Applejack stood by the side of the road with her family. Things had been eerily quiet at the Apple residence the last few days. Applejack’s enlistment had caused more hurt feelings than she’d meant it to, but her mother seemed to have taken the news the hardest. Ginger Smith had lost her husband to a war and now she was facing the possibility of losing her children to another. She hadn’t spoken much and did the daily chores in a somber mood, wiping tears from her eyes more often with each passing day.

Even now Ginger was holding onto Apple Bloom as they waited for the bus to arrive for all of the recruits from Ponyville. Apple Bloom herself hadn’t spoken much to Applejack recently, but Apple Bloom had made a point to avoid her sister. The only time she was ever around Applejack for more than a few minutes was at dinner and when she pulled the apple cart into the farmer’s market each morning.

Applejack watched her sister as she promised their mother she’d write to them and call when she could. Apple Bloom looked at Applejack over Ginger’s shoulder, frowning and unable to meet her sister’s eyes. “Gimme a second,” Applebloom said as she pulled herself away from her mother and walked over to Applejack.

Applejack looked up at her sister. “Apple Bloom Ah’m-” Applejack began, only to be silenced, by her sister’s hand.

Applebloom scratched the back of her head as she spoke the first words to Applejack in days. “Ah get why ya did it. Ah was a little angry cuz Ah felt like ya still thought of me as a foal,” Apple Bloom began. Applejack hung her head in shame. “But I don’t wanna leave angry,” she finished, smiling at her sister. “So Ah forgive ya,” she said holding her arms open for a hug.

Applejack smiled as she sniffed back a few tears as she accepted the hug. “Ah know ya can take care a yerself. Ah only signed up to git the war done quicker,” Applejack said. Apple Bloom pulled away from the hug and tilted her head in confusion. “Way I figure it, the war’ll be over twice as quick with both of us in the thick of it,” Applejack joked, earning a smile from her sister.

“Sounds like a plan,” Applebloom agreed as the transport bus came into view down the road. “Jus’ make sure that goat don’t change ya too much. I still wanna have a big sister after this,” she finished as they joined their mother who was holding Mac.

“Ah don’t think there’s much of a chance any of Reinstein’s fancy science stickin in mah head,” Applejack assured her as the bus came to a stop in front of them. “Try not tah win the war before I get there,” she continued, making her sister laugh.

“It’s good tah see you two on good terms again,” Ginger said smiling, but unable to hide the tears in her eyes. “Ah just want the both of ya tah remember tah be careful,” she told them as sternly as she could while trying to hold back tears.

Apple Bloom smiled as she hugged her mother one more time as the bus doors swung open and the other recruits started boarding with their luggage in tow. Applebloom grabbed her bags off of the ground and stepped in line as well. Giving her family a salute as she turned to the bus. Once she was on board Apple Bloom quickly found a seat near the middle next to an orange stallion wearing a bowler hat and sat down with her bag in her lap. She waved to her family through the window as the bus started moving forward. Several other ponies on the bus were leaning out of windows to give their last goodbyes to their families.

As the bus continued down the bumpy road, Applebloom opened her bag and pulled the small toy soldier Mac had given her from inside. She smiled at the thought of her little brother’s face and held the toy close to her heart.

“That from somepony special?” the stallion next to her asked.

Apple Bloom looked at the stallion with a start. “Kinda. Last gift from my lil brother,” she answered, giving the stallion a once over. She quickly noticed he looked several years older than her and had a thick bushy mustache. “No offense, but ya look a lil old to be going to bootcamp with the rest of us,” she told him, earning a chuckle from the stallion.

“I was in the Navy, but I could never get my sea legs. Decided to switch to the Army and they are requiring me to back through basic training. Some crap about the army being tougher,” he said rolling his eyes.

Apple Bloom looked at him interested. “Is the Army tougher than the Navy?” she asked. She knew boot camp wasn’t going to be a vacation, but she had hoped it wouldn’t be so tough a soldier that had already been through training couldn’t handle it.

The stallion laughed. “Only advice I’ll give ya kid is stick with the program and you’ll do fine,” he said, still smiling. “Names Dum Dum by the way,” he continued, holding out a hand for Apple Bloom to shake.

“Apple Bloom,” she replied shaking the stallion’s hand.

////////////////////////////////////////

The next day Applejack found herself back at the recruitment tent, under going a few medical tests as the military police on duty were clearing out the space they had been using. Applejack sat in a chair in the waiting area as the Dr. Reinstein ran the results of her test through a large computer in the only remaining office space.

“So what’s the verdict doc?” Applejack asked, hoping he hadn’t found some reason they couldn’t let her participate in the program.

“Everything looks like it should. Nothing to worry about,” Reinstein replied as he finished his work and shut the computer off. “Everything is set. We’ll be leaving in the morning. I suggest you go and spend some time with your family before you leave,” the doctor said as he picked up a few files off of his desk and put them in a leather bag. “It won’t do any good if you’re homesick before we even leave.”

Applejack smiled at the doctor’s thoughtfulness. “Sounds like a plan doc. Before I go though I gotta ask. Do you really think I’m the right choice?” she asked, still questioning the doctor’s choice.

Reinstein smiled as he slung his bag over his shoulder. “Applejack, I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life,” he said as he and Applejack left the tent.

