[Road from Ponyville] Picking Up the Peaces [Mojo/Riverhippo]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]There he was, smelling a flower. "Wow, this smells, like... good" Flax picked the flower with his mouth and stuffed it into his bag. "Maybe that will add to my new mixture of essence sweetener. It could be that extra piece of spiritual renewal that I've been looking for." Flax spoke to himself, very proud of his way of life, and concentrating intensely on keeping things focused on improving a pony's aura and peace of mind. Unfortunately, Flax had yet to meet any other pony like this, a pony who shared his taste for life, and connected with his natural wishes. Except his life partner, Wheat Grass of course.

Flax was on his back to his barn. He had just spent the whole day going door to door in Ponyville trying to encourage people to try his soul-enhancing formulas. Most of them rejected him, not so much because of the product but because of Flax's strange way of communicating and his inability to take the other pony's perspective into consideration. To him, it was about what they needed. And they need this product. No questions. Not feeling entirely defeated, he started his trek back towards his home by the Nimbusgait Lakes, unaware of the pony he would meet along the way.[/colour]

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[Mojo]

Pulling his trademark peddler's wagon behind him, Mojo trots along the road, humming a happy tune along the way. It had been a long day, but at least in the opinion of the happy-go-lucky Earth stallion, productive. He didn't sell much of his wares today, but he did make enough bits to make him happy. As he was trotting down the road, he spotted a new pony he'd never seen before. This stallion was rather lanky, taller than he was but was dressed in some very funky clothes.

[colour=#8b4513]"Hay there friend! Name's Mojo, are ya new here? I'm diggin' those threads. Did ya make'm yurself?"[/colour]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Flax looked at the brown painted pinto. He wasn't expecting company, but he would entertain by answering his questions. "Um, of course. Me and my life partner only wear things that are, like, hoof-stitched and used from all-natural fibers. Didn't you know that certain fibers in silks can improve your aura?" Flax gave a cocky attitude towards the pony, assuming that there was no way that this pony knew what was good for him, despite him seeming sort of happy all around. He kept walking forward towards the lakes, not fully aware of what this pony was all about. Flax wasn't easily affected by the presence of other ponies. He often just assumed his own opinions, and stated them as fact. And any input otherwise from those around him was usually wasted on his inability to depart temporarily from his own guise, and served to frustrate him and increase his ignorance more than it was a healthy exchange of ideas.[/colour]

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[Mojo]

Mojo was fascinated with Flax Seed, even though he hadn't formally told him his name yet.

[colour=#8B4513]"That's marvy!" [/colour]the Paint stallion neighed. [colour=#8B4513]"I can dig it! Clothes that can improve your aura! Groovy! And ya say ya have a mate? YEAH BABY! Good for you! I haven't found meself a happenin' babe ta settle with yet. Me two travellin' companions are cool, but not really marryin' material for me. I mean, Jubilee is like me own sister, well, a sister with wings. And then there's Nurse Starflower, but she's a bit old for me, don't tell'r I said that though. I'm hoofin;' it solo today, Jubilee's in Canterlot performing in a stage play and Starflower's back home at her clinic. Say, if ya don't mind me askin', chum, what's yur name? Do ya live nearby? Me family farm's not far down the road. I'm goin' back ta restock me wagon."[/colour]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]"You can dig it? You know, when your hooves are one with the earth and dirt, your sense of mind and spiritual renewness is at its best." He added his name. "Flax Seed, of Flax and Wheat." This Mojo character certainly did like to talk. And he seemed really happy about everything he was seeing. So much so, that Flax seemed to notice his lack of attention to detail. "You should probably stay away from that Starflower girl. Like, medicine doesn't help you like people say it does. It's all a lie. Only nature ingredients from the ground in plants made with plain hoof power can help you. And Jelly Bean girl? I bet she makes you do all sorts of non-essential things because of her wings, right?" Flax had run-ins with pegasus ponies in the past. Generally, all of them were fine, but using wing power to aide earth ponies for something they can do with the ground they stood on seemed pointless to him. "And I was in Canterlot. I don't know a Jubilee, but I can say that that city does not find grace in the real earthy essentials that the gang and I attribute to. Canterlotians are all about social status and evil power to force down the mare. Not us. We stand up to the mare!" Flax fist-pumped his hoof. "That's why we decided to come back here and live life back on our own farm without the spoiled routines of this world." Flax pointed ahead. "It's up here next to the Nimbusgait Lakes."[/colour]

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[Mojo]

