I don't know if it's because they're ponies or because they haven't industrialised yet, but the ponies have a lot more
nature around their towns. Canterlot.. just..
stops once you get off the mountain. And then there's miles of moorland before you get to… This place.
It's called
Ponyville. I know I'm just getting a translation from Sunset's spell, but that's not even a
pun. It's just 'pony' with 'ville' stuck on the end. We don't have towns called '
Humanville'. Yeah, Grayven said there's a place in England called 'Manchester', and apparently there's some place in Vietnam called '
Hue', but it's not literally every town on the planet.
They do make up for the puns of just about
every other community in Equestria. I guess the Apple family were feeling a bit burnt out on puns when they founded Ponyville...
"Bit for you thoughts?"
The pink… Ah… Pinkie Pie? I'm guessing this is the local one, but I don't know how Grayven tells them apart. It's probably something to do with him starting to reorganise their government and so counting them as his 'subjects', but arrows don't really have personalities. If I wanted to work out the differences I'd probably need to go hunting with them or something.
I mean, I'm sure a Boxing Glove arrow has a very gregarious character. And Flare arrows like it hot? Grapple arrows are clingy?

Maybe she should focus on them more.
I look around the apple orchard.
"How do you pick these without hands?"
Oh, are you in for a treat, honey... And a bit of a headache...
Pinkie Probably Pie grins, shaking her head, her mane flopping back and forward like its made of rubber. "We don't, silly. How would we pick things without hands?"
…
"I-. With your mouths? That's how most ponies I've seen move stuff."
Ah, she hasn't learnt the
art of communicating with Pinkies yet. Think of your worst Dad jokes. Those will be your
basic level of comedy...
Pinkie Pie frowns. "I think that would bruise the skin. And it would take a really long time. And it would probably make a lot of ponies strain their necks. And have you tried to go up a ladder as a pony? We're really not designed for ladders."
"I guess… Okay, how do you get the apples off the trees?"
Makes me honestly wonder what Pony scaffolding looks like... Long spiral ramps?
Pinkie Pie perks up. "I'll show you!" And then she perks down. "Well, okay, I won't show you, because last time I tried to do it… It didn't go too well. But my friend Applejack can show you!"
"Let's go find Applejack, then."
Most ponies don't do too great at it either, do they? The Apple family are
kind of masters of certain Earth Pony skills, though...
Pinkie Pie… Bounces, all four legs acting like springs. Is that something ponies can do? Ponies like Wilson-ponies. I haven't seen any of the others do it, but maybe they just think it looks silly? Or maybe it's really hard? I've gotten the hang of walking with four hooves, but I can't run-. Or.. trot? Yet.
"Hey, do you have deer around here?"
For reference, that motion is called
Pronking (or Stotting, depending on region.) Something many prey quadrupeds do, especially when young. Why? Who knows. Why does
Pinkie do it? Because it's fun and cute,
duh.
"Of course not. This is an apple orchard, not a deer orchard." Pinke Pie gasps, then her head twists around like an owl's neck while she keeps bouncing. "Unless they're in disguise!"
"Ah, yeah, no, I meant; can deer talk on this planet? Are they intelligent, like ponies?"
...That is a good question. Don't the local cows talk, or am I misremembering?
"Wouldn't they be intelligent like deer?"
"That's a tautology. Look, I know gryphons and dragons are as intelligent as ponies, but regular dogs and cats aren't"
Maybe only quadrupeds of a certain size? Which suggests larger dogs might be capable of it... Someday. And Diamond Dogs don't count, they're basically Kobolds.
Pinkie's having fun messing with her, isn't she? Artemis must make a
great straight-pony...
"Are deer intelligent like gryphons, dragons and ponies are?"
"I don't know. I've never met a deer. But the only zebra I've met is super-nice, so, maybe?"
I bet Deer would be proud assholes... Wild Deer can be
dicks, I hear.
"How about giraffes?"
"What are those?"
There's a scary thought. Imagine Giraffe soldiers, with neck, slung weapons, like huge maces and guillotine blades... Seriously, Giraffes are nasty...
Right. Pre-industrial, in the middle of a continent. They probably didn't even have a map of their planet until Grayven gave them one.
"They look sorta like ponies, but a lot bigger and with really long necks. And they've got two little-" I go cross-eyed for a second trying to look at my horn. "-horns on their heads."
Like trying to describe an elephant to a blind pony... Sort of.
"Huh. I dunno, but now I really wanna meet one! They probably could pick apples without a ladder!"
"Yeah, probably."
They're probably more nomadic, though... Man, this line of thought spawns whole
reams of fan-species concepts.
I don't… I mean, yeah, this place is about as far from the Land of Summer's End as you can get, and I guess Grayven wanted to spend some time with Princess Luna, but I don't.. really…
I don't know why I'm here. I think Grayven wants to put me in a relaxing environment, without all of the people and places I keep thinking I should remember but don't. But I think that's just… Putting it off? If he was just trying to break me out of a 'downward spiral' or something-.
Oh, he has a plan.

