The Work Horse (Working Title)

Chapters

Chapter 1 The Die Is Cast
Chapter 2 A New Start
Chapter 3 Learning to Fly
Chapter 4 Apple Bucking

Chapter 1 The Die Is Cast

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A/N: I decided to write this story after it started putting itself together in my head without my accord. The title will probably change, since it's only a working one, and the categories might change, too, depending on where the story goes. Haven't decided on a cover yet, but I'll work on that. In the mean time, please enjoy this story!

Please note; I AM NOT a rancher. I don't know how they actually herd their cattle. This is how they do it in my story.

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Chapter 1

The Die Is Cast

Sara Jenkins sat perched on the back on a blue roan stallion, reins looped loosely around her hand, as she gazed out over the herd she was watching with her family. The cows mulled peacefully along the grass, those that weren't asleep. Sara was on second watch and only had another half hour before she could wake her brother and get some rest. The night was quiet and there wasn't a sound except for her Papa's snoring. The man was loud enough to wake the dead, but the cows and horses were used to his ruckus.

Abruptly, Toola, Sara's stallion, tossed his slender head and got real antsy. A strong wind blew over the plain and in it Sara could smell lightning and rain. "Shoot," she muttered to herself. Storms never spelled good news on these runs. Only ever trouble. Scowling, she turned to stallion towards camp. It was her job to wake the others if anything were to happen, like a stampede or a storm. The other night watch, Cole, was busily moving to his position to keep the cows in their huddle. They were going to need to drive the herd towards a clearing in the woods, where they would be relatively safe from the winds, if not the lightning.

As soon as the others were awake, Sara turned Toola back and raced to her position along the side of the herd. Just as everyone was in place, a lightning strike nearby startled the herd awake. Soon, everyone was in a frenzy keeping the herd together and getting them to the trees. Just as the last cow was herded into the woods, Sara herd Cole shout. "There's a calf back there!" Cursing to herself, Sara whirled Toola around and raced out for the calf, pulling a rope from a hook on her saddle and twirling it lightly over her head. Tossing the twined fibers through the air, the loop easily landed around the calfs neck and tightened. Sara again turned her stallion and headed back for the trees. As she and the calf got underneath the canopy, she dismounted and headed back to the edge, looking out with Cole to see if there were any other cattle they had missed. Cole quietly pointed something out. Sara, unable to see it, stepped out from beneath the safety of the trees.

"Just a bush," she called, turning to head back. The buzz hit her just as Cole's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to shout. Sara looked up to see the brilliant flash of a lightening bolt strike her. Funny, she had always wondered what it was like to be struck. And now she knew. It was kinda warm and fuzzy, like being in a blanket that itched. She blacked out.

"What is it?" asked a low, country voice. It's accent was like Cole's, who was from Tennesse.

"An alien," said a second, more girly voice that dragged out the word.

"Well, I'm not sure, but I think I may have seen a picture kinda like it in one of my books." This voice sounded inquisitive.

"What if it's one of Discords minions?" This voice was gravely, the the owner spent most of their time shouting at the top of their lungs.

"It's not one of Discords." This was the curious one again, sounding annoyed the the gravely voice would even suggest such a thing. "Discords creations are a mash-up of different things. Whatever this thing is, it's all of one thing."

"Well, whatever it is, it's fashion sense is atrocious." This voice was uppity and made Sara wanna spit to the side in disdain. Anyone who thought fashion was a priority was an idiot, in her book.

"Is-is it safe?" This voice was quiet and shy. Sara shifted and lifted a hand to her head. "Eep!" the soft one squeaked and there was a rustle of feathers. Sara carefully sat up and opened her eyes. The first thing they rested on was her blue-gray Stetson her father had gotten her for her birthday that year. Picking it up, she settled the hat on her golden-red curls and looked around. Her blue-green eyes went wide.

"Oh, no. No no no no no. This canNOT be happening." Surrounding her were the six mane characters from that TV show her younger sister and older brother were obsessed with and which she knew about by association. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbowdash, Rarity, and...wait, where was she? Oh, there she was, hiding behind Rarity; Fluttershy. Taking her hat off again, she shoved her hand through the long, red-gold curls, and plopped the hat back down. "I have to be dreaming." She pinched herself on the arm, hard. "Ow! Well, that rules dreams out."

"Hi!" Pinkie Pie was suddenly in her face. "We'vebeensortawonderingsinceyouappearedoutofnowhereifyoucouldtelluswhatexactly

youarecausewedon'tknowandwe'dliketooandIthinkyou'reanalienbutTwilightdoesn'tagreewith

meandRainbowdashthoughtthatmaybeyoubelongedtoDiscordbutTwilightdoesn'tthinkthat

eithersocouldyoutellus WHAT ARE YOU!?"

"Um...I got like half of that," Sara said, blinking at the pink pony.

"Oh, my gosh! Guys, she talks like Applejack!"

Startled, I scowled and snapped, "I do not! I'm from Texas, not Tennessee!"

"Um, what?"

Rolling her eyes, Sara said, "Her accent is like a Tennesseean. I'm a Texan. Completely different."

"Um, I still don't get it."

"Ugh, if I sounded like Applejack, I'd talk like this," Sara said, imitating Applejack's accent. "Not like I normally do," she added in her regular voice.

"Oh! You still sound like Applejack!"

"I- Oh, forget it! I don't even know why I'm arguing with something that shouldn't even exist!"

"What do you mean I shouldn't exist? I'm right here, silly!" She poked me with a hoof to prove her point. Sara pursed her lips at the brightly colored pony, eyes narrowing.

"Wait, wait, wait," Twilight Sparkle held a hoof up for silence and nudged Pinkie Pie aside. "What do you mean we shouldn't exist? If anything, it's you who shouldn't exist."

"Right, cause candy colored ponies that talk, fly, and do magic make so much sense then a regular human being."

"Human? Is that what you are?"

"No, I'm a cutesy little bunny rabbit," Sara snapped, sarcastically. Twilight gave her an incredulous look. Rolling her eyes, Sara bit out, "Yes, I'm human."

