Reaper Mare

The sun rose over Sweet Apple Acres, bringing with it the warmth of a new day. As the blazing celestial body rose higher, it pushed its beams through the rows of apple trees, past the fields of corn, up the dirt lane to the large red farmhouse and through the uppermost window, where it fell on the light orange coat of a young mare.

Applejack awoke and stretched as the sunlight warmed her body. She took her time getting out of bed. She and her siblings had rushed to finish off the last of the apple harvest the day before and she had strained more than a few muscles.

Sitting up, she idly massaged behind an ear with a hoof while she yawned. In the corner, by the door, sat her pack with her bedroll strapped to the top. She would be taking a load of apples around to a distant orphanage. It was a four day journey and one she looked forward to making every year, first with her father, then with her brother. Unfortunately, Mac wouldn't be able to make the journey. Granny had passed away the winter before and he needed to be around to look after Bloom and the farm. As such, she had enlisted the aid of Rainbow Dash.

The brash and bold pegasus made an excellent traveling companion. She always had an excellent story to tell and was tough enough to stand up to the biggest threat. Between the two of them, there would be nothing that could stand against them. This was an excellent thing because the route that would take them to the orphanage was thick with bandits. Usually, they left her alone, but she had always been in the company of a large stallion. Unfortunately, they might just be bold enough to attack two mares.

Carrying her pack with her downstairs, she set it by the front door and trotted into the kitchen to start breakfast. Big Mac, for all of his talents, was useless in the kitchen. Following the incident when he managed to burn water, he delegated all domestic tasks to her.

She started the stove and put a pot of water on for oatmeal. As the water came to a boil, she put sacks of dried fruits and vegetables in her pack. These would keep her and Rainbow going for their journey. She then returned to the kitchen and put the bread in the oven to toast. Milk and juice were set out on the table, alongside the butter.

The kitchen door swung open and Rainbow trotted in, her pack strapped around her flanks. Applejack glanced at the grandfather clock by the door and saw that the cyan pegasus was actually early, for once. “Ah figured you'd still be sleepin'.”

“What? And risk being late for an adventure with my best friend? Not a chance!”

Applejack chuckled. “This ain't exactly an adventure, Dash. We're just takin' a cartload o' apples around to an orphanage just over the mountains. Ah've made this same trip every year.”

“Yeah, but you said there'd be bandits and wild animals that we'd have to fight off and storms from the Everfree and danger around every turn. Sounds like an adventure to me.”

“Granted, it ain't the safest trip, but Ah don't think we'll be seein' a lot of action. Ah've never had any trouble.”

“That doesn't mean there won't be.” Rainbow growled, rearing up on her hind legs. “And, when it does, I'll be ready.”

“Ah hope not.”

“C'mon, Applejack. Don't you want a little excitement in your life?”

“Ah like excitement just fine, thank you very much. Ah'd much rather have a quiet trip than an adventure, especially as far as we're goin'.” She turned and poured a cup of dried oats into the water. “Want some breakfast before we leave?”

“Nah, I ate at the house.”

Applejack went into the cabinets, gathering bowls and spoons. “Well, park your plot 'cause Ah'm gonna eat. Bloom! Mac! Soup's on!” She called up the stairs.

x---x

Rainbow drummed her hooves impatiently as she waited for Applejack to finish. Macintosh shared warnings about the trip. He told his sister which areas to avoid and where she could camp safely. This was all information she knew, but she listened all the same, knowing it was more to ease his mind than hers. Macintosh didn't like the idea of his little sister taking such a long journey on her own and had objected to it at first. He had claimed that she was too young and that it was too difficult and that the orphans would understand if she wasn't able to make it once or twice.

Applejack reminded him that she had made a promise and that she was the most dependable of ponies. She knew the route like she knew her own name and that those little ponies didn't have much to look forward to. The annual apple delivery was a bright spot in a somewhat bleak foalhood. She loved to see the joy on those little one's faces when she arrived. How they would shout and cheer when they spotted her coming over that last hill. It was a time when she felt truly heroic.

After what seemed like an eternity to Rainbow, they were ready to leave. Applejack tossed her pack into the cart amongst the bushels of shiny red fruit and hitched herself up.

“Hey.”

She looked up to see her brother standing over her. Without warning, he wrapped his forelegs around her and lifted her in a powerful hug.