Just like Celestia,
really. Just roll with it, gurl.
"Hey, AJ!"
A pale orange pony with a.. cowboy hat. Huh? Why would a pony wear a hat to keep the sun off when they're not wearing clothes and they're covered in fur? That-. Anyway, the orange pony with the apple butt tattoo looks up from taken buckets off a cart.
Hey, when you walk around nude, accessories can make your look distinctive and
marketable memorable!
"Well hey there Pinkie Pie! Who's yer friend?"
"This is Artey! She came through the magic mirror like Grayven did!"
And
that's why she wears the cowboy hat. It finishes off that perfect down-home western aesthetic... Surprised Artemis had no comment on the accent.
'AJ' starts looking decidedly less welcoming. "That right."
"Uh-huh! And she wants to know how we get apples off the trees!"
Ah, she wasn't overly fond of Grayven, was she? Still, she doesn't judge people based on friendships.
"Well, that's easy. We buck 'em."
I frown, and I feel the pull as my horn stops the skin over my forehead moving.
Heh, she's not settling into equine form at all, is she? Not like Grayven, who
leapt at the chance to pony it up...

Once he could stand unaided.
"You.. buck them?"
"Why, we surely do! I'll show ya!"
Brace yourself, Arty, this is gonna be fun.
Applejack grabs one bucket after another, rapidly tossing them into a rough circle around one of the apple trees. Weird they all stay upright, but I guess the bases are weighted or something?
"Watch real careful, y'all."
...You know, she could probably learn something from Applejack's ability to eyeball the landing spots of
every apple on a tree.
Applejack backs up towards the tree, and it looks like she's carefully judging the distance. So, what, she kicks the tree and the apples fall off? How can that wo-
Next to me, Pinkie Pie inhales deeply, her lungs swelling.
-rk..? Oh, is this one of those song th-?
<Prepares to Squee>
"Apple's a yummy, tree-growing fruit!
Bucking them is a bucker's strong suit!
Because you see it's really a breeze!
Pull your legs back and buck all the trees!"
I'm picturing this as a real drinking song tempo. Easy for a bunch of drunks to sing along to, easy-to-remember chorus and all that.
Applejack kinda leans forward, lifts her back legs up and thrusts then into the tree. The tree vibrates, the apples shake, then… Fall… Perfectly into the buckets?
What?
Toldja, Arrow-girl. Get her to teach you that, you'll enjoy yourself.
"You can buck peaches and you can buck limes!
And you can buck figs if you've got the time!
And if you want to buck down some sloes!
Swing yours legs hard and see how it goes!"
Now I wish I had a tankard of mead to thump on the table... And a good log table to thump it on...
Pinkie Pie prances around as Applejack continues buck-.
"Apple's a yummy, tree-growing fruit!
Bucking them is a bucker's strong suit!
Because you see it's really a breeze!
Lift your tail up and buck all the trees!"
Oh, my. [/takei]
Definitely a bawdy drinking song... One for the stallions who like a nice
firm flank, eh?
Wait. Wait. Lift your-? What's she saying?
"If fruit-bearing trees aren't how you swing!
You can buck just about anything!
Buck on a wood plank to drive in the nails!
Or buck a ship-mast to open the sails!"
Pretty sure they've shown ponies do all of those things in the series, haven't they?
Is she..?
"Apple's a yummy, tree-growing fruit!
Bucking them is a bucker's strong suit!
Because you see it's really a breeze!
Spread your legs wide and buck all the trees!"
Enjoy the nice, cool wind betwixt your nethers, and all that.
Hah, no bad mood survives exposure to Pinkie Pie.

You just know she planned this!
"Buck on a mountain to knock down a rock!
Buck on a tower to start up a clock!
Buck on a stuck pipe to start up a flow!
You can try bucking wherever you go!"

Can you buck in front of other people, I ask? Or is it just a thing between consenting adults?
"Apple's a yummy, tree-growing fruit!
Bucking them is a bucker's strong suit!
Because you see it's really a breeze!
Stretch your haunches and buck all the trees!"
I wonder if an expert Earth pony mage or Alicorn with earth-focused magic could do an entire orchard in one stomp?
And Pinkie discreetly hoof-pumps with a grin, because
of course she meant for that to happen.