It's A Magical Life

Chapters

II :: The Magic Sanctum
III :: The Spirit of Honesty
IV :: The Seventh Element
V :: Lights
VI :: The Basket
VII :: The Sleepover
VIII :: Just A Wannabe
IX :: Boiling Point
X :: Dead Pony's Pass
XI :: The Lion and the Lamb
I :: A Rainbow in the Dark

II :: The Magic Sanctum

Three days ago, Twilight Sparkle and her friends had decided to brave the cursed storm and made a stop in Canterlot to find the Princess. Helpless, yet determined, the five best friends of Applejack had their hearts set on a mission. With Twilight’s magic being of no use to her under the girth of the weather, she was unable to communicate properly with the Princess. Spike’s once green and magical fire simply became a feeble string of smoke when he attempted to blow the letter into the air. This worried Twilight greatly, for Princess Celestia was the only one she could talk appropriately to in matters like this. If their communication was cut off because of the absence of magic, all her hopes relied on her own knowledge and the assistance of her friends. Or what was left of her hopes anyway.

A desperate flight to the promising towers of Canterlot was all her and the other ponies could muster.

To the ponies’ great misfortune, however, they couldn’t visit the Princess. As Rarity put it so well, of all things that could possibly have happened, arriving in Canterlot brought them news that could only be described as the worst possible thing: the Princess was gone!

Everypony knew Princess Celestia was the busiest and most responsible pony in all of Equestria, but that still didn’t stop Twilight from shouting in the royal guards’ faces about her absence. All the anger and stress that was simmering inside of her over the past day reached a boiling point. Why did it matter if she offended a few of the Princess’s royal cronies and got thrown out of Canterlot? She wasn’t just going to sit quietly with all the other ponies in Ponyville and wait for their impending doom while Applejack was somewhere out in the storm of the century! She was a pony of action, and one who obsessed over going the distance and doing what it took to be successful! Having that last chance of a solution denied after all this…she couldn’t stand it. She was absolutely exasperated.

The guards wouldn’t even tell the ponies where she had business—not even they knew themselves. Only the riser of the moon and stars, Princess Luna, had any notice as to where she was going. This was odd especially to Twilight, seeing as she was always on close terms with the princess. Celestia was her mentor. She revealed situations and ideas to her that were too complex for the general public to understand or handle, because Twilight was her most trusted and faithful student. She, along like everypony else knew the riser of the very sun had to have secrets, but surely Twilight could have had at least some leeway. What place could have been so important and secret that only Princess Luna was able to be trusted with the information?

This was then where Fluttershy spoke up, asking one of the guards where Luna’s current whereabouts were. Before the disgruntled guards spoke, Rainbow Dash answered her, saying she heard from some of her fellow pegasus ponies up in Cloudsdale that she was visiting all the cloud communities in Equestria and even the metropolis, Cirrus City, over the Great Mare-ier Reef. Luna was obviously searching for some cloud factory that produced the storm.

At first, this seemed to be some welcoming news, compared to the series of unfortunate events that had been occurring over the past day, but then reality struck. There was no way to contact Luna, let alone track her down and find out where Princess Celestia could have gone; Equestria was an entire country. Trying to track down the co-ruler of Equestria in the skies of Equestria was so farfetched of a mission that it was laughable.

All five of them were thinking over the thought, but nobody, not even Pinkie Pie, was laughing. It was just another dead end…another excuse to throw in the towel and crawl back into their homes and hope for a miracle.

But nopony was giving up. Even in this grim circumstance they all still had the spirit of the Elements of Harmony within them. Applejack may have been missing but there was no way she was gone forever…it just couldn’t be. They just had to put the mission in effect before it was too late…before the storm spread all over Equestria.

It was early in the morning the day the ponies arrived at Canterlot. The sun still rose beautifully just like every day, but the grayness in the sky and the burning trees from the lightning strikes stole all beauty that once graced the sky. Flying towards the white and gold shadowy towers of Canterlot castle at sunrise would have been a spectacular sight in the past. Even in an average Cloudsdale produced rainstorm, the sight still would have been awesomely chilling. Given the magnitude of the storm, the fiasco with Applejack and the absence of magic, the small joys of life were overlooked. Now that the ponies were leaving the castle just a couple hours later, the sun shone weakly behind them in the east, well up in the sky. Facing the west, they beheld the epic scale of the storm. As far as the eye could see, was a single blanket of stone gray. Pulses and twists of cursed lightning littered the sky while the clouds swirled like a tornado.

It was a tough feat for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to carry Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie up all the way to Canterlot. Coming back with even worse spirits than before, the trip was much harder, even though it was a steady decline. The news of Celestia’s absence drained the high hopes they had when they first left the ground at Fluttershy’s cottage. When they landed, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were exhausted.

It sure was hard without magic.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Three days ago, shortly after they landed from their failed search at Canterlot, the five ponies began their foggy journey to rescue Applejack from her fate.

Present day, however, matters of an even larger scale, if it seemed possible, were happening in the most secret alicorn community known to ponykind: The Magic Sanctum.

At nearly fifty miles up in the clouds over the skies of Equestria, The Sanctum made Cloudsdale look like a low-hanging cumulonimbus. Clouds this high in the sky were flat and wispy, yet at the same time created a beautiful landscape unlike anypony had ever seen. All the colors of the rainbow, along with all the shades of those colors swirled around the Magic Sanctum like a force field. In fact, these colors were very much like a force field, for they shielded the Sanctum from the rest of the world. Any normal pegasus or other creature that managed to climb to a height of 260,000 feet would see a dazzling myriad of colors and simply stare in awe. Much like a rainbow, trying to pursue the colors would be an eternal chase.

Only alicorns, pegasus unicorns, could see and enter the Sanctum. In all the rolling hills, mountains, prairies and waters of Equestria, only two alicorns were known to the alicorns in the Magic Sanctum to exist, and those very beings were responsible for the very rising of night and day: Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. All other alicorns that lived down in Equestria were unknown to the Sanctum's sheltered citizens.

The Sanctum itself was comprised of six gigantic arches many miles long that all connected in the middle to a circular, vast, thousand foot tower which were all looked like they were made of clouds themselves. The main tower was comprised of hundreds of mini towers that hung off the side, much like Canterlot castle. The tower was so huge that the entire town of Ponyville wouldn’t have even covered the size of the base. Each and every tower housed the residents of the Sanctum.

Resident alicorns had a special magic within their blood that normal unicorns and even Land-Equestrian alicorns didn’t possess. This magic allowed them to twist time, change identities and distort reality. But the magic was so unfathomably powerful that it couldn’t be used outside of the Sanctum by any means, if they dared to leave. This magic, which was rarely used within the Sanctum, was incredible, yet it could bring absolutely chaotic results if used on unpracticed hooves on the land below. The last known being to use such magic for terrible gain was none other than Discord himself.

Nopony dared to leave, because nopony dared to defy Princess Celestia, for she was the wisest alicorn in all of Equestria and knew what was the very best for all of them, or at least that was what they were told. For thousands of years the alicorns lived in harmony up in the Sanctum, going about their own businesses and activities. The Sanctum had all they wanted and needed. Why would they ever think of leaving?

Nopony. Nopony except the only alicorn to ever disobey Celestia, who stepped beyond the magic barrier. She was one of the strongest and most intelligent alicorns in the Sanctum, and wasn’t keen on letting anypony forgetting it. She was born with the name Abby, under the first class of alicorns. As the years went on and as she grew into adulthood, she bestowed upon herself with a new name that her cynicism couldn’t deny any longer: Absissa the Almighty. Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? With this name she longed to go beyond what anypony in the Magic Sanctum had ever done and do what no soul ever even dreamed to do: rule the land below. In her eyes Celestia and Absissa were both counterparts. She wanted nothing more than to dethrone Celestia and her sister and retain all magic in Equestria for herself.

Absissa, all her preparations in order, finally had enough and escaped from her home in the tower three nights ago, or at least, that's what Celestia had told them. She left the Sanctum for good and took all the knowledge she had accumulated with her.

Nopony wanted to believe she had left the Sanctum, but Princess Celestia was still notified at once. The Princess, who had just come from a freak lightning storm that was happening in Canterlot, was there as fast as her great wings could carry her. She wasted no time searching for Absissa when she got to the Sanctum like the other ponies and simply asked for anypony to come forth who had any information about Absissa’s reason for leaving and where she was headed. Everypony just looked worriedly at each other and dismissed any knowing of her departure. With a polite nod at Mrs. Majoris, the overseer of the Sanctum and a hurried curtsey to the other ponies, she shot down off the edge of the clouds back towards Equestria.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Life went about as usual after a few days in the Magic Sanctum. Even though the Sanctum was a secret and protected place, it was just like any other town. Carol Majoris, the overseer, had the same duties as the mayor in Ponyville. She discussed the future plans of the town and oversaw them, attended town celebrations and helped plan new buildings to be made. All the buildings in the Sanctum, the schools, the shops, the restaurants and others, like the thousand-foot tower and the six giant arches, were made out of the crystals that formed the clouds. But the town was home to no architects or engineers; Celestia used her ancient alicorn magic to construct it all herself.

Mrs. Majoris’ other job, besides being the overseer, was also in charge of the utilization of the Great Portal, which lay in the Sanctum Hall, the town headquarters. The Great Portal, or the GP as everyone liked to call it, was a horseshoe shaped arch about the height of a two story house. Rather than a portal that teleported objects and beings, it was a screen that showed the lands of Equestria below. This was used primarily to observe changes in land formations, cloud formations and other forms of nature over the past thousand years. The image within the portal could be zoomed in all the way to the size of the tip of a blade of grass all the way up to the entire land of Equestria. With these powers, the machine was used for science in the schools in the Magic Sanctum and for scientist ponies around the area. With the great knowledge this portal brought them, they were able to find out more about Equestrian nature than most ponies down on land could learn in the schools taught by the greatest teachers. Because the image on screen could be rewound, towns and cities like Ponyville, Manehattan and Fillydelphia could be shown before the land beneath them was even broken into. The only thing the portal didn't show, however, were alicorns. As far as the city knew, Celestia and Luna were the only living alicorns outside of the Sanctum.

About twenty other alicorns helped run and maintain the portal. Among one of these was Angelica, a second class alicorn about the same age as Pinkie Pie. She was light bluish-green with a white and mint colored mane. Her tail, also the same colors, was longer than even Fluttershy’s, so she often had it ponytailed to avoid tripping over it when she walked. What was most stunning about her wasn’t the emerald anklets she wore on her back legs, which were very pretty indeed, but her bright emerald eyes. Because of this she was often harassed by other male alicorns and pursued by them as well. She enjoyed the chase, although she didn’t really care for any of them. She liked fantasizing about Princess Celestia allowing her to visit the land below and mingle with the earth ponies and unicorns.

Oh how she dreamed…

III :: The Spirit of Honesty

Dreaming seemed to cause a lot more harm than good for Angelica. At least three nights a week she would dream, mostly about distorted situations similar of what happened to her earlier in the week. Occasionally she would experience a very vivid and realistic dream about her wildest fantasy of sightseeing in the lands far below.

One of her most vivid and fairly recent dreams took place in a desert. Judging by Angelica’s studying of the areas of land in the Great Portal, the desert was most likely somewhere in the humongous expanse of the San Palomino Desert, or perhaps, even the Badlands. The desert was very windy and rainy, which was very peculiar because she also learned that deserts rarely experienced much rainfall, let alone full on downpours. But then again, it really was just a dream so she pushed these abnormalities to the back of her mind.

All she could see in front of her was black. Eventually she came across a heavy forest, darker than even the desert. Soon her dream shifted into a field, then finally into a large cave near sheer cliffs, outside of which the same downpour was still going on. The cave had sun rays coming out of it, like a mini-sun was shining within its depths. The sun was in the shape of a pony, but Angelica couldn’t tell if it was an alicorn or not. Among the cave were copious amounts of gold and other precious metals. She felt calm and peaceful looking into those rays. She had to go closer…

Suddenly all around her, she could hear the screams of ponies, making her ears ring. Looking around she could see nopony except the red eyes of a creature, far up in the sky and blinking right at her. The eyes were the absolute most frightening thing she had ever seen, subconsciously or not. She heard innumerable harsh whispers and laughter in her ears, giving her horrible thoughts she couldn’t shake out of her mind. Hopelessly trying to escape, she ran towards the light of the cave, thinking it could somehow shelter Angelica from what was inside of her. Before she could enter the cave, however, she slowly lifted off the ground and into the abyss of the black clouds. As she rose higher, the clouds became lighter and lighter. Eventually everything went white and she woke up in her bed, real sunlight flowing through her windows. She had this dream many times, unfortunately.

Angelica would then talk excitedly with her friends for hours later that day, with a surety that her subconscious was trying to tell her something. She would rack her brains as hard as she could to go into as much detail as possible to make the dream sound like it was nothing ordinary. Her friends, although pleasantly amused and admirable of her mind’s ability, had learned to put up with the outrageous theories she came up with and absentmindedly nodded their heads in agreement. Angelica knew her friends would never fully understand her from the beginning, and didn’t even speak up when they ignored her rambling, but she couldn’t help feeling a little annoyed. Angelica began to ignore them in response whenever they tried coming around her home at the tower, looking to invite her to hang out with them or go to a party. Her ignorant friends would eventually figure it all out and apologize. At least Angelica hoped they did.

Even when she tried talking her dreams over casually with a couple close colleagues while working at the Sanctum Hall, they shrugged off the dream too. They warned Angelica the pursuits of her silly subconscious were going to drive her insane.

What was even worse, however, was what became of her day dreaming.

One balmy Thursday, on the third afternoon after the Princess’s rushed visit, Angelica was snoozing gently in the soft clouds outside of Sanctum Hall, her head propped up against a wall and her minty colored mane covering her face so the sun was out of her eyes. The sun was very bright indeed. The late-Spring rays from the sun were enough to reduce any remotely tired pony to a sleeping state.

“Um…Angie?” said a voice. A lemon-yellow colored Alicorn appeared around a corner. Angelica was loosely called ‘Angie’ by her friends and co-workers and had a knack for being pursued by other ponies simply because she seemed to go missing a lot. If Angie felt like sleeping in a secluded alley, she wasn’t hesitant to do so.

He started towards Angelica with a look of ‘you-better-wake-up-right-now-or-the-Overseer-will-have-your-flank’ on his face. He stopped right in front of her so his shadow loomed over her, at an attempt to wake her up from her snoozing state.

“Hey, Angie...it’s the Overseer! Back to work!” imitated the colt in the Overseer’s mare voice. Angie continued to sleep as though she hadn’t have heard him.

The colt rolled his eyes, knelt down and nudged her repeatedly, her mane slowly moving out of her eyes so the sun would shine into her face. The colt shot an annoyed look over his shoulder, scanning the area quickly for the Overseer. Angie finally opened her eyes (she had been awake the whole time) but quickly closed them as the colt looked back at her face. Break time couldn’t be over already. She was just waiting for him to give up and leave her alone.

“Pwfft,” exclaimed the colt frustratingly. To Angie’s fortune, he stood up and hurried away back around the corner. Angie muttered happily to herself, “success,” and did a sort of sleepy foreleg thrust.

Because there were no vehicles up in The Magic Sanctum, and all the sounds of hooves from passerby out in the roads were muffled from the clouds, Angie could have easily drifted into a light slumber if she really wanted to. The distant ‘piff piff piff’ pattern the alicorns’ hooves made when they walked on the streets outside the alleyways was great white noise. Knocking out for ten minutes or so would never be so easy…

A clock chime broke the air of peace that was felt in the sunlit alleyway, which made Angie shoot bolt upright onto her hooves. Break-time, which Angie primarily used to snooze, began at 2:15pm and ended strictly at 2:30. Hurrying out of the alleyway into the front of Sanctum Hall, she glanced up at the large clock tower in town square, hoping her ears had lied to her. Sure enough, the clock read exactly 3:00pm, an unspeakable amount of time after she was supposed to be back in the GP lab, typing her written reports on the hurricanes of Equestria. Angie sighed heavily and opened one of the great fifteen-foot doors to the Hall. A large WANTED poster of Absissa, the alicorn who has escaped three days ago, was stuck to the side of the door. Angie didn't understand what good a WANTED poster did in the Sanctum when Abby wasn't even in the Sanctum herself. The simple mindedness of someponies...

Attempting to return to her workplace as quickly and inconspicuous as possible, Angie walked quickly through the lobby towards a door leading off into the hallways. The lobby of Sanctum Hall wasn’t very big, but the ceilings rose up at least twenty feet. Elaborate diamond chandeliers hung from the high ceiling; each lit with dozens of candles with magical purple flames. Large oval windows encompassing the room made the candles very unnecessary in the day time, but nopony questioned this—the candles never burned out.

The alicorn behind the circular front desk looked up from her work and rolled her eyes as Angie slithered past. Angie felt her face warm up a little, embarrassed for being late getting back to work again. When she got through the doorway, out of sight from everypony in the lobby, she broke into flight down the long, slowly curving hallway. She couldn’t afford to waste time following the ethical code and simply walk.

As her mane whipped behind her, hundreds of portraits flashed past on one wall, each of past overseers of the Magic Sanctum. Beginning with Princess Celestia herself and ending with the current overseer, Carol Majoris, there were five hundred and nineteen of them—Angie had counted them one boring morning. Making up the other, inside wall were many doors, leading into different meeting rooms and offices. Luckily, Angie didn’t smash into anyone coming out of them in her reckless journey, but it wasn’t like she wasn’t in enough trouble as it was.

Finally, after about a minute, she landed into a natural walk at the end of the endless hallway, shook her mane out of her face and turned the knob of a small and very heavy door.

The lobby of Sanctum Hall may have been big, but that was nothing compared to the size of the room Angie just stepped into. Three stories tall and about a quarter-acre in size, the room was as big as a warehouse. Space this great room took up was not wasted; many colorful and complicated machines sat throughout the room, all making different noises. All over the room were twenty or so alicorns with sky-blue colored vests, walking, flying, and talking seriously amongst one another, caught up in the work they had before them. By far the largest object in the room was the Great Portal, which stood at the far end against the thick crystal walls. As large as the portal was, it was completely silent. Every machine in the room interconnected with each other and the Great Portal.

The Great Portal was currently showing great grey and purple swirls of clouds pouring rain on palm trees next to an ocean. The trees were being ripped apart and uprooted by a huge hurricane. The GP had been around the same spot for several days, where the GP team had previously been studying erosion. Putting the erosion aspect on hold, the interest had been switched to the temporary hurricane. Rainbow Dash could have produced another sonic rainbomb in the middle of Fillydelphia and the entire team wouldn’t have known anything about it.

Angie couldn’t even begin to understand how these important machines worked and kept the GP going. All she had to worry about was writing down every bit of information she was told and put together in fancy reports. Those reports would be used by whatever source needed them. It was hardly a dull job, because she always loved writing, but it was definitely important. Without a journalist, how would the public be informed of what was going on below them?

Rooms with the amount of magic as this one still had their fair share of curses: reverberating noises. Angie took care to close the door quietly but that still didn’t stop the echo from sounding throughout the huge room. The Overseer, who was talking with the room supervisor, took a quick look at Angie and then motioned for her to come over to her. She smiled sheepishly at the Overseer and obediently followed her gesture.

That’s it—she was in for the yelling of a lifetime. Angie could barely feel her legs as she walked. Mrs. Majoris was not someone to cross. She fired somepony once simply because she forgot to wear her vest one day.

It was a downright miracle she hadn’t fired Angelica for being late three times before. A fourth time was basically a slap in the Overseer’s face.

“Thank you, Callisto,” said the Overseer with a smile to the room supervisor, who went back to work. Mrs. Majoris was only a head shorter than Princess Celestia. She was fairly pretty for a mid-aged mare, with her classy chocolate mane and windswept tail, and even had kind eyes for such a stern alicorn. Every rose had its thorn though, and Mrs. Majoris had more thorns than the whole bush. She turned to Angie, who had just arrived in her presence.

“So…,” said the Overseer quietly.

Angie said nothing. She was afraid of the Overseer but always looked her in the eyes.

“Do you know what time it is, Miss Angelica? You were supposed to report back here over thirty minutes ago.”

“I know, but you see, ma’am—” started Angie, but the Overseer interrupted, “Are you aware of the importance of your journalism position here? Everypony here is too busy to tackle two jobs at once. If you aren’t here to note take of the Great Portal’s findings, somepony else is going to fall behind on their work. When I interviewed you for the job, I told you we give everything our very best—nothing less!” She was looking at Angie with her eyebrows raised, very irritated indeed.

Angie nodded curtly and attempted to speak again, choosing her words carefully: “Of course, ma’am. But I’ve just had so much on my mind recently, and it’s been intrusive on my nighttime rest. I take naps during the day…because my mind keeps me up at night. I mean no disrespect to you or the…progression of science within this building. I’m just not…raining with a full cloud, you know?”

This was very true. Even though she had been dreaming often, falling asleep took much longer than it used to. Lately she had gotten at most four hours of sleep a night; she was just too anxious going to bed at night.

“Like what, Miss Angelica?” snapped the Overseer. “What is on your mind that is causing you this much distress?”

Angie explained the dream as best as she could, feeling more and more foolish the longer she went on. She sure hoped nopony else was eavesdropping.

When Angie finished rambling about on her dream, the Overseer looked at Angie with a bit of concern, her facial expression much softer. “Miss Angelica,” she began softly, “if you are experiencing some mental disturbances, you should have seen a doctor by now. I understand we all go through some stressful situations in our life but we can’t let them get to us and interfere with our work. The day will break for you once you learn to face the dark and turn on your flashlight. Maybe perhaps a period of time off would do you some much needed good.”

Angie knew she had screwed up for real this time. She fully expected to be yelled at but didn’t fully grasp what would happen if she was actually fired. She didn’t make much from this job but she loved it. She had to change the Overseer’s mind…

“I won’t let this happen again, I promise,” Angie said sincerely. “I-I don’t need to see a doctor—it’s not really that bad—I’ve actually been quite ahead on the hurricane report—”

The Overseer interrupted again, shaking her head slowly at Angie’s pleadings. “But you have still slacked off on your duties for a fourth time, Miss Angelica. I greatly appreciate your excellent work and determination but we cannot afford for it to happen a fifth time. I am sorry. Submit whatever notes you have taken today and vacate the building.”

Angie hung her head, feeling angry tears appear in her eyes. Looking down at her chest, she noticed she had also forgotten her vest she was supposed to be wearing. Water under the bridge…it wasn’t like her stupid attire mattered at this point. There was no use arguing any further—that would just dig an even deeper hole.

“Fine,” sighed Angie, finally aware and feeling very stupid at the other ponies watching her conversation with the Overseer.

Angie heard the Overseer say something about who would be temporarily being able to replace her position, but she ignored her. Anger coursing through her magical veins, she turned her back to the Overseer and went over to collect her notebook she used for work, which was sitting on a nearby table. Taking care to slam the small heavy door behind her on her way out, she continued on down the hallway and out of the building, not stopping to turn in the day’s note taking.

Nothing in the world seemed to be going right for anypony. Even at 260,000 feet in the most magical city known to ponykind, everypony was still under the weather.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Evening fell upon the skies of the Magic Sanctum. The twisting and wispy colors caused by the particle reactions in the atmosphere were beginning to appear, throwing a giant blanket of green and purple over the giant tower and the surrounding buildings around it. One by one, stars began to creep into view as a vast full moon rose over the eastern horizon. In whatever turmoil that was happening in the lands of Equestria below, Princess Luna seemed to be carrying out her job just as ceremoniously as ever.

Angie was strolling down one of the lamp-lit paths of a park. The park was much different than a park down in Ponyville: instead of a dirt or paved path, the path beneath Angie’s hooves was a hard crystal material made out of the clouds around the Sanctum; where grass would normally be, puffy streams of clouds shifted slowly, rooted to the spot by alicorn magic; sculptures and some picnic tables neatly placed were also upon the ‘grass’ area. Because of the light the color display in the sky was giving off, the light from the park lamps weren’t very effective. Angie, was so used to this natural routine that she continuously walked without looking up once. She grew to enjoy this time of solitude, for the peace she felt at dusk in this quiet park was just what she needed to mull things over.

Being fired from her dream job at Sanctum Hall was indeed something to ponder continuously, even though it didn’t help. Angie kept asking herself, under her breath, what she could have done differently earlier that day, gritting her teeth and feeling warm in the face each time she thought about being told off in front of the whole GP team. Orion, the colt that had tried to wake her while she stubbornly slept in the alleyway, was a friend of her that also worked in Sanctum Hall. Because he left work to go fetch Angie on his own steam, the Overseer punished him as well, ignoring his explanations of how he was trying to be a good friend. He had to dust and shine all five hundred and nineteen Overseer portraits in the hallway Angie had raced through. Orion was most likely still there, polishing away. This, above feeling sorry for herself, upset Angie the most. If only she had just got up off her flank and listened…

“The day will break for you once you learn to face the dark and turn on your flashlight,” the Overseer had said. Although this made perfect sense to Angie, she didn’t feel like she needed a doctor—that was only for truly crazy people. She had to solve this problem for good by striking its roots…but how…

Angie continued along the path, which was very long and winding. Nopony else was in the park, since it closed at dark. Not like it mattered anyway—she never had any trouble with law enforcement alicorns kicking her out. However, Angie still felt slightly paranoid, like something bad was about to happen any second. She kept checking behind her thinking the sensation was telling her someone was going to sneak up and scare her. Assuring herself that nothing was wrong, she trotted on. She about had enough of these stupid empty worries. They just caused her annoyance and embarrassment, finally getting her own job taken away from her. Maybe her dreams really were full of nonsense…

“No, Angelica. Your intuition has never failed you before, so why should it now?” said a wise and very old mare in her mind.

“My ‘intuition’ has alienated me from most of my friends, lost me my job and sent me insane!” Angie replied to the voice, whispering angrily to herself.

“Alienated *you*? You have alienated them! Why do you insist on staying angry forever?”

“I will not be angry forever. I’ll get over it, my friends will get over it, and I will find a new job. Just give it time.”

“Time…” rasped the voice softly “…can both be healing and destroying at the same time. Time, Angelica…can be your worst enemy. What really is the ultimate mender is…action.”

“And do what? Crawl back to my friends and accept I’m just going crazy? Brownnose to the Overseer like an attention hungry puppy?” Angie said through gritted teeth. “People owe me a break. I’m tired of always being the one who helps everyone and takes everything. Leave me alone, you stupid conscience.”

Angie, feeling satisfied with herself, held up her head and looked at the sky at last and thought for a minute. A childhood memory of looking up at the stars and wishing for a better future replaced the battle with her conscience. Even though she knew wishing magic didn’t exist, the child in her heart still believed. The child still believed in those tiny, shimmering dots. Angie closed her eyes, made a heartfelt wish, and opened them.

Expecting nothing but still feeling a stab of depression for seeing everything around her exactly the same it was before, Angie sighed tiredly. She pawed the ground forcefully in distress, enjoying the dent she made.

A very deep booming sound echoed from beneath the clouds, shaking the ground she had just dented slightly, like an earthquake. Angie, who had just sat down on a nearby park bench to undo the hair on her long tail, fell off the backless bench onto the ground in surprise. She stood up warily, listening intently to her surroundings to see if she could hear anypony else reacting to the shockwave. The hair on the back of her mane was sticking up, giving her goosebumps.

“Action…”

“What on Celestia’s green earth is going on—” said Angie slowly. The echoing of the great booming noise could still be heard, fading very slowly.

Sounding throughout the area, just moments later, were a series of chimes. Much louder than the clock tower, these chimes could be heard all over the Sanctum, magically magnified to announce one thing: the arrival of one of the Princesses.

But Princess Celestia was just here three days ago...why would she or her sister be returning so shortly? Racking her brains a bit, she wondered if it had anything to do with the alicorn that had gone missing a few days ago. Maybe perhaps they had found her and tied her up. The thought was amusing to Angie, picturing Celestia and Luna tying ropes around the defeated alicorn. It seemed plausible, though; nopony could run away from the Princesses for long. Running away from the Sanctum with alicorn magic was one thing…but trying to evade forever was impossible. With all the magic the Princesses and ponies down in Equestria had at their disposal, not even a powerful creature like the infamous Absissa would have been able to fight for very long.

But then another thought crossed her mind: what if this was an entire different situation? What if…what if this was another search? What if…

Something inside Angie’s mind clicked.

“Action…”

The cave in her dream was a real place. She had seen the image at work a while back in the Great Portal, when a pegasus had been eye to eye with a dragon—what a memorable day that was—and also all the gold within the cave. The cliffs in her dream also matched the cliffs she saw in the portal. This had to be the location of the wanted alicorn, who was most likely hiding from the search of the Princesses. The directions to get there were explained in the shifts her dream took. Yes…it all made perfect sense! Angie would be a hero, her mental blockade would be solved and all would be well again. All this relied upon one action: notifying the Princess.

Apologizing briefly to her conscience and smiling at the sky, Angie jumped off the ground and took flight in a very Rainbow Dash like fashion. Angie had to be the first one to see the Princess before she got pushed to the back of the crowds that were going to be forming momentarily. Even Princess Celestia, as important as she was, didn’t hesitate to give ear to a pony with a serious comment or question like Angie’s. She would give her full undivided attention to Angie if she spoke up about where Absissa had gone.

Rocketing over rooftops of businesses and streets below, she could see a great number of alicorns filing out of the buildings into the street. She could see none of the expressions on their faces as this height, but the chatter amongst them was excited. Seeing as everypony in the Magic Sanctum was a winged creature, and flying was the fastest form of travel, they all started shooting into the sky like Angie.

The airspace was becoming more and more crowded; thousands of young alicorns with the very same mindset Angie had were doing barrel rolls and tricks in the air, showing off to neighboring ponies who cared to look. She heard two of them collide and couldn’t help but laugh to herself. The noise was light and cheerful, like the air of an upcoming celebration or great party. Angie couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement in the uproar.

Catching up with Angie was her friend Serena, a tan filly with a wavy, charcoal black mane and dark purple eyes. She smacked Angie's flank to let her know she was there. Angie craned her head sharply around in a scowl but immediately dropped the look when she realized it wasn’t some rude colt trying to antagonize her. She returned to staring determinedly ahead.

“You’re gonna have to fly faster than that if you want to meet the Princess, Ang’!” the filly shouted animatedly over the rush of the wind. “I caught up to ya without even tryi—” Serena was cut off as Angie playfully whipped her in the face with her long tail, without looking back.

“Oh so we’re going to play that game, are we?” said Serena, spitting one of Angie’s hairs out of her mouth. Serena pushed forward even faster so she was horn to horn with her friend. She looked at Angie competitively, ready to race.

“Sorry, Serena, but I’m not in the mood right now! I need to see the Princess first about a very important issue! If we weren’t flying at seventy miles an hour among...oh for Celestia’s sake—” A small group of colts were gaining on them, eying Angie and Serena with cheeky grins on their faces and shouting stupidly at one another. Angie returned the grin as Serena rolled her eyes at them.

“Mor-ons,” Angie said musically to Serena, her fake grin faltering into gritted teeth. Serena nodded her head and laughed loudly, throwing her mane out of her face. “Listen, I’ll catch up with you later, Serena. I am not standing with those jerks for the Princess’s entire visit. I apologize for the fact I’ve been avoiding you lately. Tell Miranda and Io the same!” Angie bumped horns with Serena and sped up as fast as she could go, using every last ounce of her second wind. Serena, confused as to what had just happened yelled something in her direction but the great rush of wind made her voice impossible to hear. The loud chimes were still ringing all over the city, making the matter worse.

Every time Princess Luna or Princess Celestia visited the Sanctum, uproars similar to this occurred. Everypony wanted to be the first one to meet the very beings who brought the day and night to the Earth each day. In a way, the princesses were like celebrities, extremely famous and only appearing in the Sanctum so often when they were absolutely needed. The message was usually a lesson or announcement that everypony in the Sanctum needed to hear, hence the reasons why chimes were stationed throughout the city. Although the Overseer along with several other alicorns disagreed with this, Princess Celestia made the law herself, so it was to be obeyed. Nopony dared to defy Celestia, after all.

Angie began her descent, slowing to a light flying pace over the midst of a vast open area where the crowds would soon gather for the arrival of one of the Princesses. Several lamp lit posts littered the area like landing lights at an airport. The lot was U-shaped, able to easily fit the sixty thousand alicorns that resided in the Magic Sanctum. Leading into the center of the ‘U’ was a magnificent golden road, which ran about two hundred feet. This road connected with the Front Door, the enchanted entrance to the Sanctum, where the Princesses entered. For the safety of everyone, the Princesses had charmed the force field around the Sanctum so nopony could teleport themselves out or into the Sanctum, the Princess included. So as a result, the Princesses had quite a journey before them each time they decided to drop by for a visit.

Already in place were dozens of muscular and surly looking alicorns, bracing themselves for the approaching hurricane of ponies flying towards them. One hundred times more effective than regular crowd control officers, the alicorns were able to conjure invisible barriers with their permissible magic so nopony invaded the Princess’s space while she spent her brief visit speaking to the ponies. The officers talked to one another in hushed tones, evidently excited as well for the arrival. Other than the officers, the Overseer and her executive board, who were standing reverently beside the Front Door, Angie was the only pony there. She was amazed she had beaten everyone.

Angie finally came to a halt just before the magic barrier, landing with a soft ‘piff’ on the soft clouds. She carefully made sure was as centered as possible so the Princess would walk through the gate and hopefully notice her standing there first. Listening to the uproar of the huge crowd of alicorns behind her, which were growing louder quickly with each passing second, Angie stomped the ground impatiently.

“Come on..come on..come on…hurry up Celestia...,” Angie breathed to herself. She scanned the monstrously tall silver gate that made up the Front Door, transfixing her gaze on the crevice between the gates. Maybe if she stared hard enough the blasted thing would open…

Hearing the crowd just a couple hundred feet behind her, and noticing that the Front Door still hadn’t opened, Angie knocked hard on the magic barrier, trying to gain the attention of one of the officers who were standing outside the barrier. The noise sounded like somepony was rapping on glass. “Excuse me, sir! I have a question I need answered!” she yelled towards one of the closest officers. Even though the barrier was solid, it was not sound proof; sound flowed crisp clear through it. One of the officers heard her and flew quickly over to Angie to attend to her.

“What?” spat the officer, whose shadow loomed over Angie.

Angie stared at him for a split second because of his rudeness, but answered anyway with an important tone: “Hello, sir. I need to speak with Carol Majoris about something extremely important. I’m the journalist in Sanctum Hall. Could you please let me speak with her shortly before the Princess arrives?”

The officer’s eyebrows rose, like he suddenly took notice to who he was speaking to. He dropped his ugly look he was giving her immediately and nodded.

“Of course, Miss…Aimee is it?

“Angelica.” corrected Angie.

“Ah my mistake—yes—Miss Angelica the Articulate…of course. Well I’m sorry, but your business is going to have to be put on hold until the Princess leaves the Sanctum. The Overseer—” Angie’s heart sank “—cannot be bothered at this time.”

Alicorns began to land in mixed companies all over the lot, conversing loudly with one another. Angie sighed deeply as the officer who took notice of the crowd and galloped away, back to his position. He raised a hoof to Angie and shouted “I’ll be standing here the whole time!” Angie returned the notion, but privately wished she had something hard to throw in his face. What was she supposed to do now? Angie intended to transfer her message to the Overseer, the only pony that would believe her, who could have transferred the message to the Princess. She had no other choice but to simply comment during the Princess’s speech, knowing she would very well be ridiculed for feeding the Princess information from a dream in front of sixty thousand ponies.

As the crowd grew larger and larger, the chimes heard throughout the Sanctum faltered, leaving only the chattering of the tens of thousands of ponies. Luckily, nobody gave Angie any trouble. She gave a stifled hello to a few nearby ponies that recognized her but didn’t bother saying anything else. All she cared about was to see the Princess approach the crowd, and somehow, impossibly, get her undivided attention and speak to her.

“FILLIES AND GENTLECOLTS—” said an ear shattering voice that hushed the entire crowd. The Overseer, who was speaking into a microphone, jumped in surprise at the magnitude of the volume and cursed. She hastily twisted a knob on the microphone so her voice could be easily heard.

“To those who retained their eardrums—” the Overseer began, a wave of laughter rippling throughout the crowd. “Please give heed to my words: the Princess will be here momentarily for a quick appearance. I want all of you—” she waved her foreleg over the entire crowd— “to give her your full attention!” She ended her presiding orders with a sort of forced smile and handed the microphone to one of the executive board members. The crowd broke into applause. Although still bad tempered from losing her job, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of concern for the Overseer when she noticed the expression on her face. The Overseer’s smile had been replaced with a grim expression, like she was about to be sick. Angie felt a rock hit the bottom of her stomach.

A screeching sound immediately followed, coming from the gates of the Front Door. The intensity of the crowd’s cheering heightened even more. Rushing over the threshold wasn’t Princess Celestia, but Princess Luna.

The crowd became wild, delighted by Luna’s rare appearance but soon faltered a bit when they realized the condition she was in.

Dripping from horn to hoof in water, Luna was limping along the golden road with the look of uttermost horror in her blue-green eyes. She sputtered for a bit, trying to catch her breath from the speedy journey she just partook in. Nobody in the crowd was cheering now. Instead, gasps and whispers hissed between everypony, questioning Luna’s shocking entrance. The Overseer rushed along to help, accompanied by a few of the crowd control officers.

“No…no, Carol…gentlecolts, thank you…I’m alright,” breathed Luna, trying to push away the alicorns who were trying to prevent her from collapsing. “I just need to catch my breath…” Angie saw the officers return to their posts, silently looking at one another like they had just seen a ghost. She heard the Overseer say something to Luna about her back leg, which was causing her to limp. “My leg…will heal. I have more concerning matters to discuss at the moment than my petty injuries,” Luna said with a snort, finally catching her breath.

“Fellow alicorns of the Magic Sanctum,” roared Luna over the sea of ponies. Her voice was magically magnified ten times louder than normal, without the need of a microphone. “A predicament beyond any comprehension of ponykind is unfurling beneath us. It is by me and my elder sister’s unavoidable decision to inform you of this catastrophe.

"A mare, who my sister and I had been informed of, had unlawfully vacated this city approximately three days ago. She has abused her powers to bring forth the ancient dark magic curse known as The Abscission."

A shockwave of gasps, nervous laughter and looks of horror struck the faces of everypony. Was Luna for real? Nopony was familiar with the curse, but the Princess’s harsh words were still too outrageous to believe. What was The Abscission?

Luna had a fire in her eyes greatly resembling Nightmare Moon while she spoke, which made it very hard to convince everypony that she was joking. Angie had been at the great assemble three days ago when Princess Celestia had arrived, and she too shared that blaze in her eyes because of the news that somepony dared to defy her laws. Absissa was a first class mare, meaning she was among the larger, more privileged alicorns in the Sanctum. Angie, who was second class, was about a head and horn shorter than the first class ponies. This made up the majority of all the alicorns in the Sanctum. Angie didn’t really understand why size was equal to respect, but she learned to just accept it. The system hadn’t changed for thousands of years.

Angie had known Absissa since childhood, although she was considerably older than Angie was. Abby the Great, an excellently generic name extension she was given at her coming of age ceremony, was around Big Macintosh’s age. Unsatisfied with just ‘Great’, Absissa self-proclaimed herself as “Absissa the Almighty”, thinking she was some supreme being like the Princesses. Absissa always half-joked of overthrowing the Princesses and becoming ruler of Equestria for a day, but everypony saw it as a full-joke. The other half of her truly wanted the position. Despite her gorgeous looks she was extremely unpopular, turning her nose up to even fellow first class alicorns and preferring to live in the outskirts of town, instead of in the great tower. Nopony had really seen much of her much over the past many months. Now, everypony in the Sanctum finally knew why. Angie knew for a surety what the grim expression on the Overseer’s face was telling.

Absissa had been plotting. Also extremely witty and intelligent, she had somehow devised a way to obtain the ancient Abscission curse and use it. She also had managed to somehow reduce the very riser of the night to a heavy limp. Somepony had to stop her. Thinking of Princess Celestia, who was probably battling Absissa this very instant below with some sort of curse-defying magic, Angie smiled boldly. As grim as the situation was, she knew Princess Celestia would find a way out.

Luna, noticing the confusion in the crowd raised her voice so she should continue her speech.

“The Abscission is among the most feared branches of dark magic an alicorn can learn. No unicorn or magical creature on the land below has sufficient abilities to perform the curse, no matter how intelligent and cool-handed they think they might be. Strictly the most capable and intelligent alicorns can partake of the studying of this magic, which has been extinct for thousands of years, back when the infamous Discord still ruled the land and skies.” She started walking around the inside of the U-shaped area, trying her best to hide her limp to those who hadn’t had a chance to notice it yet.

“The dark magic has been shut away from the Sanctum, down in a section of Canterlot known as the Archives. If we were able to separate the lock from the key, nopony on the Earth below would be able to learn the curse, and nopony in the Sanctum who could potentially use the curse could know the incantation. But of course…” Luna stared at the ground with the same fire in her eyes, taking a deep breath before revealing the final words of her sentence: “…our efforts have failed.”

Luna raised her head and looked around, misty eyed at her fellow alicorns. The hatred that glowed in her eyes had gone, and was replaced with a look nopony thought was possible on one of the Princesses. Luna was fearful.

“The Abscission, fillies and gentlecolts—” the whole crowd was dead silent, hanging onto every one of Luna’s words, “—negates all magic. The storm the curse is hidden within, which has grown from the size of a small town, has evolved into a monster than threatens to cover the entire land of Equestria. All magical creatures below the clouds have found themselves stripped of their powers. Including me...and my sister. It is only a matter of time before that magic spreads to the Sanctum and envelops everypony. There..."

Luna paused for a very long time.

"...Is no known way to stop it."

Luna’s voice echoed over the heads over everypony. Every alicorn in the crowd, the Overseer, officers and all, were rooted to the spot. Everypony both young and old suddenly felt closer to each other, like they were all one great family. Random ponies throughout the crowd that were completely strangers to one another rested their hooves on one another’s shoulder, trying to silently tell each other that they were all in this together. A oneness never experienced before in the Magic Sanctum was in their hearts, horrified at what may happen in the near future. Even young alicorns too small to grasp the concept of this apocalypse were silent and closer to their friends and families. The magical alicorn blood that ran through their veins interconnected like the cords among the Great Portal, all making just one emotion run: love. They may have been born into different classes, but they were all going to suffer the same fate.

The Overseer was silently crying, not even bothering to retain her look of importance. Her executive board members were doing the same, looking ghastly over the heads of the crowd. The crowd control officers, as big and tough as their muscles and badges made them look, had the look of pouting children on their faces. Angie, who had finally been found by a few of her friends, was embracing them tightly, feeling all hope would be lost in the world if she let go of them. Somewhere in the distance she could hear a clock chiming ten o’clock into the night sky.

It was several minutes before Luna spoke again. She felt the same emotions as everypony in the crowd did, yet she was still not finished with her speech.

“My fellow alicorns…” Luna said finally, in a much softer tone. Angie didn’t even notice that Luna was barely ten feet in front of her now. She had her eyes closed tightly and her forlegs banded closely around her friends. Luna continued, “Because of the absence of magic in the land below, my sister and I are virtually powerless, not being able to use any form of magic to eradicate the curse. Because of this, we have no clue as to where this mare may be hidden at the moment—”

Angie’s ears were finally aware of Luna’s words, and how close she was speaking to the crowd. The raspy, female voice sounded through her ears once again.

“…Action…”

“—so I ask of you, my dearest alicorns, if there is any information regarding the information about this mare’s whereabouts or how she obtained access to the Canterlot Archives—please...”

It was now or never—Angie broke free from her circle of friends and raised her hoof into the air. Luna, hesitating for a moment, hurried closer to Angie, obviously shocked that anypony would respond. Angie felt intimidated when Luna’s dark, blue-green eyes were focused only on her instead of the whole crowd. Angie’s friends stared wide-eyed at Angie, along with everyone else in the crowd. Whispers hissed through the crowd once more.

Luna said nothing, waiting for Angie to speak first. Angie trembled, half wishing she had done nothing, but then she thought of the poor ponies in the land below. If Angie was going to make herself look ridiculous, telling Princess Luna in the flesh her silly nightmare in front of sixty-thousand ponies, then she was going to get it over with. She couldn’t bear holding in the fear any longer.

“A cave, your majesty,” Angie said quietly, looking hopefully into Luna’s knowledge-hungry eyes. “On top of a tall mountain, near a forest—I saw this all in a dream I believe to be a premonition. There are gold and jewels in the cave, like it’s some sort of hideout.” Angie decided to leave the bit about sunlight out, seeing as sunlight radiating from a cave made no sense. Angie heard a couple of her friends sigh, like Angie had just screwed up big time. Luna, however, looked as though she entirely believed Angie.

“Dragon Cave?” Luna questioned Angie seriously. “Dragon Cave was searched yesterday by Celestia. “Did you see anything else within the cave in your premonition?

Angie had no other choice but to tell Luna the absolute truth.

“I saw a pony radiating light. Like the sun. In the premonition, I saw with my own two eyes the glowing image of a pony. I don't know what it means...” Angie finished, looking hopefully up at Luna, whose face was just stuck with a very peculiar expression. She ignored the feeling of huge embarrassment from the crowd.

“A glowing image of…a pony,” Luna repeated, making Angie go red in the face with embarrassment. Angie knew she wouldn’t understand…

“The Spirit of Honesty,” Luna whispered to herself, understanding entirely.

“Miss Angelica,” Luna called Angie by name, “please come with me.”

Angie felt all color leave her face. Go…with Luna? Where? Was she going to punish her for wasting her time?

Obediently, Angie felt herself move through the magic barrier and found herself right next to Luna, who had transported her through. Nopony could believe their eyes what they were seeing. The officer who had denied Angie access to the Overseer earlier was gaping at them. The Overseer looked like she had just seen an alicorn with seven heads.

“Carol!” Luna called gleefully over to the Overseer, “Please contact my sister. I believe a Code ‘R’ is in order. My sister is in the far reaches of the Badlands, where the storm hasn’t quite hit yet. You will find your magic of telekinesis still effective.”

The Overseer, as confused as she was, obeyed and put a hoof to her head, like she was on some sort of telephone, waiting for the other line to pick up. She whispered a simple sentence to herself and then closed her eyes for a moment. A few seconds later, she opened them again and motioned at her executive members to follow her. They hurried through the solid barrier like a waterfall, towards Sanctum Hall.

Everypony in the crowd was as confused as Angie was. Princess Celestia was coming now? Code ‘R’? Why was this silly filly named Angelica outside the barrier and with the Princess? Who was going to be with the ponies on the Earth below? All these questions were soon drowned out of their minds when a series of chimes sounded through the air again, like hours before.

Princess Celestia was on her way.

IV :: The Seventh Element

Luna had dismissed the town assembly, assuring them all that the grim situation happening henceforth would be resolved soon. With a final “Good Night, everypony,” Luna walked on over to the front door, instructing Angie to follow her.