"What in the hay is a human?" asked Applejack. "And I do not talk like that."

"Newsflash, yes you do."

"Why, I have a mind to-" Twilight shoved a hoof in Applejack's mouth.

"Quiet, Applejack. Now isn't the time." Taking her hoof from her friends mouth, Twilight looked up at the significantly taller Sara and said, "I've read about humans in my books. But they all disappeared a long time ago."

"That's right, Twilight, they did," said a kind, benevolent voice from above. Everyone, including Sara, looked up to see Princess Celestia descending from the heavens like a goddess. All the ponies bowed to their Princess/Goddess. Sara blinked, covered her eyes with a hand, and groaned aloud.

"What in hells bells is going on?!" Sara cried out.

"My dear, it appears that something happened to cause you to be pulled from your world into ours," Celestia said. When Sara looked up, she saw that she stood eye to eye with the Alicorn.

"Damn," the cowgirl muttered. "You are small."

"What are you talking about?" asked Pinkie Pie, giggling. "The Princess and her sisters are the biggest ponies in all of Equestria!"

"Yeah, Equestria, maybe," Sara said, glancing down at the pink cotton fluff. "But back home, my horse is twice her size, easily, and he isn't even that big." She looked back at Celestia. "A Fresian would crush you beneath his hooves if he didn't watch where he was going."

"Whoa! A land of giant ponies! That sounds AWESOME!" Pinkie Pie started bouncing around with more excitement then usual.

"No, it doesn't," Fluttershy whispered. "It sounds scary."

"Why would a pony need to be that big?" asked Rainbowdash.

"So the Mountain Lions don't eat it. Or at least have a harder time of it."

"M-m-m-Mountain Lions? EEEE!" Fluttershy ducked close to the ground and flipped her wings over her head. "Wait...what's a Mountain Lion?"

"A giant, powerfully strong cat that can eat a pony like Big Macintosh for breakfast," Sara replied.

"Aaaaah!" all the ponies screamed.

"Be calm, my little ponies," Celestia said. "There are no Mountain Lions in Equestria." She gave Sara a stern look.

"Lady, that doesn't work when my mother does it. What makes you think it'll work if you do it."

Celestia ignored the remark and said, "You really shouldn't frighten these ponies. After all, they're just might become your new friends."

Sara started. "Say what now?"

"The rip between our world and yours is still open. The only way to close it is to sever the bond between you and your world. And that bond is your humanity. You must become a pony."

"Can't you just send me back?" Sara asked, her voice rising in panic.

"Unfortunately, my power does not extend into your world. And I'm afraid that if I were to try, you might get hurt or worse," Celestia replied, her voice and expression saddened. "So you have a choice. Either you become a pony or you let the tear between worlds worsen until both our home and yours is destroyed. Make your decision."

Chapter 2 A New Start

Chapter 2

A New Start

"That's not really a choice and you know it," Sarah complained, dropping her head and lifting a hand to touch the brim of her hat. Propping a hand on her hip, she lifted her head again and glanced around at all the ponies, who each stared at her. Not a one of them deserved to die. According to what she knew about the show, each of them were good, kind people...uh, ponies...who wanted nothing more then for everyone to be friends with each other and live calm, peaceful lives in their small town. Looking back at the Princess, she said, "Fine. I'll become a...pony." Princess Celestia smiled beatifically. Sarah scowled. Expressions were weird on a horses face.

"It is a good choice," the Princess said.

"Maybe for you," Sarah muttered. "But I wasn't meant to be a pony. I was meant to ride them."

"Be that as it may, you have still made the right choice," Celestia asserted. "The lives of all the citizens of Equestria and your own world over your right to stand on two legs and ride horses." She dropped her horn to Sarah's shoulder. "I only wish I could have sent you home." There was a bright flash of magic and a buzzing sensation rushed through Sarah's slender form. The cowgirl felt her muscles and bones shift and change. When she opened her eyes, she immediately noticed that she was two feet shorter and on all fours. Blinking, she glanced back at her body and realized that she was actually a pony. Her vision tunneled and she staggered sideways into a tree. Shaking off the urge to faint, she spotted a nearby stream and raced over to it, feeling odd as she ran on all fours. Reaching the water, she hesitated. Cautiously, she peered into the rushing water.

Staring back up at her with a pair of huge, gold-green eyes was a small, snow-white pony with a wavy, golden-red mane and tail. Her hooves were the color of charcoal and her legs were long, making her stand several inches taller then the other ponies. Her body was also longer then the others and slimmer. She looked like a ponified version of an Arabian with a longer, slimmer face then the others. Closer to a pony her little sister liked called Fleur de Lis. Her hat was still perched on her head and her neckerchief was still tied around her neck, but the rest of her clothes had gone. Swallowing hard, she turned sideways to look at her flank. It was then she noticed the two feathery appendages just behind her shoulders, long enough to extend to cover her flanks. Stretching them out, the girl realized that she was a Pegasus pony. Blinking, she wondered why on earth she was a Pegasus. Lifting the wings, she looked at her flank. It was bare of any mark.

"Guess I still hafta earn that," she muttered to herself. Shoving the thought to the back of her mind, she folded her wings and trudged back to the other ponies. As she rejoined the group, Princess Celestia was speaking.

"My little ponies, I do hope you'll help our new friend make the best of this life."

"Of course, Princess," spoke Twilight. "We'll do our best." All the other ponies chipped in their agreements.

"She'll need to be taught to fly and how to take care of herself as a pony," the Princess continued. "And she'll need a place to live until she can build a cloud palace.

"Well, she can stay at the farm," Applejack said. "We got plenty a room. An' Ah sure could use the extra help workin' it."

Sarah perked up at the thought of work. "Ah like work," she said, her voice quieter then normal. "It's good fer the mind when ya don' wanna think. Tires ya out so ya sleep at night. Makes ya strong." She frowned. "Apple farmin' ain't nuthin' lahk ranchin', but Ah learn fast."

Applejack looked over at her with a smile. "Tha's great! You don' look lahk much, but Ah'm sure I k'n fine somethin' fer ya ta do."

