White Apple, Red String

by Nom dePlume

Rating: everyone
Tags: Other, Romance, Adventure, Winona, Applejack, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 8014

The Elements weren't the only ones Applejack tried to leave behind on the cherry farm. Now, loose threads are returning to tie themselves up, but Applejack has bigger fruit to pick.

When a stallion from Applejack's past turns up as a farmhoof looking for a season's work, her simple life is turned on its head. To add to the chaos, a mysterious blight is sweeping across Equestria, and only Applejack has a clue as to what's going on.

In a race against time to save Equestria from starvation, can Applejack set aside her confusion and focus on what's important? Or will she let her tangled priorities distract her, and throw the empire into ruin?

Published 2014-08-01 06:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2014-08-31 18:42:49 UTC

Prolouge: Planting Seeds

Applejack waved a temporary goodbye to Miss Jubilee as the ranchmare went to go to other business. "See y'all this evenin', Ma'am," she called. "Thanks again for the tour!" The orange mare turned back to her work, examining the cherry trees that surrounded her. "Well," she said to herself, "no point in wastin' daylight." Without another word, Applejack pulled her old, beat-up hat tighter down around her ears and set to her task. One by one, a dozen cherry trees were stripped of their fruit in moments. Applejack paused to grumble at the scattered cherries that had missed the baskets. "Not quite like apples, I s'pose. Gonna have to learn how a cherry wants to drop."

A low whistle made her turn, interrupting her thoughts. A dark brown stallion leaned against a bucked tree, green eyes peering out from under a dusty white hat. "You must be the new farmhoof Aunt Jubie was tellin' us about." The stranger pushed off of the trunk and trotted up to Applejack, examining the now-bare branches. "You're really good. How'd you do all this?"

Applejack's face scrunched up. "What d'ya mean 'how'd I do this?' 'Bout like any other pony bucks a tree. Who are you, anyways?"

The stallion blinked, then pulled his hat off his head, looking chagrined. "Whoops. Sorry, Miss. My name's Black Stone Cherry, but you can call me Stone, if you like. I live and work here on the ranch, helpin' my aunt Jubilee and my cousins out with the ranchwork. My parents and siblings, too."

Applejack nodded and stretched out a hoof, smiling warmly. "My name's Applejack. Looks like I'll be here 'til at least the end of the season, so thank y'all again for havin' me."

Stone smiled back and took Applejack's hoof after replacing his own hat. "It's great to meet ya, Miss Applejack. And it's really no trouble havin' you around, 'Specially if you can keep up this pace! Now," he frowned and cocked his head at her. "How'd ya say ya did it again? By 'bucking' a tree?"

Applejack nodded. "Yup. I get the sense y'all do it a bit different 'round here."

Stone nodded and went back to his tree. He came back with a rakelike object in his mouth. Transferring it to a forehoof, he started to explain. "We call these here 'cherry swipers.' You rear up against the tree trunk and use it to pull branches down for pickin', or for knockin' cherries off high branches. It's a two-pony process, and it usually takes a few hours to do what you've done. I was sent to lend you a hoof, but I like your method better. Can you teach me?"

Applejack shrugged. "Uh, I s'pose so. It's real simple, but it takes awhile to master." She trotted up to a tree and turned her back to it. "Are ya watchin'?" Satisfied with Stone's nod, she rocked up onto her forehooves and slammed both hind legs into the cherry trunk. Shiny red cherries rained down, covering the spectrum from crimson to magenta. Most of them fell into the baskets Applejack had laid beneath the tree.

Stone's eyes widened. "Wow! I've never seen so many cherries fall at once! You're amazing!"

Applejack fidgeted, uncomfortable under scrutiny. "Aw, nah. You should see what my brother can do, he'd never miss or bruise a cherry." She glared at the wayward fruits, as if she could levitate them free of the dirt and into the wicker bowls.

Stone laughed. "Nah, it's fine if they don't all make it in. Takes some of the effort out of plantin' new trees for the groves next spring."

Applejack blinked, surprised. "Huh. I never would've looked at it like that. Might mean you'll have to move a bunch of saplings, though."

Stone shrugged. "Eh. We can deal with that when it comes. Now, can I give it a go?"

~*~

"So," Stone said, trying to watch both Applejack and his hooves as they walked trough the groves, "you mentioned a brother? What's he like?"

"Ya mean Mac?" Applejack laughed. "Oh, he's like most brothers, I s'pose. Big. Quiet. Protective. Stubborn as an old goat. But he's got a soft side to 'im too. Always stargazin', watchin' Luna bring the moon up. Says it makes him feel like part of somethin' bigger."

Stone nodded. "Sounds like a standup guy. I'd like to meet 'im, sometime. Is he folowin' you out here too?"

Applejack frowned and watched her hooves for a moment. "Nah. Nah, he's stayin' back in Ponyville with the rest of the family."

Stone's brow furrowed. "Oh." He paused, glancing around for a change of subject. "Y'know, I've got a cousin who sounds a bit like your Mac. Name's Cherry Tart. She's always studying the constellations an' stuff. Says somebody's gotta remember the stories behind 'em, so they don't just become points of light in the sky." He chuckled. "Maybe we could set 'em up!"

That pulled a deep laugh from Applejack's gut. "Oh, gosh. Sounds like one of Applebloom's harebrained schemes to get her mark!"

"Applebloom? Who's she?"

"Oh boy... Where do I even start...?"