The majority of the crowd knew Luna wasn’t speaking with a full truth in her words, but they disbanded nonetheless, chatting among each other. Everypony had their own opinion on what was to happen to Angie: some believed that she was just desperately seeking attention from Luna, and was about to be punished as a result; others thought she was really on to something, and all they could do was rely on their blind hopes. One thing was for certain though: nopony was sleeping that night. How could they?

Angie had her head hung the entire time she was standing near Luna; she couldn’t bear to look at the crowd or gaze into Luna’s eyes again. The braveness and confidence she had felt at the time of her sudden epiphany in the park was reduced to sheer anxiety. Fleeting questions still ran through her mind, running into each other. One of her biggest ones was concerning the sudden reaction Luna had to Angie explaining the pony radiating light in her dream. Nopony was able to give off that kind of light without magic. Given what Luna told everypony earlier in the assembly, everything beneath the clouds was stripped of magic. Not even alicorn magic, the most powerful form of magic known to ponykind, had any effect. Angie’s insides throbbed horribly when she thought of the Princesses flying down to Dragon Cave to investigate, only to find that there was absolutely nothing there. All hope would be lost, and Angie would be held responsible for wasting the Princesses’ time.

Angie attempted to speak to Luna, mustering up as much confidence as possible, but Luna simply raised a hoof to silence Angie’s words, telling her to wait for her elder sister to arrive for questions. With no other choice, Angie stood silently by The Front Door, where Luna was gazing into the gray abyss below. The flames of fury that were once dancing in Luna’s eyes were extinguished, somehow replaced by a look of excitement. The only true smile in The Magic Sanctum spread across her face.

If it had been at any other time, Angie would have spent this quiet period in solitude with Luna to ask her all the questions she had wanted to ask her since she was reunited with her elder sister. Here she was, alone with the riser of the moon and stars herself, yet she couldn’t say a single word. Discussing Luna’s various adventures down in Equestria below or her wisdom about life didn’t seem to be appropriate at the moment. Angie, instead, stood quietly behind Luna, awaiting the soon arrival of Princess Celestia.

Almost like Luna had read her mind, however, she turned to Angie. Angie, who still had her eyes facing the ground, felt Luna’s eyes gazing upon her and looked up uncertainly. Angie quickly averted her gaze, still not daring to look into those intimidating, blue-green eyes.

“Magic is a mysterious subject, Miss Angelica,” Luna said wisely to Angie. “In all my escapades of Equestria, both land and sky, I have grown to learn a great deal about its virtually infinite uses. Magic can mend injuries—” Luna’s horn glowed suddenly “—that have struck one physically or even mentally.” Angie’s eyes darted towards Luna’s back leg, which had just glowed just as suddenly as her horn. The glow, which was radiating a very light purple, soon faltered, revealing Luna’s midnight colored leg once more. Luna stomped the leg once, clearly showing Angie that her injured leg had been fully mended. Angie took in the words Luna had just said, still gazing at the leg.

“Emotional injuries, however, are a different story. One cannot simply cast a spell and mend a broken heart or a troubled soul. Not even the magic both my sister and I possess, power above all ponykind, can cure something as deep as emotional anguish.” Angie, saw Luna’s smile falter a bit. She was undoubtedly thinking about the ponies on the land below beneath the storm. Noticing that Angie was looking at her again, she regained the smile and continued.

“What was felt tonight here in the Sanctum, Miss Angelica, was a…different form of magic. Seeing everypony stand just a little bit closer to their friends and families in the face of turmoil was endearing, but when I saw ponies who were complete strangers to one another unite like brothers and sisters, I felt pure pride. Friendship…kindness…love…this is the kind of power not even The Abscission itself has complete control over. Celestia knows a great deal more about this sorcery than I do, which is why I have summoned her here tonight.”

Angie already knew all this herself, but she felt, too, a sense of pride in her fellow alicorns when Luna mentioned it. Luna had referred to them all as just ponies instead of strictly alicorns, which puzzled Angie. Were the ponies down in Equestria really that much like her kind, alicorns? Thinking of the suffering and confusion that was probably felt within everypony down on the ground, Angie wondered if they were also uniting in the same way. There had to be millions and millions of ponies down there…surely Princess Celestia had taught them too!

Princess Luna looked straight into Angie’s eyes and whispered something too inaudible for Angie to hear. She then walked on over to her and put her front leg around her shoulder, like she was her second sister. Angie felt goosebumps run down her back, making her legs glued to the clouds beneath her like cement. Instead of feeling anxious, however, she suddenly felt calm, like Luna had just passed some sort of comforting magic through her into Angie. Angie was still too shy to look up at Luna, but she tried her best to not act like Luna’s sudden embrace was a shock. Angie just stood there, her legs trembling slightly, looking seriously at the Front Door to mask her nervousness.

The rumbling from below started up again, although it wasn’t powerful enough to shake the ground like it had before. Luna took no notice of the disturbance, but Angie shifted slightly in surprise. She felt Luna’s grasp tighten slightly.

Hurry up, Celestia! Angie screamed inside her head, closing her eyes. It was only a matter of hours before the entire land of Equestria was engulfed by the storm. The recurring thought of Absissa ruling Equestria stabbed at Angie’s stomach like a needle. She quickly withdrew the thought and tried her very hardest just to focus on the comfort Luna has transferred to her moments ago.

Silent as an owl, yet fast as a Wonderbolt, the great white wings of Princess Celestia could be seen becoming steadily closer in the horizon. Angie suddenly felt like she had just gotten out of sleeping in a pigpen. Hastily trying to straighten her mane with a free hoof and giving herself a quick look-over, her heart stopped as she saw Celestia land over the threshold of the Front Door. She was now in the company of the two rulers of Equestria, a feat her friends would surely be jealous of once she was able to speak with them again. Angie couldn’t help but feel a second’s worth of sheer excitement.

Luna hastily let go of Angie and galloped towards her big sister, who didn’t even give Angie a passing glance. They gave each other a sisterly hug and parted. Celestia didn’t seem nearly as pleased to see Angie as was to see her, but Angie knew she must have been under a lot of stress. Celestia’s eyes were bloodshot and she wasn’t wearing her usual necklace and crown. Her mane was still as normal as ever, dry as a feather like she had just flown up on a warm summer’s day. It was like seeing a celebrity in their own home, where all the makeup and fancy style didn’t matter. Angie’s heart throbbed for her, knowing what she had been facing over the last three days. The Princess has undoubtedly been searching endlessly, without sleep, for over three days trying to locate Absissa and bring her down.

Princess Celestia sighed deeply and began talking to Luna in hushed tones, so Angie wasn’t able to hear. Luna looked over at Angie several times seriously, looking right into her eyes. Angie sure hoped Celestia believed what Luna was telling her. After all, if Luna, who was newly returned to her good state, believed her wholeheartedly, then surely Celestia would. Everyone knew of the generosity and gentleness of Princess Celestia, but it was still unsettling to see her standing merely twenty feet away, as forlorn as she was.

Angie felt another rush of comfort as she noticed Celestia’s mouth forming into a smile, Luna copying the same expression. Finally, after about five minutes they stopped talking and started towards Angie.

“Please excuse my rudeness, Miss Angelica,” said Celestia, in her soothing voice. “My conversation with my sister was urgent and of uttermost importance.” Angie nodded hastily, ensuring the Princess that she didn’t mind in the slightest. Celestia continued, “Luna has informed me of a premonition you have experienced recently, which I have no inclination to question. I don’t think you realize the importance of your actions that have come forth tonight.” Angie felt embarrassed, but smiled up at the Princess.

“I have little more words to bequeath upon you here, Miss Angelica. Our business lies elsewhere, in the confines of Sanctum Hall.” She motioned one of her legs behind Angie, where the Overseer and her executives had fled earlier.

Luna took off from the ground, flying away toward the Hall. Angie followed her. Soon, Celestia was in the air as well. Angie felt liked she was being escorted by pony police. It was all moving so fast...

"Sanctum Hall?" thought Angie, confused, as she flew through the warm night sky. Why did Celestia want to go there? She was hoping she could talk right then and there, below the changing colors of the night sky. It was much like a magnificent dream she had many months ago, where she was told she was going to vacation with them down in Canterlot for an entire summer. The two Princesses were riding in a chariot, beckoning Angie to step in and ride with them. Before she could, however, the dream had gone up in a cloud of invisible smoke.

Impossibly fast, they landed a half-mile away in front of Sanctum Hall, which was guarded by the same wall of surly alicorn crowd control officers. Their huge shadows rose above the thick crystal walls of the building. The officers all bowed as the Princesses walked nearer to the building in the lamplight. The same officer who had talked to Angie previously greeted her by name, which Angie completely ignored. Celestia hurried them all inside.

“Thank you, gentlecolts!” chimed Princess Celestia as she walked through the doorway.

Angie had never been in Sanctum Hall after hours. It was sort of eerie, as spacious and dark as it was at this time of night. Even the ever-burning purple flames in the chandeliers didn’t help much in making the place feel any more inviting. Princess Celestia’s soothing voice broke the short silence the three of them experienced after they had closed the door.

“Miss Angelica, I know you are questioning why Luna and I have brought you here tonight. Please refrain from asking questions pertaining to our intentions until we reach the Great Portal, where we require your assistance. We will be meeting your Overseeing alicorn, Carol Majoris. She awaits our presence at the far end of this building.”

Celestia gave Luna the cue to move again. The three alicorns galloped silently through the eerie shadows of the lobby and made their way through the double doorway leading to the long, winding passageway of the west wing. Angie had no time to speculate about the meaning of where they were going, for everything was moving much too quickly to allow her to think, but she knew for a fact where they were heading.

Angie had no idea how late in the evening it was, but she could feel sleepiness trying to combat her as she and the Princesses flew down the hallway. It would almost be better to fly rather than run, for running seemed to by far deplete Angie’s energy the fastest. Still, though, she pressed on, trying her absolute hardest to show the princesses she was no ordinary pony, and could take on anything.

Almost immediately after thinking this, Luna rose off the ground into flight. Angie looked over her shoulder and saw Princess Celestia nod at her, instructing her to do the same.

Yep. They could read minds.

Soon, all three of them were rocketing down the long, winding corridor just as Angie had done earlier that day. The many portraits and doors flashed by them on either side. As wide as the corridor was, Princess Celestia’s wingspan was nearly the width of the hall. It was amazing how coordinated she was for such a majestic alicorn.

“We have wings for a reason you know!” shouted Luna from the front. Celestia giggled appreciatively behind Angie, who couldn’t help but smile as well. The whole situation of her and the Princesses flying together…it was incredible. Everything still felt so surreal, from simply flying through Sanctum Hall at night, to having a personal conversation with the rulers of Equestria. Maybe if it weren’t for the fact she felt so tired and anxious, Angie would have been the happiest alicorn in the Sanctum.

Almost too quick for Angie’s liking, they reached the end of the hallway where the heavy black door stood. Two of the biggest alicorns Angie had ever seen in her life stood on either side. The inky black figures dipped their heads in respect for the princesses but gave Angie a peculiar look, much like the Overseer had given her earlier. After a hesitated second, the alicorn on the right wrenched open the heavy door with absolutely no effort. Luna and Celestia ushered Angie through the door like bodyguards, both giving a word of thanks to the officers.

The door closed slowly with a heavy thud. The sound echoed unnaturally throughout the huge, dark space that made up the Great Portal room. The only light in the room came from the large horseshoe-shaped arch at the back of the room, the Great Portal itself. Angie and the Princesses walked on over to a number of shadows that were standing in front of the Great Portal, chatting amongst one another in rather solemn tones. They turned around at the sound of the echo expectantly and bowed as usual in the princesses’ company.

Two of the shadows, who Angie had briefly recognized through her sleepy eyes, were the two executives that always traveled with the Overseer in her escorts. The Overseer raised a hoof in farewell to them as they took off towards the small black door of the Great Portal room.

“So…,” started the Overseer, just like she said earlier that day to Angie. Unlike Angie, she was wide awake, ready to take on the night’s unfolding events. She had a look of forced determination on her face, unsuccessfully hiding the fear Angie could also see.

“Yes,” said Celestia with a full nod.

Luna glanced at Angie and copied Celestia. “Yes.”

The Overseer scanned Angie for a moment, sizing her up.

“Alright,” said the Overseer in a deep sigh. “Although even I do not understand why you have decided to choose Miss Angelica of all ponies, I have no choice but to simply accept your decision, Celestia.”

“Carol, I do believe you know perfectly well why Miss Angelica was selected her this evening. Somewhere in the confines of her subconscious, she has been shown a premonition, which I do believe she presented before you earlier today,” said Celestia with a smile.

The Overseer nodded, looking away to show Celestia was right, but she didn’t want to accept she had made a mistake.

Celestia shifted her head towards Angie, who was trying her very hardest to look fully awake. “Miss Angelica, the time has come. Come with me.”

Angie, slowly but not at all surely, followed Celestia towards the great arch of the Great Portal. When they stopped in front of the arch, Angie finally took notice of what was portrayed on the screen.

In the Portal they saw a slanted, top-down view of the Sanctum and the unnatural grey clouds below. To anypony other than an alicorn, all that would have been visible was a vast area of colors, swirling about like wisps of smoke, illuminated by moonlight. Looking down upon the spacious expanse of the Sanctum below threw shivers down Angie’s spine; the thousand foot tower in the center of the Sanctum was truly an incredible sight to behold in all its glory. Tens of thousands of windows were still illuminated, housing the nervous alicorns who were still in their homes wide awake. A ways away, the giant clock tower could be seen rising above the sparsely lit buildings. Angie couldn’t see what time it was on the clock, but she guessed it was somewhere close to eleven o’clock. From the moment Luna appeared over through the Front Door, up until now, days could have gone by—maybe even weeks. All time was lost in the uproar that had recently occurred.

The epic cloud arches that connected with the thousand foot tower were gently lit with the colors in the night sky, shifting slowly like thick fog. At the base of the arches were the outskirts of the Sanctum, where alicorns were forbidden to venture. Somewhere out there, near one of those bases, loomed the home of Abssisa the Almighty, which was still being searched by police and scientists alike. Tirelessly, they were on a mission looking for a solution as to how Absissa managed to travel to Canterlot and back. So far, after nearly four days, they were unsuccessful.

Angie suddenly felt fully awake. A rush of excitement now filled her veins, replacing the anxiety in her mind. After all these months of looking close up at foliage, landforms and sea life under the oceans, seeing a panned-out view of the Magic Sanctum was like a splash of cold water.

The Overseer’s spiraling horn suddenly lit up, causing the image inside the portal to turn fuzzy. Angie, mildly annoyed at the sudden disappearance of the breathtaking scene, turned her head towards the Overseer to hear her chanting something. Her head and mane were thrown back, staring unblinkingly at the top of the Great Portal.

“A mare of overseeing which stands before thee

Commands thy secrets to be shown unto me

For with this knowledge I hope to acquire

Will solely be used to educate and inspire”

A clear, crystal lamp at the top of the Great Portal immediately lit up, turning on all the other machines in the entire room. The image in the portal became clear again, now able to be used by anypony in the room with their alicorn magic.

It was Luna’s turn to use magic. A slow whirling sound came from her horn, striking the image on the portal and causing it to start moving. Within just a few seconds, the Magic Sanctum was completely gone from view. The image then got steadily darker, plummeting through the grey clouds that hung over Equestria.

Soon, a great expanse of water could be seen far below the bottom of the clouds. Tiny little islands Angie had never seen before in the portal dotted the expanse of water like lost ships at sea. For one horrible moment, Angie thought the land was already covered in water, but then she realized it was impossible for this to happen just yet, even though a sheer downpour was going on. Angie heard Celestia mutter something about the Griffin Sea, which Angie assumed was what the area of water was named.

Angie assumed Luna was using the islands as some sort of map, because Luna’s eyes scanned the islands for one brief moment, then shot down in a completely different direction. A sheet of purplish grey water was all around the soaring image, falling almost sideways in the great winds that were undoubtedly blowing. The portal made no sound apart from the low humming noise it always made when the light was turned on. Watching Luna causing the image to twist and turn like rapids in a river, the scene was like watching a film on fast forward.

The image now flying sideways, the Griffin Sea turned into rolling green hills. Angie, still stuck on the thought of the Griffin Sea, felt a horrible stab in her stomach, thinking of all the creatures stranded on the islands. It was only a matter of time before they were all underwater…

The elevation of the land became steadily higher and higher, until mountains were visible. The image suddenly stopping near a particularly high mountain with snow still around the summit, Luna scanned the landscape again. Although they were still miles in the sky, Luna seemed like she found what she was looking for far off in the distance. Once again, the image shifted, heading towards the location fast as a sonic rainboom.

Rain and snow appeared on the screen off and on as the altitudes kept changing. Angie found herself feeling slightly sick from the great speed the image was flying, so she decided to talk to the Overseer as an excuse.

“Um, excuse me, Mrs. Majoris,” Angie said quietly to the Overseer, whose eyes were transfixed on the image. Without looking or saying anything to Angie, she nodded her head to show she was listening.

“I really am sorry about today, ma’am.” Angie said to her, referring to being late for work earlier that day.

“You shouldn’t be,” she replied, still watching the portal. “You have no need to apologize…to anypony.”

The Overseer looked like she was going to cry. Was she actually sorry for firing her from her job? If she was, then Angie didn’t see why she needed to act all emotional over it…losing her job wasn’t that big of a deal…

But then Angie looked once again into the portal, which had come to a halt at last.

There, plainly inside the horseshoe-shaped image that made up the Great Portal, was Dragon Cave, exactly like what she had been seeing in her dream for so long. The constant rain had eroded some of the edge of the cliffs. Evil, red lightning flashes illuminated the cave repeatedly, which was full of abandoned treasure. All the gold and silver was undoubtedly left behind by a dragon, which had probably been out hunting when the storm hit. The poor dragon had probably been grounded by a lightning strike, simply trying to make the way back to its home.

Nopony in the room could speak.

Luna moved the image one last time with her magic, moving much slower than before. She aimed towards the cave, finding what she was looking for at last. As the image entered the cave, the enchanted lightning flashes got dimmer and dimmer. Soon they had moved so far in the cave, the flashes were as dim as another light, which shone towards the back of the cave.

A stream of smoke could be seen through the darkness. As the glow grew brighter, Angie noticed the glow was coming from a fire. It was impossible to find dry firewood outside in this weather. There was also no magic or dragons around to create the fire themselves. So whoever was tending to the fire had to be quite a resourceful creature.

Could this be the sun-like pony Angie had dreamed about? Angie had her hooves held up to her face in anxiety, hoping with all her might her dream wasn’t a lie.

As the voyage of the Magic Portal’s journey reached its end of travel, Angie finally saw the true form of who was tending to the fire.

A filly, no older than Angie herself, was sitting on the cold, rocky ground, staring into the blazing fire. She was nothing but a mere earth pony, her pretty blonde mane covering her hornless head. Angie had expected to see a large, powerful, sentinel-like creature by the fire, its huge shadow cast over the walls of the cave. What was even worse was the pony herself didn’t even have a strong expression. Instead, her face wore the single most defeated expression Angie had ever seen in her life.

The pony, who was still awake, was a warm shade of orange, with eyes the exact same color as Angie—emerald green. She would have been quite a pretty pony if it weren’t for the fact she seemed to totally have let herself go. Her blonde mane was plastered to her neck, like she had been standing in the rain all day and didn’t bother to dry it off. Her tail, the same color, was split several different ways and full of dirt from the floor of the cave. She had dried mud on her face, along with several more spots on her body, which was rather thin. Even worse, her eyes were among the most hauntingly poignant pools of despair one could imagine. She looked as though she had lost everything and didn’t know what to do with herself. They were full of misery and fear, bloodshot from probably lack of sleep. Tears had long stopped flowing down her face.

The fire was built inside a cocoa-colored cowboy hat, which had holes of all sizes burned through it like Swiss cheese in the course of the flames. Angie knew the hat probably belonged to the pony. A small pile of dry wood the earth pony had probably found within the cave itself were all that was keeping the fire going. The pony had probably not have arrived in that spot more than an hour ago.

Angie had no idea why this earth pony was all by herself out this late at night…in the rain…in a time like this. Somepony just had to help her…

She turned to Celestia, who was trying to take in the devastation of the pony she saw before her. Everypony in the room were thinking the exact same thing as Angie.

“The Spirit of Honesty may not look like much, but she is absolutely essential to why I have brought you here today, Miss Angelica,” said Celestia, keeping her eyes glued to the portal like the Overseer.

Angie took a double take. The Spirit of Honesty? Wait…she had heard that term before. She was one of the ponies who helped rescue Princess Celestia a couple years ago from Luna, who was once Nightmare Moon. But the Spirit of Honesty couldn’t have been this pony they were seeing in the portal. Nopony with a noble spirit that powerful would have wound up in a state like hers. Unless…

Princess Celestia now gave her full attention to Angie, who was prepared at last for the onslaught of questions. Angie felt weak in her knees again at her piercing eyes.

“Your majesty,” Angie began quickly, “Are you sure this is the same pony that possessed the Spirit of Honesty? From the Elements of Harmony? What did that evil mare do to her—?”

“I understand you have many questions to ask me, Miss Angelica, but please slow down,” said Celestia. “I know without a shadow of a doubt this is the Spirit of Honesty, for I have seen her face many times, along with the other Spirits. She has been a valuable asset, not only for the Elements of Harmony’s sake, but for the ponies all around her. One of my most faithful and trustable students, Twilight Sparkle, has written me quite a few letters concerning the good deeds The Spirit of Honesty has done. But her downfall had nothing to do with the Abscission—”

“Hold on, Celestia, what are you trying to say?” Luna said suddenly, approaching the two of them, confused herself. “She has a family and friends that love her and a destiny she knows by heart—”

“Luna, let me finish,” interrupted Celestia calmly. “Time is of rarity at the moment. You have not been the reader of the letters my pupil Twilight Sparkle has been sending me since last September. The Spirit of Honesty, who everyone knows as Applejack in Equestria, has been down on her luck for the past several months. She has refused the company of her friends and the community down in the town of Ponyville has seemed to rise up against her. The farm which she has been running for years has encountered serious financial instability, and Applejack took all the blame on herself. All the pressure that weighed down upon her was simply too much for her to handle, so she has fled into the wilderness. Twilight Sparkle predicts she is trying to flee toward where some of her family resides in Manehattan. One can only hope my pupil is correct. One can only hope she isn’t trying to do…something else.”

Celestia paused for a moment and spoke again. “Her family and friends do indeed love her as much as they ever did, but poor Applejack has let the delusions of depression overtake her mind. She needs somepony to find her and get rid of these delusions. She needs to be put back on her hooves or else the Elements of Harmony will be incomplete. The Elements of Harmony cannot unite when one Spirit is missing.”

Celestia sighed deeply and said finally, “Applejack needs the Spirit of Hope, Miss Angelica. And that Spirit is you.”

Angie understood everything now, but she didn’t feel at the least bit relieved. She backed away slowly from Celestia, who was looking at Angelica expectantly.

“Y-you can’t be serious, your majesty,” stammered Angie, almost laughing at the fact. “Why is it up to…me? There is no Spirit of Hope…”

The Overseer, who Angie expected to have run over to her and protect her like a disapproving mother, turned her back to them, clearly knowing the discussion wasn’t her place.

“Angelica the Articulate,” said Luna, walking up to Angie, who was still backing away uncertainly. “You, like all alicorns in the Magic Sanctum, were given a name extension when you were nine years old. Celestia gave you that name because she knew what she could see within you. She visited you personally because of your future. Please don’t doubt my elder sister.”

As Angie continued to back away from Luna, she recalled the moment perfectly, like the many years that had passed since then had been but a couple weeks. Oh her ninth birthday, Princess Celestia had made a special appearance just for her. Coming of age alicorns received a personal, hoof-written letter on special parchment from Celestia herself, containing their life's purpose. Through the special kind of magic the letter possessed, the same epiphany-like feeling ponies down in Equestria felt when they got their cutie marks was also felt inside the Sanctum alicorns. Cutie mark magic didn't exist in the Magic Sanctum due to ancient enchantments. Celestia, who may have been wrong a select few times in the past about certain things, had never led a Sanctum alicorn down the wrong path once. Because of this, the process had never changed.

The parchment the letter was made out of was an extremely rare and precious mineral called epistone, which was said to be more valuable than any other material known in the universe. Nothing besides Celestia’s special letters was known to contain the element. But even as incredible as the scrolls of parchment were, nothing compared to being visited by the ruler of Equestria, and given their personal epistone letter by Celestia’s own voice.

As Angie recalled the experience, she could almost feel the warm and nostalgic rays of sunshine that filled the room on the day Celestia had appeared for the first time in her presence. She had been at school, staring off into space like had always done when class got a bit too boring, when Celestia had appeared in the room, requesting to visit with Angie privately for a short while. As she got out of her seat and passed the jealous classmates, she beheld the euphoria an overly excited child always felt. Oh how happy she was that day…

Angie reached the back wall of the room. The brief moment of peace she was feeling evaporated instantly the moment she touched the cold crystal-like material that formed the wall.

Angie tried to move along the wall, in an attempt to flee from Luna’s advancing steps but she was shocked when Luna’s horn suddenly lit up and forced Angie up on the wall. Angie was now completely motionless, only able to move the muscles in her face. She closed her eyes and waited for Luna to speak, for Angie was too scared to utter a single word.

“Luna...,” Angie heard Celestia say warningly from the other side of the room.

Ignoring her, Luna starting speaking to Angie in a hiss-like whisper, “You are much more powerful than you wish to believe, Miss Angelica. You will assist us tonight.”

The whispering bugged Angie’s ears, like she was receiving some form of torture. She always hated how some ponies were able to whisper that way.

“But the Abscission…I will die out there…I saw what happened to you two…”

“Petty injuries, Miss Angelica. Do not concern your pretty little head over something as trivial as this. You will not die. Do I have your word, Miss Angelica?”

“W-what word—”

“We don’t have time for games, filly,” hissed Luna, her voice becoming more and more agitated.

“I’m s-sorry! I can’t think s-straight—I know what you mean—but I told you…I can’t...” Angie was crippling under Luna’s stabbing stare, which she was now forced to look at. Luna had made all the nerves in Angie’s body paralyzed.

“Why not?” Luna said at a more audible tone.

Angie hesitated, trying to sum up the right words.

“I won’t know what to say or how to help her—”

“You are the Spirit of Hope, Miss Angelica! Yes you will!” exclaimed Luna, even louder. Angie was becoming angry too, although she was still afraid to raise her voice.

“There are only six Spirits, not seven—”

“Don’t try and give me a magic lesson, Miss Angelica. I know all about the Spirits and how many there are.”

Angie’s anger was rising as well. “You obviously didn’t two years ago when all of them defeated you, your Majesty.”

Luna laughed loudly, causing the hair on Angie’s mane to ripple and stand up at the same time. She knew that laugh…

“You have some sheer nerve to speak to me in that way and in that tone, Miss Angelica,” said Luna, her voice different than usual.

Angie felt the force pressing against her body tighten, now starting to hurt her. Her anger was replaced by fear again as she noticed Luna was baring her teeth. The smile she wore was definitely not a kind one.

“Luna!” shouted Celestia, warning her sister for a second time. “Release Miss Angelica this instant!”

“You’re too soft with her, Celestia. Leave us be,” spat Luna impatiently.

In a much smaller voice, Angie responded to Luna, “I am no Spirit…I am too weak to be a Spirit—”

This was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“YOU—ARE—AN—ALICORN!” exploded Luna in her Nightmare Moon voice. “YOU ARE NOT WEAK!”

Angie winced at the great power of Luna’s voice. Angie’s mane was whipped back against the wall like she has just been blasted with a tornado. All the air in her stomach had been knocked out of her like she had just been punched. The Overseer nearly jumped out of her skin and turned back around to face the commotion that was going on.

“LUNA THE NIGHT-BRINGER!” thundered Celestia, shooting out her great wings in frustration. The image of Applejack in the great portal vanished instantly, as well as all the power in the room, which was now dark. Celestia’s voice, which was even more powerful than Luna’s, shook the ground and caused the Overseer to fall to the ground. Luna turned her head sharply around and jumped away from Angie, who was still shaking after the ground had stopped moving. The two guard alicorns outside the door stuck their heads in curiously. The light from the hallway seeped into the room, being the one of only three light sources in the room; the other two were from Celestia and Luna, whose eyes were both illuminated like flashlights. They were staring at each other intently. Angie assumed they were probably now having a telepathic battle, determining who should keep their mouths shut.

Angie was still there, stuck to the wall like super glue, literally not able to move a muscle, her head aching from the two consecutive blasts she had received. She could still feel the temperature of the room, which felt like it had just shot up at least forty degrees after Celestia had lost her temper. This made Angie grasp the fact that her snide remark with Luna was a stupid thing to do.

The lights in the room came back on, along with the other machine and the Great Portal. Applejack was now sleeping, curled up as close to the fire as she could manage. The pitiful flames burned weakly; no longer able to burn holes through her hat. Luna, too, was looking rather small, as she seemed to be losing the mental brawl with her sister. Her ears drooped and she looked away from Celestia embarrassingly. The room was starting to cool off back to its normal temperature as Celestia’s expression softened.

The Overseer got back on her hooves and gave Angie a worried glance, wanting to help her out but not daring to interfere with the Princesses.

Luna seemed to be done being told off by her sister, for the room was now completely back to normal and Celestia was perfectly calm again. Luna left Celestia and galloped over to Angie, unfastening her from the wall immediately with her magic. Angie nearly collapsed when she landed on her hooves, trying to get herself used to feeling everything again. She put her leg around Angie apologetically and whispered, “Are you alright, dear?”

Everything in Angie’s body seemed to be working alright, so she nodded, “Yeah.” Although Angie was rather taken aback by Luna’s hostility, she forgave her. After a thousand years of being banished in the moon, Luna’s temper was still easy to set off. Angie made a mental note never to do anything as foolish as to activate Nightmare Moon mode ever again.

The two of them approached Celestia again, who took Angie by the leg and led her over to the portal. She also questioned Angie on her well-being, who assured she was fine.

“Just be warned,” said Celestia in a disapproving undertone, “If you ever manage to lead my sister to shouting tones again while I’m away, you will be in trouble. She may have been at fault, but she’s still a Princess, the Riser of the Moon and Stars, and my sister, so she should therefore be treated with respect. Understood?”

“Yes, your majesty,” said Angie ashamedly. “Look…I apologize about that—”

“No harm was done,” assured Celestia with a small smile. “Now then—allow me to appropriately teach you about our mission.”

“An indefinite amount of years ago, the six Elements of Harmony were created by an unknown source or creature. The six Elements, which you know to be Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, Kindness, Loyalty and Magic, could be unified to create the most powerful magic known to ponykind. With them, capable ponies down in Equestria could harness the energy within the Elements to do away with evil and iniquity. But even before these six elements, there existed just one other.

“Shortly after the fall of Discord, many centuries ago, I created the Magic Sanctum. My wish was to give a home to all the alicorns that had seen the horrors of the abuse of magic; what waste it had lay upon Equestria. These alicorns would be kept safe, under the protection and jurisdiction of Luna and I. I do not wish to seem slow to trust my fellow alicorns, but after Discord...I could not risk something parallel to his rule to happen again. Our magic is too dangerous in the unpracticed hoof. One can only shudder at the thought if time and space itself relied in the hooves of an alicorn, unwary of his or her actions."

Angie intervened, “But surely there are other alicorns out there in Equestria somewhere? You and Luna can't be the only alicorns still in Equestria...can you?”

Celestia sighed. "Yes, Miss Angelica. There are other alicorns out there. But releasing that information to the general public would be almost as catastrophic as allowing free use of our magic. The alicorns in Equestria are all a part of the Royal Family, who have made immense contributions to ponykind. Making sixty-thousand ponies feel like they aren't good enough to be welcomed into our family is just something I haven't been able to do. Therefore, nopony in the Sanctum knows more alicorns besides Luna and I exist outside the Sanctum. If they were to find out, there would be disorder; utter chaos. Rather than see my lie has been used for a greater good, they would run rampant with their alicorn magic and tear reality apart."

Angie said nothing.

Understanding Angie’s silence, Celestia continued, “Because of this great potential danger, now you understand why my strict rule upon alicorn magic in the Sanctum exists. Unfortunately, I have failed to grasp the harsh reality that eventually, a pony with the thickest of skulls would rise up against this rule. Forerunner of Equestria I may be, I could not fully prepare for such an event. So, therefore, all we can turn our heads toward to is that one other element. The element that history has never classified as a true Spirit, for one has always assumed it lies in everypony. Hope.”

Angie said nothing. It all made sense. Although a bit unsubtly put, hope was the most valuable quality she knew.

“Its power is something beyond even I can understand, but I know of the potential it brings about in everypony. Very few refer to hope as a Spirit, for only those very few have the shadow of an idea of its limitless stamina. Impossible situations that seemed foolhardy become sensible; a dark forest becomes navigational by a sudden source of light. When I saw this Spirit so strongly within you back when you were a filly, I made a point to speak to you myself, rather than an elaborate epistone letter. I was certain I had found a new holder of the Spirit. One who could harness its true energy to someday do great things. It's saddening how much ponies take hope with a grain of salt these days...”

Celestia put her hoof on Angie’s shoulder appreciatively. She felt the warm touch flow through her body much like Luna’s did. Angie put Celestia’s words into perspective and responded:

“Alright, I’ll do it.”

Princess Celestia smiled. “Will you now? Tell me why.”

Angie, without thinking any of this through, responded quietly, “Because Applejack needs me—Equestria needs her—the Elements are incomplete—”

“Action...,” rasped a voice.

Angie stared trance-like at the portal. “Because somepony has got to do something, and that somepony is me.”

Celestia closed her eyes and made one, slow nod. Then her long horn glowed a mysterious, sparkling orange light, causing the image in the portal to swirl like a whirlpool.

“What is the reason for this, Celestia,” questioned Luna, appearing alongside Angie. Angie, too was confused. Shouldn’t they be leaving now?

“In order for Angelica to fully understand her mission, she must know Applejack’s influence that has been made throughout Equestria over her life. I am manipulating the portal to perform a sort of rewind, back when Appljeack was a small filly. If you would, Luna, please do something about the time.”

Luna’s horn lit up as well, flashing a dark, purple light every other second. Sound waves, too low for Angie to hear, were pulsing all around her. Waves of the dark purple light from Luna’s horn were visible, slowly disappearing through all the walls of the room. She was slowing time inside the Sanctum.

“It is potentially catastrophic to twist time, Angelica,” said Luna seriously. Real time must be maintained in sky and ground or else actions requiring a timely manner would be impractical. Because of a problem on this grand of a scale, there is no other option but to allow us a bit of time. I am slowing the flow of time to a one to three thousand ratio. In other words, almost every hour in the Sanctum will be of just one second in Equestria.”

“Carol!” called Celestia, her horn glowing as bright as ever. The Overseer hurried over.

“Slow me down, please!” said Celestia.

Now the Overseer’s horn was glowing, a sparkling blue. The whirlpool in the portal began to decrease to a slow ripple.

Quicker than Angie would have expected, all at once their horns stopped glowing and the endeavor was complete. The image inside the portal was sharpening, the aspects becoming more distinguishable. Angie could make out trees; a few seconds later a wooden fence; then finally, a large red barn.

A red pony, slightly older than a colt, was walking along the fence, talking to a tiny Applejack, not yet adorned by a cowboy hat. The image, unlike before, was now producing sound, and Angie could hear their voices. They had strong southern accents, but she could understand them perfectly well.

“Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres, Angelica,” said Celestia.

V :: Lights

A rabbit was scurrying along the sideline of a dirt road, trying to scope out a good attacking point in the crop-stridden field that was Granny Smith’s garden. Granny Smith was nowhere in sight, but the rabbit still knew to be cautious because there were two other ponies who lived on the farm besides her. Fortunately, they too did not pose a threat to the rabbit at this time, so she decided to go for it. Zipping under the fence with ease, the rabbit began munching away hungrily on a vulnerable celery plant.

Applejack was walking with Big Macintosh on an errand back from the market. Big Macintosh, who was only a colt, struggled as Applejack continued bare-backed beside him. It was late in the day, whereas the sun was about to set soon. All kinds of birds chirped gleefully in the fruit-filled trees around Sweet Apple Acres. It was perfect weather to be outside on a peaceful stroll.

“…But Auntie and Uncle Orange have already said yes!” whined the young filly Applejack. “She can’t make me stay here! Ah won’t!”

“You aren’t a city slicker, AJ,” said Big Macintosh in his slow voice.

“Not yet ah a’int! Will be once ah get off this stupid ol’ farm…”

“Pwfft,” snickered Mac, not believing any of it.

“Aw whaddya you know, Mac,” said Applejack, annoyed. “Ah’ll be more grown up as a city slicker than ah’ll ever be here in Sweet Apple!”

“Nnnnope,” smirked Mac, annoying her sister in return for making him carry all the groceries.

“Nnnnope,” mocked Applejack, screwing up her face to insult her older brother.

“Grown up ponies help others,” said Mac, eying the load of groceries.

“Grown up ponies help others,” mimicked Applejack again, whipping her blond mane towards her Cutie Mark-less flank.

Mac rolled his eyes and ignored her, continuing to struggle under all the weight of the groceries. They were almost to the front gate of Sweet Apple Acres, which was wide open. Granny Smith was standing under the wicket arch over the gate, holding the mischievous rabbit by the ears in her right roof. Unbeknownst to the rabbit, Granny Smith had been looking into the garden out of the window of her barn-like home the whole time. Not even the quick steps of a rabbit were any match for her eagle-like eyesight.

“It’s about time!” she called to Applejack and Mac, who were still bickering with each other childishly. “Ah was beginnin’ to worry!”

“We’re fine, Grammy,” mumbled Applejack, arriving at the gate with Mac. Granny Smith closed the gate and locked it. She put the rabbit up to her face and gave it a menacing look, then threw it over the fence and into the trees. The rabbit tore away without looking back, making sure to put as much distance between her and Granny Smith as possible. She mumbled indistinctively to herself and the three of them walked back to the house, which was connected to the barn.

As they entered the house, an extremely pleasant smell wafted through the air, undoubtedly Granny Smith’s cooking. Applejack and Mac smelled the air appreciatively.

“So…can ah go, Grammy?” Applejack asked with an innocent smile.

She had been bugging Granny Smith about leaving the farm and living in Manehattan for over a month, but she had never gotten a straight answer. Granny simply didn’t believe Applejack would last a day in the big city, ensuring herself that ‘fillies will just be fillies’. Applejack figured that if she would badger her grandmother enough, she would finally give in and give her some freedom.

“Help your brother set the table, dear,” responded Granny Smith, who was checking to see if the vegetable soup she was cooking was ready yet. The soup was bubbling gently in large blue pot decorated with apples and flowers in the fireplace. Applejack groaned frustratingly and stomped the ground with her hoof, but she did what she was told.

Applejack hurried up to her room to get the tulips she had picked earlier that day to put in the vase on the table. Mac was in charge of setting the table with the actual dishes every night, and Applejack’s duty was to pick the best assortment of flowers she could to decorate the table. Applejack had carefully arranged the pretty assortment of flowers into a simple glass vase.

“By golly, Applejack, your selection is simply…wonderful,” she said airily to herself, admiring her work. She had visited her aunt and uncle in Manehattan a couple months ago, who always had a beautiful assortment of flowers on their orange-strewn table. Applejack gained a strong liking for their life: the conversations they had with other proper ponies; the beautiful dresses the mares wore, which Applejack had seen in picture frames all over the walls; the crisp, clean feeling of everything…it was wonderful. Applejack liked to pretend she was one of those high-status ponies, rather than a simple farm pony who did chores all day long. Her dream had come true when her aunt and uncle, whose last name was Orange, had understood her plea to leave the farm and allowed her to come and experience life in the big city. All that stood in her way was her grandmother…

Applejack grabbed the flowers and hurried back downstairs. Mac had the table ready to go with bowls and glasses. A pitcher of ice cold carrot juice sat on the table as well. She tipped the flowers into a larger, pink vase and stood patiently at the table, waiting for the soup to arrive. Less than a minute later, Mac carried the large pot over to the table and Granny started dishing all of them up some over her soup.

“Them flowers are fit as a fiddle, Applejack, where’dya find ‘em?” asked Granny, glancing at the tulips Applejack had picked.

“The meadow by the entrance to the Rock Farm,” Applejack replied, sipping her soup delicately, which was very hot. The tang from the broth was very welcoming. She could feel the warmth spread down her throat.

“Best stay away from that place,” Granny warned, passing Mac a basket of huge rolls. “Sr. Pie will bust you a good’un if you trespass anywhere near their…fields.” She ended with a bit of sarcasm in her voice. The Rock Farm was basically a barren area of dirt and pitiful trees with rocks scattered everywhere.

“Yes, Grammy.”

Applejack didn’t understand the Rock Farm either…it was a weird place. She had met Sr. Pie’s daughters before, and they were definitely not a lively bunch. They just stared at her like she was some kind of alien, not bothering to say a single word. Granny didn’t have to tell her twice. Applejack continued to sip her soup like she was one of the rich ponies of Manehattan, who always ate their meals really slow for some reason. Mac, however, was already halfway done with his second bowl, grimacing at Applejack every so often to make fun of her haughty manners.

Ignoring Mac, Applejack decided to break the silence by asking Granny again about moving to Manehattan. “So do you have an answer yet, Grammy? Can ah go? Please?” she asked, as politely as she possibly could.

Granny didn’t reply immediately. She took, what Applejack believed, to be the longest drink of carrot juice ever drank before saying anything.

“Manehatt’n’s a big city full of rude ponies, dear. Ah just don’t think y’all would fit in. You're too much of a good filly to mix with the likes of ‘em.” Granny looked at her thoughtfully. “Ya just don’t compare.”

“Ah’ll be okay!” said Applejack. “Ah’ll make tunnsa friends and make you and Mac proud of me, ah promise!”

“Ah’m already proud of ya, Applejack,” Granny said with a sigh. “As an Apple.”

“Ah know, but…I’m just not happy here. Don’t you want me to be happy?”

Granny didn’t reply, but Applejack took the silence as an ‘I’ll think about it’ notion. The remainder of dinnertime, Granny and Mac talked about the day’s work and Granny’s plans about the next day. Applejack decided to drop her careful manners and finish her bowl of vegetable soup as fast as she usually did so she could leave the table. She carried her bowl over to the sink and looked up out the kitchen window, towards the direction of Manehattan. The sky was growing darker with each passing minute of the evening. From her small stature, she could only see the top of the hills outside the farm, the highest points in Sweet Apple Acres. From up there, Manehattan could be seen far off in the distance. Applejack remembered the first time she asked Granny about the towering skyscrapers, or ‘big houses’, which she used to call them. If Granny let her go, those hills were the first place’s she would stop on her journey to her Aunt and Uncle Orange’s apartment.

That night, Applejack had quite a frightening dream. She was walking along the streets of Manehattan with Mac, looking up at the sky. The skyscrapers went on forever, no tops in sight. All over the street she was walking on, ponies were making all kinds of noise. Many were shouting in provocative tones, like they were all staring right at her. Mac continued to walk along the concrete floor of the steel jungle without taking any notice of the thousands of ponies around him. She had to get out of there!

Suddenly, the ground turned to wooden flooring and she was back at home with Granny. She smiled gladly at Applejack’s return but Applejack turned sharply away. She felt defiant, and Granny was a fool. She was never going to listen to what she had to say about where she should stay…

Poof!

She awoke in her bed in the middle of the night, staring wide eyed at the ceiling. The clock on her wall, a brand new cuckoo clock Granny had adorned on her wall last week, showed it was just before four in the morning. In about two hours, Applejack would be getting up to go do a grounds check with her brother before letting out the chicken from their coops. She decided right then and there she would be doing chores on this muddy farm for the last time, whether Granny liked it or not. The dream had indeed rattled her head a bit, but she shook it off and went back to sleep.

☼☼☼☼☼

“CROCK-A-DOOOODLE-OOOOOO!”

Applejack didn’t stir.

“CROCK-A-DOOOODLE-OOOOOO!”

Big Macintosh arose from the next room. His hooves thumped slowly down the

hallway.

“CROCK-A-DOOOODLE-OOOOOO!”

“CROCK-A-DOOOODLE-OO—”

“CAN IT, you stupid rooster!” Applejack shouted angrily in her bed, flailing her legs around in her bed covers; she was fully awake now, thanks to her living, breathing alarm clock. She groaned and rubbed her eyes sleepily as she recognized the dim light in her room from the slowly rising sun. She hastily made her bed and turned on her nightstand lamp. On the nightstand was a framed photograph of her Aunt and Uncle Orange on their balcony in Manehattan. She looked over the photo for a minute or so, mulling over how she was going to get past Granny when a knock rapped on the door. Putting the frame quickly back on her nightstand, she answered the knock sleepily, “I’m awake.”

Granny opened the door, still in her nightgown. She always made sure Applejack was up in the morning, because lately Applejack had been sleeping in. Applejack wanted to spend as little time working on the farm as possible, so she got away with what she could.

“What do you want for breakfast this morning, dear?” she asked Applejack, who exaggerated a huge yawn. “You’ll need a purdy decent meal before your trip to Manehatt’n today.”

Applejack dropped her surly attitude and brightened up at once. “Yay! Thank you Grammy! Thank you thank you thank you!” She hopped up and down and hugged her grandmother tightly, filled with joy. She ran out of her room and down the stairs, eager to rub everything in Mac’s face. Remembering she forgot to answer Granny about breakfast, she ran back upstairs at lightning speed chanting,“Flapjacks! Flapjacks flapjacks flapjacks!” She took off for a second time and flew out the front door as fast as her miniature filly legs could carry her. Granny chuckled at Applejack’s energy.

Mac was investigating each of the gardens, saying “Eeyup” to himself each time everything checked out. He turned around to see Applejack making a beeline for him, who was clearing all the tomato plants like hurdles with precise coordination.

“Guess who’s gonna be livin’ in Manehatt’n now, big brother?” she called excitedly.

Mac said nothing, but gave Applejack a disbelieving look. Applejack walked up to him and grinned. “Granny’s fixin’ flapjacks for breakfast, by the way, Mac. How cool is she?”

“’Grats, city slicker,” Mac replied, frowning. He obviously wasn’t excited as much as Applejack was. He continued to patrol the gardens as Applejack ran back towards the house, doing jumping tricks over the obstacles in her way.

After breakfast, the sun was well above the horizon and all the animals were out on the farm. The sky was cloudless, brilliant blue; a perfect day for traveling. Applejack had taken the portrait of her Aunt and Uncle Orange off her nightstand and put it into an orange pouch, decorated with a single apple on the front. She tied it to a strong stick and slunk it over her shoulder, ready to take on the day’s journey. She had never been so excited!

Granny Smith was in a strangely good mood. She offered to make some blueberry muffins right after breakfast for Applejack to take on the journey, trying to stall her departure as long as possible. Applejack then reminded her grandmother she had to leave early if she wanted to make it to Manehattan before nightfall.

