trans_9 | Doing the Dirty Work [Open!]

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Doing the Dirty Work [Open!]

How did Applejack stand working so hard around the farm? Her secret was simple: combining work and play. She'd brought the same styl to Hydroponics, where she'd sectioned off a small patch of the ground to be a place for some of the animals to play. The grass was dug up and seeds were planted elsewhere, water was poured, and Applejack herself was pounding her legs into the dirt. Making mud! Her bright orange coat was now coated in brown, and the longer she worked, the further she sank.

But this wasn't very fun. Back home, she'd done---yeah, that was what was missing! She hopped out of her little mud pit, tracked dirt across the grass, and set off at a fast trot. "Yee-haw!"

If anypony happened to be hanging about, they'd be splattered when the large pony came crashing down, rolling in her little pit of dirt. Her hat sat some distance to the side, miraculously untouched by the splattering of mud. Surely most would know to stay away from such a display.

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Mindy knew all too well about how limited people were when it came to speed: often, it was what made the difference between living and dying. It was why of all the things she learned on the ship, speed was always her number one concern. Applejack (easy to remember, she had the cereal enough times) looked like she did the same.

And it looked like Applejack was showing no signs of slowing down, so neither would she. Honestly, she had to wonder how she constantly got roped into these competition situations all the time.

Applejack whooped, going on for just a little while more. When she was about done, she slowed and leapt in the mud. going for a roll.

"Could use a bit of a cooldown," she explained.

Mindy stopped when she did, and though she wasn't about to go jumping into a mud hole, she DID see a little place where the animals washed of, and promptly jumped in, not bothering to take off her shoes and socks.

A moment later, she settled near Applejack, soaked to the bone. "Ah, that's better."

"Oh---whoops," Applejack laughed, flicking her mane as some of the water splashed her. "Guess I coulda done that too. But that's alright, I ain't done yet!"

Which meant she was gonna be rolling in the mud all day long. "But I think I'll just settle down for a bit. How're you?"

Mindy laughed. The pony looked actually cute when her hat was off, not that the hat on was bad. Her wide eye stare was pretty funny too. She thought whatever happened, they should at least make sure to protect these pony girls during the war.

"I'm good. I usually don't randomly take off in a race, but as you saw, I'm still pretty good at it! You do that as a hobby too?"

"Sure thing! A little friendly competition never hurt anypony." Provided that it stayed friendly. Applejack knew all too well what would happen if it didn't.

"So you're training for the war out there, huh." She still wondered just how people so young were being drafted. "I was worried before, but now that I know what we're up against."

It's worse.

"No, I guess not." Once gain, bullshit from the girl who was queen of competition. She had been in several in the last few days, and while she hadn't exactly won any of them, she had learned quite a bit from them all, and was more than glad they had shown her different ways of managing herself in a fight.

She sighed. "Something like that. I'm still only just a little girl, anyway. I'm trying to see what I can do to help. We might act like its OK, and I'm sure they want to protect us children from getting too upset, but even I know when there's an uneasiness in the air, you know?"

Applejack sighed. "You shouldn't have to be out here like this. I wouldn't want my little sister here, as much as I miss her. But you're an awfully bright gal."

An image of little Apple Bloom flashed in her mind before she spoke again. "Guess we've all gotta be ready. But we won't be alone, right?"

"If I wasn't here, I'd be dead, or inactive in the pods," Mindy said. "You're not going to hear me complaining. An thanks: you seem like a pretty kick a-butt pony. Also, we don't have talking ponies, so that's pretty cool."

She shook her head. "No, these guys on the ship, I know a few of them. In my world, they're comic book superheroes. I know a bit about what they can do, so we at least have that on our side."

Again with those comic books! "They're the ones with powers, right? Flying around and blowing stuff up?"

No, she wasn't envious. Not at all.

"Something like that, yeah," Mindy said, shrugging. "It's weird though. In my world, they're fictional stories. They're not supposed to be real. Yet we're here, and its not only superheroes, but the ones written in my comic books, with the names and powers and everything! It's just weird."

Oh, she understood being envious. Mindy was pissed for a good long time being surrounded around heroes with actual powers.

"I know the feeling. You hear things, think it's an old pony's tale, but then it turns out to be real."

How did those things happen to her? "Like the tale of Nightmare Moon. Supposedly a princess got all jealous of her sister and got sealed in the moon for a thousand years. We all thought it was a lot of nonsense, 'til she broke outta the moon and threatened us."