~*~

Stone coughed, choking on a cherry pit as a laugh burst out. "Seriously? She ate all twelve pies?!"

Applejack nodded solemnly, sprawled beneath the cherry branches. "Yup. All 'cause we made the fool mistake of tryin' to tell Granny what to do." She grinned and opened one eye. "Never did that again, I'll tell ya. Heheh... Poor Rarity was so horrified at the state their kitchen tablecloth was in. The look on her face was priceless. Magnum and Pearl weren't too pleased, either." She paused. "I feel bad about that. I don't know Magnum too well, but Pearl's a sweet mare, and she's got some gorgeous tablecloths. Never saw that one at a school fair again, though. Or anywhere else, come to think of it. I hope it didn't get ruined."

Stone bit into his lunch, a cherry turnover, and carefully watched the tree above him. "Maybe you can ask her about it when you go back to Ponyville?"

Applejack sighed pensively. "... Maybe. Hey, it's your turn, now. Betcha can't beat mine!"

Stone swallowed and rolled over to face Applejack, a challenge in his eyes. "Okay, how's this one? Me, Fizzy, Strudel, Uncle Cormano, and my dad all were out on a four-day campin' trip out in the badlands. Just the colts, y'know? Then, just as we're settin' up the tents..."

~*~

Cherry Jubilee leaned against the porch railing as she watched her nephew and the new farmhoof walking towards the house. Beside her, Great-Aunt Sweetheart laughed and leaned back in her rocker, her frizzy faded-pink mane sticking out in a halo around her ears. "I couldn't 've planned it better m'self, Darlin'. It's only been a few days, and they're already seein' stars in each other's eyes."

Jubilee raised an eyebrow. "Why, Aunt Sweetie! I assure you, I have absolutely no idea what you're talkin' about. I planned nothing of the kind!"

Sweetheart snorted, shaking her powder-blue head. "Sure, sure. Next you'll be tellin' me you didn't set your sister Pendula up with that dashing young Sargent. Filly, there's more of old Great-Great-Granny Truly in you than you care to admit."

Jubilee harrumphed and returned her concerned gaze to the two young ponies. She couldn't quite put her hoof on it, but somehow, something seemed... Off-balance about the whole thing. Like a stack of laundry about to topple into the floor.

~*~

Stone lay on his bed, reading the note over and over again. Jackie, as he had started calling her, had taped it to his door sometime in the night. Morose, he drew a hoof across the carefully-formed lines:

"Dear Stone,

I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you in person, but something's come up, and I have to be moving on earlier than I'd planned. I just want you to know that the time we spent together were some of the best days I'll ever have. You're a wonderful friend, and I'm sorry I couldn't be better to you. I'm sorry things had to turn out this way. I'm sorry that... I'm just sorry. For everything.

Good harvests,
Jackie.

~*~

Applejack stared out the window of the train, watching the Equestrian countryside roll past. A deep worry gnawed at her, but she squelched it down and stowed it away. What was done was done. There was no going back now, no regret. She was headed home, and all was right with the world. She'd never leave Ponyville or her family again. Never.

Dash, seated beside her, watched with worried magenta eyes. "AJ? You alright in there?"

The orange mare snapped her head around, ponytail flying, and forced a grin. "Huh? Oh! Yeah, couldn't be better if I tried. Why?"

Dash nodded, satisfied. "No reason. You just looked like you were someplace else."

Applejack snorted. "Aw, Dash, ya sound like you're moonstruck. I'm right here, headed to Ponyville with my friends. Where else would I want to be?"

~*~

Stone knocked back another mug of cider, trying not to taste the spiced apples. Still, it flooded his senses. He smelled the lingering sweetness of her coat, heard her brilliant laugh, saw the sunlight glinting off her honey-gold mane... He dropped the emptied mug and buried his face into his crossed forelegs.

His friend wrapped a friendly hoof around his shoulders. "What's wrong, Stone? You look like you just bet your life savings on a lame race-hog!"

Stone groaned and picked himself up to look at his old friend. "It was a year ago today."

"What was?"

"The day she left."

"The day who left?"

"Her."

"Oh." The yellow-orange stallion was silent. "Who?"

Stone shook his head and stared at the bottom of his mug. "The mare of my dreams. She could clean a whole tree with one solid kick. Leap fences and haul windfall like nopony's business. She was strong and kind and sweet, always ready with a good story or a warm hug when you were blue. The best baker I've ever seen, and honest as the day is long."

"Huh." Braeburn took another swig. "Sounds a bit like my cousin."

One: Surprises

Breep, breep, breep! Bra-breep, bra-breep, bra-breep! Breeeep!

"Fine, fine, just shut up!" Applejack rolled heavily out of bed and brought a hoof down on top of the alarm clock. A huge yawn tore out of her mouth as she stretched and pushed her mane out of bleary green eyes. Morning already? Feels like I hardy slept. Though that's really nothing unusual, I s'pose... The mare glanced out the dark window as she tugged her brush roughly through her locks and wrapped the ends loosely in a red band. Yep, she thought to herself, sunrise is a long way off. Plenty of time to work before breakfast. As she wandered downstairs, Applejack sorted out the day's schedule. Let's see... It's the twenty-fifth, so we're harvesting the South Orchards today. Mac said he and Gran are taking care of the new farmhooves we need. That's one less thing for me to worry about, I s'pose. She raised a hoof to knock on Applebloom's door, to make sure she was awake, but the door popped open before she could.

