Brother Librarian

Thought for the Day:

A moment of laxity spawns a lifetime of heresy.

Some time passes before anything of note occurs. (Lampshade). Jonah was quite content with the farm work and the Apple Family. Granted the only thing he had to compare the experience with was being a Space Marine, and that work swiftly becomes boring. There's only so many times you can look death in the face and get slightly raised blood pressure, and Jonah's age far eclipsed the age that usually happens to the younger Brothers. But, working on the farm is simple work, much like Space Marine work. Kill, advance, kill, advance. Basic stuff.

The harvest went as planned, apparently. Jonah has little experience in such matters. Macintosh Sr. was quite proud of the work his family and Jonah had managed to have achieved, however. He had called it the largest apple crop in many years, and the bits it had brought to the family were flowing directly into their debts and savings for future financial burdens. Jonah had been given honorary mention in the Apple Family Records, which Jonah likened to the records in the Librarium. In fact, so grateful was the family that they invited him to go with them to the Apple Family Reunion, held directly after the apple harvest annually for generations. This reunion of apple-ponies would be held in a far off orchard of similar make to this one, for the first time ever. Apparently it's a great honor to be able to host the Apple Reunion, as the family is so large that to even have enough space to fit the entire family would be a symbol of the particular orchard's large size and relative success. In fact, it had never happened before. 'Sweet Apple Acres' had been the only Apple Family orchard large enough to support the reunion since the family was founded.

Having no experience in Family Reunions beyond the once in a century meeting of all 10 companies of the Blood Ravens, Jonah gladly accepted the invitation. It would be as though an outsider, let's say an Ultramarine, was invited to join this wondrous event. Brothers meet Brothers for the first time in decades, Captains and Sergeants discuss the state of the galaxy, liqueur and food is shared merrily, and the entire event is memorized by all present for the next long wait. As a space-based Chapter, the Blood Ravens don't and can't meet as often as they want to. So to be invited to a similar gathering was particularly important to Jonah. He recovered his staff and sword and hid them under the dirt in the barn, silently praying that swords and staves don't have machine spirits.

The journey didn't take terribly long, despite the long distance. Quadrupeds are excellent travelers, though Jonah unintentionally showed up the family by never tiring. Even while he was pulling a cart loaded down with supplies and Granny Smith behind him. Every pony in the Sweet Apple Acres branch of the Apple Family managed to come. Jonah expressed his worry of leaving the Orchard untended for a few days, buts his worries were brushed off. Crime isn't as prevalent in the nascent town of Ponyville as it is in the larger cities.

And what an event it was! He could easily compare it to the gathering of Blood Ravens, were there not children running about underfoot. There was drinking (check), mountains of food (check), stories told from the far-flung members where all in attendance listened with rapt attention or polite attention, depending on the skill of the orator (check), and group activities designed to instill fun (not check). Unless you count bolter firing competitions, or the practice fights between certain company champions. Or perhaps some Techmarines showing off what they managed to make in their spare time to the other Techmarines from other companies. Actually, they are rather similar, even in that regard. Although, there is most certainly not a large quilt that is added to as time goes on. though there is the ceremonial sharing of the records between the separate Librarium depositories on the different far-flung fleets.

Jonah's presence was, of course, questioned. As was his armor. However, Macintosh Sr. managed to convince his fellows that his presence was proper. Unbeknownst to Jonah, Macintosh Sr. found in his scholarly, quiet, and wise demeanor a kindred spirit, or at least a friend. And the other members of his immediate family happened to agree, creating a substantial defensive team for Jonah's eligibility for being at the Apple Family Reunion. It was a 'Family' Reunion, after all. But he was eventually accepted, not as an 'Apple' but as an 'Apple subsidiary' by the tribal council of Elders. He was assured that it was 'almost as good'.

The mares cooed and awed over little Applebloom, many an understanding pat on the withers were deployed on Macintosh Sr., Jr., and Applejack, and many a strong-hooved stallion thought to prove their might against Jonah in several feats of strength and/or endurance. Jonah recalled the tale of how The Emperor and Vulkan, Primarch of the Salamanders, met with a similar series of feats. Jonah did not overly enjoy being a spectacle or an obstacle for the others to view, nor did he particularly enjoy proving himself superior, but knew that denying them would be worse. He also received many an unsettling glance from the mares. Their desire to see what lay underneath his armor, in their words, was troubling to Jonah. So, earning the respect of the stallions, and the unwanted attention of the mares, Jonah was accepted, not as part of the Apple Family, but as connected to the Apple Family. Again, 'almost as good.'

And so the Apple Family Reunion in 'Trotonto' ended. Many families can only stay for a day or two. There are many varieties of apples, some of which are harvested later than the particular variety grown at Sweet Apple Acres, which are, presumably, primarily sweet apples. Though Jonah has very little knowledge on the subject of apples. The medicae only knew of a few species. However, the Apple Family had been informing him on the subject over the days of harvest, he knew almost as much about apples as Apple foals do.

And so they returned to their orchards. As did the Apple family that Jonah is most familiar with. It is said that the farm work is never done, and that is true. Especially since they do not grow solely apples, and they perform many feats with the apples. For instance, they use the winter and fall months primarily brewing apple cider, their main product. They feed much of the surrounding territory with apples, but they fill the entire breadth and width of Equestria with their alcohol. The delicious product fetches a fine price, and the specialty liqueurs even more so. And when the harvest wasn't good enough that year to have much surplus for the apple cider, they import other products or rent out their brewery, a particularly large and well maintained example of a brewery. While renting out a brewery might sound rather idiotic, as any brewer worth his liqueur would have his own, some 'rich, idiotic city-dwellers' enjoy using one from time to time to craft their own beer. Or, the family signs a deal with a larger producer of liqueur to brew their product for the season, in exchange for money and the ingredients. Thus, they ensure enough money to support the family until the next harvest, always. It's a very logical system and Jonah approved wholeheartedly.

And there was something else that Macintosh Sr. informed Jonah on. Something unique to their farm. Something called 'Zap Apples'. These would be coming in soon, apparently. The jam, of which most of the cellar is storage space for, can be sold for huge prices. It's one of the few universally acceptable foods across all of Equestria. Pegasi enjoy them because they are, according to pegasi legend, lightning and rainbows in fruit form. Unicorns enjoy them because the inherent 'magic' in the apples cause a wondrous sensation in the base of the horn, and since the horn and the brain are almost directly connected by nerves, the sensation is powerful indeed. And Earth Ponies love them because they are delicious.

Jonah was skeptical. A fruit being born from a meteor shower was unlikely. But, the Apples believed the story. And he had no reason to distrust the Apples on anything related to apples. He was moderately concerned, however. He was warned that some creatures within the nearby forest become... agitated, for lack of a better word, during the zap apple harvest. He doubted he would need his sword or his staff to handle a few beasts, but his honor as a Blood Raven, as a Space Marine, as a Man, demanded that he repay his debts. The Apple Family provided wonderful hospitality, and they were notably more squishy than he. A beast would break its teeth on his armor and, were he not wearing it, his bones. But he could not say the same for the Apples.

It is the duty of every Space Marine to not only destroy the enemies of Man, but also to defend what Men they could.

The Apples are not Men. But they are Man-made. Would he allow some beast to damage human property? Nay, he would not.