“Sorry. Ah’m just havin trouble wrappin mah head around all of this. I mean I can barely lift mah own weight now, but yer tellin me Ah’m the one you want tah end a war. It’s all a little hard to take in,” Applejack explained, unsure of how she was even supposed to end the war.

Reinstein smiled at Applejack. “Do you think it is any different for the other candidates?” he asked. Applejack gave him a confused look. “Most of the soldiers we asked to volunteer refused, claiming we were attempting the impossible. In truth they simply didn’t understand what we were attempting and it frightened them,” he explained.

“To be honest doc, it scares me too,” Applejack admitted.

“Precisely,” Reinstein replied simply. “You are looking beyond that fear. It doesn’t matter what drives you forward, only that whatever is driving you is pushing you in the right direction. You accepted my offer because you care about your family. Your love for them outweighs your fear of what will happen to you. Another reason of many that makes me feel certain you are the pony I have been looking for,” he finished. “Now if you’ll excuse me I have a hay burger waiting for me in my hotel room. Good night Applejack,” the doctor said, waving as he walked towards the center of town and away from Applejack.

////////////////////////////////////

Applejack walked through the front door of the farmhouse and was met with the smell of a home cooked meal. “Ma, Ah’m back,” Applejack called out as she walked towards the kitchen and found her mother making apple pancakes, Applejack’s favorite food. “Seems a little late fer breakfast,” Applejack commented, taking in another whiff of the delicious pancakes.

Ginger smiled at the pleased look on her daughter’s face. “Well yer all set to leave in mornin and I wanted to make sure ya had one last taste a home before ya left.” she explained as set the last of the pancakes on a plate. “Git the milk outta the fridge and bring it to the table fer me,” Ginger requested as she picked up the plate and carried it into the dining room.

Applejack heard Mac giggling at the sight of dinner and smiled as she opened the fridge. She hadn’t really realized what she was leaving behind until now. I feel like I’m doin the right thing, but How is this gonna effect mah family? she asked herself. She knew that her mother would be able to hire on extra hands with the wages she and Applebloom would be sending home, but what if that wasn’t enough.

“No, just enjoy yer last night home,” Applejack told herself as she grabbed the plastic milk jug and closed the fridge, following her mother’s path into the dining room to enjoy the last meal she might have at home for several months at best.

///////////////////////////

The next morning Applejack saw her mother crying again, over her this time. “It’s gonna be alright ma. Ah’ll be back eventually,” Applejack said, trying to sooth her mother a few feet from their front porch. They had been locked in an embrace with Applejack holding Mac while their mother cried into Applejack’s shoulder. several feet away from them Dr. Reinstein and a pair of military police were waiting by a car, ready to take Applejack to a training camp near Canterlot for basic training.

“Ah know you’ll take care a yerself, but you gotta make sure they give ya enough to eat. Those military rations won’t be enough,” she said, sniffing back more tears.

Dr. Reinstein stepped forward. “Mrs. Apple I give you my word we will make sure your daughter is taken care of,” he promised, not wanting to rush the farewell, but at the same time they’d have to leave soon.

Ginger turned her tear streaked face to the goat and glared at him. “You’d better. I’ll trust a smart man like yerself should know what’d happen tah you if I don’t git mah daughter back,” she threatened, surprising Applejack.

“Ma!” Applejack said still having a hard time believing what she had just heard.

“It’s okay Applejack,” Reinstein assured her. “She is a mother worried for her child. I’d be worried if she wasn’t angry with me,” he said as he looked Ginger in the eye. “I swear on my life that Applejack will come home to you,” he promised, holding Ginger’s gaze as she searched his face for any kind of deception.

Applejack waited for the tension to break as Mac yawned and laid his head on her shoulder. Ginger nodded her head, evidently satisfied with the goat’s answer. “Okay, well I guess ya should be going then,” she said, turning back to Applejack.

“Yeah,” Applejack replied, not knowing what else to say. She silently handed her brother to Ginger and hugged them both for the last time. “Me an Bloom are comin home,” she whispered in her mother’s ear, breaking the hug soon after. “Okay doc,” Applejack said, turning to Reinstein. “I think Ah’m ready,” she said, walking slowly to the car. One of the military police opened the rear passenger door for her and Applejack climbed in, her luggage having been loaded into the trunk nearly twenty minutes ago.

Reinstein climbed into the car on the other side and the military police got into the front, the driver turning the key and starting the car. “Well then, next stop Camp Nomad,” he said as Applejack waved to her mother one last time.

Author's Note

OMG Another chapter!!! Yes I've been gone awhile, but now I'm back posting stuff again...

Well that's all see ya in a couple months!

Kidding, maybe...

Anyways I suppose we have things to talk about. Mostly the previous trivia question.

The fate of Cap's original badge shaped shield.

It was way back in the 40's when a rival comic company to, the then known as, Timely Comics, stated that Cap's shield was too similar to a character called the patriot and Timely comics changed the design to the disk shape in the next issue. This is the reason for the change, but several years ago the change was explained in the story.

During WWII Cap met KIng Tchaka, ruler of Wakanda and father of the future Black Panther, and was gifted a chunk of Vibranium. In return Cap left his original shield in Wakanda where it is still protected as a national treasure. Cap went back to America with the Vibranium and it later became the bouncing disk that bad guys fear.

I suppose I should try to come up with some kind of prize for people answering these questions. Well anyway on to the next question.

Who were the original creative minds behind the Red, White and Blue Avenger?

Stay Tuned.