"Hi, AJ!" Bloom was as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as ever, her bold red mane sticking up in all directions.

Applejack chuckled and mussed her sister's hair. "Mornin', kiddo. Get that mess under control and get ready to work. We're harvesting in the South Orchard today. You're on Fetch-and-Carry."

Applebloom drew herself up and saluted smartly. "Understood, Commander!" To Applejack's surprise, Bloom managed to hold the pose for a beat or two. Then it was lost in a fit of giggles. Bloom took a few deep breaths, and waved as she eased the door shut. "See ya later, Sis. I'm gonna go 'get this mess under control.'"

Applejack grinned. "See that ya do, Private! Be fit to report for duty in fifteen!"

"Fifteen what?"

Applejack only laughed in reply and cantered down the stairs, towards the back door and the fields. Mac would already be awake, she knew. He was always up long before she was, and asleep long after, watching the stars from his favorite hill. And woe betide the fool that woke Granny Smith up before she was ready.

Applejack took a deep breath, and spent a moment enjoying the late August morning. The fall air was crisp and full of energy, even at this early hour. A soft wind blew through the groves, rustling the leaves and making the grass wave and tickle her hooves. She could smell rain on the air, but knew there was nothing scheduled except sun and light breezes for the rest of the week, so that was likely drifting over from the Everfree. A few early-rising birds twittered soft melodies in the treetops, and Applejack closed her eyes and listened before setting to work.

Soon, Applejack was lost in the familiar rhythm. Thock! Her hooves hit the trunk. Wshh-- Thmp, thmp, thmp The apples slid through the leaves and hit the baskets. Applebloom would be along to get them and bring them to the cart soon, and Mac would haul them in for storage.

I wonder how the cherry harvests went...

A perfect system was set up here, a perfect balance.

I wonder if Miss Jubilee ever finished those sweetheart groves... I was supposed to help with that.

Working together, smooth as clockwork. Everything was just how it was supposed to be.

A year ago last week...

So why was she so sad? Thock! Why did it feel like something was wrong? Thmp, thmp, thmp. Why couldn't she just bury her mind in her work anymore, and forget her guilt? It worked so well last time...

Tha-crkk! Applejack yelped as she felt the tree give. She stumbled, and fell face-first into the dirt, one back hoof still stuck in the newly-widened squirrel-hole. A bitter sob grew in her throat, but she forced herself out of this familiar spiral. Angry, she picked herself up, yanked her hoof free, and proceeded to strike every apple from its branch in the South Orchard. No quarter was granted, and Applejack refused to think of little but the task at hoof.

A few hours later, the sun hovered lazily above the distant Crystal Peaks, turning the sky into a gorgeous pale-blue-and-lavender gradient. Suddenly, a metallic jangling shattered the early-morning peace, and woke Applejack from her trance-- The meal bell. Suddenly the orange mare realized just how hungry she was. Her stomach grumbling, she excitedly trotted down to the farmhouse.

Warm, sweet smells filled the little oak-paneled kitchen. Granny had breakfast laid out already -- crispy hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, and huge pancake stacks smothered in maple syrup and butter. Applejack smiled gratefully and slid into her seat at the heavy mahogany table. Mac was already in his accustomed place across from her, and Bloom bounded down the stairs and hopped into her own chair. No one took a bite until Granny Smith had eased herself into her old, rickety rocker (she refused to sit in any other chair in the house) and set into the food herself.

Applejack cut into the pancakes greedily and stuffed a sweet forkful into her mouth. They were fluffy and thick, tasting more like clouds of maple syrup and butter than bread. A smile crossed her face. Just like Ma used to make. Gran must've finally figured out her recipe. Wait, are those-- Almonds? I haven't had almond pancakes since... Since the cherry ranch. Laurel, Stone's little cousin, sure liked 'em, though. I wonder what Bloom thinks of 'em? Applejack glanced to the end of the table. Noting the excited look on her little sister's face, she swallowed and raised an eyebrow at the filly. "So what's the plan today, Bloom? After school, you're heading out with Scoots and Sweetie again, right?"

"Yep," Applebloom replied brightly. "We're gonna try and get cutie marks in swashbuckling today."

Applejack frowned, not sure she'd heard her sister right. "Swashbuckling?" She got a mental image of Bloom sitting on a rowboat, toy sword in the air, while a fish leapt out of the river to pluck the treasure map from her other hoof. Applejack had to bite her tounge to keep from laughing.

Applebloom nodded. "Yep!" She took a few more bites before a thoughtful look crossed her face. "Sis? What's a 'swash,' and how do ya buckle one?"

Applejack laughed and shook her head, spearing the last bite of her pancakes and swirling them in the syrup. "Well, if I tell ya, ya won't learn anything, will ya?"

Applebloom frowned and glared at her sister. "You don't know, do ya?"

Applejack snorted. "I do too." Since Cherry Cola explained it to me, that is. "I just don't wanna tell ya, that's all."

The filly's expression shifted into a teasing smirk. "If ya don't know, AJ, it's okay. We're not gonna make fun of ya."

"I do too know!" What did Cola say? Something about hitting shields with... Something else? But how does that loop back around to pirates? Ugh. Barbados would know...

"Then explain it!" Bloom's voice snapped her back to the breakfast table.

"No!"

"Why?"

"'Cause I said so, and I'm the big sister, so there!"

