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       #Post#: 690--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Not Far from the Tree
       By: Applejack Date: August 2, 2016, 4:42 pm
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       Applejack quirks a brow, adjusting the brim of her hat before
       giving another tree that same, firm whack. "So your not from
       aroun' here, are ya? One of those- whatchamacallits... exchange
       students?" It would certainly explain a few of her questions,
       and possibly answer why Brash was so... peculiar. "I'd reckon
       Applebloom probably wanted to show you her clubhouse," she
       continues, now sifting through one of the baskets to remove any
       undesirables. "She and her friends are pretty darn proud of that
       thing. Home to many great ideas, and..." Applejack pauses,
       tossing out a few twigs before picking the basket up and placing
       it on a nearby cart. "...home to many not so great ones. But
       that's besides the point. I'll let her give ya the tour of the
       clubhouse when she gets back. In the meantime, you're more than
       welcome to stay as long as you'd like."
       #Post#: 695--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Not Far from the Tree
       By: Brash Date: August 3, 2016, 4:43 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       "Yeah, I'm in from Canterlot. However I was home-schooled as my
       father felt he could provide a better education than any private
       school could muster." Brash watches as Applejack removes apples
       from the basket and looks for ones with similar negative traits
       to help separate them. "I'm here now because with my father gone
       I came to the conclusion that I should continue to seek an
       education and use the vacation house he left here while my home
       in Canterlot goes to his- I mean, my company."
       Brash begins tossing away bruised and worm eaten apples from the
       baskets, thinking about how she could get herself into the
       Ponyville school system without a guardian. "My gratitude for
       the room, it'll only be a day."
       #Post#: 919--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Not Far from the Tree
       By: Applejack Date: September 20, 2016, 7:36 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Applejack grins, moving to stack another basket of pruned apples
       on her cart before reaching over to give Brash a pat on the
       head. "Now there's something ya don't hear every day. Y'all's
       education is mighty important, especially while y'all are still
       young. Heck, it's important all your life. I'd reckon I learn a
       thing or two every day, even more so with Twilight around." The
       mare grows silent for a moment as she returns to her work,
       digging through each basket of apples in a clock-work fashion as
       she piles them up one by one in her cart. "And an education in
       business to boot. For a company you already own, if I understand
       it right. You're certainly on your way, Brash, and I hope
       Applebloom and her friends can learn a thing or two from ya."
       She grins again, recalling the few times she had to drag
       Appleboom to school... Quite literally.
       #Post#: 922--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Not Far from the Tree
       By: Brash Date: September 20, 2016, 9:17 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Brash, caught off guard as Applejack pats her head, can only
       give a disapproving grumble.
       "Feh, my company can handle itself. Even now they operate
       seamlessly not even knowing my father has passed. I'd rather
       focus on what I've been taught about engineering and magic and
       use public schooling to fill in the gaps." Now as Applejack
       fills the cart through labor Brash cannot assist in, she stands
       idle once more.
       "One might assume I was taught business, but my father was only
       using it as a means to an end, he needed excessive funds for his
       research and with it complete he's left me to use it for the
       good of Equestria ...though I suppose I should decide what to do
       with Gizmo Industries." Brash looks to the ground in thought,
       but keeps Applejack in her peripheral vision.
       #Post#: 924--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Not Far from the Tree
       By: Applejack Date: September 20, 2016, 10:35 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       "Strictly speaking, sugarcube, anything you learn can be used as
       a means to an end. Never hurts to know a bit of everythin'."
       Applejack circles around to the front of the cart, using her
       body as a fulcrum to lift it up with a heavy grunt. "As far as
       your company goes... well... Just look at this farm, for
       example." Digging her back legs into the ground, Applejack gives
       a mighty shove to get the cart rolling. "While not as fancy as
       engineering and research, we here at Sweet Apple Acres strive to
       provide the best quality apples for everypony to enjoy. And not
       just apples by themselves, but many products made from apples.