[colour=#8B4513]"I work with me hooves too, Flax," [/colour]Mojo explained, [colour=#8B4513]"me mum and dad still run our family farm. There. we ONLY grow organic fruits an' veggies usin' absolutely NO unnatural methods like magic. I stock me peddler's wagon with these things as part of what I sell! Ponies, griffons and even mules love'm! I also make lots of hoofmade arts and crafts items I sell too! Well Flax, Starflower's cool, for an older chick and Julibee's gonna be a big star someday. It's her bag, and I think it's groovy. I'm with ya on Canterlot, pal. Get a lotta bad vibes from that place. HAY! Me family's farm is in the Nimbusgait Lakes area too! Ya don't suppose we could be neighbors, could we? That's be far out! Marvy! Groovy! Say Flax, if ya don't mind me sayin' so, ya seem kinda down. What's buggin' ya? Maybe I can help, after all, I am the Pony of Peace. Dig me cutie mark!"[/colour]

[colour=#8B4513]

[/colour]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Oh no. This pony might actually live next to me, Flax thought. And even worse, he thinks he can outdo me in natural routines. Flax wasn't having any of that. "Um, you like, have no idea how silly you sound. The things Wheat and I make are, like, at least ten times better than just plain organic materials." Flax pondered for a minute about his neighbors. He wasn't sure exactly who they were. Could they be this earth pony's family farm? He knew that Filthy had a new establishment coming to take over the farm, before Rarity saved Wheat and Flax from being completely bankrupt.

And then, all Flax could think about was those eyes. They just stared back at him, into his very soul. Flax got flustered and snorted. "That stallion Filthy Rich almost took over our farm. But its still ours now." Flax raised an eyebrow at Mojo. "What? You think you can just 'peace' your way onto my farm and take it from us? Thats what those snooty twin unicorns tried to do with us, sweet talk us into giving everything to them." Flax had a hard time trusting other ponies. Thankfully, him and his gang were free from worry about being evicted from their property, but the wounds were still open and healing. And a vacation of fame in Canterlot didn't help weed out the unnecessary vibes from his mind either.[/colour]

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[Mojo]

Mojo was stunned by Flax Seed's reaction to his conversation! Although it did make him feel somewhat uncomfortable, the Paint stallion retained his natural peaceful charm.

[colour=#8B4513]"Whoa Flax! Chill out! I'm feelin' some real negative vibes here! First of all, chum, I'd never try ta swindle you and your gal outta yur farm! I don't havea farm meself and wouldn't have the time to care for one if I did! I'm a travellin' salespony and I love me work! I stay with me parents on the good ol' family farm when I'm here. Hay! Two snooty unicorns ya say? Bet those squares were Flim and Flam, right? Heard about what two hooligans tried ta do ta Sweet Apple Acres a while back! Flim and Flam act even worse than the establishment! And what's all these bad vibes about me thinkin' I'm better than you and Wheat? That's not cool, dude. Really pal, I'm not the competitive type at all. Betcha the two of ya make a lot of marvy stuff ta sell! All I'm tryin' ta do is offer a helpin' hoof if ya need it. That's all. I wanna be yur friend, Flax, not yur enemy, can ya dig it?" [/colour]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Flax thought for a moment, and in listening to the hippy pony's plea he decided to let up. But instead of apologizing for his wrong assumptions, he continued the subject of whatever it was that made him and Wheat so special. "Um, yeah, its like, the best stuff ever man. You scrub it into your mane and it will release the particles of your mind and balance the spectrum on a spiritual level." Flax grabbed back at one of his jars, and pulled out a bit of the purple goop, and presented it in his hoof to Mojo. "Here, try some. Just rub it into your scalp." Flax rolled his eyes with his hoof extended. "And I'm not going to dig at this ground. This area's dirt is too unnaturally enhanced."[/colour]

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[Mojo]

Relieved that now Flax viewed him as a friend, Mojo quickly accepted the goop and applied it to his mane. The Paint stallion quickly rubbed it all in.

[colour=#8B4513]"This stuff is really marvy, dude!" [/colour]Mojo neighed. [colour=#8B4513]"Love the fragrance too! Do ya have a whole line of mane and body care products? You and yur gal are bloomin' brilliant! I could never make such ripper things like this. Sure, I can make pop art, paintings, jewelry. even sell one of me own poetry books once in a blue moon, but never health and beauty aids! Betcha sell a lot of this stuff ta happy ponies! Do ya distribute it yurself or have a middle pony that sells it for ya?"[/colour]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Flax was swimming in an ocean of questions. This Mojo pony just kept on talking. He seemed too happy to not be up to something. Fortunately, Flax is too distracted to notice anything of the sort. "Dude, you're like, asking way too many questions. You need to calm your inner spirit inside and speak the words that your aura feels. Our product is only being sold off our farm right now. When we got, er, famous in Canterlot, Wheat and I could not intend for the big mare conglomerates to take our product and sell it their way, so we decided to come back to our farm to sell it ourselves. We thought about making a deal with that Filthy dude, but after we paid off our property to keep him from expanding, that would be kinda awkward, you know?"[/colour]

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[Mojo]

Mojo nodded to all that Flax Seed had said.