That had been a fun night. For varying definitions of 'fun'.

She nodded, although it was still a little weird to have these sort of things being told to her by a pony, of course. But once you really thought about it, wasn't every kind of story like this different? Who was she to say one was better than the other?

Mindy raised an eyebrow. "No kidding? That's pretty severe punishment, to seal somebody up in the moon for a thousand years, just for getting jealous. I'd be plotting some pretty nasty things then."

Had My Little Pony gotten more bad ass without her knowing?

"They did. On both sides. It was a terrible fight," Applejack remembered. "Nightmare Moon sealed her sister away when she broke out, just to get her back and keep the rest of us in the dark forever, but we stopped her! My new friends and I represented the Elements of Harmony, giving all of us some sort of power. I know, it sounds silly, but it's true."

She could hardly believe it after all this time. "There's a lot of things people won't believe. I wouldn't believe all this was happening, you know. The Ohm and everything. Sometimes I still don't, I don't want to."

She thought a moment. "How long did she seal her sister away? A thousand years is a long freaking time, and you think someone that mad would be mad for a really long time, right? I mean, its good you stopped her, but when you get shut away a thousand years, you deserve a little revenge."

She shrugged. "But I'm just a little girl, so what do I know, right? These things get complicated. I can assure you the Ohm is real though. I seen em myself."

"Wasn't doubting it. Just wishful thinking." Applejack shook her head. "But it was all right. The sisters figured out their differences and now they're all right, but I haven't seen much of Luna. That's who Nightmare Moon was."

She sighed. "Sisters. You gotta love 'em, but sometimes they're a world of trouble."

Mindy shrugged, popping a piece of gum in her mouth that was a remnant of the whole Halloween day thing. "Luna? How appropriate. In my world, Luna is another word for moon anyway. But its still kinda messed up, punishing your sister for a thousand years. Musta been some fight."

She chuckled. "I'll take your word for it: been nothing but an only child myself, and that was just barely."

"It was. But the Princess didn't see any other way. Nightmare Moon tried to stick us with nighttime eternal---forever. Twice. But we're safe now. We were safe, anyway."

She wondered about that. "Just barely? Did you have a sibling coming?"

Eternal night? For a pony? Sorta hardcore.

"Granted, a few goths would love it, but that sorta kills off all the plant vegetation and stuff, doesn't it? Probably good that you guys won out in the end. Don't think you would fare well without the day."

She shook her head. "Just barely when I mean me. Mom passed away just before giving birth. So I was literally lucky to make it out alive and all."

"I'll say," Applejack shuddered. "How could we feed ourselves?" She never wanted to live in a world without sun. Even here, with the artificial sun, wasn't helping all that much.

Oh---gosh. Applejack's eyes widened. It was terrible, such a thing happening. She couldn't relate to everything, but she knew what it was like to having a mother gone. She stepped closer, gently bumping her nose against Mindy's hand. "I'm sorry, sugar. I know it's hard without a mama."

"We have grocery stores and all of that, but without the sun we'd pretty much be doomed too. No plants, no sun for people: life is pretty much over."

She was quiet a moment. "I didn't ever her to know her though, so I can't really miss her. But life made her unhappy, s she made the choice to leave it. Dad did the best he could though, raising me and all. It...it helped me."

And it also felt like a weight on her chest a little, thinking of him. "And maybe one day, he and I will be together again."

Applejack bowed her head and folded her ears, taking on a moment of silence for Mindy's mother. That poor woman, to have all desire to live taken from her.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I hope your dad pops up soon."

Yeeeh, she was going to do the pony a favor and NOT tell her what happened with dad. Mindy knew enough to respect the boundaries characters had when it came to hearing about certain things: death was not a happy subject.

"I saw him, actually, though it was only for a day. Was real happy to see me though. But I can manage: he made e pretty self sufficient before he was gone, you know? I get by."

"Before he was...oh." Yeah, she caught right onto that. If only she could pull the girl in and comfort her.

"But you're right. You seem to do pretty well for yourself." It was one positive light, at least.

Mindy nodded. "I had my time to mourn. And apparently Stacy can bring the dead back, because I saw him for that one day when you were allowed. Happy times. I guess that means t the end of all this, I might be able to get him back."

She was pretty good at keeping her voice steady, even if she felt a rock at her throat. "Surviving is what I do. Just like you, right? You must miss home."

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