       Something basic transformed into something unique... And tasty.
       But that's besides the point. Use your engineering to take your
       father's ideas and transform them into something new and useful
       for everypony to enjoy, and use your business to market and make
       the sale. Just like we keep our Apple family legacy alive here
       at the farm, keep your father's legacy alive through your
       company. You get where I'm coming from, sugarcube?" Applejack
       walks slowly as she talks, moving her way back up to the
       farmhouse.
       #Post#: 925--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Not Far from the Tree
       By: Brash Date: September 20, 2016, 10:59 pm
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       Brash follows Applejack whilst listening, yet quickly realizes
       she probably didn't communicate to her properly.
       "What I meant to say was; My father did not care about the
       company in the least, he needed money, he got it. He employed
       those desperate for something his company could offer and
       communicated solely through letters to them. The money rolled
       in, he bought what he needed for his research and he left the
       rest to his secretary. Gizmo Industries isn't something he would
       want me to continue on, yet it's still there and something I
       need to deal with. His legacy lies in the project I now work on,
       and in that regard I still need them, but once I'm done... to be
       blunt, I care about them as much as my father did."
       She sighs and looks out across the field of apple trees, "Heh, I
       only even know two of the employees, yet here I am, CEO of Gizmo
       Industries. When he left everything to me in his will I wonder
       if he was thinking of that."
       #Post#: 934--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Not Far from the Tree
       By: Applejack Date: September 21, 2016, 6:44 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Applejack falls silent, pondering to herself as her hooves
       rhythmically tap one after the other, slowly parading her cart
       up the small road. Normally, she could have been up and down
       this road with a full haul several times over in a mere jiffy,
       but the mare was rather enjoying her conversation with Brash...
       However odd it may be. The orange mare stops for a moment to
       survey the area around her, just simply taking in the view as
       she takes a deep breath. The more she hears about the young
       filly's father, the more she is reminded of the pair of
       brothers, Flim and Flam. While they were con-artists, Applejack
       believes they were highly intelligent; engineering a machine
       that out-produced her family's own efforts was no easy feat,
       albeit suffering a loss in quality. But what if they were able
       to fine-tune it, matching their superior rate with superior
       quality?
       All in all, however, Flim and Flam's dubious dealings were, in
       fact, a means to an end. Money. And while Applejack was hesitant
       to compare Brash's father with the likes of those two, she was
       getting the impression they might have been of the same
       mind-set, at least initially. Creating a company to fund his own
       research, employing "desperate" ponies who needed work or other
       benefits, hiding behind these letters, and ultimately letting it
       all fall on Brash, who now continues her father's project. All
       while the company continues to toil away, unaware of her
       father's passing. She doubts that her father had taken all of
       this into consideration while writing Brash into his will.
       Instead, he probably knew that the young filly would utilize
       what he created to further this... project, whatever it might
       be. To a point, it was all a lie, and would quite possibly
       become a moral dilemma later in Brash's life.
       Applejack shakes her head, turning off to continue up the road
       ahead. Brash is certainly intelligent, but much too young to be
       saddled with such things... And alone, it seems like. Normally,
       Applejack is a fount of hard-earned wisdom when it comes to work
       and family, but she honestly wouldn't know what to do if she was
       faced with the same situation. Just how much of a "normal" life
       has Brash lived, she wonders?
       "What is this... project... anyways?" the mare inquires, her
       voice taking on a more serious tone as she approaches the front
       of the house, slipping the cart off her shoulders with a small
       thud. Retrieving a basket of apples, she steps up onto the patio
       and sits down, curling her tail in front of her as she offers an
       apple to Brash.
       #Post#: 935--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Not Far from the Tree
       By: Brash Date: September 21, 2016, 7:18 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Brash takes the apple and stares into it, its shining surface
       showing her reflection. "I think my father kept it a secret
       because his ludicrous ambition would lead to ridicule... and if
       one would've told him he couldn't do it within his lifetime,
       they'd have been right." She then begins to further inspect the
       apple.
