Crossing Paths

Chapters

Road to Destiny
Homecoming
The Earth Pony Way
Reunion

Road to Destiny

I flew through the open woodland, exploring what I had already begun to think of as my new home. Oh, I knew I couldn't stay forever, but I wanted to, so much! Or at least until flight camp was over. Even the thought of going back to face those bullies was unbearable. I wondered if anypony was searching for me, like Rainbow Dash. I hoped they didn't go to too much trouble.

All of the animals were more enchanting than I had ever imagined, each with a unique voice and personality. The pictures I’d seen in books didn’t do them justice at all. And the trees were beautiful, and the grass was nice and springy underhoof, and even the dirt itself was interesting. The ground had sort of a welcoming firmness. It held a diversity of life and supported all kinds of creatures, unlike the clouds. The air itself was warmer and denser near the ground, and the trees provided shade and shelter from the wind.

After about two hours of exploring and getting to know the creatures, my stomach began to growl. The bunnies twitched their ears, looked up at me, and then started to nibble on the grass. I smiled and lowered my head, taking my first bite of fresh grass. It was more crisp and tangy than the grass that was imported to Cloudsdale. I nosed forward as I ate until I came across a sapling a little bit taller than I was. I wondered what the leaves tasted like; it couldn’t hurt to try them. I craned my neck and opened my mouth, about to chew on the leaves.

“Whoa there, sugar cube!”

I squeaked and jumped up, whirling around to look at the pony who spoke.

It was just a little earth filly. I had never seen an earth pony in real life before, only in pictures. The first thing I noticed about her besides her lack of wings was that she had a sun-kissed look. Her blond mane and tail were sun-bleached, her coat was a sunrise orange, and freckles dotted her face. She was also shorter than I was, and a little younger. I sighed with relief. Surely I had nothing to fear from her. I ducked my head sheepishly. Maybe Rainbow Dash was right: I was too jumpy.

“I wouldn’t do that if I was you,” said the filly with a slight shake of her head. “That there’s a red maple. If’n you eat that it’ll make ya sick.”

“Goodness!” I recoiled from the tree. “I almost made a terrible mistake! It’s a good thing you came along when you did. Gosh, are there any other plants that aren’t safe to eat?”

“Eyup, there’s nightshade, mayapples, and poison ivy, o’ course. Do you know what they look like?”

I shook my head, briefly wondering if all earth ponies spoke with this strange accent. “I never learned about plants. You seem to know a lot about them, though! Maybe your Cutie Mark will be a plant.”

The earth pony looked self-consciously at her blank flank. “You think so?”

“Oh yes, unless of course you’re even better at something else and you just don’t realize it yet. I only just now realized that I have a special connection with animals.”

The filly stared at the three butterflies on my flank. “You just now got yer Mark?”

My cheeks felt warm. “Well, yes.”

She grinned. “Congratulations, sugar cube!” she said sincerely. “What’s yer name? I can’t just keep callin’ you sugar cube.”

“Fluttershy.”

"Howdy, Fluttershy. Or, as they say in Manehattan-” Her voice took on a posh, nasal tone. “How do you do.” She slid back into her former twang as she continued, “My name’s Applejack. What brings you out here? You visitin’ someone?”

I ducked my head. “Sort of.” I paused, trying to decide how much to tell Applejack. She seemed trustworthy enough, but it’s never been easy for me to open up to somepony I don’t know well. And I’d already said more words to this earth pony than I had to most of the pegasi at flight camp. “I- I’m getting to know the animals.” I rubbed a squirrel’s back, and he leaned into my hoof.

Applejack looked carefully at me. “Where are you stayin’?”

“Um, well, I don’t exactly know yet.” I glanced down at a jackelope who patted my hoof.

“Why don't you come with me to Ponyville? You could stay with my family for awhile.”

"Oh, um..." I let my mane fall over my face, reverting to my usual shyness. "I-I don't want to be a bother..."

"Shucks, you couldn’t bother anypony if you tried. I'm sure my folks would appreciate the company. Reckon the house feels mighty empty right now. And I'm mostly to blame for that." She suddenly looked downcast, her ears drooping as she turned her head away.

I forgot my own anxiety and placed my foreleg on her back in a half-hug. “It’s okay, Applejack. I’m sure your family will be happy to see you no matter what.”

Applejack returned the half-hug and then pulled away. “Yer right, Fluttershy. Come on, we got a long way to go yet, and I wanna get there before dark." She turned and started walking away.

“Um, isn’t there anyplace where I could stay, um, by myself?”

She paused and brought her hoof to her chin. “Ain’t no hotels in Ponyville.”

I would have preferred to sleep outside with the animals than in a house with strangers, even if they were the nicest ponies on earth. But I didn’t know if Applejack would understand, so I didn’t say anything.

She must have sensed my hesitation, though, because she added, “Did I mention I live on a farm? Plenty o’ critters there.”

“Oh, really?” I stepped closer to her. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

Applejack walked toward a dirt road. I followed, figuring I could always turn back if things got unbearably awkward. It wasn’t as if I had anywhere better to go.

The earth pony picked up the pace until she was cantering. The grass I’d eaten gave me enough energy to keep up with her. A few of the bunnies, squirrels, and songbirds followed me, but most of them seemed afraid of the earth pony and kept their distance. As for the butterflies and bees, they couldn't keep pace with us and soon fell behind.

"'Bye," I whispered just before losing sight of the insects.

As we traveled, Applejack told me about the chickens and pigs her family kept, and their puppy, Winona. There were also many different wild creatures that frequently wandered in from the Everfree Forest. I was interested, but still a little concerned about staying with the strange ponies.

Eventually, when it seemed that Applejack had run out of things to talk about, I took a deep breath.

"Um, Applejack?"

"Yes?"

"Do you, um, do you think your family will ask questions? Like where I'm supposed to be, and if my daddy knows where I am?"

Applejack glanced sidelong at me. "Well now, Granny Smith’ll wanna know if you have yer daddy’s permission to stay with us. She ain't strict, but she wants to do right."

"Oh. I see. It's just..." I stared at the dirt in front of me. "My daddy will want me to finish flight camp..."

“Is that a problem?” Applejack glanced up at me.

“Oh, Applejack!” Suddenly words poured out of me. “I just can’t go back there! The other foals make fun of me because I’m a weak flyer. They call me names and they knocked me off a cloud, although I think that was an accident, but still, I was supposed to stay at camp for another week and a half and I just can't!"

She stared at me, her green eyes full of sympathy. "I get it, believe me. But couldn’t you just tell your daddy what you told me?”

I glanced away. “He never listens."

"Speak up."

"I said, he never listens," I repeated, raising my voice ever so slightly.

"You're gonna have to speak up louder if you want him to listen," Applejack said firmly.

"Oh. I guess I could try."

"Write him a letter! I’m sure he’ll pay attention to that. Tell him what's really goin' on."

Actually, writing a letter wasn't a bad idea. It would be easier to compose my thoughts on paper than to say them out loud to my daddy's face.

"Okay, I'll do it." I glanced at a bunny who was hoping loyally by my side. "You know, he doesn't know about my Cutie Mark yet. Nopony does - except you."

Applejack’s eyes widened. "Really?"

"Oh yes, you see I only got my Mark after my friend Rainbow Dash and the bullies knocked me off the cloud. I panicked - I really couldn't fly or do anything other than flail around. I would have been a goner if the butterflies hadn't caught me." I craned my neck to glimpse the pink butterflies on my flank. I still almost couldn’t believe I finally had my Cutie Mark.

"Butterflies?"

I turned back to glance at Applejack. Her eyebrows were lowered, and her mouth scrunched up.

"Yes. Is - is that unusual? I don't know much about them yet."

"They're real fragile. Why, I reckon one of 'em couldn't even hold up yer tail."

"Well, there were an awful lot of butterflies - there had to be thousands!"

"And they swarmed under you and caught you?" Applejack's brow creased.

"Yes."

"And you didn't smash through 'em?"

"No.” My wings twitched at this disturbing thought. "Pegasi are light enough to stand on clouds, you know. Anyway, the butterflies lowered me gently to the ground. Then I found all sorts of other creatures, and there was an explosion that scared them, but I comforted them and showed them that there was nothing to fear. That's when my Cutie Mark appeared.

"And that's the other reason I can't go back…” My steps slowed as I thought. “…Maybe not even to Cloudsdale. My Mark shows that I'm supposed to be here, on the ground with the land creatures. It makes sense. I was born here, you know. My mommy was an earth pony.”

Applejack stopped in her tracks and turned to stare at me. I paused mid-step.

“I don’t remember her. She…she crossed over the rainbow bridge when I was just a little foal.” My voice grew quieter.

The earth filly’s eyes wavered with a thin layer of tears, and she looked up at the sky and blinked a few times. I was touched; I had never met anypony who was so sympathetic.

Tears stung my own eyes as I continued. “My daddy took me back to live in his old home in Cloudsdale right after my mommy passed away. I think it was too painful for him to stay on the ground. There were too many bad memories…Or maybe even the good memories hurt.”

The earth filly turned her face away and brushed her cheek with her foreleg. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Her voice trembled. “Mighty sorry.”

I raised my eyebrows as it dawned on me that this was more than regular sympathy. I thought back to what she had said earlier, about her house feeling "mighty empty."