"Thanks." Sarah tried a small smile, but it was obviously fake when it didn't reach her eyes.

"You need a new name, of course," Celestia said. "Do you have one in mind?"

Sarah looked up at the Princess, then up at the sky. She thought idly for a second before she finally said, "Toola. Toola Lasso."

Toola had been formally introduced to all of the Mane Six as soon as Princess Celestia left. Rainbow Dash was quickly volunteered by Twilight Sparkle to teach the former human to fly. Then the student had said that she would be perfectly willing to teach her the history of Equestria and all there was to know about ponies. Everything a pony would have learned as a filly. It wasn't long before Applejack finally stopped Pinkie Pie from bouncing around their new friend and blabbering something about a party, saying that Toola must be tired and that they should head home.

Now Toola, who still couldn't get used to calling herself that, was following the orange and blonde pony to Sweet Apple Acres to meet the local Apple Family. Flicking her tail, Toola's head and wings drooped. She was a pony. Not only was she a pony, but her flank was blank. From what she knew from her little sister's constant babbling, being a blank flank at her age was sure to be horrifying. They finally made it to Sweet Apple Acres. As they walked beneath the sign, Toola felt her stomach drop. The farm was so similar to the ranch, except trees filled the area where the pasture had been. Falling back so she sat on her haunches, the new pony started hyperventilating. She couldn't handle this. It was all too much! For God's sake, she was a PONY! A pony who was going to throw up all the food in her stomach.

Applejack, noticing something was wrong, raced back to the taller pony. "Easy, sugarcube," she said, pressing against the mare's side. "Easy now. Slow yer breathin' sum and just concentrate on that an' nothin' else." Toola did as she was told, knowing to listen to someone who wasn't panicking when she was. As her stomach slowly calmed down, someone removed her hat and dropped a cooling cloth over her head. Her headache subsiding, Toola looked up to see an elderly green pony with her white mane and tail pulled into buns and a green apple on her flank. "Thanks, Granny Smith," Applejack said. "Feelin' better, sugarcube?"

Toola nodded. "Sorry," she murmured. "It's just...a bit overwhelming. Yer farm looks so much lahke ma Daddy's ranch back home.

"What's a ranch?" Toola looked down to find a small yellow filly with her red mane held in a ponytail by a huge pink bow sitting in front of her.

"Well, a ranch is a place that herds animals. Cows, mostly," the girl explained.

"What'd you herd cows for? Cain't they herd themselves?"

"Um..." Ah cain't tell 'em we ate 'em. Holstein cows it is. "Well, see, back home we liked to drink milk. And cows produce milk. So we took care a the cows and they gave us their milk." Ah think that went over pretty smooth.

"But don't the cows need the milk for their babies!" The little filly looked alarmed.

"Oh, our cows produced milk all year round and needed to be milked daily to keep them from splitting their udders. That's why we had the agreement." Ah shoulda been a story tella'. "Besides, milk is good for pe-uh ponies! Makes ye grow up big and strong."

"Really! Hmm. I got it! I'll be a Cutie Mark Crusader Cow Milker!" She jumped in the air. Startled, Toola planted a hoof on the girls tail.

"Hold on their, filly! The cows ye got here ain't Holsteins. Only Holsteins are good for their milk. Other cows don't produce near enough ta be sharin' with ponies."

"Awww," the filly said, kicking a hoof in the dirt. "And I was so sure that that would be my cutie mark."

Seein' the little foal so sad made Toola wanna kick herself. With a sigh, she finally said, "T'ain't so bad not havin' a cutie mark, yet. See?" She lifted a wing to show the filly her blank flank. "Old as I am and I ain't got one yet, neither."

"Really? You mean Ah might NEVER get mah cutie mark?!" Well, that backfired.

"No," Toola tried again. "Ah'm just sayin' yeh gotta let things come yer way. Ye never know what'll happen! Ah might git mah cutie mark tonight! And you might git yers tomorrow. Just be patient."

"Okay," the filly said, sadly. Toola lifted her hoot and chucked the girl under the chin with a wink. The girl smiled.

"Oh, by the way, mah name's Applebloom. What's yers?"

"Sa - Toola Lasso," the mare said, hiding her sadness.

"Well, it's a pleasure ta meet ya Mizz Toola!" Applebloom shook her hand. "Oh, this is my Granny Smith." She gestured at the green pony who'd provided the wet cloth, who smiled and waved. "And that's my big brother, Big Macintosh." Toola turned to look and her wings nearly shot out.

Standing behind her, next to Applejack, was a large stallion, about her height, with a maroon coat, orange hair, sleepy green eyes, a yoke around his neck, and half of a large, green apple for a cutie mark. With feathered legs and a cropped tail, Toola knew he was a work horse. And a right big one, at that! Handsome, too. Toola never thought she'd see the day when she'd be attracted to a horse, but if what her brother had said about a unicorns wings were true, then today was that day. Pinning her wings to her sides, Toola got to her feet and turned to face him. "Nice ta meet ya," she said, touching a hoof to her hat. A long moment passed before he replied, "Nice ta meet you, too, ma'am."

Applejack smiled happily, glad her new friend was getting along with her family. And it had been some smooth talking that had smoothed over the fact that Toola wasn't originally a pony. But that was fine. If Toola didn't want anyone to know, then they wouldn't. Applejack would just have to let the others know not to spill the beans.

"So, where exactly are ye from?" asked Applebloom.

Toola paused. No sense lyin'. "I'm from Texas where my Daddy ran a ranch taking care of our towns cows."

"Where's Texas?"

"It's...very far away," Toola said, nervously. Come on, girly, drop it!

"Wow!" Appleblooms already big eyes got even wider. "What's it like there?"

Toola smiled as she thought about Texas. "Wide, open spaces where you can run for miles and not spot a single soul, even from a distance. The grass grows taller then you; taller then Big Macintosh in some places. And there are flowers in places you wouldn't expect. Fields chock full of them, rocky ledges with little purple ones growing between the cracks. Even in the desert to the east of my hometown is covered in flowers, especially in the spring. And it's full of animals; the desert. Tortoise, birds, spiders, lizard; all kinds of animals!" Toola looked down at Applebloom where the pony lay on the dirt road. The little filly was looking up at her with wide, wondrous eyes.

