Eunoia by kindheart525 on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

The sun shone brightly over Sweet Apple Acres, its rays providing much-needed nourishment for all the trees and other plant life that depended on its light to thrive. It was an unseasonably warm day and most ponies were either sitting in front of their air conditioners or lazing in the sun, but not Pacific Rose. All of the Apples were hard at work in the orchard today, tending to the fruits that provided their living, but Paci had an extra chore to attend to.

She walked through her garden, a watering can in her mouth and a wagon filled with other garden supplies rolling behind her. It almost felt like each blossom turned towards her as she walked by, showing their vibrant faces in greeting. Vibrant, but also thirsty—there was a lot of work to do.

“Y’all are just parched today, aren’t you?”

Paci mumbled through her teeth absentmindedly, not really realizing she was talking to herself.

Lifting the brim of her wide sun hat, she scanned the sky for clouds before letting its shade fall back over her eyes.

“We could use a storm, but it sure ain’t comin’ today. In the meantime…”

She detached herself from the wagon and got right to work, starting her rounds around the garden.

“Oh my, you’re wiltin’ real bad!”

She cooed over one flower, staying for a while longer to give it extra water. As the water sunk into the soil, so did her hooves, as if they were rooted in the ground themselves. Paci could feel her earth pony magic flowing from her heart, down her legs, into the roots buried underneath her, intermingling with the natural process of photosynthesis to bring her plants to life.

Instantly, she could have sworn, the thirsty plants perked up.

There was nothing else Pacific Rose wanted to do on a day like this. She didn’t need a lot in life as long as she had her plants and some nice weather from time to time. A simple filly with simple desires, she could not be happier on a day like this.

“Howdy there, Paci!”

A voice called out to her. Instead of feeling annoyed by the interruption, she put her watering can down and smiled at her visitor.

“Why, howdy to you too, Plum! How are things?”

“Peachy as ever, I’d say, but golly is it hot out!”

Plum whistled and wiped his brow.

“I just had to get a break from helpin’ the others so I reckoned I’d come by and see what you were up to. You mind if I sit down in the shade for a lil?”

“Be my guest,” Paci nodded. “That bench over there is all yours.”

She gestured towards a hoof-carved bench made from a tree trunk, an old treasure from her grandparents’ time.

“So long as you don’t mind some apple blossoms fallin’ on you.”

“Not at all.”

So Plum laid right down and made himself cozy on the bench, nestling into the bumps and crevices of its woodwork as if his body molded to it. He took a deep breath, savoring the shade and the scents of his sister’s garden.

“Whoo, this is like a lil’ slice of heaven! How do ya always know how ta pick just the perfect blooms like this? I swear, it must take so much plannin’ yet you make it look so easy.”

“I reckon it just comes to me,” Paci shrugged lightly, “It takes a lot of research and everything, but I s’pose my heart just knows what’ll mix well at the end of the day.”

“Oh, I wish I had your intuition sometimes,” Plum chuckled to himself. “‘Specially at a time like this.”

“Hm?”

Paci perked up in curiosity, motioning for him to go on.

“It ain’t much to worry over. But, y’see, Cheddar and I are plannin’ a new recipe, and we just can’t seem to agree on it. We’re calling it the Dragon Lands Rice, ‘cause of all the hot peppers and spices in it, and we’re hopin’ it’ll be a hit.”

“I’m sure as sugar it will be. Your recipes always are,” Paci replied. “But what seems to be the issue?”

“That darn cilantro!”

Plum stomped lightly on the bench for emphasis.

“Cheddar’s a darn good cook but I just don’t know what they’re thinkin’ right now. They want to add cilantro to the recipe, but it’s bound to ruin the whole dish! That cursed herb tastes like soap and has no place in anythin’ edible, yet Ched swears up and down that it tastes like magic. I just can’t figure ‘em out!”

He turned to his sister.

“You don’t like cilantro one bit either. Can’t you imagine what that would taste like?”

Paci was focused on her garden as he spoke, her mind multitasking between the problem of thirsty plants and her brother’s cilantro dilemma. She loved working through things like this, like the world was a puzzle and she could do her part to make it a better place. She knew Plum didn’t come to her for advice, but his story brought a solution to her mind.

She finished off the watering can and mulled over it for a moment, chewing on some grass to help her process her thoughts.

“Seems like nopony can agree on cilantro,”

She finally spoke.

“Y’know, I read in a gardenin’ manual that the reason we think it tastes like soap has to do with genetics. It’s somethin’ with the chemicals in the leaves, which I s’pose our brains react different to. Seems like Cheddar doesn’t have that issue.”

“Huh. Really?”

Plum tapped a hoof to his chin, deeply considering this new information.

“I reckon that would make sense. Ched doesn’t have bad taste any other time. This time it looks like I have bad taste. I reckon I owe ‘em an apology.”

He was lighthearted in his reflection, suggesting that whatever argument he had with Cheddar Changa was not too damaging, but still he was sincere.

“But still, I wish there was some sort of solution for this recipe. I’m not lookin’ to take away somethin’ they love but I still can’t stand it, an’ if other ponies have this gene you speak of then we could be offendin’ a chunk of our fans. There’s gotta be a compromise.”

“Lime and parsley, maybe?”

Paci suggested.

“The zesty and earthy flavors would likely be able to imitate what most ponies taste in cilantro. And it’d show you what Cheddar likes about it so much without that silly soap gene in the way. Bring it up to them, try it out, see what they have to say.”

The thoughtful wrinkles in Plum’s face quickly smoothed out, his expression brightening into a smile as bright as a lightbulb.

“You’re right! That’s sure to work!”

He got up from his seat to hug her despite the near-sweltering heat of the day.

“Thank you kindly, sis! I never thought there would be a solution to all this. When we work this out, you’ll be the first to try it, no doubt.”

“‘Course, it ain’t nothin’ at all.”

Paci smiled humbly.

“It’s a real weight off, for sure. So much I’d love to take one off in return.”

Plum acknowledged her watering can.

“That’s lookin’ empty. Could I refill that for ya?”

Pacific Rose appreciated her brother’s care and concern, but she didn’t like feeling like she was owed anything for her service. So she took the watering can in her own mouth, gently declining as she went to refill it herself.

“No thanks, I’m all good. I’m just happy to help.”