“O’course,” she replied sarcastically, rolling her old eyes.

Applejack was in the kitchen with her, Mac still out in the gardens. She felt a little sad, knowing that only Mac would be on the farm to help her for a while, but tried to push the worrisome thoughts away and focus on the task at hand. It wasn’t like she was leaving them forever…she would visit every so often, write them letters and all. As much as they annoyed her at times, Applejack loved Granny and Mac very much. She just didn’t belong here as a mud trackin’, chicken catchin’ farm pony. Granny was crazy thinking she wouldn’t belong in the city.

The three of them walked to the front gate of the farm. Granny and Mac seemed to be moving as slow as possible, but Applejack decided she could stand a little more patience. When they finally reached the gate, she turned to both of them to say some departing words.

“Ah’ll be okay, Grammy, ah promise,” Applejack said timidly, giving Granny a hug. Granny closed her eyes, embracing her only granddaughter tightly. After what seemed like ten minutes, she let go, looking nervously down the road Applejack was going to be traveling soon.

Mac picked up her little sister and gave her a death-gripping hug, nearly breaking Applejack in half. He softened his embrace when he realized he went too far, unaware of his own strength. Applejack giggled as Mac made a remark about the situation and put her down.

“Listen here, AJ,” Granny said, instructing Applejack with a bowed head, “You are to stick to that road and follow it ‘til it reaches a fork. At the fork, make a right and y’all will eventually wind up in Manehatt’n. Remember: stick to the road.”

“Follow the road—take a right at the fork—got it!” recited Applejack.

“Ah will be expectin’ a phone call from your Aunt and Uncle when you arrive, dear.”

“Okay Grammy—”

“Don’t speak to anypony unless it’s for directions.”

“Ah will, don’t worry—”

“Did ah explain how to get there? You just take this road that way—”

“Ah know!” yelled Applejack, raising her voice. Ah love you, Grammy. Ah will be just fine. Love you too, Mac,” she added, giving Mac a meaningful glance.

“Ah know, Applejack,” she smiled weakly. “Just remember, when you’re out there, frolickin’ among them uppity folk and expensive stage shows, to tell the truth. Not only to yourself, but to other ponies. The bitt’rest truth is always better than the sweetest lie.”

Applejack nodded impatiently, but understood her all the same. She bid them a final farewell and turned away from them, starting down the dirt road, her destination painted vividly in her mind. She was free!

Granny put a hoof on Mac’s shoulder, and whispered to him wisely, “Don’t fret, Macintosh. She a’int gonna last two days with them.”

“Nnnnope.”

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

It was a while before Applejack realized she had forgotten to climb to the top of the tall hill she had been planning to visit. She had already walked over a mile, so she would have to back track a little bit. Granny Smith’s warning whispered through her ears gently, nudging her to keep following the path. Applejack fought with herself for a few minutes, pacing around the area until she made up her mind. She was a city pony now, and city ponies were tough. She could climb to the top of that hill all by herself! She could easily see the path from all the way up there and find her way back to it with no problem. Thinking quickly, she scratched an arrow in the dirt, pointing her towards Manehattan, in case she somehow managed to get back to the trail and go the wrong way. She was in a thick forest, so misjudging her direction would be quite easy. Hiding the pouch she was carrying behind an apple tree adjacent to the path, she took off towards the hill.

“YaHOO!” she yelled gleefully. Challenging herself, she raced around trees and ducked under branches. A two-trunked oak tree came into view, with a short, filly-sized tunnel underneath it. She gave it all she had and slid all the way through the tunnel, landing on her hooves on the other side. A few unsuspecting bluebirds took off to the skies, narrowly escaping Applejack’s stampede. She had always been full of stamina, much like Mac. As she continued to charge through the trees, she felt a small stab at her heart when she thought of her brother, knowing she wouldn’t be seeing him for a long time. But when she saw the incline of the ground start to rise sharply, the thought of Mac vanished from her mind.

After a few minutes of strenuous climbing, she finally reached the top of the tallest hill in Sweet Apple Acres. And was it worth the climb!

Applejack could see thousands upon thousands of apple trees growing in the valley, all full of fruit and soon ready to be picked. A river far below the hill flowed slowly and peacefully, completely silent because of the hill’s great height. Out to the west she could make out the sandy plains of the Mild West, where the majority of her family lived and worked. A warm breeze blew from the plains, lifting up Applejack’s bleach blond ponytail behind her. She took a few minutes to take in all the beauties of nature, peace in her mind.

Then she changed direction and looked out towards the northeast, where the unmistakable skyscrapers of Manehattan loomed above sprawling villages and suburban neighborhoods. It looked bigger than she ever imagined! The excitement was too much to handle; she just had to jump and celebrate. She sprung off her hind legs and caught a gust of wind, which made her lose her balance.

Down the steep hill she tumbled, toward the city. Trying her hardest to keep her balance, she dug her hooves into the earth to slow her fall but it was no use; the ground was simply too steep. She flew off a ledge, screaming all the way, and fell hard onto the ground again, nearly breaking her neck. Amazingly, none of the trees hit her; they just seemed to be jumping out of the way to avoid giving her sustaining serious injury. But Applejack wasn’t feeling lucky at all.

CRASH! Her graceless fall down the hill ended in a shower of leaves and twigs, inside a large bush. She lay there for a minute, checking to see if everything was working alright, and jumped to her hooves, fully uninjured.

“Well that was fun,” she mumbled to herself, shaking all the twigs and leaves out of her mane and tail. She was in a thick of some dry pine trees, along with hundreds of rocks and millions of pine needles littering the ground. She was also lucky to not have hurt herself on the sharp edges of any of the rocks from her landing. Just when she was about to consider herself the luckiest pony alive, an eerie rattling noise sounded in her ears. Her eyes locked on the source of the noise: less than seven feet away from her was a rattlesnake, clearly disturbed from Applejack’s noisy landing. It glared at her suspiciously as it sounded its tail in warning.

Applejack froze, whimpering to herself at the sight of the extremely dangerous snake. She stepped backwards slowly towards the hill she had just fallen down, ensuring the snake she meant no harm. But as she backed up, another rattlesnake slithered out of a hole in some of the jagged rocks. The snake started rattling its tail as well, making Applejack jump in increased horror. A couple more rattlesnakes on either side of her emerged from behind some bushes, hissing at her viciously. Applejack started to tear up in fear, unable to escape in any direction. This was why she didn’t belong in a snake infested area like Sweet Apple Acres…

She scanned for a stick or rock to defend herself, but couldn’t reach a single one. They were all too close to the rattlesnakes. The snakes, sensing Applejack’s fear, closed in on her and reared for attack, ready to make her pay for disturbing their peaceful slumbers. Their harsh whispering hisses was the last thing she would ever hear…

“Aw no you DON’T, you slimy little varmits!” shouted a male voice, ringing through the trees. Two ponies were approaching quickly towards her, one of them a pegasus. The rattlesnakes craned their heads towards the one who had insulted them, who was only a young colt.

“Whattttt are you going to doooooo about ittttt…partner?” One of the rattlesnakes hissed at the colt, whose head was bowed like a rhinoceros ready to charge.

The colt picked up a couple rocks and held them up in the air, showing them off, like he was going to throw them. “Take a gander at these rocks, rattler,” the colt said. “This is flint. You take one more, sneaky little slither towards her and I’ll create a spark that’ll light these pine needles, sendin’ all these dry pine trees up in flames.”

The snakes hissed angrily, furious at the colt’s threat.

“Youuuuu wouldn’t dare...,” the snake hissed again.

“You’re right, I wouldn’t,” confessed the colt, smirking. “But me and my pegasus friend here will throw them at y’all, and I can sure guarantee you won’t be botherin’ anypony ever again if we do.”

The rattlesnakes backed away fearfully, realizing the colt had an upper hand in the situation. The colt threw up a couple rocks to the pegasus, now armed as well. They then started banging the rocks together provocatively, sending a few feeble sparks into the air, making them retreat even faster. Once they had all cleared the area, the colt dropped the rocks and ran over to Applejack, who was trembling with shock from the rattlesnake encounter. The pegasus followed behind him.

“We were walkin’ down the main road when we heard ya screamin’ and crashin’ down that big hill there, filly. You ok?” asked the colt, in a friendly voice. He looked to be around the same age as Applejack, perhaps slightly older. He had long, shaggy brown hair and a black leather vest, over sandy-colored fur. His eyes were a weird color, grey, but on the purple side. He sounded like Mac, but talked much faster. He could have been her brother and never known it.

“Yea ah’m okay, thanks,” Applejack said, relieved but still staggering. “Ah’m Applejack! Who are y’all?”

The colt smiled. “That’s a cool name. ‘Name’s Mudflap, but you can call me Mudflap. This here is Soarin’, and he’s my best pal. You can just call him the ‘Wannabe’.”

Applejack giggled at the colt’s humor and waved at the pegasus, who touched down on the ground and scowled at Mudflap.

“More like ‘Gonna Be’!” Soarin’ said, raising his head heroically. He had sky blue-colored fur with a spiky, midnight mane. His green eyes were full of confidence, making him quite convincing. He was even older than Mudflap, almost a head taller.

“See, Applejack, they call him Mudflap because he catches everypony’s dust. Isn’t that right, my noble steed?” He punched Mudflap in the shoulder jokingly, who turned to him with an amused look.

“Who’s grounded from going to Summer Flight Camp because he left home after dark to sneak into a Bridleway show?”

Soarin’ laughed. “And who’s supposed to be at home in Manehattan, but ten miles away in Sweet Apple Acres instead?”

“An idiot?” said Mudflap.

Soarin’ laughed again. Applejack interrupted the two friends’ bickering, “Wait, y’all live in Manehatt’n?!”

“Haha, yup!” he said, still amused. “Just me though, Mudflap is from Saddlebrook. I’ve lived there my whole life. Why?”

“Ah need to get there before dark, to visit my Aunt and Uncle.”

“You’re going there by yourself?” asked Mudflap, amazed. “You must have some purdy buckin’ parents to trust you on walkin’ all the way to Manehatt’n by yourself.”

“Nah ah live with my Grammy and brother back near Ponyville,” Applejack said, pointing her hoof back up the hill. “Over that hill. But yeah, they sure are the greatest!”

She thought of Granny and her legendary cooking, her heart throbbing again. Not wanting to reveal there was a problem, she retained her smile and continued the conversation.

“Why are you ponies in ol’ Sweet Apple? Are y’all alone out here?”

Mudflap laughed nervously. “Well it’s a funny story, really…I’m stayin’ the summer in Manehatt’n with ol’ brainless here. I was gonna go back to Saddlebrook the other day, but seeing Soarin’ is grounded now, I’m gonna stay another week.” He high-hoofed Soarin for the fortunate turn of events. “But this mornin', Soarin’ has this bright idea that he’s gonna fly alllll the way to Summer Flight Camp outside of Cloudsdale and surprise everypony. Ya know, just ‘cause ‘he can’.”

“What can I say, I’ve got to live up to my name, Mudflap,” said Soarin’, shrugging with a grin. “I’m totally not going to live my life as ‘Sittin’’.”

“So,” continued Mudflap, “I told him I was comin’ along and there wasn’t anything he could do about it—”

“I was going to come back the same day you know,” said Soarin’ in a dumbed down voice. You were supposed to cover for me back at my house.”

“You weren’t gonna fly all the way to Cloudsdale and back in a day without gettin’ in trouble again and y’all know it,” said Mudflap, shaking his head.

“Yeah I suppose you’re right,” said Soarin’. “But it’s a good thing I’m crazy, or else we never would have saved Applejack from those rattlesnakes.”

“Yup,” said Mudflap.

They all looked at each other for a moment in an awkward silence before Applejack spoke up, “So…we should probably go now. Aunt and Uncle will be pretty upset if I’m late.”

“Yeah, sure—let’s go,” said Mudflap, leading the way back from where they came through the trees. They walked for barely a minute when they came across a main road, which was bordered by more apple trees. Mudflap led them to the right, which eventually led to a fork in the road. He and Soarin’ were just about to take the path going left when Applejack stopped them

“Wait—ah left some stuff back here a bit—” said Applejack, taking the third direction instead, back towards Sweet Apple Acres. Searching for the arrow she had drew in the dirt earlier, she galloped for several minutes. The roll down the hill was definitely a long one.

Finally, panting, all three of them reached the arrow. Applejack rummaged behind the trees next to the path and reunited with her pouch, which was untouched. She slung the stick back over her shoulder and rejoined Mudflap and Soarin’ on the path.

“Is that your Aunt and Uncle?” asked Soarin’, pointing at the proud looking ponies in the photograph.

“Yup, that’s them, my Aunt and Uncle Orange!” said Applejack fondly.

“The Oranges? You are related to the Oranges?” asked Soarin’, amazed, taken aback by Applejack’s Southern appearance. “They’re like, one of the richest families in Manehattan. Are you…?”

Soarin’ did a double take. “You’re an Apple, aren’t you?” he said, fully realizing the whole connection. “And your family owns Sweet Apple Acres…”

“Well, yeah...,” said Applejack modestly. “But ah’m sick of living on that muddy ‘ol farm. Ah’m going to be living with them now.”

Soarin’ let out a long whistle. “Boy, you’re so lucky…”

Mudflap didn’t say anything, but gave Applejack a disapproving look, much like the one Granny Smith had been giving her the last month whenever she mentioned going to stay with her Aunt and Uncle. Applejack looked away embarrassingly, understanding Mudflap’s frown. But once she filled her mind with all the fun she was going to be having with her Aunt and Uncle for the indefinite future, her spirits rose again.

The three of them turned around and began walking again. They reached the fork in the road a second time, taking the right path toward Manehattan just like Granny had said earlier. This was it—the final stretch!

“Next stop, the City of Lights!” said Soarin’.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

After the run-in with the rattlesnakes in Sweet Apple Acres, the rest of the trip was quite uneventful. Mudflap barely talked to Applejack the whole way, still rather cold towards her after she had told them about leaving her home in Sweet Apple. Applejack didn’t really become too bothered by this. He may have saved her life and lived in a ranching town like Saddlebrook, but he had no idea what she had gone through. Soarin’, on the other hand, was being really nice to her and wouldn’t stop talking.

“…Bridleway, the Mustang Stadium, Three Hooves Arena, Pony Island…,” he listed, naming as many places of interest he could think of. Applejack could barely keep up with it all.

“…Stampetey’s…ooh. Ooh! Oh you’ve got to go to Stampetey’s. Best all you can eat restaurant you’ll ever visit, I guarantee! They have more kinds of pie than you can shake a feather at! Ugh, now I’ve made myself hungry…”

Applejack giggled. If Soarin’ was from Manehattan, the other ponies in Manehattan were bound to be as fun as him! Feeling rather hungry herself, she made a mental note to ask her Aunt and Uncle if they could go there once she got settled in.

As the sun started to slink below the horizon, they arrived in the outskirts of Manehattan. Houses and small businesses turned to office buildings and big stores, as the hoof traffic became more and more crowded. The lights inside the buildings began to become visible, suiting the magenta-colored evening sky perfectly. Her Aunt and Uncle lived towards the heart of the city, so she had a ways to walk before her journey’s end.

Soarin’ and Mudflap pulled Applejack aside from the pathway onto a street leading into a suburban neighborhood, leading them away from all the hoof traffic.

“Well, Applejack, or should I say, Orangejack, this’ll be where we split up,” said Mudflap, taking interest in speaking to her again. “Soarin’ lives out this way, so we won’t be able to walk ya through the noisiest part of the city.” He scowled up towards the towering skyscraper farther in the city, clearly not appreciating the city life like Soarin’ and Applejack did.

“It’s okay, ah’ll be fine,” assured Applejack. “Listen, thanks…for savin’ me. You and Soarin’ are real heroes.”

“I just know my way in the forest, that’s all,” said Mudflap, kicking a hoof into the ground in slight embarrassment. “But you just said some dangerous words to Soarin’. Me might just do somethin’ even stupider tomorrow.” He said sideways to Soarin’, whose eyes lit up at the mention of ‘hero’.

Applejack giggled again as Soarin’ flexed his thin forelegs over-confidently. “So will ah see y’all again?

“Maybe,” said Mudflap. “I’ll be going back to ol’ Saddle next week, so after that it’ll be just Soarin’ for a while. I don’t know my way around this city that much, so y’all will hafta ask him about directions to his house—”

“12943, Tumbleweed Avenue said Soarin’, reciting his address by heart. I’m sure your Aunt and Uncle Orange will be able to lead you here when you decide to come play with us.”

Applejack said the address over and over again in her head so she would remember.

“Later!” said Mudflap, raising a hoof of farewell. “Don’t go off on your own in this town after dark, ya hear? It’s no Ponyville!”

“Put in a good word to your Aunt and Uncle Orange for me, will ya?” called Soarin’, hopeful.

“You got it!” called Applejack back to the two of them, waving. “See ya!”

Applejack watched the two friends turn another street and vanish behind a wall. Applejack looked up at the sky and saw that it was even darker now, so she hurried back off the street and towards the heart of the city, her Aunt and Uncle’s greeting now in her mind.

As she walked through the heavily lamp-lit streets, she couldn’t stop staring up at the skies. All kinds of beautiful, tall buildings loomed up in the sky, making her feel like an ant. But on the contrary, she felt inspired rather than fear, wowing at the great architecture. She needed about twelve more eyes to see it all, for there was just too much to take in.

She had her head fixed on a long, intricately decorated building Soarin’ had called Bridleway when a passing pony knocked her out of the way.

“Wh—what are you doing here, brat? Get out of my way!” said the top-hatted pony, annoyed. He raised his head proudly and stormed away, straightening the tie on his suit.

All around her were earth ponies and pegasi hurrying along, like they had somewhere extremely important to be. Not one of them took a single moment to glance up at the wonderful views above the lampposts, or at each other passing by. They all seemed to be in their own little worlds.

Slightly offended, she continued to walk down the street, hoping not to get in anypony else’s way. The sky was now completely dark now, but the light given off from all the stores and carriages didn’t make any difference. Applejack was beginning to get anxious about getting lost when she came across a red building with a green roof, where her Aunt and Uncle lived. The building was very nice and welcoming, much less like the other city ponies had made her feel. She went inside.

An orange gate inside the building was preventing her access to the upper level. A couple of important looking ponies walked up to the gate on the other side.

“My, my, who is this? Are you Applejack?” said one of the ponies airily.

“Y’all bet ah am!” said Applejack excitedly.

The pony looked a bit taken aback by her accent but opened the gate anyway, noticing the photograph in the pouch on her back.

She went through another doorway and into a hallway, with abstract paintings on the walls. Two staircases, one going up and the other down were on either side of the hallway, an elevator right in the middle. Applejack took the ascending staircase.

She let out a sigh of relief when she came across a door with the Orange family crest on it, realizing she had finally arrived where she truly belonged. She rapped hard on the door and two rich looking ponies answered the door.

“Auntie Orange! Uncle Orange!”

The two ponies smiled at their niece and allowed her over the threshold.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

When she had first walked through that doorway and noticed the crisp, orangy perfume smell of the apartment, Applejack knew she was nowhere near home. Her Aunt and Uncle were very nice, and even were amused with her accent, but they quickly saw to it Applejack learned their way of language so she would be able to mix better with their friends and neighbors. Her old apple-picking, mud stomping self was completely masked in a matter of a couple hours.

Her Aunt Orange scrubbed her whole body with soap to get rid of the all the dirt and debris she had collected earlier, and then some while Uncle Orange talked on the telephone with Granny Smith about Applejack’s arrival. After the makeshift bath, Applejack’s mane had to be ‘done’. Her mane, which had used to be tied in a simple ponytail, was soon towered high like a melting cake, matching her Aunt Orange. She was then hit with a cloud of other pointless makeups until she felt like she was going to a party in Canterlot. Her Aunt told Applejack her first lesson about life in Manehattan, “Always look your very best, because you never know who might be looking at you!”

After Applejack broke free from Aunt Orange’s attempts to make her look any frillier, she toured the apartment. Aunt and Uncle Orange’s place was certainly exquisite, with its pretty paintings, expensive sculptures and many exotic potted plants. The marble floors were so shiny; they looked like they were made of glass. Applejack then noticed a magazine sitting on a table by a squashy little red couch, with a very old, bespectacled stallion on the front cover. Proper Pony read the title. Before she could open the front cover, a loud siren coming from outside the apartment broke the crisp atmosphere like a gunshot.

“My, my…that was interesting,” muttered Uncle Orange, pulling back a curtain, almost indifferent to the noise. His eyes followed something down the street.

“What was that?” asked Applejack, anxiously.

“Oh, ha ha, not to worry, dear,” laughed Uncle Orange. “That was simply the law pursuing the scum that tends to cause trouble in our streets. Nothing of our concern, I assure you.”

The scum? Applejack thought that was a bit harsh to call somepony. Applejack had been in trouble before, and she certainly wasn’t referred to that way.

“Wh-what do you think they did?” she asked, unable to think of what they could have possibly done.

“Oh a robbery most likely, maybe even a standoff—”

“It’s nothing important dear,” interrupted Aunt Orange, giving her husband a dirty look at his bluntness. Applejack didn’t know what her Uncle meant by “standoff”, but she had heard of robberies before. Granny absolutely loathed thieves.

“Would you like to see the dining room dear?” Aunt Orange said, getting Applejack’s mind off the sirens. She motioned towards a door. “No Apple has ever dined in a place like this—”

She led her through the door and they beheld a long, beautiful orange table with many china plates and goblets, all placed neatly along a silk tablecloth. Along the walls were several doorways, some leading off onto balconies, some to other rooms, and a couple to the kitchens. Applejack could hear the clanking of dishes and chatter of chefs behind the door. It was more or less a mini restaurant rather than a dining room. The table alone was as long as Granny’s whole kitchen!

“Oh I can’t wait to show you off at dinner!” Aunt Orange said excitedly, straightening Applejack’s bangs unnecessarily.

Applejack, staring hungrily at the doors to the kitchens instantly thought of Soarin’s suggestion on going to Stampetey’s. She had never eaten with her Aunt and Uncle before, but she was certain there had to be as much scrumptious food as Stampetey’s, if not more. Her stomached growled impatiently as she and her Aunt walked back into the sitting room to greet the guests, who had just started to arrive.

One thing was for certain: none of them were anything like Soarin’. Expecting them to be as fun and wild and Soarin’, they were rather boring; they walked like their bones were made of glass and greeted each other in a strange fashion. They all did a peculiar handshake then did a sort of air kiss over each pony’s shoulder. Applejack simply gave each of them a friendly “Hello!” and left it at that.

The stallions and mares definitely cleaned themselves up nicely, with their flowery dresses and crisp suits. But Applejack couldn’t help but notice they looked uncomfortable, which would have explained their walking. Applejack started to walk the same way and noticed her hair didn’t bug her as much, but she still felt out of place.

Applejack just didn’t understand why everyone was so obsessed with themselves. All they wanted to talk about was money: how they earned it; where they earned it; how they spent it; where they spent it; what they spent it on; and most importantly, how much they had. One pony asked Applejack about how she liked the life in the city.

“Oh it’s simply divine!” she exaggerated, gaining the approval of her aunt and the other ponies. She then proceeded to talk about her old life back at Sweet Apple Acres, hoping to impress them further with her dialogue. Horrifically, they stared at her like they had no idea what she was talking about, (what’s a rrrooster, m’dear?) making Applejack panic.

“Dinner is served!” said an high voice.

Applejack let out a sigh of relief as the ponies diverted their attention towards the catering ponies, who were holding domed platters. Applejack let out another sigh of relief, aware she hadn’t eaten since that morning. But once the food was revealed, Applejack noticed there was nothing worth dreaming about. It was like the chef ponies had prepared a meal suitable for rabbits instead of ponies! Applejack thought it was a joke, but all the other ponies seemed to be heartily pleased with their food. Applejack felt her stomach rumble dejectedly as she stared frustratingly down at what appeared to be just steamed carrots with pineapple sauce.

Not wanting to give in just yet, she began to eat her pitiful supper as slow as possible, mimicking the other ponies. Surely all this trouble would be worth it soon…

Applejack was the first one to leave the table at dinner, making up an excuse she wasn’t feeling well to her Aunt and Uncle so they wouldn’t make her partake in any more humiliating activities with the house guests. She hurried to her room and flopped face-down on her new bed, which was large and poofy. The frame of her Aunt and Uncle Applejack brought now hung on the wall.

She had never fibbed like that before. Never before had she suppressed herself so much just to impress other ponies. The feeling made her feel terrible, like she was pretending to be somebody she wasn’t. How was she supposed to stand out among the millions of other ponies that lived in the city if she acted like a sheep?

Granny Smith had always referred to the sophisticated ponies in Manehattan as sheep, because they all walked and talked exactly the same. Applejack had just learned from first-hand experience that Granny was right on the mark.

Applejack flung her hooves through her mane and messed the elegant styling up, causing it to fall back to its original state. Starving, yet exhausted, Applejack then yawned softly and snuggled up to the pillows on her bed, which were also very poofy, and drifted off to sleep.

Applejack revisited the same dream she had experienced the previous night, except she was walking with a couple of the house guests she had met earlier that evening. They were throwing bits all over the place in celebration of their wealth, causing the gold coins to rain down on the passing ponies in the street. Applejack tried to copy them, but for some reason she couldn’t raise a hoof. Her legs were made of iron, steering themselves down the street like a machine.

The dream shifted. Mudflap was now with them, yelling about everything from the people hanging out the windows far above the street to Applejack, who was simply minding her own business. Applejack felt like she going to cry, wanting to explain to Mudflap she had been horribly long all along but she couldn’t say a word. Her mouth wouldn’t open. Mudflap just continued to shout away at everything until the dream shifted yet again.

Applejack and Soarin’ were flying above the trees of Sweet Apple Acres, laughing at how small everything looked below. They saw rattlesnakes look up at them angrily, now posing no threat at all. They continued to laugh until they came across Sweet Apple Acres, which was more beautiful and pure as ever. They touched down, their spirits still singing melodies in their peaceful souls, and looked over the fence into the farm. Granny Smith and Big Macintosh waved at them happily, like they were next door neighbors. But as Applejack desperately desired to run to the gate and join her family, Soarin’ pulled her back and they were up in the air again, back towards Manehattan. The breeze became cooler and cooler until…

Poof.

Applejack awoke from her poofy bed, shivering. The window she had opened a crack before falling asleep was now closed shut, and a filly-sized quilt was half covering her body. A pegasus clock on the nightstand beside her table showed it was just before 6am, the time she usually woke up back at Sweet Apple Acres.

Then all at once, it hit her. An overwhelming feel of the worst homesickness grabbed a hold of somewhere inside her chest and squeezed very hard. The squeeze caused guilt to flow into her mind. The guilt of leaving her wonderful grandmother and noble brother to live a life with a bunch of self-centered, fake ponies was worse than the guilt she felt from any lie she ever told. It had been less than a day, yet she already missed them very much. All she wanted to do was smell those apple trees and that honest old farm again.

A cold sun began to rise over the summer hills of Equestria, shedding a new light on the jungle of skyscrapers of the city. Applejack got out of her bed, sobbing, and opened her window to hear the sounds of the early morning, hoping to fill the emptiness inside her.

No birds chirped. No trees could be heard rustling. Not a single humble creak could be heard from the building. All Applejack could hear was the noisy and irritating sounds of the city. She closed the window sadly with a ‘snap’ and continued to stare at the window, watching the sun rise.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo…” said Applejack in a downcast voice, mimicking the rooster back at Sweet Apple Acres. Golly, did she miss that place…and the ponies who made it great…

BOOOOOOM! A cannon exploded somewhere in the distance. Or else, that’s what Applejack thought it was. Looking up in the sky, she saw a rainbow stretching all the way out towards Sweet Apple Acres. A rainbow? The sky…there had been no rain…

The claw that had grabbed a hold of her insides had released, nullifying all the pain she had previously felt. A warm, peaceful feeling swept over her body, to the tips of her ears and all the way down to her shaking hooves. But she wasn’t shaking with fear…it was joy. An amazing joy—a surefire emotion she should have recognized a long time ago.

She made the bed she had slept in quickly, grabbed the stick and pouch that held the picture of her Aunt and Uncle, and ran out of the bedroom, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Her Aunt and Uncle were in the living room in their sleeping gowns, gazing open mouthed at the rainbow that filled the sky.

“Some rainbow, a’int it?” asked Applejack happily to them, not bothering to talk in her Manehattan voice in front of them. “I reckon it goes all the way to ol’ Sweet Apple!”

Her Aunt and Uncle were startled by Applejack’s sudden appearance.

“Go on back to bed dear, this--er--happens all the time in cities like Manehattan—just a quirky kickoff of some event, most likely,” lied Aunt Orange, trying to make sense out of the situation. Uncle Orange nodded absentmindedly in agreement, continuing to peer out the window like a suspicious neighbor.

“No it don’t!” said Applejack. “It was meant for me!”

They both chuckled lightly. “You farm ponies are so humorous aren’t you?” said Uncle Orange, winking at his wife.

“Watch your contractions in your sentences dear,” said her Aunt, pointing out the flaws in Applejack’s accent.

Applejack snorted frustratingly.

“Ah’m being serious! It’s like it’s pointin’ my way back home!” she said.

“Oh?” said Uncle Orange jokingly. “Are you leaving us already?”

Applejack scowled, looking away, annoyed.

“Please go back to bed, dear,” said Aunt Orange. “We Manehattan ponies don’t ever act rashly, even in unexplainable situations like these!”

Applejack started towards the front door, ignoring her Aunt.

“Young lady, I will not ask you again,” warned her Aunt, her tone suddenly changing. You will return to your room and I will get you ready for breakfast in about two hours.”

Applejack stood her ground, scowling away from them at the door.

“Applejack, listen to your Aunt,” said Uncle Orange sharply. “You are acting completely out of Orange behavior.”

Applejack thought about Granny Smith had told her a couple nights ago at dinner. She turned around to face them, not afraid.

“That’s ‘cause ah’m an Apple,” said Applejack, turning the knob on the front door. “And my Grammy once told me y’all can never compare Apples to Oranges.” She opened the door, took one last look at her Aunt and Uncle’s dumbstruck faces, and then slammed the door behind her.

VI :: The Basket

"Wh—what the—hey! …Hey!”

Applejack nearly knocked over a stallion who had just exited a diner. The stallion shook an angry hoof in her direction and straightened out his business suit. But instead of apologizing, Applejack kept running down the sidewalk, which was considerably busier than last night. She kept glancing up at the sky, taking in the mysterious rainbow and all its truth.

Even the high-strung early commuters, busy with themselves, came to a stop to gaze in wonder up at the rainbow. Applejack bumped into a number of other ponies, but none of them seemed to care. All their attention was on the rainbow, undoubtedly questioning its odd occurrence and what the situation could possibly mean. As Applejack passed a couple of road worker ponies, she heard one of them say something about another misfire in Cloudsdale. Applejack had no idea what that meant, but she didn’t care; she knew the real purpose of the rainbow—to guide her back home. This rainbow was only for her…she just knew it.

The sun was fully over the hills now, flooding the streets of Manehattan. The lights in all the buildings began to steadily shut off as the city became brighter and brighter. A cool morning breeze swept through the awestruck city. As Applejack got closer to the edge of the city, she noticed a faint hint of apples in the refreshing breeze. Suddenly, Applejack galloped even faster, the familiar smell exciting her more. She was running so fast, everything around her was a blur. A cloud of dust kicked up into the air behind her along with her golden mane, the roads now no longer paved.

Applejack was so caught up in her speed that she didn’t even notice the colt that was coming right at her. Looking at the huge cloud of dust behind her, the colt jumped out of the way in surprise. Applejack heard him call out to her, but whether he was angry or not, Applejack didn’t care. All she cared about was returning to her kingdom; the kingdom everypony called Sweet Apple; the kingdom Applejack just called home.

After a minute or so, the cloud of dust settled and the cloth climbed out of the ditch on the side of the road he had jumped into for safety. Watching Applejack quickly disappearing into the distance behind the cloud of dust, the colt shook the debris out of his shaggy mane and smiled.

“’Atta filly.”

☼☼☼☼☼

Granny Smith and Big Macintosh were finishing breakfast in the kitchen when the rainbow had gone off that morning. The booming noise that had gone off at the time of the rainbow was much louder in Ponyville than it was in Manehattan, and it nearly scared Granny Smith senselessly. The blast rattled the entire house and set off all the chickens in their coops. Even the rooster fell off his post in surprise.

They rushed out immediately into their garden to see the wave of colors rocket over the treetops of Sweet Apple. In all her years, Granny had never witnessed anything like what had just happened that morning. Both Granny and Mac had seen many rainbows in their lifetime, but never anything like this. As Mac continued to be mystified at the array of colors above them, Granny simply smiled. In her weathered yet profoundly wise head, she knew something good had to come of this. Exploding rainbows couldn’t be just a coincidence.

Barely twenty minutes later, the rainbow had dissolved into the morning sky and Mac was beginning his day’s chores when he noticed something peculiar: flocks of birds all over the place were taking flight to the sky, like something had frightened them. Granny Smith, who was sitting on the porch, looked up into the sky to see if another exploding rainbow had gone off. But before she could think of a possible reason for the birds’ odd behavior, she heard another noise: the galloping of hooves.

And sure enough, both Granny and Mac saw the ponytailed mane of Applejack in the thick of the trees, coming straight at them. Granny stood up and hurried over to the front gate as fast as her fragile hips would carry her as Mac abandoned his plow and did the same.

“What did ah tell ya, Mac,” muttered Granny humorously to Mac, nudging him.

“Not even two...one,” said Mac with a grin.

“Gramma! Mac!” yelled Applejack gleefully, turning the final corner. “Ah’m home!”

As the three ponies reunited, the birds settled back in their trees.

“Gramma, Mac, did y’all see it?! The rainbow?!” Applejack said, breaking apart from them and bouncing around.

“Oh, my Celestia…yes,” gasped Granny, putting a hoof over her heart.

“Eeyup!” said Mac excitedly.

“Ah thought the Rainbow Factory blew up again—”

Granny paused.

“What?” said Applejack.

“Granny?” said Mac timidly. Granny looked like she was about to cry.

“Is everything ok, Gramma?” said Applejack, who noticed she was looking right at her. “What did I do?”

“That rainbow…it didn’t just lead you home...it lead you back…to where you belong,” sobbed Granny, who pulled them both into a tight hug.

“Mmmf, yesh ah know, I missed you guys too,” said Applejack in a muffled voice, confused about Granny’s sudden emotional breakdown, but happy all the same. For a pony as petite as Granny was, she sure had power in her hugs.

“Applejack, dear, look at your flank,” sniffed Granny finally.

“My flank? What—” Applejack started, flipping her head around towards her tail.

Three little apples had appeared suddenly on Applejack’s flank, like a magical tattoo. Applejack had finally gotten her very own cutie mark.

☼☼☼☼☼

“Now hold on, what just happened?” said Angie.

Angelica was referencing Applejack’s cutie mark, which she had just seen appear on Applejack through the Magic Portal. She, the two princesses and the Overseer were all watching the portal intently.

“That, Miss Angelica, is known as a cutie mark,” said Princess Celestia. “When a pony or pegasus down in Equestria learns of their purpose in life, a sort of image, a representation of their purpose, appears on their flank. Unlike Magic Sanctum alicorns like you, who gain those puporses by epistone letter at nine years of age, earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi can get their cutie mark at any time. It just depends on when they find their true purpose. In this case, Applejack finally realized her true purpose lies within her family and Sweet Apple Acres.”

Angie thought about this for a minute, trying to understand why it had to be different.

"Is there something about the enchantments around the Magic Sanctum that prevent normal cutie mark magic from working?" she asked.

"Bingo," said Celestia. "Sanctum alicorns have a different blood than land ponies. Due to ancient magic I used to build the Sanctum, alicorns that exist in the Sanctum couldn't have the same cutie mark magic as land ponies, or else the enchantment keeping this city hidden from non-alicorn eyes wouldn't have effect. Basically, certain types of magic just don't mix with each other. Just like how certain chemical compounds a chemist might use don't react with each other. Does that make sense?"

Angie nodded, making the connection, signifying she understood. But then another question arose in her mind, “If this is true, then how come you and Luna have cutie marks if you're both alicorns?” she asked.

"Because we existed before the Sanctum was created, so therefore we still retained the same cutie mark magic as any other land pony. Only an alicorn born in the Sanctum can find their purpose in life and not have a cutie mark. An alicorn born outside of the Sanctum, such as a member of the Royal Family, acquires a cutie mark."

"Got it," said Angie. But she had one final question, one that every pony who had ever known Celestia had ever wondered, but had never gotten an answer to.

"I've got one last question, your majesty. Can I say it?"

Celestia smiled. "Of course, my little pony."

"How are you and Luna immortal?" she asked, her heart thumping anxiously.

Celestia closed her eyes and pressed her lips together and let out a very long sigh. Luna's ears shot up at once, her eyes looking expectantly at Celestia, daring her to reveal the secret.

"Unfortunately," said Celestia slowly. "That is one question I cannot and will not answer." Celestia's tone had the utmost finality about it, Angie frowned, gave one sharp nod and let the matter drop, not at all surprised.

“I’m sorry, Miss Angelica,” said Celestia, seeing Angie’s rather hurt expression, “but we have a lot of ground and sky to cover tonight.”

Luna’s horn began to light up, and the image inside the portal turned completely white. The portal then started to fade into another scene, almost instantly.

“Let us fast forward about a couple years to a point in Applejack’s life where relationships become everything,” said Celestia to Angie, as the image showed a cozy town full of ponies. “A very crucial moment in the Apple family’s life, this is. Pay attention carefully.”

☼☼☼☼☼

Life had been good to Applejack for the past two years. Sweet Apple Acres’ business was booming; the farm and apple trees were producing more than ever. Since the day Applejack had discovered the appearance of her cutie mark, Applejack looked forward to waking up every morning, just to be out among the sweet smelling apple trees and hearing the lullaby of all the sounds on the farm: the chirping birds; the wind whispering through the trees; the sounds of the apples hitting the buckets when it was time for harvesting; the sound of Mac’s plow tilling the fields. Even hearing the rumble of the thunder in the clouds, signaling a rainstorm was on the way, was peaceful, even though the occasional lightning strikes scared her a bit.

Thunderstorms weren’t going to be common for too much longer, however. The leaves on all the trees were starting to change colors, everywhere from lemony yellow to deepest purple. This was Applejack’s favorite time of year, simple because the foliage that surrounded Sweet Apple was at its most beautiful this time of year. Applejack would often lose concentration on her work, distracted by all the colors.

The other distractions came from one of Applejack’s new friends. Senior Pie’s daughter, Pinkamena, who used to work at the rock farm with her family, would sometimes come around to visit—at random. Pinkamena Pie, who Applejack and her family just called Pinkie Pie, was one of the liveliest ponies Applejack had ever met. When Applejack had first met Pinkie Pie and her deadbeat family years ago, she never would have guessed she had the party animal she had within her now. Applejack was certainly not surprised when she found out Pinkie Pie’s very cutie mark had to do with every truly great party—balloons. Every event, even the most slightly important event in Applejack’s life that required some amount of celebration, Pinkie Pie made sure there was a party to go along with it.

Today was certainly one of those days, for it was Applejack’s first day in her third year at Ponyville Elementary School. It would also be the first day Pinkie Pie would be attending the school, so she and Applejack were going to be classmates.

“CROCK-A-DOOOODLE-OOOOOO!”

A two year older Applejack jumped almost instantly out of bed as her living, breathing alarm clock, the infamous rooster of Sweet Apple Acres, made its blaring call to wake up every living creature in the area.

A pale, bluish light shone weakly through the windows as Applejack yawned widely and started to get ready for the day. Before she even made her out of her room, however, she heard a bunch of loud raps hit the kitchen door downstairs like gunfire. Granny Smith, who was already in the kitchen, made her way on over to the door, only to be beaten by Applejack, who had just rocketed down the stairs competitively.

“Where’s the fire?” Granny said humorously, stepping out of the way.

“HowDEEE, Applejack!” said a cheerful Pinkie Pie, as Applejack wrenched open the door.

“What in tarnation—” said Granny Smith, wondering why on earth Pinkie Pie was at their farm so early in the morning. Pinkie, who now lived at Sugarcube Corner down in Ponyville, had to have woken up at least an hour ago.

“Howdy! Pinkie, why are you here so cotton pickin’ early?” said an amused Applejack, following her with her eyes as Pinkie bounced up and down.

Pinkie giggled. “Was just making sure you were up and at ‘em for schooool today!”

“Um, ah ‘preciate it Pinkie, but school isn’t for another three hours…” said Applejack.

“Oh I know, silly, but I wanted to come show you something before then!” Pinkie said. “If that’s okay with your grandma of course,” she added, in a whisper.

“Throw somethin’?” asked Granny, from over by the sink. “Not another party? At this hour?” She sounded rather irritated.

Applejack ignored her grandmother’s faulty hearing. “Show me what?” she Applejack curiously, tilting her head.

“Heehee, your grandma is funny,” giggled Pinkie again. “But I’ve got two parties planned this afternoon already, so there won’t be one this morning. And I won’t tell you…I have to show you!”

“Oh…okay!” said Applejack excitedly. “Lemme just ask Grammy—”

“The answer is no, Applejack” said Granny disapprovingly. “If Pinkie wants tah throw one of her silly parties, it’ll have to wait until later—”

“Grammy, Pinkie Pie wants to show me somethin’. Not throw me somethin’,” she explained clearly, rolling her eyes. “Your hearin’ is off again.” Applejack pointed to her ear. This was a regular occurrence. Granny’s hearing was starting to decline because of old age, so Applejack and Mac had to make sure they spoke louder around her. Due to Pinkie’s rapid and high pitched-voice, Granny usually avoided having conversations with her.

“Figures,” Granny said in an undertone. “Don’t go too far, yeh hear? Y’all better be back here for breakfast in an hour.”

“Okay, Grammy.”

Applejack closed the door behind her and followed Pinkie between the gardens and out the front gate.

“I can’t wait to meet our new teacher this year. It’s going to be a blast!” said Pinkie. I wonder who it will be!”

“Beats the hay outta me!” said Applejack, kicking the front gate closed. “Grammy said it’s another lady, but she’s new to the whole teachin’ business.”

“I wonder who will be in our class!” said Pinkie, changing the subject suddenly.

“Yeah…ah dunno,” said Applejack quietly. She looked away from Pinkie. Applejack had never been as outgoing as Pinkie was, since the ponies in her classes always mocked her because of her accent and because the teacher liked her so much. Applejack preferred to sit at the front of the class, so everypony didn’t look back at her with a smirk on their face, whenever she answered a question. Her old teacher, Missus Cake, liked Applejack because she was always honest with her schoolwork. One night, Applejack had forgotten to do her homework, so she thought up a good excuse on her way to school the next day. Halfway through walking up to her teacher at the beginning of class, however, she remembered Granny telling her about always telling the truth. She owned up to Missus Cake to what she did, and ended up receiving full marks for her homework.

Before Applejack could dwell on the matter further, she looked back up just in time to stop herself from running into what first appeared to be a fallen tree. A few seconds later, Applejack realized she was standing in the midst of a very large pile of leaves.

“…Woah,” said Applejack, her mouth hanging open. The pile of leaves was at least seven—no—eight feet high, and nearly twice and long. It was incredible!

“Surprise!” yelled Pinkie, diving headfirst into the pile and disappearing from sight. A soft ‘klunk’ sounded from inside the pile, followed by a muffled “Ow!” Pinkie reemerged from the pile, while Applejack was still taking in the huge pile.

“Wrong…entrance,” said Pinkie, dazed from the hit. She ran around to the other side of the pile and disappeared again into the pile.

“Pinkie…how in the hay… Pinkie! Where did ya go?”

Applejack went around to the other side of the pile to see where she had gone.

“Pinkie!” shouted Applejack. She heard Pinkie respond somewhere in the depths of all the yellow and orange. Laughing at the situation, Applejack dived into the pile like Pinkie to follow the voice. As she searched through the leaves, she heard Pinkie’s voice get louder and quieter. It was too dark to see where she was going.

“Almost…no wait! Stop!...You’re getting warm…warmer…even warmer…you’re hot! You’re sizziling—oh wait no you’re cooling down…burrhrhrh you’re cold, woo! Frozen! Nope—wait—you’re melting now—ooh! Is it hot in here or is it just you? Ooh—there you go—yay!”

Panting, Applejack finally felt herself stumble into an empty area within the pile, where she saw the outline of Pinkie sitting on the other side. The walls were made of large rocks and a few old planks of wood made up the ceiling.

“Welcome, stranger…mhuahaha…,” said Pinkie in a surprisingly creepy voice.

“Pinkie…this is so cool! How did y’all rake up this many leaves? And move all these rocks?”

“Muhahaha I know! But I didn’t do all of this by myself!” said Pinkie, changing her tone back to normal mid-sentence. A couple ponies thought my idea was fun, so they helped me gather them up! It only took us like an hour!”

“What did they look like? Who were they?” asked Applejack, still wowing at Pinkie’s creation.

“One of them was a unicorn, I think—he used his magic to round up all the leaves. The other one was a…pegasus—he said he knew you!”

Applejack figured it was probably one of the pegasi from her class last year. They were real jerks, and seemed to pick on Applejack the most out of her classmates.

“That’s...nice!” lied Applejack, smiling at Pinkie through the leafy darkness. “Did the unicorn know me at all?”

“Nope, sorry. I asked him…heehee,” giggled Pinkie.

“What?” said Applejack, smiling.

“Nothing!” said Pinkie, giggling again.

“Tell me!” demanded Applejack playfully, grabbing hooffulls of leaves from the entrance and throwing them at Pinkie.

“Nooope!” Pinkie said, holding back a fit of giggles, shielding herself from the blizzard of leaves.

“Pinkie, stop piddlin’ around and tell me! Ah—”

A sudden idea came to her head.

“Hey, this could be our secret room! Where we tell each other our secrets! And this’ll be the—”

“Ooh, Pinkie likes! Okay, I’ll tell you! But we gotta swear to each other we don’t repeat our secrets outside this leaf pile! We’ll call it…a Pinkie promise!”

“Okay!”

“Cross your heart?” said Pinkie, seriously.

There was a pause.

“Wha—oh yeah—‘course—cross my heart!” said Applejack.

“Hope to fly?”

“Hope to fly.”

“Stick a cupcake in your eye?”

“Stick a …huh?” said Applejack. She laughed, but Pinkie remained silent. After a long silence, Applejack figured Pinkie wasn’t kidding and said, “Stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“Yay!” said Pinkie, lighthearted again. “Okay…I’ll tell you. The unicorn—” She paused.

“Yes?” said Applejack, grinning, with her head close to Pinkie’s face.

“He said—” Pinkie paused again, going for dramatic effect.

“Oh heeheehee you’re not gonna believe this—”

“Yes?” Applejack said, closer still.

“He said…my hair was CRAZY!” she exclaimed, throwing her hooves in the air like she had just told Applejack she had won the lottery. And she was entirely sincere about it.

