Learning the Earth Pony way
“Now, first things first.” said the Applebloom, firmly. She didn't often get to take on the position of instructor, and she was determined to make the most of it. “You got to do everything I say.”
“Yes, ma'am.” Twilight, as of recently Princess Twilight, nodded smartly.
“Even if it's no' always obvious why Ah tell ya ta do something.” continued Applebloom.
“Yes, ma'am.” said Twilight.
Applebloom smiled widely at the thought of her as-yet untouched math homework.
“And if there's anything I don't understand even after you explain it,” continued Twilight, “I'll make sure to discuss it very thoroughly with your sister afterwards. I'm sure she'd be able to help me work it out.”
Applebloom frowned. Getting Twilight to do her homework would be nice, but it would be next to useless if she was unable to get away with it afterwards.
“Right. Well. Lesson one.” said Applebloom. “Stand up on all four hooves. Put 'em a little apart, like this, for stability.”
Twilight copied Applebloom's stance.
“Good. Now, shut down any fancy unicorn magic ya got goin'. An' any fancy pegasus magic, too. An' then shut yer eyes.”
“Done.” said Twilight.
“Good. Now. Jus' stand there for a bit. No peeking. Try ta ignore everythin' that you hear, 'cept ma voice. Listen ta yer hooves. Jus' see what ya can see. Yer in the middle o' Sweet Apple Acres south-western orchard, so there are a couple things ya should be able ta pick up.”
Twilight concentrated on her new Earth pony magic.
“I feel... there's...large things. Things, just sitting there. In rows. One hundred and forty-four in a grid pattern, surrounding me, then a gap, then another hundred and forty-four over that way -” Twilight pointed with her horn - “I'm guessing those things are the apple trees?”
“Er... yep.” said Applebloom. She'd never been able to pick up more than the nearest few dozen trees at once. Applejack could pick up on an entire field, and Big Mac repeatedly claimed that he could pick up the entire farm if he stood in the centre and concentrated. Applebloom privately wondered, sometimes, if this particular claim was just a little exaggerated.
“There are several more fields as well.” continued Twilight, still without opening her eyes. “Interspersed among them are a variety of smaller – objects – a sort of general low-level haze which I'd guess is grass, together with occasional other objects, distributed somewhat randomly. Other plants, I'm guessing?”
“What does inter- int-”
“Interspersed?”
“Yeah, what does that mean?”
“Mixed in.” said Twilight, promptly.
“Right. New rule, Yer not allowed ta use words that yer teacher don't know. See anythin' else?” Applebloom walked quietly around Twilight.
“Yes. Some of the objects – quite nearby – are vanishing and reappearing. In a fairly distinctive pattern. Your hooves, I'm guessing?”
“Yep.” said Applebloom. “Ah'm puttin' jus' a teeny tiny trickle o' Earth Pony magic through 'em ta make 'em show up. When Ah start showin' you how ta make things grow better, yer gonna need ta do the same.”
Twilight nodded. “And there's a couple of fairly bright spikes that just appeared briefly.” she added. “They do that fairly regularly. One over there -” she nodded over her shoulder - “and one a bit further, down that way. I'm guessing that's Applejack and Big Mac, harvesting the apples?”
“Yer doin' a whole lot of guessin'.” said Applebloom. “Stop it. Ah can't teach ya if ya go an' guess it all a'fore Ah got a chance ta tell ya. An' if Ah can't teach ya, then Ah can't get ma cutie mark in teachin'. So stop guessin' an' listen up.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Applebloom frowned at Twilight for a bit, then realised that this would be ineffective as long as the alicorn kept her eyes closed.
“The trees around here,” said Applebloom at last, trying to remember exactly what Applejack had told her about them. “are among the finest, healthiest trees in all o' Equestria. Take a good look at 'em, ya'll never see a healthier tree. Ya should be able ta feel their health. Trees that ain't so healthy, they'll be kinda faded. Dimmer. Harder ta read. Next week, once Applebucking season is over, ma sister will be takin' us inta the Everfree Forest. Ta find some less healthy trees we can take a look at. F'now, jus' look at the healthy ones. Take a good look, and remember what they look like. If ya ever see a tree on this farm that don't look like that, ya tell me or Big Mac at once, ya hear?”
“Not Applejack?” asked Twilight.
“Or Applejack.” said Applebloom.
“There's a whole field, that looks very different.” said Twilight. “Over that way. More... varied. Like it's... spinning? On the spot? I don't know how to describe it. There's something about them that feels more like unicorn magic, only not quite...”
“You can feel 'em from way over here?” asked Applebloom, incredulous.
“Um, yes. Shouldn't I? What are they?”
“Zap apple trees.” replied Applebloom, promptly. “They're supposed ta look different. Now, as ya learn more about lookin' at trees, ya'll find that different species o' trees are all a little different. Work with 'em long enough, an' ya'll even learn ta recognise individual trees.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“Right. Now...” Applebloom took a few steps forward, and then stopped. “Look right between ma hooves. Not with yer eyes. No peeking. With yer Earth Pony magic. D'ya see that plant? Sorta... spiky?”
Twilight concentrated on her hooves for a bit.
“Yes, I see it. It's kind of... small?”
“It's a dandelion.” said Applebloom. “Now, Earth Pony magic can be used ta make plants grow quicker. You gotta be real careful about when you use it, 'cos it – um – drains the nutrients outta the soil, an' it's bad for the plant if ya do it too much. That's why you practice on a dandelion, 'kay?”
“Got it.” said Twilight.
“Right. So, look at that dandelion. Watch it real close. Now, in a minute you're gonna need ta send a pulse o' magic inta it.” Applebloom thought back, again, to what Applejack had told her. “Now, if ya only send out a little bit o' Earth Pony magic, it's not gonna do anything, even to a little dandelion like this one. So don't hold back. Be generous. Just zap it with a great big jolt o' magic, an' see how much ya can make it grow.”
“Okay.” said Twilight. “Here goes...”
* * *
Twilight sat slumped on Applejack's couch.
“It's hardly yer fault, sugarcube.” said Applejack, pacing back and forth across the wooden floor.
“Eeyup.” agreed Big Mac.
“Ya did exactly what ma sister said ta do.”
“Eeeyup.”
“Ah'm sorry, sis.” said Applebloom. “Ah tol' 'er exactly what ya tol' me.”
“Ah got no doubt o' that, sis.” said Applejack. “But ya gotta remember, yer a little filly, an' Twilight's an alicorn. When ya tell 'er ta be generous...”
“I'm really sorry.” said Twilight. “If Rainbow Dash hadn't been passing at the time...”
“That,” said Rainbow Dash from her position near the door, “was awesome! I've never seen anyone launched into the air by a dandelion before!”
Twilight slumped a bit more.
“Oh, don't worry, Twilight!” said Dash. “If I wasn't there, you'd've caught Applebloom in your magic, no trouble!”
“'Sides,” added Applebloom, “Ah've fallen way further when we were doin' Cutie Mark Crusader Abseilers. Ah'd've bin fiiiiine.”
“Though,” said Applejack, “if yer already makin' things grow, then Ah don' think there's much else ma sis can teach ya anymore. Tell ya what, tomorrow Ah'll take both o' ya out ta the Everfree ta 'ave a look at some less-than-healthy trees, okay? Zap apple harvest's done, so Ah got time now.”
“Yes...” agreed Twilight, “...that's probably for the best.”