Placing my hoof on her back, I asked, “You lost somepony too, didn’t you?”

“Is it that obvious?” Her voice cracked on the last word.

I blinked. “Well, yes. That is, it’s obvious to me. I don’t know if it’s obvious to my little squirrel friends over there.” I shook my head. “Oh, Applejack, I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” She turned her head to glance at the squirrels and other creatures. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Not now. Not here, with - with all these critters.” She rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry you had to see me like this.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” My voice grew stronger with assurance. “You can’t help the way you feel.”

“But I used to hide it better. I never wanted any pity.”

“Oh, I don’t pity you,” I said quickly. “I just care about how you feel.”

Applejack stared at me full in the face. Her tears had stopped flowing, but they still hung in her green eyes. “That’s real sweet of you.” She paused, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh. “My Ma and Pa wouldn’t want me to be sad. I just gotta buck up and get through this somehow.”

“Oh.” She’d lost both parents? My heart went out to her. “Okay, but you don’t have to get through this alone. If you ever want to talk about what happened, I’ll be ready to listen.”

Applejack gave me a watery smile. “Thanks. Come on now, I wanna get home before supper.”

On that note, we continued along the dirt road toward Applejack's farm. The birds followed me, flying low, sometimes circling ahead. There were still several bunnies and squirrels keeping pace with us on the road. While the sun was still fairly high in the sky, I saw a simple structure that I'd only seen in photographs and illustrations: a log rail fence. A smaller path branched off the main road, leading to a wood gate. Beyond the fence were evenly spaced trees heavy with red, yellow, and green fruit.

"There it is," said Applejack. "Sweet Apple Acres."

"Then those must be apple trees."

"Course they're apple trees, didn't I mention that?"

I shook my head.

"I didn't? Tarnation, I can't believe I forgot to tell you about the main crop!"

She opened the gate, and we stepped through. The apples smelled so sweet and tangy, I almost wanted to fly up and taste one. I had never eaten any fresh fruit before, since it was expensive to ship to Cloudsdale.

The bunnies and squirrels followed me until Applejack turned around sharply. “The critters’ll have to stay on the other side o’ the fence,” she said, pointing with her foreleg.

Their little ears flattened.

“Aw, why can’t they come in?” I stuck out my lower lip in a pout.

“Sorry, but they’ll eat our apples and dig up seeds. There’s no place for ‘em in an orchard,” she said firmly.

“But - But what if I explain to them how important it is to leave your apples and seeds alone?”

She furrowed her brow. “You can do that?”

“I think so. It’s worth a try.” I glanced at my new little friends and looked hopefully back at Applejack.

“I s’pose.” Applejack sounded doubtful. “We should ask Granny Smith about it first. She’ll be mad as a wet hen if she sees rabbits in the orchard.”

I was disappointed, but still hopeful that I could convince Granny Smith to allow the forest creatures in the orchard. “Wait outside the fence, my friends,” I said to the animals. “I’ll come back for you soon.”

The bunnies and squirrels slipped back through the fence and sat calmly on the other side.

Applejack raised her eyebrows. “I’ll be darned. They actually listen to you.” She turned and headed up the dirt path. “Come on, let’s find my folks.”

We continued along the path toward an archway with vines growing all over it, which I later learned was called a trellis. The ground began to slope upward, and as we drew near the peak, a pale green earth pony came into view, as if out of nowhere. She looked very old: I guessed that she was the "Granny Smith" that Applejack kept talking about. Applejack saw her at the same moment I did; her face lit up as she broke into a gallop. But I hung back, unsure of how to introduce myself to the elderly earth mare.

Then an apple-red colt bounded up from behind the hillcrest to stand in the archway next to the mare. They both smiled at Applejack as she barreled forward to meet them. She leaned against her brother, and Granny Smith nuzzled her temple, and then -

a shimmer of magic, and three red apples appeared on her orange flank.

Granny Smith leaned back, blinking. "Well, butter my flank n’ call me a biscuit! Applejack, you got yer Cutie Mark!"

Applejack craned her neck to look. A grin spread across her muzzle when she saw the apples.

"Woohoo!" She reared up and kicked out her forelegs.

I felt happy for her, but the reunion made me realize how much I missed my daddy. I knew he'd be proud of me if he saw my Mark. I decided to write him a letter before the night was over, and mail it first thing in the morning.

Granny Smith pulled Applejack into a hug. “I am so proud o’ you, young’un.”

The filly grinned up at her. “Bein’ with ya’ll after goin’ away…It made me realize that I was meant to help my family and take care o’ them.”

“Eyup.” The colt ruffled Applejack's forelock, and then he fixed his gaze on me. "AJ, who's yer friend?" he asked.

Applejack pulled away from them a little and spread her foreleg toward me. "This here's Fluttershy. I met her on the road. C’mon now, sugar cube, don't be bashful."

I tentatively stepped forward.

"This is Granny Smith and my big brother McIntosh," she said, gesturing toward them with a toss of her head.

"Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres," Granny Smith said with a smile.

"Thank you," I said, looking down at my hooves.

"Did you see my Cutie Mark?"

I perked up. "Yes, congratulations!"

"Thanks!” She craned her neck to look back at her hindquarters. “They’re nice ones, ain’t they? Three apples,” she gushed. “Just like the three of us.” She threw her forelegs around her brother and grandmother. Then she pulled back with a puzzled frown. “Wait a minute, how did ya'll know I was comin’?" Applejack asked suddenly. "I didn't even send word, just picked up and left Manehattan this mornin'."

"McIntosh saw you comin' from the top o' the vegetable garden shed. He kept watch fer you ‘most every day."

"Eyup," confirmed McIntosh.

Applejack's eyes shimmered, threatening to tear up. "Ohhh, yer the best brother a pony could ask for."

She reached up and wrapped her orange forelegs around his neck, and he actually blushed, his already red cheeks turning a darker shade.

“Applejack, did you forget to bring yer stuff back?” asked Granny Smith, the creases in her brow deepening.

Her granddaughter turned toward her. “Oh, Auntie and Uncle Orange are kind enough to ship all my thin’s here. I didn’t want nothin’ to slow me down.”

“Why did ya leave…” McIntosh began.

“Why did I leave so soon after I wrote that I wanted to stay longer?” finished Applejack.

His orange mane bounced as he nodded.

“Well, I assume ya’ll read my letter about Auntie and Uncle Orange wantin’ to adopt me.”

I raised my eyebrows. This was getting interesting.

Her brother and grandmother silently looked at each other.

“Ya’ll never wrote back,” added Applejack, scuffing her hoof on the dirt path.

“We didn’t know what to say, child,” Granny Smith said gently. “We all missed ya somethin’ fierce, but I had to let you make yer own decision. What kind o’ family would we be if I had to force you to come back to us?”

I glanced up at the clouds. Would my daddy force me to come back to him? Or to flight camp? What if he did give me a choice? Was it right to leave him for the forest creatures and earth ponies?

Applejack gazed at her grandmother with watery green eyes. “I’m sorry I abandoned ya’ll.”

“Ya didn’t-” started McIntosh.

“Let me finish!” She stamped her hoof. “You weren’t there! I abandoned who I really was, an’ the town I came from! I wanted to start a whole new life and forget the past, ‘cause it hurt too much to think about. So I acted like I belonged with the Oranges in their high society.” Then she affected her elegant tone. “Indeed, I even learned to articulate ever so well in polite company.”

“Boy howdy, you sound just like yer Aunt Orange!” exclaimed the elder pony. “Say ‘Do you want scones with your tea?’”

“That’s Trottingham,” corrected Applejack.

“Just say it.”

Applejack sighed. “Would you care for some scones with your tea, darling?” she asked in her aristocratic voice.

Granny Smith grinned. “You do beat all, child!”

“But seriously, if I can finish my story, I wasn’t happy pretendin’ to be somepony I wasn’t. But I reckon I was too stubborn to admit it.”

“There’s a surprise,” her grandmother said wryly.

Applejack narrowed her eyes at the interruption. “But then, early this mornin’ I was lookin’ out the window, and I saw a rainbow pointin’ straight to home. And I realized that I had to follow my heart.”

“An’ we’re mighty glad you did.” Granny Smith ruffled the filly’s mane.

McIntosh agreed with a hearty, “Eyup!”

Granny Smith turned to face me. "Would ya like to join us for supper, young'un? I might even break out the Zap Apple jam n’ apple cider we been savin' since fall."

"Yes, very much so. Actually..." I looked at Applejack, who nodded encouragingly. "I was, um, I was hoping I could stay here for a few days. If that's okay with you." And then I summarized what had happened in the past two days: flight camp, falling to the ground, the butterflies, my Mark, and meeting Applejack.

"So can Fluttershy stay with us for awhile?” asked Applejack after I’d finished.

Granny Smith gave me a kind smile. "Sure, as long as it's okay with yer folks."

"I'm going to write my daddy a letter today," I told her. "He doesn't know where I am."

"Yer welcome to eat supper 'fore you write yer letter. Ya'll must be famished after the long trip."

Applejack nodded. "You said it, Granny. I'm as hungry as bear after hibernation!"

"Come on down to the house and wash up, an’ ya'll can help me make supper. I'm fixin' to bake a vegetable pot pie." She turned and headed down the other side of the hill.