"It sounds amazing," she said, her voice full of awe. "What else is it like over there?"

"Oh, um, well..." Geez, this pony don't let up none. How do Ah even explain this?

"Easy does it, Applebloom," Applejack finally interfered. "Toola's come a long way and needs to get settled. You can ask her more questions later. She's goin' ta be workin' the farm with us from now on, anyway."

"Really! Yay!" Applebloom bounced up. "Then you can tell us all about Texas! I'm gonna tell my friends!" With that, the little yellow filly raced off.

Shaking her head, Applebloom said, "Don't mind her. She's always full a energy. I'll take ya to yer room." Toola stood and quietly followed Applejack into the house.

Behind the two mares, a nag was watching a certain stallion with a knowing look. "Big Macintosh, what's this?" The large pony started and looked down at his granny, a blush flushing his cheeks. Granny Smith cackled and said, "Why if'n it tain't so! A certain filly done caught yer eye! An here I thought I wouldn't git to see any great-grand-kids! Ye-haa!" The old lady spun to take off and...tottered slowly into the house. Big Macintosh heaved a great sigh and shook his head, but his eyes were drawn to the window of their last, empty room just as the curtains were opened. Blinking up at the opening, Big Macintosh finally turned to go into the orchard. Bucking Season was next week and he needed to make sure all the apples on the ground were collected so no pony would slip and hurt themselves like last year. He winced as he thought of the muscled he had pulled in his side. At least if somepony did hurt themselves, a certain, pretty little filly would be there to fill in.

Chapter 3 Learning to Fly

Chapter 3

Learning to Fly

Toola sat quietly in the center of her bed. Applejack had showed her to her room and then left her to get settled about five minutes ago, saying that she could come down to dinner whenever she felt ready to. As it was, the young mare didn't feel much up to anything. With a heavy sigh, she flopped down on the mattress and closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them, the sun was shining right through her window into her face. Odd. Hadn't it just been setting when she'd gotten up here?

Someone knocked on her door. "Toola!" Applejack called through the thick, wooden portal. "Sugarcube, it's time to wake up! Breakfast is ready!" Toola blinked and her stomach complained loudly. She clambered out of bed and walked over to the door. Then paused for a moment.

"Applejack," she said, her voice just loud enough to be heard.

"Yeah?"

"Um...how do I open the door?"

In the hall, Applejack stood confused for a moment before remembering that Toola used to be human. Smacking herself in the head with a hoof, she rolled her eyes at her own ridiculousness for not explaining this last night. "There's a spot on the floor you can step on to open it," she called through. "Just to the left of the door." Toola found it and the door popped open easily. Shoving it open the rest of the way with her head, she looked out at Applejack with a blush.

"Did I not come down for dinner?" she asked.

"No, but that's okay," replied the cowpony. "I reckon ye were plum tuckered out what with all the happenin's."

"Y-yeah," Toola said. "I guess I was."

"Well," Applejack said. "It's time for breakfast. Ye ready?"

"Um, hold on," Toola said, disappearing back into her room. When she came back, she was wearing her blue stetson and her bandanna had been straightened. "Okay." Applejack gave the mare a warm smile and then led her downstairs. When they got there, Applejack started.

Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and Applebloom were at the table as they should be, but Granny Smith was not at her usual place next to Big Macintosh. Rather, she'd moved to sit next to Applebloom. When Applejack looked at her, the old nag looked back innocently. "What? I just felt like a change a scenery. Plus, Applebloom asked if I could sit next to her."

"What? No, I did-mmph!" The young filly was cut off by a hoof to the mouth.

"Yup! Little Applebloom just begged me to sit next to her and what kinda Granny would Ah be if'n Ah didn't oblige the little sprout." Granny Smith smiled real wide, playing the part of a sweet old lady. Applejack raised an eyebrow, but took her seat at the head of the table. Toola blinked, seeing that the only seat left open was the one next to Big Macintosh. She flipped her wings uneasily, having never sat next to a man who wasn't either related to her or a long time, trusted family friend. After a moment, she finally seated herself next to the large stallion.

"Alright, y'all," Applejack said with gusto. "Let's eat!" There was a general consensus of agreement around the table and Toola looked down at her plate. There were two eggs, a glass of orange juice, and two strips of hay-bacon. She glanced around to see how the others ate their meals before finally lifting a hoof and tilting the plate so the food slid to the edge. Then she carefully lifted an egg with her teeth and flicked the food into her mouth, quietly chewing. It was a normal enough egg and she ate both. Finally, she took a bite of the hay-bacon. It was nothing like real bacon, which she'd never taste again, but it was good. She ate both strips and drank her orange juice, fighting back the urge to cry. When she finished her meal, she noticed that Granny Smith had put more food on her plate. Toola smiled sadly and ate that as well, then polished off her juice.

"Toola, can you tell me more about Texas?" Applebloom asked, pushing her newly empty plate aside. Toola blinked at the filly, startled.

"Um," Toola tried to think, sleep and a now full belly clouding her mind. "What have I told you already?"

"Well, you said that you used to work on a ranch and took care of the cows who gave you their milk and that there were flowers everywhere; even in the desert!"

"Oh! Right!" Toola's mind cleared. "Um...well, what do you wanna know?"

"Everything!" The little filly's eyes grew huge as a wide smile spread across her small face.

"Uh," Toola glanced at the people at the table. Both Applejack and Granny Smith seemed interested, too. Big Macintosh was concentrating on the huge pile of food in front of him. "Well...you want your friends to hear, too, right?"

"Well, yeah," Applebloom said, sitting back and calming down enough to look quizzical.

"Why don't you and your friends get together and put together a list of questions you want to ask me," Toola said, feeling smart. "And I'll answer them for you! But I'll only answer five every night and I reserve the right to refuse to answer a question."