Applejack stared towards Pinkie for a few seconds in silence then picked up another fistful of leaves and threw them in her face. They then broke down into laughter. Applejack should have known better than to take Pinkie seriously.

Ten seconds into laughing themselves silly, Applejack heard a strange noise coming from somewhere, still shaking her head and grinning at Pinkie’s humor. Taking notice of the noise, she finally stopped laughing and immediately began to shush Pinkie.

“Pinkie—stop—listen—shhshhshh…” whispered Applejack quickly, as Pinkie was rolling around on the floor because she was laughing so hard. Pinkie quieted down at once, noticing the sharp tone in Applejack’s voice. The two of them put their ears to the rock walls and listened. They could hear a series of heavy thuds hitting the ground in quick succession from outside the vast pile of leaves. It sounded like somepony was galloping towards them, and the sounds were getting louder with each second. Assuming it was probably time to head back for breakfast, Applejack thought of Granny, but Granny’s hooves certainly weren’t that heavy. Unless…

CRASH!

The ground beneath them shook like an earthquake as the heavy body of Big Macintosh sailed through the pile of leaves, over the chamber they were in, and hit the ground on the other side. The boards above them fell through and an avalanche of leaves filled up the chamber instantly. The two of them scrambled frantically and tried to dig out of the pile, searching for sunlight. After about a minute, Applejack found sunlight and emerged from the leaves. Pinkie emerged soon afterward, spitting out leaf stems.

“Aw, shoot, Mac! You messed up our leaf pile!” said Applejack, looking at the now lopsided pile while Mac got back on his hooves.

“Oh…sorry,” said Mac. “Couldn’t resist…” He straightened out a tiny section of the pile with his hoof.

“Heehee, it’s okay, Macky!” said Pinkie, still shaking leaf debris out of her fluffy pink mane. “We can make it again!”

“Except we don’t have magic,” mumbled Applejack so only Pinkie could hear.

“Breakfast is ready,” said Mac, walking away from them back to the house. Applejack took one last appreciative look at the huge pile of leaves and sighed, sad to see such a great work destroyed in an instant.

“C’mon, Pinkie,” said Applejack.

After a delicious breakfast of apple crepes and Pinkie-filled conversation, Granny gave Applejack and Pinkie both hugs and set them on her way. Just before Mac led them out the door, however, Granny pulled Applejack aside.

“Applejack, I just want yeh tah know I love ya, and if any of those rotten Cloudsdale pegasi give yeh any trouble at school again this year, I’ll be on them like a herdin’ dog on a group o’ cows. Just stay true to yerself, dear.” Applejack gave her grandmother a thankful smile and hugged her again tightly.

“Thanks, grammy. Love ya too.”

It was overcast today, the light-grayish skies threatening to rain again. Gusts of wind were now beginning to unsettle the trees, causing them to lose their leaves much faster. Pinkie’s huge leaf pile was undoubtedly going to be destroyed by nightfall if the wind kept. But the real anxiety that Applejack felt at the moment was how school would go over that day. She loved learning about magic, algebra, art and other subjects, but she just wished ponies weren’t so mean to her. She had always tried to be one of their friends, too, but apparently it just wasn’t good enough. Applejack looked over at Pinkie, who was hopping up in down, without a care in the world. Pinkie was Applejack’s only real friend. But even though she was her only real friend, her high spirited and spontaneous nature made her as great as three friends.

As they entered into the town of Ponyville, a few colts who knew Mac waved and called out at him. He smiled, then answered with a silent raise of his hoof and continued to walk behind Pinkie and Applejack, like a bodyguard. Ponyville was certainly not a dangerous town by any means, but after hearing about the way Applejack was hurt by a couple of pegasi throwing rotten apples at her last year, Mac saw to it that nopony ever dared pull something like that again. Mac was absolutely furious when he saw Applejack run through the barn door one afternoon, gushy apple remains all up the side of her head and bruises on her cheek.

Ponies who lived in Ponyville were always kind to Applejack and all of the Apple family, giving them free samples from their shops and always greeting them whenever they saw them visit the town. Most of the classmates in Applejack’s class weren’t really all that bad either, but nopony wanted to stand up to the cool ponies from Cloudsdale. Standing up to Applejack in front of them was the most uncool thing a filly or colt could do at school. And nopony wanted to be uncool around them.

Much sooner than Applejack would have liked, they arrived at the flagpole of the Ponyville Elementary school, a pretty red building that reminded Applejack a lot like the barn at Sweet Apple. The door to the school was wide open as some ponies Applejack knew from last year trotted past them all by themselves, staring at Pinkie Pie, who was waving and greeting literally everypony in sight, even though she knew almost none of them.

“Hey!”

“Hello!”

“Howdy, friend!”

“Hi!”

“Hi—okay, see you later, alligator!” Pinkie said, as a very pretty unicorn with a wavy violet mane ignored her completely. She was wearing an expensive looking coat, like she was preparing for a blizzard. Was that really necessary?

“Ah don’t want to go in there…” mumbled Applejack nervously as she saw a stocky pegasus talking to an earth pony he was walking with. They both eyed Applejack and the pegasus laughed out loud. Applejack scowled at them. Mac looked right at the Pegasus and snorted angrily. The pegasus’ smile vanished instantly, and he went back to talking to the filly he was with. In the two years since Applejack had returned from Manehattan, Big Macintosh had put on at least forty pounds of muscle and was a head and a half taller. He didn’t have many enemies.

“Don’t get mad,” said Mac in his slow voice, putting a protective hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “That’s my job.”

The school bell rang, signaling the five minute warning bell before class was going to start. Pinkie squealed in excitement as she grabbed Applejack’s hoof and led her up to the door of the schoolhouse. Applejack looked back anxiously at Mac, who smiled warmly at her and kicked up his legs powerfully. Applejack bucked her two back legs at him, answering the notion. This was basically their way of saying “Give ‘em Tartarus”.

The schoolhouse was almost completely full of ponies. Applejack scanned the classroom to find an empty seat for her and Pinkie. There were no seats except for three desks at the very front of the class. Applejack let go of Pinkie’s hoof and hurriedly went and sat in one of the desks, trying not to make eye-contact with anypony. Pinkie sat down right next to her and immediately started talking to the colt directly behind her.

A few minutes later, a quite pretty young mare with deep purple fur and a bubblegum colored mane closed the door, sheltering the classroom from the winds outside to signal the beginning of class. She had very kind eyes and smiled at the class, who were all still chatting busily amongst each other. She was undoubtedly the new teacher, but it was strange how young she was; she couldn’t have been much older than Mac. Applejack, who was the only one not talking to anyone, just pretended to be busy rummaging through her little knapsack Granny had made her over the summer.

“Alright, everypony, settle down now,” said the teacher, sitting on her desk and crossing a leg over the other. She took a piece of paper off her desk and began to scan her eyes down the page, as the ponies’ voices in the room began to falter. But as the room became quiet, a soft rumble of thunder sounded from outside, and raindrops began to hit the roof. A few ponies in the room sighed in excitement of the coming rainstorm

“Ooookay...Applejack?” said the teacher, looking up from the paper, searching for a response. She was taking roll call.

“Um, howd—ah mean, here!” said Applejack, trying to sound as normal as possible. Nobody snickered when she spoke, which boosted her confidence a little.

“Hello, Applejack. Pleased to meet you,” the teacher said, giving Applejack a small smile. Applejack was feeling better already.

“Next…Bon-Bon?”

“I’m here!” said a curly haired filly from the back of the class.

“Caramella?”

“Present,” said a quiet unicorn next to Pinkie Pie.

“Gunpowder?”

“Yup,” said the stocky pegasus who mocked Applejack earlier.

The teacher went down the list, smiling at each pony she listed until she came to Pinkie Pie. Thunder continued to rattle the windows as the rain became louder.

“Pinkamena Diane Pie?” she said, stopping herself from giggling at the strange name.

“Hee-err!” chimed Pinkie. “I love your hair, Miss—um—I mean missus—”

“Just Miss, dear,” she said, still smiling, running a hoof through her long mane. “Miss Cherilee.” She was taken aback by Pinkie’s comment but appreciative all the same. “Thank you, Diane.”

“Oh I go by Pinkie, Miss Cherilee! My real name is weird, heehee!”

“You have a lovely name, dear,” said Miss Cherilee. “But Pinkie works too. Welcome to class, Pinkie Pie.”

“Aaaand…Rainbow Dash?”

CRACK. A sudden flash of lightning and the loudest clap of thunder yet blew up in the sky outside. Everypony in the classroom jumped a little at the noise as the door to the classroom opened and a middle-aged pegasus walked inside. He was wearing a white work suit and had a white goatee.

“Hello, Miss Cherilee. Cosmo Stratus, head weather pony of Cloudsdale. I’m sorry to disturb your class, but I’m stopping by many structures in Ponyville and the surrounding area to issue a storm warning. The pegasi up in ol’ C Town are cooking up a big one for tonight, and I just wanted to warn everypony to stay indoors. I also have a young pegasus here with me, who I assume was coming to your class today—” The pegasus stepped aside as a drenched filly zoomed into the room and landed in front of Pinkie Pie, soaking wet.

“Hiya, teach!” said the filly cockily. “Sorry I’m late!”

Rainbow Dash was, at first glance, the coolest pony Applejack had ever seen. She had not one, not two, but six colors in her mane—the colors of a rainbow. If that didn’t make it cool enough, she even had a pair of wings.

“Arr Dee!” said a pegasus from the back of the class, greeting Rainbow Dash like a good friend. Several of the other ponies waved at her and began whispering amongst one another. Rainbow Dash was obviously the most popular pegasus in the classroom, even though she was water-logged from head to hoof and walked in late to class.

“The one, the only, everypony!” said Miss Cherilee, clapping her hooves sarcastically. She thanked Cosmo Stratus for the warning and closed the door again, then went back to her desk to continue roll call. When she looked back at her class, she noticed that Rainbow Dash was still standing.

“There’s a seat just for you, dear, right next to our friend Applejack here,” said Miss Cherilee, pointing to the only remaining seat right in front of her desk.

“Awh, what? Seriously?” said Rainbow Dash, not impressed with the seating situation.

“Chill out, you can have my seat, Rainbow!” said a unicorn from the back of the classroom, jumping up immediately. I can’t see the board this far back anyway—”

“No—thank you, dear, but I want to keep an eye on Miss Dash here. Sit down, please,” said Miss Cherilee, pointing at the unicorn.

“Whatever,” mumbled Rainbow Dash, sitting down next to Applejack, taking no notice of her presence. She just started gazing out the window at the thunderstorm.

“Waaah!” squealed the unicorn behind Rainbow Dash, who had been crafting something elegant out of paper. Rainbow Dash had flipped her wet mane around and splattered water all over her. “Really,” said the unicorn, wiping off her face with a cloth she had pulled from a jeweled purse.

Rainbow Dash whipped around and saw the annoyed look on the unicorn’s face then turned back around and laughed.

“Rarity, dear, you’ll live,” said Miss Cherilee, almost laughing as well. You’ll most likely be getting ten times wetter walking home anyway.”

Applejack seriously doubted that, however, as she saw an umbrella sticking out of Rarity’s purse.

Miss Cherilee continued on with the roll call, finally ending with Vinyl Scratch, the unicorn who had offered Rainbow Dash her seat.

“Well then,” she began. “I’m very excited to meet all of you, and for those who have been talking the whole time,” she darted her eyes towards a couple of the pegasi at the back of the classroom, “I am Miss Cherilee. Many of you may recognize me, since I have lived here in Ponyville for most of my life.” She then went off on a short story about herself finally giving them their first in-class assignment for the day. They were to draw their favorite thing to do and were forbidden to write their name on the paper.

“Awh, fiddlesticks,” said Applejack, noticing she had forgotten her colored pencils back at home. She searched desperately through her bag, knowing exactly what to draw.

“Here,” said Rarity, sparing Applejack a fresh box of colored pencils from her purse. “I always bring extras, just in case.”

“Oh—why thank you,” said Applejack, surprised at the unicorn’s generosity. She certainly wasn’t as stingy as she looked.

“Mmhm,” said Rarity, busy crafting her picture.

Rainbow Dash hadn’t brought anything but herself to school that morning, so Cherilee paired her with Pinkie Pie, who had brought an extensive collection of markers in her backpack. Applejack and Rainbow Dash switched seats.

“Um, kid, what the heck are you drawing?” Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie Pie, whose drawing appeared to have a vast number of stick figure ponies all crammed into a hot air balloon.

“It’s everypony I’ve ever met, or at least as many as I can remember!” Pinkie said. “See, there’s you way up at the top!” She showed Rainbow Dash her picture. A crudely drawn picture of Rainbow Dash was pulling the hot air balloon.

Rainbow Dash swiped the picture from Pinkie and began drawing lines all over it, giving the picture the look the balloon was traveling at immense speed.

“There,” she said, giving it back to Pinkie. “Now it isn’t boring.”

Pinkie oohed at Rainbow Dash’s touch up and continued to add to her drawing. She then gave it to Rainbow Dash again.

“What is this?” said Rainbow Dash, noticing that Pinkie Pie drew herself with wings next to her, both pulling the speeding balloon.

“I’m helping you silly!” said Pinkie, which seemed to anger Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash didn’t like the thought somepony had to help her pull a balloon. She thought for a second, scribbled yellow marker all over Pinkie, and then connected a bolt of lightning to her body up to a black cloud in the sky.

Pinkie giggled at Rainbow Dash’s humor then began to improvise yet again. Rainbow Dash, who had barely drawn anything yet, gritted her teeth at Pinkie handed her back the paper yet again. Pinkie had drawn boots on both of them.

“What the—stop giving me your paper, kid,” said Rainbow Dash. “Are those rubber boots? Those wouldn’t save you from being struck by lightning. You were just burned to a crisp.”

“Oh you’re right, hold on,” said Pinkie, getting out some more markers. “Let me draw us some rubber suits—”

Rainbow Dash snatched back the paper one last time and tore it in half then blew the pieces of paper on the ground.

“Oops,” she said carelessly, going back to her drawing. Pinkie Pie saw the two pieces of paper hit the ground and her eyes welled up in tears.

“Now what the hay was that for, Rainbow Dash?” said Applejack angrily, who had just finished a drawing of her climbing a giant apple tree. She got out of her seat and picked up the two pieces of paper then went back to her desk.

“Your friend can’t draw,” she said coolly.

“Pinkie’s a darn near art genius,” said Applejack, grabbing some tape off of Miss Cherilee’s desk. Miss Cherilee was turned around in her desk chair and on the phone. Applejack taped the two pieces back together as best as she could and gave it back to Pinkie. Pinkie gave a tiny word of thanks through glistened eyes but then crumpled it up and threw the paper in the trash.

“If we weren’t in a classroom,” Applejack muttered to herself. Rainbow Dash must have heard her, however, because she got right out of her seat and stood in front of Applejack’s desk, taking care to bump it, making Applejack draw a huge green line right down the center of her paper

“If we weren’t in a classroom, you would do what?”

The class fell silent and turned to look at the both of them. Applejack couldn’t believe Miss Cherilee still had her back turned to them.

“…Nothin’,” said Applejack quietly, staring furiously down at her ruined picture.

“That didn’t sound like nothin’,” she said, mocking Applejack’s accent like the other pegasi.

Nopony dared to say anything. The pegasi at the back of the room just grinned devilishly.

“You don’t scare me,” said Applejack, daring Rainbow Dash to touch her with squinted eyes.

Rainbow Dash pushed Applejack to the back of her seat and crumpled up her drawing as well, then threw it effortlessly over her shoulder and into the wastebasket.

“I’m the fastest pegasus in Cloudsdale. You’re a wimpy earth pony with probably the lamest cutie mark I have ever seen. What is your purpose in life—apples? Hah! You better be scared of me, kid. Because I know where you live.”

Rainbow Dash went back to her seat but the room remained silent. With horrible timing, Miss Cherilee finally turned back around in her desk and got off the phone. Pinkie Pie took out a fresh sheet of paper and pretended to draw, but kept looking behind Rainbow Dash’s back at Applejack, who had her face down on her desk and in her forelegs. She didn’t cry, but she didn’t want anypony to see her face.

Miss Cherilee noticed Applejack and walked on over to her. “Applejack, dear, what’s the matter?” she asked.

Applejack hesitated for a few moments and brought head back up, trying not to look like anything was a big deal.

“Ah ripped up my paper and threw it away,” she lied, seeing Rainbow Dash look at her out of the corner of her eye.

“Why, what for?

“My apples just weren’t good enough,” Applejack said with a sniff.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Later that night, Applejack had gone up early to bed after dinner. Even Granny’s special stuffed French toast wasn’t enough to lift Applejack’s spirits. Ever since her encounter with Rainbow Dash earlier that day, she had been in a bad mood. She tried to disguise it as best as she could with Granny, Mac and even Pinkie, but they still suspected something was wrong.

Applejack had been teased and mocked in school before, but never personally insulted. She was scared to go back to school tomorrow, even if Pinkie was right there with her. Scared she would be humiliated all over again. Scared of Rainbow Dash.

Applejack had loved having her cutie mark and knew for a fact that she was in the right place doing what she loved. But she suddenly felt like she wasn’t good enough, like she was at the very bottom rung of the ladder. Applejack longingly wished Pinkie was here with her, somepony to brighten up her spirits. After the experience at school, her friendship with Pinkie had never seemed as important as it had ever before.

Unable to sleep, Applejack got frustratingly out of bed and looked out her window down at the fields below, which were damp with rain. It had stopped raining, but it was a moonless night, so only the feeble light from the stars, through patches of clouds, illuminated the dark farm that was cradled between the forests. Applejack opened her window a crack, just to feel the cool, perfect breeze of a damp autumn night. The faint smell from all the apple trees soothed her face. She took a long, deep breath and relaxed back onto her bed, curled up on her side. A peaceful sound of softly chirping crickets and fallen leaves being pushed along sneakily by the wind slowly started to push the bad thoughts out of Applejack’s mind. The thoughts began to be whisked away into the oblivion, lost into a great abyss. Applejack’s mind was then given an invitation to sleep, all the way perhaps until morning. But her mind pushed the invitation away, wandering back to search for those unhappy thoughts. Until…

Whether Applejack had dozed off or not, she felt like something had just happened beyond the confines of her room. An intuition struck her chest as she climbed off her bed and shut her window, then opened up her door. She listened carefully, wondering if the noise would come up again. Applejack’s mind was back on the negative thoughts and she thought of Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash had put two and two together and figured out where she lived. Was it possible that Rainbow Dash had broken into their house just to prove something to Applejack?

Her heart pounding, Applejack tiptoed into Mac’s room and nudged him.

“Applejack?” grumbled Mac, opening a sleepy eye. “You ok?”

“Mac ah think there’s somepony in our house,” whispered Applejack, a dash of fear in her voice.

Mac got out of bed at once. He got up so fast he almost fell, which would have certainly woke up Granny. Already concerned about Applejack’s well-being, Applejack didn’t want to make an old mare like Granny worried about intruders, even if it was somepony rather small like Rainbow Dash.

The two of them tiptoed downstairs, Applejack following closely behind Mac. Lighting a candle, the dim glow of the flame illuminated the walls of the kitchen. Applejack’s heart was still beating fast within her chest, her ears and eyes suddenly ten times more sensitive and paranoid. Applejack suddenly felt a horrible shiver crawl down her spine as she saw a hooded figure staring inside through the door.

Whoosh. The figure immediately vanished Somepony had just fled from outside the kitchen door.

“Mac, I just saw somepony!” hissed Applejack, pointing at the door. Mac hurried on over to the door and looked out the window, scanning the grounds suspiciously. Without thinking, Applejack ducked under him and turned the knob on the door, ready to catch Rainbow Dash in the act. But upon opening the door, the very last sight either her or Mac could have expected to see lay before them, on their dusty doorstep.

A baby filly, with lemon-colored fur and a cherry mane, lay fast asleep under a soft hill of blankets, inside a large basket. A flower was tucked behind her ear, as well as a chocolate-colored cowboy hat placed behind her head, much too large. A letter lay plainly in the center of all the blankets. Noticing the letter, Applejack saw the Apple family crest on the front, but saw no address or other form of writing.

As they moved the baby filly into the warm, candlelit kitchen, Applejack absentmindedly took the cowboy hat from off of the baby filly’s head and placed it on her own.

It fit perfectly.

VII :: The Sleepover

**Dear Applejack and Big Macintosh:

Please forgive me. This is Applebloom, your brand new baby sister. Please treat her like a good apple, for she is one. So are you two. But I am a bad apple and I have fallen; fallen from the great Apple tree… rotten on the ground.

Listen to Granny. The hat was mine when I was a filly. Now it’s yours.

Love forever,

Mama

Granny Smith read Mama Apple’s short letter the following morning, as the baby filly named Applebloom lay in her cradle-like basket, staring curiously up at her new family. Granny, although not showing signs of fury, was rather agitated how Mama Apple had delivered the baby in the dead of night, when it was threatening to rain. How she had not even woke them up to speak to them. How she hadn’t bothered to see her own two children.

“Ah can’t believe this. A baby…a baby!” she said, shaking her head. “If Applejack hadn’t had woken you up in the middle of the night, Mac…rotten apple…she whacked the nail on the head with that’un…”

She gave a pitying look at Applebloom, who was completely oblivious her own mother had abandoned her. Applejack looked into her big amber eyes, feeling sorry for her as well. Applebloom simply blinked up at her, as innocent as could be. A weird sensation struck her somewhere in the chest, near her heart. A hole, even if it was just a tiny one, had been filled somewhere within her.

Applejack insisted on staying home all day to help take care of her new sister. The run-in with Rainbow Dash yesterday vanished from her mind since her and Mac had discovered Applebloom. All she wanted to do was talk to her, smile at her, and maybe hoping she’d do the same. Applebloom, however, just continued to stare, wondering who in the world these ponies were. Just when Applejack was sure she was about to finally make Applebloom smile when she starting saying the name Pinkie Pie, Granny told her it was time for school, and Applejack could help with Applebloom later when she got home. To her annoyance, Applejack obeyed her grandmother and grumpily left the house with Mac. Her attention then turned to the letter.

“Mac, have you ever met Mama?” she asked her brother, holding down her new cowboy hat from the gusts of wind that were blowing that morning.

Mac shook his head almost immediately. The letter was obviously still fresh on his mind as well.

“Why doesn’t she want us to see her, Mac? What’s wrong with her?”

Mac shook his head again, as in the dark as Applejack was on the situation. Then he added sadly, “’prolly just afraid of us”.

“Afraid? Afraid of what? We’re her kids, aren’t we? She doesn’t need to be afraid…” Applejack kicked an apple core along the ground, assessing the situation. She wasn’t sad; just confused. Confused as to why her own mother, who now had three children, had evaded their company for so long. If her mother really cared that much about them, coming all the way to Sweet Apple, couldn’t she just face her fears and visit them anyway? Applejack didn’t care what Mama Apple said…she just wanted to meet her for once. She forgave her…

Applejack kicked the apple core as hard as she could with her front hoof and sent it sailing all the way over the schoolhouse, where they had just arrived. Mac gave a low whistle, impressed. She and Mac said their goodbyes and Applejack entered Miss Cherilee’s class for the second day of the school year. She had to struggle a bit against the wind to close the door and hold onto her hat at the same time.

Applejack was not surprised to see that Rainbow Dash hadn’t arrived yet. For the fastest pegasus in Cloudsdale, or so she claimed, she was sure the slowest when it came to getting to class on time. Applejack sat down on the front row again, right next to the unicorn named Rarity, who had lent her the colored pencils yesterday.

“Hello,” she said to Applejack cheerfully.

“Oh, um, howdy!” said Applejack, looking around to make sure she wasn’t greeting somepony else.

“Lovely hat!” said Rarity, pointing at Applejack’s head. “It clashes with your mane quite nicely.”

“Why thank you,” said Applejack, adjusting her hat unnecessarily. “Your coat is, um, lovely as well,” she added, referring to Rarity’s expensive coat she had worn yesterday. Rarity simply smiled, still immersed in her drawing.

“You shouldn’t have challenged Rainbow Dash, you know,” she said, delicately coloring what appeared to be a beach and a sunset. For a filly, she was a talented artist. Applejack also noticed a whole heap of crumpled up papers inside of the desk she was sitting in.

Applejack gave a fake laugh, trying to convince Rarity she still wasn’t scared. In reality, Applejack was terrified, but she couldn’t let anypony else know that.

“She’s just a dumb bully,” said Applejack. Rarity nodded in agreement.

“But still,” Rarity said, putting down her pencil and putting a hoof on Applejack, “I thought what you did was wonderful.” She smiled again at Applejack and swept the pencil dust off her paper, evidently finished. Rarity then picked up her drawing and put it on top of Miss Cherilee’s desk, where several other drawings sat in a pile. Applejack had already turned their first assignment in yesterday, although there was much less detail in it compared to Rarity’s. Applejack wasn’t a bad artist either, but she just didn’t care as much about art.

Rainbow Dash finally blasted into the room just as the bell rang and took a seat at the back of the class, where one of the pegasi had saved her a seat. Applejack rolled her eyes as she heard Rainbow Dash making up a cock and bull story of what she had to go through to get to class on time, and how her admirers believed every word she was saying. Applejack was glad Rainbow Dash was at the opposite end of the room so she couldn’t try and pick any fights behind Miss Cherilee’s back again.

Miss Cherilee went through roll call again, checking off something on her list when Pinkie Pie’s seat failed to speak up. Applejack just then realized she hadn’t seen Pinkie at all since after school yesterday. Pinkie had been in such a rush to get back to her new home at Sugarcube Corner, where she apparently had a party to get ready for. Since the arrival of Applebloom last night, Applejack had so much on her mind that she completely forgot about Pinkie and why she wasn’t at Sweet Apple Acres that morning.

“Where’s your friend?” whispered Rarity.

“Oh she prob’ly just ate a l’il too much pie,” sighed Applejack, knowing it was entirely possible. “Gone and made herself sick again, ah reckon.” Rarity made a funny noise somewhere between disgust and a laugh.

“Oh, how lovely,” she grimaced.

Class that day was much more enjoyable than it was yesterday, even with the absence of Pinkie. Miss Cherilee was presenting the pictures they had been drawing in class. They were forbidden to write their names on the papers so ponies in class could try and guess who drew them. The purpose was to get to know a little about each and every pony. Miss Cherilee thought this was a better idea than each pony simply standing up and telling the class something about themselves. Applejack quite liked this approach.

As Miss Cherilee went through the drawings Rainbow Dash laughed rather rudely at Applejack’s picture of her sitting on the top branch of a gigantic apple tree. Applejack put the tree on top of a tall hill, which she had colored orange and red, to imitate fallen leaves. Rainbow Dash simply thought Applejack didn’t know the color of grass. The class didn’t really find this very funny however; on the contrary, Applejack heard a couple of ponies even make a compliment on it. Even Rarity gave a truthful “Ooh, that’s nice,” in an undertone. Maybe today would turn out good after all.

But what really made Applejack’s day was the next drawing Miss Cherilee presented. The whole class responded by roaring in laughter. Applejack had to squint and stare at the drawing for a long time before she could even make a guess what the drawing was supposed to be. When she figured it out, she laughed loudest of all.

The sloppiest imitation of a pegasus Applejack had ever seen was flying above what appeared to be pipes and boxes sticking out of overly-poofy clouds. The pegasus, blue, had colors scribbled all over the sky, which matched the colors of the rainbow. Her face resembled more of an alligator than a pony, and her legs were about as short as a rabbit’s. What the boxes and pipes were was a complete mystery, but Applejack gathered this was Rainbow Dash’s drawing. Topping off the drawing, however, was the fact that she had not only put her name on the paper, (which they were strictly told not to) but she had spelled it ‘Ranebow’ Dash.

“Who doesn’t know how to spell their own name?” said Bon-Bon with great effort.

“Oh my Celestia, my sides,” cried Vinyl Scratch, clutching his chest.

“It’s Cloudsdale, you ponies! Cloudsdale!” shouted Rainbow Dash angrily above the class. She then mumbled something about being too busy last night to draw a stupid picture and folded her forelegs. She rested her head on them and scowled as the pegasi sitting next to her jokingly thumped her on the back and congratulated her on her artistic excellence.

“Awh whatever,” she spat.

“Your friend can’t draw,” Applejack recalled Rainbow Dash saying to her about Pinkie just yesterday. Oh the irony.

It was a long time before Miss Cherilee could get the class to quiet down, seeing as she was trying not to laugh herself at Rainbow Dash’s artistically challenged picture. As she cycled through the remaining works of art, (the class gasped at Rarity’s picture; even Rainbow Dash was impressed) the wind that was blowing against the windows finally stopped, and the sun finally came out. By the end of class that day, the classroom had warmed up enough for Rarity to take off her coat.

“Rarity, I have a phone call for you!” said Miss Cherilee, as she and Applejack were leaving the classroom to go home for the weekend.

“Really? Okay,” said Rarity, taken aback. She bade Applejack farewell and went back in the classroom. Applejack found Mac waiting for her by the flagpole.

“How was school?” asked Mac, taking Applejack’s knapsack and slinking it over his back for her.

“It was good,” said Applejack. ‘Good’ was a bit of an understatement. She had by far the best school day in a long time.

“Listen, Mac, I’m gonna to drop by Pinkie’s house before comin’ home. Can you carry my bag home please?” She put on a cutesy little face for her brother.

“Ok,” said Mac. “Be careful.”

Applejack was just about to turn around to head towards Pinkie’s house when something nearly zoomed right into her. It was Rainbow Dash. She had taken off from the ground and shot into the sky as fast as she could, leaving the other pegasi literally in the dust. They gave a wheezing cheer as the dust cloud hit their faces. Rainbow Dash really was fast. She was already a football’s length away from them in a matter of about five seconds, doing flips and dives around a large treehouse in the distance.

Applejack decided it was probably best to flee as quickly as possible, in case she came back and tried to corner her with her pegasi goons. Away she went.

When she arrived at Sugarcube Corner, she noticed a sign on the door said ‘CLOSED’. Knocking on the door, Applejack stood on her hind legs and put her front two hooves on the door, peering inside. She could see the little glass cases of all kinds of pastry and baked goods and all the tables with their chairs neatly on top, upside down. Sugarcube corner usually didn’t close until much later, so it was rather weird seeing the place so dark at this time of day. The clock inside Sugarcube Corner said it wasn’t even four o’clock yet.

Applejack knocked again, harder this time. Applejack knew Pinkie Pie was there, but didn’t quite understand why she was ignoring her. A whole minute passed, and still no answer. She banged on the door one last time and shouted her name.

“Pinkie Pie! Are you there? Hello? Pinkie? Pinkie Pink? Pinkie…?”

Still, no answer. A few ponies walking by on the street nearby stared at Applejack, thinking she was trying to break into the store.

Defeated, Applejack sat on a beach nearby and looked up at the top of Sugarcube Corner, where Pinkie’s room was. All the windows were closed and the drapes were shut as well. Did she go on vacation or what? All Applejack saw when she looked up was a distant Rainbow Dash still doing tricks up in the sky, celebrating the start of the weekend. The other pegasi were up in the sky as well, racing each other. Applejack just relaxed on the bench for a while, half-expecting Pinkie to suddenly come to the door and welcome her inside. It was just nice to be outside, feeling the warm autumn sun and hearing the gentle buzz of Ponyville. Her mind then wandered back to Applebloom and the letter, and how Granny told her she could help with Applebloom when she got home from school.

“Well shoot, Pinkie,” she said to herself, giving Sugercube Corner a meaningful look. She would just have to return tomorrow in the morning when Sugarcube Corner would definitely be open. Saturday was their busiest day, after all. Maybe Pinkie was just sleeping, and Mister and Missus Cake, the owners, had just closed up shop early. She hopped off the bench and made her way back home.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Applebloom was very easy to tolerate for a baby filly. She rarely cried or made any sort of fuss, and she slept a lot. All the way through the weekend, in the few hours she was fully awake, Applebloom would look curiously at her surroundings, smiling at the smallest things. Applejack loved watching her wiggle her tiny little legs when she saw butterflies, birds, and other little animals fly through the sky when they were outside. Applebloom would follow their flight patterns with her eyes, reaching out to them, attempting to touch them. Every now and then, a brave butterfly would flutter around her head and touch down on the tiny earth pony, but never lasting long. When Applebloom was able to walk, Applejack knew, she was going to be chasing everything.

Having a new sister was an odd feeling, as Applejack began to think about the matter. She had gone so long having just Mac as a sibling, comfortable as to how everything was. It was just…weird. Applebloom already wiggled her way into Applejack’s heart, but the feeling still remained. Granny, though, insisted the feeling would pass in due time, and she would get used to the change. Being a seasoned mother herself, as well as full of wrinkles, when it came to filly and colt upbringing, she was one of the wisest around. Despite Granny’s fury with Applejack’s mother, she seemed happier than usual as well. Applebloom was another new recruitment in her mother class, and she was more than eager to teach her the family’s values and introduce her to all matters of life. Applejack, noticing her grandmother’s ways, followed suit, hoping to follow in her tracks.

But when it came to sleeping…the magical flame she had felt within her upon the arrival of Applebloom had faltered a little. Life was all of a sudden put into perspective.

That Friday night, Applebloom woke up and started to cry loudly. Applejack, who had insisted Applebloom to sleep in the same room as her, awoke suddenly, frightened a bit by Applebloom’s sudden outburst. Rather than being irritated, she jumped out of bed like she did on the first day of school. She rushed over to Applebloom and picked her up gently out of her cradle, which Granny had ordered from a store in Manehattan. The cradle was adorned with fake red and orange flowers all the way around. A night light on the bedroom wall cast a warm glow on the flowers of the cradle. Applejack didn’t need a night light anymore, but she knew Applebloom did.

“Shhhhh…shhhhh...shhhhh…it’ll be okay, Applebloom,” she whispered comfortingly to the frightened filly, who continued to cry her eyes out.

“No more dark…it’s okay, I’m here, li’l sis…it’s Applejack…don’t…cry,” she ended with a huge yawn.

Granny, hard of hearing, but with mothers’ intuition, appeared at the door and calmly walked in. She took the poor filly out of Applejack’s forelegs and sat down on her bed, cradling Applebloom in her forelegs. Within seconds, Applebloom stopped crying and then fell asleep again, causing silence to appear in the room once more. Applejack, annoyed that she couldn’t do a better job, jumped back on her bed and put her head on the pillow.

“Don’t pout, dear. Yeh did a wonderful job,” Granny said reassuringly, running her hoof through Applejack’s mane with a free hoof. “She’ll warm up tah yeh more very, very soon. I know it.”

Applejack mumbled “I hope so” into her pillow and Granny lay Applebloom back down in her flowery cradle. She covered her back up carefully with the hoof-knitted blanket she had made herself and gave a wheezy yawn herself.

“Applebloom is goin’ tah do this most nights, Applejack,” she said quietly, straightening out Applejack’s bed covers. “It’s just what baby ponies do. Why don’t yeh just let me—”

“No,” said Applejack stubbornly, turning back around to face her grandmother. “Ah want her to sleep in here. Ah’ll be okay, Grammy. Pink—promise,” she said, catching herself.

Granny sat down on Applejack’s bed and sighed. “Alrighty then. But yeh need yer sleep, dear. Y’er not a mommy yet.” She tucked Applejack back in her bed covers and slipped out of the room, closing the bedroom door behind her. Applebloom’s barely audible little snores could now be heard from the cradle. Barely five minutes ago, she was bawling at the top of her lungs, and now…she was so peaceful. Applejack just didn’t understand baby ponies.

The last of her frustration melted away as Applebloom cooed sleepily in her cradle and continued to snore. How could she stay mad at that?

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Saturday morning was largely uneventful. Applejack got her chores done early so she could drop by Sugarcube Corner to see if Pinkie was feeling any better. Arriving at Sugarcube Corner, just like she expected, the place was busy just like it always was on a Saturday morning. A long line of ponies filed out the door, eager to place their orders. Applejack said hello to a few ponies she recognized and pushed past them, into the store.

What she didn’t expect, however, was Missus Cake’s response as Applejack hurried past the counter and started up the wooden stairs towards where Pinkie Pie lived.

“Pinkie isn’t here, honey,” she said behind the front counter, writing down the information from a pegasus who had just placed his order. “She’s over at a friend’s house!”

Wait—what? A friend’s house? Since when did Pinkie play with anyone but her?

“Do you know the friend’s name?” asked Applejack, running up to the counter.

“We’ll have that ready by two,” said Missus Cake, who handed the slip of paper to a younger blond-maned pony who went through a door into the kitchens. She then answered Applejack, “Rainbow…Dash? I think that’s who it was. They had a sleepover last night. Didn’t she tell you, hun?”

Applejack definitely didn’t expect that.

“Uh, wwwwhat?!” said Applejack, raising her voice without meaning to. Missus Cake jumped in surprise. Rainbow Dash? The pegasus who had been so mean to Pinkie on the first day of school? Even if they were somehow, miraculously, friends, Pinkie still would have been at school yesterday.

“Is something wrong?” asked Missus Cake, seeing the shock on Applejack’s face.

Applejack didn’t answer her immediately. She wasn’t paying attention to anything that was going on in the store as worst case scenarios started appearing in her head. Her stomach suddenly ached as she began to ponder them.

“N-no, ah’ll…ah’ll be okay,” choked Applejack. She ran from the store as fast as her strong legs could carry her, upsetting some of the ponies waiting in line. She just had to find her. She had been gone for the better part of two days. Pinkie Pie…her best friend…

“RARITY!” screamed Applejack as she saw the unicorn walking with a couple of her proud looking filly friends out of the Carousel Boutique. Her two friends jumped back in alarm, thinking they were being attacked. Rarity, although shocked, ran towards her.

“What? What is it? Are you ok?” said Rarity quickly, throwing her mane out of her face and staring at Applejack with wide cobalt eyes.

“My friend—Pinkie Pie—she’s gone missin’—have you seen her at all?” gasped Applejack, trying to catch her breath.

“No I haven’t—missing? How do you know?” She asked, as concerned as Applejack was. Rarity could see the fear in her eyes.

Applejack stamped the ground in anger at Rarity not knowing anything. “Ah just know, you hear? And I also know it’s all that good for nothin’ Rainbow Dash’s fault!”

Rarity’s eyebrows lowered; evidently expressing she was mad too.

“Are you sure?” she asked, a cold tone in her voice.

“Yeah,” growled Applejack, looking away from Rarity, her eyes glossed with tears. “You’ve gotta—” she choked “—help me find her, Rarity, please—”

“Find her? How? Do I look like a Wonderbolt to you, Applejack?” she asked, backing away. “I’m sorry your friend is missing—really I am—but we don’t know where to begin—”

“It doesn’t cotton-pickin’ matter, we’ll find her!” interrupted Applejack, stomping the ground some more. She was starting to kick up a bit of dust. “Wait—,” she added, as Rarity opened her mouth to speak, “—could we really get the Wonderbolt to help us? Where are they?”

“The Wonderbolts live in Cloudsdale, Applejack!” said Rarity, like she was arguing with a three-year old. “And they aren’t a search and rescue team…”

Applejack’s heart sank as she realized this. “O’course…well…,” she couldn’t think of any way to respond. She started thinking of Mac and Granny, and whether they would be able to help. But they hadn’t seen Pinkie since Applejack had—they were too tied up with Applebloom back at the farm.

Applejack looked down at her hooves, thinking of a solution. Her hat escaped her mane and fell onto the ground, as the dust started to settle. She hastily picked it back up, not wanting it to get dirty, and turned it over to brush the inside off. Brushing her hoof along the inside, she noticed a little tag sewed to the fabric. In faded letters read:

The~Mane~Attraction~

Leather: DO NOT MACHINE WASH

SMALL: Ages 6-8

Hoofington 12943

She read the information to pass the time. She felt really awkward standing there in front of Rarity and her two friends. 12943…where had she seen that before? It sounded rather familiar…

“I’m sorry, Applejack...but we need wings to get to Cloudsdale…and I’m not friends with any pegasuses. I mean pegasi—sorry—I say that wrong all the time, ha ha ha—”

Applejack threw the hat back on her head. Rarity’s friends came up to stand by her, giving Applejack a scanning look, analyzing her appearance.

“Can’t she just talk to the sheriff?” said one of her friends, a prissy, cobalt-maned filly, turning to Rarity. “Wouldn’t he know what to do?”

“Yup!” agreed the other friend, who looked similar to the other, but with a peppermint mane.

“The Sheriff!” said Applejack, piping up, like she had knew it all along. “And ah’ll get Rainbow Dash in a whole HEAPA trouble!” She ended with a shout of nervous joy. She then made a step towards the prissy filly. “Thank you so much, uhhh...,” Applejack said, waiting for the filly to say her name.

“Rainbow Dash,” she said very quietly, barely enough for the four of them to hear.

“Your name is Rainbow Dash? What—”

“Get me in trouble? For what?” said a loud voice behind Applejack. All the blood in Applejack’s body froze.

“Where is Pinkie Pie, pegasus?” shot Rarity.

“That suuuuper gullible pony in our class? Ha HA! Why, isn’t she out yet?”

Applejack wheeled around and looked Rainbow Dash in the face, who was hovering a few feet off the ground. Predictably, she had a number of other pegasus friends surrounding her, all of them male and mean looking.

“Whaddya mean, out?” said Applejack through gritted teeth, livid. She was lucky she had friends with her.

All the pegasi burst out in laughter. Passerby ponies started to stop and stare at them, expecting a fight to break out.

“Where in the hay is she, Rainbow Dash? Tell me!” Applejack was about ready to give her a good kick by the way she was laughing.

“Yeah, R.D., where in the haaaaay is she? Tell us!” laughed one of the colts stupidly, mocking Applejack’s accent. To her horror, Applejack started to form tears in her eyes and turned around to hide her face so they wouldn’t see her face. She wished Big Macintosh was here. Why weren’t any of the passing by ponies doing anything? Breaking up the fight? Somepony had to be brave, and it wasn’t Applejack. She couldn’t be brave…there were too many of them…

Rarity took one look at Applejack’s face and stomped her hoof into the ground in a very Applejack-like fashion.

“So help me, Celestia,” she started, walking up to the side of Applejack, facing the whole crowd of pegasi by herself. Her two friends started talking in low tones to Applejack, trying to cheer her up, in a tight huddle. Rarity’s horn lit up. “If you keep picking on Applejack—”

The pegasi stopped laughing and took a step towards Rarity, who just kept moving forward. Rainbow Dash, still in the air, raised her eyebrows, mildly surprised.

“What are you going to do to me, unicorn?” said Rainbow Dash “Make me wear a dress—”

“—I will use my magic to—”

“—one of those ugly, cheap, stupid—,” Rainbow Dash said, counting off each insult by tapping her hoof on the other, “—frilly, lame, piece of—”

“—wipe that ugly little smirk right off of your face, filly!” screamed Rarity, her temper instantly exploding when Rainbow Dash insulted her dress craftsmanship.

FWOOOOOOOOOOM!

Her horn shot a beam of white light directly at Rainbow Dash, catching her off guard, and sending her flying into the group of pegasi, knocking them all to the ground like a bowling strike. Rarity kicked up a cloud of dust in their faces for added effect and sprinted back to Applejack.

“RUN!” she shouted gleefully, grabbing Applejack’s tail and waving at her other two friends to flee with her.

Rainbow Dash roared in anger and shot up to the sky, as her other friends still lay in a heap on the ground.

“GET BACK HERE!” she screamed, shooting like a bullet directly towards the Rarity and Applejack.

Applejack thought quickly and dangerously, Mac in mind. Without giving it a second thought, she skidded to a stop and with impeccable timing, kicked Rainbow Dash in the chest the split second she soared over her head. The abnormally powerful kick sent her flying again, through the air—straight into a nearby light post. Rainbow Dash smacked headfirst into the light post with a loud CLANG! The ponies that were standing around to watch gasped as Rainbow Dash plummeted toward the ground.

Rainbow Dash didn’t get up immediately when she met the unforgiving earth.

“Oww…what the—,” she said, disoriented. Applejack had struck her too fast for her to even realize what had happened. Her pegasi friends finally got up and went to her aid. Grasping reality, and seeing what her back two legs had just done, Applejack fled from the scene as fast as she possibly could. She was dead meat now, but she didn’t care. Rainbow Dash had got what she deserved. If it weren’t for the fact half a dozen pegasi would be chasing her any second now, she would have stopped for a cheer of jubilation.

Rarity heard the noise while running and turned around to see Applejack gaining on her, a satisfied grin spread across her face.

“Did you—Applejack—WAAAAA!” Rarity squealed, putting two and two together. Rainbow Dash shot back up to the sky, rubbing her head.

“You..are..DEAD,” Applejack heard Rainbow Dash, fury in her voice. She finally managed to get off the ground, but she was still trying to shake the stars out of her line of sight. Applejack then kicked it into her highest gear.

Applejack quickly caught up with Rarity. Rarity’s two friends had disappeared from the scene, not wanting to be a part of this any longer.

“THIS WAY!” shouted Applejack, making a hard left at a large tree house. Rarity ran with her without question.

Applejack steered Rarity around and about all kinds of buildings, through alleyways, and even through the outside dining area of a restaurant. Ponies all around jumped out of the way as the two of them sped past. Immediately following the two of them were the half dozen pegasi and Rainbow Dash, who were hot on their tails. If it weren’t for all the ducking and maneuvering they had to do around the shop signs, overhanging light posts and clotheslines, the pegasi would have caught up to them. However, Applejack, who knew this town like the back of her hoof, and ran along the ground, didn’t have to adjust her speed at all.

“YOU CAN RUN, FILLY—” screamed Rainbow Dash again, her voice cracking this time.

“Y’ALL BET AH CAN!” yelled Applejack over Rainbow Dash, who had tried to finish, “BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE!” Rarity groaned next to her, knowing once they started to slow down they were dead meat.

“Apple—jack—I can’t take—much more—of this—” panted Rarity, who was beginning to slow down.

“C’mon, Rarity! We’re almost there!” encouraged Applejack, cold adrenaline pumping through her body. Although Applejack was terrified of being thrashed by Rainbow Dash, the thrill she was feeling right now was terrific. But Rarity, who was nowhere near as accomplished of a runner as she was, stumbled and nearly fell.

“Apple—jack…,” she whined.

“Ah’ve got ya—” Applejack ducked under Rarity’s stomach and lifted her off the ground, still sprinting at top speed.

“WHAT are you doing—” Rarity squawked. Applejack had picked up Rarity, who was much lighter than she had expected, and was now carrying her on her back. It was nothing more than carrying another bushel of apples. Strong as an ox, just like her brother, Applejack sped up to top speed, her velocity barely slacking as Rarity clung on to her back for dear life.

SMASH!

One of the pegasi had finally lost control and crashed into a store sign. Rarity winced, knowing exactly what had happened.

CLANG!

SMASH!

CRACK!

CRASH!

Every pegasi except Rainbow Dash had met their demises, which took the forms of light posts, more signs, and trees. None of them could have avoided it, however, because Applejack was kicking up such a huge cloud of dust, they were unable to see where they were going. Rainbow Dash, who had an abnormal sense of direction, was able to blindly weave in and out of all the obstacles like it was another day at flight camp.

