Page 683 — Bucking Trends
It's well-established at this point that MLP G4 is a series built for selling a veritable playground of a world — both in toys and in the imagination — ripe for viewers to explore and extrapolate, so layer-upon-layered world-building is a vital part of the show's structure…
…but still, when you go back and look at it, it's kind of impressive how much work to establish a foundation though action, naming, and general exposure alone. I mean, that's just a part of what writing good-er is, but sometimes it's nice to appreciate the fundamentals.
Transcript:DM: Alright, let's get back to it. Once you're done cleaning up the mess – which Cherry Jubilee is very understanding about – and sorting the remaining intact cherries, it's time to go out harvesting. Applejack is the first out there, putting her apple-bucking skills to good use. She also seems determined to keep some distance from the rest of you.
Rarity: …Apple-bucking?
DM: Has that not come up?
Rarity: It was mentioned off-hand once.
DM: Right. Actually, this is some of the world-building SHE did. The apple-buck, or tree-bucking in general, is a strong, swift hind-kick that knocks all the fruit off the tree in one go. It's the most common method earth pony farmers use for harvesting.
Rainbow Dash: That… sounds like it kinda shouldn't work.
Twilight Sparkle: Uh, remember? You dunked an entire raincloud on me when we first met. You scared children on Nightmare Night with a lightning cloud!
Rainbow Dash: Ohhhoho, yeah! That was fun. All of that was fun. I should do more of that.
DM: So yeah, it's in the same vein as weather manipulation. If you're in tune with that part of nature, you can help it along with a kick. For better or worse…