Homecoming

Looking down from the hillcrest, I noticed several structures of different shapes, sizes and colors. Most seemed to be made of painted wood, and as the first earth buildings I had ever seen in real life, they were quaint yet exotic. I couldn’t guess at any of the buildings’ functions, except for the centerpiece of the property, a large red building that had to be their house. It had a striking white trim, and every window had a box of flowers - real live ones, not made of ice crystals or cloud wisps. Even though I hadn't even gone inside yet, I couldn't imagine a more fitting place for my new earth pony friend to live. It was hard to believe that it had taken her so long to figure it out.

Granny Smith led us around the house, into a door on the far side. The inside was dim compared to the bright outdoors, but enough light filtered through the windows to see clearly. I identified the sink, cabinets, and kitchen utensils, which didn't look that different from the ones pegasi used. But there were some other appliances that were unfamiliar, such as a large boxy one against the wall.

Then, a woof resonated through the house, followed by a scrabbling, clicking noise.

Applejack grinned and trotted toward the doorway where the sound was coming from. A fluffy brown and white puppy scampered into the kitchen and licked the earth filly's face. Laughing, the filly rubbed the dog's back and neck with her hoof. The puppy's tail wagged so vigorously that it was a blur.

"I missed you too, Winona. You got so big!"

Winona backed up and spun around several times until she faced me. I reached out a hoof and instinctively scratched behind her ears.

"Aren't you adorable," I cooed. "You’re so soft and fluffy!"

Petting the dog, I remembered the creatures I’d left just outside the fence. I turned toward Granny Smith.

“Um, Mrs. Smith, can I ask you something?” I stared at the floor, unable to make eye contact.

“’Course ya can, child,” she said gently. “And call me Granny, everypony else does.”

I lifted my head, gaining confidence. “I made friends with some of the bunnies and squirrels out in the countryside, and well, I could tell they really wanted to come in the orchard, but Applejack told me you wouldn’t like it.”

“I sure wouldn’t! ‘Specially bunnies. They’re always stealin’ our apples!”

“Granny,” Applejack said eagerly, “Fluttershy’s special talent is talkin’ to animals. And they actually listen to her!”

“You don’t say! That’d be mighty helpful on the farm,” Granny said with a smile.

At that moment someone whimpered softly. I raised my eyebrows and looked around. Applejack stood up straight, her ears swiveling to pinpoint the pitiful sound. Then she broke into a gallop, shooting through the doorway.

"Applejack!" called Granny. "What in the world's gotten into you?"

"Apple Bloom's awake," McIntosh quietly informed her.

Apple Bloom? Applejack had never mentioned an Apple Bloom. Curious, I turned to Granny Smith.

"May I...?"

"Of course, young’un," she answered, heading out of the kitchen. "I better go too, Apple Bloom might need her diaper changed."

The doorway opened into a cozy livingroom. The couch and easy chairs looked just like the ones in Cloudsdale, except of course that they were made of fabric and wood instead of clouds. A staircase with railings led up to the second floor.

"You young'uns go on ahead. It takes these ol’ legs longer to climb the stairs."

McIntosh nodded to his grandmother, and climbed the stairs with Winona and me. The crying subsided as we walked down the hallway on the second floor. I began to wonder if we were going in the right direction until the colt stuck his head into one of the rooms. I peaked in below him, and Winona lay on the floor with her head just inside the doorway.

Inside the room was a crib, and standing next to the crib on her hind legs was Applejack, holding a tiny yellow foal with a mane and tail the same vivid red shade as McIntosh’s coat.

"There, there." Her voice shook slightly; she looked and sounded like she needed a hug as much as the baby did. "Poor little Apple Bloom. I promise I’ll never leave you again.”

Apple Bloom stopped whimpering as she poked Applejack's cheek with her tiny hoof.

"Appojack," she said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"You remember me." Applejack sounded quiet, almost awed.

"‘Course she remembers you," said Granny Smith, who had crept up behind us. "You're her big sister."

Startled, Applejack jerked her head to look at her. Her freckled cheeks reddened as she noticed that she had an audience.

"Well, it has been a month, and she's only a baby," she replied.

"But she's such a smart foal, as you can see," cooed Granny. She slightly pulled back Apple Bloom's diaper. "An’ wet, too. You young'uns go get the fixin’s ready fer the pie. I'll take care of Half-pint here an’ bring her downstairs."

“Let me change her, Granny.” Applejack held her little sister away from the elder pony. “She’s my responsibility now.”

Granny widened her eyes. “Well now, can’t argue with that. I reckon I like the new grown-up Applejack.” She turned and headed toward the door. “I’ll go downstairs an’ get supper started.”

“Eyup,” said McIntosh, walking back down the hallway.

"Wassat?" Apple Bloom pointed at me. I blinked, not sure how to reply.

"That's Fluttershy," explained Applejack. "Can you say Flut-ter-shy?"

The foal kept her gaze on me as she struggled through the word. "Fwut-toh-shy."

I smiled. "Yes, I'm Fluttershy. Hello, Apple Bloom. Applejack, why didn't you tell me you have a sister? She's so cute!"

She shrugged. "Oh, I didn't think you needed to hear my entire life story. You wanna hold her?"

“Goodness! I hardly know her and…What if she doesn’t like me?”

Applejack laughed. “Don’t be silly, she likes you just fine.”

Apple Bloom gazed at me with her button eyes. “Fwuh…Fwuh-shy.”

The earth filly held her sister out to me. I cautiously wrapped my forelegs around her, a little afraid that I would hurt her. Apple Bloom clamped my forelock between her front hooves and pulled.

“Ow! I-I don’t think she likes me!”

“She don’t know she’s hurtin’ you, sugar cube. Apple Bloom, we don’t pull ponies’ manes!” Applejack grabbed hold of her sister again while I carefully prized my hair out of her hooves. “Come on now, time to get that diaper changed.”

It was tricky, but the two of us worked together to pull the diaper off the foal and drop it into the pail next to the changing table. The hardest part was getting the clean diaper onto her. As soon as she was free of the old diaper, Apple Bloom wiggled around and almost fell off the table. Applejack expertly swished her tail up across her sister’s torso, holding her in place. Apple Bloom grabbed onto the blond tail while Applejack and wrapped a fresh diaper around her hindquarters. Then Applejack picked up a safety pin in her hooves and fiddled with it for about a minute until she finally got it open. She stuck it through the diaper fabric and tried to close it, biting her lip as it stuck her soft hoof.

“Dang it, how am I s’posed to work this?” she muttered.

“You mean you’ve never done this before?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I’ve seen it done plenty o’ times, but I’ve never done it myself.” Her brow furrowed as she muttered. “I can play classical violin, but I can’t close a stinkin’ pin?”

Wordlessly, I picked up another pin and stuck it through the other side of the diaper. I pressed and closed it on the second try.

“Here, let me get that for you,” I said, reaching for Applejack’s hooves as she struggled with the pin.

“Not that I need yer help or nothin’…”

I secured the other pin before she finished her sentence.

“…But thanks.

After Applejack and I changed Apple Bloom’s diaper and washed our hooves, we tramped downstairs to the kitchen. A strange, distinct smell drifted from the boxy appliance, which also radiated warmth. McIntosh pressed down on the black pleated attachment, and I heard air whooshing out of it.

“That’s an earth stove,” I said as realization struck me.

“Wood burnin’ stove to be exact,” said Applejack. “Apple Bloom what did I tell you?” she asked sharply. The baby was riding on her back and had her hooves tangled in her sister’s pale mane, tugging with all her might.

“I’ll help you,” said Granny Smith, trotting over to her.

“No, I can handle this.” My new friend reached her foreleg back and tried to lift the baby’s hooves out of her mane.

Granny disregarded Applejack, carefully lifting Apple Bloom away from her sister and placing her on a blanket spread on the floor. Winona padded up to the foal and poked her nose in her face.

Apple Bloom giggled and hugged the dog’s neck. “W’nona!”

The elderly mare walked to the kitchen counter and sliced some fresh carrots, holding the knife in her mouth.

“Can I help?” I asked.

“You can peel the potatoes,” said Granny, her voice muffled around the knife handle.

I picked up the peeler in my mouth and grasped a potato between my hooves, peeling the brown skin.

Applejack looked over my shoulder. “It’s been ages since I seen a whole potato! I can’t wait to taste some down home cookin’! Can I chop the celery?”

Granny finished slicing the carrots, and we each took turns cutting vegetables. Carrots, potatoes, celery, peas, and corn all went into a pot of vegetable stock, which was placed on top of the stove to boil. Granny explained that the vegetables take longer to cook than the crust, so they had to be pre-cooked. Then she opened the icebox and brought out a lump of dough, and she rolled it flat on the counter. She instructed me to rub the pie pan with a stick of butter, and then she pressed the sheet of dough into the pan and cut off the edges. Before long, the vegetables were ready for the pie, and we put it inside the stove to bake. I found that I liked working with my hooves almost as much as spending time with the animals. It helped me forget my troubles; flight camp had never seemed so far away.

Granny took the leftover crust and divided it into squares spread with rainbow striped jam.

“For dessert,” she explained with a wink.

“Granny, can I show Fluttershy round the orchard now?” asked Applejack.