Applejack saw the road leading to Sweet Apple approaching fast, and gave it all she had. There was no way Rainbow Dash would be able to fly through the forest—the trees were simply too thick. Even a Wonderbolt would have to continue on hoof. But for earth ponies like Applejack who were experts at running through the thickest of trees, they finally had an advantage.

“HA!” yelled Applejack triumphantly, finally reaching the edge of the trees. She plunged into the thicket.

“Rarity, stay low!” instructed Applejack, craning her neck around to speak to her, now weaving in and out of trees. “We can lose her in—”

“APPLEJACK!”

CRAAAASH!

Applejack, who had just turned her head around for one second, collided with a large red tree, which collapsed. The both of them skidded along the ground, apples flying everywhere.

The tree dusted himself off then regained his stance and spoke to them.

“Applejack!” said the tree in a deep voice.

Applejack realized that the tree had legs…and sounded a lot like Mac.

“Mmmac?” gasped Applejack, her vision still swimming.

Mac, who had been harvesting apples, was a muscly and tough skinned pony, but was still not a match for being T-boned by her rambunctious little sister.

“Howdy,” said Big Macintosh, amused at Rarity and Applejack lying on the ground, covered in dust, leaves, twigs and apple debris.

“Ewwwww!” Rarity whined, taking a look at herself as she got back to her hooves. “Just look at my once beautifully white coat! And—ow—my poor mane and tail!” Rarity spent the next several moments complaining about how dirty she was, Applejack not looking where she was going, and pretty much every little thing that was wrong with the current situation.

“Completely unladylike…I will never be able to live this one down…” she mumbled to herself, thinking she was ruined.

Applejack ignored her as she saw Rainbow Dash gliding easily through the trees, completely unhurt and still full of breath. Applejack, however, was still trying to catch her breath. She had never run that fast for so long before.

Big Macintosh noticed Rainbow Dash approaching and blocked her from coming any closer to Applejack and Rarity.

“Awh, now big brother has come to save the day,” she said in an annoying tone.

“Leave my sister alone, pegasus,” growled Mac dangerously. Rainbow Dash may have been a strong flier, but she was hilariously out-bulked by Macintosh.

“Fine,” she spat, frustrated. She gave Applejack and Rarity a deadly look then began to fly away.

“Where is she?” said Applejack, not about to let Rainbow Dash get away so fast.

A few distant birds chirped through the thicket of apple trees in the short silence that followed Applejack’s question. Rainbow Dash stopped flying away and turned around to face them. Instead of a jeer, which Applejack was expecting, she had a different look on her face. Something she didn’t think was possible for such a bully like herself. Not much sunlight penetrated this area of Sweet Apple, but it was still plenty to see the looks on other ponies’ faces at a reasonable distance. She looked scared.

“She wanted to throw me a…party,” she said, in a disgusted tone like Pinkie Pie was diseased. “She said she had one planned for you too, earth pony,” Rainbow Dash said, pointing at Applejack. She dropped the scared look on her face.

“So I said, ‘sure, Pinkie, let’s have a party’. ‘I know just the place’.”

“It was a school night, so the pegasi were required to be back in Cloudsdale before sundown. But rules are for losers.”

“No they’re not—” began Applejack

“Um, yeah, they are,” interrupted Rainbow Dash, in a matter-of-fact voice. “Pinkie Pie had to be home before dark as well, so she didn’t like it when I told her our party was going to be at night. She couldn’t do parties past seven o’clock and nyeh nyeh nyeh she’d get in trouble if she did nyeh.”

Applejack scowled at Rainbow Dash, full of hatred.

“So I was like ‘okay, Pinkie, how about we have a party at my house? You can tell your parents you’re having a sleepover at my house tonight.’”

“Did you have a sleepover?” asked Rarity, more rhetorically than curious.

“Ha! Um, No! Why would I let her sleep at my house?” laughed Rainbow Dash. “I told her I lived in the Everfree Forest! And can you believe it? She believed me!”

“WHAT?” said Applejack, Mac and Rarity in unison.

“So now, she’s lost somewhere in the Everfree Forest. Still trying to find my ‘house’, the dumb filly—”

Applejack’s eyes started to well up with terrified tears. How could anypony be so cruel? The Everfree Forest?!

“It’s not my fault your friend is an airhead, earth pony,” said Rainbow Dash, shrugging, like it wasn’t a big deal at all. “I thought she was dumb, but not THAT dumb.”

Mac, who had been steadily getting angrier and angrier with each passing minute Rainbow Dash spoke, lost his temper and ran after Rainbow Dash. Like she was dodging a train, she jumped out of the way and took off out of the forest. Within seconds, she was gone from view.

Mac snorted furiously, stomping the ground with formidable hooves.

“Pinkie Pie…no...” Applejack finally broke down onto the ground, her tear floodgates finally breaking free. She took off her hat and sobbed into it, trying to hide her face from Rarity. But Rarity just put a foreleg around her and tried to comfort her. Applejack responded, giving up trying to hide herself. She took the hat off her face and stared into it, noticing the tag again, trying to think of something to do.

The~Mane~Attraction~

Leather: DO NOT MACHINE WASH

SMALL: Ages 6-8

Hoofington 12943

12943. Wait! Her mind suddenly clicked. The number…she knew she had seen that number before…it belonged to somepony! Applejack jumped up off the ground. It was a number to an address. A number she had completely forgotten two years ago.

“12943, Tumbleweed Avenue…I’m sure your Aunt and Uncle Orange will be able to lead you here when you decide to come play with us.”

Not just anypony—a pegasus. A pegasus who had once helped save her life.

Soarin’.

VIII :: Just A Wannabe

When Applejack had returned to Sweet Apple from her disastrous, short-lived life in Manehattan two years ago, she hadn’t forgotten the two ponies who had saved her from those nasty rattlesnakes. Although the newfound excitement of her cutie mark and finally realizing where she belonged all along was fresh on her mind, the two ponies’ faces still left deep tracks in her mind. But she had simply just forgotten the five-digit number Soarin’ had given to her. She was just a small filly and didn’t remember that kind of information well.

Applejack wanted to visit them so badly, but she just couldn’t recall the address. Nothing was more irritating than her mind going blank when she was trying to recall something important. Without the address, what was she to do? Go from door to door until she found the right house? Up until the present, she had slowly given up on trying to reunite with Soarin’ and the other pony, Mudflap. Her newfound friend Pinkie Pie, however, had made that period of time very much bearable; which was why Applejack was so desperate to have her back. Losing Pinkie Pie wasn’t an option.

“ManeHATTAN?!” Rarity whined to Applejack, when Applejack had explained to her what the plan was next. Rarity, who was far beyond her normal pampered, dirt-free self, was not impressed that they had another ten mile journey ahead of them.

“Rarity, he’s our best hope. He wants to be a Wonderbolt someday—”

Rarity snorted, clearly not convinced.

“You don’t even know if he still lives in Manehattan, Applejack! How could you possibly know he still even wants to be a Wonderbolt?”

Applejack thought about this a moment, but her stubbornness gave her a good kick and she maintained a positive attitude.

“We’ve gotta try, Rarity,” she said in a finalized tone. “You’re my friend!”

That last word made Rarity go silent. She looked away, trying to find a way out of the situation.

“You are my friend…aren’t you?” Applejack said, breaking the awkward silence.

“Of…course I am,” she finally said, coming up to Applejack and giving her a hug. She smelled like somepony had just sprayed a whole bottle of perfume in a puddle of mud. Applejack’s eyes watered from the strange aroma. Rarity’s eyes became clouded with tears as well, but thinking Applejack was just being sentimental.

“You didn’t let me fall,” Rarity said, recalling the incident a short while ago when they had been trying to outrun the group of pegasi. “None of my friends would have ever done that. Picking me up and carrying me…ha ha, that was actually kind of fun, actually.”

Applejack laughed, as the broke apart. “We were in that together. Thanks for stickin’ up for me back when they were makin’ fun of me…I didn’t expect that—”

“Don’t—,” Rarity interrupted, stopping Applejack from thanking her, “—thank me—”

“Well ah just did,” Applejack said playfully, appreciating Rarity’s modesty.

“We’re wastin’ daylight, Applejack,” said Mac, rolling his eyes at all the sentiment.

“Mac,” said Applejack, turning to him. “Grammy thinks Ah'm still at Sugarcube Corner. Don’t tell her where we’re goin’. Not unless she asks, you hear?”

Mac nodded obediently and saluted her, like he was taking orders from a general. Rarity giggled.

“Alright then, let’s high-tail it outta here!” said Applejack.

“Yeehaw!” said Rarity. Applejack looked at her.

“Sorry, just…caught up in the moment,” said Rarity, hoping she didn’t offend Applejack. But Applejack just giggled appreciatively and motioned for her to follow her.

They hurried out of the apples trees and back onto the path. Running back towards Sweet Apple, they made their way past the fence and followed the path that led to the northeast, where the looming skyscrapers of Manehattan lay just ten miles away. Applejack sure hoped Granny wasn’t looking out the window right now. The house and barn faced the front gate. Granny often caught rabbits simply by looking out the kitchen window. Maybe, perhaps, Applebloom was keeping her at bay.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

“AppleJACK!” shouted Rarity. They had reached the outskirts of Manehattan. The late afternoon skies were a baby blue, the air before the city brisk and full of life—Saturday night was on its way. Since Applejack had visited Manehattan last, a few more blocks had extended out towards where they had come, and the road was now paved a lot sooner. There were a number of other large buildings Applejack was sure hadn’t been there when she had approached the city with Soarin’ and Mudflap two years ago. This alarmed Applejack of yet another problem: where Tumbleweed Avenue was.

Applejack was hurrying up and down the road, looking for a street sign that read ‘Tumbleweed Avenue’. But no such street name existed. Applejack could have most likely even known where the street was without knowing the name if the city hadn’t changed so much in two years. She was starting to become exasperated, and so was Rarity, who was no longer following her up and down the road, but sitting on a bench. Rarity had her head leaned on one hoof, complaining to Applejack every time she ran past the bench.

The sun was descending farther and farther into the sky, thanks to Princess Celestia’s alicorn magic. Applejack was far from grateful, however, for every minute that passed, lowered their chances of finding Pinkie Pie before Celestia raised the moon.

“Griffin Road…Cherry Blossom Avenue…Sparklin’ Street…Lamplight Lane…,” Applejack said, reading the street signs as she ran past. None of them sounded even remotely familiar. Applejack vaguely remembered Cherry Blossom Avenue, which was the second farthest street into the city, next to Griffin Road, and it was the street right after the street Mudflap and Soarin’ had parted with her last. So, if the streets were still the same, Tumbleweed should be between Cherry Blossom and Sparkling Street. But a simple cinderblock wall ran the whole length of the block, between the two streets. There was no possible way a street could have existed there.

As Rarity’e eyes followed Applejack up and down the street for what seemed to be the seventeenth time, she rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration.

“Applejack, why don’t we just knock on somepony’s door and ask for directions? Surely somepony around her would know about the street Soarin’ lives on?”

Applejack hated asking for directions. And Granny told her never to talk to strangers. Not that this was too restrictive; she was too shy to do so anyway. But then she thought about Pinkie Pie wandering all alone in the Everfree Forest…scared…maybe even hurt…”

“Know what? Let’s do that,” said Applejack angrily, not wanting to waste any more time. “Ah've HAD IT with this dang city!”

Rarity finally arose and followed her onto a street closest to them that read “Thunderhoof Circle”. The street was quiet, only bearing about half the amount of houses it would potentially contain. None of the houses had grass yet; they looked like they hadn’t have been finished for more than a month or so. The houses were all the same color, lavender, and were quite pretty, compared to the city’s large, gray buildings. They chose a house that definitely seemed to look like it was inhabitable, which had a couple potted plants by the front door and a seasonal wreath on the door. The number by the porch read ‘10560’.

Applejack knocked on the door and adjusted her hat. Rarity, surprisingly, didn’t even bother to improve her appearance. Coated in a layer of dirt, apple stains and her looking like it had been through a tornado, Rarity knew it was simply no use.

“Howdy!” said Applejack, as a young stallion answered the door. “We’re…um…looking for Tumbleweed Avenue…do you know where that is?” she said nervously, trying to sound as clear as possible.

“O’course,” said the stallion in a friendly southern accent, just like Applejack’s. Applejack’s spirits gave a jumpstart. “Just continue takin’ the main road into the city until you reach Cherry Blossom Avenue. Go down that road and hang a…rrright ah reckon and you should come onto a hun’erd east. Then take a left and you should be on ol’ Tumbleweed. “Where you two young fillies headed?”

“Thank you!” said Applejack, running off the porch without answering the stallion’s question. Rarity stayed on the porch for a second and told the stallion the deed and then followed her friend down the main road.

“So we have to take a side street to get to ol’ Tumbleweed…stupid city,” cursed Applejack, as they ran down Cherry Blosson Avenue. “Ponyville is miles easier to figure out.”

The Stallion was correct; as they turned onto 100 east and took their first left, a street sign bore the unmistakable name “Tumbleweed Ave”. Applejack let out a long, deep breath of relief.

Tumbleweed was a very long road. All kinds of houses sat on this street—and they were all much older looking than the houses on Thunderhoof. Many of them had big trees growing on their front lawns, vines running up their fences, and colts around Applejack and Rarity’s age running around. There were a group of fillies even older than they were talking outside one of the houses. They paid no attention to Applejack and Rarity as they hurried down the road. The colts, however, stopped and stared at them, like they were intruders.

11511…11596…11700… this was going to take a while.

“11845…11927…12013,” breathed Rarity at her side.

“12222…12345…12480…12530,” Applejack panted. When would it end?!

“12616…12700…12753…oh come onnn…” said Rarity, at the road started to curve into an uphill slope.

“12…802…12…834…12…876…,” read Applejack, as the hill became as steep as ever. She was finally starting to slow down. The houses were becoming bigger, fancier and more distinguished.

“12…911…12…12…12927,” said Rarity, exhausted. She could barely even say the numbers anymore.

“12943! We made it!” cheered Applejack, who was in the midst of a three story white house, with purple brick along the bottom. The windows on the house were huge, more than double the height of Applejack’s front door. A very vast and pretty bed of flowers ran along the house, to a fence that had an impressive black iron gate attached to it. The pathway that led up to the house was cobblestone and sparkled in sunlight. High above the ground, where the roof came to a point, on the front of the house, were elegant wing-shaped designs. They resembled wings of a pegasus in full flight.

On the front door was what Applejack assumed, to be Soarin’s family crest. An outstretched pair of white wings on top of a silver shield with bronze words reading commitment, bravery, selflessness and power ran along the sides of the shield. The largest of all the words, at the bottom of the shield, read ‘Fly Higher’. The main design, on the front of the shield, was a golden lightning bolt, which connected with the wings.

Rarity stood there in awe, gazing at the majestic house. This was certainly not a place where she wanted to look like she had just fallen in a dumpster. Applejack could hear her frantically fixing her mane and trying to rub off all the dirt and apple stains that littered her once snowy-white fur, as she raised a hoof and knocked confidently on the great, dark wooden door. The front door to Soarin’s house was the height of Sweet Apple’s barn door.

Answering the door wasn’t Soarin’, but a pegasus mare with a wild, fiery mane. She had the same midnight colored hair, but it the color reminded Applejack of blue flames, a color of fire she had only seen created by magic.

“Hi, is Soarin’ here?” said Applejack to the mare, who Applejack gathered was Soarin’s mother. “Ah'm—ah mean we—are friends of his.”

To their surprise, the mare didn’t hesitate to give them a kind smile and nodded her head, like she was expecting them.

“Yes, Soarin’s around her somewhere. Soarin’!” she called behind her, welcoming Applejack and Rarity into her home. “You’ve got two young ladies at this door for you!”

Within seconds, a handsome colt appeared at the top of the stairs. Soarin’s mother walked out of the room. The colt stood there for a second and lifted off the ground.

Rarity giggled. Applejack did too.

“What the—Applejack? Ha! No waaaay!” said Soarin’ as he flew over to Applejack. Applejack gave Soarin’ the biggest hug she had given anypony in a long time and giggled gleefully as Soarin’ spun both of them around like a top. Too soon for Applejack’s liking, Soarin’ put her down. Before Rarity could stop herself, she gave Soarin’ a hug too. Soarin’ responded to the hug, but Rarity broke free quickly realizing her awkwardness.

“Sorry, just…caught up in the moment,” laughed Rarity nervously, hastily adjusting her mane again. Soarin’ just smiled at her, making Rarity blush. He was used to this sort of thing. “I’m Raretea,” she introduced herself at light speed.

“Nice to meet you…Raretea,” said Soarin’ with a raised eyebrow, wondering if that was her actual name.

Soarin’ was a head and shoulders taller than he was last time, and his hair was still the same wild, spiky midnight color it was when she first met him. His green eyes, which matched Applejack’s, were as striking and mare-killing as ever.

Applejack was so happy to see him that she didn’t realize she was gazing at him instead of talking. Those eyes…

“So, ha ha, it’s been a long time, Applejack,” Soarin’ said, from a long ways away. “Mudflap and I never saw you again after you left us that one time. Why is that?”

“Apples,” said Applejack simply, nodding her head. “Ah mean, not apples,” she corrected herself, looking at Soarin’s further amused grin. “Oranges. Sorry, that’s not what ah meant either—ah mean…ah left my Aunt and Uncle Orange and went back to Sweet Apple.” Yes. That’s what she was trying to say. Darn those eyes.

“Yeah that’s what Mudflap told me. You forgot my address, didn’t you?” he asked. There was a pause. Applejack rolled her eyes and gave a small smirk, trying to look as innocent as possible.

“Yeah…,” said Applejack, her good excuse library deprived of all its books.

“Pff don’t worry about it,” said Soarin’, pushing the matter away with a hoof. “Want to see something cool?” he added, turning around and leading them away from the front door. “Come in here…”

Applejack and Rarity eagerly followed him down the hallway and into the kitchen. The walls in the house were really high, connecting to the ceiling, which was…amazing. The ceiling, Applejack had barely noticed, was made to look just like the day sky, complete with clouds, the sun and even birds. The living room, which was connected directly to the kitchen, had long, squashy couches big enough to seat at least twenty ponies comfortably. The kitchen was impressive as well, its long bar-like center counter and many cupboards and cabinets that were made out of the same dark wood the front door was made out of.

“Soarin’! No flying in the house!” said Soarin’s mother from the upstairs landing. Soarin’, who had just opened the refrigerator, flinched. He dropped to the floor obediently, but made the motion as slow as possible.

“Sorry!” he said, not meaning it. He gave Applejack and Rarity both a cheeky grin.

Soarin’ took a large object out of the fridge and kicked it shut.

“Oh yeah!” he said, bequeathing both of them with an incredibly delicious looking pie. It wasn’t just a normal blueberry or red raspberry pie, however. This pie was six different colors, just a rainbow. Applejack felt herself salivate a little bit as she got a whiff of the pie’s peculiar but wonderful smell. Even Granny didn’t make pies that smelled like this one…

“Made it myself,” Soarin’ said proudly. Blueberry, cherry, apricot, key lime, grape annnnd peach,” he recited. “All unified together in just the right way where the taste isn’t even one percent over the top. I’d give this baby a nine-point-nine out of ten.” He was very enthusiastic about his work. “There is zing, a tiny bit of spice, lots of sweet, a dash of tart…”

Rarity looked at the pie hungrily, but fought with herself to maintain an indifferent expression. “It’s…nice!” she said, looking away and gazing up at the artsy ceiling.

“It’s amazin’!” said Applejack, not bothering to under-compliment the sight.

“I love cooking stuff,” said Soarin’, giving the pie a romantic look. “Mostly desserts, though. I want to be one of Equestria’s top grade chefs someday. Just think about,” he grabbed Applejack suddenly and outstretched a hoof in mystery. “A whole entire kitchen all to myself; stacked with all kinds of fresh ingredients; multiple ovens baking at once; a camera in my face, as a I host Equestria’s best cooking show…”

“I thought you wanted to be a Wonderbolt, Soarin’” said Rarity, interrupting Soarin’s rambling. Applejack suddenly realized why she had come here in the first place, and escaped from Soarin’s grasp.

“He does!” answered Applejack, thinking Soarin’s cooking fantasy was interesting, but rather silly for a pegasus. She was alarmed to see Soarin’s smile vanish instantly.

“What’s wrong?” Applejack asked sharply. Soarin’ didn’t look at all confident now.

“I wanted to be a Wonderbolt,” said Soarin’, staring down at his multicolored pie. Every pegasus wants to be a Wonderbolt.” His tone was bitter. “But that was years ago,” his smile returned a bit, “and now I really want to be a pegasus chef. There are plenty better pegasi with more of a chance that me, anyway, so…so what?” He held his pie closer to him, like he was protecting it from a predator.

“B-but you can’t not want to be a Wonderbolt!” yelled Applejack, her voice carrying all the way through the house. “We need you!”

“Need me? For what?” asked Soarin’, looking at her suspiciously. “Wait—”

“Please, Soarin’, our friend has gone missin’ and we need somepony who can fly so we can rescue her!” pleaded Applejack. They had come so far…he just had to help them…

“So that’s why you came to see me? Because you need a hero? Do I LOOK like a Wonderbolt to you, Applejack?” Soarin’ said exactly like Rarity did earlier. He was angry, for the first time in Applejack’s memory.

“Uh…yyeaah,” said Applejack and Rarity, like Soarin’ had just asked them if the sky was blue.

“Well I’m not,” he responded stubbornly.

“Our friend is in the Everfree Forest, Soarin’” Rarity said, putting on her charm. “Won’t you just help us this one time and be a big strong hero? For your fans?” She batted her eyelashes and walked over to him. She put her face close to his.

“W-what? Oh no you don’t,” he stuttered, backing away. “Stop doing that!” He grabbed his pie and slunk backward toward the refrigerator, Rarity still giving him fervent looks. Just when Rarity was closing in on Soarin’, a doorbell rang throughout the house.

“WHO IS IT?” screamed Soarin’.

Soarin’s mother appeared on the upstairs landing again.

“Good technique,” she said sarcastically down at her son. She hurried down the staircase and opened the door.

“—you’ve just walked quite a journey, then!” Applejack heard Soarin’s mother say to the stranger at the door. She then heard a male’s voice answer, making some sort of joke. They sounded like they knew each other.

A moment later, another quite handsome colt appeared around the corner. He had a long, shaggy, cocoa colored mane and sandy fur. He had friendly, purplish-gray eyes and strong built. He wore a black handkerchief around his neck, with a rope pattern all the way around it. He looked very much like a lion, but his kind eyes made him look much less fierce. The colt was definitely older than Applejack, but not by much; he only had her beat by a few inches.

“Oh, Celestia,” he said, putting his hoof up to his face when he beheld the scene of Rarity pinned up against Soarin’ by the fridge. Soarin’ now had his rainbow pie held over his head, keeping it out of harm’s way.

Applejack knew exactly who the colt was, but she pretended like she had never seen him before in her life. She suddenly became very interested in the band that held together her mane’s ponytail.

Mudflap sat right next to Applejack at the counter and pretended he didn’t see her as well. Applejack wanted him to leave the house, but at the same time she hoped he stayed sitting down there for as long as possible.

“Nice pie, dude,” Mudflap snickered, noticing the rainbow colors. “Is that a suck-up gift for that one filly?”

“I will kill you,” said Soarin’,” who was now being pinned to the fridge by Rarity’s magic. Soarin’ was completely helpless.

“Let 'im go, Rarity,” said Applejack, not amused by the situation like Mudflap was. “He’s just not gonna help us, so we might as well just get outta here…” Rarity, defeated, released Soarin’ from her spell. She shot him a nasty look, angry that for the first time ever, her filly charm hadn’t worked.

“Help you with what?” asked Mudflap, finally taking notice of Applejack. Applejack’s face suddenly felt really warm as she could feel Mudflap looking at her.

“Oh nothing, just helping us rescue a friend of ours who’s lost in the Everfree Forest,” said Rarity bitterly. “But he’d rather bake pies instead, so we’ll just be going. Come on, Applejack,” she added, leaving the kitchen.

Mudflap looked at Soarin’ like he had just committed a murder.

“Are you still hot and bothered about Summer Flight Camp last year?” he asked the pegasus. Soarin’ sat the pie back down on the counter and turned away from them all, not answering.

“Grow the heck up, why don’t you?” Mudflap said, getting up. “A pony’s life is at stake here! The Everfree Forest…”

“What happened at Summer Flight Camp?” asked Applejack.

“He got beat—well, thrashed, really—in the final test by this one girl named Rainbow Dash. He used to be top pegasus before that year—”

“Rainbow Dash? As in that bully pegasus with the rainbow-lookin’ mane?” asked Appejack, jumping off her seat in rage. “She’s the whole reason our friend got lost in that forest in the first place!”

“Yes,” spat Soarin’. He walked back over to the counter. “She could have just beat me and been all nice about it, but nooo. She had to rub it in my face…she kicked a pony while he was down…” Soarin’ sounded a bit deranged with fury. It was frightening.

“’You’re just a wannabe,” Soarin’ mocked Rainbow Dash in a crude manner. “’Welcome to second place, hope you enjoy your stay.’” Soarin’ then swore loudly and smashed a hoof into his rainbow pie, sending fruit and pie crust all over the kitchen. They let him run his course before speaking again.

“Remember when y’all rescued me from those snakes, Soarin’?” Applejack reminded him timidly. “Forget Rainbow Dash. She may be a fast flier, but she ain’t no hero.”

“But she is though, that’s the thing,” said Soarin’, who had just noticed he had destroyed his prized baked good. He looked around at the remains in self-loathing and put his face in his hooves. “But when somepony gets her mad…or, you know, feels like she’s challenged by somepony, like me, she’ll bully them. It’s so stupid—”

“She made fun of my cutie mark,” said Applejack, recalling what injustice Rainbow Dash had done to her. “She called me useless…,” ah know how you feel, Soarin’.”

Mudflap and Soarin’ gave Applejack a strange look.

“Really?” said Mudflap icily.

“She insulted both her and our friend Pinkie Pie in front of our whole school class too,” said Rarity, deciding to rejoin the Rainbow Dash bashing session.

“Pinkie Pie?” said Soarin’, his spirits rising a little. “Me and a friend of mine ran into her back near Sweet Apple Acres! She’s awesome…”

Applejack suddenly recalled what Pinkie Pie had said about a pegasus asking about her while they were inside the pile of leaves.

“You were in Sweet Apple?!” Applejack asked Soarin’ incredulously. “Why didn’t you come see me?”

“I thought you didn’t like me anymore, so I didn’t bother,” said Soarin’, shrugging. “You were gone for two years.”

“Yeah…” said Applejack. “It’s okay, it doesn’t matter—so will you help us?”

Soarin’ thought the matter over and didn’t utter a single word. He looked up at his cloudy ceiling, gazing into the painted abyss in concentration. He remained in that pose for a while. Rarity used her magic to clean up the pie mess and dispose of the colorful waste into the trash bin. The kitchen was now spotless again.

Then something incredible happened—a door leading off from the kitchen swung open and a pegasus Applejack had only seen in posters hung up around Ponyville and Manehattan, stepped into the kitchen. He was wearing a tight blue suit with a golden lightning bolt running down the middle, a pair of sky-colored goggled sitting atop his head. He had a muscular physique, and resembled Soarin’ in almost every way but size. He was a Wonderbolt. But not just a Wonderbolt—he was also Soarin’s father. Applejack’s draw dropped. Then she remembered the family crest on the front door—of course!

“Well who might you two be?” asked the Wonderbolt in a deep voice, looking at Applejack and Rarity.

“Those are my friends, Applejack and Rarity,” said Soarin’ from the living room. “We were just about to leave, actually, dad.” Applejack whipped around to see that Soarin’ was smiling again.

“Where to?” asked Soarin’s father, taking off his goggles and setting them down on a nearby table.

“Remember Applejack, dad?” Soarin’ asked, walking into the kitchen and putting a hoof on her shoulder. Soarin’s father thought for a moment and nodded. “You mentioned her quite a bit, yes,” he said.

“Her friend is lost in the Everfree Forest and we need to save her. Can you get the other guys together and help us?”

Soarin’s father looked at his son like he was pulling some sort of prank. He chuckled. But when he noticed nopony was laughing along with him, and Soarin’ gave him a dead serious stare, he went silent. He simply stared at his son, waiting for a upturned mouth corner or snicker.

“He ain’t lyin, sir,” said Applejack, walking over to the Wonderbolt. Soarin’s father then looked at Mudflap and Rarity, who nodded seriously as well.

“What?” said Soarin’s father plainly, unable to believe any of it. At last, he let out a long sigh and cleared his throat loudly.

“This is very serious. Explain, quickly!” he said to Applejack. Applejack was a bit frightened by the Wonderbolt’s gruffness. Although a little shaky, Applejack explained to Soarin’s father the whole ordeal, how long Pinkie Pie had been in the forest, and how she got there in the first place. She didn’t want to point hooves at Rainbow Dash, but she just couldn’t bring herself to let her off the hook. Pinkie Pie’s life was at stake. Realizing this fully by the end of her explanation, she started to tear up again, the approaching emptiness of losing a valuable friend upon her once more.

“We’ve got a new recruit who just made the cut last week, so I will go and contact her right now. This will be a good experience for her. Pinkie Pie will be alright, sweetheart,” he told Applejack as he flew down a hallway.

“Well that was perfect timing,” said Mudflap, letting out a whistle. “So you’re off the hook, Soarin’,” he said to Soarin’.

“I’m going with him,” he said.

“You made it pretty clear you’re not, so don’t bother,” said Rarity. Applejack silently agreed with her. Mudflap didn’t seem very impressed at this point either.

Soarin’ couldn’t believe his ears. He stared at them blankly.

“Soarin’, your dad’s a Wonderbolt,” said Applejack. “I would feel mighty better if you’d just leave it to him. It’s fine.”

“Fine,” I won’t go with him,” said Soarin’. “Have it your way.”

“Well that was easy,” said Mudflap. Applejack and Rarity both laughed.

Soarin’ glared at them and rose up into the air, then opened the kitchen door.

“Soarin’, done be stupid—” said Mudflap

“I am not just a wannabe,” said Soarin. He slammed the door shut. By the time the three of them got to the front door and wrenched it open, he was clear out of sight into the sky. The sun was beginning to set. Mudflap groaned but Applejack squinted up into the sky, shielding the sun from her eyes and beamed.

Without an ounce of elegance, Rarity jumped on top of the porch railing and grasped the supporting pole and lifted her head up even higher than Applejack’s, her hoof over her mouth like a megaphone.

“GO, BABY, GO!”

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Soarin’s father and his new accomplice, a white maned young mare named Fleetfoot, gave them all a whirlwind piggyback ride all the way back to Ponyville. Soarin’s father wasn’t at all angry that his son had left him though—he was duly impressed.

“I knew he had it in him,” said Soarin’s father, his eyes twinkling. Even for a muscly Wonderbolt, his hooves didn’t make a sound as they met the earth.

The sun had completely gone down; the rooftops of the town were becoming progressively darker. Lights from the cozy shops around Ponyville began to flicker on, preparing for nightfall. The feeling of the town was warm and cheerful. Ponies were bustling throughout the town square, laughing and conversing loudly with one another. Heads turned and gasps whispered through the crowd of ponies as they realized a couple of Wonderbolts were standing in their midst. But before any of them could race over for an autograph, Fleetfoot spread her wings and walked on over to the crowd to explain their appearance. Mudflap noticed a large sign and walked on over to read it, stepping away from all the commotion.

A ways beyond Applejack, about two hundred yards or so, she could see a jungle of darkness rising into the inky sky. The trees swayed mysteriously, like giant, stealthy creatures shifting amongst each other, awaiting their next victim. Somewhere, swallowed up within the depths of this forest was a poor, weary Pinkie Pie. Applejack forced herself to imagine Pinkie Pie still smiling, despite the fact there was nothing less happy to be smiling at than being lost in a cursed forest…at nighttime.

Applejack took a step towards the forest. Soarin’s father stretched out a wing to halt Applejack in her tracks.

“You’re not going in there, sweetheart,” he said.

“Why the hay not? Pinkie’s my friend—”

Soarin’s father pulled Applejack aside from Rarity and knelt down so he could see eye to eye with her.

“Applejack. Applejack,” he said, but Applejack looked away stubbornly. “Look at me.”

Applejack was starting to tear up again, and continued to refuse to look at Soarin’s father. Why did she have to be such a wimp in front of a Wonderbolt of all ponies? Trying to contain herself as best as she could, she obeyed the pegasus.

“The Everfree Forest is no place for a pony as young as you. You are the gutsiest little filly for willing to enter the forest, but even an iron will isn’t going to find you your friend Pinkie Pie. You are to remain right in this spot, and you will not take a step further. This is a matter for strictly Wonderbolts. We are trained to do this. Do you understand?”

Applejack sniffed. “Yup,” she said. Soarin’s father gave Applejack a gentle hug and then looked at her again. “We got this,” he said with a smile almost as cheerful as the town square. Getting back to his hooves, he walked over to Fleetfoot, who was still keeping the crowd of ponies occupied.

“Soarin’ ain’t a Wonderbolt,” said Applejack to Rarity. “It’s not fair.”

“But he is a pegasus, Applejack,” she Rarity. “And pegasi can cover much more ground than ponies without wings you know—”

The crowd suddenly cheered as Applejack wheeled around just in time to see Soarin’s father and Fleetfoot take to the night sky towards the Everfree Forest. Applejack could see Rainbow Dash standing amongst the crowd, cheering along with them. Even if Rainbow Dash didn’t like Pinkie, seeing two Wonderbolts right up close was just too awesome for her to handle. When the Wonderbolts were out of sight, the bustling of the crowd was back to the way it was once more.

Applejack, exhausted, went over towards a small tree and collapsed onto the grass. Rarity joined her, taking care to make sure the area of grass beneath her was deprived of fallen leaves before lying down next to her. Applejack started slowly constructing a tiny pile of leaves absentmindedly, laying on her side towards Rarity. Rarity helped her, giving her a small smile, but not knowing at all what they were doing.

“Pinkie Pie likes leaves,” said Applejack. She yawned.

“Fall is pretty,” said Rarity, arranging the pile so it was more even. She yawned too.

“Ah just hope she’s okay,” said Applejack, putting her hat between them to shield the miniscule pile of leaves from the short gusts of crisp air that were blowing.

“You really care about her, don’t you? said Rarity.

“She’s my best friend. Up ‘til you came along, she was my only friend.”

“Why?”

“Why what?” said Applejack.

“Why was she your only friend?”

Applejack didn’t say anything. She really didn’t know how to answer that question.

“Ah dunno. It’s just how it is,” she sighed, turning onto her back and looking up at the sky.

Rarity gave her an odd look, the tiniest hint of anger on her face. Carefully moving Applejack’s hat and the leaves underneath it above her head, she slid right beside Applejack and held her hoof in hers.

“You deserve a million friends,” she whispered. She then yawned again and then closed her eyes. Before Applejack could respond to her kind words, Rarity was asleep.

Applejack decided to close her eyes as well, feeling much warmer than she did before. A million friends would be nice. She started to envision herself with a giant crowd of ponies around her, inviting her to parties, complimenting her hair, admiring her strength…

What seemed like a minute or two became an hour—maybe two. All Applejack knew was just moments after dreaming of her million friends she found her eyes open to a young pegasus with a mane the same color as the sky. He was absolutely beaming.

“I have somepony here who wants to see you!” said a male voice, picking Applejack off the ground, who was still half asleep.

“Soarin’?”

All around them was the thundering applause of a multitude of hooves hitting the ground. Applejack was placed between Rarity and Mudflap, who put their forelegs around Applejack and embraced her, cheering at somepony flying toward them from the darkness of the Everfree Forest. He was carrying a certain pink pony on his back…

“PINKIE PIE!” shouted Applejack, fearing for the worst. But Pinkie Pie was alive, smiling weakly and waving down at her, although she was in even worse shape than Applejack and Rarity.

Trailing behind Soarin’ was Fleetfoot, who was, strenuously, carrying Soarin’s father. His right wing was injured and his Wonderbolt suit was torn in many places. He was waving at the crowd, signaling he was okay.

A medical team of ponies assisted them all as they touched the ground, laying Pinkie Pie and Soarin’s father both on stretchers. Soarin’ and Fleetfoot were completely unharmed.

Applejack pushed through the crowd and found Pinkie Pie, who was just about to be put into an ambulance. Her whole body was covered in strange colored cuts and bruises, like she had been assaulted by Soarin’s rainbow pie. Her hair was full of mud, her eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep, and she was recovering from a bloody nose.

“They’re best friends, leave ‘em alone,” grunted Soarin’s father at the medical ponies as Applejack tried to push past them.

“Pinkie, what the hay happened?!” gasped Applejack. She held her uninjured hoof tenderly and felt her grasp respond.

Pinkie Pie winced as she tried to speak, but still managed to smile brightly up at her very best friend.

“An adventure we’ll be talking about for weeks,” she said.

Applejack gave her a half amused, half concerned look.

“She’ll be alright,” said a nurse, smiling reassuringly. Just some minor injuries. She’ll be ready for visitors by tomorrow.”

At this, and seeing Pinkie Pie trying to strike up conversation with random ponies just like always, she knew Pinkie was back to normal and back to where she belonged—even if she was banged up a bit.

Applejack bade her a temporary farewell as she was hoisted up into the back of the ambulance. Knowing that Pinkie was going to be just fine was all that she needed. Applejack looked over at Soarin’, who was giving a hoof bump to his father. He was rolled into the back of another ambulance and the two vehicles drove away, sirens wailing.

Before Applejack could get to Soarin’ to give him the biggest hug he had ever gotten, Soarin’ was raised into the air by the crowd of ponies, cheers still ringing throughout the town square.

Applejack admired the pegasus from afar, waving her hooves in the air and felt her heart flutter a bit when he looked at her and winked. Moments later she felt Rarity appear at her side. Mudflap had decided to join the crowd of ponies and root for his friend. He started whispering something amongst them all, which seemed to be appealing, because within seconds, the cheering stopped and evolved into something else.

Mudflap walked back on over to them and sighed.

“That’s more like it.”

The crowd was beginning to chant something. Something Applejack imagined Soarin’ had only experienced in his wildest dreams. Something his injured, but proud father was probably chanting weakly in the ambulance right at that very moment:

“Wonderbolt! WonderBOLT! WONDERBOLT!”

IX :: Boiling Point

Following the euphoria of Saturday night’s buzzing events, Sunday felt to Applejack like a standstill in comparison. Most Sundays she spent enjoying time exploring out beyond the farm, taking in simple pleasures of the scenery and bulking up her running, jumping, roping and other skills. Nothing quite tickled her quite like being able to fling a rope from side to side and jumping through as the rope passed through her. Or, perhaps, sitting up against a shady oak tree while dreaming up future activities she had in store for herself. She loved just using Sunday to plan for the coming week, while the peaceful sounds of nature comforted her. Often, the lull of the whooshing trees and distant sounds of animals would kick start another one of her midday naps. The end of the week usually left Applejack with her eyes heavy anyway, so this was a predictable occurrence.

One thing was for sure: today was definitely going to be a lazy Sunday. Her body ached from head to hoof; the constant running around and maneuvering yesterday had managed to take its toll on Applejack. Which was rare, for Applejack was so physically active from working on the farm that muscle sores almost never surfaced. She couldn’t bear to walk all the way up to the top of the tallest hill in Sweet Apple Acres like she had been keen on doing today. Applejack, determined to get what she wanted no matter the price, simply couldn’t bring her aching legs to ascend the steep grassy incline. She gave a frustrated snort as she sat in the grass and looked out towards Ponyville, scanning the air. Her mind then continued to play back a couple of main events that happened last night, which had left her pondering all day. She would have been pondering them before going to sleep last night as well if she hadn’t been so tired that Big Macintosh had to carry her home from Pinkie Pie’s room in Ponyville Hospital and take her back home around midnight. Applejack had been so out of energy, she literally remembered nothing from the moment she fell asleep in the hospital up until she woke up late the next morning.

Applejack couldn’t stop thinking about, first off, what Rarity had said to her:

“You deserve a million friends.”

Applejack didn’t quite know as to why this affected her so much. Maybe this was because she never believed she was capable of befriending anypony. Growing up, she was the outcast among other ponies her age, and fitting in just seemed too out of the question. Hearing from a pretty and classy unicorn that she was worth so much more than she believed was so abnormal for her. Ponies like Rarity usually paid no attention to Applejack at all, or gave her an honest compliment for that matter. Pinkie Pie was her first real friend, and she valued her compliments just like everypony’s, but somehow hearing it from a pony who barely knew her made her feel she wasn’t such an outcast after all.

Then there was the rescue. Applejack hadn’t had a chance to talk to Pinkie or Soarin’ last night about what truly happened, so all she could do was believe in the rumors she had heard that night. The main rumor was truly outrageous, Applejack thought, claiming Soarin’ had single hoofedly fought off three manticores and sent them packing. Seeing how Soarin’ was seriously considering a baking career and couldn’t even fend off the advances of Rarity, picturing him knock out three giant, fanged, winged beasts was bizarre. Other small rumors seemed more realistic, believing Soarin’s father had done all the work and injured himself, leaving Soarin’ and Fleetfoot unharmed. However, Applejack had an intuitive feeling to side with the outrageous rumor, for laying out manticores was much more exciting to think about. Even if she didn’t fully believe Soarin’ was a formidable fighter, a shred of her stubborn hope still nodded in favor to the impossible.

“Applejack!” called out an irritated voice over by the house.

Applejack groaned as she slowly pulled herself to her hooves and hurried towards Granny Smith’s voice. She had been dreading this.

Applejack hadn’t spoken with Granny since she had left for Pinkie’s house on Saturday morning. She knew she had figured out how she had traveled all the way to Manehattan and back without permission. On top of this, Applejack was out past dark and clear beyond her bedtime last night. Applejack braced herself as she walked through the front gate.

“You wanted to see me, Grammy?” asked Applejack innocently.

Granny said nothing, but slipped into the kitchen and Applejack followed her inside.

“Where’s Applebloom?” said Applejack, hoping to get Granny out of her train of thought.

“She’s havin' a nap upstairs,” said Granny curtly. “What happened yesterdee?”

She sat down in a chair and folded her forelegs, staring into her soul with the look of utmost severity.

“Ah just went for a really long…walk,” said Applejack, ending lamely.

“All the way to Manehattan,” said Granny.

“How did you know ah went all the way to Manehattan?” asked Applejack incredulously. There was no possible way of her knowing this.

The kitchen door swung open.

“She asked,” said Mac, walking in.

Applejack made sure to give Mac a good scowl as he walked past the table and went upstairs. He just had to do what she asked.

“I’m sorry,” said Applejack quietly. “It was wrong for me to keep secrets.” Applejack wanted to argue, but she knew only too well how far that got her with Granny when she was angry.

“A secret is as good as a lie, Applejack. We all have secrets of our own, but some are meant to be shared. Like tellin’ your gramma you’re goin’ somewhere past sundown.”

Applejack hated feeling like a liar.

“The bitterest truth is better than the sweetest lie,” she recalled.

“Exactly.”

Following this was a knock on the door. Applejack beat Granny to the door like always and opened it.

“Howdy!” said Mudflap brightly. His unprecedented appearance and cheery greeting was certainly a bout of déjà vu for Applejack.

“What in the hay are you doing here?” said Applejack, much ruder than she had intended. Mudflap’s smile vanished instantly.

“Oh…sorry, is this a bad time?” asked Mudflap, noticing Granny’s confusion and Applejack’s blushing. “I’ll just…go…”

“Stop right there, sonny!” said Granny, ignoring Applejack. “Geeit in here.”

Mudflap didn’t need to be told twice. He turned on his hoof and hurried inside, brushing past Applejack with his wildly long hair. For a pony named ‘Mudflap’, he smelled an awful lot like roses. Applejack jumped out of the way and bonked into the door. Thankfully, Mudflap didn’t notice this.

“How in Celestia’s name did you get so big, Caliber?” said Granny. " I haven't see you since y'all were just a little colt!"

Whack. Confusion hit Applejack like a train.

“How do you know—what did you call 'im?” asked Applejack, before Mudflap could speak.

“Ah called ‘im by his name,” said Granny suspiciously, as she closed the door. “Why, don’t y’all know each other—”

“Heh, yeah of course she does,” said Mudflap, shooting Applejack a furtive look just before Granny looked at the two of them again.

Applejack stared at him. Not wanting to fib to Granny just after the discussion they had, she hesitated for a moment. Then a sleepy cry sounded from upstairs, signaling that Applebloom had just awoken from her nap. The timing couldn’t have been any better.

“Yoop, that would be our Applebloom,” said Granny to the colt Applejack thought was called ‘Mudflap’. “You two run along and play while ah see what she needs.”

Granny hurried upstairs and left the two of them alone in an uneasy silence.

“Quiet, you,” snapped Applejack as the colt with two names opened his mouth to make a comment. “Where are we goin’?”

Caliber looked at her for a moment, taken aback. Defeated, he finally grumbled:

“Soarin’s dad said he wants to talk to you.”

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Ponyville Hospital was abnormally busy. As Applejack and Caliber walked through the sliding glass doors, a great number of ponies were walking casually around the entrance, whispering excitedly to each other. Applejack knew they were all here because of the fact a Wonderbolt was there, but she didn’t get the point of them waiting there. Were they expecting the nurses to just wheel Soarin’s father out there like an exhibit and have him sign autographs? Applejack just scowled at all of them and trailed behind Caliber, ignoring his attempts to make her laugh.

“You’re overreacting,” said Caliber, commenting on Applejack’s disgruntled attitude.

“Stop talkin’ to me, stranger,” said Applejack. She didn’t trust a single thing he said to her. Applejack hated liars. She should have known better than to trust a Saddlebrook pony.

Saddlebrook, from what Applejack had gathered from Granny, was one of the shadiest towns they had ever done Apple business with. More often than not, Applejack had heard Granny talk about how pretentious the rich stallions who bought their Apple products were, and how they had always been swindlers. 1000 bit orders that Sweet Apple could sell to places like Baltimare, for example, would be somehow knocked down to less than 700 bits by Saddlebrook buyers.

Nicklehoof, the pony who normally bought from Sweet Apple in Saddlebrook, would always find an excuse to pay less, even if he was given an absolute perfect order. Inflation, transportation costs, demand, stocks, and a whole bunch of other confusing adult matters Applejack didn’t quite understand yet would come into the equation, deeply frustrating Granny. Granny was as smart as a fox and quick as a whip, but con ponies like Nicklehoof always seemed to discover a loophole. Applejack had never seen Nicklehoof’s face, since he never came to Ponyville and Applejack was never allowed to travel on with Granny on business trips, but she thought instantly of the stiff necked, cream of the crop ponies in Manehattan and easily formed a stereotype within her mind.

