It's A Magical Life

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!”