Granny Smith rapped the end of her fork against the table. "Now, both of ya hush and eat yer breakfast. There's chores and school fer you, Bloom, and plenty for you ta get done, Applejack. Get yer food ate so you can get to yer work. Mac and I need the table to interview a new farmhoof this mornin'."

Applebloom decided to push the envelope. "I'll eat. As soon as AJ tells me what a swash is."

At this point, Applejack had had enough; it was leave or yell. She stood up from the table abruptly, startling her three family members. "I'm not hungry. I'm gonna go sort the apples we harvested this morning."

Mac glanced between the three mares, at a loss as to what had just happened. "Jack? Jack, come back here!" A slammed kitchen door was all the answer he got.

~*~

The storage cellar was cool and dim, lit by a simple electric lantern hanging from its hook in the ceiling. Canned vegetables and fruits stood three-deep on the wraparound shelving, and an assortment of Granny's cooking and medicinal herbs hung drying on the far wall. At the workbench, Applejack sifted aimlessly through the cartload of fruit, thinking. Maybe I was overreacting... Bloom didn't mean any harm. She just... Doesn't always know when to quit. I'll have to apologize later. Shaking her head, she grabbed a bushel and dragged it over to the bench, where an assortment of empty barrels stood waiting. Hm... This one would be a good baking apple. Here's one that's pretty bruised... It belongs with the cider apples. Ooh-- A gala! Gala apples were Applejack's favorite snack, and she hadn't eaten much more than those pancakes at breakfast. But she wasn't supposed to eat the apples she was working with. She glanced up at the door above her. It was so shiny and rosy and sweet-smelling... Surely one small apple wouldn't hurt? Hungrily, she took a bite--

And spit it right back out. The apple tasted bitter and sour, with a nasty grainy texture that made her tongue twist. What in the hay?! Ugh! Disgusted, she flung the remains of the apple into a corner of the cellar, and sullenly returned to her task. Baking apple. Cider apple. Snack apple. Baking apple. Roasting apple...

Some time later, the sound of a hoof knocking drew her attention back up to the door. Still grumpy, she stomped up the stairs and shoved the door open. "What," she snapped.

Mac sighed and took the anger without comment. "Jack, I'd like ya ta meet the new farmhoof Gran and I just hired. I'm puttin' you in charge of him, since he said he knew ya."

"Hey, Jackie." Stone smiled sheepishly and waved a forehoof. "So... How've ya been?"

Author's Note

Still shorter than the prologue, which irks me. However, I don't think I can add too much more without sacrificing the flow and pacing of the story. The prologue only wound up as long as it did because I was trying to pack a whole highlight reel for a short story in there. I hope it's not too jarring a difference.

Two: Blight

Applejack stared at the two stallions in silence. After a brief pause, she turned around and started back down into the cellar. Mac glanced at Stone, then to his sister, and back to the farmhoof. Wordlessly, he shrugged and turned to leave.

"Wait," Stone called, starting to follow the massive red pony. "Uh, what do I do?"

"Ya follow me, dummy," Applejack snapped from the cellar stair. "Didn't ya hear him say I was in charge of ya? That means you're working with me."

Stone winced and hovered at the top of the stairwell. He hadn't seen much of Jackie's bad side at the ranch, but he knew it wasn't somewhere he wanted to be. "Uh... O--Okay." With a gulp, Stone trotted after his unhappy companion.

Applejack pointed to the unsorted bushels of apples. "I'll give ya a tour when we finish this. Grab a bushel and start putting 'em in those barrels. Right to left we've got selling apples, baking apples, cider apples, eating apples, roasting apples, and apples for makin' caramel apples for the Harvest Fair in a few weeks. Those'll be the especially round ones, with kinda flat bottoms. Baking apples are really big and a little drier than the others, ciders are the ones bruised all to heck, and roasters are usually smaller than bakers, but three times as juicy. Selling apples are the all-around best of the lot, and everything else falls into the 'snack' category."

Stone nodded, glancing into the barrels for a better idea of the specifics. "Okay. Thanks, Jackie."

Applejack, forehooves hock-deep in her bushel, froze and turned to glower at Stone. "Don't ever call me that again, understand?"

Stone paused, his own batch of apples half-out of the cart. "Why? You didn't mind at all last summer."

The mare turned back to the apples, her eyes distant. "That was then. Things are different now."

Stone felt icy claws wrap around his heart and lungs. I should tell her. Why didn't I tell her before? Stone, you're an idiot. An idiot with oatmeal for brains. Heavily, he sat down beside Applejack and set into the apples himself. "So... Different how?"

"Just different, that's all."

Turned back-to-back like they were--the only way they'd both fit on the bench--Stone had an easier time hiding his frustration. Why won't she talk to me? Is there someone else? Was there someone before we met? Is that why she left? He scowled at the empty air in front of him. It's probably that 'Caramel' kid. Little punk probably only gave me the directions to get here 'cause he knew I wasn't gonna have a shot. I'll show him; I'll fight for her. I'll-- A hoof jabbed him in the side.

Applejack, still twisted around, watched him questioningly. "You alright there, Stone? You've been real quiet, and tensing up worse than an overwound clock."

Stone laughed awkwardly and went back to apple-sorting. "Haha. Uh, sorry. Guess I was letting my mind wander. Better get back to work."

Applejack nodded briskly and stood up. "Yep. I'm gettin' another bushel. We've got a lot more to deal with before lunchtime."