Her grandmother nodded. “I’m fixin’ to make some mac’n’cheese, but it won’t take long. Ya’ll go on out.”

Applejack opened the door, and McIntosh and I started to follow her.

“Appojack! Mac!” Apple Bloom struggled to her feet and toddled after her siblings.

“Oh, I couldn’t leave you behind, sugar cube!” Applejack scooped her up and placed her on her back. Naturally, Apple Bloom tugged on her sister’s mane.

McIntosh sidled up to her and carefully slid the foal onto his back. Apple Bloom reached for his orange mane.

“Nnnope!” He was not quite yelling, but close to it. His sister blinked and lowered her hoof.

As we stepped outside, the bright sun hurt my eyes, but they soon adjusted to the light.

“Is it all right if we go get my animal friends first?” I asked, glancing toward the fence. “I don’t want them to think I forgot about them.”

“Sure we can,” agreed Applejack.

To my dismay, only three bunnies and four squirrels were left waiting on the edge of the property. Then, to make matters worse, Winona barked and raced ahead, scattering the poor little creatures. The bunnies hid behind the trees, while the squirrels scurried up into the branches and barked at the dog.

“Winona!” shouted Applejack. “Leave it!”

The puppy skidded to a halt and glanced over her shoulder at Applejack, and then back at the smaller animals.

I crouched down and cooed, “Don’t be frightened, little ones! We won’t let the dog chase you, will we?” I gave Winona a significant stare, and her tail stopped wagging as she lowered her head sheepishly. Turning back to the rabbits and squirrels, I continued, “You’re welcome in the orchard as long as you don’t eat the apples.”

The little button-eyed creatures peeked out from their hiding places. Cautiously, they crept over to me, and one of the squirrels climbed up my leg.

“Oh, you must’ve thought I abandoned you!” I lamented. “I know your other friends did.” I sighed. “I just got my Cutie Mark today and I’ve already failed at the one thing I’m supposed to be good at.”

“You kiddin’ me?” Applejack walked up alongside me. “Look how much them critters love you! I bet the others just decided to go back to their families. You didn’t fail them.”

The bunnies and squirrels pressed against me in agreement.

“Thank you. I guess you’re right.” I allowed myself a small smile, glancing at my Mark for reassurance.

“Vawmins?” asked Apple Bloom.

“That’s a rabbit.” Applejack pointed. “Can you say rabbit?”

“Wabbit. Fwuh-shy wabbit.”

“Right, that’s Fluttershy’s rabbit.”

All of us - ponies, rabbits, squirrels, and puppy - walked down the path toward a little house on stilts. Applejack walked up the ramp and ducked through the tiny door. I crept in after her. I pressed my wings close to my body to take up as little space as possible, because it was a tight fit with both of us inside the tiny house lined with shelves.

Plump birds with red combs sat in the straw that cushioned the shelves. They clucked softly and tilted their heads at me.

“Chickens!” I exclaimed. “They’re so precious!”

“Ain’t they the bees’ knees? This here’s our rooster, Rodney. He wakes us up every mornin.’” Applejack gazed fondly at a chicken standing on the floor. His comb was larger than the hens’, and his tail was longer. “He’s a good boy,” she added, scratching the back of his head. The rooster closed his eyes in contentment. “And the hens, they lay eggs for us every day.” She tossed her head toward the hens resting on their ledges.

One of the hens stood up, stretched, and flew onto my head. The squirrel who was still clinging to my leg scolded the hen.

Staying put, the chicken flapped her wings and let out a loud, “Buck-CAW!”

“Ssssh, it’s okay, there’s enough of me for everyone.” I scrunched up my face as I realized that might have come out wrong. Applejack simply laughed.

I held my hoof up to the chicken on my head, and she stepped onto it. Gently, I lifted her to the shelf where she’d flown from. She hopped onto the ledge, and I scritched the back of her head, feeling her soft feathers.

“Ready to see the pigs now?” asked Applejack.

I nodded, although I wanted to stay with the chickens longer. But I was certain that Applejack wouldn’t mind if I came back to visit the chickens again later.

We went to another little house inside a fenced-in area. The dirt inside was bare, with puddles here and there. When Applejack opened the gate, two pigs trotted out of the shelter, grunting happily. They stood as tall as McIntosh’s shoulder. One was pale pink and the other was a stormy gray color.

“Oh, my!” I said. “They’re bigger than I thought they would be!”

“Yup,” said Applejack. “They’ve grown a heap since I left.” She patted the pink pig’s head. “This is Piggington, and that there’s Hoggett. They’re gonna find mushrooms for us when they’re in season.”

I was beginning to see a pattern: each animal was kept on the farm to do a specific job, although they also no doubt formed a bond with the earth pony family. I stared at Winona, who bounded over to the pigs and bowed, vigorously wagging her tail.

“Does Winona have a job?” I asked.

“Eyup,” answered McIntosh.

“W’nona job,” murmured Apple Bloom.

“Her job is to herd the other critters and help keep out intruders,” explained Applejack.

Winona pulled back her lips in a smile and pawed at the pigs’ legs. She bounded away and turned around to look at them. The pigs made clicking noises at her and shied away. And suddenly I realized something. The dog wanted the pigs to play with her, but they didn’t understand. They couldn’t speak the same language.

I gazed at the pigs. “Piggington, Hoggett, Winona wants you to play with her.”

The pigs tilted their heads at me, then glanced at Winona.

“She wants you to chase her, if that’s okay with you,” I added.

The puppy leaped toward them, then sprinted away again. The pigs finally ran after her on their short legs, chasing her around their house. I smiled, happy to see them getting along so well.

“Amazin’! You can help the critters understand each other, too!” said Applejack with a grin.

I ducked my head at the praise.

“I bet you’d have no trouble talkin’ to the wild beasts in the Everfree Forest,” she added. “It’s just over them hills.” She pointed at the hillcrests to the south.

“You- you want to go there now?” I stammered.

Every foal knows about the Everfree Forest, the only part of Equestria that remains untamed by ponies. Many species of wildlife couldn’t survive in any other habitat. I’d read about Ursa Majors, Ursa Minors, timber wolves, giant serpents, cockatrices, and cragodiles. But although I knew much about the fierce bests and the ecosystem, I was not geographically inclined at that stage in my life, and I had no idea we were so close to the Everfree Forest.

“We don’t have to go into the forest,” Applejack assure me. “Just walk up to the edge and see what it looks like.”

McIntosh frowned and gazed at his sister with his soft green eyes. “You sure about this?”

Applejack drew a deep breath. “I ain’t been out that way since…since we lost Ma and Pa. But I’m ready now.”

Her brother shook his head. “Things have changed. See them trees down in the southern orchard?”

She peered intently in the distance, and I followed her gaze. A large patch of trees in that direction were dark and withered.

Applejack narrowed her eyes. “What happened?”

“Well…” began McIntosh.

“Never mind, I’ll see for myself.” She began trotting toward the grayish trees. “C’mon, y’all.”

Together we walked through the orchard until the leaves were noticeably wilted. The apples on the wilted branches were tiny and green.

Applejack’s pupils shrank. “They got some kinda disease!”

“Twees sick,” agreed Apple Bloom.

The orange filly wrinkled her brow. “Why didn’t ya’ll tell me?”

McIntosh scuffed the ground with his front hoof. “We didn’t want you to worry.”

“But this is important!” Applejack stomped her hoof. “The whole town depends on our farm for food! Did ya’ll think to ask anypony for help?”

“Eyup. Cousin Apple Rose says it’s fire blight. She can make an antibiotic, but it takes two days to make enough for just one tree. She can barely make it as fast as the fire blight spreads.”

Applejack shook her head. “Isn’t there anythin’ else we can do?”

“We tried trimmin’ the bad branches, but Granny and I…” He trailed off, looking away from his sister.

“Ya’ll have had a bit o’ trouble keepin’ up with all the work on this big ole farm,” Applejack finished for him.

McIntosh nodded, still averting his gaze.

The earth filly seemed more sure of herself as she squared her shoulders, then stepped forward and put her front hoof on McIntosh’s shoulder.

“It’s gonna be all right, Mac. Ya’ll shoulda told me about the fire blight sooner, but I’m here now, and we’ll figure this out together as a family.”

Her brother met her gaze with a hesitant smile.

Applejack turned to face me. “Are you up for seein’ the Everfree Forest?”

I glanced at the bunnies and squirrels to gage their reaction. They were indifferent; one of the bunnies casually washed her face.

“Okay,” I answered. “Just the edge.”

We walked among the sickly trees until we came upon a section of fence. Just beyond it was an undergrowth of various exotic-looking plants, some with tiny flowers that attracted buzzing insects. Trees rose from the undergrowth, their trunks mottled gray and green with lichen and moss. Leaves of all shapes and sizes made up the forest canopy, which blocked most of the sunlight a few feet into the forest. I heard the rustling of little creatures moving, but I couldn’t see them.

Winona whined softly. I turned and saw that she had her head on Applejack’s whither, and the farm filly was leaning against her brother. Even Apple Bloom looked subdued, resting her forelegs on McIntosh’s neck.

“This is just a small part o’ the Everfree Forest,” explained Applejack. “Our parents used to go through the forest to deliver food. Last time, they forgot their fireproof boots…”

I frowned, wondering if there was a forest fire, and if that was how her parents died. But I didn’t want to interrupt.