[colour=#8B4513]"I hear ya chum, you and your gal are very proud of what ya created, and ya should be," [/colour]the Paint stallion said with a grin. [colour=#8B4513]"I take the same pride in all the artwork, crafts and poetry I create. Wouldn't have it any other way! Didn't mean ta bum ya out with a lotta questions, only tryin' ta rap friendly with ya."[/colour]

Mojo had an idea, but he didn't want to overwhelm his new friend with it all at once. Searching for the right words to say, the hippie brony cleared his throat to speak again.

[colour=#8B4513]"How are yur sales goin'? Bet ya have a lot of regular happy customers that drop by ta buy yur fine natural products."[/colour]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Flax stopped walking momentarily and raised an eyebrow at Mojo. "You would think so, wouldn't you?" He continued. "Actually no one ever comes out here to the lakes, except for the occasional mail mare. That's why I decided to take the product into Ponyville, see if I could sell to some ponies in this town. I haven't had any sales though. I'm not sure if it's something I'm doing wrong, or like, what...? I even told people that it improves their aura and that their inner self will respond well with it. In fact, most of the time, that was the only thing I said. But these ponies aren't much far from Canterlot ponies in that they just think they are too good for what they don't know will make them, like, better."

"One customer got mad at me and ran me off her property. I'm not sure why. All I did was throw some of the goop at her face and tell her to breathe in deep and let the goop soak into her face."[/colour]

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[Mojo]

Mojo stopped walking when Flax Seed did.

[colour=#8B4513]"If ya don't mind me sayin' so, chum, ya might have come on a bit too strong for most ponies," [/colour]the Paint stallion spoke, [colour=#8B4513]"I've been sellin' stuff for years from me wagon, and I gotta tell ya most ponies get kinda bummed out by hard sale tatics. Ya got really groovy products, like that stuff ya let me use on meself, but ya can't just toss it on ponies at random. Totally not cool. Tell'm how great yur stuff is and if ya need ta demostrate how great they are, why not use'm on yur gal pal first? Bet she'd love ta be a part of yur sales pitch! Maybe what ya need is ta use a distributor pony, somepony who could sell all yur wares for ya, somepony with experience sell'm all sorts'a stuff, somepony like.... me?"[/colour]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]"What is chum?" Flax looked perplexed at Mojo's style of talking, but he could make out some things. Like gal pal. "Oh, you mean, someone like my life partner Wheat Grass? Yeah she's better at talking to ponies than I am, I know that for a fact, but she likes being on the farm more because she inspires the others that live on the farm with us."

As Flax continued to listen to Mojo's suggestions, he grew up a defensive face again, but this time for the real [/colour][colour=#000000]reason of caution. He seemed to recall a moment when other ponies tried to solve his issue by gaining leverage on the property where they lived. [/colour][colour=#000000] "Dude, you sound just like those Flim Flam brothers. Are you trying to take over my family's farm!?"[/colour]

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[Mojo]

[colour=#8B4513]"Blimey! Ya think I'm tryin' ta trick ya?" [/colour]Mojo asked, surprised at his new friend's response before returning to his calm, cool demeanor. [colour=#8B4513]"Look Flax, I can see why you're so bummed out after dealin' with a pair of squares like the Flim Flam's. But I'm not like those two hooligans, pal. I'm Mojo, the Pony of Peace! Tryin' ta take advantage of other ponies ain't cool and robbin'm of their stuff is even more uncool. I'd never do that! Besides, like I told ya before, I don't own a farm, don't want one! I stay on me own family's farm when I'm not on the road, and I sell me family's produce and food items. All I was tryin' ta do is offer ya a helpin' hoof in sellin' your groovy health care items. Ya seem to be a bit down so I wanted ta try ta cheer ya up. That's all."[/colour]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]"Oh really?" Flax uttered in response to Mojo's plea for innocence. It was never fair for Flax to put prejudice on Mojo. Understandable, but not fair. "Do you have any idea what its like to have you farm almost taken by a couple of con ponies, and then feel forced to live in Canterlot because you sell an eighty bit jar of purple conditioner, only to find out that the friends you made there were good-for-nothing money-hoarders that are more interested in big business than the livelihood of our friends that stayed down here on the farm to make our product? Do you, like, have any idea what it feels like to constantly have this feeling that anypony and everypony is trying to take advantage of you?" Flax lowered his voice back to normal speaking and sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't feel very Flaxy today. It's been a rough rollercoaster ride these past few months."

