you an awful lot, too.