Applejack gazed ahead as if she could see far into the wilderness. “The townsfolk sent out a rescue party, but they were too late.” Tears hung in her eyes. “They found Ma and Pa in the Fire Swamp, with burns all over their bodies, and a dead chimera near ‘em. It’s…I…”

“Ssshhh.” McIntosh wrapped his forelegs around his sister, embracing Winona as well.

“Are you shushin’ me?” She leaned back and looked askance at him.

“Ssshhh,” he said again, smoothing her mane against her neck.

Applejack let out a sigh and hugged him back, closing her eyes. “Yer right. Ma and Pa wouldn’t want us to be sad.”

McIntosh nodded and withdrew from her. They seemed to understand each other on a level much deeper than words. I had met twins who shared the same kind of bond, but McIntosh was obviously a few years older than Applejack. I felt more like an outsider than ever.

The quiet moment ended abruptly when a bell rang in the distance. Applejack and McIntosh perked up, swiveling their ears.

“Supper’s ready!” Applejack reared up on her hind legs. “Let’s go!”

Together we galloped up and down the hills toward the house.

Author's Note

Fire blight is a real disease. As soon as I heard about it, I knew I had to include it in this story.

The Earth Pony Way

Applejack gobbled up her slice of vegetable pot pie as if she hadn’t eaten in days.

“Ya don’ know how long I been waitin’ to eat like this!” she exclaimed through a mouthful of food.

I winced as crumbs and spittle landed on my fur.

Granny Smith raised her eyebrows. “Land sakes, honey! Didn’t yer aunt and uncle feed ya? Or learn ya any manners?”

“In a manner o’ speakin’.” The filly wiped her mouth with her foreleg. “Here, I’ll show ya.” She swept her dish off the table and found a clean plate. Carefully, she placed a piece of carrot and a sprig of parsley in the center. “You see, a proper Manehattan dinner has a seven-course meal.” Her accent changed to “proper-sounding” as she continued her explanation. “However, each course is only a single mouthful. Furthermore, you must nibble it thusly.” She lowered her head with surprising grace and took a dainty nibble, raising her head as she swallowed. “You also must not take more than one nibble before you raise your head so that you can converse with everypony in your party.”

Her grandmother howled with laughter. “I can’t believe you lasted more’n a day like that.”

“Eyup,” said McIntosh with a grin.

“Well, bein’ a fancy city pony is hard work. You know hard work never bothered me none.”

“I reckon yer right.” Granny turned to face me. “What about you, young’un? You barely touched yer pot pie.”

I looked at my plate, wondering if “barely touched” meant something different to the earth ponies, since I’d eaten more than half of my serving. “The food is so much richer than what I’m used to, Mrs. Sm- um, Granny,” I said apologetically. “I couldn’t eat another bite!”

“You sure you can’t make room fer dessert?” Granny stood and walked to the kitchen counter, coming back to the table with a tray of pastries. My nostrils caught the sweet scent mingled with the savory pot pie.

“I guess I could make a little room,” I said as the elderly pony set a pastry in front of me. Like the pot pie, the tart was a perfect light golden brown. I took a small bite of the rainbow-striped treat. It was wonderfully sweet, with different flavors washing over my tongue: apple, grape, citrus, and other flavors I couldn’t identify. Somehow they tasted just right together. I closed my eyes so I could focus on just the flavor. “Mmmm.” I swallowed. “I think this is the best dessert I’ve ever tasted!” I took another bite, ignoring my full stomach.

“Thank ya kindly, young’un,” said Granny.

“No, thank you!”

Little Apple Bloom had rainbow smears all over her face from her tart.

“Come on now, Apple Bloom!” Applejack shook her head and started wiping the baby’s face with a napkin. “Didn’t any of that get in yer mouth?”

McIntosh finished his tart and picked up his plate in his mouth, carrying it over to the sink. Then it dropped it with a clatter and let out a strangled scream.

“What is it, Mac?” Granny rushed to his side faster than I would’ve thought possible for an old mare.

“Spider!” he yelled, pointing toward the counter.

“Oh my, I’ve never seen a spider before!” I was so excited that I actually flew out of my chair and hovered over McIntosh’s shoulder. Resting on the counter was a brown striped arthropod with eight fuzzy legs that spread almost as wide as my hoof. Even I wouldn't exactly call him cute, but I did find him fascinating and not at all scary.

“Hello, big guy!” I leaned in over McIntosh’s head. The spider waved one of his legs at me. McIntosh ducked his head, screwing up his face as if he were in physical pain.

“C’mon now, Mac,” said Applejack, walking over to us. “It’s just a wolf spider. It ain’t like a star spider or brown recluse. It can’t really hurt ya.” A slight wince betrayed her reassuring words.

“Oh no, he wouldn’t hurt you.” I held out my hoof in front of the spider, and he crawled onto it. “He’s more afraid of you than you are of him.”

“Then why is he in my dang house?” shouted McIntosh.

“Um…” I landed on the floor, unable to think of a good answer. “Okay, maybe he isn’t afraid of you.”

“Just get rid o’ him!” He waved his hoof frantically.

Applejack patted his whither. “There, there,” she said quietly.

I flew to the door and went several feet outside before settling onto the ground. “Off you go, big guy,” I said, gently brushing him off my hoof.

ooo

After I released the spider outside, Applejack washed the dishes, and I dried them. Granny Smith took Apple Bloom upstairs to give her a bath, while McIntosh headed outside to check on the animals one last time before nightfall.

Soon all the chores were finished, and there was no reason for me to put off writing my letter. I sat at the little desk in Applejack’s room and chewed on a pencil, trying to decide how to begin. I supposed I should start with the obvious.

Dear Daddy,

How are you? I am fine.

I cringed at the cliché opening, wondering if I should erase it. Then I decided to simply write whatever I felt at that moment. I could always rewrite it later.

I fell off a cloud from flight camp, but don’t worry, I’m ok. Actually, I’m better than ok because I got my Cutie Mark! It turns out my special talent is communicating with animals.

I’m staying with a very nice earth pony family at a farm called Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville. They have many wonderful creatures. I want to stay here for a few days, but if you want me to come home that’s ok with me. But please don’t make me go back to flight camp! Some of the colts are not very nice, and one of them knocked me off the cloud, although I think that was an accident. I can’t face them again.

I paused, wondering if I should try to end the letter more positively.

A swarm of butterflies rescued me when I fell from the cloud. And my Mark is three butterflies. I think that means that I was meant to stay on the ground, where they are. At least for awhile. If that’s ok with you.

I chewed my lip. Maybe I should rewrite the letter so it flowed better. But at the moment I was tired. I’d worry about it in the morning.

Love,

Fluttershy

After I finished writing my letter, the sky was dark, and Princess Celestia had raised the moon. Granny Smith told us to gather together in the living room for a bedtime story.

“Granny, yer not gonna tell a scary story, are ya?” asked Applejack.

“Now don’t you worry child, I won’t make it too scary fer ya.” Granny waved her hoof.

“I ain’t afraid o’ yer ol’ pony tales!” My friend sounded like she was trying to convince herself just as much as her grandmother. “It’s just that Apple Bloom might be afraid, and we wouldn’t wanna scare Fluttershy off either.”

“No, we wouldn’t want that,” replied Granny with a wink. “This is a true story about my cousin Apple Rose.”

The Apple siblings and I settled onto the couch while Granny eased into her rocking chair. The room was dimly lit with a single kerosene lamp.

“Apple Rose was just about Applejack’s age when she came to our first family reunion in Ponyville. ‘Course, it wasn’t really Ponyville yet, it was just a settlement with a few buildings. Back then, there was a lot o’ the Everfree Forest that hadn’t been explored yet. While Apple Rose was stayin’ here, she decided to go inside the old castle ruins to search fer treasure. She didn’t tell nopony where she was goin’. The wind howled against the crumblin’ towers as she cantered up to the doorway. She went inside and down a hallway. It was pitch dark, so she lit a torch on the wall. The fire flared up, and Apple Rose saw that the torch sconce was…”

She paused dramatically. “A disembodied pony leg!”

I squeaked and hid my face under my wing. McIntosh covered Applejack’s ears. She wiggled like a worm to try to free her ears, but his hooves stayed in place as if they were glued to her head.

“Pony weg?” asked Apple Bloom, too young to understand why it was disturbing.

Relentlessly, Granny plowed ahead. “And not just one pony leg, either. The entire hallway had pony legs sticking outta the walls, all the way down to the end!”

I squeezed my eyes shut, but soon realized that didn’t help at all. Instead I open my eyes and stared at a framed photograph of a mare and stallion on the wall.

Applejack tried to pry McIntosh’s hooves from her ears, but her brother held fast.

Granny Smith ignored them and continued, “Apple Rose was startin’ to feel a mite uncertain about explorin’ any farther on her own, but as soon as she turned round, the door she’d come through slammed shut!

“‘Hello?’ she called. ‘Is anypony there?’ The only answer was a moan. Ooooohhhh!” She moaned like she was in pain and waved her wrinkled forelegs.

I covered my ears. Applejack gave me a searching look before shielding her baby sister’s ears with her hooves.

Granny spoke for several more seconds. I cautiously uncovered my ears.

