//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Honest work and its consequences 
// by PegaTwister 
//------------------------------//

CHAPTER 3

...Speaking of which, as the sun was about to set, the same farmer-pony was in her house with her family, discussing the newcomer. Applejack briefly explained what transpired in the morning, trying her best to sound professional. 

“So, what do y'all think? Should we hire him?” She asked. 
After a brief moment of silence, Granny Smith spoke. 
“Well, lemme tell ya, I'd be lyin’ if I said I ain't surprised that someone suddenly appears on the porch and asks fer a job, havin’ no experience in the apple business once-so ever!” she said sternly, but then her features softened. 
“But, like ya said yerself, Applejack, us Apples won't turn down a willin’ pair of hooves that wanna help. I say we give him a shot, and if something goes wrong we'll chase him out of town faster than he can say ‘sweet-apple-pie’! What d’ya think, Big Mac? Should we give him a shot?” She looked at her grandson. 
“Eeyup.” He said. Applejack smiled, a little relieved. 
“Well ‘course yer for it! You’d finally have anotha’ stallion to talk to, instead of being surrounded by mares!” Granny Smith chuckled, playfully messing his mane. She turned to Applejack. 

“So? When are we gonna meet the stallion in question, hmm?”
“Well, I told him to come by during the evenin’, so I reckon he should be here soon.” 

Just as she said that, a knock was heard on the door. Behind it, as expected, was just the stallion you'd expect to see. He nervously went through the mane on his head and neck with his hoof, hoping it looked good enough. After just a few moments the door opened, and a hatted mare greeted him, just like she did in the morning. 
“Good evening, I'm back”, Engine said, hoping to sound casual. “Is this a good time?”
Applejack smiled. “Sure is. Come on in, we were just talkin’ about ya.” 

Engine followed her to a living room, where two ponies, one green and one red, were waiting. 
Granny Smith spoke first. “Hot diggity! Now tha’s what I call tall! Come sit down, sonny, don’t be shy now.”
Engine did as he was told, and sat down on an empty couch. He suddenly was very aware of the fact that he was a complete stranger “intruding” on a whole family.
“Thank you for having me,” Engine said somewhat stiffly. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, I'm-”
“Now hold yer horses, sonny. I love chatting as much as the next pony- these two can attest to that”, she said as she threw her hoof behind her back, where her grandchildren were standing. 
Before they even had the chance to respond, she continued. “But this trip back home was down-right exhaustin’ and Ah can't wait to hop into bed and hit the hay.”
Engine nodded, not sure what to make of it. Was her wanting to make this short a good or a bad thing?

“Applejack filled me in on them details. Random stranger from celestia-knows where just showed up out of the blue, lookin’ fer an honest job here with the apples. That right?”
Engine nodded again, still not sure if he should be expecting the worst. 
Granny Smith narrowed her eyes and stared at him for a minute. He did her best to keep eye contact. The two siblings watched the scene and occasionally exchanged confused looks between them. 

“Alright”, Granny Smith finally said. “Congratulations, sonny. You can start tomorrow. That is, if that's still fine with you two?” She looked back, barely moving her head. Applejack silently nodded with a smile and Big Mac replied with a “eeyup”. 

Engine was a little shocked. That's it? He's in, just like that? It felt a little too good to be true. 

“Wow, I…” he stammered for a moment. “Thank you so much… I'll do my best!” 
Granny Smith waved a dismissive hoof. “yeah yeah, I'm sure ya will. I have a bed upstairs with my name on it waitin’ just fer me. I'm sure the young’uns here will fill ya in on the details.” 
She told him as she slowly rose from the couch and started to head upstairs. Just before she was out of sight, she looked at Engine again and smiled. “You can calm yerself, sonny, Ah think you'll fit in jus’ fine…” and with that, she disappeared. 

Engine, still a little shocked, tried to process what this meant. It wasn't the first time he spontaneously came up to a place and asked for a job, and he wasn't usually turned down, either. 
But something about this time felt different, like the start of something new, something big.

He snapped out of his thoughts as the other stallion in the room approached him, hoof extended and a big smile on his face. Engine matched his smile and stood up, shaking his hoof. 
“Thank you for this opportunity, I'm looking forward to working here, and I really hope I'll be able to prove useful to all of you, too”. 
“Eeyup.” 
“I think you'll do just fine, Engine”, Applejack said behind Big Mac. “Havin’ a new face around will be refreshin’, if nothin’ else.”
Engine's smile widened. Somehow, Applejack’s approval meant the most to him. 

“So, when should I come by tomorrow?” An important question indeed.
“I'd say about 20, 30 after dawn, if that's alright.”
“Sure, I'll be there.”
"That's usually when we start with the chores. And I guess Big Mac and I will take turns with showing you around, that way you’ll probably see more of the farm and what we do here.” 
“Sounds perfect”, he said with a nod and a smile.

“Well, I should really get going, I think I've taken enough of your personal time for one evening.”
“Nah, nothin’ of the sort”, Applejack quickly replied, “I was the one to invite you in the first place. Come on, I'll walk you to the entrance.” 
And so they did, after receiving a (somewhat enthusiastic) goodbye-wave from Big Mac. 

“Are you all set in Ponyville? Got a place to stay and all that?” She asked him after getting to the front door. 
‘right, a place to sleep’. “Well, there's a tavern nearby, they probably have some spare rooms, right?” He saw it earlier on the “super tour” with Pinkie. 
“I reckon they do, not many ponies come and stay the night”. 
Engine smiled. “Great, then I really am all set.” 
They stared at each other for just a few seconds. One might say they were having a moment. 

Or at least, almost having a moment. It was abruptly interrupted by the front door opening and slamming Engine right on his muzzle. 
Neither had the time to react before a high-pitched voice said “I'm home-! Oh, hi, Applejack! Were you headin’ out?” 
Apple Bloom closed the door, only to find a familiar stallion standing behind it, rubbing his nose. 
“Oops…” Apple Bloom mumbled. 
“Apple Bloom!” Her sister finally managed to say. “Watch it now, will ya?”
“Gee, sorry miste- I mean, Engine”, the little filly said with guilt in her eyes. 
Engine chuckled. “no no, it's ok, really. Standing on the wrong side of the door is never a good idea.” He kept chuckling, finding the situation extremely funny, even if he was the only one. Apple Bloom opened the door for him again. 

“Good night to all of you, and.. I'll see you tomorrow, I suppose.” Engine raised his hoof as a meaning of parting and nodded as Applejack raised hers and her younger sister returned a happy “goodnight!”

‘He sure nods a lot, doesn't he… kinda cute…’ Applejack thought with a smile. And then her smile dropped. ‘wait, “cute”? Did i really just-’
Her thoughts were interrupted. “Wait, he said he'll see us tomorrow… so that means he'll work here?”
Applejack looked at her sister, not exactly sure what to say. “Looks like he will, for now.”
Apple Bloom smiled. “Cool! He looks like a nice pony! He's strong, too!” 
She then suddenly looked a little concerned. 
“Say, Applejack… I can still eat candy, right? I'm really, really sorry I hit Engine when I opened the door…” 
Applejack sighes, smirking. She closed the door and began walking inside. 

“It's late,” she said. “go wash up and go to bed, you have school tomorrow.*"
“Is that a yes on the candy?”
Applejack began walking up the stairs.
“Goodnight, Apple Bloom”. 
“Aw, come on! At least answer my question!” 
“Time for bed.”
“But the candy??”
“Would you look at that, the lights in my room are already off.”
“Applejack!!”
“Can't hear you, I'm asleep. Zzz…”
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, hoping that her sister was really just teasing her.