Soarin’ and Caliber had briefly explained Saddlebrook two years ago when the three of them were walking to Manehattan, and it didn’t seem like a nice place at all: nothing grew there except hardy desert plants; there wasn’t an actual ‘brook’ for forty-two miles; sandstorms occurred almost daily; and the air was as hot and dry as an oven. Applejack understood why Caliber liked being with Soarin’ in the summertime up in temperate Manehattan.

Caliber was probably loaded of secrets, from the top of his frizzy mud-colored mane right down to his stupid cutie mark, a sun and cactus. Applejack hadn’t noticed it until, now that she trailing behind him. He may not have dressed liked he was a million bits (or even a thousand, really), but Applejack knew he was no different than any of the Saddlebrook ponies.

“You know, I love it when ponies ignore me. Keep it up,” said Mudflap, becoming more agitated.

And then there was his sarcastic attitude. Was he aware of how annoying that was?

“Awh, just shut your yap, will ya?” she said. This quieted down Mudflap at once as she glared at her over his shoulder, like he couldn’t believe what was happening.

They came to a double door that led off to the hospital rooms, where Soarin’ was waiting in a chair, fast asleep. A couple fillies around Applejack’s age were sitting across from him in some other chairs, giggling at him.

“He’s so cute when he snores, heehee,” whispered Cloudchaser, who Applejack knew from school.

“Look at the way his mane moves when he breaths! Oh my Celestia that is so funny!” said her twin sister, Flitter.

Soarin’ was curled up into a tight ball, his mane that once flew back behind his head, to the side of his face, moving in and out with each breath he took. Applejack couldn’t help but giggle out loud at the sight…much more awkwardly than she had hoped.

Caliber snorted as he beheld his friend. Then a suspicious grin spread across his face. He ignored the two giggling fillies and went over to Soarin’. Applejack paid no attention to the smirks of the fillies either as we followed him. It felt good to be friends with a celebrity.

“Dum dum dum…she’s gallopin’…she’s gallopin’…,” began Caliber, trying not to laugh.

“Ezzzrt mmm who…zzz…galloping...,” mumbled Soarin’, still fast asleep.

“Toward you. Crashhh! Toward you. Crashhh!”

“Zzzmm? What? No…zzz…nooo,” mumbled Soarin’ again, his face starting to contort.

“New moon. Budum-badum. New moon”

“Noo! Close the gate! Where…are you?!” yelled Soarin’, still asleep. Mudflap was nearly in tears of silent laughter, haunting his poor friend.

“Eyes of blood…heart of bane…Tartarus is rising…you are to blame,”

“NO!” screamed Soarin’, falling out of his chair and onto the ground. He flailed his wings, truly terrified, and soared along the ground and down the white-tiled hallway.

“I’m not afraid! I’m not afraid! I am a Wonder B—”

He stopped. In a split second he was back on his hooves and started looking around, bewildered at what had just happened. Caliber collapsed into the chair previously occupied by Soarin’ and broke down into fits of laughter, while Applejack and the two fillies looked over to Soarin’ in worry.

“Soarin’! Over here!” said Applejack, waving a foreleg.

Soarin’ blushed in embarrassment and ran past the lot of them, opening the double doors and rushing through them without saying a word.

“Moron,” said Cloudchaser at Caliber, not amused in the slightest. She walked away with Flitter in the opposite direction, back towards Applejack and Caliber had just come. Caliber was continuing to laugh at his amazing prank. Applejack followed Soarin’ through the door and left Caliber in the dust.

“You know, ah like Mudflap better. It’s suits ya,” said Applejack. “That was a purdy dirty thing to do.” And she left him there without another moment’s hesitation. Caliber stopped laughing at once.

Soarin’ walked as fast as he could (nopony was allowed to run or fly in Ponyville Hospital) down the long hallway.

“Soarin’! Hey, wait up!” said Applejack. “Why are you—”

A stallion in a white hospital staff uniform stepped out of an office and cut Applejack off.

“Hold up there, hun, where are you going” he said.

“Soarin’—the pegasus who just ran by—his dad wants to speak to me,” she said impatiently.

The man laughed. “Cruisin’? Riight. You’re like the twentieth pony to make that excuse. He’s seeing nopony right now except family.”

“No, really! Ahm not lyin’!” said Applejack, angry. How dare he call her a liar? She was getting fed up with everything today.

“Whatever. Go back through those double doors right there—” he pointed them out to her like she was Applebloom’s age— “and don’t come here without permission again. I’ve had it with all the cock and bull stories today.”

Applejack could have obeyed quietly. She could have been a good pony and did what all the other ponies had been told. But twice in one weekend, she decided to chance it: she zoomed around the stallion like a bullet and tore down the hallway as fast as her filly legs could carry her.

“Security!” shouted the stallion. “Room 39!”

Applejack grinned sheepishly as she passed all the doors. In no time, she caught up with Soarin’. She latched a foreleg onto him as a huge unicorn in a black uniform stepped away from a door farther down the hallway and started towards the two of them.

Soarin’ saw who it was at once and took her foreleg off of him, but grabbed her by the hoof. A tingling sensation chilled down her spine as he led her towards the security officer.

“Hey, man, she’s with me. My dad wants to see her.”

The security officer studied them for a second and halted.

“Wait here. I’ll confirm,” he said robotically in a deep voice, walking back to the room he was stationed outside of. He poked his head inside.

“Your son and a ponytailed blond pony,” Applejack heard him answer to a raspy voice.

A pause.

“What’s your name, filly?” the security officer spat at Applejack.

“Applejack,” said Applejack.

The security officer poked his head back in and there was another pause.

“What? Are you serious? Man, you’ve gotta be kiddin’…”

The security officer shrugged, but nodded towards them and they walked towards room 39. Applejack took one last look back towards the double doors to see if Caliber had managed to get inside the hallway. But he was nowhere to be found.

“Serves ‘im right,” she thought, as they entered the room.

The room was quite flashy for a hospital room—or maybe that was because the place had been specially decorated. Streamers and balloons were everywhere, like a party had just ended. Applejack almost expected Pinkie Pie to be behind it all, but as she noticed all the notes tied to them she realized they were probably ‘get well’ gifts from admirers. A dozen or so vases of flowers and several unopened presents lay on a table near a few chairs. A single, astonishingly white campanula was in a crystal vase on Cruisin’s bedside table. His wife held his hoof beside him, and they were in conversation.

Cruisin’, Soarin’s father, did not look well. He had bandages all over his head and neck, and his right leg was propped up in a sling. An iv strip was on his foreleg, leading up into a pack with bluish-green liquid in it. A bedside monitor was beeping continuously, showing that his heart rate was normal. But physically, he looked as though he was dying: his eyes here bloodshot and drooping, his mouth moving slowly as he talked with his wife. Every now and then he would cough loudly, causing the monitor to spike a little, and then he would settle back down and continue talking.

Cruisin’ cleared his throat. “Just the little mare I wanted to see,” he said in a voice as strong as he could muster, smiling weakly over at Applejack. “Come on over here.”

Applejack made her way through the jungle of get well gifts and to his bedside. His wife smiled at her as she went to sit down with Soarin’.

“Please forgive me for being so rude to you yesterday, Applejack,” said Crusin’, tapping his hoof on his bed. “Sometimes I have to be a little forceful when I’m doing my job. You’re very lucky to have a friend like Pinkie Pie.”

He waved a hoof around the room.

“All of these balloons and streamers…came from your friend Pinkie, if you can believe it,” he chuckled. Applejack acted like she was surprised, even though she wasn’t in the slightest. “I really appreciate flowers…and all the gifts my supporters give me, but nothing lifts my spirits…quite like colorful balloons and some…kind notes attached to them.”

He coughed again. Applejack took one of the balloons and noticed a familiar purple scribble written on the note.

“In no time, you’ll be feeling up up up! Just like this balloon!”

She grabbed another one, a bright pink one: “I am a balloon! I am rubber and you are glue. The brightness that bounces off me will stick to you!”

And there were many more like it. Her eyes watered a bit. Applejack was amazed by Pinkie’s creativity. Rainbow Dash may have said she was a bad artist, but she was truly a gifted writer. Applejack’s eyes watered, thinking of Pinkie. She couldn’t have been released already...but how in Equestria was she able to get all that together while being in the hospital? It was impossible. But then again, it was Pinkie Pie…and she was better left unquestioned.

“So believe me when I say…that my injuries here are not in vain,” said Crusin’. “Although I am overjoyed to witness…your friend’s rescue and speedy recovery, her concern…is not why I asked you to be here this afternoon. This is about…you.”

Applejack saw that he was still smiling.

“Soarin’, my son…has been at the end of his rope for quite some time about his future. After he…was beaten by a pegasus filly in Summer Flight Camp a couple years ago…named Rainbow Dash…he wasn’t the same since before. He went through some phases, thinking up…pursuits me and his mother knew he didn’t really want. Soarin’ just…wanted to settle…for less.” He coughed again, and then took a drink of water from his bedside table.

“But then you came into the picture out of the blue yonder,” he pointed at Applejack and his voice quavered a little. “And you inspired him to get back…back to the sky.” He choked on his breath, and then lowered his voice to a whisper, “Fly Higher! Fly Higher! That has been our family’s motto for generations. Last night, in that dreaded forest…I saw him soar higher than I have ever seen him in my entire life. The burning desire of a Wonderbolt fired up inside of him a second time. All because of your…example, Applejack.”

“My…example?” said Applejack. Her eyes were wet, but she didn’t care. She didn’t feel ashamed.

“You traveled miles and miles by hoof to find our home in…Manehattan. Your friend Rarity, who I talk to just his morning, told me about your strength. How you…carried her in a full out run! I just don’t understand how so much power could be packed inside…such a cute little earth pony like yourself,” he said, chuckling again. Applejack blushed deeply.

“Your example to go…beyond even the extra mile to help a friend in need is a quality every Wonderbolt shares. If you magically…sprouted wings, I would initiate you as a Wonderbolt someday. But unfortunately…I am just going to have reward you with…something else.”

“Thank you, sir, but ah don’t wanna reward,” said Applejack, glowing. She was grateful he wanted to reward her, but she was happy just knowing everything turned out better than she had hoped.

“Applejack, sweetheart, it’s the least I could do…to repay you. When I get out of this darned hospital bed and back into the air, you’ll…be in for a surprise.”

“Mighty obliged, Cruisin’,” she said quietly, tipping her hat in courtesy of his offer.

“Call me Cruise, Applejack. It’s what the family and friends call me. Cruisin’s my…professional name I use for business. Not,” he coughed, “…where we are right now.”

“Hehe…okay, Cruise!” she said. They all laughed together, Cruise hacking through most of it.

“So did it really happen? Did Soarin’ really take on three manticores?” said Applejack. She didn’t want Cruise to have to speak any more than he already did…but the opportunity was right there in front of her.

“HA!” he wheezed. “Take them on? He…set them packing! Let me tell you—”

“Security!” yelled a voice outside the door. “We’ve got another one!”

“Soarin’, would you close that door, please?” said Soarin’s mother. Soarin’ barely got halfway across the room when they all heard another yell from outside the room.

“Where did she go?!”

Immediately after, another pony walked into the room. Applejack was expecting to see Caliber waltzing in there at last, but it wasn’t. In fact, it happened to be the only pony Applejack disliked more than Caliber at the moment.

“I was wondering…when you would finally be showing up,” said Cruise, his voice suddenly serious and stern. “She’s alright, gentlemen!” he added, as the security officer and the same stallion in the white staff uniform appeared disgruntled in the doorway. “She’ll be the last one I…summon for today.”

“Y-you wanted to meet with me, Cruisin’, Mister Wonderbolt sir?” said Rainbow Dash nervously. She was trying to look as brave as she could, but something was truly frightening her. And Applejack knew exactly what that was: she was found out. Destroying Soarin’s confidence back at Summer Flight Camp…tricking Pinkie Pie…she was toast.

“Yes, Miss Dash, I believe you owe somepony an apology.”

“B-but sir, I already visited Pinkie Pie and apologized! And her family!” she said.

“I know, and I have received confirmation on that, thank you. But I have also heard of you and Applejack here.”

Rainbow Dash turned to Applejack. Applejack knew the last thing Rainbow Dash wanted to do was walk over to her and shake her hoof in apology—but that’s exactly what she did: Rainbow Dash met her face to face and stuck out a hoof to signify a truce. Applejack didn’t take it.

“I never wanted to hurt your friend, Applejack,” Rainbow Dash said, oddly sensitive. Her expression was strong, as though she really meant it. Still, though, Applejack wasn’t quick to forgive.

“She really thought you were her friend, you know,” she said.

“I know, it totally wasn’t cool,” Rainbow Dash said, shaking her outstretched hoof impatiently while Applejack still refused to touch it.

“You really hurt Soarin’ too.”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “Just shake my hoof, will ya?” she muttered low enough so only she and Applejack could hear.

Applejack eyed her suspiciously but took her hoof to break the tension. She didn’t buy Rainbow Dash’s apology. Grasping her hoof, she was surprised to feel how limp Rainbow Dash’s grip was compared to hers. Applejack couldn’t tell if Rainbow Dash noticed this or not, but Rainbow Dash let go right away after they shook.

“Now that better be the end of it, Miss Dash,” said Cruise. “I don’t like being angry at my fans.”

“You got it, sir!” said Rainbow Dash, saluting him.

Cruise raised an eyebrow at the salute, but gave an appreciative nod anyway. He sighed deeply.

“Now, about that story—”

His wife gave him a disapproving look and cleared her throat loudly.

“—It might just have to wait until another time,” he said. “I…,” he glanced at her again, “…need to get some rest.”

“No problem your majesty—I mean Wonderbolt-sir…ness!” said Rainbow Dash right away, starting towards the door at once. “Do you need me to fly anywhere and get you anything? I’m really fast—”

“I’m covered, thank you,” he said, eying the iv and the labyrinth of get well gifts.

Rainbow Dash sheathed her wings in disappointment.

“Yeah, totally understand. No problem!” She walked towards the door, but quickly came back.

“Sorry, forgot to wish you to get well soon!”

Cruise chuckled. “Thank you, Miss Dash.”

Rainbow Dash hesitated for a moment, as though if she was teetering on the edge of the question of asking Cruise for an autograph. But when Cruise’s attention turned to Applejack, she admitted sore defeat and exited the room.

“Come ‘round our place in Manehattan again after I…get out of here and prepare to be amazed,” he winked at Applejack. “It’s quite a tale to tell, it is.”

“Can’t wait!” said Applejack. She then bade farewell to all of them and followed in suit behind Rainbow Dash, emerging from room 39. The security guard pony was still standing there like a statue.

“I’m just gonna…leave now…,” she said, to which the guard gave no response. Shrugging off the unresponsive pony, she walked back towards the the double doors, spring in her steps.

The chief Wonderbolt had invited her officially over to his house! Rainbow Dash had received the punishment she deserved! Pinkie Pie was going to okay, and they would be playing together in no time! Applejack would have been in full gallop if it weren’t for the silly rules of this hospital…she couldn’t wait to tell Granny, Big Macintosh, and even Applebloom all about it. This had turned out to be the best day ever since she had first received her cutie mark. Shaking her mane out of the way, she grinned proudly at those amazing three apples.

Applejack reached the double doors and pushed them. She smacked head first into the doors and her hat toppled off her head.

“Ow…stupid door...,” she said as she picked up her hat. Applejack tried to force the doors open with all her might, but they wouldn’t budge. There were no handles to grab either. She looked around to see if anypony was there to help her. Unfortunately, the hall was deserted, except for the guard pony clear down the hallway. But she didn’t need help just yet…

“Why the hay won’t you open?!” she said, frustrated, darting her eyes all over the place to find a solution.

“Because you need one of these,” said a voice from behind her. It was Soarin’.

Soarin’ slipped a card key inside a little slot next to the door and the door opened at once with a ‘buzz’. This left her feeling extremely stupid.

“Oh…thanks,” she said. “Ah woulda figured that out myself you know.”

Soarin’ just laughed as he bent down to pick up Applejack’s hat. He put it gently on her head and they looked at each other for a few moments. Applejack then hugged him tighter than she had ever before in her life, briefly burying her face in his mane. He did the same. She hoped in that tight embrace, he knew just how grateful she was for all that he had done

“Ah hope you’re never too cool to be my friend,” she whispered into his mane.

“Don’t worry. That’s not possible,” he said. Applejack wanted to hold onto him forever, but felt deeply saddened when they finally broke apart. They looked at each other again.

“So um, what happened to Mudflap?” he asked, breaking the silence.

Applejack finally regained her surroundings and noticed that he was nowhere to be found.

“Ah dunno,” she said truthfully. She didn’t care where he was. He didn’t really mean anything to her anymore.

“Probably went outside or something again,” he said. “He’s been really weird lately and I’m kind of worried about him.”

“What does he do?” asked Applejack.

“Well…he’s pretty much family now, so he goes where ever we go when he comes to stay with us. Now that he’s done with school like me, we hang out every weekend and we talk a lot. And he’s always mad about something, usually about his home life back in Saddlebrook.”

“He does seem to have a lotta secrets,” said Applejack, more amused than pitying.

“Yeah he does…but he’s a really cool colt. If you see him outside again, tell him to come back to the room. I forgot to give him my card key when my dad sent him to get you, so I sat out here—”

“And fell asleep?” grinned Applejack.

“You two took so long! I stayed up all night last night with my dad…I’m actually still tired…” he yawned at the thought of this. “…so I think I’m going to go back to the room and sleep now.”

Applejack almost wanted to question Soarin’ about what Caliber had whispered into his ear while he had been sleeping earlier, but decided to refrain. She didn’t want to remind him. He had seemed so frightened. At least she had a heart…unlike Caliber.

“I’ll swoop by your house when dad gets out of here so we can all go party at my house. Tell your friends!”

Soarin’ gave her a lightning fast hug before disappearing back through the double doors. Applejack heaved a great big sigh as they shut. He was so cool…

Now all she had to worry about was assembling the million friends Rarity had thought she deserved. But deep down, she knew Soarin’ didn’t care how many friends she had. He liked her for who she was, and what she had done. And to be completely honest with herself, that’s all that mattered. Poor Soarin’…not knowing that his best friend had probably lied to him about everything they had talked about since they had known each other. Soarin’ didn’t even know his real name. Soarin’ shouldn’t have worried he couldn’t find Caliber anywhere; he didn’t deserve somepony as courageous and noble as a Wonderbolt for a friend!

As Applejack rounded a corner back towards the lobby, Cloudchaser and Flitter met face to face.

“Why was he talking to you?” said Flitter, scanning Applejack like she was the scum of Equestria.

Applejack didn’t find this offensive. She simply ignored the two of them and brushed past them, not being all too careful to hide her cheeky grin. It was their turn to be jealous.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Even after Applejack left the hospital that Sunday afternoon and looked for his presence, Caliber had once again come up missing. Instead of investigating the matter further, Applejack decided to question Granny that evening about who Caliber was, since she seemed to be the only one who actually knew his real name.

“He’s ol’ Caliber Nicklehoof’s son,” she said casually over the dinner table that night. “I coulda sworn I told ya that before…or maybe I dreamed it again...”

“Caliber? They both have the same first name?” asked Applejack through a mouthful of beet and artichoke casserole.

“Mhmm. Ol’ Grandpa Caliber is still kickin’ around as well. The name’s been in the Nicklehoof family fer generations, it has.”

So he was the actual son of the sleaziest and richest pony in association with Sweet Apple’s business. This didn’t surprise Applejack much.

“Caliber told me his name was Mudflap, Grammy,” she said, fiddling with her food.

Granny made a strange face and gagged on her food.

“Can you run that by me again?” she asked.

“Mudflap,” repeated Applejack.

“Mudsap? What is wrong with that colt, it don’t even make sense—”

“Mud. Flap,” said Applejack slowly. “Ah reckon he likes mud…or,” she recalled a funny thing Soarin’ once said, “catchin’ ponys’ dust. Like those things on the back of cars.”

“What a strange pony,” said Granny. “Catchin’ ponys’ dust…hehe, that’s a good ‘un, Applejack.”

“Hehe, yeah,” said Applejack. “I heard that from Soarin’,” she added.

“Don’t blame ‘im though. Ah'd prob’ly do the same if my daddy was a sleazestack,” said Granny sourly.

“Applejack likes ol’ Soarin,” said Mac. He had already cleared his plate.

“No ah don’t,” said Applejack, blushing crimson.

“Why not? He’s quite the hero, ain’t he?” said Granny, winking.

“He’s just…a friend,” said the Spirit of Honesty.

“Doesn’t matter what he is, it’s none of my business,” she said. “His father is a good stallion. He and the other ‘Bolts have saved more ponies than I’ve racked up years.”

The honest truth was, Soarin’ was just a friend, but Applejack didn’t like to think so. It was a very odd feeling, being with him was. She loved and cherished the friends she had, but this love was different. He was special.

Applejack for some reason still had those same feelings for Caliber, even though she hated his guts right now. There was a connection between the two of them, even though they were nothing alike. This confused her far more than her feelings for Soarin’. But despite this, at the same time she really loved the feeling. The sensation was one of the best things, even more than sunrises and laughing with Pinkie Pie and Granny’s Equestria-renown apple pies.

As they finished dinner and Mac cleared the table, Granny slid a smaller plate in front of Applejack with an oozing slice of the most sought after dessert known to ponykind. On top of the golden-brown sweet was a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Applejack took a bite and savored the flavor, comparing the feelings.

Soarin’ miserably lost.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

School over the next two months was at an all-time low. As the weeks turned colder, and the final, most stubborn leaf plummeted from the branches of the healthiest tree, so did Rainbow Dash’s attitude towards her. She knew their petty hoofshake back at the hospital was nothing more than a stunt to impress Cruisin’. Rainbow Dash saw to it that Applejack would sorely pay for being favored by her hero instead of her.

Every day after school, Rainbow Dash would take off toward the sky towards home, taking care to swipe Applejack right in the side of the head with her wing as she passed, stinging her face against the brisk air. Regardless if she was surrounded by Rarity and Pinkie or right beside Mac, she was gone far too fast for any of them to react. Even Pinkie was beginning to realize how much of a monster Rainbow Dash really was.

“What a rotten little meaniepants,” she said angrily on one particular afternoon when Rainbow Dash had decided to swipe her and Rarity instead when they had begun to shield Applejack so she couldn’t be harmed.

“Next time, she’s mine,” said Rarity through gritted teeth, massaging her messed up mane on the same occurrence.

“Just let her play her dumb l’il games, girls. We’ll never stoop to her level,” Applejack had said.

One Sunday evening, however, Rainbow Dash had hit her worst. On the coldest day of autumn yet, when the sky was covered in a greyish-white blanket, Rainbow Dash appeared over her head with a tiny storm cloud and began to cause it to snow heavily all over her, filling the bread-filled bags she was carrying. Unfortunately for her, the bags also happened to be open at the top. Even though Applejack broke into a run and Rainbow Dash flew off, hysterical, by the time she got back to the farm and inspected the bags, the snow had melted. All that was left of the bread was a soggy mess, ruining their next week supply of bread. Applejack had to backtrack all the way back to Ponyville and buy a new batch of bread with money from her very own pouch, reducing her weekly allowance to nearly zero.

Applejack had made Big Macintosh Pinkie Promise (witnessed by Pinkie Pie herself) to never tell Granny about Rainbow Dash’s bullying pursuits. Granny would have thumped Rainbow Dash a new one if she had ever found out what she was doing to Applejack, but Applejack didn’t want Rainbow Dash to feel like she had won. Too stubborn for her own good, Applejack was determined to win this war. Her only hope was Rainbow Dash would give up and learn to pick on somepony new. But her anger was rising. Rising with each freezing, Rainbow Dash infested day.

Although strong in the daytime, Applejack had relapsed back into a state of fear, not knowing what would become of the following day. When she lay down to sleep that night, she was at such unease that she couldn’t relax for at least an hour. Applebloom, who Applejack had begged Granny have be but back in her room, was the only source of comfort she felt in that room. Applejack’s bed covers could warm her body, but they couldn’t strengthen her spirit.

Applejack, giving up on trying to fall asleep when her clock had surpassed 1am, tiptoed over to Applebloom and checked on her. A bubble was growing and shrinking outside her mouth, as she snoozed soundly. After a few second, the bubble burst and Applebloom smacked her lips subconsciously. Applejack was jealous of her ability to be so carefree yet still so loved. If only she could be like her for a day. No responsibilities…no Rainbow Dash…no jeering ponies in Ponyville to make fun of her…that was a life she could only dream of.

Applejack lightly kissed Applebloom’s forehead and sat down on her bed, facing out the window. Her eyes drooping, she tried to imagine such a life.

Applejack loved warm weather. Maybe her life could be in Appleloose with her cousin Braeburn. She also loved the mysterious air around a western town, the whispering sand and the campfires at night. Applejack had gone to an Apple family reunion in Appleloose once. She and Mac had gotten in so much trouble… It was a blast.

Granny, Applebloom, Mac, Pinkie, Rarity and Soarin’ could be there too. Caliber could tag along too, just so Soarin’ would have a colt friend. They would go on an adventure together…all of them.

Applejack giggled at the thought of Granny being some sort of cave explorer, sporting a hat just like hers and a walking stick in hoof. Soarin’ would be their overwatch, Pinkie would make sure things wouldn’t get too serious, and Rarity would light the way with her magic. Mac would be the bodyguard, shielding them from all harm. Caliber would be unconscious over his back, passed out from being too scared. Applejack giggled again at the amusing thought.

Ponk ponk ponk.

Applejack sprung awake. Snowflakes were hitting the glass of her window. It was snowing. Applejack’s heart leapt. Snow in the night meant there would be a good deal of snow on the ground to tomorrow. Maybe there would be enough snow to close school!

Applejack yawned. Maybe tomorrow wouldn’t be so bad after all. She continued dreaming up her cave adventure and within minutes, finally drifted off to sleep.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

“YES!” shouted Applejack as she peered out the kitchen window over the sink on Wednesday morning. She opened the kitchen door and was blasted with the chilly morning breeze. Ignoring the cold, she walked onto the already shoveled pathway to the gate (Mac had risen early to do the deed) and measured the snow with her leg. Each one of her legs was exactly fourteen inches long. The snow had climbed all the way to her belly and up to her cutie mark—a solid fourteen indeed.

Applejack danced overjoyed in the garden for a few seconds before her hooves started to get cold. Hurrying back inside, she went to wait patiently at the kitchen table for breakfast.

After a cheery breakfast of hot chocolate and apricot-spread toast, Applejack pulled on her expensive new fuzzy boots Rarity had bought her a couple weeks ago. They were a bright orange, to compliment her coat. The fuzzy trimming on the top of the boots even matched her hat. They fit as perfectly as well.

“You are forbidden to wear those until the first snow of the season arrives,” Rarity had said. Applejack reluctantly agreed, but now…it was fair game.

Applejack exited her house and admired how comfy walking in the boots were—her hoofs stayed as warm as they were inside her bed. The fuzzy trimming hugged her legs gently.

Mac didn’t accompany her to school today; he assumed the school was going to be closed anyway. He also pointed out, out of Granny’s short threshold of hearing, that Rainbow Dash wouldn’t be a problem. The pegasi up in Cloudsdale knew ahead of time what snowstorms would be coming, so Rainbow Dash likely didn’t even leave the city yet.

Still, though, Applejack wanted to feel the thrill of walking up to the schoolhouse door and seeing the message that would be printed on a neat little sign, releasing all ponies from school that day. After that, she was going to Rarity’s to show her the new boots.

The sky was still pearly white, and tiny snowflakes were still falling to the ground. Appreciating the kindness of the city unicorns that helped magically clear the roads of all snow, Applejack broke into a run, eager to reach the school.

“YES!” she shouted again, as she approached a taped sign on the door that read:

Due to the recent snowfall level exceeding twelve inches in height, I officially announce a snow day for the 29th of November, in celebration of the joy of winter’s surprises. As a result, Ponyville Elementary will be closed until further notice. Enjoy!

Mayor Mare

Ponyville Mayor

“Here ah come, Rarity—!”

WHAP. Turning around, before Applejack could even react, a huge snowball hit her square in the face, sending icy pieces of snow all over her mane, body, and into her brand new boots.

“Bullseye!” said Rainbow Dash from up in the sky, fist pumping in celebration of Applejack’s misfortune.

Applejack yelped, the sharp sting of pain from the ice against the cold air feeling like she had just been jabbed with a needle. She shivered as the ice from the snowball was beginning to freeze her hooves.

Applejack’s eyes welled up with tears. Angry…enfuriated…livid tears. The rising hatred she had towards Rainbow Dash since she had first crossed her path had finally reached a boiling point. The war needed to be ended. And it was time to drop the bomb.

“COME DOWN HERE, YOU COWARD!” she screamed up at Rainbow Dash, the snow melting quickly off her heated face. Rainbow Dash dropped all the snow she was carrying at once and flew down to her.

“And what are you going to do about it, filly?” she said, her eyes at mere squints.

“You think you're so tough around all your pegasus buddies, but you're nothin’ by yourself, Rainbow,” said Applejack, trembling with fury. “Ah ain’t afraid of you.”

Rainbow Dash pushed her back a few feet, catching Applejack off guard.

“You better be. Know why? HUH? KNOW WHY, SQUIRT?” she yelled in her face.

“Didn’t ya hear me?” said Applejack, pushing her back four feet. “I AIN’T afraid of you!”

Rainbow Dash threw a punch but Applejack sidestepped it, making her miss by miles.

“Haha, missed me! Ah thought ya were the fastest pegasus in Cloudsdale—”

WHAM. Rainbow Dash’s other hoof connected to Applejack’s face. But the punch hurt a lot less than she was expecting. In fact, the snowball was at least three times as powerful.

And with that punch—that hilariously overestimated punch—the bomb was dropped. Applejack reared up on her hind legs and piledrived her front right hoof as hard as she could into Rainbow Dash’s face. A stream of saliva flew through the air as Rainbow Dash fell to the ground. She lay there a few seconds, dazed, and then attempted to get up.

But Applejack wasn’t even close to being finished. One punch. Two punches. Three punches. Four. Every single swing connected to Rainbow Dash’s horrified face. All her anger, fear and every emotion she had been bottling up for months were in each succeeding slug. On the sixth or seventh punch, Rainbow Dash's mouth and nose began to bleed. Flapping her wings, Rainbow Dash flew off the ground and slammed into Applejack, her blood rubbing off on her face.

They both screamed and fell into a snowbank. Rainbow Dash tried to punch Applejack again but Applejack put her in a headlock and threw her into the snow, then turned around and kicked her with a hind leg. Rainbow Dash flew into the flagpole and crimson blood sprinkled the white snow.

Before Rainbow Dash could get up a second time, Applejack took advantage of the opportunity and grasped her by the throat, an insane stare etched across her blood spotted face. She knelt down on top of her and held down her wings so she couldn’t budge.

“How does that feel? HOW DOES THAT FEEL?” she screamed in her face.

“Please…get…off of me…,” choked Rainbow Dash.

“This is how ah feel inside! EVERY—SINGLE—DAY! AH'M CRUSHED!” she continued to scream.

“Applejack…please…I can’t…,” Rainbow Dash could barely speak. But Applejack didn’t even feel an ounce of mercy for her. Releasing her grasp, she walloped her in the stomach three more times. She rolled onto her stomach and started to cry silently, clutching herself.

Applejack left her there, and started to walk away. But in all her foolishness, Rainbow Dash decided to pull a fast one on her and grab her by the back of the throat. She flapped her wings and started to rise into the air.

“Oh no…you…don’t,” gasped Applejack. She elbowed Rainbow Dash in the face, causing her to release her and sending them both back into the snow.

And finally, as Rainbow Dash lay there dazed for a third time, Applejack walked over to her and faced the opposite direction.

“You’ve seen the bull…now meet the horns.”

And with her strongest effort she could muster, her hind legs reared high against the fierce rays of the morning sun, she kicked Rainbow Dash off the ground and sent her flying like a rag doll through the air.

A horrible crack sounded, followed by a scratchy, high-pitched scream.

Applejack hurried on over to her downed target and gasped at the gruesome sight. Applejack winced her head away from shock.

She had dislocated her left wing and tore a hoof-shaped gash down around it, where blood was seeping into the snow freely. Another hoof shaped mark cut deeply over her cutie mark, blood also trickling down onto her lightning-bolt cloud and through the cold snow. The strength of Applejack's hind legs had struck Rainbow Dash at such great force, the edges of her hooves had cut into the pegasus's body like cookies cutters. But there wasn't even a remote sense of good taste in the copious amounts of blood that was being shed.

All her anger left her at once as she began to fully realize what she had done; Applejack reduced Rainbow Dash to an absolute pulp. On top of the wounds Applejack could only stare in shock at, Applejack felt a chilling wind strike her in the back of the head and continue over towards Rainbow's writhing body. The unforgiving kiss of the winter air upon Rainbow Dash's open wounds magnified her screams, if possible, even louder.

Applejack was petrified; her hooves as frozen as the snow beneath her guilty hooves.

What had she done?

X :: Dead Pony's Pass

Applejack looked all around her for a sign of somepony to help. Nopony was around except the two of them. Not even Rainbow Dash’s earsplitting screams were attracting anypony; the snow had muffled most of the noise.

Applejack had overestimated Rainbow Dash’s physical strength, but she had grossly underestimated her own. All she wanted to do was teach Rainbow Dash a lesson to never bother her again, but this…this wasn’t anything like she had intended. Instead of feeling satisfaction, all she could feel was terror. Her breaths became panicky and erratic as she paced around in circles, thinking of a solution.

An idea clicked. Applejack sprinted to the door of Ponyville Elementary. Miss Cherilee had a phone on her desk inside that she would use to phone for help. But the door was locked! Applejack desperately tried to force the door open just like she had done at Ponyville Hospital, but once again, the door stood as solid as a rock.

Too scared to care, Applejack turned around and kicked the door with her legs’ brute strength. The door busted off its hinges, and the doorknob tore completely off. Splinters of wood littered the floor as Applejack raced inside to reach the phone. She picked up the receiver and dialed the number for emergency.

Right away, the voice of a mare picked up on the other line.

“Please state your emergency,” she said calmly.

Applejack tried to slow her breathing, but there was no time.

“A p-pony has been hurt! P-please, she’s b-bleedin’! Ah-ah-ah can’t—can’t—”

She couldn’t finish her sentence. She grasped her head with her other hoof and started to cry in exasperation.

“State the location,” the voice responded. Applejack took a deep breath.

“Ponyv-ville Elementary school ma’am—please—h-hur-hurry—” sobbed Applejack.

“An ambulance will be arriving shortly. Everything is going to be alright, sweetie,” assured the mare. “Just try to remain calm—”

Applejack slammed the receiver back down and hung up, not wanting to speak any further. She groaned at the sight of the destroyed schoolhouse door, knowing if she wasn’t dead meat for injuring Rainbow Dash, she definitely would be for vandalizing public property.

Rainbow Dash had stopped screaming, and was trying to crawl out of the snow, towards the entrance to the school. She moved tenderly, taking care not to upset her dislocated wing, but it was slow work. Applejack went to assist her, her stomach wrenching at the trail of blood leading from her open wounds.

“Please, let me help you,” said Applejack, trying to grab a hold of Rainbow Dash and pick her up. But Rainbow Dash smacked her helping hoof away, glaring at her through swimming eyes of tears.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” she roared, continuing to crawl towards the school.

“Please! I’m not goin' to hurt you anymore! Please, Rainbow Dash,” she pleaded.

But Rainbow Dash ignored her and with incredible determination, continued to slowly move in the direction of the school, desperate to get out of the cold. Applejack felt sheer pity for her, and attempted to grab her from behind, but Rainbow Dash kicked and swung with all the energy she could muster, stubbornly resisting any sort of assistance.

A siren in the distance could finally be heard, growing louder. Applejack panicked, imagining the astonishment on the rescue ponies’ faces when they realized Applejack had caused all of this. But she couldn’t run away and leave Rainbow Dash here. Applejack couldn’t think of a more low-life solution.

Rainbow Dash, miraculously, made it up the steps of the school and inside. Applejack followed behind her, hearing the sirens growing louder by the second. But just as she was trying to attempt to put the door back in the doorway to shield the cold air, she heard a soft thump from behind her.

Rainbow Dash had passed out.

Applejack stood for a few moments in dumbstruck, heart-thumping silence as the sirens finally reached Ponyville Elementary. She then took her seat in the front row of the classroom for what she knew would be the final time of her life.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Throughout her short life, Applejack had always been the one who was bullied. Applejack never understood why either; she always tried to steer her nose out of other ponies’ business. The last thing she wanted was to give fuel to another fire to further burn her self-confidence to the ground. But now, as she waited there in the emergency hall with her face in her hooves, the tables had turned; it was Applejack’s turn to be the monster. She was the one who had done the damage.

“We’ll never stoop to her level,” echoed the once-wise voice of Applejack through her ears. How could she contradict herself like that? If Rarity and Pinkie Pie ever found out about this, which she knew was inevitably going to happen, what would that say about her? That she was a hypocrite? Applejack could just see Pinkie Pie’s confused expression, her bottom lip held high and her pupils dilating in sadness. Rarity’s pretty face would paint an ugly look of disgust, like Applejack was as revolting as a diamond dog. Would they ever be able to forgive her?

As she mulled this over, Applejack wiped the tears from her eye and sniffed, pulling her hat down an inch or two in attempt to hide her expression.

On top of that, what would Granny Smith say? Big Macintosh? Rainbow Dash’s parents? Soarin’? Cruise? Everypony else?

Applejack choked especially on the thought of Soarin’. He was one of the ponies who she admired the most. What would he say—think—feel—when he and his father gained wind that she had done worse damage than Rainbow Dash? She could very well kiss Cruise’s invitation goodbye—and her friendship with Soarin’. Though there weren’t many, the fun times they had spent together were just a dream now. A dream she finally had to wake up from to face cold, hard reality all over again.

Applejack couldn’t help herself; she began to cry. The last remaining river of her emotions that had been dammed up finally ran free. They spilled out down her cheeks, dripping onto the floor like a miniature waterfall. The buzz of the overhead white lights and the unsettling feel a hospital always gave her was no source of comfort. Who would be able to build up the dam this time?

Applejack rose from a chair, which was a part of a set of seats in a waiting area for those who were being tending to in intensive care, and fled out the sliding doors. When she emerged, she inhaled a sharp breath of air when the cold air met her face.

It wasn’t for a few minutes until she realized the wintry air was beginning to wrap itself around the base of her legs. Looking down, Applejack finally noticed her pretty orange boots were no longer on her hooves. She had most likely lost them sometime in the fight, but that didn’t matter now. Even if they were ruined and she had to pay back every bit they were worth to Rarity herself, Applejack considered this matter to be under the bridge.

Applejack heaved a great sigh. She was a bad apple, just like her mother had said in the letter the night Applebloom had arrived. She had fallen. Mac must have inherited Granny’s goodness, for she knew he didn’t have the heart to lay waste to another pony. Applejack had seen Mac raise his voice and stand his ground when he felt threatened, but he was a big softie. Butterflies and bluebirds alike would swoop down and take up vacancy on his head while he was plowing in the summertime. A rare giggle burst from her mouth at the funny thought. Good ol’ Big Macintosh. His place was most certainly high on the apple tree.

The double doors opened suddenly.

“Applejack?” said an adult unicorn’s voice. Applejack turned to see a nurse standing in the doorway, looking at her with expectation.

“Ahm Applejack, sir.”

“Follow me, hun. Your friend is awake and asked to see you,” he said, beckoning.

“My friend? Ah—oh ah mean, yeah, ‘course!” said Applejack. Her heart leaped, relieved that at least she hadn’t killed off Rainbow Dash. She followed the unicorn back inside Ponyville Hospital. After entering a few doors, they were in an intensive care room where Rainbow Dash lay on a bed, propped up against a mountain of pillows. Resting on the pillows were both of her wings; the dislocated wing had apparently been popped back into place and put into a splint. Her face was hidden by a magazine.

“Did you want me to give you two some alone time?” the nurse asked.

Applejack nodded to the unicorn and he closed the door behind him. A silence reigned.

“So…how you feelin’, Rainbow Dash?” asked Applejack, taking the initiative. She took off her hat and hung it on the ear of a nearby chair.

Rainbow Dash did not answer. She continued to flip through the pages of the magazine titled WONDERBOLT. On the cover splashed a whole cornucopia of color images and words. In the center of them all was a suggestive photo of Fleetfoot, her mane flared all around her like a dozen ponies were behind her blasting hair dryers at it. Her Wonderbolt costume was missing…

“That’s a purdy nifty magazine there,” said Applejack, enticed by the excitement of the magazine. To this, again, Rainbow Dash bore no answer.

“You don’t still hurt…do you?”

Rainbow Dash grumbled something that sounded along the lines of “I’m fine.”

The same florescent lights continued to buzz overhead, quiet as a hum, but loud enough to fill the silence between the two ponies.

“…Um…”

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool,” said Rainbow Dash finally. “That pegasus who saved your friend back in September is in it too.”

“Soarin’?” asked Applejack. Her heart rose again. Applejack hadn’t seen head or hoof of him or his father since she had visited them last. Applejack heard of Cruise’s release weeks ago, but he still hadn’t gotten back to her on his invitation.

Rainbow Dash set down the magazine. A series of nasty bruises and medicine-glossed cuts were strewn across her face. Two black eyes were quickly forming under her rainbow bangs.

“Yeah,” she said rudely with a single nod. “Your boyfriend.”

Applejack’s pupils contracted and the blood in her veins came to a standstill, like ice trying to make its way through a straw.

“Ah…ah don’t know what you’re talkin’ about—”

Rainbow Dash’s snort rivaled a mule.

“Puh-lease. Everypony knows about that, squirt,” she sneered. “Tch, why do you think everypony’s been so on your case lately?”

Applejack, couldn’t doubt the truth in this. Every filly she knew seemed to be acting unusually annoyed by her presence for the past two months. Only Rainbow Dash had been personally picking on her for the past while. All the other fillies mostly left her alone and gave her glares when they passed by her, like she had deeply insulted all their families. But still, the whole situation sounded ridiculous.

“THAT’s why you’ve been pickin’ on me so nastily lately?!” she exclaimed, annoyed.

“Kinda…,” Rainbow Dash said innocently, rolling her eyes.

Applejack wanted to give her a bonus slug, but she refrained.

“Why does it worry your air-filled head who he likes?” said Applejack through gritted teeth. It was so stupid!

“He’s a pegasus and you’re an earth pony, for one,” said Rainbow Dash, hitting her right foreleg with her left, counting off reason number one. “He’s a future Wonderbolt, number two, and you’re…well, you—”

“Just a pony who landed the fastest pegasus in Cloudsdale in a hospital bed,” she smirked. Physical or argumental, the fight was still going to be hers.

“You caught me off guard!” she said, pounding her forelegs into the bed.

“Awh horse apples. You just can’t admit that ah’m stronger than you,” Applejack said with a smug grin.

“I could have knocked you flat!”

“Then why didn’t you?” Applejack asked, her eyes a squint. She had edged up near the foot of her hospital bed.

“Because—uh…,” Rainbow Dash failed in an attempt to confess an answer.

“Because you were too scared, ah reckon.”

“I was NOT scared!” said Rainbow Dash, sitting up suddenly so the covers on her body revealed her stomach and lower body. Her two deepest wounds were wrapped by a series of bandages that wrapper around her body from her chest all the way to her flank. She winced in pain and fell back to her pillows. She upturned her bottom lip, her forelegs in a fold.

“I was just sizing you up,” she said grumpily. It was painfully obvious how frustrating and limiting her injuries were.

“For what?” Applejack said, throwing her forelegs to the ceiling. While doing this she bumped into a lever on Rainbow Dash’s bed and caused the back of the bed to flatten out. Rainbow Dash yelped in pain as the back of the bed sprang back into its original position, sending her magazine flying off onto the floor. A few pillows cascaded over the sides of the bed, leaving Rainbow Dash lying lopsided. Applejack stared wide-eyed at her, freezing so she didn’t do any more damage.

“Get out,” she said, trying to straighten the pillows again.

“Rainbow Dash, ah’m sorry—ah didn’t mean to—” she picked up the magazine off the ground and motioned to help her with her pillows.

“Whatever,” she said, pushed Applejack’s hoof away.

“We’re even now. Just…go away.” She growled, snatching the magazine from Applejack and buried her face in its colorful depths once more.

Applejack exhaled a defeated breath, not wanting to be caught by the nurse harassing a patient. She grabbed her hat and walked to the door. She turned the doorknob to exit.

“We’ll never be even.”

Applejack opened the door and flung her mane out her face in a very Rarity-like fashion, then covered her blond head once more with her cowboy hat. Before shutting the door behind her, if her reinforced anger would have not been present, her ears would have took notice of a tiny sob that emitted behind Rainbow Dash’s paperbound mask.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Just two days later, Rainbow Dash was back in school. When Applejack saw her enter the classroom on Friday morning (Applejack, fortunately, hadn’t been expelled yet), bruised and all, her mouth hung open just as wide as the rest of her classmates.

Applejack had received a good yelling by Granny when she had spilled the beans to her the night following the fight. Incredibly, Granny wasn’t angry she had wailed upon Rainbow Dash.

“Ah don’t agree with violence, Applejack, but sometimes a good ol’ lickin’ is the only thing that’ll get through to some ponies,” she had said.

But what she was angry about was the fact Applejack had made Mac keep the whole bullying ordeal a secret behind her back. She brought up the issue with Applejack escaping to Manehattan without her say-so, and couldn’t believe she had disobeyed her so severely twice. Applejack was forced to go to bed without any supper that night, and her privilege of allowing Applebloom to sleep in her room had been revoked until spring.

Too rustled by the fight, Applejack hadn’t visited Rarity or Pinkie on the snow day, so she made a point to confess to them the very next day outside the schoolhouse before school (the blood from the fight had been removed by the nurses upon the post-fight emergency call; there was no telling how much the crimson-stained snow banks would have disturbed the students returning to school the next day).

Rarity and Pinkie, although sickened by Applejack’s grisly details, sided with Granny’s viewpoint on the matter.

“A pony who lives in a glass house mustn’t throw rocks,” recited Rarity.

All this aside, what had really made Applejack’s jaw hit the floor was what Rainbow Dash was telling the whole schoolhouse, including Miss Cherilee, all day long:

“It was the worst flying accident I have ever been in,” Applejack overheard her saying dramatically to her friends at recess. She was wearing a spiffy periwinkle jacket that went down all the way past her cutie mark, cleverly hiding her bandages. A thunderbolt ran down the side, not too different from a Wonderbolt costume.

“Wow…,” said a minty-colored unicorn named Lyra.

“Could ya…could ya show us?” asked Vinyl Scratch, who was wearing earmuffs that looked suspiciously like earphones.

“Ooh, yes!” the small crowd said excitedly. Rainbow Dash gave them a smug grin and shook her head.

The circle of ponies begged her to show them the gashes but Rainbow Dash refused playfully, insisting they were too graphic. Applejack knew she was only making this up so they didn’t notice the fact the gashes were shaped exactly like a hoof—Applejack’s hoof.