Flax decided, however, that giving Mojo a fair chance was the least he could do, even though he felt bent on the possibility of it coming back to bite him in the flank. "Ok, Mojo. Convince me. Why should I let you help me? Other than because you live on a farm, too."[/colour]

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[Mojo]

It seemed to Mojo that he wasn't making much progress in making his new friend feel at ease. Seems the harder he tried, the more tense Flax Seed was becoming. Then, Flax's tone changed and asked the Paint stallion to convince him of his sincerety.

[colour=#8B4513]"I dig ya, chum, and yur right, I don't know what it's like ta almost lose your pad to the Square Brothers. Sounds like a real bad scene. I don't know what more I can say, but you and your gal pal are welcome ta come visit me family's farm. Talk to me mum and dad, if I were some uncool villian type, would I invite you and your life partner over to me pad? Come see me peddler wagon too! Judge for yurself if I'm hip or a square, whatdoya say?"[/colour]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Would Mojo invite him to his farm if he was a villain? Flax responded. "Maybe." Flax had a semi-serious look, but then inevitably cracked a smile when he knew his own silliness for once. He paused and looked at Mojo. Surveyed his smile, his cutie mark, and his whole demeanor. He smiled, "OK, Mojo. You got a deal. Wheat and I will come over to your farm tomorrow and check you guys out. And if you, you know, like, smell alright. Maybe we'll let you help us sell our Goops for Stuff™."

Flax and Mojo continued to walk towards the boondocks in which they both lived. They had a ways to go. "So, Mojo. What else should I know about you? Do you, like, have any secret remedies or recipes for anything?"[/colour]

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[Mojo]

Mojo breathed a sigh of relief to see he had finally managed to convince Flax Seed of his noble intentions. His new friend seemed more relaxed too as the two engaged in poltie conversation.

[colour=#8B4513]"Jolly good ya asked, friend," [/colour]the Paint stallion neighed in delight[colour=#8B4513] "I was born in this part of Equestria, grew up here too! Got me cutie mark one day in school when I was readin' one of me poems about peace! I met Jubilee Flyer while she was goin' ta a Performin' Arts school nearby. She was havin' a rough go at it, and I managed ta teach her how to relax, ta relieve stress. Ol' Wings is like a sister ta me, and I'm glad ta see she's got a nice handsome stallion in her life. I could tell ya how I met Nurse Starflower, but that's an even longer story, maybe I'll tell ya later. As for natural remedies, me mum and dad found some of those and then taught me how ta make'm. Y'know, simple things to help cure headaches, athlete's hoof, small stuff like that. I make no claim ta be a doctor, that wouldn't be cool. I've even got a exilar that'll give ya pep! Found some of an odd lookin' plant near the Everfree Forest. I ground it's beans, boiled it in water and now I gotta marvy tastin' drink that keeps ya alert and awake! Shall I make ya some ta try?"[/colour].

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Flax looked skeptically at Mojo yet again, as he offered his product. Something he found in the Everfree, ground by earth pony hooves. Flax gave into the idea as soon as he realized there was no unicorn business. "Well, OK. Since it sounds like an all-natural product. How far deep in the forest did you find it? What do you call it?"[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Flax became immediately interested in Mojo's friends, since he wanted to find out more about what kind of pony this stallion is. "Please tell me about the nurse. Is she also a pegasus?"[/colour]

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[Mojo]

Mojo was now excited! He seemed to be 'reaching' Flax Seed and (hopefully) demostrating his friendship and calm to him.

[colour=#8B4513]"Wasn't far in the sticks when I found'm, pal," [/colour]the Paint stallion began to explain, [colour=#8B4513]"kinda noticed a few of the wild animals actin' real funky and far out after they munched on the funny beans. That's when it hit me, if those cool critters could eat'm, then ponies could too! So I ground up the beans, cooked'm in boil'in water and presto! Instant hot drink that'll keep ya movin! Tryin' ta come up with a name for it, whittled it down ta two choices, 'Coffee' or 'Mojo's Amazin' Funky Fresh Pep Drink!' Oh well, still workin' on it."[/colour]

The hippie brony smiled as he took a deep breath to begin telling Flax about his older traveling companion.

