Tugging at My Heartstrings 5

>When you wake up, you’re in the same position you were last night.
>Sitting up on Lyra’s bed, laying partially against the nearby wall with her hooves wrapped around one of your arms.
>You smile.
>Looking to the window you can tell the sun hasn’t risen yet.
>And your back aches…
>It’d probably be best to just get yourself untangled from the sleeping mare and head off to your own bed…
>But if you were going to do that, wouldn’t you have left last night?
>You pet her mane a few times and lie back against the wall, and catch a few more Z’s.

>This time the sun wakes you.
>Lyra is gone from the bed, but you can hear the bath running in the other room.
>Rising from the bed, you arch your back and pop your neck.
“Well that was a hell of a night.”
>After a yawn and a little more stretching, you head back to your appointed bed to go back to sleep.

>The next time you wake up, it's because your stomach is growling.
>Apparently you can't miss a meal without getting hungry, or something.
>You get up, quickly shower and put on your other change of clothes.
>Going back to the living room you find a note.
>Unfortunately, you can't read it. Probably either by Bon Bon, or for her.
>You snag some peanut butter and celery sticks from the kitchen and take a seat on the couch.
>Neither pony appear to be home, so you're alone for the day.
>You look back to the food you're eating.
>...
>It's their food.
>This is their home.
>You live here, eat here and sleep here.
>Do you contribute?
>Only on the technicality that is Lyra's research into other species and dimensions.
>And that didn't seem to be going so well.
>So yeah, in the end, you feel like a leech.
"...frick."
>Agenda for the day?
>Earn some cash.
>You finish up the "meal" and hurry back to the basement, where you've left all your electronics.
>Ponies in this world have magi-tech.
>Yours works off of electricity. (Or it did until Discord fucked with it.)
>You're unsure which is better, and if they use compatible parts.
>They both get internet, that's for sure. And your computer could pick it up in this world...
>...but you can't think of any way for this useless information to be of service to this money crisis.
>Well, not unless you sold it.
>And even then, who would buy it?
>Maybe a scientist interested in other technologies, or just some kind of computer enthusiast.
>When it comes down to it, only the video games you have were going to be of any use, but only if you could get them to play.
>Even then, if the ponies didn't like it or couldn't understand it, there wouldn't be any demand for it.
>And it's all in English.
>And even YOU don't know that anymore.
>Hell, you don't even know if what you say is actually English or not, you just speak.
"Fucking Discord-chaos-ain't-gotta-explain-bullshit."
>All you can really do is sit and clean your shit on the off-chance some pony is going to buy any of it.
>And even then, if Lyra wants to use it as evidence or something in her lectures or whatever science type stuff she does and just buys it off you, you won't have actually earned money for the household.
>Wait.
>Didn't Applejack offer you a job because of Applebloom's antics?
>Maybe you'll go inquire further at Sweet Apple Acres.

>Once you reach the edge of the orchards, you can hear the telltale thump followed by multiple smaller impacts of applebucking.
>You hop the fence and head straight towards the noise, going to and fro through the maze of trees.
>The noise has been getting louder and louder, so you're pretty sure you're on the right track.
>As you round another grove of trees, you see the source, Big Macintosh.
>Muttering under your breath, you casually walk up to him.
>He notices you, but neither stops or makes any vocal attempt.
>You wave hi and scratch your head.
>He keeps bucking trees.
>...
>Okay, yeah, this isn't going to work out.
>You turn and twist, looking for the Apple family barn, or something else.
>Nothing.
>If you teleported, you might be able to get into the sky and see which direction to go, but that's a waste of a use.
>You just pick a direction that is not the way you came and start walking.
>"Nope."
>Huh?
>You turn back to Big Mac, who is calmly sitting down next to an empty tree.
>You point in the direction you were going with a raised eyebrow.
>He shakes his head side to side.
>Hmm...not the direction.
>You point another way.
>He shakes his head again.
>Before you guess wrong a third time, he points to five barrels of apples, then his back.
"Sure, why not."
>You lift them one at a time, stacking four on him, then grab the fifth yourself.
>He smiles, then begins to walk off in a new direction entirely.
>Silence reigns for the walk's duration, and after a minute, you can see the barn and their house.
>Cool, he totally led you where you wanted to be.
>As you get closer, you can see an orange shape moving between trees.
>Applejack, likely.
>Not very many orange ponies around, after all.
>When you're close enough to see her face, she starts to talk.
>"Ah, there y'are Big Mac! An ah see ya foun Anon too! Good, good, you've put 'im raght ta work. How bout you two stick together th rest of th day."
>Big Mac nods as he passes her, and motions for you to continue following.
>You guess that means the boss knows what you're up to, since she hasn't stopped you, and went right back to bucking trees once Big Mac nodded.
>Alright, you'll just keep following Red over here.
>Shouldn't be too hard.

>Okay...
>You seriously underestimated how much work you would do.
>Even with Big mac's more-than-impressive strength carrying the brunt of the work and doing all the bucking, at the end of a day, you were worn out.
>And come to think of it, their day likely had begun at sunrise, so you didn't even work for a full day.
>...
>Shit.
>In any case, As you bring in the last couple of buckets, Big Mac points you back to Applejack.
>"Thank ya pardner, ah know ya cain't unnerstand a word ahm sayin, so here's th bits fer th day. If ya want more, ya'll will have to come in in the beginnin of th da, when th sun rises."
>She produces a small pouch, and inside are bits.
>You don't bother counting them, but you bow your head slightly in thanks and head back on home.

>You open the door to a frantic looking Bon Bon.
>"Where the Tartarus where you?"
>You present the bits.
>"What's this?"
>She opens the bag, and her eyes go wide.
>"W-wait, you actually..."
>You just go right past her and flop down on your bed.
>At least you got some apples in you for dinner already while working.

>>"Anon~"
>Apparently you've woken up a lot today.
>>"Anon~ wake up!"
>You wearily open you eyes to see a certain happy unicorn.
>>"So! I heard somehuman went to work today! How was it?"
>>"Tired."
>>"Were there any issues with not being able to communicate?"
>Hmmm...
>>Nope. Big Mac isn't a conversationalist either.
>She snickers for a few seconds, then begins stroking your back with a hoof.
>>"Well, I hope the big hard-working human is prepared to get up extra early tomorrow."
>>Why, do they start at sunrise?
>>"Yep! And they'll want you to work till late tomorrow. Applebloom caught me on my way home and told me to tell you that from Applejack."
>You groan.
>>"Good night, Anonymous."
>After a few minutes, you fall asleep.
>She turns out the lights.
>"And thanks for last night."