Unseen, Stone grinned at the apples. Ha! She wants to make sure I'm okay. Take that, Caramel!

~*~

Applejack shrugged. "So that's basically it. That's Sweet Apple Acres."

Stone pointed up at the gentle slope behind the farmhouse. "What about up there?"

Jackie's face turned unreadable again. "The North Orchard is around on the other side of the house, but it's nothin' special, just a smaller version of what's on the Northwest Corner. It butts up against the Carrot Family's land, and there's a couple family-only places in there."

"Like what?"

Applejack frowned. "Mac's hill. The first grove my family planted. Stuff like that."

Stone nodded patiently. At least she's not resorting to monosyllables again. Progress!

Suddenly, a terrified scream burst through the warm noontime air. "AAAPLEJAAAAACK!

Applejack snapped her head around, moving towards the sound. "Bloom?!"

A shape burst out of the trees and slammed into Applejack's chest, bowling her over. The two tumbled backwards, striking the thick, unyielding trunk of an old apple tree.

Stone rushed forward and helped pull Applejack to her hooves. "You okay, Jackie?"

"I'm fine," she growled, snatching her hoof away.

"Jackie?" The yellow shape resolved into a filly with a mane-bow almost as big as she was. "Ooooh, AJ, you didn't tell me you had a boyfriend. Does Mac know? Prob'ly not, since he's got all his limbs and stuff." She blinked, realizing Stone was not, in fact, someone she recognized from the area. The filly's brow furrowed, and she stamped up to the strange stallion. "Who are ya, anyways? An' just what are yer intentions towards mah sister?"

Stone backed up a step, making the filly advance. "Uh..."

Applejack sighed and turned her sister around. "Applebloom! Ain't you supposed to be crusading today? And what was all that screaming for?"

Applebloom's eyes shrank as whatever had terrified her rushed back to mind. She threw herself, shaking, against Applejack's chest, startling the older pony. "No! Sweetie was sick, so... Oh, AJ, it's terrible! It-- It--"

"What? What happened to Sweetie? Is she alright?"

"No! They're all-- They're all white!"

Applejack stared down at her sister, who was on the verge of tears. "Uh, Bloom? I hate to be the one to tell ya this, but... Sweetie and Rares are white. It's just the color of their fur, nothing else. No reason to be upset."

"NO!" Applebloom pulled away, glowering at her sister and punctuating her shouts with hooves thrown violently into the dirt. "No, no, no! I know Sweetie's fur is white. I ain't dumb! It's the apples! In the North Orchard. I cut home through the Carrots' fields, and--" her spirit drained, Bloom slumped to the ground. "It's all white, AJ. The fruits, the leaves, everything. No tree was safe."

Applejack put a hoof to her mouth. The whites of her own eyes were clearly defined, making her irises look more like emerald specks. "No... It can't be. No! Not even--"

"Them too, I figure." Applebloom looked completely morose. "No green so far as I could see. Not even grass. Just white, like a blank colorin' page."

"No! Oh, sweet Celestia, NO!" Her face the picture of panic, Applejack reared and bolted off in a streak of orange and gold. Stone, flustered and lost, looked back and forth between the two sisters before taking off after Applejack.

Hooves thudding over the well-packed dirt, they soon whipped past the house and up into the North Orchard. Stone tried to call to Applejack, to get her to slow down, or explain what was wrong, but he could hardly hear himself over the hoofbeats and the wind in his ears. The trees around them started to change, the leaves and fruit specked with white that grew to spots, then blotches, and then consumed the tree. The trunks, even, turned a stark grayish color.

Finally, they skidded to a stop at the top of a hill, hooves digging into the dirt as they cut momentum. "Applejack!" Stone was fighting for breath. "What... What's happened?" Uncertainly, Stone trotted over to a tree and tapped a low-hanging apple. The fruit fell of the branch and splattered on the ground in a nasty-smelling mess, marring the white grass with gray-black pulp. Just like the cherries... How does it spread so fast? Our orchards only went up a couple weeks ago.

After staring at the remains for a moment, Stone picked his head up and scanned the area. "The whole orchard! Applebloom wasn't kidding." He glanced at Applejack, who stared straight ahead in silent horror. "...Ja-- Er, AJ? Hey, AJ? Is there anything I can do?" He followed her line of sight into a fenced-off expanse of the Orchard, only partially filled with tall, stately trees. It looked like... "AJ, is that your family's graveyard?"

It was an old Earth-pony tradition to bury the fallen directly into the ground, wrapped in a quilt they had spent their winters making, so that they could return to the land unhindered. A tree or bush, usually fruit-bearing or flowering, was planted on the grave to mark it. The Cherry Family's graveyard was a place Stone had been many times, looking for advice or a listening ear from his ancestors. Seeing the Apple graves damaged in such a way turned his stomach to ice. "Oh, Jackie..." So this is what you meant by 'family-only.' I'm so sorry.

Applejack whinnied sharply and stormed down the hill, leaping the wooden fence with ease. Stone followed, slowing to go by the gate. He was a guest, and he should enter this sacred place respectfully.

He found Applejack sprawled between two apple trees, no more than a few years old, their buds still green. Her beloved hat had fallen off her head, but Applejack seemed too lost in her relief to notice. "Oh. thank Omnia. Thank Omnia they're okay..."

Stone, standing on the path behind her, allowed himself a small cough to draw her attention away. "AJ? If I may, who are these?"