“Awwwww,” they all said in disappointment.

“—It’s probably not that bad anyway—”

“—Yeah right! Can you imagine hitting the roof like that—?”

Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie were off to the side a ways, crafting items out of the snow, which was packing especially well today.

“I don’t get it. Why is she covering for you?” said Rarity, carefully shaping a series of snowballs to create a miniature snow-pony sculpture of herself. The clouds had dumped a great deal more snow since the other day, leaving all them with an additional ten inches on top of the snow that had already fallen. Since the city only allowed a snow day for the first snow of the season, school was still in session. But Applejack didn’t mind this; after the chaos on the recent snow day, she wasn’t too quick to get excited over another.

“Beats the hay outta me,” said Applejack, scooping a mound of snow out of a tunnel she was making in the ground and glancing over at Rainbow Dash. Unlike Rainbow Dash, who still had two black eyes from the fight, Applejack’s face was bruise free; Rainbow Dash’s punch hadn’t hit hard enough to break blood vessels under her skin. The shallow cut above her head from the snowball was easily hidden by the bangs of her mane. Luckily Rainbow Dash had aimed so ‘well’.

What was she playing at? Did she think this made up for all that she had put Applejack through since the beginning of school? If so, she was sorely mistaken. But still…it was brave of Rainbow Dash. Applejack couldn’t deny the fact. She may have been lackluster in the punching department, but Applejack could no longer call her a coward.

Applejack sighed confusedly and looked down into her work in progress. She still had a long ways to go until she was able to reach the base of Pinkie’s snow fort. She flicked a small amount of snow down the incline in mild frustration.

Applejack craned her neck towards Pinkie’s snow fort, an enormous cylinder eight feet high and with walls as thick as Applejack’s whole body. She was planning on giving her a surprise visit by digging all the way under her base and popping out to attack her with a barrage of snowballs. She caught Pinkie’s eye.

“Day two. 1407 hours. The enemy grows suspicious of the sniping posts of Fort Pinkie,” Applejack heard Pinkie mutter to herself behind a tiny window she dug in the fort. She was peering out at her, talking into a voice recorder in one hoof, a snowball in the other.

Applejack averted her gaze and glanced up at a tree, which sat directly over Pinkie’s fort. Piles of fresh powder were upon its large branches, melting slowly in the sun of mid-afternoon. A new idea hatched.

“1408 hours. Enemy is no longer suspicious. Units stand by.”

Applejack abandoned the snow tunnel she was making and walked on past Pinkie’s fort, still studying the tree.

“1410 hours,” said Pinkie, appearing behind another window. “Enemy is on the move. East units are keeping watch.”

Applejack nodded to herself, then backed up against the tree, returning her gaze once again upon Pinkie. A mischievous grin formed on her face.

“1412 hours,” Pinkie said, shifting the snowball in her hoof, “Enemy has gained attention of our east guard. Units unsheathe their weapons—”

“Launching airstrike!” exclaimed Applejack. She reared her legs and kicked the tree with the same ample force she used to harvest apples. The tree vibrated on the spot, sending all the piles of snow on its protruding branches earthward. Applejack heard the startled squeal of Pinkie from inside the fort as the cascade of powder plummeted pell-mell into her topless structure.

Pinkie emerged from her fort covered from head to hoof, staggering like she had been just been shot.

“Pony…d-down!” she yelled dramatically and fell to the ground. Applejack dropped to the ground as well, but from fits of laughter. Her hat toppled from her head and rolled aside, the powdery mist still falling from the tree sprinkling its brim.

Applejack retrieved her hat after a minute or so and cantered on over to Pinkie, who was still lying in her convincing demise; her eyes shut tightly and her tongue stuck out. Rarity joined the two of them, congratulating Applejack on a job well done.

“Pinkie, get off the ground before you catch a cold,” said Rarity.

“Heh heh, yeah Pinkie quit piddlin’ around.”

But Pinkie remained on the ground. After a few minutes passed, they started to become worried.

“Pinkie?” she said, nudging her seemingly unconscious body with her foreleg. Rarity glanced over her shoulder to see if anypony had noticed. Then she put her head close to Applejack’s, and whispered uneasily:

“Goodness—do you think she fainted from surp—”

“AH—HA!!” screamed Pinkie suddenly from the ground, spraying both of them with snow. Rarity collapsed backward in surprise, sending herself headfirst into Applejack’s snow tunnel.

“Pinkie!” said Applejack, annoyed at Pinkie’s rather mean but well delivered prank. After what Applejack had done to Rainbow Dash, playing possum still had a while before it became funny again. Pinkie, however, was laying on the ground in stitches, kicking herself around in a snow circle.

Rarity was throwing a muffled tantrum inside Applejack’s tunnel, unable to free herself. Her hind legs were flailing about, her frilly boots like wrecking balls.

“Hold on Rarity, Ah’ma comin’—”

“Chill a sec—I got this!” said Rainbow Dash out of thin air, who had beat her to the mouth of the tunnel. She pushed out a hoof toward Applejack to signal for her to stop.

“Aw no you don’t,” Applejack said angrily, pushing her hoof aside. Rainbow Dash’s group of ponies was watching the scene with interest.

“Yes—I do—,” said Rainbow Dash, returning the hoof push.

“NoooO. You don’t. You’re just gonna cause a whole heap o’ trouble—”

“Oh yeah?”

“Purdy sure.”

“Filly, you don’t even know me—” said Rainbow Dash. She and Applejack were arguing with each other, their heads pushing against each other in a battle of attrition.

“Ah don’t give a dang feather who you are—just leave her alone—”

“I’m just trying to help, Jackapple—”

“What did you call me?!”

“ENOUGH!” yelled Miss Cherilee suddenly, who was hurrying towards them. The other ponies had already gone inside; afternoon recess had come to an end. They disbanded at once.

“Rarity, dear! Just calm yourself, darling. Use your horn,” called Miss Cherilee over Rarity’s muffled yelling.

Rarity slowly stopped swinging her legs and took a sulky breath. Her body suddenly glowed in a yellowish light and she slipped out of the hole like butter, landing on her hooves. She scowled at Pinkie, who had just barely overcome her mirth and joined the group.

“Heehee, your hair’s all messed up, Rarity!” she said, still trying to suppress her giggles. Rarity’s mane was frizzy from the scramble.

“Go on inside, girls,” said Miss Cherilee, pointing towards the schoolhouse. Pinkie and Rarity left the scene as their teacher instructed. When they were out of sight and earshot, Miss Cherilee finally spoke to Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

“What’s with all the drama between you two out here?” she asked, her eyes darting between the two of them.

Rainbow Dash stared at Applejack, daring her to make her seem like the bad pony first. Applejack met her eyes and didn’t break her gaze.

“It’s nothin’, ma’am,” she said. “We’re fine,” she lied, looking directly into Rainbow Dash’s blackened eyes.

If Rainbow Dash wanted to play games, it was on.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

The heated rivalry between Applejack and Rainbow Dash continued all the way through winter, until the first signs of spring began to arrive.

Rainbow Dash had more or less accepted the fact she had been plowed into the ground as a sign that Applejack was no longer able to be bullied like the days of old. Instead of just leaving her alone and calling a truce, she responded more aggressively than ever to Applejack’s advancing challenges. Anywhere from beating each other to school in the morning to being the first to leave at the end of the day to getting the highest scores on their spelling tests, flames erupted.

Applejack, for the first time all year, was excited each and every day to return to school, to show up Rainbow Dash and prove once and for all that just because she had a pair of wings, she could be a better pony than her.

Mac had started to notice this one afternoon after school when Applejack was having a one-sided conversation with Applebloom, her forelegs resting on the top rail. Applebloom had just awoken from her daily nap.

“And then would you believe it? Ah still sang louder than her at the play, even though ah barely had a wink o’ sleep last night! Heh-heh!” she said to Applebloom, who was standing up in her crib and smiling at her, entertained by the story.

“Ah can’t wait to see the look on Rainbow Dash’s face when ah—” she yawned widely, her eyelids heavy.

“Is that filly still buggin’ you, AJ?” asked Mac, frowning. Applejack jumped. He had been eavesdropping outside the doorway of Applebloom’s new room. What had once been a guest bedroom for family members was now completely redecorated to the tastes of a baby filly.

“No, Mac,” said Applejack, rolling her eyes in affection for her protective brother. “Ah’m fine, honest.”

“Are y’all friends now or sommin’?”

“Rainbow Dash will never be my friend,” said Applejack, rather insulted Mac could think something of the sort.

Mac laughed at her sister’s sudden change in tone.

“Sorry ah asked.”

Applejack snorted to herself as Mac left the room. Applebloom tugged at her hat while a thought yanked at her brain. Being friends with Rainbow Dash? How could that be possible? There was a time way back at the beginning where she would have loved to have a pegasus as cool as Rainbow Dash to be as close to her as Pinkie and Rarity, but now…she had blew it. But Applejack was content with the two amazing friends she already had. Rainbow Dash could keep her stupid gang of pegasus friends. They were all rude and ignorant anyway, pegasi; every single one.

Applebloom tugged at Applejack’s hat and pulled it off. She attempted clumsily to adorn her head with it.

“Hang on there a spell, Applebloom,” she giggled, assisting her. The hat plopped down and covered Applebloom’s entire head. Applejack continued to giggle as Applebloom made a sort of bubbling noise inside the hat, confused where all the lights had disappeared to.

“Just like her big sister,” chuckled the voice of Granny.

Applejack jumped again as Granny intruded into the bedroom. How were a large colt and a clumsy old mare able to move so silently?

“Ah can’t wait until she can say my name,” said Applejack, as Applebloom as she pulled the hat off her head and sent it over the edge of the crib in attempt to deliver it back to Applejack.

“She will be in the comin’ months, ah reckon,” sighed Granny. Applebloom had already grown twice as big since they discovered her in the blanketed basket. Applejack couldn’t wait until she could start teaching Applebloom to say her name! Oh how fortunate she was to not only have a couple true friends, but a blood-sister! She turned to Granny, who didn’t mirror her smile; her wrinkles bore a look of sadness instead.

“You okay, Grammy?” asked Applejack, the smile falling.

“Eh?” said Granny, who was staring out the curtained window on the opposite end of Applebloom’s room. “Oh—oh o’ course—now ah remember why ah came in here—”

She handed her an envelope, addressed to Applejack. Applejack took the letter, her smile rising again. The penmanship of the ink was sharp and pointy, like lightning bolts.

She ripped open the letter. Her smile rose even higher as her eyes went down the lines:

Dear Applejack:

Dad and I have been real busy since he’s been out of the hospital. Sorry we didn’t get back to you sooner! But guess what?! Dad totally thinks I will be ready for the Wonderbolt academy in a few years!!!! I’m a few years older than you, but I would still be one of the youngest pegasi in there…crazy!!!!! Oh man I can’t wait. Maybe I will be flying with all eleven of the Wonderbolts someday!!! Mudflap is going to eat his words one of these days!! And it’s all thanks to you for t—

Part of the letter was smudged from a splotch of blue. Was that…blueberry?

—ttan. You’re awesome!!!

Did you know that Mudflap’s real name is actually Caliber?! I know, crazy, right??? He told me the day you guys came to visit my dad and I almost didn’t believe him for a second. But it makes sense, seeing as his dad owns the biggest and only cannon factory chain in Equestria. I think the word caliber has something to do with the barrels. But I guess I can’t make that joke about the eating dust thing anymore…darn…

Anyways, guess what else? I’m going to the Wonderbolt show in Canterlot next Friday and you should come with me! My dad wants you to come too, so he can finally tell his story and all that. If you can come, bring Pinkie Pie with you. After all, she was there when it all happened!!

I sure hope you can come, because I kind of miss you. Here is my address:

12943 Tumbleweed Avenue

Manehattan, Equestria 10000

Don’t forget it this time!

Soarin’

Applejack was so excited she could hardly stand it. She started dancing around Applebloom’s room, waving the letter, while Applebloom laughed at her silliness. A feeling she couldn’t even fully fathom at the moment was roaring inside her like a manticore. The manticore was taking flight—escaping into the sunset—

“You’re not goin’,” said Granny sternly. Applejack’s prelude halted at once—wait, what did she say?!?!

“Not goin’? Why?!” screamed Applejack incredulously.

“Don’t you raise your voice at me like that, young lady,” said Granny. “Ah’ve got an Apple conference in Saddlebrook next week and ah think it’s time you started comin’ along with me—”

“Aw come on, Granny—”

“Let me talk, Applejack. Ah’ve already arranged a baby sitter to take care of Applebloom that day. You’re just gonna hafta see Soarin’ when we get back—”

“NO!” screamed Applejack.

Applejack glared at her grandmother, unable to believe her dramatic change in luck, and fled from the room, tears flying off sideways from her cheeks. She ran through her bedroom door at the top of the stairs and flung herself on her bed. The angry tears flew freely, staining one of her pillows.

The only time she would ever be able to have some real fun for once, and she’s stuck doing work with her dumb family?! Okay, maybe they weren’t dumb, because she loved them dearly, but this was certainly the most unfair turn of events since Rainbow Dash had gotten away with tearing up Pinkie’s drawing in school.

Applejack punched her pillow with her forelegs at the thought of Rainbow Dash, as though she was the cause of all this. She had been boasting about going to the Wonderbolt show for weeks, and how she had never missed a single one since she could fly. Applejack could just imagine bragging about the experience in school next week. At this thought, she picked up her pillow and threw it over her body, kicking it out of the air with her hind legs. The pillow smashed into the far side of the room and landed in Applebloom’s old basket. She fell back into her pillows, face down.

Applejack heard a floorboard creak a short while later. She turned to see Granny standing in the doorway. Granny came in and sat down on Applejack’s bed.

“Ah want you to have fun with your friends, Applejack. It smacks this rusty old mare a good un’ when she has to be the bad pony. But you’re growin’ up, and ah need you to do this for me. Alright?”

Applejack raised her head and looked at Granny.

“Ah don’t wanna go to that dusty old town, Grammy. Ah'm not ready.”

She sobbed into the bedspread. She felt Granny run her hoof through her mane.

“Aw, fiddlesticks. We’ve all gotta put our best hoof forward and step out of our comfort zone sometime.”

Applejack raised her head again.

“But ah haven’t seen my friend Soarin’ in months…” she sniffed. “Can’t you just let me have what ah want for once?”

Granny sighed. “It may not be what you want, dear, but I can’t always let you have what you want. Part of being a nana is makin’ sure her grandkids give ‘em what they need. And you need this.”

Disallowing Applejack to respond, Applebloom started crying in the other room, giving Granny the cue to leave Applejack to her thoughts.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Agitated all through the evening, Applejack went to sleep that night in the guest bedroom, keeping Applebloom company in her brand new environment. As Applebloom snored soundly in her crib, a dream cloud once again formed inside Applejack’s subconscious.

Applejack was walking down a cobblestone path in the midst of a desert. The desert was infinite; the sand stretched for miles and miles on either side of the path. No dunes or land formations of any kind rose up in the distance; as far as she knew, everything was flat in an indefinite radius. Into the horizon, no structures lay; the path simply went on forever, the horizon invisible.

As she continued on down the path, not knowing exactly why she was there or where she as going, she came across a bench. The bench was empty, but Applejack couldn’t help but feel as though it had a purpose. The planks of wood that made up the bench were exceedingly standard, the metal holding it all together equally uninteresting. She stuck out a hoof, expecting some invisible pony to appear, but all she could feel was stiff, hot, dreamy air. She rejected the bench and continued on her way.

She blinked.

The sprawling wasteland of sand had vanished; trees took the place on either side of the path, which was now dirt. Far ahead of her, unlike before, she could actually make out objects. There appeared to be six of them, and they all seemed to be shifted among each other. Upon cantering towards the objects, Applejack made them out to be ponies. Three of them were flying, and two of them appeared to have horns. They all radiated a bright light, like the rays of the sun.

She blinked again.

Suddenly, the whole scene went up in flames. Fire danced upon the branches, licking the edges of the dirt path. Applejack, blinded by the flames, still carried on towards the objects, not allowing the deadly heat from the inferno slow her down. She felt heavy, like she was carrying a bushel of apples over her back, but still, she pressed on.

Just when the flames were about to swallow her up, and as quickly as they appeared, they had vanished. A rain followed the bizarre chain of events, soaking Applejack’s body. But the rain was warm, like a giant shower head high above had been turned on.

As Applejack neared the six ponies, they fled. The bright light radiated from their bodies grew dimmer and dimmer. She blinked again, and they were no more.

The rain stopped. The running stopped. Everything…it was slipping away…

Applejack opened her eyes into reality. She blinked a few more times, trying to grasp reality. Quickly, as her eyes darted around the darkness, everything was real again.

She breathed quickly, for the dream had frightened her. She was no new pony to nightmares, but this…this was different. The dream had chilled her spine, and left her with a cool sweat. What was worst was the fact she simply didn’t know why.

Attempting to calm herself, Applejack’s nerves finally returned and she felt warmth beside her. Applejack turned her head to the right.

The flicker of Applebloom’s nightlight candle on the nearby desk showed Applebloom, who was sleeping soundly right beside Applejack. She was turned toward her, her head poking out of Applejack’s comforter. How Applebloom had managed to escape from her crib and crawl up into her bed was extraordinary. But how this came to be, Applejack did not ponder. Her breath rate plummeted back to normal; her mind lulled to a stop. Just like the dream, as quickly as the fear had started, it had all left her.

The magic of sisterhood coursing through her veins, Applejack wrapped a loving foreleg around her baby sister.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

“All aboard!”

Too quick for Applejack’s liking, the time had come for Granny, Big Macintosh and for the first time in her life, Applejack, to board the Ponyville Express to Saddlebrook. The sun was barely beginning to peak itself over the eastern hills beyond Canterlot. Ponyville Train Station had a light amount of hoof traffic, mostly comprised of middle aged mares and stallions. The pleasant coolness of early morning hugged Applejack’s body, but she didn’t return the feeling. Applejack had always enjoyed being outside before sunrise, but the current circumstance didn’t allow for much enjoyment. Maybe if she made a break for it and started running towards Manehattan as fast as she could, she would be able to get out of this stupid trip. Other wild thoughts of escape popped into her mind as she gazed hopefully to the direction of the north-east. She hated feeling like a caged bird.

“We should be in Saddlebrook by nightfall,” recited Granny, going over a piece of paper she had received in the train station. She was wearing a rather goofy looking orange sunhat and had a knapsack slunk over her back. The three of them boarded the train and made their way to their seats on one of the passenger cars.

“Nightfall?!” said Applejack, gaping as she sat down. That means they would be on this train for what? Twelve—

“Twelve hours may be a long time, but it’ll go by fast,” winked Granny. Mac snorted, seriously doubting this. He was no novice on riding trains.

“Eeenope.”

The train blew its long, drawn out and, for this time of morning, unethically loud whistle. Following the whistle, the whole car suddenly shifted forward. Applejack and Mac slammed into the back of their seats. Granny, who was sitting across from them, nearly flew into their laps.

“What on Celestia’s green earth—”

An equally loud crashing sound came from down the aisle ahead. Applejack poked her head out into the aisle to see a gray pegasus filly with a butter colored mane in a heap on the floor. A stallion, who had been carrying a load of ceramic plates, was grumpily telling off the parents of the filly who had knocked into him.

“Oh! Oh I’m sorry!” said the filly, who ran into a nearby seat while trying to get back to her hooves. She was a bit of a klutz.

“Nonsense! That was the train’s fault!” said the father. “Sit down, Derpy,” he added, instructing the clumsy filly.

“Sir, the conductor may have made a small mistake, but children shouldn’t be running about in the aisles—”

“I know how to raise my kids, thanks,” said the father irritably. The mother, however, had a hoof to her face, like this wasn’t the first time her husband acted like this. The stallion mumbled something about ‘overprotective parents’, then walked away to go find something to clean up the mess.

A wave of static sounded from a series of speakers on the ceiling of the coach. The voice of a wizened old stallion filled the car.

“Ehrm. Malfunction in the locomotive. My *hrm* apologies, e’rypony.”

Granny rolled her eyes and leaned forward.

“The only ‘malfunction’ is why that old coot is still runnin’ this train,” she said in an undertone. “He’s even older than ah am.”

Applejack’s eyed widened a bit, thinking unpleasantly of a skeletal pony with wrinkly skin.

A mare in a blue uniform appeared at the side of their seats.

“May I punch your tickets?”

Applejack stared at the mare for a second, wondering why on earth why she wanted to attack a piece of paper, but when she saw Granny and Big Mac hand the mare a slip of paper, her brain jumpstarted. Reaching out from under her Stetson, she forked over her ticket. The mare pulled out a weird metal contraption and cut a neat little heart in all their tickets. She sidestepped the pile of broken dishes and continued on her way.

Within a few more minutes, the train lurched forward, much slower and gentler. The train whistle blew its full steam, and all the doors slid shut in the car.

Applejack pressed a hoof to the window and wiped away the fog so she could see. Somewhere, out towards the direction of the mocking sunrise, Soarin’ was about to have the time of his life. Applejack wished more than anything at this moment that the train would somehow break down, by losing a wheel or something. Granny would simply have to give up on the trip and stay here in Ponyville. But as the cozy rooftops of Ponyville sped past them, along with the haunted trees of Everfree forest, she had to put her false hopes to rest.

“Saddlebrook, here ah come,” sighed Applejack sadly.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Somewhere around late afternoon, Applejack had finally fallen asleep. She dreamed she and Applebloom were in a flowery meadow, looking at one of her favorite picture books. Bluebirds were flying overhead, singing blissfully to one another. Applebloom was talking to her, but Applejack couldn’t quite understand the words. The pages of the book were adorned with pictures, but Applejack wasn’t noticing them. All she could truly hear, clearer than all, were the bluebirds. It was peaceful…

“Time to get going,” said one of the bluebirds, who sounded an awful lot like Granny. The voice swam through Applejack’s ears, until…

“Applejack, wake up, honey,” said the real voice of Granny. Applejack reawakened to the smiling face of Granny, who had just woken up Mac as well.

“Uh, what? Are we there?” asked Applejack.

“Not quite, dear, but you’ve got to see this—look out your window—”

Applejack glanced out the window, which was now warm to the touch instead of cold. Waaaaay out, as far as the eye could see, a barren wasteland of sand lay, quite like Applejack’s dream. The only structure that could be made out was a tall radio tower, like a port in the storm. The late afternoon sun was slowly setting in the west.

“Now approaching the other tracks. Southbound. Saddlebrook,” said a stallion’s voice overhead.

But much unlike the dream, to Applejack’s relief, she could see a far off collection of mountains ahead. The mountains were red, exactly like Big Macintosh’s fur.

“Those are the Macintosh Hills, Applejack,” said Granny, smiling at Applejack’s expression. Applejack looked sideways at Mac, who sported a celebrity-smug grin.

Applejack unglued her eyes from the window and swiveled her head around the car. The three of them were the only remaining passengers. Applejack wasn’t surprised.

She returned to the window and stared at the approaching mountains. They were remarkably tall; some even still had ice caps from winter. It seemed silly to call them hills, seeing as normal hills would have been dwarfed by them. What peaked Applejack’s interest about them was the fact the train seemed to be heading directly into them, as if they were going to collide.

“Grammy, ah can’t see Saddlebrook. Where is it?” asked Applejack, not taking her face off the window.

“Just beyond those hills,” answered Granny. “You’ll see!”

Fifteen minutes later, the Macintosh Hills had grown dramatically. Applejack had sat down back in her seat, fidgeting with the seat cushions impatiently. She didn’t even have to look out the window to see the hills anymore; she could easily see then sitting down now.

Closer the Ponyville Express rocketed through the barren sand, like a lone camel traversing the sands of the desert, eager to find civilization. Faster, Applejack’s heart was beating, unknown where she was heading, and how on earth the train was going to plan on stopping if the track literally ran into the rock.

Without warning, everything around the outside of the train was black.

“What the hay?” said Applejack, fearful for her life.

“Relax, dearest, don’t be afraid. We’re goin’ through Bandit’s Tunnel!” said Granny, who seemed to be enjoying herself for some crazy reason.

“WOO WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” roared the train suddenly, making its presence known inside the tunnel.

Applejack put her hooves over her eyes, wishing for it all to be over. She didn’t like the fact she was flying through an unknown, pitch black tunnel named after scary ponies that broke into houses in the middle of the night.

The train then began to decrease swiftly in speed; the train chugged powerfully as the squeal from the brakes in the caboose sounded. Applejack took one hoof off of her face as she noticed a growing orange light up ahead. When the train became slower than ever, barely a crawl, Applejack took the other hoof off her face and braved to return to the window.

Applejack froze in shock at the sight before her: they were in the midst of the mightiest dropoff Applejack was precisely sure not to exist anywhere elsewhere in all of Equestria. An enormous bridge protruded from their side, connecting with the other. Orange lampposts lined the whole length of the bridge. Small service shacks near the ends of both bridges sat like turrets. The rock surrounding them arched impressively into a point, which was too high for Applejack to make out. But the point above them wasn’t even close to the depth of the ravine.

“2000 feet exactly, they say. Not an inch more,” said Granny, who was also peering out the window down into the dropoff as the train neared the bridge. Applejack wowed out loud, attempting even to imagine how much height that was. She wondered if a pegasus had ever touched the bottom, or even attempted to. Even Rainbow Dash would have backed away from such an eerie void of black.

“Mares and Gentlecolts of the Ponyville Express,” said the stallion speaking on the intercom, “Dead Pony’s Pass.”

XI :: The Lion and the Lamb

The earsplitting whistle of the Ponyville Express echoed throughout the massive cave. Ripples of sound shot down into the empty void of Dead Pony’s Pass, causing the steel tracks beneath the train to vibrate. Creeping along at the speed of a lion sneaking up on its prey, the bright and colorful ensemble of cars that made up the Ponyville Express looked much out of place in the spooky orange light. Applejack’s emerald eyes caught each of the bridge’s lampposts as the train made its way across the long bridge; her stomach couldn’t allow her to gaze down into that swallowing pit a second more.

Every tiny squeak the train made on its sojourn betwixt the gap was like a SNAP to Applejack’s ears; every ten feet the train traveled felt like a mile. All her hopes rested upon the careful mannerisms of the old stallion in the locomotive. She clung to Big Macintosh. He would suffice as her teddy bear until the gauntlet had passed.

A shimmer of bright light met her closed eyelids, encouraging her to open them. Applejack opened one eye, searching for the source of the light, which wasn’t coming from inside the already lit coach car, but from the outside. About seven hundred feet away, a speck of white was in the path of the tracks, most certainly the other side of the Macintosh Hills. Applejack breathed a balmy breath of thanks.

WOO-WOOOOOOO!! WOOOOOOOOO!! WOO-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

The train was over halfway to solid ground, but Applejack felt her muscles tighten at the train’s whistle. “Was that really necessary?” she groaned inside her mind, closing her eye again and regaining her embrace on her older brother. Applejack wished Applebloom was with them so she could see a cute, smiling face to take away from the fear she currently possessed.

As a few more minutes passed, the train three-quarters of the way across the ravine, a very deep and low growling echoed back at them in reverberation from the train’s whistles; a long, bellowing roar of deepest magnitude. Applejack jerked away from Mac at once, and her eyes shot open.

“WHAT the hay,” said Applejack, looking around to see where the voice had come from.

“Just natural noises the cave makes when the whistle blows, honey,” chuckled Granny Smith.

Applejack didn’t believe it for a second. There was no way a simple echo could make noises that scary…

“AY!” yelled Mac out their window, sliding it down all the way. Within half a minute, the same, monstrous growls flowed back up, unsettling Applejack once more. He repeated the yell several more times.

“Cut it out, Mac,” said Applejack, hitting his thigh with her foreleg’s hoof.

“Nothin’ to be ‘fraid of, AJ,” he said, giving her a small smile. “You try.”

He pushed Applejack towards the window. Applejack looked at the two of them nervously. Even Granny nodded her head reassuringly. Applejack took off her hat and placed it on the seat, then stuck out her head and yelled:

“HAY!”

The cave bellowed back at her. Come to think of it, it sounded much too deep to come from the vocal cords of any creature she had heard before. Maybe her fear was just distorting everything again. She yelled back a few more times before sitting back down, pleased with herself.

At long last, the train reached the other side of the mile-long gap. Applejack waved at a mustached stallion in a black cowboy hat who was sitting inside the shack at the edge of the cliff. He raised an indifferent hoof and raised an eyebrow her way through the window as the caboose clacked onto solid ground.

The static from the intercom sounded again.

“Transitioning from the San Palomino Desert into the Badlands,” said the stallion.

Before anypony could say ‘San Palomino Desert’, a blinding flash of light illuminated the car as the train, at long last, emerged slowly to the other side of the Macintosh Hills, like a rattlesnake protruding from its hole.

And then…

“WoooOAH,” gasped Applejack.

As far as the eye could behold, was the expanse of one of the most formidable regions in Equestria—the Badlands. Taking up just a small portion of this mysterious sprawl was the town of Saddlebrook, the flank end of the route of the Ponyville Express. Even though the Ponyville train didn’t travel to any stops further south than Saddlebrook, the train track still extended even beyond Saddlebrook, to who knows where. Applejack had once heard about a large city in the Deep South called Hoofston, but now, looking at the barren wasteland out in the horizon, she couldn’t imagine Hoofston was in the Badlands. Coming to think of it, she had never really heard much about the Badlands, apart from Granny, who went as far to call it “Tartarus in Equestria”.

The incline of the track changed dramatically; the train was now picking up speed. The distant sight disappeared as the train was once encased in shadow. The land had shifted so they were now traveling through a shallow crevice.

Like Manehattan, Applejack wished she could grow five more sets of eyes just so she could see all that was whizzing past her.

On either side of the train track were not only the biggest houses Applejack had ever seen, but looked like both professional architect and artist had got together and created a masterpiece. Three stories of stained glass windows, wildly textured stucco, several colors of brick and luxurious balconies adorned the wonderful homes. High iron fences separated the edges of the backyards of the mansions from the twenty-something foot deep crevice where the track lay. Every now and then, a bridge would connect the two sides, joining the entire cream of the crop community. Applejack considered sticking her head out the window to follow a sweet scent filling up the train car that she had never smelled before, only to find out there was probably no more than eighteen inches that separated the car from the rock walls that flew by. This sight alone took at least two sets of eyes.

As the train was once again bathed in direct sunlight upon exiting the shallow crevice, the remaining four sets of eyes were needed for the sight that appeared at the base of the hill, which Applejack had overlooked when the train first exited Bandit Tunnel. What Applejack had initially thought was a mess of natural rock formations at the bottom of the hill was a mass of buildings! It was though every house and store was crafted out of the devilish-red rock around them, and then painted with the suntanned orange earth. The buildings, as they grew nearer, Applejack could notice were comprised of every shade of orange and red one could imagine. What Applejack had initially thought was going to be a boring old mining town was put to rest; Saddlebrook was no town. It was a work of art.

Pop pop pop went Applejack’s ears as the swift decrease in elevation teased with the pressure around her eardrums. Knowing they were probably way below sea level by now, the town name of “Saddlebrook” seemed more ridiculous every twenty feet. Applejack yawned to get rid of the pesky feeling in her ears then sighed. Twenty minutes ago, it would have been a sigh of hunger. Perhaps, maybe a sigh of relief of knowing the multi-hour journey was almost at an end. But this was a different sigh. Something only seeing Soarin’s smiling face was able to bring to her.

“Can we live here now, Grammy? Please?” asked Applejack, almost serious. Applejack craned her head backwards toward the quickly disappearing mansions, which were now being replaced with smaller and smaller houses.

Granny made a funny noise somewhere between a snort and an amused laugh, but didn’t respond with words. She was busy adjusting her sunhat, preparing for what lied ahead. She began fumbling around in her knapsack.”

“Let’s see…the address of the Chimney Inn…where did that get to—”

“The Chimney Inn?” said Applejack, the schematics of a laugh on her face. “Haven’t ya been here like six times, Grammy? Don’t ya always stay there?”

Granny didn’t respond, but pointed sharply to her head, signifying, “Ah'm old. Memory’s goin’. Shut up.”

“Ah like the Chimney Inn,” said Mac, who, unlike Applejack, seemed a bit bored. “Their diner…scones…” He yawned hungrily.

Applejack’s stomach purred in agreement. It had been several hours since they had eaten in the lunch car. Applejack had no idea what food was like in Saddlebrook, but whatever she had smelled back towards the top of the hill was what she was going to search for as soon as they got to the diner.

WOO-WOOOOOOO!! WOOOOOOOOO!! WOO-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

At long last, the train was nearing its final braking. Applejack looked excitedly out the window as they passed a giant water tower with an equally large yellow ‘S’ painted on the front of it. Just like Ponyville, the streets were unpaved. The lampposts resembled the same design as the ones at Dead Pony’s Pass, although the light was a merry yellow glow rather than a cautious orange. The sun hadn’t begun to set just yet, but the growing shadows from the buildings and passing ponies made it evident dusk was close.

The last landmark Applejack took in was “Bull QuartZZZ”, a cheap getaway motel on the corner of an intersection.

The wizened voice of the engineer of the train came one last time overhead through the speakers.

“Good evening, everypony. We are arriving at Saddlebrook Station. Weather is clear, eighty-six degrees Fahrenheit, thirty degrees Celsius with seven-percent humidity. The three of y’all—” Applejack smiled at the stallion’s humor, “—will want to get your dolls and dishes together ‘cause we’re done for today.”

Mac slunk four bags down from the luggage rack (two of them were Granny’s) and eyed a pink neon sign out the other window that said “Barebacks”. Applejack had no idea what the sign meant, but it made the already red fur on Mac’s face go the color of maroon. He gave an awkward smile at Applejack then picked up all their bags and put them on his back. Granny, who had been searching in her knapsack all this time, finally got a hold of what she had been looking for—a slip of paper.

Granny put on her reading glasses and read the paper, which was smaller than a sticky note.

“Out the station door, turn right, and then follow the dirt road a bit,” she read carefully, like she was reciting directions to a bomb defusing. “Hmm. Well, that sounds familiar.” She took off her glasses and put them in her knapsack. Granny adjusted her strange orange sunhat one final time and then with one fluid motion, all three of them moved towards the door of the train, which had hissed to a stop.

“Thank you for ridin’ with us on the Ponyville Express. Goodbye!”

Mac, leading the way, exited the train with all the bags on his back. Applejack followed closely behind him as Granny brought up the rear, thanking one of the conductors for the safe journey.

The air was extremely dry, but much warmer than it was back in Ponyville. Summer felt like it had hit Saddlebrook already and it was barely March. Applejack bet the town probably hadn’t been hit with snow in the entirety of its existence.

“What was that about?” Applejack asked Mac in an undertone, catching up with him as they were walking into the train station. She was referring to his shifty attitude before they got off the train.

“You’re too young to understand,” whispered Mac, smirking.

Oh how Applejack hated it when ponies told her that. She could handle anything.

“The heck ah’m too young. Just tell me!” said Applejack, annoyed. Her voice was just loud enough for Granny to hear. Although Granny’s hearing was always sub-par, she seemed to have a knack for catching every syllable of secretive tones.

“Maybe Applejack ain’t so young anymore, Mac,” said Granny.

Wait…no. Granny would never say that. Was the hot air already getting to her head? Applejack turned around sharply.

“R-really?” she asked, searching for sarcasm in Granny’s voice.

“If ah didn’t think you were old enough to learn about what goes on ‘round here, ah wouldn’t have brought ya in the first place, dear,” she said rather sternly. “But it’ll have to wait ‘till we get settled in—we’ve got a ride to catch.”

Applejack assumed she was referring to a taxi coach, which also ran in Ponyville.

“Yes, ma’am,” said Applejack.

The train station, larger than the one in Ponyville, was also nicer than she was expecting. In a town she had always assumed was a grimy piece of dirt, from the stories Granny had rambled about over the years at the dinner table, Applejack still couldn’t get over the fact of how wrong Granny was.

“Tartarus in Equestria,” Applejack heard Granny say in her mind. She snorted at this blatant lie. Noticing the train station walls, (which wasn’t hard at all to do) instead of a plain coat of orange peel texture like the Ponyville Station, was a mural of an artist’s impression of Saddlebrook to a newcomer. The buildings were flashy and colorful, and the backdrop was a pretty sunset with swirling clouds. The painting enamored Applejack, for she was a sucker for pretty scenery and bright colors.

Off the to the right of the mural, towards the front door of the train station, was a much darker splash of color. Moving her eyes towards this, Applejack felt a chill run down the back of her neck. The pretty desert scenery of Saddlebrook faded to a black abyss, which was filled with horned creatures and winged beasts. What disturbed Applejack the most wasn’t the fact the monsters were full of malevolence, but that they were all reaching out towards Saddlebrook, trying to crush its Pinkie Pie-like décor in their spindly wrists. Applejack was reminded immediately of Dead Pony’s Pass and the dark hole that lied beneath it.

Granny put a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder, making Applejack jump.

“Ah knew the stallion who painted this mural,” she said fondly. “Twinkle Eye, his name, bless his heart, wanted to relate to every visitor that passed through Dead Pony. The beasts represent what he thought lied in the hole: the unknown.”

“Kinda like a monster under my bed?” said Applejack, understanding the connection. Her eyes were still glued to the wall.

“Yup, ah think so, dear. It’s no wonder why Miss Cherilee thinks you’re her best student, heh heh,” she added, chuckling, but admiring her granddaughter all the same.

Applejack, although rather frightened by the dark scene, had to have her eyes pried off the wall by Granny and Mac as they were leaving the train station. They exited the front door to find, sure enough, a taxi coach waiting for them outside.

“Granny Smith Apple?” growled the taxi pony, who didn’t seem pleased to see them at all.

“Yes, sir,” she said warmly. The taxi pony made a notion to help Mac with the bags he was carrying, but Mac fit them all into the back seat of the coach with ease. They all stepped up into the coach, which had the same style of ‘S’ painted on the side as what was on the water tower.

“Where’ll ya go, ma’am,” the taxi pony asked more politely, harnessing himself to get ready for the journey.

“Chimney Inn. Stayin’ the night.”

“Yes, ma’am. Saddle up!”

“Means ‘hang on’ here,” said Mac, noticing the confusion on Applejack’s face.

Applejack searched around for a seat belt. But there were none.

“The hay—”

CLUNK. Applejack, who failed to listen to the taxi pony and didn’t hold on to anything, smacked the back of the coach in its sudden acceleration. Mac laughed.

“Shut up,” said Applejack, readjusting her hat.

They passed all sorts of small businesses, bars and buildings with mares with heavy amounts of makeup standing outside. Something about them didn’t seem right to Applejack. Ponies back in Ponyville didn’t look like that, but she saw one of them in Manehattan once. She was especially confused when one of them was titled “The Gentlecolts Club” when there wasn’t a finely dressed stallion to be found. Worse yet, when Applejack simply tried to ask Granny about the buildings, she pretended to not hear her or changed the subject. This frustrated Applejack deeply.

Five minutes later, they had already arrived at a comfortable looking hotel with other taxi coaches waiting outside, their drivers unharnessed but looking busy preparing their vehicles. The white and red structure looked nice, but didn’t try too hard to stand out like many of the businesses there. Judging by the fact the hotel looked aged but still seemed to be quite busy, it didn’t need to be. The Chimney Inn shone in soft orange letters over the awning entrance to the lobby. They had arrived.

Applejack, suddenly moody, insisted on carrying her own bag now they were on their way inside the hotel. Granny at long last removed the silly sunhat from her head and placed it inside one of her own bags as they exited the taxi coach.

“Well…whaddya think, Applejack?” asked Granny, impressed with her choice. “50 bits a night for the three of us. For a four-star hotel, that ain’t bad at all.”

“It’s okay ah guess,” said Applejack, still wishing she’d rather be at the Wonderbolt show in Manehattan with Soarin’, but satisfied at the charm of the hotel.

Granny seemed a bit put out that Applejack was less than ecstatic of her accomplishment, but gave a small smile anyway.

“Aw, shape up dear. Once we get settled in and have somethin' to eat, ah’m sure ya’ll feel right at home.”

Applejack seriously doubted it, but decided it was worth a shot considering she was stuck here. Saddlebrook was a pretty town, but she wished she could have shared it with her friends, rather than just her grandmother and older brother.

Applejack began to follow the two of them into the lobby glass door when she noticed the reflection of the sky on the door. For a split second, Applejack thought a building across the street was on fire. However, when she turned on the spot, she noticed she was looking at not a building, but the sky.

The Chimney Inn was a bit higher than downtown, so she could still see the expanse of desert beyond the city from where she was standing. Above the desert was a sunset that she had only seen on covers of travel magazines. This was no ordinary, run of the mill sunset she saw every day back in Ponyville.

Ribbons of magenta, fuchsia, tangerine, yellow and many shades of red mixed together to form a sunset so serene, she was dumbstruck. The sinking sun caused the dusk sky to explode in color, exceeding even the mural in the train station. Sure, the mural and the house textures of the mansions up in the hills where pretty, but they were nothing compared to the beauty of nature. Her eyes watered; she couldn’t help it. She sighed longingly, her heartstrings pulled. Oh how she wished he was there…

“Beg your pardon, dearest,” said a raspy voice from behind her. A sight in high contrast to the evening sky met her eyes.

A shabby looking bespectacled grey stallion with a long mustache and messy mane was walking slowly up to her. He wore nothing but a knitted beret. A large backpack sat beside him.

“Um…me?” said Applejack, unsure of the stallion’s intentions. He looked as out of place as Applejack did, but the shifty look about him made her feel very uncomfortable. Drifters and seedy salesmen were the types of ponies Granny disliked most. But there was nothing he could do to Applejack right outside the hotel with all the witnesses around.

“Heh-heh, don’t be afraid, I’m not gonna hurt ya,” he smiled, showing surprisingly white teeth. His eyes were kind with a smile to match, but still, Applejack was suspicious. Applejack was silent. The stallion continued.

“I need thirty bits for a train to Los Pegasus. Been all over this town for over a week and haven’t made more than five.”

Applejack knew where this was headed. He was a beggar.

“I don’t want to take from a young lass, but please…I need to catch that train. The Los Pegasus Express rolls in tomorrow morning and I am desperate,” he ended with a frustrated chuckle.

If he was a Saddlebrook con-pony, he sure was a convincing one. She had brought along twenty-seven bits in her very own purse in her luggage bag. Granny had promised they would go shopping on Saturday, no matter how much money Caliber Nickelhoof managed to cheat them out of when they made their apple agreement. Giving the beggar twenty five bits would essentially destroy her chances of buying anything more than a cheap snack.

Applejack looked into the beggar’s eyes for several moments, hesitating to respond.

“Eh, who am I kidding,” said the beggar, as Applejack was still trying to formulate a decision. “I can’t take from a kid,” he added in a low grumble. To Applejack’s astonishment, as he was walking away, she noticed he still didn’t seem to have a cutie mark. How could somepony have gone that far in life without purpose?!

Applejack felt a sting of pity as she recalled her trip to Manehattan back when she, too was a blank flank. That morning she had watched the sun rise over the hills and had longed for purpose…the memory flashed like a scene from a movie through her mind. She couldn’t let anypony else feel that way…even if it was a beggar.

“Wait,” said Applejack finally, as the beggar admitted defeat and started walking away. “Ah’ve got twenty-five bits.”

The beggar couldn’t believe his eyes, but didn’t take a step toward her just yet. Applejack unzipped her luggage bag, opened her leather purse and took out a tiny sack that held her money. She took out two bits and gave the beggar the rest. She flung the two bits back in her bag and walked on over to the beggar.

“Ah wish ah was someplace else too,” she said, handing the beggar the money. He opened the sack to peek inside, to confirm she was giving him real money. His eyes then started to water, much like Applejack’s did when Pinkie Pie came back out of the Everfree Forest. He sniffed.

“Name’s All—well, you can just call me Al,” he said, wiping his eye with a hoof.

“Ah’m Applejack,” she said, smiling. “Part of the Apple family.”

“Applejack…Applejack…right,” said the pony who preferred to just be called 'Al', nodding vigorously. “Apple family…well by Celestia, I haven’t heard of you folk, but thankfully now I do.”

He put the pouch of money safely in his backpack and then slung the whole thing over his back.

“Best I be settin’ off. You better get inside before night falls. Saddlebrook ain’t kind to nopony after dark—even generous little fillies.”

And before Applejack could wish him good luck, he cantered away down the street, holding onto his beret.

“Applejack! Get your flank in here, little lady!” shrieked Granny, emerging from the lobby and embarrassing Applejack entirely.

“Comin’, Grammy!” she said.

“Goodness me, we thought ya had been fillynapped!” said Granny, as Applejack hurried inside. The lobby of the Chimney Inn was round, the floor shiny and the color of brass, like a gigantic gold coin. Several large potted plants and a running fountain decorated the lobby, a refreshing sight for weary travelers from the skin-cracking heat of the Badlands. A check-in desk sat on the far side of the room. On either side of the check-in desk were two hallways, one leading off towards the guest rooms, the other leading off to the diner and pool. Several ponies were behind the front desk, some with their backs turned to them, talking quietly.

“Ah was just enjoyin’ the pretty sunset is all,” said Applejack innocently, trying to make sense out of a confusing abstract painting on one of the walls. To Applejack, the ‘painting’, if that was considered art these days, looked like somepony had tried drawing an alicorn with their eyes closed.

Granny ignored this and instead went off on a ramble about what could happen to ponies outside at night, how Saddlebrook wasn’t anything like Ponyville and blah blah blah. Applejack had heard it all. It wasn’t like she had just decided to go off on a brain deprived adventure through the creepy alleys in the street. She was just enjoying a pretty evening.

“And that is why you should never eat chili before bedtime!” finished Granny, smiling contently like she had just told an exhilarating tale.

“Ok, Gramm—wait…huh?” said Applejack. She opened her mouth to reply, but instead, the excited shout of a colt came from one of the hallways.

“Biiiiiig Maaaaaac!” exclaimed the colt.

Applejack knew that voice. She whipped around so fast, her hat sailed off her head.

“Braeburn!” said Mac excitedly, catching his partner in crime by the neck and holding him roughly in a standing half nelson, causing his cowboy hat to fall to the floor as well. Braeburn struggled for a moment to get free, then stuck out a well-placed foreleg and sent Mac to the floor. Applejack laughed at them, trying to one-up each other. She stole Braeburn’s hat and placed it sneakily on her head.

“Aw shoot, none of that here, you two!” said another Southernly pony, this time a mare. She was around the same age as Granny and had a curly, flowery pink mane. A pair of thick, horn rimmed glasses adorned her wrinkly snout.

“Ahhh told ya ah still wasn’t too old to travel!” hollered Granny Smith to the mare.

“Ha!” said Apple Rose, Granny’s cousin. Applejack could recall countless times of Granny commenting about Apple Rose’s life in Manehattan. Some nights, Applejack could even catch Granny up late at night finishing a long letter to her, eyes red and heavy with sleep. Applejack was glad there was somepony else Granny’s age with them. That would offset all the nagging Applejack normally received for sure. But Braeburn was definitely a surprise. Braeburn had always lived in Appleloosa. Why was he with Autie Rose?