“…Walked down the stairs, she heard hoofsteps behind her. She looked back, but nopony was there. She picked up her pace and heard the hoofsteps again. She looked over her shoulder and saw glowin’ yellow eyes for a split second. Then they disappeared.”

I glanced around the livingroom, imagining eyes gleaming in the shadows.

“Apple Rose got to the bottom of the stairs and galloped like the wind. She heard hooves gallopin’ behind her. A dark shadow swirled around her and rose up in front of her. It glared down at her with its evil yellow eyes.

“‘I am the Pony of Shadows!’ it said. ‘Nightmare Moon left me here to keep little ponies out of her castle!’

“Poor Apple Rose could hardly stand, her legs was shakin’ so much. She said, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t know! I promise I’ll never sneak into yer castle again!”

“‘Oh, I’ll make sure you don’t!’ said the Pony of Shadows.”

I wanted to block out her voice, but it was like watching a train wreck. I couldn’t stop listening.

Granny charged ahead. “Then it sank into the floor under Apple Rose’s hooves, and a great big hole opened up. She fell screamin’ into the hole, and nopony ever seen her again. But if you venture near the castle ruins, you can still hear Apple Rose scream.”

I whimpered.

“Granny!” McIntosh narrowed his eyes and removed his hooves from Applejack’s ears.

“What?”

“We got a letter from Cousin Apple Rose just yesterday!” he said reproachfully.

“So I embellished the story a mite.” Granny Smith waved her hoof. “But the Pony of Shadows is real, sure as the day is long.” She nodded firmly.

Her grandson frowned. “Have you ever seen-”

“As a matter of fact, I have seen the Pony of Shadows.” Granny seemed to anticipate what McIntosh was going to say almost as well as Applejack did. “See, the rest of us noticed that Apple Rose had been gone a good while, so we started to search fer her. I looked inside the castle ruins and heard Apple Rose holler fer help. I followed the sound of her voice and saw an open trapdoor in the middle o’ the floor. I peeked down into the hole and saw Apple Rose hangin’ on fer dear life. She’d found a hoofhold in the crumblin’ stones on the shaft wall. I stretched down as far as I could, but my hoof couldn’t reach her. She grabbed on and I pulled her to safety.”

I let out a relieved sigh.

“As we turned to head back upstairs, the Pony of Shadows appeared in front of us, glarin’ with its glowin’ eyes,” continued Granny. “‘I hope you learned your lesson!’ said the shadow. ‘Never trespass in Nightmare Moon’s castle again!’ It flew toward us and passed right through us, makin’ our hair stand on end. We hauled rump outta there and never stepped foot in the castle again.”

“Granny, why didn’t you tell us-” begain McIntosh.

“‘Cause you young’uns look cute as a button when yer scared,” she answered with a wink.

McIntosh glared at her.

“C’mon now, it’s time for bed,” said Granny.

Applejack uncovered her sister’s ears. “Can Mac tell us a story first? Please?”

Granny nodded. “I reckon we got time for a Mac story.”

All of us looked expectantly at McIntosh.

His gaze softened as he took a deep breath, and began his story. “Once upon a time, there was a timberwolf that liked to eat sheep.”

My eyes grew wide, but I kept silent.

“One day, when the timberwolf was chasin’ a little lamb, the ground started shakin’.”

Applejack’s green eyes darted between me and McIntosh. “This ain’t a scary story, is it?”

McIntosh frowned and lowered his eyebrows at the interruption.

“Sorry.” She ducked her head.

“A giant ram rose up above the trees. He was twice as tall as an old oak tree, with big black horns curlin’ round his face. The timberwolf was so scared he couldn’t move, just stood there shakin’.

“‘If you’re fixin’ to end me, ram, just make it quick,’ pled the timberwolf.

“The giant ram looked down at the timberwolf and said, ‘I ain’t gonna hurt ya, even though I’m so big I could crush you like an eggshell. And do you know why?’”

“No, why?” asked Apple Bloom.

“‘Because those that hurt others, hurt themselves.’”

My eyes widened at his deep insight. Did this mean that the colts who bullied me at flight camp were hurting themselves? Somepony should tell them that, I thought.

“The timberwolf was grateful to the ram for sparin’ his life, and they became best friends. The end.”

“That was such a sweet story.” I was practically gushing, almost as if I was looking at a baby bunny.

McIntosh’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.

“Mo stowy!” squealed Apple Bloom.

“No, that’s enough fer tonight.” Granny Smith scooped up the foal and placed her on her back. “Time fer bed.”

Applejack glanced at the three apples on her left flank; then she jumped up from the couch. “Let me tuck her in, Granny.”

The older pony smiled. “Well all right then.” She lifted Apple Bloom and set her on Applejack’s back.

“Um, where will I sleep?” I asked as I followed Applejack upstairs.

“You can sleep in my bed,” she answered. “There’s plenty o’ room for both of us.”

I’m afraid I didn’t sleep well that night, but I hadn’t slept well at flight camp either, so I was getting used to it. Applejack was right about her bed being large enough for two little ponies, but the mattress was so hard that I felt like I might has well have laid on the floor.

When I finally fell asleep, I dreamt I was falling. I woke with a start, gasping for breath. My wings fluttered, tossing the covers halfway off the bed. I looked around the moonlit room with its harsh, flat surfaces and eerie shadows.

Applejack stirred beside me. “Auntie Orange, what’re ya…” She lifted her head and gazed around with bleary eyes. “Oh, Fluttershy.” She rubbed her face with her hoof. “Plum forgot where I was.”

“So did I. Sorry I woke you.” I let my forelock fall in front of my face as I fluffed my pillow, although I didn’t expect that to help much. It just wasn’t the same as a cloud.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, sugar cube.” She laid her hoof on my whither. “You okay?”

I nodded, peaking out from under my mane. Applejack stared at me with a concerned frown.

“I-I dreamt I was falling from the clouds, and I woke up before…before I hit the ground.” I shook my head to clear it. “But it was just a dream. I’m fine now.”

My friend smiled and pulled the covers up to our shoulders. “Yer safe here. Sweet dreams.”

Bright and early the next morning, Granny Smith cooked a hearty breakfast of fried eggs, buttered toast, and hash browns. She also set out Zap Apple tarts leftover from the night before.

After breakfast, Applejack showed me where to leave my letter for the mail-pegasus. Then it was time to get to work. We fed and watered all the animals, and Applejack told me that the chicken coop needed to be mucked out soon.

“May I clean the coop?” I had already decided that I wanted pet chickens someday, and I figured this would be good practice.

Applejack stared at me for a moment. “Well now, I don’t need yer help, but if ya really wanna clean it…” She passed me a short, stiff broom. “Sweep out all the straw and bring in fresh straw from the barn.”

I nodded. “That seems pretty simple.”

“If’n ya need me, I’ll be in the south orchard.”

“That’s where the sick trees, are, right?”

“Eyup.” She turned and headed toward the barn.

“Good luck,” I called after her.

I got to work sweeping out the coop, singing quietly. The chickens outside seemed to like my singing, because they began clucking loudly.

“What is this spell that I am now under?” I sang as I swept one of the back corners. Then I gasped as a tiny little thing skittered from the corner and along the base of the wall. It was a spider! It might have been the same one from the previous night, although it was difficult to say for sure.

“Oh! Hello, big guy. Are you supposed to be in here?”

It was a lot more difficult for me to understand the spider than most of the other creatures, but I got the gist that it depended on who caught him in the coop.

“Hm…” I rubbed my chin. “I won’t tell McIntosh you were here if you won’t. But you can’t stay in here while I’m cleaning.” I held my hoof in front of the spider, and he crawled onto it. I carefully stepped outside and lowered him underneath the coop, and he slowly crawled onto the ground.

After I finished cleaning the coop, I wandered around Sweet Apple Acres, and before long I was disoriented. Trees were planted uniformly as far as I could see, which wasn’t far since the hills rose up in all directions. I wasn’t too worried, since no pony was expecting me to be anywhere in particular. After several minutes of walking, I heard somepony singing. I assumed it was Applejack - it was a young female voice with a warm, clear tone.

“I’ve walked in darkness, clouds covered me. I had no idea where the way out could be…”

I followed the singing until I saw a stepladder, an object that in Cloudsdale was almost as rare as a tree. Perched on top was Applejack, working with a long-handled clipper to trim the gray, sickly branches. A tarp was spread beneath the ladder to catch the branches that were trimmed. Strangest of all, she somehow wrapped her long, blond tail around a spray bottle, maneuvering it like an opossum’s or monkey’s tail. After each cut, she brought the clipper to the bottle and squeezed the trigger with her tail to spray the sharp end.

I tilted my head and blinked up at her, not sure if I was seeing what I thought I was seeing.

I cleared my throat. “Um, Applejack?”

“…Then came the sunrise and rolled back the night. Praise Celestia, I saw the light!” She stopped singing and glanced down at me. “Howdy, Fluttershy! What’s up?”

“Um, how are you doing that?”

“What, prunin’?” She raised her clipper and cut a higher branch. As it fell, bits of leaves landed in her mane.

“No, your tail…how are you grabbing the bottle like that?”

Applejack looked nonplussed. “The bottle? Oh, I guess you wanna know what the bottle’s for. It has bleach in it to kill the germs that are infectin’ this here tree.”