Applejack turned to face him with a tearstained smile and firmly set her hat back on her head. "These are my parents, Stone. Applejack, my ma, and my pa, Bismark."

Stone eased himself down onto the path, hoping to distract Jackie long enough for her to be able to come to grips with the situation again. "Your mother's name was Applejack, too?"

AJ nodded. "Yep. See, Ma was a second-generation Equestrian, who married into the Apples; her family traces back to Dream Valley. And it's a Dream Valley tradition to name the firstborn daughter after the mother, so..." She shrugged.

Stone nodded slowly, archiving that. "Dream Valley, huh? Wow. I thought the place was just a legend."

Jackie managed a small chuckle. "So did Pa, 'til Ma moved to town." She patted the soil above her father, eyes distant. "Both these trees were grown from seeds that Ma brought back from Dream Valley. Ma insisted we use one for Pa's grave, but Gran wanted to use a seed from Grandpa Sprout's tree, like tradition states. They would've argued about it 'til the end of time, if Ma hadn't snuck out and planted it while Gran was asleep. It was only fitting that we use another for Ma's resting place, I s'pose"

"So, do you think that's why these two are still green? Why the blight didn't hit them?"

Applejack frowned and rubbed the last of the tears from her eyes. "... Maybe. I can't say for sure, but I think I know who can." She sprung to her hooves and ran over to her grandfather's tree. "Sorry, Grandpa," she muttered as she gently plucked a fruit from a branch and guided it safely into her overturned hat, nestled into the crook of her foreleg. "C'mon. We're headed into town."

~*~

The castle was something Stone had seen from a distance as he entered Ponyville, but it was far more impressive up close. Tall, crystalline spires stretched up to pierce the clouds, hundreds of windows and dozens of balconies glittered in the sun, and the whole thing was topped off by a glowing purple star. Stone was aware of Applejack's status and that of her influential companions, but this palace was positively jaw-dropping.

Applejack pounded a hoof on the heavy oaken door. "Twah! Twah, opemph uff!"

Stone leaned around and reached for the hat still clenched in the mare's teeth. "Maybe it would be easier if you let me hold that...?"

Applejack us turned to glare at him, then resumed loudly beating at the door. "TWAH!"

The door creaked open, and a sleepy-eyed, juvenile dragon leaned around the side. "What?"

Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes. Carefully, she set the hat down between her hooves. "Spike! I need to talk to Twi right away. It's urgent."

Spike's eyes lost all trace of tiredness. "What's going on, AJ? Twi's out on a Royal Mission, something about a 'horrible disaster' down south in Hayseed Swamp. She sent a letter back saying she doesn't know when she'll be back. I'm holding the fort 'til she comes home." He stepped out and shut the door behind him. "What's wrong? Is there anything I can do?" He peered up at Stone. "Who's this guy?"

Applejack just shook her head and growled. "Spike, meet Stone. Stone, this is Spike. Now!" She jabbed a frustrated hoof at the snow-white apple. "I don't s'pose you can tell me what did this to my orchards and how I can fix it."

The dragon leaned in close. A low, appraising hiss slid out of Spike's throat. "Well, I can tell you that... I have absolutely no idea how this happened." He shook his head and let his arms fall limply to his sides. Then a burst of energy bolted through him as a new idea hit. "But! I can also tell you that Zecora knows a lot more about plants than Twilight does. Maybe you should ask her if she can help!"

"I'll try anything to get my orchards back. Thanks Spike!" No sooner than that, Applejack has the hat in her teeth again and was halfway down the stairs.

Stone half-turned, hesitated, and then tipped his hat to the little dragon. "Er, Black Stone Cherry. Pleased to meet you, mister, uh... Dragon."

Spike stood on the porch for a few moments, watching the two earth-ponies go rushing off into the Everfree. As they dissolved into a cloud of dust, he shook his head and turned to go back inside. "I sure hope Zecora can help. If that spreads from Sweet Apple Acres... All of Ponyville's food supply is in danger."

Three: Beginning

Stone yelped as he stumbled into a briar bush, dodging a patch of vicious-looking flowers with an ominous blue glow. He didn't know what they were, but his Earth-sense told him they weren't exactly benevolent. Nothing in this Celestia-forsaken wild-land was benevolent. Tearing his hooves out of the entangling thorns, he cantered to keep Jackie's golden tail in sight. "Why are we here again?"

Applejack sighed and balanced the apple-laden hat on a mossy branch. "Zecora lives out here. I'm taking the apple to her place so we can see if she knows anything about this blight."

Something rustled in the bushes. Stone caught a flash of feathers and scales as it slithered by. He must've looked frightened, because Applejack scoffed again. "Oh, for Luna's sakes, it's just a cockatrice, Stone. Don't be such a scaredy-colt."

Stone's jaw dropped open. "Just a cockatrice?! How dangerous is this place?"

Applejack shrugged. "I didn't exactly ask ya to follow me, as I recall. You can head back to the farm, if ya like."

Stone set his jaw and stamped a forehoof. "No way! I'm not letting you go running around this forest--"

"LET ME?!" Applejack was livid, her eyes wide and full of green fire. Seething with anger, she advanced on Stone, her teeth bared. "Let's get somethin' straight here, Stone. You don't 'let me' do anything. I act of my own volition. You and your opinions have no effect whatsoever on what I do. Do you understand?"