"Okay!" Applebloom cheered up. "Applejack, can I go see my friends and tell them? Please?" She looked at her big sister, eyes huge and pleading as she pushed out her lower lip in a pout.

"Well, finish your breakfast and chores and then you can head to school," Applejack said. "You'll see your friends there."

"Aww," Applebloom pouted.

"Now, finish your breakfast, Applebloom," Granny Smith. "The faster you finish, the sooner you can see your friends!" Applebloom perked up a little at that and got back to work, eating the food Granny Smith had added to her plate before excusing herself from the table to do her chores.

As the little filly dashed from the dining room, Toola pushed her plate aside and stood up. "Ah'll be outside if ye need me," she said.

"Oh, wait up," Applejack said, finishing her food as well. "Ah'll come with ye," she spoke as she rose from to table to join Toola. "Ah can give ye chores to do in what Rainbowdash gets here."

"Okay," Toola said and they quietly left the room. Big Macintosh lifted his head from his plate, watching as Toola left the room. Granny Smith cackled. He promptly dropped his head back to his plate, blushing furiously.

Toola had been wandering around the orchard, tossing fallen apples into a barrel to be used as fertilizer next year, when Rainbowdash found her. "Hey!" the tom-mare called, landing next to the mare. Toola looked up at the brightly colored pony and blinked.

"Um, hey," she answered. "I just finished this section. Can you wait while I take this barrel back?"

"Sure!" the pony's gravelly voice was cheerful and she gave the ex-human a smile. She turned and walked beside the mare as they headed for the heap behind the barn where all rotten apples were thrown. "So! How do you like being a pony so far?" Toola was quiet as she thought about it. But Rainbowdash was as impatient as always. "Cause, personally, I don't think I could handle being turned into something else. I mean, I'm Rainbowdash! Fastest pegasus in all of Equestria!" She paused to spread her legs and paw a hoof into the dirt, dropping her head like she was a bull. She jumped back to normal and started walking again. "And you were just this two-legged thing. Didn't look very fast at all. How did you get around?"

"Horseback," Toola said. "Back home, horses weren't like here. They were smart, sure, just not intelligent. So we would ride on their backs to get around. None of them had wings or horse, of course, but they were plenty enough for us."

"So, you rode horses?" Rainbowdash asked incredulously. "That's...okay, I guess. I mean, it was a different place, right?"

"Very different; you have no idea," Toola said as they reached the barn. She shrugged off the harness that held the barrels to her sides and toppled the wooden crates so the bad apples tumbled out onto the pile. "Okay, done," she said turning to Rainbowdash.

"Great!" The pony cried. "Follow me and we can get started!" Rainbowdash turned and took off into the sky. Toola shook her head and followed the mare from the ground, keeping an eye on the trail of rainbow colored air the pegasus inexplicably left behind her when she flew.

Finally, she reached the other end and found herself at the top of a steep cliff. Rainbowdash was waiting impatiently at the edge of it. When Toola came up to her, the mare exploded with a burst of startling energy. "Oh, come on, now! You're gonna hafta be faster then that if you wanna learn how to fly!"

Toola blinked, then glared at the girl. "I just turned into a pony yesterday," she snapped. "Excuse me if I'm still getting used to this body."

"Ugh," Rainbowdash grumbled. "I'm gonna hafta train you up before I can teach you how to fly." She shook her head, then said, "Alright! It's gonna be just like Junior Speedsters Camp! So, repeat after me:

Junior Speedsters are our lives,

Sky-bound soars and daring dives

Junior Speedsters, it's our quest,

To some day be the very best!"

Toola stared at the mare. The rolled her eyes and repeated the chant without nearly as much gusto as the cyan-coloured mare. "Oh, come on! More enthusiasm! Do it again!"

Rainbowdash made Toola repeat the chant over and over again until she was satisfied.

"Mmm, it'll do for now. But we'll have to work on that later. For now, let's get you flying! But in order to learn how to fly, you gotta learn how to run!"

"Junior Speedsters Camp was for ponies like me

Who wanted to fly with the best of us

But now those days are past and I am totally free

Free of the ground and free to soar the skies

"But now a friend is on the ground

She doesn't know how to fly

But she's lucky I'm around

And I can get her in the sky

"Junior Speedsters are our lives,

Sky-bound soars and daring dives

Junior Speedsters, it's our quest,

To some day be the very best!

"I'll get you off the ground

If it's the last thing that I do

Soon you'll fly circles around

Fluttershy and Scootaloo!"

Fluttershy and Scootaloo: "HEY!"

"Junior Speedsters are our lives,

Sky-bound soars and daring dives

Junior Speedsters, it's our quest,

To some day be the very best!"

"That was weird," Toola remarked. "I feel like we just skipped two weeks worth of training."

"Eh, you learn not to question it."

Toola was flopped out on the grass by the cliff. They'd trained all day to day with Rainbowdash making her do wing-ups and wind sprints, which were different from home since the mare made Toola run against a strong gust of wind produced by the cyan pegasus herself. Two weeks worth of training and Toola still hadn't gotten off the ground yet. Staring at her charcoal coloured hooves, Toola felt herself loosing hope. Standing up again, she looked over at where Rainbowdash was staring at her clipboard.

"Dash, I don't think I'll ever fly," the white mare remarked. "Maybe we should just give up."

"Give up? Give up?! GIVE UP?!" Rainbowdash leaped into the air, indignant. "Are you crazy! No way am I letting you give up! You're so close to flying!

"I haven't even gotten off the ground, Dash," Toola said. "Face it. I'll never fly." She slumped down and pawed at the ground idly with a heavy sigh.

She'd learned a lot since coming here. With Twilight, she'd learned what everypony learns in Elementary School; history, mostly since she already had a handle on math, science, and English (although, here, it was called Equestrian). Toola was getting a handle on being a pony. Apple Bucking season was well underway and while she couldn't help with the bucking this year, she could sort the bad apples from the good ones. But she'd never be able to fly. Sighing heavily, she climbed to her feet. "I have to finish my chores, Dash. I'll see you tomorrow." Rainbowdash looked sad and a little hurt, but didn't stop the snowy pegasus.