“Macintosh, what's gotten into ya?” She groaned against the pressure crushing her ribs.

“Ah want ya to be careful. No matter how ya cut it, this's a dangerous trip. Those bandits left ya alone 'cause me and Pa were there. Now...Ah just don't want anything to happen to ya. Before he passed, Pa told me to look after you, Bloom, and Granny. Ah know yer a big mare and you can look after yerself, but...Ah don't wanna lose ya.”

She nodded. Mac was worried and, like any other brother, wanted to protect her. He still saw her as the tiny filly who followed him everywhere and napped in his shadow, despite the fact that she had proven her fortitude time and again in situations far more dangerous than anything a simple journey could present.

“Ah'll be alright.” She assured him.

He nodded and set her down. Taking a step back, he addressed both of them. “Keep each other safe. Ah expect both of you to come back in one piece in four days.”

“Don't worry, Mac. I'm on the job.” Rainbow declared.

Apple Bloom trotted forward to wrap her forelegs around her sister's neck. “Ah'll miss ya, Applejack.”

The mare ruffled Bloom's mane. “It's not like Ah'm goin' away forever. We'll see ya in a few days. You be good for Mac and help out while I'm gone. Don't give yer brother a hard time. Ah don't wanna hear any horror stories when Ah get back.”

“Yes'm.” Bloom dutifully replied.

With that, Applejack adjusted her hat, nodded to her family, and started off down the road at a trot. Rainbow followed along behind.

x----x

While Applejack kept her steady trot, Rainbow zoomed in every direction, ambivalent at the possibility of danger.

“Rainbow, calm down.” Applejack urged, calling up to the pegasus. “We ain't but an hour from the town. If we meet anything, it'll be further along. Pace yerself. We gotta long way to go.”

Rainbow dipped down to hover by her head. “I know, but I'm supposed to spot trouble from far away. How can I do that if I'm not up there.”

“Ah didn't say y'all shouldn't be up there. Ah'm just sayin' y'all should take it easy.”

“Whoa whoa whoa. Rainbow Dash doesn't just take it easy.”

“Really? 'Cause your bi-hourly naps have convinced me otherwise.”

“Where exactly are we going?”

“Ah already told ya.”

“Well, tell me again.”

Applejack gave an annoyed growl and pointed at a narrow gap in the distant mountains. “Y'see that pass?”

“Yeah?”

“That's the Clopler Gap. Half a day past that is the town of Gallop. Mah family's been taken apples up to the Gallop orphanage ever since they sheltered Granny and her kin durin' a surprise blizzard. It's our little way of thankin' them fer their kindness. If'n they turned us away, we might never have made it to settle Ponyville. Granny's Papa was the first to make the trip with a bit of the first harvest with her brother, Great-uncle Jonathan. Jonathan made it with mah pa, who made it with ma, then me and Mac. Every year, regular as clockwork.”

She glanced back at the pegasus, who was distracted with trying to steal an apple from the cart. She stopped short, causing Rainbow to crash into the front box.

“Rainbow Dash! Ah'm surprised at you. Ah just got done tellin' ya how important those apples are. They ain't for you or any other pony other than those foals.” She declared heatedly.

“I'm hungry.”

“Well, ya should have eaten with the rest of us.” She started off again. “We'll stop and eat soon. Ya ain't gonna starve before then.”

Rainbow crossed her forelegs across her chest and hovered along next to the Earth pony. She was silent for a short while. “Is it 'soon' yet?”

“No.”

She waited a while longer. “How 'bout now?”

“No,” came the slightly sharper reply.

“Now?”

“Consarnit, Rainbow!” Applejack stomped her hoof in frustration. “Ya ain't getting an apple so stop bein' a pest.”

“C'mon. Just one. They aren't going to miss one apple.”

Applejack sighed. “Ah want every little pony there to have an apple all to themselves without havin' to share. They gotta share everything else. They oughta enjoy having somethin' all their own, but, every year, there're more and more ponies there. We packed all we could spare, but it still might not be enough.”

Rainbow dropped to her hooves and trudged along, ears folded back in shame. “I'm sorry, Applejack.”

“Don't worry about it. Ah know ya got a thousand other things ya'd rather be doin'. Ah appreciate ya comin' along.”