Stone, who was by this time shrunk between a tree trunk and the dirt, trying unsuccessfully to hide beneath his hat, sprang up. "Now who in the hay says I'm tryin' to tell ya what to do?!" He stamped the ground in exasperation. "I'm just sayin' I'm gonna stick with ya to make sure nothin' sneaks up on ya, that's all! If you got hurt..." Stone trailed off, realizing Jackie was not taking his explanation any better than her assumption.

Her green gaze cool and face impassive, Applejack stepped back to the hat. "I don't need to be protected, Stone. Now shut up and keep up. The Everfree's not a good place to get lost in." And with that, she snatched the apple and hat up and resumed her trot to wherever this 'Zecora' lived.

Why can't I ever say the right thing? Stone sighed and moved to follow the mare.

~*~

After what felt like an hour, Stone and Applejack emerged into a small clearing, with a little plaster-walled, thatched-roof hut sitting in the middle. Stone raised an eyebrow at the decorations, but kept his mouth shut. Applejack seemed like she was still angry at him, and he didn't want to give her an excuse to turn on him again. The door creaked open, and a mare striped in shades of gray walked out to meet them.

"Applejack, back so soon? And where is little Apple Bloom?"

Applejack set the hat down on the ground, expression worried. "Hey, Zecora. I know I was here earlier with those apples, but you may want to be careful. There's a blight of some sort in town. Oh. This is--"

Zecora, who had now reached the ponies, pulled back in shock upon seeing the blank-white apple nestled in the dark brown felt of the hat. "Introductions, I fear, will have to wait. We must act now, before it's too late."

Stone glanced sharply at the strange, rhyming mare. "You mean you know what this might be?"

Zecora took the hat in her own teeth and merely nodded, motioning for the ponies to follow her into the hut.

Inside the low-walled, one-room structure, Stone found he liked the interior decorations no better than the exterior. Ominous masks glowered out from the walls, overlong expressions turned even more sinister by the waning light of the lantern that hung from the ceiling. Stone shuddered, but kept his unease to himself, as any good guest would.

Zecora set the hat down on a low table that ran along one wall, then turned and reached up to snatch an old, worn-looking leatherbound volume from a high shelf. Stone averted his eyes, feeling ill at the sight. Leather products had been highly illegal in Equestria for well over five hundred years. Even before that, it had been intensely regulated, so that no leather was formed from a skin that had not been donated to just such a cause.

The zebra flipped through the pages rapidly, seeming to have forgotten the ponies were even present. At last, the yellowed and cracked parchment was allowed to rest, and Zecora jabbed a hoof at one page triumphantly. "A-ha, here it lies. Come, ponies, and feast your eyes."

On the page was a gorgeous, full-color illustration of a grove of fruit trees, marred by a startling whiteness. Applejack shouldered in between the stallion and zebra, planting a forehoof on either side of the text as her eyes scanned across the lines. The color drained from her face, and Applejack took a shuddering gulp. "Listen to this: 'The Monochrome Blight, as historians have come to call it, swept across the continent millions of years ago. This marked the end of the First Pony Age, which fell into decline when the Rein of Four ended. Almost all land was rendered infertile, save for a few places, such as Dream Valley, far to the south. All other pony civilizations..." She pulled away and shook her head slowly, staring at nothing.

Stone felt his body grow cold. "What? What happened?"

Zecora leaned over and gently shut the book. "They are no more, you know the cause. We haven't now the time to pause."

Stone wrapped a hoof around Jackie's shoulders, trying to gently bring her back to the present. "I s'pose you're right, Miss. Ah, what should we do?"

Zecora nodded, thinking. "I'm glad you ask, my pony friend. You must go to where the world begins."

Stone frowned, trying to puzzle the rhyme out. "...What?"

Zecora sighed and rubbed her forehead between her eyes. She lowered the hoof and waved it in a circle, trying to phrase the concept better. "If this curse you would reverse, find what the Blight was giving berth."

Stone's head began to ache, and part of his mind shied from figuring out exactly what that was supposed to mean. "I-- I still don't understand."

"That's nothing new," Applejack snapped, throwing Stone's hoof off her shoulders and returning to her apparently usual cranky self. "If we're headed back to 'where the world begins...' We're headed to the farm. I'm going to Dream Valley. You're staying there to help with the harvest and the Fair."

Stone drew himself up, ready to object, but Applejack's tone and accompanying glare brooked no argument. His ears fell back against his skull as he deflated.

Applejack turned to Zecora. "Thank you for your help, Miss Zecora. If there's anything you need--"

The zebra held a hoof up. "No debt to pay, dear orange mare. I oft eat free, upon your fare."

Applejack gently pushed Zecora's hoof down. "No. With all due respect, Zecora, this isn't just a service to me, or to Ponyville. What you've helped us with has been a service to all Equestria. So I give my word, not just as Applejack or as your friend, but as a Knight of Harmony, a Lady of the Royal Court, and all those other fancy-shmancy titles Princess Celestia keeps piling on me, that--should you ever need me--I will come."

Zecora smiled warmly, sadness tinging her eyes. "I knew already, my dear Applejack. Yet I pray it should not come to that."

Applejack nodded, pensive. Suddenly, she lunged forward and wrapped Zecora in a hug. Stone refused to acknowledge the twinge of jealousy in his gut. "'Bye, Zecora," Applejack said, pulling away. "I'll hurry as fast as I can. Tonight I'll pack up, and head out at dawn. If what I remember from Great-Aunt Bramley is right, it shouldn't take more than two weeks at the outside. I hate to ask you for more help, but... You're a fair hoof with plants. Can you help contain this mess for that long?"