As she quietly walked home, a piercing scream rent the air. Her head jerked up and Toola saw Applebloom and Scootaloo, but Sweetie Belle wasn't with them. No, there she was! Halfway down the cliff and clinging to a branch. There was a sharp crack. Toola never moved so fast in her life. One moment, she was standing still, the next she was gripping Sweetie Belle in her forelegs and setting her down next to her friends.

"Are you three crazy!?" Toola cried. "What are you doing so close to the ledge?! Do you have any idea how much danger you were in?!" Sweetie Belle was curled up on the ground crying, Applebloom and Scootaloo crowded close to her, shaking. Toola was panting heavily with fear and exertion. "You could have died!"

"We-we were just trying to be rock climbers!" Scootaloo cried, eyes watery.

"Rock-ROCK CLIMBERS!?" Toola shouted. "You CAN'T be rock climbers! You're too little!" She paused for breath just as Rainbowdash raced over to see what the commotion was about, the rest of the mane six following.

"What happened?" asked Rarity. Then she noticed her little sister was in tears. "Sweetie?"

"She fell off the cliff," Toola said, trying to calm down.

"What? Sweetie Belle, what were you doing?!"

Finally, Sweetie managed to stop sobbing. "We wanted to be Cutie Mark Crusader Rock Climbers," the little filly sniffed.

"Sweetie!" Rarity looked appalled and terrified. "No! That is NOT your special gift at all!" Rarity raced forward and pulled her little sister into her arms, clinging to the little filly for all she was worth.

"I'm gonna throw up and faint at the same time," Toola said. "I've never moved so fast in my entire life."

"No kidding," Rainbowdash said, hiding a smile behind a hoof. "You've never been flying either."

Toola blinked at the mare. "What are you talking abou-" she looked down. The cliff ledge was three feet in front of her and she was hovering just level with Rarity and Applejack, who'd come to see if Applebloom was okay. Directly beneath her was 50 feet worth of open air, craggy rocks at the bottom. She blinked. Then. "HOLY SMOKES!" She was flying! For a moment, she lost her balance, but quickly regained it again as Rainbowdash flitted to her side to steady the pegasus. Filled with excitement, Toola shot upward into the clouds and raced around in circles before coming back down to the others.

When she got back, Rarity and Applejack were scolding Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. Scootaloo stood off to one side, looking sad. Toola tilted her head and fluttered over to the little filly. "Scoots, where are you foster-parents?" The orange and purple pony shrugged. Toola frowned. "Well, just because they aren't here doesn't mean you get out of the scott free." The filly blinked. "For standing so close to the edge, no cutie mark crusading for a week and I'm taking your scooter for the duration."

"What!" Scootaloo looked horrified. "But how will we find our cutie marks!"

"Just like everyone else does," replied the pegasus. "With time and patience." Toola looked at the filly sternly. "Now, come here so I can hold you." She scooped the surprised filly close. "Sweet Celestia, I thought you three would get hurt." She nuzzled Scootaloo's messy purple haircut. Scootaloo was startled, the simply buried her face into Toola's mane.

"I'm sorry," said the little filly. "We didn't think we'd get hurt. We'll be more careful, we promise."

"Good," said Toola. "I don't know what I'd do if any of you got hurt." She squeezed Scootaloo. "But you're still grounded."

"Aw!"

Chapter 4 Apple Bucking

Chapter 4

Apple Bucking

Apple bucking season was almost over and Apple Cider season was coming on fast. Last year, a pair of ponies called the Flim Flam Brothers had tried to run Sweet Apple Acres into the ground by producing more apple cider then the Apple Family could. Their cider had, of course, been inferior in quality and the attempt had failed, drastically, with the brothers run out of town by a herd of angry ponies. This year, however, the Apple Family would have help making the cider from their friends, including Toola.

Still getting the hang of flying, Toola spent most of her time on the ground. But, when she could, she practiced getting up to the clouds to take naps. They were exceedingly soft, like sleeping on a giant cotton ball. Though it took a while for Toola to get used to the fact that she wasn't falling through it. Soon, she would start building her cloud palace, though she abhorred the idea of a palace. She just had to pick a place. She had been thinking about it for the better part of the week and still was when she joined the Apple Family and all their friends to make cider.

"Alright, now," Applejack was saying as Toola joined the group. Rainbowdash and Big Mac, you'll run the treadmill again, like last year."

Rainbowdash gave a salute and Big Mac simply said, "Eyup."

"Rarity, you'll go through the apples."

"Oh, of course, darling!" Rarity preened a little and Toola wrinkled her nose at the behavior. She still didn't like Rarity. The purple maned pony was too fussy, picky, and uppity.

"Me, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie can pick the apples."

"Okie Dokey Lokie!"

"Oh, alright, if you say so."

"Okay!"

"Applebloom, you and your friends are going to pour the cider into the barrels so Toola stack them up in piles. Hopefully, you three won't do too much damage there." The three crusaders, still in trouble from their last adventure involving jello and helium filled balloons, grinned sheepishly.

Toola, noticing a balloon floating nearby, captured the pink orb, carefully opened it and sucked up the air, then said in a tiny little voice, "Don't be too hard on them. I thought it was amusing." Pinkie Pie burst into hysterical laughter.

"Oh my gosh! Her voice! It's tiny!"

"That happens when you inhale helium," Toola said as her voice eased back into its normal pitch. The other ponies were still giggling from the absurdity of her helium voice. Big Mac even had a small smile.

"Um, Miss Toola, while we work," Sweetie Belle piped up. "Can you tell us more about Texas?"

"Did you three finally come up with a list a questions?"

"Uh huh!" The crusaders replied in chorus.

"Sure, I don't see why not. But if you stop working, I stop talking, clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Then they raced off to their station near the treadmill. Toola blinked.

Looking at Rarity, she asked, "Do I look like a ma'am?"

"Oh, of course not, dear," Rarity quickly reassured her with a smile. "Fillies will be fillies! Twilight, where's Spike?"

