"And there you go, Sprout. Good as new," Doctor Wellhoof told the deputy as he finished removing the cast from his front left leg. "I'd recommend a good soak in a bath. Some mild soreness is expected as you get used to the full range of motion again."

Sprout slowly rolled his left shoulder, reaching out with his left leg to a full stretch, before pulling it back in again.

"So, that's it? You're not going to tell me to like, not gallop for a couple weeks?" Sprout asked as he sat on the examination table, having been looking forward to this day for a week, ever since the hospital had called him and scheduled the appointment for him to get the sling and cast removed.

"While that is normally included in our aftercare instructions, your leg seems to be recovering better than expected," the doctor began. "I can't help but wonder if it's because of the new magic earth ponies have found themselves with. But do keep in mind that while strenuous activity probably won't land you back in here, that the more you do with your leg over the next few days, the more sore you'll be in the mornings, until your body is accustomed to using all four legs again."

Sprout nodded.

"Alright, thanks again, Doc. I'll get out of your mane," Sprout said, hopping off of the table, walked out into reception, and then out into the Maretime Bay late morning.

It immediately felt better moving on all four legs again.

Normally, he'd enjoy the first part of his day off at one of his favorite pizzerias downtown, but he had decided that he owed his mom another visit, that she was no doubt getting lonely.

He also wanted to know what she thought of this new magic, as well.

So after a quick stop at Pizza Time, Sprout was headed down a familiar street on the northeast side of town with an extra large pizza box balanced on his saddlebags. As he was about to head up the front walk to his mother's house, when he noticed that the plants in the back yard were now visible over the fence, so he decided to head over to the side path, and go through the fence door.

The deputy was half-expecting the fence to not open, to be overgrown with plants and vines, but it opened quite easily, and he saw that while the garden was more lush than it had ever been before. What was just a very basic garden in the center ring, had now been expanded, rather orderly, to the entire backyard. After glancing over the entire yard once, he saw his mother, in the center of the original garden, magically coaxing a tomato plant to grow.

"Hey, mom. You've clearly been busy. Working up an appetite?" Sprout asked, announcing his presence.

Phyllis Cloverleaf turned, and gently smiled at her son before her attention was immediately pulled towards the open kitchen window as the oven timer began beeping.

"Oh, Sprout, your leg is better! I'm so glad. And I most certainly have, sugar cube, but hold that thought," she told him, trotting back to the patio and indoors to the kitchen. As he went over to the patio table to set the pizza down, he heard the oven door open and close, before she came back out with a steaming pie fresh from the oven, two forks, a knife, two plates, and a banana. "That smells amazing, hun, but I'm hoping we can break the rules, and have dessert first."

She set the glass pie plate down on the patio table next to the pizza box, and cut into it with a knife, before serving up two slices of absolutely delectable-looking banana and chocolate creme pie.

"Wow," came Sprout's first comment upon seeing the slice. "You've baked once or twice before, but nothing like this. And I'm guessing by the way this yard looks, that you've gotten a pretty good handle on this new magic of ours."

"I haven't exactly had loads of other things to do, so yes, this has been rather new and exciting, but it's not overnight baking expertise. Just have a bite first," Phyllis told him.

Sprout grabbed the fork, and took a bite from the tip of his slice, and really had to resist just diving in, because it was truly one of the most amazing pies he had ever had.

"Mmm, so what's the secret?" Sprout asked.

Saying nothing, Phyllis grabbed the banana, peeled it, set it down on the table, and easily sliced through it with a knife before grabbing both ends and rotated them apart to give her son a cross-section of the interior of the fruit. The outside looked exactly as it should, but in the middle, the core of the banana, looked to be a creamy center of chocolate. Phyllis proceeded to cut the halves into slices, and topped his pie with them, except for one, which she offered to him directly. He popped it into his mouth, and began to chew.

"You were able to inject melted milk chocolate into the middle? Without even peeling them?" Sprout asked.

"I wish. No, they came off of the plant like this," Phyllis explained, taking a moment to go back inside to get two more plates for the pizza. By the time she had returned, her son had finished his slice of the pie, and had opened the box to reveal a steaming, bubbly veggie deluxe pizza.

"I've been turning this yard into a garden for days. When I decided on banana plants for the northeast corner, I must have had really had this pie on my mind, because while I had milk chocolate chips ready to go, it turns out I didn't need them. It wasn't cross-breeding with cocoa beans either; it was 100%, completely ready-to-eat milk chocolate in the center!"

"Magical indeed," Sprout said as he took the first slice of pizza from the box. His eyes widened as he took his first bite, as an idea dawned on him.

"What is it, sugar cube?" Phyllis asked.

"I think I know somepony you should really have a conversation with. In the meantime, this?" Sprout paused to take another slice of chocolate-filled banana. "See if you can get me more examples of this. I promise they'll be very interested."

Author's Note