I shook my head. “No, I mean, a pony tail doesn’t have any muscles or bones. How are you even squeezing the bottle like that?”

She raised her eyebrow and lowered her clipper. “Don’t know what yer gettin’ at.”

Years later, I learned that earth ponies channel magic through their hair. All ponies are magical, and earth ponies don’t have extra appendages like wings or horns, but their magic still has to go somewhere. I’m pretty sure the Apple family didn’t understand that, though. It was so much a part of their lives that they didn’t think anything of it. To earth ponies, moving their tails - or even their manes, for some individuals - is no different than moving their legs.

Applejack squeezed the trigger with her tail to spray the clipper. I could see sweat dripping from her coat. I decided there were more important things to focus on than her impossible tail movements.

I shook my head. “Never mind. Do you want something to drink?” I offered.

She wiped her brow with her foreleg. “That sounds mighty nice, if’n it ain’t too much trouble.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all!” I started walking in a random direction; then I paused, glancing around uncertainly.

“House is that-a-way.” Applejack pointed with the clipper.

“Thank you.” I ducked my head with a sheepish grin and set off through the orchard. Before long, I heard Winona barking, and she ran toward me, weaving between the trees with agility that would make most ponies envious. I smiled as she literally ran circles around me, wagging her tail.

“Hello again, Winona. Are you looking for Applejack?”

The puppy barked in reply.

I continued walking up the hill. “Well, I know where she is, but she’s too busy to play with you right now.”

Winona whined, heeling to match my pace.

“I can play with you after I get Applejack some water, though.” I placed a comforting wing over her shoulders. “Would you like to come with me?”

She poked my ribs with her nose and sprinted uphill, toward the house. Winona’s energy was infectious. Laughing, I broke into a gallop, closing the distance between us.

Author's Note

This chapter contains an obscure homage and an obscure reference. The homage is Mac's story, which was inspired by the story of the giant hedgehog in Jim Henson's "The Tale of the Bunny Picnic." You can find a poor quality version if you search for it on Youtube. And the song AJ sings is "I Saw the Light" by David Crowder Band, slightly modified to fit Equestria.

Reunion

It was just as warm inside the farm house as it was outside. The screened windows were all open, but there weren’t enough of them to let much wind blow inside. I pumped water from the kitchen sink and splashed it on my face to keep cool. Then I filled a glass of ice water and topped off Winona’s water dish.

“Now, what else could we get for Applejack?” I asked Winona, rubbing my chin in thought. “Maybe something to keep the leaves out of her mane while she’s working?”

Winona lifted her head from her water dish and trotted into the livingroom, stopping to scratch at a door. I opened it and found vests and scarves hanging inside, and boots lined up neatly on the floor. A shelf above the vests held a pile of tan, wide-brimmed hats.

“Oooh, perfect!” I flew up to the shelf and grabbed one of the hats.

The puppy looked up at me and spun around in excitement. I tried on the hat and found that it was a bit too big and loose. It would probably be too big for Applejack too. I rummaged in the closet and found a small, square scarf to use as padding. I tucked it under the hat, keeping it on my head as I flapped over to the counter to pick up the glass of water. I figured that this was one of the few instances where it would be easier to fly than walk, since my hooves would be free to carry the glass.

Winona followed me as I fluttered out the door and made my way over the hill. As I flapped above the trees in full sun, I noticed that the hat’s wide brim kept the light out of my eyes. I knew Applejack would love wearing such a practical hat. As I approached the infected trees, I saw that my friend had moved her ladder so she could reach the other side of the tree. She was facing away from me, concentrating on clipping the wilted branches. I flew up to her and held the tumbler in front of her face.

“Thank ya kindly, Fluttershy.” Applejack spared me the briefest glance as she held the clipper with one hoof and wrapped her other foreleg around the glass. With my own hooves free, I lifted the hat from my head and placed it on Applejack’s.

“Whuh?” She reached up with the hoof that held her water and awkwardly poked at the hat. “Where’d ya get this?”

“Winona showed me a closet with a whole pile of them.” I brushed the pieces of leaves and sticks out of her mane.

“Then this was one o’ my pa’s hats,” she said quietly. Her eyes glistened as she gazed upward.

I pulled my forelegs away rubbed them together. “Oh, um, I didn’t…I mean, is that okay with you?”

She took a deep breath. “I’ll wear it with pride.”

I smiled with relief. “It suits you.”

Applejack gulped down the water and passed me the empty tumbler.

“Is there anything else I can do?” I asked. “Maybe I could, well, fly up to the highest branches and cut them?” I rubbed the back of my neck. It seemed wrong not to at least offer to help, but I had a feeling she wouldn’t accept.

I was right.

“Sugar cube.” She frowned and raised her eyebrow. “Darlin’. I can reach any branch on any o’ these trees with my ladder an’ extra-long clippers. Thanks but no thanks.” Applejack lifted her clippers and snipped off a twig.

“Oh, um, okay.” I sank down a little, although I still hovered over the ground. Winona whined, sitting perfectly still and gazing up at us with classic puppy dog eyes. “I can see you’ve got this, and I did tell Winona I’d play with her.” I glanced around. “I’ll just come back later and help clean up all the fallen branches, okay?”

“Fluttershy…”

“I know you don’t need help, but I want to repay you for your kindness. I didn’t need to stay at your house, but you let me stay anyway. It’s…it’s okay for friends to help each other.”

Applejack was unmoved. “You can help by keepin’ Winona comp’ny. These apple trees are my responsibility.” She sprayed her clippers and lifted them up to the next branch.

Winona’s whine grew louder.

“Well, okay.” I landed on the ground next to the puppy. “But if you change your mind, I’m more than happy to help with cleanup or trimming the trees or anything else.”

Then I patted Winona’s back. “Come on, girl, let’s go play.”

I had fun chasing Winona, and she enjoyed running away from me. She also loved playing fetch with a stick. But her favorite thing to do was play tug with her rope toy. I’m pretty sure she was used to competing against McIntosh, because she kept cheating by working her way toward my end of rope until I had to let go to avoid getting bitten. I think this was the only way she was able to win against the strong earth pony colt. Even though I don’t think she would have bitten hard enough to break the skin, it was still a bit annoying.

“Winona, play nice. Stay on your end of the rope.” I stared intensely into her eyes. It seemed to work, because she played fair after that.

Early that afternoon, I heard the mealtime bell. Winona ran in the direction of the house, and I followed her to meet Granny Smith just outside the kitchen door. Apple Bloom was sitting on her grandmother’s back.

“Hi, Fwuh-shy!” she chirped.

I smiled. “Hello, Apple Bloom.”

Granny squinted and turned her head to gaze around the orchard. “Where in Tartarus are McIntosh and Applejack?”

“Applejack is probably still trimming the sick trees. But I haven’t seen McIntosh since breakfast,” I told her.

“I woulda thought lunch would be the one thing that’d tear them away from their work.” Granny shook her head.

“Winona and I will find them,” I said, feeling unusually confident. The puppy barked and wagged her tail.

“Apple Bloom and I will come with ya,” said Granny. “I’d like to see how she’s comin’ along with them trees.”

We set off toward the grove with the sickly trees, Winona racing ahead once more. The first sign of the brother and sister was a cart piled high with paper lawn bags. McIntosh walked out from behind the cart and tossed another bag onto the pile.

“I told you I can take care of everythin’,” Applejack said from the top of her ladder.

“And I told you-” Mac stopped when he saw me approaching with Granny Smith and Apple Bloom.

Granny craned her neck to stare up at the trees. “You young’uns pruned all these trees this mornin’? I can't hardly believe it! Yer almost halfway done already!”

“AJ did most of the work,” said Mac.

“Yer earnin’ that Cutie Mark ten times over, honey." The old mare beamed with pride. "I’m so glad ya came back to us.”

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. Granny Smith served us lunch, and then we went back to the infected grove. Applejack finished pruning the wilted branches, while Granny, Mac, and I took turns picking up yard waste and watching Apple Bloom. Of course, my new friend insisted that she didn’t need the help, but Granny Smith and McIntosh are just as stubborn and hardworking as she is, so they went ahead and helped anyway. In a few hours, every last infected twig and leaf was stuffed into sacks and piled high on the cart. The trees’ crowns were thinner, but I knew they would make a full recovery soon.

We were clearing the table after finishing another home-cooked meal, when Winona barked and scampered into the livingroom. A moment later, I heard a knock from the same direction.

Applejack furrowed her brow. “Nopony ever comes to the front door.” As she trotted into the livingroom, the knock sounded again. I peeked through the kitchen doorway as Applejack opened the door on the far wall. I recognized the golden-brown pegasus stallion standing on the front porch. My mouth fell open. How did my daddy get there so fast? I had expected my letter to just be reaching him by this point.

“Howdy there, mister.” Applejack tipped her hat. “What can I do ya for?”

I couldn’t put my hoof on it, but something about the way she phrased that question sounded wrong. If my daddy noticed anything odd about Applejack’s way of speaking, he didn’t show it.

“Hello, young lady, I’m Nimbus Cloud. My daughter Fluttershy wrote that she was here, even though she’s supposed to be - oh, hello there!” He paused in his introduction as Winona put her paws up on his leg.