       "An autonomous metal mare, capable of defending Equestria
       without need of the Elements of Harmony, Crystal Heart, or any
       such artifact. Whilst Equestria does have its military, they can
       hardly act against powerful foes. He wanted something for
       everypony, a hero we could rely on every time for eternity...
       even though I can build it according to his blueprints, testing,
       adjustments, and everything I'd need to do to make it the way he
       envisioned may take my entire life to do." She bites into the
       apple and chews rather slowly, still staring forward.
       #Post#: 937--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Not Far from the Tree
       By: Applejack Date: September 21, 2016, 9:19 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Applejack blinks, frozen mid-bite into her own apple as she
       attempts to process what Brash had just said. She was suddenly
       forced to reconsider her stance on the matter... Perhaps her
       initial impressions against Brash's father were wrong after all.
       The project wasn't some marketing scheme or luxury of life like
       she had thought, but instead something that would potentially
       benefit the entirety of Equestria... True to Brash's word, as
       she had mentioned earlier. On the other hoof, however, the whole
       thing seemed like an excellent premise to those doomsday stories
       she would read about in books or watch in films. Applejack could
       only imagine what damage such a construct would cause if built
       to completion, then inexplicably turn on its masters. Ludicrous?
       Yes. Ridiculous...? Yes... There was no easy way to simply
       digest that kind of idea, let alone taking it seriously. Brash
       was in the right to keep such a thing secret, but she couldn't
       help but think why she chose to mention it now, especially
       towards one of the Bearers of Harmony.
       "That's quite the mouthful..." The orange mare finishes her
       bite, gazing up at nothing in particular as she entertains the
       thought. "To be able to build something that could rival the
       power of Chrysalis... Sombra... Tirek... The chaos that is
       Discord. Hmm..." Applejack takes another bite, leaning back as
       she props herself up on the wall. "Twilight would be helpful
       here. Heck, even Celestia and Luna, considering they've lived
       through numerous threats. I'm just an honest farm-pony." She
       chuckles to herself, crossing her hind hooves as she stretches
       out. "But I'm an honest farm-pony who's as good as her word. I
       won't tell anypony, but do consider getting in touch with us
       when the time is right. When your project comes close to
       fruition, I'm sure we could all put our heads together to figure
       things out. Even if we're not around anymore, there will always
       be somepony to carry the Elements of Harmony." A morbid thought,
       perhaps, but true nonetheless.
       Applejack eyes Brash from the corner of her eye, reaching out to
       give another pat on the head. "Here's my advice, Brash... You're
       young, and can potentially accomplish many things during your
       life-time, but don't toil endlessly away in your home, or
       wherever you work at. There's a time for work, and a time for
       play. A recharge, if you will. It's also important to have
       friends that will support you through thick and thin... All of
       these things I've had to learn the hard way, and trust me,
       you'll have more gray hairs than Granny by the time you become
       an adult. To take on the world alone just ain't healthy."
       #Post#: 941--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Not Far from the Tree
       By: Brash Date: September 21, 2016, 9:47 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Brash concludes some things through Applejack's words, she
       didn't know Applejack and Twilight were bearers of the Elements,
       she simply knew of the artifacts and their power, this research
       having gone towards her project. As well, Twilight must be the
       leader and smartest of the lot, she'd have to head to the castle
       some time in the future.
       "I'm not the type for fun and friends, working alone in my house
       is my play. Watching things come together and functioning as I
       built them to is all I need. I have the support of Gizmo
       Industries, its free labor, its excess funds, and their various
       connections." Brash takes a large bite of her apple, chewing and
       consuming it quickly, remembering she has a lie to uphold, "Of
       course I make time for school and networking, such is why I was
       here to meet Apple Bloom."
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