Zecora nodded thoughtfully. "I will do my very best. The least repayment for my debt."

Applejack's brow furrowed. "What? You don't owe me a thing--"

Zecora chuckled. "Not to you, young Applejack. It's Granny Smith I must pay back." Applejack's eyes betrayed an endless list of questions, but Zecora merely removed the apple from its hat and returned the article to its rightful owner's head. "Not now, my friend, you must move fast. Last I'd heard, you hadn't packed."

Applejack shook her head to clear it, and nodded decisively. "Right. Questions later. We need to move. Goodbye, Zecora, and thank you again for your help." She turned and swept past Stone, who had retreated near the door. As he began to follow her, Zecora placed a restraining hoof on his shoulder.

"My nameless friend, do be aware, some growl to bite, and some to scare."

"...What?"

Zecora growled and jabbed a hoof out the door, her meaning clear this time. Stone glanced at the zebra, not sure what he'd done to anger her, and waved an awkward goodbye as he turned and trotted out after Jackie.

~*~

"So why're ya goin' to Dream Valley again?" Applebloom bounced lightly on her sister's bed, watching as Applejack carefully counted out a variety of items.

"Flint-and-tinder... Fifty feet of rope... Canteen... Extra canteen...What was that, Bloom?"

Applebloom sighed and hopped off the bed, circling to face her sister. "Why. Are. You. Going. To--"

"Dream Valley. I get it." Applejack set down her checklist -- they weren't quite as helpful as Twi had claimed, but they sure were useful -- and turned to her little sister. "I'm going to deal with this blight. If I can figure out what kept Dream Valley safe, maybe I can bring it back here. Maybe it'll restore our land."

"'Maybe?'" Bloom's face was worried. "Ain't it kind of a far trip for something that's not a sure thing? Not to mention dangerous..."

Applejack reached out and wrapped Applebloom in a hug. "Don't you worry about me, sugarcube. I've handled worse than a long trip through uncharted territory."

"Not alone, you haven't!"

Applejack pulled away and looked her sister in the eye. "I haven't? Who saved who's rump in the fire swamp?"

Applebloom giggled. "I didn't need savin' Sis, as ya might recall. But that chimera did go down pretty quick."

Applejack patted Bloom on the shoulder, smiling a bit smugly. "Exactly. Now, ain't ya s'posed to be helpin' me pack?"

~*~

The next morning, Applejack stood at the gate, her bulging pack between her shoulders and her eyes on the pale gray horizon. Applebloom slouched beside her sister, following the older pony's gaze. Both were silent, their goodbyes spoken last night as they had packed.

Granny Smith came creaking up the path behind them. "Now you be careful, Missy," she sighed, gently taking her eldest granddaughter's face in her forehoof. "I don't think this family can take losing another Apple so soon."

Applejack smiled wanly, laying her own hoof atop Granny's. "Don't you worry. I'll be safe. I'll come back right as rain, you'll see." I just hope you'll be okay, too. I don't know who's gonna get hurt this time... Don't think I want to, either.

A massive shadow was all that signaled his appearance. Applejack turned to face her brother's concerned gaze. "Mac, I've got this. No one needs to worry; I'll be fine."

Macintosh's face shifted into that look of sheer, obstinateness only an older brother could manage. "Eeyup. 'Cause you ain't goin' alone."

Applejack's nostrils flared. "What?! Mac, I ain't lettin' you tag along on this! No way in Tartaurus is my big brother gonna babysit me! I don't need protection!"

"Nonsense," Granny Smith chimed in. "You gotta sleep sometime, honey, and we'll all rest easy knowin' you got somepony to watch over ya while yer eyes are closed."

"I still can't let Mac come with me," Applejack insisted. "I'm leavin' behind too much for y'all to do as it is!"

Mac laughed. "Nope. Yer right, Jack. I'm stayin'."

Applejack blinked, her eyes flicking between her three family members. "If it ain't you... Then who? I sure as sugar ain't takin' Granny or Bloom along, either."

"And no one's askin' you to." Applejack turned again to find Stone, his own heavy pack on his back, approaching. Winona trotted happily at his side. "Mac and Granny say they can hire another farmhoof any day of the week. I've been released from my contract, and we -- Winny and I -- We're goin' with ya."

Applejack was angrier than anypony there had ever seen her, but with one look around at their faces, she knew she wasn't going to win this one. Still, it was worth a try.

"No. No way, no how. I told you before, Stone, I don't need your protection. Now take that pack off."

Stone's eyes narrowed. "Make me."

Applejack bared her teeth and took a slow, deliberate step forward. "Stone--"

Mac thrust a dark red hoof in her way. "Jack..." He trailed off warningly. "Jack, it's him or me. I can pick up the slack, 'specially if we hire another farmhoof to replace him. We ain't got the budget to hire the three farmhooves it'd take to cover both you and me, though."

Applejack glared at Mac, but after a moment, she relented. "Fine. But he's gotta watch his own back out there. I ain't his Celestia-blasted nanny."

Stone shrugged. "Fair enough. Now let's get a move on! We're burnin' daylight!"

After a final round of hugs -- and one tear-filled outburst from Applebloom -- Applejack, Stone, and Winona set off for the train station.