“Well ah’ll be covered in tree sap and thrown into a washin’ machine on spin cycle, y’all are growin’ like weeds. Why, ah remember when ah was yer size—”

Applejack was saved from hearing one of Aunt Rose’s ancient tales when she noticed two more familiar ponies coming up to meet them. One of them was Apple Strudel, Applejack’s nicest but weirdest uncle, the other a pony that looked only old enough to be his granddaughter.

“Apple Pie?” gasped Applejack.

“Applejack!” squealed one of the ponies, a filly Applejack’s age. Braeburn’s hat flew off her head as well as she met her beloved cousin in a giggly embrace.

“Ah didn’t see ya at the last reunion!” said Applejack. She caused their hug to sway on the spot, completely amused they had all shown up at once.

“Come to think of it, we didn’t see y’all in Appleloosa either! Heheh!” said Apple Strudel, cackling.

Applejack recalled hearing something about “the races” when Applejack questioned why Apple Pie hadn’t shown up at the reunion. She had been very put out indeed, although the charm and wild spontaneity of the Apple family didn’t keep her down for long.

“How’s Applebloom? Where is she? Can she talk yet?” asked Apple Pie, bombarding Applejack with excited questions. Applejack happily told her all about Applebloom, from the cute things she did to the huge messes she made. Apple Pie was an excellent listener, laughing and gasping at all the right times. Then came a question that made Applejack throw a hasty hoof over her mouth.

“So, ah heard you llliiike a pegasus from Maneh—”

“Ewww, heck no! Ah don’t like colts yet! Must have misread my letters again, silly filly.” Applejack blushed suspiciously as Braeburn and Apple Strudel smiled interestingly at the start of Apple Pie’s sentence. Applejack's hoof was covering Apple Pie's loud mouth.

“Huh? But in that letter you said—” began Apple Pie in a muffled voice.

“LOOK at my new hat, Apple Pie!” said Applejack, cutting her off again and rushing to pick up her Stetson. It’s my Mama Apple’s old hat.” She plopped it on top of Apple Pie’s blue bonnet, making her look very silly.

Applejack gave Apple Pie a certain look that made her realize what she had just done.

“Dangit Applejack, ah can never read yer letters very well. Haven’t they taught ya nothin’ in school, Applejack?” Apple Pie said very loudly, making sure everypony could hear the mistake she made. Whether anyone believed her or not, Mac and Braeburn went back to their own business and Apple Strudel went on over to Granny and greeted her. Applejack scowled at her, but quickly blew off her look and smiled.

Right when they were about to catch up further with each other, yet another couple of ponies caught Applejack’s eye over by the front desk, who had their backs to them when she had first entered the building. They weren’t wearing suits that matched the attire of the ponies who worked there; instead of a cherry red, they were white with hot pink ties. One of them was the very last pony Applejack would ever expect to be wearing such colors, let alone suited up like he was the richest pony in town. The pony, smaller than the other, was pointing directly at Applejack. But when he noticed she was actually looking at him, he turned sharply away, like he was a wanted criminal who had just revealed his identity.

The larger pony put a hoof around his shoulder and walked him out from behind the desk and towards the Apple family. Applejack had seen some peculiar looking ponies in Ponyville and Manehattan, but all paled in comparison to the stallion that was walking towards them.

He had the smile of a gentleman, slight and polite, but burgundy eyes that gave him a look that even a Cerberus would be sorely mistaken if it tried to bully him. The stallion’s fur was the color of vanilla. His mane was the color of dark chocolate, with a hint of the color of his eyes. The hair was long, wavy, yet professionally kept, like a celebrity rock star. The mark on his flank (Applejack couldn’t bring herself to look at this stallion and call it a ‘cutie mark’) was different from any mark she had ever seen on a pony. A cannon stood inside a nickel-colored hoof, which shined like he was wearing a decal. His suit also bore the same mark, etched neatly in atop one of the pockets on his flawlessly white suit. Coming to a halt in front of the lot of them, was a pony so filthy rich, the Orange family could have even put to shame. Owner of the only canon chain in Equestria, mining properties all over San Palomino Desert and half of Saddlebrook, was Caliber Nickelhoof—the Apple Family’s highest paying customer.

“The Apple family arrives once again. Fabulous,” said Nickelhoof, looking at all of them together. His voice, unlike his appearance, was genuinely western, like a rough cowboy.

“Lookin’ mighty sharp there, Nickelhoof,” said Granny, who definitely didn’t think he was impressive as he looked, but upheld her kindness nonetheless.

“Thank ya. It’s what I wear every Friday night,” he said proudly, yet friendly all the same.

Mac whispered funny something Braeburn about Nickelhoof’s white suit.

“Heh, yeah, Friday night indeed,” whispered Braeburn.

Applejack then turned her attention to the pony next to him, who Applejack had once called ‘Mudflap’. Caliber looked entirely embarrassed, trying his best to look insignificant and stare down at his hooves. But to Applejack, he was doing a terrible job; he looked clean and presentable for the first time she had ever seen him. His suit and tie were exactly like his fathers, although the design on his suit was the same as his cutie mark. His mane, rather than a tangled mess, mimicked the upkeep of his father’s. Applejack made a motion to show that she noticed his existence, which Caliber returned by acting like she was a monster who had just roared in his face. Why on earth was he so moody all the time?

“So where ya headed?” asked Nickelhoof, hinting that they couldn’t be possibly going anywhere more interesting than his presence.

“Ah think we were all just gonna go get a bite to eat, weren’t we?” asked Auntie Rose, confirming the statement with Granny and Apple Strudel.

“Plum reckon!” said Granny, nodding. Mac’s ears rose to the sound of the word ‘eat’ and nodded as well.

“Awesome. Why don’t you come up ‘round the house and have dinner with us? Me and Junior here were about to do the same thing,” said Nickelhoof, raising a foreleg in invitation.

“Come again?” asked Granny, but Applejack was sure she heard perfectly well. All the others seemed to be equally shocked.

“I’m having dinner with my brother, and I would be more than happy if you would all join us,” said Nickelhoof cheerfully. “A gesture of thanks for your famous Zap apples you have been selling to us for so long. Don’t make me ask twice!”

“Oh no no no, we couldn’t,” said Granny, like Nickelhoof has just gave her a pot of gold. “We’re only in town for business, not charity.”

Applejack was impressed by Granny’s modesty, for no other pony could have declined to dine with one of the richest ponies in Equestria. But alongside the modesty, Applejack wanted to shut her up just like Apple Pie. Nickelhoof just smiled confidently.

As though he secretly knew all their favorite foods, Nickelhoof began listing all of them off, and then some.

“We will be arriving by limo, to my thirty million bit estate atop the Macintosh Hills—my driveway is paved with nickel by the way—there will be fifteen kinds of dessert in a buffet style manner—”

The tone in the air changed. Granny stared off into space, eye twitching; Mac looked as though he was about to take Celestia’s throne; Auntie Rose bit her lip nervously, unable to think of a response; Apple Strudel stroked his beard thoughtfully; Braeburn had taken his hat back and was ringing it absentmindedly; Applejack and Apple Pie stared blankly at each other, unable to speak.

“Limo?” asked Granny finally, coming back to earth.

“Extended carriage. Seats ten,” said Nickelhoof carelessly, rubbing a hoof on his suit and closing his eyes proudly. “Ten minute journey.”

Everypony looked pleadingly at Granny. In fact, Applejack was convinced if they all ended up walking away from Nickelhoof’s offer, Granny would be disowned from the Apple Family.

Granny sighed and turned to Nickelhoof. A pin drop would have sounded like gunfire.

“Table for six, please!”

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

As they approached a tall front gate to Nickelhoof manor, Applejack clambered over one of the cushy red-velvet seats in the pony-drawn limo and squinted out the window.

It didn’t take long for Applejack to realize that she was looking at less of a house, but more of a castle.

“Well lasso my neck and tie me up, that’s amazin’!” said Applejack, unable to contain herself.

“That can be arranged,” mumbled Apple Pie, rubbing her head, which had just been elbowed by Applejack in her rush to the window.

Nickelhoof manor, well, castle, was more or less a mini version of Canterlot. Windows upon windows decorated the complex arrangement of towers and levels. Balconies grew on most of them, overlooking Saddlebrook, which lay far below them. The castle, like Canterlot, was near a cliff, but minus the flowing waterfalls. The whole color scheme was similar to most of the mansions in Saddlebrook, reds and browns. A rich comfort came over Applejack, like the time she first walked into her aunt and uncle’s house in Manehattan. Applejack rarely felt like she was worth anything above average, with her hand-me-down belongings and farming lifestyle. And then there was Rainbow Dash, her classmates, the taunting pegasi—ah, forget them all…at least for a while. She was hundreds of miles from there now. Her favorite cousins were here, she was a guest at the fanciest residence around, and she was riding in a vehicle that probably cost more than her whole barn. Applejack recalled her grandmother’s words the other day:

“It may not be what you want, dear, but ah can’t always let you have what you want. Part of being a nana is makin’ sure her grandkids get what they need.”

Maybe Granny was right after all…

“Knock it off, dad. I can SEE you doing that!” said Caliber, as Nickelhoof kept childishly tapping him on the shoulder, but staring smartly out the window as if he was minding his own business. He stopped at once, but broke his straight face and laughed. The rest of the carriage followed suit appreciatively.

“Heheheh, how about you smile for once, bud? I’m not out to get ya!”

“Can’t you make these bulls run any faster?” grumbled Caliber, referring to the four meaty stallions pulling the limo.

“What am I, your father or your slave?” snorted Nickelhoof, crossing one of his legs and looking back out the window. It was amusing to see the two of them bicker, as father and son. Especially considering the rich families Applejack had come across over the years. They were just another ordinary family.

BOOM! The unexpected sound of cannon fire made the Apple family jump.

“What the blazes,” said Granny, looking out a nearby window to see what had blown up. Nickelhoof’s laugh came from the front.

“Does that every time the gates open. Fires blanks.”

Applejack noticed a couple silver cannons on either side of the gate, aiming skyward. Nickelhoof, apparently, enjoyed random loud noises. If Applejack wouldn’t have known any better, she figured Pinkie Pie would have been behind it all.

A murmur of relief sounded through the carriage. Aunt Rose was still clutching her heart.

“Ah’m an old mare,” she mumbled, clearly annoyed.

“Yes you are,” said Apple Strudel jokingly. Aunt Rose whapped him upside the head, unsettling his Bavarian hat.

“What do ya think it looks like inside?” gasped Apple Pie, turning to Applejack wide-eyed.

Applejack shrugged. “It’ll make Carousel Boutique look like an outhouse, that’s for sure.”

She couldn’t help but think of the look on Rarity’s face would have been like if she were here. Rarity loved castles. Her lifelong dream was to marry a prince in Canterlot, complete with a fantasy wedding and overly expensive dresses. She told Applejack at times about a regal party up in Canterlot called “The Grand Galloping Gala”, something she also had her heart set on since she was a little filly. That’s what she really liked about Rarity, apart from her generosity—she wasn’t afraid to dream too small.

Her neck starting to ache from taking in all the sights for the past two hours, Applejack returned her attention to Nickelhoof and Caliber. Nickelhoof was discussing tomorrow’s Apple conference with Granny, which bored Applejack to tears, so she decided to try and cheer Caliber up, who she had never seen in such a cloudy mood.

“Psst, Caliber. Ya’ok?” said Applejack quietly, reaching around the seat in front of her and poking the colt in the foreleg.

“I’m fine,” he said grumpily. “Just hungry is all.”

“Heh, me too. Bet ah’m hungrier than you!” said Applejack, trying to create conversation.

Caliber didn’t respond immediately.

“Why aren’t you at the Wonderbolt show with Soarin’?” he asked.

“Ah…didn’t want to go,” she lied, making it sound as though aerobatic pegasus shows occurred in her backyard every weekend.

“Yeah right,” snorted Caliber. “Granny made you come, didn’t she?”

“Ah coulda escaped if ah wanted to,” said Applejack stubbornly.

“Ha, yeah. Just like those rattlesnakes, huh?” he said sarcastically. Bickering with her seemed to make him slightly more cheerful. Applejack ignored his annoying sarcasm and poked at him further. After rivaling with Rainbow Dash all winter, she wasn’t going to back down that easily.

“Ah like your…heh…tie,” said Applejack, poking him again.

“Hey, shut up. It’s bad enough I got to share my dad’s name. He makes me dress like him too,” he hissed, self-consciously covering up the pink tie with his suit coat.

Applejack knew she had hit a nerve.

“You mean y’all don’t want to work in a circus when you’re older? Heh, shootin’ yourself out of them nifty cannons?” she giggled at her own lame joke.

“Ha, funny. If my name’s so dumb, then tell me what the heck an Applejack is supposed to be,” said Caliber, turning around in his seat to smirk at her.

“Well, um…ya well…uh,” stammered Applejack. Caliber’s grin grew wider, but she recovered quickly.

“Well who in the hay would wanna call themselves ‘Muuudflap’? Bet your ma would be proud of that.”

If Applejack had struck a nerve before, it was nothing compared to the look he was giving her now. He looked like he saw a ghost. Applejack, taking this as a victory, laughed harder than ever. But when she regained her posture, she saw that Caliber had already returned facing forward in his seat, stiff as a board.

Applejack waited for a minute, but he still didn’t respond.

“Caliber? Hey, ah was just kiddin'…” began Applejack.

“You don’t belong here,” said Caliber finally. His voice was weak.

“Wha—”

“Just sell your stinkin’ zap apples and get outta Saddlebrook.”

Applejack had no idea what had just happened. She didn’t mean any of it…she was just trying to get him out of the dumps… She didn’t say another word, but sat back in her seat and gave Apple Pie a worried look.

“Golly, Applejack, what did you say to him?” she asked, half laughing that her cousin had made such a dent on Nickelhoof’s bratty son.

Applejack bit her lip, void of a verbal answer. However, even though one side of her conscious saw this as nothing but a joke, the other side—the much, wiser side—put two and two together. The wise conscious then planted a thought in her mind, making Applejack take off her cowboy hat. She stared at the hat for a good long while, the memory of the night she met Applebloom now fresh in her mind—and the letter that lay on top of her as clear as a midsummer sky.

“And here we are, mares and gentlecolts!” said Nickelhoof dramatically. “The night awaits us.”

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Nickelhoof castle seemed to own every piece of Twinkle Eye’s artwork that he had ever produced. Dozens and dozens of tall, shiny-framed masterpieces of all kinds of art mediums lined the entry, as well as the hallways. The Apple Family caught a glimpse of them as they made their way to the guest lounge. Even an alike-replica of the mural back at the train station greeted them all in the nearby office, which took up an entire wall.

“That one is interesting in particular—let me tell you why—” said Nickelhoof countless times. Every time a member of the Apple family simply gave an impressed nod towards a particular painting, Nickelhoof zoomed over to them and saw this as an opportunity for a colorful tale on its history and how much he paid Twinkle Eye to paint it for him.

The interior of the castle, apart from the paintings, on the other hoof, was a whole other story. Applejack just couldn’t get over how big everything was. Although still at her rope’s end attempting to make amends with Caliber, she found herself mesmerized by the high ceilings, huge marble statues, giraffe-sized doorways, tall staircases… Goodness, her neck was probably going to separate itself from her head any moment now like bending a piece of licorice too many times.

The guest lounge was set off aside from the entry, on top of an enormous purple rug with an equally gargantuan picture of roses on it. Rather than expensive, yet uncomfortable furniture that uppity owners beheaded people for staining, red leathery armchairs were arranged conversationally about the lounge. A glass table sat in the middle of all of them, complete with the latest magazine edition of everything on top of it. The newest WONDERBOLT issue caught Applejack’s eye, but she resisted herself to obtain it.

A squat little mustached pegasus in formal attire came up to Applejack.”

“’Take your hat, miss?” he asked politely, motioning to her hat.

“Heck no, this is mine,” snapped Applejack, holding onto it. Who did he think he was? The pegasus looked taken aback at her rudeness.

“Shame on ya, Applejack—sorry,” said Granny, taking the Stetson off Applejack’s head and delivering it to the butler. “Thank you, Stirrup dear.”

The butler gave an understanding smile and politely refused, returning the hat to Applejack. Granny gave a disapproving look at her but didn’t make a fuss.

Applejack blushed embarrassingly, ears drooping, and then sunk deeply into the armchair. The chair was even comfier than the seats in the limo. She could have curled up into a little orange ball and slept there if her dang stomach hadn’t been growling like an angry bull for the past four hours.

For being in a thirty million bit castle, she wasn’t having much fun. Looking out one of the windows, she looked at the darkening sky thoughtfully, still kicking herself for hurting Caliber, who was the only pony absent from the lounge. She didn’t even know why either—he had always been so mysterious with Applejack and always avoided talking about himself. Applejack didn’t judge ponies by looking a gift horse in the mouth, she was never taught to behave in such a way, but she still had her doubts. Maybe if her social life growing up hadn’t been such a pain in the rump, she wouldn’t have been so wary.

“Aw, stop it, Applejack,” she snapped at herself out loud. She had to stop feeling sorry for herself. She had two amazing friends named Pinkie Pie and Rarity, a large family that loved her and was liked by a future Wonderbolt. She could run faster than even her strong older brother and was the only one in her whole class who knew how to rope. She just wished she wasn’t so shy all the time and stood out more.

A loud cannon blast sounded over the chattering in the guest Lounge. Applejack, who had been once again in daydream land, gripped the seat cushion in surprise, bracing for some kind of explosion. Aunt Rose freaked out for a second time, cursing the ceiling. Nickelhoof’s ears sprang to life.

“That’ll be Magnum,” he told them all brightly, getting up. Everypony in the room looked at him questionably. Was he aware that it sounded like the front of his house had blown up?

The butler pegasus zoomed down the hallway and landed gracefully at the front door.

“Not to worry, that is just the doorbell,” drawled the pegasus as he raced down the hallway.

“Who the hay has a CANNON BLAST as a doorbell?!” Aunt Rose shrieked, flinging out her forelegs wildly to the ceiling.

The door opened and closed. Applejack could hear the excited voice of a stallion with a southwest accent talking with Nickelhoof, the embrace of the two brothers, then a familiar name that caught Applejack’s ears:

“Wife is doin’ good—Rarity’s with her and Sweetie Belle on vacation—man that chandelier is big—”

Applejack had caught a glimpse of Rarity’s father a few times in the past, but she had no idea he was brothers with Nickelhoof himself! Then again…it did make sense. Rarity wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything that was short of the latest filly fashion—or deprived of jewels. Sweetie Belle, who was Applebloom’s age, had been the phone call Rarity had received after school one day. Her mother was down at Ponyville Hospital, eager to let Rarity in on the news of her newborn sister.

Caliber emerged suddenly from a hallway leading to the kitchen, where a fantastic smell had been wafting the whole time. He met Applejack’s eyes for a second, and then walked towards the entry. Within seconds, Nickelhoof and Rarity’s mustached father appeared before all of them.

“Well, you hungry?”

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

All throughout dinner, Caliber kept glancing at Applejack, making sure his dirty looks didn’t go unnoticed. Applejack, ecstatic by the huge amount of food that piled before her, ignored him. She may have hurt his feelings, but if words were really hurting him that much, he hadn’t a darn clue what it was like to walk in her shoes.

Applejack was talking about Soarin’ in hushed undertones to a giggly Apple Pie while simultaneously having an eating competition with Braeburn and Mac—which she was winning. Mac had just started on his third plate, while Applejack was moving on to her fourth. She was practically inhaling a marvelous carrot and potato salad, while Mac was munching on a fried scone. No matter how lame of a day she had, food always made everything better. If it weren’t for the fact she worked her tail off on a farm every day, she’d be as plump as a pig!

Nickelhoof, on the other hoof, was already finished. Only mustering enough stomach to eat one plate, he was in conversation with Granny about zap apples.

“Ah told ya, Sweet Apple don’t start harvestin’ apples ‘till September. We can’t pluck ‘em any sooner or else the apple jam won’t be the same.”

“But I thought zap apple trees were,” he choked slightly on his drink, “eherm, ‘scuse me—I thought they were magical?” said Nickelhoof. He was holding a glass of what appeared to be apple cider. This type of cider, Applejack unfortunately found out, wasn’t nearly as tasty as the cider they made at Sweet Apple. In fact, it was rather disgusting. Those apples certainly didn’t come from Sweet Apple. But for some reason, Apple Strudel and Nickelhoof enjoyed it.

“They are magical, dear. And they only grow fer five days! It’s been the same way since Sweet Apple raised its first barn up in Ponyville.”

“Which is why I think you need to invest in unicorns to help…enchant the process, ma’am—”

Granny shook her head throughout the whole sentence.

“Ah’m not gonna hire magic, Nick. ‘Specially not our family’s honest crop! Ah appreciate the generous offer, but if ya want the apples sooner, you’re just goin’ to have to move to Ponyville, heheh!” she ended with a chuckle.

“Then how about I add a, oh let’s say…50% increase to my bid? 55?” Nickelhoof emptied his glass and casually handed it to the butler, Stirrup, who was standing conveniently nearby.

“Make it 60% and y’all got yerself a deal.”

Nickelhoof stared at her for a few seconds. “You serious?”

Granny chuckled again. “Nope.”

Nickelhood let out a sigh and shook his head, still smiling. If there ever was a salespony who didn’t know the meaning of the term “give up”, Nickelhoof was the one.

“Aw, you kiddin’ me?!” yelled Caliber, who was sitting next to his father and had just knocked a whole glass of carrot juice all over Magnum’s dinner poncho. The juice stained the table cloth instantly and worked its evilness on the white carpet as well.

“Stirrup, refill his glass and clean this up,” said Nickelhoof, his face in his hoof. His wavy hair shook embarrassingly.

“Aw it’s no big deal, brother! I’m a clumsy dog for keeping that glass in such a spot, haha!” said Magnum, getting up to allow Stirrup to do his work.

Nickelhoof ignored his brother and jumped on Caliber’s case.

“That,” he said, pointing at Magnum’s high-quality poncho, “was your uncle’s Hearth’s Warming Eve gift. 500 bits."

“B-but it will wash out!” said Caliber, humiliated. Even Magnum nodded to this, but Nickelhoof still continued to ignore him.

“Don’t argue,” Nickelhoof said. His eyes were dangerous, like a bull was being tempted with a flashy cape. The look was scary. “And you’re going to drink that outside,” he added, noticing Caliber was about to take an angry drink of his refilled glass. Nickelhoof pointed out a set of double glass doors that led from the kitchen and onto the patio.

The room was quiet, anticipating a fight. But Caliber, red as Mac, abandoned his full glass of carrot juice and slammed one of the glass doors. It was a miracle it didn’t shatter into pieces.

Fully aware of Nickelhoof’s roughness, but not daring to make an objection, everypony returned to their normal conversations. Applejack, however, decided she wasn’t hungry anymore.

“Go talk to him, Applejack,” she demanded herself, sitting on the edge of her chair and staring into the nickel-colored plates of food that lay before all of them.

“Isn’t that one of his friends?” said Apple Pie quietly, looking behind her chair out the glass doors.

“Whose friend?” said Applejack absentmindedly, still rocking back and forth anxiously on her chair.

“Soarin’...,” said Apple Pie in a “um, duh?” tone.

“Oh ya. ‘Course, yeah,” said Applejack. “They’re best friends.”

Applejack knew how it felt to be unjustly embarrassed in front of a bunch of ponies. The constant pranks and teasing of the ponies back home in the past made that image stick firmly in her mind. Rainbow Dash, although less of a threat now that she used to be, still made sure Applejack never one-upped her for very long. Her recent trick was making fun of Applejack’s hot temper discretely in class. But verbal abuse was all she dared dishing out to Applejack. For a pony who claimed to be so brave and loyal to her friends, she was still a coward. Nickelhoof may have not been a coward, but he still had the air of a bully; a bully who sat atop his social throne and saw every pony who crossed him as a court jester—even if Caliber was his son.

Apple Pie made an attempt to ask Applejack another question about her would-be-boyfriend but Applejack wasn’t listening. Making a decision, she got up from her seat and left Apple Pie hanging. She closed the glass door behind her quietly.

The patio (which was also nickel instead of concrete) was lit warmly by free burning torches. The torches looked like shade-less lamps, six feet tall and placed decoratively around the patio. All over the patio were wooden chairs with comfortable leather cushions that matched the ones in the guest lounge. Every glass table had a basket of flowers on it, most of them being roses.

Caliber was sitting on the ground with his hind legs in an enormous, swimming pool, playing moodily with the water. The pool was fully lit, complete with a running waterfall on one end. Applejack had never been to a pool party before; even though she was one of the few ponies she knew who could swim. But she could tell Nickelhoof’s patio parties must have been legendary. Applejack had a sudden urge to push Caliber into the pool in a very Rainbow Dash-like fashion. Just for fun. Just to (weirdly) showed she cared. But she refrained.

“Don’t cry over spilt carrot juice. That’s what my Grammy always used to say,” said Applejack, keeping her distance. Caliber must have heard her come out, because he didn’t jump.

“I a’int cryin. I don’t cry,” sniffed Caliber, Applejack noticed he had stopped playing with the water, but ripples were still forming in the pool. Applejack waited a minute to speak again.

“Ah know how it feels to be the black sheep ya know,” said Applejack quietly.

Caliber kicked the water. “You don’t know nothin’ ‘bout my life,” he spat.

“Well that’s because you’re always such a dang mystery!” said Applejack, annoyed.

“Look, I’m sorry ok? It’s just…it’s just…”

“Least you could do was tell me your real name,” said Applejack, sitting down on one of the chairs and folding her forelegs.

“I…hate…my name,” said Caliber. He untied his tie and chucked it into the center of the pool. “I hate it.”

“But why? You’re stinkin’ rich!” said Applejack. “Do ya know how lucky you are to—”

“I didn’t yell ya my real name because I don’t wanna to call myself by my dad’s name,” said Caliber. “I will never be like him…”

He got up from the side of the pool and faced her, forelegs also crossed. He definitely had tears in his eyes, but they were tears of fury. Applejack wanted to sock Caliber right in the gut for being so stubborn but at the same time wanted to hug him.

“Uncle Magnum calls me Mudflap,” said Caliber. “Something how I always catch my dad’s ‘mud’. The mud’s s’pposed to be how rough he’s with me all the time... It’s…stupid really, but better than...” he screwed up his face to the silliest look he could muster, “Cali-burrr”.

Applejack laughed. She saw the smallest of smiles flicker across his face, then vanish like it had never been.

“Why did your mom and dad name you Applejack?” said Caliber.

Applejack shrugged sadly. “Ah don’t think ah have a ma and pa anymore.” She wasn’t sad she never knew her parents, but saying that sentence still made her choke up a little. Caliber noticed this at once.

Caliber dropped his act and walked over to Applejack.

“Wait, whaddya mean…Applejack…” said Caliber.

“It’s not a big deal, ah never knew them anyway,” said Applejack, she pushed her hat down so it hid the same old storm of annoying tears brewing in her eyes. Why did she have to do this now? Her friendly plan of cheering up Caliber had backfired.

Caliber had come up right next to her. He lifted the hat up gently, but Applejack didn’t object.

“I know what it’s like to not have a mom, Applejack,” said Caliber. “I never…knew her either.”

He looked away sadly, but didn’t leave her side.

“Ah’m sorry…what ah said…” said Applejack.

“Don’t worry about it. Really,” smiled Caliber, putting a damp hoof on her shoulder. The water was warm, but the touch still gave her goosebumps. “I guess it was kinda dumb for me to get so mad at ya if you didn’t even know.”

“What was her name?” asked Applejack.

“Rosemary,” said Caliber fondly, looking off over the railing of the patio. Far below, the orange lights of Saddlebrook flickered mysteriously in contrast of the Badland’s foreboding darkness. The name was far too good for those lights. Applejack felt a warm chill touch her neck when the name was spoken.

“That’s…the purdiest name I’ve ever heard,” said the Spirit of Honesty. She imagined an earth pony as elegant and beautiful as Princess Celestia, walking along the cracked dirt of the Badlands and causing flowers to grow in her tracks.

Caliber gave her a meaningful look.

“Thanks, Applejack,” was all he could say. The cascade of the waterfall filled the silence that followed. The muffled chatter of the ponies inside the dining room was miles away. Applejack kind of wanted them to stay that way. Just for a little while…

“You wanna see something cool?” said Caliber, holding out a hoof to pull Applejack up.

“Yes,” said Applejack, taking his hoof right away. A tingling sensation hit her legs, like they had just been turned to jello.

Caliber led her through an iron gate and through a stone archway underneath a walkway that connected with a three story tower. The outside walls were torchlit, also like a real castle. There may have been something interesting to look at here and there, but Applejack wasn’t fully paying attention...

“Watch this,” said Caliber. They had come to a larger, circular tower a story higher than the rest of Applejack’s—er—Nickelhoof’s castle.

The tower was covered in flowers, most of which were still budding. Vines and moss also grew in the cracks of the stone slabs that made up the outside of the tower. The door, which was wooden and aging, also had the same vegetation upon it. A single pink rose design sat in the middle of the door where an eyehole may have been. The windows were all dark, evident that this wasn’t an often used area of the castle. High above, towards the top of the tower, were glass windows that ran all the way around like a lighthouse.

Caliber knocked on the door three times, like Rosemary was home. Three small, seemingly cemented bricks slid out beside the door. Applejack was fascinated as Caliber pushed them in a code-like order and the door rose upward like a drawbridge. Caliber, who was still holding onto Applejack’s hoof, raised his eyebrows proudly and pulled her inside. The door closed, causing an echo.

They were in pitch black. She clung to Caliber.

“Don’t be afraid, Applejack,” he said. Another mechanical sound of stone sliding, and they were in darkness no longer. Torches began lighting themselves all the way up the tower, revealing a metal spiral staircase that rose up to the top. The inside of the tower looked like a grain silo to Applejack. Except for the torches and the mossy walls, only the staircase filled up the tower.

“Where are we, Caliber?” asked Applejack wildly.

“You’ll see!”

Holding hoofs tightly, they broke into a gallop up the staircase. Applejack easily kept up, her ponytail bouncing around and whacking her in the face. Soon, they panted to a halt underneath a ladder that rose to a trapdoor. The door was unlatched, like somepony had been there recently.

“It’s kinda hard climbing a ladder holding your hoof ya know,” said Applejack as Caliber put a leg up and started to climb.

“Oh, yeah, ‘course,” he said, blushing. They looked at each other for a second.

“Up the ladder then,” said Caliber quickly. When he got to the top, he punched the door open, making it swing over and hitting the floor of the top landing. Applejack, taking a deep breath, climbed the wooden ladder towards Caliber’s grinning face.

“Whoa...,” breathed Applejack. “Woah” was the only thing her mouth would allow to escape her lips.

They were essentially in a greenhouse that had been built at the top of the four-story tower. The last of the torches lit around them, showing the large circular room that they stood in the middle of. Even though the tower looked ancient, all the flowers looked like a gardener continuously watered them, the wood still being damp in places from the brush of a watering pail.

Applejack, still being a filly in school, didn’t know the meaning of the word love, but there was no mistaking the feeling of being in such a spectacularly odd place. She loved being outdoors and everything about the natural beauties of Equestria, right down to the muddy earth where she planted crop seeds. This, on top of being in a castle, like every pony’s dream, was far greater than attending a Wonderbolt show to her.

“This was my grandma’s ‘flower tower’ that my mom liked growin’ her own flower beds in,” said Caliber, closing the trapdoor. “Dad said she hated how the Badlands were always so rocky and bare. She got her cutie mark up here as a filly when she was with my grandma.”

“So,” said Applejack, mesmerized by all the colors, “If your dad wanted to be rich and your mama wanted to work in gardens…what does your cutie mark mean?” She had been meaning to ask this for a long time but never really summoned up the courage to ask about it.

Caliber looked at his flank. “My sun and cactus?” he said brightly. “I want to explore the deserts.”

Applejack’s heart leapt at the word “explore”.

“I love explorin’!” said Applejack, jumping off the ground a few inches enthusiastically.

“Me too, I’m gonna discover everythin’,” said Caliber. He then began telling Applejack about his cutie mark story, which like hers, was a sort of adventure.

“Shoot, you sound like as big of an adventure-freak as Rainbow Dash!” said Applejack. She had meant that to be a compliment, but his face fell when he heard her use Rainbow Dash’s name.

“She doesn’t still pick on ya, does she?” he said with a fiery glare to his eyes. “Because if she does, I’ll…I’ll…”

The noble truth was, she still picked on her worse than ever, but Applejack just refused to let it bother her. She stuck up for herself now.

“Not really…ah just wish she would leave me alone for once. Ah don’t wanna fight her no more,” said Applejack. The bitterest truth was she just wanted to give up. She half wished she could just run away for a couple years or so until she finished Ponyville Elementary.

Caliber wasn’t satisfied with this answer.

“Did my dad bug you about all those paintings in our house?” he asked, rather annoyed, walking over to the only section in the circular greenhouse that hadn’t had glass in it. Two white curtains were shut over the blank wall, as if they were hiding another window.

“Yeah, they were really pretty! Why are you mad all of a sudden?” she asked, frightened as to what she did to offend him this time.

“I’m not mad. You and Rainbow Dash just reminded me of somethin’ the artist named Twinkle Eye painted. My mom loved it more than any other paintin’ he ever did, so she had dad hang it up here.”

“What…?” questioned Applejack. Was he going to show her a painting of Nickelhoof being blasted by a cannonball?

Caliber pulled both of the curtains back, revealing what was in fact not a blank wall at all, but a painting.

A fierce lion, flashy mane, golden fur and all, had its fangs bared down towards a little white lamb, which was gazing lovingly back up into the lion’s violent eyes. The lion was a hundred times bigger than the lamb and could have eaten it in one gulp. Yet, Twinkle Eye made it clear in his painting that not even death itself seemed to phase the lamb. The lamb obviously saw something in the lion the normal lamb would not.

Applejack was no art expert, but she immediately felt a connection with the lamb. She immediately didn’t see just one color on the lion’s man, but six. The fur became blue and the back sprouted wings. But those menacing, angry pink eyes were nothing she could ever love. All she saw in them was a monster that belonged at the bottom of Dead Pony’s Pass. But she was not afraid. She wanted to beat that sorry pegasus all over again, and again. And again and again and again and again and—

“Applejack, you ok?” asked Caliber fearfully. Applejack was seething, her nostrils flared, the bull within her rearing up for another attack.

She didn’t answer. So much hate was enveloping her. Unnatural, un-Applejack-like hatred was now splashed bloodily over the lamb’s face. The lamb was now black, its eyes red like beasts from Tartarus tales of old. Its wool became thorns, which connected to vines, which wrapped around her body. The vines knotted and pulled at her like a boa-constrictor suffocating its victim. She couldn’t breathe. But she could hear…ohohoho yes she could hear. The laughing and the taunting of all the white lambs were ringing in her ears. She wanted to remove all their mouths and kick them to the moon. Nopony pushed her around. Nopony.

Caliber closed the curtains so fast one of the rings ripped off one of the curtains. He made a terrible mistake indeed.

Slowly, but surely, Applejack’s eyes returned to normal at the curtains’ close; her cheeks became orange again and an omelet could no longer be cooked on her head.

“Let’s go, Granny might be wonderin’ where I’m at,” said Applejack, making her way over to the ladder.

“Wait, Applejack! I’m sorry, don’t be mad at me! I’m sorry…” said Caliber, as Applejack began her descent.

Applejack looked back up at him. His eyes were full of blame, as if he had even remotely anything to do with Applejack’s sudden Rainbow Dash rage. He turned around and started down the ladder, clear that his cute little getaway was a failure. But Applejack headbutted his flank back up the ladder and returned to the landing. Before Caliber could even retaliate to such an attitude, Applejack walked straight into him and gave the colt a¬¬¬ hug that she had never given Soarin’. She hugged him like a teddy bear, like her long lost, very best friend. Every positive emotion she had been feeling for the past two years was in that hug. Caliber’s rich cologne smelled nice, but it wasn’t that made her cling to him for an entire minute.

“Soarin’ can enjoy his own dumb Wonderbolt competition,” said Applejack. She broke free and climbed down the ladder. Caliber remained in his spot, dazed at what had just happened…but followed suit.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

“You know, all I hang out with around here are colts,” said Caliber as they returned to the pool. Along the way, Applejack told Caliber about a funny experience she had with Pinkie the other day. “And you don’t want to meet the fillies and mares here; especially the ones down…downtown.” He ended his sentence with a weird sort of laugh that reminded Appleajack of Mac’s expression back at the train station.

“Why?” said Applejack. Granny had promised to tell her about this, but predictably, forgot.

“Alright, I’ll tell you. But this is pretty weird…” he began.

Applejack’s expression started out with the utmost interest. Then as Caliber blushed deeper and deeper, her face went from curiosity to complete disgust. She felt her face reddening too.

“Ewwwww,” she said, clutching her hat and pulling it over her ears like he was telling a spooky tale. “The hay?! Well ah’ll be—EWWW! Nu-UH!” yelled Applejack, punching a snickering Caliber in the arm at his sleazy tale of “what a mare and stallion do when they ‘love’ each other very much…and the colt has enough money” and “why they really call it Saddlebrook”…

Caliber gave a yelp of pain from the powerful punch but his laugh increased ten-fold.

“Hahahaha! And then…and then…,” but Applejack jumped up from her chair and started to chase him around the patio, Caliber roaring gleefully the whole time.

Applejack eventually cornered him on the peninsula in the pool.

“Applejack, please don’t! Don’t do it, I’m sorry! I was kidding on that last part!” he pleaded, as she prowled closer. Her hat had fallen off somewhere by a group of chairs they had overturned.

“Somepony’s going swimmin’ tonight!” said Applejack, panting.

Just then, the glass door to the patio opened. Apple Strudel, swaying slightly, was holding a glass of cider. He walked over to them, smiling like he had just heard something deeply funny.

“Ya seeEEE the top of that moun’un over there?” said Apple Strudel wildy, pointing to a far off peak in the distance. “That’s the top!”

“Yeah, um…right,” said Applejack, taking note of her uncle’s irrelevant observation. Uncle Strudel smacked his lips, took another drink then turned 180 degrees on the spot, back through the patio door. Applejack could see him doing a weird kind of jig over by the now-present dessert dishes through the glass.

“Your…family…is…awesome,” breathed Caliber, a new wave of laughter washing over him. And without any ‘help’ from Applejack, or even the slightest of breezes, he lost his balance and plunged comically into the hoof-shaped pool.

I :: A Rainbow in the Dark

CRACK. A flash of lightning. KABOOM. A roar of thunder.

A fierce rainstorm swept the green fields and dark windows of the dark houses in Ponyville. Not a hoof was seen wandering about outside in this freak weather, a storm so menacing even the experienced weather ponies up in Cloudsdale were uneasy in their homes, high above the housetops of the town below. Somepony had created a monster. However, this monster was created by nopony in Cloudsdale, nor by any surrounding pegasus communities. The only course of action taken was to simply wait for the storm to blow over. Unfortunately, there was no sign in the skies of Equestria that this would come to be anytime soon.

CRACK. A lightning bolt rocketed toward the ground at unfathomable speeds, finally finding its victim and shattering it to pieces. The tree exploded with such force that all the leaves burned instantly, reducing the plant to a pile of burnt wood. Barely an acre away sat the cozy cottage of Fluttershy, who had been trying to sleep in her bed for hours. At the explosion of the tree, the poor pegasus let out a shrill scream that caused her snowy white rabbit, Angel, to shoot out of her bed and onto the floor. Disgruntled by just barely being able to doze off to sleep, she cast Fluttershy an annoyed look and picked up her blanket and pillow. She was going to sleep in the cellar that night, as far away as Fluttershy as possible.

“I’m t-t-terribly, terribly s-s-sorry, Angel!” said Fluttershy in a muffled voice underneath the covers of her bed. “Pl-pleeeeease forgive me for that...it’s just…”

She stuck her face out of her bed covers and crawled to the foot of her bed, expecting to see Angel still on the floor. Noticing that her bed was empty, she let out a worried sigh and got out of her bed to straighten the covers. Tangling herself up in her bed sheets, she instead let out a short scream and fell to the floor with a loud THUD.

Finally untangling herself from her bed, she winced as she got back on her hooves. She left the silk and cotton mess on the ground as she walked over to the waterfall that was flowing outside her window. The look on her face was nothing short of extreme worry. Although some of the unease had to do with the dangerous storm outside, most of her deepest concerns were lying with one of her best friends.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Unlike Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle* was fast asleep in her study, her head rested sideways over a sprawling map of a local section of Equestria. Several red markings littered the map, such as Xs, circles, random notes, and arrows. Many of the arrows pointed off the map, or were lost underneath Twilight’s pink and purple mane. It looked much like a treasure map. But who would be willing to go hunting for valuables in a time like this?

The birdhouse clock on Twilight’s wall showed it was just after one in the morning. Her large tree house creaked gently as wind began to pick up speed beyond its walls. It was a miracle her house hadn’t been struck by lightning yet. Twilight had fallen asleep just after midnight, exhausted from her night’s work. Rarity and Pinkie Pie had been over earlier for a visit, but they left hours ago to walk back to their homes. Twilight offered both of them to stay the night with her due to the storm, but they insisted on returning home to their residences without a feasible reason why.

As late as it was, Twilight was nopony new to burning the midnight oil to accomplish an important task. Sleep was of the lowest priority when a haunting challenge was faced with her. It was also a miracle how she managed to fall asleep with the stress that was bearing down upon her like a thousand books. This was without a doubt the most pressing obstacle she had been faced with ever since the quest to obtain the Elements of Harmony.

Rain or snow, magic or not, this was a treasure she could not refuse. The large sheet of paper didn’t just look like a treasure map. It was one.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

As dreary as the storm was, the grayness of the rainclouds were nothing compared to the greyness that was felt within the ponies back at Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh and Granny Smith were sitting close to each other, half asleep on Applejack’s vacant bed. The bedspread was wet in spots, but there was no leak in the roof. Even in the heaviest of rain and snowstorms, the roof remained as strong as steel. Big Macintosh made sure of that. No, this was the result of something not even a strong stallion like Macintosh could have stopped. It was like a gaping hole had been punched in all of their hearts, the happiness being drained through their bodies and out through their eyes, as wet and salty tears.

Applebloom was fast asleep between both of them, her head resting on Granny Smith’s lap while she absentmindedly stroked her hair. Granny Smith was lost in deep thought, with an empty ghost-like expression on her face. She simply stared towards the ground, eyeing the clock on Applejack’s nightstand every so often. Big Macintosh, sagging the bed slightly with his great weight, was keeping watch out the windows, looking for any sign of a certain pegasus traveling back to the front door of the house. His once bright green eyes were bloodshot and drooping a little. But he couldn’t rest his head even for a minute; there had to be hope somewhere out in those sprawling greens beyond the farm. There just had to be...

Big Macintosh stifled a yawn and closed his eyes for a few seconds. Upon opening, a ray of hope met his eyes. Emerging from behind some tall bushes way out on the ground by the hills, a four-legged figure was walking towards their barn at a slow speed. Even through the heavy rain and flashes of lighting he wasn’t mistaken. Big Macintosh followed the figure for a hundred feet or so until it was close enough to be recognized, then he gently nudged Granny Smith and pointed his head silently out the window. Granny Smith got the gist of his nod and tenderly arose off the bed onto her tired legs. Big Macintosh, taking great care not to wake Applebloom, put her on his back and walked to her room to put her in bed. When he got to her room, he pulled back the covers with his teeth and slid her neatly off his back onto her bed. Covering her up with the blankets as silently as he could, he gave her one last sympathetic look and started to walk out of the room when she spoke.

“But big sister...my turn...mumble...you did it last...time...” Applebloom was mumbling in her sleep, dreaming about who knew what. Macintosh was relieved to see her roll onto her side, her back facing him and continuing to breath peacefully. She had gone through enough trauma that night; a long night’s sleep was just what she needed. As Macintosh made his way out of her room and to the front room where Granny Smith stood nervously, he was just in time for a sharp rap on the door. At once, Macintosh opened the door to see a soaking wet and distraught Rainbow Dash. She shook off as much water as she could and stepped into the warm house. Granny Smith proceeded to cover her in many blankets, which Rainbow Dash didn’t object to as she sat down by the door. Normally she wasn’t too keen on unneeded hospitality, but given her current state, she just didn’t care much about anything except her mission.

It was a few long moments before Rainbow Dash could raise her head and speak. She didn’t even fight back the tears that were beginning to form again in her dark pink eyes. At last, she looked up at them with the same distraught look she had before entering the house.

“Applejack is long gone. I...tried to fly overhead and, you know, fly over the treetops and see if I could catch up to her by flying, but I never saw a single trace. Not even muddy footsteps...nothing... I mean I must have flown for twenty miles towards Manehattan, which was the way she ran off to in...” --she took a deep breath-- “...the first place.”

Granny Smith walked slowly on over to a chair and sat down. She mulled over what Dash told them and replied. “Dearest, you are a brave soul traversin’ that storm. Me and Mac were worried sick just as much for you as we were for AJ out in that terrible weather. We are relieved to see you back here unharmed.”

“Where do you think she could have gone?” Rainbow Dash said quietly, her head hung. So many questions were shooting around in her head like Pinkie Pie’s mouth that she couldn’t put her hoof on. Applejack and her had always been fierce competitors, yet they had been the best of friends and were able to talk about anything with each other. She shared secrets with AJ that didn’t share with anypony else, even Fluttershy or Twilight. Facing the possibility that AJ had run off forever just a few hours after she and her had a huge argument was the worst possible feeling she could possibly muster. It was like losing a twin brother or sister; the disconnection was impossible to think of. The feeling of emptiness and unsureness was something she would give her own two wings up just to make everything right again.

Granny Smith let out a long sigh and looked at Big Macintosh. “Ah really can’t say, Rainbow. She’s never done somethin’ silly like this before. She’s had her tantrums and we’ve had our disagreements in the past when we were strugglin’ to make ends meet here in ol’ Sweet Apple, but she has always got her mindset back on track and helped us get this place up and runnin’ successfully again.

“Eeyup,” mumbled Big Macintosh.

A long silence followed Macintosh’s utterance. The cursed storm raged on outside, just as violent as ever. Winona made her way timidly over towards Granny and put her paws up on the hand rest of the chair, looking into her face with concern. Winona was Applejack’s right hoof lady, her obedient companion. Even for a dog she was feeling exactly what every friend of Applejack had been feeling that night. They had lost one of the most cherished and celebrated souls that had ever set hoof in their lives. Nopony had the slightest tinge of annoyance or anger towards her anymore; that was a storm which had already blown over.

Over the course of the next few days, Ponyville experienced a time beyond the darkness the continuous monsoon was bearing down upon the land. A darkness so cruel and hellish, magic itself had ceased to have effect. Every night before they went to bed to attempt to sleep, each and every pony looked up at the black sky trying to find a star to wish upon. Ponyville needed a wish...no...a miracle. Ponyville needed Applejack.