"Oh, he's with Princess Celestia learning how to take care of Peewee," Twilight cleared up with a smile. "It's going to take a lot of work, caring for a baby phoenix. They're such strange and unique creatures..." Twilight started going on and on about the magical properties and virtues of phoenixes as they walked over to the other ponies. Toola started tuning her out and gazing around herself in boredom. Was Big Mac looking at her? No, he was watching Applebloom climb onto the platform with the help of her friends. Shaking her head, Toola said where she was going and trotted off. Twilight didn't hear a word, still engrossed in the joy of knowledge. Rarity was nodding and ignoring her to examine a hoof.

At the platform, Toola gave Applebloom and her friends a boost up. "Enough with the heights already," she grumbled with a smile. "Haven't you learned your lesson? There is a set of stairs, you know."

"Oh, yeah," Scootaloo said, rubbing her head. "Oops! Guess I forgot." She looked sort of sheepish. Toola raised an eyebrow at them and moved to roll a barrel under the spigot.

"Get ready," Toola said. "Here comes Applejack and Fluttershy with the first bushel of apples." The girls nodded and surrounded the spigot.

"Miss Toola, what kinds of animals live in Texas?"

"Oh, all kinds," Toola said without missing a beat. "There's dogs and cats and spiders and lizards and cows and all sorts of animals. Lots of birds, too."

"Are any of them dangerous?" Only Scootaloo would ask that. Toola laughed.

"Heck yeah, they're dangerous," Toola said. "There's spiders that'll bite you."

"That doesn't sound dangerous," Scootaloo scoffed.

"Well, no, not of itself. But the spiders in Texas are venomous. The snakes, too."

"What's venomous?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"It's where if they bite you, you get really sick and can die," Toola replied, thinking nothing of it. The three fillies gasped.

"But why would they bite you?"

"Scare them, hurt them, threaten them," Toola said.

"Scare them how?" asked Applejack. "None of the animals here are scared of us."

"That's because you ponies take care of the animals here. Or at least Fluttershy does. Back home, the animals take care of themselves. They find h-ponies to be a threat. Because we might accidentally step on them or mess up their burrow from not looking where we're going."

"Pull the lever, girls," Applejack called.

"The animals take care of themselves there?" asked Scootaloo as she pulled the lever.

"What animals take care of themselves?" asked Applejack from nearby, bucking an apple tree. "This isn't the Everfree Forest."

"Not in the Everfree Forest, sis," Applebloom said. "In Texas! Where is Texas, anyway?"

"Um..." Toola thought quickly. "It's beyond the Everfree Forest, past the Badlands."

"How did you get here from there?!" Scootaloo asked, thunderstruck.

"I...blew here. On a storm." If it worked for Dorothy, it can work for me. Let's go, Toto.

"And the animals take care of themselves?"

"What about the clouds and weather?" asked Rainbowdash from beside Big Mac.

"Works on its own. Makes caring for the cows rather difficult. Our cows were...very silly and not smart. That's why we had to take care of them. They'd run hither thither during a storm and get struck by lightning if we weren't there herding them."

"Whoa," the crusaders chorused.

"Lever."

"Oops!" Scootaloo said, pulling the lever just before the barrel overflowed. Sweetie Belle put the top on and Applebloom stomped it in place. Toola moved it to the side where the full barrels would go and came back with an empty one, scooting it under the spigot.

"Was it dangerous there?" asked Applebloom.

"Well, it didn't have the dangers you guys have here," Toola said, thinking about dragons and manticores and Ursa Majors. "Our dangers were more...subtle. Sort of."

"Like what?"

"Well, we had a snake that we called a rattlesnake because it had a sort of rattle on the end of its tail that it would shake to make a buzzing sound to warn people off. There were many kinds, but all were venomous. The most dangerous of these kinds of snakes, however, was the Diamondback Rattler. It's venom was so deadly, if you didn't get care, it could kill Big Mac in 30 minutes. It'd probably kill you or me in something like 5 or 10." She pushed the now full new barrel aside and replaced it. "Of course, if you got to a doctor, you'd be fine. If you didn't, then you'd probably die."

"Wow," Scootaloo said. "Were there any other dangerous animals?"

"Of course," Toola said. "Where I come from is really big. It's not just Texas. There's America, Asia, Australia, South America." In her head, Toola compressed the world so that it would fit into one country, like Equestria. "It was all very dangerous. And there were lots of animals that would kill you without a second thought if you endangered them. And some that would do it just because they could. My home was one of the more tamer areas of my world. Australia's filled with all sorts of deadly spiders that can kill you in under 3 minutes. And if you went in the water, which we liked to do, you could get stung by a jellyfish."

Rainbowdash snorted. "Jellyfish? That doesn't sound dangerous at all."

Toola looked over the blue pegasus. "A box jellyfish can kill Big Mac in under 2 minutes. You? Probably only take 30 seconds since you're a quarter his size." Rainbowdash blanched. Toola shifted the barrels around again. "It was dangerous at home. But it was beautiful. And a lot of the dangerous creatures were gorgeous. There were some pe-ponies who liked to collect animals and show them to people. And a lot of ponies liked to go see these animals. They were well taken care of with large habitats that looked like their real homes, but all were kept safely behind bars or in tanks were they wouldn't hurt anyone."

"What was in tanks?"

"Oh, things like fish, sharks, whales."

"Fish were dangerous?" Rainbowdash raised an eyebrow.

"Well, not all fish. But some were. For example, a shark is a fish. But it's a very large, carnivorous fish with a mouth full of lots and lots of very sharp teeth."

"Carnivor-what now?" asked Applebloom.

"Carnivorous. It means they eat meat. Like fish and seals and things. Sometimes they'd eat ponies, but not on purpose. In the water, we look like something they'd normally eat."

"What's in the water that looks like a pony?"

"Um...Seaponies," Toola quickly said. They'd had them in previous incarnations of My Little Pony. So why not? "Ponies that had learned to live underwater. Only they have tail-fins instead of hindquarters."

"Seaponies get eaten?!" The crusaders looked horrified.