[colour=#8B4513]"Ah, Nurse Starflower. Well dude, for starters, she's a unicorn and we first met durin' an emergency on me first trip out in my peddler's wagon. Me and Wings were just groovin' on down the road when we saw a tired Pegasus filly fallin' from the sky. A real bad scene! She was only, like, super tired, but ol' Wings and I didn't know that. When we got to where she was, I sent Wings over ta Trottin'ham while I did me best to make the poor gal comfortable. Jubilee said she hovered over the town shoutin' out for help. Lucky for us, Miss Starflower was on holiday there and followed Wings back ta me wagon. Ol' Star knew exactly what ta do, she's quite a brainy chick! Anyway, startin' gettin' dark and rainy, so all of us spent the night in me wagon. Good thing I had plenty of me hoofmade hammocks for all us ta sleep in while it was stormin' outside! Long story short, ol' Starflower really hit it off with me'n Wings! That Nurse chick's really groovy, for an older gal that is. I think you'd like'r too, Flax! She's got quite a few natural remedies herself!"[/colour]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]As Mojo spoke of this product that he seemed to think was a new thing, Flax immediately recognized it as coffee. But instead of identifying its origin with the fact that its of something that already exists in the real pony world, he was more interested in how naturally coffee was plucked from the reaches of the Everfree Forest. Perhaps coffee just hasn't been the same since it was first cultivated. And Flax was wanting to know more about it, simply because of how it was founded.

But first, he learned that Starflower was indeed a unicorn, not a pegasus. "Oh she's a unicorn? Oh, well. That's that then." Flax scuffed the ground as if to feel defeated on ever feeling good about this pony. "She sounds great and all, but like, being a hospitable pony, I can imagine she uses her magic quite a lot for convenience purposes. And well, I don't really mellow out with that kind of pony very well, if you pick up what I'm putting down." Flax's experience with ponies was easily influenced by which of the three races they came from. Rarity, a unicorn, had helped Flax and Wheat with their product, but she was able to do it without compromising their values, something even the most well-natured unicorns seem to understand. Pegasus fair better simply because they don't have the power to teleport or move things with their head, but still barter a challenge when dealing with nature earth pony ways of maintaining a farm or whatnot. Usually, though, pegasus ponies are too busy doing their work in the sky to conflict with the earth ponies that are working harder on the ground.

"And that stuff you found. I'm pretty sure, its just coffee, dude. Like, maybe you can show it to me so I can identify its natural properties. It's nothing new, I'm afraid, but at least its not some magic-influenced plant that is sold at the Ponyville coffee shop."[/colour]

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[Mojo]

Mojo was very surprised at Flax Seed's reaction to discovering one of his own best friends was a unicorn. Though this hurt the Paint stallion a little, he could understand his new friend's reasoning. But still, Mojo needed to have his say on the matter.

[colour=#8b4513]"Whoa there, chum!" [/colour]the hippie brony began to speak, [colour=#8b4513]"I do dig where yur comin' from on magic, but why are ya so down on unicorns?. Ponies are ponies, even if they happen ta have horns or wings. I'm with ya on not wantin' ta use magic and all, but why would ya think all ponies with horns are squares?. Maybe if ya met me pal Starflower and got ta know her, you'd see things different. I'm not gonna diss a pony cause they were born with a horn, and besides that, if ya wanna sell yur products ta all ponies, havin' an anti-horn attitude will cost ya some sales. Most unicorns got plenty of bread ta spend, ya dig me?"[/colour]

Then when he heard Flax Seed's comments about coffee, Mojo smiled widely.

[colour=#8b4513]"Bummer! Figures some brainy pony already came up with the drink before I could. I'm more of a tea drinker meself, and speakin' of tea, could I offer ya some? Got plenty of it over at me wagon, could brew some up for ya in a jiffy! It's all natural, no magic on me family's farm!"[/colour]

[Hippo]

Flax was convinced by Mojo's explaining of why being auto-against all unicorns would probably be a bad thing. Unfortunately, Flax never really saw it as a common issue he had, just his taste in natural things. He never imagined it would harm sales. "Yeah, I guess if a unicorn is interested in buying my products because they are all-natural, then they are good in my book. I just spent, like, way too much time with unicorns in Canterlot. I suppose the snootiest unicorns in Ponyville are still much nicer that the most humble earth ponies in Canterlot. That place is like, snoot city."

"Sure, I'll try some tea. What kind is it? Is this the aura-sensing-calming kind of tea, or is this more the raw, down-to-earth taste like morning dew on grass kind of tea?" Flax knew all kinds.

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