They made excellent time, despite Rainbow insisting on an early lunch, and hit the Clopler Gap before dusk. The trail was narrow and steep with trees clinging precariously to the rocks to once side while a sheer cliff sat opposite. Rainbow kept an eye on the cart from behind and below, ready to warn Applejack if one of the wheels began to slip. The farm mare took her time, stepping carefully to avoid rocks.

As they came around a bend, she spotted a tree lying across the path and let out a string of profanity. She was tired and her legs hurt. Given the hour, she wanted to get to the campsite without any delays.

“What's the problem?” Rainbow asked, popping up next to her.

She nodded to the tree. “Road's blocked. Do ya think you could lift the cart up?”

Rainbow shrugged. “I can try.”

She disappeared behind the wagon. With a great deal of grunting and groaning, she lifted the cart as high as she could. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be enough to clear the tree.

“Rainbow, forget it.” She strapped her harness. “It's hanging halfway off of the cliff anyways. Maybe we can push it over the side.”

As she trotted over to the broken end, she noticed something. “This tree's been cut.”

“Hi there.”

She looked up to see a pair of griffons soaring in. The both landed on the far-side of the tree.

“Howdy.” Applejack greeted warily.

“We haven't seen you two around here before.” One of them, a female, commented.

“Just passin' through.” Applejack replied.

“Oh. Did you know this is a toll road now? Ya gotta pay the toll if ya wanna keep going.” The other, a male, pointed out.

“This road's always been free before.”

“New rules.” He held out a talon. “We'll go ahead and accept your payment. Ten bits per pony, please.”

Applejack's eyes narrowed. “We ain't got any money.”

“We accept other forms of payment. Your apples look pretty delicious.”

“They're for an orphanage in Gallop.”

“Aww,” cooed the female. “Isn't that sweet?”

Her partner nodded. “Gotta take care of the babies. We'll be sure to leave some for them.”

“How generous of ya.” Applejack spat. “Unfortunately, Ah can't allow ya to have any of these here apples.”

Both griffons had identical expressions of surprise tempered with anger. The male leaned down. “We gonna have problems, pony?”

“Don't want problems. Just wanna be on mah way.”

“We'll be happy to let ya on your way. Just give us the apples.”

“How many times do Ah gotta say it? Ya ain't getting' any apples.” She growled through gritted teeth.

The griffons ignored her and fluttered over to the wagon, intent on taking them anyway. Rainbow Dash sprang up and knocked the female down. “Get down from there!”

The griffon squawked as she was knocked to the ground. Her partner started to laugh. “Did the little pony bump ya, Odessa?”

“Shut up, Nash!” The female snapped. She swung at Rainbow, who dodged. “Hold still, you feathery punk!”

“I'm a punk? Who's trying to steal apples from foals?” Rainbow snapped, jumping up to strike Nash, who stepped aside and lost his balance. He fell into a kick from the waiting Applejack, which launched him back into the air. After tumbling across the ground, he recovered and caught the charging pony, flinging her against a tree. The impact knocked her senseless and, satisfied that his opponent was down, Nash joined Odessa in taking care of Rainbow.

x----x

When she regained her senses, she saw the two griffons beating Rainbow, who was fighting back for all she was worth, but was losing against the onslaught. The bandits clawed, beat, bit, and kicked the pegasus, who could do little more than curl up defensively.

Applejack leaped to her hooves and charged, leaping up with a cry of rage. Both griffons looked up and she wrapped her legs around them, her momentum carrying all three of them off of the cart and over the edge of the cliff.

Rainbow rolled over and climbed back to her hooves, limping as she rushed to the edge of the cliff. She peered over the edge, desperately searching for some sign that her friend had survived.

“Applejack!” She cried out. Only her echo answered. Rainbow began to panic. They were in the middle of nowhere, without a pony around for miles. It was getting dark and Applejack might be seriously injured.

“Applejack! Answer me!”

But there was no answer.

Rainbow winced as she spread her wings and took to the air, gliding on dying thermals. She scanned as she spiraled, searching for any sign of the mare or the griffons. The fading light did little to help her vision and, at the speed she was gliding, she had to fight the wind to keep from being smashed against the rocks.

Finally, she saw it, a glimmer of yellow against the red of the rocks. She tucked her wings in, plummeting to the ground and landing harder than she intended, grunting as her forelegs collapsed and she tumbled across the ground.

With a groan of pain, she tested one leg and found it too shaky to stand on. She tucked it against her body and hopped to where she saw the yellow.

What she saw made her heart break. “No.”