"Well, yeah," Toola replied. "That's how the world works. There are animals like us that eat plants and there are animals like sharks that eat meat. And in the ocean, Seaponies are the easiest prey that a shark can catch and eat so he's not hungry anymore. Eating only one seapony is easier then chasing a bunch of small fish around just to get a good sized meal or chasing a seal that they more then likely won't catch. I mean, yeah, it's sad. But sharks have to eat, too." Toola moved around more barrels.

"Wow," Scootaloo said. "Your home sounds dangerous."

"Oh, it is," Toola replied. "More then you know." She thought about the lethality of the human race and inwardly grimaced.

"How dangerous?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Toola thought for a moment, then decided Why not? "Back home, alongside ponies, lived a race that stood and walked upright on their hind legs. They had no fur except for on top of their heads and they wore clothes to cover their bodies all the time." Rarity paused her work and listened. Rainbowdash didn't stop running, but listened more closely. "They were called humans. And they were nice to the ponies and the cows and rabbits and dogs and sheep. Animals that weren't threatening. But to animals that were threatening, the humans were...less then nice. To the point where ponies started to wonder why we were friends with them.

"Humans had a habit of cutting down lots of trees to make room for their cities. They encroached upon the habitats of lots of animals, forcing many out of their homes. And they had machines that took them places faster then they could move, but that made the air dirty and difficult to breathe. They left their trash everywhere, but were learning to keep it all in one place. And if there was an animal that threatened even one human, regardless of who and what they were, the humans came together in a pack and hunted the animal down and killed it. And they weren't herbivores. They were omnivores. This means that they ate both plants and meat. And most of them preferred meat. So when a cow died, they would take its body and eat it. More often then not, though, they didn't wait for the animal to die on its own. Humans are responsible for wiping entire species of animals off the face of the world just so they could eat it or because they didn't like it. Of all the animals in the world, even the ones here, humans are the most dangerous." The crusaders went quiet and Rarity sat with a hoof over her mouth. "Not all humans were like that, though. Some were good, kind people who wanted to help the animals survive. Most humans were changing, trying to save animals that were disappearing."

"Did they stop eating meat?" Applebloom asked, eyes wide and frightened.

Toola felt sad. "No, sweetie, they didn't. Most humans thought that meat was delicious. Asking them to stop eating meat would be like asking you to stop eating apples. Some did, but they were very few and were often ridiculed. Besides, meat made them strong. Why would they trade strength for an animals survival?"

"But if they didn't eat meat, wouldn't the world be peaceful?" Rarity asked.

"No," Toola said. "Because, above everything else, humans hated other humans. If a human was different, say they had different skin colors, then they didn't like each other. This is an old dispute, though. Humans no longer fought about skin color. Instead, they fought about ideas. Like say one group of humans believes in a being that created the world. But another group believes in a different being. Then they would fight. Ponies tried to stay out of the fighting, but sometimes it didn't work and accidents happened. But that never stopped the humans. They just kept fighting each other. And more and more people died."

The ponies were silent. "Did they wipe themselves out?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Toola laughed sharply. "Heavens, no!" she cried. "Humans breed better than rabbits. If anything, their population grew even larger." She smiled bitterly. "It grew so large that entire areas were being made barren from their eating. I won't be surprised if what finally kills them is them self-destructing because there's no more food or resources." She looked up at the sky. "Smells like rain. We'd better hurry up." She pushed the last of the finished barrels over to the pile, which was staggeringly tall, and watched as Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight shrugged out of their harnesses. Then all the ponies headed into the house to get something to eat. Toola stopped outside, ignoring the rain that was quickly soaking her, and looked to the skies. Pegasi were busily pushing the rainclouds into place and she smiled.

Equestria was so peaceful. A change from her old home. The air was clean and everyone was prosperous. Not to mention the fact that no one was in a war. With a sigh, she shook off the rain and went inside to join the others at the dinner table where the crusaders quickly asked for more, happier, stories.

"Toola, weren't you a human?" The Cider Making was done for the day and Toola was sitting in a cloud by herself when Rainbowdash came up.

Flicking an ear, the young mare replied, "Yeah, Rainbowdash, I was."

"Did you do all those horrible things?" The cyan coloured pony settled down on the cloud next to her.

"No," Toola answered. "My family was trying to be good. We treated our animals well, up until the last seconds of their lives." Toola went quiet a moment, flipping her tail to the other side. "We tried. But sometimes bad things happen. Bulls go crazy. Cows just lose it for some reason. And violent animals aren't tolerated."

"What happens to violent animals?"

"They get...removed from the herd."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad."

"Dash, I was being tactful."

"...o-oh."

Toola tugged her hat down over her eyes. "Humans are killing the only home they have. Ruining it. And the few that try to make it better aren't making much headway against the tidal wave of destruction that is humanity. Soon, every green thing will be gone. They won't have to worry about dangerous animals because they'll all be gone. And the ones that aren't will be safely locked behind bars for the viewing pleasure of every man, woman, and child who wants to go see them. Even the animals we raise will be so placid, it won't be worth keeping them." Toola felt her voice begin to shake. "I'm gonna...go." The snow white pegasus took off for the Everfree Forest. It was the only place that felt even remotely close to home.

It was sundown before Toola finally came back to the farm. She landed lightly on the ground before the door and entered the house quietly. "You were gone an awful long time, Toola." The mare jumped and looked to find Applejack and Big Mac sitting at the dining room table. "You missed dinner and everything."

Toola's ears drooped. "I'm not much up for food, guys."

"Ya gotta eat," Applejack scolded gently. "Is it about...the humans?"

Toola pawed at the ground, then snorted and flicked her tail. "Don't worry about it. It's not even my problem anymore. Humans do as humans will and there's nothing in all the universes that will change that."

"Well, can't you get a message to them, somehow?"

Toola looked at Applejack steadily. "Nothing will change the mind of a human. And certainly not the words of a pony." Then she turned and went up to her room. Applejack sighed and leaned against the table.

"She'd know." Big Mac looked at her. "Well, she...she lived with them. So she'd know."