“Winona, sit!” commanded Applejack. The puppy sat dutifully, her tail sweeping the floor as it wagged.

“Well, Mr. Nimbus, you’ve come to the right place. I’m Applejack, and your daughter has been helpin’ us take care of our farm. Won’t you come in?” She opened the door wider and stood aside.

Daddy stepped inside and noticed me standing in the doorway. “There you are, Fluttershy!” He flew over to me and scooped me up in his forelegs.

Granny and McIntosh walked closer to us. “Aw, that’s real sweet,” said Granny with a smile.

“Thank Celestia you’re safe.” Daddy set me down and patted my head. “And you got your Mark! I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks, Daddy.” I beamed, standing up straighter.

“Now what’s this about you not going back to flight camp?” he asked with a frown.

I gazed up into his intense green eyes. “Well, I…”

“Don’t let those bullies get to you, Flutters,” he spoke over me. “Stand up for yourself!”

“I tried…”

“You’re all grown up now, after all. They won’t dare make fun you. And even if they do, you should put them in their place! You’re my daughter, after all.”

“Wait just a minute, Mr. Nimbus!” shouted Applejack.

He turned his head to stare at her with raised eyebrows.

“Beggin’ yer pardon, but them bullies almost got Fluttershy killed! How can you think about sendin' her back there?”

“Nonsense!” He waved his foreleg. “Pegasus foals fall from the clouds more often than you’d think. They can control their descent and cushion their fall. Fluttershy was never in any real danger.”

I shook my head. “I didn’t happen that way with me. I panicked and flailed around and fell like a rock. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the butterflies, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

Daddy sobered, gazing at me with concern. “I’m sorry, Flutters, I didn’t realize…” For once he seemed unsure of what to say. “Your letter didn’t really get across how much danger you were in.” He wrapped his foreleg around my withers. “Don’t worry, I won’t make you go back to flight camp. I do want to have a talk with the head counselor, though. Nopony in the camp has told me anything. Do they even know you’ve been missing?”

“I..I don’t know.”

Daddy looked at Granny Smith. “Thank you for looking after Fluttershy, Mrs. Apple.”

“It’s Smith, actually, but you can just call me Granny.”

He chuckled. “You’re not old enough to be my granny, Mrs. Smith.”

I tugged at Daddy’s fetlocks. “Daddy, I was wondering, um, since I was supposed to stay at flight camp for a few more days anyway, well, could I stay here instead?”

Daddy brought his hoof to his chin. “Well, Flutters, the thing is, you still have to learn to fly on your own. No offense to these fine folks here, but they can’t teach you what you need to know.”

“I seen her fly,” said Applejack.

“Have you seen her fly at an altitude of a thousand feet?” he asked pointedly. “Have you seen her maneuver around clouds or break them up? Of course you haven’t.”

“Well, no, but there’s gotta be a better way for her to learn than flight camp,” Applejack said firmly.

“I suppose so, but I don’t know of any other way. Cloudsdale is supposed to have the best flight camp in the world, but it seems like it’s gone downhill since I learned to fly there.” He shook his head ruefully. “I’ve tried teaching her myself, but my methods haven’t really worked with her.”

“Fluttershy ain’t you. Everypony learns differently. That’s what Cutie Marks are all about, hear? Everyone has a special talent of their own, and they need to find their own way.”

Daddy lowered his gaze, staring at the floor. “I guess you’re right. But what is Fluttershy’s way?”

There was silence as we thought it over.

“Fwuh-shy fwy.” Apple Bloom pointed at me. “Birdie fwy.”

Granny Smith smiled. “From the mouths of babes.”

“What?” Daddy knitted his brow.

“Yer daughter’s good with critters, Mr. Nimbus. They understand each other. So maybe she could learn how to fly from the birds.”

My eyes widened. “That’s a great idea!” The feathers on my wings fluffed. “I just hope it works.”

Daddy frowned. “Let’s just see how well you understand these animals first.” He placed his hoof on my back. I gulped and nodded.

Everypony headed outside toward the chicken coop.

I took a deep breath. “Come on out, my friends,” I cooed. I glanced up at Daddy and added, “I want you to meet someone.”

The hens and rooster strutted out of their house, clucking softly. A few songbirds flew over and landed on the little roof, tilting their heads at me.

“Oh, hello to you too.” I waved at them.

Then the wolf spider crawled out of the coop. This time I was certain he was the same spider. I shook my head to warn him.

“Well, the birds do seem to like you,” said Daddy, his expression softening. “But I doubt those chickens can fly any better than you can.”

Applejack chuckled. “You got that right. They’re a mite outta shape.”

Suddenly, McIntosh gasped and pointed. “Sp…Spider!”

I brought my hoof to my face.

“Where?” Applejack squinted. “Never mind, I see it.”

“Don’t worry, son, I'll take care of it for you.” Daddy walked over to the spider and lifted his front hoof.

“Noooo!” I yelled.

Daddy froze and stared back at me. “What’s the matter?”

I flew over and swept the spider onto my hoof. “Daddy, how could you?” I stared reproachfully at him, my eyes level with his as I hovered.

His green eyes widened in surprise. “You really are growing up, standing up to your old dad.” He shook his head. “But I don’t understand what the big deal is. It’s just a spider.”

“I’ll tell you why it’s a big deal! Because those that hurt others, hurt themselves!”

“Sometimes I hate when I’m right,” Mac muttered.

Applejack patted his shoulder.

“Those that hurt others, hurt themselves?” Daddy leaned back, pondering for a moment. “That is deep.”

“None of us wants the spider to get hurt, but it can’t stay here,” said Granny Smith. “I dunno if ya noticed, but Mac don’t like spiders much. I don’t care fer ‘em myself, to tell ya the truth.”

I stared at the spider, gazing into all eight of his eyes. “What do you think, Big Guy? Would you like to come live with me?” I asked him. Big Guy wiggled his palps and nodded.

“Honey,” said Daddy, putting his hoof on my shoulder, “there are a couple of problems with that. First, I’m pretty sure spiders can’t stand on clouds.”

“Aw,” I said softly.

“Second, even if they could, I don’t want to keep one in my house.”

“Just take him out to the Everfree Forest and release him there.” Granny Smith waved her foreleg. “Plenty of food fer varmints there. He’ll be just fine.”

My ears drooped. “The…the Everfree Forest? Um, are you okay with going there by yourself, Big Guy? Because I don’t know if I…well, if I feel up to taking you there.”

Big Guy nodded and hopped off my hoof. I gasped - it seemed like a long fall for such a small creature, but he skittered in the direction of the Everfree like nothing was wrong.

“Well, now that that’s taken care of,” said Daddy, rolling his eyes, “what are we going to do about your flying lessons? I want to make sure you can fly thousands of feet up like a pegasus is supposed to.”

I glanced down at the chickens, who cocked their heads in confusion. Then I looked up at the songbirds on the roof. As soon as I gazed at them, they swooped down and landed on my mane and tail. They grabbed my hair with their claws and lifted it up.

“Oh!” I smiled. “You’ll teach me how to fly up high?”

The birds chattered in response. A barn swallow flew straight up and pointed at the sky with her beak.

“You can perch on the clouds?” I asked.

The barn swallow twittered in affirmation.

“I didn’t know that!” I clapped my front hooves together with glee.

“You didn’t?” asked Daddy, raising his eyebrow. “I thought I told you birds can perch on clouds.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I would’ve remembered that. Why haven’t I seen them do it before? I haven’t even seen any birds up close till yesterday.”

Granny tapped her chin. “I reckon it’s on account of 'em not havin' as much food up in the clouds."

“That makes sense,” I said thoughtfully. “Oh! We could have pet chickens!” I gazed at Daddy with wide eyes. “Can we, please?”

“Well…” He sighed. “Who could say no to that face?”

“Thank you, Daddy!” I threw my forelegs around his neck.

“One chicken to start with,” he clarified. “And you have to feed it and clean up after it and take good care of it. ‘Cause Celestia knows I don’t know how.”

“I will!” I told him.

Applejack glanced at me and then looked at Granny, who nodded. “Why don’t you take one of our hens? They like you well enough.”

“We’ll see,” said Daddy. “We’re not going home with a chicken today. We don’t have any chicken food or anything else we’d need to take care of it.”

“We can give ya’ll extra chicken feed,” offered Applejack.

“No, no, you’ve been more than generous already,” Daddy said quickly. I could tell he really didn’t want to rush into getting a pet.

I turned my head to gaze at the four earth ponies who had showed me such hospitality, even little Apple Bloom.

“You’ve been so kind to me. I don’t know how to thank you.”

Applejack took off her father's hat and held it to her chest, staring down at it. "You already have. You helped me get closer to the family I'd left behind. Maybe I'd've done it on my own eventually, but you helped it happen faster."

Granny Smith smiled and stepped toward her granddaughter, ruffling her blond mane. Apple Bloom, who was sitting on Granny's back, flopped over onto Applejack, giggling. McIntosh gave Applejack a quick nuzzle.

There isn't much more to tell after that. Daddy promised he would let me come back to visit soon, and he kept his promise. I came back a month later and saw the rest of Ponyville, and eventually I decided to move there. In the mean time, the birds came to visit me in Cloudsdale and gradually taught me to fly better. I also adopted my first chicken, Elizabeak. But that is a tale for another day.

THE END