The Road Less Traveled

by TheFanficFanPony

Rating: everyone
Tags: Applejack, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Other, Apple Bloom, Spike, Rarity
Length: 1271

One small change can alter the future, and Applejack's past is one example that could be changed if Manehattan would have been right.

On her quest for her destiny, Applejack, a small country filly heads out to the big city. But if her destiny truly lied in Manehatten, a future will unfold
that nopony could have predicted.

Not my cover art!

Published 2014-08-22 17:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-08-22 17:10:02 UTC

Applejack Takes Manehatten

Today's the day, Applejack thought as she packed her things into her saddlebags. She was going to the big city! Maybe she'd even get her cutie mark!

"Bye, Big Mac! Bye, Granny Smith!" Applejack called as she trotted towards the train that would take her to the big city. She wondered what it would be like as she sat on the cushy green train seat. She had wanted to go to Manehatten for as long as she could remember. She may have grown up on a farm, but she wondered if she was cut out for the big city.

Her friend Rarity talked about it extensively, AJ soaking as much as she could up from the conversation that Rarity had taken charge of.

"Everypony off for the Manehatten Station!" Smoke Stack, the train conductor, ushering large crowds of ponies off as well as on.

Applejack swallowed as she got off the train, preparing herself for ridicule for being a country pony.

She looked around, eyes gleaming as she saw many tall buildings, statues, and fancy shops. The streets were beautifully paved, and the city had an overall clean appearance. She looked at the posh ponies trotting around the streets, talking and flaunting all sorts of fancy duds. She wished she could be like that.

She saw an apartment building and recognized the address as her aunt and uncle Orange's!

"Why, hello, darling! Fancy seeing you around here!" Aunt Orange said, smiling.

"A pleasure to see you as well!" Applejack said, putting on the posh accent that Rarity had.

"Oh ho!" Uncle Orange said, surprised.

"Yes! And I would like to go to the party you have planned for tonight, as it should be exquisite." Applejack replied, using a word she liked that Rarity had used. She felt so normal acting like this, and hoped she could stay a little longer.

"Well, I love your fluent Manehattenite! Nopony could do it as well as you!" Aunt Orange praised Applejack, who blushed.

"I'm afraid I have nothing to wear." Applejack said sadly, hanging her head.

"Well, no time like the present!" Aunt Orange said cheerfully, grabbing AJ's hoof and pulling her out the door in excitement. She never thought the down-to-earth country pony would decide to join the Manehatten high society, and she was very exited.

The mare and the filly trotted down the streets, both marveling at the many clothing stores lining the streets. Applejack wondered why Auntie was so exited. However, Applejack seemed to get a little exited as she looked at all of the beautiful clothes.

They trotted into a store called Equestrian Outfitter. It was a high society shop that had high end clothing, as well as some of Rarity's designs.

"Woah.." Applejack stared at all of the beautiful clothes. She had never seen such clothing, and she never got to wear this kind of stuff at Sweet Apple Acres, as her family didn't really care about fancy clothes, and Applejack thought fancy clothes were weird. But as she looked at the large selection of clothes and accessories, she had an odd feeling. She wanted to try them on!

She shook her head. I'm not like that, she told herself. But she still had an urge to get all dressed up.

She spotted a light green dress on a rack. It also had a small, apple shaped jewel necklace on the rack as well.

"Erm, Aunt Orange? May I have that dress?" Applejack asked, blushing a little in embarrassment.

"Sure thing, darling!" Aunt Orange said, smiling. She was very surprised.

Applejack hesitated, but grabbed the dress off the rack with her teeth, and put it on. She looked in a mirror, and was amazed.

She was pretty. She looked like a pony from Manehattan. She liked it! She spun a little, making the the dress billow out behind her.

"You like it?" Aunt Orange asked Applejack, who nodded shyly. She may have been a farmpony, but she thought this life seemed intriguing and fun, more so than her normal life on the farm.

"Good, let's buy it!" Aunt Orange replied.

They trotted up to the cashier pony, and bought the dress.

Next, they trotted to the mane salon near by. Instead of seeing Aloe and Lotus, the fillies who's mothers worked at the Ponyville salon, a beautiful cream colored mare with a light blue mane worked there.

"Hello misses, what would you like to do today?" the mare asked.

"May I see the style options for mane cuts?" Applejack asked politely.

She chose a beautiful updo that eventuated her bangs and enhanced her green eyes. AJ didn't know a mane style could even do that.

The mare used her unicorn magic to spay her mane and style it up, a small mirror in front of her, showing her the progress of her mane styling.

"Darling choice!" Aunt Orange said, admiring how Applejack's mane style matched her own. Applejack blushed, smiling down at her fancy dress. She never knew how fun fashion and style could be. She had thought it was frivolous and silly at first. But now, she really enjoyed it!

Next, the salon mare brought out some makeup. Applejack winced, wondering if the makeup would hurt her face. But as the mare applied the lipstick and eye makeup, Applejack felt relaxed and calm. The makeup felt good on her face, and at the end, she looked in the mirror. She gasped. She looked amazing! She pursed her lips, and her lipstick was a beautiful shade of pink. She had false eyelashes in and light pink eye makeup. She stared at her reflection in awe.

I never knew how beautiful I could be, she thought. And I just might be cut out for being a sophisticated Manehattenite.

As Applejack trotted into the small apartment room, she realized something. The whole time she was in the store and out on the streets, she had been talking in perfect Manehattenite! She was doing it with out even thinking!

"Well, let us go to the party!" Uncle Orange said, smiling warmly at Applejack in her dress, makeup, and fancy mane-do.

The ponies trotted into the large hall. Many fancy ponies were sitting on cushiony chairs along the table, and heads turned as Applejack trotted towards the table. Her mane shone in the light of the chandelier overhead, and her dress flowed behind her.

The 3 ponies sat down in a line, Applejack in the middle. Applejack sat across from a snowy white mare with a blond mane.

"Hello everypony! This is my niece from Ponyville." Aunt Orange introduced Applejack.

Earlier, she had told Applejack to think of a more sophisticated name to use, as Applejack was a very "country" name.

"H-hello, my name is Apple Jewel." Applejack said, using the fancy name she had come up with, making sure to speak in clear Manehattenite.

"Very good!" Aunt Orange whispered to "Apple Jewel".

"How quaint!" Snowy Blonde said, smiling at Apple Jewel and levitating her cup in the air.

"Indeed." a brown stallion said, nodding.

"Thank you ever so much!" Apple Jewel said, pleased at the attention she was getting, and she wanted to keep this life style for a while. Also, Apple Jewel had a nice ring to it.

The dinner was brought out, as Apple Jewel thought about how the night was going. She had actually found herself enjoying the fancy manners and dresses. It was much more fun than hard farm work.

Maybe here, though she still had a lot to learn, this would lead to her cutie mark, and a future that she couldn't see.